I spotted a typo while working on a chapter in a WIP, a work in progress, that’s what writers call a project that goes from rough draft to finished product. I had typed a portion of Psalm 132 where the writer tells about a prayer experience saying, “I lift up my voice to the Lord.” However when I revisited the chapter to edit and look for typos, I saw that I had written, “I lift up my vice to the Lord.”



The word “vice,” meaning an immoral habit, could actually fit in that sentence of the psalm. Our vices often wrong others and God remains the best place to take them.


The context of the original verse indicates that when our human will power grows weak, we become desperate to find strength in someone stronger than ourselves to get us on track again. When my vices send me down a dangerous path and God calls my attention to them, they are an ugly presentation to God, but he alone can turn the mangiest of sins into a healing process.


The process of lifting vices to the Lord is known as confession. Confession is one of the spiritual disciplines which can easily be overlooked. Why, because humans tend to justify naughty behavior. I find confession difficult. I find making excuses for behavior the easier road to travel because admitting sins involves humility.


Blatant sins are difficult to ignore in people we love and in our communities—murder, adultery, or theft. However, it’s the subtle sins in our everyday lives that we may tend to overlook. We may excuse ourselves for responding with out-of-control anger or claim a right to be snooty to another because they mistreated us. Alexander Pope says, “An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie; for an excuse is a lie guarded.”


In “Overcoming Subtle Sins: the Key to Dynamic Discipleship,” Jim Dyet and Jim Russell say, “Like spots on the inside of car windows, subtle sins smudge the soul.” The Amy Foundation, in one of their writing lessons, lists about 50 subtle sins such as jealousy, lack of affection, laziness, anxiety, critical nature, self-righteousness, rudeness, gluttony, or immoral fantasies, to name a few. When a family member or friend has the courage and kindness to point out a subtle sin in your life, how do you respond? Do you see them as a messenger from God or do you hear their advice and view them as attacking you personally? (A rebuke can arrive in both ways).


Here’s an example of a bad habit and how a remark I made about it was taken in a God-honoring spirit. A friend and I were talking one day, when my friend said, “Don’t you just hate this hot weather?” One of my personal goals has been to eliminate the word “hate” from my vocabulary on the occasions when I’ve casually applied that word to a blessing.


Here’s a sample, “I just hate it when I get a pull in my stocking and I’m running late anyway.” Clothing, a car, a place to go -- all blessings. Why fuss because something went wrong with one of those luxuries. I could be barefoot in a third world country and placing my furniture on tables because the river threatens to flood and run through my home again.


Knowing my friend well, I mentioned my efforts to eliminate the word “hate” from my vocabulary when referring to blessings. With credit to Martha H’s malleable heart, she heard me out and agreed that she too often uses the word “hate” in connection with blessings. And she even thanked me for my “mini-sermon.” Who wouldn’t love a tenderhearted friend like her?


That’s just one example of “little” vices, subtle sins, which creep into our everyday lives. God’s forgiveness and grace covers a multitude of sins. And a multitude minus a few seems to be the norm for me.


From my typo, I was reminded to lift both my voice and vices to the Lord. And to also confess to friends, who can help me with accountability. “Hey, I’m working on not gossiping, can you help me watch our phone conversations to avoid that?”


“Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you” (Psalm 41:4), is an entreaty to God. “Confess your sins one to another, and pray for one another that you may be healed” (James 5:16) is the act of releasing a burden, committing to better behavior and of allowing fellow believers to help you toward a better way of living.


We are WIPs, works in progress, really rough drafts of what God can make of us. This week, lift your voice and vice to the Lord, who remains the Captain of mercy and help.

Mark Twain, Esther, and Fiona

An autobiography of Mark Twain releases on November 15. Have you heard about it? The first of three volumes will stock store shelves on that day. Unfortunately, there will be no book signing. Samuel Clemens writing under the pseudonym of Mark Twain penned his autobiography before his death. However, in his will he said that it could not be released until 100 years after death date.



Mr. Twain self published some early chapters from his proclaimed autobiography in the years 1906-1907. Since his death some editors have assembled those chapters or portions presenting them as part of Twain’s story, but the first edition of the entire manuscript releases this November, published by the University of California Press. Rather than following a true autobiography format, the three volumes contain more anecdotes, ruminations, and personal family stories.


Whether the first volume contains his preface, “From the Grave” is yet to be seen. He is said to have requested that the autobiography not be published for 100 years because it gave him the freedom to speak his “whole frank mind.” In his last few years, what must it have been like for Samuel Clemens to think that his witticisms, stories, and life might still impact people in another century?


I’m not sure that a hundred year old document would be my choosing. Too many last minute thoughts or happenings on this earth might affect my views. But in a few weeks, the acclaimed Mark Twain will speak not from the grave, but from a delayed release of thoughts while he was alive.


Today’s column is the last installment concerning Queen Esther. I’m impressed by the stories that God wanted to keep intact to impact generations not only 100 years later but thousands of years later. In 2006, Esther’s story made its way from the Bible pages to film. “One Night with the King,” the story of Hadassah (Esther’s Jewish name), released in 2006 starring Tiffany Dupont, Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif.


While the screenplay is romanticized, the history and setting are close to the biblical account. When I watched the movie, the Citadel of Susa intrigued, with its 60 foot walls and huge mote. Esther’s character and devotion to God are well depicted. If you rent it, be aware that there are a few artistic intrusions on the biblical account, especially the appearance of the Star of David in a piece of jewelry (Historians tell us that the Star of David came into use in the Middle Ages).


But, I highly recommend the movie. This is what I suggest: read the book of Esther then watch the movie. You will be entertained but also taken back to the drama that unfolded in the Persian Empire.


A later impact of Esther’s story is seen in the Feast of Purim, celebrated near the end of February or first of March by Jews worldwide when they gather to remember the defeat of a plot to exterminate Jews. Some celebrations abroad rival Mardi Gras, while others focus more on the public reading of the entire book of Esther. They celebrate with noisemakers and “blot out the name” of the evil Haman when his name is read.


Jewish folklore says that Esther had become so ill and scared from being removed from her home that she had turned a ghastly, ugly green color and God worked a miracle and King Xerxes thought her beautiful anyway. When I discovered that legend, all that came to mind was Shrek and Princess Fiona.


The story of Esther and her God-instilled courage begs to be shared with children. Her story reflects the psalmist’s words, “When I called you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted” (Psalm 138:3). Parents, share Esther’s story and bake the triangular fruit filled cookies called “hamentaschen,” literally Haman’s pockets representing a three cornered hat (recipe found online). Read a short portion of the book of Esther that repeats the name Mordecai and Haman, and allow children cheering and booing for good Mordecai and evil Haman respectively. Chapter five, verses 9-14 work well and explains God’s principle of reaping what we sow.


Aside from Mark Twain’s soon to be released last words and the story of Esther, which still reaches millions each year, what sort of shelf life and legacy do each of us have? Will your story impact in 50, 75, or 100 years? My prayer is God’s story will reverberate in future generations to a greater degree because we remain faithful in the here and now.

Rain or Drought

As I began this article the Chilean miners are above ground, they have left their temporary rock-encased home. Prayers went up around the world for their successful rescue, and by the time, I pushed the button sending this to The Courier all of the six rescuers also returned to the epidermis of our planet. Selfless acts of kindness were among the reasons rescue came to so few?

Through television, radio, and live streaming on computers, the world was informed as to the progress of the miners’ rescues. Because decent people respect life and work together, rescues such as the one in Chile can happen. They also happened because God gifted men with many talents to keep up with our expanding horizons. Finally, their rescues were in God’s will, and many turned to him and simply prayed in faith for the men’s safety.

Here’s what’s on my mind this week: brave Esther the Bible heroine, the Chilean miners and their rescuers, and the creosote plant. Read on and you’ll see why.

After hearing one intriguing fact about the creosote plant, I further researched this desert dweller. It takes extraordinary moisture to bring a plant to maturity. The problem? Most plants grow in drier desert regions. Plants from seeds may spring up, but they die before maturing due to lack of water.

If a plant reaches maturity, it becomes selfish about water consumption. Even its own seeds dropped near it will not sprout because the parent plant uses all water for self. However, if a plant becomes established, its root crown will send off new shoots between the ages of 30-90 years. Named the King Clone, a circled colony of creosote plants survive in the Mojave Desert. This clonal colony is listed among the oldest living organisms, believed to be 11, 700 years old. Ironically, the picture I saw of a creosote plant was taken in Death Valley, California.

Watering or drought happens to our children too. When children are taught respect, God-origination of human life, and nourished toward selfless behavior, they can readily give of themselves to promote life. When they lack the belief that mankind was created in the image of God, they can become selfish. To the extreme, they often harm, rob, and kill from their narcissisms. “Numero uno” is on each such mind.

Young Esther, chosen to compete for the position of queen of Persia eventually inherited the royal crown. Haman, one of the king’s advisers, plotted the demise of the Jewish exiles in Persia. Advised to keep her Jewish heritage secret, when King Xerxes’ top aid, Haman, devised a wicked plot to destroy all Jews, Mordecai asked Esther to intercede for her Jewish compatriots. Even her regal title couldn’t change her heritage.

The king had not summoned her into his presence for a month, and the youthful Queen Esther knew that if she entered his court without permission that she faced possible death. Selfless, she called a three day fast and prayers by all Jews in the citadel of Susa. Mordecai further challenged the young Esther by saying that her political position could have come about “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). The well trained Esther, for the good of all, accepted her mission and said, “If I perish, I perish” (4:16).

After three days, Esther went into the king’s throne room, and he extended his scepter to her. She requested dinner two nights in a row with King Xerxes and the evil advisor Haman. After the second dinner, she revealed Haman’s plan. The evil he had planned for others eventually fell upon his own head.

A few weeks ago, I met and spoke to a group of Christian teenagers at College Park High School in The Woodlands. It’s obvious that they have been watered from above and by adults around them such as their sponsor Mrs. Danielle Rapp. Youth like them are my Camp Hope.

The world watched and participated in selfless behavior this week while the efforts of over 1,000 engineers, completed the rescue of the Chilean miners. We witnessed via media the hugs, pats, tears, and prayers of those who hoped for a good outcome. The hungry world longed for the happy ending that God granted.

Guardians of children, the best and good outcome of the next generation depends upon you and your partnership of God. Hand in hand with him you have a deep well of reserves to nourish faith filled children.

(photo of King Clone credit to Wikipedia)

Wanted: Child for Leading Role

If you heard her story for the first time, it would bend your heart toward her favor. At a young age, she lost both parents and was cared for by her male cousin, Mordecai, who loved her as his own daughter. But even that situation wasn’t ideal, because the cousin -- like his fellow countrymen -- was being held captive. They longed to return to their homeland, but the exiles didn’t know when or if that would ever happen.



That introduces the story of Esther in the Bible, the young girl, who through God’s providence became the Queen of Persia. Her story of developing faith can encourage men and women who pour their hearts into rearing their children. Her story can guide us to accept our own paths with joy, to remain teachable no matter the outward troubles.


If God had advertised for a child star, he couldn’t have found a better one. Esther had stellar qualities for one so young. Her cousin had a hand in training her to behold God with awe instead of focusing on negatives in her life. She had many excuses to grow up bitter and resentful: her parents died; Esther, Cousin Mordecai, and fellow Jews were exiled; she lived in restriction not freedom.


Holy text says that God gifted Esther with rare beauty that she was “lovely in form and feature.” And she also grew to have a selfless spirit. These types of children continually exhibit traits that could be real assets to adults. When our grandson Adam was four-years-old, this easy going and adaptable child gave back a second Christmas present from his grandparent one holiday. “Here. You can have this back. I got plenty of presents this year.”


Even in captivity, Esther’s eyes focused on her blessings instead of turning toward bitterness at have-nots. Her eyes were trained to look for the wonder in life instead of focusing on the chains of confinement. When a generous adult can live out God’s generous love, even in unwanted circumstances, children do notice. What they experience may not really grab at their hearts until they’re a bit older. But genuine gratitude is one of the easier things to teach children by example.


If Esther’s story took place in 2010, the civilized world would rage against the atrocities. Her story would shock us. Stir up our sympathy. We’d mourn the passing of her youth in captivity and a second captivity when by God’s design the palace guard rounded up many of the young Persian virgins, also taking the young Jew Esther.


After banishing his former Queen Vashti (we’re not told if she left with or without her head), King Xerxes became moody and his advisors seemed to think a beauty contest to seek a new queen would pacify the king. From heads of state on down to peasants, an attitude of entitlement describes some of the people of which we come in contact. Pride filled people cross our paths and their pompous weather rains on our parades. We met one this week. I’ll spare you the details.


Even though held against her will in a foreign land, the child Esther lived in her less-than-perfect circumstances adapting to God’s nature. Many of our daily grumbles are about luxuries not really bad circumstances. Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor (and ordained minister), said that the complaint that he hears most often from congregants is about the temperature in the church sanctuary. One congregation finally put up a fake thermostat so each cold or hot Christian could come along and move the thermostat up or down to suit their personal needs.


Jesus Christ said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” That means that people – 9 to 90 – are more content when they remain teachable. When Jesus began his ministry he welcomed small ones around him and called his adult disciples to become like malleable children.


Over the next few weeks, we’ll let the captive child Esther lead us. Her gracious accepting attitude will teach us trust, faithfulness, and reliance on a guiding light – for she learned an overall secret of focusing not on the gloom but upon the Light.

Satellites, Ticks, and Scripture from Thin Air

Technology outran my imagination a long time ago, and yet the USA put a man on the moon forty years ago. Does that timeframe swamp your brain with disbelief? It does mine.


I recently read an article by Dauna Coulter about how ticks are now tracked by satellite. Since ticks like “moist, heavily vegetated” areas, college students learned to use infrared images from the Terra satellite to find those areas most likely to have a heavy infestation of ticks.

The students followed up with a ground search by dragging white sheets through the detected dense foliage. They then counted and identified ticks. They found plenty. Because ticks can cause very serious Lyme Disease, this tracking information helps global health organizations, Boy and Girl Scouts campers, and other outdoorsmen.

Another mind boggling thing I’m seeing on magazines and such are codes that look similar to bar codes, but they aren’t price markers. On a recent visit to a church, I saw a barcode on the back of their Sunday a.m. worship guide. The instructions said to take a picture of the code with a smart phone (which requires a specific application for code reading). This particular code would lead the user to the scriptures used in the morning sermon.

On the back page of the current issue of “Christianity Today” an advertisement for Carol Kent’s new book, “Between a Rock and a Grace Place,” uses the same type code which leads to a download of her video about “Grace Place.”

Some churches now have electronic giving options for congregants, who can have funds withdrawn on a regular basis. This helps the church meet its budget during summer vacations and the flu season when their members are more likely to miss several Sundays in a row.

All of this technology reminiscing brings me to tell you about a tiny Bible our friend Eddie brought to us a few weeks ago. The Bible was attached to a key chain. It’s not a fake Bible; it’s the real thing in miniature. It’s less than an inch thick and a little over an inch tall. And while my aging eyes cannot read a word of the minuscule print, my trusty magnifying glass verifies its content. What technology did it take to complete placing 66 books in that compact form? A whole Bible much smaller than a teabag!

These thoughts bring me to the different modes of reading or hearing the Bible these days. I received a gift of the New Testament for my iPod and the program allows me to listen for 20 minutes each day and hear the entire New Testament in 40 days. The younger crowd “reads” the Bible through different means. Many do have versions of the Bible on their phones (Youversion), but at home they still have a favorite Bible where they actually turn paper pages. They, however, do like always having an electronic version with them all the time, even if it is in their iphone. Now that’s encouraging!

Over the years, I’ve listened to the Bible from cassette tapes, CDs, and watched DVDs, but now I have the whole Bible on a keychain and the New Testament on my iPod, both of those weighing less than a snack size candy bar. I don’t think God’s happy that his word is so at hand these days.

As I thought back over Bible stories, I saw how those could illuminate this topic. I asked myself, is it the method of receiving direction from God that’s important or the message?

Bible characters were guided and heard the word of God through many venues: God spoke to a wicked world through Noah and the ship he built on dry land. He enlisted a fire in a green bush to get Moses’ attention. God stopped the prophet Balamm when his donkey spoke to him. A huge fish supplied needed solitary confinement for Jonah. God’s voice in the night called little boy Samuel and he answered, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9). Earth’s splendor shouted intelligent design to the psalmist David.

Whether you hold a Bible in your hands or receive it through seemingly thin air, your life can still take in ancient words from God, still relevant, still able to guide you today. Now, that’s amazing!

God's Shopping List

The dark, cobwebbed barn looked like a great place to find treasures. With permission from my husband’s grandmother I poked around in abandoned calf pens, behind crates, and opened a squeaky door to an old feed room.



Cautious in the darkened passageways, I watched for unfriendly spiders, and I heard scurrying things and wished for a flashlight to shine into the shadowed corners.


But curiosity had the best of me, and as my eyes adjusted to the barn’s dusky interior, I spotted a butter churn with dasher sitting near a slatted wall. When homogenized milk and butter wrapped in paper became the easier way to bring dairy products home, those conveniences had put the old churn out of work. I brought it out into the light of day. All it needed was a cleaning and it would shine.


Excited, I explored other dark corners and found a few chipped enamel basins, a galvanized wash tub, and a paint splattered wash bench and added them to the churn sitting outdoors. Back into the treasure den I went. Eyes once again adjusted, I spied a child’s trunk and two paint encrusted chairs. I hauled them out and stacked them next to my stash. They only needed to be brought out into the light, cleaned up, and made useful again.


I’d rummaged in every nook when a shaft of sunshine highlighted something leaning against a wall, covered with an old burlap bag. When I lifted the cloth, thousands of dust motes took wing. I found a beautifully framed large mirror, the last treasure I found in the barn that day and the only one still in use in my home.


The pottery churn sits on my back porch reminding me of my easier life. The trunk vacations in my daughter’s home. The two chairs, masquerading under multi-layers and multi-colors, were later dipped in a vat of stripping solvent. Two lovely oak chairs emerged. Their golden sheen restored, they now sit in our family room near our barley twist breakfast table awaiting coffee for two – useful once again. The wash tub filled with Miracle-Gro potting soil holds three patio tomato plants in a small garden area just off our kitchen.


But the mirror is the most used item from my barn snooping. The age-flecked mirror was discarded, the frame sanded and refurbished, and a new mirror installed. Because of its age, Victorian women with frilled collars up to their chins must have preened in front of it. Where it hangs in my home, I’ve seen grandmothers and granddaughters glance at themselves as they pass by.


Mirrors may be ones’ best friend and worst enemy. They don’t lie. So, if we walk by one smugly saying to ourselves, “Lookin’ good!” then we probably spiffed up quite nicely -- at least on that day. How many mirrors do most people own? Count yours. I just took a walk through my house and garage (auto too) and counted mirrors. Are you ready? I have an even dozen. Something about that number sets off an alarm.




Men and women often pretty up the outside. We groom our hair, select complementary clothes, and do our best to stay healthy. But today, I’m particularly thinking about what’s on the inside. Apostle Paul said “we have this treasure in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). That’s how he described the light of Jesus in human bodies.



In the ancient world, gold or other precious metals were melted and poured in a simple clay pot and then the vessel could be broken and the expensive metal retrieved when needed. Or a clay jar could hold oil and fire and offer light.



Any of us, whether beautiful or high mileage, looks a whole lot better when Jesus shines through us. Sometimes God presented his message through the humble and poor -- a young virgin, a carpenter, or a fisherman. But he also chose people of influence such as Paul and Nicodemus because they were willing to repent of selfish desires and inherit a healing light – for themselves and to shine out to others.



God has a treasure and he’s looking for a place to put it. What’s on his shopping list? He’s looking for jars of clay that he can remake into lamps.



Gray Dead Ends

This past week, I went on a road trip with my husband, David, and then I reflected on the sights that impressed me. We first saw an older church building painted white but it had a new roof. And – TA DA – the roof was bright red tin. I don’t know who got to pick the color but it was impressive and symbolic.



Soon after that sighting, we waited to meet a Monday-morning work crew at the crossroads of “nowhere” and “nothing” high in the Texas Panhandle. The crew turned out to be one man, three hours late to the job. We spent the pleasant breezy morning sitting outside our truck watching lyrics come to life “where the deer and the antelope play.”


After unloading our truck, we left for Roswell, New Mexico and crossed several mountainous plateaus where we saw giant windmills generating power to the valleys below. When we reached prairie lands again, an abandoned stone church, stone dormitory, and stone well drew our attention.


Down the road a few miles, we drove by a 20 square foot neglected cemetery. What used to be a picket fence had weathered gray, any original paint wind blasted from the uprights. Totally filling the tiny area, grayish headstones hosted moss encrusted epitaphs. A NO VACANCY sign would have fit.


When any of us travel new roads, unfamiliar sights draw our interest. For those of us who have read the Bible and heard sermons for years, sometimes a familiar scripture may lose its punch. But it only seems that way. With a bit more exploration and a fresh motive, familiar scriptures can change colors – from dull gray, they can become vibrant again.


For a few days, I considered these words, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). Originally these words were spoken by God and delivered in a letter to exiles living in Babylon, people carried away to a foreign country against their will.


But God’s instruction to the exiles is often overlooked: Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat the produce. Find wives and husbands for your sons and daughters. Increase in number. Do not decrease. God also said for them to “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it because when it prospers you prosper” (29:7).


A message does resound to us from God’s letter to those exiles. When we’re banished to a place in life and it looks like we’ll be there awhile, we’re still to put our days to good use. Whining about wanting to be in better place does not change our literal or figurative addresses. Longing for the good old days or longing for better days ahead only makes us miserable in today.


I love that God encouraged those long ago exiles to pray for the actual place they resided even though captivity wasn’t their first choice of residence. If we can learn to pray where we land, then life becomes much more bearable. Of late, I’ve corresponded with a prison inmate introduced to me through my brother who works with Christians Against Substance Abuse (CASA, taught in some of the Texas Prison System).


“Brandon” said in a recent letter that he spends his days “addressing breaking the cycle, changing my life through the power of the Holy Spirit yielding daily to him. ‘Not my will but thy will be done.’”


Inmate “Brandon” gets it. He’s confessed that his actions have landed him where he is, but he wants to spend his days productively. His church is prison, but he’s covered by the red blood of the Lamb. Not even iron bars can withstand the wind beneath his wings -- the Holy Spirit.


At some time, life will generally land us somewhere unfavorable. But God reminded those long ago captives that no place has to be a dead end neglected cemetery. Wherever you are, honor God. Pray on the spot for the spot you’re in, and then leave the prospering up to God.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

Most people take care of day-to-day chores through household members. “Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday.” While many of us procrastinate about household chores, business, and relationships, I can find no reference to God as a procrastinator, one who shuns the work at hand. The psalmist says, “As for God, his way is perfect” (18:10).


One habit that hinders personal progress is procrastination, defined as putting off a task until tomorrow, usually something that is dreaded. But living life on the last minute hand of the clock contributes to frazzled moments. It seems like about once a year, I find the need to write about procrastination, reminding myself of its pitfalls.

What if God grew too lazy to send rain? Has God ever been too distracted by earth’s occupants and forgot to power the sunrise? As occupants, we’re the best and worst reality show ever. But even our shenanigans don’t divert God from his daily work. He has proved himself dependable—not a procrastinator.

People who wait until tomorrow tend to break promises to themselves and others. How many times have I said, “Tomorrow I’ll eat less, wash the car, or balance the checkbook.” But when dawn arrived, excuses marched in with the dust motes.

Life Coaches say the number one reason for avoiding a chore is that the task remains dreaded. Cleaning out the garage, mowing the yard, restoring a friendship—all are more beneficial if done timely. But delays of weeks can bring on avoidable disasters. An admitted procrastinator said, “If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done.”

Sometimes because of other essential work, we delay things that can wait. I just finished another manuscript and sent it on to my publisher, so I’ve spent the last week, going through stacks of paper and filing those away. I’m re-shelving reference books that I needed at hand. I’m now ready to pull out my Weed Eater and chew away tall grasses near sidewalks.

But I identified several chores that I habitually put off. I don’t mind hard work, but there are some tasks I like better than others. I like baking cookies better than scrubbing the showers. What chores do you tend to put off until the twelfth of never? What’s to be done about them? What can motivate us to accomplish in a timely manner what needs to be done? The wise man of scripture said, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” (Ecclesiastes 11:4). I think that’s what I’ve been doing – waiting for a better time—when I have more energy, more time, more money.

The most helpful suggestions I’ve found is to break tasks into small manageable segments. Then spend 15 minutes (not last minutes) to work heartily on that project. Through seven days of 15 minute segments, bit by bit, stacks of paper dwindle. Unkempt corners are de-cluttered. Those snippets of time spent on put-off projects equals a job well done. When a long delayed chore is finished, give yourself a pat on the back. The completion of one task can energize you to tackle another overdue job.

Laziness underwrites procrastination. “Tomorrow is the only day that appeals to a lazy man,” said Jimmy Lyons. One of the seven deadly sins, slothfulness becomes fatal to spiritual progress too. We become distracted and worn down by so many things in the world that prayer, solitude, and Bible reading get shoved to the end of our lists. When we move them there, then they have become unessential in our minds.

Attentiveness to daily tasks and spiritual feedings acknowledges God, our constant caregiver. Industry honors the Creator and keeps one in tune with the fine ways he provides for us. The God who changes seasons on time, who regulates the tides, who keeps his creation in place through gravity can assist anyone with the problem of procrastination.

“Warning: dates on calendar are closer than you think.” Don’t hesitate. Today ask your timely Father for help.

(Click here for royalty free clip art)

Not Just a Number

Before I ever reached the IRS office, a clerk met me outside in the hall and handed me a slip of paper numbered 59, and I was told, “Go farther down the hall and wait in that room.” When I first walked into “that” room containing only chairs and people seated in them, the dry erase board note stated that number 35 was the last person waited upon. Good. This shouldn’t take too long.

Every quarter hour another clerk or the officer on duty came into the room, calling out sequential numbers, about five of them. People holding slips of paper with corresponding numbers were told to form a line. When my turn finally came, I felt like a kindergarten IRS detainee.

Our instructions were, “Line up by number.” They led us into another hall. “Now stand here until I call you to proceed to another door.” I didn’t actually go to kindergarten (didn’t have it in Arkansas), but I learned to follow elementary rules anyway. Obedient, I stood alongside the wall. I did fidget. Twist. Turn. Shuffle my feet. Slump against the wall. But I also smiled a lot at the man with the star shaped badge and pistol lashed to his belt. It seems making a payment at the IRS office these days is serious business. He was on the side of law-abiding folk—wanted him to know I was one.

When I was at the head of the line, the officer said, “Next,” so I stepped to the door he pointed toward. Once there, I assumed I’d be taking care of business and leaving. I assumed a clerk would take my timely payment, stamp my receipt “PAID,” and I’d be free for one more year.

Wrong.

When I stepped into the next room, I quickly learned that I was only in line to get another number. My new number: 485. Yep. I was sliding backward, not inching forward. They were serving number 511 and number 463. After no more than 30 minutes the red digital sign flashed 485 and assigned me to cubicle number 4. I trotted, (I didn’t run in the hall) toward the clerk in the number four cubbyhole. Within ten minutes, I made my payment to a friendly woman named Jewell, and she stamped my receipt and I skipped out of the IRS office.

I don’t know about you, but being reduced to a number even for two hours undermines the ego. I understand the logic of identification by number instead of by name. Numbers can vary enough to give us singular identity, while 30 other people might possess your same given name, especially if it is a more common moniker. In government tracking, I understand why all John Smiths need numbers.

But I like being a person with a real name best. And I love knowing that God knows his followers by name. In the Old Testament, when God wanted to send a message through the child Samuel, God called him in the night saying, “Samuel! Samuel!” (1 Samuel 3:10). God didn’t say “Number 2,003! Number 2003!” When God wanted to speak with the virgin who would carry and bear the Christ child, the angel said, “Do not be afraid, Mary” (Luke 1:30).

We can rest assured that we are more than numbers to God. In fact the psalmist David asked God to favor him as “the apple of your eye.” Jesus said he is our good shepherd and he knows us by name. He said our relationship is so intimate that we know him by the sound of his voice (John 10:1-18). When our shepherd calls, he doesn’t whistle or yell “Hey, you!”

“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (v. 3), and we follow him because we “know his voice” (4).

But shepherds do have an accounting system. And Jesus referred to that when he told a story about a shepherd who had a flock numbering 100. When he tallied up his precious flock, he found one missing. He left the ninety-nine and went to search “in the open country” for the one sheep. And when he found that one, “he joyfully puts it on his shoulders” and goes home. Then the shepherd had a party. He called his friends and neighbors together and said, “Rejoice with me. I have found my lost sheep” (Luke 15 6).

We can be happy too, because individually we are the apple of his eye. And he’ll always leave the safe flock to go in search of you if you ever wander off. In God’s flock you have a name and a number. You are always number one!

(photo from Free Foto.com)

Shrewish

Shrews. The small mammal variety deserves its reputation. I first learned of the word “shrew” from Shakespeare. In the film adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the tigress Katharina brought the full fury of woman to the screen.


Webster’s definition limits the disposition to females: “a woman of violent temper and speech.” In the small mammal world, both genders of the shrew are highly active and violent.

The shrew is a tiny mammal and was thought to be the smallest on earth until the recent discovery of the bumblebee bat. A large shrew weighs about three-quarters of an ounce. In the 2004 issue of the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the species is described as having a “supercharged, hyperactive way of life fueled by one of the most extravagant metabolisms in nature.”


One researcher sedated a shrew and measured its heart- rate. The small heart averaged 760 beats per minute! Hibernating is not in their vocabulary, and they sleep little. Voracious appetites drives them to hunt, kill, and consume.


Humans have sighted the tiny shrews killing small rabbits and snakes, and the Blarina brevicauda has a poisonous bite that paralyzes its prey. Constantly searching for food, they will eat any kind of meat they can kill.


Shrews are also known to fight, bite, and devour each other. The shrew’s life is one of constant frenzy, and battle. If a shrew receives a dinner invitation from a neighboring shrew, surely he has to wonder if the motive is hospitality or need of a main course. One other characteristic of the shrew is their ability to fuss and make a scene.


Gerald Durell told of watching a shrew have a temper tantrum when a giant African snail didn’t succumb to the mammal’s first assault. “Screaming with frustration” the shrew attacked the second time and the snail doused the tiny mammal with a frothy substance. The shrew became “almost incoherent with rage.”


Researchers cage shrews and have reported their shrieking and constant chattering. Rage is anger on a rampage, and unleashed anger is not so cute when exhibited in our companions.


Paul said, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).


Shrewish behavior belongs to a lower class animal.


Compassion and forgiveness should rule the hearts of the human species.

(Photo from http://www.pestproducts.com/pygmy-shrew.htm , where description says this particular shrew is so tiny its weight is about that of a dime.)

God's Eraser

In the 1880’s, educators predicted dire consequences from an innovative gadget. Leaded pencils were already standard classroom equipment. But the newest addition, an eraser attached to one end, had teachers clicking their tongues.


Some believed an eraser encouraged children to make mistakes. The schoolmarms and masters of the nineteenth century would surely gasp if they knew how quickly a computer keyboard delete button can scrap paragraphs and whole pages of text.

Call me modern, but I like erasers. I especially like the way God scrubs clean my past. All of us need forgiveness, and that’s probably one reason Bible hero King David’s story of sin, repentance, and forgiveness are included in the Bible. He gave in to lust and adultery which led to the murder of a trusted officer and soldier.

Here’s the timeline of his temptations and sin: At a time of war (kings usually accompanied their armies into battle), David sent his army and its commander Joab into battle, but he remained at his palace where he became restless. Sleepless, pacing the palace roof, the king saw a woman bathing on her rooftop, and he didn’t look away.

He allowed his lust to rule and summoned her to his palace, where he slept with her and she became pregnant. That’s when he schemed to get her husband Uriah, one of David’s 30 Mighty Men, to return from battle so he would be back in the arms of his wife. David hoped to deceive the husband and others through this ruse.

However, Uriah -- the more honorable soldier and man -- refused to go to his house and enjoy the comforts of home saying, “My master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife?” (2 Samuel 11:11).

That’s when David’s sin branched and turned another wicked corner. He ordered Joab to place Uriah in the fiercest battle. Within range of enemy archers, Uriah died. Later, a prophet told David a tale about man who only had one lamb and someone stole that lamb. Almost immediately David realized the parallel, saying, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

At once, the prophet replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin” (2 Samuel 12:13). Erased. Gone. Forgotten. Forgiven. David marveled at God’s lavish forgiveness and responded by writing the tender words of repentance and gratitude “create in me a pure heart” and “restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:10,12).

Although forgiven, David’s sin caused extreme consequences. God wipes slates clean, but residue remains. Old felt erasers scattered chalk dust. Rubber erasers leave dregs, and sin leaves scum in the life of the perpetrator and far too often the innocent.

No one escapes sinning, but thank God that cartoon-depicted-lightening isn’t zapping our lives each time we sin. Jeremiah said, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Just as God pushes the dark of night into the folds of the horizon and allows the brightness of dawn, he is ready to brighten days with forgiveness through Jesus.

I’m not fond of the consequences of sin that sometimes remain long after the forgiveness -- but I surely do love God’s erasures.

(A special Thank You to the McKinleys of Willis, TX, who greeted me in Sam’s Club, and introduced themselves. You blessed my day.)

Fake Turf Away from Home

They left early on Sunday, due to arrive home in one week. My son, Russell, didn’t stay the entire six days of church camp.

On the first full day at camp, the director C. D. Davis phoned to say my strapping 11-year-old son suffered homesickness. The director also phoned on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I’d read an article in a parent magazine, "Convert Your Kid into a Happy Camper." I’d followed nearly all the guidelines to assure a genuine, happy experience. His best friend went with him. Every volunteer knew Russell—bus driver, nurse, cooks. They were his Sunday school teachers, youth director, and friends' parents.

I’d resisted only one thing: sending his favorite stuffed animal. I didn’t put his beloved stuffed Snoopy into his duffel bag since boys can taunt mercilessly. But did he miss his Snoopy? Was that the reason he wanted to come home?

I didn’t realize the depth of his missing home until the camp letter arrived on Thursday. My cheerful kid had written on the envelope “Daddy and Momma,” scratched it out and then written “Mr. and Mrs. Messecar.” What did that mean? Detachment? I let out a mother-worry-sigh.

I unsealed the camp letter. Our big-for-his-age son, mannish in appearance—massive shoulders, near-five-o’clock shadow, had written “Dear Mommy.” He never called me mommy.

I’d only read three sentences when I discovered he’d written the sad little letter on his first night at camp instead of playing softball! What? At home, this kid slept in his mitt and cap. My worry galloped.

The letter continued in lament fashion with a few watery stains on the paper. “I wish I hadn’t come to camp. I want to see you. I wish I was dead.” To his credit, he later made the High School drama team.

The same day the letter arrived, the camp director Mr. Davis phoned again telling me he was always the first person awake at camp -- until this year. Each morning, when the director walked onto his porch, there sat my baby, waiting on his doorsteps, asking to go home.

Most kids love camp, swimming, crafts, devotional time, marshmallows and badminton. Not my son. Russell apparently was dining on misery instead of S’mores and mac and cheese. My husband said, “Russell must miss our home a lot if he wants to come home that bad.” His dad’s final word, “If he’s homesick, let him come home.” Russell rode home later that night with an adult counselor, who needed to return early to go to work.

Russell’s camp adventure reminds me of those who take greener-pasture-romps. Jesus told a story about a son who couldn’t wait to leave home. Once gone, he found the outfield to be fake turf. Money gone and at his lowest, the hungry prodigal ended up at pig troughs yearning to eat their slop. That’s when thoughts of home made a heart-call.

The errant son knew his father’s front porch had a light on, and the son backtracked. He remembered the home of his youth, and he longed to return. He remembered his forgiving, patient father who loved him. The boy who left home on a lark now wanted to return. He may have found his way home because of his father’s prayers. He may just have found his way back because a loving father had prayed day after day and night after night, “If he’s homesick, let him come home.”

May we find strength to pray the following ancient prayer for others and ourselves, when the world offers illusions of better housing than our faithful God, “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life” (Psalm 27:4).

A Sword and Wisdom

King Solomon sits down on his throne as loyal servants hover around, but the busy hum of a royal court shatters as the frantic voices of women are overheard from the outside halls. Their voices loud—Solomon hears them plead for an audience with him.


The king chuckles to himself; he doesn’t like to get involved in women’s quarrels. After all, he’s earning a reputation as a wise king. However, his heart is drawn into the unfolding drama because of another sound. The cries of an infant are mixed in the fray.

He motions and two disheveled women rush in. In a sling in front of one woman, a tiny babe seems further irritated by the hasty entrance, but she makes no effort to comfort the child. He signals for a burly guard to console the infant until he makes a ruling. The massive soldier Hiram reaches for the baby, but a frown creases his brow as he awkwardly lifts the curled infant to his shoulder.

Solomon listens intently as the women argue their plights, each claiming to be the birth mother. They live in the same house and both delivered infant sons the previous week. However, one of the sons died in the night, and now both women swear the child—the obviously hungry baby held by Hiram—is theirs.

Solomon honestly cannot tell which woman speaks the truth, but he knows two facts: last night, one woman had a son die and one had a son stolen. He reasoned that even fools knew that added up to two inconsolable women. But who is the real mother? With a quick flick of his wrist, he signals for their bickering to stop.

Like a deep refreshing breath, a solution descends upon him. He looks toward Hiram, who cradles the infant, only whimpering by now, and Solomon wonders how the giant guard has managed to calm the babe. He calls out, “Hiram, unsheathe your sword!” Horror registers on the guard’s face, but he obeys. With his huge protective left hand, he cuddles the newborn securely against his shoulder. With his right hand, he holds the gleaming, keen-edged sword at ready. A collective gasps echoes, and then a hush falls over the room.

Solomon levels his gaze on each woman, searching for the least flicker of deceit, and then he shouts the command. “Half the child! Give half to each mother!”

Solomon’s gaze never flickers as he watches the mothers. He sees horror and indescribable pain register on one face, while the other woman slightly lifts her chin, signaling she’s won.

The pained woman cries out, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” Solomon has his answer. Only the real mother would be willing to give her son up to another to spare his life. At the king’s nod, Hiram sheathes his sword and hands over the infant to the grateful mother.

When Solomon began his reign, God told him to ask for whatever he wanted. Instead of asking for wealth, fame, or power, the new king literally asked God for a “listening ear” to make right judgments.

This past year, I’ve especially been aware of the truth of James’ observation, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

That’s a simple thing to do—just ask. How can we remember to do that more? This is what I did: I printed James’ words on an index card to circulate around my house to remind me to ask for wisdom. I’m a big fan of these small cards with scriptures printed on them to remind me of privileges (like asking for wisdom), of blessings (like receiving unmerited wisdom), and using God’s gifts (like the “listening ear”).

Our answers to achieving better relationships, solutions to life dilemmas, and making better choices can be summed up in this phrase—godly wisdom. James says to place your order with generous God. Need some? Then ask, seek, and knock and those efforts will open up a world of wisdom.

In God's Native Tongue

An Egyptian princess bathed at a river where she encountered a tiny babe in a tar-pitched basket. She furnished a home for the infant and named him Moses. There, in the royal palace halls, Moses most likely learned the skills of writing and reading. He would later write the history and laws of a nation, the first five books of the Old Testament. Some of our current laws are based upon those civil laws from so long ago.


The Bible reveals many such instances where the goodness of God is revealed as he moves ahead of a single life or nation to steer them in a specific direction. This week, we’ll finish up the series on the fruit of the Spirit. From the Galatians 5:22 list, we’ll consider the term “goodness” and how God’s goodness works in us and through us.

First, reflect on a list of synonyms which help to define the abstract word “goodness”: integrity (right thinking), righteous, moral, blameless, virtuous, and honest.

The picture of God’s goodness is like a set of parentheses – and that set of parentheses surrounds us. His daily provisions and goodness encompasses each person on earth. And through those God speaks every man’s language. Every time a bean plant sprouts and produces one hundred beans, God’s goodness speaks. Every time, microbes eat spilled oil in a gulf of water, God’s goodness speaks.

“The heavens declare the glory [wonder] of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands….there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1-4). General blessings drench the entire earth such as God’s rain falling on the just and the unjust, but God’s goodness also falls upon individuals. The beauty and order of the earth are spoken in God's native tongue. He creates. We enjoy. He also provides individualized care.

A wealthy Shunammite woman, a contemporary of Elisha the prophet, lived in the town of Shunem. When the prophet traveled through Shunem, he took his meals with her and her husband. Eventually, the couple built a room and furnished it for the prophet.

Elisha wanted to repay her and asked what he could do? Her contentment caused her not to make a suggestion, but Elisha’s servant Gehazi observed that her husband was old and she had no son.

Through God, Elisha promised an heir. The son was born, but when still a young lad, he died. The scene where Elisha appealed to God and the young lad’s life was restored is certainly a memorable Bible text.

Later, the Shunammite’s story continues in 2 Kings 8. God’s goodness, arranging, and timing are stamped on this event. Elisha had warned this Shunammite’s family to flee to Philistine because a severe famine was coming to her native land. So, her family lived in another country for seven years, and then returned to their homeland.

Back in her country, she and her son were on their way to see the king. Meanwhile, the king said to Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.”

Gehazi had plenty of stories about God’s mighty arm of rescue, especially the time Elisha raised the dead. “Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life,” in walked the woman and her son to “beg the king for her house and land” (2 Kings 8:5). The “just as” moment so inspired the king that he returned her home, land, and seven-years of earnings.

When you take your next breath, recall the goodness of God who orchestrated it. The next time you notice a pinkish sky, and the sun arising or bowing to nightfall, praise God who created the scene. The next time you experience the happy parentheses where God has cocooned you, bless his name. The next time you see the fruit of his Spirit in your life, give thanks.

He alone is worthy for his genuine love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control remain evident in our lives as God travels before us, behind us, and with us.

(Photo borrowed from http://summitpost.org/ )

When Love Branches Out

Our yard fence separates our home and lawn from the farmland surrounding it. A huge live oak inside our yard leans toward the front fence, and its afternoon branch-shade spreads at least 30 feet into the pasture. The cool spot that the shade creates has become a favorite gathering place for our small herd of cows and their little ones. And wherever the cows go, the egrets follow. Out of my office window, I have a view of both bovine and bird. This week, that scene gave me a visual about love.

Most of us have an understanding of love, but if asked to explain love then we have a more difficult time using concrete words in a description. I know it’s difficult because that’s what I’ve been brain storming about this week. But that’s when I paid attention to the cows resting in the shade, with white egret perched around. I said to myself, “That’s it -- when we can nap safely in someone’s shade that’s love.”

In the last few columns, we’ve worked our way through the list of the fruit of the Spirit -- “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). Today, let’s consider love. It’s a broad term used to describe our passions for many things. We love chocolate and chocolate labs. We love mini poodles and mini bagels. We love movies and movie popcorn.

We word-sling love around as if its usage carries no obligation. John said, “My dear children, let us not love in words or tongue, but in actions in truth” (I John 3:18). Let’s look at one more familiar Bible text about love.

A listing of love-actions occurs in Paul’s letter to the Corinthian Christians. He describes this as never-fail love. He said that love is patient, kind, and that it doesn’t envy or boast. Love is also not proud, rude, self-seeking, or easily angered. And my favorite is that love keeps no record of wrongs. But there are more descriptions of what love does and the traits are coupled with that absolute word “always”: love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).

You probably noticed the similarities in the description of the love-actions and fruit of the Spirit. As said before in this column the stellar qualities of the Spirit are innate and shared among the Godhead (Trinity). When God adopted us into his family through Jesus, we received the Spirit and can now bestow an active love upon others.

Some of the most beautiful scriptures in biblical poetry describe God as shading those within his care. When David fled from his enemies and sought refuge in a cave, he called to God to have mercy on him and said, “I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 55:1). Another psalm says that God is the shade at your right hand, a picture of God near-at-hand.

Watching our small herd seek shade-shelter gave me an additional description of love. Shade represents protection, safety, rest, and times of refreshing. And so I must ask, who shades your life? Who among your family and friends provides shelter from blistering, energy-draining circumstances? Who comes along side of you when you can no longer help yourself? With certainty, I can tell you it’s not inanimate things that we “love” – like our chocolate, bagels, or popcorn. No. Real people provide our shade, the ones dedicated to love-lived-out, a Spirit trait.

As God-followers we also provide shady rest for family and friends. We simply surprise someone with a blessing because God’s generous spirit gave to us and we in turn give to others. When we witness the wilting of a friend, we know they must have shade to survive. They need a nap away from pressures and that’s when we cast a goodly shadow over them.

God has the ultimate loving wingspread, but he gifts his followers with like capabilities.

Who shades you?

Whom do you shade?

(Photo is of our home and shade tree last spring. Romemary and Lantana is now growing around house)

Everyday Faithfulness

A new preacher moved to town and took a bus ride to familiarize himself with the territory. He handed the driver his money, and as he sat down, he noticed the driver had given him a dime too much in change.


He pondered whether to return it or just accept it as a gift from God. The driver was busy greeting and letting passengers disembark, and the preacher argued with his conscience that the driver might not even want to be bothered for the amount of ten cents. But as the preacher exited, he handed the dime back to driver, “You gave me too much change.”

“Thank you, sir,” said the driver. “I recognized you from your picture in the paper when the church announced your arrival here. I’ve been looking for a church home, and I wondered what you would do if I overpaid you a dime.”

When the bus left and the preacher stood on the sidewalk, he trembled and thought in his heart, “Lord, I almost sold you out for a dime.”

Today, let’s consider faithfulness. If you’ve followed this column for the past few weeks, then you know we’ve been working our way through the list of attributes described as the fruit of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22. Consider the list once more as we get closer to the end of this study: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I’ve heard from a few of you, and I thank you for your stories of how the practice of these godly attributes in everyday life has strengthened your character and witness for God.

Webster's New World Dictionary defines “faithful” as "maintaining allegiance; constant; loyal; marked by or showing a strong sense of duty or responsibility; conscientious; accurate; reliable; exact."

If one remains loyal then we could describe them as trustworthy, reliable, devoted, dependable, steadfast or dedicated. We practice faithfulness in areas of our passions. When a husband remains devoted to God and family, his faithfulness reveals itself over a lifetime of honoring God and his wife and children.

When someone regards good health as a way of honoring God, they remain careful to eat healthy foods, to exercise, and to care for the body that houses the soul God gave them.

When someone has a passion or drive for feeding the hungry, helping the poor, or visiting those in prison, they find ways to be faithful in the giving of their time to ease the suffering of others.

In ancient Israel’s customs, when a price was settled for a tract of land or a pair of oxen, one party would remove his sandal and hand it to the other signifying a solid pact or promise (Ruth 4:1-12). That’s all it took, a man’s word and a “sandal seal.”

Not too many years ago, our grandfathers shook hands on deals – called “a gentleman’s agreement.” These agreements depended upon the honor of the two parties, and were usually made when a price for something was set.

But a “gentlemen’s agreement” could also act as a disguise for wrong secretive acts. It is reported that in the 1930s the National Football League banned black players with a handshake, making sure that no agreement was on paper. And, African Americans were similarly banned from organized baseball with a handshake until 1946, when the Brooklyn Dodgers hired Jackie Robinson.

I love how Jesus furthered the explanation of “faithfulness” when he said to his followers, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’ (Matthew 5:37). Parents, this guidance can help your parenting.

As we move through the next few days, let’s keep the word “faithfulness” in our minds. Our culture demands that we, in good faith, sign our names to credit card purchases, marriage certificates, leases, or other agreements. But many smaller promises we make to family and friends aren’t recorded on paper at the courthouse. Be faithful even in the least of these small-promise-categories.

After all, bus drivers and others are watching. They want to see faithfulness lived out.

Kindness Arrives in Many Ways-July 9

In any home, when a kind woman buys the groceries, cooks them up, stores the leftovers, that home becomes blessed because she extends benevolence and care towards those living under the same roof. Most women don’t expect a constant “thank you.” They are pleased with a little help now and then. I’ve never heard of a husband being shot while doing the dishes. It’s the little things that count.

Within the framework of kindness, let’s consider those little things that count in everyday life. Those generous unexpected acts that other people do for us, when we’re least expecting a favor. Kindness is among the list of intrinsic values of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22.

Almost everyone has granted kindnesses and received many. Three things stand out in my memory as unexpected acts of loving kindness. One time when I had flower beds, my mother showed up and sat on the St. Augustine grass and weeded three gardening areas. I don’t even have flower beds anymore because of rascally weeds, but back then -- before I knew about blooming perennials and Texas native plants -- I had too many flower beds for a working woman and mother of children. My mother’s sacrifice of time lingers with a sweet fragrance.

On another occasion with Thanksgiving nearing, I was in the process of striping wallpaper from three huge rooms. If you’ve ever scored wall covering with a utility knife, sprayed it with warm water, and then scraped from the floor to the ceiling you know how much energy that takes. My gauge was low to near empty. My friend knew what I was trying to accomplish in a short timeframe before we hosted the holiday dinner. She phoned one day to tell me that she’d just made her mother’s famous cornbread dressing for me. It’ll feed 25 people and can be made weeks ahead and frozen until Turkey Day. Oh my! I still remember Doris’ kindness.

On another day, my husband, Dave, had left for work, but soon I heard his truck rumbling into the driveway again. He walked in the back door, took my hand and led me outside, never saying a word. Then he pointed skyward. There draped across the storm-strewn sky stretched a vivid double rainbow.

I could name so many more acts of kindness—sweet notes from friends, crayoned pictures from children; surprise cookies, cakes, and pies; and my son-in-law, who now shows up to mow and trim around those perennials. But there are even other more subtle courtesies—a tip of the hat from an older Texas gentleman; a driver who waves me through a busy intersection; a store clerk handles a return happily; my friend Pat, who on a rainy day blesses it by saying, “Enjoy the moisture.”

Has your mind just exploded remembering the kindnesses you receive every day? If you want to make up your own list, include anything that fits these descriptions: considerate, thoughtful, compassionate, sympathetic, generous, or extends good will.

Of course the best name to put at the top of your list is God. All of the descriptions fit his openhandedness and bigheartedness toward us. Through dawn of day and an infant’s birth, all the way through sunsets and last breaths on earth, we “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28).

And the best kindness of God flows through Jesus to us in reconciliation. We are taken back and forgiven even after our sins have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2).

Being kind isn’t all that difficult -- really. We have a heavenly Father who daily supplies us with the initiative to be mindful of others, and in addition he still lives out extreme examples of kindness. Want to be more kind to others, just think of all the acts of generosity toward you and present the same favors to your family, friends, and strangers.

From God’s hand, to yours, to someone else -- you can put a double rainbow in someone’s day.

Self Control over Petulance-July 4

I learned something about deepening self-control through a narrative presented in Luke where Martha invited Jesus and his disciples into her home for a meal. Martha hoped to have her sister Mary’s help, but instead Mary sat and learned at the feet of Jesus. Martha complained, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself. Tell her to help me!” Although the New Testament reveals other good attributes, from the above meal incident, Martha’s been labeled a whiner.


One scholar deemed Martha’s state of mind as a “temporary petulance.” I think that defines a lot of what Christian’s struggle with in the area of self control. The word petulance describes one who is crabby, peevish, grumpy, irritable, or has a bad temper.

The Christian who has mastered “self control” has acquired both power and skills from the Holy Spirit to limit their thoughts, actions, and reactions. If we curb harmful thoughts then we keep negativism from increasing in our own mind or elsewhere. Let’s review the fruit of the Spirit and the privileged gifts: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control” (Galatians 5:22).

A follower of Christ under the control of the Holy Spirit has help in exercising authority over self. The fruit of the Holy Spirit remains opposite of the mean spirited spewings and actions that often make headline news. Merciful God grants his followers power to overcome bad habits and sin, and we no longer have to rely on human-spirit will power to overcome sins that easily get us off track.

I’ve mulled over that phrase “temporary petulance,” and I think it fits so many of the snits we humans have. When things go our way, we go through a day in relative calm. Why not? Life’s good. No one crosses, insults, or toys with our emotions. Then spouses, coworkers, or even strangers rub us the wrong way, and we get irritated.

Here’s an example of an aggravation that could plunge us into a “temporary petulance.” I had walked through a bank door, when I noticed an older man right behind me, so I held the door open for him. He marched past me and stood closest to the tellers. I stood back in wonder.

The teller asked, “Who’s next?” He never looked back, but moved up to the counter. Right then, I had a choice to make – to stew over having to wait or to ask a blessing on his day. I reasoned, how could I possibly know what was going on his life that made him neglect common courtesy? I didn’t know anything about him, so I excused him and backed it up with a prayer for his day.

I’m not telling you that to pat myself on the back. I’m telling you that to give God’s Holy Spirit a great big pat on the back. Blessing and praying for someone causing me a lengthy wait is not what I used to do. I used to fume a bit. Maybe tell someone else about his lack of manners. And the incident might have spoiled – because I allowed it to – half of my day.

You’ve had a thousand incidents of intended or unintended rudeness happen to you, too. Minor irritants can work us up into a small squall. You’ve seen how those dirt devils pop up on the landscape. They twirl in a dither, pick up bits of debris, and sling them everywhere.

Of course when everything goes our way, it’s easy to not get ruffled. But when trouble crimps the day, even then, that’s when we can ably control our thoughts, actions and reactions because we have the fruit of the Holy Spirit, faithfully remaking us.

This weekend, we celebrate Independence Day. We’ll salute our flag, and acknowledge the freedoms our country affords each of us. Why not take a few minutes to also re-pledge allegiance to Holy God, asking him to take away any rebellious spirit that wants to live independent of him. And ask for the determination to yield to his pure Spirit, who can teach and mold us to be better citizens in this beautiful land of the free and home of the brave.

Cultivating Patience

God planned that babies would arrive in nine months. We thought up instant milk formula. God told peach trees to produce peaches once a year. We thought up fast food and drive through. God ordered the earth to rotate around the sun once a year, and we invented the fast lane.


When any kind of trouble arrives, we want it over and done. Impatient, we want to trade those difficult days for our easygoing, regular life. The buzz words on the lips of on-the-go people are tweet, application, droid, and high speed. The words leisure, relax, languid, rest, and unwind have moved into the closet.

Some of us spend money we don’t have. Credit card debts mount because we want the vacation now. Rushing life, little girls wear clothing beyond their years. Speeding up their knowledge, boys are exposed to concepts kids were never meant to understand until they are older.

When confrontation arrives, instead of holding our tongue, some tell it like it is. We let them have a piece of our mind. No words barred. No holding back.

I commend those readers who have allowed God to instill and teach you patience. But for those of us, who haven’t quite opened the door and allowed patience to grow, we’ll consider that virtue this week. It remains noble to embrace this gift of the Spirit and good value that can be ours. We’ve already looked at joy and gentleness. Let’s read the list from Galatians 5:22 again and then think about patience, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Our culture has coined the term “instant gratification” that somewhat defines the opposite of patience. Waiting tends to be tedious, and we may not do it well. But the patient person has learned to take his time, thoroughly complete a job, and work well with people who are not on his time table.

Sometimes our overcrowded schedules trigger impatience and even rude behavior. We’ve piled so many things into our days that if anything goes awry (and they do and will), then we get snappish, out of sorts, and ill tempered. And our family and co-workers tuck tail and hide away or snap back.

Ok. If you lack patience, you’ve probably zeroed in on at least one area where you lack self-control. It’s not enough to just identify the problem area. For betterment, one must practice patience. I’ll share four steps to aid in becoming more patient.

First, since patience is fruit of the Spirit, ask for wisdom, insight and guidance in embracing this value. The more I’ve contemplated that all these qualities are embedded in God, the more humbled I am. The only way we really receive patience is through him, and being aware of our own frailties. So, the first step is to ask for God’s help in overcoming impatience.

Second, watch for opportunities to make a “patient sacrifice” – step out of the checkout lane and let the next person go first, even when you are hurried. Wave someone into merging traffic. Let that semi truck, with his turn signal on, go ahead of you. That’ll slow you down as the driver shifts through 13 gears to get moving. He’s had to be patient with cars darting around him all day. Return the favor.

Third, practice patience in listening to those around you. Wait. Let them tell their story. Stop what you are doing. Look into their eyes. Really listen. Don’t be thinking of a comeback, a matching story, or an angry retort. Simply respond with a pleasant acknowledgement of what they told you. James says it well, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (1:19).

Finally, practice patience through waiting. Wait to buy. Wait to respond, count to ten. Wait until mealtime to eat. Practice choosing healthier foods, not what you crave. You’ll train yourself away from instant gratification, and your waistline will thank you.

If waiting is torture to you, then plant a garden. Flowers, vegetables, or herbs -- plant them and literally put a sign on a stake that says “Patience Garden.” Waiting on blossoms and color and fresh vegetables will remind you of God’s timetable, his natural speed bumps. Each time you water, weed, or fertilize, the activity will remind you of your partnership with God.

He will plant patience and you can watch it grow.

Thank You, Gentle Dads

“Brimstone, damnation on top of hammeration.” In Walt Disney’s movie Pollyanna that’s how one parishioner described the minister’s weekly sermons. Because of his tirade, the flock departed each Sunday with open wounds instead of receiving encouragement to meet their work week.

Contrast that scene to the one in John when Jesus and his disciples dined together. “The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus . . . . He leaned back on Jesus’ breast” (John 13:23, 25). This tender setting reveals Jesus, gentle among his beloved.

The disciples who lived with Jesus witnessed his innate gentleness. He touched leprous skin; he scattered a fallen woman’s accusers. He then led her onto a path of righteousness, “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11). Gentleness, fruit of the Holy Spirit, surged through Jesus’ time spent with his disciples. Gentleness is the opposite of harsh treatment or an “I’m right; you’re wrong” attitude.

On this weekend when we honor fathers, I’m reminded of the fruits of the Spirit, especially “gentleness.” Last week, we considered “joy.” And this week, let’s think a bit about an easy-going way.

Jesus, on a holy mission to seek and save the lost, exhibited in his daily walk the fruit of the Spirit. You recall the list in Galatians 5:22: love joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And while on earth, he remained supremely superior in every virtue.

Jesus didn’t twist arms to get people to believe that God was God. Jesus never coerced acquaintances, but rather gave his listeners reason, through living example, to believe he was God’s son, to believe that he spoke the truth. In demeanor and teaching, he refused to lord over people.

Meek, not wimpy or unassertive, gentle Jesus salted the earth with the wisest kind of living. God longs for relationship with us, but his approach is not bullying, revenge, manipulation or scare tactics, but rather the practice of gentle love.

Fathers, you are privileged to present the nature of God accurately. A humility laden life has the power to lead a child in the way they should go. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up strife (Proverbs 15:1). Message-seeds flung gently by sower-fathers into the lives of their offspring can fall on fertile “heart lands.”

Of course a godly father also knows when to administer appropriate discipline for misdeeds. We all make mistakes in parenting, but a father on a quest to embody the fruit of the Spirit will out-parent those who have no such goal.

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the Holy Spirit left us word-pictures of God caring for his children. In the western world, we tend to use abstract words to describe God such as those which describe the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, kindness, etc. But in the eastern culture where the Bible originated, the people there often used metaphor in description.

So, the Bible is replete with word-pictures of strong, nourishing God described as a shepherd who looks for one lost sheep; a stable rock; or God stooping down, bending over like a dad, who scoops up a child and dries a tear. Also, God describes himself as engraving his beloved peoples’ names into the palm of his hand declaring, “I will not forget you.” He reminds them that their names are not on a stone monument stashed away somewhere, but on his very palms. Always before him (Isaiah 49:15-16).

Recently at an outdoor event, I watched as several elderly gentlemen hobbled to a wooden bench to sit side-by-side. One obviously had arthritis, one limped, one was simply stooped over – most likely from years of labor. Dads, you’ve done a lot for us. We know you have had us in your mind for many years, always wanting the best for us. You work hard, you provide, you nourish, and you give gentle answers. For mirroring our heavenly Father to us, we give thanks for you and to you. Happy Father’s Day.