A Refrigerator Reminder from Kate...

Let the redeemed say so!

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For his mercy endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south."

I was fortunate last week to hear a wonderful lesson from a brother in Christ at the Nashville School of Preaching on "Being Grateful."  I have thought about his words and the Scriptures he read concerning how we should be thankful to God for the good things He has done.  He referenced the verse above, Psalm 107:1-3, which has stayed with me, especially, because of the direct charge from the writer to "the redeemed."  As a Christian--having had my sins washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ--the charge has been given to me.

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so..."

In this text, the redeemed are called to give thanks to the Lord.  This compels me to stop and think: Am I expressing my gratitude to God everyday for His goodness and for His mercy?  Am I thanking Him in my personal prayers but also "saying so" for the world to hear?  The world needs to hear about the goodness and mercy of God and the voices that should be proclaiming their gratitude to Him the loudest should be those of the redeemed!  I encourage us to get into the habit of expressing our thankfulness to our Heavenly Father, somehow, everyday, to people in the world around us.

We have been blessed.  The mercy shown to us by God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, has provided us with a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).  The Christian's hope is "living" because it doesn't rest on worldly, temporary happiness; rather it rests on the fact that Jesus conquered death, and because of that victory we have an inheritance in Heaven that has been reserved for us and will never fade away!  Our "living" hope is real and it grows stronger with every day that passes as we draw closer and closer to our promised salvation.  Oh, the gratitude that should pour out from the hearts of the God's children!

Yes, God is good.  I am thankful that He has saved me from eternal death! I am thankful that He loves me!  I am thankful that He forgives me when I sin!  I am thankful that He hears my prayers! 

"Let the redeemed say so!"

More Than a Story

I'm a reader.  I have always loved to read.  As a child, I remember clutching Anne of Green Gables protectively in my hands eagerly waiting for a moment to lose myself in another adventure with Anne in Avonlea.  Today, I still find happiness in a quiet corner, with a cup of coffee, and a good book.

I enjoy books because the stories they tell effect me in some way.  Sometimes it's just a feeling--a book might make me laugh, or a book might make me cry.  Sometimes a book will cause me to consider a new perspective, or it might challenge my position on a certain issue.  Sometimes a book will leave an imprint on my heart because of a character I've grown to love and sometimes I don't want a book to end because I have become so woven into the story that it feels like it's a very part of me, and letting go is hard.  Books are marvelous things.

Of all the books I've read there is one that I love the most.  It's the book that was penned by 40 different authors over a 1600 year period, with a theme of love and redemption that flows harmoniously from beginning to end.  That book is the Bible.  The inspired Word of God.  The story of God's redeeming love for man--the most wonderful, true story of love ever told.

This book effects me in every way that I mentioned before...but this book is different.  It's different because I can't set it down and walk away thinking to myself, "That was a great story," then go on with my life, unchanged.  It's different because it requires a response.  It's different because it directly influences my future, my behavior, and my hope.  It's different because the characters, the plots, and the settings play a part in every decision I make, every lesson I teach my children, and every thought I have for tomorrow.  It's more than just a story.  It is the standard to which everything is measured.  It is our moral compass.  It is the determination of what is right and what is wrong.  It is the living Word of God.  It is God-breathed.  It is Truth.  (Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, John 17:17).

In as much as the Bible is not simply a love story, it is also not simply a book of rules.  The Bible is, in fact, both and the two are intertwined in a beautiful expression of God's plan to save His children.  If I go through life simply "checking things off of my spiritual to-do list", then I've missed the most important part of being a Christian.  However, if I neglect to respond in obedient faith to the grace that my Heavenly Father has extended to me through His Son Jesus Christ, then I've missed another necessary part of being a Christian (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 1:1-6).

The Bible tells me what I need to know about living life as a follower of Christ.  Love God, love your neighbor, love your enemies, love yourself. Honor your parents.  Submit to one another.  Go unto all the world and preach the Gospel.  These are rules.  These are tender, compassionate, God-given rules.  Read the Word, increase your Faith through Bible study, repent of your sins, tell the world that you believe Jesus Christ is God's Son, be baptized into the death of Christ so that His blood can cleanse you of sin and you can walk a new life, and live faithfully.  More rules.  Tender, compassionate, God-given rules.

God loves us in a way that we will never fully understand and, because He loves us, He has given us rules to follow.  Following those rules is not legalistic or unloving, the following of God's rules originates from a heart that wants to demonstrate its love for God.  We show our love to God when we keep His commandments (1 John 5:2).  We abide in God when we keep His commandments (1 John 3:24).  We come to know God if we keep His commandments (1 John 2:3).

Throughout the Bible, we find that love and obedience go hand and hand.  Even Jesus, when He came to this world to live and die in the ultimate demonstration of love for all people, also came in obedience to God.  His entire life on earth was lived in humble submission to the Will of His Father (John 15:10).  We should strive everyday to be more like Jesus.

Paul spoke often about grace.  He also spoke often about faithful obedience.  Paul's entire life is a outstanding example of both.  On the road to Damascus, the outcome would have been different if Paul, in response to Jesus, had said, "I don't want to follow your rules, I just want to be a part of your story."  Instead, Paul did what Jesus told him to do, went to the city, was baptized by Ananias and became the greatest missionary to ever live.  He lived a life of faithful obedience, shared Christ with the world, and knew that there was laid up for him a crown of righteousness in Heaven.

I can't save myself.  My only hope for salvation is through the free gift of grace extended to me through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  My response to that gift is faith--the confident belief I have that Jesus is the Son of God plus the confident hope I have for a home in Heaven that leads me to take action according to God's Will (James 2:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3).  My response to God's grace is not an effort to earn my salvation...my response is in obedience to God, whom I love and to whom I submit my life.

The Bible is the true story of God's love for man that was manifested through the sacrifice of His Son so that we might have hope for eternal life in Heaven.  God doesn't "invite" you and me to be a part of the story...we already ARE a part of the story, because Jesus died on the cross for everyone.  That makes every person in the world a part of God's love story.  We are invited to respond to His love in obedience to Him.  This means following His rules...rules we read about in His book, the Bible, by which we will all one day be judged (John 12:48).

Love is fundamental to Christianity.  God is love and as Christians we should radiate His love to all people!  That love is characterized by faithful obedience to His Word.  We must have both and we CAN have both.  It seems as though some people think Christians are either "all love and no rules" or "all rules and no love."  God calls us, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to have both.

The Cement Stairs

We drive past an empty corner lot on our way to worship services several times a week.  Years ago, a house sat there; a little wooden house.  Some time ago, the house was torn down, and now all that remains is a path and two cement stairs that at one time led to a front door.  It makes me sad.

Every time we pass the lot, with grass growing evenly across the ground where the foundation of a home once rested, the enduring path and tenacious steps seem to cry out for someone to know their story.  After all, everything has a story, and in my mind I've written a hundred scenarios for the stairs that seemingly lead to nowhere.

I think about the people.  I think about the rooms.  I think about those two things together and imagine life in the little house ten years ago.

The recurring plots in my head are of misfortune resulting in lost hope or of sacrifice ultimately claiming residential dreams.  Both are depressing, but I can't help but look at what is left on that lot and be flooded with ghostly echoes of "what might have been" for the nameless characters in the story behind the cement stairs.

What happened to the house?

Perhaps the house was condemned or irreparably damaged?  Maybe it was part of a complicated legal dispute or maybe there are plans to build something bigger in its place?

There are countless possibilities, but here is what I know:  The house is gone and the stairs remain.

It reminds me of our spiritual homes.  I'm not talking about Heaven.  I'm talking about the homes we build for our families right here, smack dab in the middle of this world.  How strong are our homes?

Sometimes we start out with a path of cemented belief and a few rock solid stairs of faith, but when it comes time to build a home...we construct something unstable, vulnerable, and a little wobbly.  We walk through the front door, leave God out on the cement stairs, and end up with a spiritual home that will fall.

Our homes need the strength of God in every brick, in every beam, in every nail, and in every slab of mortar.  We need God to be our interior decorator, our electrician, and our plumber.  We need to provide our families with a spiritual home that has been built by faith, furnished with love, and that is maintained through the hope of eternal life.  A home that will not fall is one that has God as the foundation, Jesus as the cornerstone, and the Holy Spirit as the protective roof and walls.

Sometimes houses shake.  Sometimes people leave.  Sometimes our own lack of faith might weaken the walls.  But if God is there, in every nook and cranny of your home, it will not fall.

There comes a time when each one of us becomes responsible for the spiritual home we build our family.  Parents can't build homes for their grown children, preachers can't build homes for church members, and God doesn't build homes for us.  Don't stop at the cement stairs.  Keep building strong!

The Simplest Things

"...that the human spirit is more powerful than any drug and that is what needs to be nourished: with work, play, friendship, family.  These are the things that matter.  This is what we'd forgotten.  The simplest things."  --Dr. Sayer played by Robin Williams, in Awakenings

Like so many others today, my thoughts are reflecting on the life and tragic death of actor and comedian Robin Williams.  This morning I've watched video clips from a collection of his most popular roles and found that many of his lines now ring with a deep and heavy irony.  Following his death, the characters he played seem to call out from the screen, sometimes with words of counsel and sometimes with words of introspection, urging us to become more mindful of those who are suffering in the darkness of depression.

A doctor recognizing the value of the simple things

A genie wishing for freedom

A professor teaching his students to seize the day and make their lives extraordinary

A medical student realizing that indifference is the most terrible of diseases

A grown man encouraging children to face their problems

A psychologist pointing out that bad times help us better appreciate the good times

There are many more.

I pray we open our eyes.

Depression is real and it is devastating.  As a nurse, I've seen its destructive effects from lost jobs to ruined relationships, from neglected children to broken families, from substance abuse to suicide attempts.  It is a life-threatening illness. 

I don't know how long Mr. Williams struggled with depression.  I do know that he hid it from the world well and I also know that most people with this illness do the same.  Even those who seem happy, those who are firmly grounded in their faith, those who have family support, and those who are in the best of physical health, might be in a daily fight against depression.  We must try to see them and we must reach out to them.

I'm afraid that depression has become one of the words we use flippantly, in instances that minimize its gravity.  We might say, "I am so depressed--I can't seem to find anything to wear today." or "It's depressing when my fantasy football teams lose."  Depression is not just a feeling, it is a condition that is debilitating and unrelenting.  It is silently invading the lives of people all around us and we need to educate ourselves on its presentation and treatment.

Is it preventable?  Not always.  Can it be treated?  Absolutely.  There is help and there is hope.  

Today, I am reminded of the importance of "the simplest things":  feeding my soul with things that matter and never forgetting them.  I am thankful to God for my Heavenly home.  I am grateful that my citizenship lies there and not in this troubled world.  I am looking forward with great anticipation to the day I will be able to live eternally in the presence of God, surrounded by only goodness, with all of my family.  This is what motivates me, this is what makes me endure, and this is what makes life worth living.  "All of life is a coming home." --Robin Williams as Patch Adams

To Sit and To Swim

With my head turned toward the sky, eyes closed, hands sinking in the sand behind me, I drank in the salty ocean air.  Deep gulps...like a thirsty child at a playground water fountain.  It felt so good.

I sat there for a moment, enveloped by the beauty of the scene, and gradually I could feel myself begin to let go of the world: the worry and fear that I seem to harbor being pushed out of my mind by an overwhelming awareness of my Creator.

Deep in the process of emptying myself, I opened my eyes just in time to see my three children running toward the ocean.  They bounded through the ankle-deep, shin-deep, then knee-deep waves, and dove right into the water.  I saw them float, swim, and race each other back to shore.  I watched them play in the sand: digging, building, writing, and burying themselves.  Then back to the water.

I realized that while I was emptying...they were filling.

There, in the presence of God's undeniable power and glory, I was giving up my weaknesses, handing over my struggles, and letting God's peace take control.  Emptying.
My children, on the other hand, were jumping in and swimming around.  Filling.
It made me think about how those two actions manifest themselves in my life as a Christian.

Being emptied of the world and being filled with the Spirit.

Both needed...both necessary.

I should live a life of sacrifice and not be conformed to this world.  I should turn my burdens over to God.  The emptying.
But also, I should be submerged in God's love and grace.  I should saturate myself in His Word.  The filling.

Quietly sitting in the sand and thinking about how much God has given me, reflecting on His magnificence is important, it helps me refocus and recharge; but, at some point, it's equally important to put aside inhibition, run full force into the water, and outright plunge into His greatness.  James wrote about this through inspiration telling his readers they should be "doers of the word and not hearers only" in James 1:22.

I don't want to be just a sand sitter...I want to be a wave rider!

And with that, I grabbed my boogie board and raced my kids to the water.

Love Sees Beautiful

I was having a bad hair day.  Plain and simple.  I stood in front of the mirror trying to tame the blonde mop sitting on top of my head, which clearly had a mind of its own that morning.  With an exasperated sigh I dropped my brush onto the counter, turned to my daughter Kate, and asked, "How does my hair look?"
With the sweetest smile she answered softly, "It's beautiful..."
My heart melted.  "Thank you, Kate, that is just..."
Then before I could say another word, she added, "...even when it's ugly."

"Beautiful even when it's ugly."  Hmmm.  I wasn't quite sure how to take that one.  It was an honest answer:  sincerely, lovingly, and brutally honest.

At first, my feelings were hurt because I couldn't get past the word "ugly."  But looking down at the face of my four year old it was obvious that she didn't intend to be mean.  Her big blue eyes were looking up at me with admiration and love.  I turned to face our reflections in the mirror, standing side by side in the bathroom.  Me, in my old worn out bathrobe, sleepy-up-all-night eyes, a crazy mess of hair; and next to me, my daughter, who in spite of it all, thinks I'm beautiful.

I have to remind myself of this from time to time, especially on those days when I'm not my best self:  days when I feel way, way less than beautiful---when I might not be very patient, I might lose my temper, I might let the kids watch movies all day, I might bring home Subway for lunch and order pizza for dinner.

There will be days when I might not be the best mother I can be, or the best wife I can be, or even the best Christian I can be; and I have to tell myself, when I have those "ugly" days, that I am still beautiful in the eyes of my children...my husband...and my Heavenly Father.  Then I have to forgive myself and go back to being awesome (or really trying to be awesome) the next day.

Love sees beauty in disheveled hair, in tears, in mistakes, in burned broccoli, in a few stubborn pounds, in every display of inevitable imperfection.  God demonstrated that kind of love to the greatest degree when He sent His Son to die for us, while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).  How comforting and humbling it is to know that God looks past the ugly and sees something beautiful and someone worth saving when He looks at me!

Surrounded by Promises

Scrolling through Facebook the other day, I came across this picture taken by a college friend of mine.  With the rainbow stretched across the sky behind her and the brilliant sun shining through the clouds ahead, she captured something truly beautiful.  I looked at the picture for awhile and allowed myself to be reminded of God's promises.  We are surrounded by them.  They shine from behind us, encouraging us to press on and giving us hope for the future.  They also shine ahead of us, guiding us along the narrow way and beckoning us to our home in Heaven.

God's promises give me comfort:
He will supply all of my needs.  (Philippians 4:19)
He will bear my burdens.  (Psalm 68:19)
He will forgive me.  (1 John 1:9)
He will answer my prayers.  (1 John 5:14-15)

God's promises give me courage:
He will never leave me.  (Hebrews 13:6)
He will give me strength.  (Isaiah 40:29-31)
He will not allow me to be tempted with more than I can bear.  (1 Corinthians 10:13)

God's promises give me confidence:
He will make all things work together for good.  (Romans 8:28)
He will save me by His grace, through faith.  (Ephesians 2:8)
He will give me eternal life.  (1 John 4:5)

God's promises are abounding!  These are just a few of the many we find in the Bible.

When I think of God's promises, I think of the words written in Joshua 22:45, "Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass."

Everything God promised to His people was fulfilled.

I also like to remember Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it?  Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good."  

God will do what He says He will do.

The road we travel through life will be difficult because of the persecution that comes with being a follower of Christ.  In fact, that's another promise (2 Timothy 3:12).  But, because of the courage, confidence, and comfort that come from God...which He has promised to give me...I will prevail!  I will stay on the course that will lead me Home, with a rainbow shining behind me and the sun shining ahead.

A Precious Life: Our Carol

The first time I met Carol Boyd became the source of an ongoing joke between us over the past sixteen years.  Sam and I had been dating for a couple of months and had successfully transitioned into the "meet the parents" phase of our relationship.  At the time I didn't realize that this phase included another equally important component...a "meet the sisters" clause. 

When Sam took me down to McMinnville one weekend to meet his mom and dad, I was a nervous wreck.  I wanted them to like me; after all, I had already planned on marrying their son one day (whether he knew it yet or not), and I needed them on my team!  I loved Jim and Rosalyn from the first hug and then loved Sam all the more after meeting them.

Before heading back to Nashville, just as we were leaving his parents' house, Sam said, "We'll stop by Steve and Carol's house on our way out of town so you can meet them too."  Whoa!  That threw me a bit off guard!  "Right now?", I asked. "Don't you need to call first and let them know we're coming?"  Sam shook his head and said, "Nah, they won't care."

We stood outside the front door at Steve and Carol's house and knocked and knocked.  Carol finally answered the door:  pajamas on, hair a mess, red nose, sleepy-Benadryl-eyes, and obviously not feeling well AT ALL.  She smiled and so sweetly said, "Sam. I didn't know you were going to stop by" (translated:  "I am going to call you later and let you have it for not calling me and letting me know you were coming").  She invited us in and we visited for a while.  By the time we left, it felt like Carol and I were old friends.  I am sure many people felt that way after meeting her for the first time.

She would tease us about that impromptu, untimely visit from time to time and to hear her tell the story was just hilarious.

One marriage, ten years, and three children later; Sam and I were in Murfreesboro getting ready for supper one night.  The kids were running around the house, laundry was piled on the sofa, shoes were lining the stairway, the dog was going crazy, and there was a knock at the door.  Wondering who in the world would be stopping by at that time of the day, we opened the door to find Steve and Carol smiling on the porch.  "Hi!  I'm so sorry we didn't call!", Carol said, followed by that wonderfully infectious laugh of hers.

Over the past couple of days I have thought so much about Carol and the way she lived her life.  It makes me sad that so often we take for granted the people around us and don't really reflect on how much they contribute to who we are...until they're gone.  So I want to share with you some of my favorite lessons learned from Carol:

1.  Impromptu visits from family are some of the best...even when you're sick or the house is a wreck.
2.  Let your children get dirty (she was very pro-sandbox)
3.  Some things are just worth spending the money on. (like an expensive mattress)
4.  You never stop hurting for your children when they are sad, no matter how old they are.
5.  When you know something is true, you defend it passionately.
6.  Family is indispensable.
7.  God comes first.

I will miss Carol so much.  I love how she completely loved Steve, Allison, Tyler, Daniel, and her daughters- in-law, Laura and Heather.  I love how she loved my children and that she took the time to show them.  Carol had a presence that could be felt from the moment she came into a room.  She was a bundle of energy, a wealth of knowledge, an example of goodness, a talented Bible teacher, and a really great cook!  She truly knew how to live a full life on this earth while laying her treasures up in heaven.  I am a better person for having known her and especially blessed that I could call her "sister". 

"I love you Carol, and look forward to a marvelous reunion one day."

The Sound of God Singing

Let's Go Dreamin'.  Teenage Queen.  The Pony Man.  Coat of Many Colors.  The memories of rocking my children to sleep while quietly singing into their tiny ears are priceless treasures of mine.  The room dark, except for the soft glow of an electrical socket flower (or crown, or motorcycle, depending on the year), cuddled under a blanket with my little person, a perfect blend of me and the man I love more than anything else in this world, and singing soft words to the off beat of a squeaky rocker---those moments, in my mind, are irreplaceable. 

The singing didn't stop there!  I sang through the toddler years, performing at all-request hour nightly between headboard and bedpost, in front of a very forgiving audience.  I even compiled an original Disney Princess Medley and figured out how to sing the Batman song (da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na...Batman!) with a calm and soothing lullaby effect.  We've moved beyond that stage as well, but The Boyds still love to sing!  In fact, if you could hear us in the car drowning out every song in the Pandora shuffle, you seriously might mistake us for the Von Trapps.

Singing involves emotion:  it can move us to tears, it can ignite our hope, it can calm our spirit.  We sing when we are happy, we sing when we are troubled, we sing when spoken words don't seem to capture the depth of feeling we want to express.  Singing engages the mind, the heart, and the soul, which makes it a beautiful facet of our worship to God.  I close my eyes on occasion during the singing of a song in the worship service and listen to the voices of my Christian brothers and sisters as they unify in a glorious expression of love, gratitude, and honor to our Heavenly Father.  It is a marvelous sound.

But even more marvelous is the sound of One who sings over you and me from His throne in Heaven!  In the book of Zephaniah we read that God sings as He rejoices over us:

"The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

(Zephaniah 3:17)

Have you ever considered the idea of God singing?  Can you imagine the sound?  How does God's voice, in song, resonate?  My dad has a wonderful way of describing his sensory experience as he walks alone in nature.  He recounts the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees or the quiet ripple of a creek as it collides with rocks and fallen branches.  Are those not stanzas in a divine melody that uplift and renew the soul?  The sweet sounds of a baby, the laughter of a child, the rain on a rooftop, the crashing waves of the ocean, are these not all part of the majestic serenade of our Heavenly Father as He sings His love into our consciousness?  

One day, I pray, I will be standing along the banks of the river of life, lifting my voice in song with my family at the foot of God's throne.  Then, I believe, we will hear the voice of God in its truest and purest form, as He sings over us in His presence.  Words fail me as I try to imagine that moment.  I just know that it motivates me to want to live a faithful life so that one day I can be a part of that chorus.   

Seasoned With Salt

I am fascinated with the Old Testament.  If you have ever been in one of my classes or read any of my articles, you know I love the applications that can made from the experiences of the Israelites to our  lives, as Christians today.  Remember Paul's words in Romans 15:4, "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perserverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."   Studying the Old Testament deepens and strengthens our faith in that it provides insight into the nature of God, His plan of salvation, His love for mankind, and the importance of obeying His laws.  Although we no longer live under the law of the Old Testament, reading it will undoubtedly enrich our understanding of its fulfillment through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Last fall, our congregation sponsored a Ladies' Day with the theme, "How to Train Your Dragon".  (The dragon, of course, being the tongue).  We used Colossians 4:6 as a key verse:  "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."  The greek word for grace here is "charis", which translates to mean "that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, or loveliness".  In other words, our conversation should provide the hearer with those feelings or experiences.  Even more, in this context as Paul was speaking to the Colossians about praying for opportunites to teach others about Christ, he was emphasizing to them that the words coming from their mouths should be reflective of the kingdom to which they belong; and the same is true for us today.

The next phrase, "as though seasoned with salt", can be better understood by first defining the use and purpose of salt.  "Halas", the greek word for salt in this text, refers to "natural salt which purifies, cleanses, seasons, preserves from corruption".  In Bible times, putrefaction of food was prevented through the use of salt.  Salt prevented rotting!  I find it interesting that Paul spoke against "rotten speech" in his letter to the Ephesians.  He said, "Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)  The greek word for unwholesome here is "sapros" which translates "rotten or putrefied".  To prevent "rotten speech" we "season our words with salt" so that what falls upon the ears of the listener is pure and uncorrupt, and as Paul writes "edifying and gracious".  I love that!

But wait!  There's even more to this idea of "seasoning with salt" as I learned from reading the second chapter of Leviticus the other day!  Under the Old Law, the Israelites were required to make sacrifices to God as atonement for their sins.  That ritual was abolished through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the one and only perfect sacrifice that would cover man's sin throughout all time.  In Leviticus 2:13, God commanded Moses saying, "Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt."  The concept of "seasoning with salt" had a special meaning to the Jewish Christians as they understood the application of salt to sacrifices in order to make them acceptable to God.  The salt included with their sacrifices represented the incorruptable covenant that God had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, referred to in this verse and several others instances in the Old Testament as the "covenant of salt" (Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5). 

Now, here is the amazing and faith-building application:  We learn from Paul's letter to the Romans that we should "present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is our spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1).  As Jews under the Old Law added salt to their sacrifices representing God's covenant with the Israelites, so we, as living sacrifices, season our speech with salt representing, through pure and uncorrupt conversation, the everlasting promise God has given to us through the gospel. 

Isn't it remarkable that this concept of "seasoning with salt" as I've discussed it here, comes from three different letters of Paul, written to three different groups of Christians, at three different times, and includes references from the writings of Moses, over 1400 years earlier....yet it all comes together to create a perfect message to the Christian, even today.  That is the awesome work of the Holy Spirit, who guided the pens of the men who wrote the scriptures and who continues to guide us today through our knowledge and application of the Word of God.

Walking to the Promised Land

I need to get walking!  I don't mean lacing up my Sauconys and literally pounding the pavement (although I certainly need to do that type of walking too!).  I'm talking about the kind of walking a Christian should do after being saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.  I started thinking about this as I read Exodus 12, when the Lord instructed Moses concerning what the Israelites needed to do on the night of the Passover.

Pharaoh refused to let God's people leave the land of Egypt.  God had struck the Egyptians with nine plagues, and the time for the tenth, and most devastating plague, was at hand:  the death of the firstborn.  God had a plan to spare the children of Israel from the horror of this plague, but they had to do exactly as He commanded.

There were specific guidelines the children of Israel were to follow as they prepared an unblemished lamb that would be eaten and used to mark the doorposts of their homes on the night of the Passover.  They were to roast the lamb, not boil it, and they were to burn any part that remained uneaten before morning.  The blood of the lamb was to be placed on the doorposts as well as the lintel and would be a sign for the Lord, marking the houses of the Israelites.  When the Lord saw the blood of the lamb, He would pass over the home and the firstborn child living there would be saved from death, as the land of Egypt suffered through the final plague.

When I read this story again, I took special notice of verse 11, which describes God's expectation as the Israelites ate the lamb, "Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the Lord's Passover." 

The blood of the lamb would save them and after that they would need to get walking!  They were dressed, with shoes on, staves in hand, and ready to immediately start the journey that would lead them to the Promised Land.  There were specific steps they had to take in order to be saved by the blood, but their story did not end there.....they had some serious walking to do!  God saved them from the plague of death, He would save them time and time again while they wandered through the wilderness, and He would save them as they crossed over into the land of Canaan, but they had to obey Him.....and they had to walk.

The same is true for God's children today.  There are many verses in the Bible that describe the kind of walking that Christians should be doing:  walking by the Spirit (Galations 5:16), walking as children of light (Ephesians 5:18), walking by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), walking in love (Ephesians 5:2), walking in the same manner Christ walked (1 John 2:6), carefully walking as wise men (Ephesians 5:15), walking humbly (Micah 6:8), walking in good works (Ephesians 2:10), walking in the light (1 John 1:7). 

The question I ask myself is, "Am I a 'walking' Christian?"  Now that I've been saved by the blood of the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ, have I found a nice comfortable place to sit and kick up my feet, or have I strapped on my sandals and headed out on a journey that, while characterized by a great deal of walking, will ultimately lead me to the Promised Land!

The Fragrance of Christ

I love the smell of my husband's cologne.  I love the smell of coffee brewing.  I love the smell of a newborn baby.  I love the smell of wood burning.  I love the smell of the ocean.

On the other hand, last week, when "Pearl", our lab-shepherd mix, found herself on the receiving end of a skunk's odoriferous warning....I discovered a new depth for my detest of that particular smell.

Fragrance is an experience.  By that I mean, it affects you personally, whether in a good way or a bad way.  When you smell something, you react to it, even if only on a subconsious level.  Here is the condensed version of how it works: 

The chemoreceptors in your nose are stimulated when they detect an odor.  They send electrical impulses to the brain where the sensations are interpreted and converted to perception, which is recognition of the smell.  What is really amazing is that the olfactory bulb, where all of this occurs in the brain, is a part of the limbic system.....our emotional center.  This system plays an important role in our mood and memory, and "smells" are processed in the very same place; which is why certain smells can stimulate feelings of happiness or sadness.

Another important fact about fragrance is that it is the byproduct of something else.  It is usually our first indication of what is occurring in the world around us and it is what lingers with us long after its source has been removed. 

Last week I came upon this wonderful scripture found in 2 Corinthians 2:15, "For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."  When you really stop and consider the word "fragrance", this scripture takes on a beautiful meaning and a considerable charge.  Christ came to this world, lived, died, and rose to live in heaven again.  While He is no longer physically among us, in the eyes of God, His fragrance remains earthbound, in the form of a Christian.

The "To Be" List

I am a list maker.  I make intricate "To Do" lists and, I must say, I'm pretty good at it.  I begin in the morning with a blank sheet of notebook paper and then I write down the things I would like to get accomplished in the next 12 hours.

Once I have a list, I review the items and number them in order of importance.  I even plan out the route I will take while completing my errands according to the location of the stores featured on my list, while burning the least amount of petroleum.

I take great pleasure in marking off a completed task.  Sometimes, when I'm feeling theatrical, I will drive through the bank, stop by the post office, and run into the grocery store, before stopping to cross all three of those items off the list.....with much pomp and circumstance.

 But yesterday I thought about creating a different kind of list.  I thought about sending my "To Do" list on sabbatical and replacing it with a "To Be" list.

Today, what do I need "To Be"?  Over the next 12 hours, how do I need to be behaving or how do I need to be treating others?

I can formulate a page-long list in my head even as I sit here typing:  I need to be forgiving, I need to be patient, I need to be kind...

Then I can number those in order of what I need to work on the most according to what I might be struggling with on that particular day.  I can even "plan out the route" for accomplishing tasks on the "To Be" list.  In order "to be forgiving" maybe I need to call an old friend, "to be patient" I should re-read the story of Hannah in the Bible, and "to be kind" I could mail a letter of encouragement to someone in need.

That's when I find that something amazing happens!  My "To Be" list becomes a "To Do" list with a much higher calling.

Because "To Do" lists and I go back a long time, I know I can't let them go completely, but maybe looking at them with a "To Be" attitude will allow for the organizing of my earthly tasks as well as the nurturing of my eternal soul.

"Thanks"...for the opportunity to be...."giving"

The view from my kitchen window this morning is lovely.  The sun floating in the clear sky, like a celestial crystal ball, foretells a beautiful Spring-like Thanksgiving Day.  In a few hours, we will be meeting up with 21 other tribe members and celebrating the holiday with a turkey dinner of colossal proportions.  We'll make our traditional Thanksgiving craft (this year it's an Indian headband, complete with the creation of unique Indian names for everyone in the family) and spend a good part of the day outside riding Uncle J's four wheeler, playing games, and shooting guns.

It's a "full" day in more ways than one:  full of food, full of laughter, full of fun, full of pictures; and it's spent with those who I consider to be my greatest blessings on this earth.

But let me take you back a couple of days and share with you an "A-Ha!" moment I had with my Kate.  The scene is set at Kroger, just after exiting the check out line, and standing in front of a paper angel Christmas tree.  Kate and I stopped to browse through the various Sharpie-scribed hopes of strangers and soon realized that the hopes on this particular tree were tantamount.

The inscribed abdominal wishes on these angels were not for bikes, or dolls, or Wii games, but rather $25.00 gift certificates for groceries.  I explained to Kate that the angels on the tree each represented a family in need, families who may not have enough money to buy a Thanksgiving dinner....and the cherubs were knocking elbows.  The tree was literally crowded with them. 

As we carried our bags to the car, filled with cans of pumpkin, pecans, fruit, peppermint mocha creamer and other preparatory items for today's meal, on the heels of the angel tree address, I was overwhelmed with an awareness of fortune.  In my mind I saw the checklist for Thanksgiving dinner, the itinerary for Black Friday shopping, the bonus room full of Christmas decorations ready to bask in their seasonal limelight....and could just imagine the Kroger angels sadly shaking their heads at my misguided focus. 

For me, it was a holiday reset.  It is my responsibility to "do good unto others" and to give according to how richly I have been blessed.  It is also my responsibility to instill in my children a sense of compassion for others and teach them to care for those who are less fortunate.  So today, on Thanksgiving, while keeping in mind family, friends, good health, and material blessings, I will also give thanks for opportunities to be giving.  The good that I pass on to others has a direct connect with the amount of good God has placed in my life....and my cup overflows.

"Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you."  (Deuteronomy 16:17)

"Upon this moment in time...."

In the High School girls' class on Sunday mornings we have started a study that I've entitled, "Happily Eternally After".  It's the story of a super-powered warrior princess, who happens to be me....and you....(if you're a girl)....and every other Christian woman in the world.  She's beautiful, she's kind, she's smart, and at the end of the story (SPOILER ALERT).....she wins!  (Of course, along the way she finds a handsome prince who sweeps her off her feet and they fall madly in love.....because this is a high school girls' class after all!)

A few weeks ago, after introducing our study, I gave the girls a piece of paper and had them write down their ideal life story.  I asked them, "If you could choose today how your story will be written, what would it say?  Where would you be in five years and what would you be doing?  What about fifteen years?  Thirty years?"

Then we kicked off our first chapter in the study, "Upon this moment in time..."  We talked about "moments" and how they relate to the life stories the girls wrote the previous week.  We discussed how single moments can either substantiate our stories or alter them.  Decisions you make, sometimes in the briefest of moments, can help you continue down the path in your "ideal story" or they can send you in another direction entirely.  Another direction is not always a bad thing (although it certainly can be)....as long as your story leads you to the same "happily eternally after" ending.

So I've been thinking a lot about "moments" over the past week.  I've thought about all of the choices those precious teenagers are making at this time in their lives.  I've thought about my three children and how, when I pray with them at night, I always ask for God to help them make good choices.  I've thought about my own life and how the choices I make not only affect me but also my family, my friends, and my co-workers.  Decision-making moments should not be taken lightly.

I've also thought about my life story:  I've flipped through the chapters that have already been written, I've looked at the plot lines that were red marked and revised, I've laughed and cried at some of my best and worst decision making moments, and now I'm wondering what will happen next.  I have my "ideal story" in mind and it definitely ends with "happily eternally after", but the pages are mine to write.

As we encounter moments that can change our stories it is important to consider them with the understanding that our manuscripts can be published at any given moment and once they are published, the ending cannot be changed.  Be sure that your "moments" support a story line that leads you to heaven!

M indful
O f
M y
E ternity
N ot
T emporary
S atisfaction

Praying For Mom Today

Today my mom is having total knee replacement surgery.  I made it up to the hospital with a laptop, books, flowers, and ready to sit and talk to her for hours before her procedure.  When I reached the floor where mom is staying I stopped by the nurses' station to make sure I had the right room number.  As it turned out, they had just taken my mom downstairs and she wouldn't be back to her room until after the surgery!  I was so upset that I had missed her and I asked if there was any way I could just quickly hug her neck down in the holding area.  The very kind Unit Secretary made a few phone calls and worked it out that I could visit with mom for a few minutes.

Like walking through scattered army men on the floor of my son's room, I visually discounted the IV equipment on her bed, effortlessly stepping around the needles, tourniquet, tubing, and alcohol swabs.  I, personally, have a disturbing fondness for successfully achieving venous access for patient's in the hospital.  Nothing bothered me about blue sugical gown and hat she was wearing; over the years I've seen countless patients and physicians donning the same.  What did strike me about my mother was that she was smiling:  A big beautiful smile.  And when she saw me she said, "There's my baby girl!  Isn't she obnoxiously skinny?"  (Note:  I am not obnoxiously skinny, but Mom always knows what to say to make someone walk a little taller).

I got my hug in.  I told her that I love her.  I asked my mom what she needed.

"Just a prayer", she said.

Not magazines, not lip balm, not pain medication, not a spotless house post discharge.

Just a prayer.

I am grateful to my mom for always teaching me what is most important.  "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much".  (James 5:16)

I want to be just like her.

A Race to Walk, A Race to Run

This past weekend I traveled to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio to participate in the Air Force Half Marathon with my Dad (a retired Brigadier General), my two sisters, and a close family friend.  We have deemed this trek to Wright-Patt an "annual family tradition", complete with matching T-shirts to wear on race day and 1732 digitally perserved moments of gut busting hilarity by the end of the weekend. 

When it comes to a half-marathon, we join the ranks of the "walkers".  We keep a steady heel-toe pace for the duration of the course and are quite content being left in the dust of the pacers and qualifiers.  Now, I am all about training and conditioning for a run, and even have a hankering for the competition from time to time, but when I'm with my family at one of these events, we pound the pavement for a different purpose.  To us, the half-marathon journey is about the fellowship, about the laughter, about the bonding.  It's 13.1 miles of precious memory making.

It's different, though, when it comes to the race we run as Christians.  Paul admonished the church in Corinth that in regard to this race, they should be "in it to win it" (I Corinthians 9:24) and the writer of Hebrews tells us that we should "run with endurance the race that is before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 12:1-2).  The Christian race requires discipline and training.  In this race, the purpose IS to win the prize, which is only reserved for those faithful runners whose hearts are focused on staying the course.  

Life's course is not an easy one.  Orange cones don't align the way making it obvious the direction you should go, rather you determine the course through careful Bible study and constant prayer.  Sometimes the road is rough, sometimes you feel like dropping out of the race, sometimes the prize at the end seems unobtainable:  those are the times when it really helps to be surrounded by family and friends who share a common goal.  I've learned from these half-marathons that sometimes you can face difficulties on your own, but sometimes you cannot.

One year, my Dad, my sisters, and I found ourselves walking the Country Music Half Marathon and noticed an older gentleman ahead.  His gray tipped "high and tight" and his T-shirt sporting the letters USMC, gave him away as being retired military.  He shuffled along, sweat dripping off his face, eyes locked on the pavement ahead, when all of a sudden something in his path caused him to trip.  He fell, full impact, to the ground.  My Dad rushed over to offer help, but the man stopped him abruptly with an upheld palm, and with all confidence stated, "I got this".  He stood up, blood coming from scratches on his head, arms, and legs and restarted his shuffle to the finish line.  Dad turned to me and my sisters and said, "Now that is one tough fella!"  Sometimes, in life, when you fall along the course you can honestly say, "I got this" and you just get up and keep going.

On the other hand, sometimes you need the help of others in order to stay on track.  There is nothing more motivating at a marathon than to witness blind runners participating in the event.  At times, these individuals will run in the center of a protective circle of friends who will guide them around obstacles and keep them within bounds.  Other times, they run with a partner and the two will be connected by a rope, or a bar, or will even hold opposite ends of a towel in order to share vision on the course and safely reach the finish line.  Occasionally, from behind you'll hear the shout, "Blind runner, coming through!" and immediately the crowd will heed the voice of the caller and clear a passage for the team who represents such a spirit of unity, strength, and endurance.

So, there it is.  Life is a race that we run to win and we don't quit!  Challenges arise, like potholes or cracks in the blacktop and whether we stagger alone with road rash or reach out to fellow runners when we lose sight of the path, we keep on keeping on!  The true joy will be crossing the finish line where the prize awaits!  Then we will be able to say, like Paul in II Timothy 4:7-8, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing".

Car Camping Ninjas

My life before Sam did not involve camping.  It involved a great deal of traveling, loads of family time, an omnipresent poodle, and plenty of outdoor activities....but my family never slept in tents....or any other portable habitat.....unless you count sleeping in the car a form of urban camping....and if that counts, then my sisters and I are true camping connoisseurs. 

The Air Force took our family all over this wonderful country and we spent many hours of the day, and night, on the road.  In fact, if you blindfolded me and sat me in the back seat of an 80s model Audi, Volvo, or Honda, I could identify the car in which I am sitting based on leg room, degree of angle required to achieve a comfortable "window lean", and volume setting necessary on the radio in order to hear the music in the back but to still be considered tolerable by the front seated parental units. 

In the world of car camping, my sisters and I are ninjas.  We can eat an entire meal on the tops of our knees without the loss of a single fry.  We can mentally convert mileage to actual drive time in seconds with an accuracy rate of 99.9%.  We can outfit ourselves in the perfect travel gear that will allow for even body temperature regulation and pedal comfort taking into account outside climate along with maternal vehicular thermastat control.  We can sleep for hours in a 2 x 2 space and know exactly how to cradle a pillow in the strap of a seatbelt to prevent nuchal rigidity and optimize spinal alignment.  And don't even think about challenging us to a game of "I'm Thinking of an Animal".....we WILL take you down.

Some of my favorite childhood memories were made while driving between the West Coast and the East Coast.  I'm sure it was hard for Mom and Dad, but that's not what I remember at all.  I remember singing along to Dad's Selected Favorites (a collection of music ranging from The Beatles, to Don Williams, to African music, to the best of Broadway, and more); I remember bidding farewell to one state as we crossed the border and greeted a new one ("Goodbye, Mississippi....Hello, Alabama"...and it never got old!); I remember Mad Libs, playing M.A.S.H., Stuckey's ice-cream, asking for the key to the outdoor gas station bathroom, walking "Cacti" (said poodle) at truck stops, and laughing, laughing, and more laughing!

Since marrying Sam and being introduced to the world of outdoor camping, I have found the need to develop a new set of skills, and BOY has it been an adventure!  I'm definitely a ninja-in-training when it comes to this kind of camping.....just wait till you hear some of these stories....

"We do not remember days...we remember moments"

The Faithful Climber

My kids are pretty fearless.  They like fast amusement park rides, jellyfish stings don't keep them out of the ocean, and there is no trace of acrophobia in their little bodies.  They eat sushi.

Last year, at ages 9 and 7, Evie and Kate rappelled down Copperhead Cliff at Fall Creek Falls State Park.  Our family had been indoor rock-climbing before, but that was their first "real life" experience.  They loved it!  In fact, as Kate was rappelling to the bottom of the cliff you could hear her yelling, "Weeeeeeeee" everytime she pushed herself away from the rocks.

We went rock-climbing again this past weekend and this time Briggs made his first ascent.  He did fantastic!

While my kids were climbing up and rappelling down the rock walls I found myself closely watching their belayers.  The job of the belayer is to pull the slack through a belay device as the climber goes up the wall, "catch" the climber if they fall, and control the descent of the climber back to the ground.  As the belayer, the safety of the climber is in your hands!  As the climber, you have to have complete faith in the ability of your belayer.

Faith.  I like it defined this way:  "having a confident belief and a confident hope, which motivate you to take action".  As Christians, our belief is in God our Father; our hope is for eternal life with Him in Heaven.  That belief and that hope, together, incite our obedience to His Will, which is revealed to us in the Bible.

I read an article once about a missionary named John Paton who translated the Bible for islanders of the South Sea in the latter part of the 19th century.  He had not been able to find a word in their vocabulary for the concept of believing, trusting, or having faith.  One day, while he was in his hut translating, a native came running in and sat down in a chair, utterly exhausted.  He said to Paton, "It is so good to rest my whole weight in this chair".  And there it was....John Paton had his word for faith:  "resting your whole weight on God".  I like this definition too.

I think of Evie, Kate, and Briggs literally "resting their whole weight" on me or Sam as we belayed for them while they climbed to the top of the rock walls.  This is a wonderful lesson for the Christian!  Is there anything more assuring than knowing that as we face challenges daily, as we struggle to meet our goals, as we climb and fall over obstacles in our lives; we can rest our whole weight on God, knowing that He is holding our rope, and He will keep us safe.