Be Thou My Vision

WHAT IF....WE'D SAID NO?

2021-06-21T09:23:00.000-04:00

We’ve always been an odd sort of couple in some ways. Just ask anyone who knows us. Over fifty years of marriage we’ve tended to commit to, get involved in, plan, orchestrate, and participate in just about every opportunity to serve that came our way. Now, some might say we over committed, that we stretched ourselves too thin, paid a cost that was too great. While that may in some small way be true (you might want to get our kids opinion) we probably wouldn’t change a thing.

Most of this over achieving practice began early in our marriage. It just sorta crept up on us. We became heavily involved in church activities including picking up kids on the church bus, three times a week, working at church camp, teaching classes, participating in Bible hour and vacation Bible school, and then leading the youth group. I can’t even tell you how many pots of chili I made on a very small stove at our fall retreats or how many miles Big Al drove that barely road worthy bus. There were banquets, retreats, Sunday night devos, Polaroid scavenger hunts, and having a house that was always open.

At year ten of our marriage, we were faced with an opportunity to move to south Florida for Al’s work. We’d lived in Dickson County our whole lives and really thought we always would, lo and behold, we took the leap. It turned out to be a great decision even though we were gripped with fear in the beginning. Then we stepped it up twenty years in and decided to adopt a thirteen year-old boy. Looking back, we were rather naive, but we did have a heart full of love to offer this broken son.

The years that followed were so full. They involved both heart break, joy, highs, and lows. We experienced loss and God’s amazing faithfulness and provision. We went on medical mission trips to Mexico eight times. Then at year thirty-eight after God closing every other door, we moved to Long Island, NY to work with the Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch. When we crossed the George Washington Bridge in New York City pulling a loaded horse trailer, I literally cried. It was definitely a “we’re not in Kanas anymore” moment. While at the Ranch we were nurse, farm manager, horseback riding instructor, maintenance, and house parents. How we loved the boys and the staff.

Then unbelievably, while at the Ranch, we had the opportunity to go the Uganda, Africa on more medical mission trips. Along with a wonderful team of serving, loving people, we made that trip for three years. When I was young if anyone had told me I would make three trips to Africa, I would never have believed it.

Now in our “golden years” we find ourselves living like gypsies. Several months of the year we travel in our RV and serve wherever the need is. Along the way we see some amazing places and best of all meet amazing people. We sold our farm when I retired, so we no longer have a permanent “home”.

There’s something about getting older, seeing friends pass away, and the realization of just how short this earthly life is that have me reminiscing. I’m rather nostalgic and sentimental now. I think back a lot over this life we’ve lived. Did we do it well? Did we take the opportunities that God had planned for us in advance? Did we love well?

In all of that I’ve been thinking a lot about what if’s. And one thing that I think about is the what if we’d said no. What if we’d said no to all that work at church and the youth group? How many men and women and their children have been impacted by the love we showed them. What if we’d said no to adopting a young man without hope? How much different might his life have been? What if we’d said no to all those treks to Mexico? How many lives would have gone without the medical treatment, a tender touch, and the hope we were able to offer? What if we’d said no to moving to NY? After all, who does that? We loved our farm and our life in middle Tennessee, How many sweet troubled boys lives were changed because of our presence there? What if we’d said no to the Africa medical missions, the traipsing across America serving, the classes we taught, the people we helped, the trading of His plans for ours?

I want to say clearly that this is not an effort to pat ourselves on the back. Everything we are and have been is because of a patient loving God that we whole heartedly and willing serve. Everything we have is his and only flows through our hands. But I think it’s important to reflect and take the rearview mirror look at our lives, to take stock of where we are and how we will finish this life.

I am convinced that because we chose to say YES to God’s plans, our lives have been blessed beyond measure. While the blessings are not material, they are eternal. I am convinced that many lives have been blessed by our yeses. Now that we are older we run into people that have come into our paths over the years. We get to hear the stories of how “that one devotion changed my life”, that Bible class taught me so much”, “you and Big Al loved me and I knew it”. I recently ran into a lady on Long Island that introduced me as her mentor, the one who taught her the Bible. I was so humbled and grateful that God had allowed me to be his vessel.

In many cases the yes took a whole lot of courage and a whole lot of faith trusting that God knew best and that He had it all under control. Now I know that his plan was perfect all along and so much better than the one I had in mind, even though the two looked nothing alike. So, I encourage you to say yes! Say yes even when the next step looks scary, when your faith is wavering, when you’d really rather stay safe and comfortable. Safety and comfort are, after all, overrated! I can promise you that as the years fly by, you too will look back and be ever so thankful that you said YES!

Ponderings from the Pandemic and the Storm

2020-04-14T09:28:00.003-04:00

Easter was already weird. Who would have ever imagined when 2020 began fresh and new that we would all be staying home due to forced quarantines and social distancing as a result of a pandemic? Who would have believed that the entire country would just shut down? Who could have imagined that we would be worshipping from our homes livestreaming with our fellow believers? Before now we all thought pandemics were a thing of the past, only to be read about in the history books. But 2020 has shown us different. All of these things we would not have believed could happen did. So, Easter 2020 found us all at home having small family gatherings with egg hunts for a single child in some cases.

For our family this Easter included four generations of us confined to the same house. The mix includes 6 adults and one toddler. We decided to make the best of this Easter by worshipping our Lord and Savior, continuing with an egg hunt for our great granddaughter, Brighton, and having a traditional Easter lunch. We did exactly that up to a point.

On Saturday before Easter the weather service had predicted severe storms with all the right elements for tornadoes for Sunday. We paid attention and discussed our shelter in place plan and went on with our festivities. We sat down to enjoy our lovely Easter lunch on Sunday and the first warnings came through on our phones. We watched for a bit and then decided according to plans, to take to our office and the closet under the stairs until we knew it was safe.

I’ve learned in my almost 70 years that there are lessons to be learned from every situation and this one did not disappoint. My safe spot was my little closet sized office along with my granddaughter, her husband, our two dogs, and my great-granddaughter, Brighton. Of note is that Big Al chose to “wait and see” before taking shelter. Thankfully that worked this time.

Ahead of time they had piled pillows from my bed in the floor ready for us. As we were finishing up lunch and trying to decide whether to take cover, the power went out. So, here we are in the dark, in the closet waiting for the storm to pass, when it hit me. This tiny child had come into this scary place of uncertainty without a single doubt. She wasn’t afraid, she didn’t cry, she simply let herself be carried into the darkness because she knew she that in her daddy’s arms she was safe no matter what it looked like.

As we waited, it hit me! I want to be like Brighton. I want to go into the darkness, the uncertainty, and yes, even the disappointment and pain unafraid and confident that in my Father’s arms I am safe no matter what the storm looks like. Too often I take my eyes off of Him and look, like Peter, at the storm and not the Creator who not only made it all but is sovereign and rules it all with perfect love and according to his perfect plan. Jesus said that we need to be like little children and as I watched this precious little one, I knew exactly what He meant.

During this pandemic the twenty third Psalm has taken on new meaning for me. I have marinated in this scripture, read and re-read it, and soaked up the comfort and hope it offers. He is my Shepherd, he provides all I need, and “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for You are with me”. So even in the pandemic, in the storms, and in the darkness, I rest in the arms of the One who cares for me. Like Brighton I am unafraid.

It's A Wrap!

2018-09-25T12:01:00.000-04:00

How can it be over so soon?

After all the change that 2017 brought, we started this year planning our first season as "Love Goes". I spent weeks planning our travel itinerary, securing reservations at campgrounds, and making contact with places we would be serving. Now here it is the end September, the trip is over, and we are back at our home base in Monroe, Louisiana. We have been home for a week processing all that we have seen, heard, and experienced over the last few months. I just now feel like I'm ready to try and communicate what a blessing and joy this new role has been and how grateful we are for those that have come along side us to make this possible.

We began this journey on April 12th when we left Monroe. We traveled north with stops in TN, NC, and VA to visit family along to way. Then it was on to Huntington, Massachusetts, to serve at The Retreat at Norwich Lake, a ministry of the Timothy Hill Children's Ranch. We spent the next 8 weeks working along side the dedicated folks that serve there full time. We worked so hard that most nights we were anxious for dark so that we could go to bed. Al worked on closing in 8 lakeside cabins with tongue and groove pine to make them more usable year round and building a huge tent platform on one of the hill sides. I worked in several roles including housekeeping for guests that came and went during our stay, helping in the kitchen as we hosted groups, landscaping the grounds, caring for the horses, and hiking trails to mark them for future hikers. When we left the facility was ready to start the summer camp season which would serve hundreds of kids over the next couple of months.

From Massachusetts we moved on to the Timothy Hill Children's Ranch on Long Island to help there for the summer while the residents are out of school. As always, Al's skills as a carpenter/builder/fixer of all things proved to be invaluable. He repaired fences, mowed, moved tons of dirt to fill in a boggy place in the field, worked on the girl's recreation room, and trimmed out windows at the East End Church of Christ where Jerry and Fern Hill worship. He also resumed his role as the Friday night grill master cooking burgers and hot dogs for the residents and staff. My role for the summer was to work with the girls at the Ranch and help with the horse back riding program for them. I was privileged to do several devotions for them and we did some painting of inspirational signs and some signs for the horses' stalls.

All too soon our time at the Ranch was over. We were so blessed during our stay to reconnect with some dear friends and former residents. A piece of our heart will always be with the Ranch. But the time to move on came and we departed heading northwest to a family wedding in Oregon. On the way we took a few days to experience Glacier National Park. What a magnificent place it is! The Oregon visit was wonderful and we got to see family that we don't get to see very often. Spending time with them was wonderful.

When we left Oregon we started winding our way home heading southeast with our last missions destination being the Tuba City Church of Christ in Arizona. We spent a couple of days with the Eric and Tracy Kee and Tyler who serve there full time. The purpose of our visit was to explore the possibility of helping them in 2019.

We call this year's trip the survey trip. We launched out without the benefit of previous experience doing this new thing. To say that we learned a lot would be an understatement! Here's a little bit of what we learned:

A small portable ice maker is a great investment
Pack half what you think you'll need
Beauty is beauty whether majestic, stark, or desolate
Worship that may look and sound different is still worship and truth is truth no matter the name on the building
Doing laundry in a laundromat costs a lot!
A trucker's atlas is also a wise investment
The GPS guy sends you places a motor home can't go
Like building a house, plan on spending more than you think you will need
Multiple shorter mission trips may be a better idea than over 5 months on the road

So now it’s time to rest, reflect, and pray about how God will use us next. We are grateful and blessed to be in his service loving on his children wherever He sends us in the coming year. For the remainder of this year we plan on being here to welcome this sweet great-granddaughter coming in October and enjoy the holidays with family and friends. Please join us in prayer as we seek God’s plan for the future and discernment to recognize his will.

Because of Him,

Big Al and Marsha

On the Road Again

2018-02-06T07:20:00.000-05:00

We’ve done this all before. And I still think God may have confused us with some adventurous, change-loving folks. We never imagined that our lives would be so full of change, uncertainty, and oh so many steps of faith. When we were young we thought we would get married, have babies, and live in the same town where we were born and grew up. We pictured raising our kids, growing older, and retiring to enjoy the fruits of our labor. We never really seriously pictured life outside what was familiar and comfortable. Not once did we consider that life would take us to NY to live and work on a Children’s Ranch, to Mexico to do medical missions for several years, and then to Africa to do the same. And we certainly never expected that in addition to abundant joy and blessings we would experience so much heartache, disappointment, and loss along the way.

And yet, here we are in a new season, leaving the familiar, beginning a new chapter, and taking a huge leap of faith. We’ve left our comfort zone before and headed out in a totally new direction. But this time is different. Instead of it coming on the heels of heartbreak and loss, it comes of our desire to do what we know we are good at, loving others. God has shown us in very real ways what our gifts are and what obedience looks like.

The past year has been a whirlwind of preparation. We sold our much-loved Black Hills Farm, we eliminated loads of possessions, we bought an RV, bought a house in Louisiana that we share with our daughter and son-in-law, and I finished my work career in retirement. We made every effort to get to the point where we could travel light including ridding ourselves of the farm, horses, donkeys, chickens, and a plethora of collected junk, as well as burdensome debt. We’ve said good-bye at church, at family functions, at work, in other’s homes, and in every gathering place we’ve been. And so very recently we found ourselves headed down the road to a new home in a place we never, ever expected to live, traveling in an RV we never expected us to own, and will soon begin a completely new season of life.

We’ve known for a long time that the typical retirement would not be for us. God had long since planted the desire in our hearts to serve in new ways as our main focus, not just in our left over time. Serving was not new to us. The seed for missions was planted in our hearts years ago when we began to serve in Mexico. And unbelievably the time is here when we will live our dream of serving, loving, and bringing hope to the hopeless in these years of “redirection”. Only God knows how long that will be, but it is our earnest desire to say as the apostle Paul did. “We have fought the good fight, we have finished the race, and we have remained faithful.” Wherever He sends us, whatever He calls us to do, we will do the best of our ability, finishing strong.

Love goes.......

Holding On Till the Blessing Comes

2016-02-14T18:59:00.000-05:00

In our ladies' class at church we've been doing the Beth Moore Study, The Patriarchs. I love all of Beth's studies. She has such a gift for digging into God's Word and bringing out the truths in new and fresh ways. When I'm involved an a Bible study there is usually one particular morsel that just jumps out at me and shows me a truth in a new way. Even stories that I have read and studied many times before have the capacity to do that and I love it when it happens. This time was no exception.

This study takes the student deep into the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When we were exploring the life of Jacob we got to the part where Jacob has left Laban's home with his family and possessions and is preparing for a reunion with his brother Esau. The journey finds Jacob camped by stream with part of his family. In Genesis 32, verse 24 it says that Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. During the struggle Jacob's thigh was dislocated. Even though he was injured he refused to let go until he had received a blessing. And receive it he did, complete with a name change. From that time on he was known as Israel instead of Jacob. In verse 30 Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved”. There is no doubt that Jacob’s encounter was indeed with a divine being.

The story is old and I’ve read it over and over during my life, so what’s different this time? The thing that slapped me square in the face was this. Beth said, “In every struggle don’t let go till the blessing comes!” What???

I was stunned! Who wants to hang on to a struggle? Let’s face it. Conflict is hard. Struggles are painful. Battles are draining and distressing. Many times we walk away wounding and bleeding, hurting and resentful. Bitterness, grief, and desperation can the result. I’ve had my share of “wrestling matches” and all I could think about was the end! So, the concept of hanging on, wrestling it through was troubling for me. Sometimes all you want in the midst of the struggle is for the bell to ring and the end to come even if it means a knock out.

She doesn’t stop there. As if I’m not already reeling, she goes on with more unsolicited words of wisdom. “When we struggle through the crisis with God all the way to the blessing, we are gloriously redefined. “ Great! Now I’m thinking of how many times I must have given up, given in, grown weary, and not hung on until the blessing came.

God’s word tells us over and over that trials and struggles are part of this life and they serve a greater good, growing our faith and endurance. James 1:2 says; When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. Considering troubles and struggles as joy is much easier said than done. Really, who looks forward to the pain of trouble? But what a difference it can make knowing that the blessing is coming.

Paul said in I Timothy, “Fight the good fight”. We know that God is continually refining us into what He would have us be and that trials are a necessary evil in the process. If we are seeking Him, he won’t let us stay as is. He will continually shake us up and not let us settle for less than He has planned for us. Sometimes it’s even necessary, as it was for Jacob, for injury to precede submission so the blessing can come.

So, hang in there! Don’t give up or give in even when it hurts. Wait for it, wait for it....knowing that God is cheering us on till the final bell, till the blessing comes.

Do You Want to Get Well?

2012-02-01T20:48:00.001-05:00

Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

John 5:2-6

“Would you like to get well?” Are you kidding me? Who asks someone that has been sick for 38 years if they want to get well? What kind of ridiculous question is that? Of course he wanted to get well! Why in the world would Jesus ask such a question?

There is another example in scripture of Jesus asking what seems to be a peculiar question. In Matthew 20:29-34 there is a story of two blind men who, when they heard Jesus was coming, sat by the road side hoping he would heal them. Jesus stopped and asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?” What?!?!? They were blind. What else would they want this man known to heal people of their diseases and infirmities to do, other than to have their sight restored?

These questions used to puzzle me. Why would the all-knowing Lord of the universe ask the obvious? While I know that there is much more to these scriptures and the implications are many, but one for me stands out and it has to do with these seemingly silly questions. “Would you like to get well?” seems like a no-brainer. Of course they did! Of course we do too! Or do we?

Jesus must be asking me the same thing today. The answers seems obvious, but if they, are what is hindering me? I lament constantly about my weight. I want to lose weight. I want to be self-disciplined. I want to feel better and exercise like I know I should. I want to make better use of my time. I want to manage my money better and not buy impulsively and wastefully. I want my words to be kinder and my patience longer. And the list of my “illnesses” goes on.

So, do I want to get well? Why do I continue to cling to things that are of the world and harmful? Why do I continue the practices that I know are harmful to me when the same Jesus stands ready to heal and restore? The fact is that everything we need to be “healed” is there and waiting. God’s Spirit lives in us. We have at our disposal the power of God Almighty. We have been given a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. Yes, that’s right, self-discipline is already ours!

II Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.

Maybe what Jesus was asking these men was not so much, “Do you want to get well?”, as He was, “Are you willing to do what I ask of you to get well?” Just like He is asking of us. The man at the Sheep Gate in John still thought that the healing power needed to make him well was in the bubbling pool that he could not get to. Jesus said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Jesus was there and that is all that was needed.

He is still all that is needed to heal us, to restore us, to rid us of any stronghold or habit that needs to be eliminated from our lives. Whatever separates us from Jesus and from our restoration doesn’t have to. Everything we need to eliminate it is already ours! Are we willing to stand up, take up what he so freely gives us, and walk out in faith?

II Peter 1:3-4 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Never Enough

2012-01-19T07:48:00.002-05:00

I have two dogs. Both of them have great temperaments, are wonderful companions and an unlimited source of entertainment. However, one of my two dogs is dominant and, I am embarrassed to say, somewhat selfish. When I feed the two of them, she seems intent on eating both bowls of food. When I give them rawhide chews, she will promptly gather both and guard them. She does the same with doggie toys. I can’t use the dog food dispenser because she will eat the entire container at one time to avoid sharing. Thank goodness she is a dog and not a person.

Unfortunately, this kind of behavior is not limited to dogs. Recently I visited the home of a relative of an acquaintance. It was one of those houses that will cause someone like me to stand with mouth hanging open. I’m a pottery, bouquet of herbs on the table, rustic décor kind of girl. This house was huge, opulent, extravagant, and complete with a home theater. When I see that kind of excess I can’t help but think about how many unfortunate people the money could be spent on. I think about all the sweet kids I met in Africa that don’t get enough water or food or have a single toy.

But it gets even more complicated. Not only was this house excessive, it was filled with “stuff” to an extreme. Boxes of unopened goods that had been ordered were everywhere. Closets were lined and stacked with garment after garment with tags still on them and shoes and accessories in numbers you can only imagine. Cars, motorcycles, pool, and a movie library that would make Blockbuster jealous were all there too. Now my thinking goes to a different level. Even as repulsed as I was at this example of excess, I had to take a look at myself.

It’s easy to be critical when we see this kind of overindulgence and smugly think how thankful we are that “we aren’t like that”. But are we? No, I don’t have a massive house, or am I able to buy whatever I want whenever want. So it’s easy for me to point a finger. However, I too am guilty too many times of trying to fill up my soul with “things”. Too often I buy what I don’t need, shop to sooth myself, and want more, newer and better.

I never met the people that live in that house that awed me. I really don’t know what kind of people they are. I hope that I am wrong about what appearances seemed to say. What I saw appeared to be evidence of what is all too common in too many people, a vain effort to fill a void with things. The attempt to satisfy with the material never brings contentment or wholeness. It leaves the pursuer with emptiness and dissatisfaction. What so many do not realize is that because we are spiritual beings only the spiritual can truly fill us. Things, while they are nice, cannot provide security, love, or peace. God knew this. He warned us from the beginning about the need to feed and fill ourselves with his Word. Jesus teaches us that things will never satisfy and will never be enough. He teaches us that the way to become great is be the least, that serving brings significance, and that joy and contentment can be ours apart from what we have.

Stuff will never be enough. More is not better. My sweet dog, Sally, is an animal and incapable of understanding these principles. We are not.

Philippians 4:11 ….for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

Making Soup

2011-11-24T22:35:00.001-05:00

Today I sit in a hospital beside the bed of my 89 year old Daddy. Until a few days ago he was a fiercely independent, proud, and strong man despite his age. He drove everywhere, lived alone, and took care of himself very competently. But in a matter of a few minutes, he was reduced to one totally dependent and unable to care for himself. A stroke will do that. For now he has been robbed of even the ability to speak or swallow and those of us that love him begin a journey into uncharted territory and we have more questions than answers.

Over the past few months I had embarked on the 1000 Gifts challenge. Name 1000 gifts. Count the blessings. See the graces. Write them down. Practice gratitude. On a good day it’s easy. Grace abounds. Blessings are everywhere I look. From the simplest to the greatest, I saw and wrote. Once you begin to see the more you see. The challenge comes in seeing them in the hard and the ugly. Where is God in the pain, the disappointment, the heartbreak? Where is he as I sit watching my Daddy so confused and helpless? So as I sit, waiting, and wondering I went back a few days before all of this.

It was the very day “it” happened and it was one of those special days. A day off from work, beautiful weather, and the weekend before Thanksgiving. I had cleaned, done laundry, and made my shopping list for the Thanksgiving groceries. I had a lunch date planned with my hubby. Blessings and graces were everywhere I looked and gratitude was easy.

Early in the day I had decided to make soup for dinner. I knew I had good round steak in the freezer and everything else I would need to make a stockpot of vegetable beef soup and it was soup weather. Soup always taste so good when the weather cools and it’s the perfect way to use the canned goods from the summer garden. As I began the process of making the soup, adding ingredient after ingredient, it struck me how utterly unappealing it all looked in the beginning. What would later, after simmering for some time become a delectable pot of soup, did not at all look the finished product would. To the water in the stockpot I added the chunks of raw meat, spices, beef stock and then the vegetables, canned tomatoes from the garden, frozen mixed vegetables, and chopped potatoes. At this point it was only a conglomeration of raw meat, uncooked vegetables, and flavors that had yet to meld.

I know at this point you’re wondering what all of this has to do with each other; my dad, the stroke, blessings, and soup. But here’s the point. Just like the soup that in the beginning looked unappealing, a pot of all sorts of things that didn’t appear to belong together, life is much the same. It rarely makes sense and all the ingredients don’t seem to go together. It’s a mix of joy and sorrows, of triumph and tragedy, of beauty and of ugly. Each day brings something new and not always welcome. We’re on the mountaintop, then in the valley of despair. It’s only after the simmering, the melding of all the experiences that we start to see the finished product, us only more Christ like. Without both ends of the spectrum the end result could never be the same. It takes the pain to appreciate the joy. It takes the ugly to truly recognize beauty. It takes suffering, and disappointment, and heartbreak to strip away the pride, the self-sufficiency, and the apathy. It’s only after it’s all thrown in together and slowly “simmered” that we become what God would desire us to be.

So where are the blessings as I go thru this? They are still abundant if I only look. Daddy’s sense of humor is still there despite the communication barrier. I am blessed with phenomenal friends that share without question what they have to help me through. I have a wonderful family to support me. I have a husband that not only loves me, but also loves my Daddy as though he were his and will do whatever it takes to walk through this with us. I was able to get to my Daddy quickly and be with him. We have the best medical care available. I got to spend time with some people I love. I got to, for once, take care of my Daddy. Yes, the blessings are abundant and this event too will become part of all that makes up my life and continues to shape and mold me. These are the times that let me truly see God and his love. Like the soup, the end result is worth the preparation, the stirring, and the waiting.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

TGIM

2011-11-05T08:19:00.000-04:00

TGIF. How often do we hear that? Thank God it’s Friday. For years I’ve been hearing this expression by friends, family, co-workers, and even on the daily news. Seems like it’s a unanimous feeling. We all look forward to the weekend when we supposedly don’t work and when “all the fun stuff” happens. The general consensus from almost everyone I know is that we are all looking forward to something in the future, something else, something different.

The only problem with the TGIF mentality is that it takes our focus off the days we spend in the between times. Seems like most of us spend the majority of our time just drifting thru the “other” days and anticipating the next thing whether it be the weekend, or the holiday, or event. Thus our so-called mundane days in-between fail to be fulfilling, fail to bless others, and fail to bring us a sense of satisfaction. Then the ones we've looked so forward to fail to meet our expectations and disappoint us.

Wouldn’t it be much better if we had a TGIM, TGIT, TGIW, and so on attitude? What if we greeted Mondays with a “thank God it’s Monday” attitude? Could it just be that our Mondays could and would be very different? Wouldn’t our mindset be changed for the better? What if we greeted every day with a “thank God” it’s whatever day it is viewpoint? How different would our outlook be if we approached every day with the same anticipation, energy, and enthusiasm as we do the weekends and special events days?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of the always looking to something else outlook. I’ve spent far too many days wasted on looking to something else. I’ve missed far too many blessings by looking in the distance instead of the now. I’ve hurried thru way too many minutes and hours that I can never get back. I want to find the blessings in every minute of every day. I want to savor them, park in them, and draw everything from them that they have to offer.

In case you hadn’t noticed, life is short. It hurries by and without noticing suddenly years have passed. Years slip away that we seem to have been in some sort of trance and missed. God warned us from the beginning that our time on this earth will go much too quickly. He referred to our lives as mist, a breath, and flowers,

James 4:14 What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Job 7:7 Remember, O God that my life is but a breath.

Psalm 103:15-16 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a glower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

So join me in this. Let’s make a vow to embrace every moment of every day. Let’s look for God in every day and every face. Let’s find the blessings that are right in front of us if we are only looking. Let’s savor every day and not waste a single one by looking somewhere else to some other time. Thank God it’s today!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Put another way in The Message; This is the very day that God acted. Let’s celebrate and be festive!

Fear This

2011-10-30T07:47:00.000-04:00

Everyone’s afraid. Afraid about the future, the economy, pollution, the government, and the list goes on and on. Worry seems to be the norm. Apprehension is a way of life. What’s going to happen? Will we make it? What if? Fear plagues and grips. The world seems unstable to say the least. Bad news is abundant. Nothing seems safe any more. The stock market, jobs, retirement all teeter unsteadily. World unrest, wars, and natural disasters shake us to the core.

I’ll admit it’s hard not to worry about the chaos all around us. But the fear that clutches me originates from something much worse. It’s due to something much deeper, fundamental, and eternally significant. I’m afraid of what we have become as individuals, as communities, and as a country. The threat that I feel and see and hear is one not from without but from within.

God’s Word says, “as a man thinks in his heart so he is”(Proverbs 23:7). So what are we thinking? What have we become? Just in my lifetime I have seen this country and people in general make a radical shift. What used to be clearly wrong and unacceptable is now not only accepted, but the norm. Lines between right and wrong have blurred into a smeared mess. No one wants to speak up even when they do have a conviction for fear of ridicule or “not fitting in”. Political correctness is the order of the day. So we continue to accept, even if unwillingly, and with increasing frequency affronts to our core beliefs and principles.

There seems to be no end in sight. Over and over we cower while another freedom is snatched away or someone convinces us that another sin is “not really wrong”. The lines blur, our consciences dull, and we follow the world blindly. What once was wrong doesn’t seem so any more. Just consider how many behaviors and actions used to be seen as clearly wrong; lying, promiscuous sexual behaviors, immodest dress, homosexuality, abortion, stealing, adultery, divorce, foul language including using God’s name without reverence, and abandoning children all were clearly seen as unacceptable in the not so distant past. What has happened to us when we come to the place when these behaviors become the norm and even as Christians we look the other way and say nothing, do nothing?

It’s not the stock market or how we will retire, or even what our future here on this earth looks like that should strike fear in our hearts. What should leave us trembling and shaken is what our eternal future is going to look like. Nothing here in this life, unless it has eternal significance, is of any value or consequence. We face the same decision, as did the Israelites as God led them to the Promised Land. The choice that the same God put before them was this:

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and you children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is our life…” Deuteronomy 30: 19-20

So, all of us must answer this question. What are we going to choose? Will we sit in silence and blindly let the world lead us along down a path to destruction, or will we seek God and his counsel, learn his Way, and stand up against wrong? Times may have changed, but right and wrong have not. No matter how much sin is embraced, it is still sin. Is it uncomfortable to go against the grain? You bet. Is it scary to challenge the status quo? Absolutely. But we serve a God who gives us everything we need to do the right thing!

As Christians, we have the confidence that His Spirit lives in us and provides us with all we need to do what He has called us to do; to be salt and light, to make a difference, to go into all the world, to ease suffering, care for those who cannot care for themselves, and to take a stand against what is contrary to God’s Word and His Way. He will give us all we need at the perfect time to do what He calls us to do. His Word is filled with encouragement and promises:

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. “ Ephesians 6:13

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

So, each of us must make a choice to stand or fall, be courageous or cowardly, be willing to be uncomfortable instead of comfortable, or to be change agents or blind followers. What’s your choice?

Clinging to Anything

2011-10-16T22:24:00.000-04:00

I love mandevilla plants. Every summer I buy one and enjoy the beautiful pink, tropical looking blooms throughout the season. I always use the same big, square, terra cotta pot with a wonderful trellis for it to climb. This year’s model sits at the corner of our brick walk here at the house in Long Island. It has been especially beautiful and has bloomed prolifically all summer.

Recently I walked by to find that in spite of the perfect trellis provided for it, the mandevilla had sent tendrils out in search of something to climb and had attached themselves to the nearby hydrangea. Typically I redirect the rogue shoots onto the trellis as I pass by, but had neglected to do so for a few days. For some reason the new growth has to be coaxed and directed to climb the very thing intended for them. New shoots stubbornly reach out as if in search of something better than what I have provided for them. It takes constant tending and hands on winding and training to get the mandevilla to stay where it belongs and needs to be.

How like that mandevilla I am, we are. God in his wisdom and according to his perfect plan had placed me where He wants me. He has provided everything I need to walk in his perfect will and fulfill his plan for me. But I stubbornly keep reaching out for something else, something more. Sometimes I do better than others and I cling to him and his plan for me. Other days I am like the mandevilla tendrils reaching out, groping for something more appealing, safer, different.

Trouble is, when I look elsewhere for what I need I get further from the source of my strength and purpose. Only when I am securely and tightly wound up in God’s love, his blessing, and his guidance can I thrive and grow. Lord keep me wound up in you secure in you as my source of all I need.

I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:5-8

If I'd Only Known

2011-09-12T20:21:00.001-04:00

It seemed innocent enough. I simply clicked on a link that a friend had posted on Facebook. The link was about homeschooling. Specifically, why one would be “crazy” enough to choose that option for their children? For many reasons, the subject always interests me, but because I have a sister with nine children that she homeschools, I find it even more intriguing. I find the whole “lots of kids, stay at home mom, homeschooling culture” fascinating. I am in awe of these Godly parents who dedicate their lives to raising Godly children. Yes, it fascinates me, but there is another effect that it has on me.

As I scrolled thru this site with beautiful pictures of sweet children reading under trees, working in gardens, and homes decidedly dedicated to the home school effort. I wept. It was totally unexpected. I was overcome with emotion. Now why would a sixty-year-old woman, long past child bearing and child rearing stages weep over pictures of strangers?

I guess the best way to put it is regret. I’ve known for years that if I had it all to over again, I would do it very differently. The “it” in this case referring to those years when I was so blessed to have the ability to bear and raise children. But in this particular moment, my mind was flooded with the realizations of what might have been and all that I wish I had known. I so lament that many times I bought the lies of the world that told me how and when to do things.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I do not live in guilt. I fully believe that I did the best I knew how at the time, and that the merciful and forgiving God I serve accepts my feeble efforts and loves me completely. I am blessed to have been married to my best friend for forty years. I have precious children and grandchildren, and more friends than anyone deserves. Still, there are so many things I wish I had known when we were starting out.

If only I had known that…

· It’s ok to fail and that perfection is not possible as a mother, a wife, or in housekeeping.

· Efforts to control everything around you are futile, exhausting, and steal your joy and peace.

· My parent’s mistakes did not dictate who I was or make it necessary to make up for them.

· Time spent with God and in his Word makes everything better even when there seems to be no time for it.

· God was perfectly capable of determining the number of and the timing of the children we would have.

· You can never spend too much time holding your little one.

· The piddly sum I made working outside the home was in no way worth leaving my sweet babies for.

· God would supply all my family’s needs perfectly and in his time without my help.

· The time would go oh so fast and that every moment should be savored.

· Homeschooling was an option.

· Striving for perfection steals precious time and memories.

· I didn’t know anything, but that God knew everything.

· Teenagers really are not capable of making “mature” decisions.

Yes, these and so many more, I wish I had known. So, here I am on the other side of those years. I wouldn’t trade them for anything and I am thankful to my God who can redeem my failures. I know that He knows that I tried my best. I know that I came into my marriage and childrearing years with some serious baggage. But what I did possess was on overwhelming desire to be a good wife and mother, and to serve my God. More than anything I wanted to leave a legacy of “God love” to my kids. The good news is that God took my meager efforts and multiplied them. The fruits of that are evident in my family now and will be on into eternity. I only hope that I can pass along what I have learned so that other young wives and mothers can benefit from what I have learned along the way.

Regrets, yes, guilt no, but if only I had known. I can’t help but wonder what blessings I missed. I wonder if God had other babies planned for me that I refused to accept? I wonder how many memories did not come to fruition because of “something important” that had to be done? I wonder how many times God must have shaken his head at me and wondered too. I wonder what could have been?

Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

Fireballs and Leather

2011-08-06T06:06:00.000-04:00

“Fireballs and leather, ah, smells just like Big Al Pop’s truck”. This was the comment made by our granddaughter, Savannah, when she smelled the combined candle scents of leather and cinnamon.

Anybody that knows Big Al knows there are some constants in his life that define him. On the physical level he is known, among other things, for his big white, Ford F350, King Ranch truck and the jar of red, hot fireballs that are always present in it. The fireball supply is freely given to any passengers and then replenished from Cracker Barrel whenever we make a trip to Tennessee. Sometimes sweet friends or family that have been the recipients of them will bring him a new supply. His truck really does smell of “fireballs and leather”. The scent is welcoming, familiar, and speaks of Big Al.

Smells, aromas, fragrances, whatever you call them, are so powerful. They evoke memories, whether good or bad. Most often they are welcome, reassuring, and tie us to those nearest and dearest to us. Science tells us that of all the senses, smell is the one that triggers memories most. There are “smell memories” in my brain that are less than pleasant and better left undisclosed. But mostly there is a vast store of pleasant memories associated with smells. When the smells are duplicated in the here and now, they trigger a flood of remembrances, of precious faces, places, and times. The smell of lilacs brings to mind my mother and her love of not only this plant, but also every other one. I can still see and “smell” the one that grew at the end of our house for years when I was a child. I remember my daddy smelling of Old Spice and Brylcream hair dressing when he was cleaned up and of grease from cars he was working on, or sweat from toiling in our garden. I remember that sweet baby smell of my children. To this day, I love the smell of Brut that Big Al has worn for forty plus years.

As much as I welcome these and many other pleasant smells, I detest the ones that induce disagreeable memories or experiences. The unpleasant ones are neither welcome or solicited. The Bible speaks of the lives of those that follow Christ as the pleasing aromas to God. Would it then be that a life lived in opposition or rebellion to him, be detestable and offensive as a foul smell would be to us? How sad it is to think of living a life that would actually be offensive to the God of the universe!

Not only is the “fragrance” we emit known to God, it is known to the world. The Bible calls us in II Corinthians 2, the “aroma of Christ” to the world. What a responsibility we have to smell like Christ to a broken and hurting world that is winding down toward eternity. We have the opportunity to offer hope and salvation or more hopelessness and despair. Which will it be? I want to smell like my Savior offering love to the unlovely, hope to the hopeless, going and doing what I can to relieve suffering where ever I can.

What are you smelling like?

II Corinthians 2: 14-16 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death, to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

"Just Pluck Them"

2011-06-19T07:09:00.000-04:00

I used to work at a hospital in my hometown that was well know for its beautiful flowers growing all around it. They were a bright spot for the patients and employees that came and went each day. I was among those admirers as I arrived and departed for work. Every morning I would look for any new blooms. At that time the gardens were attended by a lovely, English woman who quietly attended to them each day. As a hobby gardener, who is constantly battling the invading weeks in my garden, I was curious to know how this gardener kept these gardens so free of weeds. There just had to be a special remedy as yet unknown to me. I had to know!

One day on my way in to work, I decided to just ask. “How in the world do you keep the gardens so free of weeds?”, I inquired of the gardener. Her answer totally surprised me. In her wonderful British accent, she replied, “Oh dear, you just pluck them.” Just pluck them! Was she kidding me? What, no magic formula? I was so disappointed to learn that good old fashioned, back-breaking, time consuming, pulling of weeds was the answer. I was so counting on a short cut, an easier way, something to spare me all that time and energy. It all boiled down to just plain hard work and discipline. Doesn’t it always? It also meant not letting the weeds get ahead of me by plucking them when they are small and few rather than when they have taken over and obscured the desired plants in my gardens.

What about the “weeds” in my life? Are they out of hand or am I keeping them plucked out before they obscure God? How many times have I asked God for an easy answer? How many times have I tried to beg off of the difficult road ahead? How many times have I asked him to “take away” the temptations. We want him to be “ok” with the stuff in our lives that crowds him out. That’s how it is with us. We want God to give us easy answers, smooth roads with no obstacles, to remove temptation so that we don’t have to make a decision to act on it.

Like those beautiful, weed free gardens that were the result of plucking out the weeds before they became problematic, we have to pluck the things from out lives that have the potential to separate us from God. We serve a faithful, powerful God who loves us more than we can imagine. However, he gives us free will to make our own choices. There’s work to be done on our part. Too often we try to serve him without “plucking the weeds” from our lives. We try in vain to live for him only to have him choked out by sin and the things of this world.

The weeds are different for each of us, but the result is the same. Whether its over- commitment, busyness, addiction, gossip, unforgiveness, sexual sin, and the list goes on, they separate us from God. Then instead of a healthy, growing, intimate relationship, it starves and withers. Like the weeds, it takes vigilance, checking every day for any potential culprits before they take hold and grow deep roots. Every time we put something ahead of God, say yes to temptation or fail to deal with sin, like the weeds, they grow deeper roots and get stronger, and much harder to “pluck” out.

Don’t we want our lives to be like those weed free gardens so full of healthy, beautiful, blooming plants. I want those qualities that God desires to see in me growing, standing tall, unobscured and not choked out by sin. Let the plucking begin!

Matthew 13:7, 22-23 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. --- The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries, of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. he produces a crop yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Roundabouts

2011-06-01T18:21:00.002-04:00

Moving to Long Island, NY from Charlotte, TN has been a culture shock to say the least. The landscape, culture, and customs are very different. One of the biggest differences is the driving. Going anywhere in your vehicle in NY requires aggressiveness, fearlessness, and finesse. NY drivers have no patience for hesitation, or courtesy for the most part. Don’t even think about stopping and letting someone out in front of you.

In the NY street system, a common site is the roundabout. The only one that I know of in the Nashville area is the one on Music Square that goes around the naked statue. Since they are prevalent where we now live, I’ve had to learn how to navigate them. The principle of how they work sounds great. Instead of having to stop for a light or sign, the traffic keeps moving to the right in a circular fashion until the driver gets to the street they want to exit on to. They are designed to keep the traffic moving. All this depends on the drivers understanding the rules, which frequently does not happen. Some of them even have two lanes in the circle. I’ve been the recipient of horn blowing, cussing, and hand gestures while navigating these tangles of moving traffic. If you’re not in the correct lane you can get caught in a continued circle and completely miss the street you had desired to exit on.

How like those roundabouts our lives can become! With the best of intentions we try and navigate the demands of our lives. We try in vain to fit “it” all in. Work, church, family, hobbies, and keeping up all our stuff all demand a piece of our time. Somehow, maybe we don’t even notice when, we find ourselves on the roundabout of life going round and round. We know we need to exit to the destination God wants for us, but getting off seems impossible. It’s like we’re stuck in that inside lane and can’t quite make it off. We know something needs to change. We yearn for it to be different. Peace, joy, simplicity, “being still” all seem to be impossible to attain. Meanwhile God watches and shakes his head. “Just get off”, “just take the next exit”, He says, and He waits.

God’s Word is abundant with promises of peace, joy, freedom from worry, anxiety and guilt, and the ability to lay down our burdens. He asks us to give all this to him and live in freedom letting him do the navigating. Yet for some reason, or reasons, we keep on doggedly insisting on doing the driving. All the while we pull an ever increasingly loaded trailer of regrets, guilt, frustration, and pain. Our desire to “get it right” to be self sufficient, strong, and successful keeps our foot on the gas. How unnecessary!

At this point in my life I am finally learning to “leave the driving” to the King of Kings. It’s been a long time coming. I highly recommend it! There is such freedom in giving up the wheel. The creator of the universe is highly capable. Peace, joy, contentment, and freedom await us. So slow down, get in the outside lane, and take the first exit off.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Better Than Ever

2011-05-26T11:40:00.004-04:00

Although it sounds like an understatement, when I severely broke my ankle, it hurt. Same thing with my wrist. The body immediately reacts to a fractured bone. Pain is immediate and severe. Swelling and discoloration follow. The bone, once whole and intact, is now damaged and misaligned. That bone now has to be fixed and heal.

In my case both of these breaks reqired surgery complete with metal plates and screws. The surgeries were followed by more pain, weeks in a cast, doctor's appointments to monitor the healing process, and intense physical therapy. In addition to all that there was the annoyance and inconvenience of not being able to perform the daily tasks of living. Dependance on someone else to help with even the simplest task is not easy for me. The good news is that now healed they tell me that those bones are stronger then ever. Mere bone, as miraculous and complicated as it is, is now reinforced with titanium.

I thought of my broken, mended bones when I recently heard someone say that they greived for the the years they had lost during a particular struggle. Even though they are on the other side of the struggle, they lament those seemingly lost years. Looking with our natural eyes, that's how it seems. Years spent embroiled in struggles, side-tracked by sin, or wandering from God appear to be wasted. We feel guilty for the perceived loss. We grieve for time gone that cannot be brought back. Those times are much like the times of physical distress with my broken bones. Truth is, the times we spend handicapped either physically, emotionally, or spiritually cannot be brought back. They are forever gone. Now if I stop there, it sounds really depressing. Lost time, wasted weeks or years, never to be regained, how can there be anything positive about that?

As I thought about the comment that had been made about those lost years, God impressed upon my heart that time spent in healing, growing, building, and changing for the better is never lost. After all, isn't that what this life is all about? It is a constant growing and refining process. In this life we will never achieve the perfection that awaits us in the eternal, but we are slowly and surely being transformed into his image. It takes the mistakes, the discipline, the stumbling and falling over and over, and the constant getting up and starting all over to accomplish that.

As I move toward the last years of my life, I can now see with much more clarity that the most painful and trying times in my life have resulted in strength, character, a much stronger faith, and total dependence on my God. Those times, that by human standards, might appear to be "lost" are actually valuable and necessary. They are the mortar, so to speak, that strengthens the wall.

Knowing and embracing that has made all the difference for me. It changes the way I face those challanges. Instead of dread and fear, I can view them from the "how can I grow and learn from this" perspective. What a welcome change!

Romans 12:2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Joel 2:25 ....I will repay you for the years the locsusts have eaten--

Where's the Yolk?

2011-05-14T08:53:00.001-04:00

Eggs without yolks, how can that be? That was a question raised by myself and others while in Uganda, Africa on our mission trip this March. On this trip we were immersed in a completely different culture. Food, especially, was a real experience. We were blessed to stay in a wonderful, clean little hotel in Mityana where the staff took such good care of us. They cooked breakfast and dinner for us every day. The food was different, but sustaining and relatively good if you were willing to stretch and try new things!

At breakfast and by request, we could order scrambled eggs. We were thrilled to have them, but their appearance was unlike any egg I’ve ever seen. They were pale and appeared to have no yolk. For several days we speculated about what they would be doing with the yolks from our eggs. We just assumed that given the scarcity of food and their resourcefulness that they were using the yolks for another purpose and using only the whites for our breakfast eggs.

One morning I finally just asked, “Where is the egg yolk?”. The befuddled young woman taking care of us looked at me with a very puzzled look. After a few seconds of probably wondering what the crazy american was talking about, she replied, “It’s in there”. What? How could that be? There was absolutely nothing in the appearance of my eggs that would indicate that the yolk was included. There was none of that wonderful golden yolk color, only pale, monochromatic egg thru and thru. As it turns out, that’s just the way eggs look in Uganda, pale, anemic, colorless. Whether it’s the result of the poor chicken’s diet, breed, or some other reason, the result is blandness.

Then it struck me! As a Christian it’s so easy to become like those egg yolks, anemic, colorless, non-effecting. We live in the world, but we are called to be different. Jesus calls us to be salt and light, to make God famous, to bring hope to the hopeless. Do we? Or do we blend right in with the world. When “scrambled” in with those around us, can anyone tell the difference in us?

In stark contrast to the Ugandan eggs, we are blessed here on the Ranch to have our own organic, free range eggs laid by our contented and well cared for hens. Our eggs are big and brown on the outside, which is not so different from any other egg you might pick up in the grocery. But when one of them is cracked open they are completely different. The yolks are large and the loveliest deep goldenrod color. They are rich and full of flavor when cooked. When you mix these yolks with the white, the result is a beautiful bright yellow concoction. There is nothing pale about our eggs. It’s very evident that there is a yolk involved!

Isn’t that what God expects of us? We don’t look so different on the outside, but the inside should be oh so different. We should be vibrant and rich in God’s love and light, affecting the world around us. When we are mixed in with the world we should be coloring everything and everyone around us. We should be radiating love, kindness forgiveness, and mercy. Are we? Or are we just blending in with the world with no effect?

How’s your yolk looking?

Matthew 5:13-16

Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? you’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors of the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bears, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand---shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

(from The Message)

Swing!

2011-04-12T07:33:00.000-04:00

Swing! Swing, my classmates kept screaming. I stood poised at home plate waiting for the pitch. Palms sweating, dread filling every part of my body, I would rather have been anywhere other than there. You see, I come from a family void of any interest in sports. Even though my extended family is huge, when we got together, sports were neither the activity or the topic of discussion. In addition to this, I have never been known for my agility, speed, or strength. So, needless to say physical education class was always a source of great anxiety and dread. Feelings of embarrassment, fear, and inadequacy were my constant companions during those school years.

On this particular day embarrassment reached a new pinnacle. In my hesitancy and dread I was paralyzed. At the time it seemed that not swinging would be preferable to swinging and missing. Oh how wrong I was! As I stood there wishing the ground would swallow me, the pitch came and unbelievably hit my stationary bat! The jeers came in a flurry. Once again I had proven that I was a total failure with anything having to do with sports. All I had to do was swing the bat, but paralyzed in fear I did nothing.

My husband, who is a serious sports fan, always says it’s better to go down swinging. For years he played baseball and softball. His greatest annoyance was people who just stood and watched pitches go by. His philosophy is “SWING” whether the pitch is perfect or not. You look like much less of a dummy at least trying then simply standing there. I wish that on that day I had swung the bat. I really had everything I needed to do so. All I had to do was move.

This regrettable moment in time came flooding back recently when I heard this phrase; “Don’t let satan have the first pitch”! So often I am like that day at bat in my spiritual life. Even though I have everything I need to combat the evil one. Even though I am victorious and not a victim thanks to the price paid by Christ. Even though I am promised that He will fight for me if I will only be courageous. Still many times I am that same thirteen year old girl again. Too often I miss opportunities to witness about my faith, to share the gospel, to minister to the hurting. Paralyzed by fear, feeling inadequate, and filled with pride that keeps me from “just doing it”, I stand there bat in hand with everything I need and let satan have the pitch.

I have to remind myself daily that it is not my strength that sustains me. That it is not my power I can depend on. That fear is of the enemy. That I have within me a power that is greater than the power of satan. I cannot, nor can you, afford to stand paralyzed. There is too much to be done, and too much at stake. As we speed toward the end of time, courage will be a quality that followers of Christ must possess. So don’t worry about looking dumb, falling on your face, or coming up short. We serve a might God who provides us with every good thing, so swing with all your might!

II Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go.

Ring, Ring

2011-02-23T06:34:00.000-05:00

My track record with cell phones is less than stellar! I go thru phones at a very unacceptable rate. Their demise is due to a variety of reasons. My last phone prior to my moving into the “smart phone” world survived a dip in the toilet and a night out on the trail in the snow. The fact that it still worked was miraculous. Last year I was due for an upgrade and I decided I was ready for a smart phone. I got one of the new Droids. What an amazing device! However, I soon discovered that smart phones are very moisture sensitive among other things.

About three months after getting my new Droid, I put it in my back jeans pocket and you guessed it, plunk, in the toilet. I got it out super quick but to no avail. It was dead! No problem, I had insurance. So, a trip to the Verizon store and $89 later I had a brand new Droid. The salesman did caution me that I was only allowed two insurance claims on the life of the phone, so “be careful with this one”, he said. All was well until one night not too long after the toilet episode when I went to pick up dinner at a local restaurant. I had my phone safe at my side in a holster clip, or so I thought. I got home to find it had parted company with the clip and was no where to be found. A trip back to the restaurant complete with scouring the parking lot did not result in me finding the phone.

Embarrassingly, I had to return to the Verizon store and make my second and last insurance claim and spend $89 more dollars. As bad as I hate to admit it, that phone was short lived too. Even more embarrassing is that it too took the toilet plunge from, yes, my back jeans pocket. Again, back to the Verizon store. I did briefly consider wearing a disguise this time! This was getting ridiculous! The news was not good to say the least. No more insurance claims. Not due for an upgrade. No good phone deals unless I added a line to our plan. We finally got it figured out and I got the new Droid Incredible, which is smaller and lighter than my previous version. But guess what, they won’t even insure the new phone! My history with phones is so bad, I am uninsurable. Who would have thought that could happen.

The phone company is not very forgiving and they don’t forget a single infraction. All of this made me think how thankful I am that God is not like them. Can you imagine if He kept a record of our wrongs and met us with, “Sorry no more chances”? You’ve used up you quota of doing dumb things.” How hopeless we would be if Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins had limited redemption? What if we were only allowed two or three dumb mistakes? I don’t know about you, but I am so very grateful that God, knowing our inability to get it right, gives us infinite chances. Every day I mess up in some way, but every day is a fresh start. I don’t have to be ashamed when I come to Him yet again with a failure. He never brings up my record of wrongs and scolds me for not getting it right yet again. Praise God for the unlimited forgiveness and mercy that He so willingly provides for us thru Jesus. What an insurance plan this is!

I don’t know how long this new phone will last. I have, at least, stopped putting it in my back pocket and I’m trying to be really careful, but I do know my record is not good. I also know that my record with God is not good either. No matter how careful I am, I still get is wrong so many times. But God, in his mercy keeps giving me a brand new day and a brand new start without bringing up my past. Thanks be to God!

Psalm 103:8-12

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

Trudging Thru the Snow

2011-02-14T05:52:00.001-05:00

When we were considering moving to Long Island I asked about the weather since I am not a fan of cold. I was told the weather was usually only 8-10 degrees cooler than Tennessee and that it didn’t snow all that much. Sounded like something I could manage. But alas, since arriving, Long Island has had the two snowiest and coldest winters in many years. We’re talking feet of snow, not inches like I was used to. I now know what a Noreaster is and I’ve experienced enough snow to last me a life time. We returned a few weeks ago from a trip to TN to find the accumulation of several snows that had fallen in our absence. Snow for many is a welcome respite from school, work, or the constant running of our lives. But for me, it is not a welcome site.

The initial awe of the beauty of the snow is quickly followed by the realization of just how difficult it makes my life. Taking care of 17 horses, 50+ chickens, 3 mini donkeys, a potbellied pig, and a partridge in a pear tree is extremely hard when the snow is so deep. Combined with the snow is the ever present cold and wind. Gates can’t be opened, water is frozen, and the snow is literally so deep that the horses, nor myself can get to some areas of the farm. Couple that with the need to wear multiple layers of clothing and it is all a recipe for difficulty, frustration, and exhaustion. Just the act of walking from one place to the other is so hard. The constant need to “trudge” thru the deep snow is so tiring.

Why is life so much like that sometimes? In stark contrast to the summer when walking is easy, water is easily attainable, and the horses can go from place to place without effort, the winter is heavy and hard. Life is so similar. Sometimes in our lives we feel like we are skipping thru, unencumbered, light, and free. Then come those times when we feel like we are burdened, heavy, and trudging thru. Life then gets so hard that even putting one foot in front of the other takes all the effort we can muster. Just like taking the next step in deep, deep snow, we have to force ourselves to move on. Often we just feel like sitting down and quitting. Meanwhile, I and probably you too, rail at God for making things so difficult for us. We ask, “Why God, does it have to be so hard”?

Life is hard! That fact will never change. In fact, God tells us that we will have trials and tribulations. Expect them. Welcome them. Learn from them. Yet God also promises us joy, contentment, and peace. How can these two both be true? The promises many times seem meant for “others” only. Yet the promises are for all his children, so why is it so difficult at times? For me, and probably lots of others, the answer lies in how closely I am walking with my God. I find that when I am spending time with Him, praising Him, and listening to his leading I can walk easily. But when I get weighed down with what I see with my eyes, focusing on the difficulty of life, and trying in vain to figure it out for myself, the walk becomes trudging. Each step is hard and the effort to take the next one seems not worth the energy is requires.

I don’t know about you, but I want to walk with light and purposeful steps, not trudge. Trudging is too hard. It makes even going out to face the day seem too daunting. When I am weighed down with the “stuff” of this world it’s heavy and hard. I want to cast it all off, take hold of His hand and walk each day unencumbered, ready to hear His voice, and let him lead. His promises are real and true. They are for us all, but we must trust him completely with our lives. We have to actively submit to him, not to the circumstances. My prayer for us all is that we give up the efforts to control it all and humbly let God bear the burdens of this life so that we can walk with light and easy steps. No more trudging!

I Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Rags

2010-12-11T06:04:00.000-05:00

The other day I was cooking dinner and needed to pull something from the oven. Seeing no pot holder handy, I grabbed a dish towel to use instead. As often happens, a simple act brought back a flood of memories. I remembered watching my sweet grandmother, Mammy, do that a thousand times. I don’t remember her ever having a collection of “pretty” dish towels or pot holders. If she did, she was saving them! They weren’t the ones she reached for to do the job. She typically grabbed hot things with either the bottom of her apron or used one of her well worn rags as she called them. We used to laughing say she had “asbestos hands”. Mammy used, washed, and reused rags for everything. They weren’t pretty, but they served a multitude of purposes very well. What looked like rags became something much more in her precious hands,

I got to thinking how like those rags we are, not pretty, nothing special, but in the right hands for the right purpose, very functional and quite valuable. In and of ourselves, we are helpless, weak, sinful, and without hope. But in the hands of the Master, we become something quite different, lovely, useful, and serving a great purpose. Like Mammy’s rags, God always chose the most unlikely people to accomplish his work. His delegates included some with hot tempers, whining attitudes, no self confidence, and yes even the sinful. Among those He used to show his glory were a mumbling, unsure, shepherd, a persecutor of Christians, a young boy hated by his brothers and sold into slavery, and even a harlot. He continues to do just that still today.

We have nothing that the King of the Universe needs! We have nothing to offer, except our willingness to be used by Him. If we are willing, God can do marvelous things with us. We become his hands and feet delivering love, compassion, healing, hope, and the good news of salvation thru his Son. We may look and feel unworthy, unlikely, and empty, but that is when and where God shows out! Praise God that He can use even me.

Isaiah 64:8 Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter, we are the work of your hand.

An Absence of Essence

2010-11-28T06:07:00.000-05:00

I read an article recently about flowers in which a chemist works with the enticing floral aromas which will be used in perfumes. Tucked away in the article was this finding; while doing her research, the chemist discovered that the instant a rose is cut from the bush, it’s fragrance is altered. I found that to be amazing and profound. Imagine, cutting a rose from it’s vine or bush, immediately changes it’s fragrance.

How about me? What happens to me when I am cut or separated from “the Vine”? In John, Jesus teaches a powerful lesson about being either attached to or separated from Jesus, the Vine.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15:1-9

Apart from Jesus, I can do nothing! I am just like the rose, which when severed from the vine, it’s source of life, it’s whole being is changed. Not only is the fragrance of the rose altered the moment it is severed from the vine, it’s ability to bear more roses is forever more gone. Jesus is my source and separated from him, I too, cease to be a sweet smelling aroma to God, and my ability to bear fruit (love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control Galatians 5:22-23) is gone.

There are two ways to become separated from the Source. I can either sever myself or be pruned by the Gardener if I am unfruitful. Either way is devastating! I want to remain attached and joined to to his life-giving power. Praise be to God that I am His and by his grace and mercy, I can remain in Him. Any more, I don’t even want to try and do anything on my own. I know that “apart from him I can do nothing” and apart from him I am nothing. My whole purpose in this life is to emit the sweet smell of Christ who offers hope, life, and forgiveness and bear that fruit that resembles him.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

The Chair

2010-06-08T21:07:00.000-04:00

Almost 20 years ago, when we were moving into a house we had built, I had a wingback chair made by a local furniture maker. At the time I ordered it in a country blue and peach stripe fabric. It seemed like a great idea at the time. Now that seems quite unappealing, but at the time it was “in” and matched my other country decorating style. When it was completed, we moved it in, but for some reason, it was a very under utilized piece of furniture. You know how there seems to be one chair that catches all the stuff, but is rarely sat in.

When we left that house and moved to our farm the chair was in storage in the loft of the barn while we built our house. Four years later when it was time to move in all the stored furniture, the chair was in need of some serious work. It seems that the barn cats had utilized it plenty as their own personal kitty bed. After some deliberation about whether to chunk it or rescue it, I decided to have it recovered. Maybe at last it would be more appealing. This time I chose a plaid fabric with hues of deep red, yellow, and mossy green. It turned out great and once again the chair was moved into our home. The problem was it still suffered the same fate. I put it in our bedroom by the fireplace where it became a wonderful place to throw clothes. Later I moved it to the living room, thinking it would be more functional there. From one place to the other, over and over, but the darn chair just was never chosen as the one to curl up in. The chair remained in pristine condition because it was just never used.

Finally, one day in one of my “let’s rearrange everything” modes I decided to make a reading corner in our breakfast nook. After all, the kitchen area seemed to be where we all congregated any way. It’s the place that I loved to spend early mornings with the Lord reading and praying. What better place to have a good chair. Thus the chair was relocated once more to a sunny corner there along with a side table, a basket for books, and lamp. An amazing thing happened at this point. The long ignored chair became everyone’s favorite spot. Our youngest grandson, Griffin, is the other early riser in the family and he would come down to join me curling up in the chair. While I made coffee and enjoyed those precious early morning hours we would talk and laugh. As the others came down they would argue over who’s turn it was to sit in the chair. Everyone who visited our home commented on the appeal of the chair in the “reading corner”. Suddenly, the chair had a not only a new place, but a new purpose, and thus is became a much loved, and much used fixture in our home.

When it came time to relocate to The Ranch in NY, the chair was one of the items from our home that accompanied us here. Now it has a special place in our home here. It sits in front of a sunny window flanked by the things that speak of its use, a table, basket, and books. This time a footstool has been added to the setting. I still sit in the chair in the early mornings, as I am doing right now. However, now the chair is put to use by one of the many boys that hang out in our home. As I go about kitchen preparing meals or just visiting with them, we have some great conversations. The chair seems to make them feel at home, comfortable, and safe.

It dawned on me as I sat in the chair one day, that its journey to purpose is so much like mine and probably yours. The chair was in the wrong place for years and thus not fulfilling its intended purpose. Only when it was situated in the right place did it become a thing of value. God tells us in his Word that he has a plan and purpose for all of us. Only when we align ourselves with the plan that God has for us do we live our our purpose. Doing so doesn’t always mean a physical relocation, but may mean a spiritual relocation, a heart transformation, or denial of self. How much precious time have I wasted by not being in the “place” where God could use me? I am no longer willing to be just an under utilized child of God, but instead, want to be used and worn like the chair. I’m willing to risk the wearing, the stains, the risks of living out God’s perfect plan for me.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Don't Buy Spinach in Bulk!

2010-04-18T13:23:00.001-04:00

Here on Long Island our local wholesale buying club is called BJ’s. It’s like Sam’s and Costco. Pretty much everyone I know buys at these wholesale monsters. The prices are usually better, but the catch is they require buying in bulk. The problem comes in when you don’t have the space to store all the loot that seemed so appealing and desirable in the store. Who has the space to store 18 roles of paper towels, 36 roles of toilet tissue, oatmeal in bulk, or all the other things we lug in?

A few months ago, while shopping for groceries in BJ’s, I spotted a big package of frozen chopped spinach. The big bag contained 3 “smaller” bags that each contained about one pound each. One of my planned meals for the week called for frozen spinach. So, why not buy enough for future meals that might per chance call for the spinach. Great idea, right? There is, however, one complicating factor. When I lived in Tennessee, we had three, yes three, refrigerators, and 2 freezers. It was great. Now in my new home I am limited to one refrigerator. We did manage to procure a small freezer that hold only slightly more than a picnic cooler. So, storage of cold and frozen grocery items are a challenge, especially if bought in bulk.

So today after grocery shopping, I was doing the clean out the frig, shuffle things around, combine containers, and whatever it takes to fit in the groceries I just brought home exercise. I went to the freezer to see if anything had miraculously disappeared, thus freeing up some space. Lo and behold, there it is, the spinach! Months after buying it I still have two and one half bags left! They continue to take up valuable space in the tiny freezer. Every week I have to reconfigure the freezer space trying to utilize every square inch. Every week I regret buying that much spinach. I keep having to cram it in and slam the lid on top. Ultimately I will have to figure out a way to use it or break down and throw it away.

As I once again moved the frozen items around and hoped the lid would shut, I thought about how like my life the freezer and the spinach are. I am filled with stuff that take up too much valuable space in my my heart, my mind, and my life. Some of the things are physical. The things that take up way too much time and energy trying to maintain, arrange, repair, pay for, or just trying to hold on to them. Then there are the emotional things that I keep cramming down one more time holding on to them like some precious possession reluctant to give them up once and for all. How many unresolved feelings lie there just below the “lid”? How much unforgiveness, bitterness, disappointment, and regret keep taking up space that should be filled with joy, peace, and contentment? How many blessings do I continue to hinder because there is no space left?

So like the spinach, there has to be a decision made. Do I keep pushing down, reconfiguring, and hanging onto the useless things, or do I get rid of it once and for all? If I don’t, they are just going to keep showing up, reminding of me what needs to be done. It’s going to keep requiring energy to move it around. Like the lid on the freezer, I’ll keep cramming the stuff inside so it will close. Then from the outside you would never suspect the mess inside.

Scripture tells us that God lives within us through his Spirit. He dwells in us! There are tremendous blessings to be had by allowing the Spirit to live in us, guide us, and comfort us. I think I want to know that He has room to work in me. I want to throw out the things that take up space that He should have. I want to pitch the unforgiveness, bitterness, jealously, pride, and pettiness that takes up valuable space. I want the Spirit to have plenty of space to move about in me and do what He needs to do and mold me into what God would have me be. If I’m overflowing, I want it to be love, kindness, peace, patience, contentment and joy that are responsible.

So I say, throw out the spinach! Throw out the stuff! Make room for God and all that He has to offer if we just give him the space.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Preparation

2010-04-09T21:43:00.003-04:00

I’ve always loved the story of David and Goliath. Since early childhood the story has been read and taught to me by a variety of teachers. I have studied it numerous times myself. It’s one of those stories that we all love, hero versus villain, the underdog triumphs. The small, young David goes up against the mighty giant Goliath. I always wondered what in the world would possess him to just march right out there on that patch of desert armed with a slingshot and five small stones to face such a formidable foe. What was he thinking?

In a recent study of the life of David, I realized what I had been missing. David had been sent to the battle field not to fight, but just to deliver lunch to his brothers, the real warriors. While there, he was so incensed by Goliath’s continued taunting of the Israelites, that he took responsibility for what must be done. In I Samuel 17:32 he said to King Saul; “Let no one lose heart on account of this Phillistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Talk about confidence! Why would this young shepherd boy believe that he had what it took to take on the giant, Goliath?

The answer appears only a few verses later. After Saul questions David’s ability to confront the giant, he replied in verse 37; The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Phillistine. There it is. While David was fulfilling his responsibilities as a shepherd, God had been preparing him for the very task he knew would someday be his destiny. While performing what seemed like an unimportant job of herding sheep, God had strengthened him, taught him, and given him the confidence needed for the task at hand on this most important day.

It was the same with Moses. While in exile in the desert for forty years, God was molding him to be the very man who would lead the nation of God, Israel, out of bondage. Just like David, there he was out in the desert, doing a menial job, but all the while God was working his plan and preparing them for the works he had already laid out for them.

As I look back over my life now, I know that God has been doing the same with me. While I was busy living, God was doing his thing. In retrospect, I can see so clearly now what He was doing in so many cases. In times of neediness He was teaching me to rely on him alone. Early in our marriage He taught me that our union could only be as strong as our relationship with him. In times of abundance, he showed me the blessing of giving. As we raised our children and ministered to countless others he was preparing me for the very thing I would be doing now. In times of hardship and disappointment, He showed me that He is faithful. All the while He was strengthening me, refining me, and moving me to a new level of faith.

Just like David, God has been preparing me for the very things he had laid out for me long ago. And just like David, I can now face the giants with a confidence that only comes with time and testing. In the past I would shrink back from the the giants that came my way feeling like I was very inadequate and helpless. Now I know different. Now I know that like David I can march confidently out to face them knowing that I too come in the name of the Lord Almighty!