Take Jesus at His Word and Depart

Book Give Away: Leave a comment to possibly win a copy of my newest book: A Still and Quiet Soul: Embracing Contentment. You can read more of my friend's journey in chapter seven.
***********************************************************************
“My friend Bev.” That sounds like the title to a children’s story, but it’s not. Bev is a brave, great grandmother, who has battled cancer for eight years. I met her in California in 2006 where she attended a class I taught, “Praying in the Name of Jesus.” I later flew to her home state of Tennessee because she arranged for me to keynote at her home congregations’ annual women’s renewal.

            We have emailed back and forth, phoned each other, and we reunited again this May on the Pepperdine University Campus, and I finally got to meet her sweetheart, John, to whom she’s been married for over 50 years. Beverly again attended a presentation I made when Leafwood Publishers launched my newest Bible study book, “A Still and Quiet Soul: Embracing Contentment.” I didn’t want readers to just “hear” my voice and conclusions about contentment. Rather, I wanted readers to hear from others who had struggled with inner peace and arrived at a better place. So I included twelve personal essays written by three men and nine women (one of those men, “The Courier’s” own Mark Hayter), and Beverly’s essay is among those.

            During her fourth episode with cancer in the fall of 2009, Beverly began writing a blog about her journey with the dreadful disease. Her posts can be found at http://johnswife.blogspot.com/ . Between reading each other’s blogs, personal emails, and talking by phone, we’ve kept our friendship updated. This May on our mutual visit to Malibu, California, she and I discussed compiling her newsy, history-laced, faith-filled blog into a memoir for her family or for wider distribution, if the Lord leads to that. When she returned to Tennessee, she experienced more pain, and her doctors diagnosed that the cancer is spreading. She can’t have any more surgery, so she faces more chemo or other treatments. Naturally, Bev wants to live, but part of the reason she undergoes the many experimental treatments is to further medical research and perhaps give another person the opportunity to live and regain their health.    

            I told you about Bev because rubbing shoulders with her faith has strengthened mine. Her cancer is not the only tough battle she has faced in life. She and John reared a mentally challenged son, Johny. Read more details of those blessings and challenges in her blog and in my book. Today, I told you about Beverly because of a story I read in the Bible this week, where one phrase captured my heart, reminded me of her, and led me to a better way of living out my faith.

Jesus returned to Cana, Galilee after the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem, and a distraught, royal ruler from Capernaum, Galilee approached Jesus with a request for his son’s healing. He “begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death” (John 4: 47). For this occasion, Jesus chose a long-distance miracle rather than traveling to the boy’s bedside. After Jesus made a comment about miracle seekers and belief, the father again urged, “Sir, come down before my child dies” (vs. 49).

Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” Here’s the verse that impacted my heart and caused me to further admire this father: “The man took Jesus at his word and departed.” He believed, walked away, and started down the road toward his home. Could I do that? Could I accept Jesus’ words as truth, especially in the dire situation of life or death? Before that daddy ever reached Capernaum, he met his servants on their way to find him and they had tremendous news. His son thrived! The dad asked when his son began to recover, and the servants said, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.” The dad recognized it was the exact time Jesus said, “Your son will live” (vss. 50-54). Then his household believed, too.

The dad’s complete faith at ‘taking Jesus at his word” and turning away from Jesus and beginning his journey toward Capernaum helped me. How many times have I just needed to take Jesus at his word and depart from worry, hand wringing, and sleepless nights? Many of you are good at taking Jesus at his word and departing with faith instead of worry, but I still need much growth in that area.

I pray for Bev and any of you who struggle with similar troubles. May God bless you with assurance from Jesus, our always faithful brother. My friend Bev lives out her story of faith each day, and she summed up her outlook on trusting Jesus when she said to me, “I’m just living from scan to scan from grace to grace.”

May we all be as gracious to want the best for our neighbors and to surrender ourselves to the purposes of God.

Index Card Verse for Week 25: “You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune….nor boast so much in the day of their calamity” (Obadiah 1:12-13).

A Tired Dad and a Coca-Cola

My husband told me about a memory from his childhood, about a dad, a truck driver who looked very weary. Dave said he was about 12 and was with his dad at the Houston port to fill six barrels with molasses for their dairy farm. They were paying for their molasses inside an office where truck drivers came to finish their paperwork.

            The trucking office had a habit of giving each semi-truck driver a cold Coca Cola, the ones in the thick greenish glass bottles. The cool drink helped to somewhat offset the blistering summer heat and sometimes long waits to get loaded or unloaded. Drivers could drink it in the office or pay the bottle deposit and take the refreshing drink with them.

            One driver had a wife and child with him. In 1960, the 18 wheelers were not what they are today. In 2011, some of the over-the-road trucks have luxury walk-in sleepers. They have sleeping berths designed as a bedroom or it can be transformed into a sitting area. The trucks have power steering, air conditioning, and room to drive comfortably.

The cabs of yesteryear were small, little more than a few feet wide. Just steering a truck around town on a humid Houston day would be enough to cause most to look for a job elsewhere. The single cot-size sleep area could be accessed by climbing through an opening between the cab and sleeper, that opening a bit larger than a backdoor welcome mat.

            Back to the dad in the freight office, he asked if he could buy an additional cola and he paid two bottle deposits. Dave, even at 12-years-old noticed how tired the man seemed. He then watched as the thoughtful driver walked out to his truck and gave one cold drink to his wife and one to his child, taking none for himself.

            Too often we do forget the hard work that dads do: the earnings, the long hours, the sleepless nights when bills to grocer, doctor, repairmen and such don't match the income. Also, men often sacrifice their health so their wife and kids can live a more comfortable life. And for the most part they aren't whiners; they don't want any recognition and awards. They simply appreciate respect and love from the ones they are honor bound to shield.

            A Nomadic tribe says that a woman is the tent pole. If women are the tent pole, then the men are the fabric that protects and holds it all together. They provide security and courage and literally lay down their lives daily for their families. I have a very soft spot in my heart for men who faithfully provide for their families, whether they work at computers and desks or at the helm of draglines digging gravel pits.

            The words of this week’s memory verse come from Amos, a shepherd called from among the sheep to tend to people. Remember, most dads just want to be hugged and thanked for the many cold cups of water they’ve handed to us over the years.

            Happy Father’s Day!    

            Index Card Verse for Week 24: “Seek the LORD and live” (Amos 5:6).

Caught and Taught Faith

A bold title to an article stated, “God Has No Grandchildren.” Most of us know that faith isn’t as easily bequeathed to children as a set of silverware. While children may keep inherited silver, they may not embrace their parent’s faith.

In Darryl Tippens’ book Pilgrim Heart: The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life, he encourages believers to model and experience the Christian disciplines.

Two statements in his foreword shine a little light into my soul and cause me to give further thought to this faith-communities’ part in ensuring that there is another generation of devoted Christians. Darryl Tippens mentioned in his book and lecture a probing question Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes again, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

The second challenge came when during a lecture I heard Tippens give statistics from author Charles Williams. Because generations die off physically, faith is reestablished through new converts and Christians’ children. Here’s the staggering fact: In just 30 years of passive living, not reaching out to neighbors and not teaching children, the church could die in a locale.   

     Love for God is both taught and caught. Following are suggestions for parents who long for their children to inherit more than earthly estates:

• Be a “taught and caught” parent. Model Jesus and talk about your devotion to God’s Son.
• Act like God acts. Forgive like God forgives. Repent in your home before spouse and children when you do wrong.
• Kick the world out of your home. Make a safe shelter where children learn godly virtues. Sleazy seems to be the world’s motto. Look at the top titles of music that teens are hearing. You don’t even have to hear the lyrics.
• Read and tell Bible stories to your children and grandchildren. Memorize with them. Where do your kids get most of their Bible learning? Home should be their primary “Sunday school.”
• Talk about your faith, your struggles. Do your children know your salvation story? Share how you came to know the Lord.

The really good news is this: when God gives us a task such as “go and make disciples” he also equips us for the work. Pray as you grab hold of God’s promises and his hand because we have plenty of work assignments during the next 30 years — to assure that faith will be found in this community. This week, recycle your faith into a younger generation as you tell them about the holiness, justice, and loving kindness of God.

Index Card verse for week 23: “Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation” (Joel 1:3).

Lions Gone Mild--June 3

This week we’ll look at an ancient story and a twenty-first century story about ferocious lions gone mild. In both of these stories, jungle cats will forego their kill-to-eat instincts and instead leave an older man and, centuries later,  a twelve-year-old Ethiopian girl unharmed.

Around 605 BC, the biblical story of Daniel begins when Jerusalem was invaded and its finest youths were carried away to serve a foreign government. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, wanted apt young men from Israel’s royal family of Judah to serve in his court. One young man, Daniel (his Hebrew name meaning “judgment of God”), was destined forever to have a place in biblical and world history. He was given the Chaldean name of Belteshazzar (signifying “keeper of the treasures of the master”).  In Isaiah 39:7, a prophecy foretold that the young captives would be made eunuchs. Captives in training to reach high ranks in foreign governments were often rendered impotent so they could not produce offspring to challenge the throne.

Daniel served under several heads of state growing older and older in Babylon. When Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, he appointed Daniel and two others over the 120 governors of provinces. By now, Daniel is an older gentleman, probably approaching 90-years-old. Some governors didn’t like Daniel and wanted to discover unseemly behavior to tarnish his years of service. When they found nothing, they schemed to use his virtuous prayers against him. The governors asked King Darius to sign an edict stating that for 30 days no one could petition anyone except the king.

Their proposed punishment for offenders would be a free overnight stay at the Den of Lions. Once the edict was published, Daniel’s enemies obviously reported that Daniel still knelt at his window facing Jerusalem, and prayed three times a day. Much to the dismay of King Darius, he had to order his valued administrator to a pit of ravenous lions. Darius couldn’t sleep that night, but perhaps Daniel relaxed and dozed off when he saw that an angel of the Lord had shut the lions’ mouths. The ill that the governors had plotted for Daniel backfired, and they and their families were thrown into the pit and devoured by lions.

In Ethiopia in 2005, a group of seven men abducted a 12-year-old girl to force her to be one of their wives. The United Nations reports that in rural Ethiopia still experiences 70% of marriages taking place through abduction. A group of men will overpower a young girl to illegally force her into marriage. Afterwards they beat her into submission, and then they battle among themselves to see who will win the young virgin.

After beating this terrified 12-year-old girl, the seven men began their games to see who would get to wed her. The girl, the youngest of four siblings of brothers and sisters, was extremely traumatized by the events. They held her captive and beat her for seven days. On the seventh day, a group of three Ethiopian lions emerged from the wilds and chased off the seven men. For a half day, the huge cats stood around the young girl, never attempting to harm her. On that same day when the police and her frantic family finally located her, Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo said about the massive lions, "They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest."

“If the lions had not come to her rescue, then it could have been much worse," explained Sgt. Wedajo. Four of the men were caught and a search was ongoing for the other three.

Every time I read Daniel’s story and this more recent account of the young girl’s rescue and protection, I’m reminded that we serve a God of miracles. God -- who turns things around, reverses nature, raises the dead, calls whales into service, or makes the sun shine longer than usual. Daniel surrounded for many years by foreign gods continued to serve the God of his youth, the God of his old age,  “who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not” (Romans 4:17).

When God halted the appetite of lions in Babylon, he got the attention of King Darius, who sent out a message to his entire kingdom that the God of Daniel should be revered. Memorize that message (below). Write it on your number 23 index card and think about our Father at work shutting the mouths of lions centuries ago and 2005 in Ethiopia.

Index card verse for week 22: “He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions” (Daniel 6:27).    

A Side Effect of Healing

 Advertising for prescription drugs nearly always lists possible side effects. Such things as heart attack, stroke, nausea, headache, or high blood pressure may be among the effects. Sometimes ads even say, “In a small number of cases death has occurred.” The audio versions of the ads are delivered via a pleasant sounding voice, similar to the calm assurance a mother would give to a child.

We’ve all heard mothers try to assure us as we weighed a new experience against the fear of getting hurt: “Honey, just try the monkey bars. What fun you’ll have. And if you fall, it’s only four feet to the ground.” After urgings to, “Go ahead. Have fun. You’ll enjoy it. Be a big girl,” the warnings also arrived: “Be careful. Hold on tight. Don’t fall.”

Those mother-messages had mixed blessings of love, concern, and caution. Re-reading portions of Ezekiel brought a question to mind for the drug companies and their ad campaigns: Why isn’t HEALING mentioned as a side effect? If an ill person looks for a cure, wouldn’t you want to hear that the main reaction most have to your prescribe drug is healing?

This week in our Bible-book journey, we’re in the land of Ezekiel, a major prophet, who spoke warnings and also pronounced side-effect-blessings. However the majority of the book of Ezekiel is filled with warnings, the ill side effects of disobeying God.

Filled with symbolism, a good portion of Ezekiel describes God and the judgment that has come upon Israel (Ezekiel and others were already in Babylonian captivity). Why were they there? Israel had broken faith with God and given allegiance to foreign gods.

But not every individual had abandoned God. As always a few remain devoted and Ezekiel was one of them. A characteristic theme throughout Ezekiel’s writing is individual responsibility before God. No wonder God chose this completely obedient man to act out messages to his wayward people. And his were tough assignments: Who among us could refrain from weeping if our beloved spouse died? Find out why in Ezekiel 24:15-27.

Or who among us could lie on our left side in public, eating only grain-rich bread for 390 days, and then roll over and remain on our right side for an additional 40 days? All of this was done so that Ezekiel might be a visual aid, a prophetic-one-man act, a sign to Israel about the punishment for their sins (Ezekiel 4). Since the bread ingredients are mentioned in the Bible text, some have attempted to duplicate this grainy bread that sustained Ezekiel for well over a year. At www.foodforlife.com you can buy the bread, or find a recipe at www.allrecipes.com

In other prophetic references, we see that Jeremiah, Baruch, and Ebed-melech were among those “marked” to be spared from the punishment that would fall upon so many. “The mark was the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, ‘taw,’ written as a cross in the oldest script,” states “Erdman’s Handbook to the Bible.” Talk about symbolism!

Through Ezekiel God said each man will be judged according “to his ways.” They were told, “Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.” God further encouraged them to get a new heart and a new spirit, also saying that he took no pleasure in the death of anyone. (18:30-32).

We hear of illness, tragedy, wrongs done, and we long to hear that all is right again. Things have been fixed. God’s mercy intervened and there was a good outcome. In an another scene, Ezekiel shows us a nourishing river with fruit bearing trees lining its banks. That’s how Ezekiel wraps up his writings by letting us know sin has awful side effects, but healing can take place.

Index card verse for week 21: “Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing” (Ezekiel 47:12).

Receive a blessing this Memorial Day, take time to thank our Father for the freedoms we enjoy because men and women were willing to love this country and us in sacrificial way.

Hibernacula--Covering with Prayer

 “Miss Goody Two Shoes” was a childhood slur cast toward girls, who were behaving well or flaunting their obedience. True goodness, purity of motives, and resulting humility comes from above.

If we humans were left solely to our own devices, I’m afraid we’d treat each other rather badly. We’ve all had our moments, and maybe lifetimes, of misbehavior. As the oldest sibling in my childhood family, I sometimes took advantage of my siblings’ weaknesses, played tricks on them, and agitated them.

At times, I could even coerce my sister, Sherry, 22 months younger than me, to join in tormenting our little brother. One such occasion happened when I was about 10-years-old. I hope my brother Kenny read this because we both regret telling you that the small round, red, very hot pepper, growing on the short garden plant, would taste just like an M&M. Your four-year-old mouth was not the only thing that burned that day. If I remember correctly, our punishment involved a bit of warming on the seat of our summer shorts.

After the flood, God said, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood” (Genesis 8:21). He accurately described the imaginations of my heart. I was definitely engaged in a war. I wanted to be good -- was good a lot of the time -- but temptations loomed everywhere, especially to cause my siblings misery.

I believe the prayers of my godly parents protected me during that time. The good news is that at any age, we can call on God to help us. His Holy Spirit will refine and tune our hearts to make better and best choices.

Earlier this month at the Pepperdine Bible Lectures in California, I heard a keynote from Samuel Twumasi-Ankrah from Accra, Ghana, Africa. Here in the states studying for his doctorate of divinity, he taught from Psalm 103. I wrote one of his short sayings in the margin of my Bible near that psalm. He said, “God is more willing to forgive than we are willing to be forgiven.” Isn’t that true! We are often reluctant to forgive ourselves when God has already forgiven and forgotten our sins.

Our memory scripture this week comes from the book of Lamentations. While most congregational worship seems to focus on celebrating the goodness of God, would a “lament” service be appropriate from time to time? This could be a time when we would consider our personal sins and offenses against God, mourn how we hurt our good Shepherd, confess our sins, and repent.

We sing a song in my home congregation, “O Lord Prepare me to be a Sanctuary.” As each person sings that request, they ask God to create a holier heart house, in essence saying: “Make me a dwelling place for you. Hollow out my heart. Sweep out all offensive things. Make a spotless place, dear God, for you to abide and guide.”   

The word “hibernacula” in zoology means the dwelling place of a hibernating animal. In the world of botany “hibernacula” means the covering over a bud during its dormant phase before it blossoms. I’ve had on my mind, the tender hearts of our communities’ children and the summer ahead. Children pass through a stage of hibernation until they begin to emerge into their life story. Ever developing in stature, mind, and heart – wouldn’t this world be a better place if all children had the covering of their parents’ and grandparents’ prayers?

Jeremiah, noted as the author of Lamentation by some of the latest manuscripts, in five poetic chapters tells about the just judgment of God on his people. He and his countrymen ended up in a foreign country, captured, humiliated, and removed from their homeland because they rebelled against God.

Sorrow for wrongs committed against God permeates the chapters of Lamentations, but God steps into that pool of tears to tend and correct Jeremiah’s broken heart. God is truly “more willing to forgive than we are to be forgiven.” The Lord’s mercies are new every day to toward our developing children and their families who will call upon him.

Index card scripture for week 20: “Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22, 23).

Contact Cathy at www.cathymessecar.com   Book links, Speaking Schedule and Topics, and More

We Project Ruin, God Projects Salvation

One of the bravest women mentioned in the Old Testament is the Hebrew mother of Moses, Jochebed. She lived under cruel taskmasters, her people enslaved for hundreds of years. When the slaves’ numbers grew, Egyptian officials feared that the slaves might join enemy forces and cause an uprising.


On the sly, Pharaoh wanted the Hebrew midwives to kill any male child at delivery. But the women feared God more than the king’s edict and refused. When questioned about their disobedience, they reported the vigorous Hebrew women had delivered by the time they reached the woman in labor.

Those midwives, who feared the Lord God and guided new life into the world, could not smother newly sanctioned breaths. So, the ruling dynasty gave an order to all his people, “Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile” (Exodus 1:22).

In that wicked culture, Jochebed, whose name means “the Lord is glory,” delivered a son. Did her heart pound with fear when she delivered a male child? Had she plotted ahead on how to spare this baby? Did she expect the worse or hope for the best?

By the time Moses reached three months old, his mother had finalized and almost completed her plans. She built a mini ark, made of papyrus reeds, coated inside and out with tar and pitch. By then she had reached the limits of her protection.

Matthew Henry (1662-1714) says that often when “men are projecting ruin . . . God is preparing . . . salvation.”

The minute a child is born, a mother is born, too. All types of mothers have rocked cradles, the good, the bad, and the worse. But there’s nothing more heartwarming than a wholesome bond between mother and child. Sweetness exists in that relationship like no other.

No doubt Jochebed’s first few months with Moses were bittersweet. And one day, preparations made, Jochebed chose to place her infant son in the reeds near the bank of the Nile, post big sister Miriam as guard, and trust God to have a plan for a river, a floating bassinet and a beloved infant.

Some mothers will be able to embrace their children this Mother’s Day. Other women are separated by miles, while some mothers are separated by rifts. Moms, if you have a good relationship with your children, cherish the blessing. If your relationship has a few cracks, gather your tools and work on a patch job as soon as possible.

If your relationship is completely strained, pray over them and, like Jochebed, place them in God’s hands — it may be time to put them in the boat. Remember, sometimes when we project ruin, God is planning salvation.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Index Card Verse for Week 18: “”You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).

The Real Jesus--No Pretense

When Jesus entered a synagogue on the Sabbath, he didn’t adjust his language, any mannerisms, or thoughts. He didn’t force a smile to his face. The Jesus who walked into the place of worship was the same Jesus who walked the roads of Judea and Galilee on weekdays. He embodied truth and grace.


For most, it’s easy to be good inside the church building. Smiles, hugs and friendly handshakes come easy. Praise hymns ring out with gusto. Serious thought time is given to life, or when a minister says something lighthearted, wholesome laughter erupts.

In classes, when a Bible teacher's emotions are moved by a text, many Bible students are also moved and shed tears. The Holy Spirit presides over gatherings uniting worshipers. Praise, conviction, repentance, comes easier when we’re gathered with like-minded believers.

When it’s time for church members to leave a worship service for their separate homes, church leaders pray that the individual congregants will step out into their unique circles where their personal convictions will shine against the dark backdrop of the world. Godly leaders also long for our Sunday-hearts of worship to guide us Monday through Saturday.

Hearty corporate worship blesses us, but the extremes of Christianity—fanaticism and hypocrisy—can throw buckets of cold water upon someone who seeks to know more about God. Even an ounce of cynical spirit can douse a seeker’s curiosity.

In my home congregation, we’re encouraged to find one person, lodged in our weekdays, who shows an interest in learning more about Christianity. An important part of reaching out is to not prejudge whether someone might or might not come to Christ.

If I had been a traveling companion of Jesus when either the rich young ruler or Zacchaeus sought Jesus, I’d have placed my hopes on the rich young ruler, who was a member of the chosen Jews. He confessed that he kept the commands of the Mosaic Law. He had initiated his search for Jesus and asked what he needed to do to be saved. But, I would have been wrong. When Jesus told him to sell all he had, give it to the poor and follow him, the very rich young man turned away from the Messiah. While Jesus knew the young man’s heart, I would have only seen his outward appearance and heard his list of good deeds.

The last person, I’d expect to turn to Christ was literally found up a tree. Short in stature, Zacchaeus had climbed a tree to get a better view of Jesus when he walked on a nearby path. I’m told that the average height of a Jewish male during this time was 5’ 4”. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, known for underhanded shenanigans. He’d short changed plenty of local citizens. Surely, his failures and tarnished reputation would not fit in with a holy group of people. Could his sin encrusted heart really make a turn around? Wouldn’t his loathsome past cancel out any future good he might do? And yet, he was the one who longed to repent, to repair, and be replenished.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35). Jesus wanted his disciples to know that opportunities were everywhere to share their faith.

We would do well to put away our prejudices of who will accept Christ. A better stance is to remember that God doesn’t want any to perish, and he alone knows how to look deep into a person’s heart and draw them to himself. We are Yellow Pages for Christ, pointing others to him, anyone who asks!

We best light the path to God when we behave and love like his Son. The real Jesus walked into a synagogue and the real Jesus walked out, no pretense, no change to his demeanor. He remained true to God at all times. To shine against the backdrop of this world, fully imitate the Christ seven days a week.

Index Card Scripture for Week 17 – “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong” (Ecclesiastes 5:1).

POster "Girl" for HOPE

When my dad worked as a minister just south of Houston, they met a woman in the congregation named Minnie Miner, not her maiden name. With her double M names it seems that she ought to be a poster girl for something. As her story unfolded for me over the years, I finally understood that she is indeed just that. She is a poster girl for H-O-P-E.


Last year, Minnie passed the milestone of 100 years of age, and I learned more about her life from her friend’s letter written to honor Minnie. When I first met Minnie she was 80 and had the energy of women half her age. A sad part of her history includes the year 1958. When she was only 48, her dear husband died inside their home. That first night she couldn’t make herself sleep inside. His presence seemed everywhere, so she slept in their car for one night.

After a year of deep sorrow, she knew the only way to step away from her sadness was to invest in the lives of others. Never shy, and having performed on the organ and piano, she made plans to cheer people up who were going through rough times.

She bought yards of white furry fabric, and without a pattern, she constructed a bunny suit, complete with a cotton tail and large pink ears. She found a job to support herself, and she often took the bunny suit to work with her, and didn’t go home until later in the evenings. Driving around Houston and Baytown in her pink Rambler, she visited shut-ins and the sick. She felt the gloom lifting from her life. Although she’d always miss the love of her life, she found a new passion for living.

Straight from work, she visited nursing homes. At other times she wowed the children at MD Anderson and other hospitals, schools, and doctors’ and dentists’ offices. For 26 years that bunny suit, and later also a Santa suit, helped her warm the hearts of the hurting. Mark Devon with “The Lake Travis View” interviewed Minnie last year close to her 100th birthday, and she said her daily goal was “to make one person happy.”

Her jovial spirit found her winning the “Miss Congeniality” title in the Miss Texas Senior pageant when she was 79. Minnie continued to work well into her 90s, and now lives in the Austin area with her daughter and family.

Back to thoughts about Minnie Miner as a poster girl for “Hope.” Her spirit of resolve to overcome misfortune and invest in others didn’t come from Minnie. That hope sprang from the heart of her risen Savior, poured out into her life. She’s not shy about her love for the Lord.

When Jesus walked this earth, his continuous message was one of loving our fellowman, and making things better for others in life, and he supplied all needed for his followers to do this. Through their witnessing of his powerful miracles, they knew that Jesus offered genuine help to overcome small problems and even death itself.

I am especially drawn to one biblical scene near the streets of Nain (means pleasant or green pastures). When Jesus and his disciples approached the city gate, they met a funeral procession and a large crowd of people carrying out the only son of a widowed woman. “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry” (Luke 7:13).

When we see funeral processions driving toward us, we pull over, we wait. We show respect for the mourners by stopping our lives for a few minutes. But we can do nothing about the life that has passed. Jesus’ words were legitimate because he alone had authority over death, and the power to return her son’s life-breath.

Undoubtedly, Jesus had seen many funeral processions, but this time he intervened for the widowed woman, he intervened for those standing there that day, he intervened so we’d have this accounting of his power over death. He touched the coffin and those carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”

And he did! Utterly amazing.

This spring, on church signs, in yards, and in greetings we see and hear the words, “He is risen.” They express confessions of belief that Jesus returned to life after his death by crucifixion. They express awe that Jesus intervenes in our everyday lives, and that he will raise us up at the appropriate hour, known only to God.

Minnie’s story. Your story. My story. They all include miracles of birth and the power of rebirth into the awesome arena of Jesus Christ. Like Minnie we can be poster people for hope, the hope found in trusting and obeying our Lord.

Happy Easter because the story of Easter spells H-O-P-E.

What's Your Favorite Proverb?

“The darkest hour is before the doorbell rings.” That’s one of the winning proverbs from Domino’s Pizza Proverbs Contest. Last year, that pizza company opened a contest seeking modern proverbs which would fit their pizza products. Since the contest ended, each delivery and take-out pizza box features one of the eight winning proverbs.


While on last week’s trip to Santa Fe, Roswell, and Artesia NM, I’d pondered the book of Proverbs. I’d taken my oldest Bible with me, re-read my favorite passages, and I looked for a proverbial slant for today’s column. I continued to ask myself how I could tie the book of Proverbs into the Easter story. Because this column has taken us through the books of the Bible in sequence, here we are at Easter and we landed on the book of Proverbs.

When we’re out of town and our only transportation is an eighteen wheeler, we either find motels with restaurants in walking distance or order a meal delivered. We’d ordered pizza, and I still hadn’t resolved my dilemma of a tie in between Easter and Proverbs when I heard a knock on the motel door.

The delivery man handed me our pizzas. Later, I discovered that the box had a pizza proverb on the box: “Pizzas dare to go where hamburgers fear to tread.” I checked out the pizzaproverbs.com site and discovered that over 7,000 people had entered the contest. We prefer Dominos thin crust pizzas to all others, but I still have to say that pizza proverbs -- as cute as they are -- are not near as meaty as the proverbs left to us in the Bible.

The “Online Etymology Dictionary” says the word “proverb” originates from the Latin word “proverbium,” meaning "a common saying," literally "words put forward." Descriptive phrases become common sayings as people watch life and see that certain things usually turn out the same way. If you do things this way, they most always have the same outcome.

Even though proverbs are general statements that come true most of the time, they cannot be held up as absolute rules that always turn out the same results. We all know exceptions to proverbs. An example: if you train up children as to how they should live, those children when they grow to adulthood generally accept those guidelines for their lives (Proverbs 22:6). However, parents and guardians use many different methods to train many different little personalities, who may have developed many different aspirations or phobias. Anytime a human is factored into efforts, results can go in infinite directions.

However, the exception to those above statements is Jesus Christ. Although he inhabited a human body, his soul remained divine – his character, his actions, his heart always represented infinite grace and truth (John 1:14). During his ministry, Judea, Galilee and surrounding areas experienced unparalleled displays of favor in the form of Immanuel, God with us.

Throughout the three years of Jesus’ ministry, he continually portrayed the Heavenly Father with exact measure: “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being." (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus gave us truth about the Heavenly Father. Jesus was more than a proverb. Jesus embodied truth and absolute results of compassionate living and eternal power.

Jesus freely gave over-the-top care: withered limbs re-muscled; fishermen's nets overflowed; thousands ate from heaven's bread basket; massive waves and atmospheric elements obeyed his voice and ceased their violent nature—because extravagant God trod the earth.

Jesus, king of hearts touched foul flesh, sat in fishing boats, and cradled children on his lap. He washed feet, forgave murderous sins, and healed bad reputations. And then the ultimate show of authority came on the third day after his crucifixion when he arose from the dead.

Every day we hear clichés, old sayings, and modern taglines advertising products and pizzas, but none compare to the Son of God who represented the truth of heaven. Jesus moved us from maybes to miracles. Happy Resurrection Sunday.

Index Card Verse for Week 16: “He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home with the wise” (Proverbs 15:31).

Name that Psalm

"And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air," are familiar words from our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Those words are especially significant as we continue to experience the absence of troops from our country as they engage in foreign conflicts. Where do we go for comfort in times of anxiety over world, national, and personal events?

Dr. Anthony Ash wrote, "It has been said that somewhere in the Psalms can be found a reflection of virtually every religious experience known to man, and the person familiar with the Psalter can find balm for every wound." Mr. Ash admits that this statement may not be strictly true, but it does reflect the high regard for the Psalms from those who have experienced camaraderie and good-fellowship with the authors.

In the Psalms we find a blending of theology, worship, and daily living. One of my favorite psalms begins with these words, "God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). Within the lyrics, this psalm addresses three common trouble-areas: natural disasters, political upheaval, and battle fatigue. During any of these events, it is easy to lose sight that God remains aware of circumstances and controls the outcome. Even when world leaders topple and some abdicate, God will never abandon his post as Lord of lords and King of kings.

The third stanza of Psalm 46 portrays war and battle fatigue, and the psalmist gives advice to armed forces, those who keep the home fires burning, and for our ordinary days, "Be still, and know that I am God." What does that imperative mean to those in the middle of a raging conflict? It may seem a daunting request at first, but those who take up the exercise will find calm and solace and a place to anchor their souls in times of turmoil. On real battlefields with mortar fire or at the home front with verbal attacks, God can quiet us as we draw near to him. Inviting God to step into our landmine area is better than pulling on a flak jacket. He protects our souls from all kinds of bombshells.

In 1529, Psalm 46 inspired Martin Luther to write the words and music to a well-known hymn. Do you recognize the first line? "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing." Through the Internet and television, color pictures and news stories arrive direct to our homes, covering wars, civil unrest, and rioting. If you need a refreshing break from warfare, turn off electronics this next week, and instead think about a week long ago -- the week between Palm Sunday and Easter.

Read an account in one of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Enclosed in that eight day period you will read a mixture of wholesome, depraved, and holy, the same mix that goes on day to day in this world. But you’ll gain hope as you read and remind yourself that “holy” always wins and always outweighs depravity. Jesus reminded his disciples during his last days, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

"Be still, and know I am God" isn't a take-or-leave-it instruction. It's a gentle invitation to bring a blessing into your life through participation with God. It’s a good phrase to pray over the unrest in the world, for all military personnel, President Obama, our country, and those who declare themselves our allies and enemies.

This fifteenth week, our index card scripture comes from the book of Psalms where the human experience is poetically displayed in songs of lament and praise. When you seek comfort, look through the collection of 150, you will most likely find one to guide you. Name your psalm, one will fit your circumstances. Perhaps our verse for this week will aid you in finding additional peace and assurance from the Psalter and our Father.

Index Card Scripture for Week 15: “‘Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘I will rescue him’” (Psalm 91:14).

Job's Resolve

Years ago, one of the television broadcasting networks decided that religion was an important part of American life. They hired their first religion correspondent to cover a broad range of how religion influences American lives. I heard that correspondent speak at a conference where she told this story:


Even though she worked out of her home in Texas, she flew to New York City for planning sessions to discuss angles for news stories. One story they were featuring was a minister’s family, and a son’s wife who had contracted the AIDS virus through a blood transfusion. The young woman didn’t know she had the virus and both of her children were born with it. The network wanted to cover this story and how the family would cope with the suffering.

As the group of corporate executives considered the angles and how best to present the tragic story with empathy, one of the un-churched team members said how about using the job angle?

The correspondent had trouble recognizing how she could report the story through the minister’s or son’s occupations and said so. The person who suggested replied something like this: “Not the preacher angle, not his job as a minister. You know job, job, that guy who suffered in the Bible.” The correspondent finally realized that although her teammate was unfamiliar with most things religious and didn’t know how to pronounce Job’s name, she had heard about Job’s suffering.

In the Bible, the written account of Job’s story drops us into the middle of his existence. He is wealthy, has a wife, sons and daughters. And he faithfully sacrifices and prays for his children, in case any of them inadvertently sin. All is well in Job’s world when we first hear about him. The only trouble is that we’re hearing about Job because a conversation is going on between God and Satan, and Job is the topic. God’s portion of that talk praised his servant Job: “[H]e is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (1:8). But Satan goads God by naming all of God’s “umbrella” blessings: A hedge of protection for Job and his family, and he has massive wealth. Satan then wagered if God stretched out his hand and struck Job and everything he has “he will surely curse you to your face” (vs. 11).

I don’t pretend to understand what happened in that context or happened next, but I do know that God took a stand for Job’s integrity and right thinking, saying in essence, “I know my servant Job’s heart and I can count on his faithfulness.” Satan was given permission to strike out against Job. In a single day, he lost his family and wealth, and all that was left was his wife. When Job refused to turn against God, then Satan gained permission to bring illness upon Job, but that’s where God’s permission stopped. He would not allow Job’s life to be snuffed out.

Job’s already pitiable life got really rough, and Job described the wretched misery of his illness: “My body is clothed with worms and scabs; my skin is broken and festering” (7: 5). Besides the physical pain, his four friends came to commiserate with him, but they salted and vinegared his open wounds by their judgments and words expressing that surely Job’s personal sins had brought about his affliction. They couldn’t have been more wrong.

Being misunderstood. Getting bad advice. Needing relief. Wanting empathy. Yearning to know why he suffered so much loss. Finally, a message came to Job from God himself. God told and showed Job that he doesn’t think, do, or imagine as man does. God revealed to Job that the human experience involves mystery and faith. And that some things we will never know.

Job’s faith might have trembled during his horrific ordeal, but he remained firm in his resolve that even if God allowed his life to be taken, God remained trustworthy: “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (13:15).

The epilogue of Job’s story tells us that God blessed his latter years even more than the first of his life (42:12-16). Our index card scripture for this week is a portion of Job’s response when God “answered” Job out of the storm. God often brings deeper understanding to us during our storms. And we, along with Job can express our praise when God allows us deeper glimpses into his loving kindness.

Index Card Scripture for Week 14: “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5).

What do you live for every day?

Over a year before his death, Theodore Roosevelt was in the hospital but thought he might be near the end of his life. He and his sister Corinne talked about soldiers dying for their country and Mr. Roosevelt wished aloud to have “died for my country.”


Corinne told him, “I know you wish it, but I want to tell you something. Every one of us . . . would, I feel sure, if our country were in peril, be willing to bare our breasts to any bullet, could we, by so doing, protect and save our country.”

Corinne went on to say, “The difference, Theodore, between you and the majority of us is that you not only are willing and anxious to die for your country, but that you live for your country every day of your life.”

Corinne’s words were insightful. When one puts their life on the line, from soldiering in war zones to rescuing the helpless from burning buildings, their unselfish spirit is referred to as the ultimate sacrifice. Most of us will not have occasion to make that sacrifice, but each dawn offers a new opportunity to live an allegiance to the ideal of caring for your fellowman.

Paul encouraged the Colossians to live out their commitment to Jesus and others when he wrote, “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” If all words and deeds were carried out in the spirit of Jesus, weapons could be packed away, and we could unlock our homes and cars again.

For me the daily challenge is to lasso my selfish nature, words, and pampering to bring them under the control of someone who has will power, compassion, and love for others than I sometimes cannot muster. Rick Warren writes, “Christlikeness is not produced by imitation, but by inhabitation. We allow Christ to live through us.”

But that means that I need a new me. Making things new again is a task accomplished only by the Creator. This time of year, there is much talk about spring’s newness. We see bugs crawling out from under rocks, shaking off their many feet and trotting out to do some serious spring stuff. I saw a toad emerging from hibernation the other day. He blinked slowly, trying to warm up his cold blood, and didn’t seem to mind when I got down in his face and said, “Hello.”

Spring. Restoration. Rebirth. All, reminders of Jesus’ words. “I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Renewal means to bring something back into effectiveness. Corinne helped her brother Theodore focus on what he could do instead of what he wished he could do.

In the book of Esther, her Jewish countrymen were threatened extinction. As the Queen, she was in a position to do something. She called for her fellow Jews to fast with her for three days, and then she would approach the king about the planned annihilation of her people. Her cousin Mordecai suggested, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (4:14).

Not knowing the outcome, Esther accepted her mission to approach the king. He had sequestered himself from everyone unless they had an invitation. To enter his throne room uninvited meant possible death to Esther.

The index card scripture for this week is Esther’s reply to Mordecai, when he challenged her into service for her people. Her selfless words indicate her willingness to die if she must to save others. Her words echo her resolve to put herself last. She risked her good favor with the king. She risked her crown. She risked her life. She risked all in an effort to save others. As you know, her God-blessed decision had a good outcome.

Few among us will be called upon to sacrifice our lives to save another, but deep down could we if necessary? May Queen Esther’s words give us courage to live out the smaller challenges we face each day. May we focus on what we can do, and be willing foot soldiers, willing to ease daily burdens of those who suffer.

Index Card Scripture for Week Thirteen: “And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).

A "New Normal"

Book Give Away: Leave a comment and be 
entered to win a copy of A Still and Quiet Soul: Embracing Contentment. Drawing March 31


When Hurricane Ike hit South Texas, many homes were damaged. Our daughter’s home also took a beating, and when the wind and rain ceased, our family took pictures for insurance purposes and cut and lifted out the huge pine tree from the middle of their collapsed roof. Once the blue tarp was in place, our daughter and her husband began to make plans for a New Normal. Over a lifetime, many circumstances will call one into reshaping, remaking, or rebuilding.


“New Normal” was coined by Roger McNamee, a technology investor, in January of 2003, states “Fast Company Magazine.” He shared that tagline to describe how the failing economy called for a new way to conduct the old business of investing. The term has caught on and is now used to describe a number of life-changes and the necessity of doing life in a different way.

For instance, if someone in your immediate family dies that causes a change in your family dynamics. You experience a New Normal. If you lose a high salaried position with a Fortune 500 Company, then the unemployment line may become part of your New Normal. If a devastating illness invades your body, then you will begin to live out a New Normal. This list could go on and on.

Our Index Card Scripture for week twelve comes from the book of Nehemiah, and Both Ezra and Nehemiah give details of the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. Why were they broken? The Israelites had forsaken God and his laws, and he had allowed a foreign king to invade their homeland and carry them away into captivity. The temple in Jerusalem was ravaged, the city gates burned, and the stone walls broken down.

The people moved from their promised land to a land foreign in culture, language, and terrain. They moved from blessed to beat down. Instead of their lives of freedom under God’s tutelage, they became slaves to Babylonian kings. Many of the young men were made eunuchs. Men, women, and children, who survived the initial war and capture, became slaves.

Sometimes a New Normal comes about because of good things. A newly wed couple will naturally have a different life than they lived as a single person. When a phone call arrives letting you know that you landed a better job, that’s when another path opens. If you finally qualify to own a home instead of leasing, your mobile family can expect a more settled life. What about new faith in Christ? What about baptism into him? He promises to make things brand new through his divine gifts – new hearts beating in tune to God’s over-the-top love.

Nehemiah served as cupbearer to foreign King Artaxerxes, and when Nehemiah heard about the broken city of Jerusalem, his sad countenance came to the attention of the king. The king knew that Nehemiah wasn’t ill, and surmised, “This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” God moved the king to magnificent generosity to fund the rebuilding of Jerusalem and to allow his trusted servant to assist in the make-over project.

Nehemiah moved into a New Normal. Think back over your life and those times when you had no choice but to travel a different route. Perhaps you are in the middle of a New Normal. Maybe you are ready for the servant Jesus to create a new heart within you. When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he faced opposition, but let his words encourage and make you victorious.

Index Card Scripture for Week Twelve: “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding” (Nehemiah 2:20).

Contact www.cathymessecar.com

How Big is Your Heart?

Book Give Away

Leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of my new book: A Still and Quiet Soul: Embracing Contentment Drawing on March 31.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Over this last week, the nation of Japan and the plight of its people took up residence in our hearts. Although most of us have never been shaken and flooded to the extent of their damages, we’ve experienced enough hardships to empathize with their plight.

I’m reminded of an earlier time in Japan’s and the United State’s history when even during wartime, truth reigned for a few minutes and highlighted our sameness. During WWII, those of Japanese ancestry, who lived in our country, were perceived as threats to our national security. Some were sent to interment camps around the country while others were sent home.

The same thing happened in Japan. Americans who lived there were shipped back to the states. The Bataan Death March saw 70,000 Filipinos and GIs number dwindle to about a third, due to murder, jungle heat, and lack of food and water. Survivors were forced to Japan to work as slaves in coalmines.

The beauty of bad relationships -- they can always get better. And later, that exact thing happened between our two countries. A glimmer of that future was seen in repatriation during WWII. In a harbor, anchored side by side, a US ship held deported Japanese, and a Japanese ship had Americans on board to send home. For a full day, they floated side by side, and I wonder what ran through the minds of each as they waited?

Passengers on both vessels most likely experienced at least some blame, fear, hatred, or loathing. Kenneth W. Osbeck author of “Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions” reports that for “an entire day they lined the rails, glaring at one another.”

As the day drew to a close, someone began to sing a popular hymn of that time, “In Christ There is No East or West.” Soon someone from the opposite ship joined in, and one by one more from each transport joined the melody. Though ship hulls, water, and a declaration of war separated them, those who had embraced Christ sang of their identity in him.

The words to the old hymn convey these thoughts: God-followers enjoy a great fellowship of love throughout the earth; hearts find communion in Christ; and servants of God Most High are bound together. One of the last lines states, “Join hands then, brothers of the faith, whate’re your race may be; who serves my Father as a son, is surely kin to me.”

In recent days, I’ve heard several news anchors mention that people have many things in common -- love for family, homes, and work. Those things that separate us are most times less important -- country borders, oceans, different cultures, ideas, and customs. When our response to others takes into account our commonalities, we fare better through our differences.

People who join hands to aid others can accomplish much. Our scripture for this week comes from 1 Chronicles, and it’s from the setting when King Solomon collects funds for building the Temple in Jerusalem. His father, the former King David, had collected building materials and given much of his personal fortune to that cause. As a leader he set the precedent for giving. We give in many ways -- service, money, time, prayers, and forgiveness -- are just a few of the categories in which we help others.

As the tragedy in Japan has reminded us, possessions can be stripped from us in a moment. King Solomon challenged those who gave monetary gifts to build the temple to also devote their hearts to God. Marjorie Holmes says, “Hospitality doesn’t depend on size or supply. If the heart is big enough, so is the table and so is the house.”

Index Card Scripture for Week Eleven: “Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the LORD?” (1 Chronicles 29:5).

Hair Shirts--Do you Own One?

BOOK GIVE AWAY

Leave a comment to possibly win a copy of  A STILL AND QUIET SOUL: EMBRACING CONTENTMENT. 

Drawing March 31, 2011

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How do you reach contentment when troubles gimps your day? In the 12 chapters of A Still and Quiet Soul: Embracing Contentment, you'll learn the process for remaining content or re-learning contentment during feast or famine. You'll also read 12 true stories from people who struggled through different hardships and how God led them to a better place of contentment. Eight questions at the end of each chapter makes this a useful tool for an individual, Bible study group, Bible Study Book Club to dig deeper into Word of God. Contact me if you have questions, or read a description and early endorsements at http://www.cathymessecar.com/
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes we wear a hair shirt, but we do not pair it with repentance. What do I mean? In the Bible, repentant people who grieved over their sins turned away from those sins. They renounced their offenses, and in their mournful state they sometimes chose to wear sackcloth and ashes. The outside messiness and discomfort of their bodies reflected the inward sorrow of their souls.

We can compare the biblical sackcloth to what we know as burlap bags. If you’ve ever toted a burlap bag filled with raw peanuts on your bare sweaty shoulder then you know the conflict between rough fibers and tender skin. They can rub raw spots on the point of contact in 10 minutes. You know it’s true. A single scratchy tag at the back of your shirt causes irritation within seconds. Imagine the depths of sorrow over a sin that would cause someone to put on a whole outfit of sackcloth.

Quite a few references in the rest of the Old Testament refer to repentance and the wearing of sackcloth. But as I referred to in the beginning of this column, sometimes we wear a hair shirt, but it’s not connected to repentance. When we whine about annoyances, that’s when we pull our hair shirts over our heads and let them stir us up to complaint rather than repentance.

Really? Do we need to tell others about what annoys us? Whatever happened to the idea of blessing someone’s day instead of adding to their burdens? Constant complainers soon find themselves alone at the coffee shop because most folks have their own list of stresses. I don’t know who first said this, but I suspect there’s a bit of truth to it: “Don't tell your troubles to other people—95% don't care and the other 5% are glad you have them.”

I watched a video clip from the Texas Reporter television show about a blind quilter in Waco, Texas. Middle aged Diane Rose lost her sight to glaucoma, so naturally she lost her abilities to do many previous things. One day she questioned God about what her new talents would be? She lifted her arms in sincere prayer and asked what she could do now that she was sightless. She said warmth filled her upraised arms, and she felt God leading her to know that her talent lay in her hands.

The next day, a woman asked if she knew how to quilt? She replied no and the woman offered to teach her. She’s now made over 500 quilts. A friend helps her with color selections, but she does all the work from start to finish through her hands and sense of feel.

Diane Rose does not own a hair shirt. She quotes Ronnie Millsap and says that her blindness is just an “inconvenience.” Her attitude is stellar. She refuses to accept her liability as disability. Need a good dose of encouragement? You may Google her name and watch her interview on YouTube.

When King Solomon completed building the temple in Jerusalem, he dedicated it in a passionate prayer. During which, he knelt and stretched his hands toward heaven. And in that prayer he mentions repentance many times and asked God to forgive the Israelites in the future when they did wrong, confessed, and turned back to God (Solomon’s prayer:1 Kings 8:22-66).

Our bodies are often referred to in the Bible as a tabernacle (tent) or temple in which God dwells. Most of us know which temptations we give in to the most. Think about repentance today, and ask for God’s will power, to withstand temptation, whether it’s whining, coveting, or hurting someone. In Solomon’s prayer he asked God to remember all his requests at all times. I like that. God hasn’t forgotten the prayers of our youth, or any prayer asking forgiveness, or any praises offered. This week, take off your hair shirt and replace it with a spring garment of praising God.

Index Card Scripture for Week Ten: “[M]ay these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night” (1 Kings 8:59).

To Not Decide . . . Is To Decide: LeadHer...what?

To Not Decide . . . Is To Decide: LeadHer...what?

Two Hannahs Set the Bar for Sacrificial-Love

One mother in the Bible and one mother in modern times gave birth to her first child, weaned him, and then gave him over to another to rear. Today, we’ll consider both.

The story of Hannah’s sacrificial love and her firstborn son unfolds in the book of 1 and 2 Samuel. Hannah is introduced in another one of those Old Testament stories where a man has two wives. It may have been the norm in that culture, but from a woman’s perspective I can’t think of anything more devastating to a wife’s heart.

I don’t know if Hannah was wife number one or wife number two. In that culture, the first wife often held the most clout. Sometimes, spouses received the “wife” title, and sometimes they received the title of “concubine,” which can mean “second wife.” If this proverb, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” holds any merit, can you imagine the competition-cooking in that marriage? Elkanah was probably one weighty dude.

Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, had children by him, but Hannah remained barren. A woman’s infertility was sometimes judged by a community as a punishment sent from God. Hannah ached to have a child. Besides the emptiness of her arms, the other wife, Peninnah, irritated Hannah on purpose so we’re told. Peninnah “provoked [Hannah] till she wept and would not eat” (1 Samuel 1:5-8).

On an annual trek to worship God at Shiloh, Hannah’s grief had multiplied and she poured out her heart to God in silent prayer and vows. She told God that if he would give her a son, she would consecrate him to the Lord’s service. She eventually had a son and named him Samuel “because I asked the Lord for him” (2:20).

When he was weaned and still very young, Hannah made good on her vow, and her little boy began living in Shiloh and helped the priest Eli. Each year, Hannah made a new coat and took it to her son, and since Elkanah and Hannah lived a short distance away, it’s possible they visited Samuel more than once a year.

Hannah’s story takes place during the time of the Judges of Israel, and when Samuel became an adult, he was the last judge before the Israelites clamored to have a king like the nations around them. Hannah’s faithful prayers, sacrificial love, and keeping of her vows brought a large group of people their last godly judge.

In more recent times Rees Howells (1879-1950) and his wife, Hannah, gave up their son. Back in the days before modern medicine, missionary couples knew that they risked their children’s health and lives by living in malaria ridden lands. The Howells had vowed to serve in Africa before they had children. When Hannah became pregnant, they felt God leading them to also name their unborn child, Samuel. They both had premonitions, knowing that they might have to give him up to fulfill their vows as missionaries. An aunt and uncle with the last name of Rees met the child and adored him, offering to rear him as their own. Howells’ sister came into that family as a nursemaid, and all the pieces fell into place, similar to Miriam’s and Moses’ story.

Even though this modern Hannah’s heart shattered into tiny fragments at giving up her child, she didn’t want to break her vow to God to serve as a missionary. Howells recalls the morning his sister came to fetch their son: “I think in eternity, we shall look back on what we went through then, giving our best back to the Lord.” Howells continues, “We knew what it was to give money, health, and many other things, but this was the hardest test.”

If you think either of these women named Hannah hardhearted, then please read chapter 22 in “Rees Howells Intercessor: The Story of A Life Lived for God,” by Norman Grubb. Hannah Howells remembrance of that day, her lived-out-faith gives me courage to keep my lesser vows to God. Years later after their son’s formal education, he went to work alongside his birth father in the mission field. The son returned -- a gift from God’s own hand.

God notices when we sacrifice. He notices the causes for which we sacrifice. The biblical boy Samuel once heard God calling to him in the night. He finally figured out with the help and guidance of the priest, that God was calling him by name. May we each learn the value of awaking and greeting our days with little boy Samuel’s reply on our lips.

Index Card Scripture for Week Nine: “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).

A Female Version of Job

When a famine ironically caused a food crisis in Bethlehem (a house of bread), Elimelech packed up belongings and family and sought a better place to live. He and his wife, Naomi, and his two sons Mahlon and Kilion settled in the country of Moab, about 50 miles from Bethlehem. Tragedy struck the family when Elimelech died leaving Naomi a widow with little to no social standing or earning power. The task of finding wives for her sons also fell upon her, since her husband could no longer fulfill this traditional role.

Her sons married Orpah and Ruth. After ten years this family unit experienced even more sadness when both sons died, leaving no heirs. That’s when Naomi chose to return to Bethlehem, a city which had stores of food again because “the LORD had come to the aid of his people” (1:6). At first, her daughters-in-law planned to also go to Bethlehem, Judah. Obviously from the text, these women respected and loved each other. Barely out of town, Naomi stopped and urged these women to return and “find rest in the home of another husband” (vs. 9). Naomi kissed them, and the younger women wept. After more urging, Orpah returned to her family.

However, Ruth adamantly refused to go back to her childhood home, and instead stated her decision with passion. Her lyrical speech has become a celebrated pledge repeated by many: “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth even made a forever-statement to enforce her promise: “Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me” (vv 16-18).

Upon their return, word spread quickly the kindness this foreign daughter-in-law showed in caring for Naomi. Their bond of love caused Naomi to refer to Ruth as “my daughter” (2:2). Under the law, if a man died leaving a widow, then a brother or the nearest kinsman (called a redeemer-kinsman) purchased their land and brought the widow into his household and the firstborn son carried the deceased husband’s name.

Enter Boaz. There was one redeemer-kinsman nearer than he, but after negotiations with that man and the city elders, Boaz accepted the responsibility of taking care of Naomi and Ruth. Boaz told Ruth that he’d heard about her kindness of leaving her birth family, of traveling with Naomi, and he saw her gleaning the fields day after day to find food. (The Lord had commanded farmers to leave the corners of the fields for the poor to glean. They only gathered other crops once, not a second time. Leftover were for the poor.)

Ruth didn’t seem to mind the stigma of being poor, of working hard. She did what she could to provide for Naomi and her needs. Today, we recognize her as marginalized because she was a woman, foreign, widowed, and poor. But God chose the industrious and kind Ruth to become the wife of Boaz, a prosperous farmer from the tribe of Judah. The Lord “enabled her to conceive” and she later presented Naomi with her first grandchild. Only grandparents know the incredible love that deluges their souls when those tiny babes are first placed in their arms.

In four short chapters the life stories of these two women unfolds – their stories a blip on the timeline of the greatest story ever told. They lived during the period in history when judges ruled the Israelites and when “everyone did as he saw fit” (Judges 21:25). But isn’t there always the exception to the rule. In the book of Ruth, we meet those exceptions as one after another, we learn more about Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. Naomi had fortunes and family restored, this female version of Job. At a time when women had practically no standing in society, God elevated to a place of honor, the obedient Ruth, her name forever linked in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).

Her story impacts us and will influence the world until the last day. When little Obed arrived, the women of Bethlehem showered Naomi with blessings, and they foretold how her little grandson Obed would sustain her in her old age. Their words mention the kinsman-redeemer. We also rely daily upon one born in Bethlehem, Jesus the Christ. Come, Bread of Life, allow us to place our feet beneath your table.

Index Card Scripture for Week Eight: Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer” (Ruth 4:14).

Contact: www.cathymessecar.com

One Word

A few of my friends and I centered our New Year’s resolutions on single words. We each looked at our goals, current circumstances, and needs and then chose individual words to express our desires for 2011.


Terra Hangen, from California, wants to “shine” for the Lord this year. Leslie Wilson, from northeast Texas, wants to “abide” in the Lord. Trish Berg, from Ohio, wants to remember that all of life is “worship.” I coined a word, “minute-grace,” as I try to live in the current moment each day, reflecting God’s care. Brenda Nixon, from Ohio, wants to be “salt,” backing up her choice with Jesus’ words, "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth." (Matthew 5:13, The Message).

This week, as I studied the Bible book of Judges, I was reminded about the word “obey.” If only the Israelites had chosen to focus their lives on the word “obey,” life could have been easier. Did you ever tell any children, “Just do whatever is right in your own sight. No rules. No boundaries.” God knew best when he gave the Israelites good commands, commands that would guard their souls.

If I’d been told, do whatever pleases you when I was in junior high, I’d not have done homework. I would have eaten Sugar Babies, Junior Mints, and drank Coca Cola until my heart raced from glucose gluttony. And I definitely wouldn’t have cleaned my room.

What would happen in our communities if each person did just as they pleased? What if your family members took care of only their needs and didn’t consider any others in your home? Chaos would reign. And your household would steadily slide into a murky world of selfishness.

That’s the gist of what happened to the people of Israel after the godly leaders Moses and Joshua were gathered to their fathers. Moses had set up a system of judges for the Israelites. So that rule was in place, and during the 300 hundred years when judges ruled, God also appointed specific judges to direct the Israelites.

When each of those appointed judges died, the people “returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them.” And, “they refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways” (Judges 2:19). A summation of those recurrences is seen in these words: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (Judges 21:25).

Joshua had led a generation to follow the Lord, and he challenged them to “fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness.” He further charged them, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” gods of stone and wood or the living God. Then Joshua declared allegiance to God, “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:14-15).

When I read the book of Judges, I read with deeper understanding now that I’m an adult. As a child, I heard the stories of Israel’s judges: Samson, Deborah, Gideon, Ehud, and others. Full of meaning, their stories were too complex for full understanding when I first heard them in Sunday school.

Such as when the tribe of Judah captured the enemy king Adoni-Bezek and Judah’s soldiers cut off his thumbs and big toes. As a child, I only considered the horror of that dismemberment. But, there’s more to the story than that. Even the wicked king who now lacked toes and thumbs saw the justice in what has happened to him, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them” (Judges 1:7).

The book of Judges records a song of Deborah after her win over an enemy. In that song she gives a formula for victorious living: godly leaders doing their job, and people willing to follow. Leaders, shoemakers, bakers, business owners, and parents – all adopting one word “obey.”

That’s when songs abound. Will you sing along with the ancient and godly Judge Deborah? Will you join Brenda Nixon in her quest to bring out the “God-flavors” of the earth as she lives as “salt”? If so, your days will be filled with potency and power like never before.

Index Scripture for Week Seven: “May they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength” (Judges 5:31).

Did God become a Christian?

When I was five, my grandmother, Margaret Turner, kept my sister and me for a week. She and my grandpa lived in a rambling old farmhouse, where many childhood memories originate.


For breakfast, she usually served us oatmeal with farm fresh cream and butter. We also had home processed bacon, homemade biscuits, and milk gravy. And in the middle of the table set a bowl of stewed prunes. They weren’t the pitted kind found on grocery shelves today. They weren’t wrapped individually in cellophane, nor did they have the essence of orange squeezed into their wrinkly bodies. These were plain prunes with pits.

Grandma Turner didn’t pamper us by removing the large seeds. After all, we’d seen adults eat prunes and spit out a seed into their spoon or napkin, and then place it on their plate rim. Grandma must have assumed we had watched and assimilated the information and knew how to eat prunes.

One morning, my little sis, Sherry, and I sat at the kitchen table on the bench seat. Grandma laid out breakfast for us, serving four prunes each. After blessing the food and God who supplied it, she left the room for a few minutes. Maybe she went to make beds. Maybe she just needed a few minutes to herself to nurse her cup of coffee, away from the early bird chatterboxes.

There we sat with our special plates in front of us, Sherry had a ruby red one, and I ate off the blue willow pattern. I still remember the particular day. When my grandmother walked back in the room, she heard me say to my younger sister, “Sherry, you’re too little to swallow the seeds. You got to spit them out.”

In horror, Grandma looked around my plate – all four of my prunes were absent. No pits in sight. I can hear my grandmother’s voice today, edged with concern, “Oh, honey, you don’t swallow those big old seeds, either.” I don’t know how my tiny throat managed to get those rough pits down when I now sometimes struggle to swallow a calcium supplement.

This week’s scripture verse comes from the book of Joshua, which tells the history of him leading the Israelites to conquer lands God commanded for them to possess. Long before Joshua, God promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit certain mountains, streams, and deserts. Joshua’s advance fighting men accepted the courage God willingly gave them to accomplish the conquering of these lands. Hand-to-hand combat required understanding, strong minds, and bodies.

Stories from the Old Testament confirm that when both the chosen Israelites and foreign nations descended into self will and ignored God, God often used invading enemies as a measure to bring about justice and allegiance to God’s will.

Today, one of the reasons some say that they don’t believe in God are those long ago battles against indigenous peoples. A third grade boy in a Tyler, Texas Sunday school, sat in on a similar discussion about the perceived harshness of punishing those who forsook God. After much thought, the lad came up with his own satisfactory explanation, “I think in Old Testament times God wasn’t a Christian, yet.”

Both the Israelites and pagan nations knew of the miracles God performed in Egypt. But people in both camps dismissed the miracles. Many Israelites gradually grew to trust God. And even some of the pagans came to belief and repented, such as Rahab of Jericho, and much later, the Assyrians, who lived in the capitol of Nineveh, heeded Jonah’s preaching and repented.

If we continue to learn about God, he reveals his nature and myths are dispelled. The swallowing of the prune seeds actually put my mind to rest about watermelon seeds. When I was a child, an adult had teasingly told me that vines would sprout from my tummy if I swallowed melon seeds. Low on knowledge, I had taken the gardening myth as gospel. Grandma Turner assumed I knew how to eat prunes, but granddaughter and grandmother both had some learning to do.

As I reread Joshua this week, it was difficult to read about the battles. But I have faith that infinite God remains wiser than my human ways and thoughts. His plans are perfect, he teaches us what to swallow about him and what to discard as myths. All our lives, we do best when we put aside assumptions and remain teachable and open to learning.

Index Card Scripture for Week Six: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Moving Right Along

How many times have you moved to a different home? When I was a child, we often moved. My dad, a metal lather, had to find work in larger cities than Prescott, Arkansas. If a job was scheduled to last a long time, Dad moved his family. A short term job such as the Galveston stint had him working through the week, but home on the weekends.

Later, my husband, Dave, would mention a Texas city -- Longview, Beaumont, College Station, Bay City, and Houston – and I’d reply, “Oh, I lived there.” The list of physical addresses of my youth is long if all the Arkansas and Louisiana towns we lived in are mentioned.

By my fourth year in school, we settled permanently in Houston. Today’s parents worry about the effect multiple moves have on school aged kids. But my siblings and I turned out okay. I scream when I hear the rattle of a roadmap, but otherwise I’m pretty sane.

The Houston move enabled Dad and Mom to purchase our first home. The house wasn’t new, but it felt palatial compared to previous rentals. Dad came home to family every night. Mom painted her new kitchen a fashionable chartreuse green to match her new Fiesta dinnerware. We had our first pets and made longtime friends – friends with whom we still stay in touch.

No matter where we moved, one constant traveled with us -- God. Dad and Mom found time to share Bible stories with us, and find a church home where we could worship on Sundays and midweek. The unshakable God, Alpha and Omega (beginning and end), remained the cornerstone upon which my dad and mom built their mobile family. No permanent address required. Their main need was a constant God.

I believe that’s the overall message of Deuteronomy, the last of the five books of Old Testament law. From a Hebrew word, it means “second law.” Jewish sages refer to Deuteronomy as “Mishneh Torah,” The Repetition of the Torah.

Over a forty year span the Israelites were a mobile clan, wandering in deserts and around mountains, a purposeful journey which led them away from idolatry to the worship of one God. It was a time consuming process, and generation consuming. The mamas and papas died off during that period. That generation of grumblers and whiners did not inherit the promised homeland. Who did -- a younger generation, who found faith through God’s unrelenting love and provision.

The book of Deuteronomy contains three major addresses by Moses. He reminisces and recaps their history of travels. Moses warns against idolatry, and he repeats the “Thou shalt not” and the “Thou shalt” commands. In one address, because God allowed Moses to know his departure from this earth was at hand, Moses commissioned Joshua as the next leader (31:7-8).

Young Christian families consider many things before making physical moves: what schools will our children attend? Will our new salaries meet family needs? Will the new house be adequate? Is the area prone to harsh weather? How far will we be from extended family? The best information is that God’s residence is where they will move. He will be present as they pack and travel. God remains mobile.

In Deuteronomy, Moses emphasized the priority of the “Shema,” a declaration of belief in one God: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (6:4). One ministry leader (A Pocketful of Change) runs all her decisions through the merits of the Shema. Will her decision/s further her love for God, with all her heart, soul, and strength?

This week, test your decisions by the Shema. In the fifth book of law written so long ago, Moses reminded parents to teach their children about God’s love and care, about his laws, about the joy of obeying. Remember, God is on the move as you are on the move.

Index Card Scripture for week five: Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:7).