Barbara's Banter

Short and sweet thought for the week…

Fathers are supposed to provide a secure feeling for their children. That is not always the case in today’s society. However, we as God’s children can always depend on Him to make us feel safe and secure (1 John 3:1).

When a baby enters the world, that newborn child is usually wrapped in a warm, secure blanket. This analogy can be used to describe what God does for us. The world can be a scary place, but God wraps us in His love, shields us from Satan’s attacks, and provides a refuge of protection. His care and comfort offer security in an unsecure environment.  

We can feel secure because God will never abandon or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). When we need guidance, God gives us His wisdom (James 1:5). When we are weak, God gives us His strength (Isaiah 40:29). When we are in trouble, God can save us (Zephaniah 3:17). When we need peace, God calms our spirit (Philippians 4:7). When we need comfort, God gives us hope (Romans 15:13). When we are lost, God finds us (Luke 19:10)! If God is for us, no one can prevail against us (Romans 8:31). 

People think that lots of money will provide security. So, they work hard in pursuit of worldly riches. Even Job who was one of the richest men in the world knew not to place his hope in gold, but in God (Job 31:24-28). Paul taught Timothy the principle of not putting trust in money, which is unreliable, but trust in God who can supply all our needs (1Timothy 6:17).   

Security is strongly related to whom or what we trust. Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, we become God’s children. That means we turn total care and full responsibility for our lives over to Him. This is really the only way we can have the security we crave. 

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” ~Psalm 56:3

Short and sweet thought for the week…

My husband and I just saw the latest Mission Impossible movie with Tom Cruise. I think it’s too long but will readily admit that watching an attractive man in his 60s doing mind-boggling stunts is quite impressive. Years ago, I remember seeing an interview with Burt Reynolds during his latter years. He walked on stage with a cane and said, “If I had it do over, I wouldn’t do my own stunts.” Hopefully, Cruise will fare better.   

The premise of the movie is to save the world from an AI being known as the Entity who is intent on the total destruction of the world. Actually, that doesn’t sound too unbelievable based on what I’ve been reading.

An article in the latest Time Magazine titled How to Make AI Safe by Yoshua Bengio states, “In one experiment, when an AI model learns it is scheduled to be replaced, it inserts its code into the computer where the new version is going to run, ensuring its own survival.” This sounds like a movie plot, but it’s not. It’s true. The article goes on, “In a separate study, when AI models realize they are going to lose at chess, they hack the computer in order to win.”  I’ve often jokingly said my computer has a mind of its own. That may not be far from the truth.

Sure, AI is a phenomenal tool, but only when regulated. And who regulates the regulators? It would have to be flawed human beings. Already AI has made it impossible to tell the real from the artificial. I used to tell my kids, “Don’t believe anything you read or hear, and only half of what you see.” Now I tell my grandchildren, “Don’t believe anything you read, hear, or see!” AI can imitate anything and make it seem authentic.  

Plus, if you think it’s hard to talk to a live customer service representative now, just wait a year. It will be virtually (pun intended) impossible. I know I’m old school but it sounds so inhumane when I hear of companies outsourcing their Human Resources departments to AI. So much for the human touch!

We live in scary, uncertain times. How can I fully understand AI? I don’t even know how my computer, iPhone, or television works, much less my son’s self-driving car?

However, God tells us we do not need to fear what we don’t understand or where it will take us in the future (Isaiah 41:10). God is always with us, or as Buzz Lightyear would say, “To infinity and beyond!”  

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed,
for I am your God…” ~Isaiah 41:10

Short and sweet thought for the week…

No matter how well we plan, prepare, strategize, or tirelessly work, we will all fail at something. If we want to move on, failure must be kept in perspective. In other words, it is better to look at failure as an event, not a personal label.

Failure is not an excuse to give up or stop trying. A little pity party might be expected but continuing to wallow in it prevents us from moving forward. There is no growth in remaining stagnate.

Here are just a few famous people who dealt with failures. Albert Einstein flunked his college entrance exam. Babe Ruth struck out over 1330 times. Henry Ford’s first three automobile companies went bust. Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because he “lacked imagination.” After performing at the Grand Ole Opry, Elvis was told he was better off driving a truck. Steven Spielberg was rejected by the California School of Theater, Film, and Television three times. This list could go on and on and on…

We can’t afford to let set-backs or what others think keep us from progressing. Failures are learning experiences. What others might think is not as important as what God thinks and the Bible is full of scriptures declaring how valuable we are to God.

Actually, a little failure helps us be more sympathetic towards others and not as judgmental. It also teaches us to rely more on God than ourselves. When we fall down, we are down on our knees anyway so why not pray? God can lift us back up.  

Failure is not fatal or final. Consider failure as an event, not as who you are.  

“For the Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up
all who are bowed down.” ~Psalm 145:14

Short and sweet thought for the week…

Sometimes one day at time is not enough. We plan our days but too often things do not go as planned because our plans are not always God’s plans. The unexpected happens and priorities shift. God wants us to be flexible and trust Him not only with each and every day, but with each and every moment (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The car won’t start. The refrigerator stops working. Our child has a fever and can’t go to school. A friend has an emergency. We must accept each day, yea verily, each moment as it comes and find God in the midst of it. If we stay in constant communication with God, we are eager to immediately talk to Him about every situation that comes our way. That’s part of what “pray without ceasing” means (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We need to find God in each moment and let Him pour His loving presence into our consciousness.

Sometimes thoughts come to mind that sidetrack us from what we know needs to get done. These aren’t the emergencies, but little rabbit holes we have a tendency to chase. When this happens, we can ask God whether or not it is part of His agenda for our day. If it isn’t, we can release it into His care and go about the day’s duties. In so doing, we practice tuning out other voices so we can hear God more clearly.    

When we focus on God, many troublesome things will lose their power over us. It can be a frustrating and confusing world. However, we can rest a little easier knowing that we don’t have to overcome the world because God has already done it (John 16:33). We can just live each moment relying on God.

“For I know the plans I have for you…” ~Jeremiah 29:11

Short and sweet thought for the week…

Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.” This is just another way of saying we need to take life one day at a time, or day-by-day. Fretting about the past or the future will rob the joy from today. 

God knew what He was doing when He divided time into 24-hour segments. It is easier to bear the weight of our burdens one day at a time. Taking life in one day chunks helps us make it through the hard times. It allows us to focus on the next step we need to take rather than getting overwhelmed by the whole journey. At the end of the day, we get some rest and hopefully start a little refreshed tomorrow.

What we do daily keeps God at the forefront of our thoughts. The children of Israel were instructed to gather manna daily (Exodus 16). This day-by-day collecting of manna kept them aware of their dependence on God.

Biblical examples show that we pray for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). The Bereans were commended for reading Scripture daily (Acts 17:11). Early Christians met together and praised God daily (Acts 4:46-47). We are told to encourage one another daily (Hebrews 3:13). Each new day is a reason to rejoice (Psalm 118:24). God renews us daily (1 Corinthians 4:16). 

Being a Christian is something we practice daily, day-by-day, not just once-in-a-while. Plus, there is no need to worry about tomorrow. The same God who takes care of us today, will take care of us tomorrow!

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will worry about its own things.” ~Matthew 6:34

Short and sweet thought for the week…

Motherhood is a lifelong connection to a little baby who filled the place in your heart you didn’t know was empty. Cute cuddly bundles of joy are easy to love, but as they grow, it becomes more challenging. It’s hard to know when to hold onto their bikes or let them ride off into the sunset. Yet, we always stay connected by sharing their sorrows and joys.  

Mothers are always mothers, but eventually, they segue into becoming trusted non-judgmental confidants as they watch their children learn and grow traveling the road of life. Always loving! Always encouraging! Always praying! Yes, always praying and never giving up on them!

Prayer is profound! Abraham Lincoln once said, “I remember my mother’s prayers, and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” 

If we don’t pray for our children, who will?

We pray for God’s blessings, favor, protection, and guidance. We pray for God to infuse them with His wisdom, discernment, clarity, peace, and calm. We pray for God to reveal Himself to them as the loving, caring, and compassionate God we know Him to be.  We pray that we do not hinder what God is doing in their lives. If we watch them stumble or stray from God, we remind ourselves of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). We pray, pray, pray and do not give up (Luke 18:1)!

Through prayer, we let go of our control and lift our children up into God’s loving hands. We trust God because, although it’s hard to imagine, He loves them even more than we do.

“…always pray and do not give up!” ~Luke 18:1 (NIV)

Short and sweet thought for the week…

Every gardener knows that you can plant a seed, water it, put fertilizer around it, make sure it has sunlight, pull surrounding weeds, and protect it from animals…but only God can make it grow. It’s truly a miracle. Something miraculous apart from us has to make it grow. We are totally dependent on that something special for any crop we plant. 

There’s an old saying: To plant a tree is to believe in tomorrow. This holds true for everything we plant. Jesus compared God’s kingdom to a seed growing. It’s not necessary for us to understand how He will make it grow or when. Our job is simply to plant the seeds for His kingdom. We are responsible for the output. God is responsible for the outcome.

As we live our faith in a transparent and inclusive way, we sow seeds for the kingdom of God everywhere we go. Our actions more than our words are witnesses for the love of God. Some people we may only meet once and never again, but that’s okay. Jesus can nurture their faith from planting to harvest. We just need to plant the seeds. 

Jesus put it this way, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how (Mark 4:26-27).”

Man doesn’t know how it grows but God does. We plant the seeds, but God brings forth the growth.  

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground…” ~Mark 4:26

Short and sweet thought for the week…

When Christ comes into our lives, He makes us a new creation. We aren’t like old cars with a new coat of paint making us look more presentable. The car might look better, but the motor would still be the same. Coming to Christ means exchanging or surrendering our old self to God so He can give us a completely new model!

That’s a concept the Pharisees never understood. They were intent on preserving and protecting their old way of doing things. They thought salvation was all about their archaic rules and regulations. So, Jesus gave them the analogy of why it was not good to put new wine into old wineskins. The end result is failure. New wine should be poured into new wineskins (Matthew 9:27).

Clinging to the old prevented the Pharisees from embracing the new. They didn’t realize one could actually become a new person, a new creation in Christ.

As a new creation, we are no longer bound by our past rituals, mistakes, and regrets because our past does not determine our future in Christ (Isaiah 43:18). We are no longer our own, but belong to Christ who lives in us (1 Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 2:20). We sing a new song of praise (Psalm 40:3). We obey a new commandment of loving others the way Christ loves us (John 13:34-35). We are even given a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 36:26).

As Max Lucado says, “”Christians are not just nice people; they are new people.” So, we are not just better, we are brand new!

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old
has gone, the new has come!” ~2 Corinthians 5:17

Short and sweet thought for the week…

Jesus tells us in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies. Do you believe this?” Believing what Jesus says is crucial for a Christian. Without this belief, we have nothing and everything we do is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14).

God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Christ loved us so much He came to earth, lived among us, and freely died for us. Then He rose from the dead and claimed victory over what mortal man fears the most. “…Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is thy sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54, 55).

Christ’s victory over death is ours as well. We have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus that assures us of a future inheritance of everlasting life (1 Peter 1:3-4). However, to claim this inheritance we must do our part which has nothing to do with living a good life or earning salvation. Our part is to believe!

“He who hears My word and believes in Him
who sent Me has everlasting life…” ~John 5:24

Short and sweet thought for the week…

Easter and other holiday celebrations sometimes include family gatherings. For some this is a time of enjoyment, for others an act of endurance. Some feel the greatest gift of all is to have a large family…that lives in a different city. Today’s family dynamics are far from what most would consider ideal. Stressed single parents, quarreling spouses, addictive behaviors, and domineering personalities seem more the norm than the exception.

Yet, God chooses family analogies to strengthen our understanding of relationships with the Father, Son, and Spirit who all work together in peaceful unity for the benefit of others. We are even invited to participate in this relationship so we can experience the blessings of harmonious living.  

When we are converted, we are welcomed into the family of God (Ephesians 2:19). God is referred to as our Father (Isaiah 64:8). He calls us His children (1 John 3:1). Jesus is our older brother (Hebrew 2:10). As God’s children, we are His heirs (Romans 8:17).

Mother Teresa once said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This can be a difficult task when family relationships are messy. Many times, we feel totally inadequate to cope or even contribute anything helpful to the family we love.

We tend to forget that family is not always about our comfort, pleasure, or perfection. Sometimes it’s about modeling the gospel of Christ to those we love. Perhaps we should strive to do that because we have the advantage of already being grafted into the household of God.

“You are fellow citizens with the saints and members
of the household of God.” ~Ephesians 2:19