SIGNPOSTS | Martha VanCise

CANS ALONG THE ROAD

by martha vancise | SepTue2021 | SIGNPOSTS

The first year that I returned to Indiana, my sister and I spent a great deal of time together. She drove a Kubota utility vehicle and spent hours taking rides on country roads and catching up after being apart for nearly fifty years. We enjoyed photographing flowers and talking about childhood memories of places we passed.

Somewhere along the way, though, we noticed aluminum cans littered the roadside. At first, we picked up cans to make the countryside look better, then we decided we might as well recycle them and make some pocket money. Soon we were obsessed with picking up cans. We crossed muddy ditches to get cans out of fields and tried out new ways to snare the cans with grabbers. Soon, all we saw – even while traveling in a car – was the glint of a can that we needed to get.

As we kept our focus on mangled cans in dusty roadside weeds, sassafras trees on the hillsides turned deep orange, soft maples turned gold and oaks dropped their leaves. When November came, and it was too cold to ride in an open-air vehicle, we turned in the cans for redemption. Though the cans filled the bed of a pick-up truck, the income covered little more than the fuel for the Kubota. While we had focused on accumulating pocket change from crumpled cans, the glory of a Midwest fall had come and gone.

In a similar way, the lure of acquiring a few more earthly possessions can easily distract and cause us to miss God’s great blessings.

Take time to enjoy:
The material riches you already possess
The ever-changing beauty of God’s creation
Time with family and friends
Fellowship with Christians
Time alone with God – in his Word and prayer

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2

Martha Hawn VanCise©
Photo: MHVanCise

A Really, Really, Really BIG God

by martha vancise | DecThu2015 | SIGNPOSTS

The Hubble Telescope has given us images of the universe that have been almost beyond our comprehension, but when the Giant Magellan Telescope begins operations in 2029 it will produce images ten times sharper than those delivered by the Hubble. The GMT will address key questions in cosmology, astrophysics, and the study of planets outside our solar system. http://www.gmto.org

When I see the ever-expanding view of our universe, I realize how minute my understanding of God has been. Yes, I believe God created the earth on which we live, the clouds, and the Milky Way, but glimpses of the universe from the Hubble make me realize how very little I understand about God. http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/

I am not alone in having a limited view of God. References to our lack of understanding of God fill the pages of the Bible.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! — Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? — The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power. — Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. — No one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. — Whatever exists is far off and most profound– who can discover it? — No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.” (Romans 11:33, Job 11:7, Job 37:23, Psalm 145:3, Ecclesiastes 3:11; 7:24, 8:17)

I cannot comprehend the greatness of God.
All I can do is raise my hands to heaven and sing to God,

I Stand, I Stand in Awe of You

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful of comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depth of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above.

And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You.

I Stand in Awe of You – by Mark Altrogge

Martha Hawn VanCise©

What Is Your History?

by martha vancise | NovSat2015 | SIGNPOSTS

Sometimes, when watching a couple of people, we hear the comment “they have a history.” “Having a history,” means they’ve been together in some type of relationship that probably included intimacy or conflict. Most of that personal relationship was hidden from public view. When we speak of having a “personal relationship” with Christ what do we mean? It means we “have a history” with Christ.

What is your history with Christ?

Your “history” is more than baptism, church membership, or even making a decision to follow Jesus. Your “history” is that walk with God and moments you shared that others know nothing about, but you knew God was with you in a special way. Take time to review and give thanks for the history you have with the Lord. Remember those specific “historical” moments …

Of first awareness that God cared for you and loved you
Of calling on God in a desperate time and knowing God heard you
Of times of fear and doubt and anger toward God being resolved
Of God’s clear direction accompanied by open doors
Of provision for little things that confirmed God heard your prayer
Of knowing God was near as you wept and grieved
Of songs God brought to your mind during times of joy, perplexity, grief, and discouragement
Of times of chastening and disciplining
Of knowing a passage of scripture was God’s message for you at that time in your life.
Of people or sermons or writings, God placed on your path to bring encouragement

CLUES TO OUR HISTORY WITH GOD ARE USUALLY FOUND
IN THE UNDERLINED PASSAGES OF OUR BIBLES.

Check the underlined passages in your Bible and give thanks for the history – the personal relationship – you have with God. Even pull out an old Bible and review that history. Some underlined passages in your older Bibles may stir painful memories, but give thanks that God brought you through those tough times. Do you have a history with God? If not, find a quiet place and tell God you want to have a close personal relationship. If you have a history with God, treasure it, nourish it. Give thanks to God for the history you share.

Martha Hawn VanCise©

Magnetic Fields

by martha vancise | OctSun2015 | SIGNPOSTS

You have built systems into birds that cause them to migrate and navigate by magnetic fields running from each pole. According to Peter Friederici manmade electromagnetic forces can throw the birds off course. “Bird’s innate navigational systems go haywire in a metropolis,” he said. “But block the electromagnetic radiation, one study shows, and their sensors return to normal.” (Audubon March-April 2015)

You have put eternity, a sense of God in our hearts. You have given us a reliable guidance system — Christ in us, the Holy Spirit, and your Word. We live, though, in a world of strong forces that attack our perception of Truth. We can block or bypass some sinful influences, but until we reach our final resting place, we will have to contend with the forces of our culture. The only way that we can stay the course is to continually align our course with the Word and communicate daily with God.

Pop-Ups

by martha vancise | SepSun2015 | SIGNPOSTS

Where can I find a Pop-Up blocker that works when I try to read my Bible and pray? It seems that when I pick up the Word and try to have a conversation with God, pop-ups flood the screen of my mind. I suddenly remember:

I’m out of eggs- better put it on my grocery list before I forget it.
Coffee – I forgot to grab a cup of coffee – Be right back, Lord.
Dental Appointment – was that this morning or this afternoon? Better check.

Some days it seems that by the time I take care of the pop-ups, I no longer have a desire to read or pray.

Some pop-ups prove hard to exit once we open them. They can take over our thinking until all we can do is shut down our devotional time and get on with our day. I have no answer for how to block pop-ups, but I have found a way to deal with them a little better. When I open my Bible, I also have pen and paper in hand. When a pop-up comes, I either dismiss it or put it on my list to handle later. Very few pop-ups require immediate attention, but it requires constant discipline to keep closing unimportant ones during our devotional time.

VASI Lights

by martha vancise | SepTue2015 | SIGNPOSTS

Seeing the lights of a runway does not guarantee that a pilot will land an aircraft safely. The pilot must make sure that the VASI lights (visual approach slope indicators) line up properly.

VASI lights appear as either white or red, depending on the angle at which they are viewed. When the pilot is approaching the lights at the proper angle the first set of lights appear white and the second set appears red. When both sets appear white, the aircraft is too high, and when both appear red it is too low. A mnemonic familiar to pilots is:

White over White, you’re high as a kite.
Red over White, you’re alright.
Red over Red, you’re dead.

A single scripture may appear to support our personal ideas of right and wrong or confirm our desired answer to a particular question. Unless that scripture, however, aligns with other scriptures we run the risk of spiritual disaster. When you approach the scriptures, looking for guidance, make sure your understanding and application of the text line up with the rest of God’s Word.