Banging on the Window Pane

Saturday night I stayed up kind of late working on food for our Sunday lunch.  I kept hearing a really loud banging noise coming from the den.  I was a little worried about the noise, so went and checked it out.

We have two big windows side by side on the back of that room facing the back yard.  They are without window coverings. I had the big lights on in the room and so I quickly realized that the noise was bugs banging the window panes, trying to get to the light.  It seemed so strange that the bugs were harming themselves by trying to get to the light, but then, of course, the window pane is clear and bugs don't have thought processes that would warn them of danger, so they don't know any better.

But then I wondered why bugs do that?  Why are they attracted to light, anyway?  I found the following explanation from authors Mark Leynor and Billy Goldberg:

Phototaxis is an organism’s automatic movement toward or away from light. Cockroaches are negatively phototactic. Turn on that kitchen light and off they scurry to their dark little holes. But many insects are positively phototactic – as evidenced by teh mass bug graves in your light fixtures. Many people are also phototactic, especially for the “limelight” – those of us who secretly crave the strobe fusillade of paparazzi flashbulbs and murmer, “Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up” in our dreams… But, back to bugs. There are a variety of reasons that various insects are positively phototactic. Many insects, including bees, orient themselves in relation to the sun. Certain nocturnal bugs – moths, for instance – use moonlight to navigate, flying at a certain angle to the moon’s light rays to maintain a straight trajectory. When it approaches a source closer than the moon – say, a lightbulb – a moth perceives the light as stronger in one eye than the other, causing one wing to beat faster, so it flies in a tightening spiral, ever closer the the light. Some bugs are sensitive to ultraviolet light reflected by flowers at night. Artificial lights that emit UV rays will also be attractive to these guys. Other bugs are drawn to the heat that incandescent bulbs produce at night. Fireflies are bugs and bulbs all in one. They use their bioluminescence to attract each other.


Pretty interesting, isn't it?


You know.....we should be like bugs that are attracted to the light because Jesus is the light.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 

John 8:12

If we're not attracted to the light there is something wrong in our spiritual lives!

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

1 John 1:6-8

But sadly, some of us are attracted to the light, but like the bugs I watched last night.....we keep bumping into window panes.....or getting side-tracked in other ways.  Maybe we're allowing the things of the world to get in the way of our reaching the light.  Maybe we're giving in to sin....treading closer to darkness than to light.  Or maybe God is testing us with obstacles to strengthen our faith, but we're having a hard time facing those tests.  Maybe we keep banging on the window pane...unable to reach the light we are wanting to.

God can help us reach the light - the light of His Son and Our Savior.  He is the solution to banging on the window pane!  Our reliance on Him, our faith in Him, and our faith in he fact that His Spirit can work in us can get us past the window panes and get us to the light.

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

Psalm 18:28

All Tuned Out

A common thing to see these days is a person (usually a teenager or young adult) walking around with headphones on.  The odd thing is that they may be in public place - a cafeteria, a sporting event, with their team, club, etc.  Not that there is anything wrong with listening to music or whatever, but the point is that, even though these people with headphones are with other people, they are completely tuned out from the rest of the world.  They might be with a group, but not IN the group. They're not connected to anyone, just connected to the electronic "thing".

Our high-tech world has changed our lives dramatically over the past decade.  A person can be totally alone and in their own little world, simply by being totally into whatever high-tech gadget they might have in their ears or hands.  For some, this may seem fun, entertaining.....even normal.  For me and my family, it seems sad.  For our families and for our nation, it is very sad.

Alone time is good.  Quiet time is good.  The constant need for entertainment and withdrawal from society (in a sense) is not good.  The inability to communicate one on one with each other face to face is bad.  The decline in social skills is bad.  The total idea of being "tuned out" to the world is bad.

Sometimes we need to tune in!  Tune in to God, that is!  Our lives will become unbalanced if we become tuned out to God.

Samuel got tuned in to God while he lived with Eli the priest:

The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.

 ² One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. ³ The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple^[a] of the LORD, where the ark of God was. ⁴ Then the LORD called Samuel.

   Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

   But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

 ⁶ Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

   “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

 ⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

 ⁸ The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

   Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

 ¹⁰ The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

   Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:1-10

If we spend our time only being tuned in to things of the world, we are tuning out God.  We may not hear what He is saying to us through His word.  We may not realize when He is guiding us through open doors and opportunities.  We may fail to see when our prayers have been answered.  

Perhaps God is wanting you and I to listen - just like Samuel did.  Let's put everything away that might keep us "All Tuned Out" from God and lets respond to God just as Samuel did, "Speak, for your servant is listening."  We may be surprised at what He is wanting us to know.

Happy 14th Birthday, Jacob!

I'm a day late with this HAPPY BIRTHDAY post and Jacob even asked me today if I wrote a post about him!  I had to tell him I didn't, but he understood why.  We had his birthday party with extended family this past Saturday then our family was going in all different directions on his actual birthday Monday.

The three boys and I have been heading to a golf tournament for the past few days, so Jacob actually spent his birthday as caddie for his older brother.  What a nice thing to do for him!!  I'm not sure walking 4-plus miles and pulling a golf bag and cart....plus hot temperatures.....would be my idea of "fun" on my birthday, but Jacob enjoyed it a lot!  

He actually would rather help someone else compete than compete himself.  I love that about him!  His kind heart shows through at times like this and it is a quality that will go with him the rest of his life.  I always joke that if I'm ever in a nursing home, Jacob will be the only one who visits me (and this is including my other three children AND my husband!! :)  I say it as a joke, but I really believe it!  He's got a level of compassion that comes naturally.  Maybe that is the direction his future undecided career should take.......time will tell.

I've mentioned before about Jacob being my smallest baby and the only one that was totally natural.  Because of that, each year on his birthday, I thank him for being the smallest!  He just smiles and laughs knowing that he's going to always be the smallest of his siblings.  He's okay with that.  He likes the fact that he can get in places where others can't!  I'm not sure what all that entails, but if he's happy with it, I am, too!

Thank you, Jacob, for being a great son!  You always say that you're not going to have that "teenager attitude" so this year is your test and I'm expecting you to keep your promise :).  You are unique and special and are a great young Christian example for others.  I look forward to seeing how God works in your life for many more years.

I love you,

MOM

Daniel in the Lions' Den

Day 2 for Vacation Bible School had the theme of "Making Good Choices" using the Bible story of Daniel in the Lion's Den (Daniel 6).  Our "train ride" visited another part of Babylon and the King at that time was Darius.  Darius liked Daniel, but many of his men did not.

The men talked the King into making a rule that people should only worship the King.  The King signed the law and the men went about their evil plot to get Daniel.  When he was found praying to God, they went back to the King - who liked Daniel, but who had made the law - and Daniel was charged with the crime.  His punishment was to be thrown into the lion's den.

The lions' mouths were closed by an angel of God and Daniel was found unharmed - much to the delight of the King.  Daniel made a wise choice.  He didn't care about the rules of men.  He only wanted to do what God wanted him to do.....which was to worship and pray to only HIM.

Making good choices is one of the most important spiritual disciplines children can learn.....and we all can learn.  Learning to make wise choices - with God's help and choices that glorify Him - will help guide our lives in the right direction.  It will keep us from a lot of struggles, too!

My 1st and 2nd graders made cute little lion plates as a craft on Day 2.  We hung them from the ceiling to display them for open house that evening.  The children were so proud of their creations!

I found lion masks at a party store, so the children took turns acting out the story.  Of course everyone wanted to be a lion, but we needed a Daniel, a King, an angel and the men who were out to get Daniel.  

Another fun part of the story were the lion snacks.  This one has peanut butter, but a few children were allergic to that....so they just made their lion without that part.  The Reeses eyes were substituted with chocolate chips.  There were all sorts of variations on the lion, of course, but that's what makes it even more fun!

So.....on this first day of this new week and the beginning days of a new month, let's all challenge ourselves to make good choices.....just like Daniel!

The Fiery Furnace - All Aboard VBS 2012

It's amazing when you teach children about the Bible!  They are so excited to learn about it and they (usually) listen so intently.  It shows just how important learning more about God's Word can be and shows how much more we need to be teaching.....and learning.

I forgot to take a picture of the "fiery furnace" and the golden statue (pardon my drawing on the statue :), but when the black light is on, these two scenes "glow".  The children love it - and so do I!  But if you notice, the important part of the message are the words above the furnace.  The theme for the day was in those words:  Stay on Track by STANDING OUT, STANDING UP, AND BEING DIFFERENT.  Those are Bible-based words and exactly what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did the day they told King Nebudcadnezzer that they would not bow down to his golden statue!

(Fiery Furnace craft - directions are posted on my recipe/craft blog HERE.)

What I told the students was that even adults sometimes have a hard time standing up and standing out and being different.  Sometimes we just want to blend in with the world and that's not good.  God wants us to be different.  He wants us to take a stand against what is sinful and wrong.  And sadly, sometimes we make into "idols" things that are just as silly as the King's golden image.  "Things" that can't do anything at all.  God wants us to worship only Him.

A fun part of VBS class is always the craft snack.  The snack just reinforces the lesson, but is a special treat for the children, as well.  This snack idea came from somewhere online (sorry I don't know where).  It's a s'more, but instead of a second graham cracker on top, you put three Teddy Graham crackers (they serve as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego).  In a small toaster oven in the room (my mother-in-law used the big oven in our fellowship room), we baked the snacks a few at a time.  The Teddy Grahams were unharmed (just like the boys in the story!), but the chocolate melted and the marshmallows browned!  After they were done, another Teddy Graham was placed on the snack to be the angel or the "son of God" in the Bible story (Daniel 3)

So, today, be like SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABED-NEGO:  STAND UP, STAND OUT AND BE DIFFERENT!