Devastation June 22, 2009

I have realized recently that I have no control over my life.  I had medical tests done and I had bad reports for both—possible uterine cancer and a growth in my breast.  I thought about the people who had died within a matter of months of finding out that they had a rapid spreading cancer— do I have this type of cancer?

I cried because I thought I only had a few months to live.  I thought about how I would not see my first grandchild or that I would not be there to see my youngest son graduate from high school or to see my sons get married.  Is this what it’s like to face death?  I was powerless—I can’t stop whatever it is in my body.  All I could do was ask God for His mercy and to hope that He will allow me to stay on earth to share those life changing events with my children.

I thought about the daughter of Jephthah in Judges 11.  She grieved for two months.  How will I spend the last few months that I have?  I saw what it’s like for people who are about to die— they struggle with intense pain so they are heavily medicated and are not aware of what is going on around them.  It happens so quickly—one day they are there, and the next day they are gone.  Life goes on without them—to me it’s like a train that drops off passengers then rapidly continues along the track.  Will I be forgotten?

Even if I had chemo and radiation, it was ultimately God’s decision—His will be done!  I don’t know how much time I have on earth, but I know I should live it better.  I should spend quality time with those that I love.  I should relish the sunrise and really take notice of the bright green of the trees and grass, and how it contrasts with the blueness of the sky.  Even if the second set of medical tests shows that I do not have cancer, this experience should be a “wake up” call to appreciate my life more and to always be thankful for what God has done for me.  He gave me a loving husband, and four beautiful children.  He gave me salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.  He has met all my needs and has even met some of my wants.  Maybe God will grant me more time and will allow me to die as a very old lady.

Forgiveness June 22, 2009

I have always told people that forgiveness means you hold no feeling of revenge for a person who has hurt you.  I know it is difficult for people to verbally forgive someone who has deeply hurt them so I tell them that it is not necessary to do that in order to forgive.  Of course God might want the person to actually forgive the person, and if so, He will give them the courage to forgive.

The most important thing is for those who have undergone years of hurt is for them to go through a grieving process while devoting themselves to daily prayer and devotions.  Once they get to the end of that process, they will be able to release feelings of anger, hatred, and revenge.  Although Hebrews 12:15 speaks of “bitter root” as disbelief, the same principle can be used in the issue of forgiveness—we forgive (by releasing negative emotions aimed at a person and turning them over to God) so that we will not have a bitter root growing in our heart. A bitter root that grows from unforgiveness obstructs worship.

Copyright © 2009 M. Teresa Trascritti

Success April 4, 2009

“So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows…
run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good.
Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”
I Timothy 6:8-11

It is a good thing to be financially successful, but when we focus simply on making money and accumulating wealth, we risk losing the things that are most valuable to us—our love for God and our love for our families. The Bible tells us that everything comes from God (Hosea 2:8; 1 Corinthians 11:12; 1 Chronicles 29:14). It is God who gives people their success. We must keep in mind that our pursuit should not be for money; instead we are to pursue God and attain His attributes for ourselves.

Copyright © 2009 M. Teresa Trascritti

(written for Ohio Christian University, Entrepreneur Basics)

Wisdom and Knowledge April 4, 2009

“The purpose of these proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline, and to help them understand wise sayings. Through these proverbs, people will receive instruction in discipline, good conduct, and doing what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will make the simpleminded clever. They will give knowledge and purpose to young people. Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance by exploring the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles” (Proverbs 1:2-6 NLT).

A person may have extensive business knowledge, but it is nothing without God’s direction and intervention. In addition to reading the latest business articles and books, the wise entrepreneur will also read the Bible. God’s wisdom is timeless, and His Word provides the guidance and instructions that is needed to live each day. The book of Jeremiah explains it this way:

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise man gloat in his wisdom, or the mighty man in his might, or the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!’” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

 

Copyright © 2009 M. Teresa Trascritti

(written for Ohio Christian University, Entrepreneur Basics)

Planning April 4, 2009

“The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.”Romans 8:3 (NLT)

“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 (NLT)

God is the ultimate planner. He planned the creation of the universe from nothing.
God did not leave anything to chance. It may seem that salvation through Jesus Christ was a “Plan B,” but it was actually the established plan that God followed from the very beginning of our human existence.

Planning is described as, “a method for achieving an end; a procedure; and a detailed formulation of a program of action” (http://www.merriam-webster.com). Plans allow us to stay organized and focused. When we plan, we are emulating God. He is the One who showed us that planning is good because it prevents disastrous results and paves a way to the future.

Copyright © 2009 M. Teresa Trascritti

(written for Ohio Christian University, Entrepreneur Basics)

Ezekiel 15:2-5 April 4, 2009

“Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree?
Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree?
Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans?
No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly.
Vine branches are useless both before and after being put into the fire!”
Ezekiel 15:2-5

An evaluation is defined as, “To ascertain or fix the value or worth of… to examine and judge carefully; appraise” (dictionary.com). In this passage from the book of Ezekiel, we see that there is an evaluative process taking place. In the same way, we evaluate various things in our lives: other people, situations and our personal plans.

It is easy to fall into the pattern of evaluating the things around us and neglecting the evaluation of our own spiritual condition. In Psalms 34:8 it states, “Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in Him!” Evaluate your relationship with God and make the necessary adjustments. God should be our main concern in life—everything else is secondary to Him.

 

Copyright © 2009 M. Teresa Trascritti

(written for Ohio Christian University, Entrepreneur Basics)

I Chronicles 29:2, 14 April 4, 2009

“With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble–all of these in large quantities… But who am I, and who are my people,

that we should be able to give as generously as this?

Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”

I Chronicles 29:2, 14

In the passage above King David speaks to the people of Israel prior to the building of the Temple. The main point of his address is that all possessions are really God’s; nothing really belongs to us. Yes, we work hard for the things we have, and we do well at work and get promoted, but the blessings of a promotion or possessions are inevitably from God. Note David’s statement, “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (2 Chronicles 29:14). 

In a prior verse, David says, “Riches and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is at your discretion that people are made great and given strength” (2 Chronicles 29:12). If all things are from God, then He has entrusted us with our jobs, our material things and even our families. We are to manage them well since it all belongs to Him. 

Copyright © 2009 M. Teresa Trascritti

(written for Ohio Christian University, Entrepreneur Basics)

Genesis 19 January 8, 2009

Genesis 19

 

Genesis 19 is the account of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction.  Prior to the destruction, Abraham asks God to spare the cities, and after much deliberation on Abraham’s part, God agrees to spare it if ten righteous people can be found in it.  Lot, Abraham’s nephew, lives in Sodom with his wife and two daughters. 

 

After reading Genesis 19 in the New Living Translation, and reviewing Matthew Henry’s interpretation of the chapter, I was struck with several thoughts.

 

1. Why would God spare Lot? 
2. How could Lot offer his daughters to the angry mob of men looking to have sex with the angels?
3. How could Lot’s daughters sleep with their father?

 

Lot reminded me of a lukewarm Christian—someone who knows the Word, has experienced or witnessed God’s work, but lives life by his or her own strength.  Christians who live this way try to fix things themselves instead of relying on God to fix it.  This is what it looks like Lot was doing when he offered to throw his daughters out to the angry mob.  When the angels finally decide to destroy the place, Lot seems to procrastinate leaving.  The angels had to physically drag him out of the place and ordered him to take refuge in the mountains, to which Lot had the nerve to ask for asylum in a close-by town of Zoar, instead.  For fear of his life in Zoar, Lot takes his daughters to the mountains anyway.  While there, the daughters intoxicate their father, Lot, and impregnate themselves. 

 

Isn’t it amazing how God included the story of Lot in the Bible?  Now we can look at this story and say, “Wow, Lot (and his daughters) were real scum bags!”  We can get disgusted with Lot’s actions and think, “How could he have been so dumb?” But, how are we different from Lot?  Don’t we live each day through God’s grace?  If we are truly honest with ourselves, we are all scum bags.  We see in Genesis 16:2 and Genesis 20:2 that even Abraham (Abram) was a scum bag (and for that matter, so were Sari and Hagar)!

 

Genesis 19 shows us that no one is perfect, we all mess up, and we are nothing without God.  I stopped looking at Lot and his faults and started to look at my own—how have I fallen short?  How am I like a scum bag?  If we do not look within ourselves, then we can never ask God to forgive us.  How can we ask for forgiveness if we do not know what we did wrong?  How can God change us if we are blind to our faults?  I thank God that He saved Lot even though he did not deserve it, because it shows me that He can do the same for me; and I know that God can change me from the scum bag that I am to the righteous person that only He can create (Romans 2:29).  He is an awesome God!

 

 

Copyright © 2009 M. Teresa Trascritti

Encouragement September 24, 2008

This is a devotional (see below) that I often share with my students midway through the course.  It is written for students, but perhaps it will encourage you to continue your journey through life.

_____________________________________________________________

 

Endurance & Perseverance

M. Teresa Trascritti

 

Have you ever felt like giving up? Does it sometimes seem that you have too many things to do and so little time to do them? Have you ever thought about dropping out of school to concentrate on other life matters?

 

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going” (NLT).

 

“Perseverance” is a “steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement” and “persistent determination” (dictionary.com).

 

I believe God has a plan for all of us. I also believe that God allows things to happen in our lives because it causes us to rely on Him more. Hardships are an opportunity for us to grow. It’s hard to believe that a painful or difficult situation helps us, but it does. We have to be mindful of two things, (1) we will all encounter troubles, and (2) we must see trouble from a different perspective.

 

James tells us, “Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything” (James 1:2-4 NLT).

 

God has you at this school for a reason. Don’t give up, instead rely on Him more.

 

Question: What kind of troubles and hardships are you going through right now? How can you see it as an opportunity for growth?

 

Read 2 Timothy 2:3-13

Copyright © 2008 M. Teresa Trascritti

The Good Samaritan – a different angle October 6, 2007

People tend to read the story very literal—the religious leaders in the story ignored the injured man and continued on their way, but one man stopped and helped him. This is an accurate interpretation; however, in many of Jesus’ stories, there are always at least two lessons to be learned.

 

The “Good Samaritan” is not only about busy religious people, but it is also a story about spiritual salvation. Everyone has worth because everyone is created in the image of God. Everyone is redeemable— even a person who is “face-flat” in the gutter. Some “upstanding” religious people have forgotten that they were in the spiritual “gutter” at one time. We had no hope, until God reached down and picked us up. Just like the man who was beaten and left to die, our clothes were torn and dirty, but He gave us new clothes to wear. He bandaged up our wounds and saved us from impending death. Jesus said, “Go and do the same.” But how can a person do the same as Jesus?

 

This story not only talks about spiritual salvation, but it also refers to spiritual renewal. We can see the story from a different angle— Christians will be beat spiritually and fall down for various reasons. Some will turn to alcohol or drugs, some will be abused, and others might be overcome with the feeling of hopelessness. We who are Christians are to pick up the person, lead them back to Christ, and walk with them in their Christian journey.

 

It is so easy to say that a church member who has fallen into sin was probably never saved, but is that not the same as the religious people who walked past the beaten man in the story? We are to do the same as the Samaritan, not the religious people. No Christian should ever say that he or she will never fall into sin, because we are no better than the unsaved. It is God who separates. We should never think of ourselves as better than others—we are still made of flesh. These are easy words to say, but very difficult to practice. The longer we are Christians, the more likely we are to set higher standards for other people. The truth is Christians are nothing without God. Some of them may feel they are special, but they are being deceived.

 

1 John 3:17, James 2:15-17, Prov. 17:17, John 14:12

 

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti