Fresh & New

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.  Lamentations 3:22-24

Such comfort in these verses but it didn’t used to be that way. 

I find it amazing how we can take a straight forward scripture (like the one above), mix in a little fear and doubt and let it skew our whole life.  That’s what I did.

In all the years I spent trying to earn God’s love and mercies, I often thanked the Lord that His mercies were fresh and new every morning.  That sounds good but I was coming from a place of fear.  I knew I didn’t measure up.  I knew I couldn’t measure up; that nothing I did would ever be good enough.  I desperately needed those mercies for even the faintest chance of seeing His face.

Even today, it's true.  I don’t measure up.  I can’t measure up.  In myself, I will never be good enough.  But, I’m not supposed to measure myself by myself.  I accepted Jesus as my Savior 41 years ago.  I became a new creation that day (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Through Him, I became righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).  He gave me the power to become a child of the living God (John 1:12).  In Him, I can do all things (Philippians 4:13).  Through Him, I conquer (Romans 8:37).  See the prevalent theme? Him.

Recently, I said Jesus is the blessing I often talk about.  That was true in the Old Testament and it is true today.  Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).  God counted it as done and He worked with mankind accordingly.

Yeah?  What about the God of WRATH in the Old Testament?  Let’s look at that.  The Bible says that Ahab (married Jezebel) did evil above all that were before him (1Kings 16:30) yet God dealt with him for 22 years before his reign came to an end (1 Kings 16:29).  Jeroboam sinned and made Israel sin (1Kings 14:16) and he reigned 22 years (1 Kings 14:20).  Manasseh did evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 21:2) and he reigned 52 years (1 Kings 21:1).  Sounds like a God whose mercies were fresh and new every morning.

This is the time of year people talk about starting with a clean slate, that the possibilities are endless.  With God, it's true every day. 

Freely

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.  Matthew 10:8

Why it is so hard to:

1. Forgive
2. Love the unlovely
3. Give of our time
4. Give of our finances
5. Give of ourselves

How we often think:

1. If I have to work for my forgiveness, so should you. 
2. If I have to be kind and nice and friendly and etc., to be loved, so should you.
3. If I only have 24 hours in a day to get stuff done & I get it done, so should you.

Get the picture?

When I asked God, He directed me to Matthew 10:8. 

I know the Bible says if you don’t work, you shouldn’t eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10).  That a man who doesn't take care of his household is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8) but I want to talk about the freely receive part.  In truth, we can’t be good givers until we know how to receive. 

I know people who always have their hand out expecting you to fill it and get extremely upset if you don’t.

I know people who make it particularly difficult to do anything for them.  They don’t want to be beholden to anybody and will make you feel bad for try to do something for them.  Yet, they want to do for others and you are supposed to graciously accept their gift.

Neither attitude is right.  The balance?  Freely receive; freely give.

Over the last seven years, I have had to have a lot of help.  Although I was thankful for it (and hopefully the giver saw only that), I didn’t really freely receive.  It seriously irritated me that it seemed like I was always the one with my hand out. 

God took me to task for it.  I realized that, although I had freely received salvation, I believed I had to work for everything else.  So if I had to work for forgiveness, acceptance, healing, finances, etc…  Then add to that thinking it was never enough…  One messed up lady.  We have been working on that.  See, I have to freely receive from Him before I can freely give to someone else.

God gave us everything we need for life here and throughout eternity (2 Peter 1:3).  Freely receive it.  Freely give it.

Vendetta--Check it out          E-book: Smashwords      

Ghostman--Check it out        E-book: Smashwords

Holiday Memories

At The EastTexas Christian Writers' meeting this Tuesday, five ladies spoke about a story they had written for Christmas.  Here are the brief outlines for two of them.

Linda Burklin spoke about an experience she had in South Africa (missionary kid) while helping some friends at their chicken farm around Christmas.  Anyone who has dealt with chickens was right there with her smelling the smells, feeling the muck, hearing the noise.  She also spoke about how it brought home the reality of Jesus, God Incarnate, coming down to the muck and mire of earth to become man and free us.  Very poignant.  

Patty Wiseman spoke of an aunt that felt like she was ‘lost in the shuffle’ her whole life.  One Christmas her siblings received new bicycles (the brothers-red; the sister-blue) and she got a stuffed toy because her parents couldn’t afford four new bikes.  She received a hand me down bike that didn’t have a seat.  Her father was supposed to fix it.  It never got fixed and she never got a new bike.  Her life went pretty much like that until after her kids were grown and she married a kind, thoughtful man.  One Christmas she came downstairs and there stood her husband by the tree with a brand new red bike.  Tissue anyone?

Everyone has memories of the holiday season.  Some good; some not so good.  How we handle them determines how our holidays go.  I know it is not always easy to let go of things (see last week’s blog, Regret).  Still, it is a choice.  Do we let them pull us down or do we remember the good stuff?

I know people who look forward to Christmas all year and those who do their best to make themselves and everyone around them miserable from October through the New Year.  Having dealt with both, I know what it is like to swing from “Oh pu-lease” (the chirpiness does sometimes get to you) to fighting to keep from becoming ‘bah humbug’ myself. 

The challenge:

If your memories are not good ones or if the last few years have gone south, determine today to stop dwelling on that and begin creating new memories.  Families are not just blood.  They come in all shapes and sizes.  Be open and allow family to gather round you this holiday season.

My prayer for you:

May the peace of God still your soul and fill your heart and house in the coming year.

Thankful

I saw a Facebook post the other day that said, “Thanksgiving—the time people spend 30 days declaring how thankful they are and then try to kill one another to get the best deals on Black Friday.  (Slight chuckle.)

Although I did not post myself, I have enjoyed reading the thankful post. (It’s good to reflect on God’s goodness in our lives.)  I find it amusing that scientists are telling us their studies show being grateful is healthy for us.  It only took them how many years to prove to their satisfaction what the Bible has said all along (EX:  Proverbs 12:25; 15:4; 17:22).

So, here’s mine. 

I’m thankful I was raised in a family that understands what family is about.  Do we always agree? No.  Are we always together? No, busy lives.  Do we make time for one another? 

Yes.  Are we there for one another? Definitely.

I’m thankful that no matter where our travels took us in the early years of my marriage, I had deep roots in Texas.  I knew I could always come home.

I’m thankful (don’t tell them) my sisters overruled me a time or two and my circumstances improved.

I’m thankful for good friends.  That even though we don’t often see one another, I know they are always just a phone call away.

I’m thankful for a dry cool/warm house with central heat and air.  Up until three years ago that wasn’t the case.  I had five dogs and two cats at the time.  One night when it got down in the twenties, I learned the meaning of the phrase ‘a three dog night’.  I had on sweats, thermal socks and cover a foot deep and it was still cold.  I woke up the next morning and was covered up with animals.  Couldn’t move but I was warm.

But I’m most thankful that forty-one years ago I paid attention to the Holy Spirit calling my name.  (He speaks all the time; we just don’t listen).  I accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for me and asked Him to be my Savior.  Has it always been easy? No.  Have I ever strayed from the straight and narrow? Yes, but the Holy Spirit is always there to get me back on track.  Has it been worth the trials? Oh, definitely.  He has kept me through some things that only He and I know about.  I’ve said it before but it still holds true.  If He had not gotten a hold of me at thirteen, I would be insane, in prison or dead by now.

To all who have enriched my life, thank you.

Vendetta--Check it out          E-book: Smashwords      

Ghostman--Check it out        E-book: Smashwords

Cooking

As I’ve said before, I’m five years younger than Ada (the sister next to me).  If my siblings were going to do anything away from the house, they had to have their chores done first.  They were always in a hurry and it was much easier to move me out of the way and get it done.  That pretty much left me out in the cold when it came to learning how to do things like wash clothes or cook.  If I didn’t get by osmosis, I didn’t get it.

Both Mom and Dad were good cooks.  All their siblings and various offspring could cook.  My brother was and my sisters are good cooks.  That left me. 

Growing up, we always had a garden.  Dad always had three pigs and one calf fattening out to kill.  We had a smoke house and I can remember salting meat and making case sausage in the kitchen.  We also had chickens :-(.  The frowny face is because, as the youngest, it was my job to pluck and scrape them and we never killed just one or two.  We froze them whole.

One day when I was about 12, Mom called and asked me to get supper started because she was running late.  She said there was a chicken thawing in the sink; fry it and make some mashed potatoes and gravy.   I had never cut up a chicken.  I knew how to get the wings and legs off, so I did that.  Then I grabbed it at the neck and jerked.  What came apart is how it was fried up.

Sarcasm is an art form in our family and Harold Wayne (my brother) was a master at it.  He ate without saying a word.  Then he held up his plate and said, ‘that was pretty good.  How ‘bout you pour some of those taters on here, cut me a slab of that gravy to go on top and give me some more of those chicken ribs.’

Of course, I didn’t think it was funny then but now…I tell the story often and laugh every time.

I guess I absorbed more than I thought because when I went to Bible school, I got a job in the kitchen as an assistant cook.  By my third year, I was a head cook.  Imagine that.

For family gatherings, my bunch tends to assign me things that are easy to fix and hard to mess up (which shows what they think about my cooking).  I don’t mind.  Besides, I don’t cook that much now because it’s just me (seriously, my sister and niece both cook and I just walk over and eat at their houses). 

I know; I’m spoiled and proud of it.   

Vendetta--Check it out          E-book: Smashwords     




   

Ghostman--Check it out        E-book: Smashwords

True Professionals

I met a group of true professionals Sunday afternoon. 

A couple in our church, David and Kathy Ferguson, are adopting a little boy and girl from China.  Both are special needs children.  They have a daughter and son who are in college and a five year old they brought home from China two years ago (also a special needs child).  After the China adoption was already underway, a blue eyed blonde baby girl came into their home.  Definitely starting over in a big way.

They held an aluminum can drive (still going) to help raise funds for the adoption.  The local news station heard about it and did a segment on them.  A group of people, who regularly do fund raisers, saw it and contacted them about having a benefit concert for them.  There were seven artists who gave their time to come to the church and put on this concert.  Some from as far away as Dallas.

It was a Southern Gospel concert.  We sing contemporary at church and I rarely hear Southern Gospel anymore.  There’s just something about the sound of strings bending on a flattop or the draw of a fiddle.  Of course, that they had a little boogie-woogie thrown in didn’t hurt either.  

For whatever reason, there were only a few people that came.  I know it was hard on the Fergusons.  It was hard on me and I was just supposed to punch buttons on the computer to run the overheads.  I didn’t have a stake in this but I was very disappointed.  I wanted to see the place packed.

I have to confess I wasn’t planning on staying.  It takes me 40 minutes to get to the church and I have developed the habit of not leaving the house on Sundays once I get home.  I was there to lend a hand in the setup because they brought all their own equipment but I was planning on going home as soon as the setup was done.  Then David asked me if I would stay and help so he could sit with his family.  I am so glad I did.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting these artists and hearing stories about other venues they have played and how God moved.  Made me wish I could make a few trips with them.  I know I would have a ball.

When it was time for the concert to start, David came into the sound booth and said, ‘Well, we’re having a concert”.  Each artist sang like there were a thousand people there.  We laughed, cried, clapped and worshiped. Even though the crowd was small, we received the full two hour concert. 

They are planning another benefit concert for the Fergusons in a bigger venue.  Will I be there?  If it is at all possible.

ARTISTS:  

Casey Rivers:  2006 2nd place Nashville Star:  Casey Rivers: Facebook

Grant Cook:  Grant Cook: Facebook

Kallee Rhodes:  Kallee Rhodes: Facebook

Melinda McFarlin:  Mcfarlin & Mabry: Facebook

Richard Mabry

Mike Huff 
Jamie Lynn Flanakin

Kudos to every one of them.  

Confession

It’s hard to believe Christmas is just a few weeks away and it’s time for our annual shopping trip (we don’t do Black Friday).  Of course, like most of our shopping trips, my main objective will be lunch and laughing—a lot.  But I will be looking because I haven’t picked anything up yet (yes, I’m running late). 

I must confess it has been years since I have spent a lot of money on the kids’ Christmas gifts.  I rarely go into the main toy section.  I love my great nieces and nephews but they have huge families and usually make out like bandits. 

In recent years, it has been my mission to find junk—that preferably makes noise—which will last a few months, give the recipient a lot of joy but not be missed when it breaks (or the batteries run out).  A couple of years ago, all the great-nephews received a cheap harmonica.  I expected them to be broken in a month or two.  Almost a year later, my nephew, Jason was fussing about his boys still playing those harmonicas.  I had to laugh.  Especially after Tasha, his wife, pointed at him and said he was the worst offender.

A month ago, I was talking to Noah (son of a friend) about Legos™.  I know my nephews loved them but they went by the wayside when they got big enough to get into sports.  I am well aware that there are people who use Legos™ to create all kinds of things.  I know there are Lego™ movies and that they have a website where you can build a Lego™ world. 

Still… I was in for culture shock.   Noah is addicted to Legos™.  He was on the lego.cuusso website looking at Lego™ projects that individuals have designed and uploaded.  The designs with 10,000 likes are reviewed quarterly and one will be considered for production by Lego™.  When you ‘like’ a project, they asked three questions:  why do you like it, what would you pay for it and how many would you buy.  When I saw the price Noah said he would pay for the ones he supported… Yeah! culture shock. 

Definitely made me leery of the main toy section.  So while everyone else is shopping for that one gift, I’ll be over in the junk section picking up the noisiest things I can find. 

Nothing like the look on the parents’ faces when my gifts are opened.