Everybody Wants To Rule The World
You’ve probably felt inundated with political ads on Facebook and talk of politics on the news. It seems that everybody wants to rule the world.
I’m not here to debate who is better or to sling mud on any candidate, though.
I would like to see the true person in power being shown the respect He deserves, and that person is our Lord and Savior. It seems God has been taken out of so many things in our world today, is it any wonder the shape we’re in because of it?
Never in all of my 44 years have I seen shootings occurring so frequently all throughout the nation! People’s lives are no longer valued, and I cannot grasp that at all. How can people not value another person’s life? To some, it’s nothing to just snuff another’s life right out over the smallest of things. Why is this happening?
My daughter is on a trip right now at 19 years of age, and I worry. Days before my daughter’s trip we heard of an abduction of a young lady at a gas station where she was forced into her car and driven to a cemetery. There, she was shot and left for dead. Thankfully, someone visiting the cemetery found her and called 911. She’s in the hospital now, and they’re not sure if she will live or die – recover or be an invalid. This is a sad world we’re living in when things like this keep happening!
Driving home on the interstate tonight, with the hard top down on my convertible, I should have been enjoying the wind blowing through my hair and the songs on the radio. Yet, I was constantly having to be aware of my surroundings. A thought entered my mind at one point of drive by shootings, and there I was with the top down in plain view feeling almost like a sitting duck. It’s sad when one cannot enjoy the simple things in life without considering what “could” happen.
I know it sounds like fear grips my life or I’m in a state of worry at all times. Not necessarily. But, we all have to be real about what is going on in the world today.
Have you ever considered what the world would be like if we let the One who truly rules the world back in? Non-Christians scream, “We’re offended,” which results in us removing God from so many things in this day and age. Instead of standing as a united front, we, as a nation, cave and allow THEM power and control instead when we’re forced to take God out of everything. Why can’t we stand up and say, “WE are offended that you’re trying to take God out of all things,” and have the power to say, “NO MORE! We will not allow it!” Why can’t we have a difference of opinion here without THEIR opinions or hurt feelings being the cause of God being removed from yet another thing? What we truly need is GOD in ALL things!?
That’s the question.
When everybody wants to rule the world, why won’t we allow the King of Kings a place in it? Oh if we did, what a different world it would be!
Rewriting Scripture
We all know we’re not to take away or add to any scripture in the Bible. We’re certainly not speaking of rewriting scripture, but what are your thoughts on personalizing a scripture when you’re going through a hard time?
Let’s look at Jeremiah 29:11, which is one of my absolute favorite promises from God.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
When you’re going through an especially hard time in your life, wouldn’t it be comforting to take this verse and make it personal to you? It’s almost as if God is speaking right to you!
Think about it!
When in doubt, hear God speaking right to your heart!
Imagine a conversation that might go something like this:
“God, I’m scared. I don’t know where to turn, what is going to happen or how I will face tomorrow.”
“My child, trust in Me. I have it all under control.”
“I know, God, but some times I have doubts.”
“All you need is faith as small as a mustard seed.”
“I have more than that, God, but things are just really hard in this world today.”
“I have promised that I will never leave you nor forsake you. I mean it!”
“I believe you, God, and I feel you by my side at times when I’m struggling. Other times, I just feel confused.”
“Listen to Me, child! I KNOW the plans I have for you! I’m not going to let anything harm you. I promise to remain by your side, carrying you when needed. You may face troubles in life, but I promise, you will prosper! Trust in ME! I will give you hope when you need it the most, and I have great plans for your future. Trust me. I already know how this plays out.”
“Yes, Lord. I will try harder to turn it all over to You and trust in You. You formed me with Your own hands, and I know you have great things in store for me. I just need to be patient until You reveal these things to me in Your time.”
“It is in MY timing, not yours, sweet child of mine.”
“Thank you, Father, for your words of encouragement and love straight from Your heart to mine.”
Lists, Lists, Lists
The leisurely days of Summer have ended for me. No more sleeping in or waking without the sound of an alarm clock.
Having started a new job in July, my days are now filled with lists, lists, lists, and more lists it seems. Surprisingly, I look forward to going into work and interacting with my co-workers as well as the general public. I’m now doing something that I absolutely love; Accounting!
There are other aspects to my job, of course, but for the most part, I get to play with numbers all day. To a number cruncher like me, that’s what dreams are made of!
In high school, I took business courses which consisted of Accounting I, Accounting II, Office Supervision & Management, Business English, Business Math, Shorthand I, and Shorthand II. I thrived in these classes and enjoyed immersing myself in my “pretend” company I was responsible for back then. I enjoyed sharpening my pencil and writing the figures into my ledger book. It thrilled me to no end to see how fast I could enter those numbers into my calculator, too. When all my books balanced, I felt accomplished and proud of myself!
Fast forward all these years later – some 27 years – and I am now managing the office and keeping the books for a well known company in town. The books have been kept the old fashioned way, too, so it was a little intimidating to go way back on how things were done all … those … years … ago. Yet, that is what I’ve had to do until we can get all of the information into a computer system! We are in the process of doing just that, as we had a demonstration just this afternoon for a software program with an accounting package included. Up to this point, I have been creating spreadsheets to get away from handwriting everything into the ledger books. I’ve made great process and now have from January forward in the computer!
Woo hoo! I can cross that off of my list!
The staff is absolutely amazing, too, I might add. While I realize I’m new and just learning their way of doing things, I have been asked several times by different people within the organization how I like it and if I plan to stay. They check in with me, and that is refreshing in and of itself! I have never worked for a company where they thank me, and MEAN it. They “hate to bother me” when they are the owners coming to ask for my assistance. That is new to me as well. I’m used to people barging into my office throwing papers on my desk covering up what I’m currently working on as they bark orders at me, even when they were not in a supervisory position! Here, it has been so refreshing as they ask for my help politely when they are not able to figure something out on their own, and they thank me repeatedly for my assistance while letting me know how much they appreciate me being there. They try to make sure I know I’m appreciated, and that is like a breath of fresh air! I welcome this change in my career, and I thank God for this opportunity!
This job was pretty much dropped in my lap. I decided, after leaving my last employer that allowed coworkers to abuse their authority and mistreat people, that I just was not going to look for another job. I was content staying at home with my children who are growing up way too fast for my liking! My oldest – at 19 – is in college with a part time job to help pay for tuition. My youngest – at 11 – is going into 6th grade this year. Time is slipping from my grasp as my babies are not babies any longer. So, I welcomed the opportunity to stay home with them from January until July.
My oldest had a really nice class schedule this past semester that allowed us lots of time together during the day while my youngest was at school. Then, I had the entire evening with my youngest. I would be waiting just outside the door of her school when the dismissal bell rang, and away we would go to spend the afternoon and evening together. I also had a wonderful Spring Break with her, and we went on so many camping trips in our new-to-us RV from March to June. As it heated up, we decided to take a break from the trips until it begins to cool off in the Fall. But, this summer has been packed full of family time and memory making that I will forever treasure.
Having decided not to look for another job, I did say that I would entertain a position if someone came to me with a job opportunity. Little did I know when I said it that I would have two positions presented to me within a two week time period. I decided to go with this position, though, as it had number crunching involved, and I live and breathe to crunch numbers! And I am SO glad God afforded me this opportunity!
God has provided me with an opportunity that I could not resist, and I am thrilled to go into work each day now and begin to go through my list of things to do. I have such a feeling of accomplishment with each item I’m able to strike off of my “to do” list.


