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Could you guess this blog is about questions? People seem to be asking more questions in the last few years than ever before. It's good to ask. It's good to listen to the answer. Thomas was the questioner of Jesus' disciples, he definitely got his answer! Some of the sick who came to Jesus asked, will you heal? His answer is "I will..."
God taught me a spiritual lesson today. HE ASKED ME A QUESTION! What do you focus on? The question, or what you already know? Remember David's reaction when his mind got so full of questions about who God is? He finally realized, "these things are too high for me." We can either focus on our questions that may not get an answer or we can go back to what we already know and be filled again with His assurance. (Blog coming soon about these words of Jesus, "most assuredly")
Here are some of the things I already know: Acts 22:14-15, John 15:16, John 6:37-40, Eph. 1:3-4; we are chosen! 1John 1:7; we are made clean! Eph. 1:7; we are redeemed! 1Pet.1:3-5, John 17:11, Jude 24; we are kept by His power and love! Nothing can separate us from the Love of our God!
So, keep asking questions, but focus on what you already know. What are some of the things you know already?

Spam

Maybe it was all the stories we heard about Spam growing up in Minnesota.

We grew up in the northern part, still the stories took on mythical proportions. We knew that Hormell made this canned meat known as 'Minnesota Delight' and the meat plant was somewhere down in the mysterious southern part of Minnesota. We didn't get around much in Minnesota. Austin, MN proudly claims Hormell packing plant as their own, and of course we are proud that Minnesotans have employment. The money stays in the state because we didn't go out of state. Most Minnesotans are born, raised, married and buried in this beautiful state.

Everything about Spam was mysterious to us because we never knew for certain just what parts of the pig went into the mixture. Anyhoo, (that's a Minnesota word for anyway) it comes out of the can a pink color. Why do they call pork the 'other white meat'? We enjoyed the good natured fun around Spam. There are Spam carving contests and inventive Spam receipe contests. There are Spam Festivals where everyone gets to be silly and think up silly Spam costumes to wear. The winters are long in Minnesota.

It's only been in the last couple of years that Spam has made it into our house again. Spam was considered survivor meat in Alaska when we ran out of moose, caribou, salmon, hooligan and halibut. It made it back on the grocery list because they lowered the sodium content. Hmmm, funny. Jim reached for the salt shaker tonight. I decided to overcome childhood memories about Spam and become inventive where this meat is concerned. BTW, what have they possibly used to keep all those pork parts together, it never falls apart in the frying pan.

Our favorite dinner with Spam is stir-fry. You may not see the pictures very easily, but the stir-fry was chopped Spam in Minnesota orderly squares, asparagus, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, cilantro, green onion and low-sodium soy sauce. I forgot to put in the mushrooms!! Oh well, left over Spam makes a good omelet with mushrooms.

Now the real reason I love cooking Spam is because it makes Jim happy! I had to face it, Jim loves Spam.

Spam hint: Costcos price is best, four cans to a pack. We have it hidden in the garage in a cupboard. Our kids know where it is though and it keeps disappearing. Life is full of mysteries, right?

More on the Eyewitness

This afternoon I began reading Mark 16 and there it is, do we believe the eyewitnesses or not? There has always been a great challenge to Christian beliefs in a world that can only believe if they see first, 'show me the money.' Sunday in church, a friend reported a conversation she had with someone about faith and his response was, "show me the evidence." When we have God's word backwards, we will not see.

Christians who have seen and believed the Lord, love to celebrate who He is. Two of the days we love to celebrate more than any other are Christmas and Easter, the beginning of our faith for salvation and the resurrection to eternal life with Jesus. We love to celebrate and the world increasingly loves to castigate the meaning of our celebrations. But they can never change what God has given us.

What were the expectations and hopes of the people we read about in Mark 16? 16:1, they were going to anoint a dead body; 16:3, who would roll back the stone for them? Every emotion these three women felt is probably exactly what we would feel. They have been grieving, terror-filled, amazed, frightened enough to be trembling, bewildered and seized with consternation, they were held captive by fear and alarm (all scriptures are from the Amplified Bible). Verse 9 says that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene, she went and reported to the disciples (v.10) what she had just SEEN and HEARD, and the disciples response was to weep and grieve. Yesterday (March 29) we had a very good description from P. Rory of what it is to weep like that. It's pretty messy, but there is no way to stop it because you don't care who sees it. The Bible calls this "godly sorrow for sin". Could it be that the eleven were sitting around thinking of the last few days and everything they had done and experienced? When the Master's name was mentioned, did Peter remember his betrayal of his Master? They grieved and wept. After all this, still they could not believe, "And when they heard that He was alive and that she had SEEN Him, they did not believe it" (v 11). Jesus never gives up on His people!! He appears to His apostles and rebukes and reproves them for their hard hearts and lack of faith, "...they had refused to believe those who had SEEN Him and LOOKED at Him attentively after He had risen [from death]." Thank you Jesus for not giving up on our frames of dust! Jesus believed in them! After His sharp rebuke, He gives them the Great Commission! And here we are today.

Soon we will be celebrating again. Easter is in a couple weeks, April 12. This year is the fifth year since we first came to TRC. Broken-hearted and unhealed, but Jesus...

I'm blogging like the whole world is reading everything, so this is my message to you today. Even if you have heard it many times and your response is "I'm still not ready", make this year different. Believe the eyewitnesses, believe the pastors when they preach their hearts out that Jesus loves you and will save you. They and many others have SEEN and believed. Believe the eyewitnesses in Mark 16, it is these people who changed the world. Jesus still wants more world-changers, you are one too when Jesus gets hold of your life. Forsake your life and your life will be saved. This Easter time!

Do You Believe the Eyewitness?

A number of years ago I served for three months on a grand jury in Anchorage. The function of the grand jury is to show up on time when you are called and hear testimony of several witnesses, among them, eye witnesses. Based on the testimony we heard and after asking questions of the witnesses, we voted yea or nay on issuing an indictment. We heard testimony from many people, relating to many different cases over those three months. Some of the most important testimony was from eye witnesses. We believed some, and others we did not believe.

One of the blessings we have in our Bible is the testimony of the eye witness, and our choice is to believe or disbelieve. Holy, inspired men and women of God have carefully laid out their testimony of their experiences with God and with His Son, Jesus Christ. Their testimony has survived every test the world can throw at it. It still changes peoples lives because of its truth. God can tell nothing but the truth and when we believe by faith, that truth sets us free. (John 8:36; John 14:6).

For the Apostle Paul, there was no mistaking the experience he had on the road to Damascus. Still in the midst of threats, conspiracies and murder against the Church, Paul (or Saul at that time) had an unforgettable experience with the ascended Jesus Christ. He is ready to meet leaders of the synagogue in Damascus to carry out these plans against the Church but as he nears the city, he has a meeting with Jesus that knocks him off his horse and blinds him for a time in the light around him. Saul's first statement from the ground is "Who are You, Lord?" He immediately had the witness that the voice he heard was to be called 'Lord.' From that day on, Paul (God changed his name, as He did everything in his life) gladly gave eyewitness testimony of the transformation he had in his life and the credit belonged to Jesus.

The Apostle Peter was preaching to the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:36-43) "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him. And we ARE WITNESSES OF ALL THINGS which He did..." The apostles eyewitness never softened, remained consistent to the end of their lives. The kind of eyewitness the whole world could believe in! Even the prophets of the Old Testament saw the Messiah by faith, Peter goes on, "To Him all the prophets witness that, [Jesus was to be Judge of the living and the dead] through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." Peter was an eyewitness to the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. An eyewitness to believe. How boldly Peter told the story of the Savior! Can you imagine sitting down with Peter and listening to the complete story of what he saw when he lived with Jesus?

When Jesus was speaking at Capernaum, the multitude asked for a sign, "...that we may SEE it and believe you?" It was show me, and I will believe, with Jesus it is, believe and you will see. The statement that Jesus gives the crowd is, "But I say to you that you have SEEN Me and yet do not believe. (John 6:28-36). How blessed we are to have never seen, yet believe!! We who are transformed by the power of His blood know and have seen by faith that He is real and is everything He said He is.

Blogs permit only a few paragraphs. The scripture is full of eye witnesses who met the Living God and had their lives changed. I challenge you to find the eyewitnesses and believe them! Act on what the Holy Spirit witnesses in your hearts as you search His word.

"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who SEES the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40

The Mystery of Socks

I read a comment by friend Stacie about her families sock problem. If you have had children, you know exactly what I'm getting at. The greatest household mystery of all time, the most asked question in a child filled household is, where is the other sock?? Why is it that every washer that has ever been manufactured has a hunger for one sock of each variety? Why don't matching pairs disappear? I fully understand your plea Stacie. If it's any consolation, millions of moms have had your experience!

The mystery of socks is right underneath the skin, and it doesn't take much to bring back the memories of the one missing sock. After reading Stacies remark on FB, memories of socks running away from home flooded in. All the crazy places they hide, all the odd uses kids find for their socks...it was too much, it had to go on a blog. It was imperative in our household that we find these socks, just wouldn't do for a kid to get out of the house in our Alaska winter with only one sock that could be found. Summer was no problem, kids loved bare feet. Finding socks became a goal, an inspiration to overcome the power that socks have over your household budget. Of course we can overcome this mystery!

First, find all the hiding places your kids use for candy, for incomplete homework, for the bug collection you said no to, the flashlight they use to read at night under the covers. That's some of the easier places to look. Then there is the deep recesses of the closet. Get beyond the locker room smell, the lunch box that disappeared with the sandwich still in it and you will find at least two mismatched socks in each place. NEVER throw away single socks, as soon as you do... you know what happens. I can't even write about that!

Kids socks have many uses other that covering feet. I have found lost socks being used to carry a marble collection. The sock would hang in a knot through a belt loop on jeans. Remember when we told our kids, "you've had enough candy today!" There's more in a sock somewhere. I have found caterpillars in a sock. That is really gross to reach in to turn the sock inside out and your fingers squish a caterpillar.

We eased the single sock problem at our house by buying same color socks. My girly girls didn't appreciate the gym socks though. We depended on grandparents to provide our girls with the pink, purple and lacey socks they loved. Whenever Grandma and Grandpa asked what they could get the kids for gifts, the one word response was always the same, socks.

The end of this mystery, frustrating mystery, is laugh at our frustration (s)!

Thanks to Jim for the sock picture, you are a dream come true.

P.S. I want to paragraph, but when I publish it, no paragraphs! Another mystery.

The Auction

Tonight at 6PM at TRC, we are having an auction to raise funds for kids camps, kids activities, and kids ministry. Please try to come, it's funny as all get out. The bidding gets hot and heavy when the chocolate goodies come out for bid! It's nice to see the kids take part in their own fund raising by helping deliver the goods to the high bidder. There's a great variety of goods and services, for instance; what would you bid for cooking lessons? Delivery of fresh farm eggs? Try the auction, you'll like it. You might even meet new friends that could end up being your friends for decades. It's fun at TRC!!

More on Bill and Karen

One of the great things about having friends that are a 'little' younger than you are: their memories are better! Got an e-mail from Karen at 6:19 AM (why was she up so early on a Saturday morning?) and she reminded me of a few things.

We were at both of David and Amy's weddings; the civil ceremony before he left for Iraq, and the second Catholic ceremony when he got back. We also went to Bill's retirement party in The Dalles, a retirement that really meant he was just changing jobs. Jim wired their house, forgot all about that one! I'll tell you a little about their house. Mt. Adams is right (almost) out of their kitchen and bedroom windows. Bill made the staircase to the upstairs from wood on their property, it's beautiful. If you look at the house, it seems like it could be a house in Alaska. Throughout their home building project, Bill learned how to be nice to inspectors. We got in touch again in 1986, (where does she get this memory?) when she was pregnant and living in NH. The first time we got together after Alaska was 1986.

I really hope all of you will have a chance to meet them, some of you have met Bill. He had retirement business at Ft. Lewis and when he came up for that, he attended the TRC with us. There is a lot more to the story. You have heard nothing about Banjo Bill yet, or the organizer Karen is. Another day.