Christmas Day is Not the Hardest

>> Sunday, December 15, 2019

It wasn’t that I didn’t desire to decorate for Christmas.  The meaning of Christmas is very dear to me.  And over the years I’ve been collecting nativities, even buying one in Bethlehem.  Yes, the one in Israel.  So, I really wanted to be able to see my special decorations.  

But it meant I would have to deal with memories.  

This is my fifth Christmas without John.  And most of the time I’m doing very well.  We never decorated a tree together; that was my thing.  And in the past ten years we’ve only put up one tree; our first year in this new home.  John declared he wanted it to look like a picture in Better Homes and Gardens.  He bought the tree, the decorations, the lights…and did it all himself.  

We had our Better Homes and Gardens tree.  

But in this home, he did help with the decorating; especially putting up the wreath.  Today, as I removed it from its packing, I remembered the conversation we had when purchasing it.  He had such a dilemma.  Just couldn’t decide which one he wanted.  I held up wreath after wreath while he studied it.  

He finally chose one.  And now I have to put it up.  It’s the wreath that gets me every year.  


Christmas Day is not the hardest day.  After the children became adults, the hustle and bustle of gifts and secrets and Christmas cookies and handmade ornaments faded into memories.  Wonderful memories.  When it was just John and me, that day was very low key.  Just quiet time together.  Some Christmas music. Some Christmas movies (although he slept through them).  Several years our daughter, Lorri, joined us.  She was okay with low key.  

Maybe for others who have lost a spouse and now live alone, Christmas Day is the hardest.  Everyone deals with grief differently.  As for me, my hardest day is over.  I can now enjoy my handiwork; and look forward to this Christmas season.  

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.”  Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)


Read more...

Sound of Stones Dropping

>> Sunday, November 24, 2019

The whole incident was a set up.  She had been caught, no trapped, in the very act of adultery.  In bringing only her to Jesus, the Jewish leaders were breaking the law.  Where was the man she had been caught with?  He should be stoned too.  Perhaps it had been one of them.  How else would they have known the exact time and place of the act?  

Each of the accusers carried a stone in his hand.  They were ready for the punishment to be meted out.  

Jesus didn’t believe in adultery.  They were counting on that.  Wonder what they thought when he stooped down and used His finger to write something in the dirt.  What did He write?  The name of the guilty man?  A list of the accuser’s sins?  
 
They badgered Him until He stood up and agreed, “Ok, go ahead and stone her.  But to qualify to throw that stone, you must be sinless.”  Then He bent down and began to write some more. 

“Thud.”

“Thud, thud.”  

In the silence, all that could be heard was the sound of stones dropping to the ground.  One by one, the accusers began to slip away.  

Do you have a stone in your hand?  Have you caught someone in the act of doing something you consider wrong?  Are you ready to mete out the punishment?  

Are you sinless?  Am I?  I think not.   

Before we throw that stone, we need to take a review of our own lives.  The next sound we hear will be the stone falling from our hands to the ground.  

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.  They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.  In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.  Now what do you say?”  John 8:3-5 (NIV)

Read more...

Automatic Door

>> Saturday, November 9, 2019

As I walked toward the doors of the grocery store, a lady stepped in front of me and headed the same way.  I watched as she strode past three double doors that said “pull” and went to the one that was automatic.  I was puzzled.  Lazy?  Bad arms?  I pulled on the first door and entered.  We arrived at the grocery carts about the same time, so I intersected with her several times throughout the store.  She reached across items, reached high on shelves; she didn’t seem to have arm problems.  

I pondered.  Recently, I had done some research on the church culture today.  I saw a parallel.  

It takes effort to pull on a door and open it.  There is no effort involved in walking through an automatic door.  More and more churches offer the automatic door.  It seems folks just want to sit in a building on Sunday morning, be told how good they are doing; and to have a wonderful week.  

No effort involved.  

But there are still a few churches that think living as Christ taught takes some time and effort on our part; that we need to use our spiritual muscles to stay healthy. On Sunday morning they offer guidance from the Bible to help us.  I recently heard a very well-known preacher say, “It is very hard to go to hell.  God is love.  Just be a good person.  Heaven awaits.”  He’s preaching an automatic door religion.  

 Which door do you choose?  

“Don’t look for shortcuts to God.  The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time.  Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.  The way to life – to God – is vigorous and requires total attention.”  Matthew 7:13-14 (MSG)


Read more...

S H I E L D

>> Saturday, October 19, 2019

Since Dementia has recently affected my family, I’ve become very aware of articles pertaining to that particular ailment and ways to help fend it off.  One report caught my attention due to its succinct approach to dealing with that risk.  An acronym has been developed to help us remember the lifestyle factors we need to be aware of.  



S H I E L D

Sleep: developing good sleep habits
Handle stress: learning how to deal with stress
Interact: spending time with friends and family
Exercise: undertaking some form of daily exercise
Learn: work on learning a new skill
Diet: eating a healthy diet

This is excellent advice for everyone.  

But as I thought about that shield to help protect my health, my contemplations turned to a scripture that mentions a shield.  It has to do with our spiritual health.  The Bible is just as succinct with its instruction.  

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  Ephesians 6:14-16 (NIV)

This is also excellent advice for everyone.  

Read more...

It Was a Boa

>> Thursday, October 3, 2019

I stood in line at Starbucks in the Barnes and Noble store.  Ahead of me were two more people and then a woman with a very strange scarf around her neck.  The design had a print that looked like a Boa.  I was trying to analyze how that matched her clothing when it moved.  

It was a Boa.  

I was no longer standing in line.  I removed myself a safe distance away and bravely looked at her again.  The snake was around her neck, her waist and around one leg.  It kept moving.  A lady came to stand beside me and said, “That’s why I got out of line.  Why do they let her stay in here?”  

I had no answer.  

That Barnes and Noble is attached to a mall.  After she received her drink, that’s where she headed.  I could only imagine the double takes she received.  Maybe that was what she was after.  

Later that evening, I was watching a television program that had been enjoyable during the previous season. As the program progressed, my mind kept returning to the Boa.  This show had looked okay to me before.  But I began to get a feeling that just maybe it was not an okay program to watch.  

The Boa was moving.  I needed to back off.  

The program had been recorded, so I pushed pause.  I pondered the premise of the show, the focus, the goal it had in mind.  Just as I had realized the Boa around that lady’s neck was real, I suddenly faced the realization that I was watching a snake in my TV room.  As a Christ-follower, I could not continue to watch.  

I deleted the show.  



As our world gets crazier and more immoral, I believe it is going to require us to become more aware of the insidious techniques of evil that have invaded our culture.  It may look innocent enough, but perhaps the hidden agenda contains a scheme to do harm to our moral fiber.  

It’s up to us to remain vigilant.  

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.”  Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)

Read more...

Rest and Reflect

>> Friday, September 13, 2019

Several years ago, Pam, a Toastmaster friend, gave a speech about Sabbath.  I’ve never forgotten the concept she put forth.  It’s time set aside from busyness to commune with God. And so, at various times since then, I’ve tried to schedule a Sabbath.  The times I’ve achieved that in my life totally demonstrated to me why it’s necessary.  Yet, life happens, and the Sabbath gets lost in the hurry and chaos of living.   

Recently a friend chose to re-arrange her work schedule to observe the Sabbath on Saturday, in accordance with Jewish law.  I’ve been in awe of her ability to shift her life that way.  And it has caused me to ponder, again, the need for Sabbath in my life. 

A few months ago, I traveled to Amish country.  Their whole lifestyle reflects a Sabbath culture.  And on Sunday, God is the focus all day.  Only the absolute necessities, such as milking the cows, are accomplished on their Sabbath.  They live a centered life.  

And now, this morning, the podcast I listened to explained the need for us as Christ-followers to observe a Sabbath.  Chuck Swindoll’s definition of Sabbath is to “rest and reflect”.  In our world, we all need that.  As fragmented as we may feel, a time to rest and reflect will bring us back to center, to the main value in our life, God’s love.  

In her speech, Pam explained a Sabbath can be when you choose.  If Wednesday is the day you can set aside, then that works.  If a whole day is impossible, what matters is a specific time and focus to rest and reflect.  

I am feeling the need for Sabbath in my life.  I am retired now, but as I look at my life, I don’t know how I ever found time to work. I do take time for meditation and reading, but that’s not Sabbath to me.  I’ve been experimenting with some mini-Sabbaths early in the morning, on my patio, with the birds singing.  That’s just made me hungry for more.  

It’s a choice I need to make, to set aside time for God.  Maybe you could do the same.  

“I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, and my spirit ponders.”  Psalm 77:6 (NASB)
  

Read more...

Just a Strand

>> Sunday, September 8, 2019

Just as my head hit the pillow, the Ring alarm system alerted me to movement in the back yard. I hurried to the window to see if that cat was back again, the one causing me some sleepless nights.  

No cat.  Probably just a bug crawling on the camera.  That happens sometimes.  

Once again, my head aimed for the pillow.  And once again, the alarm sounded.  I was determined to catch the culprit this time.  Turning on the flood light for the yard, I searched for signs of any movement. 

None.  

Third time’s a charm. This time I knew there had been sufficient time for the video to display, so I checked the event list.  One strand of a cobweb hanging from the gutter moved slowly back and forth in front of the camera. 

A cobweb.  

This involved me putting on a house coat and house shoes, taking a trip to the garage for the broom and then walking to the back yard.  I saw no cobweb but swished the broom madly in all directions.  

There, that took care of that.  

But not so.  

No sooner had I climbed in bed, than the alarm repeated its message.  I do have the comedy routine on video, where I look like a wild woman, swinging that broom around the yard.  Up and down.  Back and forth.  Where in the world was that bloomin’ cobweb?  It wasn’t even a full-blown web; just a strand.  

Of course, by now I was wide awake.  Even though the alarm was silent, my brain was not.  

That’s when the thought occurred to me that life can be just like that.  It may be something very small and insignificant to us, but perhaps to someone else, their alarm bells are going off.  Maybe they were raised in an alcoholic home, you go out to dinner with them and they react to you having a glass of wine.  They may say something, or they may not.  They may just avoid you after that.  The picture of that glass of wine in your hand is more than they can handle. Mentally, they are waving that broom all around.

We just never know what life experiences they’ve encountered.

As a Christ-follower, I pray that I can be sensitive to the smallest signal someone emits.  Even though I may not understand the trauma, I can care about the aftermath they are dealing with and be there for them.  

“We’re all adrift in the same boat; too few days, too many troubles.  … So why not give us a break?  Ease up!  … You’ll watch over every step I take, but you won’t keep track of my missteps.”  Job 14:1, 6, 16  (MSG)

Read more...

My Helper

>> Wednesday, September 4, 2019

As a person who lives alone, I’ve become more aware of the consequences of falling.  I hang on to something solid any time I use the step stool.  I make sure the floor has no obstructions in my pathway. And since my brother fell a few weeks ago, breaking ribs and hip, I have increased my vigilance.  

That’s why this scripture caught my attention as I read my Bible the other day.  

“It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. ….. If one falls down, the other helps. But if there’s no one to help, tough!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (MSG)

That last sentence made me chuckle.  Tough.

There is a way to have help in my earthly world.  It’s a little device I carry in my pocket.  If I fall, I push the button and someone is there to respond to my need. And even though I didn’t mean to test it, I know it works.  

At work one day, I bumped the corner of my desk as I passed by.  Suddenly my pocket was talking.  “This is Sean.  Are you ok?” My boss turned to look at me.  “Who’s talking?”  

I reached in my pocket and removed the device.  

“I’m ok.  I’m at work and just bumped into my desk.”  

“Is there anyone there with you who can verify you are ok?”  

That’s when my boss’s sense of humor kicked in.  

“Yes, I’m her boss. Now get back to work.”  

Sean was assured it was an accident.  And I now carry that little tool with the button turned inward to avoid further mishaps.  


But I have so much more than just a piece of equipment in my pocket.  God walks through each day with me.  

I’m never going it alone. 


Read more...

Campbell and Jesus

>> Tuesday, August 20, 2019

There is a company in our town called “Campbell and Company”.  It’s a heating and air conditioning company, so they have several technicians who go out and work on HVAC.  I have seen their trucks around town.  For each technician, they have advertising on the side of the truck that says, “Campbell and _______” and they display the name of the technician there. 

Imagine my surprise the other morning as I drove down the street to see a truck declaring “Campbell and Jesus”.  

Immediately my thoughts turned to the advertising I do as I go through my day.  As a Christian, I am supposed to be advertising Jesus.  How many days do I actually do that?  If I’m not advertising Jesus, then what am I advertising? 

How about you?

“Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.”  Matthew 8:4 (MSG)

Read more...

Relinquishment

>> Wednesday, August 7, 2019

In the 1960’s I read a book by Catherine Marshall titled Beyond Ourselves.  Even as a teenager, it spoke to me.  And today, it speaks to me again.  When I removed the book from the shelf and placed it on the table, I was transported back to the issues I faced then.  As I opened the book, it fell open to the chapter on relinquishment.  

I need to refresh my mind about The Prayer of Relinquishment.  

Relinquishment: Voluntarily giving up your self-will and letting God take over.  

When I came out of my oppressed life and became a whole person, I developed a pretty strong self-will. In many instances I needed that.  But there are times when it can be a detriment to spiritual growth.  

I thought I had achieved proficiency in the process of letting go.  

When John received his cancer diagnosis with a terminal prognosis, we agreed to hand it over to God. During those three years we were infused with peace that could not be explained in earthly terms.  We had let go of the end result.  

But recently there have been two events in my life that have shown me I still need growth in this area. Without going into details, on both occasions in my mind I instantly endeavored to take charge of the outcome.  

I grew up being taught that faith was believing, without a single doubt, that a specific thing would occur.  If you doubted, you didn’t have faith.  Yet I discovered that faith is just actively trusting God whether your request is granted or not.    



We cannot see the bigger picture.  

God has given us free will. We can try to control our circumstances, or we can take our hands off and rest in His love.  As hard as it is, it’s our choice.  

“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’”  Matthew 26:39 (NASB)


Read more...

Centered

>> Thursday, July 25, 2019

As I fly 30,000 feet above ground on my way home from Pennsylvania, my thoughts turn to the land I just left.  I spent five days in Amish country.  Even though they live surrounded by my culture, their world is totally different. 

They don’t dress like us. The women don’t cut their hair, nor does it hang down their back.  It’s fastened securely under a white (or black) mesh cap.  They sew their own dresses from material that contains no pattern. I saw shades of blue, green, gray, purple and black.  The lady’s dresses reach to the floor and have no buttons or zippers.  They use snaps or pins.  Men’s trousers have no belts or zipper; therefore, they wear suspenders. The men are clean-shaven until they marry, then they develop long, full beards.  But no mustaches.   

When they are working outside, they do protect their feet, but from babies to elderly they go barefoot. I saw children walking on hot concrete without even noticing the temperature.  Clothes flapped on clotheslines designed with a pulley system that carried the clothes high into the air.  

When my daughter and I were there, the temperature hovered in the high 90’s.  They have no electricity.  We spent evenings sitting outside catching the breeze, while fireflies danced and cicadas sang.  We were privileged to be given a ride in one of their horse-drawn buggies; their mode of transportation.  The rhythmic clip-clop of the horse’s hooves was very soothing.  

They grow their own food. The meals are prepared by the women, starting at a very young age.  We partook of several meals; all delicious.  The entertainment after the meal was provided by the daughters, playing harmonicas or singing in beautiful harmony.  

And the children … oh the children.  

They have no screen in front of their face.  They draw. They play outside.  They laugh together.  They take care of each other.  In five days, I never heard an argument among them, even though they have large families.  They are polite, sitting quietly with us as we visited.  They observe when there might be a need, such as bringing another chair for company.  They have chores.  They know their jobs and do them with no whining or complaining.  

They have not been tainted by our culture.  

One family we visited had a dairy farm, where we were able to watch the whole process.  The eight-year old son knew his part in the milking and worked alongside his dad.  Another farm was a foundry where we observed molten metal being poured into molds of various shapes and sizes.  Some families grow fruit for canning and selling.  Others raise horses. 

Church is rotated among the homes and meets in large rooms such as a barn or shed.  Benches are loaded on a trailer and moved from home to home.  And they take Sunday seriously.  Other than chores that must be done, they spend the day attending a three-hour church service (where the men sit on one side and the women on the other) or visiting neighbors and extended family.  We joined them in one visit to a relative who had been in the hospital. We were welcomed as a friend.  

One very special lady in her 80’s took us under her wing.  She was delightful to listen to as she shared of her life in that very area. She rode in our car and pointed out the little schoolhouse she attended as a child.  One room.  Kindergarten through eighth grade.  They do not go any higher than that.  Her sister lives in the same area … just past that cornfield. (Every intersection has a cornfield).  There were 16 children in their family.  

When my daughter was ready to come get me at the airport 30 miles away, she asked the Amish lady if she wanted to ride along.  With their horse and buggy transportation, they rarely go more than a 15-mile radius. She immediately asked, “Can my sister Susie come too?”  So, two ladies in their 80’s witnessed  an airplane landing for the first time in their lives.  

As I’ve tried to think how to describe the friends we met, words like peaceful and tranquil bounced around in my head.  But then one word stuck.  Centered. These people are centered.  God is in control, so they have no need for worry. They don’t push their way of life on others but are very sure for themselves.  God will take care of them.  That came through time and again in our conversations.  

As I return to my chaotic, hectic culture, I pray I remember these days.  May I become centered in the midst of it.  


Read more...

Petunias Stink

>> Sunday, July 14, 2019

As I watered my flowers this morning, my olfactory nerves were assaulted with a pungent smell. Petunias.  I knew when I planted them, that their odor was not pleasant. But their blooms are so colorful and plentiful that I used them in my planter anyway.  

To offset the petunia problem, I planted a lot of alyssum.  They emit a very subtle, sweet fragrance. Sometimes the petunias win.  

And mixed in with other flowers I placed some ivy.  No fragrance or flowers involved.  From a distance, the montage is very pleasing.  

But as the spray from my hose dampened my creation, my thoughts turned to people.  

I know some petunias.  Don’t you? I call them “high maintenance”. And yet many times they have a valuable characteristic, such as a creative mind.  Even though they are difficult to deal with, they may be very good at computers.    

Do we need petunias in our garden?  

I know quite a few alyssum people.  Their loving and caring ways give off a very sweet fragrance.  They are a pleasure to be around.  Yet these are the very same people who get walked on by petunias. Sometimes I just want to come to their defense.  Yet it would go against their belief system to confront another.  
 
I know I need alyssum in my garden.  

And the ivy? It’s just there.  No fragrance.  No blossoms.  Just a filler.  

I have some ivy in my life.  They have no desire to achieve.  Life just happens to them.  And I struggle to understand their usefulness.  I know they have value.  God says so. 

And so, I look for a quality I can appreciate.  

“What is the price of two sparrows – one copper coin?  But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.  Matthew 10:29 (NLT)


Read more...

Blaring Noise

>> Sunday, July 7, 2019

When I entered the gym this morning, I could hear a television blaring its program. That’s really unusual. Wonder what’s going on? I thought as I deposited my keys in a cubby. The closer I walked to the treadmills, the louder it boomed. 

The treadmill I planned to use was the first one in the row.  On the next one was a man with headphones covering his ears. It was his television that filled the gym with noise. 

I made a U-turn. Back at the desk, I asked for help. 

“Do you hear the loud television? It’s over by the treadmills. Can you please fix it?”

I followed the employee back to the treadmill section.  That’s when I observed an interesting conversation. 

The employee walked to stand beside the man on the treadmill. He tried talking to him, but of course his words were drowned out by the television. When the man removed his headphones, the employee asked him, “Are you hearing the television through your headphones?” 

“I am, but I’ve had to keep turning it up. I could barely hear it at first.” And then he noticed. The television in front of him was flooding the room with sound. “Oh. I don’t think my headphones are working.” 

That’s when a life lesson popped into my head. We can go through life thinking we are connected to the Source, but we can barely hear it. So, we just keep trying to fix it on our own. And the noise around us gets louder. Everyone is very aware we have a problem. We are oblivious. 

That’s when someone comes to stand beside us and question how we are doing? It may take a while for the truth to sink in. And it may be more than one issue. This morning it was a combination of the headphones and the connector to the television. An expert needed to be brought in. 

I know an Expert. He has helped me with so many issues. I lived for years with my headphones on; blaring to others I had big problems. But I was oblivious. 

Are there blaring noises in your life? Do you hear them? 


“God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.” Psalm 51:10 (MSG)

Read more...

  © Blogger template Simple n' Sweet by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009 * © customized by Mari @ Free2Bedesigns.com/

Back to TOP