After a winter of snow and ice and frigid temperatures, I think I'm probably not the only one looking forward to spring.
Here in western North Carolina yesterday, the temperature was in the 60s with bright sunshine.
Lots of snow and ice melted yesterday.
This morning we're experiencing thunderstorms.
The daffodils are beginning to peek through in my flower bed.
Can spring be far behind?
"Thank God for the promise of spring." (William J. Gaither)
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Looking on the Bright Side
I'm really trying hard this morning to see the positives. It was sleeting when we went to bed last night, and this morning the road is covered with a sheet of ice.......again. And that means rescheduling my doctor appointment for another day when, hopefully, there won't be bad weather and I can actually get there.
I, like many other people around here, am so very tired of cold weather and snow and ice. So ready for warm weather and flowers. So ready for spring.
But spring isn't here yet. So I'm trying to look on the bright side.
I'm not going over to Kingsport today. No rheumatologist appointment today. No shopping while I'm there. No lunch date with the hubby.
But the good news is I have time for another cup of coffee here in my comfy chair in front of the fire. I can sit and watch the birds while I drink my coffee. I have time to read. Time to study in preparation for teaching the Life Group lesson on Sunday. I can finish the laundry. I won't have to experience the stress of driving on an icy road. And I don't have to have a needle stuck in my arm to draw blood.
So, there are some benefits to staying home. There is a bright side. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.
"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 118:29 ESV)
I, like many other people around here, am so very tired of cold weather and snow and ice. So ready for warm weather and flowers. So ready for spring.
But spring isn't here yet. So I'm trying to look on the bright side.
I'm not going over to Kingsport today. No rheumatologist appointment today. No shopping while I'm there. No lunch date with the hubby.
But the good news is I have time for another cup of coffee here in my comfy chair in front of the fire. I can sit and watch the birds while I drink my coffee. I have time to read. Time to study in preparation for teaching the Life Group lesson on Sunday. I can finish the laundry. I won't have to experience the stress of driving on an icy road. And I don't have to have a needle stuck in my arm to draw blood.
So, there are some benefits to staying home. There is a bright side. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.
"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 118:29 ESV)
Monday, February 17, 2014
Safely Through Another Week
A hymn by that title was included in the old red Baptist Hymnal that was a part of my childhood. It's one of those hymns that didn't "make the cut" as newer hymnals have been published. We didn't sing that hymn frequently, but we sang it often enough that I still remember it. And as we begin this new week, and as I look back on last week, it seems appropriate.
I thought I had one of those old hymnals on my shelf, but when I looked this morning it wasn't there. I suppose it's packed away somewhere. So many books and too few bookshelves. But that's a subject for another day.
Since I couldn't put my hands on the hymnal, I did a quick google search to refresh my memory on the text of the hymn. In doing that, I discovered that the text of the hymn was written by John Newton, he of "Amazing Grace" fame.
I thought I had one of those old hymnals on my shelf, but when I looked this morning it wasn't there. I suppose it's packed away somewhere. So many books and too few bookshelves. But that's a subject for another day.
Since I couldn't put my hands on the hymnal, I did a quick google search to refresh my memory on the text of the hymn. In doing that, I discovered that the text of the hymn was written by John Newton, he of "Amazing Grace" fame.
"Safely through another week
God has brought us on our way;
Let us now a
blessing seek,
Waiting in His courts today:
Day of all the week the
best,
Emblem of eternal rest."
That's definitely an appropriate text for me today! Last week began pretty much like any other week. We had just returned from our two weeks in Florida, so the amount of laundry last Monday was considerably more than normal. But doing laundry is part of every Monday morning around here, so that wasn't really a big deal.
It snowed on Monday. Not a lot, just a couple of inches. Again, not really a big deal around here in winter. Then came Tuesday, when we attempted to go down the mountain to town. Big mistake. That turned into a life-threatening trip! But God was watching out for us and brought us safely back home.
Turns out that Monday's snow was just the appetizer. The prelude to what was to come on Wednesday. And Thursday. And Friday. And Saturday.
And then we thought it was all over. But no. It snowed again Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
Other than 14+ inches of snow, it was pretty much a normal week. The usual household chores. Some high points. Some disappointments. A little stress. But no more than is typical of regular life in 21st century America.
Nearly going off the side of the mountain was the biggest stress of the week, I suppose. But then there was the stress of being "trapped" at home because of all that snow.
We weren't able to go to church yesterday morning because the road was still covered in ice and snow. That was a big disappointment. We did venture out yesterday afternoon, once the sun had come out and the melting began. It was really good to get out of the house for a little while! Thankfully we had no problems getting down the mountain this time! Getting back up the road was a bit of a challenge. But we made it.
As I look back on last week, I am thankful. Thankful that God rescued us on Tuesday morning. Thankful that through all the snow, we didn't lose power, that we were safe and warm, and had plenty of food - in spite of the fact that the only grocery shopping I've done in the last six weeks was grabbing a few essentials (milk, eggs, etc.) when we stopped at the grocery store on our return from Florida.
God watched over us last week. He protected us. He blessed us. He brought us safely through the week.
I can't wait to see what He will do this week!
"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." (Psalm 103:1-2 ESV)
Friday, February 14, 2014
My Furry Valentine
Al and I met at a Valentine party 43 years ago. We were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. That was the beginning of our love story. We married the following year.
During these years, we've celebrated a lot of Valentine's Days. And we have celebrated in a lot of different ways. There have been fancy dinners in elegant restaurants, and there have been quiet dinners at home. There have been fancy Valentine cards, and there have been homemade ones. There have been roses and chocolates and jewelry.
My favorite Valentine gift from my husband was this little fur person he gifted me with 10 years ago today.
There may be one possible exception to her status as "favorite Valentine gift ever". That would be the chocolate dipped strawberries Al brought me from the Ghiaradelli store at Downtown Disney a couple of years ago! It's a close competition! But since those strawberries didn't last, and Molly is still here, she wins! On that Valentine's Day 10 years ago, I never even imagined what a delight she would be. I knew she was a beautiful puppy, but I had no idea how much fun she would be or what a bubbly personality she would have. Although, like most of us, she has her "moments", she has been the best little fur companion I could ever have asked for. She really is the Valentine gift that keeps on giving!
Like the rest of us in this household, Molly is getting old. She's not quite as energetic as she once was. In fact, she spends most of her time eating or sleeping. But she's still a delight to have around and I love her to pieces!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
But God..........
I've been thinking a lot about our almost-off-the-road-off-the-side-of-the-mountain experience a couple of days ago. If you missed that adventure, you can go back and read Tuesday's post.
Yesterday morning Al went down to the mailbox. Much of Tuesday's snow had melted away when the sun came out late in the afternoon, and Wednesday's snow hadn't started yet, so the road was clear. When he got back, he mentioned again, as we both had several times, that we don't know how we managed not to go over the edge. We can't explain how he was able to turn the car around. The part of the road where we were is the narrowest part of that stretch of road. Realistically, there's no way a car the size of ours should be able to turn around on that particular part of the road.
But God intervened.
This episode has triggered several memories of similar episodes. About ten years ago we had traveled with a group from our church in Florida on a mission trip up to Montana. Our week there was finished, and we were heading back to Billings to catch our flight home. It was pretty early in the morning as we were driving down the interstate. There were five people in our car. I was sitting in the middle of the back seat, not wearing a seat belt because it was stuck down in the seat. As we crossed a bridge just a short distance from the airport, we hit a patch of black ice and began to spin. We very nearly went over the edge of that bridge into the river below.
But God intervened.
Some years ago, back when we lived in Connecticut, we were driving down Route 2 from the airport in Hartford back to Ledyard where we lived. It was late at night. We were out in the country, and it was very dark. The road was covered in snow. We hit a patch of ice and began to spin. When the spin stopped, we were pointed back in the direction from which we had come. And we could see the headlights of another car coming right toward us. It's really difficult to get a car turned on a patch of ice and get it pointed in the direction you want it to go.
But God intervened.
In these, and many other, instances, God intervened.
But God. I love that phrase.
Just a few days ago, we should have been over the side of the mountain.
But God......
Once I was dead in trespasses and sins, according to Ephesians 2:1.
But God......
And that's the best "but God" of them all!
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved......." (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV)
But God......
What a beautiful phrase!
Yesterday morning Al went down to the mailbox. Much of Tuesday's snow had melted away when the sun came out late in the afternoon, and Wednesday's snow hadn't started yet, so the road was clear. When he got back, he mentioned again, as we both had several times, that we don't know how we managed not to go over the edge. We can't explain how he was able to turn the car around. The part of the road where we were is the narrowest part of that stretch of road. Realistically, there's no way a car the size of ours should be able to turn around on that particular part of the road.
But God intervened.
This episode has triggered several memories of similar episodes. About ten years ago we had traveled with a group from our church in Florida on a mission trip up to Montana. Our week there was finished, and we were heading back to Billings to catch our flight home. It was pretty early in the morning as we were driving down the interstate. There were five people in our car. I was sitting in the middle of the back seat, not wearing a seat belt because it was stuck down in the seat. As we crossed a bridge just a short distance from the airport, we hit a patch of black ice and began to spin. We very nearly went over the edge of that bridge into the river below.
But God intervened.
Some years ago, back when we lived in Connecticut, we were driving down Route 2 from the airport in Hartford back to Ledyard where we lived. It was late at night. We were out in the country, and it was very dark. The road was covered in snow. We hit a patch of ice and began to spin. When the spin stopped, we were pointed back in the direction from which we had come. And we could see the headlights of another car coming right toward us. It's really difficult to get a car turned on a patch of ice and get it pointed in the direction you want it to go.
But God intervened.
In these, and many other, instances, God intervened.
But God. I love that phrase.
Just a few days ago, we should have been over the side of the mountain.
But God......
Once I was dead in trespasses and sins, according to Ephesians 2:1.
But God......
And that's the best "but God" of them all!
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved......." (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV)
But God......
What a beautiful phrase!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Shh......I'm Reading!
Hot coffee, warm fire, good books. What better way to spend a snowy winter day!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
What a Morning!
This day is not going according to plan. Now that my breathing and blood pressure are back to normal, I'll tell you the harrowing tale of my morning.
This morning's events got their start yesterday when another round of winter weather descended on our mountains. Snow fell gently and steadily throughout the day, with about an inch or two accumulation. The driveway and the road stayed pretty much clear.
I have a doctor's appointment next Monday and needed to have blood work done this week in advance of that appointment. Since we're forecast to have very heavy snow tomorrow and Thursday, it seemed that today would be a good day to get the blood work done. Depending on just how much it snows, it might not be possible to get to the doctor's office any other day this week. I also had a hair appointment scheduled for this afternoon, so the trip to town this morning would be a good way to check road conditions. Al decided he would drive me this morning. I am so very thankful for that.
We had no problems getting down the gravel road in front of our house. The road is very steep, but there was not a lot of snow accumulated on it, and the gravel gives some traction. But once we passed the gate and got onto the asphalt road, things changed. As we rounded the first curve, there was some snow across the road. And beyond that, the road was a solid sheet of ice. Those of you who have been here are aware that on one side of the road is the mountain. And the other side is the fall-off-the-side side, with no guard rail. Nothing to prevent a car from just sliding over the edge.
And slide we did. Al did a very good job of maintaining control of the car. And of staying calm (at least on the inside) while I was having a panic attack. I have no words to describe the terror I was feeling.
Somehow - and I'm really not sure how - Al got the car turned around on that ice and headed back toward home. And somehow he got it moving forward and off that ice, back onto dry asphalt. We made it safely home.
I know that Al's driving skills played a great part in keeping us safe this morning. I'm grateful for his skill. But I also know that it was the Lord who kept our car in the road, who prevented our going over the side, and who brought us safely back home. And I am so very grateful.
It's beginning to snow this morning down in South Carolina, and many of my friends there are so excited. I do not share their enthusiasm. Perhaps if I had never moved away from South Carolina, where it rarely snows, I would be just as excited as they are.
It's a matter of perspective, I guess. I have lived nearly half my life in places other than my native state. Most of those years have been spent in places where it snows. A lot. I have shoveled more than enough snow to last me the rest of my life! I don't like to shovel snow. I don't like to be cold. But more than any of that, I really, really don't like to experience the terror that I experienced this morning.
Mornings like this one are the reason I turn into a hermit in the winter time. Why just a few flakes of snow are enough to keep me at home. Why I don't go anywhere in the winter unless Al is here to drive me. And mornings like this one prove that sometimes, even that isn't enough.
I did a lot of praying this morning while we were in the car. I'm thankful that my prayers were answered. That we were protected from going over the edge. That Al was able to get the car safely turned around. That we made it back home.
I may not leave home again until summer!
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3 KJV)
This morning's events got their start yesterday when another round of winter weather descended on our mountains. Snow fell gently and steadily throughout the day, with about an inch or two accumulation. The driveway and the road stayed pretty much clear.
I have a doctor's appointment next Monday and needed to have blood work done this week in advance of that appointment. Since we're forecast to have very heavy snow tomorrow and Thursday, it seemed that today would be a good day to get the blood work done. Depending on just how much it snows, it might not be possible to get to the doctor's office any other day this week. I also had a hair appointment scheduled for this afternoon, so the trip to town this morning would be a good way to check road conditions. Al decided he would drive me this morning. I am so very thankful for that.
We had no problems getting down the gravel road in front of our house. The road is very steep, but there was not a lot of snow accumulated on it, and the gravel gives some traction. But once we passed the gate and got onto the asphalt road, things changed. As we rounded the first curve, there was some snow across the road. And beyond that, the road was a solid sheet of ice. Those of you who have been here are aware that on one side of the road is the mountain. And the other side is the fall-off-the-side side, with no guard rail. Nothing to prevent a car from just sliding over the edge.
And slide we did. Al did a very good job of maintaining control of the car. And of staying calm (at least on the inside) while I was having a panic attack. I have no words to describe the terror I was feeling.
Somehow - and I'm really not sure how - Al got the car turned around on that ice and headed back toward home. And somehow he got it moving forward and off that ice, back onto dry asphalt. We made it safely home.
I know that Al's driving skills played a great part in keeping us safe this morning. I'm grateful for his skill. But I also know that it was the Lord who kept our car in the road, who prevented our going over the side, and who brought us safely back home. And I am so very grateful.
It's beginning to snow this morning down in South Carolina, and many of my friends there are so excited. I do not share their enthusiasm. Perhaps if I had never moved away from South Carolina, where it rarely snows, I would be just as excited as they are.
It's a matter of perspective, I guess. I have lived nearly half my life in places other than my native state. Most of those years have been spent in places where it snows. A lot. I have shoveled more than enough snow to last me the rest of my life! I don't like to shovel snow. I don't like to be cold. But more than any of that, I really, really don't like to experience the terror that I experienced this morning.
Mornings like this one are the reason I turn into a hermit in the winter time. Why just a few flakes of snow are enough to keep me at home. Why I don't go anywhere in the winter unless Al is here to drive me. And mornings like this one prove that sometimes, even that isn't enough.
I did a lot of praying this morning while we were in the car. I'm thankful that my prayers were answered. That we were protected from going over the edge. That Al was able to get the car safely turned around. That we made it back home.
I may not leave home again until summer!
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3 KJV)
Monday, February 10, 2014
No Place Like Home
We returned home late Saturday afternoon after two very busy weeks in Florida. We criss-crossed that state, from Tampa to Fort Myers to Titusville to Orlando and back to Tampa before returning home.
While we were there we spent time with family and friends. We ate at some of our favorite restaurants, and tried a couple of new ones. We went to our grandson's birthday party. Al worked; I relaxed. And we experienced some of Florida's winter weather.
Here at home, while we were away, winter weather was a little different than the winter we were experiencing in Florida. It was zero degrees when we left here, and it got colder before it got warmer. And there was a lot of snow.
We experienced none of that in Florida. We had some gorgeous sunny 80-degree days. And we had a few rainy days, some of them quite cool by Florida standards. In fact, we chuckled a bit on a 50-degree morning in Fort Myers when we saw Floridians wearing coats and scarves and mittens! Here in the mountains, as well as for our friends further to the north, 50 degrees would be a balmy spring day! It's all about perspective, I guess.
I enjoyed the trip. I especially loved our time with Brian, Emily, and Christopher. I would have loved even more of that!
But I confess that I was glad to come home. Glad to sleep in my own bed with my own pillow. Glad to sit in my own comfy chair and drink my coffee from my own favorite mug. Even glad to cook my own dinner. Restaurants are great, but after a while, a regular home-cooked meal is a really good thing.
It's good to be home. How much better it will be when I'm "finally home"!
Because, as the old gospel song says, "This world is not my home, I'm just
a-passin' through."
The joy of that home will not be in my own pillow or my own coffee mug, but in being in the presence of the Savior who died to give me that eternal home.
What a joy that will be! Truly then we will be able to say "there's no place like home"!
[Jesus said], "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3 NASB)
While we were there we spent time with family and friends. We ate at some of our favorite restaurants, and tried a couple of new ones. We went to our grandson's birthday party. Al worked; I relaxed. And we experienced some of Florida's winter weather.
Here at home, while we were away, winter weather was a little different than the winter we were experiencing in Florida. It was zero degrees when we left here, and it got colder before it got warmer. And there was a lot of snow.
We experienced none of that in Florida. We had some gorgeous sunny 80-degree days. And we had a few rainy days, some of them quite cool by Florida standards. In fact, we chuckled a bit on a 50-degree morning in Fort Myers when we saw Floridians wearing coats and scarves and mittens! Here in the mountains, as well as for our friends further to the north, 50 degrees would be a balmy spring day! It's all about perspective, I guess.
I enjoyed the trip. I especially loved our time with Brian, Emily, and Christopher. I would have loved even more of that!
But I confess that I was glad to come home. Glad to sleep in my own bed with my own pillow. Glad to sit in my own comfy chair and drink my coffee from my own favorite mug. Even glad to cook my own dinner. Restaurants are great, but after a while, a regular home-cooked meal is a really good thing.
It's good to be home. How much better it will be when I'm "finally home"!
Because, as the old gospel song says, "This world is not my home, I'm just
a-passin' through."
The joy of that home will not be in my own pillow or my own coffee mug, but in being in the presence of the Savior who died to give me that eternal home.
What a joy that will be! Truly then we will be able to say "there's no place like home"!
Just think of stepping on shore and finding it heaven,
of touching a hand and finding it God's,
of breathing new air and finding it celestial,
of waking up in glory and finding it home.
(-Don Wyrtzen, emphasis mine)
(-Don Wyrtzen, emphasis mine)
[Jesus said], "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3 NASB)
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
It's a Small World
Did that title make you start singing? It's a small world after all......
No, I haven't been over to Disney World, even though it's just a couple of miles away. I did take a stroll through Downtown Disney a couple of days ago. But this post is not about Mickey Mouse or all things Disney.
It really is a small world. Earlier this week I learned that a friend of our family for many, many years - since before I was even born - had passed away. As I was reading his obituary, I recognized the name of one of his grandsons. The young man whose name I recognized is a part of the ministry team in our church. We had met him on our trip to Israel in 2012, and we were, and are, very impressed with him. I wondered if it could possibly be the same person named in the obituary.
So, I got in touch with this young man and just asked him. Is Thomas Raines your grandfather? And he said yes! I had no idea that this young man was related to a man who had meant so much to my family. What a small world!
Thinking about Mr. Raines, and about his wife who passed away a number of years ago, has taken me down memory lane. To the Youth Department at First Baptist Landrum, where he was the department director during my youth, and to the Children's Department where Mrs. Raines and my mother spent so many years teaching children.
And as I have been traveling down memory lane, I have been remembering so many godly men and women who are a part of my past. My parents. My grandmother. Men and women who taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and Training Union and Sunbeams. (I'm dating myself when I mention Training Union and Sunbeams!!) Who were there during my childhood and my teenage years. Who set an example. Who lived lives of faithfulness.
Those men and women lived out the truths expressed so well in a song sung by Steve Green, and others, some years ago.
Certainly those men and women of my childhood have been found faithful. They lived lives of influence. They left quite a legacy.
The challenge for those of us whom they influenced, the challenge for you and me, for our generation and the generations to come, is to do the same. To be found faithful. To leave footprints that lead others to believe. To light the way for others.
May we be found as faithful in our task as those men and women of my childhood, and perhaps of yours as well. May we honor our Lord. May we live lives that point others to Jesus. May all who come behind us find us faithful.
"O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come." (Psalm 71:17-18 ESV)
No, I haven't been over to Disney World, even though it's just a couple of miles away. I did take a stroll through Downtown Disney a couple of days ago. But this post is not about Mickey Mouse or all things Disney.
It really is a small world. Earlier this week I learned that a friend of our family for many, many years - since before I was even born - had passed away. As I was reading his obituary, I recognized the name of one of his grandsons. The young man whose name I recognized is a part of the ministry team in our church. We had met him on our trip to Israel in 2012, and we were, and are, very impressed with him. I wondered if it could possibly be the same person named in the obituary.
So, I got in touch with this young man and just asked him. Is Thomas Raines your grandfather? And he said yes! I had no idea that this young man was related to a man who had meant so much to my family. What a small world!
Thinking about Mr. Raines, and about his wife who passed away a number of years ago, has taken me down memory lane. To the Youth Department at First Baptist Landrum, where he was the department director during my youth, and to the Children's Department where Mrs. Raines and my mother spent so many years teaching children.
And as I have been traveling down memory lane, I have been remembering so many godly men and women who are a part of my past. My parents. My grandmother. Men and women who taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and Training Union and Sunbeams. (I'm dating myself when I mention Training Union and Sunbeams!!) Who were there during my childhood and my teenage years. Who set an example. Who lived lives of faithfulness.
Those men and women lived out the truths expressed so well in a song sung by Steve Green, and others, some years ago.
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.
(lyrics by Jon Mohr)
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.
(lyrics by Jon Mohr)
Certainly those men and women of my childhood have been found faithful. They lived lives of influence. They left quite a legacy.
The challenge for those of us whom they influenced, the challenge for you and me, for our generation and the generations to come, is to do the same. To be found faithful. To leave footprints that lead others to believe. To light the way for others.
May we be found as faithful in our task as those men and women of my childhood, and perhaps of yours as well. May we honor our Lord. May we live lives that point others to Jesus. May all who come behind us find us faithful.
"O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come." (Psalm 71:17-18 ESV)
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Red Lights. And Waiting.
Last evening I left our hotel here in Orlando and drove over to get Al from the convention center where he had been working. We were heading out to dinner with some of his colleagues. The drive should have taken about ten minutes. Instead, it took about twice that. Because of red lights. Not some red lights. Every traffic light between my hotel and that convention center was red. Every one!
Which meant my trip took longer than I expected. Longer than it should have. Longer than I had planned on. Longer than I wanted it to.
Because I was waiting at red lights. Just waiting. No control over the situation. Nothing I could do about it. Just waiting.
I don't know about you, but waiting is not something I do particularly well. That likely could be said of many of us, particularly in this country. As Americans, we're pretty much conditioned to want what we want when we want it. We're pretty much conditioned to instant gratification. As Americans, we're not very good at waiting.
But the reality is that there are times when waiting is part of the fabric of our lives. We wait for those red lights to turn green. We wait for holidays or birthdays or vacations. We wait to hear back from the doctor's office about the results of our blood work or other medical tests. We wait for pay day. We wait for our house to sell. We wait for all sorts of things. And we don't always do it very well. We aren't always gracious "waiters". Or is it just me?
There are some things I've been waiting for. And as I have been waiting, I have discovered that the Bible has quite a lot to say about waiting. In fact, I'm amazed at how many times I have encountered that word in my Bible reading. I haven't been looking for it, or researching it, or doing a word study. But it's just there! Over and over and over again. And there's particularly a lot to be said about waiting for the Lord.
A few examples:
"I wait for the Lord; my soul waits, and in his word I hope." (Psalm 130:5 ESV)
"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:25)
"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:14 ESV)
"But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel." (Psalm 106:13 ESV)
"May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you." (Psalm 25:21 ESV)
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry." (Psalm 40:1 ESV)
And there are lots more.....
The lesson here seems to be an obvious, though not easy, truth. The Lord's timing is perfect. Waiting on Him is best. He knows what is best for me. I need to wait. And in the waiting, there is much that I can learn. About God. About His character and His ways. And in the waiting and in the learning, I can become more of who He desires me to be.
So I wait. Though I admit that I'm not always patient in the waiting. It's something I'm struggling with.
But as I am waiting, this is my prayer......
"Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long." (Psalm 25:4-5 ESV)
Which meant my trip took longer than I expected. Longer than it should have. Longer than I had planned on. Longer than I wanted it to.
Because I was waiting at red lights. Just waiting. No control over the situation. Nothing I could do about it. Just waiting.
I don't know about you, but waiting is not something I do particularly well. That likely could be said of many of us, particularly in this country. As Americans, we're pretty much conditioned to want what we want when we want it. We're pretty much conditioned to instant gratification. As Americans, we're not very good at waiting.
But the reality is that there are times when waiting is part of the fabric of our lives. We wait for those red lights to turn green. We wait for holidays or birthdays or vacations. We wait to hear back from the doctor's office about the results of our blood work or other medical tests. We wait for pay day. We wait for our house to sell. We wait for all sorts of things. And we don't always do it very well. We aren't always gracious "waiters". Or is it just me?
There are some things I've been waiting for. And as I have been waiting, I have discovered that the Bible has quite a lot to say about waiting. In fact, I'm amazed at how many times I have encountered that word in my Bible reading. I haven't been looking for it, or researching it, or doing a word study. But it's just there! Over and over and over again. And there's particularly a lot to be said about waiting for the Lord.
A few examples:
"I wait for the Lord; my soul waits, and in his word I hope." (Psalm 130:5 ESV)
"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:25)
"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:14 ESV)
"But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel." (Psalm 106:13 ESV)
"May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you." (Psalm 25:21 ESV)
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry." (Psalm 40:1 ESV)
And there are lots more.....
The lesson here seems to be an obvious, though not easy, truth. The Lord's timing is perfect. Waiting on Him is best. He knows what is best for me. I need to wait. And in the waiting, there is much that I can learn. About God. About His character and His ways. And in the waiting and in the learning, I can become more of who He desires me to be.
So I wait. Though I admit that I'm not always patient in the waiting. It's something I'm struggling with.
But as I am waiting, this is my prayer......
"Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long." (Psalm 25:4-5 ESV)
Monday, February 3, 2014
Because Sometimes There Are Disappointments
There was a big football game played yesterday. You may have heard about it. It was a great game......if you're a Seattle Seahawks fan. However, for those of us who are Denver Broncos fans, not so much. Congratulations to the Seahawks and their fans.
The game obviously did not turn out the way I had hoped, or expected. I'm a Broncos fan. I have been a Broncos fan for as long as I can remember. Even before we moved to Colorado, I pulled for the Broncos. And in the Colorado years, and all the years since, I've been cheering them on. So yesterday's result was a disappointment.
It's a picture of how life is, really. Things don't always turn out the way we want them to. Or expect them to. And that's hard.
But just as on the football field, there are winners and there are losers in every area of life. And just as on the football field, things don't always go according to plan. And just as on the football field, life doesn't always turn out the way we expect. And just as on the football field, sometimes we're disappointed.
It could be in a relationship. Or a financial situation. Or on the job. Or in the family.
It's true in every area of life. We sometimes must deal with disappointment. Because things don't always go our way. Even when we have tried our best. Even when we've done everything right. Even when we've done nothing wrong. Even then. Because that's just how life is. Things don't always go our way. They don't always turn out the way we expect them to. Sometimes life is hard.
So, what do we do? When we're disappointed. When stuff happens. When things don't go our way.
Do we just give up? Do we decide never to try again? Do we throw in the towel?
The Broncos will play football again. Although certainly they were disappointed with yesterday's results, I don't think the Bronco franchise will shut down and refuse to play ever again.
And so it is for us, when life is less than we expect it to be. When we're disappointed. When things don't go our way.
Life goes on. We can evaluate our situations and learn from whatever mistakes we might have made. Even so, that doesn't mean we will never be disappointed again.
It remains a matter of perspective. We can be defeated by our circumstances. By our losses and disappointments and frustrations. We can choose to be defined by them. Or not.
As in so many other areas of life, it's a choice. Because sometimes there are disappointments. But we are not defined by our circumstances and our disappointments, but by our relationship with Jesus. And thankfully, that is not defined by circumstances!
"[Jesus said], In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 ESV)
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10 ESV)
The game obviously did not turn out the way I had hoped, or expected. I'm a Broncos fan. I have been a Broncos fan for as long as I can remember. Even before we moved to Colorado, I pulled for the Broncos. And in the Colorado years, and all the years since, I've been cheering them on. So yesterday's result was a disappointment.
It's a picture of how life is, really. Things don't always turn out the way we want them to. Or expect them to. And that's hard.
But just as on the football field, there are winners and there are losers in every area of life. And just as on the football field, things don't always go according to plan. And just as on the football field, life doesn't always turn out the way we expect. And just as on the football field, sometimes we're disappointed.
It could be in a relationship. Or a financial situation. Or on the job. Or in the family.
It's true in every area of life. We sometimes must deal with disappointment. Because things don't always go our way. Even when we have tried our best. Even when we've done everything right. Even when we've done nothing wrong. Even then. Because that's just how life is. Things don't always go our way. They don't always turn out the way we expect them to. Sometimes life is hard.
So, what do we do? When we're disappointed. When stuff happens. When things don't go our way.
Do we just give up? Do we decide never to try again? Do we throw in the towel?
The Broncos will play football again. Although certainly they were disappointed with yesterday's results, I don't think the Bronco franchise will shut down and refuse to play ever again.
And so it is for us, when life is less than we expect it to be. When we're disappointed. When things don't go our way.
Life goes on. We can evaluate our situations and learn from whatever mistakes we might have made. Even so, that doesn't mean we will never be disappointed again.
It remains a matter of perspective. We can be defeated by our circumstances. By our losses and disappointments and frustrations. We can choose to be defined by them. Or not.
As in so many other areas of life, it's a choice. Because sometimes there are disappointments. But we are not defined by our circumstances and our disappointments, but by our relationship with Jesus. And thankfully, that is not defined by circumstances!
"[Jesus said], In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 ESV)
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10 ESV)
Friday, January 31, 2014
Worst. Game. Ever.
You know the one. I'm not talking about baseball or football or hockey. Or about Monopoly or Clue or Angry Birds. Or about a card game or a video game.
It's the game we all play. The one we deny playing, but we play all the same. We're all too familiar with this game. And it's the worst. Worst. Game. Ever.
The comparison game. The game where we never quite measure up. Where we're always feeling less than.
Less pretty. Less talented. Less intelligent. Less useful. Less.
It's a terrible game. Because it's based on a false premise.
This comparison game we play is based on the premise that what I think someone else is thinking about me is actually what they're thinking. And most of the time, maybe even all the time, what they are actually thinking is miles away from what I think they are thinking.
And what "they" think of me doesn't really matter so much anyway, does it? Isn't what the Lord thinks of me what really matters. That's what we tell ourselves we believe, and most of the time we probably do. But then there are those times when that little voice inside our heads starts talking to us and convinces us that we are less. We start playing "the game". Worst. Game. Ever.
It's the "I'm Completely Inadequate" game. Also known as the "I'm Not Quite Good Enough" game. Sometimes known as the "Nobody Else Ever Has Any Problems" game. And there are all sorts of variations to this game. The game has no rules. Because we all make up our own rules. And don't pretend you've never played this game.
It happens when we listen to our sister or our best friend or our neighbor or our church acquaintance or someone we just met. You know her. She bakes her own bread and grows all her own vegetables and upholsters furniture and makes drapes and has perfect children who are perfectly dressed and she has a perfect haircut and only eats organic food and goes on three cruises every year and never has any worries about money and she just finished her first novel which is now on the best-seller list.
The problem begins when we compare our worst day to her best. Or at least what she reveals or we perceive that to be.
But the real problem is not that we're making a comparison of worst to best. The real problem is making a comparison at all.
How much better life would be if we would stop playing this game. If we could teach ourselves to stop making comparisons. If we could learn to be content. If we could shift our focus from what someone else is or has or does, and focus on becoming all that God intends each of us individually to be. If we could keep our eyes fixed on Jesus rather than on someone else. If we could focus on running the race He has set before us, rather than focusing on the race He set before someone else, or trying to run their race, or wishing we could.
Perhaps that's the real secret to contentment. Eyes fixed on Jesus. Not on our neighbor or our friend or the celebrity on TV. Not on what someone else has or does. Eyes fixed on Jesus. Not on playing that silly comparison game. Which is the Worst. Game. Ever.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2, ESV)
It's the game we all play. The one we deny playing, but we play all the same. We're all too familiar with this game. And it's the worst. Worst. Game. Ever.
The comparison game. The game where we never quite measure up. Where we're always feeling less than.
Less pretty. Less talented. Less intelligent. Less useful. Less.
It's a terrible game. Because it's based on a false premise.
This comparison game we play is based on the premise that what I think someone else is thinking about me is actually what they're thinking. And most of the time, maybe even all the time, what they are actually thinking is miles away from what I think they are thinking.
And what "they" think of me doesn't really matter so much anyway, does it? Isn't what the Lord thinks of me what really matters. That's what we tell ourselves we believe, and most of the time we probably do. But then there are those times when that little voice inside our heads starts talking to us and convinces us that we are less. We start playing "the game". Worst. Game. Ever.
It's the "I'm Completely Inadequate" game. Also known as the "I'm Not Quite Good Enough" game. Sometimes known as the "Nobody Else Ever Has Any Problems" game. And there are all sorts of variations to this game. The game has no rules. Because we all make up our own rules. And don't pretend you've never played this game.
It happens when we listen to our sister or our best friend or our neighbor or our church acquaintance or someone we just met. You know her. She bakes her own bread and grows all her own vegetables and upholsters furniture and makes drapes and has perfect children who are perfectly dressed and she has a perfect haircut and only eats organic food and goes on three cruises every year and never has any worries about money and she just finished her first novel which is now on the best-seller list.
The problem begins when we compare our worst day to her best. Or at least what she reveals or we perceive that to be.
But the real problem is not that we're making a comparison of worst to best. The real problem is making a comparison at all.
How much better life would be if we would stop playing this game. If we could teach ourselves to stop making comparisons. If we could learn to be content. If we could shift our focus from what someone else is or has or does, and focus on becoming all that God intends each of us individually to be. If we could keep our eyes fixed on Jesus rather than on someone else. If we could focus on running the race He has set before us, rather than focusing on the race He set before someone else, or trying to run their race, or wishing we could.
Perhaps that's the real secret to contentment. Eyes fixed on Jesus. Not on our neighbor or our friend or the celebrity on TV. Not on what someone else has or does. Eyes fixed on Jesus. Not on playing that silly comparison game. Which is the Worst. Game. Ever.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2, ESV)
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Ignored
I actually began this post quite some time ago. I wrote it - and then deleted it - several times. I think I must have been in the middle of some giant pity party when I began writing. The reason for the pity party is long since forgotten. But the reason for the deleting was that way too much of my pity party was showing through! So in the interest of "speaking [or writing] only that which is good for building up" (see Ephesians 4:29), the "delete" button was given a workout!
All that got me started thinking about pity parties in general. About why we have these pity parties. I'm sure that varies from person to person. There are likely as many reasons to feel sorry for oneself as there are people! It might have to do with a bad medical diagnosis. Or it might have to do with personal relationships or a break-up. Maybe it comes as result of financial hardship or a job lay-off. It could be that no matter how hard you try, you can't lose weight. Or maybe it's just that you hate your hair color, or wish you were taller or shorter or maybe you're just tired. Lots of different reasons for a pity party.
Maybe it all starts because we feel ignored. By friends. Or by family. Maybe we weren't invited to a birthday party or a family gathering. Maybe nobody called. Maybe we didn't get picked to be on the team.
Being ignored......no matter the reason......can really set off a flood of emotions, and can often lead to our feeling sorry for ourselves......the classic "pity party".
Did you ever stop to consider how God must feel when He's ignored? He often is, you know. I'm not meaning to suggest that God feels sorry for Himself. I don't mean that at all. But I do mean to suggest that perhaps the next time we're feeling pitiful because someone ignored us or didn't pay attention to our request or didn't do things the way we wanted them done (or any other of the myriad reasons we feel sorry for ourselves), perhaps we should stop and consider our own behavior. As in.....if I am having a pity party because I feel that someone in my circle of family or friends is ignoring me and not including me in family plans, perhaps I should stop and consider whether or not I, however unintentionally, might have given them reason for that behavior.
But let's go deeper. Let's take the focus off ourselves. Off all the times we feel as if we have been ignored. What about all those times when we ignore God?
When we never stopped to think of Him? Or what He might think about a particular choice?
When we didn't say "thank you"?
When we didn't consult His opinion?
When we didn't include Him in our activity or our thoughts or our decisions?
Those things probably happen much more often than we would like to admit. But the reality is that when we choose one thing, we have to ignore another. When we choose to spend our time going to the gym rather than having a morning quiet time, we have made a conscious decision that one of those things is more important than the other.
Yes, physical exercise is important. But how much more so is spiritual "exercise"! It doesn't have to be an either/or decision. But we do have to prioritize what's most important and order all our activites based on that priority. Which means that we can't say God is most important and then put time with Him at the bottom end of our daily "to do" list. We can't say "I love God", and then fail to spend any time with Him.
If you continually ignore your friends or family, and if you continually neglect to spend time with them or call them or include them in your invitations, what would that say about your relationship?
And if you continually ignore your relationship with the Lord and continually neglect spending time with Him and continually fail to include Him in your thoughts or activities, what does that say about the quality of your relationship?
Something to think about.
"For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him." (2 Chronicles 30:9b ESV)
All that got me started thinking about pity parties in general. About why we have these pity parties. I'm sure that varies from person to person. There are likely as many reasons to feel sorry for oneself as there are people! It might have to do with a bad medical diagnosis. Or it might have to do with personal relationships or a break-up. Maybe it comes as result of financial hardship or a job lay-off. It could be that no matter how hard you try, you can't lose weight. Or maybe it's just that you hate your hair color, or wish you were taller or shorter or maybe you're just tired. Lots of different reasons for a pity party.
Maybe it all starts because we feel ignored. By friends. Or by family. Maybe we weren't invited to a birthday party or a family gathering. Maybe nobody called. Maybe we didn't get picked to be on the team.
Being ignored......no matter the reason......can really set off a flood of emotions, and can often lead to our feeling sorry for ourselves......the classic "pity party".
Did you ever stop to consider how God must feel when He's ignored? He often is, you know. I'm not meaning to suggest that God feels sorry for Himself. I don't mean that at all. But I do mean to suggest that perhaps the next time we're feeling pitiful because someone ignored us or didn't pay attention to our request or didn't do things the way we wanted them done (or any other of the myriad reasons we feel sorry for ourselves), perhaps we should stop and consider our own behavior. As in.....if I am having a pity party because I feel that someone in my circle of family or friends is ignoring me and not including me in family plans, perhaps I should stop and consider whether or not I, however unintentionally, might have given them reason for that behavior.
But let's go deeper. Let's take the focus off ourselves. Off all the times we feel as if we have been ignored. What about all those times when we ignore God?
When we never stopped to think of Him? Or what He might think about a particular choice?
When we didn't say "thank you"?
When we didn't consult His opinion?
When we didn't include Him in our activity or our thoughts or our decisions?
Those things probably happen much more often than we would like to admit. But the reality is that when we choose one thing, we have to ignore another. When we choose to spend our time going to the gym rather than having a morning quiet time, we have made a conscious decision that one of those things is more important than the other.
Yes, physical exercise is important. But how much more so is spiritual "exercise"! It doesn't have to be an either/or decision. But we do have to prioritize what's most important and order all our activites based on that priority. Which means that we can't say God is most important and then put time with Him at the bottom end of our daily "to do" list. We can't say "I love God", and then fail to spend any time with Him.
If you continually ignore your friends or family, and if you continually neglect to spend time with them or call them or include them in your invitations, what would that say about your relationship?
And if you continually ignore your relationship with the Lord and continually neglect spending time with Him and continually fail to include Him in your thoughts or activities, what does that say about the quality of your relationship?
Something to think about.
"For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him." (2 Chronicles 30:9b ESV)
Monday, January 27, 2014
Special Blessings
It was a good weekend. A weekend of interesting conversations. Of making memories.
A couple of examples:
As we were waiting for Christopher's friends to arrive at the Brandon Ice Forum on Saturday afternoon for his laser tag birthday party, we watched some hockey.
Me: "That looks like fun."
C: "Yeah, but I'm not a very good skater."
Me: "Well, if you practiced, you would probably get better."
C: "Yeah, probably."
Yesterday afternoon as we were on our way out of Walmart, we started talking about peanuts (I have no idea why) and the conversation went something like this:
Me: "Do you like peanuts?"
C: "No."
Me: "Is it just peanuts, or all nuts."
C: "Pretty much all of them."
Me: "Well, do you like watermelon?"
C: "No."
Me: "Do you like kumquats?"
C: "No."
Me: "Have you ever had a kumquat?"
C: "No. What's a kumquat?"
Good times. I love, love, love making memories with my grandsons. Since I don't see them nearly as often as I would like, every moment I get to spend with them is a special blessing.
And speaking of special blessings, I admit to having a wee bit of guilt as I'm feeling so thankful for the blessing of Florida sunshine and warm weather in January. Particularly as I think of my friends in NC enduring ice and snow and frigid temperatures. And even more as I think of my friends up in the tundra (also known as Minnesota) who are dealing with the kind of cold weather that makes me shiver just thinking about it.
I hope they are all staying warm. I certainly am......sitting here enjoying palm trees and sunshine and warm weather. And feeling so very thankful for these special blessings. Warm weather and time with Christopher. Could January be any better than that?
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)
A couple of examples:
As we were waiting for Christopher's friends to arrive at the Brandon Ice Forum on Saturday afternoon for his laser tag birthday party, we watched some hockey.
Me: "That looks like fun."
C: "Yeah, but I'm not a very good skater."
Me: "Well, if you practiced, you would probably get better."
C: "Yeah, probably."
Yesterday afternoon as we were on our way out of Walmart, we started talking about peanuts (I have no idea why) and the conversation went something like this:
Me: "Do you like peanuts?"
C: "No."
Me: "Is it just peanuts, or all nuts."
C: "Pretty much all of them."
Me: "Well, do you like watermelon?"
C: "No."
Me: "Do you like kumquats?"
C: "No."
Me: "Have you ever had a kumquat?"
C: "No. What's a kumquat?"
Good times. I love, love, love making memories with my grandsons. Since I don't see them nearly as often as I would like, every moment I get to spend with them is a special blessing.
And speaking of special blessings, I admit to having a wee bit of guilt as I'm feeling so thankful for the blessing of Florida sunshine and warm weather in January. Particularly as I think of my friends in NC enduring ice and snow and frigid temperatures. And even more as I think of my friends up in the tundra (also known as Minnesota) who are dealing with the kind of cold weather that makes me shiver just thinking about it.
I hope they are all staying warm. I certainly am......sitting here enjoying palm trees and sunshine and warm weather. And feeling so very thankful for these special blessings. Warm weather and time with Christopher. Could January be any better than that?
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Thursday, January 23, 2014
What Are We Teaching the Children?
Several weeks ago I watched an episode of one of my favorite TV shows, Chopped. You may have seen the show. Four cooks face baskets of mystery ingredients and the clock as they prepare appetizer, entree, and then dessert. One cook is eliminated in each round, until eventually a winner is named.
I haven't been able to get this particular episode out of my mind. The episode I'm referring to involved teen chefs as the competitors, which in itself is pretty impressive. And all four of them appeared to be very good cooks. But one of the competitors, a barely 13-year old boy who was the eventual winner of the competition, is the one who stands out in my memory. Not because of his cooking ability, but because of his vocabulary. Or lack thereof.
You see, nearly every sentence out of his mouth began or ended with the phrase "oh my g....". And that offended me more than words can express.
Let me hasten to add that I am offended every time I hear that phrase uttered. But I am bothered most when it comes from the mouths of children. And yes, 13 years old still qualifies in my mind as a child. Certainly not an adult.
As this young man continued to let this phrase roll so easily off his tongue, I couldn't help but wonder what we are teaching our children. Obviously someone somewhere along the way has taught him how to cook. And that's a good thing. But what have they taught him about right and wrong. About values. About the Lord.
Here in this country we've raised up a generation of people who can utter this phrase as easily as they can order a burger at McDonalds. A generation who knows all about how to post selfies to every social media imaginable. Who can tell you all about this celebrity or that athlete.
But we have raised up a generation in this country who, with few exceptions, can't cook a meal or balance a budget or keep a clean house.
Far, far more importantly we have failed to teach them about the things that matter. And that makes me unbelievably sad.
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deuteronomy 6:5-7 ESV, emphasis mine)
I haven't been able to get this particular episode out of my mind. The episode I'm referring to involved teen chefs as the competitors, which in itself is pretty impressive. And all four of them appeared to be very good cooks. But one of the competitors, a barely 13-year old boy who was the eventual winner of the competition, is the one who stands out in my memory. Not because of his cooking ability, but because of his vocabulary. Or lack thereof.
You see, nearly every sentence out of his mouth began or ended with the phrase "oh my g....". And that offended me more than words can express.
Let me hasten to add that I am offended every time I hear that phrase uttered. But I am bothered most when it comes from the mouths of children. And yes, 13 years old still qualifies in my mind as a child. Certainly not an adult.
As this young man continued to let this phrase roll so easily off his tongue, I couldn't help but wonder what we are teaching our children. Obviously someone somewhere along the way has taught him how to cook. And that's a good thing. But what have they taught him about right and wrong. About values. About the Lord.
Here in this country we've raised up a generation of people who can utter this phrase as easily as they can order a burger at McDonalds. A generation who knows all about how to post selfies to every social media imaginable. Who can tell you all about this celebrity or that athlete.
But we have raised up a generation in this country who, with few exceptions, can't cook a meal or balance a budget or keep a clean house.
Far, far more importantly we have failed to teach them about the things that matter. And that makes me unbelievably sad.
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deuteronomy 6:5-7 ESV, emphasis mine)
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
White as Snow
"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." (Isaiah 1:18 ESV)
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
The Things We Take for Granted
I came home from Israel sick. Bronchitis, sinus infection, both ears infected. Antibiotics cleared up the infection pretty quickly, but the ear problems are lingering. As I write I still can't hear normally. My ears are still "plugged up".
I'm told I should just be patient. Just wait it out.
I may have mentioned before that I'm not a particularly patient person. It's frustrating.
We take our hearing for granted, don't we? We just assume that when we get up in the morning we'll be able to hear what is being said to us.
That hasn't been the case for me for more than a week now. And I don't like it!
But it has caused me to think about just how many things in life we take for granted. About how seldom we say Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. Or Thank you, Lord, that I can see. Or Thank you, Lord, that I have a roof over my head and heat and food and water........
We take a lot for granted. We just assume that what we need (or want) will be there when we need (or want) it. We too often forget to say thank you.
Shame on us. Shame on me.
"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." (Psalm 103:1-2 ESV, emphasis mine)
I'm told I should just be patient. Just wait it out.
I may have mentioned before that I'm not a particularly patient person. It's frustrating.
We take our hearing for granted, don't we? We just assume that when we get up in the morning we'll be able to hear what is being said to us.
That hasn't been the case for me for more than a week now. And I don't like it!
But it has caused me to think about just how many things in life we take for granted. About how seldom we say Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. Or Thank you, Lord, that I can see. Or Thank you, Lord, that I have a roof over my head and heat and food and water........
We take a lot for granted. We just assume that what we need (or want) will be there when we need (or want) it. We too often forget to say thank you.
Shame on us. Shame on me.
"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." (Psalm 103:1-2 ESV, emphasis mine)
Monday, January 20, 2014
In a Way that Matters
A member of our church died last week. That in itself is not particularly unusual. I'm a member of a very large church, and I would venture to say that hardly a week goes by without death affecting us in some way. But we were particularly affected when this man died.
I didn't know him personally, although many of my friends did. This man had been a very active member of our church for many years. We have only been attending there for a couple of years, and in a church as large as ours, it's impossible to get to know everybody. But this is one person I wish I had had the opportunity to know.
In the days since his passing, I've heard countless stories about him, about the way he lived his life, about how he loved his family and his church and his Lord. Truly he was a person who lived his life in a way that mattered.
Today would have been my daddy's 93rd birthday. He too was a person who lived his life in a way that mattered. Who loved his family and his church and his Lord. Who loved people. Who lived for Jesus.
That's the essence, really, of living in a way that matters. It isn't about setting records on the football field or writing a best seller or being a celebrity chef or finding a cure for some dreaded disease. Although there's nothing inherently wrong with any of those things.
But living in a way that matters is more than that. Living in a way that matters is being willing to stand firm for Jesus in the midst of a culture that increasingly is turning away from Him. Living for Jesus is living a life of prayer. And a life of Bible study. It's living a life that loves people as Jesus loved them, not because they've done something to deserve being loved. Living in a way that matters is living a life that says for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
That's the kind of life the man from our church lived. That's the kind of life my daddy lived. That's the kind of life I want to live.
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on earth." (Colossians 3:1-2, ESV, emphasis mine)
I didn't know him personally, although many of my friends did. This man had been a very active member of our church for many years. We have only been attending there for a couple of years, and in a church as large as ours, it's impossible to get to know everybody. But this is one person I wish I had had the opportunity to know.
In the days since his passing, I've heard countless stories about him, about the way he lived his life, about how he loved his family and his church and his Lord. Truly he was a person who lived his life in a way that mattered.
Today would have been my daddy's 93rd birthday. He too was a person who lived his life in a way that mattered. Who loved his family and his church and his Lord. Who loved people. Who lived for Jesus.
That's the essence, really, of living in a way that matters. It isn't about setting records on the football field or writing a best seller or being a celebrity chef or finding a cure for some dreaded disease. Although there's nothing inherently wrong with any of those things.
But living in a way that matters is more than that. Living in a way that matters is being willing to stand firm for Jesus in the midst of a culture that increasingly is turning away from Him. Living for Jesus is living a life of prayer. And a life of Bible study. It's living a life that loves people as Jesus loved them, not because they've done something to deserve being loved. Living in a way that matters is living a life that says for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
That's the kind of life the man from our church lived. That's the kind of life my daddy lived. That's the kind of life I want to live.
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on earth." (Colossians 3:1-2, ESV, emphasis mine)
Saturday, January 18, 2014
In Context
Any serious student of the Bible understands about context. Context is the key to accurate interpretation of any Biblical passage. Context is king. Context rules. However you say it, context matters.
There is, of course, grammatical context. And there's geographical context. And historical context. All these are important in correctly understanding the Scriptures.
All this is one of the reasons I love traveling to Israel. You may be wondering what that has to do with context. Everything! To travel to Israel is to experience the context of the Bible!
Earlier this week my Bible reading took me to Genesis 13-18, to the story of Abraham, where I read this verse: "So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron." Genesis 13:18 ESV)
Immediately I was back in Israel. Back in Hebron. Back at the Oak of Mamre.
We sat in a field nearby this 5000-year old tree and were taught by our pastor from these very chapters. We sat where Abraham lived. Where Isaac's birth was promised. Where God made covenant with Abraham. Truly the pages of Scripture come to life when you are standing in the very place where the events happened! This is what it means to experience the Bible in context.
What do we know about Abraham? We know that he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. We know that he obeyed God. We know that he was willing to sacrifice even that which was most precious to him if that was what the Lord required.
What does that have to do with you and me? I believe God expects no less of us today than He did of Abraham then: to believe, to obey, to trust.
How are you doing in those areas? Something to think about.
By the way, concerning this Oak of Mamre, local tradition says that when the tree dies, it is signaling the end of days. You can draw your own conclusion, but I think that tree looks pretty dead!
"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 me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1;20-21 ESV)
There is, of course, grammatical context. And there's geographical context. And historical context. All these are important in correctly understanding the Scriptures.
All this is one of the reasons I love traveling to Israel. You may be wondering what that has to do with context. Everything! To travel to Israel is to experience the context of the Bible!
Earlier this week my Bible reading took me to Genesis 13-18, to the story of Abraham, where I read this verse: "So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron." Genesis 13:18 ESV)
Immediately I was back in Israel. Back in Hebron. Back at the Oak of Mamre.
We sat in a field nearby this 5000-year old tree and were taught by our pastor from these very chapters. We sat where Abraham lived. Where Isaac's birth was promised. Where God made covenant with Abraham. Truly the pages of Scripture come to life when you are standing in the very place where the events happened! This is what it means to experience the Bible in context.
What do we know about Abraham? We know that he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. We know that he obeyed God. We know that he was willing to sacrifice even that which was most precious to him if that was what the Lord required.
What does that have to do with you and me? I believe God expects no less of us today than He did of Abraham then: to believe, to obey, to trust.
How are you doing in those areas? Something to think about.
By the way, concerning this Oak of Mamre, local tradition says that when the tree dies, it is signaling the end of days. You can draw your own conclusion, but I think that tree looks pretty dead!
"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 me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1;20-21 ESV)
Monday, January 13, 2014
Home Sweet Home!
It's good to be home! We returned on Friday afternoon from two absolutely amazing weeks in the Holy Land. In fact, this may be my favorite of our trips there. I'm still trying to process all that we saw and experienced.
It was good to get home. To sleep in my own bed with my own pillow. To have my own hair dryer. To eat bacon!
We didn't bring home as many souvenirs this trip. Maybe that's because we've been there before. Maybe it's because we really loaded up on "stuff" last year.
But I did bring two significant "souvenirs" home with me. A severe case of jet lag, and a really nasty cold. And so the unpacking and the photo-posting and the blogging about the trip will have to wait a little while. My brain just can't seem to get wrapped around anything right now. I'm seeing a doctor later today (for a routine, unrelated matter), and I'm hoping she can help me get some relief. I'm tired of coughing and sneezing. I'm tired of not being able to hear. Can you tell I don't do "sick" very well???!!!!
I'm looking forward to sharing with you about my experiences over the last two amazing weeks. But that will have to wait just a little longer.
In the meantime, I'm making this my prayer for the week. Perhaps you'd like to make it yours as well.
"Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me." (Psalm 86:11-13a ESV)
It was good to get home. To sleep in my own bed with my own pillow. To have my own hair dryer. To eat bacon!
We didn't bring home as many souvenirs this trip. Maybe that's because we've been there before. Maybe it's because we really loaded up on "stuff" last year.
But I did bring two significant "souvenirs" home with me. A severe case of jet lag, and a really nasty cold. And so the unpacking and the photo-posting and the blogging about the trip will have to wait a little while. My brain just can't seem to get wrapped around anything right now. I'm seeing a doctor later today (for a routine, unrelated matter), and I'm hoping she can help me get some relief. I'm tired of coughing and sneezing. I'm tired of not being able to hear. Can you tell I don't do "sick" very well???!!!!
I'm looking forward to sharing with you about my experiences over the last two amazing weeks. But that will have to wait just a little longer.
In the meantime, I'm making this my prayer for the week. Perhaps you'd like to make it yours as well.
"Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me." (Psalm 86:11-13a ESV)
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