In Everything

I was confronted with a verse of Scripture this morning that I can't get out of my head.  When I logged on to Facebook to see what was going on with my friends today, I noticed this verse as I was scrolling through the posts......"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!"  (Philippians 4:8).  That led me to another verse, this one in  1 Thessalonians......"Rejoice always."  That one is followed closely by "In everything give thanks."

A few words jump out at me from those verses.......always......in everything.  And no matter how we might try to rationalize, I think the meaning of those words is quite clear.  Always means always.  Everything means every thing.  Not sometimes.  Not some things.  Always.  All the time.  In every situation.  In every circumstance.

So this morning I find myself facing reality.  I don't ALWAYS give thanks in EVERYTHING.  I don't REJOICE ALWAYS.  But isn't that what Scripture tells me I SHOULD be doing?

Maybe you face the same dilemma.  You love the Lord.  You want to obey His word.  All of it.....not just the easy parts.  And then we're reminded of verses like these.

I don't know what kind of week you have had.  Around here, it has been challenging.  One of those weeks that makes rejoicing always and giving thanks in everything easier said than done.  A few examples:

• a good friend facing colon cancer
• another good friend diagnosed with breast cancer
• a son dealing with skin cancer (surgery was a few weeks ago and went well, but it's still on my mind)
• a son with a kidney stone
• buying meat at the grocery store yesterday and then forgetting to put it in the refrigerator so that it sat out on the counter overnight and is now ruined
• our water suppy (a mountain spring) diminishing again.......how many times have we had to deal with this since we have lived here??!!  Turning on the faucet and getting nothing is NOT a good feeling!  We have had trouble ever since the east coast earthquake last month.  Not sure if it's related or not, but the timing is interesting.

I could go on.  But you have your own list of less-than-I-would-like-it-to-be situations.  We all do.  We all face circumstances in life that make rejoicing ALWAYS a bit of a challenge.

Except when we remember - and apply - another passage.  This one in Hebrews.  Interesting how it all fits together, isn't it?  And isn't that really the point!

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS."  (Hebrews 12:1-2a NASB, emphasis mine).

Eyes on Jesus, not on circumstances.  With that focus, rejoicing and giving thanks really is much easier to do!

 

M&Ms

A few weeks ago in our Sunday Morning Life Group, our topic was the Holy Spirit.  As we examined the Scriptures, we eventually got to Galatians 5 and the fruit of the Spirit.  in Galatians 5:23 we find the list......love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  I'm using the New American Standard translation, so that's how the list reads there.  If you have a different translation, the list may read a little differently, but the words mean the same thing; the translators have just chosen a different English word to convey the original.  Regardless of how the list reads in your translation, the words mean the same thing and are always in the same order. 

I think that's an important point.  Because I believe that nothing about the Bible is coincidental or haphazard, I believe the order of this list is deliberate, and therefore important.  I'm not sure I completely understand the "why" of the order, but I know the words are in that particular order for a reason.  And I find it interesting to note that "self-control" is always last, no matter which translation you are reading.  (It's called "temperance" in the King James Version).  I wonder if self-control is last because it's the last of the fruit to "ripen", to come to maturity.  I don't know, but it's something to think about.

As we talked about the fruit of the Spirit in our Life Group, this question was asked:  which of these fruit do you think is least obvious in your own life?  Many people answered "patience".  My answer:  self-control.

What does this have to do with M&Ms, you may be asking.  I'm getting to that!

My husband returned home a few days ago after a long business trip.  He was gone for more than two weeks on what I have described as a "trade-show marathon".  3 cities.  3 trade shows.  The last show was in Las Vegas, where he stayed at the MGM Grand.  If you have been to Las Vegas, then you are aware that just a few doors down from the MGM Grand is M&M World!  And my dear husband made a special trip to M&M World just to buy a big bag of M&Ms for me!

I'm not talking about those prepackaged M&Ms you can purchase in any grocery store or Walmart anywhere.  In M&M world there are rows of bins with every kind and color of M&M imaginable......an M&M lover's dream!  So, he got his large cello bag and scooped all sorts of M&Ms into it......every color......plain, peanut, almond, coconut, peanut butter, and my personal favorite......pretzel!!  And he brought this giant back of treats home to me! 

For the first few days I managed to pace myself.  Only a few per day.  But yesterday, which by the way was one of the most frustrating days I've had in a very long time, that bag of candy became the perfect illustration of lack of self-control.  I could not keep my hand out of the bag no matter how many times I told myself to stop!  No matter how many times I said "this is the last one", I kept going back to that bag.  Somehow (!!!!) M&Ms kept ending up in my mouth. 

What a struggle!  That tiny little candy was getting the victory.  Good grief!

I guess that proves that "self-control" is not self-control at all, but Spirit-control.  And my confession to you is that I'm having a struggle with this one!

How Thirsty Are We?

I've been reading a book by Wayne Stiles......"Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus: A Journey through the Lands and Lessons of Christ".  It has been a slow process, not because it is a difficult read but because it is taking me back to the land of Israel and memories of our travels there last year.  We were told early on in that trip that we would never read the Bible in the same way after having been there, and I'm finding that to be true.  Passages now come to life as I picture in my memory the places where they happened.  And that's true as I read "Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus".  I find myself slowing down to re-visit in my memory the places he discusses.

I read a portion today about the area around the Dead Sea.  It is truly a dry, barren area.  From the western side of the Dead Sea (in Israel), you can look across the Sea and see the plains and mountains of Moab (now Jordan) where Moses wrote the Book of Deuteronomy.  I have been reading in Deuteronomy for the last several days, so I thought about that for a little while.

But what I really have been thinking about since I put down the book is thirst.  The Dead Sea is a body of water, but you can't drink it.  You could stand there with all that water in front of you and still remain thirsty.  That part of Israel is very dry.  The entire time we were in Israel, none of us in our group went anywhere without a water bottle!  But long ago, when Jesus was there, no bottled water was available.  I can only imagine how thirsty they might have become as they walked from place to place.  Not far from the Dead Sea is a national park.....Ein Gedi.

The ibex are one of my favorite memories from Ein Gedi.  As I watched them running around that area, with no water and very little grass (what there was had been planted in small patches and was carefully tended), it brought to life those words in Psalm 42 that we have often read and sung......."as the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee."  As I visited Ein Gedi, near where the psalmist penned those very words, I saw so clearly what he was saying. 

And I was convicted in the depths of my being about how casually we sing those same words.  Do we really even think about the words we are singing as we stand in our churches, as we drive down the highway, as we go about our daily lives.  Do we really long after God with that kind of desire, that kind of thirst......the kind that would come if we lived our days in a desert with no water.  Are we that thirsty for Him?

That was what I thought about last December as I stood at Ein Gedi.  And it's what I'm thinking about this morning.  How thirsty am I?  How thirsty are you?

"You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water."  (Psalm 63:1 NASB) 

Thoughts About Change - Part 2

Yesterday's Facebook changes prompted a lot of discussion - for and against.  It seems that was the hot topic of the day.  And those changes prompted me to post some thoughts about change.  While it was the Facebook change that started me thinking about the subject, it was not my intent to add to the "Facebook wars", although it seems that may have been the result!

So, let me try to clarify.  In general, (and I hate generalizations, just so you know!) it is my opinion that change is not always a good thing.  Sometimes, as I said yesterday, it's just different.  It is also my opinion that change is not always bad.  Again, sometimes it's just different.  And change always requires adjustment.

In the case of yesterday's Facebook changes, I will adjust.  We all will.  That wasn't really the point. 

It was pointed out by a number of people that Facebook is free, and therefore we who use this free service have no right to complain about what they do.  I have a little bit of an issue with that.  Yes, it is a free service.  But offering a service to millions of subscribers seems to imply, in my humble opinion, that you have at least a minimal interest in the opinions of those subscribers and that it is your desire to provide a service that they want.  However, whether or not you agree with that point, would you not agree that each of us who use this service might at least have an opinion about it.  And the essence of free speech is that it should not be a problem for people who hold an opinion to actually voice that opinion.  Certainly we will disagree from time to time.  That was obvious yesterday.  What really saddened me about the whole "debate" was that the disagreements were so disagreeable!

Many of us who didn't like the changes yesterday were portrayed as somehow unable to understand the changes or that we, bless our little antique selves, would need help navigating our way through the change.  While that may be true for some, let me just say that the issue, for me at least, is not that I can't figure it out.  It's that I don't want to!

The bigger issue for me is not that Facebook changed.  There have been changes before.  Some I liked; some I didn't.  But I adjusted.  We all did.  The issue for me was that I felt blindsided.  I logged on, expecting to see one thing and found something else instead.  And there were all these messages saying things like "we think this is what you will want to read"  (not an exact quote, but that's the essence of the message). 

Call it one of my personality quirks (and I have many!), but I really don't like being told what I will want to read!  Particularly by strangers.  If I had known this change was coming, I would not have been nearly so irritated.  I hear there are big changes coming today.  I may or may not like them.  But at least I know change is coming.  Apparently millions of people are in agreement.  It seems that people like a little warning before change is forced on them.  So it seems to me that the problem is not the changes themselves, but the way they were rolled out.  Maybe the Facebook people should ask the Netflix people about how to present change to their subscribers.  Hmmmmm......

There's no need to point out to me again that this is a free service and that people work really hard to provide it, etc. etc. etc.  I get that.  I realize that having Facebook is not a right guaranteed to me by the Constitution!  I realize that the Facebook people have a right to make changes whenever they choose.  (And apparently they choose quite frequently!).  I get that, too.

But I do think it's OK for me to have an opinion. 

Some Thoughts on Change

A lot has changed in my lifetime.  A lot.  And much of it has been a good thing.  As an example, when my mother and I would go to Spartanburg to shop for school clothes back in the 1950s (because that was why you shopped then......shopping wasn't a recreational sport like it is now!!), there were two sets of restrooms and two water fountains, one for white people and one for non-white ("colored", as they were known back then).  If you have seen "The Help", or if you lived through that era, then you know what I mean.  It isn't that way any more.  And that's a good thing.

I remember when we didn't have a television.  Gasp!!!!  And not because we were among those who chose not to have television in their home, as many families are doing today.  It was because television was a new thing and not everybody had one.  My parents didn't have color television until the 70s.  And we had one telephone.  One of those upright ones that you sometimes see in antique stores or old movies.  It was several decades before there was more than one phone in that household.

I remember life without computers and cell phones and I-pads and all these technologies we can't seem to live without now.  Life was a lot simpler then.  And while it is wonderful to be able to access all this information on the web, and communicate any time of day or night with anyone nearly anywhere, I'm not sure that having our lives so controlled by all this technology is entirely a good thing.

There has been change in nearly every area of life.  Music has changed.  The way we "do church" has changed.  Fashion has changed.  Schools have changed.  Some of the changes have been good, but I would submit to you that not all change is good.  Sometimes it's just different. 

Change is certainly a buzzword in the political arena.  Our current President campaigned on a platform promising change.  And while it is not my intent to stir up a political hornet's nest, I would just ask...."how's that workin' for ya?"

Today when I logged onto Facebook, I discovered some major change.  And frankly, I don't like it.  Change simply for the sake of change is a concept I do not embrace.  Call me old-fashioned.  I gladly accept that.  I freely admit that I am not a technie.  I don't get a thrill just knowing that some techno-geek somewhere had a new idea, so now the rest of us poor ignorant masses must just accept it and move on.  I am at least mildly offended at the condescension being dished out by the techies this morning toward those of us who don't embrace these changes with the same level of enthusiasm that they do.  I respect their opinions and their right to hold them.  I wish they would offer the same level of respect to those of us who disagree.

And I want my old Facebook back!  That won't happen, I'm sure.  But I intend to be at least mildly grumpy about it for the rest of the day.

Change just for the sake of change makes no sense to me.  Again, call me old-fashioned.  I don't mind!  But I belong to the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school.

Change is inevitable in life.  I am not so naive as to deny that truth.  I have lived long enough to know it to be so.  But I don't have to always like it, do I?! 

Through it all, I'm thankful that not everything changes.  And as life continues to change, and not always for the better, it's the truth I'm holding on to........"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."  (Hebrews 13:8  HCSB)

What If?

I have been pondering that question since Sunday.  I'm not talking about the kind of "what if" you may be thinking of.......what if this happens or what if that doesn't happen or what if.......

Sunday's message from our pastor was about the celebrations of our faith.  He was referring specifically to Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  First of all, I have to say that I'm not sure I have ever used the word "celebration" in reference to either of those events.  In my particular church tradition, we refer to those as "ordinances" of the church.  Your church may refer to them as sacraments.  In any event, I can't remember thinking of them as "celebration", although I am really embracing that thought.  It's a new thought for me, and one that I have been pondering since Sunday.  And a thought which has led me to another thought, which is the subject of this post.....the "what if" thought.

Think for a minute about celebrations.  We celebrate all sorts of things in our culture......birthdays, holidays, sports.....the list could go on and on.  And think about the ways we celebrate......the energy and enthusiasm and planning.  And even the money we spend on celebrations.

The money.  Don't get me started on that.  Back in my day (now I'm sounding like an old woman!!), children's birthday parties, for example, were a few friends over and some birthday cake.  Now they have turned into Oscar-worthy performances, planned out months in advance, with "themes".  The guests even get presents!  It's quite an elaborate event.  One that takes a lot of planning and preparation.  It was a lot simpler back in the day.  But I digress.

Here's the "what if" that occurred to me on Sunday morning as I was listening to our pastor.  What if we - all of us who call ourselves Christians - really celebrated Jesus every day!!  What if we put as much energy and enthusiasm (and money!) into our faith as we put into our other celebrations!!

I'm not just talking about our Sunday worship experiences, but about daily living.  Certainly, enthusiastic expressions of worship could be one of the ways we celebrate, but I'm not really focusing on that. 

Consider the joy of a child's birthday party.  Or a wedding celebration.  Consider the energy and enthusiasm expended at a ball game.

All that is wonderful and appropriate.  But.....what if we directed the same amount of energy and enthusiasm and effort and emotion toward Jesus!  What if every Christian really celebrated Jesus every day!  I'm not talking about walking around with fake smiles pasted on our faces and spouting out churchy words all the time.  But what if, instead of walking around looking like people who drink pickle juice for breakfast, we - all of us, not just some, but all - actually let our faces, and our attitudes, and our words, and our actions reflect the joy of the Lord that we claim we have!!

What a different place this world might be!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice......"  (1 Peter 1:3-6a NASB, emphasis mine)

Monday, Monday.......What's on My Mind Today

Another Monday morning.  And a gray, gloomy one at that!  There's the promise of rain in the air.....and in my bones!!  I'm having a hard time getting in gear today.  Not sure why that is, other than that it is a gray and gloomy morning!  There are a number of things on my to-do list for the day.  The usual Monday laundry pile needs to be dealt with.  And the Monday de-cluttering needs to be done.  I need to empty the dishwasher.  And get all the been-there-too-long bits out of the refrigerator.  Honestly, I would rather just sit and read a book! 

One of the things I like to do on Monday mornings is reflect back on Sunday.  And yesterday was such a GOOD Sunday!  So much to think about today.  Yesterday's Life Group lesson focused on some of the disciplines of the Christian life, like quiet time, prayer and Bible study.  I almost hesitate to use the word "disciplines" for fear of equating it with a word like "drudgery" or even "punishment", and this is not at all what I mean.  Think more along the line of "disciple"......disciple, discipline.  See what I mean? 

We are in the middle of a series of lessons and messages from the Pastor about our core convictions.  Knowing what we believe and why we believe it.  Living out what we believe.  And that brought us to yesterday's topic, which might be described as "what we do between Sundays".  During the discussion, I was so encouraged by the other women in my group.  We are all at a similar season of life......empty-nesters, many no longer part of the work force, sometimes wondering how to deal with this particular season of life......yet all loving Jesus and desiring to be all He desires us to be. 

It was interesting to hear how many struggle with carving out a set time of day for the quiet time.  I think many of them are like me.....thinking that somehow because I am home all day, it would be easy to set a definite daily appointment and finding it's not always so easy after all!  (See my previous post about distractions and spiritual ADD!).  Even though life back in the day, with work schedules and getting children to school and sports and all that was hectic, it was predictable.  Not so much in this season of life.  Well, except that it's predictable in the sense that there is no set schedule!  But too much flexibility can often be a hindrance rather than a benefit.

Another thing that has always been an issue for me is my guilt (I don't know any other way to express it) over not being a morning person.  I am not one of those people who can set the clock for 5AM, then wake up, turn on the light and start reading my Bible.  Well, I could do that, but I would have no idea what I had read!  My brain is mush at 5AM.  In fact, it's mush for a couple of hours after I get up, no matter what time that is.  So trying to have a meaningful time with the Lord at 5AM, or even when I first get up, just doesn't work for me.  I finally have realized the Lord understands that.

Not too long ago, in a Bible Study we were attending, this topic came up and the leader made a statement that has been so liberating for me......."give God the best time of your day".  Wow!  We aren't all morning people.  Or night people.  For me, early afternoon is the best.....and quietest......time of day.  So it has become my practice to set that as my daily appointment time with God.  I look forward to that time.  The day begins with a "Good morning, Lord,", then coffee and a brief devotional reading.  But I really look forward to that extended time in the early afternoon.  Like all appointments, sometimes there needs to be a rescheduling,  But oh, how I look forward to that time!

I have said all that to say that I was so encouraged to hear how each of the women in my group has learned to adjust to this new season of life and how each of them is making time with the Lord a priority in the day.  This group of women has been such an encouragement and blessing in my life in the brief time we have been attending this particular church.

And that was just the beginning of my very good Sunday.  More tomorrow!

Cleaning out the Closet

It's that time again.  Time to clean out the closet.  To switch out the summer clothes for the fall and winter ones.  I began that process yesterday, and not a minute too soon when I consider how the weather has changed in the last couple of days.  When I left Pigeon Forge on Wednesday afternoon, the car thermometer showed 92 degrees.  Yesterday here on the mountain, we didn't get past 69.  Today I'm hoping we make it to the mid-50s! 

And so that brings me to the closet inventory.  I would be doing this, at least on a smaller scale, in spite of the temperatures.  It has become my habit, when I purchase new clothing, to get rid of some older clothes.  The closet is less cluttered that way.  And since I had a very productive day of retail therapy (can you see me smile!!), some old clothes have to go. 

As I'm cleaning out the closet, it occurs to me that this is a good time for a spiritual inventory as well.  As important as it is to have an uncluttered closet, or kitchen pantry, or sock drawer, how much more important to declutter my mind and my spirit.  To examine my thoughts.  And my attitudes.  And my habits.  To replace what needs replacing.  To do away with what needs doing away with.   To get rid of some stuff.

Just as cleaning the refrigerator or cleaning out the pantry or reorganizing the closet sometimes becomes a bigger job than anticipated, this "attitude adjustment" may require more time and effort that I had realized.  But as I have begun this process, I'm discovering a lot of "stuff" that needs dealing with.  And as I'm dealing with my attitudes and habits, I'm so very grateful to my Heavenly Father who loves me so much, not because I have it all together, but in spite of the fact that I don't!

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way."  (Psalm 139:23-24 NASB)

I'm So Excited!

I have been looking forward to this day for quite some time.  Later today I'll be getting together with my friend Jean.

Jean and I first met back in the mid-90s.  At the time, I lived in Connecticut and she lived in South Florida.  We met in Sarasota at a Mary Kay event.  (On a side note, one of my very favorite things about my Mary Kay business has been the friendships I've made.  But that's a thought for another day.)  We "connected" on that day and have been friends ever since.  Eventually we both ended up in Brandon, Florida, and our friendship blossomed.

Such wonderful memories I have of those days! Lots of laughter.  Lots of coffee.  Lots of shopping.  Lots of sharing......good times and some not-so-good (job loss, broken bones, multiple surgeries, to name just a few).  Our friendship is one of the treasures of my life.

Now I'm in the mountains of NC, and a few years ago, Jean and her husband moved to Chattanooga. Since then, we have made a point of getting together a couple of times of year in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which is about halfway between us.

And today is the day!  We'll get together later today and spend about 24 hours together.  Lots of laughter.  Lots of coffee.  Some retail therapy!  Good times!

It's such a blessing to have a good friend.  One who loves coffee almost as much as I do.  One who loves to laugh.  One who loves to shop.  One who enjoys good food. One who understands me.  And one who loves Jesus.  Of all the things we have in common, all the things that bind us together, our love for Jesus is at the top of the list.

So, I'm looking forward to the coffee and the shopping and some good food.  I'm looking forward to some good conversation.  I'm especially looking forward to sharing it all with a dear sister in Christ.  And I'm so very thankful for the gift of friendship.

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

Monday Morning

As I have been sitting here in my chair this morning, sipping my coffee and trying to get my brain (and body!) in gear, I have chuckled a bit as I have watched Molly's behavior.  She sat with me in the chair for a few minutes, then jumped down and ran over to her comforter in front of the fireplace.  (It's an old comforter that used to be on our bed, but now is hers to lie on in front of the fire.  No fire this morning, but she didn't seem to mind.)  After less than a minute of digging around in the comforter to find the perfect spot, she jumped up and ran across the room and planted herself in Al's recliner.  That lasted about a minute, then back to the comforter.  A couple of minutes there, then off to the bedroom and back to her bed.  That didn't last long.  Now she's back in the chair with me!

I laughed at her, but her behavior also made me think.  It seemed a perfect mirror of my own behavior sometimes!  I often wonder if there is such a thing as adult-onset ADD.  Or is dementia beginning to set in????  A frightening thought.......but so many times I start one thing only to stop before the task is done so I can start something else, and I end the day with many begun-and-half-done tasks.  I'm sure I'm probably not the only one......and I prefer to think that this is somewhat normal!!

What really bothers me is how true this is in the spiritual realm.  How easily I am distracted from my Bible reading or my prayer time or from the tasks at hand.  I wonder if I'm the only one??!!  Spiritual ADD......that's what's on my mind this morning.

"So teach us to number our days that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."  (Psalm 90:12 NASB)

Remembering

Where were you on that awful day?  Most of us can probably remember where we were on September 11, 2001.  Those events are burned into our memories.

I remember the day vividly.  On that Tuesday morning, as on every Tuesday morning, I was heading to church.  Tuesday was the day for staff meeting, and was also our Ladies Bible Study day.  We were planning to begin a new study on that morning, and as I had been preparing the introductory session, my thoughts had been focused on Psalm 62, specifically on verses 7-8......"On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.  Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."  As the day progressed, I found myself holding on to those verses!

I walked into the family room just minutes after the first plane had hit.  Brian (who had just gotten home from his job at UPS) was watching TV (the Today Show, I think) before heading upstairs to bed.  We both stared at the TV in disbelief.  And then the second plane hit.  On my way to the church, I heard the news about the Pentagon on the car radio. 

Our Bible Study that morning turned into a brief time of prayer and then I sent the ladies back home.  Our staff meeting was cancelled.  The pastor and I met briefly to talk through preliminary plans for the following Sunday worship service.  Then he sent me back home.

Life as we knew it changed forever on that day.  I remember well the shock and the grief and the numbness that followed for so many days.  Many of those feelings are coming back as we approach the 10th anniversary and are seeing those horrible events replayed over and over and over on television.

But not everything has changed.  It is still true that "my refuge is in God."  I still grieve with and for those families who lost so much on that day; for the families of first responders and military personnel who, on that day and in the years that have followed, paid the ultimate sacrifice.  I am grateful for men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

Even more, as I reflect on the ways that life has changed, I cling to the truth that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.  Therefore we will not fear."  (Psalm 46:1-2)

I Love Fall!

One of the things I have enjoyed most about living in the NC mountains is the changing of the seasons.  We didn't experience this in Florida, at least not in the same way.  It has been said that in Florida there are two seasons - hot and hotter.  While that is not entirely accurate, it is true that there is not a great deal of difference between one season and the next, other than some modification in temperature.

We're beginning to get a hint of fall here in the mountains.  Cooler temperatures.  A crispness in the air.  Some leaves are even beginning to change colors.

For many years now, fall has been my favorite season.  Before we had ever moved away from South Carolina, if you had asked my favorite season, I would have answered "spring".  I loved (and still love) the beauty of spring in South Carolina......dogwoods, azaleas, all sorts of beautiful flowers, warm - but not yet hot - temperatures. The downside of all that beauty was all the pollen that came with it......and the accompanying allergies!

Once we started moving around the country, I quickly discovered that spring does not show itself in the same way in all parts of the country!  I first learned this lesson in Colorado, where spring could mean beautiful sunshine one day and a blizzard the next.  In Connecticut, spring came much later than I had been accustomed to.  It was beautiful when it finally arrived......it just took a long time getting there!  Spring in many parts of the country is quite unpredictable!

I love the fall.  Apples and pumpkins.  Beautiful leaves in all shades of red and gold.  Warm days.  Cool nights.  The crispness in the air.  What I don't like about fall is that winter is not far behind!  And, as I have probably expressed all too many times, I really don't like winter!

This is definitely a "fall morning" here on our mountaintop.  It's cool.  A little damp and rainy.  There's some fog.  It isn't quite cool enough for turning on the fireplace......but almost!  It's definitely a "sweater morning"!  And I saw even more red and gold this morning than I did yesterday.

As I sit here enjoying the beauty of this new season, I'm grateful for the creativity of our amazing God and for the beauty of the world He created.  I'm thankful for the gift of seasons.   And I'm thankful that even though seasons change and circumstances change, our God does not change. 

"This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope.  The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning. Great is Your Faithfulness." 

                                                                        (Lamentations 3:22-23  NASB)

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

                                               

                                                                                                - Thomas Chisholm

That Word Again!

Yesterday I shared with you some of the lessons I have been learning.  About God.  About His timing.  About patience.  About waiting.  I guess you could sum it all up by saying that I am learning not only to believe God, but to trust Him.......not just in the "big" things, like salvation and my eternal destiny, for example, but also in the "small" everyday things as well.

I began my day yesterday with this verse......"I waited patiently for the Lord."

Well, here we go again!  This morning I turned the calendar page and this is what I read......"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him" (Psalm 37:7 NASB, emphasis mine). 

Hmmmmm.  You need to know that I am not a big believer in coincidence.  So I need to consider this concept of waiting carefully. 

There are a couple of decisions I have been considering......some activities I was thinking about participating in.  Now I think I will hold off on making a final decision and consider more carefully.  I will "wait".

I did a little research this morning into this verse.  Rest in the Lord.  What does that mean?  The verb "rest" in Hebrew (damam) means to be silent, to be still.  It can mean the state of being motionless or to stand still or to refrain from speech.  It is also used to mean the absence of emotional distress; the ability to be quiet and relax. 

I don't know about you, but I can think of a lot of things in life that can cause emotional distress.  Just watch or listen to a news broadcast.  Check your 401K account (maybe that should now read "01K account"!!).  Remember back to the events of ten years ago, and think about the turmoil and terrorism that have become part of our world.  There are many reasons to be distressed.

So today......in the middle of the busyness and the frustrations and the challenges that this day may bring.....I'm holding on to this verse.  I'm learning more and more to rest in the Lord.  To trust His character and His ways.  To "be still" and know that He is God.  To rest and to wait.

What about you?  What is God teaching you today?

Some Lessons Learned

It's been a few months since I posted anything.  I suppose part of the reason relates to the busyness of summer and how quickly the time has flown by.  (What ever happened to the "lazy days of summer"??)  Or that having skipped a few days of posting, I got out of the habit and then a few days became a few weeks....... Or maybe I just wasn't ready to give words to all the lessons I have been learning.  Lessons about patience.  And about contentment.  And about waiting. And about control. These are some of the areas in which God has been dealing with me over the last few months.

I have one of those perpetual calendars in my kitchen window.  One of the ones that has a different page for each day.  This morning as I flipped the page over to today's date, this is what I read......"I waited patiently for the Lord........"  Oh my.  Talk about conviction first thing in the morning!  And I hadn't even had my coffee yet!  So here's my first confession of the day.  I have not been waiting very patiently. 

For the last couple of days I have had Mary, Martha and Lazarus on my mind.  You know, the brother and two sisters who lived in Bethany and were friends of Jesus.  You can read about them in John chapter 11.  As the chapter opens, we learn that Lazarus is sick.  The sisters sent word to Jesus and asked Him to come.  But He didn't......at least, not right away.  And so Lazarus died.  You can read the full account in John 11 if you aren't familiar with the story or if you need to refresh your memory.

The important point here - at least as it concerns what God has been teaching me this summer - is that Jesus didn't come right away.  Why not, you may be asking.  Verse 3 tells us that it was for the glory of God.   Hmmm.  As I think about my own life, and the delays in getting answers to the questions I'm asking and resolution to the situations that concern me, I think there's a lesson there for me to grab hold of.  It's all for the glory of God.  It's not about me!  Which leads me to the book of Romans......."and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose."  (Romans 8:28 NASB, emphasis mine).

Here's the bottom line.  I am learning, in my time in the "waiting room", that God has a plan.  That it's His plan, not mine, that matters.  That He hasn't forgotten me or abandoned me.  That His timing is perfect.  And I'm learning to trust.  And to wait patiently. (I'm still a work in progress on that one!) Those are hard lessons for a control freak!  But lessons that need learning!

One of my favorite songs captures this thought so well.  It's a song titled "Four Days Late", sung by Karen Peck and New River.  If you're not a fan of Southern Gospel music, you might not be familiar with it.  No  matter what your preferred style of music is, this is a song worth checking out.  It's a song about Lazarus, Mary and Martha....and Jesus!  Here's my favorite part:

"But His way is God's way; it's not yours or mine.  And isn't it great, when He's four days late, He's still on time!"