Speak Wisely

I am reading my Sunday notes, and thinking about a guy back in the 80s who would stand on the street corners at Northeast High School with a sign and yell at the kids that they were going to hell because they weren't saved, and they needed Jesus.  I know of at least two young men who laughed at him, and they wanted nothing to do with that kind of Jesus.  I shudder to think of how many, not only teens but adults, were, and perhaps still are, repulsed by that behavior and others' like it over the years.   Jesus took the time to know people and speak with love and patience to them. God's will can be thwarted if/when we speak unwisely.

He Amazes Me!

Why should I be amazed by a God Who has done such mighty things?  He has created a universe, the heavens, the stars and the planets, earth, my world, me, and the amazing creations around me that I take for granted every day.  And yet, He still amazes me!  Why can't I get it through this brain that He can do anything; will do everything; has done everything?  Yet, He still amazes me.  Do I need more faith?  Of course, I do.  Do I need more of Him?  Always and forever, I do!  Today I can't get enough of Him.  Oh Father, my Love and Inspiration, my Life, help me to be totally engulfed with this overwhelming appetite to be endwelled with Your Spirit and love; to know You better and better always! Amen!

Worry and Wait

I walked into the hallway from my doctor's office as another woman turned the corner from the Imaging Center next door.  We naturally fell into step and she pushed the down button at the elevator.  We began that small talk that strangers use to break the uncomfortable silence.  Though, I don't think either of us was uncomfortable.  We had been set up for this moment, but we didn't know it. 

"Good morning." "It's a beautiful day." "Not too hot yet." And as the elevator descended the conversation got a little more personal just because we both could see that we were both open to it. 

She heaved a heavy sigh and softly said, "Well.  That part's over.  Now all I have to do is worry and wait."  And that statement made me want to pull her close and hold her as tight as I possibly could.  Instead, I said, "You just came out of the Imaging Center.  It must not have been routine." 

"I had an EKG done, and now we wait to see the outcome."

"Only for a couple of days, " I ventured a guess.  "I don't like waiting a long time either, so I'll pray that you'll know soon."

"Well it's all in God's hands, isn't it?" she was cautious, but I could see that my comment about praying had opened a door.

We left the building and my time was running out as we started toward our cars.  We would part company soon, so I needed to say what she needed to hear, and God came through on the spot.  No waiting for Him this time.

"Psalm 56:3," my mouth spurted.  "'When I am afraid I will put my trust in You.' Psalm 56:3.  Don't forget it."

She smiled at me and I could see the encouragement and delight in her eyes as she saw the hope that came with these words.

"Psalm 56:3."  She was writing it down in her memory notebook.  "I'll look it up as soon as I get home and write it down, thank you so much!"

"I take that verse with me whenever I go into surgery," I told her. "It never fails to calm me and focus on Him rather than me.  God will bless you."

With that, we both went our separate ways to supposedly never meet again in this life.  I hope to meet her again in the next.  We didn't touch hands, we didn't hug as I would have liked.  She turned away smiling with the encouragement that God had given her, and I turned away smiling with the super blessing that God had chosen me to receive by sharing His wonderful Word.

Telling On Myself

Fun in the '60s

I'm always preaching to members of my family about speaking clearly and distinctly because I have begun to lose some of that wonderful gift that God gives most of us, the blessed sense of hearing. I haven't reached the hearing-aid stage, but that sense has diminished somewhat, and I am very sensitive about not being able to hear as clearly as I have in the past. I have great empathy for those who cannot hear at all.

I wandered in my mind this morning to two separate occasions from long ago when I had misunderstood certain phrases or titles because I hadn't heard it spoken clearly or perhaps I just wasn't listening. I was a much younger girl then.

When Richard Nixon was president of the U.S. we often heard about his home estate in California.  One day at work my friends were talking about it. I heard it mentioned as I approached them.  "Sam Clemente," I echoed what I had heard them say.  "I have heard of him somewhere. Where do I know that name from?"  They all laughed and answered that they were speaking of the President's estate, San Clemente.  "Oh, yeah.  I knew I'd heard that before."  Truly, I needed to pay closer attention to the newscasts.

The first time I made such an error I was ten years younger, and at least I didn't have to face my embarrassment immediately.  It has given my own children much laughter whenever they recall my telling of the story.  I understand, because in my mind it is funny now.

It was circa 1966, the years of much partying and dancing and enjoying our youth.  We spent most of our Friday or Saturday nights going to a small town night club/dive to drink and dance to live music played by upstart local bands. Some of those bands went on to record some pretty good music, and a couple of them became mid-western legends and played together for many years. The bands played the popular music of the day while we danced the nights away.

One night, as was often done, I approached the band during  a pause between songs and asked them to play one of my favorite songs of the day.  I yelled as loud as I could to call out to them over the noise of the crowd even though I was no farther than four feet from them. "Will you please play State Trooper?"  They looked at one another then looked at me with questioning eyes. "What?" one of them called to me.  "STATE TROOPER!!!" I screamed it as loud as I could, and still they just stared at me with blank expressions.  I made my request one more time, but all they could answer was that they didn't know the song and had never heard of it.

I was pretty miffed by that time.  I had heard this band play many times, and had heard them play this song.   Why weren't they understanding me?

I have to admit that it was a few years before I finally realized why my request had fallen on deaf ears.  And I am so thankful to this day that the guys in that band had no clue as to what song I was requesting.  At least, I hope they never figured it out.  And I'm glad I didn't mention it to the group I was with, so they didn't realize my error.  They certainly would have gotten a good laugh.  You see the musical group that made this song popular was The Beatles, and the song that I loved to hear the band play was "Day Tripper."

https://www.google.com/#q=day+tripper

A No-brainer?

Reading through the story of the prodigal son this morning God reminded me that He has given us the freedom to choose Him or not. While the son was in the distant country his father never went after him. The father could have gone to bring him home, but it wouldn't have changed the son. The son had to come to a decision; the decision to continue to live in squallor and pain away from his home, or to go home, repent, and be with his father and family. Seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it? Yet man continually thinks he can live without the Father.

What a blessing to have a wayward child return to the graces of the family!  But even more of a blessing is the child who was true and faithful and never left.

Taking A Moment To Smile

"Good Morning!" I smiled broadly at the teenage girl taking my money at the McDonald's drive-thru window. She glanced briefly at me and said "good morning" without a trace of emotion. I kept smiling. "Is it?" I asked her. "Is it a good morning for you?" Finally she smiled and turned to look at me. "Yes. It's ok." Her countenance had brightened a little as she realized that I truly cared about her feelings. I suppose she is use to people passing by her window without a thought for her. Some speak to her, but then pass on quickly. She must see no reason to put forth any effort in engaging in any sort of exchange with them. Like a little robot she tells them what they owe, they pay her, and she says, "Have a good day." In her head she's thinking, "This is a recording."


I had her attention now, and I decided that with no one in line behind me I would try to let her know she meant something to me.


"It's a beautiful day, and you have a great place at your job to enjoy it by standing here at your window. Have you been busy this morning?"


Her smile continued as she began to tell me that she had been busy and that she really enjoyed her job, that she worked with a lot of nice people. Our conversation was less than a minute, and then I moved on.


"I sure hope you enjoy your day." I quipped. "See ya later." And off I drove.


As I headed down the road to meet with some friends I had a smile in my heart. It wasn't much, no big deal, but because I took the time to stop for less than one minute this young lady has reminded herself that she likes her job, she has something to smile about, she has good friends at work, and someone stopped to say "Hi" to her. I imagine it was just a little break in her monotonous morning. But, with the nudge of the Holy Spirit, I started it. That really felt good.


The overwhelming gratefulness that washed over me was so fulfilling. So often I lament the fact of being too old and too infirm; too old and too infirm to get a job. I am in the Social Security days of my life. I've been out there in the work force, but it's now time to sit back, and I wish I could go back. But today I realize that if I were working 8 to 5 again I wouldn't be out here spending time with friends, time to lead a Bible Study for those who haven't heard His Word and are so much less fortunate than I, to blog the stories of my childhood for my grandchildren, or to stop and say hello and give a smile to a teenage girl who needs a lift. No matter where I am in my life I have much to do for the glory of Christ. Right up until my very last breath I will honor Him with my best.

My Friend Belinda

                                         MOTHER THERESA LIVES ON

                                                                      Part One


God has put a most wonderful woman in my life. Allow me to introduce to you Belinda Parks, a mother of two boys, married to Will, a woman who yearns after God's own heart. Belinda has devotedly given her life to a ministry that God has called her for almost twenty years, a ministry to a people that she has come in contact with by choice and perseverance. She goes looking for them with love and determination. She has never waited for them to come to her.
I doubt that Belinda knows the meaning of wait. She is a fireball that never seems to find a place to stop burning, and I have witnessed over and over how her heart burns and aches with love for the people of Atlanta that have little, who struggle day to day for the needs and necessities of daily life. She reaches out to a people who have made wrong choices in their lives, or are victims of others' wrong choices. She finds a people who many of us never see, never touch, in fact, who are invisable to most of us because we rush through our padded lives thinking only of ourselves or our own. And if we did come in contact with them most of us turn our heads and pretent not to see. We are loathe to touch them, to smell them, and our hearts have been hardened by our selfish and prejudiced thoughts that are usually lies we tell ourselves so that we don't have to go near them. We are afraid of them. These are thoughts that almost never cross Belinda's mind because she sees them with the eyes of God, merciful, loving, as brothers and sisters, and most needy of His Word and forgiveness.

I heard my call from God one morning in worship after pastor had mentioned Belinda's need for helpers in her ministry. I had no clue as to what I could offer. I had been ill for years, so I was weak and out of shape physically. But, in my mind I knew that God's workers always need prayer and encouragement, and I knew that was something that I could do. God would do the rest.

I spoke with Belinda after the service and told her that I was willing to help, to pray, to make phone calls, whatever she thought I could do. Her response to me within weeks was to ask for my teaching skills on Wednesdays at one of the women's groups. I was excited that I could give this offering to them, and that I would get to know these women, enjoy watching their growth in God, and helping in ways that I never thought I would ever get to be a part of. I was going to get to do something I had always wanted to do, reach some that were less fortunate than I, bring them God's Word, and just love them. I was most thrilled that God chose to use me just when I had begun to think that I was beyond that now, too old, too infirm. He chose to use me! I had no clue that God was planning to not only use me but to change my life and even my basic beliefs by being with a most unbelievable woman,  Belinda Parks.

God has begun a work in me, to change me. When I prayed for God to make me a more loving person way back in 2009, He began preparing me little by little, by bringing verses to my attention, softening my heart in areas, and bringing me to a place where I knew even a change in churches was necessary for my spiritual growth. That change brought me to my meeting with a new family of worshippers, a new pastor who spoke to my heart in new ways, and then Belinda, the most loving woman I believe I have ever met. God is just so exciting!