Monday, August 14, 2017

    

     I was just reading one of my journals and came across this experience that I had on May 18, 2016, and just had to share it with you. It was an awesome experience.
     "This morning while I was driving west on Lider road, I had just came down the hill and was headed through the Black Jack valley when a majestic bald eagle flew out of a fir tree to my right and crossed over Lider right in front of me. It was high enough that I would not have hit it, but it gave me a great view of that huge bird. For a split second, I wondered why it was swooping across the road. I figured it was just moving to a better location or had seen a yummy rodent in the field on my left. But then, I saw a tiny bird fly right behind the eagle. That tiny little bird had chased away the huge eagle. A bird no bigger than three inches long, had the boldness that was larger than the eighteen inch eagle that was apparently threatening the tiny bird's nest.
     The Holy Spirit immediately taught me a lesson: Christians are like that tiny bird and Satan is like the giant eagle. He is big and powerful and deadly, but we can be brave and bold. For even though we are small and weak, we are mighty and fierce when we trust in God and allow Him to use us to do what is right. We don't need to sit or hid or cower in fear because of the appearance of the enemy. We can attack and he will flee just like the eagle fled from the tiny little bird.
     James 4:15 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you."


Monday, July 24, 2017


 COMMON COURTESY?
By Alice Jensen, 7-23-17

          For those of you who are under forty: How many of you know what is in the above picture? How many of you have ever touched one? How many of you have ever been taught the common courtesy of how and when to use one?

          What ever happened to the most basic of common courtesies? Either we aren’t teaching them or we are choosing to just ignore them. So, this old lady is going to sit you down and give you a lesson that I hope you don’t soon forget.

          Thank you cards are to be used to thank people for the gifts they have given to you. Within your immediate family, so long as you live under the same roof, they do not need to be used. (But it wouldn’t hurt to give one to a parent or sibling every now and then.) However, whenever you receive a gift or unpaid service from anyone, you should sit yourself down and write a short little thank you card or note. I can tell you that it will be greatly appreciated.

          In the last ten years (at least) I have received fewer thank you cards or notes than I can count on one hand from those under the age of forty. And “No!” a thank you note sent by email or on Facebook does not count. Writing a thank you card or note should entail just a little bit of work and a little bit of money and a little bit of time for it to be a true thank you card from your heart. I will admit though, a written thank you even if it is sent through the internet is better than nothing.

          I have given gifts and I have performed free services for others and sometimes I haven’t received even a verbal thank you. I am not trying to guilt anyone nor am I looking for sympathy. I am just trying to get folks to be more thankful and grateful and appreciative, and to physically express it to others. I can tell you from experience that when I don’t receive any type of thanks at all, I tend to withhold my gifts and talents from the ungrateful recipient. I know, I know, that isn’t very Christ-like, but you do notice that Jesus didn’t do very much for those who were so full of themselves they didn’t think they even needed Him…like the Pharisees.

          So, anyhow, it is very easy and very simple to just go to the store, including the secondhand and dollar type stores, and purchase yourself a package of cards. Keep them where you will remember to use them, and then use them every time someone gives you a gift or provides a service to you, especially if it is a free service for which you would have had to pay a whole lot more than it will cost you to just write a simple thank you card.

          “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18

Sunday, June 18, 2017



Psalms 112, “The Virtuous Man”, My Jerry
  June 2017 by Alice Jensen

A virtuous or righteous man, who can find one? I have! A few weeks ago as I once again read Psalms 112, I was amazed to realize that the chapter could be written about my husband. Every verse applies to my Jerry!

1, “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.”
  After dating several men in a matter of a couple of years, I was pretty burned out on the     whole idea of dating. I knew that I wanted a husband, but I finally realized that I also needed him to be a Godly man that loved God above all else. God assured me that He already had one picked out just for me. Little did I know that it would be my Jerry! After a few dates, I told Jerry that one of the requirements to continue dating me was that he already had to be reading his Bible faithfully. I already saw the evidence that Jerry served the Lord and was faithful to God and His church. Jerry assured me that he read his Bible every day, and to this very day that is still true. Jerry fears the LORD and delights greatly in His Word and is obedient to it.

2, “His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.”
When Jerry and I began to plan for our future, we had hoped to have six children. I so wanted to give him a son to carry on the Jensen name, but God had other plans for us. He did allow us to have six pregnancies, but He also allowed us to lose five of them. One was a set of twins. However, God also blessed us with one pregnancy that went to birth. Our Rebekah is our one and only “seed”. But she has been a mighty good influence in our lives. She is a blessing to so many people, in spite of her autism. She is a mighty blessed woman, and Jerry has done a great job of raising her to love and serve the Lord.

3, “Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.” There was a time, when our finances were so tight, you could hear them scream. But from a young age I had been taught to tithe and to give God the first part of all our increase. I do have to admit that there was once that we just were not able to do so, but we made it up later. Jerry has always done his best to provide for his little family and to please the Lord while working.  And God blessed Jerry with better and better jobs, until He gave Jerry the career as a law enforcement officer. For thirty-seven years Jerry protected and served the people of Port Orchard. Because of our tithing and because of that job, God has given to us wealth and riches and a wonderful house that we can use to serve the Lord and be a ministry to others. Jerry is known as a righteous man because of the life he lives and God has blessed him.

4, “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”
Jerry never realized what was in store for him when he got married to me. We would go through great depths of sorrow and horrible heights of mental illness. Yet, Jerry stayed an upright man and God has blessed him with light in the darkness. Jerry is full of compassion and understanding when Bekah or I go through times of struggle. He stays gracious and righteous, and God delivers us time after time. One of the darkest periods of our lives was when our daughter became psychotic and self-destructive. Jerry kept things as peaceful as he could within our little family. Several times he would have to take her for rides to get her mind onto other things and to give me a break.

5, “A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.” There is no man with more of a servant’s heart than my Jerry. He is willing to help anyone and everyone any time all the time. He not only lends, he has a very giving spirit and has given large sums of money when we are guided to do so by the Holy Spirit. And together we try to be the best stewards of God’s resources. Jerry is discrete and has never been a gossip or backbiter. As a patrol-officer there were many cases that he keep to himself and could not share with others outside of the office. He has done a great job of knowing when and when not to share his experiences.

6, “Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.”
 I know this doesn’t mean that he won’t move from one house to another. But I also know that Jerry would be satisfied to live in one place for the rest of his life, and I am also sure that he will be happy to live wherever God moves him. This verse means that a righteous man will stay a righteous man because of the choices that he makes. And those who know him will know that he will stay a righteous man. It is too bad and too sad that there are not more men that this can be said about, but without a doubt it can be said about my Jerry. From the day I first met Jerry almost 39 years ago, he has been a righteous man that is faithful and loyal to the Lord and to the Bible.

7, “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.”
Jerry was the epitome of a police officer. For 37 years he protected and served the city of Port Orchard. Never did he get fearful of his job and what he could potentially face in the line of duty. He was always professional and calm. He treated everyone fairly and kept his cool. He was level-headed and able to quickly assess and address each situation as it arose. At first when he became a police officer, I was extremely afraid that he would be hurt or killed. However, as I saw how well Jerry did his job and as I trusted in the Lord, I became less fearful. The fear never totally left until the day he retired, I knew that Jerry would do his best to not get hurt nor allow anyone else to be hurt. God has taken great care of Jerry.

8, “His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.”
I don’t think that Jerry ever had any enemies, but I am sure that there were those who did not like the job that Jerry did as a police officer, and there were those who didn’t like him for doing his job. But Jerry trusted in the Lord and knew that no matter what happened it could only be done according to the will of God. Jerry’s heart is established to trust in God and in His Word.

9, “He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.”
Jerry is a very giving man. I remember hearing a story from a former neighbor from when Jerry was a young teenager. She told how that Jerry had found a garden hose in someone’s trash. It was still in good condition and just needed a cleaning. He did so and then gave it to the neighbor who needed a second garden hose. Whenever we hear of a true need, we are some of the first to respond. Jerry gives of his time, talents, and treasures, and has always done it with a grateful heart to the Lord who made it possible to give in the first place. Again, I cannot emphasize enough what a righteous man Jerry is and has been. His righteousness truly does endure for ever.

10, “The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.”
I don’t know how to apply this to Jerry other than to say that many of the criminals he has arrested have also faced the punishment for their crimes. My prayer is that Jerry will always be remembered by the wicked and by the righteous as a man who loved and faithfully served the Lord. When Jerry first started as an officer, he was accused by an angry man who had received a ticket from Jerry, that Jerry had been rude and angry and cursing when he had confronted the man. The sergeant who took the report told that man he had the wrong officer because Jerry Jensen was the calmest and most level tempered officer on the force; and that no-one had ever known Jerry to get angry at anyone, nor had anyone ever heard Jerry use curse words. The man had to leave in shame because of his own wickedness. Instead of getting a reprimand for doing wrong, Jerry was commended for doing right.

To say that I am proud of my husband would be like saying the ocean is wet. Yes, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I am proud of my husband. I believe he is the most righteous man in the world! And I am so blessed to be his wife and to have him in my life.

Friday, June 2, 2017

     When I say, "The Virtuous Woman", what is the first chapter in the Bible you think of? Proverbs 31, of course. But what if I was to say, "The Virtuous Man", what would you answer? I had never thought about this before, even though I have read through the Bible at least thirty times. A virtuous man, hmm. What chapter exemplifies a virtuous man? Wellllll, a few days ago, I once again read Psalms 112, when all of the sudden I realized that this chapter could be written about my husband, a virtuous man indeed.
    As I read through each verse, I noticed how it applied to my Jerry. I hope the same can be said about your man. If you are not yet married, and it doesn't seem that your guy matches what is written in God's Word, and probably never will, it is time for you to dump your man. Sorry, but it is a fact that if you truly do want to live "happily ever after", you need to first marry a man that is a virtuous man. Oh, and if you don't think they exist anymore, think again. They do. They may not be located where you are looking, but God knows and He can put the two of you together. I have seen Him do that many times and yes, I have even seen Him do it recently.
     For those of you who are married, but not to the most virtuous man, well, you need to stay married and you need to be as virtuous as you are able. The Bible says that the man can be won through the righteous behavior of the wife. (see I Peter 3.) And if he never notices you, God still does, and He will bless you for your obedience and faithfulness.
     You can read how God brought Jerry and I together in one of my earlier blogs. But I never knew how blessed I was to be married to my Jerry until I realized that he is a very virtuous and righteous man according to Psalms 112. Thank you Lord for allowing me to be his wife.


Wednesday, May 31, 2017

     A few months ago, during Mission's Conference at our church, one of the missionaries commented that he is very, very careful about what he sings, prays, and says, for fear that he may be speaking without realizing what he was saying and that God may just require more of him than he is prepared to give. Immediately I thought of a post that I wrote several years ago about a song that I heard when Jerry and I were newly married and how I loved the words of the song and even sang it until God did require me to give up more than I was prepared to give. Then I thought of how God has used all of those "losses" to allow me to have more than I ever thought I could possess.
     That song was titled, "For Whatever it Takes to Draw Closer to you Lord", and it talks about trading sunshine for rain, comfort for pain, etc. I just thought it was such a beautiful song. But once I began to lose my babies and my health, I hated that song. For many years I would not listen to it and put it far from my brain. Then about seven years ago our Pastor and his daughter sang it at our church. As soon as I heard the first few notes I headed to bathroom because the tear spigot was turning to full blast. I sat on the toilet and just cried, as the Holy Spirit comforted me. Was I now willing to sing that song in truth? It took an act of faith for me to fully surrender my health to the One who created me. Once I let go and let God be the Lord of my physical body, I had such peace and could truly say, "For whatever it takes to be closer to you, Lord, that's what I am willing to do."
     How I wish that I could say that ever since that day I have been able to praise and thank the Lord for the physical trials I continue to face. But there are still times when I complain and cry and just get weary. How I wish that I could also say that the Lord fully healed my body. Instead, He continues to allow me to suffer. But in that suffering, I am learning and I am changing my thoughts and I am beginning to understand the pain of others. The two phrases that get me through the hardest times are: "It could always be worse", and "This is only temporary."
     I pray for that missionary. I pray that he will be able to trust God. I pray that when he does go through the trials and pains of life, that he will grow in his faith. I know that I am a different woman than I ever imagined I would be because of all that I have had to endure, and I thank God for it. I pray that this missionary will become the man that God wants him to be.
     Several years ago, I heard the analogy of Christians being like diamonds. They do not become items of beauty until they have had all the rough parts removed with chisel and hammer. In the hands of a skilled craftsman, they become jewels of great value.
     You are the second wife of a man who seems to love you dearly. No, his first wife did not leave him, nor is she even dead. No, you are the second wife of a man who already has one wife. He says that his love for you is greater than the love you would have for your children. You accept what he says, but you long to know that love for children yourself. For some reason you are not able to produce any children while the first wife continues to have them year after year. She in her pride makes fun of you every chance she gets for she knows that her husband loves you more than he loves her. But she is the one who has produced the heir and she is oh so proud of it.
     Your husband is a man who fears and obeys the LORD and is even of the family of the high priest, though not closely related. Still your husband is a good man who regularly takes his family to the tabernacle to worship the God of your faith. Every year, the whole family makes the trek for the special occasions that are required for every man to make.
     This year, you are so desperate for a child that you decide that you will earnestly pray and make a promise to God that if He will give you a son, you will dedicate this son to God. As you pray, you are in bitterness of soul and tears flow from your eyes. Your lips move while you pray, but no words are heard. Without your knowledge, the high priest sees what you are doing and instead of comforting and encouraging you, he condemns you for being drunk. He is very familiar with how drunkards appear because his own sons are wicked, guilty, and truly evil young men. You speak to the high priest and set him straight about your actions. Now you are committed to keep your promise for not only does God know your vow, but so does the high priest.
     A few months later, you realize that you are feeling strange and hope that what you doubt may actually be true. Can it be, that after all these years, and after all the loving, you are finally pregnant? Once it is confirmed, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has heard and answered your prayers. At last a longed for son is born from your body and placed in your arms.
     As you look into his trusting eyes, you begin to think about this child being placed in the care of the high priest. How can you do such a thing? It is the same high priest who accused you of drunkenness. It is the same high priest who does nothing to control or correct his wicked sons. It is the same high priest whose sons work in the tabernacle where you will place your precious son. How can you even think that your son will not turn out just like them? How can you not worry about his future? How can you keep this vow to God Almighty? And that is when you remember that He is God Almighty and that you can trust Him. He is the one who heard and answered your prayer for this baby boy who now lays in your arms. Instead of looking at the wickedness within the tabernacle, you keep your focus on God. You trust God! And God greatly blesses you for your faith.
     This is the story of Hannah that you can read in I Samuel 1-2. She demonstrated great faith which we women of today can learn to emulate. She trusted God, and God blessed her. This same God is our God if we receive His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Saviour. We too can trust God. We can trust God with our children, with our selves, with our everything, and He will bless us for it. We don't need to fear the future nor the present nor the evil that surrounds us. Instead, we just need to trust God.

Monday, March 20, 2017


Daddy's Girl
I have always been a "daddy's girl", even when I hated and despised my dad for what he did to me and to our family. (That bitterness and anger was taken care of a long time ago and you can read about it in one of my earlier postings.)
One of the earliest photos I have is of me in the arms of my father. He was a big and strong man who was also meek and quiet. I would love to sit next to him at church and trace the tattoos on his arms with my little fingers. When I tired of doing that, he would allow me to cuddle up next to his side under those same strong arms. There I would be at peace while I listened to the preaching.
I can only remember one time when my dad "disciplined" me and it came as a total shock. I won't go into details. Suffice to say, it worked! There was another time when he was suppose to spank me when I was around nine years old and had been a super brat and mouthed off to my mom. Mom demanded that Dad take care of the situation. Having never been punished by my dad, I was a bit scared and did not know what to expect. He took me to my room and sat with me on the bed. He told me that he hated physical punishment and would never spank me. But to appease my mom, we had to pretend. So, instead of swatting my behind, my dad "spanked" the bed while I stood up and "cried". (I think that is when I learned to love acting and found I was really good at fake crying.) Now that Mom is in heaven, this is the first time she has probably learned about this story of my dad and I.
My dad is now 91 years old and is in failing health. I know it won't be long until he joins his bride of 69 years. I guess that is why I am thinking so much about him today.
He had his flaws and wasn't the best dad, but he was loyal and faithful. He was also stubborn and proud. I remember one time having an argument with him about something that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, but he stuck to his belief and would not be swayed. The very next day when I had proof in hand that he had been wrong, he denied that he had ever held the opposing belief. All I could do was shut my mouth, shake my head, and walk away.
My dad taught me to be independent by allowing me to make mistakes and learn from them. He taught me to be strong in my beliefs. He taught me to love math and to be able to apply it to every day life. He showed me how to be patient and to endure strife...and to keep your mouth shut when necessary. He taught me faithfulness to God, church, family, nation, and community. He taught me how to drive a stick-shift and had me help him rebuild the engine on my car when "someone" (not me) drove it without my permission and without oil and caused the engine to freeze up. I will never forget putting the rings on the pistons and trying to get the whole thing back into the cylinder.
My dad was in WWII and has only recently shared his memories of that time. He was on an LST that took part in D-Day, the invasion of southern France, and north Africa. The Navy then transferred him to an LSM that took him to Japan for the invasion. He was in Tokyo Bay for the signing of surrender, then stayed behind to help with the clean-up. I know that he still has memories buried deep down inside that he won't remember and will never share. That's okay! I am proud of my dad.
It is hard to see my dad as he slowly declines. I remember the first time I hugged him after he had his heart attack and bypass surgery. No longer did I feel the strong shoulder muscles that always assured me that Daddy would protect me. Over the years those muscles, as well as all the others, have gotten weaker and smaller and his stature has shrunk to my height. At this point, he can no longer stand on his own nor take care of himself. About all he likes to do anymore is sleep for hours on end. But inside, he is still my strong and loving dad. And even though some of the memories still hurt, I will cherish the life I had with my daddy.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

It has been a long time since I did any blogging. Lately, I have been praying for God to show me how He wants to use me since I can no longer do most of the things I used to do. Teaching Sunday School, leading Ladies' ministries, Nursery worker, Kitchen leader, Life Group Co-coach, Church cleaning and yard work, Drama leader, Prayer partner...all those things had to be laid aside when the Lord allowed me to have fibromyalgia. I knew that I could always pray, which I do always, but I also knew that I could do more. My heart's desire is to serve the Lord every minute of every hour of every day.
Recently, the Holy Spirit has been gently speaking to me that I could get back to blogging. So, here I am, and Lord willing, He will use me to be a blessing to you. My prayer is that those who read my blogs will increase in number and in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. May God use this site for His glory and your good.
So, for this blog I would like to share with you a dream that I had a couple of days ago.
In my dream I was a warrior general, like John of Arc, who was leading my city army into a battle to defend our city from the coming enemy. The location was somewhere in Israel at a city of only three thousand and the setting was around 2500 years ago. We had heard from reliable sources that a huge army was coming to take our city because we would be an easy target and because they hated our good and godly reputation.
My army and I were clad in our tunics, cloaks, and coats. Our only weapons were our tools of farming and shepherding. But we loved and served the Lord God and knew that whatever happened He was on our side.
Our troops numbering less than a thousand were stationed all around the small city wall, prepared to defend unto our death. As we stood in the morning sun, the enemy army approached. They were covered in black armor from head to toe and were mounted on black horses of war. Spears and swords glittered in the morning light. Fear touched our brains, but I yelled words of encouragement.
The army responded with their own yelling of "Charge" as they came rushing towards us. However, as they reached us, they fell from their horses and begged for mercy. Their spears and swords were only made of plastic and their horses were inflated pool toys.
As the enemy lay quivering they pleaded for us to just let them into the city where they could get food and drink and rest. They promised that they would leave within a week or two or a month. At first I looked upon them with pity as my troops wondered what we should do. It was then I remembered how Satan comes like a roaring lion, but also as a subtle serpent. With firm resolve, I commanded our army to dispense of the enemy at once and not allow even one of them to step one foot within the city gates.
Sometimes the enemy attacks quickly and strongly, and it overwhelms us. But much of the time Satan comes as an angel of light and we welcome him into our life. We must be on our guard at all times and always seek the advice of God and His Word.