Beth Green: The Green Author

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
So many people have described the Christian walk as a series of mountains and valleys. Sometimes you are on a spiritual “high” and thus on a mountaintop or on a spiritual “low” in a valley. I think that there are sometimes flat areas as well, like a long highway that seems to stretch on forever. On a mountaintop, it is much easier to worship and feel close to God, but in a valley, it could be argued the same is also true because you are reduced to a raw and deeply penetrating hurt from which you need God’s help to survive. Maybe it is during these two times that God has shown you amazing Grace and Mercy. I know he has for me.

What about those long stretches of flat road? Have you ever found yourself traveling along with no immediate threats to your beliefs or no challenges to your life? My father-in-law is a retired preacher and he preached for over 40 years. One of his sayings was that “if the Devil isn’t after you, then maybe he’s already got you.” Well, I certainly don’t want to invite trouble but I have to tell you that when the Devil is after you, you will certainly know it.

Troubles come in many forms, whether directly from a spiritual attack or from the daily challenges of life. The stories in my own family have shown me so much about my need to seek God daily, no matter where I am on that road of life, whether it’s a mountain, a valley, or somewhere between. I’m positive that you could all tell stories in your own lives as well. Take a moment today to analyze where you are right now. If you are in a valley, you most certainly know it. If you are on a mountaintop, you are probably aware of that as well. If you are not sure, I would bet you have found a nice flat area. Don’t let that road deceive you into drifting away from your Father in Heaven. You never know when you are going to hit a bump or curve that sends you right back into another valley. Building your relationship with him now will help you prepare for what lies ahead. He is always there…waiting for you.

How do you measure your worth?

Is it in your possessions, your accomplishments, your job…maybe even in your church? Do you add up your volunteer hours or the good things your kids have done?

Step back and reflect on His worth:

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

1. Your worth has been measured, paid in full, and is yours to claim.
   

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Philippians 2:10-11
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in the earth, and [things] under the earth

We are living in a time of great consternation. I’m not saying this to be profound–it is just true. Besides the non-ending coverage on the upcoming election, it’s hard not to notice all the turmoil in every nation in every state in every town, and in many homes. As Christians, we are called to love one another and love the Lord our God more than anything. Showing love is getting harder as the persecutions increase against us. I heard a pastor say one time the battles are great but the victory is already won. That is a great comfort to me to know that Jesus has already won the battle for us. I encourage you today to love freely and pray for other Christians and for our nation. With the news full of stories on the upcoming election, it’s evident that many people are frustrated with where our country is headed. Pray for God’s hand on this.

Take comfort today in knowing that someday everyone will be on their knees before our Holy Father whether they want to or not. My wish is that they will join me because I am already on my knees. How many times in life do we ask our children to “step up” or to stand tall? Even when winning a medal the highest podium is for the one who came in first place. We use analogies such as “climbing the ladder of success”. I’m telling you today that to God, being low and on your knees is a much higher place.

Will you join me?

My husband and I were married for several years and thought we were unable to have children. We had nearly given up on having a baby when we purchased a larger home instead, but we still prayed for a miracle to be able to have a family. When God answered our prayers and blessed us with a pregnancy, we became convicted that I should stay home to take care of our new daughter when she arrived. This seemed to be a crazy idea since my husband was a teacher with a meager salary at the time and my salary was very good. We were so convicted, though, that we sold our home and found a much smaller and cheaper home that needed a lot of work. I remember my mother-in-law actually crying when she saw it because it was in such bad shape.
We bought the home and moved in and then began to tackle the endless painting and repairs that it needed. The yard was also in terrible shape and we spent countless hours on it as well. I remember the window panes inside the house were so dirty that they were dark gray and difficult to see through. Within a few weeks, we were able to scrub and sweat our way to the diamond that we always knew was underneath. We had a small amount of money in savings and my husband and I began to pray that it would last because we knew that even this house was going to challenge us. Our thought was that we would dip into savings only when necessary and try to make it last as long as we could. We hoped that we could make it until our daughter started school and I could then return to work.
About three months after moving into our small home, my husband came home to tell me that something amazing had happened. He was offered a new job that would provide us free housing as well. The job was at a high school that he had attended. A job like this was not even on our radar as a possibility, since he was teaching at a college at the time. We were so excited that we immediately put the house on the market.
To understand the next part of this story, you have to know this about me. I devoured any home magazine and TV show that I had time to read or watch and I yearned to have a home with curb appeal and every detail perfectly coordinated and planned. I spent hours working on these tasks in our first home and decided that a big house would be a perfect dream to work toward. When I found out we were going to get “free housing”, I envisioned a pretty little home on the campus with a nice yard for our daughter. I quickly found out that the “free housing” was not a house at all. Our house was an apartment in a dorm at the end of one of the halls on the third floor.
When my husband told me the news, I am pretty sure that he thought I would be upset; but I was thrilled. I, the house queen, who yearned for the dream home in magazines was actually happy to move into a dorm. I am not sure how but God changed me immediately. Not slowly or steadily but He instantly changed my heart to understand the gift He was giving us. My priorities were now my family and that has never changed since that time.
If this were the end of the story, it would be enough to pass along; but God wasn’t through yet. He had much more to show us. Not only did our house sell in two days, the lady that bought it had to rent it from us for a few months before completing the sale (more income for us) and the house sold for almost double what we had paid for it–even after the money we had spent to repair and fix it up.
We eventually lived in several other places around the school campus and I was always in awe of how wonderful they all were when in reality they were nowhere near the dream home that I was sure would bring me incredible joy. God took a girl who had always put a lot of value in things and curb appeal to a woman who found joy and happiness in a place to live and raise her family. The transformation in my heart was amazing. The years we spent at this school allowed me the time to eventually have four daughters (another miracle story for another day) and stay home with them as well.
If the story ended here, again, it would be amazing; but God was still not through. For several years, my husband’s career took us to other places without free housing and God was able to not only keep me home but increase our savings again and again. When we wrote out our budget, it made absolutely no sense that we could even make ends meet much less save money as well. So many times I felt like the woman in 1 Kings 17:16 with the oil and flour that was never exhausted. Several times we would need something and before we could even worry about it, someone would provide it or the item would simply last longer than it should have.
We have never felt the love and devotion of our Father more than we did during those days. He sustained us and then as an added bonus, he gave us more. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! He is with you always (Mathew 28:20).

I know we have all been there…we trust someone and they let us down. It is painful enough anytime; but for some reason, it hurts more if it is a fellow Christian.

My family has gone through some very tough times over the last few months. Financially, emotionally, and physically we have been challenged and stretched until we have almost broken at times. With the comfort of leaning on God, we have made it. I have to tell you, though, the betrayal by fellow believers has worn me down.

Within the past few years, I can name several incidents where my family has endured harsh and cruel treatment from fellow Christians. Ironically, some of the people who have treated us well have been non-believers. The actual details of these incidents really don’t matter; but I can tell you that I was cut to the core with some of it and I had to keep reminding myself what we all know: Christian does not equal perfect. In fact, I believe that when someone gives their life to Christ, it is an acknowledgment from that person that they are a sinner and need the Grace of God to be forgiven. That knowledge is comforting, but let’s be real: I was hurting and I didn’t want to hear that.

One day while I was lamenting on some of the problems we were facing, I just curled up on my bed and had a heart-to-heart talk with God. I really think that He wants us to do that–he is our Heavenly Father. Why wouldn’t He want us to come to Him (even in frustration)?

Somewhere in that prayer/conversation that I was having, a peace washed over me and let me know that I was going to make it. I would love to tell you that everything was perfect after that, but it wasn’t. It takes a daily effort to “seek ye first the kingdom of God” but remember the rest of the verse that says: “and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33. So what are “all these things?”. Back a couple of verses this refers to what we will eat, what we will drink, how will we be clothed.

I began to seek God and not worry about any of the little problems. I decided to let Him worry about the other people that had wronged me and let me concentrate on Him. I know I should have quoted the verse about praying for my enemy, etc; but I will be honest with you: that took a few more weeks of seeking God.

So, my point here? To let you know that if it has not happened to you yet, it probably will. Someone you are close to in the church will hurt you or disappoint you. I wish that I could say that Christians are now perfect (only someday in Heaven will that be true). For now, we are just sinners saved by Grace. Be patient and keep seeking God. He will never disappoint you.

Don’t give up on Christ because someone is not Christ-like.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 NIV

Let’s celebrate this great truth together today. Take a moment to thank Him who gave so much for us, when we were still sinners.

Thank Him for life, because all life matters.

Are you mad today?

Has something or someone made you upset?

Maybe someone has wronged you in a horrible way.

Even the world around us tells us that harboring anger leads to stress which causes us physical problems. Do you know how much energy it takes to be mad?

The Bible tells us to turn the other cheek. It tells us to love our enemies. I’m here to say that that sounds impossible– but then nothing is impossible with God.

Being angry wears me out! I get so exhausted being mad and trying to think of ways to get even that I end up being physically and emotionally drained. On the other hand, although love is an action word, it’s a freedom that even on the physical level releases endorphins, which gives me more energy.  Spiritually, it gives me much more than that.

I encourage you today to follow the simple words from a song that reverberated through many homes this summer:

Let It Go.

Let the pain go and let the anger go. Let your heart be filled with love. I encourage you to daily nail that anger to the cross.

Phil 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Amen!

For those of us who are Christians, the answer is fairly simple, as the Bible mentions angels numerous times. If you are not sure what you believe about angels, I hope you will at least give the new book a try.

In the story, Pastor John is forced to examine his own beliefs and is given a choice on how he can use his new gift.

I have received a few emails from several people who have told me their “angel stories”.  I have to say that for those who think God has been fairly silent in our times, the stories that have been sent to me would make me argue otherwise.

Now, for another “angel story”. How much do you know about Angleman Syndrome? It is a genetic disorder and I hope you click on the link to find out more about it. My sweet great nephew was born with this syndrome. The good news is that the research is showing incredible promise, but they need more funds. To greatly simplify what is happening, in Angleman Syndrome (AS), a portion of a chromosome from the mother is deleted and the father’s portion is still present, but not activated. The research is working on activating the silent father portion in order to restore the missing portions. That is why funding this research is such a great cause–they are getting close to an answer.

I have decided to donate 10 percent of the proceeds from A Rose For Jonathan to help fight to find the cure for AS. Please join me and buy the book to support the cause.

The book is available in both print and ebook form HERE.

I was sitting with a few friends the other day and I made a remark that stuck in my own head for several days.

Here is the setting: graduation of some of our children, discussions on aging parents, and so on. I jokingly stated:

Why do women have to battle the emotions of our children leaving home, aging parents, and menopause all at the same time?

Our poor husbands have to mop up tears for weeks.

Then I jokingly said:

“Why didn’t God come as a woman? Maybe then he would have changed the timing on all of this.”

We all laughed, but I was haunted by the idea that I might be on to something.

Why didn’t he come as a woman? I know the obvious answer of the stigma of a woman in the old culture, etc.

But…we marvel at how he came as a baby…laid in a lowly manger…in a dirty barn…I mean why not make him a woman as well to really stack the odds against him in that culture? (Again, laughing here is encouraged)

There is no way to understand the ways of God, but I do know the ways of man in that century and there is no way anyone would have listened to her. That is a fairly well-known fact of that culture at that time. There is more though.

I believe that God has represented himself as a male throughout time, calling himself “Father” (Numerous verses reference this, but try 1 Corinthians 8:6 as a start).

God has also made it clear that man is to be the spiritual leader of the home (1 Corinthians 11:3), therefore, God would have to come as a man.

OKAY! So the Biblical stuff points to a man, I get it. What I am saying is this: Of course Jesus (and God) can relate to all that we go through since God came in the form of man. 

Can we all just breathe in and out and then laugh for a second when I say this:

I just think that a little PMS might have gone a long way to help us, women, to NOT have to pay for Eve’s mistake forever.

This is where you smile and laugh…I just wanted to be a little funny. Please know that I do understand the big picture here.

For those of you who are confused…that was not my intent. Just laugh with me as I say it again:

Why didn’t he just come here for a couple of months as a woman…preferably with an aging parent and menopause (he didn’t have children…but maybe when his nieces and nephews were moving away too).

It’s okay.

Jesus is my life.

I love him.

He does understand me, even though I am a woman and even when I am a little hormonal.

I just wrote an article that will be in a Christian magazine soon (more on that later). At the end of the article, I quoted a verse that has long been one of my favorites.

Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

While there are other verses stating how God will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5, Genesis 28:15, Deuteronomy 4:31, and both Deuteronomy 20:1 and 20:4 as well) I found myself repeating Deuteronomy 31:8 over and over. I was in a play at church years ago called God With Us that had a song with this verse in it. The words for that song have continued to play in my mind over and over for the last two days as if God wants me to concentrate on them.

Well…I did.

At this time in my life, there are a lot of things to be afraid of:

How will we pay for college?
What will we do when the last child leaves us (soon)?
Do we have enough saved for retirement?
Will our good health last?

My list seems endless. But God says do NOT be afraid and that He will not leave us. He will not leave us…I kept saying that over to myself as I pondered the scripture.

I have an amazing husband and beautiful children and they are loyal and precious to me. I don’t think that any of them could ever make a promise like that, though. They might intend on staying with me; but what if there is a tragic accident that whisks one of them away suddenly?

There is only ONE who will NEVER leave you…EVER. God has promised it and I believe it and hold onto it with all of my heart.

Do you believe it?

Trust in Him…He will always keep his promises.