The dirty dozen...or two simple words?

                      A little food for weekend thought--
        Anybody need a little advice on how to make yourself (and quite a few others) miserable?  Here are some hilarious, but ouch-worthy, suggestions (a dozen resolutions to be exact) from Elisabeth Elliot:

 1. Count your troubles, name them one by one—at the breakfast table, if anybody will listen, or as soon as possible thereafter.
2. Worry every day about something. Don’t let yourself get out of practice. It won’t add a cubit to          your stature, but it might burn a few calories.
3. Pity yourself. If you do enough of this, nobody else will have to do it for you.
4. Devise clever but decent ways to serve God and mammon. After all, you’ve got a life to live.
5. Make it your business to find out what the Joneses are buying this year and where they’re  
     going. Try to do them at least one better even if you have to take out another loan to do it.
6. Stay away from absolutes. It’s what’s right for you that matters. Be your own person and don’t
     allow yourself to get hung up on what others expect of you.
7. Make sure you get your rights. Never mind other people’s. You have your life to live, they
     have theirs.
8. Don’t fall into any compassion traps—the sort of situation where people can walk all over you.
     If you get too involved in other people’s troubles, you may neglect your own.
9. Don’t let Bible reading and prayer get in the way of what’s really relevant—things like TV and
     newspapers. Invisible things are eternal. You want to stick with the visible ones—they’re        where it’s at now.
10. Be right, and be sure to let folks know it. If you catch yourself in the wrong, don’t breathe it
    to a soul.
11. Review daily the names of people who have hurt, wronged, or insulted you. Keep those lists
    up-to-date, and think of ways to get even without being thought of as unreasonable,            
    uncivilized,or unchristian.
12. Never forgive a wrong. Clutch it forever, and you’ll never be unemployed. Resentment is a
    full-time job.
     
        If you're like me, you both laughed...and cringed.  Thank goodness we've never been guilty of any of those.  Sigh.
        On the other hand, we could listen to the Apostle Paul's simple, short, but brilliant and life-changing words: "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks."(I Thess.5:16-18)         Now that's a recipe for joy--not just for ourselves but for those around us.  Why don't we go with those rather than the "dirty dozen?"
        By the way, I just learned from David Jeremiah that the shortest verse in the Bible is not actually "Jesus wept." (John 11:35).  That's only true in the English versions of the Bible.  In the original New Testament Greek, guess what the shortest verse is?  "Rejoice always!" in I Thess.5:16.
       Yes sir, I can remember that!!  And as David Jeremiah reminded us: "Because Jesus wept, we can rejoice."  Because Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus, because Jesus wept at the horror and destructiveness of sin and death, and because Jesus then conquered that sin and death at the cross to give us eternal life, we can rejoice!!
        Folks, no matter what's going on in our lives, Jesus died, rose again, and He is alive...so that we might live, really live.  And live forever and ever.  It's time to put away grumbling, comparing, self-pitying, worrying, resenting...and rejoice!  Or as Paul says, "Rejoice always!"
        To God be the glory.

A beach reminder--don't miss Him!

        For the record--God did a mighty wonderful thing when He created oceans and beaches.
        I think I'd forgotten, because, sadly, our family has not been able to go to the beach for several years.   But this past weekend, I enjoyed the unmitigated happiness of going to Topsail Beach for a little retreat with a number of women helping with our Bible study.
       And boy, I get why people love to head off to the beach: God's glory is displayed at every turn!  Not only that, we can doubly appreciate all that magnificence, because we enjoy it at a more leisurely pace that the beach always seems to engender.  Yes, I love the mountains, but the beach, well, pretty much a big "Wow!" there too.  Oh my, our God is amazing.
        Right now, I'm remembering and rejoicing in all this weekend's gifts: immersed in God's glorious handiwork...with women you love...sharing God's Word together...laughing a LOT...learning a LOT...sharing a LOT...eating a LOT (oh yeah!)...a LOT of chocolate (mandatory).  Add that all up, and you get BLISS.
       I could go on and on (and there's more coming on this later), but today I just wanted to share one simple reminder--
       We love and serve an extraordinarily awesome Lord, and He is gloriously reflected in an infinite number of ways in His creation.
       Yeah, yeah, you say?  But how often do we--busy with our own agendas or preoccupied with our own concerns--simply rush right by God's extravagant goodness and His gifts that surround us on every side?  Tragically, how easily we're too distracted to see it.
        How about I talk less and demonstrate more with a few pictures?
        Very early one morning, I headed out for a walk on the beach...and this is what greeted me--

       Serene beauty--our God is a God of perfect peace.  "The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." (Ps.29:11)
       Within minutes, the tiniest glimpse of the sun on the horizon--

         "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord be praised!" (Ps.113:3)
        Slowly, slowly, God's life-giving, life-sustaining sun began to rise--a reminder that His Son is our true Source of abundant Life.  He is the One who redeems us and daily sustains us.

        "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4-5)

         Another day was dawning--God is forever faithful.  "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lam.3:22-23)

        Just in case--with the hustle and bustle of life...or the sorrows and struggles of daily living...or simply eyes that are too focused upon self or technology or any infinitely lesser thing than Almighty God and His glories--might this be a reminder.
       Oh how great is our God!
       Slow down.  Savor the wonder.  Seek the Source of all this glory.  And soak in His infinitely good and glorious presence in worship and praise.
       Don't mis it...don't miss Him.  For in Him, you'll discover the peace, grace, love, forgiveness, and fullness of joy that your weary heart craves.  
       To God be the glory.

A Letter to Kacky

Dearest Kacky,

        "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." (Ps.116:15)

         How I thank the Lord for you and your life.  What a priceless gift to have had a mother-in-law who loves so deeply and prays so earnestly.  And what a glorious homecoming that must have been when you arrived in heaven late yesterday afternoon.  Oh my, this earth is a sadder, darker place without your sweet, gentle, loving, kind spirit...but heaven for me has grown ever brighter and more wonderful with your presence there.  

        What an enormous gift and joy to read some of your prayer journals last night.  You were a woman of so much depth, so much love, so much appreciation for God's myriad daily gifts.  One in particular made me smile.  You entitled it, "Good Feelings from a Sunny lovely day...Not Listed in order of Importance."  

        Your words so convicted me--do I treasure God's goodness to me each day?  His goodness in the buds opening in spring.  In talking with one of our children on the phone.  In having coffee with a friend.  In watching the dog frolic in the water.  In providing medicine when we are sick.  In having Jesus in our life. In simply walking in the door and coming home.   

        You saw each of those gifts and thanked the Lord for them.  His goodness and grace never passed by unnoticed or unappreciated by you.  

        Lord, help me to be more like that--to constantly be noticing, appreciating and then thanking You, the Giver of all good gifts.  Don't let the simple daily treasures fly past unseen and unremembered.  Keep my eyes open to all You are doing in this life and in our world and give me an unrelentingly thankful, contented heart.  Not always craving more...but joyful and satisfied with Your bounty and Your boundary lines in my life.   

        And, Kacky, I loved how you wrote letters in your journals to someone you loved when they had gone home to be with the Lord.  Oh what a treasure to see your deep feelings and love expressed for that person, as well as to witness your joy that they were now in heaven...and that you would one day see them again.  That's why I'm writing this now--I hope to do as you did and write letters to those I love and remind myself afresh, even in the midst of sadness and loss,  of the wondrous glory of all that's ahead. 

        You were a woman who knew and loved her Savior with all your heart, and, thus, you had a firm, happy grasp on the certain and glorious hope of heaven coming just ahead.  So many of your writings speak of heaven and all that we have to anticipate with delight.  Over and over again are words like these written to my own dear Daddy in a letter that you wrote to him shortly after he'd gone to heaven: 

         "One day I'll be going to Heaven and will be so thrilled to see you and Emily [my Mama] again.  I know that it's a place beyond anything that I can imagine.  As the Lord said, 'Eye hath not seen, Ear hath not heard--neither has entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them that love Him.' I look forward to what God has prepared."

         Thank you for your faithfulness, Kacky.  Thank you for your constant prayers for your children, grandchildren, family, and friends.  Thank you for your joy in God's goodness...even in the most "ordinary" of His gifts.  Thank you for caring and feeling deeply...about your Lord...about the people He placed in your life...about the needs of others around you...and even about your sweet dogs. That made me smile...especially as I wrote part of this after Bingley saw me sitting on the sofa and leapt up into my lap and settled himself comfortably (though me, not so much--the computer perched precariously on your back as I tried unsuccessfully to continue typing).  

        Most of all, thank You, Lord Jesus, that because You came, died, and rose again from the dead, we have the certain, beautiful hope of heaven forever with those we love who have died in Christ. 

       The best truly is yet to come...with our Lord and with our loved ones.  As our son, Preyer, said right after learning of his grandmama, "Amazing to think that Grandmama spoke to Jesus face to face today."  Yes, praise God...and she still is today...and tomorrow...and into eternity. 

        We love you, Kacky.  We praise You, Lord Jesus.  And we will see you both soon.  

         To God be the glory.  

         

       

In case you need reminding this time of year...

         (Our church Christmas program with the children...priceless)

        (Bingley in his Christmas sweater...ditto)
        Yeah, I bet I know what you're thinking...is this an ad for Target?  After all, Target gets into the Christmas spirit sooner than any person on entity on the planet.  I'm quite sure that last year I saw some Christmas pillows, nutcrackers, and knick knacks in late September.  Geez.  Get ready people, because like it or not, the Christmas juggernaut will soon be upon  us.
        But that's not what I'm pondering right now.  Nope, it's been a difficult week for a lot of different reasons.  Disappointments, exhausting busyness, but also deep sadness.  For you see,  my husband's dear, sweet Mama is very, very sick...in fact, she's even now gradually stepping her way to heaven.  And while that's a wonderful blessing and mercy for her, it's also just so hard and sorrowful for those of us left here.
         So I came home and decided it was time to put on a little Christmas music for a few minutes.  I just needed to be reminded that we are a Christmas people.
         That because Jesus came to earth and was born a tiny, fragile baby in a manger, we will be born again into new, eternal, abundant life.
          Because He came to a cradle and willingly went to a cross, we can one day come to heaven and live forever and ever in perfect, glorious, joyous Life.
         Yes, we are a celebrating Christmas people...even when life's hard or confusing or sad.  Because this is not the end of the story.  It's only the end of the very, very, very beginning.  And believe me, He's told us in His Word--the rest of the story just gets better and better and better....
          "The Lord is for me" says the Psalmist. (Ps.118:7)   He is for you--from beginning to end to eternity.  He is for you when the sun shines and the birds are singing...and when the clouds hang low and threatening.
         The Lord (the Savior of the world, the Creator of the universe, the Mighty King who is high and lifted up and who rules all, all, all things).  
         Is (always and forever present tense--He is for you right now, today, this moment...and the next moment...and the next.  It's always "is" to Him).
         For (always on your side, always on your team ,and always loving, forgiving, empowering...)
         You (you, yes you!  You--even with all your faults and sins and crazy idiosyncrasies--He knows every bit and loves you and is for you).
         If you ever doubt that,  just look at the cradle...then the cross...and then the empty tomb.
         So don't forget to hum a few bars of Christmas in your heart, even in mid September.  Because we are a Christmas people...just in case you needed reminding.
         Yes, indeed, "Joy to the Lord, the Lord is come!" "Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!"          To God be the glory.

The Crossing Guard

        Keep my focus on Jesus, and continue to be faithful in small things.
        I'll call it the "Crossing Guard Principle."
       A simple lesson, really, but the Lord reminds me of it every time I ride or walk past him--the nice man who's the new crossing guard at the busy intersection on Lassiter Mill Rd. in front of Aldert Root Elementary.
       They've never had a crossing guard there before, and I must say, whoever decided to get one: WAY TO GO!  Such a brilliant idea, because cars often come flying down that street and sometimes don't see the stoplight there for walkers.  Over the years, we've crossed at that little crosswalk innumerable times with all our children who attended Root and, thankfully, walked were able to and from school everyday.  But they never had a crossing guard...until now.
        I love to watch him.  He sits on a little bench in front of his crosswalk and watches like a hawk (and I do mean that!) for anyone approaching the crosswalk.  Whenever he sees parents or children or dog-walkers coming towards him, he jumps up with his big red stop sign and prepares to go into action.  All this before the person/child/dog has even arrived at the crosswalk.  I'm telling, this nice man is alert and ready to do his job!  (And, by the way, he always has the nicest expression on his face.)
        But here's what I think about when I see him--that's devotion to duty.  Sure, he may not be the Governor or the CEO of an international corporation or the latest greatest sports star...but he's faithfully and fully doing the task he was assigned.  That crossing guard is constantly scanning and watching for little ones (and us big folks, too), and when he sees someone, he springs into action.
        Focused.  Faithful.
        Oh how I want to be like that, Father.  Focused like a laser beam on You.  "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and Perfecter of our faith," is how Hebrews 12:2 puts it.  Fixing my eyes day in and day out.  Fixing my eyes when the sun shines in happy circumstances...and fixing them on my beautiful Savior just as fully when the clouds and storms roll in and life feels hard and dark.  Focused and fixed on the One with all the wisdom, all the love, all the forgiveness, all the strength, all the hope, all the comfort, all the grace.
       And then faithful to finish the work He's given me...whether that task be big or small.  In fact, especially faithfulness in the small, unnoticed, unremembered duties.  "Who dares to despise the day of small things," says Zechariah (4:10).  Not me, Lord, not me.
       My life might be full of small things--but they are from You.  You see them, and You are pleased with faithfulness and obedience in any arena, big or small.  Whether watching crosswalks or waiting in carpool lines.  Whether performing the duties of President or preparing a meal for your family.
        Faithfully and fully doing whatever God has called us to do...and doing it to the best of our ability and to His glory.  And all the while focused on the One who is enabling and empowering and encouraging you in your every task.
        The Crossing Guard Principle.  Might we live it out this day that the Lord has given us.
        To God be the glory.

Savoring this day...celebrating that day

                                    A little food for weekend thought--
        Right now, I'm thinking of one of many moments in Italy with our girls.  Early one morning, the three of us had jogged/walked up to this magnificent church/monastery and piazza overlooking the city...and, of course, my bird brain cannot remember the name of it (even though it's very famous and the girls repeated the name to me about 20 times.  Thank you, middle age.)  This was the view--

        Actually, this isn't really the view, because my crummy photography skills don't even begin to do it justice.  Take my word for it: it was spectacular.  We walked all around, soaking in the peaceful beauty, and yours truly snapped about a billion pictures...half of which have my thumb featured prominently in front of the photo.
        My girls fussed at me a bit--reminding me to enjoy the view and savor the moment rather than obsessively trying to capture the moment.  Mighty good advice if you ask me.
        Actually, I was trying hard to hold to those precious minutes with my girls in the midst of so much glory all around us.  I recall constantly saying to myself--"Remember this.  Hold onto this. This moment--this very moment right now--is a treasured, golden gift with our girls."  I know I did it imperfectly...but I surely tried to savor with great gratitude each day, each hour on that trip.  Well, except maybe for the looooong plane ride home.
        This reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther that "There are two days on my calendar: this day and that day."  Meaning--focusing upon and living fully this once-in-a-lifetime gift of this present day while also always keeping in the forefront of our thoughts that glorious day when we will see Christ.  We live today...but we joyfully anticipate that heavenly glorious day.
        Because here's the thing: if we'll enjoy that perspective, we'll eliminate futile regrets over yesterday as well as destructive worries over tomorrow.  God's given us this day and only this day--so we are to rejoice in it, love Him and others  on it, and live to the glory of God to the best of our ability on it.  And all the while, when circumstances are hard...or the waiting is tough...or the illness is painful...or the loneliness bears down, we remember that this is not our home.  This is not our goal. This is not the end.  But heaven and perfection and sinlessness and joy and wonder are coming one glorious day.
        To quote C.S. Lewis from The Screwtape Letters:  "The humans live in time but [God] destines them to eternity.  He therefore...wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time [called] the Present.  For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity...He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present--either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure."
        Thank You, Lord, for this day.  Thank You for the joy of eating dinner with those I love...of going to church and hugging dear friends...of walking with our dog on a cool September day...of reading Your Word on a quiet Sunday afternoon...of recalling many happy memories from my trip with our girls.
       And thank You, Lord, for the glorious and certain hope of heaven...when all pain, all sorrow, all sickness, all separation, all tears, all weakness will be gone, and we will experience real abundant, eternal, perfect, wondrous Life with You forever.
        Might we thankfully and fully savor this day...and joyfully and excitedly celebrate that day.
        To God be the glory.

Safe in our mouth

        After a rainy Monday, what a gloriously sunny, lovely Tuesday!  Thank You, Lord!
       And on this beautiful day, I had the privilege of walking and praying with some very dear friends...and can I just say, that's a fabulous way to pray.  Seriously, walking keeps your mind alert and undistracted and praying with friends, well, Jesus said that "where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am among them." (Mt.18:20)  Jesus right there amongst us--what could be better than that?
        Not to mention, anything done with friends is a beautiful gift, don't you think?  So, praying with Jesus and friends and enjoying God's magnificent creation all at the same time, let's just say that's a totally "peak experience," to quote my wonderful sister, Mary Norris.  (And just to put that in perspective, my sister and I used that term to describe going together in 1982 to New Orleans to watch our beloved Tar Heels win the NCAA basketball championship.  Yessirree, that was a peak experience...but so is walking and praying with friends.)
        Good grief, I digress.  After all those long-winded words, I'm gonna get to the point.  While we were walking and praying, our friend, Becky, used a beautiful phrase that I both loved and that really convicted me.  She prayed that other people would be "safe in our mouths."
       Becky said she read the phrase a while back.  It referred to a young child's answer to the question of how to describe love.  He said that when someone loves us, "we are safe in their mouths."
        Are your friends, are your family, are other people safe in your mouth?  Are you someone who covers over an offense of a friend...or are you someone who broadcasts it?  Are you looking for ways to encourage others...or searching for any little thing that might tear them down?  Are you quick to assume the best of those you love and their motives...or are  you too hasty in doubting, questioning, and assuming the worst?  Do you build up others with your words...or demolish and destroy?
       James put it this way: "With [the tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be so" (James 3:9-10)
       In other words, how dare I proclaim my adoration for God and at the same time ever speak hateful or unkind or gossipy words about the eternal souls He created, He died for, and He rose again to redeem!  Oh forgive us, forgive us, forgive us, Father, when words that destroy and demean come out of our mouths.  Those kinds of words are like toxic poison--poisoning us and poisoning those who hear them.
        Forgive me for anytime those that I love have not been "safe in my mouth."
        This day and every single day of our lives, might we ask God to enable us to use words that bless, magnify, and glorify our Almighty Lord and that build up, encourage, and edify the people He has so graciously put in our lives.
        Might our wonderful Jesus, and all of His children, be safe in our mouths.
        To God be the glory.