The Christmas Angel

My skinny little tree has a new topper! Well, kind of an old/new topper. Thanks to eBay I have a genuine antique 1950’s spun glass and cardboard angel! Why is it special? It was an angel exactly like this that my daddy lifted me up each year to place on the top of our tinsel-laden tree. Through the years I remembered the angel. I guess the original one fell apart and was discarded. In the early 80s, I clearly remember a day I was shopping in TG & Y. Oh how I miss TG &Y! I must have been in my early thirties, with 3 little kids and on a tight budget. On the Christmas aisle, in a section of “retro” decorations, there was my angel! At least a reproduction - an inexpensive one at that. I eyed it. Even though I didn’t consider it as fashionable as the topper I had, I wanted it! I put it in my cart, but as I continued through the store choosing gifts, wrappings and stocking stuffers, the calculator in my mama brain decided it was not essential enough to spend - how much - maybe $10, possibly just $5! I could always get it next year. Next time.

For the next 40-something years, I visited the “retro” aisle every year- there were always a few decorations that reminded me of my childhood tree - but never my Christmas angel. Last year, I thought of eBay! I made my first “bid” and waited for a reply! It was substantially more than the 5 or 10 bucks I would have spent in 1980, but worth every penny.

In this pandemic year, few people come to my house. I almost didn’t put up the tree. After all, it’s just a scrawny little tree with hodge-podgy decorations. Then I remembered the angel! I’m happy I put it up. It reminds me of a father’s love and the wonder of a child at Christmas. It reminds me of the year my memories became “retro.” Now, I’ve graduated to “antique.”

2020 has tried to catapult many of us into the category of “elderly.” Almost like a protected species. Certainly into more isolation. Less connection. We are blessed to have lived through many seasons and to remember many “versions” of ourselves. Which of these versions am I now? Likely a composite of them all. I remember them all with gratitude to the Lord who loved me through them. I look forward to seeing a new “edition” in 2021.

P.S. My friend Maureen commented that this describes what God our Heavenly Father meant for our lives to become as we age - a thing of worth and value.

 

Think on These Things by Margaret Kemp

The world has changed more than I could have imagined when I chose the title of my blog. I chose it because it applies to every aspect of my life. Margaret Kemp, a woman I met on our tour of Israel,  published this blog on Facebook Thanksgiving Day. Her message applies the theme of my blog to our present season. I love that she uses the picture of driving on a steep mountain road to depict the uncertainty which we all live in 2020. Beautiful writing.

She wrote:

I did it again.

I'd promised myself I wouldn't, but there I was, compulsively scrolling through the news feed on my phone. As I read each article, I alternated between anxiety and outrage.

This year, we've had no shortage of outrageous, anxiety-producing events. A pandemic. Violence. Hurricanes, wildfires, and other national disasters.

I haven't personally suffered tragedy this year; no one in my immediate family has died, nor have I lost my job or my home. But I've often felt like I was driving at high speed down a winding mountain road, with rocks sliding down the mountain on one side and steep drop-offs on the other side. Who knows what's coming around the next curve?

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

With thanksgiving.

When I concentrate on the potential calamities in my path, I'm hard-pressed to find a reason to be thankful. Bad news can bind us to the beauty around us.

Yet there's a scenic overlook along the way, and Philippians 8 invites us to park awhile and take in the view.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil. 4:8 ESV)

The Greek word translated "think about" is logizomai, "to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, to deliberate, to consider, take into account, weigh, meditate on."

The New American Standard version translates the last phrase this way: "Let your mind dwell on these things."

So instead of taking in all the bad news, I decided to make a list of good news items that fit the criteria of Philippians 4:8.

Whatever is true....In a world littered with fake news and false information, I can fill my mind with the beautiful truth of the Bible. I'm thankful for God's Word.

Whatever is honorable...In a world that stinks of corruption, honorable men and women still daily, selflessly risk their lives to protect the weak and heal the fragile. Thank God for those heroes. 

Whatever is just....A passing glance at the world around us reveals so much injustice. The Bible says, "There is none righteous. Not one." (Rom. 3:10). The good news is that God is a "righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation." (Ps. 7:11), "Thank God; one day he'll bring justice." (Psalm 94:15)

If the picture of God ruling and reigning seems too far off in the distance, I can meditate on the beauty close up.

Whatever is pure...I thought about my granddaughter's gleeful, ringing laughter. I thought of friends who'd welcomed new life into their families; sweet babies with velvety soft skin snuggling peacefully in their mother' arms; wide-eyed trusting fur babies affectionately wagging their little tails. Thank God for those pure blessings.

Whatever is lovely....In the morning as I'm driving to work at sunrise, I'm treated to a spectacular display of light and color in the morning sky. As the weather gets cooler, pink camellias pop out on the bush beside my front door. The loveliness of God's creation gives me reason to be thankful.

Whatever is commendable....Rather than sulking because someone offends me, I can rejoice because so many people demonstrate kindness every day: the neighbor who leaves gifts on my doorstep; friends who text to check on me; sister, who's only a phone call away when I need to talk; considerate, friendly strangers in the grocery store. Their simple gestures won't earn the world's applause, but their actions are commendable.

If there is any excellence.....When I take the time to look, I discover examples of virtue and moral excellence. I find people who are faithful to their callings, even when the going gets tough. I'm thankful for my husband, who stands by me through difficult times. I'm thankful for my pastor, who humbly, diligently teaches God's Word verse by verse. I'm thankful for worship leaders who blend excellent music with a passion for Christ. Those are excellent things.

I'm sure you have your own list of lovely, commendable, excellent things.

Maybe your scenic overlook is cloudy right now. Maybe your eyes are full of tears and your heart is raw from fresh grief. Maybe you feel like you're about to tumble down the mountainside. Then let your thoughts dwell on God, who is worthy of praise. (Rev. 4:11). He's not far off in the distance. He's right beside you, a very present help in time of trouble. (Ps. 46:1)

Take a moment and enjoy his presence. Just for a while, stop wondering about potential dangers around the next bend in the rods.

Park and meditate on the good. The beautiful. The praiseworthy.

And give thanks.

The Power of One Word

 "UN-SURVIVABLE"

One word. Sometime in the early evening before Hurricane Laura, I first heard the word "un-survivable", predicting a 20' storm surge in the Lake Charles area. Un-survivable? Growing up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I've lived through many hurricanes, but I never remember hearing a prediction of "un-survivable." The word was spoken too late to influence more evacuation but not too late to cause a surge of fear began to seep through social media as one after another shared the prediction - "UN-SURVIVABLE!" One journalist got his wish - his word spread and made the headlines in newspapers across the country.

 

I began thinking about the power of a single word. Whether the use of a word is accurate, wise or exaggerated - one word has power.  Whether spoken by a wise man or a fool - one word has power. A few years ago, I read a book about seeking God prayerfully for one word to focus on for a year, meditating on it and praying that God work it into your life. For a few years, I prayed and chose a word. Some words I chose were joy, light, love.  I studied scripture about the word, meditated on it and journaled what the Lord spoke to me. Most years I had forgotten about my word by summer, but many times it would come to mind throughout the year, reminding me how God worked in my life in fulfillment of the "one word."

 

Thankfully, Hurricane Laura hit in a way and place that a 20 foot storm surge did not occur, but the media was not done with their declarations. Because their "un-survivable" prophecy was wrong, one person began the viral declaration that Lake Charles had "dodged a bullet” This one carried power too because many forgot about the area. I still see articles written by people of Lake Charles, pleading that people forget the headline "dodged a bullet" and see they still need help! One word has power!

 

When the Israelites finally reached the Jordan River across from the land God promised Abraham, 12 spies were sent across. Ten of them returned with a bad report. As they began to describe what they saw, one word stood out and then echoed through the camp - GIANTS!  Once they heard that word, all else said was muffled. They hardly heard Joshua and Caleb insist "it is a good land!" The shouts of "GIANTS!" in their minds drowned them out. One word has power!

 

As in the prediction of an "un-survivable" storm surge, the word "giants" wasn't the whole story, certainly not the accurate story. Yes, the grapes in the land were huge, proving all God had said about a fertile, lush land of abundance, flowing with milk and honey! But someone concluded that huge grapes meant giants to eat them.  As in the whispering game called "gossip" we played as kids, the message was whispered and spread through the camp. It gained power. One word kept the Israelites from entering the Promised Land! One word has power!

 

How many times do we hear a bad report and make it our constant meditation? We study it, pass it on, make a prediction or a declaration. I know that during this strange season, I've succumbed to focusing on the words. You know "the words" -- pandemic, Covid, death, riots, hurricanes and so many more….. They echoed through my mind trying to control my thoughts and create stress and fear. It was necessary to use them to inform my choices, but did I allow them to magnified and twisted?

 

What about the words I repeat? What is their source? It's been a tricky year - hard to know what's true and what's a lie. As we seek discernment, let's allow God to filter not only our meditations, but the words we speak.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21

 

I've seen a lot of memes using words and pictures with the caption "if 2020 was a ____, picturing some unpleasant, pessimistic illustration. Some said "If 2020 was a word _____” I can't really remember the words that followed. I admit some were funny, but most were downright scary. I scrolled quickly through! I could not bear to think of a whole year defined that way! If 2020 is a word, who gets to choose? The media, social media, friends, enemies, political agendas? Satan has certainly tried!

 

It's not January 1, but let's allow God to choose a new word for the remainder of 2020. Let it not be "pandemic" or "catastrophic".  Nothing to do with political chaos or division. What if the word chosen was "peace"? Or "faith"?  "blessed"?  Personally, "kingdom" has been my meditation, as in "thy kingdom come."

 

Let God alone define 2020! Let God define how I view 2020! It's His year! He brings the seasons and the harvest of each year! Psalms 65:11 says, "You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths drip fatness." Another translation says, "even the hard pathways overflow with abundance."

 

2020 has certainly brought hard pathways. Some of us have had to be dragged along kicking and screaming, but there is beauty and bounty along the path. He is walking with us. He whispers His words in our ear, and not one of them is "UN-SURVIVABLE".

 

 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

 

WHATEVER!!

Colossians 3:23 "whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than men."

Whatever?  Then why do I concern myself so much with WHAT that whatever is?  As Christians who desire to really know God, the Bible gives guidelines about what activities are worthy of prioritizing in our lives. Of course, the priority number one is time communicating with the Lord. How can I know Him if I don't spend time talking and listening to Him?

When I spend this time, the Holy Spirit brings things to my mind and gives me a desire to include certain activities in my schedule and life. As I grow closer to the Lord, some things just don't seem to "fit" who I am anymore -- who am in Christ.

I knew this scripture during the season I was raising my children. It was easy--most of the time--to see my work was something I did "as unto the Lord." What could be more important than raising my children to know Jesus? This job had eternal purpose to it!! Eternal importance.

Even during the years I worked in law firms, Colossians 3:23 was on my mind. It was a daily struggle to keep an attitude of working "as unto the Lord." What value did my work have?  This was a battle I never really won. Certain days, I'd plan and order my work with the idea in mind of simply "serving" my bosses and therefore, doing it as unto the Lord. Other days, I just got frustrated with the culture of adversarial litigation and greed. I failed more than I succeeded.

It's easier now that I am retired--or is it? Certainly I have more time for studying the Bible and prayer and more time to choose my own activities. I see influencing my grandchildren as my mission and my calling. But there are SO many things I want to do. Am I doing enough? Many times I fear that others will not see my life as worthwhile. The hustling American culture does not place value on the retired life. The church culture often does not either. Where is the appreciation for the abiding life? Where is the Sabbath rest that God promised? 

I now see that  in any situation or activity, I do it unto the Lord by just "being" in that circumstance --being who I am--who God created me to be. Psalm 19:1 says that "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." Just by sparkling in the sky - the stars are doing what they were created to do - the stars give glory to God.  A wave in the ocean praises God by rising and crashing onto the shore, by just being what it was created to be. The wind praises God by whistling through the tree tops or tinkling through my wind chimes.

I praise God and give glory to Him by simply being who I was created to be. What's on my agenda today? Loving a grandchild? Easy to do as unto the Lord - after all, we know Jesus wants to love through us. Eternal value? You bet! As I love them, I pray that they will know God's love. Prayer and Bible Study? You bet! Eternal value! Running errands? Doing housework?  Hmmm....I still praise God by being who He created me to be in each situation, no matter how mundane. Lord, help me take You with me. So, yes, I prayerfully plan my activities, but as I go about my business, such as it is, I now have peace that WHATEVER it is, I do it for the Lord and in that I am praising Him. 

My Empty Calendar Made Me Check My Gratitude Attitude

This article was published in The Advocate Human Condition column on July 12, 2020.

My calendar and I have a love-hate relationship. Why does a retired empty-nester need a planner? I didn’t expect to be so busy. What a wonderful surprise to have a life so full that I still need to plan and to remember what I plan.

Many times, people ask "what do you do with your time?" Almost every retired person I would answer – “Ha!  I’m busier than ever! How did I have time to work?” But when they ask, “what did you do this week?” my mind draws a blank. What did I do? The planner helps me see and remember that I actually did do quite a bit!

My planner was chocked full for March April and May. I started putting smiley faces for each grandchild who was coming to stay. My older grandsons play baseball for LSU, so purple and gold stickers mark game days. I use other symbols and abbreviations so I can see at-a-glance what I need to do - meetings, appointments, church, Bible studies, trips to see my out-of-town children and grandchildren, lunches with friends. Checking off to-do’s feels good. At the end of a month, it I loved to look at all I did. Each smiley face carried a memory.

Even so, the calendar was at times a source of frustration. Sometimes it made me tired just to look at it!  In February, I looked at the calendar for spring and wondered how I could accomplish all. Where would I get the stamina to run the errands, do all my “stuff” and be at Alex Box many evenings for baseball games. But, I was oh so excited! 

Like all of you, on March 12, 2020 my calendar became obsolete. Baseball season was cancelled. I was no longer needed to babysit. In fact, no little people visit my house. Every appointment was marked “cancelled.” There would be no trips to Houston or Colorado or visits from family there.

For weeks I actually couldn't bear to look at the calendar. It hurt too much. It sat on my table as a memorial to all I lost this spring, so I hid it way. As I remembered how I had complained about being busy, I cringed.

Through most of April, I didn't take it out, but soon I realized I was missing family birthdays! Friends didn’t get birthday cards. Some things on the calendar still mattered!

Now it doesn’t hurt as much to look at the purple and gold and the little smiley faces on the calendar. I missed a lot this spring, but I am so grateful that I had a lot to miss! This crisis has given me compassion for those who are lonely and isolated. A time will come when the grandchildren are grown and busy, and my calendar won’t be so full. I’m not ready for that.

The stay-at-home order was a wake- up call to check my gratitude-attitude!  How fitting that the planner I bought for this year has a page at the end of every month to list things I am grateful for. It’s a list I won’t ignore! What fun it will be when the planner begins to fill up again! I’ll try not to complain.

UPDATE: As this appeared on our church blog on July 24, 2020, I added this introduction:

This is an article published in "The Human Condition" column of The Advocate a few weeks ago. You may ask, "why write for a secular column?" One thing I learned at Christian writer's conferences and by submitting devotionals for various publications is that each one has a targeted audience. They only publish what fits their criteria and purposes. The Human Condition is just that - people write stories that readers can connect to in their own "human condition".  Connections help us see we are not alone. What better time to make a connection? We are the light of the world! That light shines even in everyday matters Actually it may shine brighter there! At a time when people feel loss and loneliness, why not sow seeds of understanding? Why not shine a light - if only a hint or glimmer - on the One to whom we offer gratitude?

 

The response I received to the column confirmed to me that many really "got" the message. So, when thinking about how to shine the light of Jesus outside of church walls, think outside the box. We can choose to look at the pulpit or platform that we don't have or allow God to show us ordinary, humble ways to sow what we do have.  I don't get out much these days! But, I pray that I may still sow light and life. 

A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

No matter where we stand in the spectrum of opinions and theories about the present crisis, no matter how strong our faith, we must agree on one thing: a shaking is occurring. Much is being shaken - the economy, the government, the healthcare system, and yes, even the church - at least in how it functions and gathers. Hopes and plans are rattled. Things we depended on for comfort are distant. Support systems are teetering. Yes, much is being shaken, but the Bible assures us that some things cannot be shaken.

The writer of Hebrews talks about God shaking the earth. "And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, 'Yet once more I will shake the earth, but also heaven. This expression, 'yet once more', denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken will remain." (Heb. 12:26-28) He is referring back to Mt. Sinai when the earth shook, but, then, by quoting Haggai 2, pointing to a future time when "I will again shake the earth."

Jesus speaks to his disciples of wars, famines and earthquakes, but when they asked him about the signs of his coming and the end of the age, he tells them in Mt. 24:8 "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs." We know that, once begun, birth pangs intensify until they accomplish their purpose. Surely, we can all agree that the birth pangs are growing stronger and coming more frequently.

Shaking is a process God uses. Shaking removes what is temporary and leaves that which is permanent. Shaking is uncomfortable but is a process we can learn to appreciate. Let's allow this interlude, this "interruption" of our lives, to teach us to value the lessons shaking brings.

When God does the shaking, it accomplishes these five things:

·        It wakes you

Sometimes we have to shake our children a bit to rouse them from a deep sleep. It's not the most pleasant manner to wake up, but sometimes God needs to wake us up to get our full attention.

·        It harvests what is ripe

Think of how citrus fruits are harvested by shaking the tree. The ripe fruit falls to the ground. God's shaking harvests what is ripe in the life of a believer, both good and bad. We see the product of seeds previously planted. It reveals what has borne fruit in our lives and what has not. We have an opportunity to prepare for the next harvest.

·        It removes what is dead

When wind blows hard enough, it shakes dead leaves from the trees and sometimes dead limbs and branches. God shakes us to remove our dead works and lifeless ways.

·        It establishes closer to the foundation.

What remains is closer to the foundation. All that we labor for that is not supported by Him will be lost. We now have the opportunity to build on the proper support structure.

·        It unifies

Relationships that are knit together in Him are strengthened. Those that are not waver or fail. We realize what is important and who is important.

On what foundation is God establishing us? 1 Peter 2:5 tells us "You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 

About we who are citizens of the kingdom of heaven,  Paul says in Eph. 2:18-22 "having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." We ourselves are building blocks of the dwelling place of God!

God's construction site has not been shut down in this crisis. I suspect His work is accelerating. He is preparing the church for His return, mortaring us together by His Spirt in unity.

As for me, after the shaking, when the stones stop tumbling and I sit in the midst of the rubble, seeing how the dust has settled, I ask myself….

If God woke me up, will I lull myself back to sleep with the cares and busyness of the world or will I keep myself awake, watching and alert in prayer? Am I roused with compassion for those who are sick, dying, lonely, lost?

Is the fruit harvested juicy and sweet, or do I need to reevaluate the seeds I've sown? Have I sown love, understanding, compassion, peace? Have I sown my time and money?

As dried-up, dead works are blown away, will my habits and ways go back to what they were or will I choose only those things God directs? Will I consider each activity with wisdom like the Proverbs 31 woman who "considered a field" before she bought it?

Have the structures I've depended on proven flimsy and unstable? How does God want to restructure the strewn-about pieces of my life and heart? Will I let Him do the rebuilding?

Has my living stone rolled far from the foundation, alone and separated, or is it adhered and mortared tightly to Jesus and to the adjoining stones? Do I need to move it back into unity? Will I allow myself to be chiseled and rebuilt as a living stone, a living, functioning member of the body of Christ?  Even when the chiseling hurts? Even when it is costly?

Will I remember Him? When the voices of distraction shout out and demand to be heard, will I remember how sweet His presence is in this time?  Will I plan my days to abide in this presence at all costs?

What an opportunity the shaking has given! It is a preview of what will be shaken and what will stand! It reminds me of the wisdom that resides in the house of mourning in the book of Ecclesiastes, “for the mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure." In America, we have often dwelt in the house of pleasure. We are blessed. We must pray that, as we mourn, more will see Jesus and seek His kingdom, the one that cannot be shaken.

"Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe." Heb. 12:28 As we see more clearly all that can be shaken, let us offer to Him our gratitude and praise for a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

"Facetime"

I was thinking of the extroverts posting on Facebook how they need people! Just can't stand it! Introverts are saying the quarantine is great for them- alone time. The body of Christ is saying we need to gather, and we are all gathering in new ways.

I’m the picture of an introvert and am enjoying being able to study, pray and make a legacy scrapbook for my offspring. I need people too  - but what I need from people is not just surface interactions - NOT just being in a crowd, but face-to-face, substantial, deep, meaningful conversation. The kind where you are heard, understood. I suspect extroverts feel this need too.

It’s great to connect via social media. So many are posting meaningful and encouraging  things! It’s not the same. Empathy and understanding don’t really transmit. I want FACE-TO-FACE!  But not just face-to-face physically but heart-to-heart also!

The Lord reminded me of the prophecy given at our church on 2/2/20.

At the time it was given, the song "Behold Jehovah, seated on the throne was playing".

"The Lord would say

If you Dare.

Let me put my hands directly on your face.

As I cup my hands before you, place your faith and your face in my hands.

Now, look! into my eyes.

Look deep into my eyes.

What do you see?

Love

Power

Concern

Let me take my thumbs and wipe away your tears.

Let me show you what I have protected you from thus far.

Let me embrace you.

Look into my eyes.

As you see ME, SO

 I will put in you my power through my Holy Spirit who will dwell within your hearts.

My healing, my healing hands which touch your face

You shall take that and touch the sick and they shall recover

Holiness will increase

You will go forth as a mighty army, not for your own sake but for My sake.

But if you dare,

Let your face rest in my hands.

Don't pull back from me.

But look continually into my eyes

See what I have for you.

See what I have for you

HE IS OUR FACE-TO-FACE - our "Facetime"  IF WE DARE!

Cleanse Your Hearts

James 4:8 says “draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, (sound familiar?) you sinners; purify your hearts, you double-minded. “ James was writing to believers! 

Passover is being mentioned now in some prophetic words given from various places and through various people that worst of this Covid19 plague will be over by Passover - April  9. If so, that will be a miracle and we welcome it!

Before the first Passover in Ex 12 God told the people to remove the leaven out of their homes. In Mt 16:6 Jesus explained that the leaven symbolizes sin.

For the last three days since I read this, I’ve been inviting the Lord to bring to mind “leaven” in me. He is bringing things to mind for repentance. I am examining my heart in this quiet time - the time when God has given us space. I am writing each one down.

Then God said in verse 13 “the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live and when I see the blood, I will pass over you and no plague will befall you.” 

We use the term "blood of Jesus" a lot, but many don't understand the phrase. They don't know the Old Testament - the place where God reveals just who He is.  The phrase has been repeated so much that it loses its power. This gives weight and understanding of the power we have received and are still receiving in Christ.

Yes, we’ve been washed in his blood, but we are still to examine our hearts. 

We are to cleanse our own hands and heart and repent for ourselves and for this nation.  Since I read this, I’ve been inviting the Lord to bring to mind “leaven” in me. He is bringing things to mind for repentance. I am examining my heart at this quiet time.  I am writing each conviction down.