It’s happened again. I should know better from past experiences. Somehow I actually believed with all my heart that the little wand really would give me younger looking skin and magically erase my under eye bags and puffiness taking 10 years off my face.

Why am I not surprised?

After all, I don’t have buns of steel or rock hard abs that the infomercial promised. My eyelashes aren’t longer and thicker; my cellulite is still visible to the naked eye; my teeth aren’t noticeably whiter after three easy applications AND the winning lottery numbers in my Chinese fortune cookie didn’t even come close.

The government is cloaked in secrecy, rampant with cover-ups. Politicians have hidden agendas, their campaign trails littered with broken promises. The evening news spews nothing but doom and gloom.

Maybe it’s just me, but occasionally I become so disillusioned and downright cynical with all of these broken promises and empty claims I’m ready to phone the mother ship and ask Scotty to beam me up, but oh wait, then I remember that’s not real either!

As I settled into my prayer chair this morning for some much needed quiet time and reflection with God, my fingers thumbed through the pages of my well-worn Bible – a book thousands of years old that holds promise after promise and stories of unimaginable miracles.

Many question this centuries old book. Can it really be the inspired Word of God applicable to 21st century disasters, or is it to just another piece of propaganda promising miracles it can’t deliver?

I may be a tad cynical sometimes, but I know, that I know, that I know that the Bible has provided me with answers to life’s problems when nothing or no one else could.

I KNOW that when I’m worried about the future, the Bible tells me to cast all my cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). I KNOW that when I’m fretful over the paths my children are walking I can stand on the promise of Proverbs 22:6.

I KNOW that when I’m confused or troubled about a decision the Bible reminds me that apart from Him I can do nothing (John 15:5).

I KNOW that when I have those days that it feels as the though the whole world is crashing around me and I’m feeling particularly picked on, God’s Word reassures me that no weapon formed against me will prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

For every difficulty we face, the Bible provides us with reassurances. When you don’t know exactly where to look for answers, log onto biblegateway.com. You can do a keyword search when you’re facing an issue such as fear and bring up a multitude of scriptures to study.

Standing on the Word of God won’t give you buns of steel, but that’s not one of its claims. It will however outfit you with the armor of God, give you rock hard conviction and reset your moral compass so it always points to true north and those are promises you can bank on even in this economy.

Blessings in Christ,
Kathy

Earth to Ana. Earth to Ana, my husband enjoys saying when he wants to get my attention.

Yeah, yeah, very funny…

Well, I guess I should be glad my husband has a sense of humor. It must be frustrating living with someone whose mind is often in Analand.

Yet who can blame me? Analand is an amazing place, filled with creative ideas, inspiring music, beautiful landscapes, and meaningful conversations with my own very agreeable self. It is no wonder I love visiting so often.

But eventually duty beckons, and I make the trek back to reality.

My reality, however, isn’t bad either. I live in a cute little house with a family that loves me. I have a great job and wonderful friends. I’m seldom cold and never go hungry. And even in times of struggle, I have an enduring conviction that God loves me and will be there for me through it all.

In fact, my reality is usually so cozy, I seldom stop to think about anybody else’s. But is that the way it is supposed to be?

Not according to Jesus.

Christian artist Matthew West challenges me with these lyrics:

What if there’s a bigger picture?
What if I’m missing out?
What if there’s a greater purpose
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world?

Truth is that outside my own little world there is need, heartbreak, strife, illness, poverty, loneliness, bondage… All of the things Jesus died on the cross for.

His resurrection message offers hope, healing, freedom, love, joy, peace, and so much more. But this powerful message needs to be shared by people who are willing to look outside their window and into a world crying out for help.

The Apostle Paul said that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”. But “how”, he continues, “can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”
(Romans 10:13-14)

Oh, that my heart would be filled with passion for the lost, the broken and the needy, that I’d be willing to step out of my comfort and share the Lord with those who haven’t yet heard His message!

Earth to Ana, Earth to Ana! I hear the world calling.

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