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The Measure of a Man

“Safe? Who said anything about safe?

‘Course He isn’t safe.   But He’s good.”   

               -C.S. Lewis 

            Religion and rules have never been a big part of my dad’s daily life.  He’s a good man, but not much of a church-going kind of guy.  He never cusses.  He seldom says anything bad about anyone, even if they deserve it.  And, though people have tried to judge him, he doesn’t reciprocate.

            While I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and learned a little about my chosen profession, my dad took his high school diploma and leaned how to do just about everything.      

            He set the bar really high, and each time I would struggle to get to the top, he would just raise it higher.  It was crazy frustrating and I spent a lot of wasted time trying to figure out why a father would want, need and demand that I always do my best. 

            What I didn’t realize then is that it was good training.  This man, who would rather mow his yard than hear more preaching from the pulpit, was an earthly example of a God who is good.  

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”  Colossians 3:23:24

            Now, don’t get me wrong, girls.  It wasn’t always Daddy/Daughter Day.  There were times when he toppled right off of that pedestal I had placed him on; and there was some serious silence between us during my most rebellious years.  He is a believer in free will and firm discipline, and, the more time I spend with my dad, the more I understand my God.  There’s nothing easy about being your best.  It’s hard work.  But God knows that, and must have told my dad.  The apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:14

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

            In this fallen world, Father’s Day isn’t always the happiest time if you have an absent dad, an abusive dad or a dad you’ve never known.  We all know making a baby doesn’t make you a dad…but, the God who made you is your Father.  It is never too late to depend on Him, count on Him, and call on Him.

            Is God safe?  No, not really.  He will push you, prune you, discipline and refine you.  He will test your faith and rock your world.  Still, He is always good!

            Just the other night, I was sitting on the front porch swing, distraught over the two mares God has given us.  It seems when I most want to spend time with them, they’re rebellious, withdrawn or simply turn and walk away.  The thought immediately went through my mind that sometimes I act the same way…moody, rebellious, and withdrawn.  When I told my dad about it he laughed and said, “It sounds like God is speaking to you.”  No sweeter words has he ever spoken.  Whether he knows it or not, without rules and religion, he has taught me how to listen.  In my mind, that is the measure of a man!        

Keziahcarrie has a growing list of subscribers; and we all have one thing in common.  We are women on a journey.  Tell us about your dad.  Good, bad and ugly.  Sharing our stories gives us strength.   

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Proverbs 27:17

May you have a Happy Father’s Day with your Heavenly Father!

🙂

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Where were you?

            Where were you when Elvis died; or maybe more recently, Michael Jackson?  Do you remember what you were doing as the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded?  What was happening in your life the morning terrorists hit our largest city and our nation’s capital?  We probably all remember exactly where we were and what we were doing. 

            But where were you and what were you doing when some of your most persistent prayers were answered?  When a problem was finally solved?  When a question swirling around in your mind for days, months, maybe even years was finally answered?  Where were you the last time you just received a totally unexpected blessing?

            I don’t sing in the shower, but I do seem to find some of life’s solutions there.  It’s probably one of the few places where the non-stop noise of daily living is drowned out by the white noise of the water and I can think more clearly, listen more intently.

            A few years ago, faced with what looked like the potential destruction of our family, I cried out to God for His help.  His answer came almost immediately through the car radio.  Nope, didn’t hear His actual voice.  But as I drove across a ten-mile stretch of highway, a song started playing on a station I didn’t remember punching up on the dial.  The words took my mind back to a place we had visited seven years earlier and the people there knew what to do.   

            After months of praying, researching and striving to find the right place for our son to attend school the answer came at a spontaneous dinner gathering.  The kids were horsing around; dinner was on the stove and at least three conversations going on simultaneously, when a friend suggested a school we had never considered.  Casual conversation in our friend’s kitchen changed our direction and put us on the right path.

            Just a few weeks ago, 35 years of praying, hoping and waiting came crashing into our lives like a tidal wave of blessings.  We were just running an errand, returning a baby swing to another friend, and the cell phone rang.  A simple conversation was the first piece of a puzzle that slid snugly into place over the next five days and my dreams of owning one horse, became two.   

            In the shower, driving, talking with friends, taking a call…just doing what we do…and God is there…letting us know He has not forgotten us. He still answers prayers, and if we’re not listening for His still small voice, He may have someone call! 🙂

            It’s easy to remember where we were when the big things happened…when the bad things happened…but I also always want to remember where I was when God looked down (like He did in the Beginning) and saw that it was GOOD! 

Where were you the last time something really good happened…something really GREAT?  What were you doing the last time God answered your prayers or gave you the answer you needed? 

Our former pastor used to say, “Good things happen over time.  Great things happen all at once.”  It sure seems that way some days.  My husband accuses me of going from great thing to great thing and I am here to tell you,  I am GUILTY as charged! 🙂 

“The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise him.”

Psalm 28:7 

As Diane Lane sang in the Disney movie Secretariat, which I have now watched five, six… okay, maybe seven times…

He taught me how to watch and pray and live rejoicing every day

O Happy Day! 

Psalm 118:24

“This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Philippians 4:4 

🙂 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Faith, Hope, Inspirational, Truth, Women

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Dear Abby Dear Abby

            Remember Dear Abby? 

            Ask Ann Landers? 

            Questions on proper in-law etiquette, noisy neighbors and philandering spouses peppered news papers all across the country.  The twin sisters could turn out a response in a couple of paragraphs and their opinions carried weight around the world.  

            It would be statistically interesting to see how many marriages were saved, the number of divorces finalized and apologies accepted based solely on the advice of the sisters.  If you could wait a few weeks and risk the overwhelming odds of your letter being chosen, I guess it was a logical way to learn what you should do.  Better yet, if you could just find your problem mimicked in someone else’s life, then you could piggy-back off of their solicited solution.  If Abby and Ann weren’t accessible enough, family members and friends have usually been willing to offer up advice.  Unfortunately, “Going to the phone, before going to the Throne,” (thank you Joyce Meyer for that quote) can get you in trouble.  While we can usually count on family and friends for their opinions, they are often pre-programmed to tell us what we want to hear…or they offer advice slightly slanted by their own particular experiences.  I am sometimes guilty of purposely selecting whose advice I seek, knowing in advance they are likely to give me the answer I want. 

            There are all sorts of examples on seeking advice in the Bible…some turn out well and others not so much.  Proverbs 24:6 says, “Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisors.”  I like that one.  It’s always seemed like a good idea to me, to ask around before getting yourself into a tight situation, especially to find out if you have anyone on your side.  And if you already have some ideas and plans formulated in your mind, you might want to pull up Proverbs 16:3  “Commit to the Lord everything you do, then your plans will succeed.”  Of course you have to get that “commit” part first.  It doesn’t work after the fact.  Then, there is the foundational fool-proof piece of advice Jesus gives us in Matthew 6:33  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”   I have tested and tried that verse many times and am living proof that it is true and effective.

            But just yesterday a friend asked my advice on a risky decision she was about to make.  It’s easy to say “Go for it” or “Just do it” when you’re NOT the one standing on the edge of a cliff, grabbing hold of an old rope and preparing to launch yourself out over a pile of jagged rocks to the icy river below.  When I saw her apprehension, I should have told her to stop and pray about it.  But I egged her on.  I wanted her to do it because I had done it, and well, the kids thirty and forty years younger than us had done it.  Her success would carry a set of bragging rights for the two of us while the other adults sat safely in their kayaks watching from the shallow water. 

            So she jumped.  It didn’t go well.  I immediately found myself praying she would be okay as I looked down into the water and we exchanged horrified facial expressions.  A  few bumps, a couple of bruises, some scratches, scrapes, cuts, a little wounded pride with lots of “I should have known betters” and we floated on down the river.

            I suspect she might think twice about trusting my advice again on such life and death situations.  But if there is a next time, I hope I won’t miss the opportunity to encourage her to overlook my opinion, and take her question straight to the Top!

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;

He will never let the righteous be shaken.”

Psalm 55:22

            Of course, even if she had asked Dear Abby or Ann Landers, I suspect the sisters would have sided with me and said:

 “You only live once.  Jump!”

Who do you count on to give you advice?

Who counts on you for answers? 

These may be questions worth contemplating. 🙂 

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

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Hope for Healing

Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.  

Proverbs 14:10 NIV 

            “I’m just angry,” my sister-in-law said as she was describing her feelings three weeks after her husband’s death.  Raised in a charismatic church, where modern-day miracles were not only prayed for, but expected, she had come up short. 

            While her husband’s leukemia had been in a state of remission far longer than the doctors ever expected, it had come back full force.  The family physician’s best guess gave him one to two months.  He died two days later on Easter Sunday.

            Who wouldn’t be angry?

            It seems Mary and Martha were a bit ticked when Jesus delayed his trip to their home after he learned their brother Lazarus was dying.  Martha, so anxious to tell Jesus what she thought, went out to meet him.  “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.”

            My sister-in-law feels the same way.  Where was God when she prayed, begged and bargained to have her husband healed?

            There was the remission.  And, even though doctors had their doubts, a stem cell transplant and white blood cells harvested from his sister did make a difference. He had almost four years of living and loving past the point where medical science would have typically predicted the end.  The two of them still had opportunities to share God’s word, to make amends, to be strong in the struggle and to escape the rigorous rounds of treatment through their shared passion of making music.  The Bible says our days are numbered and, within that number, God set aside time to bring them closer to each other and closer to Him.  But in the end, the time came for her husband to slip away.  He went peacefully, surrounded by his family.  And in some ways, that seems to be the ultimate healing of the heavenly kind. 

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NKJV) 

            But here she is, my sister-in-law, all alone and angry.  Jesus knew she would feel that way.  He experienced anger when he tossed the temple tables.  He was sad, and even wept with those who thought they had lost Lazarus.  And when the disciples fell asleep at a time he needed them to stay up and pray, he knew the hurt of being alone.  So I think we are safe to believe, He will not leave my sister-in-law to resolve the anger, bitterness, sadness and pain all by herself.  Jesus loves her, this I know, for the Bible tells us so. 

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:18 NLT 

If you are experiencing similar feelings…hurt, sad, mad, confused…lay it down before the Lord.  He alone is our rescue, our help, our hope, our healing.  Where else can we go but to the Lord? 

Just this morning as she was cleaning out some of her husband’s stuff, someone she doesn’t even know, sent her a card with this message:

“We give back to you O God, those whom You gave to us.  You did not lose them when You gave them to us and we do not lose them by their return to you.  Your dear Son has taught us that life is eternal and love cannot die.  So death is only a horizon and a horizon is only the limit of our sight.  Open our eyes to see more clearly, and draw us closer to You that we may know that we are nearer our loved ones, who are with You.  You have told us that You are preparing a place for us; prepare us also for that happy place that where You are we may also be always, O dear Lord of life and death.” 

~William Penn (1644-1718) 

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

 

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Wilderness Walking

                    The tickets arrived by certified mail.  I quickly signed my name and ripped open the envelope. 

            There they were!  

            The most beautiful tickets I had ever seen.

            The most expensive tickets we had ever purchased for a single outdoor event. 

            I couldn’t wait to tell anyone who would listen, where we were going, what great seats we would have, and how I would be counting down the days. 

            It wasn’t long before I was counting all the things that were going wrong.  I should have seen the warning signs, and got prayed up and prepared, especially after the computer crashed in the middle of the ticket purchase.  But I had such tunnel vision, I couldn’t even entertain the thought, that this might not turn out the way I had always dreamed.

            There were dress disasters, last-minute mail-order obstacles, alteration emergencies, work deadlines, a medical scare…even a death… and our family’s stress level was at peak performance.

            But the clock kept ticking, the days flew by and it was finally time to go. We got there and found our section but for some strange reason we couldn’t find those great seats.  We called for help and a young sales attendant was more than happy to tell us, “Oh your seats are inside.  You will be watching on a television monitor.”

            I don’t mind telling you.  I am still such a big baby with so much more work for God to do in me, that this little piece of information brought me to my knees in what Oprah Winfrey would describe as “The Ugly Cry.”  Forget that I was in the process of reading a Priscilla Shirer book about wilderness walking.  This just can’t be happening…not now…not to me…not this event.  This is too big…too important…I had waited too long.  “I’ve given up other dreams, not this one, PLEASE God.”

            Priscilla Shirer pops back into my head. 

            Book: One in a Million

            Chapter: Six

            Title: “Why Me“

            Quote:“Do we want the Promise Giver, or do we just want the Promised Land?”           

            Truthfully? Right  now?  THE PROMISED LAND!  I know that’s wrong.  I know that is not the answer God is looking for…but this is THE Promised Land…this is THE KENTUCKY DERBY!  This is for my 50th birthday.  The Bucket List.  The #1 request before I die. 

            My husband, soul-mate and the one who keeps me accountable, reminds me God has a plan.  I don’t really want to hear that…I just want this fixed because this HAS to be some sort of mistake.  He makes calls, lots of calls. And finally a nice sales supervisor explains that these are some of the most desirable seats in Churchill Downs.  “Yeah, sure they are,” I mumble through another wave of tears. 

            But wait a second; my husband is starting to smile.  Hold the phone.  It seems God does have a plan.  You know He always does.

            Fast forward my puffy face to race day.

            A guest services guide, who was so sorry we were disappointed with the tickets, got special permission to take us up to the roof for the coveted Twin Spires photo.  Thinking back, it was the one thing I had wished to come away with but had been told it would be impossible to get. 

            While the people from the outside, sitting in cold metal folding chairs, were coming in to fight the crowd inside, standing in line for an hour just to place a bet, getting food and trying to find a place to sit…we had plenty of room in our secured area, no lines, high back cushioned desk chairs and tables.  There were giant television monitors where we could watch all the action up close until post time when we walked outside to overlook the finish line and watch the race from the clubhouse balcony . 

            But because of what seemed like a dream day disaster, we met and became fast friends with the ushers, the tellers and the security guards as the “human factor” of  this famous “horse” race began to come into focus.  I love how God works all things for good, how he has his hand on us when we don’t even know it.  But I hate, hate, hate how I always seem to require a painful wilderness walk before I can let God do what God does when what He has planned is far more significant and so much more than expected.

Isaiah 49: 15-16 NIV 

I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

 

James 1:17-18 NKJV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of  lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of his own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. 

I still can’t believe I stood there…three floors above the finish line…an ultimate dream come true.

 

 

 

Psalm 20:4 NKJV

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. 

To my dad, aunt, husband, son and friends who were dragged along with me on this particular wilderness walk…I concede I am still a work in progress.  I hope by confessing my fleshly failings I have in no way diminished real world problems that I know are far more significant than a birthday bucket wish. 

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

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Who Are We?

          Locks of long flowing white hair and a beard the color of freshly picked cotton have become his trademarks, despite the God-given baritone voice that made him famous.  He is, by far, the most recognizable member of the seven-time Grammy Award wining gospel and country quartet, The Oak Ridge Boys.  His “mountain man” appearance makes it easy to assume that maybe it was some sort of strange mid-life style decision.   At least, that’s what I always assumed.  But I was wrong.

            William Lee Golden wanted to see who he would be, what he would look like, if he was exactly who God made him to be.  He explains it this way.  “In 1980, I began to re-evaluate my life.  I began to seek to find the man that God created.  It just evolved.  I don’t have any intentions of cutting my hair or beard.  I am very comfortable with who I am.”

            I can’t speak for the rest of you ladies, but I’m not quite that curious.  

            My hair gets highlighted when I can afford it.  When I can’t, I still buy the cheap drugstore dye in a box, either dark blonde or light brown depending on the mood.  My body receives bi-weekly treatments of Jergens Glow.  And, I know they’re not married, but Merle Norman and Mary Kay make great partners in my make-up bag and on my face.  All lame attempts at cosmetic comedy aside…if we subscribed to William Lee’s theory, who would we be?  If we just surrendered our souls…ourselves…to God’s plan, how would our lives change?  If we just really, truly, thought of Him as the Potter and us as the clay, would we be willing to yield? 

            In 1907, Adelaide Pollard, uncertain what God wanted to do in her life, wrote “Have Thine Own Way.”  It includes the lyrics, “Mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.”  Who would we be if we allowed that much room for God to work?  If we could get past our control issues, our plans for the future, our preconceived lifetime goals, who would we be?  If we were stamped by God’s trademark and his words came from our mouths, what would we say?  Whose glory would we seek, ours or His?

            Jesus says In Matthew 23:12, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”  By submitting to the God who created him, William Lee Golden not only has one of the most famous faces in the entire music industry, but a legacy that will live on long past his time here on earth.

            Although I still can’t imagine us ladies going “all nat-ur-Al” it does make me wonder how God would work in our lives if we were solely surrendered and totally submitted.   

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Momma’s Day

What do you remember about your mom that makes you smile? 

If there are no wonderful memories of your mom, what woman most impacted your life?          

            The summer before kindergarten my mom would make me take a nap every afternoon.  I think all kids probably hate the idea of a nap, having to stop playing and be still for a while. But I remember the windows being open in the house and the fan blowing on my hair and face.  I slept solid and sound and though I didn’t want to lay down at first, I sure didn’t want to get up later.  It felt so good.  It felt so safe, so secure and so relaxing.  Just knowing my mom was in the other room preparing dinner, doing laundry and cleaning up the house made me feel like everything was right with the world. 

            In my mind, she was a Master Chef when it came to preparing picnic lunches.  She always made sandwiches with thick slices of ham.  She included potato chips, boiled eggs, and Hostess chocolate cupcakes with the cream filling.  Sometimes she would even ice down a six-pack of those little bottles of cokes.  It would have been easier for her if we had just stopped for lunch.  But money was tight, there wasn’t a McDonald’s on every corner and it couldn’t have compared with the cooler.  

            I was a terribly picky eater, which drove my dad crazy, but my mom would sneak plain hamburgers to me, before my dad got home, so I would at least eat something.  It’s funny as I look back on it; I hated when she would call us every morning for breakfast.  I got so tired of eating eggs and bacon, gravy and homemade biscuits.  Now I only wish I could eat that way again. Saturdays were homemade pancakes and many Sundays she served stove top oatmeal with plenty of sugar.  I could go on and on about white beans, cornbread and fried chicken…that was fine food even for a finicky eater.           

            There were many times she cared for me when I was sick, injured or nursing a broken heart.  And she made many sacrifices for my sisters and me.  It’s easier to see all that she gave up, now that I’m a mom, too. I know even more the things I did not do for her the times I took her for granted and the times I didn’t help her when I could have.  But she allowed me to be a kid and didn’t expect too much of me.  I try to remember that when I get angry with my own children for not helping out.   I know she did without so we could have things; and I know she worked really hard to make us clothes and help us get through school.  I thank God for choosing her to be my mom and for giving her the strength to keep going when I know there had to have been many times when she just wanted to quit.  I am grateful for her discipline (all of which I needed) and for loving me when the punishment was over. 

            My mom frequently quoted the verse in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” She was the one who took us to church.  I knew, even as a young child, that God had a hold of my heart.  But there would be many tumultuous years before I would completely choose to follow Him.  I know there were times when she thought I had lost my way…but that verse from Proverbs is continuously proven true in my life.  God knows we are going to stray, especially as teenagers and young adults.  But He also knows that–with the right foundation, when we are older and better able to understand– we will be back. 

          My mom tells me I’m a giving person; but I know I wasn’t born that way.  In fact, as I watch my own children, I am often reminded that we do not come into this world civilized.  We have to be trained.  I spent years living a self-centered, selfish lifestyle, thinking I knew more than my mother did.  If I am a giving person now, it is only because she continued to teach me.     

          The world tries to teach us that the material things are what really matter.  We need to be skinny, young, pretty and have more stuff in order to be happy.  But true happiness is often found in the simple things, the things we remember. 

          Just ask a mom, any mom.  She will most likely tell you that true beauty is not found by looking in the mirror…but by looking inside yourself to see who you really are.  

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her;

“Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Honor her for all that her hands have done,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31: 27-31   

Happy Momma’s Day ladies

Take time to honor a woman you love!  

🙂

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

 

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The Royalty Within

What is it that draws us to a Royal Wedding?  Why do we watch the Coronation of a King?  Or why do we tune in for the latest details on the Birth of a Prince? 

It is exactly that…the Birth of a Prince. 

We are heirs with Christ Jesus. We have been adopted into his family; we are Daughters of the King.  And just as there is a black hole in our soul that can not be filled by anyone or anything short of our Father in Heaven, we were born for Royalty.

 So if there is a touch of “I wonder what that is like” or “I wish for one moment I was her,” you are supposed to feel that way.  You were born for such a title as this:

Princess Daughter

Romans 8:16-19 NASB

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.  For I consider that the sufferings  of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” 

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

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The Hoy-tee Toy-tee Ducks of Green Hills

          An empty day on the calendar usually has a way of making me feel a little uneasy.  Since it’s such a rare occurrence, I guess I’m not always sure what to do about it.  I’m a detail person, a scheduler and a list maker, who operates best with a pre-set outline of obtainable goals.

          So, after a hectic week working on an impending deadline, Thursday rolls around and, all of a sudden, there is nothing to do.  I know, I know, how does that happen?  Well, it doesn’t happen very often, so this time — instead of allowing any anxiety to surface — I decide to see it as a sign, a gift from God if you will.  After all, I have been working really hard. So, Carpe diem, I seize the day!

            I start with a cardio spin class because, at my age, exercise is a blessing to my cholesterol loving heart.  I follow it with an endurance class, just to prove to myself that I can still endure it!  Then I think. “Oh, what the heck,” and head for a Yoga class so my sore body can ask my mind why I did the first two classes when I had a whole day with nothing to do. 

            I’m not sure what I was thinking when I took THREE classes, back to back, but I finally got to the coveted corpse pose.  It’s the grand finale when you just lie there like you’re dead.  It’s the one position you wish could last a little longer… okay a lot longer.  I was in some sort of semi-sleep zone and not at all ready to leave.  But, once people around you start rolling up their mats, and the senior center folks push past you for their place in the next class, well, it’s a little hard to nap.

            Reluctantly, I grab my stuff and walk out into a breezy but sunny 72 degree day.  I find an outdoor café serving rosemary grilled chicken with roasted asparagus.  I savor each herbal flavor, while simultaneously watching all the wonderful people walking by just doing what they do and going where they go. 

            My Thursday in heaven could have ended right then and there!

            However… walking back to my car I notice a creek I must have driven over a dozen times, but never really saw before, at least not like I was seeing it now.  There is a shade tree, a big ole rock large enough to sit on, a tiny little water fall…and here I am just wondering, what exactly did I do, to deserve a day like this, when the rest of the world is still at work.  It doesn’t seem fair.

            Seriously, I should feel guilty, but I don’t.  

            It helps when I see three little ducks swimming in the creek and think, as blessed as I am at this very moment, it is only right for me to “pay it forward”. 

            I check my purse… Cinnamon Altoids…hmmm, probably shouldn’t try that…coffee candy…won’t work…a miniature dark chocolate peanut butter cup…if it’s not good for dogs, it’s probably not a good idea for ducks.  Then it occurs to me, there is still a breakfast biscuit from a quick stop market wasting away in the car.  You know the kind…two bites and um, not so hungry.  I run over to the car, pick it up and wait for the ducks to dash back to my little outdoor sanctuary.  I toss a piece of bread into the creek…and nothing happens.  I toss another piece…they don’t even look.  I take a few steps in their direction.  The ducks eye me suspiciously, and nothing.  Okay… I give it one last try.  Another hard crumb causes ripples in the water, but they arrogantly turn their backs. 

            Are you kidding me? 

            Across town in Centennial Park, ducks will just darn near grab the food right out of your hand.  But these pretty little ducks just sun themselves, bathe a bit, and ignore me.  Fine, I decide I will ignore them too, and take this awesome time to do some writing.  No sooner have I put pen to paper than the ducks swim right up to me.

            “Ah ha, I knew you would come get it,” I taunt them, looking around quickly, hoping no one heard me.  I toss some more bread and once again they turn up their beaks… but this time they actually swim away…

          Then I totally figure it out!  These are not normal ducks.  These are the three happiest and smartest ducks I have ever encountered.  Their creek flows in the shadow of the largest Whole Foods Market in one of the most upscale communities in our metropolitan city.   These ducks don’t eat left over convenience store breakfast biscuits.  They only eat organic!!  They never have to exercise, and I bet they don’t have a single commitment on the calendar.  

 

Okay, I know, silly story, but it made me laugh. 

We really don’t laugh as much as we should.  

The Bible says,

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 NIV 

             Research shows that children laugh on average of 300 times a day while adults only laugh about 15 times.  When did that happen?  When exactly did we quit laughing?  Even if you have to laugh at yourself (for talking to ducks), take some time to laugh, at least a little. 

            After all, the man who figured out how to turn barefoot beach music into a multi-million dollar empire says: 

“If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.” Jimmy Buffet.

 

 

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Enlightenment, Entertainment, Inspirational, Truth, Women

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Fruit of the Vine

             “Is it okay to like communion?” our son asked last Sunday.  His curiosity made me smile, even though I did have to stop and think about how I might accurately answer such a question.  Every time I take a sip of Welch’s grape juice, I always remember the sweet smell of it on my mother’s breath when I was a child.

            In the little church where my grandparent’s worshiped, the grown-ups took the Lord’s Supper every Sunday.  They would first pass around the unleavened bread (which always looked like a cracker to me) and then they would pass a silver tray of tiny little glass cups filled with grape juice.  It was quite a solemn observance as I felt sure it should be.  But it was also something I aspired to…something I wanted to be part of …something sacred for the big people.  And by the time they passed it around, I was pretty hungry and it smelled good.

            When I look at the story in the New Testament book of Matthew Chapter 26, the words in verse 20 always seem to catch my eye.  It says Jesus was “reclining at the table” with the twelve disciples.  It’s probably rarer in our society than it was in years past, but reclining at the table conjures up an image of a warm and welcoming place.  A relaxing atmosphere where conversation is key and good food is still on the table.

            Certainly there was seriousness that night, like never before.  But prior to talk turning back to the impending crucifixion, in both the books of Matthew and Mark, it says, “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread,”

            Jesus was sharing a special evening with his disciples.  When He asks us to share the same meal, I believe He wants us to feel that closeness with other believers and especially with Him.  He told us very specifically to remember Him, and, when we do, sometimes, thoughts of His death on a cross summon up feelings of sadness.  But we are reminded in Matthew 26 that Jesus was not forced to die on the cross…no one took Him against His will…He was not overpowered by the crowd…He chose to give His life for us.

            The solemn, respectful observance should leave us walking away rejuvenated, refreshed, forgiven and free.  We can recline in a way…relax in the knowledge that no one has ever loved us more.

            Recognizing that our son would probably remember our words, we gave careful consideration to what we believe is an accurate answer. 

            “It’s not only okay to like communion, it’s okay to love it.”  

It is an ordinance for redeemed sinners, and not for unfallen angels. By receiving it we publicly declare our sense of guilt, and need of a Savior – our trust in Jesus, and our love to Him – our desire to live upon Him, and our hope to live with Him. Using it in this spirit, we shall find our repentance deepened, our faith increased, our hope brightened, our love enlarged, our besetting sins weakened and our graces strengthened. It will draw us nearer to Christ.  ~ J.C. Ryle 

          On Good Friday night, we always try to gather friends and family to watch The Passion of the Christ.  While it is a hard movie to watch, it is a blessed reminder of what He really did and how much He values us.  No matter what you think of yourself, no matter what you believe others think about you, He proved how much He loves you and how much you are worth to Him.  While we spend so much of our lives trying to win the love of others, His love is the greatest love of all!

Who else would ever sing a song of praise, before willingly choosing to die, just for you? 

“After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

Matthew 26:30 NASB 

Communion, the Lord’s Supper, Holy Sacrament or the Eucharist…isn’t it really all the same?  It’s a privilege to share in His sufferings so we might also share in His inheritance. 

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Romans 8:17 NIV  

Hold your head up a little higher, walk with more confidence, and see yourself through His eyes and not the eyes of the world. On Friday, April 29, 2011 as the world watches Kate Middleton marry Prince William, just remember you are a Daughter of the real King! 

 

 

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Faith, Hope, Inspirational, Truth, Women

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