People Watching

We had to bundle up when Fiver and I went out for his first morning jaunt in the wet, 28-degree weather at 7:00 this morning!  There was a 13-mph wind coming from the north which definitely snaps one awake when stepping into the breezeway between buildings.  They were originally forecasting snow for tomorrow, but that eventually changed to what now should be a sunny day with a high of 47.  So… welcome to Oklahoma! 

Out here you’ve got to be ready for almost anything at anytime where the weather is concerned.  I look around my little apartment and I have a raincoat hanging on a chair in the dining room, my hiking shorts and a pair of jeans folded on a chair in the bedroom and a heavy vest and jacket on hooks on two different doors.  Like I said, I’m ready for anything.  All I have to do is step out on my balcony to get a feel for the day and then grab whatever item of clothing that is suitable for the moment… of course that entails having something on already when I step out on the balcony… (that was a joke…)

I was reading in I Corinthians 4:14-16 yesterday from the Message Bible and something hit a chord with me.  In this portion of scripture Paul states:

14) I'm not writing all this as a neighborhood scold just to make you feel rotten. I'm writing as a father to you, my children. I love you and want you to grow up well, not spoiled. 

15) There are a lot of people around who can't wait to tell you what you've done wrong, but there aren't many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up. It was as Jesus helped me proclaim God's Message to you that I became your father. 

16)  I'm not, you know, asking you to do anything I'm not already doing myself. 

My first thought from verses 15 & 16 was that as a father, I want to always make sure that I have enough spiritual fuel… ie; the Word, in me, to give unto my family in times of need.  That I am willing and maybe more importantly – ABLE – to draw from the reserves that I have built up in me and help others with the strength and conviction of what I am ALREADY doing in my own life.

Piper and I experienced times when those around her simply had nothing in them to give her when she needed their help the most.  I could see the pain on their faces as I am positive that they wanted to help… but had nothing in reserve to share.  I have prayed quite a bit since moving near most of our children in Oklahoma, that I always want to be in a position to help them, when and if needed.  And I’m not primarily talking about finances here, although we were blessed in the last few years to have some extra to assist in that regard.  What I am focusing in on, is the Godly counsel, wisdom, encouragement, grace, and love that can only be found between the covers of our Bibles.  I want to be ready at any time to help in any way I can.

I’ve also been asking the Lord to help me to be both Dad and MOM to our kids.  That in some way… as only He can do… to help me when needed, to channel the sweet wisdom that Piper would share with our children, if she could, if she were still here with us today.  I’ve learned a lot over the years from parents and grandparents from both Piper’s and my families.  I’ve also learned much from many of the older saints that we have had the privilege of ministering to in the various churches in which we served.  In the long run… it was probably more about them ministering to Piper and I as we spoke with them at church and in their homes and observed the way they lived their lives before us.

I want to be like all the good parts of all these wonderful saints!  I say the “good parts” as I’ve also learned from some of what I would consider the negative responses that they may have exhibited in life.  Many of my more recent lessons have come from what I saw people NOT do instead of what actually happened.  I have a hunger to learn and desire to improve myself in order to be the best man that God has called me to be.  How about you?

In many ways, I sense that God is wanting me to use this time of transition in my life since Piper’s passing, to become a better me, so that I am prepared for what He has ahead.  I don’t want to miss it… whatever it is… and whenever it comes!

What do you think?  Are you constantly learning from those around you?  Is God’s Word the ultimate source of direction for you?

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting to continue to learn and grow as I observe those around me and study God’s Word.”

Prime Time!

We made it out to Sequoyah State Park in Oklahoma, about 45 minutes away, late yesterday afternoon and it was gorgeous!  JoAnna, Jeremiah and Sarah fished while I just enjoyed myself taking pictures as I walked along the lakeside and into the camping areas.  It was all so familiar and pleasant.  The smell of campfire smoke drifting amongst the trees, the sounds of water gently lapping against the rocky shoreline and the sight of a few campers enjoying themselves near their RV’s or trailers. 

Things have changed a little since I last went camping in 2005.  I saw one couple about my age sitting in lawn chairs watching a large screen TV attached to a compartment on the outside of their camping trailer!  Who would have thought… definitely not my idea of the camping adventure! But to each his or her own, I would imagine!

I simply enjoyed the “feel” of being outside, totally surrounded by trees, a view of the big lake and the nuances of nature.  Jeremiah asked if I wanted to grab a rod and fish and I replied that I was happy as can be with my camera, snapping pictures and absorbing everything around me.  It brought back many poignant memories and at one point, I had to pull up a favorite picture of Piper on my phone, where she was standing in front of our tent and tell her (the picture that is…) that it’s very difficult for me to imagine myself camping without her perky personality brightening up the whole campsite!

Ah… but life goes on!  I was feeling especially empty on Sunday morning when I first got up but got myself encouraged when I listened to a few minutes of an old cassette of Piper preaching back in 1999.  Just hearing her voice helped to ground me and prepare me for the day ahead.

All in all, I feel like I am making good strides in this crazy new world of mine!  I am really enjoying the fellowship of the men’s group I joined at church.  There are many other opportunities for service at the church, but I felt it best to hold back until I am settled into my new home in a month or so.  The house SHOULD finally close this week and I am quite excited about settling into my new neighborhood, as well as finding some permanent settlement in my life.  Apartment living is fine… I guess!  But for me, it is very transitory and a home of our own for Fiver and I sounds sooooo sweet and comforting.

I was thinking about Piper’s tape again this morning and about that time in her life.  I truly believe that she was in her prime in the later years of the 1990’s into the beginning of the 2000’s.  I found myself repeating the rhyme as I cooked up some breakfast, that “She was in her prime in 1999!”  Psalms 144:12 in The Message tells us of the Psalmist’s prayer saying: “Make our sons in their prime like sturdy oak trees, Our daughters as shapely and bright as fields of wildflowers.”  Please don’t be offended by this… but I most definitely felt that my wife was “shapely and as bright as fields of wildflowers” for the vast majority of her life, and especially in her prime years!

That got me thinking today… “What about me?”  I sure don’t look much like I did back in 1999!  My hair has gotten thinner and most of the black has made its final exit!  But then it hit me.  I’m gonna believe that I am still in my prime in this new season of my life today! I may not look the same, but as Piper would pray in different situations with different people where we were making presentations, “Lord help them to only see and hear what they are supposed to hear and see!”  In my case… If people see only what the Lord wants them to see… then my physical looks may not really be that important!  If they are only seeing what the good Lord wants them to see… then, as far as I am concerned, I’m still in my prime for the next twenty or thirty years of my life… right?

I mean hey… Psalm 148:12 talks about: “Robust men and women in their prime, and yes, graybeards and little children.” (The Message)  I fit that description with my graybeard!  So… let’s do this new thing!  Let’s live this new season of life to the fullness of God’s robust intentions! 

What do you think about that for yourself?  Why not wake up every morning, boldly declaring that your gonna live that day with gusto, excitement and the great expectations of enjoying the robust intentions that the good Lord has planned for you to live?  I believe that yours and my PRIME has met its TIME today, tomorrow and beyond!  So, jump in and enjoy yourself!

Have a great new week, and as you do, declare with me… “I am expecting to live today like I am in my prime and enjoy being all that God has planned for me to be and do!”

Child-like-ness...

I had the honor this morning of leading the chapter discussion for the book we are reading in one of the men’s Connect Groups at my new church.  To be honest… I was a little nervous!  I hadn’t led any group in a ministry setting for many years.  But these guys are terrific!  They are REAL people.  The talk is straight forward and honest and they are very excited and hungry for God.  

That is one of the things that drew me to this church in the first place.  There is a definite sense of excitement and expectation that seems to explode with the first note of music as the praise and worship team begins the Sunday services and the anticipation builds throughout the sermon and closing prayer.  You definitely walk away from each service with an anointed bounce in your step!  Hopefully that’s the way the men left today’s meeting…

We’re reading the book “Play the Man” by Mark Batterson.  The scripture for the chapter that I was talking about today was from I Corinthians 13:11 where the Apostle Paul teaches us one of the core virtues of manhood when he declared: “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways.” 

The chapter synopsis centers around the thought that putting your childhood behind is not the act of losing our childlike sense of wonder or humor, but instead, putting away any childish self-centeredness.  When I originally read this in the book, I was reminded of a funny incident that came out of an argument (my fault!) with my wife during a very stressful time in our lives.  We had recently lost our 1^st house due to some poor decisions that I had made (that Piper, at the time, was in support of) and we were in the process of reluctantly packing up our stuff.  I don’t remember the substance of the disagreement but do recall what ensued afterwards.

Piper was leaning back against the wall in the entrance to our hallway and I was facing her, standing a few feet away.  Many of our heated discussions over the years were due to my sarcasm… and, simply said, not having the smarts to know when to shut up!  And this time was one of those occasions.  Thinking I would have the last snarky say, my words caused her to get upset and… which was unusual for her… she stomped her right foot backwards against the wall.  Well, to everyone’s surprise, her foot went right through the wall and left a gaping hole!  That was about all she could handle and she quietly turned and calmly walked into our bedroom.

Well Duh!  I knew instantly that I had blown it and followed her into our room… but not before I grabbed a pair of one of our daughter’s white tennis shoes and placed them in the hole, making it look like someone was stuck inside the wall!  After making amends with Piper, we walked backed down the hallway only to have Piper burst out in almost uncontrollable laughter over my joke with the shoes!  Like I said, after that, neither of us could remember the cause of the argument!

Piper and I always seemed to enjoy a childlike wonder and sense of adventure (and humor) during the years of our relationship.  I think it was one of the things that separated us from many within our perspective families.  Of course, working with kids, youth and singles for some 35 plus years didn’t hurt in keeping us with a youthful mental state of mind!  I mean let’s face it, as I looked across that long table this morning, it was easy to see that I was older than most of the men there.  But except for times of soreness in my knees or hips… I sure don’t feel older!

I firmly believe that God wants us to keep a sense of childlike wonder throughout our lives, no matter how old we are.  What do you think about that?  Like I asked the men this morning, are there areas in your life where you could become more CHILDLIKE and maybe less CHILDISH?

Have a good weekend.  I’ve got an invitation to go fishing with my kids and granddaughter today… talk about being child-like!  If you think about it, say with me, “I am expecting to be more and more CHILDLIKE today and less and less CHILD-ISH!”

REST!

I was standing in church on Sunday morning with my hands raised in worship during the Praise and Worship service, when I suddenly heard that all-familiar, still-small voice on the inside of me say: “REST!”  And as my focus switched from the song we were singing to that soft voice, I simply asked “What… How?”

Well, I can’t say that I received an immediate reply but I did begin to think about all the activities that I have been up to since I moved to Oklahoma on June 17^th.  Come to think of it… since way before I packed up and moved from North Carolina!  Its been kind of a busy and traumatic year for me…  I also realized that for the last few months, I have been pushing myself to do many things… most of them totally new and out of my comfort zone!

A few moments later when the Pastor began to share his sermon, I was drawn out of my rabbit-trail when he suddenly paused and thoughtfully said that there are times that “you just need to find some REST!”  And with that comment, I KNEW that God was trying to tell ME something important… ya think?

The Pastor then switched gears and went on with his next point, but I found myself thinking for the next few days, about what that repeated statement of REST was all about.  I found myself on Monday night totally bored with the movie I was watching on TV and decided to grab my laptop and do some scripture and word searches in my Bible study program.

When I searched the word “REST,” the first verses that caught my attention was when Jesus was teaching in Matthew 11:28-30 when He declared:

“Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 

Place my yoke over your shoulders, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for yourselves 

Because my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  (God’s Word ©)

I discovered a couple of interesting thoughts when I looked up the original Greek meanings to the words YOKE and REST.  According to Strong’s, a yoke represents “a balance or a pair of scales.”  That immediately gave me the picture of something that is equally balanced and steady with a firm foundation… Hummmm… not exactly the way I have felt since Piper’s homegoing.  The Biblical Illustrator says that it is descriptive of being in “The School of Christ.”  That made sense to me as I could see how being under His yoke would be like submitting to His will for my life… something I’ve been trying very hard (probably too hard) to do for the last year.

According to Strong’s, to REST in the Greek seems to be pretty much the same as in modern English.  It is referred to as being in “repose, to be exempt, to refresh.”  Thayer’s was a little more meaningful to me stating that it entails the ability to “to keep quiet and of calm and patient expectation.”  Which, once again… is something I find myself vacillating in… doing well one moment and then spiraling down into the opposite direction the next!

Sometimes I have perfect peace about where I am in life and then a little while later find that I would love to scream because I miss my Piper so much!  But God’s Word is interesting… I found myself feeling quite unsettled at seven this morning, as I walked into the bathroom to wash my face and make myself a bit presentable so that I wouldn’t scare off any neighbors with my rough appearance (I started growing out my beard again and its in the scruffy stage!) when I took the dog out… in the dark!  I’m not sure it helped though, as we met a woman walking to the dumpster and when I said “Good Morning” she simply stared at me, tossed her bag, turned and hurriedly walked away… without saying a word!

But I digress… When I stepped into the restroom, I suddenly uttered the word “REST”, spoke out what I could recall of Matthew 11:28-30, pictured His yoke perfectly balanced on my shoulders and felt, well… STEADY, PEACEFUL and BALANCED!  Kind of incredible wouldn’t you say?  My mind was still feeling a bit unsettled with my situation in life, but yet, when I focused on His Word, I was overcome with a sense of balance!  I think I even walked straighter and with more confidence!

So… I’m learning to slow down, to stop pushing myself so hard, to stop trying to be everything to everyone around me… and just quietly and restfully let the Lord be my guide... with His perfect timing!  What do you think about that?  

Does anyone reading this today feel like they are in a similar set of circumstances in life?  Well, my suggestion to you would be what the small-still voice inside of me instructed me to do… to REST in Him, to take His perfectly balanced yoke upon the shoulders of your life, enter into the school of Christ and allow Him to fill you with His REST, His peace, His joy and His directions.  Then sit back in His position of “calm and patient expectation.”  Sounds good to me… How ‘bouts you?

I know what I’m expecting today… what are you expecting?

EXCITEMENT!

If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, then you’ve probably figured out that I enjoy researching things.  When the full extent of Piper’s condition became clear to us through the brain specialist we were seeing in San Francisco back in 2010, I immediately began to hit the books reading everything that I could get my hands… or eyes on, in the case of University Research papers online, in order to learn as much as I could about Alzheimer’s.  I wanted to know exactly what we were dealing with, what we needed to stand against and what we could do to improve her mental acuity.  And to be honest, I also wanted to be able to understand her doctor’s and be able to carry on an intellectual conversation with them! 

I have tended to be a “researcher” most of my adult life.  In our children’s and youth ministries, I sought out books and articles in various ministry publications in order to seek out and find techniques, programs and music that would be the best vehicle to make the Gospel exciting to those that we were privileged to minister to.  I can’t even count all the various conferences Piper and I attended over the years with the same goal in mind!

I did a lot of research concerning all the aspects of the different states and cities that we lived in over the years as well.  I love to read about the history of the new places we visit or live, for it makes me feel more connected to the area.  Likewise, I also like to find out the “history” or background of the various Bible translations that I read.  It helps me to be more in tune to the intent of the translators as I read the way certain scriptures are spelled out.

As I read the background information on the author of The Message Bible last week, I realized that Pastor Eugene Peterson’s intent was to make the Bible not only more understandable to his congregation, but maybe more importantly, to make it exciting to them.  To hopefully stir up enough excitement and expectation in his congregation that they would be challenged to interweave the teachings of Christ into their daily lives.  And as I have begun reading through the book of Romans in The Message, I can easily see that excitement painted into almost every sentence in the book!

I’ve picked up bits and pieces of that excitement in other traditional translations that I’ve read over the years, especially with the excitement that the Apostle Paul must have felt concerning his understanding of the Gospel message.  His trademark use of double or triple adjectives in explaining certain characteristics of God to his readers is well known and loved.  It stirs me up to read about “the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe” (Ephesians 1:19 KJV), or of the “exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7 KJV), or of the “exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:19 NKJV),

I think the scripture translation that sent me over the moon with excitement over the Good News of the Gospel working in and through me was from Romans 8:15 in The Message Bible which declares: “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?"  That’s the excitement that I want brimming over from my life… Don’t you?

One of the hardest things for me to personally deal with during Piper’s ordeal was having to interact with those who had already given up on her… and in reality (I believe), had given up on God!  Instead of encouraging us with a faith-driven life that says “I’m adventurously expectant” of God working a miracle in Piper’s life, we witnessed a pretty good example of what Paul described as “a timid, grave-tending life.”  And God eventually made it clear to me that it wasn’t healthy for Piper to be around the “grave-tenders” in her desperate time of need... What she needed was life-givers!

I’ve learned through these kinds of experiences, that I want my life to extrude an excitement for God that attaches itself to those around me… to the point that they walk away from me with a new excitement for the things of God in their lives… how about you?

Get excited by getting into God’s Word… then allow it to leak out onto others!

Have a great new week, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting to have my excitement for the things of God rubbing off on others today!”

8%

I spent the last couple of days with my son-in-law helping him pull network wires for one of his client’s home entertainment system in Collinsville on Wednesday and then in Bartlesville yesterday, helping him retrieve their travel trailer from the dealer they are in the midst of a warranty dispute with.  We had many good conversations and I recalled one in particular this morning.

On the way back down from Bartlesville with the trailer in tow and heading to another RV dealer in Tulsa for an independent inspection, I was thoughtfully sharing some of my feelings concerning the care of my wife during the last eight or so years of her life.  Jeremiah never knew Piper in her healthy days, having initially met her back in 2011 or 2012 while she was still up and walking but not talking much.  I spoke of how difficult it was to see her transform from the woman I adored for all kinds of reasons, one being her striking figure and overall appearance… to one who could no longer care for herself… where I needed to care for her every physical need.

But I also notated that when I think of her today, I hardly ever remember those last years.  I only tend to remember her exuberant, beautiful and life-filled days.  When you do the math those last eight years only make up about 8% of her entire life.  We talked about how in life, it is more important to dwell on the positive rather than the negative, or in Piper’s and my case, to dwell on the 92% and not the 8%.  To let the 92% define her and her legacy and not the 8%.

As Piper and I dealt with her disease and everything it entailed, we interacted with a small segment of individuals who continually attempted to see Piper’s and my life through what they perceived as the negative parts instead of the greater majority of positives that our relationship brought into the world.  In a personal explanation of the Apostle Paul’s thoughts behind the writing of Romans 5:15-19, Eugene Peterson declared in his “Message Devotional Bible” that “Paul seems to be saying, ‘If you think things in the world are bad because of Adam, just take a look at what has gone right in the world because of Christ… open your eyes and see how much more righteousness results from Christ.’”

As I read that this morning, I thought YES!  Why dwell on the smallness of what might be wrong instead of centering your thoughts, your joy and your expectations on the greater amount of good.  Paul continues in Romans 6:4, while talking about water baptism, saying that “when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace – a new life in a new land!” (The Message)  That sure excites me!  How do you feel about it?

It especially hit home with me because I ACTUALLY am physically living in a new land out here in Oklahoma.  But in a more introspective and personal way, I believe that the Lord wants each of us to see and experience every day as the beginning of “life in a new land!”  I wake up every single morning and before I allow my feet to hit the ground declare Psalms 124:18 saying (whether I feel like it or not) that: “This is the day the LORD has made. Let's rejoice and be glad today!” (God’s Word ©) It just seems to help kickstart my day and get me going in the right direction!

In 2 Corinthians 4:16 Paul emphatically states: “So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.” 

If we look at life from this standpoint… its pretty difficult to not get excited when we grasp the reality of living “a new life in a new land…” even if you’ve lived in the same physical location for many years.  Start your day with a “New Life, New Land” mindset.  Dwell on the 92% and not on the 8%!

As far as I am concerned… I lived 48 (and as my Mother would always add when wishing anyone Happy Anniversary wishes) “GLORIOUS YEARS” with the most wonderful woman in the whole world.  I am thankful for EVERY year whether difficult on us or not, for the good years FAR surpassed the hard ones… and those good ones are the years that I use to define the beauty of our life together!

What do you dwell on?  What will you allow to define YOUR legacy?

Have a wonderful weekend, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting to allow the POSITIVE to define who I am, who I was and what legacy I will leave behind!”

Sweet Memories & Encouragement

Yesterday was a day filled with sweet memories and encouragement and I just felt led to share some of that with you today!  It all began as I was getting ready for church…

The Sirius XM Southern Gospel channel enLighten plays classic hymns on Sunday mornings.  Sometimes, like yesterday, it is just what my soul needs to start the week and prepare for the Sunday service that I’ll be attending… even if the music there is TOTALLY different than these hymns which were on the cutting edge of Christian worship across the globe in the 1700’s and extending into and beyond the early 1960’s.  I have fond memories of the look of shock on some of the faces in the congregation when a young Piper and I would occasionally sing a contemporary Christian song on a Sunday morning in the early 1970’s at the First Baptist church that Piper grew up in.  

But she was raised on the classic hymns and in the twelve or so years (before and after our wedding) that I attended that church, I grew to love and appreciate them as well.  It’s actually a bit funny in that I would find myself on many mornings singing our favorite hymns to Piper as I prepared her for the day during those final years of her life, instead of the modern songs we sang as we led and participated in countless Praise and Worship services in the 36 years following our attendance at First Baptist!


As I gathered my Bible and notebook for church, my attention was drawn to the acapella group on the radio as they began to sing:


♫ “There's a sweet sweet spirit in this place

And I know that it's the spirit of the Lord.

There are sweet expressions on each face

And I know that it's the presence of the Lord.

Sweet Holy Spirit

Sweet heavenly dove

Stay right here with us

Filling us with your love.

And for all these blessings

We lift our hearts in praise

Without a doubt we'll know

That we have been revived

When we shall leave this place...”♪        Doris Mae Akers (1923-1995).



I stopped in my tracks and had to call out, “We sang that at our wedding!”  Then as I paused there in the dining room, I sang those precious words while all the memories washed over me.  This was Piper’s favorite hymn at the time and she had requested that we sing it as a congregational song at our wedding.  She wanted the congregation’s agreement that our wedding and the ensuing years together would be led, blessed and filled with the Holy Spirit… and you know?  I think that she more than got her wish!

An hour or so later, while we were enraptured in a time of open worship as the Praise and Worship part of the service reached its crescendo at church, it suddenly felt to me that Piper was at my side and quietly grasped my right hand in her left… as we would often do at church during such times of intimate worship unto the Lord.  Then I imagined her wrapping her arms around my right arm and softly draw near to me… Now, I know that this was all in my head, but it felt so real, so natural to us, that I suddenly felt like it was just the two of us, all alone, worshipping together in that crowded auditorium.  It was a wonderful blessing to me!

Hours later, in the quiet of the afternoon after I had returned from a ride out to the new house, I sat down in my favorite living room chair to read from my brand-new Message Devotional Bible.  As I opened it up to where I had last read in the book of Romans, I glanced up to a very familiar picture of Piper that I’d taped on the side of the entertainment cabinet in view of my seat by the window.  I had taken the picture on the grounds of the Fort Ross Lodge on one of our two night “Holidays” together in the early 2000’s.  The picture to me, is one that perfectly captured the heart of my wife.  She is happy, content in our love for each other, smiling, and bundled up against the chill of the summer weather on the northern California coast.  And as became her trademark, she is wearing her bright red lipstick!

I am not sure why, but as I locked my eyes on the picture and thought of the many fun times we had together and the life we chose to live, I found myself singing another of our favorite hymns written in 1873 by a women that Piper highly admired named Fanny Crosby.  It was entitled “Blessed Assurance” and I sang:



♪ “This is my story, this is my song

Praising my savior all the day long

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my savior all the day long” ♫



Well… if truth be known, I do know why I sang it while thinking about us… for it WAS our story!  We began our story praising the Lord as we asked the Holy Spirit to be in the center of our relationship, did our best to live a life of praise unto the Lord and witnessed Piper’s last hours of life while praising Him for giving me such a wonderful women of God, to bless me for the best 48 years of my life!  In times of joy as well as in times of sorrow, our immediate response was to praise HIM and give Him all the glory.  To invite Him into any and every day, hour and minute of our lives, to do our best to seek out and follow HIS plan. 

If you recall, Ephesians 1:12 tells us that: “He planned all of this so that we who had already focused our hope on Christ would praise him and give him glory.” (God’s word ©) 


So, what’s your need today?  Are you full of joy, in a place of sorrow or just dealing with a bit of unrest?  The answer is the same… simply lift up your arms in surrender to HIM and begin to sing PRAISES to Him!  In doing so you open up the door for Him to enter into your life to bless you, to encourage you and strengthen your heart with precious memories of the good times that you’ve experienced in your past and the realization that there are more good times just around the corner!  Don’t give up, you’re on the brink of a miracle.  Let HIM be your encourager today!  


Have a great and encouraging week, and as you do, sing with me… “I m expecting the story of my life to be HIS story as I trust in Him to be my encourager today!”

STUFF!

Fall is literally blowing in outside today!  When Fiver and I took our early morning short walk this morning, the thermometer on our balcony was barely registering 40 degrees and the flag I have attached to the railing was blowing perpendicular to its pole!  I even put on one of my insulated hoodies to brave the day.  I met a lady at the trash bin as she and I had the same task in mind and we talked about the colder weather.  As she slipped back into her car, she stated without looking back: “But it sure is nice!”  To which I relied, “Yes, it is!”

Apartment living is definitely a lifestyle unto its own!  Sometimes I’ll just sit up on my balcony and watch the world unfold around me.  I’ve noticed that I am one of the few people in the whole place that actually opens up my blinds during the day.  I realize that many of the folks are off to work, but not everyone.  I can’t stand being in a dark atmosphere!  There seems to be three different kinds of people who live here.  The first are very friendly and outgoing.  That’s how I am.  If I can make eye contact with you while walking the dog or going to the car, then we’re gonna have a conversation.  And if I only get a “yeah” or “a-huh,” I am going to make it a personal challenge to break them down over time, until we become friends!  Of course, I’ve always been that way, on the job, at church and even at the stores I frequent.  I’d much rather have someone smile at me than scowl!  The other two kinds of folks are those who immediately turn and go the other way when they see someone else or those who say “Hi!” and then look away and hurriedly move on.

I’ve also learned that there is an unwritten rule here.  You don’t bug people who are in the sanctity of their outside patio.  Its almost like there is the “Cone of Silence” from the old Get Smart TV series that invisibly comes down and surrounds the space… even though you can see and hear everything going on!  Some of the first-floor patios are a mere couple of feet off the walkway, so when Fiver and I walked by we have to force ourselves to keep looking ahead.  It gets a little embarrassing for me when he stops and lifts his leg against a bush that’s right in front of someone’s patio when they are sitting there and we are both trying our best to ignore each other!  I’ve tried to say hello in the past, but some folks look right through me, like I am not even there!  So… I respect their privacy and play the game!

Most people are pretty private in and around their apartments, although I almost rolled out of my chair early yesterday morning when I glanced out the window and across the parking area to a set of apartments that run parallel to ours.  They unlike most of the others, are situated above the garages and have a separate entrance with enclosed stairs leading up to their living quarters.  Well, as I looked out, a man who’s most likely in his early sixties steps out onto his little stoop with nothing on but a pair of shorts, hair all messed up… big belly and all!  From the distance it looked like he’d just gotten up and came down to shake something off his shirt that he was holding in his hands... and this guy drives a brand new customized Lincoln Navigator... you never know!  Then there is the Japanese lady on the second floor down from me… Let’s just say that I’ve learned to keep my eyes away from glancing up to their balcony and windows whenever I’m outside… (They are one of the others who keep their blinds open!)

One thing I’ve really begun to realize lately, now that I’ve been here going on four months, is that I miss having more room, a yard and MY STUFF!  I went to my storage garage the other day with my younger daughter and just kind of stood there, longingly looking at all the STUFF we’ve collected over the years.  JoAnna had asked if they could temporarily store their crib there and as she took it out of her truck, her daughter Sarah Piper came up to me and asked where Grandma’s piano was.  So, I showed her the pile of STUFF that it sits under… well covered and somewhat insulated!

The longing desires are always stronger when I’m at the unit and looking at the STUFF.  When I’m back at the apartment it’s not too bad as I don’t SEE all the STUFF that evokes all kinds of happy memories.  I was reminded about all this during my Bible Study today when I recalled the words of the Apostle John in John 1:1-5 where he unequivocally declares to us:

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was already with God in the beginning.  Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.  He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.  The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.” (God’s Word ©) 

In thinking about my STUFF, I was reminded about how important it is for us to keep our eyes on the right things.  When Piper and I were in the midst of our horrific battle, it was basically a life and death priority for us to keep our eyes on God and the promises He was giving to us in His Word… and not on the deceitfulness of the world’s STUFF around us.  From the moment we began to step out in faith and follow what we firmly believed was God’s path for us to proceed along, the enemy of our faith stepped in using whatever and whoever he could around us to put doubt, unbelief and fear into our minds.

That fear, doubt and unbelief was simply a tactic of the enemy to get us to focus on the physical STUFF of the world, be it finances, the adverse doctors reports, or the insinuations that I was making the wrong decisions in the care of my wife, instead of the truth of God’s Word which gave us the light we needed to move on from day to day with an attitude of peace, joy and victory.  At first it was very difficult to turn over first thing in the morning and face the physical changes in my sweetheart’s appearance.  But after a short while… as we literally stuffed ourselves with God’s Word… my first thoughts of the day weren’t on what I SAW but instead on what I KNEW to be the truth about her situation from God’s Word.

The norm for us quickly became the necessity of us casting our eyes away from the deceptive suggestions concerning the STUFF around us and onto God and His life and light giving Word.  Afterall, John 1:3 tells us that: “Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.”  Then the very next verse declares that He is to be our source.  So why then… would any of us expect anything other than HIS WORD to bring into existence the things that we need and are standing for?  The STUFF around us just isn’t going to do it… right?

This deception is all part of the plan of the one who is said to be “the deceiver of the whole world” (Revelation 12:9 KJV).  His plan and his job is to deceive those of us who seek to follow the way of the Lord... to keep our eyes focused on the STUFF and away from the Word… but just remember John 1:5 where it says, “The light (Jesus and His Word according to John 1:1) shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.” (God’s Word ©)  Our stand and focus on the Word will ALWAYS win us the checkered flag!

Have a great weekend, and as you do, say along with me, “I am expecting to keep looking at God and His Word instead of the STUFF that tries to deceive me!”

The Road Taken

It should come as no surprise that I think about my beloved wife a lot during the course of the day.  We literally grew up together from our teenage years into the beginning of our senior citizen days.  That’s a long time… that’s a lot of experiences!
   
It’s no wonder that I have to fight off being sad at times, when I look at a picture on the wall that brings back a poignant memory of a special time together or suddenly burst out laughing as I’ll recall one of her spontaneous, quick and funny comments to something I may have said or done.  Then there are the very tough remembrances of how emaciated and weak she looked while struggling to breathe with the assistance of the oxygen tanks at the head of the bed during that awful last week of her life, that almost always brings me to tears.

But what I continue to hold near and dear to my heart though, is a comment my former neighbor back in North Carolina told me in reference to a similar conversation we were having a month or two after Piper’s homegoing.  This was the same gal who would come over every so often during our almost four years in our house in Fuquay-Varina and simply sit and talk with a mostly unresponsive Piper while combing her hair, rubbing her shoulders or just holding her hand.  She knew our story, she had firsthand experience of the presence of the Lord that emanated from Piper and she knew how special Piper was to me.

She turned to me that day and said, but you’ve got to remember that all those memories of your life together are good memories… very good memories!  I am still not sure why that comment meant and continues to mean so much to me today, but she was exactly correct.  When I look back at the road taken by us, I have very few, if any complaints.  As I write on the book of Piper’s story, I am seeing that we chose a particular road of simple faith in God and His Word that we never deviated from, beginning in the early 1970’s and going on until our last days together in September of 2018.

Did we do it all without flaw? NO WAY!  We made lots of mistakes along the way.  I can see some important decisions that we made way too haphazardly and others that we…  mainly me… took too long to make and the decision was negatively made for us by the adverse situation at hand.  I realized how a few seasons of being just too busy ended with a surprise as negative events that we should have been more aware of and taken action on, snuck up and bit us on the backside!  But I can also see how God at many times, miraculously swooped in when we got our eyes fully focused back on Him and His word and turned the situation around in our favor.

Ephesians 1:7-9 declares: “God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness (or grace).  He poured out his kindness by giving us every kind of wisdom and insight when he revealed the mystery of his plan to us…” (God’s Word ©)  What we did do right, I believe, was to learn of the power of His overflowing grace toward those of us who actively believe in the simple truth of His Word… that what He says… He WILL DO!

So yeah, the memories are “very good memories!”  We loved, we learned, had a lot of fun and touched a few lives along the way!  Would I change things if I could?  Probably not! The good times, the mistakes, the successes and the failures, all combined to make the Jim and Piper story what it became!  It defined us and the legacy we leave behind!  Our kids learned a lot of positive things from us (I hope!), but they also learned how NOT to do a lot of things!  Isn’t that what life is all about?  Live and learn and then move on!

I believe that this was one thing that we did do well.  We tended to learn from both the good and the not so good activities of life.  To get up when knocked down, brush ourselves off, learn from our mistakes and then keep going forward!  And that is exactly what I am attempting to do now!  I may not have too clear of an idea of what or where this new road is taking me… but I choose life and therefore I choose to move ahead!  All I need to do is to keep my focus on Him and His Word because He is the only one who knows where I am to go!

Have a great rest of the week as you walk the roads of life that you are called and/or led to take… and as you do, say along with me… “I am expecting to let God and His Word be my roadmap along the road taken today!”

And!

It was actually in the 40’s when Fiver and I went out first thing this morning.  I had to wear a long sleeve shirt and a sweater vest… albeit with my usual hiking shorts… It’s not quite that cold yet!  I do have a feeling though, that I‘ll probably be wearing my jeans a lot more this winter than I did in North Carolina!  I can clearly remember the cold winds that blow down the plains from Canada and across Oklahoma from when we lived here previously.  People had warned us about that before we had moved here in 2006, but I figured that they were just kidding me… but they sure weren’t!  This time I am prepared with my sweaters, scarves, jeans and long johns.

In order to live comfortably out here during the winter, one has to do more than talk a good story.  You have to do something about it, like getting the right clothes and then actually wearing them!  I recall that we had trouble finding Piper some long johns that would fit her the first winter we were here.  We didn’t bring any as we never needed them in California, so when the first cold front came in, we went to our local Super Walmart to get her the proper insulated wear.  The only problem was that we couldn’t find her size!  The only thing on the shelves that we could locate in the multiplicity of stores we went to were “large” and “extra-large” sizes.  If you recall… Piper took a size “petite!”

She ended up wearing a pair or two of sheer tights under her jeans until we finally found one pair of pink long johns in her size in a Walmart in Tulsa… way down at the bottom of a pile of clothes tossed on a back shelf!  When we moved to North Carolina I ordered her 3 pairs of flannel lined jeans from L.L. Bean which she thoroughly enjoyed!  I still have those jeans in the bottom drawer of her dresser… in fact, I still have all the rest of her clothes that aren’t in her dresser packed in two wardrobe boxes.  I can’t bear to do anything with them as of yet.  Piper was so easy on her clothes that most of them are still like new!  At some point the girls and I will go through them and what they don’t take, I’ll most likely donate to Rhema’s “We Care Center.”  Most everyone of those items holds a special memory for me.  I could almost give you a date and the store where we bought them, as she enjoyed taking me with her when she shopped for her clothes!

I read a paragraph that caught my attention this morning from the book I am reading entitled “The Authority of the Believer” by John A. MacMillan.  The author stated:

“It is the duty and privilege of every Christian to understand and enter into the divine desire for our perfecting and to claim the place with Christ, both in His cross and resurrection and ascension, that the Father has appointed.” 

What I noticed is that there’s a lot of “ANDS” in that statement!  Then as I thought about it, I also realized that there are a lot of “ANDS” in the appropriation of our faith!  In order to enter in to the life that Christ died for us to live, we have to do a lot more than just TALK about it.  We have to DO something about it!  It’s like that box I have in my walk-in closet in the apartment that is marked: “Winter Clothes.” 

With the temperatures dropping, I can talk all I want about that box in the closet and brag about how ready I am with my collection of various warm sweaters and insulated underwear… but they will do me absolutely NO good if I don’t make the effort to take out the box, slice open the packing tape and put the items on before I go out… Right?

Likewise, in our Christian walk.  We can talk about our faith but unless we actually make the effort to DO something about it… and take action steps that prove our faith… it won’t do us any good!  Pastor James explains it in James 2:18 by saying: "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions." (GNB)  In likening it to my above winter-wear example you could say: “A Christian ‘wears’ their faith by ‘DOING’ it!  In other words: Talk it AND Do it!

We saw many examples both pro and con of this during Piper’s and my final journey together.  We met many talkers as well as many doers of the Word throughout those years… and I realized this morning that I have to continue doing if I expect to get passed the experience we went through.  I may not have the visual love of Piper to keep me on track… but I still have to stay on track and DO the Word in order to go on with life!

What about you?  What keeps you on track… on God’s track?  Are there any areas in your life where all your TALKING may need to move on to DOING? 

--- Just Saying!

Have a good, cool weather week!  And as you do say with me: “I am expecting to be a DOER or the Word and not just a good talker of it!”  --- AND -THEN DO IT!

A New Song!

I sat down in the corner of the living room this morning to begin my daily Bible Study when I glanced over at a picture of Piper that I had taken on her parent’s deck back in 1972.  As I picked up the small color print, I was captivated by the cute, happy look on her face.  It was a look that she carried with her for the rest of her life!


I remember parts of that day very well.  It was a cold winter afternoon and we were hanging out at her house after our classes at the SRJC where completed for the day.  I’m not sure where everyone else was, but we were all alone and as usual, I was posing her for pictures all around the house and their property.  Her family lived up on top of a hill on a private road behind Howarth Park.  At that time the only landscaping was beautiful, old Oak trees and boulders, so there were many picturesque places in which to have her pose. 


In the midst of all the picture taking, I starting joking with her about getting some shots of her in her bathing suit.  I don’t recall her exact words on the subject, but they went something like, “Are you crazy?  It’s freezing out here!”  I ribbed her a little longer and was about to drop the joke when she suddenly got a thoughtful look on her face and said, “You know?  I could put my nylons on under the suit with a sweater on top.” Then she tilted her head to the side and continued, “Would that work?”  (I think that she really enjoyed all the attention I gave her with my camera over all the years.  She was also such a natural in front of the lens!)


Well, to be honest, I was just kidding with her like we did a lot… but I wasn’t born yesterday you know!  I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that!  She trusted me implicitly and knew that I would be very discrete with any pictures I took of her… and I never did anything that would have even tested that trust!  That gal was special and I always sought to treat her with great respect.  Our youngest daughter and I were talking earlier this week about how much positive attention I gave her Mom over the years.  It is special for me to know that the kids saw the example that I lived in front of them.


So, she went in and changed and we shot a roll of pictures on the deck in various poses including the one I was looking at today with their family dog Moppet!  All that flashed through my mind as I looked at the picture.  I had been leaning forward in my walk down memory lane and when I finally sat back in the comfy La-Z-Boy chair, I gleefully stated, “We sure had a lot of fun together!”  One of the best things I always recall of our relationship was all the countless times we talked while smiling and laughing all the way up until the final hours of her life!  Granted, she might not have been smiling toward the end on that Saturday night a year ago, but as I held her hand and spoke gently with her about many of the funny things we did together, I could see the laughter in her eyes!


When I put the picture down, I picked up my old New American Standard Ryrie Study Bible and turned to a well-marked portion of Scripture in Psalms 40:1-3.  Although penned thousands of years ago, it could have been written just yesterday as the perfect summary of Piper’s and my life together.  The Psalmist wrote:


“I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord

 And He inclined to me and heard my cry…

 And He set my feet upon a rock (Jesus, the Word)

 Making my footsteps firm.

 And He put a new song in my mouth,

 A song of praise to our God;

 Many will revere and worship,

 And put their trust in the Lord.”  (NASB, personally notated)



From our early dating years in high school and college where the phrase “Praise the Lord” became our natural response to any news, regardless of whether it was good or bad, to the many times I breathlessly uttered those same words, as I slid down on the floor with my back to the wall in the hallway of our home in North Carolina, when I felt like I had nothing left to give in the care of my wife, His new song of praise always seemed to turn the situation around and give us a hope and expectation for tomorrow.


What gives you a hope and expectation for tomorrow?  Do you have a new song of praise that only an intimate, personal and experiental relationship with Jesus Christ can give?  The type of relationship that can only grow and increase as you spend regular time with Him in His Word?  John 1:1 tells us that Jesus and the Word are one and the same.  Therefore, when you spend time in the Word, in your Bible – you are spending time alone with Him!  Cool Right?


Have a terrific weekend, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting to sing a new song of praise today… every chance I get!”

Win/Loss Stats

The weather finally cooperated this morning and we at long last, got to welcome the fall season to Oklahoma!  When I took Fiver out at seven this morning the thermometer was set in the mid-sixties with a cool breeze flowing through the air.  Sure, it wasn’t that cold but it was definitely a break from the warm summer temperatures we have out here. 

I don’t know about you, but I am excited about enjoying some fall activities!  Tomorrow I am set to spend some time with my older daughter as she babysits her sister’s little girl so that JoAnna can help her husband on a prewiring job for his customer’s home entertainment system.  The plan after Sarah’s ballet class and a trip to the pumpkin farm is for me to join them for some pumpkin carving!

I am kinda getting into this Grandpa stuff!  Sarah got to spend a few hours with me yesterday and I thoroughly enjoyed reading to her, helping her to put together puzzles and in making a beaded necklace and bracelet!  I am slowly building up my collection of Grandkid’s toys, activity supplies and books at the apartment.  Once I get into the new house and am able to unload my storage bin, I’ll have even more toys and children’s activities to choose from with all the boxes of stuff from our kid’s childhood that are packed away there!

After passing the one-year mark without Piper, I decided on the balcony this morning that it is time to start having some fun!  It is not that I haven’t had many enjoyable times with family since Piper moved on, but I realized today that I am still experiencing my daily life with the mindset of being part of a couple.  Does that make sense to you?  After spending 48 of my 66 years as part of a twosome, it is difficult to switch gears, change glasses and begin to see life through the eyes of an individual.

Let’s face it, as a husband and father, just about every decision you make affects your wife and children.  In the last nine years of Piper’s life, I can’t think of any decisions that I made that did not consider her needs first.  I’m pretty sure that is why some of the rumors that a few people put out about me during that time were so foreign to me.  Their way of thinking was nowhere near mine!

Today I began to have the revelation that I need to see myself not as a loser, but as a winner.  Not as someone who has lost something… or someone, but as someone who has everything to gain!  And with that thought, I was reminded of the last few months as I kept up the routine of checking the San Francisco Giants win/loss record in lieu of their chances of making one of the Wild Card spots in the playoffs.  They never caught up to the teams with the best records, but it was fun to keep an ever-watchful eye on the statistics.

In my current predicament, I’m seeing that it is important for me to view the number in my win column as far surpassing those in my loss column.  To know that my team… albeit me… is on the way to the championship game!  And I even have scripture to back up my claim!  The Lord encourages us through Jeremiah 29:11 saying that: “I will bless you with a future filled with hope (or better said, ‘of what you are expecting’)—a future of success, not of suffering.” (CEV) 

I have a page out of one of Piper’s hand written notes with that scripture penned on it, taped to the mirror on the bathroom mirror.  When I looked at it today, it was almost like she was speaking those words to me as she stood next to me while getting ready for the day like we did together for so many years.  I know that she wants me to succeed just as much as the Lord does!

I also know that the Lord wants you to win in this life and have a future filled with good expectations of success and not failure.  It really doesn’t matter if your single… like me… or part of a couple.  He really does care for you and want HIS best for everyday of your life!

Do you remember what Ephesians 1:12 says?   God tells us in this verse that He plans for our best, so that those of us “who had already focused our hope (or expectations) on Christ would praise him and give him glory.” (God’s Word ©)  As far as I am concerned, it all begins and ends with where we have ALREADY focused our expectations!  I’m choosing to see that the number in my win column is far exceeding those in my loss column because I continue to keep my expectations on Him and His Word… HOW ABOUT YOU?  

Have a enjoyable and fun fall season, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting my wins to far exceed my losses today!”