beth willis miller's blog

remembering Challenger...beginnings ended

2012-01-28T15:26:00.000-05:00

Challenger explosion 1-28-86 at 11:38 a.m.

Last year on January 28, like every year since 1986, when I see the news broadcasts which replay the Challenger explosion...I, like everyone who was alive on that day, go back to where I was when it happened...where I was physically and emotionally...but this year the memory has expanded to include the blog I wrote last year on January 28, and being able to connect with the little boy who held my hand that day.

Little did we know last year on January 28, that my experience from that time so many years before, would be repeated in our daughter's life just a few weeks later...Tracy expressed her feelings so well in her own blog on February 23, 2011...this is how it feels to be held...and now, this year, she and her husband, Zac, are expecting a little boy, Colton Michael, on April 4, 2012...we can't wait to be grandparents!

I have included below the blog I wrote last year, and my correspondence since last January with the little boy, Nathan Connell, who held my hand that fateful day...

It was Tuesday, January 28, 1986, at11:38 a.m. This was my first day back at school as a teacher of children in thegifted education program since having a miscarriage at 10 weeks gestation oneweek before.

Our little school building, the EastArea Alpha Center, was located high on a ridge in Lake Wales, Florida. Tuesdayswere the days that all the kindergarten and first grade students in the giftedprogram from Davenport all the way down the ridge to Frostproof were brought toour little center in Lake Wales to participate in a creative and criticalthinking curriculum.

I took the hand of Nathan Connell, abright-eyed, brown-haired kindergartener who was wise beyond his years. I waswearing my London Fog trench coat with the lining zipped in on this unusuallycold Florida morning. We joined the 45 other students and two other teachersout on the lawn of the school and we all were looking up. The sky was abrilliant cerulean blue. We watched Challenger rise into the sky, the brightorange glow of its rockets and white plume of smoke below the orange glow.

Suddenly, as Nathan and I held handsand watched, the orange glow exploded and the white plumes of smoke werediverging vertically from above the orange glow. It was unlike any shuttlelaunch we had seen before, was it a second stage rocket booster?

I looked down at Nathan’s knowingexpression with his eyes glued to the Challenger and he said, “I hope theastronauts had parachutes.” We were outside, we had no TV or radio announcer toprovide commentary. But Nathan knew. The glorious beginning had ended.

I wrote in my journal that evening…“Ifeel empty…beginnings ended…nerve endings of emotion…raw, open,exposed…longings of my heart…reaching out, vulnerable…soft to the touch…achingneed, grieving for what is lost, for what could have been…”

February17, 2011, Comment via Facebook from Nathan Connell

Dear Beth,

You cannot imagine how overcome with emotion I was to read that blog post. Iremember that day and I remember it with such clarity.

I'm now a physician in Rhode Island, having just finished my internal medicineresidency. This summer, I'm starting a fellowship in hematology and oncology soI'll be working in the cancer center here at Brown University's teachinghospitals.

Thank you so much for reaching out and thank you for everything you did for methat day and during my time as your student.

Keep in touch...
-Nathan

February 19, 2011, Response to Nathan Connell

Nathan, thank you so much for your kind words, they mean so much to me...thereare those moments in our lives that we do remember with such clarity, probablybecause of the emotions involved...every year on January 28 when the newsprograms replay the video of Challenger and ask "Where were you..." Igo right back there to Lake Wales, holding your sweet little hand...this year Ifelt led to write about it on my blog...with your permission, I would like to addyour comments above to my blog...you have made wonderfully wise choices withyour life, and I know you will be a blessing to the hematology and oncologypatients at the cancer center...our lives are so short, no matter how manyyears we live...blessings, beth

February 21 Response from Nathan Connell:
Of course, please feel free to use my comments however you wish and again,thank you for everything you've done for me!
-Nathan

What about you, where were you on January 28, 1986?

servant leadership--do the next thing

2012-01-14T15:34:00.000-05:00

Leadership became a passion for me early in my life...

elected president of our Future Homemakers of America and selected as editor-in-chief of our Smoke Signal school newspaper at Southwest Junior High School
elected as the first female president of our student body at Sebring High School
leadership positions as a county-wide program education specialist in Highlands County
Florida Department of Education gifted education state consultant in Tallahassee, and
executive director at the Learning Resource Center of Polk County.

No matter what the task, I have found the maxim, 'Do the next thing' has helped me look beyond what appear to be overwhelming obstacles to get the job done...

When this Monday Profile (above) was published on the front page of The Ledger, I heard an interview on Moody radio with ElisabethElliot, who was talking about her life in Ecuador following the murder of herhusband while they were missionaries. As a widow with a young infant, living inthe jungles of a foreign land, Elliot’s world must have felt as though it hadbeen turned upside down. But instead of throwing up her hands and saying, "What’s next?" she asked, "What’s the next thing?"

Elliot said in the interview, "You can imagine howtempted I was to just plunk myself down and say, 'There is no way I can dothis.' Iwanted to sink into despair and helplessness, then I remembered this old Saxonlegend, 'Do the next thing.'"

Insteadof allowing the burdens to stack until they completely blocked out the sun,Elliot dealt with them one at a time. Shesaid you should not sit down and think of all the things you have to do becauseit can be overwhelming. Instead, just pick the next thing and do it, then moveon to the one after that. She said while pushing through them, you’re likely tofind that many of the problems will work themselves out.

The essence of servant leadership is found in the following poem from which that maxim comes:

Do The Next Thing

Froman old English parsonage, down by the sea

There came in the twilight a message to me;

Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,

Hath, as it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.

And on through the hours the quiet words ring

Like a low inspiration—"DO THE NEXT THING."

Manya question, many of fear,

Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.

Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,

Time, opportunity, guidance, are given.

Fear not tomorrows, Child of the King,

Trust them with Jesus, "DO THE NEXT THING."

Doit immediately; do it with prayer;

Do it reliantly, casting all care;

Do it with reverence, tracing His Hand,

Who placed it before thee with earnest command.

Stayed on Omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,

Leave all resultings, "DO THE NEXT THING."

Lookingto Jesus, ever serener,

(Working or suffering) be thy demeanor,

In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,

The light of His countenance be thy psalm,

Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing,

Then, as He beckons thee, "DO THE NEXT THING."

How about you? In what ways do you serve as a servant leader?

How does the maxim, 'Do The Next Thing' help you approach the tasks you have before you?

Using Your Abundance Mentality in 2012

2012-01-02T12:49:00.000-05:00

There was one concept that really stood out to me in the Principle-Centered Leadership course by Stephen Covey which I completed several years ago. It is the concept of “abundance mentality.”

Abundance mentality is a bone-deep belief that there are enough natural and human resources to realize my dream and that my success does not necessarily mean failure for others, just as their success does not preclude my own.

I think it appealed to me so much because it eliminated small thinking and adversarial relationships. So often, people are looking out for number one, anxious to get their “piece of the pie” and protect their “turf.” Covey explains that such self-centered activity springs from a belief that resources are limited, or a “scarcity mentality.” People with a scarcity mentality tend to see everything in terms of “win-lose.” They believe, “There is only so much; and if someone else has it, that means there will be less for me.”

By contrast, people with an abundance mentality are trusting, open, giving, willing to live and let live, and able to value difference. They realize strength lies in differences. They employ the negotiation principle of win/win and the communication principle of seeking first to understand before seeking to be understood. They don’t get their security from someone else’s opinion.

Seven characteristics of people with abundance mentality:

They return often to sources of internal security—sources that keep them gentle, open, trusting, and genuinely happy for the successes of other people…that renew and recreate them…that nurture and nourish abundance feelings, enabling them to grow and develop and giving them comfort, insight, inspiration, guidance, protection, direction, and peace of mind.

They seek solitude and enjoy nature—cultivate the ability to be alone and to think deeply, to enjoy silence and solitude. Reflect, write, listen, plan, prepare, visualize, ponder, and relax. Serene natural settings make us more contemplative and peaceful.

They sharpen the saw regularly—by exercising mind and body…cultivating the habit of reading widely and deeply.

They serve others anonymously—feeling that service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living in this world. If our intent is to serve others without self-concern, we are inwardly rewarded with increased internal security and an abundance mentality.

They maintain long-term intimate relationships—whenever they sense someone is at the crossroads, they go the second mile in communicating their belief in that person.

They forgive themselves and others—they don’t brood about yesterday or daydream about tomorrow. They live sensibly in the present and flexibly adapt to changing circumstances. Their self-honesty is revealed by their sense of humor, their willingness to admit and then forget mistakes, and their ability to cheerfully do the things ahead that lie within their power.

They are problem-solvers—they become part of a creative problem-solving process, and the synergistic solutions coming out of these interactions are usually far better than those originally proposed.

How about you, in what ways will you apply your abundance mentality in your life in 2012?

Note: Concepts from Principle-Centered Leadership by Stephen Covey.

Essay Published in Anthology!

2011-12-30T18:55:00.001-05:00

WOW! I am so excited and honored that my essay, ComfortMeasures Only, was selected for the recently published book, A New Song: Glimpses of the Grace Journey, ananthology of essays, poems, stories and photos celebrating God's grace onlife's journey (Edited by Diane Kulkarni).

Click here to order "A New Song: Glimpses of the Grace Journey"

As the year 2012 begins, may each of us look forward to what God will do this coming year as we seek His Face andexperience His Grace…

Consider this quote and Scripture: “Joy: the unwavering trustthat God knows what He’s doing and has blessed me with the opportunity to be apart of it. It’s not despite what’s happening in my life but because of it.When everything earthly feels heavy, He gives me an internal lightness thatcan’t be touched.”

Habakkuk 2:3 The Living Bible--But these things I plan won’thappen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when thevision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these thingswill surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a singleday!

In what ways are you trusting God in 2012?

Apply Your Creative Problem-Solving Skills!

2011-12-24T20:27:00.000-05:00

In a recent interview on Book TV Thomas Friedman, co-author of the new book, That Used to Be Us, stated, "Employers are looking for individuals who utilize creative problem-solving to invent, re-invent, and re-engineer their jobs."

Creative Problem-Solving

Many investigators of thinking processes contend that there is a strong connection between problem-solving and creative production.

The Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem-Solving Model emphasizes both divergent and convergent thinking in each phase of the process.

Consider the following elaboration of the elements in the process:

Objective-Finding: Awareness and a "fuzzy" statement of the problem.

Fact-Finding: Utilize fact-finding questions, and select and answer the most important ones.

Problem-Finding: Problem is stated and restated "In what ways might I..." and the broadest statement of the problem is chosen.

Idea-Finding: Generation of ideas through brainstorming and other ideational techniques emphasizing the principle of deferred judgment, and selection of ideas.

Solution-Finding: List necessary and desirable criteria and evaluate ideas against selected criteria.

Acceptance-Finding: List anticipated problems in implementing solution, and design strategies to overcome them to insure success.

In what ways might you apply this Creative Problem-Solving process to invent, re-invent or re-engineer your life?

In What Ways Do You Apply the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People?

2011-11-25T16:52:00.001-05:00

Several years ago, I completed the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People course. Here is a brief summary of the seven habits...

1. Beproactive--"Taking initiative does not mean being pushy, obnoxious, oraggressive. It does mean recognizing our responsibility to make thingshappen."

2. Beginwith the end in mind--"This habit is based on imagination--theability to envision, to see the potential, to create with our minds what wecannot at present see with our eyes...”

3. Putfirst things first--"Create a clear, mutual understanding of what needs tobe accomplished, focusing on what, not how; results not methods. Spend time. Bepatient. Visualize the desired result."

4. Thinkwin-win--"Win-Win is a frame of mind that constantly seeks mutual benefitin all human interactions. Win-Win means that agreements or solutions aremutually beneficial and satisfying."

5. Seekfirst to understand, then to be understood--"'Seek First to Understand'involves a very deep shift in paradigm. We typically seek first to be understood.Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with theintent to reply. They're either speaking or preparing to speak. They'refiltering everything through their own paradigms, reading their autobiographyinto other people's lives."

6. Synergize--"Synergyworks; it's a correct principle. It is the crowning achievement of all theprevious habits. It is effectiveness in an interdependent reality--it isteamwork, team building, the development of unity and creativity with otherhuman beings."

7. Sharpeningthe saw--"This is the habit of renewal...It circles and embodies all theother habits. It is the habit of continuous improvement...that lifts you to newlevels of understanding and living each of the habits."

In what ways do you apply the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People in your life?

Note: Quotes are from 7 Habits of Highly EffectivePeople by Stephen Covey.

Where Do You Come From?

2011-11-14T20:38:00.001-05:00

After reading this wonderful blog, I was inspired to write my own. Once you start writing, anything that comes to your mind, the memories come flooding back and you are taken back. It’s such a great exercise in thankfulness...why not give it a try?

I come from the ship, Princess Irene, which brought my maternal birth grandparents from Scontrone, Italy, to Chicago in 1906.

I come from an illegal abortionist who refused to abort me at 4 months gestation in 1952.

I come from the Salvation Army hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, where my birthmother placed me for adoption on Friday the 13th of February in 1953.

I come from loving Christian parents who adopted me and took me to church and Sunday School.

I come from chocolate milk before bedtime made with love by my daddy.

I come from cookies and milk after school with my stay-at-home mom.

I come from chocolate milk shakes at the drug store during Sunday afternoon drives.

I come from moving to nine different houses in ten years between 1st grade and 10th grade.

I come from six years of home economics in junior high and high school.

I come from being elected president of the Future Homemakers of America in 9th grade.

I come from being chosen as editor-in-chief of my junior high newspaper.

I come from being honored as “Miss Responsibility” by my junior high principal.

I come from being elected as the first female president of my high school student body.

I come from summer vacations at Indian Shores Beach and Gatlinburg.

But more importantly…

I come from adoptive parents who loved me enough to introduce me to Jesus Christ.

I come from Sunday School and G.A.’s mission groups every week from the cradle roll.

I come from a mom and dad who made sure that we were in the pews every Sunday.

I come from youth pastors who gave all of their time to help me find my way.

I come from Young Life inner city retreats where I learned to see God in unlikely places.

I come from summer G.A. camps where I learned to make s’mores.

I come from singing His praise in the inspirational musical, “Tell It Like It Is.”

I come from His grace and mercies that are new every morning, praise Him.

I come from His Word, which is alive and active in me.

I come from a Heavenly Father who knows what my future holds.

I come from desiring to know Him better and to walk more closely.

This is where I come from. It made me who I am today. It is molding and shaping every choice that I make now, and in the days to come. Thank God He has been with me all along.

Where do you come from?

Back to the Future—Rowboats, Timelines, and Goal-Setting

2011-09-25T18:53:00.000-04:00

Free Sample Microsoft Timeline Template

A component of the Beth Moore Bible Study, “Believing God,” was to complete a timeline of our life in 10 year segments, asking God to reveal to us all the spiritual mile markers in our lives…broken places, hurts, disappointments, accomplishments, and joyful times…to help us see that God had been there all along…His grace is sufficient.

To accomplish this task, I discovered a very helpful tool for a “Timeline Template” through Microsoft. It’s free, and it’s very easy to use, the text boxes expand to whatever size you need, and the arrows on the boxes can be moved to any location on the timeline.

I have copied the link for this “Timeline Template” ….it really helped me to get my thoughts on paper, and God has used it to heal me in so many ways...Here’s the link…

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/timeline-TC001016265.aspx

The Hebrew concept of time is like a person rowing a boat. We see where we have been, we back into the future. I can clearly see that God has been there with me all along. I am not stuck in the past, I am rowing into the future, moving forward, proactive, with my focus, my mindset, on God, who is sovereign. He sees the past, the present, and the future all-at-once.

Morning after morning in my quiet time, I bring myself back to the Cross of Christ…as I bow before Him, I experience anew His forgiveness, redemption, mercy, and grace, as I sense His blood dripping over the Crown of Thorns pressed into His brow, onto my heart, covering my sin, and I get up from my knees wearing His Robe of righteousness as I face the day ahead…rowing into the future.

What are your thoughts?

Consider asking yourself these creative thinking questions as you set goals for the future…

In what ways might I use this timeline template for creative problem-solving and goal-setting?
In what ways might I use this timeline template to project my hopes and dreams for the future?
In what ways might I use this timeline template to visualize my spiritual mile markers for the future?

Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal

2011-09-09T15:59:00.001-04:00

"The Return of the Prodigal Son" by Rembrandt

Henri Nouwen, the famous author, once gave a postcard print of this painting to individuals who had come to hear him speak.

He asked them to look at the hands of father--one hand masculine and strong, and the other hand feminine and gentle.

What a wonderful way to illustrate the unconditional love God has for all of us prodigals, full of grace and truth.

In what ways does this painting speak to you?

Imagination Article Published Today!

2011-08-26T20:13:00.000-04:00

tracy elizabeth miller duncan in central park

http://www.goalsgonesocial.com/ggs2/forms/showarticle.php?aid=52

welcome

2011-08-07T21:31:00.002-04:00

be still my soul

2011-07-28T19:00:00.006-04:00

frances mae carson willis

The song “Be Still My Soul” on Amy Grant’s Legacy CD played on “repeat” the entire time my Mom was in palliative care prior to her homegoing last year…it begins with a melancholy guitar solo followed by the lyrics to “Be Still My Soul,” a haunting admonition to leave things in God's hands, culminating with a voice-over by Amy…my heart was so captured by it I wrote every word in the Bible I had with me…even now thinking about it brings back the flood of warm feelings I experienced during those days, knowing that Jesus was with me in her room…gently carrying her home…

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Delight yourselves in the Lord, yes, and find your joy in Him.

Be known for your gentleness and never forget the nearness of our God.

Don’t worry, whatever is going to come, just tell God every detail,

and the peace of God that no one understands will come to you.

No, don’t worry, just tell Him every detail and His peace will come to you.

_______________________________________________________________________

What are your thoughts about this post?
In what ways have you experienced God's peace?
Does a particular song bring back that memory to you?

it was one of those moments

2011-05-29T18:52:00.012-04:00

"Fasting from any nourishment, activity, involvement or pursuit—for any season—sets the stage for God to appear. Fasting is not a tool to pry wisdom out of God's hands or to force needed insight about a decision. Fasting is not a tool for gaining discipline or developing piety (whatever that might be). Instead, fasting is the bulimic act of ridding ourselves of our fullness to attune our senses to the mysteries that swirl in and around us."—Dan B. Allender, PhD

“Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”—Exodus 3:5 NIV

Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore.—Psalm 105:4 Amplified

It was one of those moments…my senses were more alert, more intensified, more attuned to the mysteries that swirl in and around us, more aware of God's presence…it was about 7:30 in the morning, when I opened the door to go to work, the brilliant rays of the morning sunrise came bursting through our neighbor’s tree, directly into my eyes.

I paused, amazed at the beauty, I moved slightly to the right and I couldn’t see the sun’s rays, moved slightly to the left and I couldn’t see the sun’s rays, but as I returned to the center point, for what seemed to be several minutes, those rays shown straight into the eyes of my heart, and I suddenly became conscious of His Presence. I stood very still, almost frozen in time, actually not wanting the moment to end, thanking the Lord for the beauty He created, and for drawing my eyes and my heart to appreciate Him all over again.

I shared my experience with a few people…they just laughed it off, kind of made fun of me for thinking it was anything special, but in the innermost part of my heart, I knew it was the Lord, I was totally captivated by the stunning beauty of those rays, perfectly symmetrical, glowing so intensely, I even spoke out loud saying, "Lord Jesus, Thank You, Thank You, You did that for me! Just for me!"

The memory of that moment makes me crave Him more, remembering the experience makes me yearn for more of His personal touch in my life, makes my senses truly alert, more attuned to the mystery that is our Savior...I'm looking forward to experiencing Him more and more, alive and active in my life every moment of every day...Praise His Holy Name!

_______________________________________________________________________________

What are your thoughts about this post?

In what ways have you experienced God's presence?

How does a certain location bring back that memory to you?

if you have gone a little way ahead...call back

2011-05-15T20:37:00.004-04:00

Looking Glass Falls, Brevard, NC

During a recent trip to Brevard, North Carolina, we followed a Waterfall Hunting Guide in search of one beautiful waterfall after another. Sometimes the climb to see one waterfall was a little more strenuous than another...it took a little more energy and determination to make it to the summit to see the beauty. During our trek, the words of a poem I had read many years ago in the daily devotional, Streams In The Desert, kept coming to my mind. Once we got home, I located the poem in the following December 19 devotional, and thought it might be an encouragement for fellow travelers...

"It shall turn to you for a testimony."--Luke 21:13

Life is a steep climb, and it does the heart good to have somebody "call back" and cheerily beckon us on up the high hill. We are all climbers together, and we must help one another.

This mountain climbing is serious business, but glorious.

It takes strength and steady step to find the summits.

The outlook widens with the altitude.

If anyone among us has found anything worthwhile, we ought to "call back"...

If you have gone a little way ahead of me, call back;

'Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track;
And if, perchance, Faith's light is dim, because the oil is low,
Your call will guide my lagging course as wearily I go.

Call back, and tell me that He went with you into the storm;
Call back, and say He kept you when the forest's roots were torn;
That when the heavens thundered and the earthquake shook the hill,
He bore you up and held you where the very air was still.

O friend, call back and tell me, for I cannot see your face;
They say it glows with triumph, and your feet bound in the race;
But there are mists between us, and my spirit eyes are dim,
And I cannot see the glory, though I long for word of Him.

But if you'll say He heard you when your prayer was but a cry,
And if you'll say He saw you through the night's sin-darkened sky,
If you have gone a little way ahead, O friend, call back,
'Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track.

- anonymous, December 19 Streams In The Desert devotional

Pisgah National Forest Waterfalls

Triple Falls, Dupont State Forest

Upper Whitewater Falls

(c) 2011 beth willis miller
_____________________________________________________________________________

What are your thoughts about this post?
In what ways have you been inspired by a poem or a scenic view in nature?
How has a scenic view in nature reminded you of a familiar poem or song?

Sharpen Your Multisensory Learning Modalities

2011-04-08T15:31:00.006-04:00

Multisensory Learning Modalities describe the way we use sensory information to learn or to process material into our memory...
• Visual - learn from seeing
• Auditory - learn from hearing
• Kinesthetic - learn from touching, doing, moving

Most people have one predominant learning modality. However, many people have a "balance" between two or even all three modalities. Once you know your primary modality of learning, you will know how to approach learning and how to apply the suggested aids to sharpen your multisensory learning modalities.

First complete the Self-Assessment of Modality Strengths to find out your strongest modality.
Then, refer to the Suggested Aids to Sharpen Multisensory Learning Modalities for specific hints and methods you can use to increase your learning power.

Self-Assessment of Modality Strengths
Read each question or statement and write down the answer that fits you best. Some will be difficult to answer, but try to respond according to how you would react most often.

1. You usually remember more from a class lecture when:
a. you do not take notes but listen very closely
b. you sit near the front of the room and watch the speaker
c. you take notes (whether or not you look at them again)

2. You usually solve problems by:
a. talking to yourself or a friend
b. using an organized, systematic approach with lists, schedules, etc.
c. walking, pacing, or some other physical activity

3. You remember phone numbers (when you can't write them down) by:
a. repeating the numbers orally
b. "seeing" or visualizing" the numbers in your mind
c. "writing" the numbers with your finger on a table or wall

4. You find it easiest to learn something new by:
a. listening to someone explain it
b. watching a demonstration of how to do it
c. trying it yourself

5. You remember most clearly from a movie:
a. what the characters said, background noises and music
b. the setting, scenery, and costumes
c. the feelings you experienced during the movie

6. When you go to the grocery store, you:
a. silently or orally repeat the grocery list
b. walk up and down the aisles to see what you need
c. usually remember what you need from the list you left at home

7. You are trying to remember something and so you:
a. hear in your mind what was said or the noises that occurred
b. try to see it happen in your mind
c. feel the way "it" reacted with your emotions

8. You learn a foreign language best by:
a. listening to records or tapes
b. writing and using workbooks
c. attending a class in which you read and write

9. You are confused about the correct spelling of a word and so you:
a. sound it out
b. try to "see" the word in your mind
c. write the word several different ways and choose the one that looks right

10. You enjoy reading the most when you can read:
a. dialogue between characters
b. descriptive passage that allow you to create mental picture
c. stories with a lot of action in the beginning (because you have a hard time sitting still)

11. You usually remember people you have met by their:
a. names (you forget faces)
b. faces (you forget names)
c. mannerisms, motions, etc.

12. You are distracted most by:
a. noises
b. people
c. environment (temperature, comfort of furniture, etc)

13. You usually dress:
a. fairly well (but clothes are not very important to you)
b. neatly (in a particular style)
c. comfortably (so you can move easily)

14. You can't do anything physical and you can't read, so you choose to:
a. talk with a friend
b. watch TV or look out a window
c. move slightly in your chair or bed

Self-Assessment of Modality Strengths Scoring

1. Count the total number of responses for each letter
a. ______ Auditory (learn best by hearing)
b. ______ Visual (learn best by seeing)
c. ______ Kinesthetic (learn best by touching, doing, moving)

2. Notice if one modality is significantly higher or lower, or if any two modalities are close in number.

3. Were the results as you expected them to be?

Characteristics of Multisensory Learning Modalities
Three of your five senses are primarily used in learning, storing, remembering, and recalling information. Your eyes, ears, and sense of touch play essential roles in the way you communicate, perceive reality, and relate to others. Because you learn from and communicate best with someone who shares your dominant modality, it is a great advantage for you to know the characteristics of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning modalities and to be able to identify them in others.

Visual
--Mind sometimes strays during verbal activities
--Observes rather than talks or acts
--Organized in approach to tasks
--Likes to read
--Usually a good speller
--Memorizes by seeing graphics & pictures
--Not too distractible
--Finds verbal instructions difficult
--Meticulous, neat in appearance
--Remembers faces
--Quiet by nature
--Doodles
--Uses advanced planning
--Has good handwriting
--Notices details

Auditory
--Enjoys listening activities
--Enjoys talking
--Whispers to self while reading
--Likes to be read to
--Talks to self aloud
--Memorizes by steps in a sequence
--Easily distracted
--Has more difficulty with written directions
--Enjoys music
--Remembers faces
--Outgoing by nature
--Hums or sings

Kinesthetic
--Enjoys doing activities
--Likes physical rewards
--Likes to touch people when talking to them
--Reading is not a priority
--Poor speller
--Taps pencil or foot while studying
--Will try new things
--Uses hands while talking
--Dresses for comfort
--Enjoys handling objects
--Outgoing by nature
--In motion most of the time
--Expresses emotions through physical means
--Likes to solve problems by physically working through them

Suggested Aids to Sharpen Multisensory Learning Modalities
Use these aids to sharpen your particular dominant learning modality or to strengthen a weaker one. Try to be aware of the different activities you do daily to help all three of your modalities.

Visual
--Use guided imagery
--Form pictures in your mind
--Take notes
--See parts of words
--Use "cue" words
--Use notebooks
--Use color codes
--Use study cards
--Use photographic pictures
--Watch TV, movies
--Use charts and graphs
--Use maps
--Use mnemonics (acronyms, visual chains, mind maps, acrostics)
--Demonstrate
--Draw or use drawings
--Use exhibits
--Watch lips move in front of a mirror

Auditory
--Use tapes
--Listen to music
--Speak/listen to speakers
--Make up rhymes/poems
--Read aloud
--Talk to yourself
--Repeat things orally
--Use rhythmic sounds
--Have discussions
--Watch TV
--Listen carefully
--Use oral directions
--Sound out words
--Use theater
--Use mnemonics (word links, rhymes, poems, lyrics)
--Say words in syllables

Kinesthetic
--Pace/walk as you study
--Practice by repeated motion
--Physically "do it"
--Breathe slowly
--Role play
--Exercise
--Dance
--Write
--Write on surfaces with finger
--Take notes
--Associate feelings with concept/information
--Write lists repeatedly
--Stretch/move in chair
--Watch lips move in front of a mirror
--Use mnemonics (word links, rhymes, poems, lyrics)

(c) 2011 beth willis miller
_______________________________________________________________________________

What are your thoughts about this post?
In what ways might you apply these multisensory learning modalities in your everyday life?
Have you found that these suggested aids sharpen your multisensory learning modalities?

Comfort Measures Only

2011-03-20T17:06:00.003-04:00

Mom and Beth--October 4, 2008

My mother had been admitted to the palliative care unit at our local hospital. Her physician said, “I have written the orders for Comfort Measures Only, your mother will not be suffering, I have walked in your shoes with my own mother, this is the loving choice.” This began the closing of the final chapter of my mother’s life following a three-year decline mentally and physically due to dementia. It was also the closing of a chapter in my own life, as part of the “sandwich” generation—caring for an elderly relative while raising my own children. Our youngest child was graduating from high school and moving from our home to attend college. During this same season of change, we also lost our two dogs to cancer within eight months of each other.

My mother moved in with us following my father’s death and lived with us for 17 years. My parents had no life insurance, no investments, no savings, and my mother had never worked outside the home. For many years, it was a blessing to all of us. She was there for our daughter after school or when I had to work late. When our son was born, she was a great help, and it was a joy for our children to have their only grandmother living with our family. As osteoporosis fractures in Mom’s spine began to cause her more and more unbearable pain, and pain management medications became stronger, dementia began to take over her mind.

Philippians 3:10 from the Amplified Bible became my daily prayer throughout this season of change. “My determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly.” God has answered that prayer. I am progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with my Lord through this season of change. God met me at the point of my need, answering my prayer through giving me a heart to set my alarm for 5 a.m. each morning so that I would have quiet time with Him and His word each morning before I faced the day. Each morning I awake and before my feet hit the floor, I begin asking Him to speak to me through His word. After putting on a pot of coffee, and settling down at my kitchen table, I open His word, and listen for His still small voice to minister to me. I have journaled these changes over the years, and how a specific Scripture would be just what I would need for that day, that moment in time.

I came to a place in my life where I wanted, more than anything else, to love God more. I began to pray, “Lord, I want to delight in you!” God is so inconceivably good. He’s not looking for perfection. He already saw it in Christ. He’s looking for affection. That’s why every lasting change will invariably be a change of heart. He’ll even supply the heart, if we’ll ask him. My daily prayer continues to this day, “Lord Jesus, give me a heart which yearns for Your Presence, a yearning for You that draws me over and over into Your Presence, a yearning that makes only a few days without time in prayer and Your Word seem like an eternity. Give me a heart which is motivated first and foremost by a desire for You, not for what You can do for me, but a yearning for Your Presence. Give me a heart that wants You more than anything else You could give, to love You and know You more than anything in life. Give me a heart that takes what You have made known to me and makes You re-known to everyone else, a heart that makes Your name and renown the desire of my heart. Give me a heart to feel Your Holy Spirit woo me once again to the place where I meet You. In the simplicity of my prayer time, give me a heart to be suddenly confronted by the majesty of my Redeemer—the One Who is responsible for any good in me. Lord, each morning, give me a heart that seeks Your forgiveness for past sins, and welcomes Your fresh mercies which fall like manna from Heaven, and once again move my heart. I surrender all. Morning after morning.”

As my mother’s mental and physical health began to decline three years ago, God answered my prayer in helping us to find the funding for a wonderful assisted living facility nearby that provided her with the care and security she needed. I was able to go there daily to see her, interact with her caregivers and help with her care. Mom would often ask me to pray with her, and it was such a comfort to both of us as we would come before the throne of grace together, seeking the loving arms of our Great Shepherd. He walked with us through the valley of the shadow of death as she lingered for several days in the palliative care unit at our local hospital before Mom stepped out of time and into eternity with our Lord. Mom’s last year on earth was also our son’s last year in high school. One of the last things Mom was able to articulate was that our son would be able to go to the college that he wanted to attend. God answered that prayer by helping us to put together the financial aid needed. God has met me right at the point of my need, even in this season of an “empty nest” by allowing me to see our son successfully in college.

Our sweet little "Cookie"

God is into the details of our lives, as He has answered my prayer to know Him more deeply and more intimately, He has met my needs moment-by-moment—even to the point of leading us to a little beagle-mix puppy who had been rescued from abandonment just days after we returned from taking our son to college. Our little beagle, “Cookie,” has filled our empty arms with love and joy. What comfort, what compassion, meeting us right at the point of our need! Even though this has been a season of great change, great loss, I can truly say, my determined purpose is still that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly every day.
(c) 2011 beth willis miller
_______________________________________________________________________________
What are your thoughts about this post?
In what ways have you experienced an "empty nest" or "sandwich generation" season?
How have you been encouraged or inspired during a difficult time in your life?

imagination can cause our spirit to soar

2011-02-19T12:50:00.002-05:00

Sunrise 5:30 a.m. Sea of Galilee, Tiberias, Israel, 3-20-00

When I am experiencing writer’s block, what I call, “analysis paralysis,” I like to apply the power of creative imagination for inspiration. When I served as the Florida Department of Education State Consultant for Gifted Education, I was frequently asked to provide technical assistance to school districts regarding strategies to improve creative and critical thinking skills for students. I have identified some of those strategies to inspire us to pursue our passions by thinking creatively using our imagination. Imagination is a powerful entity. It can cause the hair on the back of our neck to stand up, our spirit to soar, or our face to blush. Imagination is the power that holds our beliefs together; we believe with our imagination. Imagination is the wellspring of faith and hope. Our biggest and best dreams for ourselves and others rise from the imagination.

Why not think about applying the power of your creative imagination to inspire you as you pursue your passions? Kick-off your creative imagination about your passion with several “In What Ways Might I” creative thinking questions related to your passion. Reword the question several different times, writing down whatever comes to your mind, such as:

In What Ways Might I pursue my passion for…
In What Ways Might I more effectively pursue my passion for…
In What Ways Might I find more time to pursue my passion for…
In What Ways Might I find encouragement to pursue my passion for…
In What Ways Might I find money to pursue my passion for…
In What Ways Might I find opportunities to pursue my passion for…

Keep asking yourself this open-ended “In What Ways Might I” question related to your passion, allowing your creative imagination to flow from your mind onto the page. You will be amazed at how your continual re-wording of the question will increase your creative thinking skills of Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration—the four primary strategies for developing and improving creative thinking or imagination as you connect your creative imagination to pursuing your passions.

Fluency is the ability to think of many answers to a question, to list many possible solutions to a problem, or to generate a number of responses. Fluency is being able to think of lots of plans or ideas. You are fluent when you can:

· Think of a long list of reasons for…

· Make a very long list of…

· List many uncommon uses for…

Flexibility is the ability to change your way of thinking about a problem or situation. It is the ability to think of alternative ideas and to adapt to different situations. You are flexible when you can:

· Think of an alternative to…

· Think of another way to…

· Invent an interesting way to…

Originality is the ability to think of fresh or unusual designs, ideas, responses, or styles. People who are original are independent and creative in their thoughts and actions. They create things that are new, different, or unique. You are original when you can:

· Suggest a unique name for…

· Devise a tool that will help…

· Design a…

Elaboration is the process of expanding an idea by adding detail. To elaborate, you must understand the original idea and see a way to clarify or improve it by adding specific details. You are elaborating when you add to, enlarge, enrich, or expand descriptions, designs, drawings, explanations, instructions, reports or stories. You are using elaboration when you can:

· Add extra details to…

· Tell more about…

· Explain the instructions to…

Remember, your imagination is a powerful entity, your biggest and best dreams rise from your imagination. Begin today to ask the open-ended “In What Ways Might I” question related to your passion, and you will be amazed at how your creative thinking skills of Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration expand and enhance your imagination as you are energized to pursue your passions with enthusiasm.

You can apply your creative imagination to any circumstance you face. As adults, when we have been hurt, our imagination is wounded. As a result, alienation and belief in bad news replace belief in good news.

We may have a feeling response that can become frozen into resentment.
We may have an anger response that can become frozen into negative reactions of rage or passivity.
We might have an interpretation response that can become frozen in negative attitudes, perceptions, biases, and beliefs.

As a result, our imagination becomes paralyzed. Attending to our wounded imagination is a path through forgiveness. Forgiveness expands our horizons and invites us to retrieve the positive and work through the negative. Is the glass of water half-full or half-empty? The answer depends entirely on how you see it. “How you see it” is called “perception.” There is the story about the blind men and the elephant. Each man named and described the animal according to his experience of touching only one part of the elephant’s body. The man who held the trunk “perceived” the elephant to be a large snake; the man who held the leg “perceived” the elephant to be a sturdy tree. In the same way, we “perceive” life—depending on what our experience is. Our experiences generate our expectations and our perceptions. We interpret life experiences, and we form expectations and perceptions, attitudes and assumptions.

All of this activity is the work of the imagination. It is likewise the work of the imagination to reinterpret and reform repeated assumptions and expectations. Forgiveness demands that we take another look so that our imagination can reframe our narrow interpretations. Forgiveness includes the decision to refocus or enlarge the context…walk a mile in another’s shoes. When we enlarge the context, we refocus, or we see it through a wider lens. Imagination is the work of seeing through a wider lens.

If we stick to a negative interpretation of an old offense, we will experience resentment whenever we think about it, or about the offender. We will never be able to grieve and let go; we will seesaw between rage and resignation; we will never allow anger to surface and put us back on the journey of forgiveness. If we insist on telling and retelling our bad news stories of the past, we simply recycle the bad news and pass it on to the next generation. We pollute the emotional environment; we remain stuck in lifeless memories instead of looking for a more positive side of things long past.

When you enlarge your perceptions, using your creative imagination, you at least allow for the possibility of healing. You give yourself the opportunity to turn from the negative aspects of your past, to get rid of the excess baggage, and to face the journey into the future with hope.

Now it’s your turn. This is your time, this is the day, right now. In what ways might you choose to use your creative imagination to spur you on to pursue your passions?

(c) 2011 beth willis miller

beginnings ended

2011-01-29T16:23:00.003-05:00

Challenger explosion 1-28-86 at 11:38 a.m.

It was Tuesday, January 28, 1986, at 11:38 a.m. This was my first day back at school as a teacher of children in the gifted education program since having a miscarriage at 10 weeks gestation one week before.

Our little school building, the East Area Alpha Center, was located high on a ridge in Lake Wales, Florida. Tuesdays were the days that all the kindergarten and first grade students in the gifted program from Davenport all the way down the ridge to Frostproof were brought to our little center in Lake Wales to participate in a creative and critical thinking curriculum.

I took the hand of Nathan Connell, a bright-eyed, brown-haired kindergartener who was wise beyond his years. I was wearing my London Fog trench coat with the lining zipped in on this unusually cold Florida morning. We joined the 45 other students and two other teachers out on the lawn of the school and we all were looking up. The sky was a brilliant cerulean blue. We watched Challenger rise into the sky, the bright orange glow of its rockets and white plume of smoke below the orange glow.

Suddenly, as Nathan and I held hands and watched, the orange glow exploded and the white plumes of smoke were diverging vertically from above the orange glow. It was unlike any shuttle launch we had seen before, was it a second stage rocket booster?

I looked down at Nathan’s knowing expression with his eyes glued to the Challenger and he said, “I hope the astronauts had parachutes.” We were outside, we had no TV or radio announcer to provide commentary. But Nathan knew. The glorious beginning had ended.

I wrote in my journal that evening…“I feel empty…beginnings ended…nerve endings of emotion…raw, open, exposed…longings of my heart…reaching out, vulnerable…soft to the touch…aching need, grieving for what is lost, for what could have been…”

God's Word is a panpharmacon--a salve for every wound...

2010-12-18T11:33:00.002-05:00

Jerusalem, Israel, view of the Western Wall--March 2000

God's Word is very precious to me. I can truly say that I love God's Word. It has changed me and my life. God's words are not ordinary words, as the words of other people are.

His words are filled with power. The power of God is actually inherent in His Word and it heals, delivers, comforts, saves, corrects, and encourages us.

When we are very discouraged, we can actually take God's Word as medicine for our souls. His Word is a panpharmacon--a salve for every wound. It encourages the discouraged, lifts up the lowly and downtrodden, heals the sick, saves the lost, fills the empty, and counsels those who need to make a decision.

Jesus is the Word of God Who took on human flesh and dwelt among us. When we read, study, meditate on, or confess the Word of God, we are fellowshipping with Jesus.

We are actually taking Him as nourishment and we find that only He can satisfy our souls. God's Word is our spiritual food and we need it regularly, just as we need natural food. "Your words were found, and I ate them; and your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart..."--Jeremiah 15:16.

(c) 2010 beth willis miller

attuning my senses to the mysteries that swirl in and around me

2010-11-21T18:31:00.006-05:00

first photo taken at the empty tomb in Jerusalem in 2000

"When I think of fasting, I would define it as abstaining from anything that fills the space inside us that God longs to occupy. Any idols can be fodder for fasting: TV, email, food. The heart of a fast is stepping back from life as it is and conceiving life as it could be."--Heather Webb

second photo taken at the empty tomb in 2000

third photo taken at the empty tomb in 2000

"Fasting from any nourishment, activity, involvement or pursuit--for any season--sets the stage for God to appear. Fasting is not a tool to pry wisdom out of God's hands or to force needed insight about a decision. Fasting is not a tool for gaining discipline or developing piety (whatever that might be). Instead, fasting is the bulimic act of ridding ourselves of our fullness to attune our senses to the mysteries that swirl in and around us."--Dan B. Allender, PhD

In what ways might I attune my senses to the mysteries that swirl in and around me?

Because God Is Sovereign

2010-10-17T20:09:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite quotes, based on many Scriptures about the sovereignty of God, is:

"Nothing comes into my life that is not filtered through God's Hands of Love."

I also recently read the following very thought-provoking quote by Dan B. Allender, PhD, from his excellent book and workbook, "To Be Told: Know Your Story, Shape Your Future"...

"Jesus always gives you what he knew you would have asked for if you knew everything he knows."

God sees the end from the beginning...He knows me intimately, He knit me together in my mother's womb, one day I will see Him face-to-face and I will know as I am known...until then, I will expect a mystery...It is His plan that’s important, not my desire.

I didn’t bring myself into this world, and I can’t take myself into heaven. I really don’t know what is best for me or for those I love.

I ask God to make me sensitive to the reality that He is in control, and that He is using this--even this--to conform me to the image of His Son. I want that most of all.

I train my mind to acknowledge God’s hand in whatever it is I'm living with.

I practice words like, “I don’t know,” “I will trust,” “I can’t explain,” “I release it all,” because God is sovereign.

He is the beginning, He will be the ending, and in between, by His grace, He lets us be part of His perfect plan…for His glory and for our good. In the meantime, I will expect a mystery.

(c) 2010 beth willis miller

Delight Yourself in the Lord

2010-10-09T13:01:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 37:4…“Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I discovered a great acrostic memory tool for the word, “delight,” which describes how I have come to apply this verse to my life:

Daily

Everything

Laid

Into

God’s

Hands

Totally

I have found over the years that many times my prayers center on what I want the Lord to do: I intercede for people who are critically ill battling disease. There’s a great need in a missionary family in Burkina Faso, West Africa, so I petition daily for God’s help on their behalf. On the home front, I may pray for my children to do better in school, a friend’s job situation or marriage to improve, relief from stress, or many other desires. All of these are valid requests, which if answered in the way I hope, would delight me. But I have learned that this verse calls me to a different prayer focus: to stop and center my heart on the Lord and make him my delight.

According to Psalm 37:4, if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. To delight means to take great pleasure or to find joy and satisfaction in something. Though it’s impossible for us to find our greatest pleasure and delight in God through our own strength, our Heavenly Father has provided a way: his Spirit graciously reveals Jesus to us and causes us to fall more and more in love with him. Then we find great delight in him and in his presence.

My daily prayer, the desire of my heart, has become, “Lord, I want to delight in you! Center my heart in knowing you more and loving you more day by day. Help me to discover that there is fullness of joy in your presence and to take great delight in my relationship with you. May my heart desire you above everything else.”

It’s been ten years since I first began to pray this prayer in March 2000 after returning from a trip to Israel in which I walked beside the Sea of Galilee and on the Mount of Olives, to all the historical sites in Jerusalem, Capernaum, and Bethlehem. During this time in my study of the Scriptures, I came to a place in my life where I wanted, more than anything else, to love God more. I began to pray, “Lord, I want to delight in you!” God is so inconceivably good. He’s not looking for perfection. He already saw it in Christ. He’s looking for affection. That’s why every lasting change will invariably be a change of heart. He’ll even supply the heart, if we’ll ask him.

My daily prayer continues to this day, “Lord Jesus, give me a heart which yearns for Your Presence, a yearning for You that draws me over and over into Your Presence, a yearning that makes only a few days without time in prayer and Your Word seem like an eternity. Give me a heart which is motivated first and foremost by a desire for You, not for what You can do for me, but a yearning for Your Presence. Give me a heart that wants You more than anything else You could give, to love You and know You more than anything in life. Give me a heart that takes what You have made known to me and makes You re-known to everyone else, a heart that makes Your name and renown the desire of my heart. Give me a heart to feel Your Holy Spirit woo me once again to the place where I meet You. In the simplicity of my prayer time, give me a heart to be suddenly confronted by the majesty of my Redeemer—the One Who is responsible for any good in me. Lord, each morning, give me a heart that seeks Your forgiveness for past sins, and welcomes Your fresh mercies which fall like manna from Heaven, and once again move my heart. I surrender all. Morning after morning.”

I discovered another great acrostic memory tool for the word, “praise,” which I have applied as a prayer format during my quiet time each morning:

Praise

Repentance

Acknowledgement

Intercession

Supplication

Equipping

PRAISE: I begin my prayer time with praise. I repeat to God a few of the attributes the Scripture records for him. I sometimes repeat to Him the words to a hymn or worship chorus. Philippians 4:6 says, “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” I incorporate thanksgiving into every aspect of my prayer time. As I praise Him, I thank Him for choosing to reveal Himself to me.

REPENTANCE: After I have spent several minutes in praise and worship, I enter a time of confession and repentance. I confess sins of the thought life such as wrong motives, negativism, a critical spirit, or even right words with a wrong heart. As I repent, I thank Him for His faithfulness to forgive my sins.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Having praised Him and been purified by Him, I am ready to submit to God’s authority. I acknowledge His right to rule and reign in my life every day. Then willingly and deliberately I submit myself to His Lordship—one day at a time. I deliberately surrender to His Lordship with my heart. I acknowledge Him as Lord and thank Him for being so trustworthy with His authority.

INTERCESSION: I ask God to burden my heart with specific people He wants me to intercede for each day. As I intercede for others, I thank Him for being my Great High Priest and adding power to my petitions.

SUPPLICATION: I enter into a time of prayer for myself. God has called each of us to love Him, serve Him, and live holy lives. I can only know Him intimately when I bring Him my innermost thoughts, fears, hurts, gains, losses, and desires. I ask Him to give me a heart to love Him more and to fill any empty places in my heart with the safety of His love. In supplication for myself, I thank Him for knowing me intimately and desiring that I know Him.

EQUIPPING: I conclude my prayer time by asking Him to equip me in every way for a victorious day. I ask Him to give me eyes that “see” Him and ears sensitized to “hear” Him. I ask Him to give me a heart to respond when He opens a door of opportunity, and to empower me to witness as He leads. As I ask for equipping, I thank Him for never calling on me to do anything He will not readily equip me to accomplish.

I experience the promise and the truth of Psalm 37:4 every day—that if I delight myself in the Lord, He will give me the desire of my heart. Though it’s impossible for me to find my greatest pleasure and delight in God through my own strength, my Heavenly Father has provided a way—his Spirit graciously reveals Jesus to me morning after morning and all day long, causing me to fall more and more in love with Him through the Scriptures and my prayer time. One day at a time, God is giving me the desire of my heart—to delight in Him every day.

Personal Application--In what ways might you find more ways to "delight yourself in the Lord"?

what a year of change

2010-09-26T14:15:00.004-04:00

jack, beth, mom, tracy, zac, jason, eddie--10-4-08

What a year this has been. My mother, Frances Mae Carson Willis, at age 82, went home to be with Jesus on April 30, after a three-year decline mentally and physically due to dementia. Our youngest child, Jason Willis Miller, graduated from high school on June 6 and left our home on September 10 for college. We also lost our two dogs to cancer within eight months of each other this year.
Philippians 3:10 from the Amplified Bible has become my daily prayer throughout this season of change. “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, recognizing, perceiving, and understanding the wonders of His person more clearly and more strongly.” God has answered that prayer. I am progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through this season of change.

My mother moved in with me, my husband, Jack, and our daughter, Tracy, following my father’s death in 1989. My parents had no life insurance, no investments, no savings, and my mother had never worked outside the home. For many years, it was a blessing to all of us. She was there for Tracy after school or when we had to work late. When our son, Jason, was born in 1991, she was a great help, and it was a joy for our children to have their only grandmother living with our family. As osteoporosis fractures in Mom’s spine began to cause her more and more unbearable pain, and pain management medications became stronger, dementia began to take over her mind.

God met me at the point of my need, answering my prayer through giving me a heart to set my alarm for 5 a.m. each morning so that I would have quiet time with Him and His word each morning before I faced the day. Each morning as I awake and before my feet hit the floor, I begin asking Him to speak to me through His word. After putting on a pot of coffee, and settling down at my kitchen table, I open His word, and listen for His still small voice to minister to me. I have written a journal during these various seasons of change over the years, and how a specific Scripture would be just what I would need for that day, that moment in time.

As my mother’s mental and physical health began to decline three years ago, God answered my prayer by helping us to find the funding for a wonderful assisted living facility nearby that provided her with the care and security she needed. I was able to go there daily to see her, interact with her caregivers, and help with her care. Mom would often ask me to pray with her, and it was such a comfort to both of us as we would come before the throne of grace together, seeking the loving arms of our Great Shepherd. He walked with us through the valley of the shadow of death as she lingered for several days in the palliative care unit at our local hospital before Mom stepped out of time and into eternity with Jesus, our Savior and Lord.

jason at college

Mom’s last year on earth was also our son Jason’s last year in high school. One of the last things Mom was able to articulate prior to her homegoing was that she prayed that Jason would be able to go to the college that he wanted to attend. God has answered that prayer by helping us to put together the financial aid needed for him to attend college. God has met me right at the point of my need, even in this season of an “empty nest.”

God is into the details of our lives, as He has answered my prayer to know Him more deeply and more intimately, He has met my needs moment-by-moment. Even to the point of leading us to a little beagle-mix puppy who had been rescued from abandonment just days after we returned from taking Jason to college. Our little beagle, “Cookie,” has filled our empty arms with love and joy. How kind, what compassion, to meet us right at the point of our need! Even though this has been a season of great change, great loss, I can truly say, my determined purpose is still that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, recognizing, perceiving, and understanding the true wonders of His person more clearly and more strongly every day.

our sweet little "Cookie"

Many Memorial Days

2010-05-31T13:19:00.006-04:00

Memorial Day 2010 my Mom, Frances Mae Carson Willis, went home to be with Jesus...

Memorial Day 2009 my cousin, Patti Ann Brower Hatcher, went home to be with Jesus...

Memorial Day 1989 my Daddy, Eston Franklin Willis, went home to be with Jesus...

Memorial Day 1952 I was knit together in my birthmother's womb by El Shaddai, my all-sufficient Heavenly Father...

I re-wallpaper my mind with the Truth of God's Word...all my days were ordained for me before one of them came to be...He knows the plans, the hope, and the future He has for me, the best is yet to be...God is Who He Says He is...God can do what He says He can do--nothing is impossible for Him...I am who God says I am--in Christ, I am blessed with every spiritual blessing, accepted in the Beloved Son of God, adopted as a child of the King, chosen before the foundation of the world, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, forgiven by His Grace and Mercy, and loved with an everlasting love and underneath are the everlasting arms, a love that will not let me go...I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength--His grace is sufficient...His Word is alive and active in me...I am believing God...

...praying continually for a circumcised heart which seeks to know Him and believe Him more, turning away from unbelief, doubt, worry, fear and insecurity...

...seeking to Glorify God, turning away from pride, which is self-absorption...

...seeking to find my satisfaction in Him, turning away from idolatry, which is putting anything ahead of or instead of God...

...seeking to experience His Peace through prayer, turning away from prayerlessness...

...to enjoy His Presence through my relationship with Him moment-by-moment, turning away legalism...

...praying that the Spirit of Christ Who dwells in the innermost part of me will take authority over my soul--the seat of my emotions, and my body--my fleshly desires and appetites...

...praying, Lord Jesus, Bless us indeed...

...do something so big in our lives that it is obviously from You...

...increase our influence and opportunities to make a difference for You...

...give us a continual sense of Your Presence and direction as we make decisions...

...protect us spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, and relationally...

...keep us from falling into satan's evil traps...

...praying Heavenly Father, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next...

...praying the prayer that never fails...Thy will be done...

(c) 2010 beth willis miller

Multisensory Learning Modalities

2010-03-13T13:37:00.015-05:00

While I was trying to commit something to memory recently, I found that the Multisensory Learning Modalities I used during my days in the classroom, apply to my adult learning as well.

In what ways might you use the following multisensory learning modalities to enhance your learning?

Visual—Learn by Seeing

Guided imagery
Demonstrations
Copying notes
Highlighting in text
Flash cards
Diagrams
Photos
Video
Mind maps

Auditory—Learn by Hearing

Tapes
Reading aloud
Oral instructions
Lectures
Using rhythmic sounds
Poems, rhymes
Word associations
Group discussions
Music, lyrics

Kinesthetic/Tactile--Learn by Doing

Experiments/labs
Plays, acting, role play
Games
Problem-solving
Field-trips
Writing notes
Making lists
Props, physical examples
Associating emotions with concepts

The Lamb of God...Hallelujah, what a Savior!

2010-03-06T14:27:00.018-05:00

singing "I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice..."

On March 16, 2000, I was in Jerusalem, Israel, for a ten-day tour with 850 other ladies for the filming of Beth Moore’s “Jesus, the One and Only” Bible study.

We visited the traditional site of the Upper Room where Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover meal as their Last Supper.

During our Bible study that day, we learned from Exodus 6:6-7 there were four cups of wine taken at the Passover meal representing the four “I-will” statements of God:

(1) I will bring you out from under the yoke,

(2) I will free you from being slaves, (these two cups were taken before leaving the Upper Room),

(3) I will redeem you with an out-stretched arm,

(4) I will take you as my own people.

As they walked out of the Upper Room, across the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives, they sang a hymn from Psalm 118:22-28, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the capstone, the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, save us: O Lord grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.”

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was walking across the Kidron Valley “up to the horns of the altar” to redeem us with his outstretched arms on the Cross. God’s Word is amazing. Christ’s walk through the valley of Kidron on his way to the Mount of Olives illustrates this fact: He had to walk through “the valley of the shadow of death," placing death and the grave beneath His Feet before He was able to return to the Mount of Olives as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the reigning Prince of Peace.

We climbed upstairs to a room above King David’s tomb to the traditional site where Jesus shared his last supper with his disciples. We read Jesus' words in Luke 22:20, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

left to right: Beth Miller, Beth Moore, Linda Thomas

When we finished reading the Word and praying, we all lifted our hands to heaven and sang, “I love you Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship You Oh my soul, rejoice. Take joy, my King, in what you hear. Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.” Hallelujah, what a Savior!

slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches...

2010-02-27T14:57:00.008-05:00

These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!--Habakkuk 2:3 TLB

The name of the plant in this photo is "Crown of Thorns"...when I was 10 years old riding my bike on a sidewalk in front of Dee Kall's house on a Sunday afternoon, I lost my balance and fell into the "Crown of Thorns" she had planted beside her sidewalk. My left hand was covered with thorns, blood streaming from every puncture wound. I remember my Daddy carrying me into Dr. Watters' office on that Sunday afternoon, where he met us, and carefully pulled out every thorn, applying a salve to heal every wound.

That was the same year I came to the Cross of Jesus Christ, and to this day I experience morning after morning His Blood dripping over the Crown of Thorns on His brow, onto my heart, covering my sin, as I wear His Robe of righteousness. I made my public profession of faith in Jesus Christ at age 10, and was baptized by Pastor Rudy Fagan at First Baptist Church in Sebring. Eight years later, as a college student, I would work as a receptionist for two years in Dr. Jones' office, part of Dr. Watters' professional association. At the end of those two years, Dee Kall's daughter, Debbie, would take my place as the receptionist when I got married and moved to Tampa to get my BA at USF...so many connections woven together.

God is sovereign, He sees the past, the present, and the future all-at-once, He is the panpharmacon, the salve that soothes every wound. Lord Jesus, help me to live this day in the light of eternity...believing You...These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!--Habakkuk 2:3 TLB

The Power of Praying God's Word

2010-02-20T11:14:00.014-05:00

When my heart reconnected with God in a renewing, enduring way following my trip to Israel in 2000, I started focusing more on God’s thoughts as revealed through the Bible, his love letter to us. Day by day as I read his Word, I was amazed at the truth and grace it contained. I believe the truth in the saying, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” The Bible began to shape my prayers, and I discovered that it was the best prayer manual of all, showing us how to pray and what to pray, and most of all through the Holy Spirit, providing constant inspiration for our prayers.

As I began to pray God’s Word, I was filled with confidence and faith in God’s ability to answer and to act because I wasn’t praying out of my own understanding or imagination, but out of the Lord’s heart and his intentions and desires for us, his people. As I prayed God’s Word, fear, doubt, and discouragement left, and his peace renewed my heart and mind. I began to learn the power of recognizing when I have been held captive by controlling thoughts. I began to stand in agreement with God, saying the same thing God says about my specific thoughts. I began to see the lies I had believed as wallpaper in my mind. I learned how to tear down the lies wallpapering my mind and re-wallpaper my mind with the Truth of God’s Word.

Praying God’s Word became the technique that reinforced my believing, speaking, and applying Truth as a lifestyle. I learned to starve the flesh and feed the Spirit. I prayed for God to give me a heightened awareness of the way I was thinking. I became alert to the times I was thinking according to the flesh. I thought about the feeling it was sowing in my heart. I learned that if we change the way we think, it will change the way we feel. The Spirit of Christ speaks life and peace into our hearts. If we want to think according to the Spirit, we have to learn to feed the Spirit and starve the flesh. I began to pray God’s Word, saying, “May the Spirit of Christ Who dwells in the innermost part of me, take authority over my soul (the seat of my emotions) and my body (my fleshly desires and appetites)” from these scriptures: I Thessalonians 5:23-24—May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. I Corinthians 6:17—But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. I Corinthians 3:16—Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you.

This scripture teaches us that humans are made up of three components: spirit, soul, and body. The more we allow the Spirit of Truth dwelling in us to take authority over our bodies and souls, the more the wholeness of Christ will take authority over every part of us—we will live from the inside-out. I began to celebrate the glorious fact that God Himself is the One at work in and through me. God is thoroughly interested and involved in every single part of us: body, soul, and spirit. Also, this verse identifies God specifically as the God of peace. We will experience God’s peace when every part of the life—body, soul, and spirit—is surrendered to His wise, loving, and liberating authority. Peace is the fruit of authority—God’s authority. As Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule. Christ brings His peace where He is Prince. That’s what the title “Prince of Peace” represents. This scripture tells us that this glorious God of peace wants to sanctify us “through and through.”

God desires that we grant Him total access to set apart every part of our lives—body, soul, and spirit—to His glorious work. I began to think of myself like a triangle. Imagine each point of the triangle being labeled as body, soul, or spirit. If the triangle is sitting on its base, only one point is “up.” Imagine that point being the one in present control of us. If the “soul” is in the upward, authoritative position in our lives, then we are ruled by our feelings and our personality types. Our feelings and personalities are given to us by God, but they are not meant to control us. Now picture that the “body” is in the upward position and momentarily ruling over our triangular selves. Our “appetites” become our masters. One area exerts tremendous influence over the others. The “point” we need in the upward position to live in victory is the Spirit. All of us were born with a “spirit.” When distinguished from the soul, it represents the part of us created in the image of God to know Him and enjoy His fellowship. Glory to God, when we receive Christ, His Spirit takes residency in ours! The key to victory as we occupy this triangular temple is to bow daily, several times daily, to the control of the Holy Spirit over our lives.

The question of authority is one we are challenged to answer every day. A daily recommitment is not to ensure that we’ll never fail, but to help us develop the mentality that every single day is a new day—a new chance to follow Christ. Victorious living is not an instant arrival. It is the pursuit of one victorious day at a time until the sun sets on enough to begin forming victorious habits. Give yourself up to God, to the authority of His Holy Spirit. God is the only One who can sanctify and make every part of us whole…“and He will do it.” All He wants is our trust, our belief…For without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5) and with Him, we can do anything (Phil. 4:13).

Creating Change--Finding Patterns Invisible to Others

2010-01-30T10:35:00.014-05:00

Recently, I took a cool interactive online quiz called The Strong Life Test. My test results tell me that my “lead role” is “Creator.”

As a Creator, I begin by asking: “What do I understand?” I’m not immune to the feelings and perspectives of others, but my starting point is my own insight, my own understanding.

As a Creator, my best quality is my ability to find patterns invisible to others.

As a Creator, my smartest career is any job where I’m paid to produce new content.

As a Creator, my strongest moments are when:

· I figure something out.

· I spend time by myself reading, writing, preparing my mind.

· A fresh insight dawns on me.

· I have an in-depth conversation with someone.

· I get a chance to show my expertise.

These results strongly resonated with me, I felt as if I recognized myself in that description. I now can describe my strongest life moments more specifically:

I create articles on a variety of topics to inspire and encourage others to develop their own creative imaginations and critical thinking skills.

As I thought about all the many ways I have been drawn to opportunities to “catch-and-cradle” my Creator strong life moments, I realized that these are the very same life moments I have enjoyed most and the ones in which I have experienced the most success.

Grant-writing comes to mind, along with writing this blog and other articles. In reviewing a Grant-Writing Course I have taught, I remembered one of the slides from my Power Point presentation, “Creating Change—Finding Patterns Invisible to Others,” which I have included with this blog.

How about you? You may not be writing a grant, but are you able to apply the process to a “Present Condition” in your life for which you would like to see “Change” to a “New Condition?”

This involves the best of creative thinking and problem-solving.

Why not start today...take a look at the graphic included above...begin to visualize that “New Condition” in your life for which you would like to begin creating change...and look for the patterns which may be invisible to others.

Develop Your Imagination in Social Media

2010-01-13T16:25:00.003-05:00

Develop Your Imagination in Social Media

Posted using ShareThis

Use STARs to Your Advantage

2010-01-11T19:34:00.015-05:00

As social media networking opportunities are rapidly expanding, you can use the STAR format to your advantage through networking and communicating in social media as well as in job interviews. In this blog post, I have identified some STAR strategies to help you recall and structure your life experiences to help you “shine” in the vast network of social media, or in replying to targeted selection questions in a job interview situation.

When describing your life experiences, design your own thought-provoking questions beginning with a stem like, "Describe a situation in which..." or "Tell about a time when you..." Then, utilize the following STAR format to recall and structure your life experiences for social media readers or when being interviewed for a job:

S – SITUATION—Describe the situation in which you were involved. Here, you have an opportunity to show your grasp on the English language by being concise. Be as descriptive as possible in as few words as possible. The more concise your description the easier it will be for the reader to follow and understand the situation. If you ramble, even if your answer is great, the audience's attention will fade.

T – TASK—Describe the task to be performed. This is an opportunity to display your ability to assess situations and read people. Sometimes the task required can be self-explanatory. If so, over-complicating the task can make you appear self-aggrandizing. Don't always give the obvious answer, however. Giving novel answers to prickly problems shows initiative and evidence of original thought.

A – ACTION—What was your approach to the problem? Here you have the opportunity to show yourself as a doer, a person of action. Be concise. Your actions should simple. This is also an opportunity to show decisiveness.

R – RESULTS—What were the results of your actions? This is the part of the answer where you get to sell yourself by selling the results of your work. There is a time and place for everything and this is your time to shine. This is the part of the answer where the reader will see how confident you are in the work you have done.

Even with stellar credentials, the STAR format will help you organize your life history and shine in the vast network of social media or when you are applying for a job.

Just for fun, try writing out your responses to your own thought-provoking questions beginning with a stem like, "Describe a situation in which..." or "Tell about a time when you..." This will give you a great resource from which to draw descriptions of your life experiences for use in the future.

Quamran caves and the Dead Sea

2010-01-02T14:19:00.015-05:00

Quamran cave number four, the site where in 1948 a little Bedouin shepherd boy was looking for his goat and discovered the first two earthen jars containing the Dead Sea Scrolls. As our tour bus stopped to take this photograph of the Quamran caves on March 17, 2000, our Israeli tour guide, Micah, told us that Bedouins never go in caves, even to rescue a goat, but because it was a young boy, he didn't know any better, and didn't want to go home to his father with one less goat.

From "Meeting God in Holy Places," by F. LaGard Smith, "Maybe it's time I joined the young Bedouin shepherd boy and climbed to a higher plane...by God's grace, it won't be ancient scrolls in earthen jars, but the Living Word in a purer heart."

We arrived at the Dead Sea about 1 p.m. and sat down in the shade by the shore with our box lunches, reading more from the author Smith's wonderful commentary, "The thought I could not dismiss that day was that sin--all sin, whether disgusting and gross or all-too-acceptable--finds its source in an excessive attention to self. It's time to do some serious bobbing in the Dead Sea and to think long and hard about just how much our lives are wrapped up in ourselves: in our careers, in our clothes, in our houses, in our money, in all the things that keep us looking inward instead of outward. That was the very problem of Lot's wife. When she looked back from Sodom, there was still something about her life that she just couldn't let go of. Whatever it was, it turned her into a pillar of salt. No wonder Jesus told us to, "Remember Lot's wife!"

According to Jesus, the fate of Lot's wife reminds us of the lesson, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."

a tomb cut in a rock

2009-12-26T16:08:00.016-05:00

Near the rock-hewn Garden Tomb gardens in Jerusalem

Rock-hewn Garden Tomb gardens in Jerusalem, Israel

Garden Tomb gardens

sign at entrance to the Garden Tomb and gardens

Excerpt from "Meeting God in Holy Places," by F. LaGard Smith:

"After all, when do we most need comforting?

When we are on a mountaintop, or when we are in the pits? Without question, God knows full well when we need him most. How could we ever forget that our Savior Himself was buried in a quarry?

When Joseph of Arimethea had taken Jesus' body down from the cross, he wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a "tomb cut in the rock." Had the story ended there, of course, there would be no comfort in Christ. The quarry of death would have held captive its prey...but the psalmist's words have meaning for us precisely because they had meaning for Jesus:

"From the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again." By the ropes of his divine power, God lifted up "a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation" of his temple.

By those same ropes of grace, God lifts us up from the bosom of his heart and give us new life, new hope, new vision for what he has called us to be. The prophet Isaiah changes the metaphor so that not just Christ is hewn out and lifted up as the chief cornerstone, but we ourselves become hewn from him who is the Rock of Ages. "Listen to me," says Isaiah, "you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn."

path leading to the Garden Tomb

Is there a greater expression of hope and expectancy? "The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singling."

Comfort. Compassion. Joy. Gladness. Thanksgiving. Singing. All from the depths of a heaven-like quarry. All from the immeasurable depth and breadth of the heart of an ineffable God."

Jesus, the One and Only

2009-12-26T15:32:00.009-05:00

Beth Moore opened our "Jesus, the One and Only" Bible study by sharing the Scripture Luke 24:45-48, "Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His Name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

Beth Moore prayed, "Open our minds, beginning at Jerusalem, to receive a fresh anointing, to receive power, to be clothed in power for the rest of our lives."

Excerpt from the book, "Meeting God in Holy Places," by F. LaGard Smith: "We will walk together in the land of Israel, rediscovering the holy places where God interacted with his chosen people in a special way. I say, "holy places," knowing that it is not the places themselves that are holy, but the recorded presence of God in those places that has made them so. We will walk up the Mount of Olives and stop to meditate in the quiet of the Garden of Gethsemane. You can almost see Jesus weeping over it, crying once again, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."

Jerusalem was always special to God. It was Jerusalem where God chose to have Solomon build the temple. Jerusalem, where Jesus made his triumphal entry on the foal of a donkey. Jerusalem, where the Good News would first be preached by the apostles. No wonder we look forward to the heavenly Jerusalem! Somewhere in that lowly village of Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem, God surprised us by coming into our world so that we might enter into His.

This is the incredible impact of a visit to Israel. As you walk away from Bethlehem, or Gethsemane, or the Jordan River, your life will never again be the same. You've walked on "Holy Ground." You've touched and been touched. You've seen the face of God more clearly than ever before. This is the land where God chose to reveal Himself to us. Something deep within myself is prompted by what I see: a new thought, a different perspective; a grander vision of who I can be as a servant of God."

Bedouin Dinner with Beth Moore in Judean Desert

2009-12-26T14:21:00.016-05:00

My journey to Israel really began in September, 1999, when I began the Beth Moore Bible Study, "Breaking Free," and met my dear friend, Linda Thomas, in our small discussion group. During this Bible study, we received a postcard in the mail from Living Proof ministries with the question, "Would you like to join Beth Moore in Israel for the filming of her newest Bible Study, "Jesus, the One and Only?" Our immediate answer was, "Yes!"

Our journey to Israel was March 14-22, 2000, but the spiritual journey has only just begun...the beginning of each of us spending daily quiet time in prayer and study of God's word, getting together weekly for lunch and accountability, sharing our joys and sorrows in this daily walk of life.

To prepare for our trip, a friend recommended the excellent book, "Meeting God in Holy Places" by F. LaGard Smith, and we bought three of them, one for each of us, and one we gave to Beth Moore when we saw her at a Living Proof Live event in Orlando in January 2000. On Friday, March 17, 2000, about 6 p.m. our group arrived at the Judean desert site of Kfar Nokdim for an authentic Bedouin "Hafla" dinner. We were served under large tents with oriental-type rugs and cushions on the ground. Large trays of food were set on short wooden stands, as we sat on the cushions to eat. There were camels to ride and entertainment.

The highlight of the night was our opportunity to have our picture taken with Beth Moore. I took my copy of "Meeting God in Holy Places," which was the book we had given her in Orlando in January. She said, "I was hoping I would get to see you to tell you I love the book, and I brought it with me on this trip. Everyone who has come in my room has asked me where I got it." Then she added, "I love the part about the graves of Mary and Martha in Bethany. I wanted to go look to see if I could find them, and then I realized that their names would be written in Hebrew, it would not say, "Mary" and "Martha" in English." She laughed, signed our books, and hugged us, and said, "Whose line is longer, mine or the one for the camel rides?" As she signed our books she wrote, "Dearest Beth, I have loved this book! He's Life! Beth Moore"...indeed, He IS!!!

Mount Tabor

2009-12-26T13:49:00.008-05:00

As we passed by Mount Tabor in our tour bus, our tour guide said, "The only way to the top of Mount Tabor is by taxi on your next trip to Israel." Like so many of the inexhaustible places to visit in Israel, we will have to wait until our next trip to go to the top. This time we were only able to drive by Mount Tabor, just long enough to capture this photo from the bus, but long enough to imagine what it must have been like on that glorious transfiguration day through the excellent description and closing prayer in the book, "Meeting God in Holy Places," by F. LaGard Smith:

"Jesus' preeminence, messiahship, lordship, ultimate authority, and indeed, divinity were yet to be demonstrated. So we find Jesus taking Peter, James, and John and leading them "up a high mountain by themselves." At the top, the disciples were apparently taking a rest while Jesus was praying. Suddenly Jesus' face was seen to shine like the sun! The apostles would later describe Jesus' clothes as "dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them." Or "as bright as a flash of lightning!"

Then, amazement of all amazements, the three apostles saw Moses, and Elijah standing there with Jesus, talking about the events which would take place in Jerusalem when he would depart from the earth. Moses and Elijah were there, our spirits live beyond the grave! There was power of recognition whereby it was possible for Jesus and the apostles to know who Moses and Elijah were. Does this not suggest that on the other side, "I shall know fully, even as I am fully known," that you and I will be able to instantly recognize Moses and Elijah as if we had known them all over lives?

Then, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well-pleased. Listen to Him!" What God said of His Son that day on the summit of Mount Tabor was not just a repetition of what he had said on the occasion of Jesus' baptism: "This is my Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well-pleased." It's those three additional words--"Listen to Him!"--that tell the tale. The voice from Heaven. The voice of God. The thundering, awesome, terrifying voice of Jehovah saying, "Listen to Him!"

O Lord, hear my prayer. With each new day, speak to me out of the cloud. Let my face shine brighter and brighter with the light of Your Son. And may my own story end just as theirs ended that glorious day on Mount Tabor: "When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus."

Elijah on Mount Carmel

2009-12-26T12:55:00.008-05:00

Our last day of this marvelous journey in March 2000 took us to the top of Mount Carmel. My prayer this day is beautifully expressed in this excerpt from the book, "Meeting God in Holy Places," by F. LaGard Smith: "It was Elijah who announced the famine that would come over the land of Israel because of its idolatry; who was fed meat and bread by the ravens while he hid out from the king; who performed the miracle of the widow's replenishing flour; and who raised the same widow's son from the dead. But we remember him best for the great contest with prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, which had been covered with shrines to Baal. Elijah prayed to God, and God sent down a ferocious fire which consumed the sacrifice--meat, wood, water, stones, dirt, and all!

As demonstrated so powerfully in the story of Elijah, we're just liable to get what we pray for! Can you imagine it? A fire coming down out of Heaven, consuming every selfish desire, every stubborn will, every wayward thought, every misdirected word, every evil motive?

Lord Jesus, Your power is too great, too consuming for my wavering faith. Send me this day the tiniest spark that might ignite in me a flame of passion for Your Greater Power in my life. Prepare in me a heart willing to accept Your overwhelming love, and only then, Lord, pour down upon me the fullness of Your Self until my own being is wholly consumed in Thine."

Valley of Jezreel (Armageddon) Mount of Megiddo

2009-12-26T12:07:00.004-05:00

The Mount of Megiddo with this view of the Valley of Jezreel (Armageddon) was one of our last stops in March 2000. My emotions and experiences are beautifully articulated in this excerpt from the book, "Meeting God in Holy Places," by F. LaGard Smith:

"In his wondrous Revelation, John sees a vision of God's ultimate judgment on mankind, which, through the use of the word "Armageddon" he associates with the historic battleground of Megiddo.

Positioned at the center of this eternal conflict, Armageddon, symbolizes all battles between Good and Evil--past, present, and future. In the closing act of this section of Revelation, flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and 100 pounds of hailstones are followed by a loud voice from the heavenly throne, saying, "It is done!"

One can hardly miss the obvious parallel between this scene and that awful hour at Crucifixion when the whole of heaven and earth shook at Jesus' own words, "It is finished!" The message of Armageddon is the good news that the outcome of the battle between Good and Evil is no longer in doubt. Ours is the victory! Through the death of Him who was slain for the sins of the world, both sin and death have been conquered--once and for all!

Good has already triumphed! Evil has already been defeated! Satan can't beat us! I put on my armor, took renewed courage, and launched out once again into the fray. But this time, walking closer than ever to the One who has already fought the greatest battle ever--and won!"

Caesarea by the Mediterranean Sea

2009-12-26T10:41:00.018-05:00

Walking in the sand beside this Roman Aqueduct in Caesarea by the Mediterranean Sea, taking in the significance of this Roman Amphitheater where the Apostle Paul proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ, with historical validation of the inscription of the name “Pontius Pilate.”

The reality of where I am is suddenly so clear to me, and all I know to be true because of what the Holy Spirit has revealed to me in the inspired, infallible, inerrant Holy Word of God.

As I stand beside and climb on these structures, built when Jesus Christ walked on this Earth, I am filled over and over again with the awesome awareness of the Presence of God in this place.

The Western Wall of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem

2009-12-23T11:43:00.015-05:00

Walking up to the Western Wall of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem on March 16, 2000, I am struck with the reality of the exact location of where I am...

When Herod renovated the second temple at the end of the first century before Christ, he shored up the temple plaza on all sides by massive walls, up to six stories high.

Although only half that height is visible above ground level today, the Western Wall is still impressive, particularly the 165-foot portion known as the Wailing Wall.

I approach the Western Wall, reach out my hand and touch the unusually smooth surface of these formerly rough stones, made so smooth by so many people touching them over the centuries.

This wall would have been just on the other side of the Holy-of-Holies in the Tabernacle...I wrote my prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, give us a heart and mind which worships You as the One and Only Holy God..."

I signed my name and the names of my closest family members, folded the paper and placed it in the small cracks between the smooth stones of the Western Wall, the Wailing Wall, along with thousands of other small pieces of paper placed there each day.

Out of all the world, the Jews had been God's chosen people. To the Jews alone had God miraculously appeared in the cloud and in the sea.

When the Glory of the Lord filled the temple, God was literally present in the midst of His people! "Destroy this temple," Jesus said, "and I will raise it again in three days."

But the temple of which Jesus had spoken was His own crucified body. One day it was as dead as the stone covering His tomb, three days later it was brought back to life again by the incomparable power of His Resurrection! And here lies our hope. "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"

As I walk away from the Western Wall...I have not taken even the first step away from God's Presence...the Spirit of Christ Who dwells in the innermost part of me, taking Authority over my soul--the seat of my emotions, and my body--my fleshly desires and appetities. All Praise, Honor, and Glory to You, my Lord and my Savior Jesus Christ, the One and Only Son of the Living God.

ASK--Ask, Seek, Knock--a WOW!!! Moment

2009-11-22T15:39:00.019-05:00

Mosaic of fish & bread in church on site of Sermon on the Mount

Standing on the hill in March 2000 where Jesus proclaimed the Sermon on the Mount, where He fed the multitudes with five loaves and two fish, I suddenly remember a WOW moment in 1996 after my sweet cousin Patti Ann Brower Hatcher had given me a Bible study by Kay Arthur on the Sermon on the Mount.

One early morning about 2 a.m. I couldn't sleep, and I opened the Bible to the Scripture Matthew 7:7 and suddenly like a light from Heaven, the word ASK jumped off the page: "Ask, and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you"

Ask
Seek
Knock
The first letter of each of the three action verbs, Ask, Seek, and Knock spell the word, "ASK"

Hill overlooking Sea of Galilee site of Sermon on the Mount

WOW!! How amazing, how mysterious, at 2 a.m. the Lord would highlight the first letter of those three words in sequence.

He who spoke the world into existence, spoke these words in that sequence as translated into the English language, and He revealed it to my delight in the middle of the night...because I was seeking Him. Seek Him. Seek the One who called you. Seek to know Him. Seek a heart to love Him.

Seek--the heart of the three words,
Ask, SEEK, Knock.

To walk on the ground where Jesus walked. To sit on the mount by the Sea of Galilee where He taught His disciples, where He walked on the water, where He calmed the sea.

From Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
The Sermon on the Mount is a call for getting to the core of life's meaning.

For moving beyond the external to the internal. For discovering the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart...a matter of attitude, or as Jesus taught, our be-attitudes.

Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee

2009-11-21T10:32:00.021-05:00

Capernaum was Jesus' home away from Nazareth, and the heart of Jesus' Galilean ministry. He spent some two years there, teaching and performing miracles. Situated on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum was the home of the two sets of fishing brothers whom Jesus called to be apostles--Peter and Andrew, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee.

One of the most impressive of Jesus' miracles performed in Capernaum was the healing--at a distance--of the Roman Centurion's servant.
"This man deserves to have you do this," the Jewish elders said to Jesus,
"because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." Imagine my excitement, then, at being able to visit what is the site of the very synagogue which the centurion had helped to build.
Virtually adjacent to the synagogue is another much visited site in Capernaum the home where Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law of her fever.

On the way out, there are a row of columns taken from the synagogue. On one of the columns is an Aramaic inscription dedicated to "Alpheus the son of Zebedah, the son of John," who had contributed to the building of the second synagogue from the second or perhaps fourth century. It is altogether possible that there is profound significance in the names "John" and "Zebedah."

Given the location of Capernaum and the fact that family names were passed down for generations, these men may have been descendants of the apostle John, the son of Zebedee.

It brings me back to a faith "built upon the foundation of the apostles, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."

If that heritage of faith doesn't stir me to pick up the torch and run with it, nothing will!

Bethlehem--Glory In The Highest

2009-11-13T19:12:00.015-05:00

Standing in the city of Bethlehem, looking out on the Shepherd's Fields I can just imagine the heavens opening up and the angels descending and shouting, "Glory to God in the highest, unto to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord."

Emmanuel, "El" means
"God," the rest of the word means
"with us," the "with us God."
He created us to be with us. He gave each of us a longing for Him by creating every single human being with a "with" need. While the world carried on unconcerned, the infant Emmanuel cooed and kicked and toddled His way to His feet. God, the Immortal Invisible, walked among His people, Israel, as they sojourned through the wilderness. But not until now did His invisible feet sink into the sand, shod with skin, making visible prints. And God was with us. Emmanuel.
"Glory In The Highest" by Chris Tomlin

You are the first
You go before
You are the last

Lord, You're the encore.

Your name's in lights, for all to see
The starry host declare Your glory.

Glory in the highest
Apart from You there is no god
Light of the world
The Bright and Morning Star
Your name will shine for all to see
You are the one
You are my glory

And no one else could ever compare
To You, Lord
All the earth together declares
Glory in the highest to You, Lord

All the earth will sing Your praise
The moon and stars, the sun and rain
Every nation will proclaim
That You are God and You will reign
Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory to You, Lord
Glory, glory hallelujah
Hallelujah

Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives

2009-11-12T12:38:00.023-05:00

2000 year old olive tree on Mount of Olives

Looking up to heaven from under the 2000 year old olive tree

Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives

It was Wednesday, March 15, 2000, the tour bus stopped at the top of the Mount of Olives. As I stepped off the bus, and my foot first touched the Mount of Olives, I became so aware of the presence of the Lord, I remembered God's Word in Zechariah 14:3-9..."on that day, His Feet will stand on the Mount of Olives and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west."

Walking down the Mount of Olives

My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ walked here, prayed here, ascended to Heaven here, and one day He will return here, splitting the Mount of Olives like the veil of the temple. As I begin to walk down the steep incline down the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane, my eyes begin to fill with tears for the sweat drops of blood pressed from my Savior as He wept and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet, not as I will, but as You will."

Standing beside this olive tree, estimated to be over 2,000 years old, I realize, He could have prayed here that night, beside this very tree, when He went further still, when Jesus was betrayed with a kiss.

In John 18:4-6, "Jesus knowing all that was going to happen to Him went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?" When Jesus said, "I AM," they drew back and fell to the ground." I can hear my dear Lord saying, "I AM," here where I am standing now. My God and my Savior Jesus Christ, the great "I AM"...what knocked 600 armed soldiers to their backs? The God of all creation, El Elyon, the Sovereign and Supreme Most High God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob stood before them in living, breathing flesh and uttered His perfect, divine, and holy name: "I AM!" In Acts 1:11-12, "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives." I will never be the same again..."Lord Jesus, open the blocked artery that connects my head to my heart. Open my mind that I may understand the Scriptures, to have Your Feast every day until I see You Face-to-face. In the precious and holy name of Jesus Christ, I pray, amen."

View of Jerusalem from walkway down the Mount of Olives

Jesus Christ in the snow patterns

2009-10-24T18:46:00.016-04:00

Jesus Christ in the snow patterns

It was 1962, I was the little nine year-old who moved into the house behind Bob and Mildred Farrell. I was an only child who had moved for the first time from her home in Lakeland to Sebring, leaving grandparents and cousins behind. Bob and Mildred would provide the security and stability which I needed—they indeed left their handprints on my heart. Bob and Mildred never had children, and they had retired and moved to Sebring from Ohio after Bob had been paralyzed from the waist down in an automobile accident. They seemed delighted with me, the inquisitive, curious little girl who started a conversation with Mildred while she watered her periwinkles by the chain-link fence that separated our backyards. I had never seen periwinkles before and Mildred had bunches and bunches of them growing along her fence.

I became a regular at Bob and Mildred's, after school, and on weekends. They always welcomed me and seemed excited to see me. We would sit and talk, or just sit, without having to say or do anything for hours. The most fascinating thing I remember from Bob and Mildred’s home I saw on my first visit to their house—it was what appeared to be a photo, with a title below it which read, "Jesus Christ in the Snow Patterns." Mildred took the framed photo off the wall and read me the story printed on the back..."This photograph was taken by a Chinese photographer who was riding home one day through the snow. According to the story, his soul was deeply troubled. He felt strangely compelled to take a photograph of the melting snow forming pools of water and revealing here and there the black earth. Curious to know the outcome of the incident, he developed the film at once upon returning to his home. Out from the black and white areas of the snow scene, a face appeared, full of tenderness and love--the face of Jesus Christ. He became a Christian as a result of the experience."

Bob and Mildred believed—Jesus Christ was their Savior and their Lord, they loved Him, and they knew He loved them, even though they had been to several faith healing services and were told "they didn't have enough faith" for Bob to be healed of his paralysis. “Jesus Christ in the Snow Patterns” served as a constant reminder to them of the presence of Jesus Christ in their lives, even in the perplexities and turmoil of life, we can suddenly become conscious of His Presence. Even this week, when I opened the door to go to work, and the brilliant rays of the morning sunrise came bursting through our neighbor’s tree, directly into my eyes, I paused, amazed at the beauty, I moved slightly to the right and I couldn’t see the sun’s rays, moved slightly to the left and I couldn’t see the sun’s rays, but as I returned to the center point, for what seemed to be several minutes, those rays shown straight into the eyes of my heart, and I suddenly became conscious of His Presence.

Bob and Mildred had a powerful influence on my life. They were always so glad to see me, smiled, hugged me, and seemed to just enjoy my presence. I didn’t have to perform, or be something I was not. They just enjoyed my company. They taught me that “just being” with friends was enough. They taught me to appreciate little things, like periwinkles growing along a chain-link fence.

periwinkles

Now, every time I see wildflower periwinkles growing in unexpected places, I smile, and remember Bob and Mildred, and powerful influence that their faith, and their acceptance of me—not my performance, but just me—had on my self-concept, my growth and development. I wonder—in what ways might I encourage and accept those around me, the way Bob and Mildred encouraged and accepted me? How about you...your thoughts?

Jordan River Baptism

2009-10-17T12:45:00.016-04:00

It is 8:30 a.m. on a cool Monday morning in March 2000.

The sun is shining brightly through the trees surrounding the Jordan River baptismal site called Yardenit.

As my bare feet step into the chilly water, I am immediately aware of the Presence of the Divine. It was here, in this water, this same water, that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ placed His Perfect Spirit Feet shod with flesh. He was baptized, and immediately coming up out of the water, as He looked up to this same sun, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him, and His Father's Voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, and in You I am well-pleased."
I see the bright sun shining through the trees above me, I feel its warmth on my face, and as I am baptized in the chilly Jordan River, I experience once again the cleansing feeling of being buried with Christ in baptism, and raised to walk in a new way of life. A re-commitment of my life to the One and Only Son of God, Who loved me so much that He took my sin upon Himself, nailed to that Cross, I come to Him again. I bow before Him, and look up to His thorn-pierced brow, and feel His Blood flow over those thorns to cover my heart, giving me His Robe of Righteousness to wear.

From this day forward, I am a bond-servant to Jesus Christ. I am willing to be willing to surrender to You, Your Plan, Your Hope, Your Future for me. I will go where You want me to go, I will do what You want me to do, by the power of Your Holy Spirit Who dwells in the innermost part of me, taking authority over my soul--the seat of my emotions, and my body--my fleshly desires and appetites.

This is the only place in the Scriptures where the Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--appear all-at-once is here...Mark 1:9-11 “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."

(All photos taken at the Jordan River Baptismal Site Yardenit in March 2000)

At the entrance of the site there is a ceramic wall with Armenian tiles created and designed by the artist Hagop Antreassian from the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem. The written Scripture verses are from Mark 1:9-11 describing the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, by John the Baptist.

Because He Lives

2009-10-15T19:53:00.001-04:00

the empty tomb

the last five seconds of the movie, The Passion of The Christ

the resurrected Christ standing up and walking out of the empty tomb, with nail-scarred hands

Jesus Christ wins, He conquers death, He walks out of the empty tomb

He knows the end from the beginning

He began with the end in mind

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:26-27)

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me...Because I live, you also will live." (John 14:6, 19)

Nothing satisfies my mind, my heart, and the deepest longings of my soul like Jesus does. He is not only the way, the truth, and the life; he is personal to me. He is my way, and my truth, and my life--just as he can be for anyone who reaches out to him..."He is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:27)

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
(Because He Lives by William J. Gaither, 1971)

(all photos taken at The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, Israel, March 2000)

Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee

2009-10-13T19:18:00.006-04:00

5:30 a.m. beside the Sea of Galilee, Tiberias, Israel

It is 5:30 a.m., still dark as I settle down on the rocks beside the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias, Israel, on a cool Monday morning in March, 2000. I turn on my video camera and set it down on the rock beside me to record the sunrise and then I steady my 35mm camera for this first still shot of the pink glow beginning to peak over the eastern hills.

5:40 a.m. beside the Sea of Galilee

Then it hits me...He was here, He walked here, He may have sat on this very same rock on that early morning after His resurrection as He prepared a breakfast of fish and bread on a fire for His disciples. Right here. I am in awe. His Spirit Feet shod with flesh left footprints in this sand.

He is here now, with me. Emmanuel, God with us. His Spirit dwells in the innermost part of me, taking authority over my soul, the seat of my emotions, and my body, my fleshly desires and appetites. El Shaddai, my all-sufficient Heavenly Father, my Abba Daddy, speaking to me through His Word from Jeremiah 1:5, "Beth, before you were born, I knew you."

6:00 a.m. beside the Sea of Galilee

The video camera on the rock beside me hums, and I begin to sing, "My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine, for Thee all the follies of sin I resign, My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou"... and then suddenly, at the exact moment when the first golden round edge of the sun peeks over the distant hills, my voice can be faintly heard on the video recording singing the closing words of the hymn..."If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now."

Milk Drop Coronet

2009-10-10T10:08:00.003-04:00

Quicker Than a Wink

I was the new kid in third grade at Woodlawn Elementary in Sebring, Florida, 1962. As an only child, I always felt alone, now even more so. The teacher said I was identified as “special” and would be “pulled-out” of my regular class once a week to go to a “special” class under the stage in the cafetorium to research anything that was interesting to me. “Special,” it fit, it felt good, I had been chosen, selected for something special, just like when I had been adopted, chosen, wanted, loved. Walking down the steps into the slightly darker, musky-smelling room under the stage, I picked up a book on photography. Turning the pages slowly, in awe at the wonder of this new world, suddenly there it was, the “Milk Drop Coronet” photograph by Harold Edgerton, an unseen world of objects in motion, capturing that which is ordinarily invisible to the human eye...yet it was real.

“Pretend you are “little Beth” and describe what it’s like to be you.” It was November 23, 2007, the counselor was helping me learn that “feelings are neutral” and how to let my feelings come to the surface, writing in my journal about how special “little Beth” felt in that room under the stage. Just a few weeks later, December 21, 2007, my family and I are visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. We walk through the central aisle, looking ahead, then suddenly, I turn my head to the right and from the corner of my eye, catch a glimpse of a photograph displayed in a darkened alcove. At first, I keep moving straight ahead, but something stopped me in my tracks and turned me around to go back and take a closer look. Back to the darkened alcove, back to the darkened room below the stage, back to my childhood. It was the memory which had just come to the surface in my counseling, the “Milk Drop Coronet” photograph by Harold Edgerton, framed and lighted, and on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was the same photograph I had only seen once before, and yet I had drawn a sketch of it in my journal just a month before this.

I took out my cell phone and snapped a picture of this “Milk Drop Coronet,” and even now it is what I see every time I pick up my cell phone, saved as the background on my phone. The symbolism was unmistakable to me, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has been with me all along—when I was knit together in my birthmother’s womb, when I was chosen, adopted, by loving Christian parents, when I walked down those steps and first saw the “Milk Drop Coronet” in 1962, when I turned to look at the darkened alcove to snap a picture of the “Milk Drop Coronet” in 2007, today and everyday into the future. He is with me, He is intimately involved in the tiniest details of my past, my present, and my future. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. A wider view, a broader perspective, a new day, a new way of looking at things, of allowing all the feelings to surface.

Because of Christ, I am not alone, He is with me, invisible to the human eye, yet “quicker than a wink,” in the blink of an eye, what was unseen is seen, in that other realm, that other dimension, just beyond the veil, visible in the heavenlies. He sees me, He knows me, He knew me, before He knit me together in my birthmother’s womb, I was planned, I am eternally significant. He knew that before I saw the photograph of the Milk Drop Coronet for the first time in 1962 that it would come to the surface with feeling in November 2007 and I would turn aside to take a closer look in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in December 2007…I am known, I was planned, I am significant, I have hope for the future.

How I Came To Be--Expect A Mystery

2009-10-01T21:17:00.015-04:00

Ellis Island Interior

Ellis Island Exterior

In many ways, it’s still a mystery…how I came to be. During a visit to Ellis Island's American Family Immigration History Center, I was delightfully surprised to be able to locate and obtain an authentic copy of the ship manifest page from the ship, Princess Irene, which brought my maternal birth grandparents, Olympio and Vincenza from their home in Scontrone, Italy, through the port of departure in Naples to Ellis Island on August 30, 1906.

Just seeing their two names listed one underneath the other on the ship manifest page gave the mystery such a tangible basis in reality. She was only 16 years old, he was just 24, and they were on their way to live with cousins in Chicago.

What compels a 16 year old girl to board a ship in Italy, facing days on the ocean in most likely uncomfortable, even dangerous, conditions for a destination yet unknown to her?

Somehow she and her fiancé, Olympio, were so motivated to start a new life in a new country that they left their home in Scontrone, Italy, and traveled to New York City, eventually settling in Chicago. They married and had a daughter, Lydia, in 1911.

How I Came To Be

Olympio

Vincenza

Lydia

Lydia & Vincenza on Mother's Day 1953

I met my birthmother, Lydia, in 1983, when I was 30 years old, and Lydia was 72. Lydia explained to me the circumstances of my conception, birth, and adoption. During a Memorial Day holiday get-away weekend with a gentleman in 1952, Lydia, at age 41, became pregnant with me. When she realized she was pregnant, she told the gentleman with whom she had spent the weekend and he was unwilling to help her. Her mother, Vincenza, did not want her daughter, a single mother at age 41, to disgrace her family with an illegitimate child, so Lydia left Chicago to live with a relative in Miami, Florida. In October, around the time of Columbus Day, she went to a back-alley abortionist to abort me, but when the abortionist examined her and realized she was over four months pregnant, he told her the abortion might kill her, and he refused to do it. Lydia made arrangements with the Salvation Army hospital in Jacksonville to give me up for adoption. On Friday the 13th she gave birth to me, and signed the papers giving me up for adoption on Valentine’s Day 1953.

Plans to Give Me Hope and a Future

Beth, July 1953

I was adopted on Easter weekend 1953 by loving Christian parents. I grew up in church, active in Sunday School and missions organizations. I prayed to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at the age of 10, and was baptized by immersion following my salvation. I married Jack Miller on Mother’s Day 1973 and finished my bachelor’s degree in education in 1975, and my master’s degree in education in 1977. Our daughter, Tracy, was born in 1979, and our son, Jason, was born in 1991. After serving in various teaching and supervisory positions, I was selected as the state consultant for gifted education programs by the Florida Department of Education in Tallahassee, and other leadership roles.

Every Moment Was Laid Out Before a Single Day Had Passed

During an awe-inspiring trip to Israel in March 2000, I was baptized in the Jordan River as a recommitment of my faith. I grow closer to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ every day through prayer, worship, and the study of His Word. I believe there are no “accidents” and every conception and every birth is part of God’s Sovereign Plan. I rest and find comfort in these life verses: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:13-16)

My prayer, the desire of my heart is, “Lord, I want to delight in you! Center my heart in knowing you more and loving you more day by day. Help me to discover that there is fullness of joy in your presence and to take great delight in my relationship with you. May my heart desire you above everything else.” It’s been ten years since I first began to pray this prayer in March 2000 after returning from my trip to Israel in which I walked beside the Sea of Galilee and on the Mount of Olives, to all the historical sites in Jerusalem, Capernaum, and Bethlehem. During this time in my study of the Scriptures, I came to a place in my life where I wanted, more than anything else, to love God more. I began to pray, “Lord, I want to delight in you!” God is so inconceivably good. He’s not looking for perfection. He already saw it in Christ. He’s looking for affection. That’s why every lasting change will invariably be a change of heart. He’ll even supply the heart, if we’ll ask him.

I believe in the sovereignty of God, that nothing comes into my life that is not filtered through God's hands of love. I believe there are no “accidents.” I believe God planned who my birth parents would be and who my Mom and Dad would be, and both influences, plus His, are needed to help me become all that He created me to be. I believe that God sees the end from the beginning. He knows me intimately, He knit me together in my mother's womb, one day I will see Him face-to-face and I will know as I am known...until then, I will expect a mystery. It is His plan that’s important, not my desire.

I didn't bring myself into this world, and I can’t take myself into heaven. I really don’t know what is best for me or for those I love. I ask God to make me sensitive to the reality that He is in control, and that He is using this--even this--to conform me to the image of His Son. I want that most of all. I train my mind to acknowledge God’s hand in whatever it is I'm living with. I practice words like, “I don’t know,” “I will trust,” “I can’t explain,” “I release it all,” because God is sovereign. He is the beginning, He will be the ending, and in between, by His grace, He lets us be part of His perfect plan, for His glory and for our good. In the meantime, I will expect a mystery.

Beth & Lydia in Chicago, July 1983

Imagine

2009-09-18T18:11:00.003-04:00

Our son, Jason, and I at the "Imagine" mosaic in Central Park

Favorite Creative Imagination Quote: “The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old questions from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.”—Albert Einstein

When I served as the Florida Department of Education State Consultant for Gifted Education, I was frequently asked to provide technical assistance to school districts regarding strategies to improve creative and critical thinking skills for school-age students. In this article, I have identified some terrific strategies for learning to think creatively by using our imagination, including applications for both children and adults.

Strategies for Identifying and Developing Imagination in Children
Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration are the four primary strategies for developing and improving creative thinking or imagination.

Fluency is the ability to think of many answers to a question, to list many possible solutions to a problem, or to generate a number of responses. Fluency is being able to think of lots of plans or ideas. You are fluent when you can:

Think of a long list of reasons for not cleaning your room.
Make a very long list of games to play at a party.
List many uncommon uses for a common thing, like a shoelace.

Think of indoor games to play when your birthday party has been rained out.
Think of another way to reach the top shelf when you can’t find the stepladder.
Invent an interesting way to wash the kitchen floor.

Suggest a unique name for your new baby sister.
Devise a tool that will help you hold a pencil while your broken arm is in a cast.
Design a get-well card for a sick friend and write your own message inside.

Add extra details to a community map so that a friend can find your house more easily.
Tell more about a character in a story so that a reader can identify with him or her.
Explain the instructions for a game in greater detail than was used by the manufacturer of the game.

Application of Imagination Strategies for Adults

Our imagination is a powerful entity. It can cause the hair on the back of our neck to stand up, our spirit to soar, or our face to blush. Imagination is the power that holds our beliefs together; we believe with our imagination. The imagination is the wellspring of faith and hope. Our biggest and best dreams for ourselves and others rise from the imagination. As adults, when we have been hurt, our imagination is wounded. As a result, alienation and belief in bad news replace belief in good news.

We may have a feeling response that can become frozen into resentment.
We may have an anger response that can become frozen into negative reactions of rage or passivity.
We might have an interpretation response that can become frozen in negative attitudes, perceptions, biases, and beliefs. As a result, our imagination becomes paralyzed. Attending to our wounded imagination is a path through forgiveness.

Forgiveness expands our horizons and invites us to retrieve the positive and work through the negative. Is the glass of water half-full or half-empty? The answer depends entirely on how you see it. “How you see it” is called “perception.” There is the story about the blind men and the elephant. Each man named and described the animal according to his experience of touching only one part of the elephant’s body. The man who held the trunk “perceived” the elephant to be a large snake; the man who held the leg “perceived” the elephant to be a sturdy tree. In the same way, we “perceive” life—depending on what our experience is. Our experiences generate our expectations and our perceptions. We interpret life experiences, and we form expectations and perceptions, attitudes and assumptions. All of this activity is the work of the imagination. It is likewise the work of the imagination to reinterpret and reform repeated assumptions and expectations.

Forgiveness demands that we take another look so that our imagination can reframe our narrow interpretations. Forgiveness includes the decision to refocus or enlarge the context. Native Americans speak of walking a mile in another’s moccasins. When we enlarge the context, we refocus, or we see it through a wider lens. Imagination is the work of seeing through a wider lens. If we stick to a negative interpretation of an old offense, we will experience resentment whenever we think about it, or about the offender. We will never be able to grieve and let go; we will seesaw between rage and resignation; we will never allow anger to surface and put us back on the journey of forgiveness. If we insist on telling and retelling our bad news stories of the past, we simply recycle the bad news and pass it on to the next generation. We pollute the emotional environment; we remain stuck in lifeless memories instead of looking for a more positive side of things long past.

When you enlarge your perceptions, using your imagination, you at least allow for the possibility of healing. You give yourself the opportunity to turn from the negative aspects of your past, to get rid of the excess baggage, and to face the journey into the future with hope.