Ponderings

Keeping the Faith

2011-10-25T05:59:00.001-05:00

When I am driving to work on Atlanta Highway each morning, just as I pass through the Dalraida Road intersection, I spot the steeple of Morningview Baptist Church rising above the tree line. I think, that is where I am going. However, just a ways ahead, as I begin going downhill, I lose sight of it. Does this mean the church is no longer there? Of course not. I have every confidence that when I turn onto Calhoun Road, I will find the church with its steeple at the end of the street, just as it has been for over 60 years.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” How important it is to maintain our faith in God when we lose sight of the steeple in our lives; when illness occurs, or our finances take a down turn, or our children become uncontrollable, or people disappoint us again and again. Matthew Henry says that “faith proves to the mind the reality of things that cannot be seen by the bodily eye.” Our heavenly Father has proven Himself faithful over and over again and we can trust Him, knowing He is the same yesterday and today and forever. Proverbs 3:26 tells us, “the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”

Rest assured the steeple is still there, even when you lose sight of it.

Looking for Bad Peas

2010-07-04T14:26:00.002-05:00

It is Independence Day and we are waiting for our daughter and her family to drive down from north Alabama. I have a Boston butt on the grill and am cooking fresh purple hull peas, creamed corn, and okra, and will make peach ice cream later. As I was washing the peas in preparation to cook, I was flooded by memories of the years when my mother taught me how to cook fresh vegetables.

Much of my younger growing up years was spent in Birmingham and New Orleans but after my daddy graduated from seminary, we moved to Baldwin County. There we began having a garden and I learned to can, freeze, preserve, and pickle all kinds of vegetables. I can remember my mother's instructions so clearly about preparing the peas after we had shelled them. We washed them carefully, and I was cautioned to "look" them carefully to be able to find the bad ones and throw them away. We threw out the ones that were badly discolored or shriveled up or that had a worm hole on it. These would spoil the good peas.

As I was "looking" my peas today, I thought of spiritual applications for this memory. David told his son, Solomon, in 1 Chronicles 28:9 to "...know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts." In Psalm 26, David entreated God to examine him and try him. In Psalm 139:23-24, he said, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." David was asking God to "look" his heart and root out the unrighteousness there. Paul tells the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:28 that before coming to the communion table, a man is to examine himself. He says in verse 27 that "...whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord." Unconfessed sin in our lives is a serious matter, according to scripture.

My challenge today is that we all search, examine, "look" our hearts and ask God to do so to convict us of sin and bring us to confession and cleansing.

Our Ever Present Help

2009-08-31T05:09:00.002-05:00

Psalm 46:1-2a: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear...”

This Psalm is the inspiration for Martin Luther’s great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The first line of this hymn states, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.” Look at these words: refuge, fortress, bulwark. Those are places of safety and strength and defense and rest.

We usually think of those as places we run to in times of attack or trouble. However, look at the second part of verse 1 - “a very present help in trouble”. Last week we talked about God being in the midst of our lives. Well, here He is described as not only being present but being very present in times of trouble. We don’t have to run anywhere. Our ever present God is providing stability as only He can in a world that is so unstable.

I am not sure what today holds for you, but I am sure that God is your refuge and strength and your ever present help no matter what.

Monday Devotional Thought

2009-08-24T05:42:00.001-05:00

Zephaniah 3:17 has become one of my favorite verses. It states, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”

There are several points about which to be excited. God is in our midst, not on the periphery or outside of our lives. He is a victorious warrior, having already defeated Satan and sin. He delights in us and rejoices over us with shouts of joy. In the midst of a chaotic world, He draws us to a quiet, calm place with His love.

When discouragement threatens, turn to this verse and marvel at how very much God loves you.

The Glad Game

2009-07-30T05:53:00.002-05:00

When my daughters were young, one of our favorite movies was Pollyanna, the 1960 Hayley Mills version. It is based on a book written in 1913 about a girl who was orphaned at a young age and had to come live with a very dour but wealthy aunt. Pollyanna had been taught by her missionary father to always look for something good in every situation. She called this "the glad game". Her aunt was critical of this game and attitude and, in essence, told Pollyanna her optimism had nothing to do with reality. Actually, the term, 'pollyanna', has come to mean an excessively or blindly optimistic person or as being unreasonably or illogically optimistic.

Long before Eleanor H. Porter wrote Pollyanna, God inspired writers throughout the Bible to issue imperatives about being glad and rejoicing in all situations. Psalm 32:11 tells us to "Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart." Paul writes in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice!" James instructs his readers to, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."

Today we can play the glad game with confidence, knowing that we are not being excessively, blindly, unreasonably, or illogically optimistic, but that we are obeying biblical commands to be glad and rejoice. As believers, we can do this because we know the truth of Romans 8:28, "...that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Distractions and Choices

2009-07-22T02:30:00.003-05:00

Martha was distracted. There was so much to do. Jesus was there with many others. The food had to be cooked and served and peoples' needs had to be seen to. Mary sat at Jesus' feet with an attitude of worship, listening to His words with an open heart and mind.

So many everyday things tend to distract us from worship. Doing good things can be distraction - we can even become too busy doing things for the Lord. Psalm 27:4 tells us, "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple." If you could choose only one thing to ask of the Lord, what would it be? We see where the Psalmist's priorities were.

Most of our choices for the use of our time are not between good and bad but between good and better. Time with the Lord, in His word is essential.

To lessen distractions and choose the best thing:
1. Choose God's way at every opportunity
2. Commit yourself daily to God before you even get out of bed.
3. Cultivate a "hot heart" for the Lord.

In Luke 10:41, Jesus said, ..."Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Choose wisely today.

Light

2009-04-30T05:42:00.004-05:00

I love light. I think this is one reason I like my house so much. It is so open and has so much light. Every morning I start opening blinds at the first hint of daylight. I want the morning light to come in.

I do notice something, however, as the light begins to grow and become brighter. I see the dust I missed on the sideboard and on the hardwood floors in the living room. I can clearly see where the paint is nicked on the wall going into the kitchen. As the light shines through my front windows, the smudges become obvious. Light shows the dirt and imperfections and scars.

This is what happens in our spiritual life. The brighter the light of God's truth shines on us, the more we see our sin. The closer we grow to the Light of the World, the more obvious are the dark places of our soul. John 3:19 shows us that evil is uncomfortable (to say the least) with the light and prefers darkness. Ecclesiastes 2:14 tells us that fools walk in darkness while Isaiah 2:5 calls the Israelites and us to "walk in the light of the Lord."

In 1John 1 we learn that "God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." Wow! That is a lot to get our heads around. God's word speaks much of light and darkness. Jesus declared Himself to be the Light of the world and said that "he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life."

We must choose light. Matthew tells us that we are the light of the world and we are given the command to let our light "shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." So, as this new day dawns and begins to reveal the dust on my floor and the smudge on my window, I pray for God to shine His light on those places in my heart that need cleaning up so that I might go out to bring glory to Him.

Easter

2009-04-06T19:41:00.004-05:00

It's the week of Easter, Holy Week, if you will. I find myself introspective and contemplative. I was studying the 53rd chapter of Isaiah last week and was absolutely amazed that Isaiah accurately predicted the first Holy Week over 700 years before it happened with incredibly specific details. And yet, the Jews, who had Isaiah's prophesies, still didn't believe.

Isaiah vividly described Jesus as one who "was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief". He was "like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers." The verses that get to me the most are 5 and 6."But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray,, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him."

This is the heart of the gospel. Christ was my substitute; He took my place; He stood in my stead. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God Himself." Christ justified me by becoming sin for me. I have the righteousness of God Himself because of what Christ did at Calvary. I deserve the wrath of a holy God because I am a depraved, sinful being. The wages of my sin is death.

However, Romans 8:1 tells me, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Isaiah 1:18 says, Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow."

I am overwhelmed.

It is the week of Easter. I am a chosen child of God. I have been justified by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. I am being sanctified daily through the work of the Holy Spirit. I will be glorified when I see my Lord and my Savior face to face. Amen and amen!

The Fall

2009-03-31T05:42:00.002-05:00

Recently I fell on the concrete in my driveway while putting away toys my grandchildren had been using. I didn't fall gracefully. I landed on both knees then toppled over awkwardly. It was not a pretty sight. And it hurt. I had to sit some moments squeezing my eyes tightly and biting my lip. Finally I was able to get up, go inside and share my humiliation with my husband, my daughters and all my grandchildren. The grands were fascinated and wanted to see Grandmama's skinned knees.

The knees were very sore and messy and oozy for some days. Then the scab began to form. Now the knees felt some better but still tender and developing an ugly dark thick scab. Eventually this began to go away and was looking like my knee again, but it was still a little tender. After many weeks, this healing process seemed to be completed, but I noticed something interesting and little disturbing. I have a scar. Now it may lessen with time but it looks as though this is what my knee is going to look like. How much better it would have been if I had never fallen.

Those two paragraphs were written to make my spiritual application. Sin is painful, humiliating, messy and awkward. Because God's word tells me if I confess my sins God is faithful and just to forgive me, I know my sins won't be fatal. However, the healing process may be long, with pain lasting for a while, possibly forever. In many cases, the scars of sin will last a lifetime. How much better it would be if I avoid those sins that will pain and ooze and scar.

1John 2:1 says, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin." We are not powerless against sin. Romans 6:14 tells us, "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace." The Holy Spirit within us gives the power to avoid the fall into sin, the injury of sin, and, ultimately the scars of sin.

"Catching" Spring

2009-03-13T04:51:00.004-05:00

Every year for as long as I can remember, I have been determined to "catch" spring. I want to know exactly when it arrives, when the first robin is out looking for worms, when the tree in my backyard has the very first bud on it and when the azaleas first begin to pop. Well, in all these years, spring has managed to surprise me. It seems I wake up one morning and the tree is full of buds, there is a whole colony of robins in the yards on Calhoun road and the azaleas down my driveway have hundreds of buds and one or two blooms. I can just depend on this.

I know that I had better put out more feeders filled with Nyjer seed for the goldfinches that will soon be here and clean and fill the hummingbird feeders. It is time to find the best price on ferns and get two big ones to hang outside my sunroom. Daylight savings time is already here and spring seems to have arrived. I want to go buy every bedding plant the nursery has and start digging in the dirt. I want to pull weeds. I want to sit outside and read and feel the warm breeze on my face. I want it to stay spring forever.

It won't. Summer will come and I will love the fresh vegetables and the cicadas' symphony and the long daylight hours. Then when I think I cannot endure the heat any longer, the cool breezes of fall will come with the brilliant colors of dying leaves and planning for Thanksgiving family gatherings. Then on to winter and rainy days and Christmas and bare trees. Then, before you know it, I am trying to "catch" spring again.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven..." Ecclesiastes 3:1.

Correction

2009-03-11T05:33:00.004-05:00

As I was hurriedly typing in Microsoft Word the other day, I kept getting words underlined in red. Of course this meant I had misspelled, so I had to go back and correct. The Holy Spirit is our "red underline" when we misstep in our daily walk. If we are sensitive to His leading, we will note that check in our spirit, tug by our conscience or the recall of convicting scripture. In Job 37, Elihu describes some things that God might use for correction. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells that God's word is for correction. Jeremiah 5:3 tells of a stiff neck, rebellious people who refuse to take correction.

As I type and have words underlined in red, I can choose to go back and correct or I can finish my document with misspelled words. Someone reading it will notice that I have misspelled words. These will distract and my document will not be as effective as it would have been had I made the corrections. The same is true with our lives. We cannot serve and glorify our God effectively if we allow sins in our lives to go unconfessed and uncorrected. David said in Psalm 51, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." May this be our constant prayer today as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, sensitive to His correction.

Heeding Warnings

2009-03-03T05:50:00.000-06:00

The storm sirens went off multiple times last Friday and Saturday. I have heard many express their annoyance at these repetitive warnings when the threat didn't materialize. Yes, it was particularly inconvenient for those in institutions caring for children or the elderly. It was inconvenient to continually check to determine if the storm was imminent or merely possible. It was inconvenient to head to our "safe place" one more time.

I remember the time when there was no warning system. I remember when the system was less sophisticated and the warning sounded only when a tornado was spotted in the area and possibly right upon us. Then it was almost too late. I remember eight years ago when a storm with straight line winds of 100 miles per hour came through our town without warning, caught me in my car out on the highway, and blew five large trees down on my house causing great damage.

Warnings are often unpleasant, inconvenient and often not applicable. Most of the product warnings nowadays don't apply to me because I don't use most of the products named. However, I don't need to allow my sensibilities to these to become dull and unresponsive. The very next warning could seriously impact me.

I'm studying Isaiah. I think the Old Testament prophets were probably looked upon by some then as the tornado sirens were last week - as an annoyance, often causing an angry reaction. The prophets were ignored by many, just as were the sirens. When Isaiah began his vineyard parable in Isaiah 5, many of those to whom the message was given did not have a clue he was preaching to them. Their sensibilities had become dulled. Then in verse 7, the "radar" zoomed in when Isaiah identified Israel and Judah as the definite, without a doubt targets for the warning. The next verse begins the "woes". The storm of God's judgment was coming and Israel and Judah were in the path.

God's word is full of warnings that are as applicable for us today as they were over two thousand years ago. We can choose to ignore, to be annoyed, to be angry, or to have no reaction at all. Or, we can choose to heed the warnings and find our safe place of blessing and peace in repentance and obedience to God's will.

A Lesson from Chinese Checkers

2009-02-26T05:48:00.003-06:00

I visited with my oldest daughter and her family last week. The plans were for me to keep her four children while she attended a conference with her husband. Two of the children became sick the night before I was to go, so my daughter needed to stay home with them. I went anyway to help her in any way I could.

I played a number of games with my grandchildren and had several opportunities to make spiritual applications. As we were playing Chinese checkers, my grandson, my daughter and I were methodically moving our marbles in a direct path towards the other side by moving one step at a time or jumping one or more marbles to move several places at once, always keeping our "home" in mind. My three year old granddaughter, however, moved at will, either several places at once or in a direction other than her opposite "home". The three of us made it "home" in an orderly fashion, but her marbles ended up all over the board with few of them making it to "home". Of course, as she gets older, she will learn to play this game.

I did think, though, about how we go through life. When you notice someone going about erratically, making unwise choices, misstepping repeatedly, you have to wonder if that person will ever make it "home". The Bible tells us in Psalm 37 that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God. One evidence of our salvation, even though we misstep in sin, is that we don't exhibit habitual erratic behavior. We can see our steps are headed towards "home". We are told in Proverbs 3:5-6 to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Herein lies the key to being methodical and orderly in our journey.

1 Peter 2:21 tells us, "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps." We will certainly arrive at "home" with our journey being direct and orderly if we follow in the steps of our Lord and Savior.

The Bible Way

2009-02-18T02:53:00.003-06:00

When my sister and I were growing up, my mother and daddy often used scripture in correcting us. One day my dad reminded my sister what the Bible said about a particular action of hers. She stomped her foot and said, "I know but I'm not going the Bible way in this." I wonder how often we choose not to go the Bible way.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." It seems that this verse speaks volumes about why we should go the Bible way. It provides us with God's instructions on how we are to live, His rebuke for not following these instructions, and His guidance back to right behavior when we fail. God's word provides training in godliness and equips us to be and do what God intended.

Psalm 119:105 tells us that God's word "is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." This illumination by God's word keeps us on the path of righteousness and away from that path spoken of in Proverbs that "seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

To choose the Bible way we must spend time studying and knowing the Bible. The Psalmist said the godly man avoids association with evil but rather "his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night." I know for a fact that being in the word allows for reproof, for correction and for the training in righteousness I so desparately need. It also prepares me to always be ready to give an account for the hope that is in me.

Well, as I go to my chair by the window with my Bible and my cup of coffee, I pray that this day I will choose the Bible way in all my words and thoughts and actions.

Life and Death

2009-02-16T04:42:00.004-06:00

Recently I was in the labor and delivery wing of a local hospital, going to visit a couple awaiting the birth of their baby. Passing one door, I heard the distinctive cry of a newborn. It immediately brought a smile to my face. I silently thanked God for this new life and asked His blessings on this family I knew nothing about.

In the next minute I heard a Code Blue call to ICU over the intercom. My smile left me and I stopped and bowed my head to pray for the person for whom the code was called, for the team that was responding, and for family members who may or may not have been aware of the drama unfolding in their loved one's room.

The struggle to bring a precious life into the world and the struggle to keep death from claiming a life were going on just hundreds of feet from each other in the same building. That night there were going to be happy conversations as phone calls were made to share, "It's a boy!" Possibly there was gong to be the equally sad news from other phones, "She died about 6:00." One family would prepare for a homecoming and another would prepare for a funeral.

Ecclesiastes tells us, "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven -- A time to give birth and a time to die;" Those two events above were appointed by a sovereign God who holds all things in His hand. We can know that as surely as life comes, death will also. Hebrews 9:27 tells us "it is appointed for man to die once."

Knowing a loved one is saved and welcomed into the arms of a loving heavenly Father the minute he dies, brings comfort. However, the grief and tears of loss still come. Isaiah promised us, "He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces." What a cause for rejoicing!

Life and death. Joy and sorrow. Again, how thankful I am for a sovereign God who holds all things in His hand.

Home

2009-02-12T04:22:00.003-06:00

I don't know of anyone who doesn't like to be at home. Usually, the first comment from someone in the hospital is, "I just want to go home." The soldier does his duty but constantly thinks of going home. I love visiting my family, but it is so sweet to walk through my front door and know that I will be sleeping in my own bed that night.

Jacob was a stranger living in Egypt. When he was close to death, he made his children promise to bury him in the land of Canaan, home. Naomi wanted to leave Moab after her husband and sons died and return home to the land of Judah. Ruth chose to leave her home in Moab and make a new home with Naomi among her people.

Psalm 68:6 tells us that "God makes a home for the lonely..." Paul indicates in 2 Corinthians 5:6,8 that this world is not our home. He says that "while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord...and we prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. There is an old gospel song that says, "this world is not my home, I'm just passin' through."

As the media, our government and even many churches are turning more and more away from the things of God and choosing a path that may seem right to them but leads only to destruction, I am becoming more homesick for my eternal home. I long for that time, when there will be no time, when I can see my Savior face to face, worship my God in His unveiled glory and be reunited with all my family in Christ Jesus. Yes, I think I will be ready to go home.

Keep Your Words Sweet...You Just Might Have to Eat them

2009-02-05T05:48:00.004-06:00

If there is one thing God convicts me of more than anything else, I think it is my spoken words. Time and again, I have had to ask forgiveness (usually of my husband) for a hastily spoken, thoughtless, unkind, angry word. This is certainly not a new phenomenon with me and, unfortunately, I have not gained the control I should have in my older years.

My conviction is such that I adopted for my focal verse earlier this year, Colossians 4:6: "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." Well, my speech is often salty; too much so, in fact. My prayer and my goal is that it will be "with grace" and seasoned with just the right amount of salt.

God's word deals with the tongue and our speech numerous times. Proverbs 15:1 tells us that "a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." We also see in Proverbs 12:18, "There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." We have the power with our spoken word to calm things or stir things up, to hurt or to heal.

Jesus speaks strongly in Matthew 12:36 when He says, "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment." Whew! That should be enough to tame my errant tongue for good.

James uses several analogies to illustrate how this relatively small body part is powerful enough to control and influence everything in our lives. Again we are humbled in being reminded that "no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison." Here is my hope, though. Jesus says in Luke 18:27, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God." Hallelujah! I go forward into this day with the knowledge from 2 Corinthians 5:17 that I am in Christ and therefore a new creation; "the old things are passed away; behold, new things have come." Amen and amen!

Invisible Mother

2009-02-03T05:07:00.003-06:00

I will post this as copied from anonymous. My daughter sent it to me and I thought it might give some of you a smile, a nod of the head, and it gives me a chance to encourage you through another person's writings and to say, "Hang in there, persevere." Read on...

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone (or even on the toilet) and ask to be taken somewhere. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm busy?' Obviously, not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a taxi to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work. No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4:00 in the morning and bakes homemade pies. Then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!

For Our Sanctification

2009-02-02T05:06:00.003-06:00

I have the privilege of praying for several friends who are going through trials right now. One has a serious health issue. One is going through job loss and financial challenges and one is dealing with a wayward child. None of these friends asked to be in her particular situation, yet God has chosen to place them there at this time.

James 1:2 tells us to "consider it all joy..." when we have trials of various kinds. Now I don't know about you, but rejoicing is not my natural response to troubles and trials. I think most of us as believers must consciously decide to react with joy when faced with trials. The verse further says, "knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." God brings testing into our lives for a purpose. 1Peter 1:6-7 tells us, "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith ...even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" We know from Romans 8:28 that God works all things for good to those of us who are called according to His purpose.

Therefore, trials, the testing of our faith, does several things. It assures us we belong to God; it strengthens our faith; it teaches us endurance and steadfastness; and it brings us closer to the time we will be able to praise, glorify and honor Christ at His second coming.

The sanctification process is not without pain, but oh, the end results. Just think, through this process, God has chosen to bring you closer to Himself, to know Him more intimately and to more closely resemble His Son, Jesus Christ. What an honor! I read once about a female missionary who had been kidnapped, raped and tortured and left for dead. When rescued, she was asked about her experience. Her comments were that she was thankful God had felt she was worthy in His sight of this testing. Whew!

Amy Carmichael says in her little book, If, "If I wonder why something trying is allowed, and press for prayer that it may be removed; if I cannot be trusted with any disappointment, and cannot go on in peace under any mystery, then I know nothing of Calvary love."

Father God, thank You for the times you have chosen to test my faith, sanctifying me for my good and for Your glory. Help me to truly consider it all joy when trials come, and to come out on the other side refined, with much of the dross burned away. Thank you for choosing to justify me through the work of Christ at Calvary, to sanctify me through the testing of my faith and one day, to bring me to the glory of Your presence in heaven.

Lessons from Peter

2009-01-29T05:57:00.005-06:00

Oh, how I identify with Peter! I am impulsive, a fixer, a doer. And, as was often the case with Peter, I land in hot water. I was recently reading Matthew 16 - 17. In a matter of a few verses, Peter made one of the most profound statements in the Bible by declaring Jesus to be "the Christ, the Son of the living God", was rebuked by Jesus for being a mouthpiece of Satan and was interrupted in his explanation of plans to build tabernacles to Moses, Elijah and Jesus by God Himself. Whew!

Peter was real, though. What you saw is what you got. Though we saw his impulsiveness and sometimes misplaced zeal, we saw his humility and his brokenness when confronted with his sin. When Jesus told him to throw his nets on the other side of the boat and they were immediately filled with more fish than he and his fellow fishermen could haul in, he had a reaction that had nothing to do with the great haul of fish. Recognizing who Jesus was, he was confronted with the shame of his own sinfulness. He said, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" We see his immediate sorrow in denying his Lord when, hearing the rooster crow, "he went out and wept bitterly."

I love Mark's account of the empty tomb and the angel instructing the women there that "He is risen; He is not here...go, tell His disciples and Peter He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you." Jesus wanted Peter reassured that he stilled belonged to Him.

Someone has said that Peter may be one of the most fleshed-out characters of the Bible. We certainly see his character revealed in so many incidents. Then we read the wonderful wisdom of his writings in his later life.

Peter warns his readers in his first letter to "be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Who knew better that Peter how important the admonition to stay alert and resist the devil is? Then he closes this letter with this benediction: ..."the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you". Who knew better than Peter the power of the God of all grace to perfect us towards His likeness, confirm us as His chosen, strengthen us to do His work and establish us as His church now and forevermore?

Life

2009-01-27T04:16:00.000-06:00

Life is crowding in once again, Lord. It seems, once again, that there is way more to do than time to do it. Once again, I have said yes to too many commitments. Forgive me, Father. Forgive me for not being a good steward of my time. Forgive me for the pride that causes me to be presumptuous enough to think I can do one more thing.

Oh Lord, the desire of my heart is to choose “the good part” as Mary did. Now I seem to be like Martha, “worried and bothered about so many things.” Help me, Lord, to sit at your feet listening to your word. Help me to turn from the distractions and do only those things for which I am given power by You.

Father God, bring order to my world as only You can. Help me to choose the best over the good and even over the better. Let me honor You, Lord, in all my choices. May the work of my hands be pleasing to You.

Now, Lord, as I go forward in this day, grant me the wisdom to say no to those things that will only worry and bother. May I know the peace that comes from sitting at Your feet and listening to Your word.

The Blessings of Morning

2009-01-26T05:25:00.002-06:00

The day still lies hidden behind a blanket of darkness. Nighttime seems reluctant to release its hold. As I look, however, the sky is a shade lighter than it was five minutes ago. When the process does start, it seems to move rapidly into full blown morning with the sun glowing brightly in the east, birds singing, and the crescendo of traffic noises indicating this is going to be a typical day in the city.

I, too, am reluctant to give up this quiet time, to close my Bible, to say one last amen, and to quit this special time with my Father. I know that soon someone and then more someones along with myriad tasks will begin to take bits then chunks of my time, my mental resources and my physical and emotional energy. I don’t begrudge that. It is the way each day is structured, and I actually go gladly to it. However, I so very much cherish these moments that are tucked between the restfulness of night and the busyness of day. I have, in fact, come to depend on them as preparation for those predictable things that will take place this day and, more importantly, for those things that come unexpectedly, packaged either as serendipity that will bring a smile to my face or in torn, dirty wrappings that will challenge my strength, my faith, my witness.

On numerous occasions, Jesus communed alone with His Father in the morning. The psalmist said, “In the morning, O, Lord, You hear my voice, in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation.” The most important discovery of all time – the empty tomb – was made just after sunrise.

So, I will continue to come early each day to my chair by the window, with my cup of coffee, my Bible, and my heart hopefully tuned to what the Father may have for me. I will enjoy the time when night still clutches its blanket of darkness, but I will also greet the dawn, knowing that my God, through His grace, has supplied all that I need for this day.

Best Laid Plans

2009-01-23T04:42:00.000-06:00

Wednesday morning I was planning to share lunch with a couple of friends, finish up my Wednesday work schedule and enjoy fried chicken and fellowship with my church family. I was looking forward to being back in choir practice after being absent several weeks. Then my sister called from Birmingham saying Mother seemed confused. We both knew this probably indicated an infection of some kind, most likely urinary tract. After several conversations back and forth, I hurriedly competed my work and headed to Birmingham mid-afternoon.

All of my plans for the evening and the next day changed in a matter of moments. How thankful I was for a sweet understanding husband who urged me to be careful and gave me some professional advice for caring for my mother. How thankful I was that I was within 1 1/2 hours driving distance of my mother. How thankful I was for my sister who was right there and had things under control when I arrived. How thankful I was for mother's response to the medicine and a return to almost normal the next day. How thankful I was for a workplace where everyone said, "Go take care of your mother." How thankful I was that the world didn't come to a screeching halt because my plans changed.

Robert Burns' poem, "To a Mouse" talks of the despair of planning and preparation that come to nothing. The much used line, "the best laid schemes o' Mice and Men often go awry" are from this poem. Let me share just a few thoughts from God's word on "plans". Proverbs 16:1 says, "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." Proverbs 16:9, "The mind of man plans his way but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 19:21, "Many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand."

God honors our planning and bringing order to our lives through our plans. However, He is always sovereign over our lives and our plans. There is no such thing as coincidence. Every moment of my life is ordered by God. Thus I can live in the confidence of knowing that everything that happens to me today has first been sifted through His fingers of love.

Father, may I be truly thankful for Your plans for my life. How thankful I am that though my plans may go awry, your perfect plans for my life will be in place. May I be attentive to the changes You interject in my plans today and may I faithfully follow your direction of my steps.

Lessons From the Birds

2009-01-21T04:53:00.000-06:00

I am a bird person. I share my backyard space with a variety of feathered friends and they bring me endless delight. I list their food expense under 'entertainment' in my budget because they provide me with hours of pleasure. They are a forgiving lot also. I have not been consistent with my feeding the last month because of being out of town and being sick. However, when I fill their feeders and their bird bath, they return immediately, forgiving me totally for my neglect.

The cardinals are my bird of choice right now. Mr. Cardinal gives such a bold splash of color to the otherwise bland winter landscape. There are four that visit me on a scheduled basis. They bring their Mrs. with them, and I love the more subtle hues the ladies wear. They appear at the feeders early in the morning and right at dusk. They might visit at other times also, but you can pretty much set your clocks by the morning and evening times.

The dark-eyed juncos who visit in the winter are interesting little charcoal gray birds who show up in the late fall and fly off by spring. They never eat from the hanging feeders. They are content to feed on the seeds that fall to the ground. You can see them pretty much any time of day going over the same plot of ground searching for fresh seeds.

The finches patiently feed at the finch feeders, plucking out one little thistle seed at a time. I so look forward to the first warm weather when the gold finches join their house finch cousins at my feeders. They literally flock to the feeders and vie in sometimes not so gracious ways for positions on the perches.

My grandchildren know the doves are not my favorite birds. They seem to have an attitude of entitlement and they are going to be first and last and ever in between all the other birds at the feeder. They lack grace and graciousness and never voluntarily give up their place for another.

There are many lessons to be learned from the birds and perhaps some jumped out at you as you read the above descriptions. There are numerous references to birds in the Bible. It was my least favorite, the dove, that brought Noah proof that the flood had ended. God used ravens to feed Elijah. He reminds us of His provision for us in the Sermon on the Mount: "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

I thank God for these feathered creatures and the joys they bring me and the lessons I learn from Him through them.

God's Faithfulness to the Unfaithful

2009-01-20T06:03:00.000-06:00

As I have begun reading the Bible through again this year, I note with dismay, once again, how many times in the first few chapters of Genesis God's chosen ones take matters into their own hands. They obviously did not trust God to do His work as He had promised He would. The consequences of these actions affect history to this day. Of course I believe in a sovereign God who works His plan in all things for His glory. But the point is, in most cases they failed to wait on the Lord.

God promised Abraham progeny as numerous as the stars in the sky. Sarah thought God needed her help so she persuaded Abraham to take her servant and produce his heir with her. The rest of that story is certainly much history. Abraham and Sarah also lied about their relationship, not trusting God to protect them in a foreign land. God used a godless king to rebuke them.

Rebekah obviously thought God needed some help with establishing Jacob's birthright. She and Jacob deceived Issac and we know the consequences of that action. Jacob ended up being deceived by Laban into marrying Leah.

How many times have I "helped" God and to what end. Thankfully, as we know from the stories above and as I know from my own history, God remains faithful when we are faithless. God continues to work in our lives for our good and His glory.

Father, God, help me to remain faithful to You, waiting for you to do the work in my life that will ultimately bless me and glorify You.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T06:47:00.000-06:00

I love Thanksgiving! It is my favorite holiday. Somehow our society has managed to spare this holiday of the commercialism given to Christmas and even Easter. By virtue of its name, we are reminded to be thankful for our blessings.

It is such a family time also. I heard on the news today the large numbers who will be traveling 50 miles or more to be with family tomorrow. We will travel 500 miles round trip to be with Bruce's family. There will be a gathering of 50 or more including four generations of extended family. We will hug and laugh and eat and catch up on each other's lives since last Thanksgiving. As I look around the room, I will thank God for the rich heritage and blessing of this family.

Many of the Psalms entreat us to give thanks to the Lord. Psalm 100 tells us to enter His gates with thanksgiving. In Philippians we are told to be anxious for nothing but to pray with and attitude of thanksgiving. How can we not be thankful for all things when it flows from our heavenly Father out of the bounty of His grace and mercy?

Our blessings cannot be counted, but let's go to God in prayerful thanksgiving today, beginning with the salvation we have through the blood of Jesus Christ. May we recognize God's blessings in our lives and may we be thankful.

2008-11-21T06:20:00.000-06:00

There is a candy dish on my desk filled with soft peppermint balls. Those who spend any time in our building know this. The reactions to this offering are varied to some degree, but they all carry an element of delight. Children enter my office with their eyes focused on the candy, then look up at me and back at their moms to silently ask if it is all right to take one. Adults spot it, say, "Oh, this is just what I need; may I?" I pop way more into my mouth in a day than I should, but that pure sugar is so good!

I got to thinking about how we greet this candy compared with how we approach the study of God's word. Jeremiah says, "Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:16) Ezekiel 3:3 says, "He said to me, 'Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth." From Psalm 34:8 we hear, "O taste and see that the Lord is good;"

Now, of course, we are not literally going to eat the Bible, but we are certainly to study it and to internalize it, to gain sustenance and strength from it. Even though at times God's word is convicting and speaks of judgment, there is still a sweetness because it is God's word. It is only as we delight in it that it becomes "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)

Changes

2008-11-19T04:32:00.000-06:00

Well, it seems that although we have enjoyed a distinctive fall, it is not lasting long. When the temperature dips below freezing, we call that winter here in Montgomery. Christmas decorations have been out in stores since Halloween and I was greeted by Santa Claus at Publix last night. Constant change. These specific changes happen routinely year after year. We can pretty much depend on them.

Life changes come on a regular and irregular basis. Some of these changes are welcomed (the birth of a baby) and some are not, and even dreaded (death of a loved one, financial loss). How thankful I am that through all these changes and the effects they have on our lives, our God remains constant. Hebrews 13:8 tells us "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever". In Lamentations 3:22-23 we read, "The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness."

Just as we know that we can depend on the seasons changing, we know that we can depend on the constancy of our great God, His faithfulness, and daily mercies. He will take us through these life changes for His glory and our sanctification. Praise be to Him forevermore!

Fall Musings

2008-11-18T06:29:00.000-06:00

It seems everyone is commenting on what a great fall we are having this year. The beauty of the turning leaves reflects God's glory and causes us to pause and thank Him for His creation. Someone said to me yesterday, "We are having a real fall." It amuses me that I, along with many others, are amazed (and thankful) when fall or winter or spring are distinctive seasons here in our part of the South. Summer is always distinctive and often invades the other seasons.

I pray that I might be a distinctive child of God and that I might show others what a 'real' Christian looks like. Alas, the reality is that often I am not distinctive, that often I allow the world to invade my thoughts, my attitudes, my actions. Today my prayer will be that I will reflect God's glory and that I will bring honor to Him as His creation and His child.

Little Things

2008-11-17T04:54:00.000-06:00

It is the little things that trip me up, that challenge my faith, that cause me greatest regrets later on when the Deceiver brings them to my mind again and again. It is the critical word that jumps out and attacks, the passing on of “harmless” gossip, the negative thought that comes unbidden but is allowed to take root with destructive potential. It is saying yes to one more thing than I can manage or saying no to something I really should do. It is not attending to the important and then having to deal with it as it become urgent. It is missed opportunities – little moments when I could have blessed my husband, my children, my best friend or the cashier with the sad face at the check-out counter. It is pride that rears its ugly head so often.

I can handle the big things – the illness and death of my father, the major change in my mother’s health and lifestyle, the marriage of my three children, the birth of grandchildren, the change of jobs for my husband, financial insecurity, being uprooted and moved out of my comfort zone. I can handle these because I have no choice but to go limp in the arms of my heavenly Father, totally dependent for comfort, security, peace of mind and the ability to put one foot in front of the other until this particular storm passes.

Why, then, do I try in my own strength to handle the minutia of each day? Why don’t I depend on Him to take each thought captive, to set a guard before my lips and to let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in His sight?

The small things, also, most often are what disrupt and distract the church from its mission. It is not usually issues of doctrinal import but murmuring, grumbling, complaining that niggle at and eat away and certainly can erode the very structure of the body of Christ. It is majoring on minors and getting so caught up in views, activities and discussions that have no eternal ramifications. It is pride and attitudes and silly territorial issues that have no place in God’s scheme of things.

The challenge, then, both personally and for the church is to have our focus so firmly locked on Christ that the temporal and worldly cannot draw us. The challenge is to be like the man of Psalm 1 who walks not in the counsel of the wicked nor sits in the set of mockers but claims his delight in the word of God and meditates on it day and night. It is to be like the tree planted by the water, yielding fruit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, self-control and gentleness.

I Got To Thinking

2008-11-16T13:33:00.000-06:00

I have been writing my thoughts for some time now, and have recently shared them with some special people. My prose seemed to bless them, so, I got to thinking. Maybe, if I established a blog, wrote my thoughts where they would be available, they would bless more people. Therefore, I humbly share my ponderings through this blog. If God chooses to use my words to bless others and bring glory to Himself, then I will be extremely blessed.