Author: Valerie Cullers

Normal

Valerie Cullers 24 Comments

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“Normal is just a setting on your dryer.” Patsy Clairmont

As the shutdown begins to end, we hear the word “normal” bandied about in practically every newscast. People are setting timelines about when our society will return to “normal.” Others think we will be living with a “new normal.” Still others wonder if our lives will ever return to “normal.” Of course, no one really knows the answers to any of these questions. I certainly don’t, but I would like to share a few observations I made during this abnormal time.

When 9/11 happened, I remember driving to the office late in the morning. I had to stop at the bank before I went, and as I walked in, a television was on. The people looked like they were in a daze. No one said anything; they just stared at the television as the scenes played out over and over again. I didn’t sense any fear, just bewilderment.  When the COVID-19 crisis hit and we were all faced with a partial shutdown of the economy, the response was different. The first day I went to the grocery store, most of the people had a look of fear on their faces. They were not looking at one another but were furiously shopping, trying to fill their carts with the necessities. Except for items that were fresh, i.e., milk, cheese, fruit and vegetables, the shelves were about empty. I don’t know about you, but I had never experienced this before.  To say the least, this whole scenario has been instructional for me to walk through.

We have all learned some things during this crisis and I hope we do not forget them when our lives return to “normal.” Here are a few of the topics we each have had to come to grips with:

1.  Control – We learned we really have no control over anything. It was a shock to most of us to have the government make decisions about our lives that we had to abide by, no questions asked. We have now seen this happen once, and we should be aware that it could easily happen again. 

2. Security –  If we were counting on anything on a human scale to be our security, that rug was ripped right out from under us. We learned that our jobs, bank accounts, stocks, health, food supplies, and even our precious store of toilet paper would only take us so far. This crisis showed us there is no earthly thing we can hold onto for our security.

3. Mortality – We had to come to grips with the fact that we are mortal. If any of us believed differently, this virus showed us that we have been believing a lie. Yes, it was harder on the elderly and those with comorbidity factors, but many young healthy individuals succumbed to it also. 

These were not the only life topics we had to deal with. Each one of us can think of at least one area that we especially struggled with during this time. Personally, I found that having faith in God kept me from living in fear. Knowing that God was in control of my life was my security, and that He would be there for me should it be my turn to die, gave me a deep and abiding sense of peace. I know many of you experienced this also.

But if that wasn’t your experience and you haven’t settled some of these life issues yet, I encourage you to do so before the shutdown ends and life returns to “normal.” Please know that the Lord is waiting for you to turn to Him and ask Him for His help and guidance. He will gladly be there to take control of your life, be your security, and take you to Himself should it be your turn to leave this earth.

Image by gerd altman. Courtesy of Pixabay.

What Time Is It?

Valerie Cullers 33 Comments

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There are twenty-four different time zones on the Earth. We each will have a different idea of what time it is based on the time zone we live in. We understand that is how we measure chronological time on the earth. Chronological time is not the only way we measure time, though; there are many different units for measuring time. On one end of the spectrum is Geologic time, where we measure the age of the Earth by eras, and at the other end of the spectrum is Planck time, where we measure how long it takes for light to travel one Planck in a vacuum. 

Another completely different measurement of time is Prophetic Time. Prophetic Time is a Biblical measurement that measures the amount of time between when a particular prophecy is given and when that prophecy is fulfilled. For example, when Jesus came to earth the first time, His birth, life and death were a fulfillment of over one hundred Old Testament prophecies. Some of the prophecies had been written hundreds of years earlier, and yet, He uniquely fulfilled each one throughout his lifetime. The people living in those days literally saw prophecy fulfilled during their time on the earth.

Those of us living today might be living in another significant time of prophetic fulfillment.  There are dozens of prophecies that speak of the return of Christ to the earth, i.e., His Second Coming. Some of these prophecies were given over two millennia ago. The Bible speaks of a seven year period of time known as “The Tribulation” that takes place prior to His return. It also speaks of a “Time of Sorrows,” that precedes those final seven years. This “Time of Sorrows” consists of earthquakes, famines, wars and rumors of wars, pestilences, death, inflation and false Christs.

So if someone were to ask me, “What time is it?” and they were referring to Biblical prophecy, I would answer them this way: From my vantage point, I believe we are pretty far down the road on the Prophetic Timeline. I would say that I believe we have entered into  the “Time of Sorrows.” Watching the Earth deal with COVID-19 on a worldwide scale has gotten my attention. Listening to the people from ID2020 explain how they want to give everyone living on the earth a digital implant has made me sit up and take notice.  Seeing governments put draconian measures on their populace has opened my eyes to how easy it is to fully control the world’s population.  These events show me how the next events on The Prophetic Timeline could soon come to pass. 

What do things look like from your vantage point? How would you answer if someone asked you where we were on the Prophetic Timeline?

So, What’s With the Bunnies?

Valerie Cullers 24 Comments
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Photo by Giftpundits.com on Pexels.com

Recently a fellow blogger and I were discussing religious traditions. She had a question about Easter and asked, “So, what’s with the bunnies?” I thought I would take the time this week to answer that question. It’s one that I asked myself years ago and here are some of the things I discovered.

Easter, like Christmas, has symbols associated with it that are both religious and secular. Originally, Easter was not called Easter by the Christians. It was celebrated on the first Sunday after Passover as the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The symbols that were associated with the Resurrection are the cross, the lamb and the empty tomb. In Latin, it was called Pascha, a word derived from the Hebrew Pesach – meaning Passover. The date changes every year depending on when the Hebrew Passover is celebrated. It has always been the highest Holy Day of the Christian religion. It is the climax of their Holy Week; Christ’s last week on earth before he was crucified and rose from the dead. 

So again, “What’s with the bunnies?” For Millennia in the pagan tradition, the end of Winter advent of Spring has been celebrated. Symbols of fertility, rabbits and eggs, have been part of that tradition. Fertility goddesses and stories surrounding them have been at the center of the pagan tradition. Some believe the Sumerian goddess, Ishtar, was central to the celebration early on. As the centuries passed, Ishtar morphed into the Canaanite goddess, Astarte, then into the Greek goddess Aphrodite and finally into the Roman goddess Venus. You can hear the similarity between the words Ishtar and Easter and can see how the celebration could have gotten its name. Others think that perhaps it was named after another goddess called Eostre, the goddess of Spring. 

That being said, how did two completely different traditions become comingled? Early in the fourth century A.D., Christianity became the main religion of the Roman Empire. However, it was not the only religion. Pagan traditions continued on and slowly some of the symbols associated with the pagan celebration crept into the Christian tradition. The pagan celebration of Spring was gradually moved on the calendar until it took place at the same time as the Christian holiday. Fast forward to the twenty-first century and you find that Easter is celebrated as both a secular and a religious holiday. Many people with children will color eggs, fill baskets with chocolate bunnies and have a large family dinner. That constitutes the secular celebration of Easter. Christians may also color eggs, give their children chocolate bunnies, and have a large family dinner. Their main focus however, will be to gather with other Christians to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Many people today do not question the symbolism associated with this holiday. However, a deeper look will show two completely different traditions whose trajectory has merged culturally throughout the last two Millennia.

Note: This is the abridged answer to the question, “What’s with the bunnies?”  Many of the facts about the Pagan celebration were taken from the article: The Ancient Pagan Origins of Easter by Joanna Gillan published April 18, 2019 on the website Ancient Origins.

The Lens of Regret

Valerie Cullers 11 Comments

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Regrets…we all have them. They come in all sizes from big to small and every size in between. Sometimes, if we look at our lives through the Lens of Regret for too long, we can become derailed. For the past several weeks, most of us have had a lot of time on our hands. When we have prolonged periods of time to think, our thoughts naturally return to the past. Some are finding that they are experiencing regret over some of their past choices. Some are even looking at the totality of their lives and are filled with regret over the trajectory their lives have taken.

What can we do if that is what we are experiencing right now? First, we must acknowledge our regrets. We can think about where we went wrong and why we took those wrong turns so many years ago. We must then move to the present and ask ourselves, “Is there anything I can do about those choices now?” If so, we have the time to possibly change the final result of those choices. For instance, if we haven’t spoken to a friend or relative for years, we can pick up the phone and restore communication. Or perhaps we stole something from a business we worked for or an acquaintance we knew. Now could be the right time to write out a check and send it to that person with an explanatory letter expressing our regret. 

You see, the thing about regrets is that they are not all carved in stone. Within some of them lies the opportunity to bring us freedom and a resolution from the burden we have been carrying. They might even hold the possibility of personal growth and maturity in a way we might not have considered possible before. 

But what if we are experiencing something deeper than regret, something that feels akin to sorrow? What if we are genuinely sorry for something we have done or for a series of choices we have made that have impacted our lives in a negative way? Unlikely as it may seem, it might be one of the most positive things we could feel at the moment. The Bible calls this emotion “godly sorrow.” It is a sorrow that has been given to us by the Lord to help us turn our lives around. The Bible puts it this way, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted;” 2 Corinthians 7:10. 

So what do we do with that sorrow? We bring it to the Lord, i.e., we confess it to Him. We tell Him about what we have done wrong and that we are sorry we have done it. We ask Him to forgive us those things (our sins) and we ask Him to have His Son, Jesus, come and live in our hearts and make us new people. That is what we call being “born again.” It is available to anyone at any time. God is always there to hear our call. The good news is that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and be raised from the dead to bring us close to Him by making us part of His family.

Regret or godly sorrow? We each must decide. And if we can move in a positive direction, let’s make that move. We won’t regret it!

Image by gagnonm1993. Courtesy of Pixabay.

A Time Out

Valerie Cullers 16 Comments

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When you were a child, did you ever get sent to your room for a “time-out?” If you did, you know that you didn’t go there with the friend you got in trouble with. You also didn’t go there with the brother or sister you were fighting with. You were basically “in solitary” for a while.

We are at a time in our world when we have all been given a time-out. The difference is that we are not in our rooms alone. The whole world is basically in a forced lockdown. When we see photos from friends and relatives around the world, we realize that we are all in this together. This should give us a feeling of solidarity and unity. This epidemic is a worldwide event, and it is something that we will all remember together.

What can we do while we are experiencing our “time-out?” We can keep our perspective and realize that it will not last forever. We can think about and pray for those essential workers who are working in the public arena, doing more than an ordinary public service. They are literally keeping things running, i.e., our medical workers are keeping the hospitals and clinics open for us. The retail workers are keeping the grocery stores open, and those in the transportation industry are keeping the flow of goods moving where they are most needed. We can also pray for our government officials who are trying to figure out the best way to keep the public safe. They are under a tremendous strain as they attempt to navigate this public health crisis. When it is over, may we never take any of them for granted again.

Yes, we are in a time-out, but it doesn’t have to be an unproductive time. May we use this unexpected gift of time to lift up and encourage our neighbors and friends. May it draw us closer to those near and far as we experience this unique time together.

Image by Lauren Lafond. Courtesy of Pixabay.

A Cautionary Tale

Valerie Cullers 30 Comments

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The Dark Lord, Satan, sat on the highest mountain of the earth. He surveyed the kingdoms of this world and did not hear the normal din of everyday life. The earth  was eerily quiet; he could see death and destruction everywhere. It made him almost gleeful. He savored the feeling for a few moments and then turned to his most powerful demons. He smiled and with a smug look on his face said, “What do you have for me today?”

Fear spoke first, “We’ve got them on the run. The earth is filled with fear and they are worried. I believe I am accomplishing my finest work yet.”

The Dark Lord nodded, “I knew I could count on you in any crisis.”

“My business is down. The prostitutes and pimps are not on the street. and sex trafficking has slowed,” Lust whined.

“Not to worry,” the Dark Lord consoled. “You will back in business soon enough.”

“It’s been a bad few weeks for me. Everything I have built for people to worship is being knocked down,” Idolatry complained. 

“I’ve been going through a rough patch also. Kindness and Generosity have been rampant. I can’t seem to put a stop to it,” Selfishness chimed in.

“You think it’s been bad for you? I’ve had the roughest weeks yet. Thousands are turning back to The Father of Lights and His Son, Jesus,” Unbelief  said as he erupted in frustration.

The Dark Lord watched as his henchmen all started to talk at once; each one vying for his attention. He let them get their frustrations out and then he looked at each one. “My time is almost here. Those that won’t turn to the Father of Lights and His Son will be looking for a savior. I am almost ready to take my rightful place in the earth. I will be worshipped by millions and we will finally have our day. Take heart, it is coming soon.”

With that statement, the demons fell at his feet and groveled. They too had been waiting for his time. It was going to be their time also…a time of suffering and sorrow like the world had never seen.

“Soon,” the Dark Lord repeated.  He looked at each and every demon, “Now, get back to work. We must get the world ready for my appearing.”

Image by Leonardo DeCarvalho. Courtesy of Pixabay.

When did 60 become the new 80?

Valerie Cullers 20 Comments

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Did you ever have a birthday and someone say something to you that sounded like this? You know that 40 is the new 30? Or maybe, 50 is the new 40? Or perhaps, 60 is the new 50? Have you ever given a thought as to why people say those things? It’s because we have been living longer based on advances in our healthcare system. We now have antibiotics and medicines that can prolong our lives, which previous generations did not have. People are now biologically younger than they were at any given age if they are relatively healthy.

About thirty years ago, a relative of mine was on a State Board that was formulating decisions for health care. There was only so much state money to go around when assisting people on aid, and so health guidelines were being developed on how to allocate those funds. For instance, if you were an alcoholic, you would not be considered for a liver transplant. If you had already had a liver transplant, you may not be given another. Those funds would be allocated to someone else to give them a chance at life. Conversely, if you were a certain age, say 80, and you had breast cancer, you would not be considered for chemotherapy or radiation, as the negative effects of the therapy could be worse for you than just living with the cancer and dying of natural causes several years down the road.

Now we find ourselves with a global pandemic. Unfortunately, countries are having to make difficult decisions as to who will receive extraordinary life-giving care and who won’t. Some have suggested the cutoff age for that care be around 60 or 65, depending on which hospital, state, or federal government makes those decisions. Although it may feel like a kick in the teeth, this idea has been around for centuries. Remember when the ship was sinking at sea and the rule was “Women and Children First?”  People have always had to make life and death decisions based on the greater good for society. 

So what can an older person do if they find themselves in that position? What can you do to increase your chances of survival should you be attacked by a virus or any other life-threatening illness? The following are a few thoughts from my perspective:

1. If you’ve been living the high life, expecting the doctors to perform a miracle should you have a problem, give up the fallacy. The next time you wake up with a hangover, take a good, hard look in the mirror. Throw some cold water on your face, give yourself a slap, and say, “Snap out of it!” You can’t live like the devil and expect your doctor to swoop in and save you or your tired liver should the need arise.

2. If you smoke or vape, stop! Almost 1/5 of deaths are smoking-related, and you can increase your chances of life simply by stopping. You know your doctor has been begging you to stop for years, so why not listen to his advice? Pick up that cell phone, give him a call, and get that prescription of Nicorette he’s been wanting to write for you.

3. Put down that remote, get those tennis shoes on, and walk out of your house. Take a spin around the block, and then each day or so, add another block. It will increase your circulation, build your stamina, and lower your blood sugar. Within a week or so, you will start to feel more alive than you have for years.

4. Slow down on the fast food. Try to eat a few fruits and vegetables.  Honestly, they won’t hurt you. No one is saying you have to eat kale; just add something green to your diet. Something red or yellow won’t hurt either. Eating healthy will also give you more energy and help clean the sludge out of your system.

5. Put down that beer or Coca-Cola and grab a glass of water. Try to drink several glasses a day to help clean out your system. It will help your kidneys function better and will remove toxins from your body. Your skin will even look younger.

6. Take a Multi-vitamin. Yes, gummies count. Get those needed vitamins and minerals inside of you. They will also help build your stamina and strength.

7. Stop putting your faith in the healthcare system and try putting it in God. He’s the only one who can save you in this life or the next. Why not look to Him to help you survive? 

It may be true that 40 is the new 30, 50 is the new 40, and 60 is the new 50, but when it comes down to it, our birth certificates will reveal our true age. Let’s do our best to take personal responsibility for our health and not rely on any doctor or healthcare system to save us.

Image by Michal Jamoluk. Courtesy of Pixabay.

Really?

Valerie Cullers 18 Comments

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Sunday was a lovely day and I decided to go for a walk in the park near my home. Most people are cordial as you pass by and greet you with a friendly “Good Afternoon.” It is a pleasure to interact with others, even from a safe distance these days, as our interactions seem so much more precious than they used to. Even a friendly “hello” from a neighbor across the street brightens my day. 

As I was finishing my walk, a lady walked by in her mid-twenties. She looked very angry and would not even look at me. She was Asian and I think Chinese. I didn’t think much about it except that she must have been having a very bad day. I thought about her a few more times that afternoon and then forgot about her. The next day, I read in the New York Times that many Chinese Americans are being harassed by others. They are being called names, spat on and even physically attacked. I was shocked at this behavior and began to wonder if perhaps someone had said something to the woman I had seen the day before.

For a bit of personal perspective, I grew up in a region close to the California border. About twenty-three miles south of where I lived was a Japanese Internment Camp near Tulelake, California.  About 120,000 Japanese Americans were placed in one of those camps during World War II. As a child, I toured the camp and tried to imagine how daily life must have been for those interred there. When I grew up, I hoped we had learned our lesson about displaying hatred and prejudice to those of a different nationality or race during difficult times. 

Apparently, not so.  Again, we are seeing fear and hatred rear their ugly heads. People feel out of control, having to deal with the vagaries of the coronavirus, and they are lashing out at innocent people of Chinese descent. Do we honestly think that our neighbor, those we work with, or those who run the Chinese restaurants in our cities, had anything to do with the Coronavirus? Really?

If we have the opportunity, let’s make an effort to reach out with kindness to those Chinese Americans living among us. Let’s let them know they are safe around us and try to treat them the same way we would like to be treated if we were in their position. If there was ever a time to apply the Golden Rule, it is certainly in this situation. After all,  “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you,” should not be just another positive maxim; it should be the standard we use as we continue to weather this difficult crisis together.