To God Be the Glory

Dear wonderful friends,

We want to share with you an update and our deep gratitude for your thoughts and prayers these 3+ weeks.

We've been living in kind of a "twilight zone". And with very step  God has shown and is showing Himself so radically in charge and sovereign over all details...one miracle after another after another after another! ~Just talk with Bets, you'll see peace and joy as evidenced even in these pictures taken during her brain scan!

The mere words: "Docs found a benign tumor in my brain" have opened up a flood gate of ministry opportunities for Betsy.  It's incredible! Believers and nonbelievers alike seem to be flocking to her looking to tap into the peace, joy and hope that oozes from her pores, as they share their intimate stories with her. 

~~If  there has been a tougher part to this ordeal it's been handling the full range of responses from others. ~~From an objective yet seemingly callous "it's no big deal, I know someone who had/has one of those" to "OMG you're gonna die?" and  everything/every emotion in between, this has been an interesting study in human behavior to say the least!

One thing in particular that has kept Betsy void of fear while she deals with other's reactionary responses, is the peace and joy God placed in her heart from the moment she was delivered the "tumor" news. All she's kept saying is,  "Praise You God...here we go. Whatever You have in store to glorify Yourself through me is gonna be good...real real good."  

Current status? Every meningioma situation is unique... and we will be watching this one closely with an MRI every 6 mo for now (2 more neurology appt.s in the next 2 weeks). But so far it's all been great news: this mass is slow growing, has definitive edges, is small (pecan sized at the top to the left frontal lobe next to the skull), may never grow to the point that it needs to be removed, and God is using it  as a channel to bring His love to others. Praise Him.

You have touched us deeply with your caring thoughts and prayers. To God be the glory!

Much love,

Shaun and Betsy

Water and Be Watered in Return 5-16-11

“He who waters will also be watered himself.”  Prv. 11:25

Refresh another? In doing so, we too are rejuvenated.

God tells us in Jer. 31:25 “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Amidst our personal trials, if we choose to draw near to Jesus and then by His power choose to refresh our weary friends with His love, God fills us to overflowing.

Short and sweet.

Big hugs and loads of love,                             

Shaun and Betsy

R U Confining God? 5-9-11

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you.” Is. 41:10 

     
Question: Where are you “confining God”?

·       Perhaps you’re keeping God’s influence out of one of your current business decisions?
·       Or boxing Him out of your current marital struggle?
·       Or baring Him from the mental anguish you’re STILL struggling with after all these years?
·       Or keeping Him at arms length in the complex issues surrounding a recent death of a loved one?
·       Or not allowing Him near the shame you feel in a particular area of your life, an area that you believe you can never forgive yourself for much less believe that God would forgive you for… or free you from the grips of its bondage?

We’ve been asking ourselves this very question lately especially in light of last week’s personal news regarding findings of a tumor in Betsy’s brain. Thankfully we Cleary’s continue to bask in a constant pool of peace knowing that no part of our lives goes unnoticed or is outside the providence and work of our amazing Savior. (Where we’ve really needed His strength and wisdom most is handling the fear this news invokes in others…even with it being benign!)

He cares. God really cares about what concerns us. The coolest thing is that if we truly believe this and draw close to Him in intimate relationship, when the storm hits, He glorifies Himself through us despite ourselves (vibrant relationship is the key).

“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Pet. 5:6-11

Let’s choose to walk in His power this week, freely divulging all areas of our lives to His hand regardless how we “feel”. ~~Remember, each one of us is an appointed instrument for God’s work as our awesome Lord weaves our sometimes seemingly insignificant life story into His divine and majestic tapestry of the ages. One day we will see it all clearly…

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers, they mean so much to us!

Much love,

Shaun and Betsy

Shocking News and Our Response 5-2-11

“To those entrusted with the secret things of God … it’s required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” 1 Cor. 4:2

Simply put, God tests those He loves. He does not tempt us (Jms. 1:13), but He does test us. ~~Why?

For His glory to be manifested, to see if we stray or if we follow Him, to reveal and purify our heart motive, and check and refine our character. Let’s look at some scripture illustrations:

•  Is. 48:10 “I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My      own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield My glory to another.”
• Ex. 16:4; 15:25 “In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.”
• 2 Chr. 32:31 “God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.”
• 1 Chr. 29:17 “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent.”
• Prv. 17:3 “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.”
• 1 Thess. 2:4 “We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.”

Jesus’ disciples went through severe testing before they were transformed from hesitant followers to dynamic leaders as these tests help to strengthen and develop their character in preparation for the tasks ahead. ~~If we consider ourselves disciple’s of Christ, should we expect anything different?

Pause for a moment, picture yourself in this scenario, and then imagine your response: You are at the doctor’s office and he has just announced to you that a mass was found in your MRI brain scan. ~~~What would go through your mind at this moment? How would you react?  Who’s the first person you would want to talk with? Would your initial response be one of peace or one of terror? …..

Truth: The more intimate my relationship is with God, the more we reflect Him WHEN the test comes.

Well, we used to wonder about this kind of scenario … and God granted Betsy the opportunity to live it a week ago this very hour. Her reaction? A “twilight zone” experience, yet one of amazing peace. In that frozen moment in time, all that went through her head was “Praise You Lord…here we go. What are You going to do to glorify Yourself through me with this deal?!”

The rest of the week was full of subsequent doc visits and tests and for those of you who are hearing about this for the first time, we are so sorry to shock you this way. But we want you to know that we are doing really, really, really, really, really well. And we’ve attached is a word document explaining details if you’d like to know more.

1 Cor. 4:20 tells us, “ The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power.” And we Cleary’s are experiencing this truth first hand. God is so very real, so very tangible; He infuses us with His wisdom and power, and loves each of us more that we can begin to fathom.

We love you. Thank you for showering us with your loving kindness and prayers.

Shaun and Betsy

ATTACHMENT: Findings and Miracles:

Betsy experienced a vertigo-type episode 4:30am Mar. 23, 2011, with substantial intermittent headaches since November 2010. Subsequent tests ruled out many things including stroke, but revealed a pecan sized benign (non-cancerous, slow growing) convexity meningioma in her left frontal lobe of her brain.

Here are some details:

Grade I – Benign meningioma: This non-cancerous type of brain tumor grows slowly, has distinct borders and is the most common type of primary brain tumor, accounting for approximately 30% of all brain tumors.  It originates in the meninges, (which are the outer three layers of tissue between the skull and the brain that cover and protect the brain just under the skull) and grows very slowly. In Betsy’s case, because the mass is small and is causing her minimal trouble, it will simply continue to be monitored with an MRI every 6 months.

Doctor’s are still doing tests to determine the cause of the Mar. 23 episode, but at this juncture believe that this tumor is minimally related at best. Probable cause: A compression injury to the neck coupled with an inner ear thing; the tumor is simply a red herring finding.

God’s hand has been in this whole thing from the start. His miracles and divine touch this week cannot be adequately explained in words on a page, so you will just have to talk with Betsy and observe her undeniable peace and excitement for yourself!

We appreciate your prayers and feel them powerfully. We will keep you posted!

Praise You Lord Jesus.

S&B

Refreshing Faith of a Child 4-18-11

“Jesus said, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”

Matt. 11:25

Devotion to God isn’t merely following a set of spiritual disciplines. It’s a commitment of LOVE that permeates every facet of our lives. Perhaps this is just one reason children are so endearing to God?

Kids come to Him in open armed wide-eyed expectancy, believing His truths and promises at face value. Why? Because Jesus’ words ring true to what God has already placed in their little hearts, the same truths He’s placed in each human heart. It’s no wonder Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matt. 19:13-14)

“O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of Your strength.” Ps. 8:2 “You have taught children and infants to give You praise.” Matt. 21:16

So what happens to the wide-eyed trusting small child in all of us? Life. Life happens. And some of us tragically have had to endure more heartache than average Joe. ~When we meet one of these individuals, one of the first things we recognize is, their joy seems to have been completely sucked out. It’s heartbreaking.

Do you know what Shaun and I do our best to do when we meet someone like this? ~When we find ourselves interacting with a nasty acting person, we’ve consciously trained ourselves to picture this person as an innocent young child full of wonder. (Sometimes this is rather difficult, but we try ;-)) …Then we ask ourselves, what’s his/her story? What must have happened to him/her to cause such distrust and bitterness? …Then we pray something short like this: “Lord, please give me Your eyes into this person. Help me to understand the pain he/she must feel (ugliness has pain at the root). Give me insight into this person’s soul, insights into what is really going on with him/her versus what he/she is “presenting”. Then, please help me to interact with this person how You would.”

Scripture tells us: “You show that you are a letter from Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” 2 Cor. 3:3

Little kids get it. Aside from their built in sin nature (no one has to teach a 2 yr old to say, “MINE”.), youngsters have this uncanny ability to assess and render a trustworthy response, with virtually no political positioning. (That is unless the cookie jar is within eyeshot.) Currently, most every Tuesday Betsy watches 2 little girls, sisters ages 1 and 3. What joy they bring to the Cleary household! Aside from being irresistibly cute, they’re so refreshingly straightforward in their honest assessment of life!

Need a straightforward opinion? Ask a 3 yr old. ~~God bless us this week as we lean on Him to reveal what’s really going on in the hearts and minds of people we’re in relationship with!

Much love,

Shaun and Betsy 

Divine Empowerment 4-11-11

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." Jn.13:35

Jesus promises Divine empowerment:

·       “…Don’t worry about what to say in your defense, because you will be given the right words at the right time. For it won't be you doing the talking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matt. 10:19-20

·       “All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is Mine and make it known to you.” Jn. 16:15

Stephen experiences Divine empowerment:

·       “None of them was able to stand against the wisdom and Spirit by which Stephen spoke.” Acts 6:10

We each can experience Divine empowerment:

Personal example:

Last week while viewing an amazing mountain top sunset (with 4 teenagers in tow), God graced Betsy with a divine appointment with an Iranian Muslim man who was there watching this same spectacular celestial display. After some small talk, this man squared his shoulders, looked intently at Betsy, and with tender eyes and demeanor exclaimed, “You have the Spirit of God in you.” Betsy compassionately replied, “Yes I do. Jesus Christ put His Spirit in me nearly 28 years ago and changed my life forever.”

Longer story short, through God’s empowerment, spiritual conversation ensued and Jesus’ grace and love was communicated in a way this man embraced. ~~The 4 teenagers now stood quiet, watching with their mouth’s opened in amazement as this Muslim man warmly hugged this Christian woman and waved exuberantly on tippy toe as we boarded our vehicle and drove away.

~The ensuing conversation was rich, with this particular truth becoming quite clear: There is something built into the human heart that either desires the grace and love of God or because of pride, despises the grace and love of God. Only God knows who are destined to be His and who are destined to choose their own way. Our job is to prayerfully share/radiate His truths in love as He leads. God’s job is to do the rest.

·       “Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. 2Jn. 3:1

·       “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Cor. 13:14

God bless you this week as you reach out and touch someone with His love and grace!

Much love,                            

Shaun and Betsy

Open and Closed Doors 4-4-11

“I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show You My power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Ex. 9:16

Have you ever felt like the Jewish believers in this passage: “O Hope of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble! Why are You like a stranger to us? Why are You like someone passing through the land, stopping only for the night? Are You also confused? Are You helpless to save us? Jer. 14:8

Likened to these folks, undoubtedly, some of us are also feeling estranged, prostituted, misdirected or abandoned by God right now. (And no doubt, some of us who are feeling this way deserve it, because we have done some serious “straying” from God’s best for us.)… But what about those of us who are not being chastened by God’s loving hand of discipline? What about those of us who are seeking God wholeheartedly (Mk. 12:30) yet find ourselves struggling with “Divine abandonment issues”?

Despite what we’re sensing or how things appear, we are prudent to keep Divine focus and acknowledge what the Israelites acknowledged in the very next Jeremiah verse, “You are right here among us, LORD. We are known as your people." Jer. 14:9

Recently we Cleary’s had a proverbial door slam shut on us. In this particular instance, the situation was not one of personal perseverance and overcoming, but a life lesson produced by God for us to recognize that He was not in this thing and He was shutting this particular door. What was our response? Well, because we’d been seeking God during this entire process, when the door that we wanted closed, oddly, we got excited. Excited? Yep. ~Sure we could have stayed in the game and forged on in our own talents and strength, and perhaps we may have even experienced limited success, …but the tried and true principle that we Cleary’s have learned in our almost 30 years together is this, “If God ain’t in it, get out ASAP!”

And although God hasn’t given us clarity as to His reasons, nor has He opened another door, we truly have joyous inner peace as we lean on Him and wait in eager anticipation for what He will reveal in His perfect timing.

So how about you? When you get a figurative door slammed in your face or when things just don’t make sense in your life, what’s your response? Where do you go to gain perspective/understanding?  ~~ Do you first go to God and pour out your concerns, fears, anxieties, confusion, heartache or pain to Him like the psalmist in Ps. 57:2?  “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.”

Or is your and our first choice to pour out our thoughts to a friend? Go to work on our self at the gym, spa or hairdresser? Escape in a novel or a movie? Visit Internet sites? Perhaps ingest a substance to dull the senses or act out an “alter ego”? Etc., etc., etc. (10 to 1 our answer is directly related to the vibrancy of our relationship with God at the time of the crisis.)

This week let’s make it a point to remember:

·       “God has saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” 2Tim. 1:9

·       “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Eph. 2:10

May God bless you and you live for Him!

Shaun and Betsy