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“Enter his gate with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise!  Give thanks to him; bless his name.  For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.”                  Psalm 100:4

This past week, our youngest grandson, Reese, was the turkey in the first grade Thanksgiving play at his school.  The part of the turkey can be a risky one since you are the focus of dinner on this special day.  This play has a different twist, because the turkey came to dinner thinking he was a guest.  He was so excited to be included in the festivities and was surprised when the cook showed up with an ax.  As she made her way over to my little turkey, he fainted dead away (a feat which was performed with extreme skill and much ham).  All ended well with the family and friends doing the Christian thing and letting the turkey join them for their meal of pork!  The little pigs in the play were not so lucky.

This year as I contemplate the family gathering together to celebrate, overeat, laugh, hug, and give thanks, I am keenly aware of the many blessings we enjoy.  Our blessings are varied – some small, some large, some important – but they are each worthy of praise and thanksgiving to God for His love and faithfulness.

As we gather around the table to offer our thanks, it is important to give God the thanks in all things.  God blesses us at different times through different people in different ways.  He is the source of each blessing we enjoy.

“If the only prayer you said in your life was “thank you”that would suffice.”   Meister Eckhart

Happy Thanksgiving!

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19

There are two definitions of the word, “recovery”.  The first is, “a return to normal health, mind, or state.”  The second and less used is, “the process of regaining possession or control of something lost or stolen.”  The first one is what usually comes to my mind when I hear this word, but lately I have become well acquainted with the second.

I have been in the process of “recovering” my password for certain accounts.  Evidently, these days, you cannot present yourself in person, show YOUR driver’s license with YOUR picture on it, present a credit card with YOUR name on it, or give YOUR blood in order to be given your own password.  You must endure the process of “recovery” which is done at the discretion of your phone and account carrier.  I have actually survived two weeks without my phone contacts, messenger, Facebook, and other apps while waiting on the recovery.

While in the midst of this situation, our Georgia Bulldogs lost terribly to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, and we have had to try and “recover” from this heartbreaking loss.

This is so trivial when compared to the “other” recovery – the one people face every day.  The recovery from cancer, the recovery from the loss of a loved one, the recovery from substance abuse, the recovery from surgery, the recovery from a broken heart, the recovery from a divorce, or the recovery from storms whether weather related or life related.  There is no timeline for these things to heal or the problem to be resolved.

In life’s recoveries, we must rely on Jesus to meet our needs and help us begin the recovery process.  Jesus helps us by bringing us peace in order to focus and feel self assured during our recovery.  He also comforts us when we feel like giving up, and He sends His spirit to lift us up during moments of despair.  The best thing is that He surrounds us with His love so we never feel that we are recovering alone.  “I am not what I have done, I am what I have over come.”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold the new has come!”  Corinthians 5:17

We are praying for a full recovery for Grace.

“Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”  2 Chronicles 1:7

One of the first lessons I learned as a minister’s wife was that when you appear at any kind of gathering, people expect you to be able to pray!  After my initial experience with that, I realized quickly that public prayer is not my gift.  I quietly began to let folks know that although, I married a minister, I was not trained in the ministry and didn’t like to do prayers in public!  I’m not proud of that fact, but I am smart enough to admit to things that cause me stress and thus, I prefer to offer my prayers to God in a private environment.

I have adapted my method of praying – first by enveloping myself in quiet while attempting to create a worshipful atmosphere.  I think of what He can do, how He loves His children, and my place in His world.  As I pray for others and myself, I expect great things!  Our prayers are God’s opportunities.

While that is my method, I know many people who are gifted in the power of public prayer.  My sister, Kathy, prays the most beautiful prayers I have ever heard – then there’s my grand boys, Cindi, Tom, Will, and Jeanne -just to name a few.  These are a few of the folks that I see as praying not only boldly, but with divine confidence.  They, along with many others, seek to prove the greatness of their God.  They expect the unexpected beyond all that we can ask or think!

Thursday I witnessed a most unusual, but touching sight.  Tom, my friend in my water aerobics class, had four men in the pool in a circle, holding hands, and he was praying right there!!  I was first stunned, then in awe, then, very humbled and proud.  When they finished, I first asked, “What’s wrong?”  Tom laughed, then he said, “Well, you know, it’s just time to give God some thanks for all the ways He helps us in our time of need.  Joe’s wife has Alzheimer’s, but he has found a place where she is comfortable and has loving care.  We’ve been expecting that miracle!  God is good!”  Wow, yes He is!

Prayer is so powerful, and we should never cease to use it for good!  A quote by J. C. Ryles proclaims, “We should never open our lips in prayer without blessing God for that free grace by which we lives, and for that loving kindness which endures forever.” Amen.

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised.”  Hebrews 10:36

In 1977, Randy and I were serving in the small community of Newborn, Ga. which is about 18 miles from Covington.  Newborn had one gas station, a blinking light, and a post office.  We had to make the 36+ mile round trip to Covington every time we bought groceries, wanted to eat out, or needed to see a doctor.

It was about this time, when Randy decided that we needed a car which was economical and used less gas.  I had a perfectly good car that ran great, looked nice outside and inside, and we owned it!  Despite this, he found an old, ugly VW hatchback in the shop of a mechanic, and he decided to buy it with the money we made from selling my car!!  The VW itself was ugly, dirty, and generally awful, but its major flaw was that it contained no engine!  No, when we raised the hood, it was empty under there.  The mechanic assured Randy that he could build us an engine and the car would be as good as new!  That was a lie!

The mechanic rebuilt the engine, but he used old parts, inferior products, and cut every corner on assembly.  A good engine is essential to a car – without it, you have no power, no energy, no speed, and no strength or endurance.  Needless to say, the car was never reliable, and it spent more time in the shop than it did on the road.  I can still feel a shudder when I think of that car!!

I began to equate this engine with the heart of a Christian.  If you fill your heart with unkind thoughts, inferior actions, and cut corners in service to God, then your faith is unreliable.  You don’t have the endurance necessary to finish your walk.  We have to put the best things into our hearts to be able to keep up with the evil that we face every day.  Sometimes it’s good to give our souls a strength, endurance and power check just like mechanics do for our cars.

The best day for us was when we sold that car!  The best day for me is when I check in on my soul!

“Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”  Luke 6:31

Years ago there was a popular acronym, WWJD, which stood for What Would Jesus Do.  People wore this on bracelets, wrist bands, and would quote it in situations.  It always made me stop and think when situations that required Christ like decisions would arise.

This past week, I was the victim of an email hacker.  This is probably a minor glitch for people who are techno savvy, but for me, it was a major issue.  “Just change your password” seems so simple, but in the midst of hysteria, it is really not!  The worst part was that I felt guilty for alarming folks with something that was really beyond my control.  The best part was that I got to hear from friends and family that I haven’t heard from in a while.

The email that was sent out in my name, told folks that I was in “urgent need of help and to kindly reach out to me as soon as possible”.  The many people who called, texted, or emailed exemplified to me the WWJD mentality that was so prevalent years ago.  They thought a friend might be in need or hurting, and they reached out to see if there was anything they could do.  I was overwhelmed at the caring folks with whom I corresponded.  Several times I heard or read, “Whatever you need, I am here to help.”  It showed me that that feeling is still alive and well in our culture.

These folks were thinking like Jesus and His followers would think when someone they knew and loved was hurting or in need.   I am so grateful for friends who care, and I pray that I would do the same if the situation arises.

WWJD?  I think He would want us to emulate Him in all of our conflict and moral dilemmas. “Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him.  By this we know that we are one in Him.”  I John 2:5

“A friend is what the heart needs all the time.”  Henry Van Dyke

“There is only one way to see things until someone shows us how to look at them with different eyes.”  Pablo Picasso

Recently, I spoke with an instructor in my exercise class about a very interesting tatoo he has on the inside of his arm.  It is a huge eye with different colors.  As we talked about it, he told me about its origin.  It seems that his son has Asperger’s Syndrome, and he talked about how hard it is for others to see the world as his son sees it.

Asperger’s is a form of Autism, and although it has several characteristics, inability to interact socially, repetitive behavior, and limited interests are a few.  Usually a person with this condition is very high functioning with intelligence reaching a whole different spectrum. The movie, A Beautiful Mind  comes to my mind as an example of such a person.  This is the case with “Bob’s” son.

During my years in the classroom, several of us teachers had occasion to teach a few of these special children, but at that time, research had just begun to study the condition and its implications.  We loved them, but we couldn’t always see the world through their eyes, so I empathize with “Bob” and his struggle.

“Bob” talked about how difficult his son’s childhood years had been, and he admitted that it had taken years for him to deal with his son’s condition.  His son is now 22, living on his own, and successful with his life.  “Bob” lamented the fact that he had not known how to accept his son and see the world through his eyes.  The tattoo is his way of letting everyone know that just because someone acts or looks differently does not mean they are not worthy of your love and respect.  They can show you a whole new world if you take the time to listen.  He says he loves for people to notice his tattoo so he can tell his story and how he celebrates his son and the world through his eyes.

As I pondered this, I thought about the many times I wear a cross.  This symbol should be a sign to all who see it that Christ sees each of us and our value.  I pray that each of us can look at each other with different eyes as we incorporate compassion and love.

“For God sees not as man sees, for men looketh on the outside appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”                                             I Samuel 16:7

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Psalm 119:.105

“Even if our path in life is rocky, rough and uneven, it doesn’t take away the grandeur and beauty that awaits us at every step along the way.”  Judy Belmont

We recently returned from a trip to Sedona!  This place was on my bucketlist, and although I was skeptical that any place could be so beautiful, I was overwhelmed to actually see it!  The Red Rocks are a wonder, and the beauty is surpassed only by the peacefulness they generate in your mind and soul.

Although we were expecting to do a little walking- maybe a short hike, this kind of hiking was not in my agenda.  The trails are rocky, winding, and steep.  Each step must be carefully taken as the trails are also narrow, and the drop off is significant!!

A guide went before us on one of the hikes, and attacked the hike with confidence, familiarity, and gusto!  I, on the other hand, found myself concentrating on each step because I did not possess these same qualities.  He skillfully led us while pointing out steep places and critter point sightings as we slowly but purposely followed him up the mountain.  We didn’t know we were climbing to the top!  What a reward to see the grandeur below!

As I thought about this experience, I suddenly realized the wisdom of our guide.  He knew we would be hesitant to follow, he knew we would encounter some rough patches, he knew the way would be steep, but he also knew the grandeur and beauty which awaited us!  I think that’s the way God looks at our paths here on earth.  He knows the trials we will face, the problems that will arise, but if we follow Him, he also knows the crown which awaits when we reach the top!!

“Don’t confuse your path with your destination.  The path may be rocky now, but it is going to lead you to amazing places.”  Lessons Learned

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”  Proverbs 16:24

There are few things I like better than honey, and I especially love Bit-O-Honey candy chews! This year as Randy and I have visited churches in the area, I was fortunate to attend a service where the minister passed out Bit-O- Honey chews as a “take away”.  YUM – I will never forget that message!!

The scripture above equates gracious words to honey for the soul, and it is so true!  As a teacher, the golden rule of parent conferences was, “Say three positive things about the child before you mention any of the negative things you might be dying to say.”  Keeping this rule in mind, most teachers always try to speak graciously of children in their class which usually leads the parents to be more open to any suggestions. This is not always easy – I know, I’ve been on both sides of the table as a parent and a teacher.

This same rule should go for coaches, parents, friends, enemies, and everyone in between.  It’s just as easy to speak gracious words as it is to speak hurtful ones or words spoken in anger. There is a huge power in words and the way they are spoken.  John Maxwell said, “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”

I don’t know a single person who can’t benefit from hearing gracious words about themselves, their career, or their children.  “Have you lost weight?” is one of my favorites!  I also love, “Your grandchildren are so handsome!” – “Retirement is agreeing with you!” – “We miss you so much!” – “Good job!” – “It was great to see you!”  – “We love you!” -just to name a few!  The old saying is so true, “You can catch more flies with honey.”  Bit-O-Honeys” are a great way to remember!!

The Bible says that Jesus will recognize us for our love for each other.  I would think He would also recognize gracious words spoken to each other!

“Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”  John 7:24

I take an aqua fit class almost every day, and the people in that class have become friends as well as acquaintances.  We tend to habitually group ourselves into our own end of the pool, and although, we welcome new people, sometimes we scrutinize them as well.

Enter “Don”, a strange gentleman who kept to himself, never spoke to others, and chewed gum like crazy!  We began to wonder if there was something wrong with him mentally – maybe the effects of a stroke, or a social disorder of some kind.  He was a loner in a “sea” of conversation and activity.  In the beginning I said “hello” everyday, but he only nodded his head in reply, so I quit speaking.

Slowly, he began to smile at us, say good morning, and eventually say a few words.  He must have talked to someone because he knew my name, Randy’s name, and our church background.  He began to ask me to ask Randy for his opinion on some Biblical questions.  I reported the answers during class, he nodded his head, and gave me the next question.

Last week during class, I watched as “Don” got out of the water, sat on the steps for a few minutes, then left to go to the dressing room.  No one went to see about him, and in a few minutes I saw him leave the club.  I couldn’t get the incident out of my mind.

He came back two days later, and while he was sitting on the steps of the pool, I went over and sat down beside him.  I asked, “When you left the other day, were you sick?”  He thought for minute, and then said, “I have cancer.  I take a shot every three months as treatment, but the side effects are brutal.  I have hot flashes, dizzy spells, and deep depression.  The other day, I was having a dizzy spell and needed to sit until it passed.” Then, he said, “Thank you for asking.”

In that moment, I knew that I had horribly misjudged another person.  I labeled him “strange” and “weird”, but he was really just a person dealing with his own problems in his own way.  Many of the “strange” days were depression days.  I did exactly what we as Christians are taught not to do. I had formed an opinion without bothering to know the person.  This was a Godly reminder for me!

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”             Harper Lee

“It is in the pauses – the rests, the spaces in between – that meaning is made and that holiness is felt.”  Rabbi Evan Moffic

Nowadays we keep so busy there’s hardly a pause or space in our day. Moffic says that “that’s not the way God created us or the world.  God worked, then rested.  God created, then paused…thus our Sabbath is the day when we can marvel at the beauty of the world God created.  It is the day we enjoy what the ancient sages called ‘a taste of heaven’.  It is a day when we stop thinking about the what of life and remind ourselves of the why of life.”

In years past, Sunday or the Sabbath, was set aside for worship, rest, and family time.  It was a day when stores were closed, people dressed up for church, and the atmosphere was restful and relaxed – a chance to pause and reflect.  It was a little “taste of heaven”.

Now, I see little league teams practicing first thing on Sunday morning, sports take center stage, stores are open every day, and people drop into church on their way somewhere else.  Sunday or the Sabbath is just another day.  We are missing that “taste of heaven.”

This year is the 16th anniversary of 911.  I remember exactly where I was when that tragedy occurred, and the sense of helplessness I felt.  As Americans, we paused that day and in the days immediately following to honor those who lost their lives in the towers, in the plane crash, and those brave emergency respondents.  We, as a church and people everywhere came together to pause and pray to ask God’s blessings and intervention in this tragedy. We needed a little “taste of heaven.”

These past two weeks, we have paused and waited  helplessly to see the damage Harvey and Irma would invoke on the country.  We’ve taken a pause from our political differences and drawn together to pray for and support those who have lost so much in these natural disasters.  When we pause to come to the aid of another, we experience that “taste of heaven.”

As we pause to remember 911 and continue to pray for the victims of the storm, God is working in His world.  Sometimes God does His greatest work during the pauses of our life.

Isaiah 29:9  “Pause and wonder.”