Pancakes and Piper

Pancake [ pan-keyk ]

noun

a thin, flat cake of batter fried on both sides on a griddle or in a frying pan; griddlecake or flapjack.   (Dictionary.com)

As I strolled into our walk-in closet this morning to grab a shirt, I looked to my left at the two wardrobe boxes that have most of Piper’s clothes in them and then glanced up at a couple of her sweaters and jackets on the rack that she frequently wore.  Without thinking I reached out and took an arm of her favorite long waisted, hooded, white wool sweater and gently brought it to my left cheek.  I savored its soft touch for a moment and thought about the countless times she wore it over the years. 

If I am not mistaken, I went shopping for that sweater while accompanied by two of the youth from our first youth group at a store in the Coddingtown Mall in our hometown around 1977!  Needless to say… she had that sweater… which is STILL in great condition, I might add… for many years!

When I finally let go of the arm, I paused and thought of what I wouldn’t give to see her walking around in that sweater again.  Then I quickly imagined her walking in behind me right then and there saying, “Good morning Jim!  Let’s go get breakfast… in fact… I’ll make you some pancakes!”  She knew I loved pancakes and could eat them almost daily… so to dream of her saying that would not be much of a stretch!  With that thought fresh in my mind, I grabbed a T-shirt, slipped it on and began to step out of the closet… only to have to stop again when I remembered a funny moment around the subject of pancakes and Piper.

Saturday mornings were always kind of a special time around our house when the kids were growing up and it seems like I very often times made pancakes or waffles for the family on that day.  I sort-of considered myself the Pancake King and also made them whenever we went camping.  But on one particular Saturday, Piper insisted on being the chef of the skillet!  And like she normally did, she turned it into a teaching moment and soon had the kids surrounding her as she explained the step by step process. 

After a while I noticed that she kept looking up to me as she described the right technique and timing once the batter was in the skillet.  Then it finally dawned on me that she was trying to teach ME TOO… ME… the Pancake King!  “What nerve!” I thought… but surely didn’t say anything… although my surprise was most likely very evident on my face!  But she was unfazed by my antics and with that cute little smile of hers that could melt my opposition in a moment, went on to explain how I usually waited too long to flip the cakes so that they ended up being a little dry.

Well, as you can imagine… I was a little huffy and puffy but finally managed to get over it… EXCEPT, you know… she was right!  And what made me laugh this morning, many years after the incident, was that I have remembered her words and her demonstration EVERY time that I have made pancakes since then!  Talk about the power of your words!  And did you know that pancakes are also a Biblical food?  Leviticus 2:5 told how to make them thousands of years ago, saying “to bring a Grain-Offering cooked on a griddle, use fine flour mixed with oil but without yeast.” (MSG)  Sounds like delicious pancakes to me… right? 

So… did I write all this just to get you all to enjoy a stack of properly cooked pancakes today… although that IS a good suggestion?  Not really, but I thought it was a good way to talk about the importance of our words and how and when we say them!  Piper could have simply gotten upset with my dried-out pancakes and told me what she thought about them, but as was her way, she carefully and sweetly chose her words as well as the timing of them.  And you know… it worked… and has positively stuck with me for years!

In speaking of the Holy Spirit, John 16:13 states that “…He won't speak on his own. He will speak what he hears and will tell you about things to come.” (God’s Word ©)  I think that this is a good example for all of us to follow.  To make sure that the words we speak are HIS words, spoken with HIS love and in HIS perfect timing!  I can’t tell you of all the thoughtless words that were spoken to us during the time of Piper’s illness.  Some of those really hurt and the one’s uttering them had no idea and took no responsibility for what they said.

2 Timothy 1:7 instructs us “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  To me, that spirit of love in us means that we have the ability to make sure that our spoken words are always words of love… and not some careless remark that we take no time to consider before we say it.

Have a wonderful new week and as you do, consider your words, be responsible for them and then say with me… “I am expecting my words to be a blessing to everyone I speak them to today!” 

The Heavenly AGENDA!

I was praying in the shower this morning about our current and upcoming housing situation and discovered that I did not as yet, have much peace about the Oklahoma part of the equation.  Over the last couple of days, I checked flights from here to there as one option has been to fly out while the realtor is showing this house and look for a new place there.  That plan left me with concerns of not really wanting to spend the money nor the time to do that right now, since we are on a rapidly escalating time schedule.  I could fly for free since I am the parent of a Southwest Airlines employee, but that means stand-by and opens up another can of worms…

Yesterday I went online and looked at a bunch of apartments homes in the Tulsa/Broken Arrow OK, area… but the idea of living in another apartment is something that I didn’t really want to do… even with the shortest lease possible!  On top of that, I get concerned about my big white fluffy friend who is used to living in a quiet, decent size house with a large, fenced in yard all to himself. 

So… I pondered and prayed, “What should I do Lord?  What is the best for us right now?”  And you know?  I think I got the beginnings of an answer.  After asking that question and toweling off, I started to see, in my mind’s eye, that over the years, God has always placed us in the right place, at the right time for that particular period in our lives.  As I look back at the twelve places that we have lived since getting married in 1975, I can see without a doubt, that it was the perfect place for what was going on in our lives at the time.  Sometimes our residence was rather short and at other homes into multiple years… the shortest being one year and the longest ten.

When I sat down to do my morning Bible Study, I realized that for each of those places we had specific needs and God had a specific AGENDA for us!  My thoughts immediately went to the cute little cluster house we rented after returning to California following Bible School.  It was exactly what we needed at the time as we began our harrowing journey with Piper’s health needs.  I had a new job that took me out of town for 10-12 hours a day and I needed a place for Piper that was safe for her with her deteriorating mental abilities, a place that brought us physical, mental and visual peace in the midst of the ever-increasing storm around us and a location that was close to family, doctors and shopping.

The Psalmist prayed in Psalm 88:2 “Put me on your salvation AGENDA; take notes on the trouble I'm in.”   This prayer is very similar to the prayers that we prayed before we ever took a step in just about every situation, including a move into another residence.  We always wanted to be as sure as we could that we were on the same AGENDA that God desired for us.  That little cluster home was no different… in fact, maybe even more so.  With everything we had already been through, we wanted to be certain of God’s plan.

And I’ve told the story before… how everything simply fell into place in miraculous ways!  It was so exciting in the midst of the confusion, personal pain, negative responses of others and all the other trauma associated with Piper’s changing conditions. That home with it’s beautiful park like setting, scenic lake, friendly neighbors and miles of walking paths was like the garden of Eden to us!

Once again, I saw the hand of the Lord reaching out to me this morning, reminding me of His past involvement in our lives and renewing my trust in Him for our immediate future.  So, what’s the plan?  Well… to make sure that I am part of His AGENDA and not mine or someone else’s.  Back in California we had plenty of those giving us their AGENDA for our situation, including where to live.  And to be honest… as I look back today, I can see without a doubt, that they were totally off-based and out of touch with our needs!

So, I will continue to seek Him, follow His guidance… even if it doesn’t seem to follow the secular way of thinking (or maybe because it doesn’t!)… follow His peace and then do what He says to do!  I continue to want His AGENDA for my life.  Whose AGENDA do you want and choose to follow?

Have a great weekend.  I’ve got someone coming by this afternoon to measure and sketch the floor plan of our home, have the professional stager coming by on Tuesday, the power wash guy the following week and… well, you get the idea!  Things are happening fast and after this morning’s discussion with the Father… I think I know what His AGENDA is for our living accommodations in Oklahoma!  

STAY TUNED… MORE TO COME!

Heaven Just Got Sweeter!

I may have mentioned this before, but I have a routine that I’ve been following for a few years each morning when I start my daily Bible Study.  On my note page I begin with the date and then write, “What Am I Expecting Today?”  I have discovered that this little phrase wets my appetite and fires up my faith so as to be excited about whatever the Lord has for me to learn from His Word and then do that day!

Last year, as Piper’s physical condition worsened in the natural, I added a little caveat into my start-the-day-off confession with the little word “VISION.”  So, each day I would write down and ask myself, “What VISION am I expecting today?”  Then I would jot down a pertinent scripture verse or thought concerning her healing that I felt had a special anointing for that particular day.

A few days after she passed, I had to pause when I started to write down my “What VISION am I expecting today” confession… and suddenly something special dropped into my heart and a rather large smile broke out on my face.  After the word “VISION” I added a capital “S” and underlined it.  I realized then and there, that Piper had given to me another vision for my life…   A vision of heaven!  So now I write down at least two visions that I am expecting each day with the first being “Piper rejoicing in heaven!”  And I have to admit that it has made me smile every single day since then, minus none!

Besides giving me a vision of her being completely healed and whole and rejoicing around the throne of God, it gave me a vivid hope for my eventual residence there and maybe more importantly, I discovered that with her passing, I have been totally set-free from a fear of death!

There is a song played on Sirius XM’s Southern Gospel station enLighten, performed by The Kingdom Heirs from their album “The Last Big Thing” that is entitled “Heaven Just Got Sweeter For You.”  The lyrics tell the story of the passing of a loved one “who loved Jesus too,” went to heaven and is now living free from the long bearing sickness and pain that they had endured.  But there is one part at the end of the chorus that touches my heart and literally brings me to tears every time I hear it.

The chorus goes: (it is written for the passing of a father, but of course I think of Piper…)

“Heaven just got sweeter for you,

The one you love loved Jesus too

No more suffering or pain

Now he’s in that place where all things are new

Even though you’re hurting like this

He knows you know where he is

And some day he’ll come running when you get there too

Heaven just got sweeter for you.”

It is the vivid picture of my Piper running up to me and embracing me once again, that sends through me a “joy (that is) inexpressible and full of glory!” (I Peter 1:8 NASB)

Another thought that arose in me the other day was that Piper is now in the place where there is nothing between believing and receiving from God, as there is on this earth.  When we first studied the teaching on Mark 11:24 where Jesus told His disciples concerning their walk of faith, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them,” (KJV) it literally revolutionized our faith and lit a fire in us to seek after the things of God that was never quenched in the over 40 years that followed.

Jesus told us to pray and believe (whether you see the answer or not) at the moment you pray… and the answer will eventually come.  In John chapters 12,14 & 16 Jesus tells us that the devil is now the prince of this world.  Other scriptures tell us that when Adam rebelled against the command of God in the Garden of Eden, that he turned the authority of this earth over to the great deceiver, the devil.  When a person excepts Jesus as personal Savor and Lord, the devil’s authority over them (the believer) is broken… but he (the devil) still has the ability to exert mayhem in this world (until Jesus returns) that interferes with a believer’s faith.  That mayhem or interference is the something that gets between our believing and receiving when we pray to God and take a stand of faith that is based on His Word.

But in heaven… well… the devil has absolutely no voice, no influence, no nothing!  That is why there is no sickness, sadness, poverty or any negative activity in heaven.  A believer in heaven believes and instantly receives!  And that is where Piper resides… Oh GLORY!  I can’t hardly imagine the JOY that is etched permanently on her face!

And when I get there (after I complete all that the Father has for me to do here and now), I can’t wait to be greeted by Jesus and then turn to find Piper running up to me with open arms… and you guessed it… a huge, joy-filled smile! 

I hope that the glimpse of heaven in today’s blog post gives you a giant boost as you realize that “Heaven Just Got Sweeter For You!”  Have a wonderful day as you think on what’s waiting for you in heaven, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting a sweet place in heaven that is being prepared just for me!”

Easter Candy and LOVE

So, I have to ask… How many of you woke up today with a sugar hangover after feasting yourselves on bountiful amounts of candy while you celebrated Easter with family and friends?  I will be he first to admit that I… didn’t.  In fact, I didn’t even partake of one piece of candy during the entire day… but it is not because I wouldn’t have enjoyed some… it was because I hadn’t thought that far ahead to buy some before Easter! 

As per our long-standing family tradition though, I did invite all my kids and their families to meet me at my local Walgreens this afternoon and told them that I’d buy whatever they wanted at the store’s annual ½ price candy sale!  They all thought it was a great idea… but alas, no takers, as it would probably be a bit of a big deal to travel that far from California, Oklahoma and Tennessee in order to take advantage of my offer!  Oh well… we’ll all be closer to each other next year.  We can give it another chance then!

Speaking of Easter… This was my first without Piper since I was a lad of seventeen.  I’ve been waking up around 5:30 every morning again for a week or two and yesterday was no different… except that I woke up at 4:30 instead.  But this time I decided to put it to good use, so I prayed aloud for a little over an hour and then caught a bit of restless sleep until I finally threw in the towel and got up around 7:00.

The little bit of sleep did help as I woke up with a start, in a good mood and immediately had the thought of Piper spending her first Easter in heaven.  Then it vividly struck me as I imagined what she must have seen at her first Sunrise Service there!  Once again, I was in awe and could only utter “WOW!”  And since it was still fairly early here, I was able to go out back and capture our own Easter sunrise as it broke over the eastern horizon and displayed its warm light through the lighthouse, which I had purchased for Piper a while back and placed near our little pond.

So, my first Easter without Piper started well but sort of deteriorated as the day went on.  It seemed like every time I looked up, I saw a lovely picture of her on one of the walls in the house… and every time, with every pose, those sparkling brown eyes, wide smile and joy-filled expressions captured my heart with a flood of happy and endearing memories.  

I recently came across a packet of photos taken at one of our youngest son’s birthdays and spread out of few of them on the dining room table.  One photo in particular stood out amongst the others.  There is nothing fancy about the picture.  One of our kids took the shot of Piper and I watching Jeremy open up a gift at the kitchen table.  But there was something about the look on Piper’s face that spoke volumes into my heart.  While I am sitting and looking at what Jeremy was opening, Piper was standing next to me with one hand in her skirt pocket and the other on my neck.

To me, it just captured our whole relationship.  There was a peace in the photo, with comfort and a special closeness that is only developed in couples with long standing relationships.  Yesterday, as I stood at the table, I soaked in the image of my wife and quietly heard the small-still voice of the Lord talking through my inner spirit saying… “She REALLY loved you, you know!”  And you know… I HAD to agree!  The knowledge of her love for me throughout the last eight years of her life is one of the main strengths that caused me to push through my own inner pain and physical exhaustion.  Even though she could no longer audibly express it, the glow in her eyes and the occasional faint of a smile was all I needed to confirm the infallible fact of our love.

At times like that yesterday, I continue to go back to the Apostle Paul’s prayer at the end of Ephesians 3.  In verse 19 he tells us how we will “know Christ's love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God.” (God’s Word ©)  I know that I have written of this before, but I’ll remind you again, that the word “KNOW” according to Thayer’s Greek Definitions in this particular usage describes a close and even intimate relationship and is in fact, the “Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a husband and wife.”

That was the kind of deep closeness or oneness that I saw reflected in that simple picture.  It is the type of intimately close relationship that God wants us to have with His Son and His Word.  And it is the specific kind of LOVE relationship with HIM that gave me the strength, ability, encouragement and determination to never give up as my dear wife’s condition worsened every day.

It is the SAME kind of LOVE relationship that He desires each of us to have with HIM as we face the struggles of our daily lives.  To me, it has proven time and time again to be the ONLY reliable and fool-proof method to have victory in the midst of what may look like certain defeat in our lives!  It is kind of like Jesus’ miraculous Resurrection on that Easter morning many thousand of years ago.  He conquered death and now sits on at the right hand of the Father, to help us conquer the impossible situations that we each face in our personal lives.

As for me… Well, I am sticking close to Him!  What about YOU?  It gives me great comfort and a warmth beyond measure when I think of the depth of love that Piper held for me in her heart… but when I think about it… that love can’t compare to the depth of LOVE that JESUS has for YOU and me.  Have a great new week, and as you do, think about HIS love for YOU and say with me… “I am expecting to grow daily in my personal, intimate and experiential love of Jesus!”

They Just Don't Get It!

I was watching a Democratic Presidential candidate on TV news the other day as he was making some negative comments about our Vice President, Mike Pence.  Since taking the second highest office in the United States a few years back, I have come to greatly admire and respect this man who lives his faith with integrity and honor.

As I listen to the disparaging remarks, I could only sigh with disappointment as it was pretty evident that he didn’t quite have all his facts straight.  And to make matters worse… he seemed to totally miss the point that… to any evangelical Christian listening… he was simply embarrassing himself!

After turning off the television and walking out of the room, I began to think about all the people I have known and or interacted with over the years “who just don’t get it!”  Have you ever bumped into someone like that?  It seems like there has always been at least one individual amongst all the secular places I worked, the churches we ministered in or even within our circle of friends and family!

I saw it repeatedly in good meaning folks… or at least I hope their intentions were good… throughout the years of dealing with Piper’s sickness, especially in connection with our stand of faith.  Now I see it daily whenever I tune into any political news reporting on TV.  It’s like a news event occurs and then as you flip through the various channels, each network seems to be reporting on a totally different experience than what you saw!  Many times, I’ve caught myself shaking my head and saying aloud… “Huh?  That’s not what they said or what they meant!”  or “How in the world did they come to that conclusion?”

As I meditated on this subject yesterday, I suddenly remembered a comment that Jesus had made to His disciples when a question arose as to the understanding of His parables.  In Matthew 13:16-17 Jesus stated that “Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear.  I can guarantee this truth: Many prophets and many of God's people longed to see what you see but didn't see it, to hear what you hear but didn't hear it.” (God’s Word ©)

Those verses brought a quick “Ah-Ha!” to my lips but even more understanding ensued as I looked up the meaning of a few of the words in the original Greek.  Thayer’s explains that to “see” in this particular usage means “to perceive by the senses, to feel; to discover by use, to know by experience, while to “hear” would be “to perceive the sense of what is being said.”

The idea of discovering some truth by actual usage or experience triggered the memory of a statement that I had recently read in a book about the ministry of the Pentecostal General of our faith Smith Wigglesworth in the early 1900’s.  During a convention he asked and then answered a question about the increase of our personal faith.  He taught, “How is faith received?  By acting on that which you have.  If you act on what you have, your faith will be increased.  You can never increase your faith until you act.”*

Well, that statement hit home as I considered what the Apostle James said in James 2:20 “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (EMTV)  And then in verse 22 “You see that Abraham's faith and what he did worked together. His faith was shown to be genuine by what he did.” (God’s Word ©) 

So, to me, all these verses point out a reason as to why some people “just don’t get it” especially when it comes to matters of faith.  It is because they refuse to put their faith to work in their lives.  Without faith it is difficult to see or hear the truth.  Through personal experience, I have come to see how the ever-increasing knowledge of God’s Word that is put into active use in your life, opens the door to discernment in almost every area and situation in life… both spiritual and secular.

I have interacted with individuals that have known Piper and I for most of our lives and still not know us at all.  I have had people in my secular work teams that always seemed to be at odds with everyone else because the never caught on to the program, and I’ve patiently endured ministry co-workers that just never caught onto the vision of what we were doing!

And you know?  If you’re anything like me, it’s hard to be around people like that!  So, what do you do?  Well… I’ve also discovered that many times its FEAR that inhibits people from taking action on the Word of God… especially with those who have a good knowledge of His Word.  And so, with that in mind… you LOVE ‘em past the FEAR for the Word also declares that “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…” (I John 4:18 EMTV) 

Is it easy to do that?  Emphatically NO!  Will it work… YES… when mixed with lots of patience and long suffering!   You love them so much, so continually, and so without condemnation that they begin to draw that love inside until they see HIM in the light of HIS love for them… so much so… that they’ll release their FEAR and place their trust in HIM and HIS Word.  Then they’ll be set free and enabled to begin taking baby steps of faith!  Who knows… You could be the initiator of a miracle in somebody’s life!

Have a wonderful celebration of Easter and the Resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ this Sunday.  I hope that you have a terrific and meaningful gathering and fellowship around the memory of what HE did for us, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting to love someone into taking actions of faith today… so that they can begin to get it!”


*Smith Wigglesworth, A Life Ablaze With the Power of God.  by W. Hacking, Copyright 1995 by Harrison House, Inc.  p71

DO IT!

I always find it intriguing with the different times and places in which the Lord will talk to me.  Take for instance a couple of days ago.  I was walking up to my car parked in the vast lot near our local PetSmart, lugging an 18lb bag of Purina ProPlan Adult, large breed dog food over my shoulder, when I clearly heard that very familiar small-still voice of the Lord pop a question into my head.  He asked, “Why do some people only seem to concentrate on the negative… whether it’s actually true or something they conspired without fact to back it up?”

Well… that thought sent my mind moving off in numerous directions as I tossed the bag into the back seat, started up the car and maneuvered my way through town toward home.  I quickly recalled folks who almost immediately and repeatedly over the years focused on what they considered to be the negative aspects of the horrendous situation that my wife and I were trying to wrap our heads… and more importantly, wrap our faith around as we grappled with the increasing symptoms of Alzheimer’s that was attacking her brain and body.

Then my mind zeroed in on all the times the Scribes and Pharisee’s in Jesus’ time came to Him with every kind of negative thought and attack that they could muster as He began to spread His message of love, healing and our eventual opportunity of salvation through His death, burial, resurrection and seat at the right hand of Father God. 

From there my mind went to our current political situation in America where one party regularly broadcasts and discusses while often times twisting what they consider to be the negative policies and goals of the administration currently in power… while totally ignoring all the positive effects resulting from those said policies.

Then I bounced back to the story of Adam and Even where the devil succeeded in getting mankind’s predecessors to accept and then act on his lies and negative deceptions of the truth and the positive actions of a loving God.  So, with that and many other examples running through my thoughts, I realized that a negative attitude is a part and parcel of the enemy of our soul’s successful game plan that he has employed for generations… and most likely is not about to change now!

Combating and reversing that game plan, my friends, is another simple but powerful way of living a practical faith life!  It dawned on me about the time that I got home from PetSmart, that the devil’s ways always lead to the negative, while God’s ways always lead to the positive!

And how do we combat and reverse his negative game plan?  Simple… By choosing to live a life of joy that incorporates thankfulness unto God, an abundance of His grace and an unfaltering trust in Him… that is activated on a daily basis by putting HIM and HIS Word first in everything you do… with every decision you make, every action you take and with every word you speak!  Psalm 19:8 informs us that “The instructions of the LORD are correct. They make the heart rejoice. The command of the LORD is radiant. It makes the eyes shine.” (God’s Word ©)  The Message Bible makes it even easier to understand declaring: “The life-maps of GOD are right, showing the way to joy.”

You can believe me when I say that it is a lot easier and much more constructive to be around joyful and encouraging people than those who only seek to bring you down with their negativity and fear.  I was thanking God earlier today for His blessing me with 48 years of life that were closely knit with another individual who exuded joy, happiness, holiness, an unrelenting fear of God that led to a pure heart (see Psalm 19:9) and a knack to always seem to have the right encouraging word at just the right time.

I admit… living with Piper spoiled me… and I was rather shocked when not everyone around us responded in her deepest time of need as positive as she would have, had it been them instead of her.  But you know… being positive because you are happy, joyful and trusting in Him is a simple step that many of us tend to forget when life tightens up around us.   But it is also a game ending, champion winning game plan of our Father God’s that can work for us… every time!  All we have to do is to DO IT!

Have a happy, positive and joyful week, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting to choose His JOYFUL and POSITIVE truth and attitude over any negative thing that comes my way today!”

Working At It!

Whew!  Last night was a wild whirlwind of heavy rains, thunder, lightning and tornado watches!  I was awoken around 1:00 AM with rain pelting against our bedroom window and thunder booming overhead!  So, I got up and looked out some of the windows both front and back and everything around us (ie; trees!) was still hanging in there… swaying like crazy… but staying anchored!  Which is exactly what I was “working at” by keeping my trust and peace… firmly anchored in God’s care and protection over us and the rest of our neighborhood.

I said “working at” because in the midst of the rumble, it was something that I had to stay focused on…  Especially when the severe weather alarm went off on my phone app about a half hour later warning about flash flooding in our area.  And while we live in a location that is not subject to flooding, it still got me to contemplate what else was going to hit us that night!  Things finally calmed down around 2:00 AM and I was able to fall asleep for a few hours.

After I got up for the day at 7:22 AM (I happened to glance at the clock as I swung my feet over the side!) I noticed on my phone that the National Weather Service had extended the tornado watch from 2:00 to 3:45 AM.  I kind of laughed when I read that and told the dog who was waiting patiently to go outside, that I’m glad I slept through that alert!

I always habitually pray over us and our family, our property, our neighborhood and our county every night when I go to bed.  But on night’s like last night when strong storms are highlighting the forecast, I tend to be a little more diligent and purposeful in my prayers.  Does that make sense?  It’s not that my regular prayers aren’t meaningful, but the threat of severe weather seems to warrant a bit more “oomph!” in my evening communications with the Father.

But the real test of your “oomph” or sincerity comes when the dark clouds let loose and send forth their full fury of everything they’ve got!  So, what do you do then?  Well… for me, it is always a good time to take a personal inventory and see just how much I actually trust God or not.  On many past occasions and again last night, I have sensed the Lord reminding me that I had put my trust in Him… and NOW was my time to prove it to Him… as well as to me!

So, that’s when the “working at it” comes into play!  Last night after my second round of checking out the windows, I finally laid down, clasped my hands over my chest and simply began to thank the Lord for His protection… the very protection I had prayed for when things were calm about three hours before the current storm blew in.  And even as the lightening flashed outside the window and the house shook from the boom of the closely following thunder with the rain beating on the window, I continued to focus on His lovingkindness and promises of protection!

Then the uncanny occurred.  With everything outlandish going on around us in that bedroom last night, I had a wave of His peace flow over me and then the rest was soon to follow!

So… like I’ve been known to say… “This faith stuff… this trusting in the peace, protection and love of God stuff, really works!”

I’m not sure why I wrote all this today!  It wasn’t at all what I had planned to talk about, but it just sort of came out as I sat down at my keyboard… So, it must be special for some of you who read this post today!  If you find yourself anxious, worried or overly concerned about anything in your life today, I would suggest a few moments in prayer with the Father and a look at and personal confession of Philippians 4:7-9:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition, along with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers (& sisters), as many things as are true, as many as are honorable, as many as are just, as many as are pure, as many as are lovely--if there is any virtue and if there is any praise--meditate on these things.  The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.”  (EMTV)

Then… well then… you “work at it” by continually thanking God for the peace, love and protection that He is providing for you right now… in the midst of whatever you’re going through or dealing with.

Have a great week!  I look forward to hearing about your good reports!  And in the meantime, say with me… “I am expecting God’s peace, protection and love to surround me today!”

Continue to Continue! (practical faith pt 6)

I have enjoyed these last set of blog posts as we’ve looked at many of the simple and practical ways in which we can live and grow in our personal faith.  As I was soaking in the hot stream of water beating down on my neck and shoulders in the shower this morning, I heard that small still voice of the Lord inside me giving me another important step in applying faith practically into one’s daily life.

As is my daily routine, I was confessing some scriptures concerning who the Bible says I am in Christ when I suddenly became aware that every time I began with a new verse the word “CONTINUE” would pop into my head.  So, I would pause, start over and say “I CONTINUE to…” do whatever the scripture said about me.  And then it dawned on me… with my lightening quick mind… that God was trying to tell me something important here!  He was attempting to get me to see the importance of “CONTINUING” on in one’s faith… day by day, month by month and year by year… no matter (or maybe more precisely… because of) what ever else is happening in your life.

In my last post I mentioned when I had recently been thinking about all the blessing of God in our lives over the years.  One of those blessings was the first house we ever rented that had a gazebo in the backyard over looking a creek.  And I remembered how much I enjoyed sitting under the cover of that gazebo in the morning rain while I studied my Bible.  Then it hit me… I’ve been studying the Bible every morning since way back then in 1979… and probably before that!  It is a practice that was important enough in Piper’s and my lives that we chose to and worked at CONTINUING it throughout all these years since then.

One of the most often repeated activities that we experienced in our years as Assistant Pastors in the different churches we served in over the years, was seeing new folks coming into the church all excited about the things of God and then drifting away… only, many times, to be repeated over and over again.  The two of us… especially Piper, always seemed to be drawn to the folks that looked a little needy our maybe had experienced some rough times in life. 

We would get to know them and share how our heavenly Father loves us so much that He has provided promises of blessings that touch every area of our lives.  But… that it takes commitment, determination and a strong desire to “CONTINUE” moving forward with Him… especially in the bad times that seem to get to all of us during our lives.

It was always difficult to see them experience the ups and downs of their walk.  Some left and never returned and we eventually lost contact with them, while others had their rough patches but kept returning and pressing on with Him as they began to experience and share His love and provision for them and their families.

After 10 of the 12 spies returned from scouting out the land that God had promised the children of Israel with a fear-laced negative report, God instructed Moses saying, “But because my servant Caleb has a different attitude and has wholeheartedly followed me, I'll bring him to the land he already explored. His descendants will possess it.” (God’s Word ©)  This verse makes it pretty clear why Caleb had a different attitude than his fellow spies.  God said that he “has wholeheartedly followed me…”  The Message Bible says that “he follows me passionately” while the King James declares that he “hath followed me fully.”

Dictionary.com defines “passionately” as “having, compelled by or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling.”  To me, that describes someone who is committed to CONTINUING on with the things of God… wouldn’t you say?  The word “fully” is described in the original Hebrew as “to fill, to be full of, to be accomplished in or to consecrate.” Which again, defines a dedication to CONTINUE on with God.

An interesting sideline to Caleb’s story occurred about 40 years later after Moses passed and his servant Joshua (the only other original spy that agreed with Caleb) assumed the mantle of his leadership and successfully brought the children of Israel into the Promised Land. 

As he began to divide up the land with only a few more tough battles to be fought in certain regions of the country, Caleb says “Hey!  What about me!”  Joshua 14:10-11 reports the conversation as Caleb declared: “So look at me. The LORD has kept me alive as he promised. It's been 45 years since Israel wandered in the desert when the LORD made this promise to Moses. So now look at me today. I'm 85 years old.  I'm still as fit to go to war now as I was when Moses sent me out.”  (God’s Word ©)

Caleb never failed to CONTINUE in his quest for God and His promises throughout the 45 years of wandering through the desert.  His passion for God never waned even as everyone else who started out with him and Joshua complained, fell away and died in the wilderness.

That’s the way I want to be!  How about you?  To CONTINUE on with your passion for God is another very simple but practical way to live your faith on a daily basis.  When Piper and I were going through some of the roughest moments at the beginning of our journey with the attack of Alzheimer’s on her brain, it simply came down to the decision of who or what we were going to listen to when it came to fighting that thing.  But one look at the fear in the eyes of those who disagreed with our approach in trusting God and the ugliness of the symptoms attaching themselves to Piper’s body… and we knew that we were simply to “CONTINUE” with HIM, HIS WORD and HIS directions to us, like we’d always done… and the rest is history… or I guess you could say “HIS-story!”

Have a wonderful weekend as you CONTINUE to apply these simple but practical ways to walk your faith in HIM on a daily basis.  And as you do, say with me… “I am expecting to CONTINUE on with HIM and HIS ways no matter what!”

A Different ATTITUDE (practical faith pt 5)

Today was one of those mornings that just started out weird!  Have you ever had a day begin like that?  I didn’t sleep well last night and got up on numerous occasions.  After having some strange dreams, I woke up again around 5:30 AM with a headache and proceeded to twist and turn until I finally gave up at 7:15, tossed my feet over the side of the bed, almost tripped over the dog and stumbled into the bathroom…  But after a trip outside with the pooch in tow, a hot shower, a cup of coffee and my Bible study, things began to improve.  I’m sure that the coffee helps, but there is nothing like a shot in the arm of God’s Word to energize, stabilize and lift one up in the morning!

From there I went back into the kitchen to get Fiver’s and my breakfasts ready.  I opened the freezer and took out a bag of breakfast sausage and began a search for the kitchen scissors, which for the second time this week had gone missing.  As the previous frustration that I had felt earlier in the morning began to creep back in, I stopped moving for a moment and asked the Lord where I’d left the scissors… again.  And within a flash something on the inside directed me to look on top of the refrigerator… where I set them down after slicing open the wrapping on a six pack of sparkling water that I had set up there.

And sure enough… there they were… in the exact place I found them the last time I lost them!  Well, that was enough to break the dam and I burst out laughing at my silliness and for the goodness of God Who is even concerned about the little things in our lives.

That incident got me to thinking about how good God had and continues to be in mine and Piper’s life and now with me alone.  I thought about ALL the blessings He bestowed on us in the midst of the roughest patch in our lives.  The great places we lived in over the last 11 years… okay… maybe not the duplex we lived in during the last year in Oklahoma… the medical support we had, the cars we owned, the wisdom He poured down on me in some pretty tricky situations, the new friends we made, and the finances to not only get everything Piper needed, but the best of said equipment, clothing, special diet needs, medicine and overall care.  Then I had to pause for a moment as I thought, “You know?  We expected all that…”

Does that statement sound improper, snooty, sacrilegious or prideful to you?  Well. Let me explain what I mean!  We expected God’s best for us before we ever returned home from Oklahoma.  At that time, we had absolutely no idea of what that was, but we knew that it would unfold before us as we stayed true to His Word and personal directions to us.  Let me put it another way… by the time we left Oklahoma we were power packed in the Word and could see no other alternative than God’s way for Piper’s needs.

You could say that when we hit the runway at the International Airport in Sacramento California (where our son worked)… that we had an ATTITUDE!  We had an ATTITUDE that was solely focused on God, His Word and His way.  And to be perfectly honest, anyone who tried to shift our focus from that point on… lost before they ever spoke a word!

When we drove through a nice park-like housing community not too far from either of our folks homes a few weeks later, all Piper and I could see was the blessing of God working for us.  I believe that it was on a Monday or Tuesday when we first drove through the grassy, tree lined neighborhood complete with paved walking trails that led to various picnic and play areas, a community garden as well as a quaint little lake near the recreation center with its two pools and jacuzzi… and by Friday we had signed the lease and moved in the following week.

When we looked upon our new home, all we could see was God’s hand at work.  We came, saw, prayed and moved in with the unshakable confidence and peace that “my God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 EMTV)  There were others that almost immediately saw our move with a different ATTITUDE.  While we were solely focused on the promises of God and His ability and love for us to fulfill those promises (which didn’t preclude the planning of our finances accordingly… for we believe in doing the natural part as well as the spiritual), they seemed to be overly focused on the financial arena.

But you know?  This neighborhood had it all.  Everything we needed and could have hoped for.  It was beautiful and well planned which enabled us to take daily walks and unwind from all the stress and tension that was surrounding us during those first pivotal years of Piper's sickness.  It was safe for Piper when I was at work, and we were surrounded by friendly, helpful neighbors… not to mention that the owner’s wife was a retired nurse who told me to call her if we ever needed help with Piper!

It reminded me of the Lord’s comments about His servant Caleb as the Israelites were about to enter the promised land when He stated: “But because my servant Caleb has a different attitude and has wholeheartedly followed me, I'll bring him to the land he already explored. His descendants will possess it.” (Numbers 14:24 God’s Word ©)

Joshua and Caleb secretly went into the land that God had promised their people along with 10 other spies and they all saw the same sights… But those two had a “different ATTITUDE” than the others.  All they could see was the blessings of God, His abilities, His overpowering strength and His hand at work in their lives, while the others only saw the imposing size and strength of those who inhabited the land.  Guess who made it into the promised land and who didn’t…

We’ll go a little deeper into this verse next time, but until then… Let me ask you a question: “What is your ATTITUDE?”  Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, continue to say with me… “I have an ATTITUDE of expectation in the promises of God working for me!”

PRACTICAL FAITH pt 4

I decided on Saturday that I would give the backyard a chance to dry out before I continued working on my landscaping project.  So, I took the opportunity to go through the back rooms in order to organize them before I contacted my realtor this week.  The guest room was relatively easy except for the fact that it contained most of the left-over medical equipment that we had purchased for Piper’s needs over the last year of her life.

It was a little emotional, but I got her hospital bed and some other accessories ready to be donated and then tossed out three bags of her clothes that were no longer wearable.  From there I moved onto the study.  The first order of business for this room was the mountain of paperwork that was stacked on the corner of my desk.  I had tried to keep on top of it, but with everything going on for the last… okay, okay… since we’ve been here, I was not always current with it!

Most of it was paid bills but there was also lots of information concerning Piper’s insurance policies, Medicare info, and doctor’s reports.  So, I sat on the floor, made three or four new piles next to me and then filed appropriately… either in the file cabinet or trash bin!  With that done I moved to the matching bookcases.

That was kind of fun for as you probably all know by now… Piper and I loved books and along with all my Bible School books, we accumulated quite a few other volumes over the years.  The two bookcases in the study are overflowing and its pretty evident that the new study in Oklahoma will need to be large enough to accommodate another bookcase or maybe even two!  But the real find amongst all the treasures in the cases was another notebook of Piper’s, filled with her literary gems compiled during 1997.

I really didn’t get a chance to peruse the book until yesterday morning.  I took advantage of a rare moment to sit in the quiet of the day before church, sip my coffee and think, pray and dream a little in the warmth of the room we had deemed to be our study.  We had high hopes for that little corner room painted a bright blue with white accents.  Along with the matching bookshelves, desk and file cabinets, we put our second loveseat in it and imagined a TV on the wall with ceiling stereo speakers and envisioned many enjoyable times cuddled on the couch watching a movie, sports or simply reading a good book while enjoying vibrant tunes.

But alas, as Piper’s conditioned worsened it just never happened.  In fact, we never got to spend much time in the room at all!  With Piper’s chair, it was just easier to stay in the front rooms.  But yesterday was a perfect time to enjoy the ambiance of our study!  As I leaned back in the comfortable desk chair, I took Piper’s notebook off one of the filing cabinets and began to go through it page by page.

What I discovered was another example of PRACTICAL FAITH in action.  The first section of the book contained her daily Bible study notes.  I always thought that she had very pretty handwriting and felt myself being captivated by her words.  In my imagination I could see her at the kitchen table with an open Bible, the notebook and a pen in hand.  Then I could hear the quiet “Oh!  I see!” or “Hummmmm…” quietly emitting from between her lips as she nodded her head and then began to write in the book.

I realized that back then, her daily study process included reading and mediating on certain portions of the scriptures and then writing them down in the form of a personalized confession of what she was learning.  She took the actual scripture, made it sound as if it was meant just for her and then wrote it down as if she was stating it as a personal statement of who she was according to the verse(s).  Then throughout the day, she tended to work that confession into her various conversations with others.

For me, reading that book was like looking into her personal diary!  Because, as I read the confessions, I saw who she was becoming.  Those daily confessions written from March through September of 1997 were a picture of the Piper I knew in the following years as she became who the Word says she was through her personal study and daily confession of it.  That folks, is what I would call simple but PRACTICAL FAITH in action!  Piper named our College Career group back in the early 1970’s “Faith Action.”  Who knew that it would be a prophecy of the lifestyle that she would come to be known for!

I confess… That’s the same legacy that I would like to be remembered by.  What about you?  Have a great week, and as you do, continue to confess with me… “I am fully expecting to exemplify a lifestyle of PRACTICAL FAITH in my daily activities!”