Favorite Fragrance

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•Are the places you go filled with Christ’s fragrance because of you? “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

To one we are the smell of death; to the other the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?”
(2 Cor. 2:15-16)

Is your glass half full or half empty?

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form and you have been given fullness in Christ.” Col. 2:9-10 (NIV)

“Everything of God gets expressed in Him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without Him. When you come to Him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.” (THE MESSAGE)

My Alaskan daughter-in-law, Joice, prefers her water without ice. She can drink a FULL glass of water (and our glasses are fairly large) in no time flat. I’m amazed, because, I like my glass full of ice and then add water, then I drink only a little at a time. My husband likes ice also but can gulp down a full glass quickly.

I know water is good for me and I try to stay hydrated; sometimes I succeed. Depending on how full I fill my glass, the water becomes a part of me and I am saturated with it. If I fill my glass and don’t drink it, it is just another exercise in futility. The water is there but it’s not doing me any good, except that I can talk about how good it is and how good it is for me, but until I drink it, it’s irrelevant to my body’s betterment.

---Christ in all His fullness, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit lives together in Christ Jesus, my LORD. All I need to do to know God is to look at Christ and continue to look at Him, His Life, His Message, and His Love. The more I realize His fullness; His fullness is realized in me. I don’t become Him; I become a reflection of Him as I realize my completeness in Him. That is really hard for me to swallow.
Christ is the FULLNESS of the Godhead, the Deity. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They forever existed throughout eternity; THEY ARE ETERNAL!

Could that be why Jesus instructed the woman at the well in John, chapter four, that He would have given her living water, if she asked (v. 10)? She was thirsty; He stood by Jacob’s well.

He told her, “…whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) continually within him unto (into, for) eternal life.” (AMP, v.14)

Can I take in all the fullness of the Godhead, the Deity, in one gulp? In one sense, when I surrendered my life to Christ, I did accept ALL of Him into myself. It has, however, taken me many years to consume all the goodness that is He and I haven’t begun to know it YET. My heavenly Father invites me to look at Christ more closely, know Him more intimately through His Word and Prayer, to drink from that eternal well that never runs dry. Will I fill my glass to the brim with Him today and drink all of His goodness? Will you?

All the FULLNESS of the Godhead dwells in Christ…and I am complete (full) in Him.

Heart Thoughts

Life Changes
Is it just me or does the time change do more than ‘spring forward’ and’ fall back’ on the clock? It takes my aging body a while to adjust to the differences in waking to darkness in the mornings and waiting til darkness falls to feel that the day ends or is ‘in the gloamin’ as our Scots friends may say. My circadian rhythm gets all wacky-do! (That daily rhythmic cycle of activity based on my 24 hour life experiences is messed up, not to mention my sleep pattern).

Weather changes, time changes, fashions change, people change, grandchildren change as they mature, people change, relationships change, political figures change their minds, political parties change their platforms, our government changes, global changes, the earth shifts, morality changes; everything is changing. The old saying, ‘nothing is as constant as change’, truly speaks to the times in which we live.

Our life has changed drastically in the last three years. After eleven years in a wonderful pastorate, we moved to our place of marriage origin and changed gears completely. Now we reside in Greer, living approximately six miles in opposite directions from our children/grandchildren. It’s rather like a triangle.

Dennis pursued teaching opportunities as well as interim pastoral positions due to his aversion to the word ‘retirement’, and some of those things took place. I experienced two surgeries quite unexpectedly and was thankful I could recuperate without too many responsibilities to interfere with the healing process. We’ve enjoyed our grandchildren and their parents more than we ever had privilege to do before living this close to them.

Change occurred about six months ago in the form of an interim pastoral position at Bellview Baptist Church about six miles from Woodruff, SC, and about twenty=two miles from our home. Did I say change? Woodruff is where we lived when Dennis coached football and track 43 years ago and then again 39 years ago we returned there to coach once more. My older son, David, quipped, “Well, Mom, third time is the charm”. It was that second return that began our ministry years as we changed along with the youth group at Woodruff First Baptist and attempted to lead them toward a closer walk with Jesus.

Change, but then again familiarities from long ago keep popping up. People we knew back in the day, places we frequented are quite changed. Some things remain the same…but not many. Long story shortened, Dennis is now full time pastor once again, at Bellview. Life changes.

So, what is life if not change?
“What is life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away”. (James 4:14)
“Life is a splendid gift---there is nothing small about it.” (Florence Nightingale)
Jesus said, “I AM the way, the truth and THE LIFE”.From these few quotes, we may assume that our lives are short, but splendidly large in the process, nevertheless our lives do vanish quickly. It seems the longer we live the more swiftly the vapor vanishes.

Ms. Nightingale surely speaks truth that life is a splendid gift; so sad that many don’t see the relevance.

The fact that Jesus IS LIFE AND LIGHT (John 1:4-5) brings a smile and somewhat of stability to that vapor that so quickly vanishes away. For the Apostle Paul,”to live is Christ, to die would be gain.” (Phil. 1:21) Living…dying,
Changing, forever changing.

AH, but here we have it: Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.”strong> What an absolutely comforting unconditional TRUTH to grab hold of and hang on.

In our world that’s gone mad with change, Jesus is the same. WHO? JESUS! WHAT? He doesn’t change! He doesn’t love me less or more tomorrow. He doesn’t change the rules in our relationship from day to day. Jesus never fails; He never changes and He is not going to change. He’s the Rock you can cling to when there is no other hope. He will forever be the Good Shepherd, the Way, The Truth, the Life, The Bread of Life, The Son of God, and My Savior. Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. You can ‘take it to the bank’ if you’re of a mind to do so…but remember, the banking institutions change quicker than I can change clothes. Just settle it in your heart of hearts: Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever!! My old friend, Corrie ten Boom, used to say, “God said it; I believe it and that settles it.” Alleluiah!

One More Valentine before leaving February

Love listens…using silence to talk
Louder than a thousand words…
Bending near the sick one
Focusing attention on the need,

Looking as though there’s
No one else in the wide, wide world
Except the one who needs to talk.

Love is water-tight, never leaking;
Confidences shared at midnight—
Or at dawn…or in the middle of the day!

Time is irrelevant to love.

Love borrows wisdom from on high
Passing on eternity’s information
at the right time and in the right way.

Love’s ears are open to a shriek
Or groan, complaints or angry shout.
It matters not…LOVE LISTENS!

This Thing is from Me

Gathered Gleanings (from STREAMS IN THE DESERT, VOL. 1)

“This thing is from me.” (1 Kings 12:24)

“Life’s disappointments are veiled love’s appointments” …Rev. C.A. Fox

My child, I have a message for you today; let me whisper it in your ear, that it may gild with glory any storm clouds which may arise, and smooth the rough places upon which you may have to tread. It is short, only five words, but let them sink into your inmost soul; use them as a pillow upon which to rest your weary head.
This thing is from me.

Have you ever thought of it, that all that concerns you concerns Me too? For, “he that touches you, touches the apple of mine eye? (Zech. 2:8). You are very precious in My sight. (Isaiah 43:4). Therefore, it is My special delight to educate you.
I would have you learn when temptations assail you, and the “enemy comes in like a flood,” that this thing is from Me, that your weakness needs My might, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you.

Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, who never consult your taste, who put you in the background? This thing is from Me. I am the God of circumstances. Thou camest not to thy place by accident, it is the very place God meant for thee.
Have you not asked to be made humble? See then, I have placed you in the very school where this lesson is taught; your surroundings and companions are only working out My will.

Are you in money difficulties? Is it hard to make both ends meet? This thing is from Me; for I am your purse-bearer and would have you draw from and depend upon Me. My supplies are limitless (Phil. 4:19). I would have you prove my promises. Let it not be said of you, “In this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God” (Deut. 1:32).

Are you passing through a night of sorrow? This thing is from Me. I am the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. I have let earthly comforters fail you, that by turning to Me you may obtain everlasting consolation (2 Thess.2:16)... 2:16-17). Have you longed to do some great work for Me and instead have been laid aside on a bed of pain and weakness? This thing is from Me. I could not get your attention in your busy days and I want to teach you some of my deepest lessons. “They also serve who only stand and wait.” Some of My greatest workers are those shut out from active service that they may learn to wield the weapon of all-prayer.

This day I place in your hand this pot of holy oil. Make use of it free, my child. Let every circumstance that arises, every word that pains you, every interruption that would make you impatient, every revelation of your weakness be anointed with it. The sting will go as you learn to see Me in all things. ---Laura A. Barter Snow

“’This is from Me,’ the Savior said,
As bending low He kissed my brow,
‘For One who loves you thus has led.
Just rest in Me, be patient now,
Your Father knows you have need of this,
Tho’ why perchance you cannot see. ---
Grieve not for things you’ve seemed to miss.
The thing I send is best for thee.’
"Then, looking through my tears, I plead,
‘Dear Lord, forgive; I did not know.
Twill not be hard since Thou doest tread,
Each path before me here below.
And for my good this thing must be,
His grace sufficient for each test,
So still I’ll sing, “Whatever be
God’s way for me is always best.”’”.

Sacrificial Offerings

"By faith Able offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks even though he is dead.” Hebrews 11:4

Christmas 2011, a memory now, still reminds me of the gifts given, the hectic halleluiahs, surprises that bring smiles, food I’ve eaten until I’m about to ‘fat away’.

While trying to get to the bottom of my desk yesterday I ran across a gift from my almost nine year old granddaughter, Briana Faith. It’s a copied photo of her and three of her siblings with me, before Eliyah was born. That would make her about eight years old. It is carefully taped into a greeting card with a photo opening. She wrapped it herself and wrote a special note to me.

“Hi nana. I hope you like the picture I printed. It’s the one with you on it. The picture that I colored and drew and printed is the one that says Merry Christmas.” And surely she had drawn and colored and written another sweet paper for me.

Do I love that gift? Of course! There are other hand made offerings as well as bought offerings that thrill my heart and go into my Nana’s treasure chest. Briana Faith offered me a gift in faith that I would accept her offering gladly. I hope that I received it with the pleasure that God did with Abel’s gift.

But I’ve always wondered about Cain’s gift and felt rather sorry for him. The rest of THAT story must be relegated to another time and place in my writing.

The Bible says Abel offered God a better sacrifice and was commended as a righteous man. Able, by faith, speaks even though he’s dead.

Briana Faith sacrificed her time and effort to make my Christmas gift. It’s sitting on my desk where I can smile at it and remember her sacrifice. I will remember ALL of the gifts I received this Christmas from loved ones who sacrificed to bring me pleasure!

Abel had faith; Able sacrificed; Able was righteous; Able was remembered. Just in case you don’t remember, Able was Adam and Eve’s second son and Cain’s brother. What did he do? He offered fat from some of the first fruits of his flocks as a sacrifice to God. (See Genesis 4:1-8)

What will I sacrifice for God today? Will my offering be commended by God?

Jacob's Lesson in Leading

HEART THOUGTS…from Helen“

“Then Jacob said to him (Esau), “My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young….
“So let my lord go on ahead ...While I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children…”” Genesis 33:13-14.

Jacob learned a lot from his wrestling match with God just prior to his reconciliation with his twin brother, Esau.

Jacob remembered his shepherding skills with his father-in-law, Laban. Eastern shepherds lead, they do not drive.

Jacob recognized the limitations of the little ones, the children, the nursing ewes and cows.

Jacob revealed tenderness in his character. Jacob, who wrestled with God, demonstrated bravery in speaking up for those who couldn’t do so.

******How many of us need to slow down as we delve into 2012?
• Slow down for the benefit of those in your care.
• Slow down and remember your shepherding skills, to lead, not to drive.
• Slow down and recognize the limitations of those in your care.
• Slow down and reveal the tenderness that hides beneath the toughness.
• Slow down and remember your struggle with God and how he changed your life… slowly.

“Jacob said…”the children are tender…while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves and that of the children.”