bible

So what are you trying to say?

I heard something the other day and I thought, “so what are you trying to say?”

It’s happened a couple of times during a preach, just a quick comment about a character or story in the bible. It may go something like, “you’ve probably never heard of this,” and they name an obscure character or bible story. When I hear a comment like that, it just strikes me funny, and not in the “ha ha” way. Maybe they say it that way because what they really want to say, “you would know it if you read your bible,” might not be received so well.

Now don’t get me wrong, because for longer than I care to admit, I would probably be like, “yep never heard of that guy.” That definitely changed when I picked up my bible and just started reading through it. I wasn’t doing anything special like following a study, reading the bible in a year, or doing it with a group of people. I was just reading and underlining things that jumped out at me. In turn, I found that I liked it! Reading the bible is like having a conversation with God. It’s a long, and slightly confusing conversation at times, but a conversation where I slowly know Him better. Most of the time, it’s also helped me know me better too.

After pondering it, I wondered if the answer to my question really mattered? Why? Well, whatever the reason the comment was made, it seemed like a missed opportunity. A teachable moment if you will. I know, those are what we think belong to children, but we adults have them too.

So I wondered, what if instead of tossing off a comment that may or may not be useful, why not see this as a teachable moment? Wouldn’t this be the perfect time to encourage your listeners to read for themselves what God has placed in His book? Instead of just assuming they’ve never heard of the character or story, ask IF it’s new to them? If it is, that is the perfect time to invite them to go home and read through the passage themselves. To take some time and ponder what the words say and the context of when they were written. To make space for the Holy Spirit to take the words on the page, and the message from the pulpit to speak into our every day lives.

So if you hear a comment like that in a preach, sermon, teaching (whatever you happen to call it) just remember the opportunity you have before you. If the story or character IS new to you, check it out more! Read the passage in different translations, check out a commentary and talk about it with a friend. The stories are old, but we are told that “there is nothing new under the sun.” So in these stories and the people who lived them out, we have the opportunity to see a reflection of our own lives.

October 5, 2024 0

Prepared to do good…..

There is an annual event in the valley called Kids Day. It is an fundraiser for Valley Children’s hospital. We are blessed in the central valley to have an exceptional children’s hospital, that gives amazing care. So every year on Kid’s Day, the Fresno Bee sells a special edition newspaper, and hundreds of people stand at intersections selling them for a a couple bucks. It is such a well received fundraiser, that many people give more than the asking price. As I was getting ready for work, they mentioned it on the news, so I checked my purse to make sure I had a few dollars ready for my paper. I left the house this morning, prepared to do good. As I got into the car, I put the money on the seat beside me so I would be ready.

While driving I decided to try out my new earpiece that my husband purchased for me, I put it on and was talking to him in an instant. I drove and shared a running commentary of the detour that had been set up the day before and the utility problem they had been working on. By the time I had hung up with him only a few minutes had passed, and I was approaching the high school where I would turn right, to get to the freeway. It was then I was somewhat surprised by the person standing on the corner? I realized that there was a woman selling a Kid’s Day paper. As soon as I saw her I knew what she was doing, but in the few short minutes that it took to get from my house to the high school, I realized that my mind had been distracted from Kid’s Day back to normal life. What had been at the top of my mind when I left home had been displaced in a few short minutes.

As I slowed to make the turn, I rolled down the window and handed her the money I had on the seat next to me. As I continued driving, I thought about how easy it was for me to forget about “doing good”. It made me think, what if I hadn’t checked to make sure I had a couple of dollars before leaving home would I have gotten a paper? If I hadn’t had the money out on my seat, would I have had time to dig in my purse, possibly holding up traffic,to get my paper? I am not sure. They only sell it on the street in the morning. If I had waited until lunchtime, I would have been out of luck.

How many of us find ourselves in the same position? We want to do good, but when the opportunity presents itself, we aren’t prepared to respond. Along the way, we’ve become distracted by other things. I thought back in my own life, on the many times I wasn’t able to respond to a need because I wasn’t prepared. The checkbook wasn’t balanced, bills were due or I had spent too much on other things. I get distracted along the way, and take my eyes off of being a good steward with God’s money. I know He owns it all, but in all honesty, most of the time I act like it’s all mine!

It has been a prayer of mine for a while now, that I become better with God’s money. Sometimes I am on track, but most of the time I am just trying to get back to where I should be. Today was a good day though, not only because of the newspaper. I was made aware of a need, and I was able to help. It felt good, but even more than that, it dawned on me that it was an answer to prayer. You see, this weekend I’d bit the bullet and worked on bills. What needed to be paid then, what could wait for the next paycheck, the whole rotten business. It felt good to get it done, but the unexpected benefit was that when the need arose, I knew that I could help in a small way.

Near the end of the work day I heard a verse: James 3:13, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.” I thought the verse spoke to what happened during the day, it makes me want to seek “wisdom from above” and understanding I believe only God can give. I am thankful for the lessons of today, and thankful for the opportunity that came with it. It gives me hope that I am starting to understand a little, and that each day I can be prepared to do good!

March 15, 2024 0

Just a simple question….

I love Three Kings Day! While I have a list full of tasks I need to get done, I couldn’t end this day without a post about the Wise Men. I’ve been thinking about those guys for years! It’s become one of my favorite parts of the Bible, the retelling of the wise men’s visit to the baby Jesus.

This post though, began with a conversation with some ladies about our church. We were talking about what we could do to better serve God, the women of our church and the community. As we talked I was excited about the possibilities! It wasn’t because of what our little group could do, but because of the wise men. You see, I always think about the gifts that God gives to the church when I think about the wise men.

Who were these men? They have been called kings, wise men or magi, and how you refer to them may depend on your own cultural background. What I do know is that they were blessed with wealth and knowledge, and they used them both. They knew the prophecy and when they saw the star, they traveled with gifts to honor a king. Whether they realized it or not, God used these men as a conduit to care for the needs of Jesus and his earthly family. Who knew that some gold would come in handy when you’re fleeing in the opposite direction of your home to a foreign country? Well God did!

What does the new year hold for our church and community? While we don’t know, we can be confident that God does! I believe that just like He provided for Joseph, Mary and Jesus, He’s provided for the work He’s already planned.

As I was thinking about the wise men, I was also reminded of a man named Bezalel. So when God wanted to have a place to be in the midst of His people, He told Moses to make a tabernacle. This wasn’t just any old tent though, the specifications were precise and everything about it was spelled out to Moses by God.

“You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you.” Exodus 30:1-6

This was just for an altar! God specified the way to build each aspect of the tabernacle, all the way down to the priests undergarments! What makes us think that His plans for our new year are any different? I wonder if Moses started freaking out a little when he realized all the work, craftsmanship and skill that would go into this space? This is where God reassures Moses that he’s already taken care of that.

The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.” Exodus 31:1-11

God had gifted this man to lead, and others to do the work He’d already planned. We’re each given gifts, blessings or abilities that when used, we bring glory to God in the congregation and the community.

“Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

I think of the gifts He has given me, and how I am using them. Or at times, not using them. I also think of the church and how the gifts people have been given show up every day on campus and in the community. I always wonder though, what gifts are still there yet unused? How do we ignite the church and empower each of us to use all the gifts God has provided?

My prayer is that we would all ask the ourselves a simple question. What experiences, abilities, blessings has God given me that combined with the Holy Spirit will equal the good deeds God’s already planned for His glory? By God’s grace may we all find our answer.

January 6, 2024 0

Looking for Harmony

I went to a bible study this morning, and I think there was some shock that I was there. This was actually my second time there and when I walked in the first time, it was quite a surprise. I was by the far the youngest person in the room. I would say that most of them were a good 20 years older than me, and retired. Grandchildren and great grandchildren was their reality, mine is just finishing getting my children out of the house.

So I sat, and they were all introduced to me and I to them. It was funny, and while I felt a bit out of place, they were all more than kind to me. After the study, I was not sure if I would go back. It had more to do with how they ran the study, than anything else, but I had decided to go at least the one more time before their August break.

So today, I walked into the class and was warmly greeted by all. After the class, I made conversation with one of the ladies as she had asked prayer for her daughter and a job decision that was coming up. From the way she spoke, I assumed her daughter lived in the bay area, and since that is where I am from, it gave me an “in” to have a conversation. We spoke of her daughter, where she lived and the decision she would be soon making. It was a nice conversation, and I was glad that I had found an opening to speak with her.

At that point, the teacher of the group walked out with me and made a comment that made me smile. She handed me the binder of study materials that they were using and said that it was OK if I did not come back. She said it nicely, and I know it was because she recognized that this group was not my peers, and not out of a desire to get me out of the group. Whatever my feelings were before, by that time, I knew I would be back. Really, how could I not? This is a group of women that I could learn from, and like I told her, I might teach them a thing or two also.

Meeting these ladies also fits into the scheme of the new me. I want to be challenged by who I know, and seek out those who ha images-1 ve a different experience than I do. I want to hear their stories, and see from their perspective. This is important to me. Why? I think it is so I can meet people where they are, and not where I think they should be. I think that is a lot of the problem with the world. We expect everyone to be like….well us.

Everyone thinks we need to be unified, but I don’t like to think in terms of unity, but more like harmony. Unity seems like sameness to me, and I know that in our ways of thinking many of us are not the same. I like to think more in terms of harmony. We are singing different parts, that look and sound awfully different. All of us singing with the same goal 9165c3e52b881ae39233a13d8c8df74d in mind. It may sound a bit discordant when you take each part separately, but when it is all put together by a Master Conductor, we get something that is beyond what we could ever imagine. I cannot wait to hear their stories, and seek out the harmony that He creates

August 11, 2016 4

Right time, right place.

Today was a day of encouragement. Some of it I gave, and some of it I received. The events were nothing spectacular, but it is typically the small things that can have the most impact. This morning, I went to the grocery store, and by the time I came out, my car was in the shade. It was a simple thing, but in the heat of the Central Valley, it provided welcome relief even from this morning’s heat.

When I came home, I had to hurry and get cleaned up, as I had a massage appointment to get to. It was only twenty minutes, but after the stress that I put myself through this week, it was like a little slice of heaven. This week my regular therapist was back from a maternity sabbatical, and I was happy to see her. After my massage, we sat and talked for a few minutes. First she gave me the update about the new baby and the challenges of being a new mom. I told her some of my experiences with the boys, and encouraged her to use her own good sense to make decisions. I advised her to not worry about what other people say she should do, but to take the advice and use her best judgement. I then told her that I had quit my job, and that I was working at blogging and trying to “reinvent” myself. It was then that she was able to give some encouraging words to me. It was a great conversation, and I left feeling better in both body and spirit. Continue reading “Right time, right place.” →

July 17, 2016 0

Happy that no one is watching

So today I am going back to the start. I said that I have typically 20 things going on in my head at one time, so I am trying to clear everything else out and focus on one thing. I have my tap board ready, my shoes and a video of simple instructions. I have to get practicing if I am going to be ready for next year’s National Tap Dance Day.

It has been a couple of weeks since building my board, and trying it out for a fe keep-calm-and-tap-dance-48 w minutes. Why haven’t I stepped back on you ask? Well, this morning I was asking myself the same thing. I thought back over the past couple of weeks, and wondered what happened? What took my excitement away? Where did the drive go to accomplish something new ? I know the whole tap dancing thing seems a little trivial, but it really is a means to deal with other things that are truly not so trivial. Insecurities, health, doubt, fear, fitness and choosing the freedom to live life joyfully.

I look back on the last few weeks, and I see doubt and fear raising their ugly heads. These two monsters have been attacking me with a vengeance. The avenues of attack? It has been finances, writing, back pain and even discouragement. So where is my defense? I got a kick star 280px-Gossamer_restored t from reading the bible, making props for storytelling, helping my husband and reading some Max Lucado. That is all just to stay afloat. I also listened to an author/speaker named John Maxwell, and he was talking about one of his books, “Today Matters”. There was a lot in it, but my quick take away was if you put something off until tomorrow, it is more than likely it will never get done.

I have been legitimately busy, but I noticed that this was the only thing that I kept putting off day after day. That caught my attention. I always put off doing what I don’t like, is hardest or most uncomfortable for me. It is a pattern. So when I see this, I know I have to attack it. So here I am, ready to wage war on my fear and insecurity through the art of dance. OK, I use the word art and dance very loosely. You have heard the saying, “Dance like no one is watching.” Well I can tell you, I have never been more thankful that no one is watching.

June 24, 2016 3

Time for another Adventure

Dinner is almost done and I am exhausted. It is going to be a couple of long weeks as we are getting ready for VBA. I am sure you see signs where you live about VBS, or Vacation Bible School. Here though, we do Vacation Bible Adventure. Both our Senior and Youth Pastors have daughters that work at Disneyland, so that should give you the indication what the place starts to look like. Sets are going up all over the campus in anticipation of the 1,000 or so kids who will attend. During the week, I tell stories Version 2 to preschoolers. Today I went and started to get our sets “built”, more like taped together, for the stories. I was happy to have one of our students come out and help me today. I had a picture from Pinterest of what I was looking for, but after showing her that, I gave her free reign to create. I think she did a fantastic job. It is a really cute whale….my pic is not so good though.
This whole undertaking is HUGE! It takes so many people, using so many different talents to put these great environments together. It is always exhausting, but always amazing to be a part of such a wonderful group of people. Are you having your own Vacation Bible School? Or Adventure? If you are, leave a comment about what encourages you the most about being involved in this kind of event.

So I kind of cut her out of the picture because she is a young lady, and I try to be aware of any parental concern.

June 21, 2016 2

Level of the least discriminating audience

Lowest common denominator. Again, this math concept came back to me as I have been listening to the election coverage and heard it being used. I know what you are thinking, politics and math? It was actually Stephen Hawking who used it, and while he was talking about a particular presidential candidate, I actually think about this all the time. It is pretty funny because it is a mathematics term, and I hated math. As I am getting older though, I am finding that math is making its way into my everyday life more often. The best is when I use algebra as an object lesson for my sons. My mother, the math teacher, would be proud. My sons though, are pretty much over it.

math1 — *Just had to put a math graphic in here for fun.*

Back to my point. I find that in a lot of things, people tend to go to the lowest common denominator. Myself included. I always wonder why? Whether it is comedy. Where most jokes nowadays are more hurtful than funny, but everyone laughs. Or it could be politics, where we jump on a bandwagon of the candidate who is talking the loudest, singling out an enemy and promising what they are going to do for you. Or even the church where we pretend to do instead of really doing what we believe, because it is just easier that way. Again why? Maybe we are working, trying to make ends meet? More concerned with getting the kids picked up from daycare than who will be the next councilman, senator or president? Worrying about our weight, health, jobs, spouses and children. Which are all good things to worry about. Too tired at the end of day trying to make life better, that we don’t have the energy to really ask, what makes a better life? Too distracted to ask ourselves, do I really want to live a “lowest common denominator” kind of life?

I know that is a life I really don’t want. Unfortunately, I believe that is a life I have lived too much of already. So I am now trying day by day not to accept that “uncommon” life as my own. It is harder than it looks. I get up, I write, I read my bible, exercise (ok so not every day yet), and I try to be encouraging. Every day I fight the desires to wallow in self-pity, doubt, fear, pride and anger. (Well that was an honest sentence for you) Each day is a new opportunity, and maybe more importantly a different opportunity. So I take strength in the words of Paul, the man who wrote most of the new testament not the Beatle. “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” He sounds as confused as I feel many times, but I love his honesty. I take great comfort in the fact that if Paul didn’t have it all down on his own, than I am not doing so bad. My Mom was right when she said, “it’s not what you know, but who you know”, and for that uncommon life, I am counting on Him being my Who.

If you want to check out where Paul said that: Romans 7:15 NIV

Please leave a comment if the post encouraged, challenged or made you think.

June 9, 2016 2

Cheryl Mendoza

How He speaks to me…..Or… can't He just call my cell when He wants to talk?

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