Blog – Page 25 – Barbara Lynn Seibel

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?

August 9, 2020August 8, 2020

POWER

What does power look like?
What does power sound like?

Several years back, my husband and I attended an outdoor concert. My husband had brought a decibel meter to the concert because, well, he is into that sort of thing. The meter showed the concert was within legal levels, but it sounded louder than that.

When we crawled out of our car upon our arrival home our ears were smacked with a deafening cicada chorus even louder than the concert we had just attended. Yes, my husband took another decibel meter reading to confirm what our ears were telling us.

We could not see the cicadas as it was close to midnight but there was no doubt they were there.

Now that’s audible power!

What words would you use to describe power?

Does your description depend on who or what has the power you are describing?

How does Joel describe the Lord’s power?

August 2, 2020August 2, 2020

Hard Times

2020 has continued to be a difficult year of hard times.

The rise of COVID-19 and the restrictions in place to slow the spread of it have added a new layer of complexity to this year’s hard times.

My personal hard times this year involve the loss of a grandmother, a coworker, and now a beloved pet.

I could not travel to be with family when my grandmother passed because of COVID restrictions.

My coworker’s passing from cancer came shockingly swift after the point of diagnosis.

And my husband and I, along with a veterinarian’s guidance, had to make the tough call to say goodbye to our sweet Molly, an Australian Shepherd mix.

I have also been dealing with an injured bicep that makes it challenging to do not only my day job, but also my writing pursuits and basic household chores.

My body and soul ache.

COVID-19 restrictions add to the stress of it all.

There are days when, much like the cat in the picture above, I desire to find an escape hatch.

It is not unusual to go through hard times. Everyone does.

How can our study of Joel help us put our current hard times into perspective?

July 26, 2020July 25, 2020

Thunderstorms

How do you respond to thunderstorms?

When my husband and I first moved to South Carolina we had to transition our dog, Dutch, to apartment living. Dutch was used to having over ½ an acre to roam prior to this adjustment. He appreciated affection but mostly liked some space between himself and others.

Then one night after we had gone to bed, a thunderstorm occurred. At the first crack of thunder Dutch jumped onto our bed to get in between us. He stayed there until the storm had passed, trembling the entire time.

Until that moment, we had no idea how deeply scared of thunderstorms Dutch had been.

As we continue our study in the book of Joel today, we come to a verse that describes something more frightening than a common thunderstorm.

July 19, 2020July 19, 2020

IT’S COMING!

“It’s Coming!” my coworker exclaimed as I entered their office.

“Which it?” I calmly replied.

For a moment, it appeared they were more stunned by my calm response than what they had been excited about.

We receive “it’s coming” news announcements of all kinds throughout our days.

It is natural for the one making an “it’s coming” announcement to desire a particular response or action to what has been shared.

What happens when the announcement fails to illicit the desired response?

Could this be what has brought about Joel 2:1?

July 12, 2020July 11, 2020

SOUL THIRST

How would you describe soul thirst?

A person’s soul is the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life
Thirst can be described physically as a desire or need to drink. We also describe thirst as an ardent desire: craving, longing, or a thirst for success.

Putting soul and thirst together creates the idea in my mind of a deep, personal, longing for a relationship that can only be met through God.

The picture above is of a wild deer standing in a stream drinking water. The background is lush and green. The water appears to be rippling with movement.

Now, imagine if there was no water or green plants for that deer to find due to a drought followed by fire.

That deer would be suffering from physical thirst and hunger.

Let’s see what Joel 1:20 has to say about not only physical thirst and hunger, but also soul thirst.

July 5, 2020July 4, 2020

FIRE

What is your immediate reaction to the image of fire above?

Are you afraid of fire and the powerful damage it can cause?

Or does the image of fire bring about fond memories of campfires, beach bonfires, or fireplace ambience?

Maybe you think of candlelight or oil lamps burning?

Even if your first reaction to the image of fire is positive, I expect you still take precautions when around a fire out of respect for its capacity to cause serious damage.

Fire is a powerful image frequently used in scripture.

Joel 1:19 is one of those times.

June 28, 2020June 29, 2020

Even the Sheep Suffer

Do you ever consider that animals, even sheep, can suffer?

What things immediately come to mind that could cause animals, even sheep, to suffer?

Over the years I have enjoyed having dogs and cats as a part of my own household.

Currently I have a fifteen-year-old dog who is mostly blind, seriously arthritic and dealing with some dementia. Occasionally there will be a yelp of pain but mostly she is still a very content and happy dog. Time is precious though.

I also have a ten-year-old dog that requires special supplements to keep her intestinal tract healthy and now is sprouting growths we need to monitor. The most recent one appears to have been cancerous but is healing thanks to an herbal injection that sloughed out the yuck. Other than the frustration of being in a “cone of shame” and having to be wrapped with gauze pads she is not expressing that she is in pain. Time is also precious here.

One of the cats is fifteen while the other is seven. The eldest is showing signs of arthritis but otherwise does not seem to have much pain. Just a bit of grumpiness, mostly toward the younger cat.

The youngest cat? Although she is in excellent health and quite limber you would think the world had come to an end when it is feeding time! Oh, the meows and the running about she does then!

In contrast to my fur children’s medical issues and antics, Joel 1:18 paints a dire picture of animal suffering.

What can we learn from Joel today?

June 21, 2020June 20, 2020

Neglect

What happens when we neglect a building?

No matter how solid the building may have originally been, if neglect of maintenance occurs it will begin a process of decay.

The longer the neglect, the greater the decay.

The picture above shows an example of a granary that has suffered neglect.

What do you think led to the neglect of the building in the picture?

Prior to the building being in this state of neglect something had to have happened that either prevented or distracted the owner or caretaker from doing maintenance to avoiding the current state of disrepair.

Joel 1:17 states that Judah’s storehouses for grain have become desolate due to shriveled up seeds and thus being torn down.

What are we being told with this imagery?

June 14, 2020June 13, 2020

Emotions

How would you use the picture above to describe your emotions over the past months?

I am feeling the emotion of helplessness. People around me have lost jobs. People I love and care about have died. One death was anticipated. Another death came from an undiagnosed cancer battle that appeared suddenly and ended swiftly.

Would you agree the picture above could portray the sense of helplessness I am feeling?

Have you ever felt a sense of helplessness?

The community of Judah is in exactly this state in Joel 1:16.