Haste Makes Waste

Who among us has not experienced the consequences of an impulsive, hasty action?

In recent weeks the Lord began to show me that I tend to be too hasty in taking action on some things, not thinking things through with deliberation or getting advice before I act.  I was dismayed when I realized it.  I began to notice this subtle pattern in my life – not just one, two or three, but in a number of things in the last 2 weeks.   I thank the Lord that He’s brought this to my attention so I could turn to His Word and be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

There were a few times in the process of writing my first book where I was hasty.  One such a time was when I didn’t take time to read the manuscript (for the tenth time, it seemed) slowly and deliberately, and it cost me lots of money with the publisher to go back and fix it later. 

Have you made a hasty promise to somebody, including God, and then didn’t keep your word?

Maybe you regret that impulsive e-mail or Face book comment.  You can’t erase what you’ve written.  

Perhaps hasty, thoughtless words blurted in anger strained a relationship or cost you a friendship.  You can’t suck your words back into your mouth.  The ear that heard them can’t just forget them.  Words can minister life or death.   

Then there’s hasty, impulsive buying.  Whether it’s clothes, shoes, gadgets, groceries, a car, a house or any number of things, when we don’t guard our thinking process, we live to regret impulsive buying.   

Oh yes, eating – did I mention eating?  Yes, hasty eating, not thinking about the choices we’re making, is a bad habit.  The results speak for themselves. 

Or maybe you’ve made a hasty business decision you regret, such as co-signing a note for somebody, or going into a business.  Signing with the wrong company, you ended up in a financial hole.

Maybe you’ve hurried to cut up vegetables for dinner and ended up cutting your finger.  Then you had to clean your hand and bandage it before you could resume meal preparation.  The time you tried to save by hurrying ended up hurting you physically (and costing you more time.) 

Any speeders out there?  If you’re always in a hurry, have the “pedal to the metal,” you will likely end up paying a stiff fine, having your license revoked, or landing in jail.  Maybe all three.

Haste makes waste!  That waste includes embarrassment, loss of respect, loss of friendships, strained relationships, troubled finances, physical pain and wasted time.  God’s Word is wisdom for us if we take the time to read and obey it.  I’ve found that the Word of God gets us back on track; reading it and taking it into our hearts changes us.  In light of that truth, here are Proverbs on being hasty:

Proverbs 14:29 (NKJ) “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.”

Proverbs 19:2 (NIV) “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.”

Proverbs 21:5 (NIV) “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

Proverbs 28:20 (NKJ) “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.”

Proverbs 29:20 (NIV) “Do you see a man who speaks in haste?  There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

Ecclesiastes 5:2 (NIV) “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.  God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”

James 1:19 says everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

Can God redeem those “hasties” in our lives?  Yes, He can bring something good out of our mistakes if we obey Him.  You have to go back to those you hurt and make amends, stop impulsive buying, eat right, and slow down.  Joy awaits you through applying wisdom from the Scriptures.

So – look before you leap; think before you speak.  God bless you, dear reader!

Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy

What Do You Think?

Do you ever think what you’re thinking about?  Isn’t it easy to just be thinking and not realize what we’re really thinking about?  Is it important to be aware of our thoughts?

Thoughts are seeds; they’re all around us – we’re bombarded with them.  All of our behaviors, our society, our world, is the way it is because of thoughts.  Hmm.  And every thought comes from somewhere; do we know the source of the thoughts we’re having?  There are evil, destructive thoughts – thoughts of sickness, death, failure, hatred, poverty, excess, procrastination, you name it.  There are also good thoughts: thoughts of holiness, life, health, prosperity, freedom, kindness, self-control, love, etc.

Have you ever caught yourself re-playing an argument or a negative situation in your head, going ‘round and ‘round and ‘round?  Those thoughts have the power to come into your life and affect your heart rate, your blood pressure, the blush of your skin, how you feel physically.  They can cause tears to surface, cause you to avoid people, and the eyes to react by looking away or down.  They can cause arms to fold in a defensive posture, or the face to contort in rage.  They urge release through the body via the mouth by evil words, yelling, crying, or physical abuse, and even worse – murder.  I believe that when those angry emotions aren’t dealt with in a healthy way by bringing them to Jesus and letting go of them, they are internalized and affect the digestion, blood vessels, organs, bones, and muscles of our body.  

(The statement that guns kill people is not a valid argument for gun control in our country.  Look at Cain and Able in the Garden of Eden; the first family on earth didn’t own a gun, a knife, or any other weapon.  They did have rocks and sticks and their bare hands.  And the curse of sin.  The bottom line is that nurtured, unbridled, hate-filled thoughts kill people.)

Other thoughts calm you down, make your relax, lower your blood pressure, thrill you, encourage you, make you feel peace and joy.  They cause your body to react physically, too: the eyes brighten, you smile, open your arms to embrace, stand a little taller, or dance. These thoughts also prompt release through the body by speech, laughing, singing, doing good deeds, etc.

When we hear of someone suddenly having an extra-marital affair, we’re shocked and wonder how they could do such a thing.  The truth is, my friends, it all started as a seed of thought a long time before the action showed up.  A tiny hidden seed that nobody saw or knew about.  That little seed of desire or discontent with their spouse was allowed to take root and grow by thinking in a “crooked path.”  The owner of that thought did not uproot it by taking authority over it in Jesus’ Name, but rather let it become impregnated in his mind.  It finally grew into an action of infidelity.  Then all hell breaks loose in the lives of those it affects.  That seed of sinful thought then kills, steals and destroys trust in a sacred marriage relationship.

Or take thoughts related to overeating.  We have to learn to uproot and discard thoughts that are not conducive to a healthy lifestyle – thoughts of discouragement, hopelessness, thoughts about how good something would taste. . . You get the picture.  What we’ve been habitually thinking shows up on one’s body, doesn’t it?  Ouch - I stepped on my own toes!  But God can and will help us change our thinking if we humble ourselves and ask for His help.

Those thoughts in your mind have the power to come into the physical realm and shape it – to form your life!  There’s a Scripture in Proverbs 23:7 (KJV) that says “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Think about the power of your thoughts; don’t discount them.  They matter!  We must control our thoughts and be mindful what is going through our head each day.  We must think about Jesus and His words.  We must train ourselves to think differently.  Romans 12:2 says it well: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Think about the power of thoughts as you envision how a flower grows from a seed.  You take the seed (accept the thought), plant the seed (give it the right kind of soil and atmosphere), and it sprouts and grows bit by bit with the right growing conditions.  Seed thoughts > actions > habits> destination.

I heard a true story from a minister who said that as a young boy, his parents had a number of pecan trees in their yard.  Nuts would fall to the ground, and seedlings would start to sprout.  It was his job to keep the yard free of these pecan tree seedlings.  He didn’t like to do it, so he waited until they were too high to go unnoticed anymore.  Then when he tried to pull these little seedlings out, the roots were so well established that he had to get a shovel and dig them out!  He learned very quickly that he had to pull them out as soon as they appeared.  

Think about what you’re thinking about, and choose to uproot evil thoughts immediately!  Give no place to the devil!  Let’s choose thoughts that produce life and well-being.  Think on Jesus and the eternal truth that you are declared righteous by God if you have made Him the Lord of your life.  As we think about Jesus and His grace toward us as believers, we are changed to want to think like Him!

If you are not a believer in the Lord Jesus, you don’t have access to His wisdom and help; but that can change right now.  I invite you to humble yourself and admit you need God; ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior from sin.  He will make your spirit alive toward Him and give you eternal life – the life you begin living right now.  God, through the Apostle Paul, says in Romans 10:9-10, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  And again, Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

~ ~ ~

http://www.elaineandfriends.com/

Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy 

  

An Evening Walk

With my husband having to work night shift tonight (something which almost never happens), I clean up my kitchen from our early dinner, grab my keys out of my purse, and go outside to enjoy an evening walk.   I lock the house, hook the key ring across my middle finger, and breathe in the cool, fresh evening air as I step onto our curved red stone walkway, down the driveway, and onto the sidewalk.  I wonder if the same cool breeze once wafted across the faces of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden as they walked and talked with God in the cool of the day.

The orange evening sun makes delicate streaks of pastel colors against the light blue evening sky, and I drink in the beauty of color.  I walk to the corner and turn right, praying for the family who lives in that house, that they would receive Jesus as their Savior.  After I walk to the end of that block, I turn around and come back past our house again and continue on.  Our neighbor's tall pin oak tree has dropped a copious amount of tiny acorns that stained our driveway and crunch beneath my tennis shoes on the sidewalk now also stained by those wee things.  I wonder if the rain will wash the brown streaks away.

I commune with Jesus my Savior, thanking Him for what His death on the cross accomplished for me, for the healing of my hips that ache this evening.

Planted on the ground beside a mail box, a solitary yellow rose is blooming, and the leaves look a bit blighted. The tag says "Victory Rose", and I wonder if the lonely fragile beauty can live up to its name.

Up in the sky I notice a flock of small birds swooping and gliding, enjoying the freedom of flight.  As I near the large field at Weems School, many young men are playing soccer, competing for control of the ball.  My ear picks up the distant faint jingling, tinkling musical sound of an ice cream truck, and soon I see him coming around the bend in the road toward me, the music louder now.  He turns into the school parking lot, hoping the players will buy a frozen treat, but they are too intent on their game.  After awhile, he drives away slowly,  the familiar tinkling music fading on the night breeze.  I ask God to somehow meet the needs of this man's family.

All around me now are the night sounds of katydids, crickets, and other buzzing sounds of insects I can't identify.  My eye catches the sight of something hanging upside-down under a tree branch; I walk over to investigate, and see where a cicada has burst out of his old shell of skin and left it behind for bigger, better things.  I think how this represents a person at death: the spirit comes out of the body, leaving the shell behind to be buried.  But for the believer in Jesus Christ, there will come a resurrection day when we will have a new body to house our spirits once again!

The loud bumping music of a blue sports car growls past me, breaking my reverie.  I turn and go back to the sidewalk.

I hear the plaintive sounds of the downtown Manassas train whistle sounding skyward, filling the night.

Dressed in colorful outfits, three small dogs, tethered to their owners, come out of a house. I greet the couple.  Two dachshunds want to cross the street to where I am, but the woman tells the tiny black one, "That's a bad dog!" and at her command, makes him sit down. :o)

Dusk is falling around me now like a soft blanket.  I approach the house where I know Pastor Yarbrough (not my pastor) lives, and I notice there's a candle burning in the middle dormer window upstairs.  Otherwise the house is dark.  I've noticed the candle in the daytime when I've walked past there; I wonder what the story is behind that candle.

The half moon is bright in the sky now as I take our mail from the mailbox, walk back up our driveway, in across our red stone curved walk, and up the two steps to our front porch.  I unlock the front door and enter the sanctuary of a place called home.

"Thank you, Lord Jesus, for my evening walk."

Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy

For Now

We took this photo when we were in Arizona a  number of years ago.  The handiwork of God is awesome!  Years ago I wrote a poem about God that I'd like to share with you.

             For Now

He is Alpha and Omega,
Beginning and End,
The First and Last,
The Past, Present, Future.
In the beginning was the Word;
The Word was with God
And the Word was God.
He made the world; 
Made me in His image.
All life bears the imprint
And orderly design 
Of God.

By Him, all things consist.
The sun rises and sets
In perpetual warmth,
Bearing testimony
Of His faithfulness.
In the heart of man
Is the seed of faith
To believe in Him.

But my mind
Stands on tiptoe,
Searching in vain
To know the birthplace
Of God.
I climb to the apex
And strain to see
Beyond the void
That greets me there.
Why is there God?
Who put Him where He is?
Did He make Himself?
Impossible!

At the pinnacle of wondering
I find a black void,
A secret quiet,
Territory impenetrable.
I draw back into the light.
Ah, someday I will know
As I enter His Heaven.
But here, I content myself
To bask in His faithfulness.

This I know:
He has touched my heart
And is my Friend,
Having spoken to me
Through His Word,
Telling me things
I need to know
For now.

          By Elaine Beachy
          February 4, 1992

Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy

         

America: My Home, Sweet Home

I was in tears before the Lord in prayer this morning as I read the One Year Bible reading for today from Isaiah 25:1 - 28:13.  The Spirit of the Lord, I believe, was weeping through me to see His desires for our nation come to pass as I prayed.   Proverbs 14:34 says that "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."  The Lord cares about our nation; He wants us to be good citizens of America as well as His Heavenly Kingdom.

As I wept, a poem came to mind that I had written on January 20, 1992, and since we are in an election season that will impact every home in our nation, I want to share it here in this post.

            America The Needy

Like the teen whose heart rebellious
'Gainst the parents' hand is raised,
Going his own way, now dismal,
Loathes to seek parental aid,

So our country, heart rebellious,
Turned her faith from God alone
To free love, Libbers, drugs, abortion,
"New Age" crystals -- hapless stones!

With her hands out-stretched for answers,
Beaten, wounded, bloodied, sore,
She relucts to find salvation
From the One she so abhorred.

Struggle on, then, O Rebellious;
Pile on laws and legislate!
Watch your cities, towns and families
Buckle under such a fate. . .

With His heart of mercy aching,
God waits patiently to see
When her eyes will turn upon Him
So that He might set her free.

Who'll repair the crumbling moorings?
Who will shout the watchman's cry?
Who calls out, "Awake, you sleeper!
Don your armor! To the fray!"

Is it not the Godly-minded
Who for long were trodden down;
Those with faith in God, united,
Who restore our country's crown?

           By Elaine Beachy
           January 20, 1992

Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy

   

Celebrating Life

Recently I celebrated my 66^th birthday, got my ears pierced for the first time, was treated to lunch and dinner, given a big beautiful bouquet of flowers, a lovely “Grandma” plaque, and a $50 Amazon gift card besides lots of love, hugs and well-wishes from family and friends.

Several years ago a lady remarked to me that she refuses to celebrate her birthday because she had nothing to do with it.  “Why celebrate my birthday as though I had something to do with it?  I didn’t plan it, had no part in it, so why should I act like it’s a big deal?”  I suspect she didn’t celebrate anyone else’s either. 

Is she right?  Are birthday celebrations a waste of time, money and energy?

The way I see it, remembering someone’s beginning is what birthdays are all about.  The day you were born was a time of celebration for your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, as they rejoiced at the tiny new life that made its appearance on earth.  Baby cards called you a bundle of joy, a precious life, a reason to celebrate, and congratulated your parents.

    

As we celebrate a birthday, we evaluate ourselves, our goals, where we are in life; each year is a milestone.  Birthdays are a validation of one’s identity and existence.  It would be sad indeed to see someone for whom there is no birthday celebration.  A birthday celebration says, “I value you, God values you, and I’m glad you’re on the planet!”  Birthdays also make us think: “Who am I?  Where am I in life?”

Having a birthday isn’t all about “me.”  Celebrating a birthday bonds family and friends; our life stories are part of another’s.  We remember our families are worth loving and want to do something nice for them on their birthday.   

Life is precious – created by God.  He has a purpose and plan for each life, even for those whose birth circumstances may have been far less than idyllic.  No matter your circumstance at birth, God put in you special gifts and abilities that are unique to you.  You fill a place on earth that nobody else can fill.  You are a somebody!  God didn’t make a “nobody!”

 Children especially look forward to celebrating their birthday each year – they are eager to be older, do new things, grow taller, and have new freedoms.  It’s refreshing to see the exuberance of a child as he anticipates new things in life.    

Celebrations are like the exclamation points of life.  Do you find it difficult to celebrate?  Sometimes I think we adults let the devil suck the joy out of our lives.  We have a hard time celebrating anything because we focus our attention on worries, guilt, condemnation over mistakes made, work, “keeping our nose to the grindstone,” so to speak.  There’s an old saying: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” 

God wants us to enjoy life – to enjoy Him – to celebrate!  The Old Testament is full of commands for God’s people to feast and celebrate His goodness.  I love the Scripture in John 10:10 (Amplified Bible) where Jesus says, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”  I Timothy 6:17 tells us to set our hopes on God, “Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” 

God delights in His creation; He needs you here on earth.  Psalm 139:13-16 shows His value on birthdays, yes, even all the days of your life: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy

Work: What's The Big Deal?

If one takes the book of Ecclesiates in the Bible at face value, one could think work is meaningless -- a miserable business at best.  Poor King Solomon (though he was the wealthiest and wisest man who ever lived) spoke these words when he was depressed as he considered the whole of his life and his achievements at the end of his life.  He even said work is meaningless in chapter 2: 17-26.

But work is an honorable thing in God's sight.  Colossians 3:23 (NIV) says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward."

I love I Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV) "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your own hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."  In chapter 5, verses 12-14 the Lord instructs us, "Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.  Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

Work that benefits others is an  honorable thing.  When one is focused on self, as King Solomon was in telling us how he felt in Ecclesiates, work is meaningless and unfulfilling.

Paul, through the Holy Spirit, writes in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 (NIV), "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.  For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.  We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it.  On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.  We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.  For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.'"

Moms, when you drive to your job one more day to endure office politics, or have courage to start a new business, remember why you do what you do.  When you put that one more load of laundry into the washer, dust that furniture one more time, sweep and mop the floors, remember why you do what you do.  When you prepare your thousandth meal, wash the dishes one more time, run those household errands, kneel beside a sick child's bed (again), when weariness and sleeplessness stalks you like an enemy, remember why you do what you do.

Dads, when you brave the ice and snow, fix that broken washer or dryer, take risks in starting a new business, mow the grass or take the car to the garage rather than sit down to watch TV, remember why you do what you do.  When you take your family to church rather than sleep in, or help your child with homework instead of read the newspaper, remember why you do what you do.  When you help your neighbor start his car or shovel a sidewalk packed with snow, even though you're tired, remember why you do what you do.

What's the point of work anyway?  What's the big deal?  Look at it this way: imagine that nobody in society did anything but just sat around and waited for someone else to do something useful.  What kind of world would we have?  When we do honorable work, we help society be stable and provide for the needs of others.  We bless others, and in turn we bless our Creator God.  God is a God of beauty and order.  Our homes and communities should reflect that as well as our country.

It is only fitting that on Labor Day we pay tribute to those who work to make our country a better place to live.  I salute those who have worked to increase the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our nation, the United States of America.

Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy

Orphan Spirit

ORPHAN SPIRIT

Who is orphan?

Who is widow?

Not only he

Whose parent died

Is orphan.

Not only she

Whose husband died

Is widow.

They could be faces hidden

In your church,

On your job,

In your neighborhood.

They could be in your mirror.

With deep soul wounds

They mask the pain

And cry silent cries

That reverberate

In the spirit realm.

Never feeling good enough –

Longing to be loved,

Accepted unconditionally.

Afraid to trust,

Feeling afflicted,

Perhaps addicted,

They protect themselves

Behind walls

That keep others out –

Even God –

To take care of themselves:

Alone and struggling.

Orphan spirit feeds on:

No pat on the back,

No cheerful smile,

No caring hugs,

No “Welcome Home!”

Feeling alone and lost,

Many have grown up

In two-parent homes,

Feeling unwanted,

Rejected, alone,

Unnoticed, trivialized,

Thrown away, bereft.

Orphan spirit

Is found in

Divorced ones,

Married ones,

Latchkey kids:

A fatherless generation.

How they need

A Father’s love,

Unconditional,

Warm, healing,

Receiving,

Believing

He won’t be leaving

The orphan, the widow.

“Heavenly Father, I plead the blood of Jesus over the one reading this post.  I declare deliverance of every orphan spirit in their life, in Jesus’ Name.  I ask you, Father, to cause Your Holy Spirit to hover over my reader to create new life out of chaos, emptiness and void, and bring healing into their soul.  Fill them with Your love; may they know how precious they are to You.  I pray they will receive the Spirit of sonship into their heart, according to Romans 8:15 that says we have not received from You a spirit that makes us a slave to fear, but the Spirit of sonship. You hold out Your arms to them, and they cry, “Abba, Father!  Daddy!" as they run to You. 

Thank You, Father, that you notice this reader. You value them, You want them.  You invite them to come to You and receive rest and love.  (Matthew 11:28) You encourage and lift up; You restore what the ‘locusts’ have eaten from their life, You heal all their wounds (I Peter 2:24) and You have a good plan for their life.  Help them get to know You by seeing Jesus in Your Word, because Jesus said if we’ve seen Him, we’ve see the Father.  Help them to know You are kind and good, because You tell us to be that way.  “If we, being evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will You, our heavenly Father, give good things to those who ask You?” (Matthew 7:11)  Amen.

Psalm 68:5-6, (NIV) says, "A father to the fatherless, defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families; he leads forth the prisoners with singing."

I bless you reader, to receive wholeness in your life; relax in the arms of Daddy God and let Him hold you and take care of you.  There’s a place for you at His table.  You belong. You’re home.

Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy