Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to  Real Life . Everyone loves a … funeral? The word doesn’t quite fit. Yet wise King Solomon said a funeral's better than a wedding feast.  A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man;  the living should take this to heart.  Sorrow is better than laughter,  because a sad face is good for the heart.  The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,  but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.  Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 In loving memory of my  father-in-law, Michael Tustan April 5, 1929 - July 16, 2012 I've been in a house of mourning. My dear father-in-law passed away last week. He was 83. For 18 years he needed total care after a heart attack left him incapacitated. My mother-in-law lovingly nursed him for twelve years unt...

Welcome to  Real Life . Recently, wildfires in Colorado have destroyed thousands of acres of forest and hundreds of homes. The devastation is difficult for me to imagine. I’ve never lost a home to fire.  Yet, one day this entire world will be engulfed in flames: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. [1] God revealed this prophecy through the apostle Peter 2000 years ago. Scoffers say, “It’ll never happen.” Life goes on as it has since the world began – and it will go on forever. It’s easy to fall into that mindset. Life changes little from day to day. It feels like things will go on the same way forever. Actually though, things are constantly changing. America is different than it was 100 years ago. My street has changed since I moved in 30 years ago. My body is different than it was 5 years ago. I have le...

Welcome to  Real Life.  Sometimes it’s difficult to slow the pace of life, even on a vacation.  North Myrtle Beach, S.C. I’ve been on vacation for five days. [1] But, today is the first day it felt like I was on a vacation. It’s taken five days for a sense of rest to penetrate my soul. It’s taken five days to quiet the nagging voice that says, “Don’t just sit there. Do something! Exercise, read, shop, study or write. Be productive. Make the best use of this free time.”  As the nagging voice fades, I hear the Spirit’s gentle whisper, “Be still. Rest in my presence. Find me in the warmth of the sun, the caress of the gentle breeze and the rhythm of the ocean’s waves. It’s time to slow down. Step away from non-stop activity. Get in step with me.” I tend to live life in a hurry. God’s never in a hurry. He is eternal. He created time and dwells outside the realm of time. What I strive to accomplish in days or weeks or even years, he does in a moment. ...

Welcome to Real Life . It (real life) often turns out much differently than our early dreams and expectations. Joseph dreamed of becoming a ruler. It did happen. But, he never thought slave and ex-con would also be a part of his resume. “Help! Come quickly!” she screams. Servants race to find Potiphar’s wife with Joseph’s jacket in her hands. “That Hebrew slave attacked me. He tried to take advantage of me.” Joseph, unjustly accused of rape, is thrown in prison. But, he was just trying to do the right thing. Why did God let this happen? Joseph is the favorite of Jacob’s twelve sons. As such, his brothers despise him. They can’t stand to be around him. When an opportunity arises, they sell Joseph to a caravan of traders traveling to Egypt. In Egypt he’s purchased by a prominent officer named Potiphar. Young Joseph falls from favorite son to slave. Yet God’s hand is on him. Everything he does succeeds. Potiphar notices. Soon, he makes Joseph steward over his entire household. ...