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Straight Pathways

Posted by NormaGail on Aug 8, 2011 | Comments Off on Straight Pathways

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

I was on the waiting list. This wasn’t supposed to happen. God had directed me to a career in nursing and now everything seemed to be placed on hold.

My parents were behind me willing to do whatever it took for me to realize my calling. It wouldn’t be easy with three younger siblings. We weren’t wealthy, though we were certainly comfortable. After a summer vacation punctuated with college visits, I was accepted to MontanaStateUniversity, three states away from my home.

Aside from my family, I didn’t want to leave my best friends behind. I had become very involved in a campus ministry. I wanted to remain at home for college.

As my friends readied to begin school the very next day, I prepared myself to accept that my prayers had been answered with a no. I answered the phone and was surprised to hear the caller identify herself as an instructor from the College of Nursing in my hometown. Someone had dropped out. There was a place for me if I still wanted it.

I didn’t hesitate. My immediate answer was a yes. It might have been at the last minute, but the Lord had given me the answer I prayed for.

That experience made me realize that God doesn’t work on my timetable. He isn’t subject to the schedules we set in place. His timing is His own, designed to accomplish His purposes.

I look at things differently now, with more hope, knowing I may not understand, but in the end, He will do things in the absolute best way for me. He opens doors where He wants me to go and closes them when He wants me to stay away from something. That summer had a profound impact on my life.

What situation in your life seems to be on hold and you have no idea where God is leading? What seems hopeless in your life right now—you can’t see where God is leading, but you are apprehensive about where the future is going to lead.

Choose today to entrust the circumstances of your life to Him, trusting Him with all your heart for what He is going to do. Acknowledge that He knows what you need more than you do, and He will make your path straight before you.

The Sound of Silence

Posted by NormaGail on Aug 2, 2011 | Comments Off on The Sound of Silence

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9a

I tried to speak and no sound came out. I could not even whisper. I couldn’t even call my husband.

I went to doctors and they found nothing. They did a laryngoscopy and found nothing. The doctor called and told me to force myself to talk normally and get over it! How’s that for encouragement and professional advice? I was losing hope.

The months dragged on. My notepad accompanied me wherever I went—including to the bank. My kids were away at school, so I learned to text message. E-mail was the preferred method of communication. For four and a half months I was trapped in a silent world with no hope of finding my way out.

I had a Bible study to lead, a busy life to keep up with. Every woman in the Bible study had a chance to try leading. I sat silently with my notepad and wrote notes if necessary. Several discovered they could do something they never thought they could. The study went on as we learned a new way to be a vessel used by God, emptied of ourselves.

My inner spiritual life soared. God frequently gives us object lessons to drive home the point He is trying to teach us. Lesson number one in relation to the Bible study—it’s not about me! At home—patience is a virtue. Over all—trust in the Lord and lean not on my own understanding.

Eventually God led me to a speech pathologist at our local university hospital. Her laryngoscopy enabled her to see what no one else had—a condition which could be successfully treated with therapy. She thought twelve weeks—I spoke the first time. God will not let us suffer one moment longer than is necessary for teaching us the lesson He wants us to learn.

What situation in your life seems hopeless? What frightens you? Everything God allows in our lives is something to be used for our benefit and His glory. Whatever seems to be a roadblock in your life is the thing you need to give to God. Find it, give it to Him, and see what He will do.

Who is in Control

Posted by NormaGail on Jul 25, 2011 | 2 comments

“Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.” Proverbs 25:28

Things that hurt my children make me angry. I know anger is one of my weaknesses. When something isn’t done correctly, I often lose self-control. When I do, God isn’t honored.

During my daughter’s senior year a coach at school was not handling things fairly. I had thyroid cancer and the surgery and treatments left me without that vital hormone. I was in a weak position and my emotions were raw. That didn’t give me a license to do things my way instead of God’s.

My words to the coach, my words in front of my daughter, even words in front of friends were angry and hateful. I was in a position of leadership at church. I knew what God’s word said, but I thought my way was better. When my first meeting didn’t accomplish what I thought should be done, I went higher.

All of that happened many years ago. I still have regrets about the way I handled things. I’m not saying the coach handled things correctly, but I am saying I could have managed my part much better. I have bad feelings to this day. My daughter says it was a long time ago and I need to let go of it. It’s hard to let go when you know you failed to let God work things out His way.

If we are Christians our actions should reflect our Lord and Savior. When we do things God’s way, not acting until we know we are in concert with Him, things always work out much better—there are no regrets when He is honored.

We have a choice each and every time we speak, to honor God or do things our own way. I chose the wrong way. I let my emotions run ahead of God and failed to seek His best way of dealing with things. My daughter showed more maturity than I did. That gets your attention.

What situation are you facing today where you have a choice in how to respond? Are you lacking self-control? How is your judgment skewed toward your desired outcome when perhaps God has something different in mind?

Take the time to pray through the situation. Don’t act until you see clearly what God would have you do. Rather than losing self-control, honor God by letting Him take control.

A Cheerful Heart

Posted by NormaGail on Jul 18, 2011 | Comments Off on A Cheerful Heart

“A cheerful heart is good medicine…”Proverbs 17:22

She needed cheering up. My neighbor was in the midst of debilitating cancer treatment. All she asked was that I come see her for just a few minutes. I had a million things to do, but I couldn’t ignore her plea.

I sat down and let her take the lead in the conversation, telling me how frustrated she was, how often she felt that she might not make it through. Her faith in the Lord was strong, but we all need some encouragement and reminders of God’s love now and then.

I write poetry, when the Lord gives it to me, so I took along a poem I had written in the midst of some medical problems and shared it with her. My bed wasn’t made, my housework wasn’t done, but I sat with her for an hour, sharing God’s word and just chatting.

My tasks were still waiting for me when I walked into my house. I was behind and might not get everything done, but I had a feeling of fulfillment. My friend’s husband walked me to the door and told me I had cheered her up and made her day. He was running out of things to say.

Sometimes we make excuses to avoid situations that are painful for us. None of us actually enjoy entering a sick room. I took the time out of my busy schedule, and I was the one who was blessed. Her husband’s words were an encouragement to me that I had made the correct decision about how to spend that hour of my day.

The writer of Proverbs tells us “a cheerful heart is good medicine.” I didn’t know what to say when I went to see her. By following her lead and letting the Holy Spirit guide my words I was enabled to lift her spirits. That is an honor we seldom get.

How many opportunities have I missed to be God’s messenger of hope and encouragement, simply because I didn’t know what to say, or had too much on my schedule?

Who do you know that needs their spirits lifted? Who needs a kind word of encouragement, or perhaps simply a listening ear?

Taking the time to serve someone else costs me so little, yet blesses us both so much.

Onward Christian Soldiers

Posted by NormaGail on Jul 11, 2011 | 2 comments

“Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith.” 1 Timothy 5:11b – 12a NLT

My father served in many areas of leadership in our church. He was a teacher and leader who helped make decisions to guide and direct the church. Wherever I went I was recognized as the daughter of a church leader and a well-respected business man, as well.

I was taught a responsibility to act in a way that would honor him and never bring disgrace to his name. He was a godly, loving and kind father who spent a lot of one-on-one time with his children. Therefore, it was a blessing and not a burden to act in a way that honored him and all that he stood for.

My dad was a former Marine, who maintained the same sense of honor and integrity in everything he did for the rest of his life.

After he died I wrote a biography for his grandchildren who would never know their grandfather. As I researched Marines, I came across a statement that described him perfectly. “Marines are forged in a furnace of shared hardship and tough training. This shared, intense experience creates bonds of comradeship and standards of conduct so strong that Marines will let nothing stand in their way…Marines are trained not only physically and mentally, but morally as well. Forming the bedrock of any Marine’s character are the Core Values—Honor, Courage, and Commitment…and the numerous others attached to them, such as integrity, discipline, teamwork, duty and esprit de Corps.”

As Christians, we are often grown in a furnace to strengthen us for our service to God. We are to share in each other’s hardships. We are to maintain high standards of conduct that reflect well on our Father. Our shared hardships should create bonds of comradeship that help us stick together in help, support and encouragement.

Unfortunately there is sometimes too much truth to the adage that “Christians are the only army that shoots their own wounded.”

What character qualities distinguish you as a child of your heavenly Father? What church leader or fellow Christian needs your support? Do you contribute to the “esprit de Corps” of your fellow believers?

Find a way to honor your heavenly Father and strengthen your comrades in Christ today. When you honor your Father, you will be blessed and the entire body will be stronger because of it.

True Freedom’s Symbol

Posted by NormaGail on Jul 3, 2011 | Comments Off on True Freedom’s Symbol

Tall and proud against the sky,

Our country’s beacon stands.

Each star and stripe the symbol

Of sacrifice by willing hands.

Each thread within its fabric,

A reminder of the tears;

Of sweat and toil and suffering

By men and women through the years.

Our flag, a sign to all the world,

Of freedom, hope, and peace,

Of triumph over hardship,

And victory’s sweet release.

We all saw Lady Liberty

Framed against the smoke…

Of attacks by men in ignorance

Of the promise which she spoke.

Her words cry out to men like them,

The “tired”, and “poor” who suffer,

To the “huddled masses,” “tempest-tost,”

A hope of plenty, she offers.

But there stands a Symbol greater,

Which will endure beyond the years.

Born by our Savior in sacrifice

To wipe away all tears.

The Cross of Christ is the reason

Our Founding Fathers came,

And the only hope for our nation

Is to return to Him again.

The only hope for this country

Is to seek the Creator’s plan,

His Cross the same from age to age,

Dwarfs the symbols of this land.

By Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, 10/8/2001

(Quotations come from “The New Colossus”, by Emma Lazarus, 1883,

engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty.)

Throughout my entire life I have been taught to be proud to be an American. My father was a former Marine who taught me to sing the Marine Corps Hymn as soon as I could talk.

I have, as many of you do, ancestors who emigrated from other lands. Mine came from England, Ireland, and Scotland to find a better life. My husband’s family emigrated from Holland when he was nine years old. This country has offered hope to people from all over the world since its beginning.

My ancestors have fought to defend the freedoms for which this country was founded; some were among the early Dutch settlers who came to New York and faced a hard life for a chance at freedom; at least three fought in the Revolution, two serving at Valley Forge with George Washington and at least one in the War of 1812. Some fought in the Civil War (on both sides), one supposedly on the Monitor, and one, who couldn’t stand the fighting but wanted to serve his country, tended mules for the Union Army.

Many of my ancestors were homesteaders and pioneers to the west who faced hard work paid off in poverty, or were killed or kidnapped by Indians, or feuding neighbors. My grandfather was a World War I veteran and I had three uncles who fought in World War II, and some in

Korea

. My father, though stateside, was in the Marine Corps during Korea. I remember the pride as well as the anguish of my aunt who had three sons in Viet Nam at the same time. The only wars in which none of my family served was the Gulf War, and now Iraq and Afghanistan.

My in-laws suffered through the German occupation of Holland in World War II, and I have listened to them tell of what it meant when the American Army liberated Holland.

When our country was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001, I was struck most by a picture of the burning towers of the WorldTradeCenter taken from New YorkHarbor, in the forefront of the picture stood the Statue of Liberty.

The pride I feel in being an American has grown over the past few years as I have home schooled my son and taught high school level US History and Civics from Christian curriculum. I have learned about a side of our Founding Fathers that you never hear growing up in the public schools.

This country was founded by Christian men and women who came to a new land to spread the gospel and to worship in freedom. Many of them gave their lives for the sake of their faith and their belief in what God wanted this country to be, not just a national pride based on who they were, but a commitment to establishing “one nation under God”.

I firmly believe Psalms 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord….”

This poem is an expression of that belief and God enabled me to put on paper some of what I feel about what we face as a nation in this new war against terrorism. This is really a war against those who stand against God and freedom and all that this nation represents. May God truly bless

America

by sending revival to our land to enable us to face this enemy.

Norma Holtman, October 14, 2001