Another Beach Story

I just bought a necklace. Those who know me are not surprised. I love sparkly jewelry. At this year’s beach trip my sister gave me a koozie for my Diet Cokes that says, “Easily distracted by shiny objects.” And I am. I got this necklace, however, to remind me of a little bird family that lived under the top deck of our beach house. It doesn't hurt that the necklace is sparkly though.

Shortly after we arrived at the beach and began enjoying the first floor deck we noticed a squeaky racket that came from the corner of the deck above us. It was a little bird family and the mother and father kept going in and out with food for the baby squeakers. The mother stayed until the father came back with food. Then she left and the father stayed until she came back with food. The nest was well hidden. We tried to see it but couldn't. And well protected. The dogs, though interested at first, finally gave up chasing the parent birds. The babies were safe and sheltered.

Anyway, this led me to Psalm 91:4.

He will cover you with His feathers 

and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield of protection for you 

and a wall of defense.

(This whole part is related the bird family.) I am sheltered and hidden in the care of my God. I can trust in His care for me. He will give me what I need and protect me from anything that will bring me harm. He will surround and cover me with His feathers to keep me safe. If I stay under His wings I will be sheltered and have a secure sanctuary.

At the beach I was feeling a little vulnerable and alone. (Ever feel like that even among family?) I was approaching what would be a wedding anniversary but without my husband. Of course this is bittersweet. I was a little sensitive about some things and I’m afraid I took it out on my family. I was close to tears many times. Alone, alone. But God used the little birds to remind me that I’m not alone. I’m not vulnerable to the elements of this world. I’m covered by the wings of the almighty God. Covered, covered.

My necklace has a pendant of two wings that come together at the bottom tips to form a heart. This is a symbol and a reminder that I’m well protected, loved, and never alone. He will cover me with His feathers and under His wings I have refuge. His faithfulness to me is a shield of protection and a wall of defense around me.

                          Just another beach story 

                But it has given me a new outlook on life.

               And the wonderful news is that there is room 

                         under His wings for you too!

Not A Working Fireplace

The “fam” went on vacation. We all converged on a three story 5 bedroom 5 bath beach house. It was fully loaded with Coastal Living inspired décor.  It had every amenity you could possibly think of. Ah…..except for one. There was a sign on the mantle that said, “Not a working fireplace.” Now, granted, we didn't need a fireplace in May but it still was obvious that it was not available at all.  I could not ignore the lack of a working fireplace because all of the living room furniture was crowded around it. It was the focal point of the room and it was not working.

 It was like what I was reading in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 in my Bible study

                                                     

                                                   Do not quench the Spirit.

                          Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.                          

Do not extinguish the Spirit.
  Don't put out the Spirit's fire.

Paul says that the part of God in you, the Holy Spirit, can be extinguished or put out like a fire is extinguished. Oh the Holy Spirit is still in you. He’s just not working in you or through you. 

When you purposefully ignore God’s word and prompting in your heart then you have just created a nonworking fireplace. And it’s obvious to those around you that your focal point, Jesus, has been ignored.

We sat around all week when we were inside staring at the sign “Not a working fireplace.”  And we knew it was no use counting on that as a help in any way.

Just like when we have extinguished the Spirit’s power in us. There is no use in counting on us to be of any use for God and His work. And people will notice when the Holy Spirit has been stifled in you.  You might as well wear a sign that says, “Not a working Christian.”

Paul’s warning to us is to keep the fire burning.

Keeps the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through you.

Keep listening for and following God’s plan for your life.

Be a working fireplace.

Children of the Light

Hey, I learned a new vocab word this week – metonymy (mi-ton’-uh-mee). I’m always up for improving my vocabulary and this was a new word I had never heard before.  It means a figure of speech in which its attribute is given as the name of something. It came up in my Bible study in 1 Thessalonians 5:5

You are all Children of the light

My commentary said that “light” was a metonymy for Christ. So you know me, I had to find out what a metonymy was.

Light (His attribute) was used as the name for our Messiah Jesus Christ in:

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come.

John 3:19 Light has come into the world.

Then Jesus clarified by saying:

John 12:46 I am the light that has come into the world 

so that everyone who believes in me will not live in the dark.

OK, I know this is sounding like a Bible school lesson but what can you expect from a former teacher? And there’s more…..

The Greek word used by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:5 for light is “photos.” Yes, we still use that word for the pictures from our camera. Our camera photos were first formed by use of light. This Greek word,” photos, “means the source of light, illumination, and radiant energy. And that is the attribute that describes Jesus.

He is the source of light in our life.

He illuminates God the Father so we can know and understand Him better.

He is the radiant energy from God that produces light in us.

He is light.

If we believe in Jesus and are following Him as our Lord then we are His children and possess His light. We are children of Light.

So if you see me and I say, “Hey, come here you child of light you,” you’ll understand the metonymy. (How’s that for using my new vocabulary word?) Bible lesson over.

We are children of the light.

Always Wear Your Invisible Tiara

First grade teachers are some of my favorite people in the world. They can improvise at a moment’s notice. I was subbing half day for a first grade teacher and she was handing the class off to me. I said, “Before you go, Mrs. Morrison, will you let me wear your invisible teacher tiara so that I can teach like you?” Without a falter she reached up on her head pretended to remove her tiara and put it on my head. She put her hands on my shoulders and said, “Now I am officially giving the class to you.” The kids were in awe.

Later as I took some first graders from the three classes to music, one little girl said, “Do you still have on your invisible tiara?” A child from another class said, “Ha, there is no such thing!” This little girl replied, “Yes, there is because I saw Mrs. Morrison put it on her head.”

As Christian women we should be wearing our invisible tiaras all of the time. It is a crown of joy.

Isaiah 35:10 and 51:11 say, “They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. ... 

Then in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 Paul says (I like to think he might have been referring back to the Isaiah passage, maybe) “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.”

He called the Philippians his joy and crown too.

When people see me, am I wearing my invisible crown of joy? Do I spread the joy of the Lord? Do I inspire gladness? Do people see the hope of Jesus’ return in my actions and life?

I fear that sometimes my tiara slips a little or just isn't there. I mope around sometimes if things don’t go according to my plan. I let people see my grouchiness in all its glory at times. No tiara. No crown. No joy. Not good.  

Of all people, we Christians should portray the happiness and hope of a future with our Lord Jesus Christ. Hope for happiness is what people want to possess and we have that. We need to show that everywhere we go. We need to own it, wear it, and give it.  

So it’s time to hold our heads up ladies. Wear our crowns of joy proudly. Be joyful around our family, co-workers, and friends. Point others to Jesus, our hope and victory. Be ready to glory in His presence when He comes.

Psst….remind me of this when you see my tiara slipping.

Christian women rejoice!

Always wear your invisible tiara.

What is in a Name? (Again*)

*I used this title before and wrote about the meaning of some of the names of God.  I guess this is like a part 2 or a “and then there’s more” addition.  You might want to go back and read the first one. I did. I didn't remember that I had used this title before.  It was last year about this time (4/19/13.) I just had to laugh at the coincidence or the full circleness of this.

This is one of my favorite Shakespeare lines in Romeo and Juliet. “For what is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” That means no matter what you call someone it’s their character for which they are known. Someone’s character and reputation is what comes first to mind when a familiar name is mentioned.

We call ourselves Christians and Christ’s character and reputation is represented in our name. Wow, have you ever realized the tremendous responsibility that involves?  I have been confronted with my accountability to bear this name well this week. I fear that I have often taken calling myself a Christian for granted and not realized the responsibility it involves. In my Bible study I ran across a verse that shined a light on my callousness.

2 Thessalonians 1:12 Then the name, character, and reputation of our Lord Jesus will be honored by the way you live, and you will be honored along with Him. This is made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

The way I live is supposed to honor Christ’s character and reputation. My daily conduct is supposed to represent Christ’s personality and nature.  If it does I honor Him. If it doesn't, well, maybe I should rethink my name.

 Did I ever realize my responsibly when I tell others I am a Christian?  Then they can look at the way I’m acting and judge whether those are the actions and character of God or not.  If they are not a Christian then I am a representation of Jesus to them. That is “heavy dude” and quite a weight to wear.

In the sunny southern Bible belt I have just assumed that saying I was a Christian was a simple and easy way to describe my religious choice. I thought it only defined my relationship with God.  But in reality, my life is supposed to be a description or definition of God. A definition of His love. A definition of His power. A definition of His forgiveness and salvation. A definition of His mercy (not giving a deserved punishment.) A definition of His grace (giving a payment, forgiveness, gift, or blessing not deserved.)   

  

Am I showing by my life that God is:

my Creator

my Owner

my Life giver

my Authority

my Master

my Savior

my Messiah

my King

my Forgiver

Mercy and Grace for me

the Lover of my soul

?

I am a Christian. It’s all in my name.

Super Superlatives

Always be joyful.  Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 A superlative is a grammar adjective or adverb word that expresses the highest degree of comparison. With superlatives there is no middle ground, no sometimes, no maybe. It’s always, never, and all.

My niece just got married and she and her new husband wrote their own vows. They are entering this covenant with joy, excitement, and high hopes for the happily ever after future. Hey, this couple is not unusual. We all enter the marriage relationship that way. They were throwing out superlatives in their vows right and left. I heard the always, nevers, best, mosts, and unconditionals. And there is nothing wrong with that. I think they were wonderful goal promises. They want their relationship to meet these goals. Will they always be able to fulfill their promises? Probably not. They are not perfect. And the witnesses of their promises were not perfect either. We sat there and wished and prayed the best for those two lovely Christians.

Is it wrong for them to have promised in superlatives that cannot always be kept? I don’t think so. Paul threw out some super superlatives to the church in Thessalonica and to us as Christians. Did he think we could always keep them? Probably not. Were they supposed to be our daily goals? Oh, most assuredly so.

This is the preference and desire of God for us. We are to approach all of the circumstances in our life with joy, prayer, and thankfulness. All the circumstances? Yes, all of them. We are supposed to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful. There is no middle ground, no sometimes, and no maybe. Joy, prayer, and thanks are supposed to be the first place our minds and hearts go to every time we come in contact with something new. We are supposed to continue in our relationship with our Heavenly Father with these character qualities as part of our habitual repertoire.

Does God think we can do this by ourselves? No. That is why Paul finished these commands from God with “in Christ Jesus.” We are to reach the point that we know these character qualities come to us through Christ. We rely on Him to show us, give us, and teach us how to be joyful, how to pray, how to be thankful, and how to live that way continually.

I’m like my newlywed niece and new nephew. Maybe you are too. I’m ready to continue my covenant relationship with my God with happiness and high hope for a happily ever after future in heaven.

My daily goals as a Christian:

1.    Always be joyful.

2.    Never stop praying.

3.    Be thankful in all circumstances.

And here is the super superlative from God:

This happens in my life always in Christ Jesus.

I’m On His Team - Election

Fortunately, I grew up in a neighborhood with lots of kids. We had pickup games all the time; dodge ball, kickball, softball, red rover …you name it, we played it. The two oldest boys in the neighborhood, Mike and Jimmy, were always the captains. And then we lined up and they picked. Mike used to pick me first. He liked me. I don’t know why. I’m not athletic. I didn't help his team. He picked me out of the group just because he wanted too.

When I was studying 1 Thessalonians I thought about this concept of selection to be on a team.  Chapter one and verse 4 says,

“We know dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you.”

1.       We know – We understand.  We have realized. We see God’s love for us every day, all the time, and in every circumstance.  It is that obvious and undeniable.

2.       God loves you – This is the agape love. It means that this is a love that is unconditional and all consuming. It’s amazing to think about this love given to us that we don’t deserve.

3.       He has chosen you – This is the Greek word “ekloge.” And it has a wonderful meaning. It signifies that He took us out of and put us into. God selected you and me.  He personally picked us. We weren't the best ones out there. In fact we sinned so much that, really, there wasn't any reason that He should pick us. But He did. He took us out of that sinful place and put us into His own family.

Thank you, Mike, for long ago showing me a little about God’s election.

When we were lined up with all the people out there,

God picked us.

We don’t know exactly why.

We don’t really deserve to be selected.

But out of His great love,

He chose us.

Now, we don’t need to get all proud of ourselves.

We didn't do anything to stand out in the crowd.

He just picked us.

Amazing love, how can it be, that You, my God, should have picked me?

I’m on His team.

Are you?