GPS, God, and me...

It's a corny illustration for sure...

But on my most recent and most tedious of drives to the Houston Medical Center (thanks to endless construction and rerouting of routes) I was reminded of the most important things about God from the unlikeliest of places...

My Google-Maps GPS.

I call her my "Ho".

I know, not a very Christian word to use, let alone name for something (or someone!) - I'm not sure why we call her that, it just fits for some reason.  So we call  her our "Ho."

Before the tangled web of construction mess of 290 - one of the main highways to the Medical Center - I knew how to get there.  I'd been there so often over the years in "Life with Autism, Seizures, and a side of PANDAS" that I could drive it blindfolded.  But since the construction and widening or whatever it is they have been attempting to do with it for months on end now - I have no clue how to get there.  I know the general direction - but they have changed the roads so often it's hard to keep up.

So, I've had to depend on my "Ho" to get me there.

On this day, she told me to turn toward a direction that I knew was not the direction of the medical center.  I had cut my time leaving down to the "you have no room to mess up" time - and I guess I was just in no mood for exploring new roads -- so I ignored where my ho was telling me to go and decided to trust my "tried and true" same way there that I've always gone.  Or at least the same direction I always headed towards to get there...

Big mistake.

Huge!

About five minutes after the point of no return on exiting where she told me to exit, I realized why she wanted me to exit there...

The solid red line on my google-maps screen made that painfully obvious.

She saw a wreck up ahead that I could not see and she tried to warn me but I didn't listen.

I instead felt my way was better.

Thought I knew best.

With nothing else to do but sit in a traffic jam for minutes on end listening to Brandon's non-stop humming in the back seat -- I had to chuckle at the lesson I was painfully and impatiently learning.

How many times do I play this game with God?

How many times do I think I know a better way for me than God?

How many times do I think I know more than God in how I trust me, not Him?

Oh what I could truly avoid if I would once and for all trust and believe how God knows more than me!  How God sees the road ahead and how he tries so valiantly to get me to exit off the path riddled with roadblocks and instead turn on to his path of prosperity?

Oh how I would have arrived at the Medical Center on time if I had just listened to my Ho!

She was trying to be the Jeremiah 29:11 of faith and I refused to listen.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I thought my plan was better and I soooo did not prosper!

And I paid the price for that.

It's hard to have trust like that. 

It's hard to say, "Jesus take the wheel" and to trust where He takes me!"

It's hard to give up control of your life, your everything, to a God you cannot see.

It's even harder to follow in obedience of where he wants you to go, especially if it's a different direction than where you wanted to go!

But that's the essence of what faith is, of what HOPEISM is!

Trusting!

The next time my Ho tells me to exit, I'm going to exit!

And I will trust what Isaiah 30:21-23 promises me in that when I trust God, he will not fail.

You will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way.  Follow it, whether it turns to the right or to the left."  

Much as if I would only learn to listen to my GPS-ho in the car - when I hear God's voice in life telling me which way to go - I will prosper. 

When I leave behind all the idols that lure me away from God, I will find prosperity.  When I leave behind my stubbornness and pride and thinking I know best, I will find prosperity!  When I leave behind anything that hinders me from following God, I will find prosperity!

Then you will dishonor your silver-plated idols and your gold-covered statues.  You will throw them away like clothing ruined by stains.  You will say to them, "Get out!"  Then Lord will give you rain for the seed that you plant in the ground, and the food that the ground provides will be rich and nourishing.

Prosperity comes from putting God first and following him and his directions.

Endless time stalled in traffic jams come when you don't!

When I leave God's path, much like when I left my ho's path, I will face correction. 

Whether it be discipline or a delay.

When we hear that voice - God's voice - we would do well to follow it.

He will never steer us wrong.

(I just wish sometimes His voice was as clear in certain situations in life as "Ho's" voice is in the car when she says, "There's a 15 minute delay ahead, click here for alternate route...)

(and Ho's voice too)

(always follow that when in the car)

(oy...)

Oh, I know, I'm gonna Rise Again!

Day 72

Part I

Mark 9 - 16

Back-tracking a bit and actually starting with Mark 8:31 because of how it makes me think of the current state of vaccine affairs.  I know, I should be getting more out of this than that - and I do - but I can't help but be both saddened and encouraged by the likeness...

Mark 8:31
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again."

I see that scripture as what is happening to this entire generation of vaccinated children.  It is horrific all that our innocent, born healthy children have had to suffer because of vaccination!  And talk about being rejected?  No one more rejected than those severely injured by vaccines. They are rejected by society, by the government, by the medical industry, by public education, by insurance, by family members, friends, and even by churches!

I can relate just a speck to Jesus when I find myself screaming out on behalf of my son in asking, "Why God?  Why have you forsaken him? All of them?  An entire generation???"

Why have they had to suffer so many things?????

Mark 8:33
"Get behind me, Satan!"  he said.  "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

In those times when I'm crying out, I would do well to remember the above from Jesus himself.  Satan only has the things of men on his mind.  I need to counter that by always counting on the things of God that will get me through. That will get my son through.

What he has lost in life, he will gain in heaven.

Mark 8:34
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."

Those promises are what I must stand on in life, in Christianity, and in this crazy, mad world of vaccine injury where the weight of that cross is staggering.

Where the multitude of lies are mind-boggling.

I must remain focused and follow.

In Mark, he asks a great question that Pharma, politicians, and policy-makers would do well to ponder daily in how it relates to the vaccine industry and mandated vaccines.

Mark 8:36
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

That's what we've done, you know... 

We have forfeited an entire generation for Pharma to make a profit.

But alas the HOPEISM in what I have titled this entry...in the prayer that our vaccine injured children, many of whom are adults now as my son is, -- will rise again.

Back to this day's reading....

A non-verbal boy with seizures...could be about my son, except for him the demon is vaccine injury.

Pharma's correlation is everywhere it seems.

Mark 9:17-29..."Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.  Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground.  He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid.  I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you?  How long shall I put up with you?  Bring the boy to me."

So they brought him.  When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion...

Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered.  But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

" 'If you can'?" said Jesus.

"Everything is possible for him who believes."

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

A crowd came running and Jesus then rebuked the spirit to leave the boy, then he lifted the boy to his feet and he stood up.

The disciples asked Jesus why they couldn't drive the evil spirit out and Jesus replied:

"This kind can come out only by prayer."

I have to stop there, read it again, and put it on repeat again and again...

How many times have I done everything else to help my son before I prayed for how to help my son?

And yet again, HOPEISM...

Mark 9:12
Jesus answer's a question asked of him with a simple, "...and restores all things."

I don't need to know much else about God other than that.

I don't need to count on much else about my son's vaccine injury than how God restores all things.

The son of man will suffer much and be rejected, but <God>, restores all things.

Oh if I could carve that assurance on my heart and feel it every time I question it!

Does that mean he will restore all things the way I hope or pray for?

Probably not.

But it is a promise no less.

He will restore all things according to his will, his plan, his purpose.

And all who truly believe that, who ask Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior, will rise again.

Lord, on days when I am like that boy's father and falter in my belief - help me in that unbelief!

More than Conquerors!

This year has already started with challenges, but there is no better time than Valentine's Day to be reminded of what love truly is…     God's love…   His kind of love that conquers anything or anyone!     And no where am I more reminded of that kind of conquering love than in the Book of Romans --- a book about God's faithfulness, forgiveness, peace, hope.  A book about the freedom from sin's grasp in being dead to sin and alive in Christ!  A book about being released from the law so that you might bind yourself to Christ and a life filled with the Spirit! 

But I think the verses where I find myself most loved, are those where it is about our present suffering and God's promise of future glory…   "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

Where God reminds me that:   "…in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." 

Where the question is asked, in:  "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

And perhaps the question of all questions in:  "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger of sword?"

And ahhhh, what brings me such great HOPEISM on this Valentine's Day and celebration of love, of God's most amazing unconditional love, -- is His answer in Romans 8:37-39 ---

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Isn't that just the most crazy, mad, wonderful kind of love? 

That is my phrase for the year, that with God's love, we are  MORE THAN CONQUERORS!

In no matter what situation I find myself in...  nor autism, seizures, PANDAS, nor any conflict, fear, hardship, nor any doubt, disappointment, defeat, nor any betrayal, tiredness, injustice, nor any obstacle on any course we find ourselves on this year…

Nor.any.anything. will separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord!

With a love like that?

Why, Team Guppy can "Conquer any Gauntlet" that comes our way!

HOOYAH

Be Vigilant because the enemy prowls!

1 Peter 5:8-10

Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  

~ ~ ~

The word "vigilance" has come to mind in a profound way.  Profoundly in that a few days ago I could have died on the way back from taking Brandon to his day program...

Vigilance means the action or state of keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties...

No, I wasn't on my phone texting or talking - but I was distracted.  Distracted by thoughts of family conflicts and by the recent death threats the VAXXED Team members are getting more frequently.  I guess my mind was wandering, -- and while I saw the red light before me, I guess I was so distracted that I proceeded as if I was "going right on red" even though it was a left hand turn.

I am Praising God for the "vigilance" of the driver of that ugly gray car that saw me before he hit me.  If he/she had not, it would surely have been a "t-bone" collision right in my drivers side door.  But thankfully, no harm was done on the near miss and we both drove on our merry way to wherever....  Me, thankful for their vigilance, and them most likely cussing me out!  

I'm glad that happened though because it definitely made me step back and slow down and be more diligent, deliberate, and less distracted while driving.  Most importantly, more vigilant in my driving.  Of which I do a lot of each and every day in delivering my son to and from his day program...

But it also was an incident that called me to be just as diligent, deliberate, and less distracted in my daily life as well.  More vigilant in all aspects of my faith, perhaps in that most importantly.

It is not lost on me that for all of this New Year I have been deliberating in prayer what my word, my theme for this year would be...

And I think that day with that incident, at least that prayer was answered.

I need to be vigilant.

I need to keep careful watch over my thoughts, my actions, and my prayers.

So many possible collisions, conflicts, and crisis' of faith can be averted by simply being vigilant.

Complacency is the satan of vigilance, faith, and prayer.
I became complacent in driving by distraction and because of division.

I can become just as complacent in prayer, in faith, in advocacy, in everything!  And much like what could have happened if the other driver wasn't so vigilant, my lack of vigilance in those aspects of my daily life could come at a very high cost as well.  Satan can cause distraction and division to divert my attention just long enough for his evil schemes to devour me.

In my Bible commentary for the verse I began this writing with, it states:

Lions attack sick, young, or straggling animals; they choose victims who are alone or not alert.  Peter warns us to watch out for Satan when we are suffering or being persecuted.  If you are feeling alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers, or if you are so focused on your troubles that you forget to watch for danger, those are the times when you are especially vulnerable to Satan's attacks.  During times of suffering, seek other Christians for support.  Keep your eyes on Christ, and resist the devil.  Then, says James, "he will flee from you" - James 4:7

~ ~ ~ 

I am so thankful for those in my life who are such a support to me, and if you are someone who doesn't have such a support system -- I welcome the opportunity to attempt to be that for you!

The enemy is prowling...

Be Vigilant!

#HOPEISM