FS Wednesday Wisdom

Firestorm’s Wednesday Wisdom

Rejoice When Others Stand Strong

Becca Card

November 6, 2019

“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm, thus in the Lord my beloved.”
(Philippians 4:1)

In this scripture we see a picture of love and a desire for others to stand firm.  Paul was writing to his brothers and sisters in Christ.  He tells them that he loves them and wants them to always stand strong. 

My first thought is about my natural family, my brothers, nieces, nephews and of course Ken.  When I see those, who are standing strong and doing all God has called them to do, it brings me joy.  That is normal and a good thing, but God also called us to love our brothers and sisters in Christ.  I should rejoice when others are able to discover their destiny, grow in their relationship with Yahweh.  We should want them to have the tools necessary to stand firm.    

Do we long for our brothers and sisters in the church to stand firm in Yahshua?  Does it bring us joy to see our Christ followers standing firm in Him? 

Today I want to encourage you to love your brothers and sisters in your local church, Firestorm and elsewhere like this.  We should be praying for them, encouraging them, standing with them and rejoice when they stand firm and step out of the boat to do all that Yahweh called them to do.

As I think about this, we should not only want others to succeed in their walk with Yahweh, but we should also want to pray for those who have not come to know Yahshua and give their lives to Him.  We should always speak the truth in love and get excited to see others come to know Yahshua as we do.

Father we ask that You help us to serve those that are struggling in their walk.  Help us to share the gospel with others that do not know you.  We ask Yahweh that You use us today and every day.  We want to rejoice when we see someone stand strong.  We also want to rejoice when people come to know You!  We give you our lives and ask You to use us to touch the world!

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Today when I was opening this word file I “accidentally” opened the Wednesday Wisdom from one year ago.  I think it is worth repeating and goes along with the message of this Wednesday’s Wisdom.

Yahweh has called Firestorm for such a time as this to love, teach and equip those He sends us so that they receive healing and are able to step fully into their destinies. 

There is a young girl in the city searching every where

Crying out in her silence for someone to care.

Longing to be held in a mother’s loving arms

To be protected by a father from all earthly harm.

But it is another lonely night, no one there to hear the breaking of her heart or the falling of her tears.

There is a mother grieving for her son lost somewhere in the night

And a young man wanders aimlessly, struggling for his life.

Searching for an answer and solace for his pain

A way to face tomorrow and to dare to hope again.

There are other ladies, men and youth sitting in a church

Hearing the voice of Yahweh, but no one will let them speak.

They sit alone and wonder and question with no one there to care.

There is no one there to train them and open doors they can walk through to their calling.

Who will go to her?

Who will go to him?

Arm stretched open wide who will go to them?

Who will love them as they are and be their constant friend?

Who will show them that Yahshua loves them;

No matter where they have been?

Tell me, who will go to her, who will go to him?

If we are not reaching out to all who are lost,

How will they see that Yahshua is the light?

Will you be the one that goes to her?

Will you be the one that goes to him?

Will you go to them?

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Be sure to watch next Wednesday for the NEW

FS Wednesday’s Word of Power

With

Eva Windahl

Are You a  Standard Bearer?

Becca Card

September 4, 2019

Isaiah 59:16-19

16 – He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore, His own arm brought salvation for him; And His own righteousness, it sustained him.

17 – For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

18 – According to their deeds, accordingly He will re

pay, Fury to His adversaries, Recompense to His enemies; The coastlands He will fully repay.

19 – So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

The Hebrew expression in this verse from Isaiah is rich with meaning. The root “nus” (from the expression “raise up a standard”) is related to or sounds like numerous words which mean “sign”, “miracle”, “to drive away”, “to flee”, “cause to disappear”, “a waving flag”. This abundance of meanings in Isaiah’s poetic style reveals the multiple dimensions of Yahweh’s revelation; in this case, the way he deals with evil. The assertion in this word is that the Spirit of Christ will be powerfully activated when evil comes.

When the enemy comes in, like a flood the LORD raises a standard against him.  The clear meaning and promise is that the presence of evil will not go unnoticed. God will respond powerfully, in His own way, and in His own time.

We’ve often talk about the increase of wickedness in these last days; virtually every day some new scandal appears. Evil is on the rise; its power is being consolidated in many areas of social, political, and personal lives. Our identification with the one true God/Yahweh who raises His standard in response to this wickedness, calls us to be His “standard bearers” in the midst of the evil around us. This is not easy but is a high calling for faith-filled and disciplined saints.

Our challenge now, more than ever before, is, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. We cannot bear Christ’s standard if we yield to become like the world around us. Only by abiding, praying, staying close to Him, can we represent our Lord.

Let’s be faithful to encourage one another, daily.

God Will Help You Through Dementia

Sheryl Upchurch

I never thought I would have to be a caregiver for someone with Dementia/Alzheimer’s, let alone that someone being my Dad. My Dad who can fix anything.  My Dad who built printed circuit boards that went up to the moon on the space shuttle.  My Dad who can rebuild an engine with his eyes closed. My Dad who spent hours outside cutting and stacking wood.  My Dad who built the house (back in 1970) that he and my Mother still live in.

My Dad taking a break from building the house.

Dad working on an engine in 1958

He doesn’t really do any of these things anymore because on March 10, 2018 he had a stroke.  And then on July 30, 2018 he had another stroke.  While the Doctors say he shouldn’t be alive today because of these strokes, he is still walking and talking, just a lot slower than he used to.  His strokes were Hemorrhagic strokes caused by plaque in the brain.  He also has several blood spots in his brain which can bleed at any time and cause strokes.  He has a condition called Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy. Due to this condition he has developed Dementia.  We know he has had other small strokes since then, but we don’t have to bring him to the hospital every time it happens because there is nothing they can do for it other than monitor him and send him home. He doesn’t have high blood pressure.  My Dad is not the hospital type. Prior to March 2018 he hadn’t been in hospital since he was 15.  He will be 80 in December.  The 5-day hospital stay in March was not pleasant for him or the hospital staff or us.  Luckily the July visit was only overnight.  So we made a promise to him that we would not make him go back unless it was really necessary.  And so far that hasn’t happened.

Throughout all this we are thankful for several things, he is not on any medications, he can still walk and talk, he does have difficulty walking but that is because his knees are bone on bone, he can still drive for the time being (he drives very little and only local), he can still stay alone if my Mother happens to go somewhere.  He’s still alive.

The most difficult thing to deal with is his loss of memory. The simplest tasks are now difficult or not possible for him to do anymore.  Like learning where to position the new kitchen faucet for cold and hot water is difficult for him to remember.  How to run the TV remote takes much more thought than it used to. How to use the computer to check his emails is a real project on any given day.  And so much more.  All this stuff was second nature to him prior to his strokes.

I go over to my parents’ house every weekend and sometimes during the week just to help him do things that he could once do himself.  I get a phone call every night on my way home from work. And on the weekends I can get a call 3-4 times a day.  Because it is me that he calls when he has a problem and needs helps.  Sometimes he calls just to chit chat and tell me what he did that day, sometimes he calls to vent his frustrations about what he didn’t do that day. Sometimes the call is to tell me something isn’t working properly and how do you fix it.  He doesn’t understand why he can’t do what he used to do.  He doesn’t understand why he can’t remember words when he’s trying to talk about something.  He doesn’t understand what’s happening to him. He has changed a lot in the past 19 months.  He is much more emotional; he wants to talk more. He wants to be around people.  He talks about the past often. He was never wanting to do any of those things prior to his strokes. My Dad wasn’t the easiest father to grow up with, he was set in his ways, it was his way or no way.  He didn’t always say or do the right things.  But deep down I believe he thought he was doing his best. 

Sometimes I wonder why God would let someone suffer with this dreaded disease.  On the days when he calls me, either angry or on the verge of tears saying I can’t take it anymore I can’t do this anymore, I ask God to just take him and don’t make him suffer.  Take him while he still has his dignity.  But that is being selfish on my part I guess.  He always said when he was younger if he ever ended up with Dementia/Alzheimer’s he didn’t want to live with it, and he would make sure he didn’t.  I have told him on several occasions he has it and have mentioned to him what he used to say and he now says well I’m not ready to go yet.

He has good days and bad days.  The good days are when he calls and says he was able to get out in the woods and cut down a tree or two or he was able to work on cleaning and re-glazing his windows.  The bad days are when he calls and asks me which pair of glasses are his distance vision ones and which ones are his readers.

I get overwhelmed and frustrated from working full time, being a wife, mother, daughter and now a caregiver.  There are days when I just can’t take anymore and I am ready to give up, but I can’t, because I have to be the strong one.  I have to be the one that keeps everything and everyone together. I am the only one that can calm my father down.  I try not to complain because I know one of these days he isn’t going to be calling anymore.  He won’t be there to ask me how to work his cell phone.  He won’t be there to ask me which wrong button he pushed on the TV remote.  I will be wishing the phone would ring because he was upset about something not working the way he thinks it should.

People say lean to God.  Let God help you get through this.  I haven’t learned how to do that yet.  But I am working on it.

Here are some things I have learned:

1. Get the person’s attention first
2. Speak slowly and use simple words. Don’t yell
3. There will be good days and bad days
4. Minimize Noises: Noise can disturb & confuse
5. Keep it Simple
6. If you feel frustrated take a break
7. Don’t say I told you already
8. Don’t say Remember when
9. Have patience

My Dad