Sixteen Years Later

How quickly time passes. Yesterday marked sixteen years since the day my mother passed from this life into eternity. In many ways, it seems very long ago. After all, this is the fourth state I've lived in since that time! But sometimes it is still a very fresh memory. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of her: remembering something she said; laughing at myself for doing the "I'll never do that" things she used to do; wanting to share something with her.

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

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

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

I loved my mother. I respected her. I admired her. And I miss her.

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Shaken. A Book Review.

Each of us faces ups and downs in life, and each of us must deal with disappointments. Few of us must face these disappointments as publicly as Tim Tebow has. In Shaken, Tim Tebow shares glimpses from his life and his football career, including the disappointment of being cut from three different NFL teams.

Shaken is more than an autobiography and more than just a sports book. In Shaken, Tebow shares life lessons he has learned through the experiences he recounts, lessons that have built his trust in God. Sharing stories from his own life, as well as the lives of others, he offers encouragement for overcoming fear, bitterness, and the obstacles life throws at you. In Tebow's words, "this is not a memoir. It's about the truth I've discovered along the way. And it's about some amazing people I've been inspired by in life."

With chapter titles like "Facing the Giants", "The Voices of Negativity", and "What Matters Most", Tebow shares real events from his own life and offers real solutions to others who deal with similar challenges. We don't all face being cut from an NFL team, but we often do face having our dreams shattered or having the rug pulled out from under us. Tebow offers encouragement for such times.

Whether or not you are a Tim Tebow fan, or whether or not you are even a sports fan at all, you are sure to be encouraged by this book and its challenge to live in light of eternity. Shaken is a well-written, easy-to-read book that is all about discovering your true identity, and about believing, as Tim Tebow does, that your true identity is found in Christ, not in the opinions of the world around you. This book is so much more than a memor; it is the testimony of Tim Tebow's life.

I received a free copy of Shaken from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Missing Link

We're nearing the end of a very contentious election season. One of the few things we can all agree on is that our country is deeply divided. In two weeks' time, all the ballots will have been counted and we will have evidence of just how divided we are. But then life will go on. One of these candidates will be the President-Elect of these United States, and we the people will turn our attention elsewhere.

In these days leading up to Election Day, many are praying for our country. There are prayer meetings and prayer groups and calls for prayer all across social media. With all this praying for our country, why are we still in such a mess? What are we missing?

Not too long ago, Al and I read Psalm 80 in our morning devotions. And then we read this commentary (which might actually make more sense to you if you take a minute to read Psalm 80):

"This Psalm is a picture of America to me. God had brought Israel out of Egypt, driven out the nations, and planted them as a vine in the Promised Land. He prospered them with blessings that were so abundant they overshadowed the mountains and extended to the sea! But the hedges were broken down. They no longer had the respect of other nations. Their produce was pilfered by others, and their power decimated. They did not have the joy and blessings that came from honoring God and humbly acknowledging that He was the source of their success. Our forefathers came from other lands for the sake of religious freedom, and our nation was founded on principles that honored God......Yet we have become despised by the nations, our economy is in disarray, and the most basic moral values are being rejected." (from In The Secret Place, a Pilgrimage Through the Psalms by Jerry Rankin, p. 173)

As I've continued to mull over this paragraph, it seems to me that Dr. Rankin has stated the obvious, and stated it very well. Our country is in a mess. We have forgotten where we have come from and turned our backs on the very principles that once made us a great nation.

One of Dr. Rankin's sentences sticks out to me. He writes that Israel "did not have the joy and blessings that came from honoring God and humbly acknowledging that He was the source of their success." (emphasis mine). The same could be said of us here in the United States. We have forgotten where we came from. We have forgotten why we were once a respected and prosperous nation. We no longer acknowledge our founding principles and have forgotten how greatly we have been blessed by God throughout our history. In short, we have forgotten God. As a nation, we have turned our backs on Him.

And so the question then becomes, is there any hope? What will it take to turn things around? Can anything make a difference? 

For the answer, we turn to the Scriptures.  To a familiar passage in the Old Testament that we often turn to when we begin to pray for our nation. 

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

In its original context, this promise was given from God to Solomon at the time of the dedication of the temple. Reading verse 13 tells us that God is giving warning to the people, through Solomon, of what will happen if they forsake His ways. There will be judgment on their sin in the form of drought or locusts or pestilence. But, if the people humble themselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from their wicked ways, God would forgive their sin and heal their land.

What does that have to do with us? Although originally this promise was given to Israel at a specific time and place, there is a prayer principle here that echoes throughout Scripture. It's the principle of humbling oneself, or one's nation, before God. It's the principle of agreeing with God. Of confessing sin. Of acknowledging that sin is what God says it is.

The same principle is found in David's confession of sin in Psalm 51. David humbled himself before God. "Against You, and You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight." (Psalm 51:4)

Daniel's prayer in Daniel chapter 9 reveals this same principle. Daniel prayed, on behalf of his people, "We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances......We have not listened to Your servants the prophets.....Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame....because we have sinned against You." (Daniel 9:4-8 NASB)

Daniel humbled himself on behalf of his people. Daniel prayed. Daniel sought the Lord. Daniel confessed sin, not only his personal sin, but the sin of the nation.

Is there hope for America? Yes. If God's people humble themselves. If God's people will pray. If God's people will seek His face. If God's people will turn from their wicked ways. Then God has promised to hear from heaven and forgive sin and heal the land. 

Note that the verse does not say that if all heathen and wicked and pagan and evil people will humble themselves. What it does say is that if God's people will humble themselves, pray, seek His face, turn from their wicked ways, then God will answer.

It all starts with humbling ourselves. That's the missing link. It doesn't start with pointing fingers at others. Or with wishing things were different. Or with wringing our hands at how bad things are. Or with more social media posts to complain about this or that. The first step in changing things here in our country, the thing that seems to be missing these days, is that we who are God's people humble ourselves. Individually. Humble ourselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from our sin.

We are told that "Daniel gave [his] attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." (Daniel 9:3 NASB)  We may not need to wear sackcloth and cover ourselves with ashes, but we do need to get alone with God. The kind of praying that will bring about a change in our country is more than a quick sentence or two rattled off between ballgames or trips to the mall.

If we're serious about wanting to see things change in our country, it's time to get more serious about our praying. It's time to humble ourselves before God. It's time to be more focused on God and less on our personal agendas and our personal schedules. It's time to stop talking about praying, and pray!

We have the instruction. We have the example to follow. We know what to do. And we have the promise of what will happen when we do. 

So, what is holding us back? 

"Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!"  (Psalm 80:3 ESV)

"O my God, incline Your ear and hear! For we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive!" (Daniel 9:18-19a, NASB)

The Candidate. A Book Review.

How far will a candidate go to be President of the United States? That's the question we're faced with in The Candidate by Lis Wiehl. This is the second book in Wiehl's Newsmakers series, but is easily read on its own without having read the first book.

This the story of television journalist Erica Sparks, who is right in the middle of covering the current presidential election campaign. Senator Mike Ortiz is a war hero who is favored to win the White House. As she covers his campaign, Sparks notices that Senator Ortiz seems dependent on his wife to an unnatural degree. Celeste Ortiz is a brilliant and glamorous billionaire who—along with her best friend and confidant Lily Lau—has engineered her husband’s meteoric rise. The White House is within their reach. But the more Erica investigates Ortiz, the more intrigued and troubled she becomes. Erica's relentless search for the truth puts her life in danger, as well as threatens the lives of those close to her.

This novel reads like something plucked from the morning newspaper or the evening news. Sparks' investigation reveals that, as is often true in politics, things are not exactly what they seem. This is a tightly woven story of political intrigue and media manipulation. It is fast-paced, realistic, and very intense. And, in this election season, perhaps a little unsettling.

In addition to the political storyline, there is also the story of Erica's relationship with her daughter Jenny. as well as her relationship with her fiancé Greg to add interest to the story. These personal relationships also give us a little relief from the intensity of the political storyline.

Conspiracies. Mind games. Murder. Deception. All these and more are a part of The Candidate. If you enjoy political thrillers, this may be one you would like to try. Unlike many books in this genre, this one does not rely on gratuitous profanity and violence, and I found that refreshing.

With her background as a federal prosecutor and now television legal analyst, Wiehl certainly has the credentials to give us a realistic portrayal of the lengths to which some people will go to achieve their goals. She has done exactly that, and done it well.

BookLookBloggers and Thomas Nelson Publishing provided me with a free copy of The Candidate in exchange for my honest opinion.

How Do We Handle It?

We're two weeks away from election day here in the United States, which means that we are being inundated with political advertising. If your mailbox is anything like mine, hardly a day goes by without receiving at least one piece of mail from a political candidate. We are assaulted daily on news broadcasts and social media with new accusations and more mudslinging. It is impossible to watch television without multiple political ads at every commercial break, not just from the presidential candidates, but also from those running for other offices as well.

Political ads are really quite interesting and actually have a lot to say about the state of our nation. On the one hand, Candidate A appears to tell you all the horrible things his/her opponent has said or done. Immediately following, Candidate B appears to tell you that everything you just heard from Candidate A is a blatant lie which is designed solely to impugn his/her character, when in fact, he/she is actually practically perfect in every way.

They can't both be telling the truth. In all likelihood, there may be a teeny tiny thread of truth somewhere in there, surrounded by massive distortion in what each of them had to say. And that reveals a great deal, not only about candidates, but about our nation and about us as a people.

In our culture, truth has become relative. Truth has become whatever you or I want it to be. Truth has become whatever some politician or activist group or judge or journalist says it is at the moment. And it changes on a whim.

By that standard, both Candidate A and Candidate B are telling the truth, even though what one of them says is exactly opposite what the other says.

How are we to handle this?  What is our standard of truth to be?

The standard of truth is the same as it has always been. Even in this world of political expediency and government corruption. In a world where terrorism is rampant. In a world where there is ISIS. Even in this world, the standard of truth remains the same.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."  (Isaiah 40:8 ESV)

[Jesus said] "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  (John 14:6 ESV, emphasis mine)

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  (Hebrews 13:8 ESV)

Hold on to those truths. Cling to those truths. In this world of shifting truths, our standard of truth remains firm. We hold on to Jesus. We examine everything according to the unchanging plumb line of Scripture.

And when we are criticized as being naïve or old-fashioned or out of touch, even then we hold on to Truth.

We live in difficult, challenging times. The truths that we believe and have staked our very lives on are under attack. But truth is still truth. God's Word has not changed. It will not change. God's love for us has not changed. It will not change. And for those of us who are in relationship with God through Christ Jesus, nothing can change that. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

Not politicians.

Not political action groups.

Not government corruption or over-reach.

Not bad journalism.

Not ISIS.

Not financial stress.

Not illness.

Not unemployment.

Not criticism or ridicule.

Nothing.

"What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31, 35, 373-39 ESV)

How, then, do we deal with these shifting standards? How, then, do we face life on a daily basis when all we have known as true seems to be crumbling around us? How, then, do we live life when the world is falling apart? How do we handle it?

The answer to those questions is found in the pages of Scripture as well. 

In every situation, in every circumstance, in every difficulty and every challenge, the answer is the same:

[We] "run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  (Hebrews 12:1b-2 NASB, emphasis mine)

Unplugged.

Life is often busy, even hectic. Sometimes we find ourselves longing for a simpler pace of life. Or at least for a few days away from our regular routines, away from the hustle-bustle and stress of our daily lives.

Last week, Al and I took a few days to unplug. Well, sort of. I guess it would be more accurate to say we were semi-unplugged. We spent a few days in the mountains, enjoying the beauty of the fall season. We weren't completely isolated. We stayed in a nice hotel. We watched a little television. We occasionally checked our electronic devices. But mostly we ignored the electronics (and politics) as we took a few days away from "regular life".  We just relaxed and enjoyed the beauty of God's creation.

 

 

We all need that from time to time, don't we? Time to relax. To unwind. To be still.

 



And what better time to enjoy a few days in the mountains than in the autumn?

 

 



 

Autumn in the mountains is the perfect time to unplug. To enjoy the beauty of the world God has given us. The perfect time to unwind.

 

 

 

 

It's the perfect time to be still.

 

 

"Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)



Lost and Found. A Thankful Tuesday Post.

Last week I wrote a post marking the anniversary of our life-changing move across the country, from South Carolina to Colorado, more than twenty-five years ago. Each year as I recall that move, I end up making a trip down memory lane, and this year is no exception. I've been reflecting on all the changes in our lives as a result of that move, and recalling to mind all the ways God has blessed us through the years.

Inevitably, that triggers a lot of memories.

When I was a very little girl, I was in Belks in Spartanburg with my mother. Not the Belks that is now in the mall, since we didn't have a mall back then. This was Belks on Main Street, right next to Woolworth's. We were on the second floor in the women's dresses department. Mother was shopping for a dress, and I was enamored with all the colors and fabrics and textures. As a small child, I could only reach the hems of these dresses, but I loved the feel of the fabrics in my hand, so I wandered around touching all the dresses. The result of my wandering was that I could no longer see my mother, and I panicked! Thankfully, the kind store clerk reunited us, and all was well.

Some years later, I got lost in the woods. On this occasion, I had gone with my daddy to the family cemetery where his mother and his grandparents and great-grandparents were buried. This little cemetery is out in the country, well off the road, surrounded by the woods. While Daddy did his "maintenance work", pulling weeds and raking leaves, I wandered off into the woods. The woods were very thick and as I went in deeper, it got darker, to the point that I could barely see.  The canopy of trees overhead was so thick that I could no longer see the sky. Once again, I panicked. I screamed. I cried. I called Daddy's name over and over.  He heard my cries and came to find me. Only when I felt his arms around me did I feel safe again.

And then there was the time we lost Brandon in Haywood Mall in Greenville, when he was three years old. While my mother and I were selecting a pair of jeans for Brian and being sure they fit, Brandon wandered away. (Is there a family trend here? Is wandering away part of our DNA?) He later said he was just looking for the toys! Once we realized he was missing, my mother and I began looking for him. Eventually we enlisted the help of the mall security guards. Three hours later we found him, in Sears at the other end of the mall, in the toy department.  Although we were panicked, he was perfectly content. I have never forgotten the terror I felt when I could not find my child!

These events call to mind some truths about our great God. Unlike me, He always knows where his children are. Even when we wander away, He knows.  As a child, I wandered away from my mother and could no longer see her, nor could she see me.  But even when we wander from God, He still sees. He knows where we are.

And He hears when we call.  Just as my Daddy heard my voice and responded, so too does God hear when we call His name. When we are lost and cry out to Him, He responds.

I am grateful that when I was separated from my mother, someone was there to point me back to her. I am grateful that when I cried for help, Daddy came. I am grateful that my lost child was found.

So grateful. And grateful for all those along my life's journey who pointed me to Jesus. Who taught me the truths of God's Word.

Even more grateful for a God who loves me so much. Who never leaves me or forsakes me. Who hears me when I call.

"for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"  (Hebrews 13:5 ESV)