Steve Schofield's Blog

This story is about helping you think about what you believe. There are those who don't believe in anything. There are those who believe, can't see what they believe, but have faith in what they believe.  Those who don't believe in anything are so paranoid about those who believe, it causes all kinds of unbelief.  Not sure why those who don't believe get so crazy.  Those who believe want those who don't believe to believe.  This causes more paranoia and the person who doesn't believe to feel uneasy.  Those who don't believe and those who do will eventually go somewhere, not sure where, not sure when.  This riddle is not meant to convince others, promote one side or another.  Those who don't believe can't be convinced until they are ready to believe, hope that time comes before they are unable to believe. 

In closing, what do you believe?  Why do you believe?  What things happened in your life to cause you to believe in what you believe? Be comfortable with your choice in what you believe, because only you can control what you believe, unless the one who the ones who believe chooses you for his work. Your work might turn into trying to convince those who don't believe and try to help them believe.   You use your story of not believing to those who don't believe and hope they eventually believe.  I hope if you are reading this story, it makes you think about what you believe.  Believe it or not, you will make a choice.

God bless,

Steve

An Update to this:  While in church on Palm Sunday (3/24), the pastors announced it was passion week.  On Palm Sunday, Jesus road into Jerusalem, people laying down palm branches shouting his name “Hosanna” as mentioned in John 12:12-19. I had the prompt for this story a few days earlier after reading a story on some non-believers.   The story covered multiple religions and their take on a particular topic, not sure what the topic was in the article.   This frustrated me someone knocking people’s belief in Jesus, I took it a little personal.  One of my temptations I need to stay away from is non-believers and their sarcasm.  It’s not my place to argue with non-believers, it does no good.  All I can do is give my testimony and share what Jesus has done in my life.  I heard a neat saying from a former atheist who stated, they would rather be in the circle of people learning and seeking answers than sitting on the outside, complaining waiting for answers.  It went something to that effect.  I also had the prompt this would be the opening phrase or discussion in the 3rd devotional book (One Reason : 21 days to a new beginning).   These little prompts really are cool when God uses them, I get so excited I want to share everything and know there is a time and place when this story will be told.  For goodness sakes, it’s still being written.  Anywho, enjoy the riddle! 

Here is a short story I wrote called Rain

Rain

Genesis 9:13, James 5:18

Rain comes from the heavens
Rain refreshes many things

Rain comes from thunderstorms
Hurricanes and Tornados too

Trees, Rivers and Air
All depend on it

Water can be temporary
It will evaporate into thin air

No matter how it falls
It showers the Earth

Situations in our world can be like rain
They come from various forms

Problems sprinkle their way into our lives
Trying to steal our focus away

Rain interrupts sunshine
It's necessary for the ecosystem

It helps grow crops in fields
Without water, things would not live long

Problems are temporary
They can seem to flood our lives

Causing all kinds of issues
Until we stop and look around

We won't notice the beauty rain brings
It refreshes earth like God does our soul

Thank you Lord for raining down
Blessings for all mankind

May God shower you with his love
Every day of your existence

Amen!

I wrote this story after doing my morning devotionals and asked God to rain down his blessings on my family and friends.  During this time, a song contained the word rain.  Another friend published a devotional on containing the word “shower”. 

I also experienced an issue that at first blinded me from using common sense.  It took me to realize no matter how passionate we are something, there is a different perspective that makes whatever we are passionate about not mean as much.  If we are blinded by “rain so to speak”, we’ll not notice the sunshine and blessings rained down on us.

Title:

Prayer

Scripture:

Matthew 17:20, 6:24

Poem:

Lord I come to you in two ways
One to express my own despair about our world and the impact it has on me

Secondly, on the worlds behalf
In both cases, only you can fix

I read one article
The article shows some hope, mostly despair

I read other headline
There is last minute scrambling

I read yet another headline
It ended in death

In all three examples
No hope, only despair

I'm reading other headlines, it's about religion
Lets take God out of the public eye

I know religion is man-made,
Rules that men try to live up to but fail

All that is left is despair
Why does man think they know best

They claim to be wise
Yet when left to their own devices

All that is left is despair, no hope, no joy
Just sharp divisions among men

The only thing that seems to solve problems is money
There is not enough to go around

As your word states, you can't serve two masters
You'll love one and despise the other

It is "so" depressing when reading news
It impacts me so deeply, words can't describe it

I still wonder how these words help others
I'm sure one day you'll reveal that to me

My heart grows hard reading news by men
It makes you want to crawl into a cave and hibernate until the second coming

War here, poverty there, lack of resources everywhere
Only a few seem to have enough, and that isn't enough for them

How can one protect his eyes from such despair
How can one protect his heart from such hopelessness

There is a small glimmer of hope
That resides in me things will get better

The world offers only temporary relief
Relief from such an unbalance

I know the world will never be at peace
When they don't acknowledge the true peace

Liberals want it both ways, freedom from conservatism
Yet, they want it their way

When so many want it their own way
No way is the only way that happens

No progress, No peace, No satisfaction
My heart yearns to hand over ALL of this dissatisfaction to you

Prayer is a gift from you
I know from first hand experience it works

In all cases, big and small
We have to hand over all

Let you resolve in your own time
We need patience and forgiveness

The last few weeks, a lot has happened
In the next weeks, a lot will happen

If I don't regularly have a conversation with you
The hopelessness I feel will return

I pray for you to remain active in our world and mine
When this happens, all other things are just details

Things seem to just work themselves out
I'm not quite sure how, it just does

I pray for those who don't understand how this works
I pray for those who don't think to pray

I pray for those who haven't experienced the joy prayer brings
I pray for those who don't acknowledge you

Men want it now and their way
It's not how it works

I know that yet my heart wants to be selfish
Prayer is a great mystery, Prayer works, give it time

I end how I began, I pray for two things
I pray for the ability to hand despair over to you

Our world realizes it doesn't know best
And will wake up and realize if you don't learn from the past

You are doomed to repeat it.
We are headed down that path

A mustard seed of hope will go along ways
Our world could use a jar of that today and beyond.

Amen!

Story behind the poem:

This story hit home one day after reading a story about technology.  I work in IT and the next operating system came out, it was somewhat hopeful, yet there was divisions who want things to remain the same and others who criticize the change.  Keeping up with change is challenging sometimes. 

Secondly, the “fiscal” cliff talks going on in our world can only cause hopelessness and despair.  What reputation a once great nation is gone, for good.  The last story I read was a young lady was raped and eventually died.  All three stories seem to drive home the point something greater than us needs to handle this, although if you talk to some non-believers (mostly atheists), all they do is talk science, prove this and prove that.  I’d challenge them to try prayer on for size, it’ll work, things seem to resolve themselves when we honestly hand them over to God.  I’ve experience this first hand, no one can convince me otherwise.  Although, on this side of heaven, I’m impacted by the sheer negative driven world we live in and lose hope sometimes. 

I have to remember to protect my eyes and more importantly my heart.  If left unattended, the hopelessness will ruin any sense of normalcy and “the glass half full” mentality will effect everything we do.  I wonder sometimes the impact these stories have on others.  I hope they provide some “hope” and feeling they have a God that loves them and is willing to come along side them in their everyday, ho-hum lives.   Back to regular scheduled programming!

I was inspired a few days ago to write a new poem for a devotional book I’m writing.  The title of the poem was called Light.  After hearing about the tragedies in Connecticut and China, my heart goes out to the families and individuals dealing with the tragedy in Connecticut and China.  We are all God’s creation.  If you are reading this, here is the prayer God laid on my heart, I hope it helps provide comfort.

Title:
Light

Scripture:
John 8:12

Poem

In the beginning, there was nothing
A void, absence of anything

3 Then God said, (NASB) “Let there be light”;
and there was light.

4 God saw that the light was good;
and God separated the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light day, and the darkness
He called night. And there was evening
and there was morning, one day.

Light highlights all of creation
Gods great handy work

Darkness is the opposite
Darkness is a void, nothing

You can't explain it
People just know the difference

One moment you see clearly
The next moment, you can't see

In a blink, Light returns
Darkness is no longer present

Darkness can remain in the shadows
Only because Light allows it

People have free will
They can chose their own path

One leads to Light
The other leads to darkness

In a broken world, things happen
They can't be explained

Each of us are God's owns Lights of the world
Created to shine in his image

Some of the Lights shine for a while
Some not very long

When someone’s Light goes before their time
It leaves a void, a darkness in our heart

We yearn for them, much like the light
God, we pray for those who Light goes before they should

We pray for those left behind
Trying to find their Light again, amongst the darkness

Jesus, thank you for being the Light of the world
On this side of heaven, there is plenty of darkness

One day, we'll just see the Light
Our Father's Light shining for all eternity

Until then, we hold out hope
The Light of the world will return one day!

Amen!

God bless,

Steve

Title:The Heart

Scripture:Psalm 17:3, Romans 14:13-23

The Heart is selfish
The Heart is deceitful

The Heart gets jealous
The Heart is spiteful

The Heart takes things wrong
The Heart is prideful

The Heart holds onto things
The heart wants more

It keeps score and won't let go
Even if I try to let go

The heart holds on with all its might
This causes distractions away from Christ

These distractions can cause others to stumble
Jesus states do not cause others stumble

When the enemy sees the distractions
He swoops into make the distraction bigger

The distractions cannot be easily undone
We need to seek Gods heart

God's Heart is generous
God's Heart is kind

God's Heart is so big
No one can fathom

When things come up
That seems so big

God's Heart can handle all things
All we have to do is give him our hearts

God, I desire for my heart to be pure
God, I desire for my heart to be all yours

No matter what has happened
I want to hand it all to you

I pray for all my brothers and sisters
I pray for them to seek Christ first

It does not matter how they seek you
As long as they do, that is all that matters

This is my pray to you
I seek your heart and be more like your son

He provided the perfect example
No matter what people did to him

He was forgiving, patient and loved them
So the struggle continues

A part of my heart wants to be continue down its own path
This leads to destruction

I pray for forgiveness, ask for repentance
God I ask you to forgive my heart

I ask you to come examine my heart oh Lord
Help my heart seek your path, not its own

Amen!

Scripture
James 1:27

Petty

Things in life come and go
There are hills and valleys

What happens during these times
Can have highs and lows

The commitment seems impossible
The challenges keep coming

The good times quickly evaporate
Strife and frustration remain

There are so many bigger things in life
Cancer, Stress, uncertainty and fear

When petty things crop up
It makes you feel bad you even have these feelings

The petty things can fester
The enemy sits back and waits

He uses negative emotions to further is mission
To destroy, conquer and devour

The petty feelings are only temporary
The effects linger on longer

It is biblical to express concern, sin directly with your brother
Get it over quickly and move on

The enemy does not need much to move in
Using petty feelings against us

Jesus was the ultimate role model
His parables provide all kinds of direction

It doesn't matter what situation
His word is always right

Jesus, thank you for being there
In the best of times, darkest of times

I ask for repentance and forgiveness
I ask for your grace and mercy

Help me get over the petty feelings
Help me get back on track

Help me be a kingdom seeker
Help me be a kingdom bringer

Focus on what matters!

Amen!

I was going through unpublished stories and here is another one.

Title:Bad Taste

Poem:

Something has soured to the point of tasting bad
Some candies are made to be sour

These candies make your mouth water
There is a slight tinge of sweetness although the sour taste almost overwhelms it

You try this food, after a while it sours
You try that food, after a while it sours too

I'm not sure what causes the sour taste
There is a certain order and the bad taste gets burned into your long term memory

There are situations in life you try for a while
They too are like food

At first the food tastes sweet and satisfies
After a while, there is a slight difference in the taste

You ignore the taste remembering this food you like
Another slight difference appears

The experience creates a seed of doubt
It makes you ponder and reflect

This could be the enemy fostering these feelings
You start to see situations that used to be there slightly different

You try not hard to carry this bad taste
You pray asking for forgiveness and a glass half full

Other situations appear ever so slightly
Making you wonder if your instinct is trying to tell you something

You put your instinct on the shelf hoping the situation will recover
I'm not certain the outcome, just remember Jesus is there through it all

The situation can reveal it's self as a bad taste mentally
Making a person really wonder the eventual outcome

Like anything, if something sours, pray for forgiveness
Pray for the situation to resolve itself.

If something bothers you mentally, use the word of God as a guide
Follow the instruction to correct through honest dialog

It's God right to pass judgment alone
People will let you down, food will let you down

God won't let you down, although at times it might seem that way
When going through something, the taste might not quite right

Keep tinkering, trying and praying
God will not let you have a bad taste of his love, it will be sweet and enduring!

Here is an previously unpublished store I wrote called Alone…Enjoy

Absent, Void, Bare
Feelings of loss

Single, Peaceful, God Fearing
Feelings of refreshment

Time away, Time to reflect
Thinking about what really matters

Reflect about the past
Review the present

Contemplate the future
Planning for the best

We are not alone when born
We are not alone when death comes

We alone face judgment from our maker
Hoping for the magic words

"Well done good and faithful servant"
We are only one step away from meeting Jesus

Make sure while on earth
You pray a lot, pray often, pray hard

Ask Jesus for guidance
About every task, every question, every problem

He can help provide guidance
So you do not end up alone

With Jesus in your life
You are NEVER alone

When driving to work
When going on a trip

We are designed to be social
The world glorifies going at it alone

You are on the earth maybe 4 score
You are in eternity forever

Man can't imagine forever
They can imagine 4 score

Jesus, thank you for coming to earth
So we are not alone everlasting

Amen!

Scripture
Matthew 18:12-14

Title:
The little Lost Sheep

Poem
There was once a herd of sheep
They had been moving from field to field

Grazing day in and day out
This had been going on for a while

One day, the Shepherd protecting them
Asked them to come to this special place

The place is so special, the grass is greener
The hillsides are beautiful, the landscape is breathtaking

As they were getting ready to go
One little sheep stumbled and was unable to make the journey

The Shepherd was very sad not all his sheep could go
To protect the rest of the sheep, the one could not make the trip

The little lost sheep stayed back in the current field
Which was safe and sound, yet the little sheep was alone

Although the sheep was yearning to go to with the rest
The fences put up didn't allow it

After much prayer and yearning
The Holy Shepherd made things right

The little lost sheep, feeling abandoned at first
Was not abandoned by the Holy Shepherd

He made it right and got the little lost sheep
To the very special place

Although we can't understand why this happened
In the bigger picture, the little sheep will eventually know

When the little sheep rejoined the rest of his friends
He was so happy just to be there

The Holy Shepherd keeps track of his flock
No matter the circumstance, no matter the trial

The next time you are in trial
Please ask for help from your Holy Shepherd

He'll guide you through trial and ruin
He'll guide you to the special place, forever!

Amen!

Story Behind The Story

I was on the plane heading to Israel and we were minutes from taking off when a lady came up crying.  The flight attendant was instructing the person she had to get off the bus.  This person was about to sit down in their seat when luggage fell and hit them behind the head.  It caused a headache and the airline was concerned a trans-Atlantic flight with a closed head injury.  The bad thing, the airlines left them alone at the airport and didn’t follow-up any further.  They were able get on the next flight and only missed 1 full day and 1 partial day of the trip.  

Thief

There once was a man
Who did badly his whole life

Everything considered bad
Supposedly he did

He was tried, convicted and nailed to a cross
He wasn't a lifelong Christian

He hadn't help anyone
He couldn't even help himself anymore

His only good fortune
He was nailed next to The Son of God

He happened to have a change of heart at the right time
He uttered some simple words

They included "Lord, remember me"
The LORD could ignored this man

The LORD was a little busy at the moment
He had been beaten, battered and nailed on a cross too

The LORD had his own worries at the moment
For he was bearing all man’s sins, for all time

Just think, the LORD in this very moment
Suffering more than anyone has ever suffered or will have to suffer

Had the awareness to pay attention to this thief
He showed love when the thief was getting what he deserved

The LORD didn't condemn the thief
He forgave him and said in such a way

You'll be with me in heaven
You’ll be in glory with me forever

The next time you think someone is beyond saving
The next time you think someone won't listen

Remember the thief, in his final hours
No baptism, No good works, No following Jesus

All he did was call on the LORD with 100% faith
Lord, I need you in my heart, it's broken

Please, Please, Please I fear God
And want you to help save me

People, it's not up to Man to make judgments of others
It's our heavenly father alone

It is never too late while living to call on the name of Jesus
Thank you Christ Jesus for this illustration

Even in your dying, most physical, mental and spiritual pain
You took time to save a dying thief who had a change in his heart

Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you
For not turning the other cheek, your example provides hope to all!

Story Behind the Story

I was reading an ebook by DL Moody on "Men of the Bible".  The last story, how fitting, was the story of Penitent Thief.  The one in Luke 23:32:43. I think unlike any other story, it's not about works or anything else we can do, the LORD wants your heart alone, no matter when. This also goes along with what was being discussed at a recent small group, we were discussing the word Grace!