Saturday, my eleven year old grandson and I rode through Chick-fill-A drive through. Half way around I saw the car wash sponsored by/for Wounded Warriors Project. “Ahh, I wish I’d waited to get the car washed and let them wash it. I’ve wanted to donate to their purpose.”
Boaz asked, “What is Wounded Warriors?” I explained to him about the military that have been wounded coming home with major expenses and even more major challenges.
“I could just give them some money instead of having them wash my car.” I saw one of the groups with their bucket headed in our direction. From beside came the wisdom of youth, “Well, Nana, it’s not how much you give …but how much you keep.”
So, I immediately proceeded to dig deeper into my purse and donated to a very worthy cause. My car had already been washed but now my conscience got the wax job. Thank you, Boaz
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
T'uther Side
No matter what time of the year you go, Pretty Place, in northern Greenville County, can’t be beat for the gorgeous view. This time of the year is particularly beautiful. Once when we rode up Cleveland Cliff to enjoy the spectacular scene in the beauty of fall clothing, I noticed a small mountain home retreat with the sign identifying it as “T’uther Side”. Smiling, I thought about that a great deal en route down the mountain.
In my life I’ve often dreamed of being on ‘T’uther side’. Have you? If I had such and such or if only so and so would do this, that and the other (T’uther) then life’s view would be spectacular. The grass always looks greener on T'uther side. I wonder why we cannot be content with what we have or have not. There have been times in my life when I felt God had surely made a mistake and tried to fit someone else’s cross on my shoulders. This one surely isn’t for me.
Think about it! The Lord knows our frame. Either He is Sovereign or He’s not. ‘T’uther side looks good from here, maybe, but should I walk very far into that other side, I may fall off the cliff, because I am not accustomed to the terrain.
Maybe someday, we will learn to say with the Apostle Paul, “Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Philippians 4:11) I suppose some of that comes with age…or maybe that is T’uther Side.
In my life I’ve often dreamed of being on ‘T’uther side’. Have you? If I had such and such or if only so and so would do this, that and the other (T’uther) then life’s view would be spectacular. The grass always looks greener on T'uther side. I wonder why we cannot be content with what we have or have not. There have been times in my life when I felt God had surely made a mistake and tried to fit someone else’s cross on my shoulders. This one surely isn’t for me.
Think about it! The Lord knows our frame. Either He is Sovereign or He’s not. ‘T’uther side looks good from here, maybe, but should I walk very far into that other side, I may fall off the cliff, because I am not accustomed to the terrain.
Maybe someday, we will learn to say with the Apostle Paul, “Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Philippians 4:11) I suppose some of that comes with age…or maybe that is T’uther Side.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Political Posturing
Way back in the middle sixties, while still single, I worked as a nurse in the Emergency Room at Greenville General Hospital. A good friend who interned there at the same time gave me some advice on how to attract the male of the species.
“Remember these three things”: Dee said.
1. Always smile
2. Maintain good posture
3. If at all possible, drive a sports car, he chuckled.
I did remember his advice and tried my best at the first two on the list. I never got the sports car.
These days in the News I read so much about political posturing, I began to wonder just how to define such a term. One definition states it relates especially to party politics and results from beliefs unacceptable to government. According to the Encarta Dictionary, it can be pragmatic or carried out for reasons that best serve a desired outcome rather than for other reasons such as morally justifiable.
So, as I look at the phrase, political posturing, my mind’s eye sees posture as how one stands or holds one’s body, standing, sitting, kneeling or lying down. Is political posturing standing straight in the political arena?
If candidates demonstrate good political posturing, will they attract voters?
If they present a photogenic “smile” will that gain favor with the electorate?
Does driving the politically correct bandwagon (bus) count for more than their character?
I can’t really say what attracted my husband to me, whether it was my smile, my posture or my blue 1964 Ford Fairlaine 500. I’d like to think it was Christian character, but you’ll have to ask him that question. I know that what I’m looking for in a presidential candidate is Christian Character, not POLITICAL POSTURING.
“Remember these three things”: Dee said.
1. Always smile
2. Maintain good posture
3. If at all possible, drive a sports car, he chuckled.
I did remember his advice and tried my best at the first two on the list. I never got the sports car.
These days in the News I read so much about political posturing, I began to wonder just how to define such a term. One definition states it relates especially to party politics and results from beliefs unacceptable to government. According to the Encarta Dictionary, it can be pragmatic or carried out for reasons that best serve a desired outcome rather than for other reasons such as morally justifiable.
So, as I look at the phrase, political posturing, my mind’s eye sees posture as how one stands or holds one’s body, standing, sitting, kneeling or lying down. Is political posturing standing straight in the political arena?
If candidates demonstrate good political posturing, will they attract voters?
If they present a photogenic “smile” will that gain favor with the electorate?
Does driving the politically correct bandwagon (bus) count for more than their character?
I can’t really say what attracted my husband to me, whether it was my smile, my posture or my blue 1964 Ford Fairlaine 500. I’d like to think it was Christian character, but you’ll have to ask him that question. I know that what I’m looking for in a presidential candidate is Christian Character, not POLITICAL POSTURING.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The ‘with you’ principle.
Recently I had the privilege of witnessing the ‘with you’ principle. Dennis preaches twice on Sunday mornings at Bellview Baptist Church about twenty miles from our home. I alternate my attendance in these services and opt to pray upstairs in the prayer room during the other service. Earlier in the morning I turned the oven on 350 degrees to cook the meatloaf I’d prepared on Saturday, planning to turn it off right before we left for church. Guess what!
While I prepared my heart for prayer with Scripture, the Lord brought me to Matthew 28:20...”…and lo I am with you always”. I proceeded to cross reference the term, ‘with you’.
. We have His Divine Presence with us in the pilgrimage of life (Genesis 28:15).
· His Divine Presence affords rest (Exodus 33:14);
· His Divine Presence gives courage in life’s battles (Dt. 20:1);
· His Divine Presence is a comfort in trials (Isa 43:2).
My prayer began for His Divine Presence to be manifested in the worship services. Suddenly, in the midst of my prayer I remembered my meatloaf. I also remembered I’d put it on at 7 am. It was 9 am and our oven is…well, it’s not new. My dog, Sadie, stays in the house while we’re gone! I jumped up, raced down the steps, left Dennis a note in his office, almost ran to the car and drove almost the speed limit home to turn off the oven and salvage what was left of meatloaf.
I confess that my thoughts ranged from… seeing smoke on the horizon… to charred lunch… to Sadie trapped in the burning house. And then, His Divine Presence reminded me over and over again, “Surely, I am ‘with you’ always”. His Divine Presence was ‘with me’ in my pilgrimage from Woodruff to Greer, His Divine Presence afforded me rest AFTER my pilgrimage, His Divine Presence reminded me of my error in judgment. His Divine Presence protected me and our meatloaf, our home and our dog. His Divine Presence made the pilgrimage back to the second service much less stressful.
The ‘with you’ principle played out in the practical issues of life, yes, evens the Sunday meatloaf. I am thankful for the ‘with you’ principle. Are you?
While I prepared my heart for prayer with Scripture, the Lord brought me to Matthew 28:20...”…and lo I am with you always”. I proceeded to cross reference the term, ‘with you’.
. We have His Divine Presence with us in the pilgrimage of life (Genesis 28:15).
· His Divine Presence affords rest (Exodus 33:14);
· His Divine Presence gives courage in life’s battles (Dt. 20:1);
· His Divine Presence is a comfort in trials (Isa 43:2).
My prayer began for His Divine Presence to be manifested in the worship services. Suddenly, in the midst of my prayer I remembered my meatloaf. I also remembered I’d put it on at 7 am. It was 9 am and our oven is…well, it’s not new. My dog, Sadie, stays in the house while we’re gone! I jumped up, raced down the steps, left Dennis a note in his office, almost ran to the car and drove almost the speed limit home to turn off the oven and salvage what was left of meatloaf.
I confess that my thoughts ranged from… seeing smoke on the horizon… to charred lunch… to Sadie trapped in the burning house. And then, His Divine Presence reminded me over and over again, “Surely, I am ‘with you’ always”. His Divine Presence was ‘with me’ in my pilgrimage from Woodruff to Greer, His Divine Presence afforded me rest AFTER my pilgrimage, His Divine Presence reminded me of my error in judgment. His Divine Presence protected me and our meatloaf, our home and our dog. His Divine Presence made the pilgrimage back to the second service much less stressful.
The ‘with you’ principle played out in the practical issues of life, yes, evens the Sunday meatloaf. I am thankful for the ‘with you’ principle. Are you?
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
WHO'S YOUR DADDY?
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God." (1 John 3:1) NIV
"I'm so glad our daddy can do so many different things. He can do just about anything!" Catie and Becca, two of Todd's four daughters, agreed with each other that their daddy is 'so cool'!
Children demonstrate the love their fathers lavish on them. Our boys loved to wrestle with their dad. Our grandsons love to wrestle with their dads. I used to wrestle the boys when they were small, but no more. I do have to admit losing an arm wrestling battle recently. Pictures of Dennis centering the football to David and Todd (and vice versa) dot our early family albums. Guess what! The crowd gathers during football season to see who can cheer loudest for their team while they eat Poppy's chili dogs.
Our youngest grandson, Luke, makes really good pancakes. He's a lot like his Poppy. He'll just have to work on his chili skills.
Our granddaughters come in the house hugging me. I like that! They wrestle sometimes too, but mostly they show their love in different ways even tho' Becca claims she's 'not a girly girl'. Our granddaughters sing a lot whatever they're doing. They dearly love to write notes and letters and they like to read. If I want to find my pencils or pens, I follow the clues to paper sources and there I locate my writing utensils along with loving notes. Occasionally I find a note to a sibling that isn't in the least bit loving. I shake my head and wait for an opportune moment to address the issue. All of our grandchildren are very bright. I don't think they got that from me.
My Daddy lavished his great love for me by teaching me stuff like horseback riding, driving the tractor, riding a bicycle and he loved throwing any kind of ball. We'd play catch and he taught me that when I needed something to do but had nobody to do it with, I could throw a tennis ball at the house and the house would throw it back to me. Good way to spend alone time. Our boys spent many hours shooting baskets in our drive-way. I can still hear the "whack, thump, whack, thump."
On my refrigerator is an old black and white photo of a five or six year old blond headed little girl sprawled out on her daddy's lap in her Sunday best. Lavished love on a Sunday afternoon. There's another old black and white photo of Dennis' dad in what looks to be a basketball or track uniform with a Mountain View School logo. My goodness, we've come full circle.
How does our Heavenly Father lavish His love? ..."that we should be called the children of God". What does 'lavish' mean? It means: plentiful, generous, abundant, extravagant, over-the-top, unrestrained.
Allow me to personalize this somewhat. 'How over-the-top my Abba lays bare His love for me by allowing me to be His child eternally'. My Heavenly Father loves me so extravagantly that He allows me to use His Name and become like Him. Everybody knows that the children resemble the parents at some point or another whether by nature or by nurture. I'm told I favor my parents. My sons resemble their parents somewhat and their children surely do resemble them in more ways than one.
My soul and body! Maybe one day I'll resemble my Heavenly Father. Seems it's a long way off, but the WORD clearly states:"we should be called the children of God". "...and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Col. 3:10) Over-the-top LOVE!
My Daddy can do anything! Who's your daddy?
"I'm so glad our daddy can do so many different things. He can do just about anything!" Catie and Becca, two of Todd's four daughters, agreed with each other that their daddy is 'so cool'!
Children demonstrate the love their fathers lavish on them. Our boys loved to wrestle with their dad. Our grandsons love to wrestle with their dads. I used to wrestle the boys when they were small, but no more. I do have to admit losing an arm wrestling battle recently. Pictures of Dennis centering the football to David and Todd (and vice versa) dot our early family albums. Guess what! The crowd gathers during football season to see who can cheer loudest for their team while they eat Poppy's chili dogs.
Our youngest grandson, Luke, makes really good pancakes. He's a lot like his Poppy. He'll just have to work on his chili skills.
Our granddaughters come in the house hugging me. I like that! They wrestle sometimes too, but mostly they show their love in different ways even tho' Becca claims she's 'not a girly girl'. Our granddaughters sing a lot whatever they're doing. They dearly love to write notes and letters and they like to read. If I want to find my pencils or pens, I follow the clues to paper sources and there I locate my writing utensils along with loving notes. Occasionally I find a note to a sibling that isn't in the least bit loving. I shake my head and wait for an opportune moment to address the issue. All of our grandchildren are very bright. I don't think they got that from me.
My Daddy lavished his great love for me by teaching me stuff like horseback riding, driving the tractor, riding a bicycle and he loved throwing any kind of ball. We'd play catch and he taught me that when I needed something to do but had nobody to do it with, I could throw a tennis ball at the house and the house would throw it back to me. Good way to spend alone time. Our boys spent many hours shooting baskets in our drive-way. I can still hear the "whack, thump, whack, thump."
On my refrigerator is an old black and white photo of a five or six year old blond headed little girl sprawled out on her daddy's lap in her Sunday best. Lavished love on a Sunday afternoon. There's another old black and white photo of Dennis' dad in what looks to be a basketball or track uniform with a Mountain View School logo. My goodness, we've come full circle.
How does our Heavenly Father lavish His love? ..."that we should be called the children of God". What does 'lavish' mean? It means: plentiful, generous, abundant, extravagant, over-the-top, unrestrained.
Allow me to personalize this somewhat. 'How over-the-top my Abba lays bare His love for me by allowing me to be His child eternally'. My Heavenly Father loves me so extravagantly that He allows me to use His Name and become like Him. Everybody knows that the children resemble the parents at some point or another whether by nature or by nurture. I'm told I favor my parents. My sons resemble their parents somewhat and their children surely do resemble them in more ways than one.
My soul and body! Maybe one day I'll resemble my Heavenly Father. Seems it's a long way off, but the WORD clearly states:"we should be called the children of God". "...and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Col. 3:10) Over-the-top LOVE!
My Daddy can do anything! Who's your daddy?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Thoughts on Lying
"...God, who does not lie" (Titus 1:2) NIV "He doesn't break promises" (THE MESSAGE)
"Admit it. You lie. And if you say you don't, you're a liar." (Andy Simmons in Reader's Digest, August edition)
Have you ever had someone break a promise or lie to you? I dare say everyone can point a finger at someone else who did that quicker than they see those other fingers pointing back at themselves. We've all been there, done that and gotten the T-shirt.
This article in Reader's Digest entitled, LIAR, LIAR, caught my eye recently. Simmons lists the ways to recognize a lie. I won't list them, because I may get caught in one or may catch you. How do you react when you discover someone has lied to you?
• explosively,
• cynically
• silently
• revengefully
• seethingly
Invariably we hear from children, "You promised!!" or "You broke your promise". And they don't forget it, either! I've broken many promises in my life and I probably will break a few more. I don't intentionally set out to break them or to lie, but sometimes it happens. Sometimes I 'stretch the truth' so as not to hurt someone's feelings.
"You can't stop lies entirely," University of Massachusetts psychologist Robert Feldman states. Oh my, that is not encouraging. So, who can you trust?
I've been reading the tiny Book of Titus in the New Testament recently and this phrase in the first chapter jumped out at me this morning.
The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to a young Titus encouraging him in his duties to the folks in Crete. Apparently he had his job cut out for him because in verse 12 he says, "The Cretans are liars from the womb, barking dogs, lazy bellies" (THE MESSAGE) Now, I don't know about you, but that's not very heartening. We've served three churches in our entire ministry and two as interim and I surely would not say that about any of them. The fact, however, is that I've experienced broken promises and been shocked to discover liars in the congregation as well as the community. It always cuts to the core, doesn't it?
What about our family? Have you ever lied to them or caught them in a lie? Oh yes!
"Did you take that quarter out of my drawer?"
"No, Ma'am!"
"Then how come I found it in your pocket?"
"LIAR! She lies; she's a liar!" That makes sense.
"Does this tie go with this suit?"
"Um, sure, but let me see if there's a better one."
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing." NOTHING??????
Come on! And we won't even touch the politicians. That's a whole 'nother article, or maybe a book or a library.
So, who can you trust? Certainly not the Crete's. That's why Titus was left with such a task, to tell them they didn't have to lie; they didn't have to break promises. God who doesn't lie or break promises has provided a way of salvation that enables us through His Spirit to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that life without end is ours through Jesus Christ. He also helps us live a God filled life and put our lives back together and live in honest fellowship with Him. AND THAT AIN'T A LIE.
"Admit it. You lie. And if you say you don't, you're a liar." (Andy Simmons in Reader's Digest, August edition)
Have you ever had someone break a promise or lie to you? I dare say everyone can point a finger at someone else who did that quicker than they see those other fingers pointing back at themselves. We've all been there, done that and gotten the T-shirt.
This article in Reader's Digest entitled, LIAR, LIAR, caught my eye recently. Simmons lists the ways to recognize a lie. I won't list them, because I may get caught in one or may catch you. How do you react when you discover someone has lied to you?
• explosively,
• cynically
• silently
• revengefully
• seethingly
Invariably we hear from children, "You promised!!" or "You broke your promise". And they don't forget it, either! I've broken many promises in my life and I probably will break a few more. I don't intentionally set out to break them or to lie, but sometimes it happens. Sometimes I 'stretch the truth' so as not to hurt someone's feelings.
"You can't stop lies entirely," University of Massachusetts psychologist Robert Feldman states. Oh my, that is not encouraging. So, who can you trust?
I've been reading the tiny Book of Titus in the New Testament recently and this phrase in the first chapter jumped out at me this morning.
The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to a young Titus encouraging him in his duties to the folks in Crete. Apparently he had his job cut out for him because in verse 12 he says, "The Cretans are liars from the womb, barking dogs, lazy bellies" (THE MESSAGE) Now, I don't know about you, but that's not very heartening. We've served three churches in our entire ministry and two as interim and I surely would not say that about any of them. The fact, however, is that I've experienced broken promises and been shocked to discover liars in the congregation as well as the community. It always cuts to the core, doesn't it?
What about our family? Have you ever lied to them or caught them in a lie? Oh yes!
"Did you take that quarter out of my drawer?"
"No, Ma'am!"
"Then how come I found it in your pocket?"
"LIAR! She lies; she's a liar!" That makes sense.
"Does this tie go with this suit?"
"Um, sure, but let me see if there's a better one."
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing." NOTHING??????
Come on! And we won't even touch the politicians. That's a whole 'nother article, or maybe a book or a library.
So, who can you trust? Certainly not the Crete's. That's why Titus was left with such a task, to tell them they didn't have to lie; they didn't have to break promises. God who doesn't lie or break promises has provided a way of salvation that enables us through His Spirit to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that life without end is ours through Jesus Christ. He also helps us live a God filled life and put our lives back together and live in honest fellowship with Him. AND THAT AIN'T A LIE.
Monday, July 25, 2011
HEART THOUGHTS...from Helen
Ezekiel 36:9 "I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown".
Our garden flopped. It's been a number of years since we attempted to plant a vegetable garden but decided to try it this spring. My husband knows how to grow a garden; his last effort resulted in more vegetables than I knew what to do with. But that was in another place in another time long ago. This year we decided on just a small plot of ground for a few tomato plants, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers and hot peppers.
We plowed, we planted, we fertilized, we watered, and we waited. The plants came up nicely, all but the cucumbers which succumbed to dogs and a resident rabbit. We trellised the tomato plants. The squash bushes did bear fruit until our hail storm. The tomato plants grew and produced tiny tomatoes which never got much bigger. Some ripened but they've all been small. It's been a disappointment over all. We've come to the conclusion that we failed to prepare the soil as we should. There's always 'next year', right?!
In the garden of my life, I wonder if I've been a disappointment at times. Scripture gives so many illustrations of gardening, but I love the one from John 15:1especially: "I am the True Vine and My Father is the gardener." Consulting with the Master Gardener always pays off. Perhaps my soil needs plowing. That's not a pleasant thought but gardens must be plowed each season. It's not that one turning of the soil will do for life.
This morning I ran across this verse from Ezekiel 36 that spoke to me. "I am concerned for you...you will be plowed and sown." The Lord God, our Gardener cares enough about us to plow us under seasonally. He knows our soil and just what fertilizer it needs to grow the crop He has in mind.
The plowing isn't fun, unless you're the one doing it, and not the one being plowed. Reminds me of the poem of Amy Carmichael:
The toad beneath the harrow knows
Exactly where each tooth point goes
The butterfly upon the road
Preaches contentment to that toad.
Father, Gardener of my soul, thank you for plowing and preparing me for what you have prepared for me.
Our garden flopped. It's been a number of years since we attempted to plant a vegetable garden but decided to try it this spring. My husband knows how to grow a garden; his last effort resulted in more vegetables than I knew what to do with. But that was in another place in another time long ago. This year we decided on just a small plot of ground for a few tomato plants, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers and hot peppers.
We plowed, we planted, we fertilized, we watered, and we waited. The plants came up nicely, all but the cucumbers which succumbed to dogs and a resident rabbit. We trellised the tomato plants. The squash bushes did bear fruit until our hail storm. The tomato plants grew and produced tiny tomatoes which never got much bigger. Some ripened but they've all been small. It's been a disappointment over all. We've come to the conclusion that we failed to prepare the soil as we should. There's always 'next year', right?!
In the garden of my life, I wonder if I've been a disappointment at times. Scripture gives so many illustrations of gardening, but I love the one from John 15:1especially: "I am the True Vine and My Father is the gardener." Consulting with the Master Gardener always pays off. Perhaps my soil needs plowing. That's not a pleasant thought but gardens must be plowed each season. It's not that one turning of the soil will do for life.
This morning I ran across this verse from Ezekiel 36 that spoke to me. "I am concerned for you...you will be plowed and sown." The Lord God, our Gardener cares enough about us to plow us under seasonally. He knows our soil and just what fertilizer it needs to grow the crop He has in mind.
The plowing isn't fun, unless you're the one doing it, and not the one being plowed. Reminds me of the poem of Amy Carmichael:
The toad beneath the harrow knows
Exactly where each tooth point goes
The butterfly upon the road
Preaches contentment to that toad.
Father, Gardener of my soul, thank you for plowing and preparing me for what you have prepared for me.
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