Barbara Lynn Seibel - Barbara Lynn Seibel

October 18, 2020October 17, 2020

To Take Pity

What does it mean to take pity?

Merriam-Webster defines pity as: sympathetic sorrow for one suffering, distressed, or unhappy.

The approximately six-ounce kitten in the photo above received my pity instantly back in August 2013.

My husband and I were out walking our dogs before work one morning and heard a cat crying across the road from us.

While I held the dogs, my husband crossed the road to investigate. He attempted to capture her, but she kept darting away when he reached down.

Unable to capture her, he decided to return to me and the dogs without her. Then she came out onto the sidewalk under a streetlamp for the first time.

Until that moment I was unaware how tiny she was.

My heart melted for her safety.

By the time my husband had returned to my side of the road with the dogs, I instructed him to finish the walk while I attempted to attract her on my own. I crossed the street, sat down in the bushes, and ignored her until she was curious enough to be scooped up.

I knew if we failed to rescue her, she would end up as hawk food or roadkill. I was not comfortable with either scenario.

As my husband returned with the dogs, I was able to catch this tiny little kitten that we then took into our home.

Have you ever considered that God has been moved to take pity on us?

October 11, 2020October 11, 2020

COMPROMISED REPUTATION

A few years ago, I discovered that my debit card had been compromised.

In contacting the companies that were showing a purchase I had not made one reported they had already stopped the charge as their internal security measures had already determined it was fraudulent.

Another company kept passing me from person to person before ultimately telling me unless my bank stood behind me that I would be liable for the charges.

Thankfully, my bank stood behind me.

Sadly, due to the amount of time it took to dialogue with that company, they lost not only money but the goods they went ahead and shipped because they failed to heed my report that the charge was invalid.

Neither company knew me personally.

I would even say my bank did not really know me personally but because I followed all their requested reporting procedures, including filing a police report, they granted my request to stop payment on the faulty charges.

I am thankful that the one company was proactive in recognizing the fraud and my bank was responsive to my claim.

Clearly the first company had better methods of determining fraudulent activity than the other company.

Clearly my bank supported me because I acted responsibly in meeting all their requirements.

Admittedly, the situation could have been significantly worse.

I am thankful my fiscal reputation did not suffer any significant harm from that situation.

What if this had been a more serious attack on my reputation?

What if instead of my reputation being at risk it was God’s reputation under suspicion?

October 4, 2020October 1, 2020

Purpose

Do you operate with a sense of purpose?

Did you know that box turtles operate with a sense of purpose?

Several years ago, during my commute to work when I lived in Oklahoma, I heard a report that made it clear that turtles operate with a sense of purpose.

At the time there were many people who had started to assist box turtles when discovering them crossing a busy street or highway.

The reporter remarked that if you decide to stop and assist a box turtle cross the road you must make sure you move that turtle to the side of the road the turtle was facing when you found it.

Why?

Because if you place them opposite of where they were heading, they will turn around and resume traveling in the direction they had intended to go before you moved them.

Do you see what I mean?

Turtles live with purpose.

We may not understand how or why a turtle is living with such a strong purpose drive.

How does living with a sense of purpose connect with a call to gather the people in Joel 2:16?

September 27, 2020September 26, 2020

CALL TO ATTENTION

In November 2019, my husband and I traveled to Kansas to visit relatives.

On a late morning we decided to take a stroll in the neighborhood.

After a bit of walking my recovering torn ankle ligament needed a break, so I suggested we sit down at a memorial statue that had several benches and rest awhile.

Suddenly, the tornado alarm that was roughly forty yards from us fired up and rotated straight towards us as it moved a quarter turn before turning off.

While it was blaring both of us were looking confusedly at clear and sunny skies above us while covering our ears.

After the siren stopped it dawned on us that it was 12:00 pm on a Monday in Kansas.

This was a call to attention moment! Albeit a funny one!

(For those who did not grow up in Kansas, since tornados are a common concern, every Monday at 12:00 pm, the tornado sirens are tested unless the weather is stormy.)

We have laughed about this ever since.

What does this have to do with our study of Joel?

September 20, 2020September 19, 2020

SINCERITY

How would you describe sincerity?

How about honesty of mind or freedom from hypocrisy?
Would you agree a person who exhibits sincerity is honest, pure, and true?

How would you describe insincerity?

How about phoney or hypocritical?
Would you use the word Pecksniffian?

Seth Pecksniff, a character with a holier-than-thou attitude in Charles Dickens’s 1844 novel Martin Chuzzlewit, was no angel, though he certainly tried to pass himself off as one. Pecksniff liked to preach morality and brag about his own virtue, but in reality he was a deceptive rascal who would use any means to advance his own selfish interests. It didn’t take long for Pecksniff’s reputation for canting sanctimoniousness to leave its mark on English; “Pecksniffian” has been used as a synonym of “hypocritical” since 1849.

What does any of this have to do with a picture of a torn heart shaped leaf and our study of Joel?

September 13, 2020September 13, 2020

HOPE OR DESPAIR

Which path do you tend to take when life gets tough: hope or despair?

Do you easily vacillate between hope or despair?

Hope may be defined as to expect with confidence or simply to trust.
Despair may be defined as to lose all hope or confidence.

Joel 1:1-2:11 describes a situation of utter despair.

The Judean community has not only suffered an intense locust plague that has led to famine, drought, and fires but are also told this is just a precursor to the Lord coming to attack them in judgement as well.

In response to the announcement of the Lord’s coming attack, Joel 2:11 ends with the question: Who can endure it?

In other words, is there any hope to be found?

September 6, 2020September 4, 2020

ENDURANCE

What is the first image in your mind when you read the word endurance?

I immediately think of endurance athletes such as Iron Man competitors who train to complete the longest triathlon of swimming, biking, and running. Competing in this requires serious preparations over months or years to perform well.

The ability to withstand hardship or adversity over a prolonged stressful effort is an apt definition of endurance when applied to an Iron Man competition.

So why did I choose an image of a soldier carrying a dog for this post instead of an image of endurance athletes?

August 30, 2020August 29, 2020

EARTHQUAKE AND ECLIPSE

Have you experienced either an earthquake or an eclipse?

Back in 2017 my region was in the path of a solar eclipse.

This month my region experienced tremors from a 5.1 earthquake that occurred a state away.

But have you ever experienced a simultaneous earthquake and eclipse?

A brief search on the internet for information on whether a simultaneous earthquake and eclipse has ever occurred only yielded results that scientists believe an eclipse can trigger a greater magnitude earthquake in the following weeks. But all were quick to point out that predicting a specific timing was not likely.

If anyone does more extensive research and finds that this has occurred simultaneously please let me know.

Why do I want to know about whether there is any documentation of an earthquake and eclipse occurring simultaneously?

Turn to Joel 2:10 to find out!

August 23, 2020August 22, 2020

ACTION

How would you describe the action in the picture above?

Would you use verbs that describe the sound of the action?

How about verbs that describe the formation of the action?

Would you use verbs that describe the speed of the action?

Our study today takes us to Joel 2:7-9 that is full of descriptive action verbs about an invasion.

August 16, 2020August 15, 2020

OVERWHELMED

When have you felt overwhelmed?

What triggered the feeling of being overwhelmed?

An overpacked work schedule?
Too many social engagements?
Grieving the loss of a loved one?
Losing a job?
A personal health crisis?
Global challenges such as Covid-19, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.?
A combination of any of the above?

Any of the above and more can trigger feelings of being overwhelmed even in the most steadfast personalities.

Now have you ever considered how you might react if you saw a mighty heavenly army coming towards you?