7/8/21 7/8/21

Poetry Ode to a Friend

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. —Proverbs 17:17

A friend is a friend
no matter how small,
For a friendship’s not based on
how little or tall.
The size of a friend
shouldn’t matter at all,
Only the size of the heart
that hears when you call.
For a friend that is there
when the other falls,
Is a friend who is truly
the greatest of all.

Lord Jesus, help me appreciate my friends and not to turn away when they need me. Amen

7/6/21 7/6/21

Politics Lost Generation

Where are the doctors to treat the ill,
Researchers to find the cures,
Scientists, inventors to solve problems galore,
Creative entrepreneurs?

So many questions unanswered,
And the minds which might have found
The answers to many a thorny problem
Lie forgotten in the ground.

A generation gone,
Sacrificed to selfishness and fear,
But in the holocaust of unborn children,
Have we made a sacrifice too dear?

Did we abort one who might have found,
The cure to many a disease?
Or maybe another Einstein, Madam Curie,
A Plato or Socrates?

In destroying a whole generation
Have we not lost humanity as well?
And, in choosing death brought closer still,
On earth a living hell?

As we choose active euthanasia,
Tomorrow who shall decide your fate,
When no longer can you speak for your life?
Your mother? The doctor? The state?

Today as we play executioner,
(Though given many a fancy name,)
By whatever term we take human life,
We diminish the compassion
of all who remain.

Let us halt this senseless destruction
Of a race bent on killing its weak,
Remember the love of He who died,
The helpless lost to seek.

Replace hate with compassion,
With love like He offers you and me,
To value life as did our Creator,
A love that sets us wholly free.

Thank you, Lord, for making each of us unique. Help me, help others recognize the value of each individual human life. Amen.

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” —Mtthew 19:14

7/4/21 7/4/21

Blog Politics Remember History

History is but people,
And our country's had its share,
Who did their part to make us great,
So let me take you there.

The father of our country,
George Washington of long ago,
Led our land to freedom,
In spite of famine and snow.

There was Thomas Jefferson,
Who helped pen those special words,
Of freedom in the Declaration of Independence,
The entire nation heard.

Don't forget tall Abe Lincoln,
President who freed the slaves,
Though he lost his own life,
The United States he saved.

Speak of Clara Barton
Who brought the Red Cross to our shores,
Or Harriet Tubman's rescue of her people,
And so many, many more.

Yes, I shall proudly stand,
With those who did their best,
To bring us freedom with honor,
And ever stood the test.

For those who bravely went before us,
For all they did for you and me.
Let us honor them with gratitude
Doing our part to ensure
America’s people remain forever free

6/23/21 6/23/21

Blog Bio Memorial Day Remembrance 2021 & Family

So thankful for those who served—including my dad and father-in-law.

I sat in the car not far from where individuals and families, including the Scheidies family, gathered to honor those who fought, and many died for their country.

After a very cold, rainy, muddy Sunday, Monday was warm with enough breeze to show off all the American flags decorating the Minden Cemetery. A few puffy white clouds floated in the blue sky, a change even from the darker clouds showing on our drive to Minden.

At times, the only sound was the flapping of the huge flags and the soft, reverent voices of those searching for graves of loved ones. A variety of flowers on most of the graves added color to green grass and brown, off white, and gray marble grave monuments. I watched parents point out graves to younger children and adults stooping down to carefully place flowers. Memorial Day was solemn, but also peaceful.

The Scheidies family has gathered for years twice a year the last weekend in April and the weekend after Thanksgiving. Last year we had no large gathering as a family--except one, In June we laid to rest LaVern Scheidies, my husband’s beloved father. We’d also gathered, at that same time, to remember Keith’s next oldest brother Mark. Neither died due to Covid 19, but both deaths were unexpected and difficult.

This year, we chose to get together, not in April, but in May, Memorial Day weekend. We’d already spent Sunday together at the Scheidies’ farm--eating, laughing, playing games, crying a bit, and, finally, hugging one another. It was a comfort to be together.

We chose Memorial Day weekend because Keith’s dad was a veteran, and proud of it. A couple of years earlier, two of Keith’s brothers took Dad’s letters and other information and items from World War II and created a book for each family. We have that reminder of him now.

What made this Memorial Day special was on this day, a flag would be dedicated in LaVern’s honor as a veteran. I stayed in the car because the walk to where the service was held would have taken far too long and been too tiring. I couldn’t actually make out the words spoken by the speakers, I heard the background hum and later got to view the new flag flying in the gentle breeze.

In the quiet of the late morning, I thought about those from around the country, my dad included, who answered the calls to fight, many long ago in the World Wars, to leave behind family and friends to protect the country from a horrifying menace of evil, torture and death. These brave men and women accomplished what they set out to do. America survived because of those willing to fight evil. I closed my eyes and gave thanks.

We still have those in the military and on the police force doing their best to protect and serve. Yes, some make wrong choices. Most do not. We must not paint them all with the same brush. Instead, let’s support and give thanks for the many, many who keep us safe.

6/11/21 6/11/21

Poetry Hope He Gives

Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. —Psalm 119:114 KJV

He gave me hope
When darkness clouded
mind and soul
When pain beyond reason
Clutched and tore the
fabric of my insular world
Left me bleeding from every
Physical and emotional pore.

He offered life
When my own ebbed and I
Wished only for the end
Yet, I clung to that nameless something
Implanted deep within
This cannot be all there is!

His gentle voice called, comforted, cared
Even in my rebellion,
Even in my indifference,
Even in my anger
He showed me sacrifice
Someone even dared to die—for me!

Love held Jesus to that cross
God became man—lived, died.
Rose again—for me, for my pain
For my anguished cries
Of heart and soul and mind.

Jesus offered forgiveness, life, hope
He stretched out His hand
My choice. And I, in dread anticipation,
Clasped His palm--Found Him.

Thank you for finding me. Help me to live for you. Amen.
(C) 2017 Carolyn R Scheidies
From The God Connection
Print and Kindle versions

6/8/21 6/8/21

Blog Bio New hope as pandemic gives way to hugs

It’s a new day. More and more individuals are leaving masks behind, along with their fears. Others are no longer afraid to greet family, neighbors and friends. Six feet is too far away these days. Hugs are back in though most ask before making that move.

Do you know how good hugs feel after a year without them? Hugs, time together, and face-to-face conversations are not only something humans do, but an essential part of being mentally as well as physically whole and healthy. We haven’t been healthy as a culture for over a year, a year given over to fears and wondering what and whom to believe about our medical well-being.

Spring has brought new hope and sunshine as well as needed rain. It has opened doors for us to reach out to one another again. We had close friends drop by for a few moments to say “hi.” and to give us a loaf of homemade banana bread bought on a jaunt out of town.

Another neighbor who was walking by with her little dog stopped in when she saw our friend’s car. Not much time then, but we checked out schedules and made plans to meet at Perkins in a couple of days. That was the beginning of the evening.

Two days later, Keith and I got out of the house for haircuts. Got out to buy pots of flowers for cemetery plots for Memorial Day. Got out to meet our friends for supper. We ate, laughed, talked and simply enjoyed each other’s company. After last year we valued our time together.

After supper, we met back at our house and gathered around our card table to play a game Keith bought that had us using words from songs we recalled. It was one of those games in which coming up with songs from the trigger words was fun even if you were in last place on the board.

Again we laughed, talked, and checked up some songs on cell phones. No one cared who moved the pieces on the board. We were friends from long-standing, who knew each other, trusted each other and had always been there for one another. Now we were able to enjoy being together as we hadn’t been able to do during the last year.

We played two games filled with songs, conversation and laughter. Overhead, the sky thundered. Rain fell. It was time to break up and for our friends to head home. We said our goodbyes and watched them go.

For some, it was a small thing, friends getting together. I saw it differently. Friendships had been renewed and deepened. My lips curved into a smile and my heart filled with joy as I filed away a brand-new and precious memory.

My husband and I decided to make this evening a beginning for friends, fellowship, fun--and the making of positive memories. Is it time for you to do the same?

5/24/21 5/24/21

Blog Past, Present, Future--the value of perspective

At my age, it is easier to look back than forward since we don’t know what the future holds or how much of a future is out there for us. This is especially true if we have health issues.

Yet, how we live today matters. How many times have we seen those who constantly relive events from their past? A person may focus on those years as a high school or college sports hero, unable to move forward into the present.

Because these individuals stay stuck in the past, their present is less than their grandiose imaginations. Such individuals may turn to complaints and hopelessness when a glamorized past doesn’t match the present. This may lead to climbing into a drug of forgetfulness, creating even further problems.

Working toward a new dream seems too much work—even though doing so would make life in the present and future more satisfying, Others may be stuck in a time of tragedy. Somehow, they refuse to release past anger, bitterness and fear.

Negative memories blind them to the good of their lives today. It blinds them to what they could do to make today different than yesterday. Blinds them from getting the help they need to come to terms and release the past to a better today and tomorrow.

Dreamers live in the future. I've known those who claim they have been offered a dream job--when they've never even applied. If they did apply, they would not be hired because they don't have the experience or education to do the job. You might think this would impel them to seek the education or experience to equip them for the job they want so badly.

Yet often dreamers wish to live in an imaginary future that has no bearing on reality. Years ago, when I used to both attend and lecture at author's conferences, I met individuals who shared a book idea. Often, the idea was solid. The next year, these same individuals would be back with a whole new idea. When asked about the prior idea, the result was a shrug and the admission that the idea was never anything but an idea. The next year, the cycle played out all over again.

These individuals never did write, never gained experience, never worked at the craft, and never had the satisfaction of finishing, much less publishing, a project. Living in the future robs a person of living in the present.

Others who dream, recognize a dream is only as good as efforts today working toward that dream. Dreams do not become reality without effort, and living today to its fullest to make tomorrow's dream come true.

This includes understanding life offers good and bad. Past memories bring joy and sorrow. They help form us into the persons we are today. Even bad events can shape our tomorrows if we use such situations to propel us in a positive direction.

A person who was traumatized may decide to become a mental health care professional to help others deal with similar situations. We also don't want to forget loved ones who've passed on or lose positive memories from yesterday. They should be shared with our families.

That is different from wallowing in a bygone past. Dreams for the future need to become actual goals with plans for reaching that dream, Of course, the dream also needs to be more than an unattainable wish. We have past, present and future. Each has its place for a satisfying life.

I don’t know about you, but I plan to live each day—today and work toward my goals with an attitude of blessing and gratitude.

5/20/21 5/20/21

Politics Racism, abuse and ignorance=Critical Race Theory

What goes around, comes around. As far as America has come in stamping out slavery and its tentacles, a new generation of so-called intellectual elites now teaches that race isn’t inherent.

Instead, according to Critical Race theory, the concept of race was invented specifically to oppress persons of color and that the US was racist from its inception.This Marxist- based theory divides humans into classes based, not on character or location or any other criteria, but race.

They conclude that so-called white persons are less-than, less deserving than, other races, and inherently more oppressive. This theory throws away everything our Constitution stands for –individual rights, equality under the law, freedom to strive and achieve happiness. They also vilify hard work, initiative, and the family unit.

This theory, which is creeping across this nation in our schools and courts, actually takes us, not forward in race relations, but back to pre-Civil War. Many in the segregated South firmly believed, as do those who hold to the Critical Race Theory, that how a person thinks derives from skin color—rather than environment, culture, family and. or national ties.

They encourage everyone, including the courts, to judge not on the basis of the facts, not on the basis of what actually transpired, not even whether or not the action was criminal—but solely based on race. This theory codifies discrimination into law.

If you are black, no matter what you’ve done, you should get a pass. If you are white—even if you are the victim, since you are automatically the oppressor, your rights are to be stripped away, again, regardless of the situation or facts. This hideous discriminatory theory has very real-world consequences.

Many who are growing up with a European ancestry are made to feel shame just because they are who they were created to be. If they are attacked by a person with darker skin, they are to bow and scrape and apologize, rather than to protect themselves. Sounds a lot like reverse racism to me.

I read a news story about a schoolteacher who made the back and white students in class form two lines. Remember, these are just innocent little kids. She forced the white students, who’d done nothing wrong but be born with a certain skin pigmentation, to go down the line and apologize to the black students. How confusing for all the students.

This is an abuse of the children in her care. This is not the America envisioned by Martin Luther King jr. whose wish was for skin color not to even be an issue. Yet today, we see the race card played anytime a person with light-colored skin disagrees with a person with dark skin.

According to Critical Race Theory, issues aren’t important, because only skin color matters. But, blaming one race for all the ills of the world, will not bring peace or hope or unity.

Critical Race Theory is based on historical ignorance of slavery. In Bible days, the Jewish people were enslaved by the Egyptians. That’s what the story of Moses is all about.The great American experience freed many oppressed people including Swedes and the Irish to become something more in America.

Even in the early 20th century, Swedish children of poor families in Sweden were sold, supposedly, as indentured servants. Some children became almost members of a family, others became slaves to those who purchased them. So this is White Privilege?

Those with European ancestry make up only a part of the world. Those with Asian ancestry make up a large slice of the world from China to many smaller nations. Arabs dominate in other countries and do a brisk business trafficking in blond, blue-eyed white women—who become sexual slaves.

Something similar happens in countries dominated by those with a black background. Do these so-called intellectuals of this theory even know how slavery came to Europe?

African nations were tribal-based, as were some of the Indian cultures in America. They fought killed and captured enemies. Many became slaves of the conquering tribe. When Europeans made contact, entrepreneurial Africans saw a way to make slavery pay. They sold their captured slaves to the ship Captains until slavery was spread throughout the countries dominated by Europeans.

Slavery did not have its beginning in the United States of America, nor was it set up to do so. Many opposed slavery from the very beginning. Like other peoples, many black persons came over as indentured servants, until someone brought slaves. Even so, slavery was dying out until the cotton gin was invented which made slavery profitable again.

The inventor wasn’t trying to enslave, he was only trying to make a product to help planters have the means to clean the cotton more simply and easily.

Critical Race Theory is not progressive in bringing people together—nor is it intended to do so, It is a throwback to an era of discrimination and evil. Instead of liberating a race, this theory when practiced, enslaves with lies, division and the encouragement to hate, encourages bullying, at behavior at least on par with the attitudes of deep south slavers.

Why would we encourage the spread of such a devastating theory? The invented idea of White Privilege goes along with this discriminatory theory. Each of us is a special creation of a loving God who wants us to accept who we are without apology or shame—just for being who we are. Accepting who we are and respecting one another means letting go hate to see beyond skin color to care about the person within.

That was the dream and goal of Martin Luther King Jr. That is the goal we should strive for—not some flawed theory that hurts not helps, tears down, not lifts up and divides not brings together. Let’s fight, not each other, but ideas and theories that seek to divide us through hate.

Let’s look for and promote the good in ourselves and others. Also, let’s make sure the new health and sex education proposal coming from State Board of Education will not be accepted until rewritten to exclude both inappropriate sex content and this discriminatory Critical Race Theory.

RESOURCES:https://www.prageru.com/video/what-is-critical-race-theory/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhRPlsa-Y-0 https://www.britannica.com/topic/critical-race-theory

(c) Critical race theory (CRT), intellectual movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of colour. Critical race theorists hold that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/dec/22/marxist-critical-race-theory-seeps-into-us-courts/?utm_source=GOOGLE&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=chacka&utm_campaign=TWT+-+DSA&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvr6EBhDOARIsAPpqUPHTFAne0a3QeJSicW6be-C5lLXVWon6rwc7jiJ9QaIyR7gHWazViJ8aAuU9EALw_wcB

©Critical Race Theory — a Marxist framework that views society only through the lens of race-based oppression — is everywhere these days. In corporations, federal agencies, schools, and even the military, it sows hatred and division in the name of “dignity” and “equality.”

This ideology teaches that “Whiteness” is oppression and that all its manifestations — including “the nuclear family,” “objective, rational linear thinking,” and the idea that “hard work is the key to success” — must be stamped out. It rejects the most fundamental beliefs of our nation, that we are all equal under the law and should have the same opportunities to prosper and pursue happiness based on individual merit.

At its core, it rejects classical liberalism, especially its emphasis on equality under law, neutral legal principles, meritocracy and individual rights. It propagates racial stereotypes and teaches that the way people think and act is tied to their skin color, the same type of racist views taught in the segregationist South decades ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade#:~:text=The%20vast%20majority%20of%20those,by%20the%20slave%20traders%20in

©The vast majority of those who were enslaved and transported in the transatlantic slave trade were people from Central and West Africa, who had been sold by other West Africans, or by half-European "merchant princes" to Western European slave traders (with a small number being captured directly by the slave traders in coastal raids)..1, 2

"Implications of the slave trade for African societies". London: BBC. Retrieved 12 June2020.
^"West Africa – National Museums Liverpool". Liverpool: International Slavery Museum. Retrieved 14 October 2015

https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectweden aives/feature/indentured-servants-in-the-us/The information on how Sweden handled the children of destitute families came from a manuscript I was asked to evaluate. It was the life story of a Swedish man who became a well-known pastor both in Sweden and in the US around the early 1900s. It was put together from his own notes, journals and letters, along with the memories of his family members.

5/16/21 5/16/21

Devotion Remember God’s Day—Do We?

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.--Exodus 20:8
(Read Exodus 20:1-17)

The word Holy as defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary means spiritually pure, commanding devotion, and sacred.

One summer as I prepared to teach 1st and 2nd graders, I studied what following the fourth commandment actually involved. Did I keep God’s day holy? I thought so.

But as I considered, I recalled the Saturday night, my husband and I stayed up past midnight watching an intriguing movie with some dubious elements. The next morning I was so exhausted, I groaned as I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for church.

I had to keep from dozing off during the service that seemed to go on forever. I got next to nothing out of the sermon and had no idea what God had for me during that service. If keeping God’s day holy meant a day of refreshment and renewal, I failed--miserably.

What about all those sports played or broadcast on Sunday that may keep some from church to participate or watch or might take up the afternoon with an intensity of focus that shuts out God and family? Is God my priority on Sundays, or are sports?

What about times I substituted family time for fellowship with God’s people? If we travel for a family gathering on a Sunday, do I take time first to worship God and read His word? Do we, as a family, take time to pray over our meal and acknowledge Him?

If I forget God at such times, what example do I set for children or grandchildren? Aren’t I saying by my actions that I don’t think spending time with God on His day all that important?

As I look at what I really do and how I behave, I realize how far short I come from truly remembering the Sabbath day and keeping it holy. How far I fall from keeping God’s day sacred and devoted to the Christ I claim to serve. As I have often heard, God didn’t give us 10 suggestions we could follow or not on our whim, but 10 Commandments to be honored, obeyed and followed.

Help me, Lord, keep your day a day of worship and praise to You. In my Sunday activities, help me to first honor and spend time with You and set a positive example to family and others that I truly serve You. But more, Jesus, help me honor You not only on Sunday but on every day of the week. Amen.

Meditations:
Monday: Leviticus 26:1-12
Tuesday: Psalm 118:14-24
Wednesday: John 20
Thursday: Acts 20:7-12
Friday: Romans 14:1-13
Saturday: I Corinthians 16:1-14

5/13/21 5/13/21

Devotion Who is Number One in My Life?

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.--Philippians 2:3-4 (KJV) Read 2:1-11.

Radical words for today’s society. Radical words for a culture in which advertisers seek to twist, omit, imply or anything else in order to get us to purchase their product. The media is not much different, adding pure falsehoods to the mix. We live in a culture in which “self” reigns as supreme and the universe revolves around the repeated statement “me first.”

This self-centered philosophy finds its way into every aspect of society. “I’m not happy with my spouse. Time to move on. My spouse and kids will adjust.”

“I hate my job. I do as little as possible at work. Who cares what this will cost the employer.” The pain of a discarded mate, the rippling apart of children’s lives hardly merits a second thought.

All is rationalized with “They are better off with one parent than with two parents who don’t want to be there anymore.” Closer to home, a mother heads off to work, not out of necessity, not because she feels God call on her life in this regard, but to “expand horizons,” or to afford that larger house, car or vacations. The need for a child to have a parent at home is sacrificed to more “things” and “wants.”

How does this verse affect me? How about those times I have to finish this task or that one instead of spending time with my child who tries to get my attention? Do we spend time reading and cuddling our little ones and talking to and doing things with our older kids? Our grandkids?

What about getting so busy with good things in the community or at church that I neglect my spouse and family? What about church? Do I say no to teaching or helping in Sunday School because God said “Not now,” or because I didn’t want to take the time?

It is easy to point fingers at and judge others for their selfishness and greed. When I do that, I need to look at how many fingers are pointed right back at myself.

Help me, Lord, give you first place in my life by loving You and others with my heart, my attention, and my time--starting with my spouse and family. Amen.

Meditations:
Monday: Numbers 23:19-20
Tuesday: Luke 12:15, 22-32
Wednesday: Romans 13
Thursday: Ephesians 5:21-33
Friday: Ephesians 6:1-10
Saturday: Philippians 1:9-11

5/10/21 5/10/21

Blog Thankful for people, park, laughter

We live across the street from Collins Park. Keith and I have lived here since the early days of our marriage. The house is built for my limitations by my brother Paul Fredrickson who was a local contractor. Having the park across the street has been a blessing in so many ways.

I am a bit claustrophobic, but with the park across the street rather than more houses, I don’t feel hemmed in. When our kids were small, we could go hang out across the street at the park on nice days. Over the years, family friends have used the park for any number of get-togethers and picnics. We’ve even attended an Easter Sunrise Service at the park.

Every Spring the cars started filling the roadway as baseball practice got underway. Then came the games throughout the summer, lights on till long after dark, and individuals yelling and cheering until we couldn’t wait for the game to end. My kids would beg money to spend on candy, etc. at the canteen. Once in a while, I even gave in.

In the early days, some thought nothing about blocking our drive with their cars, keeping us from getting out, but this pretty much stopped after a while. (I’ve wondered if my article about the problem made a difference.)

Other than game times, kids and families used the park all summer long. Families had reunions and other gatherings. Sometimes we didn’t have far to view fireworks when families shot them off at the park on Independence Day. During the summer, the park was filled with excited yells and laughter as children played on the equipment meant for their enjoyment. The laughter made me smile.

Then in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, all was silent. The park was off-limits to the children who needed activity and fun. When the wind blew, I sometimes heard the rattle of swing chains, but it was a lonely sound without the children.

The next year, I once again heard laughter at the park. Many walk by with their dogs at their heels. Kids ride by on bikes with friends. Even baseball is gearing up. More cars line the streets and baseball calls echo across the ballfield. At times in past years, the lights, sounds, cars, the overall noise level irritated me.

After the silence of Covid restrictions, I am glad to hear the laughter emanating from across the street. It almost relaxes me now. I smile and give thanks that despite the heartaches and frustrations of fear-based restrictions, Americans are strong and resilient, and we will not only survive—but also thrive.

5/7/21 5/7/21

Devotion Safety Zones—Good or Bad?

Read: Matthew 25:31-46
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.--Philippians 2:3-4 (KJV)

Most of us today, despite a vast transportation system from coast to coast, despite airplanes and instant access through the Internet and social media, are still most comfortable in our own little cocoons, our own safe zones, our own safe spaces.

In school, at work, and even at church, our conversation seldom goes beyond the surface level of a few platitudes. “How are you?” And the, usual, responding lie, “Just fine.”

We play video games, listen to music, watch TV, send graphics and jokes on to friends on social media. Our contacts are often shallow or, really, non-existent. With our cell phones handy, we often don’t even communicate with each other at the dinner table.

We focus our time on ourselves. Our children take their cue from us. Instead of interacting with friends face-to-face, they isolate themselves with video games, music, and their cell phones. In doing so, they miss a whole component of growing into responsible, caring, mature adults.

For each of us, there is far too little interaction and communication with real people. In isolating ourselves, we miss out on recognizing the needs of those around us, including those of our own family. Most of all, we tune out the God who created and loves us and who desires a dynamic and living relationship with us.

Help me, Lord, break out of my comfortable zone to reach out to the world around me and discover needs. Help me be willing to spend real time with real people, sharing Your love along the way. Amen.

Meditations:
Monday: Mark 12:30-31; 10:42-45
Tuesday: Galatians 5:13-14; 6:1-6
Wednesday: Matthew 7:24-27
Thursday: James 1:22-27
Friday: James 2:14-26
Saturday: James 3:17; 4:8-17

5/5/21 5/5/21

Devotion Show Forth His Salvation—Being a Witness?

Read: Matthew 28:19-20
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.-
—-Romans 1:16

In a culture that discourages Christians and their point of view in public forums, it can be frightening to consider sharing the gospel. Yet, that is exactly what Jesus asks of us.

If we truly believe that Jesus came to bring salvation and new life, how can we rationalize not sharing His message of forgiveness and hope? How can we share without getting into trouble, without embarrassment, without getting harassed? Maybe you can’t.

God didn’t say, “Share my message quietly so you won’t have any repercussions.”

God didn’t say, “Ah, if you are going to have problems or lose friends, you don’t have to witness to others.”

God didn’t say, “Sure, I know it is tough. I’ll excuse you from following my express words of drawing others to me.”

Nope! If we truly believe that those without God are going to hell, then we need to figure out how to speak up. Do I love members of my family, friends, and co-workers enough to tell them about Jesus? If not, the question becomes, “Do I really care about them?”

How do I share? By being a friend. By reaching out to help in time of need. By praying for, and with, others. By knowing basic verses of salvation such as Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8 and John 3:16- 17. By taking opportunities presented to share about Jesus who loves and cares and helps in time of need.

Do I, as Psalm 96:2 states, “Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.”?

Help me, Lord, have the courage to share Your message of truth with those around me. Help me do so in Your will and Your way. Amen.

Meditations:
Monday: Psalm 98
Tuesday: Psalm 1
Wednesday: Romans 1:16-20
Thursday: Mark 8:31-38
Friday: Psalm 40
Saturday: Luke 15:1-10

4/29/21 4/29/21

Devotion How Shallow Am I? Spiritual Discernment?

Read:Matthew 15:5-12

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. --Colossians 2:8-9

Jesus sometimes appeared amazed at the obtuseness of his disciples. By then, they’d been with Him for quite some time. They’d witnessed miracle after miracle, including the provision of multiplying bread--twice!

They’d heard His teachings. Surely, they could have figured out Jesus didn’t need to chide them for not bringing enough bread.

They had seen His demonstration of power in healing the sick, casting out demons and stilling the storm. They knew Jesus explained present circumstances through parables and Old Testament prophecies. Nevertheless, when Jesus asked a question, they immediately assumed He spoke of physical needs.

The disciples showed little spiritual discernment and even less faith. It was for this reason Jesus chided them. Many of us have grown up with the Bible and the availability of Sunday School, church, and other Christian activities.

Yet, how much spiritual discernment do we have? Are we more shallow than the disciples? Have we allowed tradition and a bit of teaching here and there to substitute for spending time communicating with Jesus and getting into His Word?

Are we easily manipulated and misled, rationalizing our entertainment choices, as well as substituting our own desires for God’s? Do we shrug our shoulders at abortion, alternate lifestyles, pornography, debt, and divorce? By our choices, do we deny our Lord?

What we believe reveals the state of our hearts. When we separate ourselves from communicating with and listening to Jesus and His Word, we are no longer following His will, His way or His Word. We’ve become shallow, weak imitations easily led away in sin.

Help me, Lord, seep myself in You and Your Word that I might have spiritual discernment and not be misled or manipulated by my rebellious heart or to allow Satan to turn me away from You. Amen.

Meditations:
Monday: Philippians 4:6-9T
Tuesday: Galatians 1:6-9
Wednesday: Colossians 2:6-10
Thursday: II Timothy 2:15; 3:1-5
Friday: Psalm 119:1-11
Saturday: Psalm 42

4/27/21 4/27/21

Devotion God Hates Sin: Loves the Sinner--ME?

Read: I Corinthians 10:1-14, 23, 31

There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. --1 Corinthians 10:13

Eve listened to the serpent and ate of the forbidden fruit. Did she smile when she turned and tempted Adam? Did he merely wish to please his wife when he chomped his teeth into the fruit and ignored God’s plain admonition to not eat it?

The serpent said doing so would enlighten them. It did that. What he failed to mention were the consequences, already clearly laid out, that disobedience would open them to the world of evil as well as good. They found death, terror, and fear. They lost their innocence, their security, and their dependence on their Creator.

They forfeited an intimate relationship with God and a perfect world for momentary pleasure and a world twisted by evil, hate, loneliness, and death. Is it any wonder God hates sin? He knows the devastating results.

Joseph’s older brothers became so consumed with hatred and jealousy, they lost their reason and critical thinking skills. They were so focused on hatred they planned to murder their own brother until they found a horrifying alternative--sell him into slavery. They meant what they did for evil. From then on, uncertainty, fear and guilt followed them—even after discovering Joseph was alive.

What of Korah? Was he not as important as Moses? He thought of himself so highly he chose to not only defy the leader God had chosen, the man who led them out of years of slavery in Egypt but also misled others in his rebellion. The consequences were grave--death for the rebels and their immediate families.

God hates sin because it leads to harm of self and others. It is destructive, and a vehicle for more evil. Out of fear, the Israelites refused to go in and conquer the Promised Land. Their disobedience brought them 40 years of wandering in the desert until the adult population died. Their sons and daughters were the ones who entered the land promised by God.

David committed murder out of fear his adultery would be exposed. It was revealed anyway. The son of that affair died soon after birth. Though his repentance restored his fellowship with God, the seeds of his actions took their long-term toll on his family and his people. God really does hate sin, because he knows there are always negative consequences.

How lightly do we take sin--if we admit that word into our vocabulary at all? Do we fudge on taxes, cheat on a test? Have we taken towels from a motel, glasses, etc. from a restaurant? Have we taken the mind we gave to Jesus and filled it with a profusion of adultery, fornication, violence, greed, and other sins in our search for “entertainment?”

Do we rationalize our sin, calling it by some other name? Excuse ourselves? Do we not realize there are consequences for not following God’s principles? Our choices matter for ourselves, our families, and who knows how far our choices for good or evil will reach. What we do in the privacy of our homes, with our families, and on the internet does matter.

Help me, Lord, maintain a clear and clean conscience before others and before You. If there are things in my life that do not please You, show me and give me the courage and strength to eliminate them from my life and home. Amen.

Meditations:
Monday: Numbers 16:1-14
Tuesday: Deuteronomy 1:19-36
Wednesday: Genesis 3
Thursday: Exodus 20:1-17
Friday: Romans 6:23; I Peter 4:12-19
Saturday: Psalm 37:27-40; Acts 24:16

c) 2018, 2021 Carolyn R Scheidies
Feel free to share.
From Listen! Who me?
Print and Kindle versions

4/26/21 4/26/21

Blog Politics Tolerance should always be in fashion

I almost don’t want to get on the Facebook pages of our representatives at any level of government. The vitriol is almost unreal. It is as though, for many Americans, tolerance and basic decency aren’t part of their thought processes or behavior.

For example, what many individuals say on Representative Adrian Smith’s public page should make them hang their heads in shame. Many express opinions with name-calling, accusations, and absolutely no tolerance for someone with another point of view.

This has been building for years as our culture of respect and tolerance has disintegrated. It became especially nasty with those whose hatred for President Trump became almost pathological. Didn’t help when certain Representatives and Senators egged this on by encouraging the public to get in the faces of those in the Trump administration to the point some were accosted on the streets or run out of restaurants.

Have Americans become little more than an angry mob with no sense of looking for facts beyond rumors before reacting? This goes for too many media outlets that spread little more than innuendoes and half-baked assumptions instead of fact-based news.

Such behavior certainly does not speak well for us as citizens. Liking or disliking a president should not lead to such hatred. Even though I really saw Obama and now Bidden as destroying our Constitutional Republic, I refuse to hate them.

I may seek to change things, but never with name-calling, threats, or the spewing I see and read constantly now—behavior that is anything but tolerant. Such behavior changes nothing.

Want to make a difference? Get involved and make changes in a positive way. One way is to get involved with the candidates you like. Another way is to communicate with those who’ve been elected.

But there is a right and a wrong way to do so. It starts with letting go of irrational fury which freezes rational thought.

I have written articles, shared at conferences, and included in my book “Especially For the Christian Writer” how to communicate in a way to be “heard”—in a way others won’t turn you off. This includes letters to businesses, government representatives, and letters to the editor.

If you wish to be taken seriously, make sure you have the facts, let go of the anger that stops rational thinking, and write with passion, but with respect, without name-calling, intimidation, or nastiness. Why should anyone listen to an angry rant that is full of emotion but devoid of facts?

Consider how you want to be approached or treated. Think tolerance. In other words, communicate with respect for the office if not for the other person. If you would not spew garbage to the person face-to-face, then it is certainly not appropriate in print where everyone sees you at your irrational worst.

Ask. What do you really wish to convey? What is the best way to do that in order to be taken seriously? How will I feel about this rant five, ten, and more years down the road? Is this what I wish to teach my kids?

Respect and thoughtfulness will get you much further than spewing anger. Wish to communicate? Calm down, think beyond your anger, and consider long-term consequences. Then communicate in a way to gain a listening ear.

Remember tolerance should always be in fashion.

4/23/21 4/23/21

Blog Politics Are we harming, not protecting our children with Covid mandates?

Note: I know not all schools are this restrictive. I will not argue or discuss. Use this for information and consideration only.

In our desire to protect our children from Covid-19, we’ve placed them in a protective bubble. Our school children are told to self-distance and teachers no longer give a hug, pat a back, or touch the students in affirmation.

Parents have been told this is for the safety of the children. But this lack of personal interaction and touch goes against decades, even hundreds of years of research, study and common sense.

I’ve read about orphan children in places like Russia and China where there are too many children and not enough caretakers. These children are left without physical love and attention. When these children are adopted, many show signs of detachment disorder.

Kids, especially younger children, absolutely require constant physical interaction in order to be mentally as well as physically healthy. Mental health must precede physical health but in our rush to “protect,” adults have totally forgotten this important connection.

Because of their isolation from teachers and each other, how many of these children may exhibit long-term mental and emotional health issues? This isolation is even more peculiar since Covid-19 does not target children. Data reveals, most children do not get nor pass on the virus.

In fact, why are we taking such drastic steps considering Covid-19 has up a 99%, yes 99%, survival rate? That is more than the survival rate for the usual flues passing through each year that often clears out schools due to sick students. Many of these yearly flues DO take the lives of quite a few children, yet we don’t force kids to wear masks or self-distance.

As for masks, the virus particle is smaller than the open weaves of masks and can easily pass right through. I don’t know how many stories I’ve heard about adults, including teachers, who can’t wait to get out in the hall, out of a store or other place where masks are mandated, and tear off that mask so they can breathe deeply.

Yet we force even young children to wear masks all day in school. Young children are just learning how to breathe. They need to be able to breathe deeply in order to develop and strengthen their lungs. Wearing masks short-circuits healthy breathing and lung development.

Will these children end up with bronchial problems due to muzzling them with masks not even adults can tolerate long-term? Also, how often do the children change masks during the day?

Masks are quickly saturated with bodily germs and discharges. If masks are not changed regularly during the day, it is like blowing your nose in a tissue, then holding that tissue to your nose for the next hour, two, four, etc.??? In effect, we’re forcing children into an unhealthy, unsanitary situation.

Masks are not a magic bullet and data on their usefulness from around the world is mixed. (The data is now in. States and countries that masked against states and countries that didn’t. Result NO significant difference. None! Wearing masks is useless. Too bad even medical doctors and medical persons don’t do more than follow instead of doing their own research.)

What appears to be a positive solution, isn’t a solution at all. So why force children to wear a mask when they are not the target of this virus?

Then there is the fear factor. We scare children. If they don’t wear a mask they will get sick. If they play or interact normally with other students or friends, they may get sick. This fear is much worse than the usefulness of the protective measures. Fear, once instilled, will affect these children for a lifetime.

What effect will this fear have on the ability to bond, and on long-term relationships, such as marriage? Worse is the anger and nastiness toward those who, for health reasons, are unable and are not supposed to wear a mask. Are parents informed that if their child has respiratory difficulties or is unable to put a mask on and take it off by themselves that they should not wear a mask?

If a student doesn’t wear a mask, is that student shunned or vilified by teachers and other students? It certainly is happening in the general populace. Generally, nice people have become vicious over this issue.

My question is this? Are our protective measures actually harming our children? Are these measures, in effect, abusing the very ones we wish to protect? These factors are worth exploring--rationally and without the jump to automatic denial or fury.

© 2021Carolyn R Scheidies
Feel free to share
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/associated-press-finally-admits-lockdowns-dont-reduce-covid-19-infections-deaths?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com&utm_campaign=cc201215c5-Daily%2520Headlines%2520-%2520U.S._COPY_995&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12387f0e3e-cc201215c5-401438845

4/22/21 4/22/21

Blog Derek Chauvin Trial and a Broken System

Note: This article not for argument or discussion, but for consideration and thought

One headline screamed, “Derek Chauvin Found Guilty Of George Floyd's Murder.” Let me be plain right now. Did Chauvin do something wrong? Yes.

However what most do not realize, many don’t want to realize, is that there were mitigating circumstances. Floyd was so pumped up on drugs that he was already a possible “dead man walking.” (Floyd had fentanyl, methamphetamine and more in his system.)

The media went out of its way to paint this drug addict as a mild person seeking to get his life in order. Of course, he wasn’t all bad. Yet, Floyd served five years in prison for aggravated robbery--with a weapon. He was also arrested on drug and theft charges.

Still, the media hammered and hammered their manufactured version of the story, including racism, inciting violent protests across the country. Few even tried to find the truth beyond the media twists on the truth. Racism was not a factor in the court case. The racist twist was manufactured by the media and violent protesters.

It is easier to get angry and use that anger as an excuse to burn down property and assault others, causing untold damage physically and emotionally. How many realized when people were seriously injured or may have even died that their protests, their actions, were at least as egregious as the original cause--the horrifying death of Floyd. Are not the violent protesters also guilty?

Worse was the hit to a justice system that first is supposed to assume a person is innocent until proven guilty by the preponderance of the evidence. Second, all evidence pro and against is to be considered seriously. Third, jurists are supposed to find on the evidence, not on assumptions, not due to an agenda, and, certainly not because they feel intimidated and threatened.

Do you believe jurists felt threatened when blood was smeared on what was believed to the home of one of the defense witnesses, though, he no longer lived there? What was the jury supposed to believe when both violent protesters and the media made threats, letting the jury know their lives and the lives of their loved ones, as well as cities, persons, and property, were in jeopardy if Chauvin was found anything but totally and irrevocably guilty?

These threats very much affected the trial. How could they not? Mob rule and intimidation are scary. Such tactics mean you may not ever have a fair trial in this country again, because your participation may well put a target on your back.

Chauvin was isolated and locked up with a verdict given by scared jurists and a court system no longer able to function with truth, balance and safety. This court case was little more than a vigilantly hanging. Chauvin did not get a fair trial.

If his sentence is not mitigated through appeals, we can no longer call ourselves a civilized country. Watch out, those of you who were sure of their hate. Next time, the mob may come after you or those you love, Who is going to be there then to protect your person and your rights?

(c) 2021 Carolyn R Scheidies
Feel free to share
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/candace-owens-slams-democrats-media-for-mob-justice-in-derek-chauvin-trial

4/13/21 4/13/21

Biographical Blog We appreciate instant access with cellphones

I don’t leave home without my cell phone. Having the phone, especially since we’re geezers, gives me confidence that if we have a car or health emergency, we can quickly summon help.

I have a reason for being uneasy. Years ago, after our daughter graduated from college, she spent a year south of Branson working with at-risk youth in a leadership program. She was in charge of putting together a weekend for parents to come and learn about the program.

It was a long drive from Kearney, but we planned to do it all in one long day. However, our car died south of Kansas City. Without my cell, we would not have been able to contact AAA for assistance. Our car was hauled to a nearby town.

We hoped it wouldn’t take too long to fix as we were on a tight timeline. After carefully checking over the car, we were told the car was dead. No amount of “fixing” would make that car go. The garage helped us get ahold of Enterprise.

Thankfully, the garage agreed to keep the car until we returned in a couple of days. (We ended up buying a car to get home.) We made it to the opening function in Branson while everyone was still eating.

When we lived in Wisconsin in the 1950s where my father pastored a church, we were thankful to have one phone in the house. When my father took a church in a dying oil town, Lance Creek, Wyoming, north of Lusk, there were no phones when we arrived.

The town consisted of small settlements named after the oil companies that owned them. Other than housing, there wasn’t much more than a filling station, a garage, a café, a bar, a Walmart-style store (groceries and much more), a Catholic church with a once-a-month service, “downtown.”

Our church, next to a lumberyard and another grocery store, further west in another enclave, served a wide area. Even further west was an elementary school, a lumberyard, and an IOOF Hall.

If we needed to contact dad at the church where he had his office, one of us had to walk or ride a bike the uphill mile and a half to the church. Mom didn’t drive and dad had the only car. We were often out of contact with dad when he visited the ranches in the area. He’d be gone the whole day.

A few times I got to go with him. We went from paved to gravel to almost footpaths at some points. We found few bridges. We crossed streams that during rainstorms would become impassible.

The ranchers were glad for a visitor. At times Dad comforted, counseled, or simply listened, finally offering a passage from God’s Word and prayer. What if it had stormed while he was gone? What if he’d had an accident? No one would even know where to look for him.

I viewed those trips as adventures, never considering the possible risks Dad took back then. It did not matter to him. He was a pastor who cared about the needs of people, even if they never darkened the door of the church. For many ranchers, Sunday attendance was just too far and complicated.

I look back with a shiver as I slip my cell phone into my purse before heading out the door. I can’t help but wonder how today’s generation would handle the inability to readily connect. I am thankful for my memories because they remind me to be thankful as I turn on my cell and let our daughter know we’re on our way.

4/11/21 4/11/21

Poetry How do I start my day?

What a way to start the day.
Did I start today?
With a groan and complaint?
Growling through the day.
Or did I start with
Blessings and Praise,
With God’s Word open,
Letting the Holy Spirit speak into my life?

Starting my day with peace, and hope, and light.

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
I will rejoice and be jubilant in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.—Psalms 9:1-2 (NASB 2020)

I plan my life out a day at a time, so my posting schedule can be erratic.

Sign up for my newsletter and you’ll never miss a post.