Be a Shiner!

Eye disease has diminished my sight, and absence of good light is no friend.  Imagine the delight when I approached the door to unlock it and a light automatically lit it up!  Sweet Mr. Bill had placed a light near the door so his Queen wouldn’t fumble with the keyhole.  Now we both get in the house quicker!

Isaiah heralds, “Arise!  Shine, for the Light has come!” (Isaiah 60:1).  I was surprised but not startled by the light at the door – I was delighted!  The first records words of God in Scripture is, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) then John tells us in The Word – Jesus, present at Creation, “was life, and the life was the Light of men.” (John 1:4).  Darkness is daunting but light is exhilarating!  This is true in the physical sense but certainly in the spiritual sense.  The enemy would have Believers be overwhelmed by the dark moments but we can say with the Prophet Micah, “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.” (Micah 7:8).  Now, I know how much Mr. Bill loves me because he took that light off a tree that shined on his precious deer – he’s been feeding them corn for months, at the edge of our backyard.  It pleased The Father to send His precious Son to be the Light unto men such as you and I.  He shined so we can shine – Be a Shiner in all you do!

No Peddling

"Life is like riding a bicycle.  You don't fall off unless you stop peddling."  I always loved riding a bicycle, and I really loved the “coasting” part of riding.  There is, of course, only so long you can coast.  Eventually, peddling is required.

 

God cares about the weariness of His children.  Life can make us weary; not only with the daily must-do things but with the emotional tugs on our minds and hearts.  The Father often gently yet firmly reminds me He's declared victory over stress, anxiety, frustration, and weariness.  Christ knows all about those things because He faced them AND conquered them when He walked among us.  Knowing this, what then do I do?  Well, give it all a good shove in God's direction; He knows exactly what to do with it.  After I have completely let go of it all, my spirit is renewed, refreshed; only joy and peace remain.  What do you know!  I really can "stop peddling.”  What fun to “coast” in the power and victory of Jesus Christ.  I told you coasting is better!

What's That Smell?

Of course, Mr. Bill knows I hate it when he says, “smells like something’s burning.”  How I hate that!  Okay, so I’ve been known to burn a few things now and then. Who hasn’t!  Well, he hasn’t … he never cooks! :)

 

We do not know what kind of cook Noah was but he burned something very pleasing to God! “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, ‘I will never again curse the ground on account of man …’ “ (Genesis 8:20-21)  Consider the troubles Noah had just experienced: for a very long time, he was cooped up with two of every kind of animal as well as all his family members on [what surely must have been] one hot & humid ride!  Think about the haunting sounds he heard of dying men, women, and children outside the ark as the waters overtook the earth. Then the first thing he does outside the ark, after a big breath of fresh air, is worship.  On my best day, it seems I struggle to slightly grasp the measure of God’s goodness and lovingkindness then at first sign of ill-winds, I’m well … not worshipping. Read again God’s response to Noah’s worship: “ … I will never again curse the ground on account of man … and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (V.21-22) Noah lived through extraordinary circumstances (as do we) yet he praised God all the same! I sure do want God to smell something good from my life, don’t you?

Live Consciously

Alarm clocks -- never cared for them, but the older-me really dislikes them!  I recall one of the first digital clocks Mr. Bill and I owned.  We adjusted fairly well to the luminous glow of the numbers, but we neither adjusted to nor long tolerated the sound of that alarm.  The first [and last] time it went off scared us half outta our wits!

 

God consciously created each person to live consciously.  We deliberately buy, then set alarm clocks to wake us at a certain time; we may not like it when the alarm sounds, but the clock is only doing what we planned-and-expected it to do!  There is really only one conscious task we have as Christians – that is to

“be holy.”  It’s not one of many goals, as if on a bucket-list of things to accomplish in a lifetime.  Oh, no!  It is to be the driving force of every breath of every moment of life.  Nancy Leigh DeMoss describes it as our "created purpose."  This state in which we live is temporal; John writes, "Beloved, we are God's children

now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure." (1 John 3:2-3).  Deliberate living is conscious hard work especially when the flesh (our sinful part) wants to just

joy-ride through each day.  Oh, how we've come to love those snooze buttons that put off what must be!  My Christian friend, there is no time for snoozin' in holy living – be ever aware of Satan then follow after God with all you got.  Live consciously!

Joy Unspeakable

Do you have spots?  Not a spot of discoloration on the sofa or your favorite shirt but spots on your skin?  Ella looked at my arm one day and asked, “MomC, what are those spots?”  I explained as people get older, sometimes they get spots.  She knows she'll be five in October so she immediately took a serious look at her own arm!  I love it!

 

Knowing man’s perishability, God speaks of imperishability: “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” (1 Peter 1:23-25).  Ignore it [as we will] but the fading glory of humanity is evident everywhere. I can buy the most expensive fade cream and faithfully apply it morning-noon-night, and those age spots may actually fade over time, but I can’t stop the aging process.  In light of all that diminishes, is there something that does not?  Yes, yes there is.  Our God "remains forever."  In the midst of change, He changes not!  Furthermore,  in Him there is "no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17).  To put it plainly, there is nothing about our God, including His word, that changes, or wavers, or fades.  When I first blink each morning, the God Whom I love and Who loves me is the same as He was yesterday and the same as He will be tomorrow!  Can we grasp such a thing!  "Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." (1 Peter 1:8).  When there are more spots than I can count, my God will be!  Truly, it is joy unspeakable!

Live in the Steady

Steady is good.  Personally, I want a surgeon with a steady hand, a bus driver with a steady focus on the road, a sheriff with a steady eye on the law.  Like I said, steady is good!

 

In Peter’s second letter to the early Church, he uses an interesting term that is easily applied to the Believers today, He is describing men who teach contrary to the words of Christ – “bold and willful, they do not tremble,” Peter says (2 Peter 2:10).  The phrase that especially caught my eye, however, Peter applies to Christians who listen to the lies – he describes them as “unsteady souls” (2:14).  Now, like then, the days are unsteady as is popular thought!  Here’s the imminent danger: if we do not know Truth, we cannot know lies!  Honestly, only within the last twenty-five years of my personal life have I come to understand this concept and how critical it is to the Christian’s life.  Under the true and faithful teaching of a former pastor and his wife, God changed me.  Peter challenges us to be anchored in not “waterless springs … mists driven by a storm … loud boasts of folly” (V.17-18) but to be “established in the truth” (V.12) of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Ah! there’s the Steady.  Only Jesus at His second coming will silence the voices of deceit that attract the unsteady but we need not be counted among them.  Our hope is built in nothing less than Jesus’ Blood and Righteousness!  Live steady!

Trust Him

Perhaps not all my life but in this present season, I enjoy puzzles.  I’ve enjoyed doing puzzles with Ella, and it’s brought to mind Mr. Bill’s mother and how much she loved a good puzzle challenge.  I’m sure part of my boys’ memories are puzzling with their Granny.

It’s both accurate and profound to say life is like a puzzle.  So much we try but just cannot figure out, no matter how hard we try.  It’s like a difficult puzzle or that puzzle that is [you find at the end] missing a piece!  Sometimes you just want to put it all back in the box and quit or on a shelf to gather dust.  God knew how challenging life would be especially when so much doesn’t fit or make sense.  That’s why He gave us these words: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).  If we knew how all of life fit together and the purpose of every fitting, I wouldn’t need to depend upon and trust in God Who knows and completes all things according to His purpose.  As we trust and discouragement threatens, we have the invitation to cast all our anxieties on Christ because He cares deeply for us (1 Peter 5:7).  Puzzles with Ella are fun – no stress because she knows where all the pieces go!  God knows where all the pieces of life fit, too.  Trust Him!

Kinda-Sorta Living

As phrases go, I like this one: kinda-sorta.  Okay, my spell checker doesn’t like that phrase but an online dictionary confirmed it’s a real word – condensed for for “kind-of-sort-of,” and we use it when we don’t actually mean “yes” or “no.”  While I do like to use it, I’m not thrilled when someone gives me that answer!

 

The Apostle Peter makes it clear in his second letter that the Day of the Lord will come!  He reminds Believers in the last days there will be scoffing, a following after sinfulness and deliberate disregard for truth.  That should sound familiar!  “But the Day of the Lord will come …” (2 Peter 3:10a).  Then comes this huge probing question: “what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness?” (V.11).  When I consider my own wishy-washy, lukewarm commitment toward holiness, kinda-sorta comes to mind.  Yes, there’s that phrase again – and God is not interested in kinda-sorta living!  To the Church at Laodicea, John wrote, “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:16).  Lukewarm living was unacceptable in John’s day, and it’s unacceptable today.  The danger for Christians, however, is that lukewarm living is so attractive!  When it wasn't clear who truly loved the LORD, Moses stood at the gate of the camp and asked, "Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me." (Exodus 32:26).  Throughout history, God has been calling His own - His Redeemed, His Elect, His Saints - to live boldly, with evidence of Christ in all areas of life!  We are called out of the world - called "out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).  We are to look and speak and behave differently than the devil's children!  The same God sounds the same call today: it's a call from lukewarm-ness, from wishy-washy-ness, from kinda-sorta living.  As true followers of Jesus Christ, we do well to ask ourselves: what sorta people am I?

As for Me!

Unselfish people amaze me!  My basic instinct is think and do selfishly.  I won’t list my selfish crimes – the Lord knows them, and that’s bad enough!  No matter what I’ve tried, even living with Mr. Bill – one of the most unselfish people I know – I still battle ME!

 

There’s one selfish declaration, however, I proclaim:  “As for me, I will meditate on Your precepts.” (Psalm 119:78b).  This isn’t necessarily a confirmation of what I definitely do but rather an intent of discipline in my life.  The discipline to meditate on and apply God’s principles to life is a worthy one.  Not because I said so, but because God instructs us to do so: “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in His ways!” (Psalm 119:1-3).  Make no mistake – it is not easy!  It demands commitment, faithfulness, prayer and study.  The Holy Spirit takes those things and empowers me as I make choices and decisions each day.  It requires a conscious declaration: As for me!  That one selfish move proves itself the most unselfish thing I can do!

Jesus' Call

You shouldn’t be surprised to learn Mr. Bill loves to fish – I may have mentioned it a few times.  Although he loves to fish in the surf, on occasion he enjoys deeper waters so he calls Captain Joey.  There’s absolutely nothing flashy about Joey; he’s simple and laid back.  Hmmm, sounds a lot like Mr. Bill!

 

How do you respond to demands?  Interestingly, yesterday’s “hard-headed” is today’s “strong-willed.”  However you choose to describe it, demands aren’t always well-received.  On several occasions, Jesus issued this call:  Follow Me.  Mostly to a ragtag group of fishermen, Jesus pressed them to leave life-as-they-knew-it and Scripture records no rebellious responses.  Why do you suppose Jesus didn’t go to the synagogues and places of learned men to put together His team?  Captain Joey has never promised Mr. Bill the catch-of-his-life or even the fishing excursion to top ‘em all.  No, he just loads up the boat and ventures out with a fisherman’s optimism and determination.  Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17).  From watching Mr. Bill, here’s what I know – fishermen don’t mind wading out into otherwise scary waters; they know and accept the risks to make the catch!  I fear for too long we [Christians] have heard the call but remain unwilling to leave the dock in search of floundering souls.  Jesus still calls fishermen today.  Will we hear Him? How will we respond?

One and Only Qualified

Have you ever said "never" only to wish you hadn't?  The wise heed these words, "never say never," but most of us have fallen into the wish-I-hadn't-said- never category.  I love Barbara Johnson's prayer best: "Lord, let my words be tender for tomorrow I may have to eat them."  The words are rarely ... tender!

 

There is only One qualified to say "never," and that is Jesus Christ.  He made some wonderful never-statements!  In John 4:14, He promised we would NEVER thirst (John 4:14) or NEVER hunger (John 6:35) if we come to Him. If we keep Christ's commandments we will NEVER see nor taste death (John 8:51-52).  The precious gift of eternal life assures Believers they will NEVER perish (John 10:28).  We learn His Love NEVER fails in 1 Corinthians 13:8.  And perhaps, the greatest promise of all is He will NEVER leave nor forsake His Children (Hebrews 13:5).  Now, that certainly puts NEVER in a whole new perspective!  Suppose I were never late, never missed an appointment, never short on cash, never made bad choices, never lost my temper?  Because I AM late, I DO miss appointments, often SHORT on cash, I DO make bad choices, and I DO lose my temper, I am evermore thankful I have a Heavenly Father Who is synonymous with NEVER.  He is unconditionally qualified -- One and Only qualified -- to say NEVER … and mean it!

Good Stuff

Once our dentist told me to limit the boys' sugar by buying sugar free gum and soft drinks.  Do you want to guess how that went over?

 

God's commands to us are not designed to be popular, but to give us His Best -- the Good Stuff.  Proverbs 3:27 says, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so." Now, our dentist wasn't trying to cramp the boys' style; no, he knows the long-term effects of too much sugar on gums & teeth.  Sure, it's his job to tell us but he also cares about his patients.  God also knows what is best for us, and it's His Best that He wants for us.  His laws and commands aren't meant to deprive us, but to withhold or prevent only what threatens to harm and hurt us and bring about spiritual decay.  The long-term effect of apathy to Godliness in our decision-making and choices is a real killer to joyful living.  We are certain to miss the Good Stuff when we habitually neglect a daily quiet time with God and give Him only the leftovers of our days.  Think about it -- do you want the Good Stuff or not?

Experience Him!

Do you look for the five stars?  You know, the five-star rating on a products or a hotels?  Those five stars get our attention, then we read the reviews and sometimes the stars get … well, a little fuzzy.

 

In his second letter, Peter gives a no-nonsense commendation of Jesus Christ – perhaps one of the best in Scripture!  “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16).  In V.16-21 he uses phrases such as: we were eyewitnesses (V.16), we ourselves heard (V.18), we were with Him (V.18).  Reviews of those who have actually used a product or stayed at a hotel tell-the-tale, and influence our decisions.  There’s always a degree of skepticism with reviews, but Peter makes it clear you shouldn’t rely on the apostles’ words alone, “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word to which you will do well to pay attention … For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (V.19-21).  Jesus Christ was foretold by the prophets, and to what end?  “As to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart.” (V.19b).  There’s the final and more influential testimony of Jesus Christ – know Him in your heart!  With regard to a product or hotel, nothing is more credible than your own testimony, a personal experience – so it is with The Savior.  We dare not condense the Son of God to a five-star rating – heavens no!  If you have not trusted Him for your Salvation – do so!  If you do not rely on Him as your Guide in life – do so.  Experience Him!

Let Be and Be Still

The Chinese often use pictures to illustrate things, and I came across a pictograph for the word "busy."  It was actually a pair of pictures: heart and death.  The illustrated meaning is that busy is death to the heart.

 

Elisabeth Elliot wrote this about a busy life: "If we are bent on a mad tear through life, God will allow us that liberty, but He will not tear madly about with us." This reminded me of a recent conversation in which Mr. Bill described watching me in an insane flurry of activity from his recliner, and how the recliner seemed like a much more peaceful (and safer) place to be. Busy may help us meet deadlines, put out fires, and even give us fleeting feelings of accomplishment but it sure kills peace and joy in our hearts. I like the Amplified Bible's translation of Psalm 46:10: "Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God." God doesn't stop desiring to speak to us when we're busy [with less important things], but our busy hearts shut out His Voice. However busy life gets, still yourself and quiet your heart --  "let be and be still."

Keep Stirring

Although I rarely cook anything new, I do occasionally look at new recipes.  One thing that makes me turn-the-page are the words “constantly stirring.”  Necessary as it may be, those instructions make the recipe unnecessary for me!

 

Honestly, there are times when I sit down to write MWB and I’m just not inclined to do so.  With retirement in view, I sometimes wonder when I will retire from writing as well.  Then I read Apostle Peter’s words as he wrote to fellow Believers near the end of his life, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities … I think it right as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder … And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.” (2 Peter 12, 13, 15). Every Believer should consider this: is there really a time when we can justifiably lay aside our spiritual gifts while on earth?  Even from a cross, in agony, Jesus prayed for and forgave His persecutors then spoke words of promise to a dying thief ... even to the last breath!  You may have heard that preachers don't retire - they refire; well, that's a good slogan for each of us.  To our very end or the Day of His Coming, we must persevere; not only in right-living and well-doing but in speaking the Gospel in-and-out-of-season, ready at all times, preach the Word.  I have no idea how much longer I will do this but to the very end, I pray I am faithful and "constantly stirring" others to be faithful.  Let us keep stirring!

Read the Word

Ella says, “MomC, do you have an iPad?”  “Yes, I have an iPad.”  “Will you please go get it – I want to watch KidFlix.”  [Pause-Blink-Cough]“What is KidFlix?”  “You know, it’s for kids!”  That’s the second best thing about hanging around the Grands – we learn so much!

 

We live in an age of information dissemination - books, television, Internet - you name it – one way or another, we have access to it.  Of course, there's good and bad, positive and negative, truth and lies, nonetheless we benefit from the accessibility.  The Old Testament tells of  a time when "the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision." (1 Samuel 3:1).  While there are many today who are apathetic to (don’t care about) God's voice, would even welcome His silence, but imagine a world where "the word of the Lord was rare."  True, days of the prophets are past but God still speaks!  He speaks through His Word to the hearts of men.  God said, "I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts." (Jeremiah 31:33).  Here's the real dissemination problem: Christians don't read His Word!  How else can we discern good from bad, positive from negative, truth from lie?  When we do not the good-positive-truth, surely the bad-negative-lies will overtake us!  Furthermore, Proverbs 29:18 says, where there’s no vision [for righteousness], we cast off restraint [perish] but "he that keepeth the law, happy is he."  God isn’t silent – His Spirit still speaks and moves among His people!  Let us not live as if we are spiritually deaf (and dumb).  Faithfully (every day), open God's Word and see God's vision for holiness, which rightly includes the reward of real-lasting happiness ... as promised.  Learn something new today – read God’s Word!

None But One

Americans like choices!  Think about those new freestyle drink machines.  I distinctly remember the first time Mr. Bill and I … faced one.  Yeah - old dogs and new tricks, and cows looking at a new gate – those scenarios come to mind.

 

There is only one God.  Yes, I know – this is neither popular nor politically correct, but as Isaiah said “Truth has stumbled in the public squares” (Isaiah 59:14).  The world, including Americans, will go pick-and-choose which god suits the taste but God’s Word says, “For I am God, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22).  The debate will continue, and yes, the public squares will still welcome a cluttered buffet of cravings for the god of his liking.  Frankly, I’ve grown very tired of wishy-washy Christianity embraced by Believers who wiggle-and-waggle at those who love the gods of this-and-that.  It is time – past time, actually – God’s People who believe God’s Word to be perfectly true and the God of the Bible to be perfectly trustworthy to say so and do so.  Yes, I am preaching at me, too!  Let us put substance to what we say and testify there is no other!  None – zippo – None but One.

Leaning

The Tower of Pisa wasn’t built to lean but nonetheless, it does.  This free-standing Italian bell tower is famous mostly because … it leans. Set in weak and unsettled soil, its foundational design was flawed from the start yet it remains a work of art. I’ve never been to Italy so I’m limited to pictures of this leaning world wonder. I really think the “leaning” would bother me!

 

What would you think if I told you God wants us to be “leaners?”  Now, don’t get the idea we are some flawed design of The Creator; no, sin flawed His perfect work. Our sinful condition is why it’s important we … lean.  Has anyone ever whispered something to you and you just couldn’t make out the words?  Isn’t it amazing what leaning a little closer does!  James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” The Father has some important and wise things to say to His children but, mostly, we don’t get it.  Sometimes we actually hear Him but just don’t quite make out His words.  Consider what a little leaning does!  In Leviticus 26:9 we read how God rewards those who obey and walk according to His commands, and I love how the Amplified Bible puts it: “For I will be leaning toward you with favor and regard … “  To lean towards something or someone is to incline or bend from a vertical position.  Now, imagine The Father leaning Himself toward us!  What a picture!  We lean towards Him then He leans toward us!  Don’t you see how wonderful “leaning” can be!

The Pattern

Most women I know had a home economics class as a teenager in which we learned basic sewing.  In my class, we made aprons and I was so proud of mine.  I learned enough by making that simple apron to do a little sewing here and there.  Calling me a seamstress, however,  would be quite a stretch!

 

In Titus, we see the phrase, “pattern of good works” describing Christian behavior.  Although written to young men, this is easily applicable to all Believers. “Show yourself in all respects to be a model [pattern] of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” (2:7-8).  One of the first things we learned in sewing class was how to lay pattern pieces on top of the fabric then meticulously cut around each pattern piece, rendering pieces of fabric the same shape.  What a mess that apron would have been had my fabric pieces been carelessly cut or no pattern used at all.  Similarly, what poor images of Christ we are when our pattern for living does not resemble Jesus – the Pattern – for Christian living.  For good or for bad, the resulting evidences (behavior) of our faith WILL resemble something!  God commands our behavior reflect the Pattern of good works through Jesus Christ, rendering a beautiful work of His grace for all to witness.  I don’t remember what happened to my apron or if I ever wore it but [certainly] every Christian should desire to display [be] a “pattern of good works” to the Glory of God.  Stay true to the Pattern!

New Knees

The idiom “runs in my family” describes a characteristic or quality familiar among kin-folk.  Arthritis is a horrible [often] genetic disease, and it has had wide-spread effect among my family.  There are also “abnormalities” me and my sisters exhibit, to which Mom and Dad don’t care to claim responsibility! LOL

 

Nancy Leigh DeMoss tells of her Greek grandmother Yaya’s prayer habits. “My dad’s cousin remembers times when Yaya would be on her knees praying as he went to sleep at night. She was praying for the salvation of her children and grandchildren. On some mornings, he would wake up and Yaya would still be on her knees, having prayed through the night.”  Now, those are some good knees!  More importantly, that’s a redeemed soul that believes in the power of prayer.  I do recall personal periods of prayer for my children, but the diligence of Yaya shames me.  Do we not know the belief in and practice of prayer “runs in the

family” of Christ?  God says we are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and in so doing we follow Jesus’ example for a prayer life. Mark, Luke, and John record Jesus praying privately, for extended periods of time, even through the night. Good knees or bad knees, what every Christian should desire most is a heart that kneels regularly and humbly at the throne of grace.  Oh, how God’s children need hearts … and knees … for The Father.

Digging for Joy!

There was a well-thought-out purpose for the big box behind my office door.  It was a catchall for gym shorts, t-shirts, duffle bags, tennis shoes, etc. that were left behind by students (including my own two boys).  I often found myself [and others] stumbling over the items, not to mention how my office was beginning to resemble a gym locker room!

 

The heart of man gathers lots of junk.  It started early too; Genesis 6:5 says, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."  That came as no surprise to God -- what He knew beforehand was soon realized in His most precious creation.  According to Psalm 40:12, the sinfulness of our hearts are more numerous than the hairs of our head. Now, that's a lot even if your hair is growing thin!  Consider all the junk we take in with our eyes and ears -- it breeds corruption.  The beauty of Christ in our lives gets ambushed and soon the ugly takes over.  Guess what I found buried at the bottom of that box one day: a textbook we thought was lost.  When we see the heart for what it is -- desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), God forgives and makes beautiful what was once ugly.  Digging and uncovering Christ overtaken by the decay of sin in our hearts brings back His Joy and Beauty to our lives.  I encourage you to go ahead and do a little digging of your own.  The results are ... joyful!

Certainty of Uncertainty

Looking forward to things we want to do is way more fun that dreading things we must do!  Looking back at things, however, is different: those fun things we did make us smile, the no-so-fun things we did - well, they make us smile too since they're done and over with!

 

Living with a sense of certainty in uncertain times is challenging, and for most of us, a struggle.  It's common for Mr. Bill and I to talk about what’s "on the docket" (a courtroom term) for this day or the next.  It's also very common for plans to change!  Oswald Chambers writes, "The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty."  In Matthew 18:3, Jesus said we must become "as little children." My sweet Grands (Ella, Caleb, Isabelle and Natalie) do not anticipate!  Like most young children, they mostly live in the moment, greeting each morning-afternoon-evening the same. Yes, they'll learn anticipation soon enough but imagine if we (like little children) faced life with no pre-determations.  Consider if we simply trusted Sovereign God of mornings-afternoons-evenings ... all of life.  "Believe also in Me," said Jesus (John 14:1) - let Me be your joyful expectancy; I'll take the uncertainty out of life, He says.  This is one of the lessons before me these days: leaving the dread-of-things behind, embracing ever-present joy in Christ no matter what.  Truly, He is the Certainty of all uncertainties!