King?

You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me!

I sing for joy because of what you have done.

O Lord, what great works you do!

And how deep are your thoughts.

Psalm 92:4-5 (NLT)

In a few minutes, Michael Jackson's memorial service will begin. As I was reading this portion of scripture this morning, I couldn't help but compare the words of the Psalmist as written about the LORD, our King and Creator, and what I know will be portrayed on stage for a man dubbed the King of Pop. Many will sing and speak praises about this man who spent his life entertaining people. The crowd will thrill as his life in pictures and music thunders through the Staples Center. Yet, Michael was a tortured man who spent his days under a cloud of mystery and despair. I feel sorry for his children. Having a parent suddenly taken is never easy and these three face a future of uncertainty and curiosity by the public. We live in an age of idols and icons. But is this the kind of person I want my grandgirlies to emulate? No, I want them to worship the King of kings and the Lord of lords and thrill in His presence.

In God We Trust

Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow: I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us. O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name. Psalm 44:5-8 (NLT)

The 4th of July weekend started off with a bang. Normally a quiet news time, the reporters and pundits had their weekend unravel with Sarah Palin's retirement announcement. Today, the North Koreans fired seven missiles with an upraised fist, threatening our safety and security. Adoring fans tie up the Internet in hopes of getting a seat at Michael Jackson's funeral and the city of Los Angeles prepares for the worst. Can't we just have a normal, family, fun-filled 4th of July?

Today our world is both smaller and less safe and we can no longer expect life to be "normal." I have read with interest about the nations of Judah and Israel who discovered that regardless of the number of men, horses, chariots, spears or swords, it was impossible to defeat all of their enemies. They thought they had the best tactics and minds to put together a great offense but they failed. As the Psalmist writes, the kings and generals finally understood—God gave the victory. Change will come when we replace arrogance with humility. It's time for us to humbly bow before our Maker and acknowledge His hand in the life of our Nation.

So Much

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 1 John 3:18 (NLT)

It was not the first time but this time it made me stop and think when Mark said, "I love you but I don't think you understand how much." My immediate response was, "I love you, too," but in the back of my mind, I wondered about his follow-up comment. Why didn't I understand? How does love express itself?

One of the things I learned as I read The Five Love Languages is each person speaks and hears love differently and it is vital to learn the love language of your spouse if your efforts are going to mean anything. It might be a card with words of affirmation and affection. Or maybe it is getting the Honey-Do list done. Try catching the hand of your honey as you walk down the street or bringing home a small bouquet of flowers. And for some, just sitting down and giving uninterrupted attention and conversation makes the heart of your mate sing.

It takes work to make this happen because we naturally speak to our spouse with our personal love language. The problem occurs when our expressions of love fall flat and he doesn’t get it. He missed all the effort I made and sometimes, even criticizes it. What good is that? In his book, Gary Chapman encourages each person to discover his particular way of expressing love and then talk about it together. If I know that Mark needs to hear "good job" or snagging him and planting a big kiss as he walks through the kitchen then I need to be careful to do it. Bringing home several bags from Nordstrom for him is just not going to make it.

So, pay attention. Does your honey understand how much you love them? Are you speaking their love language?

One more question. Do you have any concept of how much God loves you? He doesn't go half way. In fact, He gave up His son, willingly, for each of us so that we could know Him and be part of His family. And because He made us and knows how we think, He always speaks our love language. How do we show love back to Him? Spend time with Him…worship Him…obey Him…listen to Him…enjoy His presence…tell Him. "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Sea of Men

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)

I really like our new church. Each season highlights some of its traditions. Over the years I have seen roses passed out to the women on Mother's Day or the mother with the most children honored but our pastor had all the men stand and applaud the women present. His words of encouragement and this visible act of appreciation warmed all the hearts of the women in attendance. Last Sunday, he announced that Father's Day has a different tradition, one started when the church began fifteen years ago. He invited all men – dads, granddads, husbands, men, and boys to the front of the church to kneel down with him in prayer. As the leaders of the home, he wanted to ask for God's guidance and blessing for these men. Pastor got down on his knees behind the pulpit and as he prayed, I'm sure the spirit of God filled that room with glory and hallelujahs. Nothing pleases Him more than to see men bowed before Him, seeking Him, loving Him, desiring to do His will. Tears filled my eyes as I looked over that sea of men kneeling before God, thankful for the roles they play in their families. I heard some knees cracking as they stood to return to their seats but there was also a warmth and camaraderie. Sometimes it is a lonely job but these men knew that God had met them on a Sunday morning in June.

What's for dinner?

Don't worry and ask yourselves, "Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?" Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. Matthew 6:31-33 (CEV)

Dairy-free, wheat/gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, seed-free. The words just rolled off the tongue of the nutritionist last week. I felt hit by a tidal wave as I listened to her explain Mark's new elimination/rotation diet for the next six months. I have a degree in home ec so this shouldn't be a big deal but the ramifications of these dietary restrictions seemed overwhelming to both of us. Retirement means many things but menu planning and cooking are not high on my list. Going out to dinner is much more fun. It seems that just when life begins to get comfortable, God initiates a change of plans. Over the past months, I keep learning that He wants me to depend on Him for each detail of my life—even down to what we are going to eat each day.

It is amazing the food options that are now available for those with food sensitivities. I can only imagine how difficult this would have been a few years ago. We are learning options, reading labels, making mistakes but trudging along this new path. Mark is trying new things—some tasty and some not. Good thing he was not a picky eater before all this began. We even have restaurant options. He knows that ultimately, he will feel much better and with this hope, we keep going.

God's plan for us is much the same. He challenges us with new opportunities to grow and trust Him. Sometimes we try to go our own way ending up with a stumble and fall. Other times, the communion with Him is sweet as we walk in the light and He warms our hearts with His love. Whether it is three steps forward and two back, we have the assurance that each step brings us closer to Home.

I will update you on occasion about this new chapter at the Blumbergs. Eat hearty!

Meaningless

The last and final word is this:
Fear God.
Do what he tells you.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (The Message)

The pomp and circumstance of a Harvard graduation is awesome. It was great to watch Mark's son, Alan, graduate with his Master's degree and complete the journey that he undertook two years ago. Walking around the historic Harvard Yard brought me back to stories that my dad would tell of a semester he spent at Harvard back in 1945 as part of his Navy training. I don't think it has changed much physically in those intervening years but it is now coed, led for the first time by a woman president, and will soon have a greater percentage of women to men. Big changes for an all male school that began in 1636 and only became coed 1999.

I have been reading Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived. He spent twelve chapters recounting his life experiences often stating it had all been meaningless. I wondered at his comments since he had it all. Why was it meaningless? As I thought about his view on life, it reminded me of all the young people that had just passed their hardest test and were ready to take on the world. There was a celebratory feeling permeating the campus. You could see it in the smiles of the parents and the joy of the graduates. But, at some point, would they look back and wonder if it had all been worth it?

Solomon sums it up: Fear God and do what he tells you. The choices we make for our career, family, hobbies, or personal growth are meaningless if we don't consider God's purpose for our lives. His final admonition is worthy of great consideration.

A Day to Remember.

I day of remembrance, Memorial Day. I am grateful to all who have given lives...some paying the ultimate price...to ensure my freedom. Please enjoy this tribute.

Summer arrived early in Arizona so we are going to escape for a bit. We are off for a couple of weeks, flying coast to coast, to see kids and grandgirlies.

Don't forget that God is good...all the time.

A Charge

So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel—the Lord’s assembly—I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance. 1 Chronicles 28:8 (NLT)

It's birthday weekend. Actually, I'm in favor of birthday month, but I'm not going to complain. My kids have the double trouble of both Mother's Day and my birthday within a week of each other. That could be a big disadvantage but they do a good job of making sure Mom feels loved and appreciated. As the calendar turns over and year 62 hits, I think back on other birthdays. My mom was great at making my day special with small family celebrations rather than many big parties. Even now, my daughter calls to make sure I have all my meals covered with something fun to do…because we always did that.

I endorse family traditions for the stability they add from one generation to another. Having recently read the Old Testament stories from Abraham to David, I noticed that family traits were often passed from one generation to another, even when the patriarch might have preferred to skip a particular one; deception comes to mind when I remember the stories of Jacob and his sons. As a mother and grandmother, I ponder over what I want to pass down to those I love. No one is perfect and even giving it our best shot leaves us vulnerable to failure, at times. However, David's command to his son, Solomon, sums up the best advice–obey all the commands of the Lord your God. Does that sound overwhelming? Maybe, but it is the bottom line and to accomplish it means that we need to be in God's word…reading, meditating, praying, listening, and obeying. Even when the children of Israel blew it, which they often did, God never gave up on them and led them to the Promised Land. This year, my prayer is that my family will stay close to the One who promises blessing and hope for the future...to the third and fourth generation.

The Healer

I, the LORD, am your healer.
Exodus 15:26 (NASB)

It was kind of a good news/bad news kind of day. The good news is that the "lesion" is a benign, common, cartilage cyst in the bone. The bad news is that I have the spine of a 76-year-old woman in the body of a 62-year-old with the accompanying deterioration and pain. I am not surprised since my dad suffers from the same kind of thing. Thankfully, God gives us just enough light for the next step because I have no idea what is down the road.

A friend sent me an email yesterday that encouraged me that God is my true healer. She shared with me what she learned about our Healer from a recent class:

"The Hebrew phrase translated "the LORD who heals" is Yahweh Rophe and reveals God's ability to restore, to heal, and to cure, not only in the physical sense but also in the moral and spiritual sense. The Hebrew root verb rapha ("to heal") occurs approximately 70 times in the Old Testament."

"Trusting God does not mean telling God anything. Trusting means relying on God's names and then waiting patiently to see what He will accomplish. Remember, TRUST means Total Reliance Under Stress and Trial. Can God heal? Yes. Will He heal? Yes, He is Yahweh Rophe. The Lord is the Great Physician. But how and when will He heal? We cannot presume to know. Watch and wait to see how He heals. And trust your Yahweh Rophe." Catherine Martin


The definition of trust popped out at me. Stress really shows our true colors and I want mine to always reflect the rainbow colors of His love and promise. I know that God is good all the time.

In the Shadows

I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.
Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely.
Psalm 63:6-8 (NLT)

The phone rang last week and my world tilted. As I listened to the nurse give me a report on some recent x-rays, all I could hear was the word "lesion" that was found in my right hip. She had no explanation, of course, and suggested that I set up an appointment with my doctor. My mind started racing and immediately latched on to the worst-case scenario. Why do we do that? Mark gently reminded me not to worry but I decided I would rather have my own private pity party first. I mentally struggled with all the "what if's" and fretted most of the evening. As bedtime approached, the fear that sleep would be elusive compounded my anxiety. I am very good at going over and over things in my head when I hit the pillow. But that night, when darkness settled in and threatened to undo me, I started to pray. I know that God is not surprised by any of this yet He lets me whine and moan without condemnation. I prayed for Him to post sentries at the corners of our home and cover us with His protection. Then I returned to the words of the 23rd Psalm—words that have often comforted me in the last months:

Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.

I thought about the rod and staff. Why were they mentioned and what were they used for? As I pondered, I realized the rod was used defensively to protect the sheep from robbers or wild animals. The staff, on the other hand, was used to hook the foot of a stray before it tumbled into trouble. The quiet assurance that my Shepherd is there to catch me either way blurred the sharp edges of my worry and I fell asleep. I was safe in the shadow of His wings. I still have that doctor's appointment this week but I cling to Him for the outcome. No matter what, I am secure in His hands.