Angela Grunewald

It’s all in God’s Timing

7CB7EF82-8E8B-49F3-BE25-111DCE307A89 Isn’t it amazing how sometimes you can be in the right place at the right time? There is a new restaurant not far from our house. As you are standing in line waiting to order, they go down the line passing out shake samples. When they run out of samples, the next person in line gets a cow bell. If you ring the cowbell as you are ordering, you get a free order of fries. Twice, I got the last shake sample and Scott got the cowbell. He rang it with full gusto to get his free fries. We were in the right place at the right time.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have watched some young leaders handle difficult situations with amazing confidence and poise. As I have watched these events unfold, it has been affirmed that God has placed these leaders right where He wants them, at the time He wants them for His purpose. It is the most amazing feeling to know that you are right where God wants you, that you are in the center of His plan doing what He has called you to do.

Each and every one of us was created by God for a purpose. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10. I believe with all of my heart that God has a plan for you. Your life is important and it matters. Colossians 1:16, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, … All things were created through Him and for Him.” You are not just going through the motions of life. God has a plan for you and it is a wonderful plan full of ways to serve Him. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11.

Like I said earlier, we are often in the right place at the right time because we are where God wants us to be. It might not be for a free order of fries. It might be because someone needs to hear a positive word from you or is in need of an act of kindness that only you can share. Take just a minute to look around and think about how you can serve the Lord right where you are in life at this time, and never forget God had a plan just for you.

Live in the Present Not the Past

Why does grief sometimes get harder instead of easier?

This Thanksgiving has been both wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. For those of you that don’t know, 5 years ago, within six weeks, the three most important men in my life (at that time) passed away and rocked my “Polly Anna” world. First my husband of 27 years died at the age of 48. A few weeks later, my uncle whom I adored and admired passed away and then in the next month, my father unexpectedly passed away. For years, we had the best holidays ever. We all gathered at my Grandma’s and cooked, ate, hunted, played games, ate some more, laughed… They were the best of times. Everyone I loved was always there.

It all started this year when I was frosting some cinnamon rolls, and I began thinking of the times I made cinnamon rolls for my dad and how much he loved them. From there on, I could not get my mind off past Thanksgivings and the wonderful times we had. I was an emotional wreck, holding on by a thread all weekend while all of the time I was surrounded by the most wonderful new family whom God has so graciously allowed me to be a part of.

I had to give myself the “buck up camper” speech many times over the last few days. While grief is real, it is also so easy to fall into the depths of pity when looking at the past, and what is no longer, instead of looking at the blessings of today.

Psalm 118:24 kept coming to my mind in the form of the song we used to sing in church.
“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Tonight I had to look up that verse and see if it was for real or just a song. As I began to read the whole chapter, I was reminded of the power of praise and thankfulness. The chapter opens “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His mercy endures forever.” Then later the psalmist states, “The Lord is my strength … and I will praise the Lord.” Keep in mind who the psalmist most likely is. According to my study bible, this chapter was most likely sung by the Savior on the night before His death. Just think of that, as Christ was facing death, He was praising the lord, giving thanks and rejoicing.

While I so deeply miss the wonderful holidays of the past, I have so much to be thankful for. I must continue to praise the Lord and give thanks. He has been faithful beyond measure.

I know many of you will face the same dilemma this holiday season. It is so easy to get caught up in comparing the past to the present, when in reality we have so much to be thankful for in our present state. I pray that if you find yourself feeling this way, you can stop and give praise to the Lord and begin calling out reasons to be thankful for your current situation.

What is forgiveness?

dillards Okay, don’t judge, but I’m still reading on the book that I referenced several months ago. It is a 28 day study of the Lord’s prayer. Yes, I’m going on about 4 months working on this study. This is partly because I have read some sections a couple of times, partly because I’ve set the book aside for days at a time, and partly because I have to divide up what I am to read each day. Anyway, I’m to the part of the study pertaining to the line “Forgive our sins as we forgive those that trespass against us” As I read this chapter, I arrogantly began to make a mental list of all the people I have forgiven. I was reminded of how I had been treated at various times in my life, how God had been faithful through those times, and how I was better off by going through those experiences despite what others had done to me. After several minutes of patting myself on the back, I put the study aside for the night and went to bed.

While shopping a few days later, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a person that was on my list of those forgiven. As soon as I saw this person, my stomach jumped up into my throat or my heart fell down into my stomach. Whatever happened, my insides were a mess. There was an obvious physical reaction to just seeing this person. Being the strong confident woman that I am and because I have completely forgiven this person, I did what any normal person would do. I ducked behind the clothes rack and moved from clothes rack to clothes rack until I was out of the store.

Driving home, it occured to me that maybe I haven’t forgiven this person to the degree I thought I had. If my emotions when I saw this person were strong enough to cause a physical reaction, maybe I haven’t forgiven to the degree I need to. This caused my mind to go all kinds of places. As a matter of fact. I have waited several weeks to write this because I don’t have the answer. I have often heard, “forgive, but don’t forget.” To me that has meant forgive someone that maybe has taken advantage of you, but don’t let them do it again. Now, like I said, I don’t have the answers, but I know of a specific time when a co-worker would pawn work off on me. Once, as I was praying and practicing how I was going to tell this person off refusing to do her work anymore, I felt clearly corrected and reprimanded that I was to show kindness and was to continue helping her in as many ways as possible. In reverse order to help with my current delima, I decided, when all else fails, go to the Word.

Colossians 3 and Ephesians 4 both give us direction concerning forgiveness. “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31 & 32. This first reminds me how wrong it is when I have wished for someone that hurt me to be equally or to an even greater extent hurt themselves. I know this is wrong, and I have to control those thoughts. I will admit the best way I have found to get those thoughts under control is to pray for the person who hurt me. It is really hard to think evil against someone as you pray for them.

Aside from working on being kind and putting away my hate to the point where I don’t have to hide in the store, I want to focus on the last phrase in Ephesians 32. “Forgive one another even as God in Christ forgave you.” When God forgives us, our sins are completely forgotten. “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12. “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19. I don’t know that I can forgive like this. As a matter of fact, I know I can’t. Not me, not me alone. To truly forgive in this manner, I will require God’s help. I can’t say I fully understand how you forgive someone that has done something unthinkable to you or to someone you love. I’m working on this, but I do think I am to the point where I won’t hide behind the clothes racks at the store in order to avoid talking to a person.

So Many Distractions

There are distractions everywhere. It takes determination to stay focused.

On this little weekend trip that Scott and I took a couple of weeks ago, one particular night we ate at a local restaurant known not only for the amazing food, but more so for the quantity of food. We left the restaurant miserable. As we were driving back to the hotel, I mentioned that I needed to go walk or something in order to feel better. This came up in conversation right as we passed a Wal-mart. Scott suggested we just go walk around the store until we felt better. This idea was genius and one reason why I keep him around. As we were getting out of the car, I was focused on a meaningful walk through the aisles of Wal-mart. I described to Scott how we would attack the store one aisle at a time at a strong walking pace. I left my purse in the car, cued up my watch to track our steps, and began marching off our plan. About isle two, the distractions started. We were pacing through the pharmacy section when I remembered we were about out of toothpaste. I was able to grab the toothpaste without hardly slowing down. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of the distractions. We spent several minutes picking out a magazine. The kitchen gadget isle was extremely captivating. I’m too embarrassed to tell you how much time we spent in the Christmas section. By then, our pace and plan were gone and in reality, our hands were too full from the random items we were carrying to walk anyway. While our little walk did help, it also cost us over $60. to get out of the store. Thank goodness at least Scott had his wallet. The second reason I keep him around.

How does this relate to my Christian walk? Almost exactly step for step. First, I feel moved by something I read in my devotion time or hear a powerful message that inspires me. I feel the Spirit developing this strong action plan in my heart, and I work to put it into action. Let the distractions begin. This blog is one example. I’m going to write a blog once a week was my original plan. Right now I’m lucky to get out one a month. Sometimes it is as simple as a quickening in my spirit that I need to call a friend or send them a text. The thoughts are there, the plans are there, but the action is delayed or devoured by distractions. I’m telling you even doing the dishes can be a distraction. I’m going to set down and write on an upcoming blog, but I don’t because I have dishes to do. Maybe I’m going to commit extra money to a missions project this month. Oh, I can’t even begin to list all of the distractions that can thwart this plan.

Luke 14 contains a parable that tells of a man hosting a great supper or a feast. This man sent out many invitations well in advance as was the custom. Then the day of the feast the servant went out to announce the start of the meal, but those invited all faced distractions. One had a new bride, one had new property and one had new oxen. All of these distractions were placed as a priority over the feast. As you know from this familiar story, the master sent the servant out to find other guest. What I fear is, just as the original invitees, we can easily be distracted and place priorities above what God has called us to do or what He has planned for us. I don’t know why it seems hard to accept, but not doing what we know to do is just as much of a sin as the sins we so publicly denounce such as affairs or stealing. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:7.

I pray as I write this that I can keep my focus on what God has placed in my heart and make Him a priority in my life.

Just Trust

I’m learning that Google maps is more trustworthy than my directional skills. Maybe I should learn the same lesson concerning God’s plan.

driving Just recently Scott and I took a weekend road trip. For the majority of the trip, Scott was driving, and I took on the role of navigator. This is not my strongest skill. Don’t get me wrong. I’m great at giving directions. It’s just that my directions are not always great. I would put the destination into Google maps and off we would go until I thought I had a better plan than what was on the map. One time I told Scott to head down the highway for fifty some miles until we came to Hwy 271. In my mind I knew our destination is south or left of our current location. As we approached Hwy 271, it was a right hand turn or north. I told Scott to keep going because that couldn’t be the correct turn. Yes, we got to make a u-turn in about 5 miles and go back to the turn the map told us to take. The road only went north for a few miles before it headed back south. Another time, we were on a 4 lane highway with one-way side roads on each site. I had directions to the hotel pulled up on the map, but it was taking us way past the hotel and entering in on the back side of the hotel. As we approached the hotel, I could see it and there was an exit. I yelled for Scott to exit, he slammed on the breaks and headed for the exit. What do you know, we couldn’t get to the hotel from that exit without hopping over a couple of curbs and driving though the grass. My sudden change in plans took us to another highway and almost landed us on a turnpike headed out of town.

After a couple of days of this, Scott coined the phrase, “Just trust Google and tell me what it says.” Just trust Google? He was right more than once. How hard is it to learn this. It is so similar to the concept – Just trust God’s – how hard is that? When will I learn?

I find this the hardest when I can’t see immediate results. I think back to the two years it took us to sell our house and get moved to Edmond, more than once I questioned God’s plan and would try to develop one on my own. I also struggle when I’m not seeing the results I had in mind. This was evident when my kids were teenagers. For example instead of completely trusting God, who loves them more than I do, I would begin to doubt if morning devotions were worth the fight or if having a family scripture of the week was more for me or them. While I was praying and superficially trusting God, I would often think to myself, “This isn’t working.” God has a plan for us that is as clear as the blue line on Google maps. It is up to us to trust Him and follow the plan.

There are so many places to put our trust other than the Lord. Maybe it is your savings account that you trust for your future finances. Maybe it is your physical appearance you trust to create your importance. Psalm 20:7 explains this, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Psalms is full of scripture on trusting the Lord, but the scripture that keeps me grounded is Proverbs 3:5 & 6, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” We know that God’s ways are higher than our ways and we just have to trust Him. He has proven Himself over and over.

Win some – Lose some

chairs Just the other day, Scott and I were shopping for some furniture. Ironically I somehow found the most expensive chairs in the entire store without looking at a single tag, and Scott found every orange chair in the entire county. I reminded him that orange is not a color we decorate with and he reminded me of our budget. My point is, we find what we look for.

It has been heavy on my heart lately, that I’m haven’t been paying attention and allowing myself to be used by God as much as he desires. I get so caught up in work and all the events of life, that I don’t take time to put God’s plans first or take advantage of the opportunities or open doors He provides.

While I may have lost my argument on the chairs, I most definitely won by opening my eyes and paying more attention to the needs right in front of me. I challenge you to daily pray Psalm 25:4-5, “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

As I am trying to take time and look for ways to share God’s story and God’s love, I find the opportunities are right in front of me all the time. I can’t wait to hear what doors God will open for you once you begin to ask.

What can you tell me about your God?

When you spend time with someone, you get to know them and can tell stories about what they have done.

Let me start with a story about how predictable someone can be, or should be, when you really know them. This was Scott’s birthday weekend and after volunteering all day at LoveOKC, I thought I would take him to the perfect place for dinner. It was Heard on file-15 Hurd in Edmond which is something we have enjoyed in the past. There are about 30 food trucks with greasy unhealthy food and a couple of live bands. This is right up Scott’s alley and the perfect way to end a birthday. What I forgot to take into account was the fact that we were starving from working all day and now Scott was not only faced with making a menu selection, but first he had to choose a food truck. If you know Scott, these food choices do not come easily. See, I should know this. I sit with him in the drive-through line as he mulls over the Wendy’s menu, the one that hasn’t changed in years, for what seems like an eternity as the kind worker awaits his decision. Sometimes they even come back on the speaker to make sure we are still there.

Back to Heard on Hurd, normally, we could take our time, check out all of the trucks and menu options, but we were famished. Time was at an essential point. After the second trip past all of the food trucks, I could tell we were in trouble. Luckily we found a factor that could limit our choices – the line length. We got in line at the truck that had the shortest line, yet enough of a line for Scott to choose between the five items on the menu before we got to the window. Problem solved and the food was great. The thought that Scott puts into every decision is something I love about him. See this also transitions to the thought he puts into buying me gifts and doing things for me around the house. Again, how do I know this? I know this because I see it in action during the time we spend together.

I am currently reading a study on the Lord’s prayer. It has reminded me of the importance of a relationship with Christ in order to effectively pray. We know the steps to the prayer Jesus modeled for us. It begins with worship and praise before moving into submission and petition. What has hit home the most to me is how do we worship or praise someone we don’t know or don’t have a relationship with? In the classroom, I was once given a list of kind comments to use for praising students. It was a great list, but I found if I really knew my students, I knew how to praise them with words that meant the most to them. I feel this has to be the same when we praise our Lord. If we really know Him, we can praise Him by reminding Him of what He has done for us, we can praise Him by calling out what difference He makes in our lives, or we can praise Him by telling Him just how much He really means to us.

Psalm 105 is a psalm of praise and gives us an outline for how to praise our Father. I’m going to put it in bullet points.

Give thanks
Call on His name
Tell others what He has done
Quote scripture to Him
Tell of His wondrous works
Seek the Lord
Seek the Lord and His strength
Seek His face evermore
Remember His works

Notice that seeking Him is repeated three times. That tells me how important it is to seek out a relationship with our Father in order to better praise him. In closing, I want to put a personal touch on the points in Psalm 105.

Thank you for always being there when I call out to You
You are my Jehovah-Shalom – God of Peace
You have provided for my needs in times when I didn’t think there was any way it would happen
You promised me in Matt 5:4 that “Blessed our those that mourn because they will be comforted.”
When I have trusted You with a decision, You have never let me down
I remember when you have even helped me with the smallest of problems such as finding my keys.

Take the time to praise our Lord in this way. See how many ways you can fill in the bullet points.

Get to know Him so closely that you can praise Him over and over again.

Running on Empty

empty I don’t know why it is, but stopping to get gas seems like such a waste of time. It is a task I put off to the very last minute. Partly because I have places to go, and partly because I want to get the most out of my fill-up by trying to create as much time as possible between stops. I have literally coasted into the filling station a few times. Once I I was concentrating so hard on just getting to the pump, I forgot to think about what side my tank was on. After I shut the engine off, I couldn’t get it to start again. I had to get some help to push my car to the other side of the pump.

In my job, summer is the time for planning, getting ready to implement new ideas or just reflecting. I have been able to spend some valuable and rewarding time lately visiting with others about goals and strategies. This is one of the favorite parts of my job. It has reaffirmed the importance of investing in others. We have the power with our words and actions to refuel those around us. It is like filling up your car. It really doesn’t take that long, but we have to make a point to do it.

There have been many days that an encouraging word is what got me through the day. I could write a whole book telling stories of times others have invested in my life. The experienced mom that encouraged me when my children were young. The principal that was willing to trust and nudge a beginning teacher into leadership roles. Probably the most influential person that energized my life was my 6th grade teacher. She greeted me so kindly every day, often complimenting me or calling me “Smiley.” Her words fueled in me a confidence that wasn’t there previously. Of course most often it was just the unexpected kind word or compliment that changes my day. I’m sure you can immediately recall a time when someone said something to you that made you feel better about yourself.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul speaks of how hard it is to be a believer, but the necessity of salvation and living for the Lord. He closes this section of his letter by saying, “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another,” I see this as Paul telling us we are all in this together, and we need to help each other out to get to the finish line. Just as my car needs fuel to get me to my destination, we need encouragement to live our life to the fullest. We cannot serve the Lord and live victorious without the encouragement of others.

The problem is, you may be at a place in life where your tank is running on empty. you are lacking a Christian friend or family member that is willing to invest in your life. You may feel all alone or like a failure. Because you can’t run on empty forever or you will end up stranded along side the road, I have two pieces of advice. One, begin to fill up and invest in others. This action will inturn energize you. Proverbs 11:17 tells us, “A kind man benefits himself.” Two, turn to the Word. Let this be your fuel source. Our heavenly Father can affirm your worth and purpose. “God is our refuge and strength,” Psalms 46:1.

I guess the real question is, “Are you willing to encourage and edify others?” Just as we have to take the time to stop and refuel our cars, we need to take the time to encourage, send notes, or just speak kindly to others.

Are You Spiritually Stocked Up?

When moving I lost focus and didn’t keep our storehouse full. The problem is, I tend to do the same spiritually. I put our physical needs before our spiritual needs.

I didn’t realize how long it had been since I added to my blog. Let me explain in two simple words. We moved. It took a month to get everything packed up and now another month to get everything in it’s place here at our new home. We are finally to the point where we can take time to enjoy our new place and do something besides work. Now, I’m not immune to hard work. I’ve hauled hay, built fence, put in retaining walls… but those jobs are hard for one or two days and then finished. Moving is like the chore that never ends.

After about 4 days in the new house, we had all the boxes emptied and the surface was starting to look normal. As it approached supper time, I opened the fridge and quickly realized any sense of normalcy was surface only. We had worked to eat down as much food as we could before we moved, and then during the move we had been eating out for over a week. It was time for that to stop, but all we had to work with was a gallon of milk I had grabbed at Walgreens and the few items that did not get purged when packing the fridge where I threw away all expired food. Unfortunately, the pantry looked the same. It was time to make a major grocery run. refridgerator

The thing is, I had done the same with my spiritual storehouse. During the move not only had I neglected to purchase any food, I had been neglecting my time in the Word as well. I don’t get it. Scott is so faithful. Rain or shine, work or play, he gets up and spends time listening to the word and time in prayer. Yet, I am so easily distracted. I can always find something that needs to be done when I get ready to sit down with my Bible.

In John 6, we first read of Jesus feeding the 5,000. That is a story we all know from our childhood, but let’s take a look at what happened the next day. When morning came, the people began to look for Jesus. They were of course confused because the only boat missing was the boat the disciples used to leave in for Capernaum. They didn’t realize Jesus didn’t need a boat because he walked across the sea. Anyway the crowd took off in boats “seeking Jesus.” When they found him, they even asked how he got there. Jesus quickly changed the subject and took this opportunity to teach the crowd. He scolded them for following Him only for the physical bread he had provided, and offered they should follow him for the everlasting life He offers instead.

I am guilty. I often put our physical needs and comforts in front of my spiritual needs. I seek to keep the house picked up more than I seek to spend time investing in my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Any book you read on relationships will emphasis the importance of spending time together.

I often tease my sister, mother of 4, that if the world is coming to an end, I want to bunker down at her house because she always has enough food on hand to feed an army. I can remember when Jace was in high school. I had to always be prepared to fix a meal for whatever group of friends showed up. I had to keep the fridge and pantry stocked.

Shouldn’t we be the same spiritually? We never know what life event might happen that will require a us to tap into our spiritual warehouse. The question is, will yours be full or empty?

Coming next week – Running on empty

Playing by the Rules

One of our favorite family pastimes is to play cards. I have so many memories as a child playing cards with my family. My dad was quite the card player. He could tell you any card that had been picked up and was certain to let you know if you weren’t paying attention and played into someone’s hand. We had the most laughs at the expense of my sister. She would pick up any face card whether it went with her hand or not. She just couldn’t let one pass by.

As a child, intense conversations focused around not paying attention or not playing smart, however, as a mother, my family found different points to argue. It usually centered around who was cheating. For some reason, my kids believed if you were winning, you had to be cheating. I will say with 98% honesty that I never cheated. Now, if you were not aware enough to hold your cards where they couldn’t be seen, that was your own fault and fair game. Other than that, I always played by the rules.

Playing by the rules is something I have done all of my life. I don’t know if I am just afraid to break the rules or if following rules provides order to my life, but I am a rule follower through and through. I even make up rules to follow such donuts are only allowed on Friday.

The problem is, I somehow began to put my trust in following the rules instead of in God’s grace. I think I got confused along the way and really believed if I followed all of the rules, nothing bad would happen or if I followed all of the rules, I would find favor with God. For the most part, the rules were biblical rules, but some were institutional rules. No matter, I followed them – all of them. Now don’t get me wrong, following the rules set forth in the Bible is the way to go. John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.” I would do it all over again. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul writes, “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God,” However, following the rules did not protect me from life.

I was extremely fortunate to live in the perfect “Polly Anna” world most of my life. Then my kids became teenagers and what do you know, they weren’t perfect. I began to ask questions and doubt my actions. How could this happen? We went to church every time the doors were open. We had family devotions every morning…. What rule had I missed that would cause this imperfection? After that, the unexplainable happened and cancer hit our family head on. I first wanted to ask why? or how? I had done my part, I had followed the rules. What I was soon to learn, was following the rules couldn’t protect me, but there was a God that could. Maybe you have been treated unfairly at work, been hurt by a spouse, or faced financial hardships. God might not keep any number of painful events from happening, but he would walk beside you all of the way. Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you.”

I had to learn it was really about my relationship with Him. It was about His love for me. It wasn’t about how many rules I had kept or broken.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are blessings and rewards for those that keep God’s commands. I James 20:25 confirms that if you are a doer of the word (follow the rules) you will be blessed in what you do. The problem is we can’t follow the rules just to receive blessings or just to be protected from the ugly part of life. We follow the rules because of our relationship with God and because of how much we love Him.

Maybe I should make up a rule about following rules. All I know is that we can never do enough to earn what God freely gives us.