On a clear winter day I can see Mount Fuji from Yokota Air Force Base. The snow covered mountain juts high above all the surrounding mountains. It is a beautiful sight of God’s creation! I know what lies beneath the snow because I climbed Mt. Fuji last summer. Mt. Fuji is classified as an active volcano and there is a big hole or crater at the top. The mountain is covered with volcanic rock and residue that gets stuck in the shoes when trekking down the ash-covered paths. These small pieces of hardened cinder cause your feet to hurt and you have to remove them from your shoes to be able to walk comfortably. The mountain is barren; few signs of life along the path.

Buddhists named the mountain after the fire goddess, Fuchi. Located at the top of the mountain is a Shinto shrine dedicated to another goddess. Living in Japan opened my eyes to false religions. God warns His people in the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me”. Deut 4:39 says, “Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.”

Mt. Fuji inspires me to reflect upon some truths: There is only one God. Our hearts have big holes or craters that only Jesus can fill. No other religion or false goddess can do that. God makes us a new beautiful creation when we trust in the shed blood of Jesus and His work on the cross. Jesus removes the sin (cinders) from our hearts and makes us white as snow. God gives us His Word that is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path to show us how to live (Psalm 119:105). He warns us to stay on the narrow path that leads to life, and not trek down ash-covered paths that will lead us astray.

Do you have a crater in your heart and need Jesus to fill it? Have you asked and trusted Jesus to forgive you and remove the cinders and give you life? As a believer, are you trekking down an ash-covered path or are you on the narrow path?

Dear God, open the eyes of people deceived by false religions to see and know the Truth. Impress upon the hearts of PWOC to arise and share the good news. Thank you for the Bible, your Word. Help us to obey your Word and live righteously, in Jesus name, Amen.

Submitted by Laura Miller, President Yokota Air Force Base, Japan

Laura Miller and her husband Mark of 20 years are stationed in Japan at Yokota Air Force base. They have 3 children, 19, 16, and 14 years old, as well as a Rat Terrier named Riley.

Dear Father in Heaven,

I thank you today for Abraham Lincoln, born on February 12^th.  I praise you for this humble pioneer who was defeated over and over again but continued to persevere.  I thank you for His faithfulness to stand against the horrors of slavery in America.  God, please give us the courage to stand against the injustices of our day:  human trafficking,  the blood of 50,000 million aborted babies crying out from the land in our Nation,  and abortion clinics being built in primarily minority neighborhoods. God strengthen us to stand against unrighteous laws that try to silence the gospel.  We lift up the authority of Jesus Christ over each of these issues.  Heal women in our midst who have had abortions.  Help us to be a voice of hope to unwed mothers. Give us your heart for the oppressed.  Open our eyes to see what is happening in our own neighborhoods.  Get us off of our holy hills and into the battle with you, Lord of Hosts, Lord of Armies. God, we arise with you to rule the nations as you extend your scepter of justice in the earth.  We choose to be found standing with you in truth!  I love you.  In Jesus Name, Amen

Grief Emerges

When the doctor returned to the examining room I was sitting on the table composed but stunned. The questions that bounced around in my brain still couldn’t be asked. My mouth wasn’t ready to engage. This had been my first pregnancy. At the time I didn’t know it would be my last. The road ahead would be long and hard but I had to stay present in this dark moment.

The doctor began asking necessary questions: “Where is your husband?” I responded, “He’s not here. He’s at school. He didn’t even know I was pregnant . . . no one knows.” Her eyes widened in disbelief. Then embarrassment climbed atop all the other emotions accumulating at my core. Suddenly I was no longer napping in denial. Reality woke me up.

It rumbled and pushed its way up from a depth I didn’t know existed. Like hot bubbling lava desperate to burst forth from an active volcanic core, grief emerged indescribable. All I did was answer the doctor’s question, but that was enough to cause anguish to churn and rise like waves of nausea determined to force out projectile vomit. Only, this wasn’t vomit, this was the very essence of my being — my soul. My soul knew what happened. It knows everything. It writhed and groaned like it wanted to leave my body in search of relief from the agony holding it captive.

By the time the doctor asked the next question grief gripped my heart. “Where is he?” she inquired with concern. I couldn’t answer. My body felt paralyzed. Waves of sorrow swirled upward and made their way to my shoulders and neck. My head grew hot. As I opened my mouth and struggled to speak, the waves unleashed streams of despair through my eyes. With labored breath I spoke in a slow, quiet whisper, sobs punctuating the sentence, “Heee’s at . . . he’s . . . he . . . heee’s at . . . Fort . . . Leaven . . . worth . . . Kansas.”

The doctor couldn’t understand what I said so she asked the question again, “Where is he?” Once more I fought to release the words, “Fort Leaven . . . worth . . . Kansas.” Then it came. What had been rumbling from the depth of my being finally made its way out in full force. With raw, uninhibited emotion my vocal chords emitted something like the sound of a soul tormented in hell. Crying and sobbing were done. For the first time in my life I WAILED.

It came from a deep, dark, black hole — a place outside my body — a dimension unknown to mankind — a place I’d never been. The doctor held my head to her BDU clad chest and spoke gently, “This is the hardest part of my job.” She had done this before, many times.

She gave me a few minutes to expel the first wave of volcanic grief. A hazy cloud formed around me. I felt anesthetized. In a kind, compassionate manner the doctor continued her questions, “Is there anyone here we can call?” I had to think for a minute but one person came to mind. With that name the doctor went over to her desk and set the notification process in motion.

TO BE CONTINUED:

Women of PWOC, and other interested parties, stay connected for the rest of the story. God displays His faithfulness and compassion each step of the way. He is El Roi: God of Seeing; El Shaddai: God All Sufficient; Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord will Provide; and ultimately, Jehovah-Rophe: The Lord Who Heals.

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“Life Happens – Jesus Answers” is a weekly column addressing the challenges we face in life, coupled with the presence and grace of Jesus, our One True Source of hope and peace. The column’s author, Laura Firtko, can be reached by email here: LifeHappens@pwoc.org

There are seasons in life and each season has its purpose and resulting fruit. Some seasons are tougher than others but God uses all of them for His kingdom work. As military spouses, we well know our share of difficult seasons as we’re nearing a decade of combat deployments, sometimes back to back, but all of them too long.

Whether on a mountaintop or in a valley, where do you turn for peace and strength? I hope you’re turning to your Creator. This is a time to deepen your relationship with the only One you’ll ever truly need, God Himself. Where can you find him? Besides everywhere (duh, He made it all!), you can get to know Him better by spending time in His Word, the Bible.

For new believers, and some not.so.new, approaching the Scriptures can be intimidating. It’s a big book, after all. The good news is that you’re not alone. First and foremost, invite the Author to join you as you approach His Word. He wants you to join Him there and He’ll be overjoyed that you’ve invited Him to be your tour guide.  Learn to open your heart and your mind to His guidance, and enjoy the unspeakable joy that comes from a personal relationship with the God of the Universe.

Okay, so where does the Tech Tuesday part come in? Since I’m a DigiGeek, my initial response to all things is how can my computer help me here? I’ve harnessed the power of my computer in Bible study for many years and have learned that there’s a mountain of information available to help you spend more time in Scripture and to make that time more fruitful.

A simple start would be a daily/weekly reading plan. I noticed some nice reading plans recently at the local Christian bookstore that were priced at one or two dollars. I laughed to myself since I know that there are scores of these reading plans available for FREE on the Internet. All you have to do is print them out and slip it into your Bible. I can remember creating and typing out my own reading plan about fifteen years ago before the Internet became what it is today. How things have changed!

Second, if you’re like me, sometimes you want to know what a word means, or meant in the original language of the written text. One option is to spend hundreds of dollars on a shelf full of Concordances or you could simply harness the power of the Internet (for FREE) and collect the same information. Among the many, a few good sites to visit are:

Bible Gateway
Biblos
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Study Tools

A habit I picked up a few years ago when I approach a book study is to listen to the entire book before I begin reading. There are several, okay many, audio Bibles available out there for any variety of prices including versions you can put on your iPod or mp3 player. I personally prefer the free versions that I can find on the Internet. If you enter ‘listen to the bible on the internet’ into your favorite Internet search engine, you’ll find several sites where you can listen to Scripture absolutely free…you can even choose the translation you prefer!

What if you want to know more about a Bible study you’re considering? In most cases, you can use the Internet to locate the author’s website and learn more about the author’s background, training, and doctrinal beliefs. You may also find reviews of the study or opinions from other believers that have taken the study. These can be valuable resources as you, with the Lord’s guidance, consider how to spend your study time.

If you still want to dig deeper, the Internet is an inexhaustible resource. I would caution you, however, that not everything on the Internet is true and accurate. Be mindful of the source of information and weigh everything against the absolute truth of Scripture. And never, ever, ever enter into any study of the Scriptures without inviting the Author to guide you first. Do not let the Enemy get a foothold!

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“Tech Tuesday” is published every Tuesday. To reach Tracy with comments or questions, email her here.

A few years back, while we were stationed in Europe, my husband ran a marathon in Venice (rough, huh?). His time was 3 hours and 19 minutes. Prior to that, he had run a marathon in Kansas City with a time of 3:31. Twelve minutes is a lot of time to shave off a race, even a marathon, so what made the difference? Well, in the second race he had a running partner. These two, similarly matched, trained together several times a week prior to the race – holding each other accountable to make their mileage goals, challenging each other to run faster, and building a solid friendship along the way.

The Christian life is like this. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says that two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. We are encouraged in God’s Word to think of our faith journey as a race, and this could include setting specific goals and surrounding ourselves with people who can help motivate, encourage and strengthen us (and this is one reason why church is important). How about you? Do you have a faith training partner, coach or mentor who will challenge you to meet your spiritual goals? Is there someone who comes to mind?

• I Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets a prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

• Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

• Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. I Peter 3:8-9

Dear Abba Father,

In this season where we celebrate romantic love, fill me with the true, supernatural relentless love of your heart. Forgive me when I do the right things with the wrong attitude.  Give me sympathy for those I don’t understand.  Help me to live in harmony with others.  Fill me with your compassion, your humble heart to serve and give.  Father, there are people around me who insult me and put me down.  Strengthen me to forgive and bless so that I can inherit the blessings you have for me. I need fellowship with Your Spirit so that I can overflow with the fruit of the Spirit that I may nourish those around me.  Remove anything between You and I and keep my heart tender before you.   I love you.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Unexpected Loss

After my first ob/gyn visit I went home still unsure what to think. The 10.5 week old fetus seemed normal but it had developed only to 9.5 weeks and the doctor’s incongruent words, tone, and body language suggested there could be a problem. With that I trusted God with the pregnancy knowing His will would be accomplished.

During the next week I continued studying my Merck Manual to read about risk factors and possible symptoms to watch for. The days progressed without incident until Friday, April 20, 2001, when as a precaution I called the doctor’s office to inquire about the light spotting I noticed.

The nurse on the other end of the line encouraged me to get checked even though the symptoms were insignificant. So I ended up at the doctor’s office at 9:30 a.m. I patiently sat in the waiting room eating an egg and a banana not expecting bad news. According to the Merck Manual my symptoms seemed harmless.

A nurse came to take my vital signs and weight. I had lost a couple pounds but certainly wasn’t trying to, especially during pregnancy. I commented on the weight loss and the nurse said many women lose weight during the first several weeks. I latched onto her reassurance like a security blanket as she led me into an examining room and asked me to change.

In short order a female ob/gyn came in to perform a sonogram. I remember lying on the table looking at the screen oblivious to the whole process. It looked different from the sonogram the week before but I still thought everything was normal. Then the ob/gyn called someone else into the room. I don’t know who this other person was. She was wearing scrubs and didn’t look like a doctor. There was no introduction and she never looked at me. She simply looked at the screen, shook her head, turned and left the room.

Perplexed, I observed all this activity without a word from anyone. Then the doctor had me look at the screen. All I could see was a white shadow. She pointed to where the heartbeat should have been and said, “There’s no heartbeat. The fetus is no longer viable.” Denial set in. How could this be? Did the equipment malfunction? How could this sonogram picture be so strikingly different from the first one? How could this fetus go from a live, active, kicking baby to a white shadowy blob in just a few days? There had been no cramping, no bleeding, no symptoms whatsoever except for minor spotting. How could this much destruction happen without any sign at all? I thought they must have made a mistake. Questions railed against the sides of my brain but I was too stunned to ask them out loud.

Shock began to set in as I laid back down on the table. Grief gradually enshrouded me with a blanket of sorrow and the atmosphere in the room grew silent and dreary. No one said anything. The male tech shoved a couple pieces of tissue in my left hand as if to declare, “I know what’s coming!” Then he and the doctor stepped out so I could get dressed.

One would think I’d just been shot in the chest or struck with a two-by-four. I was dumbfounded. But something rumbled deep in my soul that was soon to erupt.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES …

Remember, in this new day of a new month in a new year and a new decade, God is doing a new thing, and He always has the best in mind for you no matter what your circumstances might be (Isaiah 43:18-19; Romans 8:28-30). People change and things change, but Our Lord is steadfast, faithful, and unchanging. As you walk with Him this year, rely on the truth of Scripture. Rely on His consistent love and grace. Rely on His strength and stability. But most of all rely on Him.

For those of you who are new to this column, I’m in the process of sharing my personal journey of transformation that has occurred over the last decade. You can get caught up from the beginning of the journey by accessing previous entries in Life Happens – Jesus Answers under “categories.”

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“Life Happens – Jesus Answers” is a weekly column addressing the challenges we face in life, coupled with the presence and grace of Jesus, our One True Source of hope and peace. The column’s author, Laura Firtko, can be reached by email here: LifeHappens@pwoc.org

Submitted by Tracie Warren, PWOCI Assistant Curriculum Development

Life can be busy.  I currently find myself in a season where busy is an understatement.  There have been nights I would lie in bed mentally going through the coming day’s to-do list trying to determine which tasks could be pushed off to another day, because I knew, before the day even began, that I would not get through it all.  Ever been there?  It is exhausting – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Tired of being tired, I went to the One I knew could help.  I cried out to God, “I’m doing many things but I’m doing none of them well.  Please, show me what I need to release, what I need to lay aside.”  I felt that I had surely stepped beyond God’s will for my life and had taken on things He had not called me to.  Isn’t that what we so often do…assume that because things are uncomfortable or difficult we must have made a mistake somewhere?  Imagine my surprise when God’s response was simply, “some seasons are busy.”  Some seasons are busy?  “But God, isn’t busy bad?  Isn’t busy Satan’s ploy to keep us ineffective?”  I felt God speak to my heart, “Sometimes, Tracie.  Sometimes busy is bad, but other times, busy is exactly where I’ve placed you.”  As those words fell on me, this thought came to mind – sometimes we battle busy and sometimes we are busy in battle.

God showed me that right now, He has placed me in a busy season and my problem is not in what I am doing, but in how I have been doing it.  I have been trying to do my to-dos without Him.  I’ve not been relying on Him and His guidance.  God taught me that, as with Martha (Luke 10:41-42), there is only one thing I need to do, and that is seek Him first.  When I look to Him first and foremost, He will guide me through, not only my to-do list, but every aspect of my life.  When I focus on Him, He will strengthen me and lead me in accomplishing all that He has called me to do.

I have learned afresh that if we will seek God first, He will equip us for every good work.  We really can do all things through Christ, and sisters, we can do them well, but only when we determine to rely on Him, to follow Him, and to allow Him to guide us and lead us and walk beside us.

I am dust. Actually, men are dust, women are rib bones. Come to think of it, bones turn to dust when exposed to extreme heat. So, it could be said that all humans are dust. After all, God did create the first man, Adam, out of dust. Then He proceeded to create the first woman, Eve, from a rib taken out of Adam’s side (Gen. 2:7, 2:21-22). It is God who put us here on earth, and without Him we would be as worthless as the dust from which we came.

I appreciate the visual image this truth creates in my mind. It fosters feelings of humility and gratitude while reminding me of my humanity and dependence upon God. I can’t help but acknowledge God’s incomprehensible majesty while recognizing my insignificance before Him.

Yet, as important as it is for us to keep this perspective, it’s equally important for us to grasp a life-changing truth we might tend to deny or forget – the astounding worth and value that God ascribes to us. Not only do we have immeasurable value in God because of who He is, but also to God because of His endless unconditional love for us.

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever (Psalm 52:8).

Each one of us was specifically, individually, uniquely created by Almighty God (Psalm 139). Think about it. Considering the fact that God created mankind from the dust of the ground, it’s remarkable that this all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful God would regard us with such high esteem. But He does. He chose to create you. He chose to love you for eternity with a love that cannot be quenched and will never change. Embrace this life-giving truth as yours and ask God to make it more real to you each day.

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me — a prayer to the God of my life (Psalm 42:8).

He has showed you, woman of God, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice and love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Dear God,

Forgive me for the expectations I place on myself and others.  God, you only require me to do justice and love mercy and walk in humility with you.  I require myself to do it all perfectly, keep all the balls in the air, to have perfect children and a perfect home and perfect baked goods for every function.  I require my husband to be on time, perfectly patient, meeting every need.  Father, I lay all these false expectations at your feet.  Forgive me for placing these yokes on myself, a daughter of God, and my family that you have given me to cherish.  Help me to guide and train my children to do acts of justice, to cry out for your mercy for themselves and the lost and hurting.  Help me to respect my husband and to extend to Him the mercy I so freely receive from your hand.  Grant me humility not to judge and compare myself with women around me.  I surrender to You today.  I have been out of step but today I choose to walk humbly in step with You.  I receive your forgiveness and mercy to get back on track.   I love you Lord.  In Jesus Name, Amen.