My dad left us in 2009. The thing I remember most about him is how he was a diligent, prompt, hard worker. He retired from Rohm and Haas after almost 40 years, doing that shift work. He rarely missed a day. I didn’t know all those years until my teen years, my dad could not read. Wow! But he showed up to work everyday! Phenomenal!!
Dads are special to kids. Nobody like them. I often watch and tell the story how moms can be doing it all–everyday, every year. Dad walks in one day with one toy or a thing the kid loves. The kid smiles broadly, and screams loudly, with a burst of excitement, “LOOK AT WHAT MY DADDY GOT ME! MY DADDY GAVE ME THIS!!” They walk around the house or school or the neighborhood waving that thing around as if daddy just gave them a piece of gold worth millions!! Lol
Hello fellow bloggers, subscribers, and friends. I’m sharing another excerpt from my upcoming book, which I hope to publish by January 2025. Check out all three excerpts in August, September, and now, October.
Excerpt:
“We should have knowledge about and reflect upon these blessings that are given to all believers at the moment of our salvation. They come with divine authority from a graceful God. Knowing these should help us form a correct concept about who God is, how He is, and what He does. We’re now enabled to think and act differently, according to God’s kingdom and not this world. Our spiritual and natural self-esteem should bolster. Also, meditating on these blessings will remove doubt and fear as we experience failure, persecution, temptation, and trials. Having this status in God’s kingdom helps us not to shrink back, just as Paul and the saints in Ephesus did not. We should sense such closeness to God, who loves and cares for His children. We should feel wanted by Him.
No one goes through such in-depth detail, planning, and giving of themselves without wanting you to be a part. If you do not feel accepted or worthy, ask God to remove any mental blocks that are prohibiting you from believing these blessings are now for you. You don’t have to work to earn them. Ask Him to cleanse your psyche of any assessments, stereotypes, or opinions applied to your life that came from you and what you did, or family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, the law, the psychiatrist, social worker, preacher, priest, teacher, social media, television, magazines, etc.—whoever.
Let’s close this chapter with one of Paul’s most befitting prayers in Ephesians 1:15-23, asking for the Lord’s help to shift our perspective on who we are now in Christ. We begin with,‘Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us...'”
For those of you who do not know, I’ve been living with multiple sclerosis since 2010. I must admit, it’s been quite a journey. It took a lot of the things I loved–fast it seems. There was almost a two-year time frame before I knew what was wrong. Once I did get the diagnosis, the symptoms just increased each year, rapidly. The first body part it impacted was my hands. My career was as an administrative assistant, doing lots of computer work, desktop publishing, and typing. My documents were flawless, so imagine my dismay when I went from typing with 10 fingers to about 2-4, and seeing the loads of red underlines MS Word signals when you have a typing error. I was flabbergasted! Then, it was my legs and balance. All my life, I moved quickly. I could walk 10 city blocks easily and fast. Now, I must use a walker, and after 2 city blocks, my feet begin to drag; it’s called foot drop. The other notable change MS has produced in my life is the inability to multitask. I told you I moved quick, so I was able to do several things at the same time. However, MS symptoms also impair our mental and cognitive function. Fatigue is also real and sometimes unbearable in MS. I used to be able to clean the entire house in one day. Not anymore. It was the fatigue I kept emphasizing to doctors that something physical was wrong because they kept telling me I was having some type of mental health crisis. I always had a lot of energy. Could go and go like a Duracell battery. Now, I’ll do one thing, rest, then the next thing.
So, I lost my typing ability, multitasking skills, speed, accuracy, and ability to keep going for long periods. I was in a deep depression for the first several years and could not understand for the life of me why God would allow this in my life. (I asked Him.) I loved my career and was good at it, moving fast, and being busy.
The Lord is faithful, though, and allows nothing in our lives we can’t handle; in fact, He teaches us in it–if we let Him. He’ll show you a whole new way of being and living. It’s what He did for me and continues to do; He taught me how to manage this disease. I’ll never forget Him gently reminding me when I was living in denial trying to continue as I once was. “You’re sick Ellie,” He whispered. Wow, God deals in truth. Besides, how could I ask for healing if I’m not accepting I’m sick.
Maybe your life course, dreams, or way of being has been altered too by some malady or misfortune. You too may have legitimate questions for God. He may not always explain the reasoning, but He slowly puts things in perspective for us. So, now, I write. My body, mind, and spirit are finally at a slowed enough pace to do so.
Nonetheless, I’m excited today! Me and my new network of people is gearing up in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 4 for our annual MS Walk. I finally got a team together after 14 years. It’s an exciting event! If you would like to support us and donate, please visit my Facebook page (Eleanor Parks), or click the link below to be taken to my National MS Society’s personal fundraising page to donate. The National MS Society is an excellent organization; I’m where I am today because of them.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us… In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:18, 26-28)
A song that rang in my ear during my childhood; I loved hearing the pastor and congregation singing it. Pastor wasn’t a singer but you knew how much he loved this song by the way he bobbed his head and moved his legs while singing it. 🙂 It still reverberates in my spirit today at 62—At Calvary.
“Calvary,” or Golgotha was a site immediately outside Jerusalem’s walls where, according to Christianity’s four gospels, Jesus was crucified. Interestingly to me, there is a similarly spelled word “cavalry.” It denotes a unit of troops on horseback summoned for war. This group of soldiers is trained to fight and can be quickly deployed in a war. It was God, the Father, who summoned and deployed Jesus for calvary in this war for human souls. Jesus was the troop, the only war hero who fought to the death and won the battle to bring us to God.
At Calvary
Years I spent in vanity and pride Caring not my Lord was crucified Knowing not it was for me He died On Calvary
[Refrain] Mercy there was great, and grace was free Pardon, there, was multiplied to me There my burdened soul found liberty At Calvary
By God’s word at last my sin I learned Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned Till my guilty soul imploring turned To Calvary
[Refrain] Mercy there was great, and grace was free Pardon, there, was multiplied to me There my burdened soul found liberty At Calvary
Now I’ve given Jesus everything Now I gladly know him as my King Now my raptured soul can only sing Of Calvary!
[Refrain] Mercy there was great, and grace was free Pardon, there, was multiplied to me There my burdened soul found liberty At Calvary
O, the love that drew salvation’s plan O, the grace that brought it down to man O, the mighty gulf that God did span At Calvary
[Refrain] Mercy there was great, and grace was free Pardon, there, was multiplied to me There my burdened soul found liberty At Calvary
By William R. Newell
As this song tells us, Jesus’ death grants us unlimited mercy, grace, pardon, and freedom. Oh, and three days later, after this war at Calvary, Jesus got up from His grave; He’s the only war hero who ever did. Death couldn’t hold Him down. Wow! Jesus Christ is alive! Receive Him into your life now.
Happy New Year! Mine came in with a blast! No, I wasn’t at a celebratory event with a group of family or friends, nor was I having a quiet romantic evening with a significant other or out watching the Times Square ball drop or beautiful flaring fireworks. I ended 2023 alone at home on my laptop in a virtual church service. And I received an unexpected, much-needed, powerful message to take me into 2024 and one I should carry throughout the rest of the year.
The scripture: Exodus 33:12-23. The bible character: Moses. The situation: He’s questioning God. Key words: The Lord’s presence. The overall gist: Stay in God’s presence, in communication for a more peaceful, restful year. The key verse: My presence shall go with thee, and I will give you rest.This is the Lord’s answer to Moses’ question. The words instantly resonated with me. I knew it was what I would need for 2024.
If you read Moses’ story in the Bible, you’ll learn how from God’s initial call to him to lead the Israelite community out of Egyptian bondage and throughout Moses’ performing the task, he stayed in contact with God and asked Him a lot of questions. Moses had doubts and was apprehensive and insecure. We are too. He recognized the monumental task and the skills one would need to fulfill it—leadership ability, people skills, public speaking and organization skills, physical strength and stamina, and confidence. Moses had none of these. He needed assurance, and God did oblige him.
In Exodus 3:11, Moses doubts his ability to perform the task. The Lord replies in verse 12 saying, “Surely I will be with you.” Moses presents his concerns to God about the people believing he was sent or paying attention to him (Exodus 3:13 and 4:1). God responds in verse 14, “I AM that I AM…You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you,” and in Exodus 4:3-9, The Lord gives Moses a sign. Next, Moses laments his speaking ability (Exodus 4:10). The Lord assures him in 4:11-12, “The Lord said to him, ‘…So now go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you must say.’” Finally, Moses requests the Lord to send someone else (Exodus 4:13). In verses 4:14-16, the Lord does get a bit perturbed with Moses but does oblige him. He says, “… What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak very well.”
Now, in this text my brother shared at our New Year’s service, Moses is well into fulfilling his calling. He has led the Israelites to a certain point but not yet into the land of promise. There is more journeying to do, yet Moses is still in contact with the Lord. What’s happening? What prompts Moses’ question this time? He’s wondering, how will he know, who will go with him, and whether he will have the Lord’s favor. You see, so much had happened. The Israelites angered God and broke the bond they had with Him. As a result, the Lord shifted. He did not detract from His promise but had to reprimand them. Moses recognizes this yet maintains his personal, intimate communion with God. He needs to know God’s redirected plan in getting the Israelites to their ultimate destination—the promised land. Moses dares not leave God out, take matters into his own hands, or think he could manage the rest of the mission on his own. He stays focused, remains humble, and stays close to God for what to do next; this was the Lord’s people and promise to them.
We too should never get to a place of complacency or overconfidence during our Christian journey. It’s easy for us, at times, to begin to rely on our abilities, and/or our skills or strength, and think, “I got this!” This is a caution for me because the Lord has given me a good degree of smarts; I can make things happen. However, we can’t afford this level of confidence when it comes to God’s kingdom life because it does not rely upon or operate as the world. Whether simply living day by day to become a more fruitful Christian or fulfilling a specific calling, we always need to hear from the Lord. The Church can not afford to sideline the Holy Spirit on Church affairs. Perhaps we have left out the Holy Spirit in how we now function, you think?
Like Moses, we need not fear to ask God questions, to hear His voice, to know his word, and to receive his direction and encouragement for us. We should always keep our communication with God open to receive His assurance we’re going the right way and that His presence is with us.
Inspiration by Ellie 