Encouraging Words for Today

My poor wife has a serious illness that significantly impacts both our lives and the lives of others around us. It strikes about this time each year and we have yet to find a cure for it.

The first symptoms appear when the sun starts to shine a little brighter, the snow starts to disappear, and the robins return. The real trigger for this illness, however, is when the seed catalogs start arriving in the mail.

When I come home to find Ana pouring over brightly colored catalogs, oohing and ahhing over the newest varieties of cucumbers, tomatoes, and melons, I know the Gardening Bug has struck again!

This year Ana’s illness manifested itself even earlier than normal. In January she convinced me to build her a growing rack, so she could start her seeds indoors. That’s it pictured above. This has only exacerbated her symptoms, because she already has tomato, melons, and many other seed varieties in the soil. She checks their status everyday, eagerly waiting for the first shoots to break through. It’s very sad!

Thankfully for me, Ana’s Gardening Bug, has some very pleasant side effects, such as delicious tomato sandwiches, mouth-watering zucchini casserole, and savory squash. I’ve thought about seeking treatment for her, but my Mama didn’t raise no fool! If Ana were cured I’d probably starve!

2 Corinthians 9:6 says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” Ana takes this promise very literally and thank God she does! Through the years we’ve seen our garden consistently produce far more than we can possibly use.

That’s one of the other nice side effects of the Gardening Bug. It often causes a secondary infection – the Spirit of Generosity. This virus blesses not only us, but others too. When we’ve canned all we can, stuffed every corner of our freezers, and sold bushels of tomatoes, what do we do with the surplus? We give it away! That’s when the fun really starts!

It’s so neat to see people’s faces when we show up at their door with a box of vegetables! They just beam! Sometimes we invite families to glean the plants at the end of the season and it’s so much fun to watch the children searching for tomatoes or cucumbers amongst the leaves. It makes all the hard work that came before worth it!

Maybe you aren’t afflicted with the Gardening Bug like my poor wife, but I pray God will still infect you with the Spirit of Generosity this year. It’s a very contagious illness, one with some wonderful side effects! I hope you catch it too! I promise it will change your life forever and could even change the world!

God bless and, please, pray for my wife!

This time of year, we hear a lot about love. The stores are filled with pink teddy bears, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, and bouquets of roses. Brightly colored Valentine’s Day cards stuff mailboxes and little boys pass notes, tentatively asking, “Will you be my Valentine?”

We all long for true love, love that will stand the test of time, love that still loves even when we are unlovely. We talk about it, sing about it, search for it. We make movies and write stories about it. But for so many in this world this search for love seems a hopeless quest.

Why is this? Why are so many lonely, even in a crowd? Why are so many desperately looking for love in bars, in chat rooms, at the theater, on internet porn sites? Why do so many turn to drugs, or sex, or suicide, trying to hide from the pain of living in a loveless world? Why do so many people fall out of love and fall into affairs or divorce? With all this talk about love around us how come so many of us feel so unloved?

The problem is we don’t understand love very well. We are looking for love in all the wrong places. True love isn’t found in brightly colored packages, Hallmark movies, or boxes of chocolates. It isn’t found on the Internet or in a one night fling. It is found in only one place – in the arms of God.

1 John 4:16, 17 says, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. This is how love is made complete among us…” It is only in growing relationship with God we can experience true love and it is only then we can truly love others and be loved in return.

Loving God makes everything else real. It makes beautiful words sound better, sunsets seem brighter and kisses taste sweeter. Loving God gives purpose to our lives, meaning to our faith.

God’s love transforms us. Instead of craving attention or possessions we joyfully give our last penny to the poor or our very lives to the flames, not to gain heaven, but so others may know His love too.

Are you lonely this Valentine’s Day weekend? Do you long for a love you’ve never known? Do you long for a friend you can trust, someone you can share the most intimate details of your life with, someone who cares about your hurts and pains, your joys and sorrows? God is who you are searching for.

In Him you will find a love you never dreamed possible, a peace that passes all understanding, a purpose for your life. In Him you will find joy beyond reason, a love that never ends, a friend that never disappoints.

God’s love is everything you need and it makes everything you want possible. His love is yours today, right now. All you have to do is accept it. Why wait? Give Him your heart today and discover what true love really means.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

This week I started work at my new practice in Cashmere, WA. It was so nice to just roll down the hill to work, instead of dealing with Wenatchee’s traffic. I think my favorite part, though, was getting to be home with my lady every evening. Ana and I get off work at the same time, so we arrive home within minutes of each other, which is really nice.

The first couple days were a little challenging, learning a new computer system and new procedures. Probably the hardest part was getting myself to slow down. In the walk-in it was always go-go-go. In this new setting, however, I have the time to get to know the patient, identify their needs and goals, and work with them to develop a plan which works for them. It is a refreshing change and the patients seem to appreciate it too.

One of my favorite quotes is from the book Ministry of Healing, p. 143. It says:

“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’”

We get this backwards so often, not just in medicine, but also in our witness for Christ. We tell people what to do, saying “Follow me”, then wonder why they shake their heads and walk away. But what do we expect? How can they trust us if they don’t know us?

We need to learn to follow Christ’s example, getting to know people, meeting their needs, and sharing their joys and sorrows, before we try to change their behavior. “The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice.” (ibid.)

This week let’s remember to get things in the right order. Before we invite people to follow Christ, let’s make sure we act like Christ. Before we invite them to our church, let’s invite them to our homes. Before we share the Word with them, let’s share a meal with them. Let’s mingle with them, sympathize with them, and meet their needs. Let’s win their confidence, before we try to win their souls. We are promised, if we do this, “…this work will not, cannot, be without fruit.”

This week, whether at work or at play, let’s strive to be like Jesus in all that we do, following His method, mingling with others “as one who desires their good.” Then maybe when we invite people to follow Him, instead of turning away, they’ll reply, “I’d love to, if He’s anything like you.”

God bless and have a Happy Sabbath!

C.S Lewis said, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” Today I start to change the ending!

Yesterday, I said good-bye to the most wonderful group of people I’ve ever worked with. It was difficult leaving these wonderful, amazing people I’ve come to know and love, but, after almost 13 years working at Confluence Health, it’s time for a new adventure.

Tomorrow, I start work at my new office in Cashmere. Just opened a month ago, this is a different kind of practice then I’ve ever worked for before. Instead of using insurance our patients pay a monthly membership fee to be part of the practice.

What really excites me about this Direct Care model is it will give me more time with each patient, allowing me to get to know them better and to help them make positive choices about their lifestyles, reducing their risk of chronic disease, and improving their overall health.

As rewarding as I think this new approach will be, it is still with some trepidation I move into this new beginning. This will most likely be my last job before I retire, so I want it to go well. My prayer is God will use me to make a real difference in the lives of my patients and in the Cashmere community.

Thankfully, I have God’s promise that He has sent “an Angel before [me] to keep [me] in the way and to bring [me] into the place which I have prepared.” (Exodus 23:20 NKJV). Even before I get to the office tomorrow morning, God’s Angel is already there, preparing the way before me. With that kind of support on my side I know things are going to go well.

This morning do you need to change your ending? If so, don’t hesitate to take that next step into what God is calling you to do, “for the Lord your God is with you anywhere you go.” (Joshua 1:9).

You can’t change your past, but you can “start where you are and change the ending.” So step forward with confidence, knowing His Angel goes before you “to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place” prepared for you.

God bless, have a great week, and enjoy the journey!

A good friend gave me a card this week with my favorite text, Jeremiah 29:11, on the front. It was exactly what I needed at that moment, because I was feeling pretty discouraged. I’d just learned another friend, who I was really looking forward to working with on a special project, was not going to be able to join me. The card’s gentle reminder that God is in control came at just the right time to lift me from my disappointment.

We all face discouragements and setbacks in our lives. A job falls through, a friend moves away, a spouse disappoints. As the Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote,

The best laid schemes of Mice and Men oft go awry
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!

In times like these it is easy to lose our trust in God, but it is then we must cling to Him all the more, knowing “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Remember we have a Heavenly Father who “directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (Psalm 37:23). He promises, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

In the book Ministry of Healing, p. 479, we find this wonderful promise:

God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end fro m the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.

We may not always understand why setbacks and disappointments occur, but no matter what happens we can trust God to do what’s best for us. After all He “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

Today, no matter what comes your way, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:4-6). God knows what He’s doing. Put your hand in His today and let Him lead you into a bright new future full of hope.

God bless and have a wonderful Sabbath!

Recently I was talking with a young man who was a little under the influence. Let’s just say he had more than a passing acquaintance with marijuana and was flying pretty high! One of the side effects of his condition was a tendency to talk very quietly, almost in a whisper. Even with my hearing aids in I could barely hear him. It was very frustrating!

Later, while talking with some friends, I noticed their voices were somewhat muffled also, which seemed strange. That’s when I realized my hearing aid batteries were dead, leaving me even more deaf than I usually am! It hadn’t been the kid’s fault I couldn’t hear him. Without any power my hearing aids were worthless.

Sometimes I get frustrated trying to hear God’s “still small voice” when I read His Word. This Book, which is supposed to be “a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105), becomes just another ancient text, with no real meaning for my everyday life. Desperately I search it’s pages, but, no matter how hard I try, I can’t hear God speak. It’s very frustrating!

The problem is I’ve failed to connect to the Power. John 14:26 says, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things….” Without the Holy Spirit’s guidance my Bible is of no more use to me then my hearing aids with dead batteries. It is only through the Holy Spirit’s power I am able to hear God speak to me through His Word.

God promises in Luke 11:13 to give the Holy Spirit to all who ask. This morning, before you open His Word, make sure to connect to the Power. Ask God for the Spirit’s guidance, then prepare to be amazed! Suddenly Scripture will come alive and God will “tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3). No longer will you be deaf to God’s message in its pages. Instead, as you read, you “…will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” (Isaiah 30:21).

This Sabbath remember – Stay Connected to the Power.

I’ve often wondered why Autumn is called Fall. With all the slipping and sliding going on I think Fall would be a better description of Winter.

In the Walk-in Clinic where I work, we can always tell when it’s icy outside, because we get inundated by people who have slipped and fallen on their backside. This last week was that kind of week. I lost track of how many people I saw with one injury or another from slipping on the ice.

I’ve done enough falling myself to know how easy it is to think you’re doing just fine, only to have your feet shoot right out from under you. I’m not just talking about in winter weather either. I mean in life in general.

1 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV) warns, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” So often I think I’m doing just fine in my Christian walk, only to have some little annoyance or the simplest temptation trip me up and send me sprawling.

I think this was what Paul Simon was talking about in the song, “Slip Slidin’ Away.” He sang, “We work our jobs, collect our pay, believe we’re gliding down the highway, when in fact we’re slip slidin’ away.” Everything can seem to be going right when suddenly we find ourselves “slip slidin’ away”, flat on our backs, knocked down by our sin once more.

When we keep “slip slidin’ away” it can get discouraging, but remember, we have a God who understands our weakness. He has walked this slippery path before us. He was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). He promises if we will just cling to Jesus He will “keep [us] from falling, and…present [us] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy…” (Jude 1:24 KJV)

It doesn’t matter how often we’ve fallen or how bad our sin, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). The important thing is we realize our weakness and cling every moment to God’s matchless strength. It is only by holding onto Him we can ever stop our endless “slip slidin’ away.”

This morning, as you walk this slippery path called Life, don’t be discouraged if you slip and fall from time-to-time. Instead, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:10). Then hold on to Him for dear life and never let go!

With Jesus walking by your side there’ll be no more “slip slidin’ away”, because He “is able to keep you from falling.” Put your trust in Him, hold tight to His hand, and He will lead you safely through this storm and someday bring you safely Home.

God bless and have a happy (and safe) Sabbath!

I was feeling pretty lousy yesterday at work. Headache, coughing, sneezing, achy…you get the picture. Usually I wear a mask in the rooms to protect myself from the patient’s germs. Yesterday I had to wear one to protect the patients from me!

It’s pretty hard to take care of people for 12 hours when you feel worse than they do. Finally I gave up and asked my supervisor to see if anyone would be willing to come take over for me. Eventually she was able to find someone and I was so grateful when Scott walked in and took my place. I owe him big time!

Yesterday Scott took my place at work so I could go home and get better. A couple thousand years ago God’s only Son came to take our place, to give His life that we might live. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Ellen White, in the book Desire of Age, said, “Christ was treated as we deserve that we may be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. ‘By His stripes we are healed.’”

I am so grateful to Scott for taking my place yesterday, so I could rest. I am even more grateful to Jesus for taking my place so long ago, so I can live forever. His was a gift I could never earn, but one I gladly accept with all my heart.

How about you? Are you going to keep struggling to be good enough, slowly dying in your sin, or will you let the only One who is good enough take over, so can be healed and someday go Home? I don’t know about you, but that seems like an easy choice to me.

Jesus, take over!! I want to go Home!

This morning you woke
to a shiny New Year.
The old one is gone.
A new one is here.

All your mistakes
are in the past.
A new year has come,
a new start at last.

As you make plans
for the coming days,
trust in the Lord
and follow His ways.

Remember wisdom is better
than shiny gold.
The things of this world
quickly grow old.

So follow the Lord
with all your heart.
Stick to His path.
From it don’t depart.

Commit to the Lord
whatever you do
and He will make
all your plans come true.

The Lord will work all things
out to their proper end.
On this promise
you can depend.

My prayer for you
in this New Year
is you’ll find joy
and have nothing to fear.

May God be pleased
with all of your ways
and guide all your steps,
through all of your days.

(By Richard Edison. Inspired by Proverbs 16)

For most people Christmas is a time of delight, of bright lights, gaily wrapped packages, hot chocolate and mistletoe. It is a time for rejoicing and celebration, a time for good food and good times with family and friends.

Unfortunately, for many of us, the brightness of the lights and the joy of the season are dimmed by the realization of all we have lost in the past year. Memories of friends and family who have died, shattered dreams, plans gone awry, all combine to temper our joy and leave us wandering in the dark.

My family and I can definitely relate. The death of my cousin, Benji Sowers and later my father, Jay Edison, were double blows which left us reeling, questioning, dazed by the senselessness of it all. Some days it was a challenge just to put one foot in front of the other.

I know many of you have faced similar feelings in the last year, but I have good news! “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 NLT). Right now it may seem you will never laugh again, that the night will never end, but I promise, the “time of darkness and despair will not go on forever…For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” (Isaiah 9:1, 2).

Even though all may seem lost, there is reason for hope “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6 KJV).

It is in this child, born so long ago in a manger, my family and I have found a way out of the darkness. Jesus is “the light of the world” and He promises, “If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT).

This Christmas, that light still shines from that stable in Bethlehem. Haven’t you wandered in the dark long enough? Accept Jesus into your life today. Give Him the gift of your heart and He will chase away the shadows and fill your life with love and joy once more. Like the shepherds of old, seek the Babe for yourself today. This morning step out of the darkness.

Step into the Light!