Just my thoughts on the eve of the election

I never thought, when I was younger, that I would ever see these days. That I would see this country in the shape that it's in today. Especially this election. It's been a whirlwind of scandals for Hilliary like the veil was ripped right off of her life and political career and every sin made known before the entire world. (That was an answer to my prayers.)

I have never seen people with so much fear and hate that they would try anything to oust Trump who has every right as an American citizen to run. It was like watching a bunch of demons yelling, screaming, cursing and acting out. And the most shocking revelation was the satanic ceremonies she takes part in and the pedophilia and rapes her and Bill have taken part in.
(I still don't know why it shocks me. I figured as much.)

Never in my life have I seen such turmoil than this year. My eyes were opened wide to the war that is raging behind the scenes. I have seen and understood things I never could wrap my finger around. I believe God is opening the hearts, minds and eyes of people all over. It still amazes me.

The most amazing thing happened this morning. I watched a YouTube video where Trump had publicly asked the nation to pray for him and his family.

Video: WHOA: WATCH DONALD & MELANIA TRUMP ASK EVERY AMERICAN TO PRAY FOR THIS 1 MIRACLE!

That was eye opening! That really hit me. A presidential candidate asking for national prayer. When have we ever seen a president, in our era, ask for prayer? None of these presidents have or if they did it was done for publicity. People all over the world are praying for Trump because to stop terrorism.
This right here proves Trump and his family knew how dangerous these waters were going to be - they knew what they were getting into and still Trump is willing to fight for us and stand in the gap. I believe God will use this man in a mighty way!

I have enjoyed listening to his speeches and I have prayed for him and his family and have placed God in this election. God is still on the throne no matter what lies the enemy throws at us to prevent us from voting. So tomorrow vote because it is your right and don't let anyone take that away from you and know that God is still in control of this election. Keep the faith and keep praying.

Memories from 95th Street -- Banjo Joe Bedacki

An old man once lived next door to my family on a dead-end street in Garfield Hts., Ohio (outside of Cleveland). His name was Joe Bedacki, but his friends called him Banjo Joe. He played the banjo in his polka band and would find any reason to have a polka party - even bringing his mom over for her birthday and have the entire neighborhood party through the weekend.
Around 1975, Mom and Dad moved my older brother, John, and I from Slavic Village, Cleveland to the 4 bedroom bungalow in Garfield when I was 4 years old. I remember grandpa's old red Ford truck backing up to the side door of the large white split-level great grandpa and great grandma owned off 71st and Ottawa. After we moved out, grandma and grandpa moved in upstairs.
I loved the neighborhood, loved the friends I had. But the one person we all loved the most was Joe.
You need to learn how to enjoy life and how to live it to the fullest. 
Joe was a lesson in good neighboring. Every Christmas he would deliver homemade cookies to the neighbors. When my mom dropped her keys down the sewer, he did what he could to help her, even though it was us kids who had distracted her in the first place. He took part in the neighborhood watch, especially when my cousin Vince came down from Texas to visit and we weren't home at the time. Joe carded him and took him into his home to ask him some questions - just to make sure he was safe. "You got quite a neighbor there," I remember Vince saying. He talked to everyone and could always be seen with a smile on his face - especially when it came to his music.
Polkas are happy songs. Do you know there are thousands of polka songs from different countries - Germany, Poland, Russia, even Mexico, etc. and only one dance move. I have watched polka shows online and offline and have only seen one dance move. Round and round they go and every once in a while you see a woman being spun. Its kind of like the cherry on the sundae. But its happy music and when I think of Joe, it becomes his personality.
At the parties, people would pitch in: food, soda, alcohol, tables, chairs. We had a neighbor across the street, Mr. and Mrs. Wright, who couldn't come over because of their health, so they would sit out on their front porch and listen. The neighbors would congregate in Joe's backyard with their lawn chairs or the picnic tables set up out there. In his garage the band played and there were two picnic tables set up, where dad liked to sit and drink his beer with the guys.
In the summertime, the ladies would coordinate block parties with Joe's band which made for more fun. People danced in the driveway as the band played. I remember dancing with grandma a lot and dad inviting family members to come over and kick back for a while. As for us kids, we could play through anything - except when the band started marching down the drive, playing their instruments. We would all follow them laughing and dancing behind them. We would march down the drive, make a left to the end of the street (3 houses down), then back up a ways and turn back down the street in this huge circle and up into the drive and stop in the garage where the song would end and the band would take a long break.

His two loves were his family and his mother.
Joe was a widower who had one older son and I remember him being over the house quite a few times. Friendly and talkative like his father. But the most loved person in Joe's life was his mother and he did take care of her. I remember at one party seeing a frail-looking woman sitting in a lawn chair facing the band. She sat there with a smile watching her son play, with pride. It was her birthday and the whole neighborhood was there to celebrate it with her, but in her eyes she was celebrating her son. I wish I had known her better.
Joe's band played at events including my Uncle Eddie and Aunt Sally's wedding reception and my first communion - which was a blast only because I got to stay up late and hang out with my friends.
When Joe played, people forgot the bad things going on in their lives. They kicked back and took the music in and danced, laughed, enjoyed each other's company. Joe's parties kept all of us together - gave us something to look forward to and share with others.

All good things must come to an end
It must have been 1980 or 1981 when mom and dad found out that Joe was fighting lung cancer. His son was taking care of him and taking him to the doctor. Those were dark and bleak days for the neighborhood when Joe was too sick to visit. One summer afternoon, I saw dad and two other neighbors talking to Joe's son. As they talked, I noticed a tired and weak Joe sitting in the back seat of his large station wagon. The door was open and he was turned facing my backyard, just staring at the ground. Sometimes I wish I had said something to him to make him smile. But truth is, even though my parents told us he was sick, I never really understood. I thought he would live forever. But the night Joe's son ran over to get my dad changed all that. Joe had fallen and one other neighbor along with my dad helped get him off the floor.
A short time later, the band along with the neighbors got together to have a polka party in Joe's backyard. It was our way of giving to Joe what he had given us for so many years. And to my surprise the man played his banjo! As tired and weak as he was, he didn't let that stop him from playing. People cheered for him, danced, laughed, some of the neighbors were even playing in the band. It was the best party we ever had.
It wasn't long after that when Joe died peacefully. Mom and dad went to the funeral and I think us kids stayed home (at least that's how I remember it) - I was around 10 years old maybe older.
The neighborhood was quiet after that. The glue that had held us all together was gone and in the time that followed, new neighbors replaced some of the old neighbors, but it's like God was still blessing us. We had new neighbors who were friendly like Joe, and didn't mind stepping away from their life to talk for a few minutes. Real neighbors.

A blessing that should be shared.
My old neighborhood is a testament of how neighboring should be, not just a thing of the past. As I look around this small divided farm town I live in now, we say hello to one another but we really don't know our neighbors. There are some that I really don't want to know, but I need to keep the peace with. Part of my problem is living so far from home, but I believe God is trying to teach me something. I believe He is reminding me of where I came from so I can pass on that lesson to others. "Love your neighbor as yourself," appears several times in the New Testament and it means so much more than implied. Loving our neighbor means to talk to them, get to know them (a big challenge for me). To be at peace with them because you never know when you will need their help - don't burn your bridges. But above all, pray for them. Cover them with the blood of Jesus and pray for them - even if they are the most cantankerous neighbors you have ever had and are making your life miserable. Pray for them because you could be the only ones lifting them up to the Lord. Praying for them equals fighting for them and that could make a big impact on your relationship with them and with the Lord.
Lord, thank you for the fun memories of Joe and his polka band. Thank you for allowing me to take it all in and to remember how he blessed all of us and how we blessed him back in his darkest hour. I know you were there even though at the time I didn't understand. Help us Lord to carry on the lesson of neighboring to our own neighborhoods and in turn bless those areas with your peace and salvation. Help us to show your love to others and keep praying for them despite the circumstances around us. Change our hearts so we will all see you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Breathing Eden: Conversations with God on Light, Fresh Air, and New Things by Jennifer J. Camp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I first heard of Jennifer J. Camp through her devotional, Loop, a year ago and was not disappointed. Her devotional opened my heart and drew me closer to Jesus. So when I received an email about her new book, I had to read it. Again, I was not disappointed. The stories in Breathing Eden portray real people in real life circumstances. People like us who question God on tough issues we go through and see everyday. The unique thing about Jennifer’s writing is that she waits for God’s response. And when I read those words, my heart jumps for joy and my soul takes them in. The same happened when I first read Loop. This book will grab your heart and soul and leave you wanting a closer relationship with the Lord. The questions after each story make you think about your own life and what you would say to God if you were in each situation. I recommend this book to each and every woman struggling with life and want to be rescued. To those who want to hear God’s voice, the words will resonate in your soul. To those who need a Father, God is near and wants to hear from you. There is always hope in every situation and that hope is Jesus and we are His girls and this book allows us to hear His voice.

View all my reviews
Not only is BREATHING EDEN an amazing book but so are the pre-order gifts at JenniferJCamp.com

Why I Write - More Than Just a Calling

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. (2 Peter 1:10)

“I want to write for you Lord,” I said as I decided to quit my job at Walmart. The writer inside of me had been beating to get out for months. It was my heart’s cry and the biggest desire I had. The culmination of years of writing blog posts, journal entries, two half-written novels, many stories and several poems.

After working at a full time job, my writing began to suffer until all I could do was journal my frustrations.

McDonalds came and went. Then Walmart, both physically challenging jobs, that left me too tired to write out more than a few sentences. I was tired of being tired. So I thanked God for my job and told Him I wanted to write for Him.

A few years ago as I was pondering the lack of life I had, the debt we were in, and fighting depression, the Lord spoke to me, “Write about me.” He has not stopped telling me this, “Write,” or “Tell me what you see.” This brought me back to my writing.

In 2 Peter 1:10, Peter is telling believers to “confirm your calling.” To verify what God has laid on your heart to do. That one thing the Holy Spirit is pressing on you to do. Why? “For if you do these things, you will never stumble.” (vs. 10b)

How do we verify what God has called us to do? Pray. Pray. Pray. Even if you feel you know, still pray. My answer came immediately and so did the longing. Tell God what you would like to do for Him; for others. Surrender it to Him. If it’s His will, He will confirm it with an audible answer or bring people and/or opportunities into your life.

For me the confirmation was through Proverbs 31 Ministries. I was doing one of their online Bible studies based on Lysa Terkeurst’s book, Becoming More Than a Good Bible StudyGirl. In it Lysa talked about how she struggled with the pain of abortion. Then the healing came when she trusted in the Lord. God then took this experience and showed her how to reach young women who were either planning on getting an abortion or who already had one. Her ministry and writing career has been blessed since.

That made me think of the audience I wanted to reach and inspire with my stories. Impressed with the Bible study and resources on the website, I checked it out even further and found Compel training. This site, designed by Lysa, is full of resources to teach people how to start their writing ministry and put God first in all they do. They teach us to hone our craft and give opportunities to practice writing either on the community forum or devotional contests.

I have been apart of many writing communities, but this one finally helps me to learn so much. I can see where the Lord can take my gift and it's amazing.

Going Deeper

In 2 Peter 1:5-7, Peter is telling believers that in order to be effective and productive in knowing Jesus Christ, they need seven qualities in increasing measure. They are goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. Peter was speaking to people "that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ." (v.1) These were people who had a calling on them. Chapter one was written to help them develop their faith.

If the disciples left everything to follow Jesus, then being a Christian should require the same thing. It's a lifelong quest to gain knowledge of God through His Word. Whatever holds us back from serving God needs to be let go so that we can develop those same seven qualities Peter wrote about.

And one thing I had to learn that is so important on this journey, is that it's never too late to answer your calling.

"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." (Romans 12:4-8)

God's calling is not limited to these. If you're a parent, it could be teaching your kids about Jesus, praying for them, praying for your spouse. Ministries can be small like ministering to your family or as large as leading a church, bur they all work together to further God's Kingdom.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16: 13-14

What calling do you believe God has on your life? What one thing do you feel the Holy Spirit bringing to your attention?

How can you develop your gift to bless others? Are there any opportunities around you that you could use your calling?

Other Verses

2 Timothy 1:9

Ephesians 4:1

Ephesians 1:18

John 5:39

Ecclesiastes 1:13

2 Timothy 2:15

Lord, thank you for the calling and gift you gave me. I pray you would raise up your people to know their calling and teach them to use it to not only serve others, but to glorify you and your Kingdom. In Jesus name, Amen