Letting Down Our Wings

I was intrigued the other morning when I read this passage describing Ezekiel's vision. ”As they [four living beings] flew, their wings sounded to me like waves crashing against the shore or like the voice of the Almighty or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings. As they stood with wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them." (Ezekiel 1:24, 25)

Bees, dragonflies, mosquitoes, and other insects make a great deal of noise with the vibration of their wings, sometimes buzzing very annoyingly. Some birds, too—quails, for example--make a notable whirring sound when they are flushed up from their nests on the ground. Although humans don't have wings, how do you suppose we came up with the expression "busy as a bee"? Surely it must indicate the great stir created as we "fly" from one task to another, first this activity and then the next. We make a great deal of noise, both externally and within, as we buzz about.

The creatures that Ezekiel described ceased their flying about—and it was a most unusual ability that they exhibited—when God was ready to speak. They stood quietly, their wings folded, paying attention. What do you suppose would happen if, on a regular basis, we let down our wings and listened to the voice from above?

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Things Mama Taught Me: "An Idle Mind Is the Devil's Workshop"

This saying, too, has been around for a long time, although some use the words, "Idle hands . . ." In the early 1600's, W. Perkins' Works warned, "The idle bodie and the idle braine is the shoppe [workshop] of the deuill." T. Fuller in 1732 and H.B. Bohn in 1855 wrote essentially the same thing.

To tell you the truth, I don't remember whether my mother said "hands" or "brain," and I really had little idea what the words meant. I did know the meaning, however, in Mama-speak. If I complained about being bored, my mother would reply, "Very well, I can give you something to do." No thanks, Mama. I'll find something. Anything would be better than scrubbing the outhouse or ironing my brothers' overalls.

Idleness might be described as a vacuum of sorts, and boredom one expression of it. "Nature abhors a vacuum," Aristotle claimed, meaning that empty space sucks in gases or liquid to avoid remaining empty. The same may be said of minds, and hands too for that matter. If not given something to fill them in a beneficial way, they will "suck in" all sorts of inventive stuff. If you have been around small children very much, you know this is true! Things are quiet in the next room—too quiet. The minds and hands with little to do have found something of interest: cutting the cat's hair (or their own), unrolling tissue into the toilet, climbing on top of the refrigerator to reach the cabinet containing goodies.

Older children, teens, and adults are not all that different. Not given something productive to consider, our minds tend to wander off in unfruitful directions and the hands and feet follow. We are urged by the Apostle Paul not merely to avoid unprofitable contents in our minds or to create a vacuum there, but actually to fill them up with what is good. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8) No workshop for the devil there!

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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A Few More of My Favorite Things

This is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., and I am grateful for so much!

Plenty to eat and clean water to use,
Days of vacation to spend as I choose,

Friends as we worship and everyone sings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Steaming hot coffee in my special mug,
A place for my toes on a soft, fuzzy rug,
The clock on the wall as each hour it rings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Books with blank pages, a red car that runs,The warm, yeasty smell of fresh cinnamon buns,
A card in the mailbox, the sweet thoughts it brings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

A little piano with black and white keys,
My big easy chair and a robe for my knees,
Grandchildren's hugs and their love without strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Sausage on muffins, fresh wax on the floor,
A good book to read, and a wreath for my door,
Late-blooming roses and birds with bright wings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the toast burns,
When some word stings,
When the pace is mad,
I try to remember my favorite things,And then I don't feel so sad!

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits!" (Psalm 103:2)

MaryMartha

See "A Few of My Favorite Things" for Thanksgiving 2008 (here).

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.

All is safely gathered in
'Ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God's own temple, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.


Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the U.S. every year by proclamation of our chief executive. Included in President Barack Obama's speech on November 20 were these words: Today, we recall President George Washington, who proclaimed our first national day of public thanksgiving to be observed "by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God." He also reminded us of Abraham Lincoln who in 1863 established it as an annual observance.

In contrast to the Christmas season, we do not have many Thanksgiving hymns. Given above is one of very few. It expresses deeper meaning as well, that we ourselves are the planting of the Lord. (See Isaiah 61:3)

All the world is God's own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown
Unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear.
Lord of Harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.
--Henry Alford, English scholar and churchman, 1810-1871

May God's heart be made glad during our time of thankfulness!

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

A Thankful Heart

It's too bad that many people stop to give thanks only on the designated Thanksgiving Day—if even then, since many have reduced the occasion to "Turkey Day"! There is now a considerable amount of scientific evidence to support the idea that gratitude has a beneficial effect on our bodies and our minds. According to the research, we'd be happier and probably healthier if we were more grateful! Among the books written on the findings are:

The Psychology of Gratitude (Series in Affective Science), Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough, eds.

Thank You Power: Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You by Deborah Norville

Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons
(Note: I am not familiar with all the writings of these authors, but am aware of their work; I'm neither recommending nor dismissing.)

There are many, many more books— specifically Christian books, journals, volumes of poetry, and inspirational books both "heavy" and light, self-help and popular psychology books, even cookbooks!

Of course, God knew all about the benefits of thankfulness before any of the researchers. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6, 7) "A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones." (Proverbs 15:30) Whoever said we have to wait for someone else to give us a cheerful look or good news? We are able to make our own!

"Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise."
~George Herbert (1593-1633), a Welsh poet, member of
     parliament, and parish priest.

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

But Not Chocolate

Having been almost allergy-free all my life, I was surprised to find that I have now developed several. After eating an immoderate amount of shrimp one weekend, I discovered that I have a reaction to shellfish—nothing life-threatening, but very uncomfortable. Yes, I had experienced a little "blah" feeling from time to time, but had never before connected it to the real culprit.

Likewise nuts, both tree nuts and peanuts. I didn't know one could keep house without peanut butter, but I have discovered that it's possible. Difficult, but possible.

When I began to realize I had some food allergies, I also suspected chocolate. Do you know how much chocolate surrounds our daily lives? When I looked at a Christmas gift catalog and saw all the exotic chocolate gifts, I wanted to cry. That may seem silly, but I am thinking it should be one of the essential food groups. However, it seems not to be causing any trouble—at least in moderation. Do you suppose that's the lesson?

Some of my very favorite foods are going to be off the menu, at least for the time being. But not chocolate! I have to thank God, "who giveth us richly all things to enjoy!" (I Timothy 6:17)

Life is good!

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Things Mama Taught Me: "If You Can't Say Something Nice . . .

You know the rest of the line, I'm sure! We'll say it altogether now, ". . . don't say anything at all." This was good advice for confrontational situations with my siblings, but later in life, I had to learn when to speak up and how to do it.

I sometimes read the online comments that follow news items—but much of the time I don't because so many of them are rude and vitriolic. What is it about anonymity that gives people license to be so intolerant and discourteous? Administrators won't allow obscene comments or threats, but just about anything else goes. I wonder if the writers really feel better after venting or if doing so just enhances their opinion that most other people are idiots, derelicts, or crooks.

And it's not only political and social figures that are blasted. I just finished reading some comparisons of mixes for baked goods. Among many appreciative and helpful comments, some people said:

"(The Such-and-Such goods) suck." [This may be inelegant, but not really as vulgar and offensive as it once was.)

"(Baked goods) are just as easy to make from scratch as they are from a box, and they taste about a thousand times better. Why so lazy, everybody???"

"This is ridiculous . . . poor quality."

"Anybody who has not tried (Such-and-Such brand) has no right to comment on the issue."

Who knew folks could feel so strongly about what we baked? Don't we believe that "nothing says lovin' like something from the oven"?

Many times opinions are merely interesting points of conversation, and as such they shouldn't be allowed to destroy good social interaction. But sometimes we find ourselves in difficult situations concerning things that truly matter, and we need to express an honest opinion even though it is negative in content. Perhaps we have been asked for it, or it becomes our moral duty to speak out. It's right to have our opinion, and sometimes it is right to express it strongly. But if you can't say something nice, find a nice way—a respectful, decent way—to say what must be said. That excludes angry controlling and name-calling and put-downs.

Do read "Don't Try to Force Your Opinion on Others" which is something else Mama taught me. (Click here)
MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Difficulties in Prayer

Does prayer seem more complicated to you now than when you first learned to pray? Why do you suppose that is?

One of the reasons prayer is sometimes so tangled with difficulty for us is that our requests are more complex as we grow older and our lives become more complicated. We may not ask just for daily bread, as Jesus taught His disciples to pray, but something more like, "Lord, you know I need a better job so I can support myself and my family. The price of gas has gone up so high that I need to work not too far from home. And I for sure don't want a boss like Mr. So-and-So at the Such-and-Such place. Oh, that reminds me, there's that problem with my insurance. Make those guys see the reasonableness of my position; my attorney says that I've got a good case, but they are just so stubborn. Speaking of stubbornness, please do something about my –– [kids, spouse, neighbor, trash hauler, or whoever is causing exasperation at the moment]. I've about had it. Oh wow, it's getting late! Wish I had more time to spend with you, Lord, but I've got to run. See ya!" If we're not careful, we can burden prayer with a recitation of our unhappy circumstances!

Another reason for perceived difficulty in prayer is that we simply make it too hard! Without minimizing the seriousness of prayer, we must recognize that we too often approach it as a laborious task! "The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply." Matthew 6:7)

Try this:
"God, here is my situation . . . I know that You care for me and everything that concerns me. I am confident that You'll attend to this, because Your Word says that I don't have to be preoccupied with getting things from You. If I keep the focus of my attention on the gain and glory of Your Kingdom, you will take the initiative to work out my situation. I am not going to be further distracted by this concern but am leaving it in Your hands. Please help me. Is there anything You want me to do to cooperate with Your plan? I am listening . . . "

Were God not the loving and generous Being that He is, He could have just preempted every smaller concern of ours. He might well have chosen to run everything by Himself for Himself. But it's just like Him to take what is His and to share it with us!

"What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!"
--Joseph Scriven, Irish poet, 1819-1886


MaryMartha


Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

From Whom Do All Blessings Flow?

The tax man cometh—again! I received a notice from the IRS a week or so ago, telling me that I owed many more hundreds of dollars on my taxes from two years ago. Off I went with all my paperwork to the tax preparer. He looked at the papers, and was puzzled. He then spent almost an hour on the phone with the IRS office, most of that time "on hold."

While we were waiting, a handyman came in who was lamenting his experience with the scrap metal dealers. "He worked the scale with his foot, I know he did!" he insisted. "But then they paid me twenty-five cents a pound instead of ten for half a ton, so I know that's karma working." (Not a good understanding of the term, but that's what he said; I guess he had to attribute his good fortune to something!)

Back to my taxes: A special worksheet is used for figuring part of my income, so there is a "discrepancy" between what I report and what is reported by the payer. When the tax man had finished talking to the agent and had faxed all the documentation (again!), everything was satisfactory with my return and I do not owe more money—plus interest and a penalty. Our first reaction was thankfulness: "Thank you so much, ma'am; God bless you!" to the agent, and "Praise God!" to the Lord. From Him—not from some force out there determining what I deserve by how I behaved in a previous existence!

MaryMartha

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Things Mama Taught Me: "It Hurts to Be Beautiful"

In my early childhood, I had long hair and a tender scalp. (I wonder, why do the two so often go together?) On Saturday night, my mother would roll all that hair up on rags so that I would have curls when I presented myself in Sunday School the next day. When she brushed my hair in the morning—oh my, how it hurt! I squirmed and whined, but she persisted, assuring me that "It hurts to be beautiful." (Not that any pain I endured seemed to help permanently in that department! Oh well . . . )

What was she really teaching me? That desirable results usually have a price. A few wonderful things are completely free—sunshine, a baby's smile, birdsong, sleep—but most of the things we want cost money, time, effort, or other personal resources.

The same is true of inner realities. Would we have beautiful character? The chances are, it's going to hurt some! That is why the apostles urged believers in the early churches to give attention to their spiritual development. Paul wrote, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." He also said, "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Peter advised, "Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:9, 10; II Peter 1:5-8).

No effort of our own, regardless of positive results, will produce salvation; that is completely the work of Christ. But ongoing growth in spiritual graces requires intentional nurturing. Topsy (in Uncle Tom's Cabin") may have just "growed," but that's not the best way to develop either children or Christian character. It may cost us some healthy pain to be beautiful!

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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E. G. R. People

We all have them—the people around us who are not really toxic and poison the surrounding atmosphere, but those who are just tiresome. There is
Extra Grace Required
when we deal with them. Perhaps they talk too much, or they always interrupt when you're busy, or their requests sound too much like demands. They may have only one topic to discuss: their children, or football, or the stock market, or their diet—whatever you’re not all that interested in. Or they ask about your children and team and investments and diet—things you don't really want to discuss. Maybe they always want a ride somewhere, or they have an annoying habit of pencil-tapping, or they snap the gum they're chewing. You get the idea. Unless you are a hermit and never see another person, you know just who in your life I am talking about. [What a strange picture that brings to my mind! A hermit in a cave who has a computer and reads blogs!]

With our advanced technologies, many photos are retouched so that people and places are not exactly as they appear. We'd be surprised, I'm sure, if we were to meet some celebrities or personally visit some scenes; they would be so different! In day-to-day contact all the "warts" of our fellow-humans' personalization are clearly visible.
Extra Grace Required
to get along with them!

Most of the references to grace in the New Testament are to the grace of God, the grace of Christ Jesus, and the Spirit of grace. A few places remind us that we also are to extend grace. "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold [varied, many-sided] grace of God." (Ephesians 4:29; I Peter 4:6 NASB)

Certainly, when Christ called each of us to follow Him, there was
Extra Grace Required
that had already been freely given! Let's pass it on!

MaryMartha

Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible, used by permission of The Lockman Foundation, www.lockman.org

Covered by Feathers

Occasionally I spend the night in the home of one of my family members. Covering the bed in which I sleep is a huge down comforter. This keeps me warm, of course, but it offers more than that: Comfort. It is, after all, a "comforter." There is something about the smooth softness of that comforter when I pull it up over my shoulders and even over part of my head—with only my face peeping out—that offers a sense of security and encourages my rest.

"He [the Almighty God] will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. (Psalm 91:4-6) That is a strange picture, God with feathered wings. But since God is a spirit and our connection with Him is in spirit, this picture of Him is as true as any other we can imagine. When I think of God as a great hovering, protecting, concealing Presence in my life, it's not a stretch to visualize being under His wings.

I remember reading, many years ago, the story of a young woman who experienced a literal covering. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of my recall, nor even for the truth of the story itself, although it was presented as fact. As this woman approached her car in a dark, almost-deserted parking area, she was grabbed by a man who had been hiding there. She was not able to see her attacker, but recalling the above Scripture about God's protection, she began to shriek, "I'm covered with feathers! I'm covered with feathers!"

The man loosened his grip on her. "Be quiet!" he demanded.

She screamed all the louder. "I'm covered with feathers! I'm covered with feathers!"

Fearing he had inadvertently taken on a real "looney," the man released her and ran off.

The truth is real whether or not the incident is. God is our security, a comfort we can wrap ourselves in time of stress or need.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/ and www.wpclipart.com

Remembering

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
-- Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian
physician, after witnessing the death of his soldier-friend the day before.

This is Veterans' Day in the U.S., and Remembrance Day in the countries of the United Kingdom. First observed as Armistice Day and still called that in many countries, it commemorated the symbolic end of World War I on November 11, 1918, with the signing of the armistice between the Allies and Germany. In Belgium, part of the Flanders Fields region, it is known as The Day of Peace. For us, it has become the day to honor all, both the living and the dead, who have served in our country's armed forces during any conflict.

As elementary school students, we read "In Flanders Field," and while war was a difficult and faraway concept for us to grasp, we had a great deal of respect for those who were keeping our country free and safe. Because we lived in a rural area, there were no veterans standing on street corners to give out artificial red poppies in return for a donation to benefit their disabled buddies. Instead, we took the crepe paper poppies home to our parents and brought the dollars and dimes back to school for "the soldier boys." Patriotism, during those times, was an honorable thing.

Though we are in difficult times, I am not so wearied and disillusioned that I can forget what it has cost other men and women to keep my little world free and safe. I am grateful.

Read the 2008 post, "I Will Remember" [here].

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Things Mama Taught Me: "Whistling Girls and Crowing Hens . . . "

Imagine Adam's surprise when he discovered that he could make a shrill, though not unpleasant, sound if he held his mouth just right and blew! He must have been as delighted as youngsters are nowadays when they acquire this new noise-making ability!

Did Eve come running and say, "Oh Adam, teach me how to do that too!" She may have. She didn't have a mother telling her, "Whistling girls and crowing hens always come to some bad ends"! I had such a mother, and I suppose she had such a one too, because these ideas tend to get passed from one generation to the next. I think it had to do with keeping little girls girl-like. (Whatever that means.)

This was the same Mama who could summon boys from their baseball game in the pasture with an ear-splitting whistle she produced by placing her thumb and forefinger to her lips. It never occurred to me to question why this was acceptable and my merry whistling was not. Because it was useful rather than frivolous? Because she was already grownup and wouldn't be harmed by doing something "boyish"? Simply because she was the Mama?

The popular American essayist, Charles Dudley Warner (1829-1900), wrote that this is one of many proverbs which we accept without questioning and vaguely respect as the wisdom of our ancestors! It probably has a Puritan origin, he says, speaking as one of Puritan descent. "Very likely the musty saying [is] the product of the average ignorance of an unenlightened time, and ought not to have the respect of a scientific and traveled people." He goes on to say that a crowing hen was not an object of derision, but was instead one of interest and distinction. The owner was proud of her accomplishment and eager to point her out to visitors, especially if she also could produce eggs. A hen that could lay and crow was indeed a rare bird! "Thus the crowing hen was of more value than the silent hen, provided she crowed with discretion, and she was likely to be a favorite and not at all to come to some bad end."

And the whistling girl does not ordinarily come to a bad end either. As a matter of fact, she has an advantage over some others: She can whistle to keep up her courage! Anna, in "The King and I" sings, "Whenever I feel afraid, I hold my head erect and whistle a happy tune so no one will suspect I'm afraid . . . The result of this deception is very strange to tell, for when I fool the people I fear, I fool myself as well!" (Oscar Hammerstein II) While whistling and other self-confidence boosters can never take the place of trusting God, there is something to be said in favor of a positive outlook.

Thus the whistling girl is of at-least-equal value to the silent girl, provided she whistles with discretion, and she is likely to be a favorite and not at all to come to some bad end!

MaryMartha

"The Whistling Girl" essay from http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/17695/

The music is an image included with the poem "Whistling Sam" found in The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar, published 1913; the source is The Gutenberg Project. Ah, could the Sam possibly be Samantha?

Time Enough

Do you sometimes feel that your days are chopped up into tiny little pieces? All the things that call for your attention may make you feel as though you are being pulled in a great many directions all at once.

Perhaps there are many small—but urgent—tasks at work so that you cannot give your best energy to the one thing that requires special concentration. At home, there seem always to be interruptions that take you away from what you had planned and perhaps desperately need to do. Maybe there is in your life a friend or family member who, for the hundredth time, demands your immediate response. Some of our days just refuse to flow with easy grace. They unravel around the edges and get ragged. We try to stitch them together, but the seams show.


"I don't have time for that," we lament. "If I just had more time . . ." The truth is—and we've heard it often—we all have the same amount of time. Sixty minutes in an hour, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. That is enough, although we often feel the pressure that comes from trying to wring something extra out of our allotment. The Irish have a wise old saying: "When God made time, He made plenty of it." That echoes what was said by the wisest man ever. "Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble." (Ecclesiastes 8:5, 6) The time we have is enough, or else we shall have to accuse God of cheating us out of something we need!

God created time. He rolled eternity up on one side and everlasting up on the other, and into the chasm between the two, He dropped time. He placed us in it, limiting what we know and what we can accomplish to just that little span of our lifetimes. We feel so strong about our limitations, however, that we sometimes see time as an enemy. It has changed the way we feel about some people, or how they feel about us. It has taken its toll on our health or on that of someone we care about. Time has robbed us, we think, of opportunities that are now lost. Time has just about worn us out with waiting for some things to become what we have hoped for; it has made impossible the changing of some things that are into what we wish they were. Time sometimes seems like an inexorable foe, marching relentlessly on us.

But time is the stuff that life is made of, and life is a gift, measured out to us one "now" at a time. God can help us be wise, so that we will find a time and a way to do what is right!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

There's Music in the Air!

Do you remember Pythagoras? Hint: You met him in high school geometry class. He was the ancient mathematician who came up with the theorem we were required to learn: "The sum of the areas of the two squares on the legs (a and b) of a right triangle equals the area of the square on the hypotenuse (c). A2 + B2 = C2" He is credited with something else as well, although we are not as familiar with it. He originated the concept of "the music of the spheres," stemming from his semi-mathematical, semi-religious philosophy. According to his theory, the movements of the planets and other heavenly bodies create beautiful harmony, although inaudible to human ears. In other words, music.

An experiment by composer Greg Fox in 2006 gave added credibility to this idea. Fox knew that when sound waves are doubled or halved in frequency, the resulting pitch is perfectly tuned to the original. Through very large octave shifts to any periodic cycle, such as the orbits of celestial bodies, the sound can be made audible. Fox halved and halved and halved the waves many times, until he could find the "pitch" of each planet orbiting the sun—that is, the pitch after it had been raised somewhere around forty octaves! Apparently, the hymn writer Maltbie D. Babcock believed the Pythagorean theory too when around 1900 he wrote, "This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears, all nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres." It would appear he was more than just poetically correct. There is indeed "music in the air"!

I'm sure that God invented music! In the early days of creation, He made music. Even before there were humans to need it to "soothe the savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak," there was music. "On what were [the earth's] footings set," God asked Job, "or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" (Job 38:6, 7) Few of the older classic commentaries consider the possibility that the stars literally sang. "It must mean angels," the writers say. I think it probably means just what it says: The stars sang in joyful recognition of the awesome work God had created!

God invented music, and He Himself is still singing. If you listen with your spirit , sometimes you can hear Him. "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

And finally, someday there is going to be some music the like of which has never been heard on earth!

There is singing up in heaven such as we have never known,
Where the angels sing the praises of the Lamb upon the throne,
Their sweet harps are ever tuneful, and their voices always clear,
O that we might be more like them while we serve the Master here!

Refrain:
Holy, holy, is what the angels sing,
And I expect to help them make the courts of heaven ring;
But when I sing redemption's story, they will fold their wings,
For angels never felt the joys that our salvation brings.

But I hear another anthem, blending voices clear and strong,
"Unto Him Who hath redeemed us and hath bought us," is the song;
We have come through tribulation to this land so fair and bright,
In the fountain freely flowing He hath made our garments white.

Then the angels stand and listen, for they cannot join the song,
Like the sound of many waters, by that happy, blood washed throng,
For they sing about great trials, battles fought and vict'ries won,
And they praise their great Redeemer, Who hath said to them, "Well done."

So, although I'm not an angel, yet I know that over there
I will join a blessed chorus that the angels cannot share;
I will sing about my Savior, Who upon dark Calvary
Freely pardoned my transgressions, died to set a sinner free.

Refrain:
Holy, holy, is what the angels sing,
And I expect to help them make the courts of heaven ring;
But when I sing redemption's story, they will fold their wings,
For angels never felt the joys that our salvation brings.

-- Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1894

MaryMartha

-- Info on Fox's work from http://homepages.tesco.net/gregskius/carmen.html

-- Music from "The Golden Book of Favorite Songs: A Treasury of the Best Songs of Our People" 1915 Hall & McCreary Co, Chicago

-- "Music hath charms" quote by William Congreve (1670–1729)
-- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Heigh-Ho! Heigh-Ho!

I'd intended to write a convincing article about the work ethic, quoting "It's off to work we go," from Walt Disney's wildly popular movie rendition of the story, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." I'm not so sure it's working out that way!

I didn't know anything about Snow White until I was old enough to read the fairy tale for myself. Although I never saw the movie, I sometimes heard people singing, "Heigh ho! Heigh ho! It's off to work we go!"

So before writing this post, I decided to do a little background work. I borrowed a CD from the library, a remastering of the original soundtrack, but sounds from decades ago being what they are, it's hard to tell if the dwarfs really are singing "It's off to work we go." At the end of the song, they're definitely singing, "It's home from work we go!" (Of course, if you're a working mom, it's off to work I go--and home to work I go!) The little people sang about digging in the mines for diamonds by the score, "but we don't know what we're digging for." And that's the situation in which a great many working people find themselves today.

I have known several people who considered work a necessary evil, a part of the curse that was dealt to Adam for his part in disobedience against God. I don't believe that is what the Genesis story tells us. Adam and Eve tended the garden and took responsibility for the animals (e.g. worked) when they were still in their perfect sinless environment. It was part of the initial Plan. The penalty for Adam was that the earth would be productive only through difficulty, which means for many a grinding job that they hate but must maintain in order to make a living.

"Do what you love and the money will follow," is a lovely thought, but it doesn't happen for everyone; simply following one's passion does not necessarily provide an adequate income. (That's why we have the term "starving artists"!) In reality, some have found success in the thing that they love only by very hard (smart) work, perseverance, creating or supplying something that others value, and maybe a touch of serendipitous good. Many other folks just have to find a way to love what they do, or at least make peace with it while it provides them with a living so that they can do what they love on the side!

The Bible does encourage workers to keep in mind our real motivation. "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ." (Colossians 3:23, 24 NLT)

MaryMartha

Note: In case you're interested, a Blu-ray version of the movie was released just last month. So if you are not into non-stop football on Thanksgiving Day . . .

Scripture quotation taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

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Things Mama Taught Me: Why? "Because I Said So"

I'm not sure every parent or child advocate would agree that "Because I told you so," is a fitting answer when a child asks why. Surely they must recognize, though, that a whiny "why" because he/she does not want to cooperate is far different from "Why is the moon moving with us?" or "Why did Grandpa die?" These deserve the most thoughtful answers we can give. But breathes there a parent who has not replied to the seventeenth complaining "But why," with an exasperated, "Because I said so!"

My parents did not say this often, but when they did, I knew we had reached the end of the discussion. I would have to accept quietly the possibility that they knew what was good for me more clearly than I did. I might not agree, but I could not argue; the decision was not negotiable. This is one of the ways in which I learned that there existed authority to which I must defer, whether or not I understood or agreed.

There are rules that define our civic duty as well. One must stop at red lights, even if no one is approaching. You may not keep more than two dogs at your residence (in my city). Without my permission, other people must not take things out of my mailbox. Why? Because the authorities said so—and with good reason. We might not understand or agree, but we comply.

God has some rules too. Some of them He has explained clearly; others may not be so plain initially—although often we can see the wisdom of His commands when we are more mature as Christians. He does not bludgeon us with "Because I said so." Nevertheless, we sometimes have to accept what He has said without having discussion about it. "Thou shalt not kill." Thou shalt not commit adultery." "Thou shalt not steal." What is there not to understand?

"Rejoice in the Lord always." "Never stop praying." "Be kind to one another, forgiving each other." What difference does it make whether or not I keep these "rules"? Just why should I keep them?

Because He said so. He knows what is good for me more clearly than I do. I may not agree, but it doesn't help to argue. End of discussion.

MaryMartha

Perhaps you'll want to read or re-read, "It Doesn't Mean Me" [here]

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

The Seed Is the Word of God

We read in Mark's gospel a story that Jesus told:

"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams." (Mark 4:3-8 MSG)

When they were off by themselves, those who were close to Jesus asked Him about the story. He explained that the seed is the Word of God, intended for fruitful planting in human hearts, but that not all of it produced a good harvest. If we too could ask our Lord Who sows the seed what His stories mean, our question might be, "As these still the hearts of people today, and the different ways that they receive truth?"

What would the Lord of Harvest say in reply?

Perhaps He would agree, "Yes, these are the hearts of people and their responses. But not always other people and not always different hearts. It is much more personal than that! I want to talk with you about your heart, and about your response which differs from time to time."

"Sometimes," He might say to us, "I sow the seed, my Word, upon your heart and it is like the seed which fell upon the travel-worn path and was devoured by the birds. You see, you hesitate at times to ask Me what I think about certain things. You may even draw back a bit from getting too close to Me, because you vaguely know that the truth I am casting your way is very close and personal. The enemy is always there when I talk to you, and if you do not quickly receive what I have to say, he snatches it away just like the birds that came and ate the seed the farmer planted. No, this seed falling by the wayside is not the harsh rejection of a calloused world. It can be your heart if you are not really ready to receive what I am saying to you."

And what about the stony ground?

"The stony ground too," the Lord might explain, "is sometimes what you offer me. Hearing my Word, you immediately receive it with gladness. I rejoice to see your eagerness to please Me, your willingness to do anything I ask. But you have no root! You endure only for a time, and then, when temptation comes or hardship arises from your obedience or others question it, you are offended. You welcome the truth in its seed state, but then you resist its growth and development! The maturing of truth is demanding, and sometimes I see with disappointment that you are not quite willing for that much stretching. Yes, the stony ground can be your heart.

And the ground full of weeds?

The Lord might have to say, "Some of My Word falls where thistles grow. When I see truth flourishing in your life, I am glad! But then I see other things crowding in. You involve yourself in too many things to do. You get too busy. The desire for communion with Me is dulled by other interests. Sometimes mere temporal things deceive you, and what should be only a part of your concern becomes disproportionately large. The patch of weeds is not the wandering prodigal with no use for God. It can be your heart, choked off from Me and unfruitful because it is bound by all the things that are not captured by My love."

Of course, wouldn't each of us respond, "Lord, I want my heart to be good, productive ground!"

Perhaps then the Lord's reply would be, "To be good ground, do this:

-- Hear the Word I give you. Do not let yourself be closed so that what I say is taken away from you; then your heart will not be like the hardened ground.

-- Receive My Word. Take it to yourself without reservation, and obey Me with all your heart continually. Do not fear it, but purposely nourish it; then your heart will not be as the stony gourd.

-- Guard my Word jealously, for many things will seek to crowd and push against it. Maintain a oneness of purpose. Then your heart will not be as the thorny ground.

"Let your heart by listening and receptive and obedient! Then there will be fruit, for where I find such ground, I grow a huge harvest, exceeding your wildest dreams!"


MaryMartha

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

(Edit 11/12/09: I replaced the two clips previously shown on this page.)

Art from http://www.biblepicturegallery.com/free/ and http://www.sxc.hu/

Just a Tiny Crack

The other day I reached into the cupboard for a bottle of syrup that I hadn't used in quite awhile. Something dark was floating on the surface of the syrup, and I thought "Uh-oh, I have let this get moldy."   No, it didn't look like mold. I looked closer. And closer. I went nearer the window to have better light.    And I saw—ants! Hundreds of them.  They weren't alive any more; they had drowned  in the very stuff that attracted them. How did they get there? The lid seemed to be screwed on  tightly, so how.  .  .   ?

Well, I discovered a tiny crack in the lip of the lid. Probably I hadn't even noticed it before, or if I had, I thought it wasn't significant. Just a tiny crack, but it was large enough for invaders to spoil my supply of syrup and to meet death in a swamp of sweetness.

It's best if we don't ignore little problems! I read somewhere that even huge catastrophes are often not the result of a single action, but the combination of many little things, perhaps even unrelated, that went wrong
"Go to the ant . . . consider her ways and be wise!" (The Bible) 

Another post about "invaders" is [here]

MaryMartha

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How to Tell a Friend

Six little mice sat down to spin.
Kitty passed by, and she peeped in.

"What are you doing, my little men?"

We're making coats for gentlemen."




"May I come in and cut off the threads?"

"No, no, Miss Kitty! You'd bite off our heads!"




"Oh no, I won't. I'll help you spin."

"That may be so, but you can't come in!"



-- from Mother Goose

That was my public speaking debut when I was age four! The occasion was the last-day-of-school program and picnic, held at the one-room rural schoolhouse which I later attended, from the first grade through the eighth.

Those were very smart little mice. They knew that not everyone who passes by is your friend. So how do you know who really is?

Here are just a few of the ways that you can tell a friend.

* A friend gives himself/herself. "There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13 NLT) There are many ways other than dying that friends lay down their lives—in time, resources, energy. The famous friendship in the Bible illustrates this. Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

* A friend tells the truth. "An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship." (Proverbs 24:26 NLT)

* A friend is faithful. "A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need . . . There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 17:17; 18:24 NLT) "If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble . . A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:10, 12 MSG)

* A friend is trustworthy. "Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!" (Proverbs 25:13 MSG)

* A friend gives good (if any) advice. "Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket . . . The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. (Proverbs 25:11; 27:9 NLT)

About Miss Kitty as a friend? No, I don't think so. Not everyone who wants to befriend you is going to be worthy of being called a friend. Friends don't use you for their own agenda. Friends don't lie. They don't desert you when things are tough. Friends are reliable. They don't pretend to have the answers all the time, but they're willing to share any wisdom they have.

"A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." (Proverbs 12:26 NKJV) It pays to be cautious.

Like the six little mice.

MaryMartha

A related story: You Knew I Was a Snake [here]

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture marked NKJV taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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