Finding the Faith Way

Not Wanted

2011-10-22T18:16:00.000-05:00

My heart sank as I listened one afternoon this week to an NPR report about girls in a district of India who were given Hindi names meaning “unwanted.” How sad to spend your childhood years being called a name which tells everyone, “Because I’m a girl, I’m not acceptable. My family let me live, but they did not want me.” Today, however, two hundred eight-five of those girls, in a special re-naming ceremony, chose new names for themselves. They chose the names of stars in the Hindi film industry or goddesses or traditional names with happy meanings like prosperous, beautiful, and good.

That reminds me of Scripture in the Bible which describes the land of Israel. “You'll get a brand-new name straight from the mouth of God. You'll be a stunning crown in the palm of God's hand, a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God. No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You'll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), because God delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration. (Isaiah 62:2-4) Names described the deplorable condition of the land and the people, but as they turned back to God, He gave them new names which honored them.

Present-day individuals, too, are tagged with undesirable names. Have you ever heard of someone named “Nerd” or “Wimp” or “Dumbo” or “Loser”? We may even name ourselves: “Victim,” “Failure,” or “Stupid.” Those are unhappy appellations to live with, and before long one begins to believe that they must be true. God has a different way of naming; we are wanted by Him, even chosen to be His beloved. Take the new name He offers!

Mary/Martha

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

The Real World

2011-10-02T12:53:00.001-05:00

I ran across a book the other day which argued for the possibility that our existence here is an illusion. It may indeed be real, but on the other hand, why couldn’t it be someone’s dream? Maybe it’s merely a computerized parallel world; that was the premise of the TV program “The Matrix” wherein the reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality created by sentient machines. I even was once acquainted with a person who wondered aloud if we might, at the end of all things, find that our life and the world as we know it are merely our own or someone else’s imagination.

I don’t accept this view, but even it were true, I would go on with my life as it is. I have found the way to live! God is my source, my cause, and my loving friend . Why would I trouble myself to wonder whether there could be any other explanation?

I shared my musings with a friend, and she said, “The unseen world is becoming more real to me than the world around me.” Exactly.

MaryMartha

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

A Matter of Taste

2011-09-21T19:40:00.000-05:00

My friend’s husband is a farmer-type person and a huge fan of auctions, antique farm machinery, and all things John Deere. His wife is part of the professional community, and her tastes happen to run along other lines. The man complained to his buddy, “I don’t know how to get my wife to like tractors.”

The short answer, my friend, is, “You can’t.” You may expose her to the countless green behemoths you love and she may admire them for your sake, but you cannot make her as fond of them as you are!

It’s that way with a lot of things. Personal tastes sometimes coexist uncomfortably—even in church. If you have been attending church for many years, and if your place of worship is anything like mine, you may have noticed some changes in the last few years. Maybe the music is different; it’s faster and louder. And you don’t even use the hymn books nowadays; the words are projected up on those big glaring screens. Perhaps some of the leaders are not the people (usually men) who held those positions earlier for ten, twenty, thirty years. There may not be a library any more, or a choir. The Sunday evening service may have disappeared, and the nursery has taken over what used to be classroom space. And let’s not talk about what people wear now! Where has my church gone anyway?

It has not gone far away. It is just wearing a different fashion. My church, and perhaps yours, has a younger congregation than it used to have or it would like to attract a younger crowd. That group probably doesn’t want to sing “Rock of Ages” with their noses in a book, and in many congregations those twenty- and thirty- and even forty-year-olds outnumber those who would be quite comfortable doing just that! They would rather hear guitars and drums than a choir and they don’t even own a Sunday suit.

And if you are one of that crowd, I personally am glad for younger and stronger folks to take on the responsibilities and sheer hard work of serving God through the church. What doesn’t make sense is for an older group to insist—even in their own minds—“but I want you to do it this way. Sing this music, emphasize these ministries, and use these leaders.”

Church people’s tastes are not the same, just like green tractors don’t hold appeal for everyone. That does not mean someone has to be wrong.

MaryMartha

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

2011-09-11T18:34:00.006-05:00

9/11

A solemn day,

A day for remembering

Cross at Ground Zero

although we can't forget.

Not afraid, only sad
That life was crushed,

hope forever changed.

Proud too. Proud that sacrifice
and heroism won
O’er evil intent and hate.

And even when no duty called,
Some loved neighbor more
than they loved themselves.

Fountains flow with tears that never dry,
Trees reach up their hands into the sky.
Twin lights pierce heaven, a prayer and a sigh.

A cross of beams, a tattered flag,

remind us of our call.

We still believe.

MaryMartha

Art from http:www.sxc/hu.com

Labor Day

2011-09-05T13:54:00.000-05:00

This is Labor Day in the U.S., observed with a Monday holiday, making a welcome three-day weekend for working people.

There are some people who believe work is part of the curse laid on mankind for Adam’s part in disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden. They don’t like the fact that we have to work; it is bad. But there’s good evidence against this.

If you think about the “bad” things that are personally carried out, you come to the conclusion that they’re done by people when they are not working, at least, not working honestly. The death rate for people who stop doing anything productive, particularly after early retirement, is alarming. Work is a good thing!

Work was invented by God. Adam and Eve tended the Garden He had planted, and took some responsibility for the animals; that is, they worked. This was while they were still in their perfect sinless environment, not as a result of sin. It was part of God’s plan. God did not curse Adam, but the ground itself so that it would be productive only through difficulty. Most of us no longer make our living directly from the earth; by extension, this hardship means, for many, keeping a distasteful job that they hate but have to maintain.

This would be a good day to thank God for inventing work as a way to guard and guide us. It would be a good day for gratitude if you have a job. It would be a good day to pray for the unemployed who would labor if they could.

MaryMartha

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

The Happiness of Pursuit

2011-09-02T16:01:00.001-05:00

Many of us long ago attended some class in civics or American government and learned that Thomas Jefferson penned a statement in the Declaration of Independence which has since become famous. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Note that this document does not guarantee to this country’s citizens their personal happiness, but only recognizes that we have the right to pursue it.

Many people have geared their whole life toward attaining happiness. It is elusive, particularly when that is what a person is seeking. It tends, rather than the end of one’s search, to be the by-product of some other mind-set. It follows after purpose, creativity, self-giving, achievement, and similar outgoing activities.

The other day I came across a book titled, The Happiness of Pursuit. Ah, I thought, that is it. Instead of a search centered on one’s own satisfaction, happiness comes to us while we pursue a better goal. While there are numerous things the Bible tells us to seek, it specifically mentions one goal worthy of our pursuit. “Seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14, and quoted by the apostle in I Peter 3:11)

If we would be happy, it’s the journey that counts!

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/

It Takes a While

2011-08-31T19:00:00.000-05:00

The same child, now all grown up, who routinely asked me to stop a block away when I drove her to school so that she wouldn’t be seen with me, told me the other day, “Mom, I’m proud of you.” She named several of my achievements: returning to school, working two jobs when necessary, and parenting her as a single mom. She compared me to some adults she knows who are not doing much of anything, and said again that she was proud of me.

If you’re parenting an ungrateful child—most of them are during some portion of their years—just be patient. I thought maybe the thanks would never come at all.

Sometimes it takes a while.

MaryMartha

Art: http:www.sxc.hu/

Please Help Me

2011-08-24T19:04:00.000-05:00

I told a friend that I had pleaded with God for help on a pressing issue, and her reply was, “You don’t need to beg God.”

That’s true, and I know I don’t. He is not like the judge in the Bible parable who initially refused to help a poor widow. He was unmerciful, but she wore him down with her continued begging until finally he relented. God is ready to hear. In fact, before they [God’s people] call, I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24)

There may be another aspect to examine. While we do not convince God to hear us by our earnest praying, we ourselves may profit from the exercise of our spiritual muscles. During a time of extreme financial stress, I prayed intensely, “Please give me a miracle or a workable plan. Please! Please!” I learned then to wait until it was God’s time, and the “door” swung open easily. Had I not been so desperate, had I prayed more casually, perhaps I would not have been so expectant, failing to recognize that God was at work engineering the answer that eventually filled the need so well.

I know a couple who had a wayward son. They could have sat in their easy chairs and prayed, “Help Jimmy come back to Your way.” But at one particularly crucial point, they lay on the floor, sobbing, “Oh God! Keep Jimmy! Oh God! Help Jimmy!” God hears the lowest whisper, but their own brokenness made them know they had touched God for their child.

“Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” Isaiah 59:1

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.

Water for the Thirsty

2011-08-19T15:19:00.001-05:00

Kansas has had an exceptionally hot and dry summer. Where I live, we entered the season with a rain deficit from early spring, and had almost no rain in July. I tried to water the plantings next to the house enough to stay green, but I had a “KFC” lawn—extra-crispy.

We finally had some rain about a week ago. I was so excited and grateful, I opened the window and let it blow in on my face! Even with that limited moisture, the grass greened up and began to look alive again. The birds and squirrels whose ready access to water had been limited to the little pool I provided for them, drank from rivers flowing in the gutters. (Although that didn’t last long!)

I am reminded how vital water is, and how much I use it. Fortunately, our City has adequate sources of suitable water, and our use was not curtailed except voluntarily. I try not to waste it carelessly though, recognizing that over a billion people throughout the world lack access to clean water in sufficient supply. (U.S. Center for Disease Control)

When I think of our need for water, I think too of the Water of Life. It is always in abundant supply. Jesus promised, “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” (Revelation 21:6 NLT) There is a thirst in the human heart that He is ready to quench, and that only He can!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NLT 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.

What's Important

2011-08-15T19:45:00.002-05:00

All of us, perhaps, have an idea or two which we hold especially dear and just cannot understand why other people are so obtuse that they can’t accept. It’s plain enough, maybe even a belief we find written in Scripture, but they just don’t get it. Regardless of our persuasive arguments, in spite of our careful reasoning, they remain unconvinced.

Notice that Jesus did not say, “By this everyone will know you are my disciples, by your correct doctrine . . . by impeccable lifestyle . . . by your years of Christian experience.” Instead, He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 NIV) If my speaking sounded like the voices of angels, if I understood all the mysteries surrounding the ways of God, even if I knew everything there is to know, but I did not demonstrate love, it would be as useless and irritating as the smoke detector in your kitchen, gone haywire. (I’m paraphrasing I Corinthians 13.)

“While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.” (I Corinthians 8:1 NLT) Is it really so important that we all appreciate the same music in church? Or that everyone is baptized in the same way? Or that we all use or do not use the latest technology in our worship services?

L - O - V - E

Not nearly as important as letting people know they are loved.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NIV is 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. Scripture quotation marked NLT 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

Breath of Life

2011-08-12T15:09:00.005-05:00

A dear friend and co-worker died last week. She was gone from work just a few days—and then she was gone from this life. She was not even retirement age yet, so she did not get to enjoy “the golden years” that we hear so much about. A wife, mother, and grandmother, friend of many, a cheerful public servant—she leaves a large empty place in many people’s lives.

Not allergic to dandelions!

“Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:14) Our lives are not inconsequential, of no more value than a bit of mist, but this verse expresses how brief and uncertain life is. Breathing is something we do not think much about, and I have always taken it for granted. Earlier this summer, I had some anxious days and nights when I had significant shortness of breath, a symptom I’ve never experienced. The doctor checked me over and assured me it was common for folks with allergies, but these are new to me. An antihistamine brings almost immediate relief.

I have a new gratitude for the breath of life, and new compassion for people whose breathing is always a struggle. When I take a deep breath and it fills my lungs completely, I now say, “Thank You, Lord.” Life and breath are a gift from Him.

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.

Who Will Be King?

2011-08-08T20:35:00.003-05:00

Buckingham Palace

When the royal wedding between Prince William and Katherine took place last spring, some interesting thoughts occurred to me about inheriting the throne. Using the common names by which we know them rather than their formal names, the succession is this:

1. Queen Elizabeth, presently reigning

2. Elizabeth’s oldest son with Philip, Charles,

3. Charles’ oldest son with Diana, William,

4. William’s oldest son, then younger sons; otherwise oldest daughter, then younger daughters. BUT if no heirs are born, Henry (“Harry”) if still living or his oldest son could succeed his brother.

The point that most interested me was who got left out by the sheer accident of birth order. Elizabeth had a younger sister Margaret, now deceased, but her son is presently fourteenth in the line of succession and will soon be pushed further down by the arrival of heirs born to the eldest child of the eldest child of the eldest child, and so on. Elizabeth has two other sons, and Charles and Diana had another son, “Harry.” These men have less claim to the throne than the younger sons that William might have. Furthermore, no matter how many people might prefer William over Charles as their sovereign, that is not how it works! After Elizabeth, Charles will be king, unless he precedes the Queen in death or he chooses not to serve. There is no official list of those who are line to succeed, but researchers suggest that there are several thousand people potentially in line for the throne! It’s not going to happen!

No amount of wishing it were different is going to change this order which has been established by descent and by law. How wonderful it is then that entering the royal family of Heaven’s King is a simple matter of choice! “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5, 6)

No one is left out of the royal lineage, all are welcome to join in succeeding to the throne! “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (The Christ in Revelation 3:21)

Amazing!

Mary Martha

Easter Tradition

2011-04-25T16:51:00.000-05:00

I found Easter this year especially meaningful as I participated in the worship of a couple churches other than my own and encountered new ways to observe the season.

On Maundy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper, I attended a service reminding us of Jesus' humbly washing the disciples' feet. I grew up in a foot-washing church, but was really too young then to find it very significant. Since then I have taken part in only one such service. Many people now are uncomfortable with the custom and most churches no longer practice it. The church I attended Thursday washes one another's hands. The worship assistants poured water from a pitcher over each one's hands into a bowl, and then another person carefully and tenderly dried them with a white towel.

My first thought was “What? Washing hands is not the same as washing feet at all!” But of course, it is. We no longer wear sandals along dusty footpaths and need to wash our feet when we enter a home. Washing hands is probably as appropriate for today as washing feet was in Jesus' time. I found it a moving experience and a very fitting remembrance of Jesus' passion and death.

On Good Friday, I participated in another church's “Stations of the Cross.” A very large cross had been constructed of beams and rope. One of the men carried it as the little group moved from one place to another in the neighborhood. First a little park, then the school playground, then the corner grocery store, then other places in the immediate vicinity—seven in all, with the last one in the sanctuary. At each station, someone from a specific church ministry (youth fellowship, evangelism committee, men's group, and so on) read a passage from the crucifixion story and an appropriate prayer, then another person led in prayer for that part of the community (the children, the businesses, etc.) This too was a different sort of reminder that the the truth of Jesus' sacrifice is for everyone, not just the Church.

Most of my life, I have observed Easter in the customary ways: a new dress, the Easter cantata, an egg hunt and candy for the kids, and ham dinner. This year was different, and very meaningful.

MaryMartha

Art from http://lavistachurchofchrist.org and http://www.sxc. hu/

Speak with Grace

2011-04-04T19:06:00.000-05:00

In the dentist's chair this afternoon, I was forced to endure an almost non-stop conversation by the patient in the adjoining area. I don't know how the hygienist worked with him, for his mouth was constantly open—but only very briefly for her instruments! His talk was 'way too loud, so that the whole office had to listen, and it wasn't even interesting! It was all about him: his expertise, his education, his job, his travel, his know-how on a computer. Employees had to speak more loudly than usual too, because they had to compete with the barrage from the second room

When I left, I thought how pointed an example that was of not speaking with grace. “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:16) One version explains that the salt idea means bringing out the best in everyone. Gracious speech is not overbearing, self-centered, and thoughtless of others.

My visit to the dentist meant a healthy mouth and a reminder to have “healthy” speech!

MaryMartha

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

Supply for My Need

2011-03-30T17:47:00.001-05:00

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV) We love to quote this verse, because it assures us that God will take care of us. But something that I had never noticed before: The promise is in the future tense! That tells me that some things I need and ask for may come later rather than sooner.

Besides, sometimes I have to feel a need keenly so that I will recognize and appreciate the gift when it comes!

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

I Just Came to Talk with You

2011-03-26T14:54:00.001-05:00

A friend called me a few weeks ago to suggest that we have lunch one day soon. Yesterday was the day, and we met for a pleasant brunch. I expected that she needed something. She might want me to listen as she vented about something that had upset her. (I say, “Well, maybe this or this was the reason.) She might want to borrow money, my tools, or the car. (I always say no, but she still tries!) She might want advice about something. (I say, “You could try such-and-such.) To my surprise and delight, she didn't ask me for anything, even when I questioned her about her agenda. She just came to talk with me. How refreshing!

I wonder if God finds it refreshing when we come to Him without a “gimme” agenda, when we don't whine or beg or ask about anything. He won't be surprised, of course, but maybe delighted? The late Dottie Rambo, gospel song writer and singer, said, “I didn't come here to ask You for anything. I just came to talk with You, Lord.” How refreshing for Him—and for us!

MaryMartha

“I Feel” ≠ “I Am”

2011-03-18T14:05:00.001-05:00

"You talkin' to me?"

On Monday morning after the weekend change to Daylight Saving Time, I felt like not going to work. I felt that I had not rested enough. I felt cross, grumpy, out of sorts.

I told myself, “But you do not have to act out what you feel. You do not have to think, 'I am cross, I am grumpy, I am out of sorts!' “ And you know what? After another cup of coffee and telling my co-workers good morning with our accustomed cheer, I didn't feel so cross and grumpy and out of sorts.

Lesson learned: I do not have to give to my feelings the authority to regulate what I am!

MaryMartha

Green Babies

2011-03-16T16:46:00.000-05:00

I cannot remember that I have ever before planted seeds rather than buying young plants—not since I received the kids' one-cent packet from the Henry Field Seed Company when my parents placed their order each spring. How excited I was with my assortment of seeds! My brothers and I each sorted our personal bounty carefully: peas, beans, carrots, radishes, corn. We planted them in short little rows, watered, weeded and watched until they had produced a harvest.

I lost to the extreme winter weather the ground cover seeds I had planted last summer, so I decided to begin early with seed-starter kits by a sunny window inside. Little peat pellets which expanded when I added water were the medium in which I deposited the tiny

, tiny little seeds. I placed a plastic dome over the top of each tray to hold in the moisture, and in five days little sprouts were pushing up their leaves! I can't really be proud, since it is God that makes things grow when we co-operate by providing a suitable environment, but maybe I can say, “Look what we did!” I checked, and my thumb isn't green but I am awfully pleased all the same. I can see why they call garden centers “nurseries.” Those little green babies are just so cute!

I never cease to be amazed by the faithfulness of the seasons—God's faithfulness. Each spring I marvel, as though I had never before seen the greening of the earth after a cold, dreary winter! I never tire of this season of the year, although I know we are probably healthier and happier for having the variety that follows these beautiful days.

Praise our good Provider! And enjoy!

MaryMartha

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

Where Is God?

2011-03-14T17:59:00.000-05:00

A street in Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture.

As I read the reports and view the pictures of the tragic loss and suffering in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami along with fear of nuclear danger, I am stunned. To see buildings and vehicles swirling inland on the rushing flood and to know that in the wreckage are hundreds of human bodies is almost incomprehensible.
Where is God? If one is among those who are overwhelmed by the disaster, that might well be the question.

It certainly may feel at such a time of anguish that God has forsaken us. David, the psalmist and “a man after God's own heart,” cried out in his deep distress, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:1, 2) Here was a godly man who did not “deserve” the trauma in his life, but circumstances closed in on him until he felt that he had been abandoned by his God. But he had not been left alone; he would see the light again and feel hope once more.

Even Jesus, being made one of us, suffered that crushing sense of loss. On the Cross, he too cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34) He had not been left alone either, but would rise again in triumph three days hence. Can it be that this experience of feeling abandoned is not uncommon to the human condition, and that we must wait through it if we would see what is on the other side? May God give me grace, should my turn come, to affirm boldly, “He has not abandoned me.”

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Photo: AFP/Kazuhiro Nogi 3/14/11

Puzzling Things

2011-03-12T18:28:00.001-06:00

I am putting together another picture puzzle. Periodically, I take an interest in this activity, and may do several before I move on to something else. Right now I am working on a thousand-piece puzzle, the picture of which was expertly painted, I think, to be difficult! Many pieces are similar in an extreme way, both in color shading and

in shape. After I am becoming confused in a section, I sometimes discover I have placed a piece where it didn't belong. The only way I can tell this is by holding it up to the light, which reveals tiny cracks where the piece did not fit perfectly.

I realized this afternoon how like our Christian life that is. We may be moving right along until we discover something is not quite right. The best way to see this is by holding it up to the light. The light is the Word of God, embodied in Jesus Christ. Things not fitting does not necessarily mean something is wrong; it may just be out of place. We might be trying to squeeze meaning into something without a contextual basis for doing so. Or we could be avoiding an understanding that is there to be seen if we are open to receive it.

Hold it up to the light!

Another of my posts on puzzles, here.
MaryMartha

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

Something for Lent

2011-03-09T20:07:00.000-06:00

Today is Ash Wednesday on the calendar of the Christian church. The season of Lent begins today, observed by liturgical churches and some other denominations as a time of “sacrifice,” preparing believers to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus. A co-worker had on her forehead today a smudge of ashes in the form of a cross, and I knew she had been to her church early this morning to receive the “imposition of ashes.” We had an interesting conversation when I told her that I remembered this was a special day and that I respected her devotion. Although my own faith tradition does not formally observe Lent, I try each year to offer up something to the Lord that would normally be a part of my everyday life. This keeps me reminded of the approaching season and its importance.

She responded by telling me, “Last night I tried to explain to my boys (the three are still very young), that sacrifice does not always mean giving up some favorite thing Perhaps they can, every day, go out of their way to help someone, cheer them with a smile, or be friendly to a student who is not especially likeable. Her own upbringing emphasized the negative, giving up something, and she hated it! Although now she understands the benefit of self-denial, it made no sense to her as a youngster.

I went away with a better appreciation of the meaning of “giving up something for Lent.” Maybe that something is part of me. God doesn't necessarily need my “sacrifice,” but maybe someone else does.

Some of my other posts about Lent:

It's Hard to Be Humble here

Self-Denial here

MaryMartha

The Treasure of Snow

2011-02-08T18:26:00.000-06:00

Here in the Midwest, we have recently had a couple of big winter storms, although nothing like some parts of the country have endured. I have been pondering the last few days about the verse in Job, recounting God's words to Job. “Have you entered the treasury of snow, or have you seen the treasury of hail?” (Job 38:22 NKJV) When I clear my drifted sidewalks or drive on ice-rutted roadways, I wonder about calling snow a “treasure”! I decided there must be something I was missing.

Was Job even all that familiar with snow? Scholars are not certain where Uz, his homeland, was located, but possibly in the area southeast of Palestine and the Dead Sea or the north part of the Arabian Peninsula. Did it snow where Job lived? Perhaps. Snow falls in the mountains farther north and at higher elevations, but we can't say with certainty that Job had experienced the mysterious appearance of snow. To him, snow drifts amounting to a “treasury” would have been beyond belief. We know more about the weather-related creation of snowflakes than he would have studied, and we have micro-photographs that reveal their intricate designs, all different. A treasury indeed!

History tells us that about fifteen hundred years later, people in other parts of the world discovered they that could make flavorful icy desserts with fresh snow from faraway mountains along with fruits and nuts, juice, or honey. (Every Kansas kid knows that! Although with the “clean” of snow being in doubt now, many moms do not allow that delicacy.) God didn't invent ice cream, but it seems to me He just as well have when he made snow! The “discovery” of ice cream is another treasure for which I can be grateful when I drive through snow-clogged streets!

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Art from http:www.sxc.hu/

Build on Rock

2011-01-29T14:27:00.000-06:00

Recently, some of the home owners in one housing development in our city have found huge cracks developing in the walls, floors, and driveways of their homes. The houses were not cheap when purchased only a few years ago, and now people are faced with repairs that amount, in some cases, to half the original price. When the owners' complaints were investigated, it was found that the houses had been built on

unstable soil that expanded as it absorbed water and contracted as it dried. The structures were on shaky ground—clay and insufficiently compacted fill dirt. One foundation repair company reported that their crew had to drill down 45 feet to reach rock solid enough to support the crumbling foundation.

This reveals again Jesus' wise words about building on the Rock. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

I've always supposed Jesus meant that we had to search and find the rock on which to build, spiritually, in a world full of “sand.” But what if there is no rock to be seen and we have to dig deep to reach anything solid? He did not guarantee that rock would be there just for the taking, without any additional effort. It may require us to do some spiritual “drilling.”

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

Living in Hope

2011-01-21T17:27:00.001-06:00

If seed catalogs come, can spring be far behind? (Apologies to Shelley, the English poet, who asked, “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”)

On a regular basis, I have been receiving catalogs from the mail-order seed and plant nurseries who entice me with their bright pictures of fully-developed fruits and flowers. It will be months before I can plant anything outside, and many more months—in some cases, years—before my produce will look like the pictures. Ah, but there's hope! That's what the companies are believing I will feel when I look at their offerings.

Hope is an essential ingredient in the spiritual realm as well. With eternity in Jesus' presence ahead of us—what the Apostle calls “our blessed hope”—we have every reason for hope. In fact, hope is one of the three things that endure throughout all of earthly life, eventually coming to fruition in sight. Such a long view might be less than encouraging were it not for its continual operation. The writer to the Hebrews wrote, “We who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” (Hebrews 10:18, 19)

That anchor of hope holds us steady through whatever the stormy seasons of life and around us. We access the real presence of God, even though we are not yet able to view Him. We are continually enlivened by knowing what will someday be ours to see clearly!

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.

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

A Prosperous New Year

2011-01-11T19:24:00.001-06:00

We are only a few days into 2011 and still hear wishes for a “Happy and Prosperous New Year.” I am nearly always reminded that what we consider “prosperous” may not be the same as God's idea at all! He has a different view, you know, about what constitutes time, riches, health, and yes, prosperity too.

When Joshua was chosen by God to lead the Israelites after Moses' death, he received strong words of commissioning. “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:7, 8) It is obvious from the context of God's words about prospering that He did not mean career success as we think of it. He did not mean wealth or fame, either.

How does God see that promise of prosperity? My Strong's Concordance gives some insight by defining the term as profitable, suitable, skillful, to be an expert, to guide wisely. Doesn't that describe how Joshua took on the task of leading the people?

Nor is it enough to just wish for this to happen. Joshua had a part to play; we do too. Be strong! Be courageous. Keep the laws of God by meditating on them and then doing them! That is our responsibility. Then as God prospered Joshua, He will also prosper us in the New Year. He would help us to be wise, skillful Christians! Expert Christians! Profitable to the Kingdom!

Happy and Prosperous New Year to you!

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.

Joy to the World!

2010-12-27T17:27:00.000-06:00

"Behold I stand at the door
and knock."

Of course, you think of Christmas when you hear someone sing “Joy to the World.” It is a wonderful Christmas hymn, but so much more! Too often we limit our appreciation of the song because certain associations have developed around it, either in our own experience or in our culture. “Joy to the Word” is one of the few Christmas hymns, or maybe the only one, that is not specifically about Jesus' birth. Is there any reason why it must be sung only at this season? No, it would be appropriate in March or July or October as well! (Although you might be called upon to do some explaining!)

Isaac Watts wrote this hymn, not particularly as a Christmas carol, but as a paraphrase of Psalm 98:4-9. Whereas the Psalmist did not understand in a personal way the Savior's coming, Watts definitely relates the words of the psalm to Jesus' life of ministry on earth.

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the world! The Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy.

These two verses celebrate the incarnation, the Word becoming flesh, dwelling with us to conquer sin and death and to bring the reality of God's kingdom to our hearts. The next verse is prophetic, looking ahead to Jesus' return in glory.

No more let sin and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

Then Jesus will rule with truth and grace, and His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy will be made manifest among all nations and to all people.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of love.

The next time you hear this hymn, maybe a few more times before the New Year begins, pause a moment and repeat to yourself, “Yes, the Lord is come!” He is, but not just at Christmas, Immanuel, “God with us!”

MaryMartha

Art from www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/pictures

"God Don't Like Ugly"

2010-12-16T19:51:00.002-06:00

"[He] rescues the wretched who've been
thrown out with the trash . . ."

I came across that book title the other day, and had an immediate reaction of disbelief. Actually there is more than one book by that title. One is a well-received novel, another, a book about African-American family values. It is the title that puts me off. What young person browsing through library or bookstore shelves wants to be confronted with “GOD Don't Like Ugly”? A lot of people, old and young alike, have self-esteem that is fragile enough already without a reminder printed in big yellow letters!

It isn't true, anyway. Had God not loved the people of the world even when they were damaged and made “ugly” by sin, there would be no Christmas, no Savior coming to bring salvation. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8) And He still loves us at our most unattractive; our sometimes negative, and selfish behavior doesn't put Him off. He still draws us, still invites us, “Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28)

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.

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

Why Me?

2010-12-08T18:20:00.000-06:00

This morning I was listening to a Christmas song that pictured Mary, the mother of Jesus, as gentle and humble. I'm sure this was true, as it was of many other young Jewish girls of that time. I wondered, then what was special about Mary that God chose her to bear the Savior of the world?

Perhaps that is the point. As far as we know, Mary was an ordinary young woman, very much like many other girls; she was not chosen on the basis of being special. The shepherds too, were ordinary, or perhaps even a bit below ordinary. What a wonderful thing it is that God chose to clothe His Son in ordinary human flesh, born into an ordinary family—although under quite unusual circumstances. Then His gift to humanity was announced to less-than-ordinary people—although in a remarkable way. Any of these people who were just ordinary might have wondered, “Why me? I'm not special.” This part of Christmas is a mystery, but it is a wonder and a delight

Sometimes I wonder myself. “Why me? Why did I hear the Gospel as a child and receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior? Why have I been privileged to understand the beauty and holiness of the Christmas message? Why do I have shelter and food and clothing? Why me, when so much of the world is without?” This part of my life is a mystery, but I am filled with wonder and gratitude.

MaryMartha

Still More of My Favorite Things

2010-11-25T14:44:00.007-06:00

This is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.

I have so much to be thankful for!

Warm apple dumplings and soup with fat noodles,

Pencils and notepads on which to draw doodles,

Siblings and cousins in a family that sings--

These are a few of my favorite things.

A warm winter coat and a hat for my head,

Freshly washed linens to put on my bed,
Someone who knows how to smooth the car's dings--

These are a few of my favorite things.

Puzzles and crosswords and things I must guess,

A new book to read and a bright Christmas dress,
Lights on the houses in bright twinkling strings--

These are a few of my favorite things.

Sunday's newspaper thrown right by the door,

A tiny milk pitcher from which I can pour,
The beautiful change that the fall season brings--
These are a few of my favorite things.

An angel collection that stands on the shelf,

Each one to tell me I'm not by myself,

Good news from a friend when the telephone rings--
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the sink clogs, when the mud slings,

When everyone looks sad,

I stop to remember these favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad!

See more of my favorite things (here), Thanksgiving 2009, and (here), Thanksgiving 2008.

MaryMartha

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

Family Resemblance

2010-11-22T18:29:00.002-06:00

Some day our digital photos
will look just as quaint!

Last week I spent time with members of my extended family, some of whom I had not seen for a number of years. We were gathered to memorialize the life of an elderly aunt who died the previous weekend. Although we felt the loss, our being together again was like her parting gift to us. We laughed and hugged, shared pictures and memories, and ate and sang, all the while being aware of how much she herself would have enjoyed this family celebration!

I was struck by the family resemblance I see on the faces of my cousins, now that they mature. They actually look more like their fathers or uncles than they look like each other. And they tell me too, that now I look like my mother whose features are clearly seen in our other aunts. Indeed, we do look like the family we belong to!

I wonder if that is true of us as Christians? As we mature, do we look more like the family of God? Do our lives bear resemblance to our Elder Brother and to the Father Himself? He would be so pleased!

MaryMartha

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

Letting Stuff Go

2010-11-12T20:33:00.001-06:00

Sometimes we are responsible for prolonging the pain that someone or something has brought into our lives. We often rehears the sad situation just for the satisfaction of remembering how badly we were treated by the circumstances! There are many things in life, not the tragic losses, but the ordinary disappointments, that we can handle best by just letting them go.

Here is my own example. I lived for twenty years in a very small home that with literal blood, honest sweat, and actual tears I had wrestled into a comfortable place to live. As a single mom, I reared my daughter there, so I was deeply invested in it. My remarriage required a larger home—there was another person now, a bigger one—and so I sold the little house in which I had invested so much. Later, that owner resold the home, and when I drove by, I was astonished. The garage had been remodeled and was now added living space. The ivory painted siding was now white, and black shutters had been added. It looked nothing at all like the home I had reluctantly left!

But appreciating the new look was not all I felt. I began to feel something like resentment or displeasure. "I wish I were the one who had thirty thousand dollars to remodel. Why couldn't I have put in n a nice lawn?” I suffered with those thoughts all the way home!

Sometimes I have the idea to drive down that street and pass by my former home—just to look—and then I remind myself that it would only be to my hurt. There is nothing to be gained by seeing what someone has accomplished that I was unable to do. It only creates discontent and added regret.

So then, the way to treat some of the minor griefs that come to us along our daily paths is to let stuff go. Some baggage need not be carried!

MaryMartha

Art from http://sxc.hu/

Enthusiasm

2010-11-02T18:59:00.000-05:00

An employer was urging his workers to be enthusiastic. “Customers want to see you demonstrate enthusiasm as you assist them when they come into this business.” A good suggestion, don't you think?

The word has an interesting etymology. It comes from the Greek éntheos meaning God-possessed or in God. Now I'm certainly not implying that those who are not enthusiastic are not in God, but showing enthusiasm is a great way to demonstrate that we are indeed in Him! Scripture has many admonitions to be grateful, to be full of joy, to have hope and confidence. These are well-expressed by what we recognize as enthusiasm.

It is not easy to be enthusiastic about working with people that are difficult, at a distasteful job, or in troubling circumstances. But God hasn't required that for everything we are to give thanks, only in everything to give thanks. The Apostle Paul did not claim to like every situation in which he found himself, or to be fond of every person with whom he worked! He only said that he had learned to be content. The Psalmist wrote about “songs in the night” and “the valley of the shadow of death.” Obviously then, enthusiasm--”God-inness”--is not dependent on our always being comfortable and enjoying pleasant surroundings. Keeping a positive outlook is one way we can show that our hope and security is in God, and that our good cheer does not depend on the weather outside or the indoor “climate” of our interaction with others around us.

MaryMartha

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

Not a Race

2010-10-21T16:29:00.005-05:00

What do the Indianapolis, Daytona, Martinsville (VA), and Phoenix raceways have in common with "Finding the Faith Way"? Five hundred—miles, laps, kilometers, or posts. Although I am not a pro "driver," still 500 is an impressive number, don't you think?

Just for your information—

I have been waiting for a long time to spend significantly more time and diligent effort on a couple of other projects. I don't intend to abandon this blog, but there may not be as many posts, and they may appear even more unevenly spaced than in the past year or so! Keep in touch by subscribing through ATOM, barely visible at the bottom of the page, or through other networks listed on the left-hand side.

Word work is

a lot easier than

it used to be!!

MaryMartha

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

The Last Leaf

2010-10-20T18:08:00.004-05:00

If I had my choice—which , of course, I don't—I would choose my final season to occur in October—not that I plan for that any time soon! This is my favorite month. I was born in May, a suitable season for life and growth, and it seems to me that the end of life would be appropriate in autumn, the season of harvest and rejoicing.

Leo Buscaglia has written a lovely children's book, The Fall of Freddie the Leaf, which tells a story for readers of all ages. It goes something like this:

Freddie and hundreds of other leaves shared life on a tall tree in the park where children played and old people came to sit in the shade and families spread out picnics on checkered tablecloths. But Spring breezes passed as did Summer sun and rain. It was October, and one night everything was covered with a thin layer of white which melted in the morning. Freddie's wise friend explained that the frost signaled the end of summer and the arrival of Fall.

Soon all the leaves began to turn other colors besides green: deep yellow, purple, bright orange or red. And then the breezes that earlier had caused them to dance now pulled on their stems until they were swept away from the tree and dropped softly to the ground. "What's happening?" they all wondered.

The big old leaf explained that this happens to leaves in the Fall; it's time for them to change their home. "Some people call it to die," he said.

"I'm afraid to die," Freddie admitted to his friend. "I don't know what's down there."

"We all fear what we do not know. You were not afraid when Spring became summer or when Summer became Fall. You do not need to be afraid of this new season."

"Then what is the reason for all this? Why were we here if we are only going to fall and die?"

"It's been about purpose," Freddie's friend explained. "It's been about happy times in the sunlight and under the moon's glow. It's been for old people and children and families under our shade. It's been about colors in the Fall. That's enough."

For a little while, Freddie was all alone on the branch, and then the snow fell and he drifted quietly down and landed softly on the white ground. It didn't hurt at all. And for the first time, he could see the whole tree. He knew that he had been a part of its strong, lasting life. And it made him proud!

The leaf analogy can be carried only so far; it fails when it comes to resurrection and eternal life. But I find that it sweetly addresses the autumn season of life, and the confidence we have that all is well for us!

MaryMartha

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

God Loves

2010-10-19T19:44:00.001-05:00

God loves fiercely—always has, always will. Imagine this heavenly conversation:

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

The iridescent blue orb called Earth hung like a jeweled pendant in the dark velvet of space. If One looked through the atmosphere that encased the globe, He could see that it was already teeming with life: fish in the seas, birds in the air, all kinds of creeping and walking creatures on the dry land.

"Yes, it is. It's all quite good, but—" He paused.

"I know. It isn't finished yet, is it?"

"True. It isn't finished yet."

They waited.

"Let us make mankind," One said. "Make him in our image! We will provide for him, nurture him, and most of all, love him!"

"Yes, oh yes! But wait! You said 'in our image'?"

"Yes, according to our own likeness."

"We would give him a will? He could choose?"

"Yes."

"But—but he may not love us back!"

"Yes, he may not."

They waited again.

"We should make man," One finally said, "and we should make him with a heart like ours—a heart to will, to create, to love and be loved."

"We know what will happen . . . " The sad statement hung in the air, unended.

"Yes, we know. But some will turn their hearts toward us. And they are worth it."

"Oh yes! I would rather die than live without them."

And so the work of creation, including the making of mankind, was finished.

You would think that we would love God fiercely in return, wouldn't you? Sometimes we do.

Often we do not.

MaryMartha

Seasons of Life

2010-10-18T18:42:00.000-05:00

The seasons of life, as full as they are of newness and excitement, bring their own losses. We celebrate graduations and weddings and the births of babies and new jobs and retirements. We love to party hearty! What we sometimes fail to acknowledge—and then it takes us by surprise—is the little bit of ache that often accompanies rejoicing. We are happy certainly, but we also sense the loss of something dear and familiar.

"I wanted to be finished with school—but now what do I do?"

"I truly do want to marry this person, but I'm afraid to give up my freedom."

"We wanted this baby so much, but I liked there being just the two (or the three or more) of us, and I'm really, really tired of getting up at two a.m."

"I like the money I'm making, but the stress is killing me."

"I've looked forward to retirement all these years, and now I feel so useless."

How strange it is that success is mixed with a secret sorrow! In the last three days, two different friends, very dear to me, have announced that they are moving away from this area. Maybe we'll stay in touch, maybe not; life has a way of going on and distance has a way of changing how friendships survive and thrive. So I am glad for the challenges and opportunities and blessings that lie ahead for them, but still . . .

I wonder if there may be a reader who is feeling some of that "secret sorrow" of change. You can just tell yourself, "It is all right to feel a bit confused. I'm okay even if I'm happy and sort of sad at the same time. There's nothing wrong with me; this is part of change and I will get it sorted out."

Some of our griefs may seem foolish, at least to others. A man begins to bald a bit on top, a double chin appears, and suddenly he is threatened. Or a woman passes beyond the childbearing years, or she loses a breast to cancer, and she feels diminished. A person breaks their addiction to alcohol or goes on a medication that helps the brain function properly or becomes an average-sized individual by losing half her body weight—and suddenly, they no longer know who they are! "What a great problem to have!" someone might say. But no, not if you are one experiencing this sort of identity crisis. Be gentle with the person you used to be, kind to the person you are now!

It is not wrong for us to recognize and grieve our losses, whether that makes sense to others or not. If we are acknowledging now, perhaps for the first time in a long while, that there are some sore places in our hearts, then we have started on the path to healing and wholeness.

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed." (Psalm 34:18)

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/

God's Way of Working

2010-10-14T16:44:00.004-05:00

God so desperately wants people to get the message of His love, that He packages it in visible ways. In His created world, in the written Scriptures, most of all in His son Jesus, and finally in us when we demonstrate the genuine characteristics of the Family.

"All this [newness of life] comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you." (II Corinthians 5:18-20)

►The best way to win people to God's love is to love them yourself.

►The best way to convince people that God accepts them is for you to accept them.

►The best way to assure people that God cares for them is for you to care.

►The best way to persuade people that God will forgive them is for them to experience your forgiveness.

What is your attitude toward someone who has offended you?

"Heal my wound," or

"Be reconciled to God."

"Make good the loss I've suffered," or

"Make things right with God."

"I give up," or
"There is great, good hope for you."

"Mercy for me but justice for you," or

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

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/

Stones of Remembrance

2010-10-13T19:25:00.000-05:00

Memory is an important aspect of payer. (Don't people say to you, "Remember me in prayer"? Before Jesus offered Himself as the perfect and acceptable sacrifice, only a priest could access the aptly named Mercy Seat, the dwelling place of God, on behalf of a petitioner. Now, the Word of God tells us, we are altogether being built into a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (See I Peter 2:5)

The high priests of the Old Testament wore a breastpiece, a square of costly material hung by gold chains from the shoulders. It was held close to the priest's chest, over his heart, by cords from the waistband of his priestly garment. On the breastpiece, precious gems were mounted, each set in gold filigree. There were twelve stones in all, one for each of the sons of Israel, each engraved with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

God's specific instructions were, "Whenever Aaron [the high priest] enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece . . . as a continuing memorial before the LORD." (Exodus 28:29) Does God need to be reminded? No, but we need to be reminded that God has not forgotten.

There are perhaps individuals or causes in your life for which ouu wish to pay often—even "without ceasing." You would wear them on your heart, so to speak, whenever you come before the Lord. Your "stones of remembrance" may be your closest family and friends—or they may be enemies for whom Jesus said you also must pray! They may be whole groups of people for whom you have a special affinity. They may be causes in which you invest money, time, and energy. They may be difficult circumstances that need God's answer. Whoever, whatever they are, you may want to imagine putting them on a breastpiece as you pray for those concerns each day.

Touch your heart and name the person or cause dearest to you. Speak to God of any special concern you have regarding this stone of remembrance. Move your hand to the middle of your chest and name another individual or group or circumstance. On the right side of your chest, name a third.

Move down a few inches on your left side, and name another row of three. Repast for a third and then a fourth row.

Perhaps you would like to make a little reminder card and picture these concerns as rows of beautiful gems. You can then take with you a remembrance of your continuing prayer to God. (I have done this, and found it helpful.)

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://commons.wikimedia.org/

"To Sleep, Perchance to Dream"

2010-10-12T20:07:00.002-05:00

Everybody's got to sleep!
And dream too, maybe?

I'm not a Joseph or a Daniel, and so I don't claim Divine origin for my dreams. However, sometimes when my thought "censor" is off-duty, I get a bit of insight while I'm asleep. (If that turns you off, close the page.) Here goes!

An acquaintance of mine from fifty years ago, a woman I had not even thought of for perhaps forty years, left her eight- or nine-year old son with me while she went out for the evening. He was an absolute terror! He was totally out of control, and I am no stranger to unmanageable children. Finally in desperation, I called the mother. She had been partying, and much to my dismay, she was incoherent from too much alcohol. She was no help at all, because she couldn't even drive to come for the child.

I will take him to the police station and just leave him there, I thought. They will deal with the situation appropriately. (Now I wouldn't even consider such a thing in my waking life, but in my dream it seemed like a plausible option.) Except . . . Well, that was like deserting him. Not good at all—but whatever shall I do with this wild child?

My mother who was sitting nearby while this was happening spoke up very timidly. "Well, I feel some responsibility for him . . . " she said hesitantly. And just then the phone rang.

"This is So-and-So," the caller said, giving me his name. "I am Dr. Isaac's son, and I am right now leaving the gathering where I've been." He was on his way! "Ah!" I thought. "The voice of reason."

And then I woke up.

That wasn't really Mary and her son that I knew long ago, I realized. And that was not my mother. It wasn't Dr. Isaac's son, and it wasn't really the person who was me in the dream. All of those responses are choices for the real-life ME! When faced with a truly impossible situation, I can choose any of those four options.

►I can ignore it and go my own way, regardless of my personal responsibility.

►I can shove the situation onto someone else and let them decide how to handle it, even if the outcome will not be beneficial.

►I can, without any guidance or gifts for doing so, involve myself in caretaking that I am unsuited to do.

►I can carefully turn the problem over to someone who is both capable and dispassionate—who has "the voice of reason."

I don't know what I decided to do in my dream. But I know what I will try to do in real life!

MaryMartha

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

The Safest Place

2010-10-11T17:54:00.001-05:00

A security camera
is watching!

Some months ago, I read an article about what is possibly the safest house in the world. The five-story residence sits high in the hills above Los Angeles with a 360° view of the surrounding area. Inside are thirty-two luxurious rooms, discreetly disguising the fact that the house is heavily fortified and super-secure. Six cars can park in the virtually impenetrable cave-like garage below the living areas. Should an intruder manage to breach the high-powered exterior security measures, there are two hidden panic rooms plus architecturally invisible safe cores. These are entire sections of the house that can be shut off from the rest of the building, and would provide safety from any outside threat: intruders, natural disaster and even nuclear, biological, or chemical attack.

This modern-day fortress can only provide a certain measure of peace of mind. The man/woman who is owner of this house is just as likely to have a heart attack as the next person. He/she is as susceptible to cancer, lung disease, or brain tumor as other people are. What then? The safest house in the world isn't really safe at all.

I believe in taking precautions that will help me be safe physically. Don't I have a basement equipped for waiting out a tornado? A fire extinguisher? Air bags in my car? Grab bars in the bathroom? But no effort of mine will be enough to give me spiritual safety. Psalm 23 is not yet worn out! Here is a verse of assurance: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Ps. 23:4) When we die certainly, but at other times too, when we pass through a dark place and experience the "dying" of something precious to us, we experience "the shadow of death." It is then that Jesus is right with us, not driving us through the valley, but leading us. His staff reassures and even rescues us, His rod protects us

The safest place? In His care. Whether we're in an elegant, fortified house or in a tiny apartment, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:27-29)

MaryMartha

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

The Saving Touch

2010-10-07T19:59:00.000-05:00

"Daughter, your faith has healed you.
Go in peace."

There was something different about the little woman who crept up close to Jesus and touched the hem of His garment, believing that by doing so she would be made whole. (See Luke 8:40-47) A crowd surrounded Jesus, pressing close. He was so busy, just now on His way to see a little girl who was dying. The disciples tried to run interference for Him, "Make way! Let us through, make way!"

I think that not only the faithful followers of Jesus were there that day. In the crowd were probably the curiosity-seekers too. "Hey, can you move a bit? I want to see what's going on, too."

There were the awestruck worshippers, not of Christ's divinity but more of His celebrity status. "Yes, I've been following Him around, but I can't catch His eye. Isn't He magnificent?"

Interested news-seekers. "Can you believe what He just said? He's like a god!"

Impressed onlookers. "Say, He speaks like He knows what He's talking about!"

And probably the disgruntled too. "I don't understand why this is such a big deal. I just wish things would settle down."

Then came an interruption. Jesus stopped. He turned around. "Who touched my clothes?" He asked.

The disciples looked at Him, astonished. "Jesus," one of them said, "a lot of people have touched You. They're crowding all around You, even jostling You. How can you even think to ask who touched You?"

But it was not a curious touching to see if He felt like other people. Not a touch to be remembered and to brag about how close you were. It was not a touch to comfort and affirm nor to threaten. It was the reaching out in faith, a saving touch. Jesus knew that, for He felt power go out from Himself through that touch.

The woman came forward, trembling, and confessed what she had done. "I knew if I could just touch the hem of Your cloak, I would be well. I am! I was healed the instant I touched You!"

It is much the same today. Not everyone who touches Jesus is changed. There are the curious, because religion often makes the news. There are the interested who say, like one author, "I dig Jesus. He's cool." Some are truth-seekers, and they think maybe Jesus has something for them. A few, convinced of their need, simply touch Him in faith.

That's how we're changed.

MaryMartha

Art from http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures

Vessels of God

2010-10-06T16:38:00.001-05:00

The summer my daughter was too old to go to the Latchkey program at school and too young to get a job, we decided to enroll in a ceramics class together. We shared our clay and tools and our successes and failures. We didn't become good artists, but we did have some good times together! I have a very tall pot from that summer, about eighteen inches tall, that my daughter made by the coil method. I have a single mug left from my own early attempts to form something on the wheel. All of my efforts ended up about teacup size because I never did develop the touch that was required to build height in a pot.

There are a lot of things we can learn from the potter and how she works with the clay, lessons which we can readily transfer to our experience of God working with us. There is the beating that the clay takes to work the air out of it before it is placed on the wheel. There are the sharp instruments that dig out any imperfections that come to the surface. There is the dizzying whirl of the wheel itself, and the constant drip of water onto the work in progress. Sometimes there is piercing or etching to form designs or to inscribe the artist's name in the wet clay. All of that has meaning for our lives, but I especially want to note something about pressure.

One craftswoman described her work like this:

"Both my hands shaped this pot. And the place where it actually forms is a place of tension between the pressure applied from the outside and the pressure of the hand on the inside." She goes on to explain that that's the way life is. Sadness and death and financial problems and misfortune and failure—all these are things that influence our lives from the outside, even though we don't choose them. But there are things at work on the inside of us too, if we are women who have given our lives to God. Confidence in a faithful God is there, and things I can believe about myself because I know that He loves me, and the affirmation and support of friends. My life, like the finished pot off the wheel is the result of what happened on the outside and what was going on inside of me. Life, like the pot, comes into being in places of tension.

Throughout our days, we may be buffeted by stress, pulled by responsibilities, pressed by challenges that come to us from the outside. Unless we have strength of spirit on the inside, those difficulties will cause us to collapse under the external pressure. (Like most of my pots did!) Prayer, uplifting music, the Word of God, fellowship with other Christians—these help us to be renewed and restored within. Then when things press from the outside, when difficulties overwhelm us or we are wearied with the ordinariness of life, we are strong enough on the inside to hold our shape. We become sturdy, useful, and beautiful vessels in the household of God.

And news with great hope! God remakes vessels too, if we will be pliable in His hands. At the potter's house, the prophet Jeremiah saw what happens when a pot doesn't turn out right. "So he made it again another vessel." (See Jeremiah 18:1-4)

Probably there are very few of us who are exactly the vessel we originally thought we would become. We've been marred by our disappointments and our mistaken plans and even our failures. But our lives are not defined by our limiting influences: a handicap, a crippling emotion, a troubled family background (or a troubled situation in the home right now), a bad decision made in the past, a failure, shame over a personal or family "secret," lack of education, a child born at an inconvenient time, whatever!

From the point where we are now, we're likely never to become what we were so sure we would one day be! That's all right. It doesn't matter to God. He has a plan, and He's not wasting any time lamenting about what might have been. He's busy making another vessel. HE HAS A PLAN! He sees each of us as a beautiful, useful vessel of honor. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

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/

Things Mama Taught Me: Say "Thank You"

2010-10-05T19:13:00.002-05:00

What good is done by a parent telling an ungrateful or shy child to say, "Thank you"? The child may dutifully murmur "Thank you" but everyone knows it wasn't heartfelt! Sometimes the parent may intend to demonstrate that their precious child is well-mannered but just momentarily forgot! More often he/she is trying to instill a habit in the child—a "gratitude attitude," we call it. Saying the words is important, but having the attitude is even greater and it isn't really all that hard to develop it:

Someone says, "I'm freezing!" (It's 57° outside.)

"But isn't this a wonderful change from 109°?"

"I wish they'd sweep this street."
"But they did fix the big pothole at the end of the block."

"We're out of milk for the cereal!"
"Okay, I'll have toast and juice for breakfast."

Are you put off by the idea of seeming like a Pollyanna? That's no problem. One needn't always say "Thank you" out loud; just smile and let everyone else wonder what you're thinking!

A spoken thanks, though, nurtures relationships with other people: with family members, co-workers, and those who serve us in shops and restaurants. This is not a new idea, of course, but we should never outgrow the early lesson of a parent telling us, "Say 'Thank you.' "

And don't forget God! In our adulthood, we sometimes get too complicated. What if we expressed our thanks for everything that gladdened us? "Thank You for the world so sweet. Thank You for the food we eat. Thank You for the birds that sing. Thank you, God, for everything!" The Apostle Paul wrote, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (I Thessalonians 5:18)

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." (Abraham Lincoln) And part of that is learning to think always and to say often, "Thank you."

MaryMartha

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

Where Could I Go?

2010-09-29T18:27:00.000-05:00

I live in Tornado Alley, the area in the central U.S. known for spawning the violent winds that sometimes tear up whole towns. Kansas is close to the top for frequency and severity of the storms. Of course, you knew that. You remember Dorothy and Toto getting blown to the Land of Oz, don't you?

Although I don't have a specially constructed shelter, I do have my basement outfitted with the items that would keep me safe and marginally comfortable if a twister lifted off my roof. I have spent a number of hours there on occasion, waiting for the all-clear signal so I can return upstairs. It's good to have a place to go. I passed by any number of houses that would have made a good home because they had no basement to provide personal refuge (it is to be hoped) from disaster.

There are other storms in life also, even violent ones. They are able to twist one's heart and mind with incredible pain. They can destroy what has taken years and years to build in just a fraction of that time, leaving grief and loss. They scatter plans and drench hopes. Yes, "into each life, some rain must fall." (Longfellow) But no one ever expects a tornado. "Where could I go? Oh, where could I go, seeking a refuge for my soul?" (an old song by James Coats.) You need a place to go.

I like book titles that send my mind off into wanderings and wonderings. I noticed one the other day: Home for Broken Hearts. That's it, I thought. That describes the refuge that God provides for weary, hurting people in life's tornadoes. "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. The LORD says, 'I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.' " (Psalm 91:1-4, 14-16)

MaryMartha

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

Don't Take It Personally

2010-09-27T15:25:00.003-05:00

I have often wondered why Moses was called the meekest or most humble man on earth. (See Numbers 12:3) I discovered the other day some things about him that I had never realized before. Moses was so incensed at the injustice meted out to his brethren by the Egyptian taskmasters, that he killed one of the overseers and buried him in the sand. Witness, judge, jury, executioner—Moses was all of those that day. He stepped in where only God had the right. Humble, was he? I don't think so.

Now, move ahead many years. Moses has been out in the wilderness as a sheepherder for forty years. He has met the great I AM. He has a call to lead God's people out of their bondage. He is no longer ready to take things into his own hands; in fact, he has so much personal reluctance that God is displeased by the lack of godly confidence he has. Moses has seen God display His power in the series of plagues that troubled Egypt; he has seen the Red Sea opened for the Israelites to pass through; he has seen water provided miraculously for the huge crowd of travelers.

But then, a month and a half into the journey, the supplies the crowd had brought with them are depleted. Perhaps only a few complained at first, but eventually there was a groundswell of discontent in the camp. "We were better off in Egypt," the people whined. "There we had meat and bread, but out here we are going to starve to death. Moses, do something."

"Your sin is not against me,
but against GOD.

And Moses, who had now learned something about letting God be God, replied, "Your complaints are not against Aaron and me and I am not taking them personally, because you are complaining against God." (Notice that the people had not bothered to complain to God, but only against Him to whoever would listen. Pretty typical.)

Part of Moses' reputation for meekness then, I believe, was coming to the understanding that he should stay out of God's business. It is very easy for us to involve ourselves in applying guilt to those whom we think should feel guilty, and in condemning those who deserve condemnation. We may even keep our distance from those who claim to be Christian but whose fellowship would embarrass, confuse, or "compromise" us. There are some things we just do not need to worry about, take offense over, and try to correct; they are God's business and not our concern.

Granted, if we are offended, we must forgive, but I have just discovered that some of the things I was struggling to forgive were not mine to handle at all. The sin was not, in the final analysis, against me but against God. Forgiveness was not required if I would just let go! That must be why the Apostle Paul wrote, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord." (Romans 12:19)

MaryMartha

Art from http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures

Let It Go

2010-09-22T19:48:00.001-05:00

I heard a catchy tune on the radio the other day, but the words were significant enough for me to grab a pen and jot down the gist of each of the verses. (Not the song Tim McGraw made famous.)

What somebody said? Let it go. You love but they don't love you back? Let it go. Those politicians—you hear what they say but you don't know what they mean? Let it go. A family feud? Let it go. You're tired and worried and there's nothing you can do about it? Let it go.

A very large part of the things we fret about and carry around as a constant burden are things we cannot change. If those last few words say it all—you're tired and worried and there's nothing you can do about the situation?—just let it go! There are enough things where we can make a difference to demand our attention; we don't need to take on situations over which we have no control!

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

--Reinhold Niebuhr, theologian, ca 1934.

MaryMartha

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

Got Your Helmet On?

2010-09-21T18:46:00.002-05:00

In the flow of traffic this morning, I saw ahead of me a man on a motorbike. He wasn't dressed conspicuously, except for his gaudy helmet! I was reminded, then, that most states have a law mandating the protective helmet if you're driving a motorcycle, and many extend the law to a passenger as well. I know men—it could just as well be women—who would rather forego riding than be forced to wear a helmet. Well, cardiac surgeons are just waiting for the organ that some careless, unhelmeted rider may eventually donate. As the popular commercial says, "Don't leave home without it."

Even a kid needs a helmet.
Both kinds.

Another kind of helmet protects another part of our being. Protecting the brain is one vital requirement; protecting the mind is another. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, urges us, "But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation." (1 Thessalonians 5:8)

Where does all of the mind's input come from? Well, that's really too technical for me to talk about, but there are at least these: sensory impressions from the environment and the people in it, the state of our physical body, our hopes and plans and memories, and our perceptions outside the natural world (spiritual influences). The mind, like the "bowl" that encases the precious brain, should not be unprotected from what could damage it. We see wrecked lives, sometimes, and wonder just what happened. The trauma, we must realize, started in the mind; it did not spring all by itself from the circumstances around it. Confident salvation will help protect the mind.

Got your helmet on? Don't leave home without it.

MaryMartha

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

Things Mama Taught Me: "Don't Get Mad"

2010-09-20T18:41:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure my mother ever told me specifically that it was not okay to get "mad," but if not, I know I picked it up from her own way of life. I cannot think of any time when I recognized that she was angry. Hurt, yes. Frustrated, yes. Even unhappy. But not mad. I now realize that Christians who feel they dare not let inconvenience or displeasure make them angry often cover that emotion with others they consider less dangerous. I should know; I became a poster child for that self-deception.

Anger is a useful human emotion. Like pain, it warns us that something requires attention. Rather than prohibit it, the Bible denounces selfish, misdirected, out-of-control anger. It uses words like wrath, malice, strife, hatred and so forth to describe that family of negative responses and warns us to put them away.

The person who denies their indignation at injustice and avoids every kind of conflict may be as difficult to live with as the person who is angry about everything and ready to do battle. The first is cowering behind a wall of "niceness" so that no one knows what they are really thinking. The second is advancing with tanks and machine guns to do away with an enemy that may be as small as a beetle! Both have some personal work to do on their way of facing life; both need to find respectful, helpful ways to express the dismay and frustration and anger they are feeling.

Lots of people talk and write about how to "fight fair" in relationships, so no lengthy discussion is needed here. The point I want to make is that we must free ourselves from the misconception that it is wrong for us to feel what we feel. Especially in crisis moments, we may be quite surprised at our initial response. No matter. The Holy Spirit is not there to squelch that human emotion, but to guide us, if we're willing, into fruitful resolution or into amicable disagreement.

MaryMartha

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

God Is Loyal

2010-09-16T16:24:00.001-05:00

The final post in a series on "The Endearing Personality of God"

The color blue stands for loyalty.
Whenever you see blue sky, think of
GOD"S FAITHFULNESS!

It would be the rare person who had never experienced a disappointment in one or more of their relationships. An employee does not follow through on the assignment or responsibility entrusted to him/her. A service provider turns out to be less than trustworthy. A friend proves unfaithful. Families may be fractured. Even a spouse who promised "till death do us part" sometimes changes his/her mind. We value loyalty—but we cannot always depend on it defining our relationships.

God is different! He is always right here, even if—sadly—we are not welcoming His presence. "Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute—you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, 'Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!' It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you." (Psalm 139:7-12 MSG) Surely when circumstances not of our own choosing lead us to the "underground" or into the dark, we can know that He is already there!

Children ran to Him to be blessed—and still do! He cares for the elderly; "even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isaiah 46:4 NIV) He is especially watchful of orphans and widows and the disenfranchised who look to Him for their provision and protection. (See Psalm 68:5, 6)

"Since God assured us, 'I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,' we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?" (Hebrews 13:6 MSG) Christians may say, "The Lord has forsaken me, He has forgotten me." No, He responds, "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" (Isaiah 49:15 NIV)

This characteristic of God is very precious! He is unfailingly loyal!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations marked NIV are 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. Scripture marked MSG is taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http://sxc.hu/

God Is Reasonable

2010-09-14T16:20:00.001-05:00

One of a series on "The Endearing Personality of God"

When I say that God is reasonable, that doesn't mean I can subject Him to examination and figure Him out. He is far, far beyond that! I have learned in practice the reality of " 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.' " (Isaiah 55:8, 9) We cannot fit all of God into our tiny little frame of reference.

The story of Job shows us, though, that God is reasonable in that He can be reasoned with; things can be discussed with Him, arguments weighed, and conclusions reached. Notably, Moses and Abraham reasoned with God and He gave consideration to their pleas. This doesn't mean we always get the answer we would like. Job did not. He stormed at God, demanding to know why he was suffering such loss—his riches, his family, his friends, his health. And God did discuss the matter with Job, although the conclusion they came to was not exactly what Job was expecting. It was along the line of: "I am God! And just who do you think you are? What do you really know about anything?"

God is always working for the good of those who love Him. (See Romans 8:28) Many of our problems lie in not knowing what will be, in the end, best for us. We may say, "Well, God had a reason." Yes, perhaps that is true. He may have had a reason, and we were not given that understanding. Or often, just because we live in a broken world, bad and "senseless" things happen to good people. Contrariwise, because our world sometimes operates in an inverted fashion, good things happen to bad people! There may be no other reason.

When we come to those baffling times, we can trust God's goodness. He is just. He is also merciful. If we actually need to know the reason, God will give it—maybe now, maybe later. Because He is reasonable.

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/

Things Mama Taught Me: "Add Just Enough . . . "

2010-09-09T19:13:00.001-05:00

I'm sure many of you had a mother—or grandmother—who reigned in the kitchen without using a cookbook. Familiar food dishes were prepared without referring to any recipe; the cook just put things together in her own time-honored way and it seemed always to turn out splendidly!

I wanted to learn how to make pie crust like my Mom made, pliable enough to be pressed into high fluted edges, baking up crisp but tender and flakey. Okay, I had lard (a permitted ingredient in those days!), flour, and salt. "Now add cold water a little bit at a time until it feels right."

Can I help it if your mouth is watering?

Until it feels right? How was a beginning pie-maker to know when it felt right? I never did learn. To this day I rely on refrigerated crusts or resort to making a crumb one and pretend that's what the recipe called for!

"Just enough." It's not only in making pie crust that we have not learned very well what that means. Many aspects of our American culture rely for success on our penchant for excess. We drive cars with far too much horsepower, we eat restaurant meals that would feed several people, we trade in electronic gadgets that work just fine for bigger ones with more capabilities than we know how to use, we have closets full of clothes and shoes we never wear. We hardly ever feel we have "enough."

Books, articles in magazines, and items on the Internet give lots of ideas about making it through the continuing economic downturn. The one that appealed to me as the wisest was this: Be satisfied with less.

Learning to be content is not a new idea. The Apostle Paul tells us, in his letter to the church at Philippi, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (4:12, 13) While we often quote, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me," this Scripture applies most directly to being content, learning to be happy with much or little, knowing what it just enough.

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/

God Is Forgiving

2010-09-08T18:21:00.000-05:00

One of a series on "The Endearing Personality of God"

What is forgiveness? How can we forgive egregious offenses? How do we know when we have forgiven completely? These are questions we sometimes ask about our own intentions to forgive.

The clearest definition and evidence of forgiveness is in this aspect of God's character.

God's forgiveness is freely offered. God is full of compassion. He is not waiting to catch us in some transgression, but when we fail, He is merciful. (1)

God's forgiveness is thorough. God removes our sin and remembers it against us never again. (2)

God's forgiveness gives us right relationship with Him. We are justified (made right) as a gift of His grace. (3)

Jesus' parable of the prodigal son's return
illustrates the forgiveness God extends to those
who come "home" to Him.

God's forgiveness, however, is costly. Because the blood of sheep and calves could not take away sins, God gave His Son to the world, securing our redemption. (4)

There are some things, too, that His forgiveness is not.

God's forgiveness does not mean ignoring or making excuses. God does not pat us on the head, so to speak, and tell us everything will be all right. (5)

God's forgiveness does not mean "paying back but instead, working for our good. He does not give us what we deserve, but rather we share in the inheritance that only Christ deserves. (6)

God's forgiveness does not mean accepting continued wrongdoing. God forbid that we should use the promises of grace to pursue our sin, casually believing that God will "wink" at it and forgive again. (7)

God's forgiveness does not necessarily mean escaping the natural consequences. There is a "law" of sowing and reaping that applies both to the natural realm and to the spiritual. (8)

How can we forgive? Watch what He does and learn to do the same.
(1) Psalm 86:15
(2) Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 10:16, 17
(3) Romans 3:23, 24
(4) Hebrews 9:12; 10:5
(5) Romans 1:20
(6) Psalm 103:10; Romans 8:17
(7) Romans 5:20-6:2
(8) Galatians 6:7, 8

MaryMartha

Art from http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures

Is God Necessary?

2010-09-02T17:55:00.002-05:00

I read today in a news item that two eminent scientists have authored a new book arguing that the idea of a Creator-God is redundant. Because of natural laws such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason the world exists and why we are here! It is not necessary, they claim, to invoke God into the process.

"In the beginning, GOD . . . "

Since I have not read their book, I don't know whether the authors say there is no God, or just that He isn't necessary. But in the very first place, the vast nothingness of space was formed by Him! "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." (Genesis 1:1, 2 NLT) God began speaking His "Let there be . . ." commands, and lo! something did come from nothing! No God necessary for creation? I cannot stretch my imagination that far.

Voltaire was a French philosopher and prolific writer living 1694-1778. He was sometimes critical of the Church and organized religion; nevertheless, he stated, "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to create him." We need God. He put it all together, and He is the One who holds it together! "We look at this Son [Christ] and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body." (Colossians 1:15-18 MSG)

Many scientists have for a long time been trying to explain the mystery of the universe's creation without recourse to a Divine Creator. With a collection of overlapping theories, they think they are approaching the secret of "the grand design," filling in many—but not all, they admit—of the blank spots.

But anyway, doesn't a grand design imply a Designer?

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NLT 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. Scripture marked MSG is taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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

God Is Impartial

2010-08-31T18:44:00.001-05:00

One of a series on "The Endearing Personality of God"

I sometimes feel just a little uncomfortable when I compliment people, "You have a lovely home," or "That's a beautiful car." Their response may be, "Yes, God has blessed us," or "Yes, God has been good to us." Really, I do understand the desire to credit God with what we enjoy, but in the back of my mind, I am comparing my own home or my own car and hearing, "Too bad about you."

Does God have favorites? If we are not very careful how we speak, it almost sounds that way. I do not have the home or car or clothes that compare to what other people have. Looking at it another way, if I were with the homeless or hungry or endangered, how then could I explain the advantages and comforts I have—yes, my riches? Does God have favorites? Certainly not. Everything good finds its source in Him, even if I "earned" it. If acknowledging Him carries with it even the tiniest bit of self-importance, it would be better for me to thank Him in the secret place of prayer, lest I be like the Pharisees who wished to be seen as devout.

No, God is no respecter of persons; the Bible is clear about that. (The Apostle Peter finally understood. See Acts 10:34-43) Again and again, he says, "all" and "whoever." Where did we get the idea that God's blessing, His goodness, His favor, is measured by what we own or the circumstances in which we are? If the Gospel of God's grace and goodness does not work in Calcutta or Appalachia or New Orleans, it is not the true Gospel. If it doesn't apply in prisons or refugee tent-cities or land-mined fields, then it is not the Gospel that Jesus taught and exemplified. How is it lived out in these unfortunate places? I don't know the answer to that personally, but down through the ages, Christians have proved that God is faithful in the most miserable "have-not" situations. I know for certain that God is impartial; His love and grace are available to all, and I really love that about Him!

MaryMartha

I think you would also enjoy reading two other posts; click on a title.
Does God Always Provide Bread?
But If Not

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

Things Mama Taught Me - "Answer When I Call"

2010-08-26T17:13:00.000-05:00

Sometimes people respond to the calling of their name with the truncated answer, "What--" Given the downward inflection of the word, they are apt to seem impatient or uncaring, as if saying, "What do you want now?" even though they probably do not intend to give that impression. "Yes?" is a more pleasant answer, as if one were expectant and ready to serve.

We used to sing:

When He calls me, I will answer,
When He calls me, I will obey,
When He calls me, I will answer.
I'll be somewhere listening for my name.

How different the grudging, "What. Well, all right," from actually listening for God's call! Sometimes He calls with a Scripture verse that speaks to our hearts, "This is for you." Sometimes with the reminder of something which needs our attention that we have left undone. Sometimes with an idea that we are charged with implementing. He calls if we are listening for our name.

But don't wait for it come on an amplified sound system.

MaryMartha

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

First or Last

2010-08-25T20:18:00.004-05:00

I noticed a book title the other day, If You're Not First, You're Last, outlining sales strategies to come out on top in the competition. It's interesting that the world so often teaches principles that are the exact opposite of what Jesus taught. He would say something like, You're Not First, Unless You're Last." (Not that one shouldn't be diligent in making their work profitable.) Jesus told His followers, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” (Mark 9:35)

The "Good Samaritan"

Some organizations and individuals have discovered that the way to be successful is to follow Jesus' example, and they do that assiduously. While it is always right to do the right thing, I wonder about the motive of much "servant leadership." Like Pharisees standing on the street corner to pray, I suspect that some corporate action is really saying, "Look at us! We are fair to our employees. See how our good policies benefit the community!" If that's the case, is the attention they gain really going to make them first? Or is good PR already their only reward?

And Jesus' call was to serve everyone else, not just the profit-making business world or the public service sector or even the church world. Does real servanthood make much noise at home and in the marketplace? "Don't sound a trumpet before you," Jesus said. (see Matthew 6:2)

Or put another way, "Don't blow your own horn."

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/ and
lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures/

God Is Generous

2010-08-24T19:53:00.001-05:00

One of a Series on "God's Endearing Personality"

One has only to remember John 3:16 to know that God is generous, the ultimate Giver. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish but have everlasting life." In so many more ways than this, however, God shows us His heart of giving.

Thou that has given so much to me,

Give one thing more, a grateful heart.

--George Herbert (1593-1633)

"Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!" (Psalm 68:19 NKJV) There is perhaps no better way for me to explain God's generous "benefits" than letting Psalm 103 (NLT) enumerate some of them.

He forgives all your iniquities; He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. What would happen if we all got exactly what we deserve?

Heals all your diseases. I believe there is no disease—ancient or modern, and not even death—that God has not shown Himself to someone somewhere as the victor over it. Some scholarly person has studied execution by crucifixion and has concluded that every type of human suffering was experienced by Jesus during His Passion. He overcame them all and lives today!

Redeems your life from destruction. How many times a day, even when we are unaware of it, has God kept us from harm? Even greater, how often He answers our prayer, "Deliver us from evil." The angel of the Lord truly is "camping" all around the person who confidence is in God!

Crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Some folks talk or sing about the crown they expect to have one day when they get to heaven. This crown is for "everyday" wear and is ours by our present acknowledgement of it.

Satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Physical needs, spiritual hunger, intellectual quests, mental stimulation, emotional satisfaction—God is concerned that all of these appropriately supplied.

Executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He is the helper of the helpless. We've often heard it said, "God helps those who help themselves," but another Scripture tells us differently. He is "father to the fatherless, defender of widows . . . God places the lonely in families." (Psalm 68: 5, 6 NLT) He does not ignore the needy, but sends aid—very often through the hearts of others He has touched and through their hands.

Pities (has compassion on) those who fear Him, knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. The children's little song says, "Be careful little lips what you say . . . little hands what you do . . . little feet where you go," and sometimes we grow up feeling that the Big Policeman in Heaven is just waiting to catch us in a wrongdoing. No, we sometimes forget that the song also tells us, "There's a Father up above and He's looking down in love." He is a good Father who would seek to correct rather than condemn,

The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. While Jesus warned His followers that there would be "tribulation" for them in the world, yet the promise is that in all things He is working for our good. (See Romans 8:28)

"Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits!"

MaryMartha

Scripture marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked NLT 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/

Truth in Advertising

2010-08-23T19:46:00.001-05:00

"Do you want butter and honey for your biscuit?" the man at the counter asked, and when I replied that I did, he threw a couple of little plastic packets into my dinner box. When I sat down to eat, I found that the butter was "buttery spread" and the honey was "honey sauce." Not the real thing at all!

However, that's what the packets actually had printed on them, so there was really no deception after all. And besides, having eaten at that place before, I knew there was no real butter or honey involved!

I did start thinking, though, about how often we anticipate something that turns out to be not quite what we expected. A free cruise? A surefire investment? Or lifetime light bulbs and no-pre-rinse dishwasher tablets? We are taken in a lot by things we'd like to think are guaranteed.

That's all the more reason for us to be sure that what we say we believe and what we live are in sync, that we do indeed "walk the talk." False teachers may not be just those whose doctrine is flawed, but also those whose lives do not demonstrate truth. Remember, "What you are speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say."

MaryMartha

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

God Is Appreciative

2010-08-19T17:23:00.001-05:00

But no training wheels for
her ride!

One of a series on "God's Endearing Personality":

The other day my daughter and I were reminiscing about some of the things in her early childhood. "I remember learning to ride the little red bicycle," she told me. "I took off down the street, and you were running behind me screaming, "You did it! You did it!' " After many wobbly attempts, with my steadying the two-wheeler while she learned to find her balance, she was on her own and I was so proud I cried!

Do you think the God who created us and loves us is any less appreciative when we accomplish something with His guidance and help? It's not that God can be likened to earthly parents, but instead we are fashioned after His likeness, and surely our pride and joy reflects His own. Some day, if we are faithful, He will point us out as trophies of His grace! “He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6, 7)

The praise belongs to God alone. The glory is His. And yet, sometimes even now I think I feel His satisfaction when He encourages me, "Yes, we did it, you and I together. We did it!"

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.

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

Come to the Water

2010-08-17T17:30:00.000-05:00

As soon as I turned on the lawn sprinkler to water some newly-planted seeds, a blue jay sat in the tree above the garden area, and issued a stream of loud calls. Soon after he flew away, a number of birds of various kinds arrived to shower and have a good, long drink. Were his calls an alert to his friends and neighbors that he had spotted the location of some cool water on that hot day? It seems so.

That reminded me that we are given the privilege and responsibility of spreading the message, "Come to the water." " 'Come!' say the Spirit and the Bride. Whoever hears, echo, 'Come!' Is anyone thirsty? Come! All who will, come and drink, Drink freely of the Water of Life!" (Revelation 22:17) All around us are people who need to know that there is a place of peace and refreshing. We have discovered it ourselves, and we can invite them, "Come! There's water here. I've found it!"

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/

God Is Empathetic

2010-08-12T16:07:00.006-05:00

One of a series on "God's Endearing Personality":

Empathy is different from sympathy. The latter is sharing the feelings of others, that is, "with them" in it. Empathy is experiencing as one's own the feelings of others. That is what God does, through His Son. "Therefore, it was necessary for him [Jesus] to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people." "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin." (Hebrews 2:17; 4:15)

While I was very ill, the thought of God's empathy was comforting to me. He knows what this is like! It's quite possible that Jesus did not ever have a sinus infection that kept Him from His work for two weeks. (But then again, we don't know that, for sure!) We presume He had a normal boyhood, with its stubbed toes and scabby knees. And we do know that as a grown-up, He got hungry, grew tired, and became emotional enough to weep. Is it absurd to think that He might have had a headache from too much sun sometimes or a case of the sniffles?

[If such a proposal is too much of a stretch for you, just ignore it.] It has been, however, a source of encouragement to me that Jesus understands our human frailties, for He faced them too. Without murmuring or blaming or evading, He became one of us. True, He has taken our sins away, removing the guilt of them completely, as depicted by driving the scapegoat into the wilderness during the time of Old Testament sacrifices. But I do not see the Scripture indicating that He took away our sorrows, our neediness, our suffering of various sorts. Isaiah 53 says that he carried our griefs and bore our sorrows. But He did not carry them just so that we won't have to. He bore them, endured them, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest. In fact, we are able to find peace in these various situations because as we carry them, we can be united in a special way to Jesus who carried them for us.

Of course, that is not all. I am not denying Divine healing power for the physical being as well as the spirit. But it is important to me to know that God is not just sorry for me when I'm down. He remembers being like me.

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.

Art from http:www.sxc.hu/

"He Maketh Me to Lie Down"

2010-08-11T16:31:00.002-05:00

In recent weeks, I have tried conscientiously to spend a little while resting after my work in the morning and early afternoon. Sometimes, I am restless; there is always just so much to do! The other day, I was fussing inwardly at the restriction with which I felt compelled to comply. As I was forming my complaint, I remembered the words in the familiar 23rd Psalm. It says, "He makes me lie down in green pastures."

Was that God speaking to me? I'm not sure, but it certainly was an appropriate reminder! I've never heard anyone expound on that part of the verse. Always the emphasis is on the plentiful supply provided by the Good Shepherd, drawn from the picture of abundant grass for grazing. Only one of the classic commentaries available to me mentioned "making me lie down." Charles H. Spurgeon, the "prince of preachers" and a prolific author, wrote in his commentary on this psalm about the "distracted souls" who know what it is to feed on God's grace, but never find the rest and satisfaction of appropriating it as their own—lying down in it.

God wants to lead us in paths of righteousness and perhaps through the shadowed valley too, but what if He plans for us to lie down sometimes? He wants us to be spiritually fed and satisfied, of course, but could He be guarding our health and safety and well-being by encouraging our literal lying down as well? Isn't some of our busyness a nicer-sounding word for anxiety?

MaryMartha

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

Retreat

2010-08-10T16:19:00.018-05:00

Earlier this summer, I was able to spend a few days at my favorite "retreat" place. Although the Prairie Oasis is actually a bed-and-breakfast, it is very special to me as a place to rest and hear from God. So I wrote a bit of inelegant poetry about it:

The Beautiful P.O.

(may be sung to the tune of

"Where the Healing Waters Flow"

How the sister-campers smile

At the beautiful P.O.!

They are happy all the while

At the beautiful P.O.

Chorus- Where the healing breezes blow

At the beautiful P.O.

There is peace and rest and love

At the beautiful P.O.

What a lovely place to be,

At the beautiful P.O.!

Mind and spirit are set free

At the beautiful P.O.

Napping, reading, thinking, praying,

At the beautiful P. O.—

All this happens without our saying

At the beautiful P.O.

I wish for you a similar place of rest and spiritual attention!

MaryMartha

Art fom a snapshot I took last year.

Staying with It

2010-08-09T15:23:00.003-05:00

Whew!

It is HOT in Kansas! Some lawns are turning a crispy brown, a few trees are shedding leaves prematurely, and wide cracks are appearing in soil banks. Some of us were discussing the heat, but we agreed that this was nothing like the summer of '80. That was the summer I moved here, and though the large city from which I came was very hot, I was almost convinced I'd made a mistake. That year we had temperatures of 100° or higher for 46 days, 18 of them in a row! By contrast, the summer of 2010 has had a dozen or so, with probably just a few more on the way. The schools were not yet air-conditioned then, and the little house in which I lived did not for awhile have AC either!

But what I'd have missed if I had not stayed with it! I established firm family ties which before had been shaky. I reared my family in a comparatively safe environment. I found exceptional professional people: doctor, dentist, attorney, auto mechanic, and pastor. I met and married the love of my life. I embarked on a satisfying career, lasting even into retirement years. I am fully convinced that God is involved in the choices we make, often more intimately involved than we realize. "The LORD directs the steps of the godly [not godlike, but God-fearing]. He delights in every detail of their lives." (Psalm 37:23) I've found it so.

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/

Another Virus

2010-08-07T16:26:00.000-05:00

Don't I wish!

After being ill with what started as a viral ear infection that lasted a couple of weeks, I next discovered that my faithful computer was also "ill" with a virus, and another two weeks was spent in repair. We're back now, at last!

It's amazing to me how doctors and repair persons know how to diagnose problems and how to remedy them. I don't think God actually sends problems so that we learn gratitude, but problems do have the effect of helping us be thankful rather than accepting blessings as our due and taking them for granted.

Just a reminder: "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above." (James 1:17)

MaryMartha

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

Art from http:www.sxc.hu/

Hover Givers

2010-07-21T16:40:00.000-05:00

An acquaintance of mine is a "hover giver." I'll explain. (He doesn't read this blog, and would be disinclined to recognize himself if he did.)

A hover giver prefers being present when the gift is received. He hovers over the beneficiary, in order to be sure it is appropriately noted that he is the giver. His gratification comes, not in the pleasure of the recipient, but in his own recognition as the one who gave.

A hover giver is offended by not receiving appreciation. This doesn't mean that children should be permitted to ignore the niceties of appropriate thank-you's. But such a giver hovers, waiting for response and extreme in insisting that gifts should be acknowledged in "proper" ways.

A hover giver prefers to specify gifts for projects with obvious results—not food baskets for the needy or school supplies for a storm-ravaged area, but donation to memorials or building projects. He hovers over the situation to be sure the funds are used as indicated, and are adequately appreciated.

A hover giver, however, is not a believer in "It's the thought that counts." It is, instead, the gift that counts. Never mind if it was given with a definite stated purpose. Since giving is, to him, a self-centered action, it is not too surprising to discover that what is given to him is used in his own interest—that is, "best interest" or not.

A hover giver suspects the altruism of others also to be selfish. He asks, "What is he/she getting out of this?" That someone would give freely with a spirit of generosity is nearly incomprehensible to him.

. . . Give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space. – Kahil Gibran

Jesus said, "Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8)

MaryMartha

Art from http://sxc.hu/

Lost Days (as in "Daze")

2010-07-19T18:26:00.004-05:00

I am back at my desk after an enforced hiatus due to illness—an ear/sinus infection which produced dizziness and extreme nausea. (And thus, "daze" in the title.)

I take so many things for granted such as balance and a dependable measure of strength, seeing clearly, and the process of digestion and elimination, until I was suddenly denied these things. The incapacitating—but not dangerous—disruption of the fluid in my ears' semicircular canals affected all the above. Or so the doctor said. I am indeed "fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14) I couldn't walk without getting sick; reading a book page or a TV or computer screen wasn't possible; my body functions slowed to a standstill, and all I did was sleep. And at that, I wasn't even desperately ill!

When I felt better, I questioned, "What have I learned through this?" Gratitude, for one thing. How wonderful a warm, soapy shower is! God help the Third World countries who do not have this luxury. A bowl of Cheerios makes a delectable supper, and chicken-noodle soup is great any time of day!

And I learned too how wonderful choice is. Shall I sleep upstairs or down (probably to be determined by whether I can make it up the stairs or not!) Shall the shower come before breakfast or after? Will it be tapioca or yoghurt? Blueberry, strawberry, or peach yoghurt?

Slowing down to enjoy each day's benefits is a good thing. It's just too bad I had to be in a daze to do it!

Marjorie

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

God Is Approachable

2010-07-01T17:55:00.005-05:00

One of a series on "God's Endearing Personality:

Before they sinned, Adam and Eve loved to hear the sound of God walking through the Garden. After the day's work was finished and they had eaten supper—I imagine—they went out into the cool shadows, unafraid, and talked with their Great Friend.

The disobedience of Adam and Eve did not alter God's intention to fellowship with His human creation. God did not change, but they did. God still loved them and yearned for the return of their love, but they were afraid to approach Him. And thus it has always been: sin separates us from God, although His desire for relationship with us remains the same. He is never far away, but the fact of our rebellious humanness—we are just like Adam—keeps us from acknowledging and enjoying His presence.

"Come close to God," His Word says, "and He will come close to you." (James 4:8) How do we achieve that? We depend on the new and living Way, Jesus Christ. Through His sacrificial life and death, we who were once far away are brought near to Him. (Ephesians 2:13) The writer to the Hebrews urged that we go so far as even to approach boldly. (4:16)

This is what the God wants! "Boldly" does not mean we come rudely or with pride. But we are to come confidently, much like the mothers who brought their little ones to Jesus for His blessing. Yes, God is the awesome Creator. He is the King to be honored and the Judge to be respected. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present, eternal and everlasting. But He is, above all, Love, waiting for us to draw close to Him.

MaryMartha

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

God's Endearing Qualities

2010-06-30T17:56:00.006-05:00

One of a series on "God's endearing personality":

A lovely thing happened to me today. As one of my co-workers and I chatted about the past weekend, she told me she had attended a convention of her church's members. The theme of one afternoon's symposium concerned the endearing personality of God. What a sweet, uplifting thought! We usually get all theological when we consider what God is like. We speak of omniscience, omnipotence and the like, often neglecting to mention the qualities that draw us to Him—making Him dear and beloved.

From her notes, my friend shared that He is:

* approachable.
* empathetic
* appreciative
* generous
* impartial
* forgiving
* reasonable
* loyal

We think that each of these characteristics is worthy of being expanded into a topical study in the Scriptures. Would you like to accept that challenge too?

MaryMartha

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

Reunion

2010-06-29T17:47:00.004-05:00

I have just returned from the biennial reunion of my extended family, three generations who are direct descendants of my parents. We had the use of a six bedroom home on lake property in this area. What a time we had! We prepared our own meals in the well-equipped kitchen. Even though we did not assign duties, certain fellows just took it upon themselves to empty and refill ice trays, bring in the newspapers and mail for the host family, empty the trash and carry out the "compostables," and make grocery runs. (We did try to keep most everyone out of the kitchen most of the time where we prepared some food favorites! Stir, stir, chop, chop, chop. Bake, blend, and freeze.) Sisters, sisters-in-law, granddaughters and nieces loaded and unloaded the dishwasher many, many times. All the while we laughed and talked, sang, cried, reminisced and planned.

It occurred to me a number of times during this happy occasion that if a family reunion is so joyful, what will it be like when we all are gathered together and never have to say our goodbyes again? While there are many details about heaven that are not clear to us while we live here, we will "know fully, even as we are now fully known." We'll not be separated by time and distance and schedules and circumstances. What a day that will be!

MaryMartha

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

Not Moved

2010-06-21T17:57:00.005-05:00

Deeply rooted plants can make it through the storms. One can see, in the Cascade Mountains of Washington, tall weathered-gray pines that have spiraled trunks. The winds blow there day after day, year after year, tossing and turning the branches, but these are old trees, deeply rooted, and the wind's force has finally twisted their trunks rather than tearing them from the soil as it might have done with more shallow trees. Can we, like those tough old tress, weather the storms?

The Psalmist declared several times, "I shall not be moved." What does mean? I won't be hurt or disappointed or troubled? I won't face difficulty or loss? No, if you are familiar with David's story, you know that all of these circumstances were a regular part of his life. The apostle Paul, too, said, "None of these things move me." He was referring to murderous plots against him, to his own humble servitude, and to a future that was uncertain except for the knowledge that it held imprisonment and tribulation! None of these things matter to me? No, none of these things will change my course. None will divert my attention from the truth that is established in me.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

I recall our singing "I Shall Not Be Moved" as a family when we were in the car together, going to church or traveling the long road to Grandma's house (30 miles, a long way back then!) It's a traditional American folk song, perhaps going back to the slavery camps.

I shall not be, I shall not be moved.

Just like a tree that's standing by the water,

I shall not be moved.

Then one of us would begin,
"Jesus is my Savior, I shall not be moved . . ." or "I'm on my way to heaven, I shall not be moved . . ."

and the others would all chime in. This continued until we mercifully reached our destination or we tired ourselves out and switched to something else.

That was many years ago, and now I do sometimes feel like one of those gnarly old trees that's been twisted by the winds that have blown on the mountain top! Perhaps you feel this way too, but better for us to be twisted (in this good sense of the word) and still firmly planted, than broken and toppled over!

We shall not be moved!
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/

Planting for the Future

2010-06-18T11:18:00.009-05:00

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. ~Greek Proverb

My father was not an old man when he helped plant a row of trees along the south end of the schoolyard where my siblings and I attended our early grades. He was a young father, but he had an eye on the future. He would never enjoy the trees, but he knew his kids would. Now many years later, the tiny saplings are thirty or so feet tall and line the property of the homeowner who converted the schoolhouse into a private dwelling. I wonder if they ever think about the person who planted those big trees so long ago.

There is a lesson about hope here. Planting trees for another generation is not the only action that anticipates the future. We do many things with vision for what lies ahead: we make long-term investments in our homes, in our education, and in our family relationships. We must also take into account what happens if we fail to act in ways that preserve our resources.

If you want a tall tree, the best time to plant it is twenty years ago. The next best time is now. (from a Chinese proverb) If you want a life of integrity, the best time to begin forming it is twenty or thirty or sixty years ago; the next best time would be now. "Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." (Psalm 34:12-14)

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

Re-Framing

2010-06-16T18:47:00.004-05:00

I have been listening to a CD on which the gospel singer declares that she had questions with answers she couldn't understand. I think that is probably true for all of us, and sometimes the questions don't seem to have answers at all. As we struggle with the things that perplex us, a wonderfully helpful verse from the Bible is this: "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." (Romasns12:2) Difficulty itself does not necessarily set us free, but reframing it—changing how we think about it—does liberate us. Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

If you are in a hard place now, where can you find the truth that will change how you think and set you free? Many of us are convinced that the Word of God is ultimate truth, but often our traditional views and personal opinions cloud our understanding of it.

4 A Popular Notion: Jesus said whatever I ask for, the Heavenly Father will give to me. So I'm going to ask for a Lexus and a new tri-level house.

8 What the Word Teaches: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures." (James 4:3 NIV)

4 A Popular Notion: Didn't God say He would supply all my need? Well, I actually do need a _______ [new car, new house, new clothes, new spouse—you fill in the blank.]

8 What the Word Teaches: Yes, but the Apostle Paul—a remarkable Christian, after all—tells us, "Actually, I don't have the sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now how to be quite content. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little." (from Philippians 4:11, 12)

4 A Popular Notion: If I serve the Lord, I will have fewer troubles. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

8 What the Word Teaches: Jesus also said, "Here on earth you will have many trails and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

4 A Popular Notion: God obviously is pleased with my life because I have good health and financial success.

8 What the Word Teaches: It's quite possible to enjoy some of God's gifts without really having His blessing! Examples are Samson, Baalam, and any who "speak with the tongues of mean and of angels and have not love." (See I Corinthians 13)

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." (Psalm 37:23) This does not mean that every act and thought of ours is predetermined, and we have only to live mechanically what has already been established. What it does mean is that God has orchestrated our lives in such a way that we will come face to face with His reality. Quite often this comes to us through pain or loss, disappointment, difficulty or perplexity because it is when we are searching for answers that we look up—and there is God! Would we actually want to wish away the critical events that have caused us to search for Him? Although they may have seemed almost unbearable at the time, we can ask God to change the way we think and then we can see how fruitful those times really were!

MaryMartha

Unless otherwise indicated, all 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. Scripture quotation marked NIV is 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/

Giving and Keeping

2010-06-15T18:18:00.004-05:00

One of the important principles of Christian stewardship is that of "flow." We talk about cash flow in our budget or about the flow of goods from one country to another. The word implies that is a movement, not a static condition. Jesus was talking about "flow" when He taught, "Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting is the way. Generosity begets generosity." (Luke 6:38 MSG)

Jesus also told a parable about a rich man whose ground yielded such bountiful crops that he ran out of storage space. " 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!' " (Luke 12:18, 19 MSG)

The farmer had successfully provided what seemed to him all he would ever need. He failed, however, to consider one important factor: he could not guarantee a life long enough to enjoy all the goods he had amassed. Life itself was not something he owned and controlled.

Is enjoying "ownership" of things not acceptable? Is it wrong to have a savings program? Is acquiring a valuable collect of certain objects unspiritual? Should one refuse to prepare for retirement years ahead? No, that is not the point of this story at all. The warning, Jesus said, is this: “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” (Luke 12:15 NLT) It is a wrong attitude, more than an action, that He holds up for reproach.

Balancing this part of the life of faith is difficult for many Christians. Some are inclined to give too little and hold on to too much. There are others who would give too much and invest too little in their own self-care.

A Persian lyric poet of the 13th century wrote, and his words have become some of my favorite. They express so well how important the latter is:

If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store
two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one, and with the dole,
Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.

--Muslih-uddin Saadi Shirazi

And furthermore, you may share both your bread and your hyacinths with another needy person! Finding the balance is not a once-and-for-all achievement, but a process whereby giving is cheerful and keeping to use is joyful!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NLT 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. Scriptures marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http:www.sxc.hu/

Getting to the Root

2010-06-14T18:39:00.004-05:00

The weeds in the cracks of the sidewalk look almost as healthy as they did two days ago when I sprayed them with Weed B Gon Max®. That doesn't concern me as I have used this weed killer before and know that it takes up to fourteen days to do its job. That's because it doesn't just wilt the leaves. It goes down through the plant and destroys the roots, and after that the withering and browning appear above ground. The plant cannot live without an adequate root system.

I've been thinking about how important our faith root system is also. The Apostle Paul prayed that from God's "glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong." (Ephesians 3:16, 17) Our strength as Christians depends on the roots going down deep. If we are content with shallow roots or we permit something to poison them, we lose the ability to give freely of love in our outward life. The "leaves and fruit" wither and die because we are not deeply rooted in God's love.

God's enemy Satan—our enemy too—would try to apply Faith B Gon, Love B Gon, and Hope B Gon to our lives. He attacks us in outward ways, so that the damage can go down, if possible, into the roots where we dwell in God's love. Beware his poison!

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

Broken and Better

2010-06-09T18:38:00.004-05:00

One of the tasks of my part-time position at the public library is mending "broken" books. The pages may be falling out, the binding may be loose or split, the covers may be torn or dog-eared. Various methods and materials are used for repair, and I find it satisfying to make useable again a book that would otherwise be destined for discarding. Occasionally, I am challenged by someone who asks, "Can you really fix this?" And I answer, "Yes, it will be better than new."

Book publishing has changed a great deal over the years. Once it was an art with beautiful and substantial covers enclosing sewn signatures, the industry now produces annually nearly 300,000 titles in the U.S. And that is just new titles and new editions of earlier titles; many of these are printed in the hundreds of thousands. While there are many fine books available—I am speaking of physical quality, not content—many others currently published are not able to withstand the repeated handling of library use; they are glued together just well enough for a few readings. It is these that can actually be improved by mending.

Ernest Hemingway said, "The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." Have you considered that the places in your life where you have been battered about some, perhaps even broken, are made a source of strength when God is permitted to work there? Jesus came as God's anointed one to proclaim, "He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted." Having had our brokenness exposed is not something only to be regretted, but also to be respected for its part in bringing us to acknowledge our constant need for God's grace. Experiencing some of His "mending" then helps us connect with other sufferers in a real way. The late Henri Nouwen, spiritual writer and teacher, gave us the lovely phrase, "wounded healer." That is what Jesus is to us, and what we can be to others.

Broken does not mean discarded. Mending is possible. That does not mean the brokenness never was. It can mean better, stronger, more useful than before.

MaryMartha

The book publishing statistic is from R.R. Bowker, a large bibliographic information
management company, researched at www.bowker.com

Art from http:www.sxc.hu/

Antidotes

2010-06-07T20:25:00.004-05:00

Sometimes we need an antidote for something we have contacted or ingested: poison ivy or a bee sting, a medication to which we are allergic or just too much pizza! Doctors know, and many mothers too, know what will soothe the itchy skin or the upset stomach.

I have found a spiritual antidote as well. When I have contacted too much negative talk or encountered too many discouraging circumstances or remembered too many painful memories, the Word of God helps make things right.

But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else. . . Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. . . So I tried to
understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!

Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction. In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. . . Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." (Psalm 2:2-5, 13-14, 16-19, 21, 23-26)

This antidote works even better than calamine lotion or Tums!

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.

Little Memorials

2010-06-03T16:31:00.007-05:00

On Monday (Memorial Day in the U.S.), I visited the rural cemetery where a number of my extended family members are buried, along with many people I knew while I was growing up. I cherish some of those childhood memories and since Monday, I've been remembering incidents from my acquaintance with them, little memorials in my own heart.

I remember the pink wintergreen candies my grandfather carried in his pocket to give to all the Sunday School children. Who cared back then that he had just shaken hands with thirty people and then dug around in his pocket to dole out the powdery (unwrapped) sweets? Perhaps we were all the hardier for having been exposed to so many germs!

I remember that the same grandpa lived just across the road from my childhood home and kept a pitcher of cold mint tea in the refrigerator. (A real refrigerator, as I recall, not an "icebox," which our family had.) The tea was brewed from peppermint growing beside the house—imagine having that on a sweltering day! (No air conditioning back then) If we weren't having mint tea, we might drink "Big Four," his name for cold cocoa--no one seems to know why.

I remember the home of the other grandparents who lived in a big two-story house. With the doors open downstairs and the hallway door also open, the big horned owl (stuffed, of course) that reigned over the stairway, moved his tufted "ears" in the breeze. I was petrified! On the other hand, Grandma made soft sugar cookies with black walnut icing—to die for!

I remember the aunt who came to the housewarming party that my dolls and I hosted in the orchard playhouse. She brought real refreshments and pretended with me that it was a high social occasion!

I remember the aunt who took me shopping in the city—for a winter coat, I think—and we ate lunch in the department store tea room. An honest-to-goodness tea room! I had a roast beef sandwich.

I remember the much-loved aunt and uncle who every summer invited this country kid to spend a week in the city with my cousin. We played in a yard full of blue morning glories, and rode the bus downtown—a brand-new experience for me. D.W., did we sleep in a tent sometimes?

I remember our friends who had a most intriguing kitchen. A lantern hung from a hook in the ceiling, and was pumped periodically to make the mantle glow. A pump handle, worked vigorously, brought water from the cistern to the kitchen sink. I thought this was really special.

I remember my parents' friends who came to our house sometimes after Sunday evening church service to have coffee and "dunk" doughnuts. We got to stay up late.

I remember the sad news that the baby boy of one of the church families had died during the night. It was puzzling to me that children could die.

Mama, Daddy, I'm grateful for the loving surroundings that nurtured me. These little memorials will outlast the flowers I saw in the cemetery.

MaryMartha

Connecting

2010-05-27T17:29:00.006-05:00

I have just finished reading an article (Time magazine, May 31, 2010) on the communication phenomenon, Facebook. I use the term "communication" cautiously, because I have to wonder if seeing pictures of your cat or sharing with you what I'm having for dinner is really communication. But then, I must be wrong, for sometime in the next few weeks Facebook will officially acquire its 500 millionth active user, defined as someone with an account that they have accessed within the last 30 days. While serious career networking happens there, so does a lot of silly socializing. For many people, the article stated, the site is a second home and they spend many, many hours a day there.

We actually like to share, the young entrepreneurs believe. It is also hugely, hugely lucrative. (You didn't think this free, massively-interlaced network was created solely for the pleasure of the end-users, did you?) There is something to be said for openness with your friends, and each person must draw the line for him/herself when it comes to the bajillion readers and ad writers online.

While I pondered on what I was reading, I thought of how readily we can communicate with Jesus, our great Friend. Many times a day, I speak to Him.

Just listen to that wren singing. Isn't that thrilling?
Owww, help me, Jesus. (after ramming my toe into the chair leg)
Look! The orange lilies are blooming.
Thank you for the new shoes!
Please don't let the hail destroy my new roof.
Thank you for that note from Lorie.
Help me find my earring, balance my checkbook, go to sleep.

I am so glad for the ease of connecting with the one Who already knows all about me. And it's good to know that He is actually interested when I share the experiences of my daily life with Him!

MaryMartha

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

Flying by Instrument

2010-05-25T17:23:00.003-05:00

My brother, having his private pilot's license, was flying my toddler daughter and me to see "Grampy" who was very ill in the hospital. He had never met the little girl as her adoption into the family had occurred only a few months before. I recall that day as being overcast, perhaps even rainy, and visibility was extremely limited. How could we land safely if we couldn't even see the ground? "Not to worry," my brother told me as he spoke to controllers by radio and listened to their instructions.

At last we burst through the layer of gray clouds—and there was the runway, exactly in front of us. I was hugely impressed! What the pilot couldn't determine with his own skillful judgment, he entrusted to the instruments in his cockpit and to people on the ground who could direct him.

We often cannot see clearly where each aspect of our faith journey is taking us. We are completely "clouded" in, and cannot imagine how we will ever come safely to a place of peace and rest. That is the time to fly by "instrument," not our own senses. We have the Word of God to direct us. We also have the wisdom and experience of others who are on this journey; some, having already completed it, have left us valuable encouragement and advice. We have the Spirit of God, Who is the ultimate "control tower operator."

Our feelings can be unreliable when in comes to determining our course, just as I could not have found the landing strip through those heavy clouds. And even when we can see, our judgment may be faulty, just as airplanes crash all the time "due to pilot error." But when we put our trust in the instruments we have been given to make our spiritual journey, and we will reach our Destination safely.

MaryMartha

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Vision

2010-05-19T17:36:00.006-05:00

I have a section of curbside yard that I have wanted, for years, to see transformed into something special to look at. These often-arid strips are actually city property, but homeowners are expected to care for what grows there. I had assorted grasses, none of which thrived, and weeds. That's why these sections are frequently called hell strips; they are "impossible." This was the year to do something about the situation. It was going to take heavy-duty work, more than I am able to do: rototilling, leveling, installing edging, digging holes for the plants, laying weed barrier, covering the surface with a couple tons of pebbles and two large rocks. I called in a crew from the garden center.

When the landscape planner came to arrange the work, I told him I wanted the area to be bright and beautiful but there had to be tough plants that could tolerate some "neglect." He looked it over. "Well, I see yarrow here," he said. "About three brown-eyed Susans here, some Stella de Oro daylilies—I really like those—and probably over there an Autumn Joy sedum," and so on. I am not gifted with the insight to see what an area will look like when the plants are mature and blooming. But this experienced designer said several times, "I can see . . ." He had a vision of what could be.

God's people need vision—not necessarily visions of a supernatural sense—but vision that can see what is not yet visible! In the spiritual realm, the things that have validity are those which are unseen by our human eyes. "We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (II Corinthians 4:18) God lives in the Eternal Present, and He speaks of those things which do not "exist" (in our temporal scheme of things) as though they did. (See Romans 4:17)

Like "father" Abraham, we need the trust in God that sees past the impossible to what can be and what, in God's eyes, already is.

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

No Turning Back

2010-05-13T09:13:00.013-05:00

I remember singing often, while I was growing up—as we rode in the car, or at youth services,

I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
No turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, still I will follow,
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
No turning back, no turning back.

--Attributed to Sadhu
Sundar Singh, India, early 20th c.

I could sing that very earnestly. What was there for me, after all, as an eight-year-old or a fourteen- or seventeen-year-old, to turn back to? Now, with advanced age and much more experience, I still ask, "What could there possibly be that is worth turning back to?"

The children of Israel, faced with the uncertainties involved in taking over the Promised Land from the giants who lived there, lamented to Moses and Aaron. "Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. 'If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!' they complained. 'Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?' Then they plotted among themselves, 'Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!' ” (Numbers 14:1-4)

Those who had gone ahead to spy out the land returned with proof that the land was fabulously productive. Two men of faith assured the people, "The countrymen there are powerful, but we are well able to overcome them!" Still, motivated by fear and a complaining spirit, the Israelites began to talk of stoning their leaders—until the Lord intervened and sent them back out into the wilderness to wander for forty years, one year for each day the spies had spent exploring the good land ahead of them.

We wouldn't deny our Savior, but we might cringe at the prospect of change. We might pull back when faced with challenge. What if Columbus had not said (in the words of American poet Joaquin Miller), "Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!" What if Winston Churchill had not given the commencement address that has inspired various valuable (mis)quotes? "Never give up! Never give up! Never, never, never!" What blessing and provision we miss, if we close our eyes to what is before and us and turn back to what is only safe and familiar!

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/

The Wrong Kind of Exercise

2010-05-10T18:40:00.004-05:00

We hear it all the time: "It's important to get enough exercise." Some people work very hard at their jobs, but still may not be getting exercise of the proper kind, strengthening all muscle groups of the body.

And some people get their exercise in ways that are actually detrimental to their well-being!

4 Jumping to conclusions. The Wisdom writer said, "Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes," and" Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty." (Proverbs 19:2; 21:5) The Apostle James wrote, "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." (James 1:19)

4 Running other people down. "Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:11, 12) "If you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another." (Galatians 5:15)

4 Racing thoughts. "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" (Isaiah 26:3) "This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved.In quietness and confidence is your strength.' " (Isaiah 30:15)

4 Skipping prayer. “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7) "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." (Philippians 4:6)

If you want to be healthy spiritually, get the right kind of exercise!

4 Run with patience the race that is set before you.
4 Walk in the Spirit.
4 Lean on the God of Israel..
4 Resist the Enemy, and after battle, stand firm.
4 Build [yourself] up in your most holy faith.

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.

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

What's Really Going On

2010-05-05T18:53:00.002-05:00

There is sometimes a big difference between what happens and what is really going on. While reading the Old Testament story of Moses' leadership again, I came across these verses. "Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.'Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?' they asked. 'Hasn't he also spoken through us?' And the LORD heard this." (Numbers 12:1, 2)

Was the real problem Moses' "foreign" wife or his superior authority? The two had been thoroughly mixed up. It seems from the wording that their vocal criticism was about Moses' wife, while what they complained about to each other was his complete ignoring of their own abilities. Aaron was Moses' brother and Miriam, his sister, but more than this, they were priest and prophetess.

This incident follows the great change of government effected by Moses choosing of the seventy elders. The Spirit that was in Moses rested on them as well; this was made visible when they began to prophesy. Some commentators believe animosity arose then in Aaron and Miriam against Moses' wife (probably Zipporah, not a second wife). She may have had more influence on the assignments than they did, albeit through her father's intervention. Moses had not recognized their rights!

Criticism was only the outward evidence. What was really going on was pride, fear, anger, dissatisfaction, intolerance, and jealousy. Remember that the next time someone sends a barb of un-constructive criticism your way.

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/

God on My Side

2010-05-03T17:57:00.002-05:00

The persons responsible for my early religious instruction made sure that I understood it was my duty to align myself with God's purposes. I was not to concern myself too much with whose side God was on, but whether or not I was on God's side. (Perhaps referring to the statement attributed to Abraham Lincoln?) God doesn't have favorites, I was told; He loves everyone.

While all of this is true, what I failed to understand was that God really is on my side. This is not to say that He is on my side in a way that eliminates good for other people and their plans and programs. He is not particularly on my side as it relates to sports events, political elections, or bargain hunting. But He really, truly is on my side. He has my best interests at heart. He wants good things—but not necessarily just easy things—for me. He guards me, guides me, and provides for me. He watches out for me as a loving, careful father would watch out for his child. He has creative ways of bringing balance into my life.

We sometimes do not realize, in our endeavor to see God's love as all-inclusive, that His love is also very personal. He, in a particular way, suited just to me, loves me! The children's song I used to sing is really true!

I am so glad that my Father in heav'n
Tells of His love in the Book He has giv'n.
Wonderful things in the Bible I see;
This is the dearest that Jesus loves me.

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me;
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves even me.

Oh, if there's only one song I can sing,
When in His beauty I see the Great King,
This shall my song in eternity be:
"Oh, what a wonder that Jesus loves me!"

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me;
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves even me.

--Philip P. Bliss, 1870

MaryMartha

The Good and the Not-So-Good

2010-04-30T16:53:00.005-05:00

In my shaded front yard, there is some grass that is stubborn enough to try growing where in a few more days there will be almost no sunshine. Even wild violets and white clover (weeds to real lawn people) are more desirable, I think, than the weedy grass that sticks up more than a foot above anything else. I have elected to deal with it by grubbing it out by hand. Wouldn't it be easier to spray the whole area with Roundup and start over? Yes, it might, but there are some things growing—like the vinca minor I planted as ground cover last year, and the violets and clover until I'm ready to replace them. I don't want to destroy what I've already done by getting rid of everything.

That reminded me of Jesus' parable about the tares (weeds) and wheat:

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
The farmer’s workers went to him and said, "Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?"
"An enemy has done this!" the farmer exclaimed.
“Should we pull out the weeds?" they asked.
“No," he replied, "you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.” Matthew 13:24-30)

The problems in our society are so obvious and so serious that some people would like to just pull up our educational system, our politicized government, and even our religious institutions by their roots. As it is now, they believe, things are hopeless. But the result of such action—were it even possible—would be sheer chaos. No, we sometimes have to let the "weeds" grow too or else we will destroy what is good and necessary in our effort to eliminate the undesirable.

God will eventually sort out the weeds. We can trust Him with that job.

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/

The Reasonable God

2010-04-28T20:57:00.004-05:00

Sometimes in the Old Testament stories of God's dealings with His people there are little glimpses of His character tucked into the narrative. I have no idea how many times I've read the instructions for worship that God gave to the priests and the people, but re-reading again the other day I discovered one such revealing light.

The children of Israel had now been out of Egypt for a year, and God told Moses it was time to celebrate the Passover—the "passing-over" by the Angel of Death. One of the regulations was that touching a dead body made one ceremonially unclean and thus not able to participate in the worship celebration.

But there were some men among them who had touched a dead body; perhaps they had just buried a loved one, or attended someone whose illness resulted in death. There was not time for them to fulfill the proper procedure for cleansing. They came to Moses and Aaron with their dilemma. "We have become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body. But why should we be prevented from presenting our Passover offerings at the proper time with all the rest of our people?"

Moses answered, "Wait here while I go ask the Lord about this."

And this was what God replied. "Any people now—or in future generations—who are ceremonially unclean because they have touched a dead body may still celebrate the Lord's Passover. Or if they are on a journey and cannot be present at the ceremony, they too may participate. Their celebration can be held one month later, on the same day and in the very same way. But those who are present and able must follow the normal regulations." (This story is in Numbers 9.) I was struck with how reasonable God was to make this arrangement for those who desired to keep His law, but were prevented from doing so by circumstances they couldn't help.

Considering God "reasonable" doesn't mean that I think we can understand Him. His ways are not our ways, and our thoughts are not like His. But He is compassionate towards us, providing ways for us to make right our shortcomings. "My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous." (I John 2:1)

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/

Weeds

2010-04-26T20:35:00.004-05:00

Grass is good, right? And the blooming redbud trees are good too, aren't they?

Yes, except where I want to plant ferns, hosta, and lamium. So then "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" in the garden as it is elsewhere. When grass and redbud sprouts grow where I don't want them, they are "weeds" even though they're not ugly.

Weeds, whether they are dandelions and henbit or a nice ground cover like vinca minor that's gone crazy, have to be dealt with. They compete with more desirable plants for water and nutrients and for space to grow. They're not unlike the many things in our busy lives, calling for our attention. Sometimes "good" is the enemy of "best."

"Good friend, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. That's right—if you make Insight your priority, and won't take no for an answer, searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt, believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours; you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1-5)

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/

Loving in Deed

2010-04-24T19:07:00.010-05:00

This morning before seven o'clock a crew began arriving at the big two-story house across the street. A huge bin was delivered from the trash hauling company (and carried away full, three times.) A motorized lift sat in the driveway, there so that a painter could reach the high gables. Men arrived in pickup trucks and SUV's with chain saws and ladders, women with paint rollers and hedge clippers until by 10:00, there were over thirty workers on hand. They were part of a city-wide effort by local churches to "love" our city by cleaning, painting, and doing other jobs that improve the living in our hometown. Thousands of volunteers from around thirty-five local churches united in service and outreach to the poor, elderly, or disabled as well as to public properties such as parks and schools.

This endeavor to show Christ's love in a visible way was carefully planned, beginning several weeks ago. From time to time today, I observed what I can only call a transformation in progress. Maybe this was not an "extreme makeover" in the TV sense of the word, but it's probably as close as we'll ever see on the street where I live! Amazing! But the crew didn't stop with painting the whole house, hauling off old furniture, and clearing away a lot of brush. They also did some new landscaping with beautiful shrubs to dress up the front of the house and a stepping stone path through the back yard to the dog house!

John, the Apostle of Love, wrote "Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." (I John 3:18) I saw that demonstrated in such a fine way across the street today.

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/

April Showers

2010-04-22T20:08:00.004-05:00

Since I took the day off from work to continue my yard project (see the previous two entries), it rained, of course! In between the April showers, I continued the "extreme makeover"!

My street is lined with redbud trees, and I have one in my own front yard. They are covered with bloom and just beginning to show a few green leaves. After a rather heavy burst of rain, I saw the ground covered with their petals, like purple snowflakes! "It isn't raining rain, you know. It's raining—well, redbud flowers."

No great spiritual truth here, just appreciation of the surprises God provides in the natural world.

MaryMartha

Art from http:www.sxc.hu/

Figure the Cost

2010-04-21T19:58:00.005-05:00

As I worked on my "lawn" project (see yesterday's post, How Does My Garden Grow?), I begin to realize just how much bigger it is than I could foresee. It is more time-consuming, harder work, and more costly than I anticipated. But just so you know—I'm not quitting!

This afternoon's experience reminded me of one of Jesus' teachings. "Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: 'He started something he couldn't finish.' " (Luke 14:28-30) Each person must consider the cost of following Jesus before beginning, for it involves taking up one's cross. We must count the cost first. I'm so glad that I chose long ago to walk with Him until we've finished the job—whatever that takes.

Working in the yard is a serious endeavor for me, considering that often God talks to me there.

How Does My Garden Grow?

2010-04-20T20:31:00.005-05:00

MaryMartha, MaryMartha,

How does your garden grow?

With moneywort and bleeding heart
And pretty rocks all in a row.

– My version of the old nursery rhyme.

When the trees are fully leafed out, my front yard—I won't dignify it by calling it a "lawn"—is in deep shade. When I first lived in this home, the trees were still small and didn't prevent sunlight from reaching the ground. Now it is a different story; the grass won't grow. Well, yes, the folks at the garden center told me there were actually grasses that would grow in the shade, but I would be constantly re-seeding. (Besides mowing!) So I decided if I can't grow grass, I will grow rocks. I am deep into the project of placing pebbles and rocks and plants that love the shade.

The people who know about such things say that gardening failures are mostly due to the gardener expecting things to grow under conditions that are not suitable. Like shade for a plant that needs lots of sunlight, or too much sun for one that likes to be kept cool. Like poor soil for plants that need lots of nourishment. Like sub-zero winters for tender perennials. If I know what certain plants need, I should be able—barring things like hail storms—to grow them successfully.

While I was working today, I remembered an old quartette song written by Mosie Lister, "My Jesus knows just what I need." He understands exactly what will stimulate my growth and make my life "bloom" with Christian virtues.

MaryMartha

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

God's Finest Creation

2010-04-15T18:37:00.004-05:00

Edit 4/21/10: Having seen the billboard again, I realize that it states "God's Finest Creation . . . " instead of "Greatest" and have edited this entry accordingingly.

I saw a large billboard the other day, installed by our state pro-life organization. It pictured a happy, adorable child, and the message was, "God's finest creation—a baby!"

Babies really are miracles. With all the things that can possibly go wrong, it's a miracle that healthy babies are born every day! With all the perils of childhood, it's another miracle that they grow into adults who can then perpetuate the race!

But I don't think they are absolutely God's finest creation. (Please don't accuse me of being anti-baby—I love 'em!) But God doesn't have to make a separate creation of each of the new babies, little Adam's and Eve's made from clay or ribs. Human beings, like the rest of God's bio-creation, have reproduction as part of the Divine plan, and they are capable of "bringing forth according to [their] kind." Life itself is certainly a gift of God, but it does not take special action on His part to begin its formation, in fact, it often happens quite unintentionally!

The greater creation, I think, begins with the second birth. For each "baby Christian" born into the kingdom of God, it is a miracle of being re-created. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (II Corinthians 5:17 NIV) No amount of hoping and planning results in the new birth, and neither are people accidentally brought into the Kingdom. "They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God." (John 1:13 NLT) It's a miracle of love and grace—God's finest creation!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NIV is 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. Scripture quotation marked NLT 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/

Theora Won!

2010-04-13T15:12:00.007-05:00

I read the obituaries in the local newspaper on a regular basis, because I have now lived long enough in this community that I am acquainted with some of the people whose death notices are printed there. Very often the loved one is honored with words along the line of "On Tuesday morning, Margaret lost her courageous battle with a brain tumor," or "Albert lost his long fight with heart disease." Recently a friend shared a message from a member of her extended family, a man who had just said "goodbye" to his life's companion.

In preparing for her final journey, this woman told her husband at breakfast only weeks before she died, "Don't ever say Theora lost the battle to cancer!" With a bit of fire in her gentle eyes and a feisty tone to her quiet voice, she explained that cancer may have broken her body beyond repair, but she wanted everyone to know that Theora—her soul, her spirit, the very essence of her being—won!

So on the night that she died, this man wrote, "As she wanted, I will tell you clearly, tonight she has left her broken body behind and has been ushered into the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah! Theora won!"

As the Scripture reminds us, death is the last enemy we face on our earthly journey, but that does not mean it is the victor! "Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death." (Hebrews 2:14) So Jesus "broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News." (II Timothy 1:10)

Yes, Theora died. So shall we all. And because Jesus lives, we too shall live!

We win!

MaryMartha

Theora's family has kindly granted their permission to share her final testimony specifically on this blog. Please do not copy or re-distribute this post without their permission, which you may request by email through the address in my profile.

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.

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

More Pruning

2010-04-12T16:08:00.001-05:00

I have been pruning my old rose bush this morning. It is the size of a small tree, much taller than I—although that's not saying a whole lot! I've never see a bush (tree?) quite like it, loaded throughout the summer with pink blooms. Because it is so tall and so wide, I've never given it much care other than to cut off the long canes that were in the way when mowing. Today I decided to do some real pruning. I cut out a lot of dead branches, and some green ones too because they tangled with others. A third of the bush, perhaps, is gone now.

It isn't easy for me cut away living parts of plants. "I'm cutting off future flowers," I tell myself. "This twig is alive. So what it it's in the way? It might be beautiful eventually."

Then I remember: If I want more of that same satisfying beauty from the bush, it is important to free the plant’s growth energies. Removing the old and tired makes way for the new and fresh.

Gardening speaks God’s truth to me. Jesus said, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.” Much fruit, He said, or lots and lots of roses in the garden of my life. And does Jesus come walking through to prune the plants there, removing what is old and faded and drooping? Indeed, He does! "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:2)

I could understand if the Lord of my life lopped off the branches that aren’t bearing anything. That makes sense. But having fruit-bearing branches pruned is painful, and I've been known to argue!

-- “Lord, You were with me from the beginning of this project, weren't you? Why should I now turn it over to someone else, just when I’m beginning to see the results of my effort?”

-- “Lord, I’ve been involved for a long time now in this part of Your work. What will people think if I tell them I have shifted some of my priorities and I’m not able to serve in this particular way any longer?”

-- “Lord, You gave this work to me. What's the matter? Why aren’t You pleased?”

Then He reminds me, “I am not unhappy with what your life has produced. I am pleased with your love and service. I'm only encouraging further production!”

He'd like more roses, if you will. So then, I gladly trust my life to the Lord of Gardens. (He planted the very first one, after all.) He alone knows how to produce beauty and abundance in my life.

MaryMartha

You might enjoy reading "Pruning" here.

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/

Things Mama Taught Me: "Don't Run with Scissors"

2010-04-06T18:04:00.007-05:00

I don't suppose it's easy to deal with the injuries that six children can inflict upon themselves or one another. But prevention is preferable to repair, so my mother tried at least to warn us. Running in the house was, to begin with, not permitted, but to run while carrying some sharp object called for a stern reminder. While painful damage can be done by crashing into a table or slipping on a rug, that still is minor compared to a deep stab wound or worse, the loss of an eye. We had to learn to handle helpful, but potentially dangerous, things with special care.

That is still true in our adult lives; there are some things where dangers exist side by side with benefits. The vehicles we drive are an example. Used without caution, they are lethal monsters on the highway. Guns, prescription drugs, and poisonous weed killers have to be handled responsibly. Fire, natural gas, and the water coming from the garden hose have to be controlled

Cell phones, internet access, and all kinds of reading material—what would we do without them? But wise use, and sometimes even restraint, is needed in order to keep usefulness outweighing the possible negative results

Food, sleep, and sex are life-enhancing. Out of balance with the rest of life, though, they can become controlling and addictive. Money, power and prestige, material possessions and personal charm all have great benefits, but only when they are subject to responsible stewardship.

It may be comfortable or convenient for a child who always runs everywhere to also run when he/she is carrying scissors. And it may seem temporarily to our advantage to leave caution aside when we handle things that have potential for harm. We must then keep in mind the admonition, "Don't run with scissors."

Because prevention is infinitely preferable to repair.

MaryMartha

You might also like "Things Mama Taught Me: Don't Play with Fire" here.

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

The Life Inside

2010-04-05T17:53:00.003-05:00

Just a few days ago, when I looked at the spot where I'd planted some new bulbs last fall, I saw nothing but bare dirt and brown leaves. Grass (and weeds too) were thriving nearby, but I was feeling somewhat anxious about the lack of new shoots where I expected to see them.

I shouldn't have worried! A few warm days, and they are now breaking through the soil. Hooray! I wrote about resurrection in my pre-Easter post, but this is different. This is brand new growth bursting from inside the dry-appearing, brown "clods" I buried months ago. There was life hidden inside, waiting for the right time to show itself. Growth is a mysterious process, isn't it?

We too have life hidden inside us, and it is even more exciting to contemplate. The Apostle Paul called it a "mystery," but he had a special grasp of its meaning to believers down through the ages. "This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. [He was writing to an audience who was not Jewish.] And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory." Paul was anxious to see growth too. "And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. (Colossians 1:26, 27; 2:6, 7)
Although we may appear somewhat "clod-like" at times, let's remember what we have inside, waiting for the right time to show itself. Jesus, our Lord!

Resurrection

2010-04-01T17:17:00.005-05:00

I can see beautiful symbolism in my spring bulbs bursting into bloom. All winter, they have been lying dormant, a necessary stage in the life of a perennial plant. With Easter coming in April this year, the timing is perfect. Daffodils and hyacinths are full-flowered; tulips will come along shortly. They are a picture of resurrection, and a reminder to celebrate Christ's victory—and therefore our victory—often! Regrettably, we sing "Christ Arose" only at Easter! The hymn was composed by Robert Lowry, 1826–1899, an American professor of literature, a Baptist minister and composer of gospel songs and hymns.

Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus my Lord!
Chorus:
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

MaryMartha

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