A Handwritten Note

I have the joy and privilege to gather every Thursday morning with some very special women for Bible Study. I love these women. They challenge me and pray for me and encourage me. What a blessing!

We are currently doing a study in the book of Haggai in the Old Testament using Jennifer Rothschild’s study Take Courage to guide our study. 

Haggai is one of those Old Testament prophets you might not have given a lot of attention to. His book is only two short chapters, but as we have learned from our study, it is full of encouragement. Full of the challenge to take courage. And that’s important for us in our world today. There are all kinds of reasons for us to be frustrated and disheartened and discouraged, just as there were back in Haggai’s day. But in the middle of their discouragement came a word from the Lord through Haggai to them, and to us. Be encouraged. Take courage!

As I was studying this week, I began to think about ways to encourage others. And that led me to thinking about sending notes. More specifically, sending handwritten notes.

When was the last time you got a handwritten note in the mail?  

It's a lost art, really. And that's sad.

We sometimes get notes via e-mail. Or maybe we get texts.  Or tweets. Or Facebook messages.

But what about a handwritten note. In an envelope. With a stamp on it.

We may get a birthday card or a Christmas card, and those occasionally come with a hastily scribbled personal message. But not often.

During my recovery from knee surgery a few years ago, and again during my stroke recovery, I was often encouraged by messages from friends and family members. Texts, messages, e-mails, Facebook posts. Even a number of get-well cards that came via snail mail! I read each one, treasuring each message.  But the ones that meant the most to me came in an envelope, with a stamp, and were not only signed, but contained a hand-written note. Sometimes just a sentence. Sometimes two. Occasionally a paragraph. Handwritten and intended just for me. What an encouragement!

Handwritten notes are rare these days. They occasionally come for birthdays or Christmas or during times of sickness. But even then, they are rare. Even more rare are the handwritten notes that come just because.  I think that's incredibly sad.  

Perhaps we're in too big a hurry. Or we're too stressed. Or perhaps it's because we have managed in our culture to condense all our communications to 140 characters, electronically transmitted. Perhaps it’s the cost of postage.

I have a box in my closet, and a file folder in my desk drawer, of handwritten notes I've received over the years. Some on fancy stationery. Some on a cute card. Some on plain, lined, notebook paper. Some on the cover of the church bulletin. I always save handwritten notes. When I first began this habit, I had no idea that one day they would be nearly as extinct as the dinosaur!

Sometimes, particularly on tough days or dreary days or days when nothing seems to be going right, I reach into the folder and pull out a note. And reading the note again encourages me. Lifts my spirits.  

That's the power of a handwritten note. Its effect goes far beyond its initial reading; it lasts and lasts and lasts.

Could it be time for us to revive the art of note writing? To slow down a bit and send a word of encouragement, a word that will last.  

Yes, it will take time. And effort. And yes, we will have to perhaps buy some note cards and envelopes. And yes, stamps are expensive. But what is it worth to encourage someone today?

When was the last time you encouraged someone? When was the last time you sat down and wrote a note? On paper. With a pen.

Why not do it today? I dare you.

"....encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."  (Hebrews 10:25 ESV)

Perception vs. Reality

When we lived in the mountains of Western North Carolina, we often woke to foggy mornings like this one. When I would look out the front windows, or when I stood on the front porch, on mornings like this, visibility was very limited. All I could see was shades of black and white and gray.  

Even though I knew there was a world out there, I couldn’t see it. 

 

Reality was this beautiful view on the other side of the fog. But I couldn’t see it. My perception was not my reality. It looked like I was cut off from the rest of the world. And if one of those foggy days happened to be a day when the internet was down, then I really did feel isolated. Cut off from the world. Because my communication channel was cut off. Most of the time, once the reset button on the router was pushed, communication was restored and all was well.

I recently read the story of Joseph Scriven. I was not familiar with Scriven's story, but I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Joseph Scriven was an Irish poet whose fiancée drowned the night before they were to be married. Grieving deeply, he decided to move to Canada and begin a new life there. Out of this experience and several others, he penned these words:

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

 

What's the common thread here? What ties these somewhat disparate things together?

 

Communication. And perception. What it feels like isn't always reality. Feelings aren't always reliable.

 

Some days, like those really cloudy days in the mountains, or on days when I’m spending most of my time home alone, it feels like I'm cut off from the world. But I'm not.

Joseph Scriven felt deep despair. Yet in spite of that he learned deep truths about God and about prayer.  Truths which he shared with us by writing these words we have come to know as the hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

 

The reality is that, no matter the circumstances and no matter how I may feel, I can always communicate with my heavenly Father. On the clear days. On the foggy days. When the internet works. When it doesn't.  In the happy times. In the sad times. And in all the in between times. In all circumstances. About everything. About anything.  

 

The picture of fog reminds me of that this morning. It gave the illusion that I was completely cut off from the world, isolated and alone.  

 

But it's only an illusion. Perception isn't reality.

 

The reality is that I am never alone. And the reality is that I can communicate, through prayer, with the One who knows me best and loves me most. What a privilege!

 

"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you."  (James 4:8 ESV)

 



The Tale of the Sock Drawer

 

Where did they all come from?  Do socks have some inherent trait that causes them to multiply like rabbits in the privacy of the sock drawer?  

So many socks. Black socks.  White socks.  Gray socks.  Multi-colored socks.  So many socks.

How many socks does one woman need?  Not this many would be the correct answer!  

Yesterday, after thinking about it and putting it off for a while, I decided to clean out my sock drawer. Oh. My. Word. 

And that over-stuffed sock drawer doesn't even contain all the seasonal socks, with their Christmas trees and autumn leaves and pumpkins. Nor does it contain all the compression socks that were part of my knee replacement journey.

Where did all those socks come from? The answer, of course, is obvious. I put those socks in the drawer.  And I continued to buy new socks while never discarding any of the old, worn out, no-longer-with-a-mate socks.  

I must bear responsibility for the mess in the sock drawer. Just as I must bear responsibility for the clutter in the pantry that leads to too many cans of this and not enough of that. Just as I must bear responsibility for too many of the almost-identical, same-color shirts that hang in my closet. And just as I must bear responsibility for all the books on our overloaded bookshelves and tucked into every nook and cranny around the house. Well, that really isn't the same thing, is it?  (I'm sure every book lover will agree with me!)

I'm not sure I rise to the level of being called a "sock hoarder", but I may be getting dangerously close!  I really had no idea there were so many socks in that drawer. I should have counted them, but I probably would have been shocked at the number, and then far too embarrassed to share the number with you!

The sock drawer looks much neater now. The number of socks is manageable. The worn-out socks, the I-never-even-wear-these socks, the I-don't-even-like-these, and these-don't-even-fit socks have all been discarded.

How did my sock drawer get to be such a mess? The answer is simple, really. It happened because I wasn't paying attention.

Not paying attention leads to clutter in the sock drawer. And in the pantry. And in the closet.

In the same way, not paying attention leads to clutter in our minds as well. Unless we make careful, deliberate choices - about what we read, about what we watch, about what we listen to - our minds can end up as cluttered as my sock drawer.

I need to pay attention to what I put into my sock drawer, and I need to remember to take out what isn't needed.

It's a life principle, really. Pay attention. Not just to the sock drawer or the pantry, but to what goes into your mind.  

Remember that old computer saying?  GIGO.  Garbage In/Garbage Out.  

Think about that next time you pick up a book or a magazine, or the next time you sign onto social media.  Think about that the next time you start to watch a television show or something on Netflix. Think about that when you're choosing music for your playlist.

Don't let your mind end up as cluttered as my sock drawer.  Fill it with good things instead.

"Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."  (Philippians 4:8 NASB)

My sock drawer had some good things in it. Some nice socks. Some socks that fit well. Some socks that were useful. But it also had some things that didn't need to be there. The clutter made it hard to discern which was which, so a clean-up was needed.

Taking time to clean up our thinking - to declutter our minds - is even more important than cleaning out a sock drawer.

Do you have any clutter you need to deal with today?


"Create in me a clean hear, O God." (Psalm 51:10)

Because It’s The Right Thing To Do

Reading the Scriptures can have a powerful, convicting effect.  

Consider these verses from 1 Timothy:

"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.  This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."  (1 Timothy 2:1-4 NASB)

God has really been using these verses to speak to my heart this week.

Prayers. For all people.  For kings and all who are in authority.

There's nothing in this verse that lets us off the hook when we don't agree with those in authority. Or when they are from a different political party. Or when we didn't vote for them. Or even when we just plain don't like them!

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy when Nero was the emperor of Rome. The letter to Timothy was intended to be shared with other Christians. Therefore, not just Timothy but all Christians were being instructed to pray for those in authority over them. In other words, in that particular time period, to pray for Nero, well-known as a persecutor of Christians!

Fast forward to the twenty-first century in America. The instruction still applies.

It isn't an instruction to pray for our favorite people. Or our family. Or our neighbors. Although praying for all those is an important thing, a good thing, to do.

The instruction from this particular passage is to pray for those in authority over us. The context is praying for those in governmental positions of authority.

Not because we like them. Or because we voted for them. Or because we agree with them. Or because we are from the same political party or share the same political opinions.  

We pray for them because we are instructed to do so. Because it is "good and acceptable in the sight of God."  And because it benefits us to do so:  "that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity."

It may not be an easy thing to do. But it's the right thing to do.

And no one ever said doing the right thing would be easy!

Another Memory. And a Lesson Learned.

Yesterday I shared some memories of a visit to the Holy Land. Not surprisingly, that sent me wandering down memory lane, to other memories of travels there. 

This picture was taken in one of my favorite cities on earth, Jerusalem, at one of my favorite places in that favorite city, the southern steps to the Temple Mount.

 



This photo below, taken from the Mount of Olives, can put that into context for you. The walled area in the center of the photo is the Temple Mount. The Dome of the Rock is just out of the photo, to the far right just beyond the trees. The Southern Steps are there in the center, just outside the wall of the Temple Mount, just above a small clump of trees.

On each of our trips to Jerusalem, we have had opportunity to sit on those steps and worship. What precious memories I have of those times. Being in that place, very near where Peter preached on Pentecost and 3000 souls were saved (Acts 2:14-41). Hearing the Word proclaimed to us by our pastor in that same place. Praying there on those steps. Worshiping. Those are favorite memories indeed.

I believe there is an important lesson to be learned from those Southern Steps up to the Temple Mount. You see, the interesting thing to me about these steps is that they are uneven. Some are wide, some are narrow, some are in-between. The result is that there would have been no casual skipping up the steps to worship at the Temple. The nature of the steps requires that the approach be slow and deliberate.

And therein lies the lesson. One we need to remind ourselves of often as we ask ourselves this question: In our increasingly casual world, have we become too casual in our approach to worship?  

Consider this quote from Oswald Chambers:  "If we have never had the experience of taking our casual, religious shoes off our casual, religious feet - getting rid of the excessive informality with which we approach God - it is questionable whether we have ever stood in His presence."

May we - may I - never be too casual in our approach to a holy God!



"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts."  (Isaiah 6:3 NASB)

Reading and Remembering

I’ve been reading in the Psalms this summer. I read Psalm 42 this morning. It’s one of my favorites. And as I read, I remembered.

Even if you aren't sure that it's the 42nd Psalm, you're probably familiar with it.

As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee......

I've been reading this Psalm for years. I've been singing these words for years. But they really came alive to me on a December Sunday morning at Ein Gedi, in Israel.

It was on that Sunday morning that I saw this:

 

 

 

These are ibex, the "deer" referred to in this Psalm. And as the photo indicates, they live in a dry, barren environment. There's not a lot of water there. The Dead Sea is in the background, but there's no drinking water there. Not even for an ibex. A deer could get pretty thirsty in an environment like this. As I think about that, and as I look at this picture, I ask myself just how thirsty I am.

 

Here in the Carolinas, we have a different kind of deer. And a different environment. A deer doesn't have to go far to get a drink of water. Even in the hot dry summer like we have experienced this year.

 

 

 

 

It occurs to me that these contrasting environments really illustrate a truth about Christianity in America today. We're surrounded by "water" in the sense that we have an abundance of opportunities for Bible study, an abundance of Christian books, Bibles in multiple translations, an abundance of opportunities to drink deep of the water of the Word. Yet the downward shift in our culture would make it seem that we are in a dry and barren land. Why is that the case? How did we get to this point? Is it because we have such abundance that we have become complacent? Is it that we just aren't thirsty enough? Something to think about.

 

But I digress. As I read Psalm 42 this morning, I remembered. I first visited Ein Gedi when we traveled to Israel in 2010. We were at Ein Gedi on a Sunday morning, and it was there that we had our morning worship. As we sat there, watching the ibex, in this oasis in the desert, Dr. Wilton read Psalm 42. And so I will forever associate that Psalm with my memories of being in that place.

 

As I'm remembering, I also remember a conversation with Dr. Wilton on that same day. We were at Masada, just a few miles down the road. As our group was gathering to ride the cable car back down to the base of the mountain, the few of us standing there were having a chat.  I remarked that I was on overload.  And I was! Sensory overload. Information overload. Just overloaded and overwhelmed by what I had already experienced. And we hadn't even "walked where Jesus walked" yet!

 

We had spent a few days in Cairo, Egypt, and then had journeyed through the Sinai, following the Exodus route. We had arrived in Israel the afternoon before.  We had seen pyramids and papyrus. We had visited Christian churches in Egypt. We had been to Mt. Sinai. I was trying to remember everything, so afraid I would forget something. And I was just overwhelmed.

 

Dr. Wilton gave me some good advice that day.  He said not to try to remember every detail. Just experience it. And then, he said, when you get back home you will never read the Scriptures in the same way again.  When you read the Word, your mind will recall where you were and what you saw and what you experienced. You will see it all in a completely new way.  He was right.  I often remember that conversation.  As I did this morning when I read Psalm 42.  

 

But there's more to that Psalm than deer thirsting for water and the parallel to our souls thirsting for God.

 

David was on the run.  King Saul wanted to kill him.  And so David hid in a cave.  A cave at Ein Gedi.

 

 

 

 

 

In this particular Psalm, David not only wrote about thirsting after God.  He also wrote these words:

 

"Why are you in despair, O my soul?  And why have you become disturbed within me?  Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence."               

(Psalm 42:5 NASB)

 

Probably no one is trying to kill you this morning.  But you may be in despair for some other reason.

 

Perhaps the issue that troubles you is a health concern.  Or a financial need.  Or perhaps you've experienced a loss.  If we could all gather in once place and share the burdens of our hearts, I'm sure there would be quite a long and varied list of issues.

 

But in all those situations, these words hold true, just as they did for David so long ago.

 

Why are you in despair?  Hope in God.

 

That's an important truth worth remembering.

 

 

As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee.

You alone are my heart's desire, and I long to worship Thee.

You alone are my strength, my shield;

To You alone may my spirit yield.

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship Thee.

 

(-Martin Nystrom)

 



 

 



 





Anniversaries, Parenting, and the Empty Nest

 

This is a month of anniversaries in our family.

On Sunday, Brian and Emily celebrated 18 years of marriage.

 

Later this month, Brandon and Stephanie will celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary.

Where has the time gone??!!

Anniversaries are wonderful times of celebration. They are also time to reflect. To remember. To remember why you loved each other in the first place. To remember why you wanted to marry that person.  To remember what's really important in your relationship. In the busyness and stress that is life, it's important to take time to remember those things. To reconnect.  

In part, that's what our years of parenting were about.......modeling for these now-adult, now-married children what marriage and love and commitment are all about.

Several years ago one of our boys (and I forget which one!) said to Al, "You and mom seem to have more fun now that we're married."  Al's response was something like this:  "Well, of course we do. The pressure's off."

That was a light-hearted response, but a true one. The pressure is off! Our job as their parents was to get them ready for life in the real world. To prepare them to leave the nest, to "fly" on their own. And whether any of us wants to admit it or not, there's some pressure there!

Our boys have left the nest. They have nests of their own where they are doing quite well. Now the responsibility, the pressure that comes with parenting, is on their shoulders, theirs and their wives'.

As parents, we did the best we knew how to do. To love them unconditionally. To teach them responsibility. To teach them about Jesus. To teach them to love God, His Word and His ways. To prepare them for life. Did we always get everything right? Of course not. But we did our best.

And now our job is done. Or is it? We are no longer responsible for them in the same way we were when they were younger. As adults, they are each now responsible for the choices they make and must live with the consequences of those choices, whatever they may be. But our job is really never done. Now that they are adults, now that they are the parents, we still have the responsibility and the privilege of praying for them, encouraging them, being available to them. Parenting really never stops!

I'm not sure I'm a big fan of the term "empty nest".  But, like the term or not, our nest is empty. Just us old folks here.  

Our nest is empty. Our boys and their families live pretty far away, so we are very seldom all in the same place at the same time. On those rare occasions when that does happen, what joy it is to this mother's heart! How I look forward to those occasions!

The nest may be empty in a physical sense, yet at the same time it's still full. It's full of love for those sons, for the daughters they brought into our lives, and for those precious grandsons who light up our world. It's full of joy and memories.  

And there's always room in the nest for them to come home. To visit.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord."  (Psalm 127:3 ESV)

10 Seconds

When returned home from our beach vacation two weeks ago, I had a long list of plans for the weeks ahead. Reading. Studying. Organizing. Cleaning. 

But my best laid plans were put on hold by Covid. Again. It wasn’t enough to have Covid once. No, being the overachiever that I am, I went for round 2! Thankfully, this second experience was not nearly as bad as the first. Even so, it definitely interfered with my plans.

So, today is the day to try again. To start fresh. To get back on track. At least, that was the plan.

Yet again, my best laid plans went awry.

Those of you who know me well know that my day does not begin without coffee. When I approached the Keurig this morning, I was notified that I needed to add water. So I did. Then I put the pod in and proceeded to start the machine. But it still said I needed to add water. And it wouldn’t work until it believed it was full of water. It was, but apparently the machine didn’t get the message.

Oh, the frustration! I turned the machine off and back on again. Nothing. I unplugged it and plugged it back in again. Nothing.

What is a person to do in this situation? Refer to the resident engineer, otherwise known as my husband. And of course, as expected, he solved the problem. What did he do differently than I did? When he unplugged the machine, he waited 10 seconds! Apparently 10 seconds is the solution to electronic problems. And I, being the impatient sort - particularly when coffee is involved - did not wait long enough.

It occurs to me that the 10 Second rule may have more applications than for electronics. For example, it might be well if we practiced the 10 Second rule when we respond to conversations or social media posts or things in life that just frustrate us. And we all have those to deal with, don’t we.

I’m challenging myself, and I challenge you as well, to begin this week following the 10 Second rule. Think before you speak. Take a pause. Don’t be so impatient.

10 Seconds is not very long. Unless you are just itching to say something. Unless you really want to tell somebody off. Unless it’s something that shouldn’t be said at all.

Wait 10 Seconds. And see what a difference it makes.

“But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19-20 NASB)

What Time Is It?

 

10:10
10:11
10:12
10:13
10:14
 4:59
 9:14

Every clock in this house showed a different time yesterday! What's going on? And what time is it anyway? We've had a few episodes of power flickering on and off this week, so I suppose that could account for all these differences in time  Except perhaps for 4:59 and 9:14. One probably just needs a new battery, and the other never made it to Daylight Savings Time.

I checked my phone, and 10:14 was the actual time.

Recent world events have many questioning what time it is on the eternal calendar. We can't know that for certain. But we can know this:

"You know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed." (Romans 13:11 ESV)

Let Freedom Ring!

“Proclaim liberty throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof."       

Those words from Leviticus 25 are inscribed on a bell we have come to know as the Liberty Bell, originally cast in the Whitechapel Foundry in East London, England, and now housed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Yesterday we celebrated our nation's independence. July 4, 1776 was the date of the signing of our Declaration of Independence, and we celebrate that day every year.

But our independence, our freedom, is about more than a one-day-a-year celebration. It's about more than picnics and parades. It's about more than fireworks and flag-waving and funnel cakes.

Our freedom as Americans is something to celebrate every day of the year, not just on one day in the middle of summer. It's something to be cherished and protected. It's something we must never take for granted, but continually be thankful for.  

Our freedom as Americans is a precious thing that must be guarded and defended. And just as the verse from Leviticus that is inscribed on the Liberty Bell reminds us, we must "proclaim liberty throughout the land"!

If that is true of our freedom as Americans, how much more is all that true of our freedom in Christ! Our freedom in Christ isn't something just to be celebrated once a week on Sundays, but to be celebrated and cherished and treasured and proclaimed every day! Because "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!"  (John 8:36 ESV)

"For freedom Christ has set us free." (Galatians 5:1 ESV)

"For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."  (Romans 8:2 ESV)

[Jesus said] "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32 ESV) 

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Romans 6:23 ESV)

Free in Christ Jesus! Free indeed! Our freedom in Christ is not dependent on political parties or political correctness or political whim. That freedom is all and only in and through Christ Jesus! Free indeed!

Proclaim that freedom "throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof"!

What will you do today to proclaim liberty? To let freedom ring?

"Let Freedom Ring" - The Gaither Vocal Band:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVVbSXz7jaU