Fifteen Years

How quickly time passes. Has it really been fifteen years? 

On this day, fifteen years ago - October 30, 2000 - my mother passed from this life into eternity.  In many ways, it seems very long ago.  And yet sometimes, it is still a very fresh memory.  Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of her: remembering something she said; laughing at myself for doing the "I'll never do that" things she used to do; wanting to share something with her.

Fifteen years have passed, but I still miss her so much.  I miss the twinkle in her eye and that silly grin when she was trying hard not to laugh out loud. I miss her laughter and the private jokes we shared.

My mother was a tiny little woman, one who might have been described as "delicate".  But she was mighty in spirit, a strong-willed woman who loved her children and their spouses.  Who loved her grandchildren.  She loved her husband and was devoted to him.  Above all, she loved Jesus!

One of the things I most remember about my mother was her love for her Savior.  And her love for God's Word.  Even in the later years of her life as her health was seriously declining, her Bible was always next to her on the bed.  She read it faithfully every day.  One of my treasured possessions is a set of index cards with Scripture verses - the verses she had memorized - written in her own hand, well-worn from use.

I loved my mother.  I respected her.  I admired her.  And especially on this anniversary of her passing, I miss her.

Fifteen years ago, I watched my beloved mother take her last breaths in this life. It was a sad morning. A difficult morning. It was one of the few times in my life that I ever saw my daddy cry. It was on that morning, fifteen years ago, that I had to say to him, "It's over."  Even now, fifteen years later, that is a very vivid memory.

But it isn't over. Not really. Because there is the promise that we will see each other again. And though I still miss my mother so very much, I don't "grieve as those who have no hope"          (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Because "since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep."  (1 Thessalonians 4:14 ESV).

Until that day comes, I remember. And those memories make me smile.

 

 

 

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.  She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.  Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.  Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."  (Proverbs 31:26-30 ESV)

 

Wednesday Ramblings

It's still raining, so we're off to another dreary start here in the Upstate.  Molly woke us at about 4 AM this morning.  I'm not sure what that was all about, but we managed to ignore her for about an hour, until Al (bless him!) finally got up and took her outside.  That got the day started a lot earlier than either of us wanted.  But that's probably a good thing.

We purchased a new set of gas logs to replace the ones that are original to the house, and they are being installed this morning.  The original ones are the kind you have to practically climb into the fireplace to turn on, and the new ones have a remote control.  Our logs in the mountains had a remote control, so we were spoiled by that.  I'm looking forward to getting these installed.

Meanwhile, one of the outlets in the kitchen has stopped working.  It worked on Monday morning, but not on Monday afternoon.  Then it worked on Tuesday morning, but not on Tuesday afternoon, and this morning it still doesn't work.  It's particularly annoying because it's the outlet where we plug in the coffee maker.  I'm hoping we can get this figured out today, because moving the coffee maker around the kitchen is becoming a bit annoying.

Back to the gas logs.  As I'm watching the final steps of the installation, I notice the installer looking on each piece of "log" for a number.  Each of the pieces is numbered, so that they are placed in proper order.  The logs aren't just thrown into the fireplace in some random order, but there's a proper order and proper placement for each of them, and all that is outlined in the instruction manual.

It occurs to me that this is much like life.  The instruction manual for life is the Word of God.  When we follow the instruction manual, things in life fit together as they are designed to do.  That's the way God intended it to be.  But when we try to deviate from His plan, things in life can get a little chaotic.  If you doubt that, just look around at the chaos of the world we are living in.

We live in a world that is more and more, day by day, turning its back on God and His ways.  Even many who call themselves Christian live by principles other than those outlined in the Scripture. For many, the reason is simply that they don't know what the Word says because they don't spend much time there.

The gas logs installer read and followed the instructions in order to properly install our new gas logs.

We must read and study and obey our instruction manual in order to properly live life God's way.

"How can a young man keep his way pure?  By keeping it according to Your word.  With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me wander from Your commandments.  Your word have I treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  (Psalm 119:9-11, 105 NASB)

Always

It's a cold, rainy morning here in the Upstate.  Cold and rainy and dreary.  And I'm not feeling my usual cheerful self this morning.  Maybe it's a virus.  Maybe it's the weather.  Maybe it's something else.  But I'm a little under the weather, as they say (whoever "they" are!).

Even so, on this dreary morning, as I looked out the back window, my spirits were lifted.  I walked out onto the back porch, and through the rain and dreariness, I saw this:

And this:

These views from the back porch are a reminder.  Even on rainy, dreary days.  Even when I don't feel my best.  Even when circumstances are less than I might like them to be.

Even then, there is always something to be thankful for.

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB)

A Day in the Mountains

We made a brief trip up to the mountains on Saturday with some friends.  Al still had some tools stored in the shed at his parents' mountain house, so bringing those tools down to Spartanburg was the primary purpose of our trip.

Saturday was about moving the tools, but it was so much more.

It was time with friends.  Breakfast at my favorite Cracker Barrel.  Eating pancakes brought to me by my favorite waitress.  It was laughter.  And singing in the backseat with Cathy while Mike and Al thought we had lost our minds.  That made it even funnier.  That, and the fact that we couldn't seem to remember all the lyrics to a single song!

Saturday was about nostalgia.  Being back in the area where we spent nine years of our lives.  Seeing what had changed (there's a new Dollar General in town) and what hadn't (road construction continues on).

And Saturday was about enjoying the beauty of God's creation.  Fall in the mountains is my favorite season.  Even though many of the trees have already lost their leaves, many were still gloriously arrayed in their autumn colors.

Beautiful weather.  Beautiful scenery.  Time with friends.

What could be better?

It was a good day in the mountains.



"Bless the LORD, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!"  (Psalm 103:22 NASB)

Finish Well

It has happened again.  It often does, really.  There's a song running through my head on a continuous loop.  I can't get it out of my head.

Maybe that's a good thing.  It's a reminder of some things God has been teaching me lately.


Here's a portion of the song, written and recorded by Karen Peck and New River:

Finish well
Every day that we are given
Finish well
For the glory of His name
Finish strong
Until the Savior finally calls us home
Give it everything we have
Finish well.

I remembered, as I was thinking about that song, that I had written about this before, so I scrolled back through some old blog posts and discovered that, at about this same time last year, I had been in a similar place in my thinking and had shared that here in my blog.  I'm sharing that original post today, with only some minor adjustments, triggered by the song Finish Well and by the book by Jean Fleming titled Pursue the Intentional Life.  I've read the book and written about it before (you can read that post here: http://susanssittingroom.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-creature-of-habit-few-thoughts-about.html), and now I am pulling that book off the shelf to read again.  If you haven't read it yourself, you might want to!

About finishing well, Fleming has this to say:  "I long to see Christ's life formed in me, to live my highest until the Lord calls me home.  I want to become the person God had in mind when He created me.  I yearn to touch the world for God's glory and advance His kingdom.  [It is] my earnest desire to 'number my days that I may gain a heart of wisdom'. (Psalm 90:12)"

Fleming's thoughts mirror my own, and it is in this area that much of my prayer time has been focused recently and that God has been speaking to my heart.  I become more aware day by day that I am no longer a young woman.  How shall I spend the remaining days allotted to me?  Shall I just sit and wait for life to be over?  Shall I just waste my days away?  Shall I have pity party after pity party?  I think not.

As I'm pondering how to remain useful in this last third of my life, the Lord has brought several Scriptures to mind.  I continue to ponder, and be encouraged by, these passages.

Perhaps they will encourage you as well, no matter what your season of life.

"It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain."  (Philippians 2:20-21 ESV)

"So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."  (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV)

How will I - or you - finish well?  What will I be doing for the remainder of my days?  I don't know. 

Perhaps finishing well means continuing to encourage others through the words I write, here on this blog or on Facebook or Twitter.  Perhaps it means writing even more words, perhaps in book form. Perhaps it means continuing to be a student, and a teacher, of God's Word. Perhaps it means developing my skills as a photographer.  Perhaps it means mentoring or developing and deepening interpersonal relationships.  Perhaps it means baking cookies or cakes.  Or visiting with those further along in life's journey than I.  Perhaps it means serving meals at mission conferences or going on mission trips.

Whatever it may mean, my prayer is that, when doors of opportunity are open to me, I will be obedient to walk through.  That I will be found faithful.  That I will finish well.

And that's my prayer for you, too.

"O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds.  and even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come."  (Psalm 71:17-18 NASB)

You can listen to Finish Well by Karen Peck and New River here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ahOPJyKyG8

To The Nations

This year's Global MPACT Celebration is now history.  Each year our church hosts an MPACT celebration like this one.  To focus our attention on missions.  To celebrate those who have committed their lives to taking the Gospel to the nations.  To challenge us to do more and be more and give more for the cause of Christ around the world.

What a joy and a privilege to be part of such a celebration.  My role in this week was as a part of the food team.  It was a serving role, involving things like putting out breakfast, or setting out food for another meal, or pouring tea, or being sure everybody has what they need.  Is it a hard thing to do?  Not particularly, although it is often a tiring thing.  Even so, it is a great joy and blessing to be able to serve those who have committed their lives to serve.

I was blessed and challenged as I met and chatted with so many of these men and women.  They have different talents and abilities.  They live and serve in different parts of the world.  They have different backgrounds. But they all have this one thing in common - their willingness to follow wherever the Lord leads.  Willingness to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.  They are men and women whose lives have been touched by the grace of God, and who are now ready to go and share that grace with a world that so desperately needs it.

These men and women have heard the voice of the Lord calling them, and they have said 'yes'.  They have left their homes and families and all that is familiar to them, and they have set out to unfamiliar places with the good news of Jesus.  They have been sent to the nations.

We have not all been called to go to the nations, but we have all been called. 

Each of us has the same mandate from the Savior that these missionaries have:  "as you are going, make disciples".  (Matthew 28:19)

"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  (Acts 1:8 ESV)

May we be faithful to that mandate.  In our cities.  In our counties and our states.  In our nation.  And to the ends of the earth, wherever God leads us.

We may not have been called to go, but we can share Jesus wherever we are.  And we can pray.  And we can give.  And we can serve.

May we be faithful to God's calling on our lives.

May we be faithful to pray for those who are taking the Gospel to the nations!

May we be faithful to give so that more can go!

If we are called to go to the nations, may we be willing to say 'yes'!

And may we do all that with great joy!

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."  (Matthew 9:37-38)

Words Matter

Some days when I sit to write these posts, words come easily.  Some days, not so much.  Even on the "not so much" days, perhaps especially on those days, I want to choose my words carefully, because words matter. 

Not just written words.  All words matter.

For example, there are words of respect.  Please.  Thank you.  Yes, sir.  No, ma'am.  Manners aren't just for southerners!  How we treat each other matters, and the words we choose are a reflection of that.  In an increasingly discordant world, it's important to be respectful, even when we don't agree.  Words matter.

Words can encourage, or they can bring discouragement.  It matters which we choose. 

We have, by the words we choose to use, the ability to lift someone up or to tear them down.  We have the ability to improve a situation or to make it worse.  And this ability carries across the spectrum of life.  At home.  In the workplace.  In the classroom.  At the mall.  At the gym. 

As you're out and about today, doing life, encountering various individuals and situations, choose your words carefully.  Because words matter.

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."  (Proverbs 25:11 ESV)

It's Still a Good Idea

When I was a young girl, I was a GA.  Our church, like many other Baptist churches across the country, had a missions organization for girls called Girl's Auxiliary. GAs were part of the Woman's Missionary Union.

This is the week of my church's Global mPact Celebration, the time when we focus our attention on missions.  It's a time to celebrate missions and missionaries, and to love on those who have dedicated their lives to taking the Gospel to the nations.  As I was helping to serve a meal last evening as part of the celebration, I noticed that the table decorations included a copy of the hymn We've a Story to Tell to the Nations.  Thinking about that hymn and about missions has me recalling my days as a GA.

As a GA, I sang that hymn often.  As a GA, I memorized Scripture.  As a GA, I learned about missions in our country and around the world.  As a GA, I learned to pray for missionaries. 

As a GA, I memorized a list called Star Ideals.  These days we would probably call that a mission statement or a list of goals.  But back then we didn't use that terminology, so they were called Star Ideals.

The list looked like this:

• Abiding in Him through prayer
• Advancing in wisdom through Bible study
• Acknowledging my stewardship
• Adorning myself with good works
• Accepting the challenge of the Great Commission

A lot has changed since I was a little girl.  A lot has changed in how we "do church".  A  lot has changed in how we teach children about Jesus and about missions.  A lot has changed about how we communicate.  Terminology has changed.  Technology has changed.

But some things haven't changed.  The truths of the Bible are still true.  The world still needs Jesus.  And this list of star ideals is still embedded in my thinking.

We might not talk about star ideals much any more.  We might talk more about goals and mission statements.  But no matter what terminology we use, this list still encapsulates the disciplines of the Christian life.  It sums up what living the Christian life is all about.  And doing the things on this list is still a good idea.

"Abide in me, and I in you."  (John 15:4 ESV)

Are You Settled?

Just over five months ago we moved from the mountains of North Carolina to the Upstate of South Carolina.  In those months, I have been asked the same question numerous times.  Are you settled? 

Yesterday afternoon a neighbor asked the question again.  Are you settled?

The answer to the question really depends on what is meant by the one asking it.

If are you settled means that I love my new city and my new home, and that I am very happy to be here, then the answer to the question is a resounding yes!

If are you settled means that all the boxes are unpacked and all the pictures are hung and everything is in its proper place, then the answer is an equally resounding no.  All that will come in time, but right now that time is somewhere out there in the future.  That we lived here for two months and then went on a trip for three months has complicated the settling process somewhat.  But we'll get there.  Eventually.

There's a third perspective on the question that really has nothing to do with moving.  There are just days when I feel a bit unsettled.  Perhaps you experience the same.  Out of sorts may be a better descriptor than unsettled.  I think we all have days like that from time to time.  Days when nothing seems quite as it should be.

I could blame it on RA.  As anyone who lives with a chronic illness will tell you, some days are better than others.  For me, yesterday was one of the not better ones.  But yesterday was not just about chronic pain.  I was just out of sorts all day.  I felt unsettled.  It's probably a good thing my husband is out of town on business for a few days.  Being unsettled can often translate to being grumpy.  That was certainly the case for me yesterday. 

What do we do when we have these unsettled moments?  And why do we have them?  Fatigue is often, although not always, a factor.  I went to bed much earlier than normal last night and had a good night's sleep.  As a result, I'm feeling refreshed and in a far better state of mind than I was yesterday.

When I opened my Bible to the Psalms this morning, this is what I read:

"Cease striving and know that I am God."  (Psalm 46:10a NASB)

That's really the solution to those unsettled moments in our lives, isn't it?  Cease striving.  Remember (know) that He is God.  Let God be God.

Focusing on that truth has me feeling far more settled this morning.

It can do the same for you.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the sea.  Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  (Psalm 46:1-2, 10 NASB)

The Best and the Worst - Part 3

Recalling some of the best experiences of our recent trip leads inevitably to some thinking about the less-than-bests we experienced.  And just like life, the trip held plenty of those moments to balance out the good ones.

We stayed in many very nice hotels, but we also stayed in some that just didn't quite measure up. The Inn at Opryland falls into that category.  I've written about it before, so I won't dwell on it now, but early on in the trip, that particular hotel became the standard against which all others were measured. And although we stayed in several that would never make our "favorites" list, none was ever quite so bad as The Inn at Opryland.  The Trail's End in Dubois, Wyoming, might come close, with its lack of air conditioning and its miniscule bathroom.  Even so, given a choice, I would go back to The Trail's End.  I would not return to The Inn at Opryland!

Overall, our hotel experiences left very little to complain about.  Of course, there were some with beds that were too soft.  Some were smaller and some were larger.  There was one with a hair dryer that only blew cold air.  I left a note about that one!

There were those ridiculous round chairs that I grew to hate. Occasionally the internet access was a bit challenging.  Some were in less than ideal locations, such as high crime rate cities like downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, or downtown Jackson, Mississippi.  A few were located in the middle of office parks, which left not much to see or to do.  But those were balanced by locations with views like this one in Phoenix:

We ate some delicious food on this trip, and we ate some that was just ordinary.  We saw some spectacular scenery, and we saw some that was less so.  We had some wonderfully delightful days, and some that were not so spectacular.  These eleven weeks were pretty much like any other eleven weeks of life, except that we were living it out of suitcases and driving around the country in a very large van.  Life is like that. Some days are fabulous, and some days are not quite so spectacular.

In the beginning, when the whole adventure was fresh and new, it was easy to focus on the positives and to always look on the bright side. After about eight or nine weeks, when fatigue had really set it, we found it much easier to see only the negatives.  But isn't that also true of life, whether at home or on the road?  When we're tired and weary, it's much easier to see the not-as-I-would-like-it-to-be parts of life than it is to stay positive and upbeat.

One of the worst days of the entire trip came as we were leaving Phoenix.  We had planned a direct route to Los Angeles along I-10, but that route had to be changed because a bridge had washed out due to flash flooding the night before, and that highway was closed.  So, we decided to take a southern route to San Diego and then up to Los Angeles.  However, parts of that road were closed due to wild fires.  That left our only option being to drive north, back to I-40, then turn west and approach Los Angeles through the San Bernandino Valley.  That was a long, long day of driving through the desert where the scenery didn't really change.  It took a much longer time to get from Phoenix to Los Angeles by that route than either of the other routes would have taken.  We were still driving in the original van, with the air conditioning system that didn't always work.  It was a miserable day.

But even miserable days can have bright spots.

We stopped at a gas station in Needles, California, and I snapped this photo there:

You may be wondering how I would consider that a bright spot.  It's very simple, really.  Even though we had to pay a ridiculously high price in Needles, the good news is that I don't live there. And I don't have to pay those kinds of prices here in South Carolina.  For that, I am very grateful indeed.

Our brief stop in Needles proves a point, about this trip and about life in general:

There is always something to be thankful for.

The Best and the Worst - Part 2

Yesterday I began a series of posts based on the opening line from Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities.  Dickens' words are an apt description of our recent road trip around the country.  It was indeed the best and the worst of times.

In an attempt to answer the what was your favorite? question that I have been asked so often since we have returned home, I'm calling up a few memories from the trip.  Yesterday's post focused on my most favorite thing about the trip - time with friends.

Today I'm going in a different direction.  Today I'm thinking about food.  We ate some really great food while we were away, and we ate some pretty ordinary food as well.  If you followed the journey through previous blog posts, then you already know about some of the deliciousness we experienced.  You've already heard about the delicious salmon we ate in Texas, and the halibut from The Original Fish Company in southern California.

I'm sure I already mentioned Montana Meatloaf as well, but let me just tell you about it again. That meal in Bozeman, Montana was one of the very best of the entire trip.  This meatloaf was like no other I had ever eaten.  Definitely not your granny's meatloaf!  This particular meatloaf was a combination of beef, bison, and pork, all locally sourced, free-range meats.  It was spectacular!  Taste, texture, appearance, everything about it was fantastic. That meatloaf is worth a trip to Bozeman!  It's that good!  And I say that as someone who is not a big fan of meatloaf.

We had a delicious bison rib eye steak in Cheyenne.  Some great Mexican food in Colorado.  Some of the best barbecue I've ever eaten in Kansas City, along with some delicious Italian food in Kansas City as well.  No, not at the same restaurant!

Barbecue prime rib in Kansas City.  Chicken Spedini in Kansas City.  Parmesan Crusted Walleye in Chicago.  Barbecue Brisket Sandwich in Shipshewana, Indiana.  Lobster Ravioli in Woodbridge, New Jersey.  Those are just a few of the favorite meals.

One of the tastiest bites of the trip came on the morning we were leaving Miami.  It was early, too early for the hotel restaurant to be open.  It was dark and pouring rain.  We stopped for fuel before getting on the road.  We got our breakfast at that gas station.  That guava pastry was one of the most delicious things I put in my mouth in the entire three months!

There you have it.  A very brief listing of some of the very best of the foods we ate on the trip.  Obviously we ate well while we traveled, since my jeans are a little tighter than they were when we left!

But it was worth every bite!

"For food and all the gifts of love, we give Thee thanks and praise.

Look down, O Father, from above, and bless us all our days.  Amen."

(-author unknown)

The Best and the Worst - Part 1

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."  So wrote Charles Dickens in his well-known book A Tale of Two Cities.  That could also describe our recent trip around the country!

We returned home just over three weeks ago from an 11-week road trip.  Since we have been home, we have been asked a lot of questions about the trip.  The most frequently asked question is some form of what was your favorite thing?

Answering that question is more difficult than you might imagine, because in an 11-week span of time, there are many favorites, as well as many not-so-much.  Now that the dust has settled and we are getting back into a routine, it seems a good time to pause and consider that question.  What was your favorite? 

Thinking about the bests and the worsts will be my topic over several posts.  Today I'm thinking about some of the bests.

We saw many beautiful places.  We ate some wonderful food.  We stayed in a number of very nice hotels.  But none of that is really my favorite.  My favorite thing about the trip was the people.  More specifically, my most favorite thing about this trip was getting to spend time with friends I haven't seen in a very long time.  Because we have lived in as many places as we have, we are blessed to have friends in many parts of the country.  Unfortunately, we didn't see all of them, although we reminisced as we passed near to where those friends lived.  But we were blessed to spend some time with several dear friends as we traveled around.

In Nashville, we enjoyed time with Bill and Jean, and with Tim, Amy, and Eli.  In Phoenix, I spent a lovely afternoon with Lisa.  We had dinner with Karl and Ava in Missouri, and with Dave and Myra in Illinois, and we ate pancakes at Cracker Barrel in Massachusetts with Danny and Janet.  We worshipped and had a lovely after-church visit with Rich and Linda in Illinois, and with Wayne and Linda in Georgia. Those good times with friends are among my favorite memories from this trip.

Time with friends was wonderful.  Time with family, which I never get enough of, was even more precious.  We spent Labor Day weekend in North Carolina, enjoying time with Brandon, Stephanie, and AJ.  And we ended the trip with a much-too-brief time with Brian, Emily, and Christopher.

Reflecting on the trip, time with friends and family is certainly at the top of my list of bests.  More bests tomorrow.  Then we'll get to the worsts!

Today my focus is on friends.

Friends are one of the greatest blessings God gives to us, and having the grace gift of time with friends from days gone by was certainly a treasure as we traveled around the country.  How thankful I am for every moment of the trip, but particularly for those special moments spent with friends, making memories to last until the next time our paths cross!

Friendship is very much in the forefront of my thinking today, as one of my dearest friends is in surgery today, taking the next step in her battle against breast cancer.  If you think of it during the day, would you pray for Johanne, for her husband Jeff, for her doctors and all her medical team, for her family, and for all of us who love her so dearly.  Many thanks for joining with us in prayer!


"A friend loves at all times."  (Proverbs 17:17 ESV)

Tinted Moisturizer and Mascara

Despite what you may have thought when you read the title, this is not a post about makeup.  Even so, thinking about makeup helps to illustrate the point.

Makeup is a fact of life for many women.  Truth be told, most women past 25 or 30 just look better with judicious use of some cosmetics.  In the words of a pastor friend of ours from years gone by, a little paint never hurt an old barn!

In spite of that, the older I get, the less I want to be bothered with all that.  I need it more, but I want to deal with it less.  As a result, on most days, if I'm not planning to go out of the house, I don't go through the whole makeup routine.  Those are pretty much tinted moisturizer and mascara days.  Maybe a little lip gloss.  But not much more.  Just enough to get by.  Just enough not to scare anybody!

Just enough to get by.  There's a lot of that going around.  Most days, I have just enough cosmetic products on my face to get by.  I hear teachers complaining about students who are capable of so much, but do just enough to get by.  In the workplace, many are doing just enough to get by without losing their jobs. 

And, sadly, many who call themselves Christian are doing just enough to get by.  Certainly becoming a Christian is not about what we do.  The Scripture tells us that we must "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ."  (Acts 16:31).  That's it.  It's not about what we do, but about what Jesus has done that is the issue in salvation.

But what about living out our salvation?  What about living the Christ-life? 

This fall our Life Group has been studying the New Testament Book of Acts as we are seeking to understand how we are to live the Christ-life as we draw nearer and nearer to the return of Christ to this earth.  How do we live the Christ-life in a culture that rejects Him?  How do we live the Christ-life in this 11th hour? 

The early church, as described in Acts 2:42-47, has much to teach us about how we should be living in these days.  This group of believers was not satisfied to just get by, and that makes them very different from many believers today, certainly here in the United States.

If you think about it, we here in the United States have much in common with the early church.  We are in the minority in our culture, as were they.  The early church faced persecution because of their faith, and more and more we are seeing that in our culture as well, as the Christian faith is ever more marginalized in our society.  The early church believed that Jesus would return to earth very soon, within their lifetime.  While many years have passed since Jesus left this earth and we don't know exactly when He will return, we do know with certainty that He will return because that is what He said He would do.  And we also know with certainty that we are closer now than we have ever been to that time.  In the words of the Apostle Paul, "salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed."  (Romans 13:11b NASB).

That's what we have in common with the early church.  Sadly, for many modern-day Christians, that's where the similarities end and the tinted moisturizer and mascara comparisons begin.  The early Christians were much more than just enough to get by church members.

Here's what we know about them:  "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."  (Acts 2:42 NASB)

Continually. Devoting.  Those are very descriptive words.  They describe a lifestyle, not an every now and then, just enough to get by, attitude.  These early believers were devoted to the apostles' teaching.  They listened.  They learned.  They applied.  And what were the apostles teaching?  They were teaching what Jesus had taught them!  So to bring this into the 20th century, what should we who call ourselves Christian be doing?  We should be, as they were, devoted to, as a habit of life, the study of the Scriptures!  Not just to occasionally reading some Scripture.  Not to occasionally, when it's convenient and it's not raining and there's no ball game that has our attention, showing up for Bible study and worship on Sunday morning.  But as a habit of life, if we are following their example, we should be devoted to the study of the Scripture.

They were continually devoting themselves to fellowship and the breaking of bread and to prayer.  In other words, they were doing life together.  As a habit of life, they were spending time together.  Eating meals together.  Celebrating what we now refer to as the Lord's Supper.  Together.  Praying.  Together.  They routinely spent time together doing these things.  As a habit of life.  Not just enough to get by.  Not just enough that their name wasn't removed from the class roll.  Not just occasionally.  Not just when it was convenient and they didn't have anything better to do.  This was the better!

That's the model we have from the early church of how to "do" church. How to live as a believer in the 11th hour.  (Remember that they thought they were in the 11th hour, too!)  This is the model the Scripture gives us of believers living in community with one another. 

The Gaithers wrote a song some years ago titled The Church Triumphant.  The song begins with this line:  Let the church be the church.

These early believers in Acts 2 show us how the church is to be the church.  They show us what it means to be a community of believers.  Not just tinted moisturizer and mascara believers, but believers who, as a habit of life, live as a community.

This is not to say that they lived out in some holy huddle, or commune, on the side of a hill somewhere singing Kum Ba Yah all day.  Not at all.  They still had life to live and families to raise.   They had to make a living and go fishing for the day's meal.  But through all that, they lived in community with one another.  They did life together.  They spent time together.  They studied together.  They fellowshipped together.  They prayed together.

Continually devoting themselves to.  As a habit of life.  As a priority of life.

"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."  (Acts 2:42 NASB, emphasis mine)

They were not tinted moisturizer and mascara believers.  Neither should we be!

What was the result of that kind devotion? 

"Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe, and many wonders and signs were taking place."  (Acts 2:43 NASB)

"And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."
(Acts 2:47b NASB)

If we're missing the sense of awe, perhaps it's because we're also missing that kind of devotion.

That's really the question for us as believers here in 21st century America, isn't it?  What are we devoted to?

How would you describe yourself?  What would those who know you best say about you?  What about those who just see you occasionally?  Are you known more as a continually devoted kind of believer?  Or are you better described as tinted moisturizer and mascara?

Something to think about.

Trim and Healthy: A Book Review

Trim and healthy.  If we're honest, isn't that what we would all say we would like to be.  But there are so many "experts" out there with opinions about how that is to be accomplished.  Who are we supposed to listen to anyway?  The low fat people?  Or the low carb people?  Or the no-red-meat people?  What's a person to do?  What is the right approach to trim and healthy?

Because of all the conflicting information that abounds, I was intrigued when I came across trim healthy mama plan: the easy-does-it approach to vibrant health and a slim waistline by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison.

"Food freedom! Are you ready for it?"  So begins the introduction to trim healthy mama plan.  This is not a fad diet, but rather a guide to a healthy eating lifestyle. 

This book teaches you the basics of the trim healthy mama plan and provides some simple menu plans as guides to help you get started on the path to healthy eating.  And it does all that in an easy to read and understand way.

What the book does not provide is recipes to accompany this plan.  For that, you need a second book.



The authors of this book are sisters.  It is my understanding that they developed this eating plan several years ago and first published it in a much larger book that combined the information now contained in trim healthy mama plan, along with a collection of recipes.  They have now separated the original book into two more manageable parts; this book contains information about the plan, and there is a separate cookbook which contains recipes to accompany the plan. 

trim healthy mama plan is a great book to answer the what do I eat and when and why questions that we so often have when we're trying to be trim and healthy.  I'm not sure the accompanying cookbook is an absolute necessity in order to follow this plan, but it would probably be helpful.

I am not currently following the plan, but after having read this book, I may give it a try.  What these sisters have outlined here is not rules and lists and points to count, but rather realistic guidelines that can be adapted to your own personal situation.  This is a plan that works with everyday, inexpensive food from a regular grocery store.  That, I believe, is the real appeal of the plan and why so many people are giving it a try.

If you have been looking for a path to healthy living that is easy to follow, this book is certainly worth reading as you are making your decision.

You can find more information here:  http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/248669/trim-healthy-mama-plan-by-pearl-barrett-and-serene-allison/

Or you can follow the sisters on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TrimHealthyMama

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

A Song of Thanksgiving

"Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving

To God the Creator triumphantly raise,

Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,

Who guideth us on to the end of our days.

His banners are o'er us, His light goes before us,

A pillar of fire shining forth in the night,

'Til shadows have vanished and darkness is banished,

As forward we travel from light into light.

His law He enforces, the stars in their courses,

The sun in His orbit, obediently shine.

The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,

The deeps of the ocean proclaim Him Divine.

We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing,

With glad adoration a song let us raise,

'Til all things now living unite in thanksgiving

To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!

                                                                              -Katherine K. Davis

 

 

Those are the words to a hymn titled "Let All Things Now Living", written by Katherine K. Davis and typically sung to a traditional Welsh melody.  It's one of those hymns we don't sing in church any more, which makes me a bit sad.  And before you get jump to a wrong conclusion, that was not an anti-new-music statement. I'm not anti-new-music as much as I am anti-ignoring older music! Much of what we hear and sing in our churches these days that would be classified as "new" or "contemporary" is music that I like very much.  But I don't like all of it. Not all of it is good.  Some of it is just new.  Some of it I don't like.  It's a personal-preference-thing.  But that isn't my point.

 

I was thinking about this song this morning. Not because we have sung it recently; we haven't.  We sing some wonderful music in our church.......new songs, old songs, the great hymns of our faith.  This particular hymn hasn't been sung recently; in fact, I can't even remember the last time I sang this hymn in a church setting!  Rather, it has been called up from deep in the recesses of my memory.  It's a catchy tune, but it's the text that has my attention.

 

Perhaps it's because I'm not as young as I used to be!  Perhaps it's because of the flooding here in my home state.  Or perhaps there is some other reason.  In any event, I am becoming more and more aware of how much I take for granted.  How often I forget to say "thank you". It's not that I'm ungrateful.  Forgetful, yes.  A little scatter-brained sometimes.  Distracted.  But not ungrateful. 

 

Today is a perfect day for a "Song of Thanksgiving"! On this beautiful morning, as the sun peeks through the trees behind my house,  I have so many reasons for thanksgiving.  Certainly the beauty of the world around me is one of those reasons. This is a beautiful morning, in a beautiful season of the year.  I love this season of the year, this season  when we have so many scenes like this one to look forward to:

 

 

 

But there are many, many reasons for thanksgiving this morning beyond just the beauty of the season.  Even as I see photo after photo of the devastation caused by flooding here in South Carolina, I am also seeing photo after photo of neighbors helping each other.  Of strangers helping strangers.  Of donations of water and food and supplies.  Of people opening their homes to those in need. It makes me proud to be a South Carolinian.  Proud, and so thankful to call South Carolina home.  My heart is overwhelmed with thanksgiving for all the ways people are reaching out to help those in need. 

 

In addition to all that, I'm thankful for dear friends. For the best husband ever! For my family.  For my church family.  For my pastor.  For our home.  For my health.

 

And I am so very thankful for the privilege of prayer.  Thankful that God hears and answers.  Thankful for all those times when I utter a prayer with a very specific request, and within just a few minutes, I have my answer!  And I am also thankful for all the times when the answer doesn't come as quickly, because it is in those times I learn about waiting and trusting and depending on the Lord.

  

I am beyond grateful for a Sovereign Lord.  One who knows me best and loves me most.  One who has all things under control.

 

And so to Him today I am singing my song of thanksgiving!

"My heart overflows with a good theme."  (Psalm 45:1 NASB)

 

 

Thinking About Flood Gates

As the rain continued to fall on Sunday and as the water level in Lake Murray rose above flood stage, the decision was made to open the flood gates. 

Yesterday afternoon the sun began to shine here in Spartanburg, for the first time in several days.  As I was giving thanks for the sun, I was also giving thanks for so many other things as well.  That we were safe here in our home during the storm.  That we had no damage.  That family members in Columbia, where things were far worse than here, were safe during the storm.

I was giving thanks for our safety, but also grieving for those around our state who have lost so much.  Heartbroken over the loss of life, and over the damage to my beautiful state.  Praying for those without power and without drinking water.  Praying for those whose homes are filled with water. 

As I continue to see the pictures of the devastation around the state, I am weeping.  And praying.  Praying for all who are suffering.  Praying for first responders and for linemen and for all who are out there helping those in need.  Praying for our Governor and for all the decisions she must make. 

In the midst of all that, my thoughts keep returning to those flood gates.  And I am reminded of a line from an old hymn.  It's one of those old hymns we don't sing very much any more. 

Lord, send the old-time power, the Pentecostal power!

Thy floodgates of blessing on us throw open wide!

(from "Pentecostal Power" by Charles H. Gabriel)

 

 

Floodgates of blessing! 

 

How we need those floodgates of blessing today!  In our communities.  In South Carolina.  In the United States of America.

 

Oh, that we who are God's people would cry out to Him on behalf of our families and our communities and our nation for those floodgates to be opened.

 

Not because we deserve it, because we don't.

 

But because of His great mercy.

 

Lord, have mercy on us.  We are a sinful people.  We have turned our back on you.   Forgive us.  Forgive our sin.  Heal our land.  Have mercy on us, we pray. 

 

 

"If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."  (2 Chronicles 7:14 NASB)

 

 

 

 

 

 





Under Water

In recent years, the phrase under water has come to mean owing more on your home mortgage than your home is now worth.  This weekend, here in South Carolina, we have gone back to a more literal interpretation of that phrase.  Much of my beloved home state is, quite literally, under water.

This photo, which was making the rounds on Facebook yesterday, pretty much sums it up: 

Bridges have washed away.  Creeks and ponds have overflowed their boundaries.  Neighborhoods have been evacuated.  The ground has washed out from under the roadbed, leaving roads collapsing.  The flood gates at Lake Murray were opened yesterday.  For you non-South Carolinians, Lake Murray is a large, man-made lake in the center of our state, with more than three hundred miles of shoreline, held in place by an earthen dam.  Right now, that lake, like so many other lakes and ponds and rivers and streams, has too much water in it.  There's just too much water everywhere in South Carolina right now.

We South Carolinians are a pretty resilient people.  We've been through a lot since the first English settlers came ashore in 1670.  We will survive this and we will thrive again.  But right now we are hurting. 

Times like these provide great opportunities.  Opportunities for the church to be the church.  To reach out and help those who are hurting.  Those whose homes are under water and who have no place to sleep.  Those who are without electricity and drinking water.  Those who can't get home because roads are closed or washed away.

Those of us who are nearby and who are fortunate enough not to be in such dire straits have an opportunity today to reach out and help those in need.

All of us, whether near or far away, can pray. 

May we be faithful to do that today.  Pray for those who have lost their homes.  For those who have lost family members.  For those without power and water.  For those who are frightened.

Look for an opportunity today to be a blessing to someone. 

And pray.

If They Could See Us Now

Grandmother Neil, my mother's mother, was one of the people I admired most in this life.  And if I were to list the people who had the most influence on my life, she would be very near the top of that list.  Today is the anniversary of her passing into eternity, into the presence of the Lord she loved so much and served so well while here on earth. 

I don't always note the anniversary of her passing, but somehow today it is very present in my mind and heart.  Perhaps it's the passing of my DIL's grandmother last week that has me remembering my own grandmother.  Perhaps it's that Al's mom, my sons' grandmother, has been having a rough week.  Or perhaps it's something else.  Whatever the reason, today I'm remembering Grandmother Neil.  Stern, yet gentle.  Strong-willed.  Determined.  Those are adjectives that come to mind when I think of her.  Most of all, I think of her as a Godly woman.  A woman who did not compromise when it came to matters of faith.  A woman who knew the Scriptures well.  A woman who didn't just talk the talk, but walked the walk.

Grandmother had a favorite hymn.  She was always singing or humming or whistling that hymn throughout the day. 

"Thou, my everlasting portion, more than friend or life to me;

All along my pilgrim journey, Savior, let me walk with Thee."

(words by Fanny J. Crosby)

 

 

Today marks the anniversary of the day Grandmother Neil left this life to walk forever in eternity with her Savior and Lord.

 

This week marks the passing of another great saint, George Whitfield.  I was reminded by an e-mail yesterday of the anniversary of Whitfield's passing on September 30, 1770.  If Whitfield is not someone you have thought about much lately, let me refresh your memory.  Whitfield was one of the best-known preachers in England, where he was born,  and in North America, during the 18th century.  Whitfield left England to come to America, where he preached a series of revivals that were a part of what we have come to know as the Great Awakening.

 

Whitfield said, "God forbid that I should travel with anybody a quarter of an hour without speaking of Christ to them."

 

Whitfield said, "As Christ was born of the Virgin's womb, so must He be spiritually formed in our hearts.  As He died for sin, so must we die to sin.  And as He rose again from the dead, so must we also rise to a divine life."

 

Nearly 250 years have passed since Whitfield left this world.  If he could see what we have become, I wonder what he would think.

 

More than 40 years have passed since Grandmother Neil left this world.  If she could see what we have become, I wonder what she would think.

 

I don't think either of them would be pleased.  George Whitfield and Grandmother Neil are two examples of people with a hunger and thirst for the things of God.  That hunger and thirst is missing in our world today, even among those who call themselves Christian. 

 

How far we have fallen since the days of George Whitfield.  Even since the days of Grandmother Neil.

 

Oh, that once again we might live in such pure devotion to Christ!  That I might live in such pure devotion to Christ!

 Send a revival, O Christ, my Lord,

Let it go over the land and sea.

Send it according to Thy dear Word,

And let it begin in me.

(-B.B. McKinney)