*Today
I was looking at facebook and seeing everyone brag on their children
and their end of the year accomplishments. I love looking at these, but
it got me wondering...what if?
What if we bragged on our spouses like we do our kids?
What if we cheered for our husbands like we do our favorite teams?
What if we prayed for our husbands like we do for our friends? What if we kept up the little details about our husbands like we do the contestants on idol? What if we honored them as Christ tells us to, loving them as our own body? What if we spent some time thinking about why we fell in love with them in the first place? Just thought I'd pose these questions today that I am asking myself....what if. Ephesians 5:22 Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ.
This week I was having a discussion in my class about the importance of reading. We talked about an article we had read in which the author mentioned that slaves were not allowed to learn to read. Their owners did not want them to be educated for fear they would cast off the shackles of slavery. George Washington Carver served as an inspiration in his desire to learn, and Dr. Ben Carson's story of how his life was turned around when his mother started making he and his brother read was a part of the discussion that day.
I then asked how many of my students planned to do some reading this summer, and only about half raised their hands. I then gave them the following hypothetical
situation. Me: Let's say I am a registered gun owner and I am
sitting at home with a gun on the table beside me. I know how to use it. It's right beside me. Suddenly, a bad guy comes in my door to
take me captive (because we all know there is a HUGE demand for little
old ladies.) He takes me out the door and I am now his prisoner. The end. Kids: That's stupid! Me: Why? Kids: Cause you have a weapon right there beside you. Pick it up and use it!
Me: Exactly...well, ignorance is at the door and it wants to take you
captive and you have books sitting right there beside you. PICK THEM UP
AND READ!!!! I came home pretty proud of that illustration. I even had one student tell me the next day that I had convinced him. He had picked out a book to read this summer! Yep, I was really feeling good about that "Boo-ya! Score!" moment.
Then, I started to think about my own life. I already have a book picked out to read this summer dealing with teaching, but it's a different book that is calling me to open it and read. This is the one book that is written by the Author that truly loves the reader. It is, of course, the Bible.
Oh, I've read the Bible for years, but this summer I'm hoping to do something I've never really done before...read it like I would a novel - straight through. I found an inexpensive chronological Bible with margins big enough for notes and I'm going to read, simply read. I may even try to read it twice!
The thing is, this book can do so much more than hold ignorance at bay. It can do more toward setting the captive free than any ordinary book can possibly hope to do. This book is more than just words; it is life.
I'm actually looking forward to doing nothing this summer except a little cleaning and exercising and a lot of reading. I expect I will be different by summer's end, simply because I picked up the greatest "weapon" ever devised - a love letter from the Creator of the universe to His creation.
How about it? Want to see what happens when we actually fight back by using the "weapon" lying right beside us on the table? I have a feeling if we do, it will be a summer that we, and our enemy, will never forget.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (MSG) Every part of
Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us
truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to
live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for
the tasks God has for us.
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
As the most people in the nation know, this past weekend my small Southern town suffered a tragedy that has rocked our community. Two young officers, 34 year old B.J. Deen and 25 year old Liquouri Tate lost their lives while protecting our city. I haven't written about this simply because I don't have words. Our community has responded to this tragedy in a way that has made me proud. People of all ages and colors have come together to honor these officers and all our men and women in blue. In fact, in a symbolic gesture of support, homes all around the city and surrounding areas have even put blue light bulbs in their porch lights to shine in honor of these men. On my way home tonight, I noticed a neighboring home with blue lights and I had one of those "random thoughts." What happens when the light burns out? Right now, we are standing together in unity and love...and I have been thinking that the best way we can honor these fallen soldiers is to continue not just for a few days or weeks or even months. The best way we can honor these men is to work to keep this unity and support for our police for years and years to come. Let us honor these young men by walking in the power of love and unity
and respect so that their lives serve as a light to future generations.
When those blue bulbs on our porches eventually burn dim, will we take the easy way out and replace them with the same old bulbs of the past, or will we take the time and effort to find another blue bulb...so that we won't forget? And when life becomes so daily again, will we take the extra time and effort to keep the unity we have right now and honor these men and their families?
Emotions are raw right now. Two lights were snuffed out far too soon. We have no words, so in prayer we simply cry out to God and ask for His comfort for their families and for His protection of those patrolling our streets every day...and we keep their light burning bright.
No, I still have no words worthy of honoring these men, only a admonition to us all to keep those lights burning. When the bulbs go out with time, remember and make the effort to renew our promise to honor our men and women in blue. Don't let the lights go out....literally or figuratively. To the families of Officer Deen and Officer Tate - we will not forget them or the love they gave to all those they met. I know you have the comfort that you will one day see them again, but in the meantime, may the God of all comfort be your peace.
2 Corinthians 4:5-6 (MSG)
Remember,
our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the
Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It
started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up
with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all
bright and beautiful.
John 15:11 - 13(MSG)
“I’ve
told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and
your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I
loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line
for your friends.
Mother's Day is always a day filled with mixed emotions. While I am so thankful for my mother-in-law, I miss my own mom on this day. I remember all those years when becoming a mother myself seemed like an impossible dream, and I am now so thankful for my precious children and their birthmoms - but painfully aware of my failings as a mom. I'd ask for a do-over, but I'm pretty sure I'd mess that up, too.
Then of course there is the pressure of buying a gift. How do you say thank-you to one who has given so much but also really doesn't "want" anything? That's why this year I was so excited when I saw the "perfect" gift to give my sweet mother-in-law. I was wasting time...browsing on Facebook the other day and I saw a post by a friend featuring some pottery - broken pottery. Now the term "cracked pot" does not usually have a positive connotation. According to Webster's Dictionary, a crackpot is "a person who is crazy or very strange," but the moment I saw the picture of this cracked pottery I saw so much more. According to the website, Kintsukuroi is the "Japanese art of repairing precious broken pottery with seams of gold with the understanding that the piece has become even more valuable and beautiful in its brokenness." That alone speaks volumes. But when I saw the pottery, this verse immediately came to mind,
2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV) "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."
When I saw the broken pieces of the pottery seamed together once again with gold, I saw the power of God shining through all those cracks. It is in our brokenness that God's mercy and grace truly shine through!
I immediately contacted the person who created the pottery to find out where I could purchase a piece in time for Mother's Day. This delightful lady informed me that she had discovered this art form after losing a precious family member and it so touched her life that she started to create it herself to share with others who had undergone a loss or a tragedy. Then she went on to say something that made each piece even more special. She told me that no two pieces break the same...each one breaks in a different way so when they are put back together, they are unique. How true this is in our lives. No two of us handle the trials of life the same, but that doesn't mean it is wrong. We may be broken "differently" but if we allow ourselves to be put into the Master's Hands, He will shine through the broken pieces so that all you really notice is His glory. And the more broken we are, the more He can shine through!
These verses also spoke to me in this:
Psalm 147:3 (NIV) "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
John 12:3 (NIV) "Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."
Notice the last part of that second verse, "the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." According to the account of this in Mark, she "broke the jar". When we are broken, whatever is inside will come spilling out. I want what spills out to be God and His mercy and grace. This Mother's Day I look forward to taking this gift to my Mother-in-law. Life has not always been easy for her, but she has allowed God to shine through the broken places. She has also loved me as her own and for that I am thankful. I'd give one of these to my own mother, but she is living with Jesus now and seeing His full glory. Plus she had her very own "cracked pot" in me, and I'm pretty sure it is thanks to her prayers that I am able to say thank you for the broken places in my own life.
Happy Mother's Day to all the other "cracked pots" out there. May His light truly shine through the broken places in us.
I
used to love to watch the old monster movies like Frankenstein, The
Blob, and of course a multitude of Mummy movies. I would rush home every
afternoon to watch "The Big Show" and an endless supply of movie
monsters guaranteed to make you jump at sounds in the night. Of course,
those monsters never really scared me...they moved WAY too slow to
frighten me.
I
always wondered about the girls in those movies. They were all young and
healthy and yet they invariably would fall, turn an ankle, get their
clothes caught in something or simply stand and raise their hands toward
their face and scream. I never could understand why these healthy young
women didn't just high-tail it out of there! After all, the monsters
moved slower than my grandma - why not just run?
I
didn't get it...until yesterday. I was thinking about the fact that
summer is only a few weeks away and how I am determined that THIS summer
we'll find ways to have some fun. Last year we did the "bummer summer"
and I really didn't want to go that route again. You see, last summer
was the summer when my husband was out of work. We were okay, and we
knew God had promised to provide for us...but I look back now and
realize that I went into "shut down" mode. The fear of the unknown
absolutely paralyzed me. That's when it hit me - the monster of fear had
lumbered toward me and I just stood there. Okay, so I just SAT there
and did nothing. I didn't even run! (Not figuratively on that part - I
literally didn't even run! My training program took a serious back
burner.)
I'd
always liked to believe that I was a fighter, but fear had stopped me
in my tracks. I started thinking about the differences in fear and faith
(other than the obvious ones) and decided to share a few of those
parallels in this blog.
Fear paralyzes, but Faith propels. Fear guards, but Faith gives. Fear hoards, but Faith helps. Fear trembles, but Faith transforms. Fear withdraws, but Faith welcomes. Fear hates, but Faith hopes. Fear barracades, but Faith busts down walls. Fear begs, but Faith believes. Fear
forgets all that God has done, but Faith...well, Faith faces the
storm knowing that God has saved before and He can do it again.
Looking at my list, I have to wonder how many areas of my life I have allowed fear to stop me and keep me cowering in a corner.
Fear
is that lumbering monster that truly has no power over us unless we
give in to it and give up. For fear to succeed, all that is required is
that we do nothing....just allow it to creep in and overtake us. For
Faith to win, we need to put on our running shoes and get back into the
race.
So
now I finally get all those old movies....they weren't really about the
monsters, but about how we defeat ourselves. To quote FDR from his
inaugural address, "So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."
Some
may not realize this quote comes from a speech was made in 1933 - a
time of economic hardship and seemingly impossible situations. It wasn't
just a bummer summer - it was a bummer decade!
This
year, I think I'll get off the couch and tie back on my running
shoes....and leave that ugly monster in my dust. God has a race for me
to run....and I won't win it by just sitting here. Care to join me?
Hebrews
12:1 - " Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud
of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so
easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us" 2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Sunday is Mother's Day and a perfect time to share something that happened about four years ago this week.
I don't know about other moms out there, but I know that I have made a
LOT of mistakes in raising my children. Just this past week, I had one
of those weird moments when I woke up and it seemed that my mind was
FILLED with memories of times I had failed. So many moments that I
wished I could get a "do over," so many decisions I wished I'd handled
differently. I wanted so much to give my children the perfect Christian
upbringing and instead....they got me.
As you can imagine, it was not a morning that filled me
with great faith....until I got on facebook that is. When I sat down
with my morning coffee to browse updates, there was one of my daughter's
statuses that had about 17 comments. I had to see what had caused such
feedback! What the topic was is not the point, it was the way she
handled the discussion that ensued on the page that made me catch my
breath. As I read, I was amazed at how eloquent she presented her
arguments and how level headed her responses seemed to be. I almost
cried when I saw a glimpse of the young woman my precious child had
become. I could almost feel God's hand on my shoulder reassuring me that
no matter what mistakes I'd made, He was still in control.
Later on in the week, a mother came to me to share a discussion she had
with my daughter. She shared how impressed she had been with listening
to my daughter as she told those around her why it was so important to
listen to your parents' rules when it came to being allowed to use the
car. (She is a newly licensed driver.) She also shared why it was so
important to pay attention to that "inner voice" that lets you know when
something is wrong. Once again - I was floored! I knew this was NOT
because of me....this was in SPITE of me!
Why share all this? Simply because on this Mother's Day I am reminded
more than ever that whatever good there is, it's not because of me. I
have made WAY too many mistakes to ever think that the steady walk my
daughter is developing is because of me. I also remember very distinctly
the day I went for a run and cried as I prayed for my child. I was at
such a loss....I finally reached the point where I said, "She's Yours, God. I completely give her back to You." (I can even take you to the very spot on that run when I felt God lift the weight from my heart.)
Now, mind you, I had dedicated her when she was just a baby in my arms.
We'd had the whole family come and share the moment as my pastor held
her before our church and prayed....but this was different. I guess in
some ways I felt a bit like Hannah turning over Samuel and knowing there
was no turning back. I gave up any illusion that I could really do
anything other than pray....and pray I did. Make that, pray I DO...but
honestly not enough. No, I can't even take credit for prayer.
God is so good. On this Mother's Day, I am reminded that He gave me the
joy of being able to watch this precious child grow into a beautiful
young woman. He allows me to catch glimpses of His plan for her life. He
sends comfort and correction when I completely mess up. He loves my
child even more than I do....and I am amazed.
Happy Mother's Day to you from one mom who has made plenty of mistakes -
and one good decision. I turned my child over to God and though it
isn't always easy, I know it's the one thing I got right. 1 Samuel 1:24-28After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.
