Wide Open Places

"24", Queen Esther, and the Nature of God

2009-10-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

I know, the title is strange. However, this relationship between a TV series, a bible study, and a statement about God's nature have consumed my thoughts of late. Over the summer, mostly the last couple of weeks of September, I watched the second season of "24" with the Economist. Buying the DVD and watching without commercials is the most time efficient way to watch a dramatic series. Besides when it is that intense I can't imagine having to wonder for a whole season who done it, who didn't and who is going to be on the receiving end of all those bullets. I find myself sitting on the edge of my seat, chewing my fingernails when I watch this show. I don't know if I can watch all the seasons although the Economist swears season two is the most intense in her opinion. My heart is racing now just thinking about it.

One of the things that really stood out to me in "24" was the incredible pressure that comes with the office of President. It made me realize that for the most part, the President is very dependent on the people they choose as their closest advisors, be it spouses or staff. They depend on their information and opinion. A President is only as good as the people around him or her. Leaders are trusting their entire careers and lives even on those they trust the most.I would not want to attempt that job without the teaching and counsel of the Holy Spirit. For sure this has made me more aware of my responsibility to pray for those in authority as we are instructed in 2 Timothy 1:1-2.

At the same time we were watching "24", I began Beth Moore's newest study on the book of Esther. This book is one of my favorites. Such a great story about good winning out over evil. Once again we see a King depending on those around him to help make huge, nationally impacting decisions. He unfortunately listens to the evil Haman, whose greatest desire is to kill the Jews (humm... sounds like someone in power today.) Scripture has something to say about the company we keep influencing our character. In both "24" and the book of Esther this is portrayed vividly.

Now for the nature of God. I listened and watched, (it's just a power point of the words being spoken) of something a pastor/teacher named Grahmn Cooke did called the Nature of God Part I. In this he makes a statement about trusting God. The statement was so powerful and so opposite of the experience of both leaders in "24" and the story of Esther.
" It is the most happiest feeling to trust the best, the most honorable, the most powerful, the most integreous, committed and faithful Covenant Make, who is also the most decent person who ever lived - Jesus. Being completely reliant on His character and integrity is the source of your great happiness."

I love the description of Jesus as the "most decent person to ever live." We think of His majesty, power and might, but we rarely are reminded that when He walked this earth he was considered a decent person. One in whom they could find no fault.

Here is what I am taking away from this experience: a renewed commitment to pray for our leaders, a new appreciation for the person of Jesus Christ and a desire to know Him even better, and a realization that I need to ask for discernment in choosing the people whom I allow to speak into my life in a close and personal way. Lastly, i would highly recommend Beth Moore;s Esther study to all women, especially young women whose destiny is still being in a place where there is some blank space on the canvas of your life for the Lord to use. Oh yeah, and check out the You tube video. It will comfort and inspire.

Living With an Economist

2009-09-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been 6 or 7 weeks since I last blogged. Don't know why really, it just seems I never sit down long enough to put my thoughts on paper so to speak. Anyway, my blogging daughter has been fussing at me and telling me it is time to get back in the the swing of things in regards to blogging.

I decided for my first post after a long absence I would write about her! Next time she'll think twice before harassing me about my lack of blogging. This has been an interesting summer having the child back home for an extended period of time as she has spent the last 4 years 9 hours away in college. She worked on campus the past two summers so it's been a long time since she has lived with us. Since she left home four years ago she earned a degree in Economics. Her training and knowledge have certainly influenced her life. I guess I would have to say, she practices what she preaches and that's a good thing.

Upon leaving Publix the other day after completing our weekly adventure in the quest to see how much money we can save, I told her that this would be the subject of my next blog. The weekly shopping trips have been a learning experience no doubt. She has now gotten so serious about her plan of attack that she carries her planner with all her coupons in order, a computer generated list, and a calculator! My job it to mark things off the list.(She doesn't trust me with anything else!) She has learned all sorts of tricks and ways to save money at the grocery store. There is a checker girl that enjoys seeing us come through just to see how much we save. Her dad and I have certainly benefited from her skills.

She is all about being efficient and not being wasteful and getting the best deal possible for the least amount of money. I guess that is the sign of a good economist. Now if she can just get a job with an agency, company, govt. that really values those skills as well. I must say living with an economist has introduced me to a new way of thinking. The best part is it has made grocery shopping more fun! Now she has to teach me all the things she has learned before she leaves. That may be the biggest challenge of all.

The Rest of the Story

2009-07-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

I read an article today in the local paper about someone who attends one of my exercise classes. I was amazed at the obstacles this person has overcome in the past several years. I knew there was a "story" there but had no idea what the story was behind the person. I have always been drawn to this person and after reading their story I have a new appreciation for what they have accomplished.

The whole experience reminded me that everyone has a story. So often we look at the outward appearance but God always see the heart. I'm learning more and more that people act out of the things that have happened to them both good and bad. Most people never know the "story" that motivates actions but are quick to judge the actions. Maybe I should just speak for myself. I guess that is why scripture warns us about being too hasty in judging others. Unlike God we don't have all the facts when we make our judgement.

I love hearing the "rest of the story" behind the people I meet. Apparently most people also like hearing the rest of the story because Paul Harvey made a career out of telling millions of them.

Exercise: Physical vs. Spiritual

2009-06-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've decided I just need to sit down when I have a blog thought and write it down. I can always come back later and edit or finish it up later. I get into trouble when I say, "oh, I'll do that later when I have more time." Of course "later I can't remember exactly what I was going to say. I lose the magic of the moment.

My daughter who recently graduated from college is home until she finds a job and that has changed the way I spend my days. Don't misunderstand and think I am complaining! I'm just saying I don't have the volume of time at home alone to think and write that I used to have. We start our day reading the Word and talking about how it applies our current situation and then pray over the job search, our friends, family, etc. It has been a wonderful time to be able to teach and share with my daughter the things the Lord as taught me. I wouldn't trade this time for anything in the world. I know this time is fleeting and will become even more precious when it is gone.

Another thing we do is go to exercise classes together. We laugh at each other, compete against each other, and celebrate the improvements with each other. Again, it is time well spent. My daughter gets teased alot in class because she is in there with a bunch of retirees and senior folks. When I thought about it today, most of them excluding myself and the teacher have a good 40-50 years on her. She has a new appreciation for folks who have managed to keep themselves physically fit. They love having some young blood in the class so it works.

Finally the point of my post. As we were leaving the balance class today and talking about some the folks in the class and the improvements they have made, we commented on one older lady in particular. She is probably in her 70's and comes almost every day to a class. She has a difficult time with balance and we mentioned how she is usually very quiet during class because she has to concentrate so hard on maintaining balance. We discussed how with balance one of things that makes it difficult is the fear of falling. At that age, a fall could have serious long term effects. The other thing we talked about was legs on this lady. She had serious muscular legs for a 70 year old. She has kept herself in excellent shape. I commented that I would have liked to have seen her in her prime.

All of that discussion prompted me to think about spiritual exercise. In the natural we lose strength as we age even if we exercise and take care of ourselves. Our bodies are wasting away no matter what. In the spirit we can just keep getting stronger if we just keep using those spiritual muscles. And like the physical, it is often fear that keeps us from trying some exercises where we are out of our comfort zone. It reminded me of the verse in 1Timothy 4:8 that says, "for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and {also} for the {life} to come." Yes, what we are doing at the gym is good and has great value for our physical bodies. What we do first thing in the morning before we ever get to the gym is of much greater value -both for now and eternity!

One day I hope some young woman looks at me and says, "Wow that old Ms. Marshall is such a Godly, spiritual lady, I would have loved to have seen her in her prime!" However in the Spirit, if we keep feeding and exercising our "spirit man or woman," we don't deteriorate but just keep getting stronger until the Lord takes us home. I want to finish well, be strong in the Lord and inspire the next generation. I want to die or meet Jesus in the air "in my prime!"

Graduation Marathon

2009-05-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have just completed a graduation marathon in the past week. It began with my daughter's college graduation. On returning home I went to two high school graduations for my nephews and a my grandson's Kindergarten graduation. I have seen it at all levels this week. From top to bottom there are similar themes; the ending of one era, the beginning of another, the joy in looking back at accomplishments and the excitement of what the future holds. I must say the Kindergarten graduation was the most entertaining! At the same time I must also confess my daughter's college graduation was most touching to my heart.
Having spent 9 years as a high school counselor I consider myself a connoisseur of graduation ceremonies. The Baccalaureate message at Converse last week was perhaps the best and most appropriate I've ever heard. It could have been that maybe I was just applying it to my own daughter. For whatever reason it really seemed to resonate with me. Another thing I love about small college graduations is the dignity and respect in which it is conducted.
Another thought that crossed my mind was how much less stressful the ceremony is when you are not a part of the administration that is in charge. You always worry about things going well, kids behaving (at least at the high school level and Kindergarten for that matter!)and mispronouncing the names. As a guest you just enjoy all that is happening, don't worry and enjoy the people watching. As a parent your heart is just about to burst with pride at the accomplishment of your child. I spent four years praying through every struggle, conflict, joy and triumph. My heart was very full as I watched my child walk with confidence across the stage ( no she did not realize her greatest fear of losing the hat) and receive her diploma and be hooded. What a sweet moment.
As I've thought about this post I think the biggest most consistent thought was that graduation is a time of Transition. It could be that during a time of fasting last January the Lord spoke to me about this very thing. Any time you end one thing and are preparing to move to the next it is a time of transition and that always brings with it a sense of urgency, excitement, fear, relief, etc.
Last night I came across an article about transition from a spiritual perspective. The pastor listed 4 keys to transition. 1)God knows what He is doing, 2) Our scars can be changed into trophies of grace, 3)Every battle we survive is a graduation into new realms of authority, 4) grace works through time and time is on our side.
Number 3 really stood out to me. In a sense graduation does mark the victory of a battle won. It most definitely leads to new realms of authority which I suspect is the cause for the angst and the excitement. Think about it, with each graduation I mentioned there is a new level of authority and responsibility. The Kindergarten child will no longer take naps and have tons of "center time." It it time now for sitting in rows, reading, and math. The high school graduate will be not longer have a schedule set for them and authorities watching every move. The college graduate will move on to start their own home and career.
All this talk of transition reminds me of the place the Lord took me in January- the story of Joshua taking on the mantle of leadership from Moses. If you are in a time of transition this is a great place to hang out in the Word. The phrase or thought "be strong and courageous," is repeated about 4 or 5 times in the first chapter alone!!! Do you think God knew that transition brings with it a little fear?
I think I'm going to marinate in this idea of transition for a while since I'm there myself. For all you who are in a time of transition I say this, "Be strong and courageous, neither fear not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Fellowship of the Believers

2009-05-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

I've had this phrase, the "fellowship of the believers," in my head for the last two weeks. I finally sat down to write this post and wanted to see where it was in the Bible. It's not there! I guess that is just one of those church phrases that has been coined and used over the years and you just assume it's in the Word. Well, I can't say I did an absolute exhaustive study but I'm pretty confident it is not there. If you can find it I would love to know where it is!

Back to the reason for the post. I recently went on a turkey hunting trip to Missouri with my husband. (I think ladies I may have slipped into first place in the running for "wife of the year" with the points I earned on this one! jk) After riding 17 plus hours in a motor home with 4 men I was ready to get out and do something different. We arrived on Saturday afternoon. I had found this AG church in a small town just over the Iowa line and planned to attend church there on Sunday while the men were hunting.

I got up and had a wonderful time with the Lord in prayer that morning and said to God, "Lord I just want to be in Your presence this morning and share fellowship with other believers." I went to this church and the Lord was there and I had wonderful time of worship. The people were so sweet, the young preacher so full of passion for the Lord, and he preached a great sermon. It was one of those services where I just sat in tears most of the time because the presence of the Lord was so strong.
After the service, the lady I was sitting by, struck up a conversation with me and we talked about the Lord and what He was doing in our lives. I left that church revived and refreshed in the Lord. That started this whole thought process about the fellowship of believers.

Many churches today use Acts 2:42 as their ministry model. "And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Sometimes churches fall into a trap of emphasizing one over the other. Anyway, I know the Lord designed us for fellowship with Himself and other believers.

Fellowship with other believers is so critical to our growth as a believer. My pastor last week in teaching through 1 John 4:12 which talks about God perfecting His love in us, made this comment. "If you want to perfect that love, talk to other believers about Jesus." It occurred to me in my 50 years of church life most often the term fellowship involves people, food and talking. Unfortunately it doesn't always involve talking about the Lord or sharing spiritual food.

I crave true fellowship, I love talking about the Lord. I have come to understand and realize that is where most of my growth occurs. When the Lord speaks to me or teaches me something from His Word, the process of sharing it with others establishes it in my own heart. When they share their experiences with me it causes my faith to grow or confirms things the Lord is teaching me. Last week I spent time talking with about 8 different friends talking about the Lord. I felt like I had been sitting at a banquet table with one course after another of spiritual food. Each person and conversation left me feeling nourished and full. Now that to me is the fellowship of the believer! I pray we will all devote some time to fellowship this week as we continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord!

Waiting On the Lord

2009-04-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday we sang the chorus, Everlasting God. It starts with the words, "strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord." It reminded me of the words God spoke to me on New Year's Eve.

For the past two years I have asked God to give me a direction or vision for the new year. Last year the Lord woke me up on New Year's morning and told me it was going to be a year of freedom. It was most certainly was that, as He set me free to retire.

This year I sensed the Lord saying this would be a year of waiting. I was thinking last week about how I've had to wait about so many areas of my life. I also realized how much the Lord has taught me in the wait. Not long after the Lord told me this would be a year of waiting, I received the David Wilkerson newsletter and he talked about waiting on the Lord. He referred to one scripture where the word wait meant to "bind together," or gather together." Because the Lord set me free to retire He has given me time this year to gather together with like minded friends who sense the Lord's return is near. We have encouraged one another, lifted one another up in prayer, and shared scripture.

As I continue to wait for the Lord to reveal the next step, I know I have been strengthened in the waiting. I've learned lots about myself but much more about God. I'm beginning to have a deep appreciation for the verse in Isaiah, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall walk and not faint, they shall run and not be weary." I am being renewed in the wait.

I look forward to the promise in the verse David Wilkerson referred to in his newsletter. Isaiah 64:4, "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

So I wait......

On Turning 50

2009-03-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been so long since I've updated my blog I was afraid I might forget my password! I've been much too busy working (the retirement lifestyle is much more to my liking!) and having computer issues so I just haven't spent much time at the computer. I have a post or two rolling around in my head so I'll get to it.

Last Saturday I turned 50! Today in exercise class their was a new lady and someone made comment about her being young. She said she was 53 and they all said "how does it feel to be considered a kid at 50?" That made me think. Most people dread 50, we put up black balloons, etc. for decorations and talk about "going over the hill." However, I can't think of a birthday in recent history where I've been more excited.

During my 49th year I came across an article that talked about turning 50 and that being the Jubilee year (see Leviticus 25). That led to many conversations with the Lord about my Jubilee year. I heard a pastor in the last couple of months who said there were 3 major things that happened in the Jubilee year.
1. Debtors are freed from their debts (Jesus did that for me on the Cross)
2. Slaves are set at liberty (Jesus blood and the power of the Holy Spirit set me free.)
3. Land was restored to it's former possession or original purpose.

Number 3 was the exciting part. I sensed the Lord telling me that at 50 He was going to now set before me the purpose for which He created me. I've spent the last 50 learning and growing, making mistakes, figuring out who I was, learning to listen and obey God's voice, failing miserably and then getting up to try again. I want to spend the next 50 serving the Lord with all the knowledge from lessons learned.

I'm so excited to see what God has in store that indeed I do feel like a kid full of excitement about the journey to come. I'm so glad I didn't get one single black balloon or over the hill card because I'm not sad. I'm excited to see what's over the crest of that hill!

Whiskey Girl or Proverbs 31 Woman

2009-03-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

I know the title is strange but it is what went through my mind while riding my bike in a cycling class at the fitness center the other day. We were riding for an hour to a selection of songs with varying speeds, tempos, etc. There was a country song in the group and I'm assuming the name would have to be something like Whiskey Girl. The chorus had a line that went, "she's my little whiskey girl, my rough around the edges, but I like em rough."

The writer of the song apparently didn't have a mother like King Lemuel. His mom gave him some good advice when it came to women. Her advice is recorded in the Bible and is commonly called the Proverbs 31 Woman. The kings mom started by saying "don't give your strenght to women or your ways to that which destroys kings. It is not for Kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire strong drink. She then goes on to describe the wife she would desire for him and the wife God wants women to be to their husbands.

The description starts with the words, an excellent wife who can find? For her worth in far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. The description ends with these words, "charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates."

Something tells me the man who chooses the "whiskey girl over the Proverbs 31 woman will not tell the same story. I suspect his heart will never quite trust her whiskey clouded heart and she won't get much good accomplished while nursing a hang over. The whiskey might help her pull off a fake charm, but it will eventually destroy the beauty and she won't be praised in the community.

I don't have sons to warn about avoiding the whiskey girl. I do have a young woman for whom I pray everyday that she becomes a P 31.

Observations from the Deck

2009-02-17T11:31:00.000-08:00

Before I get into my comments let me say just for the record, that I did enjoy the cruise my husband and I recently completed. We went to Cozumel, and the Port of Calica. As with the other 2 cruises I have taken I love the service, the never having to cook or make up my bed, or pick up after myself. I also loved the beautiful scenery. The water in around Cozumel was so incredibly gorgeous it left me in awe of my Creator God!! There is something about both the vastness and power of the Gulf of Mexico that causes me to walk around the deck and offer praises to God.

It was fun to spend time with family, play cards, laugh, and explore new places. One really cool place we toured were the Mayan ruins of Tulum. What an interesting place. As we listened to the tour guide relate the history of the people and the ruins I was thinking, did these people know about God and Jesus? I was reminded of the verse in Romans 1:19 - 20, "...because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." I guess that is one of those things we'll finally understand in Heaven.

I must confess though that there were things about the cruise that caused me to grieve. As with most cruises they really cater to alcohol, gambling, and the flesh (eating, drinking, sunning-while exposing too much flesh, and some adult only entertainment.) Again, know that overall I really enjoyed the trip, enjoyed the family centered entertainment, etc. What stood out to me in the Cozumel was how so much of their tourist dollars come from American indulgence in alcohol and spending on stuff (see previous post on Treasure or Ash Heap.)

I must confess I went in Carlos and Charlies completely innocent to what kind of place this was. I watched as what appeared to be a group of family and friends were celebrating the daughter's birthday. She looked to be in her early 20's and they were cheering her on as she not only took a shot of Tequila but they did the funnel thing and poured it down her throat not only once but twice. I wanted to go to the parents and say , what are you thinking? One day when your child is a full fledged alcoholic you will share part of the blame. The whole place was disgusting as the Mexican people were wildly encouraging the visiting tourists to get nasty drunk. The island of Cozumel has so much more to offer. The whole incident left me feeling very sad.

We had a great time but as usual it is good to get home and sleep in my own bed even though there was no room steward to make my bed or cook my omelet on Sunday morning!

Beautiful Feet

2009-01-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why I have all these thoughts come rushing at me during exercise but for whatever reason here is another thought that came out of my Yoga class. If you are familiar with Yoga you know most people do that barefoot or if you are really into it you buy those expensive Yoga toe socks so you can get a better grip on those balance poses. Since most of us are barefoot and the class was full today, I happen to notice some feet. The interesting thing was they were not pretty feet at all. In fact,I observed some unattractive feet (I won't give you a vivid description of why). Now I have never thought my feet were pretty but I was feeling ok today in comparison.

As usual the Lord doesn't look at things the way we do. In Isaiah it says "His thoughts are higher than our thoughts." He proved that once again today as He reminded me of what He considers beautiful feet. Romans 10:15 says, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tiding of good things." Actually, Paul was quoting a scripture from Isaiah 52:7, "How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God Reigns!"

If we wanted to enter a beautiful feet contest we would think of feet that are narrow, have well proportioned toes, uncallaused heels and well manicured nails. Not so with God. He looks for feet that delivered good news to people, feet that brought peace, brought news of happiness and talked about salvation and encouraged people by reminding them that God is still on the throne and reigns forever.

Humm...I might be due for a heavenly pedicure!

Lasting Treasure or Ash Heap

2009-01-08T17:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I worked at my old office for the day. I was helping purge old records and materials. We cleaned out 4 filing cabinets and threw away tons of paper. I had the oddest feeling as I was going through the papers. Most of them were things that had been done while I was in that job. I told my replacement that I felt like I was throwing away 6 years of work. No one but me really knew how much time, energy (both physical and mental!) and thought had gone into each of those pieces of paper. Six years of hard work just thrown in a trash can in a matter of a few hours!

Today I talked with a friend whose college aged son is suffering from severe depression and has tried to end his life. I also talked with someone recently who related a story of how a relative worked hard, got a doctorate and was very successful in their field but when they reached 60 realized they had given up and missed so much of life while they pursued something that felt empty at the end.

With all those thoughts swirling in my head, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind several verses.

Luke 12:16-31 Jesus was telling the parable about the rich man who has so much he decides to build bigger barns to keep all his stuff. He says the Lord called the rich man a fool and said you will die tonight and who is going to get all your stuff? I love the New Living Translation of verse 21, ""Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."

Mark 8:36 - "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"

Matt. 6:19 - "Do not lay up treasures for yourself on earth where moth and rust corrupt....but lay up treasure for yourself in heaven where neither moth or rust corrupt... for where your treasure is there your heart will be also.

John 15:6 - If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

I want my life to count for more than pieces of paper that will be shredded and burned up. I want to be laying up treasures in heaven that make me rich toward God. I heard a great sermon this week that is great food for thought as I attempt to lay up treasures in heaven. If you are young and just getting started in a career this would be a great sermon for you. The sermon was the first in a series started at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham called "From Here to There." The guest pastor who started the series asked everyone to consider two questions, 1. What makes you righteously angry (that's where your passion is) and 2. If money were no object, what would you do?

When I stand before the Lord I want to have some treasures to lay at His feet not an ash heap.

The Strangest Times and Places

2008-12-16T11:17:00.001-08:00

One of the things I love about living a life taught and guided by the Holy Spirit is that you never know when He is going to teach you something. Sometimes He speaks at the oddest times and in situations where you least expect it. I had one of those moments today in my exercise class.

I was at a body sculpting class (I have lots of body to sculpt away!) and we were about finished and were positioning ourselves face down on the bench to do the last couple of exercises. I was thinking to myself that were people in the class who often don't listen to the helpful comments the instructor makes that causes you to have good form, get the most benefit, and keep yourself safe during the each exercise. I thought to myself that compared to the other people in the class that my form was pretty darn good! Then the thought occurred to me that if I compared myself to the instructor my form was not as stellar. That's when the Holy Spirit did His thing, while He had me face down no less!

He reminded me I often compare my "works", my walk of faith, ect. with other Christians and come away feeling good about myself. He gently reminded me that I should only have Jesus Christ as my role model. Face down is a good place to be in that case. Scripture says my righteousness is as filthy rags in His sight. Humm... I better stop the comparison game.

Unfortunately, I provide the Lord with tons of teachable moments but sometimes they come at the strangest times and places!

Stuff - The Accummulation of.....

2008-12-01T14:18:00.000-08:00

For the past 3 days I have been doing an unusual job. I've been helping my mom, my aunt and a cousin pack up and move my 94 year old great aunt. We had to move her from a double room to a single room in an assisted living facility. I was shocked and stunned at the amount of stuff in the room! It has inspired me to want to go through my own stuff and throw away or give away all the things for which I have no use.

As we've been going through all the things this verse kept going through my mind. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth or rust destroys, ans where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is there your heart will be also. (Matt 6:19-21).

Those treasures she has stored up in the top of closets in boxes and drawers were thrown away because of lack of space. And yes, we found the holes the moths had eaten in some of the old sweaters which she had not worn in years. (Side note here - we have had to deal with a infestation of moths this year and trust me I have a new appreciation of the above verse. Those little harmless looking things can do major damage!)

This whole incident has left me feeling very convicted about the amount of "stuff" I've accumulated over the years. There are things that I could give away that someone else could use that are just taking up space (which I don't have). I want my life and my money to count for more than "stuff" when I'm gone. I don't want someone else to have to go through mountains of "stuff" that means nothing to anyone but me.

Hummm... maybe I will get a head start on New Year's resolutions. I am resolved to "de-stuff" my life.

Lights

2008-11-24T13:07:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about lights since last Thursday night when I attended one of my favorite holiday traditions - the Lighting of the Trees. The city of Fairhope, for those who have never been, has lined the downtown streets with Bradford pear trees. Over the years they have gotten quite large. Each year the city electric crews spend several weeks stringing millions of white lights in all the trees. On the Thursday before Thanksgiving they close down the center of town and everybody comes out and waits for the Mayor to flip the switch and turn on the lights. The whole thing lasts about 20 minutes but there are tons of people and everybody joins in the countdown and does the ooh-ahh thing when they appear. It is worth the walk down 2 blocks to see the looks on kids faces when the lights come on. We were standing with our former neighbors and Sam the 4 year old was on his dad's shoulder. He missed it last year so this is the first year he has really been able to really appreciate the moment. The look of wonder on Sam's face was priceless! The lights stay on thru the middle of March. It is my very favorite time of year to walk. Since I live near town I can walk down the streets each night after supper.

All this thinking about lights reminded me of the verse in John 8:12 where Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but, have the light of life." That verse led to these verses in Matthew 5:14 &16, "You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify Your Father in heaven."

What a great reminder for the holiday season. The holidays are usually stressful anyway and add the economic troubles on top of that and the dark gets a little darker. Those of us with the "light of the world," need to make sure we don't hide that light.

Hope you light of the corner of the world where you live this holiday season.

The Palace is the Best Place for a Princess

2008-10-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

I heard a great sermon yesterday by Perry Nobles, pastor of New Spring Church, in South Carolina. He is currently doing a series entitled "Beautiful" and it is about and for women. If you have a chance I would encourage you to go on-line and watch or listen to these messages. Toward the end of the message he read a verse and made a statement that I wish every young woman could hear who is single and has the desire to be married one day. Because I had gotten a phone call from my own princess in the middle of the sermon I had missed the first part of the scripture reference he was using. I went back and looked it up and want to share with you what it says.

Psalm 45:9-17
Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir. Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift,* men of wealth will seek your favor. All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you. They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king. Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

Now those are powerful verses!! Each time I re-read them I get excited. There is a whole sermon in those verses! (Humm...that is probably where Perry is headed next!) If young women every where could catch the truth found in these verses we could eliminate lots of broken hearts and shattered dreams. There is so much that could be said about these verses but I shall limit myself to the bolded verses to which he referred.

Keeping in mind that in the verses the daughters of the King, the princesses, are christian young ladies, his comment was very close to this, "The problem with some of the princesses in the room is that too many princesses have left the palace. They've walked out into the alleys and slums, turning over tarps and looking in garbage cans for the man who can win your heart. When, if you are a princess, you can stay right where you are and he will pursue you because princesses are worthy of pursuit and the King is enthralled by your beauty. Get out of the alley, get out of the slums, and wait on the man who will win your heart." Preach it brother!

My final word to all the single young women is found yourself a place or ministry in which to serve in the palace, develop a love relationship with the King who is crazy about you, and when you least expect it a prince will come along and win your heart and you will both "praise Him forever and ever."

For all of us "queen mothers" out there let's commit to praying for our daughters to stay in the palace. Let's pray for their courage and strength when others tempt them to short cut God's plan, take matters into their own hands and leave the palace.

Just for the record, Perry did not continue on with these verses he moved on the the old favorite, the perfect woman, the Proverbs 31 woman! It is a good series and worth the time to listen.

Encouragement

2008-10-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

This idea of encouragement has been floating around in my mind and heart for several weeks. God keeps bringing it back up in a variety of ways so I'm going to get it down in writing and hope it will challenge and encourage you as well. There were several things going on at the same time about 6 weeks ago when God started bringing this to my mind. At that time financial storms were nearing land fall, there was a gas crisis in full bloom and people around me had their own personal crisis looming. I remember thinking that even many of the Christians around me were starting to wring their hands. We serve a great God and through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, we are the ones who should point them to the One Who is the answer for the coming storms. People are looking for hope and answers and we need to be a source of encouragement.

One of the first verses that God brought to my attention was Hebrews 10:24. "Let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds." Actually this was one of the major motivations to start this blog. I hope it will be a source of encouragement for those who stop by to read.

I've been reading through 1 Thessalonians lately and in chapter 3, the authors Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, tell the folks in Thessalonica they were encouraged and strengthened when they heard of their faith and love. They were comforted by news of their faith. Amazingly the authors had been enduring much affliction and it was news of the faith of other believers that encouraged them.

Let me encourage you to share your faith with others. When your brothers or sisters are weak or tempted to give up, it is encouraging to hear "faith" stories. Share the stories of what God is doing in your life that remind others He is still at work and has not forgotten his people. 1 Peter 3:15 says, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

Sunday night I attended a Mark Harris concert and there is a line in one of his new songs that says "Things that are out of our hand are still under His feet." If you don't have a faith story to tell, share that lyric. God is Sovereign and that is good news!

The Best Teacher

2008-10-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

The question comes up occasionally, "Who was the best teacher you ever had?" I've been thinking about that lately but with a different twist. During my recent trip in the car by myself I listened to an Audio Book about a professor's last lecture. He made the comment, "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." He went on to talk about how experience is the best teacher. I pondered that comment for many miles.

Later in the trip I was listening to my favorite Bible teacher, Jon Courson, and he made the comment that experience is not the best teacher. My ears perked up to hear his explanation. He said experience is a harsh teacher. Exercising faith/trust in God's Word and obedience are the best teachers. He went on to use the analogy of a parent and child. The parent says to a young child, "don't play in the street." He asked if you would rather your child learn by experience or by trusting and obeying what you say. I don't know a parent alive who would choose the lesson taught by experience.

His line of reasoning cast a whole new light on the best teacher debate. I begin to think about times when the Lord had given clear direction and I choose to learn by experience. He was absolutely right, experience was a harsh teacher. I also thought of times when I obeyed what the Lord said and how much peace and joy I felt even when it involved struggle,stretching and challenging my faith.

God always comes back and reteaches me the important concepts. (For all you educators out there, rote learning or drill and kill are not all bad!) This morning as I was staining the last 3 boards on my deck I was once again listening to another sermon by JC and he mentioned that old adage again, "experience is the best teacher." He said maybe so but it doesn't have to be our experience! He said experience was fine if you could afford the tuition. Learning the hard way is expensive! That is why we have all the stories in the Bible about other people's struggles, failures and successes.

God's truth never changes. He told the children of Israel if they would obey His commands they would receive blessing. If they did not,there would be consequences and experience would teach a hard lesson. I don't know about you but I'm praying God would give me the grace and good sense to learn to trust and obey. Doesn't that just make you want to break out in song?! "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey!"

Free to Explore

2008-10-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

After months of tossing this idea around in my head I'm finally taking the plunge to start a blog. The idea started over a year ago when I was writing a daily note of encouragement to some fellow co-workers. When school started again and things got hectic I stopped. To be more accurate God stopped giving me those words on a daily basis. As a friend likes to say I guess those were for a "reason and a season." At that time several other people who were not on my email list mentioned they would like to receive them and the idea of blogging actually crossed my mind.

The hardest part of starting the blog was coming up with a title. I thought and thought and then prayed (why didn't I start there first?!). God reminded me of the verse I read the day before my last day of work and the day before I was to retire. Psalm 18:19 - He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me , because He delighted in me. The Message Bible version used the words He brought me out to a wide open field. Whenever I think of the verse I always combine the two versions and say "He set me out in wide open places."

When I consider my retirement that is exactly how I feel - I've been set out in wide open places. I'm no longer confined to the parameters of my old job. I'm free to explore, free to go and do whatever God prompts me to do.

This blog itself is one of my adventures into the wide open places. What is more wide open than the internet? I hope you will enjoy my thoughts as I begin to explore the wide open places. As God teaches me new lessons and I learn new things or meet new people I'll share my thoughts along the way. I hope you'll join me on my journey. Please feel free to leave comments and share your journey as well.