Sing, Sing a song, make it simple!

While listening to Robert Madu speak about the songs learned as a child in Sunday School
and how they impacted his life and ministry as an adult,   I took a little walk down memory lane.
I saw a vivid picture of my mom standing on the left,  with Sister Herndon in the middle
and Pastor Herndon on the right on the tiny platform of the church I grew up in.  They are
singing “Until then, my heart will go on singing. . . Until the day God calls me home”.
As an adult,  I had no doubt on the day God called Mom and Brother Herndon home.
His widow, Tona, awaits her call to this day.  
Our home was filled with music  enhanced by my mother’s love of southern gospel. 
We were charter subscribers to the Singing News Magazine.   The Cathedrals, Statesmen,
Blackwood Brothers, Dixie Echoes,  I knew their names and bios as if they were family.
My Dad volunteered as an usher at the Municipal Auditorium  (Now the Civic Center Music Hall)
so we could see the Speer Family, the Rambos and the Happy Goodmans in concert numerous
times FREE. We had all their ‘albums”.   Later my parents would purchase all the Bill Gaither
videos and leave them for me.  

I can spell “Bible, Christian, Jesus, Heart”   and many other words without spell check because
I know a song about them.   “ I am a C, I am a Ch, I am a Ch-r-i-s-t-i-a-n . The B-i-b-l-e, yes that’s
the book for me.”   Jesus loves the little Children,   “red and yellow, black and white” My early
experience with missionaries and this song caused me to never question His love for all the children
of the world.  "On Sunday I am happy,  On Monday. . . . and Saturday’s always bright."  He is the
God of everyday, all week not just on Sunday.  I haven’t always acknowledged Him everyday
but I’ve never been a “Sunday”  christian.  The Happy Day Express,   I think that might have
been from a Vacation Bible School theme but I’ve always known my final destination was Heaven.  
Every morning devotional sparks a memory of a hymn or song from my childhood and I usually
end with one I haven't thought of in years. Just after an intense time of prayer for a
prodigal child, I began to sing “I know whom I have believed in and am persuaded, that He is able”.   
Those songs from my childhood then remind me of the people of my childhood and I’m smiling

big right now.  “Lord, I’m thankful for the good folks in my life, ( blogpost of 10/1/18)   
Not everyone grows up in a home filled with southern gospel, but most of us can recall a song,
a hymn, a liturgy from childhood.

Belt out a song from your childhood today and see where the memory lane takes you!

TODAY, and God Said. . .

I propped up the pillows against the headboard and arranged the comforter around me.   My cup of cinnamon dolce fresh from the Keurig sat on the nightstand next to me.  I greeted my God, as always with an honest assessment of how I feel about getting up and facing the day.   I ask Him to open my ears to hear from him and speak to me before I open my devotional and Bible. 

This morning, I prayed a desperate prayer, I’m struggling with some directions in my life, some opportunities that I want to take and could,  but I want His “Best Yes”.  So I whined a bit that I really “need to hear from God”.   I really “want to do your perfect will”,      please, please, “give me some clear direction”,   “I’m listening, I want to do what you want”.

And God said, “No you don’t.”   So I got quiet and a little offended.

And God said, “I’ve given you everything you need for TODAY.  You undoubtedly know what you need to accomplish TODAY.   You have clear direction for the things you need to do for me TODAY.  Your problem is you want to know about next week, next month, and next year.  You want answers for June and August and it’s barely May.  You don’t want to make that financial commitment, even though you could because you’re afraid of October’s rent increase.     You don’t want to do TODAY’S task unless you can see how it’s going to help or hinder tomorrow.  You don’t want to spend time on TODAY’S task if you can’t know how the time and energy spent is going to impact the future.  You don’t want to follow TODAY’S leading if you can’t know where the finish line is.  You don’t want to get up and get busy on what you know you need to do TODAY.   You are too concerned about how it's all going to turn out."  

I was now more than a little offended, but I knew it was truth.  For me, specifically, time spent writing and researching and studying and yes spending for my writing,  seems to lead to nada.  And yet, I still do it.   Then I berate myself for “wasting” my precious resources.    I should be doing something more productive, spending more sacrificially.  

  

 I’m reminded of Paul as he traveled spreading the gospel.  He would plan an evangelistic trip and then a shipwreck, prison, crazy woman or illness would change his plan.  I wonder if he ever woke up and propped himself against the wall and asked "What's the point?"     Did he ever say aloud,  “I should never have bought a ticket to Troas, look what happened there!”   Or “Priscilla & Aquila gave me some cash and I bought a new coat, sorry, that should have been given to the poor”.   “Should I or shouldn’t I go to Rome?” 

TODAY, I know the assignments of TODAY.  He has shown me what is good.    To “do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with (my) God”, (Micah 6:8 NLT).    My heart knows what He has required of me.   Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and now He wants me to seek and point the lost to Him. 

I quit being offended and took a long look at the list.  These days I still make the to-do list but pray over it and prioritize it according to the time constraints and other commitments.   TODAY, the list came together with a few additions and lots of cross outs.   I knew which opportunities to pursue and which ones to lay aside.   More importantly, I knew which ones could wait and which ones couldn’t.

The first one was “post the blog”.   

 TODAY   these were the words He gave me, even as I was in prayer.  So, as I type this sitting on my bed, I will push the “publish” tab and throw another post out into cyberspace.  And while these eyes see no earthly return on the time spent, this is what I must do TODAY. 

Just thinkin’ on it. 

Micah. Again.

Micah came back around after about a year of absence.  Micah.   The “minor prophet”  Micah.  The guy who is so “minor”  no one ever preaches from his writings,  never been a Bible Study about Micah and few sermons feature him as the main character.

  

In college,  I took a class called “The Minor Prophets”  ( I had to have 16 hours of Bible,  the professor was rumored to be entertaining).   We read a book  called Prophets on Main Street  by J. Elliot Corbett.  It seemed very relevant in 1973,  and surprisingly more so today.

  Micah showed back up today and I had to reflect on why Micah keeps showing up in my life about once a year.   I wrote from him in one of my first blog posts back in July.  I zeroed in on chapter 7,  the last part of verse 7.  Interestingly,  today,  the first part of the verse spoke to me.   “. . .watch in hope for the Lord”.    

 As I read through the commentaries on the verse and the different translations, a picture formed in my mind.  In Colorado,  up in the high country,  there are tall towers with enclosed platforms where park rangers spend their days and nights, binoculars slung around their neck, high powered telescope readily accessible,  watching the mountains for any sign of fire or avalanche.  I could suddenly imagine,  my dear friends battling cancer,  the mothers praying for their prodigals,  the missionary in captivity and/or battling demonic powers far from home.  I saw them,  standing in a tower,  binoculars around their neck,  scanning the countryside for their Lord.  For the healer to come around the bend.  For the deliverer to come into view over the hill.  To catch a glimpse of the Savior coming down the road toward them.  I imagined that they glanced out the window frequently  and checked the doorstep first thing every morning.  

   That verse ends with “God WILL answer my prayer.”  Coincidentally,  ( I think not),  that was the part of the verse I blogged about in July. 

 Sometimes, oftentimes I get so focused on the circumstance and so desperate in prayer  that I forget to  watch, to look,  to expect the answer.

 Today,  I’m THINK’IN about sitting by the window and watching for my Lord to work wonders in me, my friends and family. 

Remind me, Remind me.

    In this world we are living in ,  Isaiah 46:3-4, 9-11  bears repeating.  Verse 3 starts out “Listen to me.”   I was reminded of all the times that I have said to children,  heard my daughter say to my grandchildren, “listen to me”. We usually have to say it several times and grasp their little faces to make them look at us.  The Hebrew word used in this scripture is translated “to hear intelligently”.  In this verse God is telling Isaiah and US to pay attention, not just hear the babble of the media. Listen to ME! (God).

Secondly,  God reminds Isaiah,  the children of Israel and US that he has held us since our birth,  He created us and has " cared for you since you were born. . .I will be your God throughout your lifetime". It’s a little overwhelming to realize what he has done for us since birth.   I laughed a little at Matthew Henry’s commentary on this verse.  In addressing old age he says, “When compassed about with infirmities, and perhaps those around you grow weary of you, yet I am He that I have promised to be”.   I am very grateful God has not and will not  grow weary of me!

So now that I’m listening and am assured that God is with me,  I skipped to verse 9. “Remember the things I have done in the past."  Those things which undeniably point to who He is and that there is none like Him. There was an old song, "Roll back the curtain of memory now and then, show me where you brought me from and where I could have been". This exercise will make you cry, laugh and open a floodgate of memories. Followed by an immersion of gratitude.

In verse 10,  God tells us that we have a future.  His purpose, plan, advice stands from the beginning and will continue through eternity.  His plan for our lives will not might, maybe, could be, but WILL come to pass.  It’s going to happen just like He said!

And just to punctuate verse 10 with power,  God gives us verse 11. Just a few examples of how He might accomplish his purpose.  Accomplished even with those who don’t know God or follow His lead. The Israelites would have never crossed the Red Sea and continued into the Promised Land had it not been for a band of Egyptians chasing them.   Egyptians who had no interest in doing God’s Will. One of the most pivotal changes in my life came about because of people who had no idea they were being used of God.

I’m immensely grateful this morning that God is in control of this messy life.  Thankful that I can rest in His faithfulness of the past and walk through today knowing with a doubt that He has a purpose.  No matter what I see, hear or think, He will do what He has planned. I'm grateful for where I am today.

Thinkin' about where He brought me from.

Balance

Balance,  Thinkin' today about balance.  Not the world famous “balance”  definition but another one.
The world says we can have it all if we balance our diet, our obligations,  our work and play,
and on and on.

I'm thinkin' today about balance in my devotional life.  On my first generation IPad, I have
downloaded the Jesus Calling app,  the Bible Hub app, and the Bible for Kids app. In my ibooks
library I have  the devotionals : Maximize Your Mornings; Jesus on every Page; and The Shelter, God’s Promises.   By email I subscribe to: Devotionals Daily, Study Gateway, Max Lucado,
Spirit Led Woman and ibelieve daily.  On my nightstand right now are hard copies of Moving
Mountains by John Eldridge, Awaken by Priscilla Shirer, Jack Hayford's Moments with Majesty and
Anne Graham Lotz's The Daniel Key . I've read all of them, I'm just referring back to them everyday
or two.
 I am currently in a Bible Study with my women’s group at church on "12 More Women of the Bible"
and I am personally studying Women of Faith’s "Power in Prayer". From that study, I was inspired to
look more closely at Psalm 119.   In my excitement, I cleverly came up with 22 days in Psalm 119
and promised myself to spend the next 22 days studying each section of that Psalm. However,
(at the tim of this writing), my church was in 24 days of prayer and text me a devotion each morning,
so, I was doing that. Additionally, my church posts “reflection questions” after each Sunday sermon
and I really try to look at those and journal them each week.    I am a marvel at Bible study!
Even as I type this my head is about to explode!
In retrospect,  I don’t access the ipad apps EVERY day.   I haven’t accessed the devotional ibooks
in months.  I’ve been deleting Max Lucado, Devotionals Daily and Study gateway in favor of
Anne Graham Lotz the last 30 days. Awaken is a 90 day devotional that took me 120 days. I do the
Women of Faith study on Sunday afternoons, it’s only a 12 weeks. I started 10 weeks ago and I’m
on week 8.  On paper and in blog, I look like an amazing study machine.
I also keep a prayer journal.  I record specific requests and their answers or updates when I’m still
praying.  I started it because I thought none of my prayers were ever answered. That's a subject for
another blog and I digress.   While I have lots of books on prayer, the devotional books do outnumber
them. And while I set aside devotion time every day,  I’m intrigued by the time spent studying or
reading as opposed to prayer. Intrigued might should be convicted. Confession: Some, several,
many mornings I pour over the scripture and journal my thoughts,  read several translations and
then, in haste, shoot an arrow prayer upward, mention a few pressing needs, maybe even log them
in the prayer journal, sing a praise and worship chorus  and get up for the day. All, GOOD,
GREAT, WONDERFUL things to do. But, in His great love and mercy for me,  He gives me this line
out of today’s study on prayer. (It's the one Women of Faith that I do on Sunday and am four weeks
behind.  “ This week, instead of spending extra time searching out the scriptures, spend
a little extra time in prayer.”

Thinkin' about balancing my prayer time with devotional and study time.

 How much time did you spend in each this past week? Think about it.

Salvation & Power are Established

  At a Christmas tea, I was given a December calendar with one scripture reading a day focusing on the Christ of Christmas.    I really didn’t intend to do it, let alone make it a priority.  I’m already doing Lee Strobel’s the Case for Christmas study once a week and I have a daily devotion.  But, on a whim, I decided to read the scripture designated each morning from the Message.  Short and sweet.  Today was Revelation 12:5   I know, Revelation, what’s that got to do with Christmas? I won’t discuss that here but I’ve had enough Bible study to understand the connection.  So, I just kept reading through the chapter, until verse 10.  I have heard that verse, even heard it preached but today, well, it got me to thinkin’.

“Salvation and Power are established!”  Safety and miraculous power are installed, shown to be true, proven, and accepted permanently.   The word “established” has seven definitions on Dictionary.com.  All of them speak to stability, settled, valid, truth and permanence. 

We all know the story of Christmas, Jesus’ birth and how he came to die for us.  But THINK, this event absolutely settled any question about salvation and power.   I don’t question my salvation; I know his death on Calvary afforded me grace to accept that.  But, Power?  Valid and permanent power. 

I don’t think I live that way, a life in which power is settled.   I don’t think I live like all my comings and goings are under HIS power.  If I did, I would not be so quick to fear, to assume the worst.  To wander about the money in my checking account and rush to check the balance online.  To be impatient with those who don’t see things my way.    I’m not sure how my life would look if I lived like “power was established”. 

I’m thinkin’ on it.  Will you? 

  

Christmas is upon Us!

  The season is upon us!   Christmas.  The celebration of the birth of Christ.  If you haven’t heard Mallary Hope’s Christmas is All about You grab a device and you tube it now.  It’s my new theme song for Christmas. 

  

Those of you who know me KNOW I love black Friday, not the deals, the crowds.    I love Christmas décor, cards, music, school and church programs.  Pass the Gingerbread Latte or Peppermint Mocha Latte while I watch  Hallmark movies!   But, like Mallary, I need reminding as “December rushes thru” what Christmas is all about. 

It’s been easier this year; I have fewer obligations than I’ve ever had in my life.  My smaller home takes less time to decorate and clean.  I’ve been to  a Christmas tea at my church.  This week will claim 3 evenings of Kids’ programs but next week’s calendar is clear.  So, I AM taking some time to remember what Christmas is all about.  I’m taking an only Bible Course with Lee Strobel and the case for Christmas. (Check out faithgateway.com )    I’m studying daily advent scriptures that parallel Old Testament prophecies with New Testament fulfillment. And it’s pretty amazing,  even for this born and raised, graduate of a Christian college, A/G girl.   

In all of this, I am very aware that there are those for whom this Christmas is just sad.  2018 was not kind to them.  Loss of loved one, some by chance and some by choice; devastating diagnosis,  financial woes and looming job issues,  threaten some’s “happy new year”.   And it gets me to thinkin’.

Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem wasn’t celebrated by everyone.  A king named Herod with jealousy in his heart and Satan on his shoulder was not excited.  I’ve never seen a Christmas play feature hundreds of slaughtered babies outside the stable.  But, it happened.  Herod murdered hundreds of Israelite children in an effort to murder Jesus.  Satan actively tried to rob us of Christmas 2000 years ago.  And he is still trying today, through devastating diagnosis, loss of loved one, financial woes, looming job losses and a thousand other things that are weighing you down today.  I John 3:8 says that Jesus came to “undo the work of the devil”.  Latch on to that today, and let the baby of Bethlehem undo the destruction Satan has bought or is trying to bring. 

It’s Christmas, the Season of Light.  Don’t let the Prince of Darkness rob you of the light.  Come celebrate!