The Locket

Last Thursday, our family finally saw the latest Star Trek movie.  As a child, the Star Trek series was one of my favorite shows.  Growing up, I didn’t miss an episode, a movie, or any spin-off of the original series. I enjoyed it so much that on our honeymoon, ten years ago, my husband and I stayed in the Las Vegas North Hilton which was hosting the “Star Trek Experience.” We actually won the trip and were really excited about seeing the Star Trek exhibits.  Believe it or not, we actually paid money to enter the Star Trek simulator ride.  As part of the show, we entered the transporter room and the crew beamed us somewhere and back.  Even though it was a simulation, my arms tingled with goose bumps, as I heard the whining sounds of the transporter beam,  and everything went black.  I know I can achieve the same effect at home by flicking open my cell phone, asking Scotty to “beam me up” while my husband turns the lights off and on….. but I’m a geek and I enjoyed the experience in Las Vegas.  While we were there, we dined on hamBORGers and Romulan ale in Quark’s Bar & Restaurant.  One of my favorite honeymoon pictures is the one that my husband took of me and a big Klingon that strolled by our table.  So, being such a fan of the show, I really wanted to see the latest movie in a theatre with stadium seating and Dolby surround sound.

After the movie, I have been thinking about why I seem to buy the existence of aliens and life on other planets without much trouble.  I know that my fascination and excitement comes from the maker of the universe, God.  In the book of Job, the writer says “He (God) is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south” (Job 9:9.)  All of our high-powered telescopes, space stations, and spacecraft are trying to get a closer look at what God created from the beginning.  The first verse in the Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1).  Since God created all of this, I’ve always known that he can do anything he wanted, which might include other beings on other planets.  So, I don’t stress about it and I just enjoy imagining more about him and his infinite power.

Even if we can’t prove that there are other intelligent beings on other planets, we must consider what the Lord told us about Heaven and angels.  In Hebrews 1:13-14, angels are “ministering spirits” to those who have received salvation.  Angels are true spiritual beings and not humans.  The Bible mentions angels many, many times.  In Revelation 5:11, it says that angels were created in massive numbers.  “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.”  That’s real life in another world, God’s heaven.

Whether there is life on other planets, I don’t know.  I’m not trying to prove or convince anyone that there is, but I just enjoy thinking about God’s possibilities.  Star Trek is really fun and the “strange new worlds” that they explore always make me excited for the wonderful world that our Lord has prepared for his followers.  My good friend, Randy, once sent me an email that said BIBLE stood for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.  I love that thought!!   I also love exploring the world that the Lord has for me and I use my Instruction Manual, his Word, the Bible to do that.  Crack it open sometime.  It’s a lot better than any other entertainment you can find on this Earth.

“Thy heavens, the work of the Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou has ordained…Thou dost make him [man] to rule over the works of Thy hands, Thou has put all things under his feet” (Psalms 8:3,6).

“And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage” (Deuteronomy 4:19).

My grandfather and father were\are preachers. I grew up around the word, but strayed far far away when I went to college. Fortunately, God found us (my wife, daughter and me) and we have been saved a little over a year now.

I was sitting in church one night listening to the Pastor preach. He was talking about God’s mercy but also about His judgment. In the end he asked a simple question, “Do you know where you are going when you die?” I thought about it and I’m glad to say that by faith I know exactly where I’m headed, heaven. This question also made me think of my family and close friends, of which many I consider family.  On the surface, this question seems simple, but it really makes you think, or at least it made me; especially since not long ago I couldn’t answer that question easily. I just thank God that now I can answer by faith. I’m not going to ask you to answer that question to me, but rather ask you take a second to ask yourself. Do I know where I’m going when I die? Where will I spend eternity?  There are only 2 answers, heaven or hell. I pray that you can answer, “By faith my destination is heaven.” If you can’t then there
is way. There is only one way to answer heaven, through Jesus Christ. It’s pretty simple to change your destiny.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead you shall be saved.”

30-Second Commercial

After my 30-Second Commercial Post, I received this cartoon from a friend that loves to send around funny pictures and cartoons.  It was really on target with my last post and I want so share it with everyone.

Credit for this belongs to Tim Wyatt at http://www.whyatt.com.au/.

Many folks are searching for employment in this tough economy.  A single job posting on a career website easily generates 100+ resumes.   It may seem overwhelming, but there are tools that can help you be more productive and stand out in the sea of job-seekers.  One such tool is called a “30-second commercial” and it is designed to help you market yourself when someone says, “Tell me about yourself.”  In a clear and concise manner, you state who you are, what you have done, what skills you have, what you are looking for, and what makes you essential to an employer.  I have been creating my “30-second professional commercial” and it is not an easy task.  It makes sense that I need to sell my skills, experience, and goals to a company.  If I can’t tell them the best information about me, then who will?  I have 30-seconds to get a person interested in me and hopefully, get them to provide me with job leads or ask me for my resume.   Perhaps, through this commercial, a connection will be made that will take me to a job offer.  That’s my goal!

Hmmmm…. So, the whole concept of a professional commercial has caused me to think about my own personal commercial.  What do I say when I meet new people and does it tell them who I am, what I stand for, and what I am all about?  My mind has been running through various “meet and greet” scenarios and I must say that I am not sure that I am communicating my true self to the people I meet.  Over the years, I have learned to be become politically correct at work when it comes to other beliefs, values, and ideas.  In some ways, that attitude has spilled over to my conversations at church, school, and home.  My personal commercial is about the things I love like my husband and son, my pets, my hobbies, and my work. I sometimes add a complaint or two about being tired, overworked, or busy all the time.  Perhaps, in the last few seconds of my commercial, if I feel the other person isn’t digging me, I close with an excuse that I have to mingle or stop chatting so much.  It’s my exit to move on.  Once I move on, though, I don’t get to go back and make another impression.  What I didn’t say in that 30 second “personal” commercial will probably never get said.

Whew… I’m sad to say that my personal commercial is a disaster.  It says nothing about the most important belief in my life and that is my belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.  I present my earthly blessings and struggles, but never mention my Father in Heaven or my inheritance to be with him.  In my mind, these past few weeks, I have replayed my personal commercial many times.  I wonder what would happen if I said something like this:

“Hello, my name is Jeanne.  I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  I’ve been a Christian for 30 years.  (Continue with family, hobbies, etc.)  Please tell me about you and what you believe.”

-Or-

“Hello, my name is Jeanne and one of my favorite things to do is go to church and worship my Lord.  He’s my maker and creator.  My husband and son are pretty cool, too.  And I love music and  … (add my hobbies and things.)  Do you go to church? “

I hope for the courage to try out my new commercial on the next person that I meet.  I’m positive that my new acquaintance will not expect to hear such a speech.  I’m not doing it to offend or upset anyone, although, I’m sure that it might have that effect.  In the end, it does not matter what they think of me; however, it does matter that I present myself unashamed, as Paul wrote in Romans 1:16 and 2 Timothy 2:15.   My core belief is Jesus Christ and when I omit that detail about myself, I am not really giving an honest picture of who I am, what I stand for, and what I’m all about.  My goal is not to be popular, but to unashamedly share Jesus Christ with everyone that I can.  That’s my personal goal!

Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

I’m still working on my revised “personal” commercial and I want to get it done before I meet someone new.   If you have any ideas for me, please post a response.

Other related verses:

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Philippians 1:20
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

It’s been a couple of weeks since I posted.  My delay is because I have been dealing with my job close-out, updating my resume, and planning for my next big adventure.  My last day at work is April 27^th.  Since I have been fortunate to work from home over the past few years, my close out has also been remote. It is quite unusual to check out of a company this way.  Many of my colleagues that are also leaving (and there are a lot of us) were put into “HR” holding departments.  We were not checked out by our managers, but by people that the company calls “Professional Administrators” or “PAs.”  My PA is a lovely girl, but she is 5 levels below my own job level and someone that I did not have a job relationship with during my time with the company.  During my exit interview, we had a big laugh about it all and talked about what I needed to send back to her from my bag of company goodies.  Basically, it all came down to a box with a laptop and an express mail envelope with my ID, Corporate Card, Calling Card, and signed paperwork stating that I won’t sue them for anything in the past or related to this job loss.  For a laugh, I’m attaching a picture of the two boxes that represent, for the company, my 14 years of service to them.  I gained so much more in friendship and in knowledge than what is represented by those two boxes.  I gave 100% to what I did for the company and therefore, I take away a truckload of happiness and satisfaction at having this work experience.  It’s worth a lot more than the two small boxes of plastic and paper.

Check-Out in a Box

This week, God reminded me of the words of wisdom from Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”  Everything is in God’s time.  It’s time for me to leave this company and follow God’s next plan for my life.  God’s timing is perfect.  When you experience a change in your life that seems insurmountable or that takes you in a different direction than you wanted to go, remember the words of Ecclesiastes 3 and be comforted.  Move ahead knowing that everything happens according to God’s plan and in his time.

Side note:

This week I’ve had an old song playing in my head.  Do you remember how Carol Burnett used to close her TV show back in the 70s?  What a lovely song she sang and one that fits this change in my life.   The words are below and I found a clip of her singing it on YouTube.  Hope you have some time to enjoy the words and the clip.

“I’m so glad we had this time together, just to have a laugh or sing a song.
Seems we just get started and before you know it
Comes the time we have to say, So Long!”

How do King Solomon, Ebenezer Scrooge, 3 Dog Night, & Daniel Powter fit into one devotion?   Please read on to find out…

Ecclesiastes 4:7-10 (NIV)

⁷ Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

⁸ There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless-
a miserable business!

⁹ Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

¹⁰ If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

Jewish tradition credits King Solomon with writing 3 books in the Old Testament of the Bible, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.  The son of King David, King Solomon is thought to be the wisest man to ever live.  His books are filled with life observations, lessons, Christian guidance, and teachings.  This week, I am so thankful for King Solomon and the lesson he taught me in Ecclesiastes 4:7-10.

On March 26, I received the news that my job was over and my work was going to another country.  It’s not just that I “had a bad day”, as Daniel Powter sang in his popular song of 2005, I felt shock and disbelief.  After 14 years of working long hours and doing hard work, my company said that they found someone else to do my work cheaper.  Since I know my company is not in financial trouble, I really feel betrayed.  However, I’m not the only person in the U.S. experiencing this situation.  There were 5000 in my company hearing that their job was eliminated right along with me.  It was a horrible feeling, but as a Christian, I knew where to go for help.  I first went to the Lord in prayer and then to the Bible for wisdom.  In the Bible is where I found Solomon waiting for me with a great story and words of advice.

In the above scripture, Solomon observed a man that worked very hard.  He had no family, no friends, and no one in which to share all his wealth.  Everything he did was for his own selfish gain and all he did was work.  As a result of his actions, he was all alone and life was meaningless.  Sadly, he didn’t wake up each morning to hear his child singing or feel a spouse’s kiss and hug.  He didn’t experience church and worship, social events, or family gatherings.  For most people, it is impossible to imagine living like this man.  Perhaps, this passage is where Dicken’s got the idea to write about his character Ebenezer Scrooge or maybe the 70s band, Three Dog Night, read these verses and wrote “One is the Loneliest Number.”   Solomon goes on to write that two are better than one in verse 9.  Two can help each other and encourage each other.   The man in the story didn’t have a friend to pick him up when he was down.  There was no one there to cover for him when he was sick.  He had no one to call when he was overloaded with work.  He was completely and utterly alone.

It would have been easy for me to turn inward this week and overlook many of the blessings in my life.  At some moments, I can say that I might have felt like the lonely man that Solomon describes, but the Lord showed me differently.  On Friday, I had a great lunch with my friend, Lisa.  Being with her made me realize that I am not alone and I am blessed to have a great family and good friends in my life that help and encourage me.  Throughout this week, my husband has been wonderful and patient, as I forgot laundry, didn’t want to cook, and slept a lot more than usual.  My sister, Nancy, called me daily to check on me and encourage me with funny stories and things she was doing in Florida.  My family has been awesome from my brother and sisters, to my cousins.  (Thank you Magnus, Austin, Nancy, Arlen, Chris, Sarah, Thomas, etc.)  Lifelong friends that I have connected with on facebook and email have written me notes to ask how I was doing.  (Thank you Anne, Janet, Jane, Candy, Susan, Sandy1, Sandy 2, Myra, Tammy, Freddie, Mary Jane, and many others)  Friends from work have been encouraging and wonderful. (Thank you Theresa, David1, Richard, William, Pam, Karen, David2, Eric, Rob, Bing, Frank, and many others)  Friends from church have been so encouraging.  (Thank you Marilyn, Lisa, Lynda, Sandy, Tammy, Kendra, Yvonne, and others)

Thank you Solomon for making me truly realize that one is a lonely number and God never intended us to make it alone.  It takes family and friends that are willing to encourage, support, and care for each other.  I’m truly blessed that my life is not defined by my work, but by the Lord above.  I pray that I will also be a support for my family and friends as they experience their own “bad days.”