Lost Scissors

The story I am going to tell you is true and I wanted to share what we learned from it.

I have a pair of orange-handled scissors in my office that I use regularly for all kinds of things, like trimming booklets, cutting wrapping paper for gifts, removing tags from clothing, cutting out crafts, cutting lace and ribbon for crafts... and the list is endless.

However, lately I used them to wound my son. And that is what I wanted to write about today.

My son was asked to do a bulletin board at church recently and while he was gathering materials to create his masterpiece, he borrowed my scissors and promised to return them as soon as he was done.  When he arrived home it was late. He just dropped the box off in his room and forgot about those scissors that he borrowed. In the meantime, other projects had taken place and we both forgot about who had them last. To my memory, he was the last one to use them, but his memory was telling him that he did not have them. 

Months passed and I was missing my scissors. I had to use the ones in the kitchen that were not as nice and did not fit my hand as well. To top that, they were dull, old, and black-handled. I wanted my sharp orange-handled scissors back.  I accused him of being careless with my stuff and I wanted him to replace what he lost. In the meantime, he searched and searched in his room with no success. I searched the office and other places in the house without success. I finally told him, "Okay, buddy, You are going to buy me a new pair." I grumbled and scolded. 

Just a couple of days ago when I was looking for some lace to complete a project that I was working on, I found the scissors at the bottom of the bag. I was speechless for a moment. How in the world did they end up there?!!! I knew for certain that he had to used them last. I was right...and I was his mom, after all. I know that I did not have them last.....

I called my son into the office and closed the door. I sheepishly pulled the scissors from behind my back and said, "I'm sorry." His mouth dropped open in surprise at the sight of the scissors. Instantly, he hugged me and forgave me as relief flooded his face. He, who declared his innocence all along, was exonerated. I, who had falsely accused him, had egg on my face. He was right. I was wrong. He was innocent, but I wasn't. The situation was not at all like it seemed.

So, what did I learn from this?

• Don't be quick to point fingers and place blame on others. They may be innocent, after all.
• Be quick to admit when you are wrong and say, "I'm sorry."
• Be quick to forgive. He was falsely accused and felt hurt by what happened, yet forgave and let go of the situation.

As for me, once I got the egg off my face and made things right, I walked on up the road of life a little wiser with the lesson learned. He offered grace and forgiveness to me that I didn't deserve. 

What about you? Do you have some "lost scissors" in your life? I honestly thought that I was right and he was wrong. I grumbled and mumbled about it for months, yet in that moment of revelation, I was not as innocent as I thought I was. 

At a wedding that we attended last weekend the preacher gave a little bit of advice to the bride and groom. "If you are wrong, say, 'I'm sorry'. If you are right, shut up!" Good advice.  It'll keep egg off your face.

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh

Here Comes The Bride

My niece is getting married tomorrow afternoon. For many months she and her family have been planning and preparing for the big day. There are thousands of little details that have to be worked out so that the day will be perfect. I remember that I was a bride over 26 years ago. The excited nervousness builds as the bride-to-be scurries here making sure that all of the details are worked out.

 A lot of work goes into the preparations for that moment when the bride and groom will be joined together in matrimony. Tomorrow is going to be a wonderful day of celebration for their family and friends. However, some did not get on the invitation list and will be disappointed. For them, it will be a sad day because they won't be part of the celebration. 

That is going to be true at another marriage celebration. However, the difference will be that all have been given the invitation, but not everyone responded in the way that the King had hoped.
In Matthew 22: 2-10 we read of another wedding feast that Jesus talked about in the form of a parable.

2.  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 

3.  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 

4.  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 

5.  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 

6.  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 

7.  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 

8.  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 

9.  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 

10.  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 

However, there was another wedding feast that will be coming  when the Bride of Christ is united with her Bridegroom forever.  Don't be like the five foolish maidens mentioned in Matthew 25: 1-12. You remember the story of how five wise and five foolish virgins were awaiting the coming of the bridegroom.

The foolish virgins had not taken care of all of the details.  They forgot to fill their lamps with oil. When they realized it, it was too late. They begged the wise virgins to give them some of their oil, but they could not oblige. As they parable continues, they five went out to buy the oil, but, they were too late. While they were out The Bridegroom came.

Matthew 25:6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

10.  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11.  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12.  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Oh, how sad that would be!

So in all of the preparation for the Bridegroom, we can learn some lessons.

The wedding feast is being prepared and you are all invited to join in the Celebration of all Celebrations. Just imagine the sounds of Heaven as they welcome the Bride to the table. All of the time we took here on earth to prepare for there will be worth all of the work that we put into our preparation for the Greatest Feast of ALL. 

• Don't allow anything to steal your oil of (joy, happiness, etc.)
• Take care of even the smallest of details. (If the King has shown you something in your life that needs your attention, take care of it. It was a little thing that kept the five foolish virgins out of the wedding feast.)
• Don't get careless while we wait for the Bridegroom.

I can't wait to meet you there at the BIG CELEBRATION!!!

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh

True Friendship Is A Choice

Sometimes when we struggle with things of life, God uses our friends to help us along the way. 

That is what happened to me today. I was praying over some situations that were troubling me.  I sought the godly counsel of  my friend as well.   She told me that I have a choice to do what is right or not. I could allow the situations to overwhelm me and steal my joy or I could listen to the voice of God and live free of the struggle....

That was the voice of a true friend speaking to me...one who cares about me enough to speak plainly in love about making  right choices.

  A friend loveth at all times... Proverbs 17:17a

We were talking about the friendships between women in our Bible Study in the book of Ruth. Naomi was a mentor and friend to Ruth even though she was an older widow, yet she cared deeply for her daughter-in-law. As a result of their friendship, Naomi was able to lead Ruth away from the pagan religion of Moab and into serving the God of Israel. Throughout that book we see the positive influence of Naomi on Ruth as one of the greatest examples of redemption  in the Old Testament. God blessed their lifelong friendship in so many ways. He had a greater plan than the friendship.  That plan was for Ruth, a Moabitess... a foreigner...to be chosen for the Messianic Line. What an honor for both of these women who faced very difficult times together!

Another example of true friendship is between David and Jonathan. 

1Samuel 18:1
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 

They were close knit friends!  We can read the story in 1 Samuel 18-21 of how Saul, Jonathan's father wanted to kill David, but we also read that Jonathan was faithful to his friend until the end of his life. When David became king of Israel, he wanted to show kindness to anyone left in Jonathan's family. There was one, Mephibosheth, Jonathan's crippled son, who was found and brought to the king's palace. He was fed from the king's table all of the days of his life. That was kindness of a true friend!

Proverbs 18:24  
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. 

 The real point here is the last part of a verse. "there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."  That friend is Jesus Christ Himself. He will never forsake you in any situation. You can always call on Him. He will always be there no matter what time of the day or night that we need Him.

So, if you want to have a true friend, you have to be a true friend. The more you get to know your friend, the more your relationship with them will grow and deepen. The same is true about your relationship with Christ. The more you spend time with Him, the greater your relationship will be and the deeper your faith will grow. 

• If your friendships are a negative influence in your life, you have to make choices to pull away from that which is harmful. I had to make those choices in my life and it was painful, yet the new friends brought so much more into my life.

• Friendships that are founded and built with Christ as the center of the relationship will be strong enough to stand life's difficulties. Those friendships will go on into eternity!

Eternity with Christ and our true friends....Now there is a good combination for happiness!

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh

Hide and Seek

When I was a very young girl we lived way out in the country where our nearest neighbor was at least 1/4 mile away. I look back on those days as being happy times where we played hard and had a lot of fun just being kids.

One cold November day when we were playing hide in seek in the house, my brother hid really well. We could not find him, so we went to ask my mother to help us.  We looked under beds, in closets, and any other place that we could think of.  My dad came home from work and he helped search too, but my brother was nowhere to be found. The sun was beginning to set and a light drizzle began to fall and the temperatures were dropping. My mother was frantic. She had a new baby and several other children who needed her care, so she could not leave the rest of us to join in the search. 

The neighbors came, some to chatter and drink tea or coffee, but most searched in the woods, in neighboring fields and properties, yet he could not be found. They called his name over and over again, yet there was no response. For hours they searched. The fire department came and joined in the search, but they could not find  him either.

Finally, while the house was in an uproar, the babies were crying, I slipped away to do my own search of the house....and I found him, but nobody would believe me!  My mother was on the phone with the police when I made my way through the noisy crowd of neighbors and firemen. 

"Mommy," I said in my little girl voice as I tugged on her skirts, "I found him," 
"Shhh...." she said frustrated and a bit overwhelmed. 

I shrugged my shoulders and made my way through the crowd again. I got down on the floor and  looked my brother in the eye and said, "You're going to be in big trouble. Mommy is calling the police!"
I grabbed his hand and pulled him from under the bed where he was lodged between boxes. (He had crawled between the boxes and fell asleep. They had searched that room and even moved the bed, but when they did, the boxes moved with the bed and shifted his sleeping form along with the boxes.) However, if they would have done what I did and gotten down on their hands and knees, they would have found him.  I pulled him along with me as we made our way back out to my mother....

I tugged on her skirt again, "See, Mommy, I found him." I said as she gasped and told the police dispatcher to never mind, that he was found.  She told me today when I asked her about the incident that she didn't know whether to hug him or spank him. Her lost child had been found. Gunshots were sounded into the air. The sirens blared so that those hunting for him would know that he had been found. There was a real celebration going on! 

Some may think they hide so well that God will never find them. Adam and Eve hid in the garden because they had sinned and were ashamed, yet God knew exactly where to look. He knows where we are, too. He knows our deepest darkest secrets and He will never turn us away.

He is seeking for you, too. Many have gone before you (the great cloud of witnesses) and are cheering you on. You do not have to hide any more. The Good Shepherd will lift you up into His arms and lead you to safety. 

Jesus is seeking for anyone who is not in His fold. He will do whatever it takes to bring you into His Kingdom. Heaven is ready for the celebration. Are you?

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh

Taste and See

 

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalms 34:8

In this world of unrest and uncertainty, there is one constant which will always remain...Jesus Christ.

• But, the sad thing is that so many do not know that He is good and kind.
• So many do not see Him as merciful and forgiving. They think they are too bad to be forgiven. That is the furthest thing from the truth! 
• So many think that since He is way up there and we are way down here that He does not care about us. Let me tell you that He always cares and always has. It does not matter what you are going through right now, He will always be there to meet whatever your need may be. There is nothing too great or too small for Him. If He cares about the sparrows that fall from the Heavens, He certainly will take care of anything that we face day by day.

At one point, I was really struggling in my life. We had been through some very horrific things which resulted in distrust of people and caused us a lot of great deal of overwhelming pain. 

God brought a friend into my life who loved me unconditionally. She showed me that I could be rid of the things that caused the hurt and pain. She did not try to preach at me, but fervently prayed for me and gently dealt with me...showing me through her actions that there was a better way than to live than I was living. Her approach was the, "taste and see approach". She lived such an attractive life that it made me want to have what she had. 

"Taste and see that God is good," she said. 
Taste and see that God loves you unconditionally.
Taste and see what it feels like to let go of all of the hurts and live in peace.
Taste and see that you can have a song in your heart even in the darkest of times. It may be as black as midnight, yet God is right there beside you knowing the future steps that you will take.
Taste and see that His grace is sufficient for all situations...

As I began to act on what God was telling me, tasting and seeing, changes began happening in my life, in my marriage, and in other relationships. Because I learned to let go of things that bothered me and let God take away the hurt, He began His marvelous work in me. People began to see the difference in me. My family noticed the changes. My church family noticed that God was doing something in my heart. My friends noticed my attitudes were different. I was much more at peace in my life as God was transforming me. 

As I tasted, I saw that God is good! The hurts began to melt away and God began to pour out His healing balm into my soul. Relationships changed. Where there was misunderstandings and hurt, there was healing and restoration. Trust began to develop in people once again. Forgiveness became easier...even toward my enemies! 

The wellspring in my heart began to bubble up again. The song came back to my heart. Things look so much different than they  once were.

Why don't you taste and see? He transformed my life and He can do the same for you. You won't be disappointed and your soul will be satisfied when you taste and see. 

Thanks for reading,
Donna McHugh 

Don't Be Afraid

I was thinking and spending a little time with God today when He brought this verse to mind.

" John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

In the light of the recent tragedies in Boston and Texas this week, I think it was a very appropriate verse that He gave me. If we see the headlines or listen to the news, it is filled with violence, pain, suffering, and unimaginable wickedness.  There is no peace, no comfort, or no rest!

The world cannot offer you peace because they don't possess it! They have never been able to offer any peace because they do not know the Author of Peace. They can't offer what they do not have. But, Jesus can give peace!

He said, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid..."  We do not have to be afraid of the terror by night nor the arrow that flieth by day. There is not one thing that can happen to us unless God allows it.  What a comforting thought!

One of my favorite passages that I turn to when things are unsettled is Psalm 91: 1-7.
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1.  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 

2.   I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 

3.  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 

4.  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 

5.  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 

6.  Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 

7.  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 


Just because we have God's protection does not mean that difficult times and tragedies won't touch our lives. We all face things that are hard to go through, but we do not need to be afraid. We can face life with confidence knowing that as a child of God, we rest under the shelter of His wings. We are sheltered from the storms of life when we trust in our Heavenly Father.

Some may argue, but where was God when all the tragedies were happening? Didn't He see what the bombers were doing?  Why didn't He try to stop them? 

Sometimes He allows tragedies to happen to awaken His children.  Just like with the Children of Israel in the Old Testament,  He is  trying to get our attention.  Time after time Israel turned their backs on Him. He would send plagues, and troubles their way to turn their hearts back to Him. He wants America to turn back to Him, too.  Our nation is headed the wrong direction and He is  trying to awaken us and bring it back. 

He wants individuals who are troubled to turn to Him as well. He is the only One who can give us peace in the midst of turmoil whether it may be national, global, or personal. The peace can be there in the midst of the hard times. Nothing can take it away from us. No threat can undermine the peace that He gives. 

My son pointed out last night in our family devotions that there have only been 259 years of world peace since the beginning of this world. So violence is not new to the face of the earth. We live in a fallen world, but we are citizens of another place.

So, don't be troubled. Rest in Him today..under the shadow of His wings.... There you will find comfort and there you'll find rest.

Thanks for reading.  I would love to read your feedback.

Donna McHugh

Unbalanced Scales

Romans 4:5  People cannot do any work that will make them right with God.

In other words, the scales will always be unbalanced with our works. We can't work our way to heaven. There is nothing that we can do on our own to impress God with our righteousness. 

• We can attend five Bible Studies per week.
• Attend church every time the doors are open.
• But, that does not make us good enough to make it to Heaven!

•  We can serve in soup kitchens.
• Volunteer in food pantries
•  We can work in homeless shelters,
•  We can do all kinds of good works,
• But, it won't be enough to make it to Heaven. 

• We can give to the poor.
•  We can support all of the right causes
•  We can do any number of good things. 

• But... We can never be good enough on our own merits to make it to Heaven!

The scale will always show our efforts as insufficient. It will always weigh lighter on our side of God's scale because only He can make the scales weigh evenly.

However, there is a way that was provided for us....through Jesus Christ, the righteous! The only way to become righteous is to allow Jesus to come into your life and dwell inside of you. 

Romans 8:33-34

33.  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 

34.  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 

So, you see we can be righteous! But does that mean that we should not do good works? NO!

James 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 

Out of our lives of faith comes the good works as a result of following the example of the Master, Jesus Christ. He went about doing good wherever He went. However, He did take time away to pray and to rest. 

In the busyness of our lives, our scales can so easily become unbalanced. We are tempted to fill our lives with the good works part and forget the time to get away to pray and rest. I have found that in my own life. If I do not take time to care for myself physically, I will suffer in every other area of my life. If I do not take care of myself spiritually, then everyone else suffers along with me. I cannot be an effective servant for the Master if I am too weary doing good things...ministry related things...and my batteries get drained.

So, what do we need to do?   

                       

Seek balance.

• Look at your schedule. If you are over-committed, your scale will be out of balance.
• Learn to say, "no" to what others want you to do when you know it would be something that could take you away from what is important.
• Learn to relax and laugh.
• Apply what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

That is the key to balance in every area of our lives! Seek Him first...and everything else will fall in place with the right balance.

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh