STUFF YOURSELVES!

For as long as I can remember, I have been a people watcher.  I tend to be outgoing when in public places and will freely smile and attempt to start up a conversation with most anyone.  This trait of mine definitely increased when Piper began to lose her ability to talk.  Maybe it was because I felt like I needed to talk for the both of us, or to protect her from the strange looks and weird comments that we would occasionally get from people who became uncomfortable when observing her growing list of disabilities.

This morning as I went shopping at my local Super Walmart it was no different.  Since wearing a mask makes it difficult for others to see anyone’s smile, I’ll tend to make some other kinds of contact with my fellow shoppers with a nod of my head, a little joke or a simple hello.  As I was walking out of the store at the end my shopping run, I noticed an attractive women paying for her purchases at the last register, thought “Hummm” and then almost immediately proceeded to be hit with waves of anxiousness that come over me every time I have a fleeting thought of being with any other woman but my sweet deceased wife.

But before I could take any action based on those thoughts… within a matter of two steps, I found myself flooded with peace and thinking about Philippians 4:6 where the Apostle Paul encouraged his readers to “be anxious for nothing…” (NASB)  I have to admit that I have NEVER had something like that happen to me in the middle of a crowded store before.  The feeling was so real and so utterly refreshing that I had to physically stop in order to enjoy His peace that seemed to cover me from head to toe!  And… I don’t know if I said it out loud or to myself, but I couldn’t help but declare with great revelation as well as relief that “I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING… I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A THING!”

I had spent some time yesterday studying a familiar portion of scripture in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah where the group of Israelites sent to repair the wall around the city of Jerusalem, were overcome with sorrow at the sight of the destruction of their beloved city.  As the workers began to let their emotions take over, their leader Nehemiah and the Ezra the priest quickly stood tall and encouraged the people saying: “Hold your peace, for the day is holy; and do not fall down!” (Nehemiah 8:11 - combined KJV & ABP+) 

When I finally got my feet to move forward again, I thought about this particular verse while I traversed across the parking lot to my car.  In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the phrase “Hold your peace” is described as a command “to keep an involuntary silence.” (Strong’s) And that is exactly what had happened to me seconds before in the store, as well as with every time I felt overwhelmed in caring for Piper and was tempted to complain and/or feel sorry for myself.  In those moments, it was like I just couldn’t speak the negative words… or that the Lord, within that small still voice on the inside of me, would instantly refocus my straying thoughts back onto the truth of His Word!  It seemed that every time I started to allow myself “to fall down,” He would sweep in and rescue me before I said or did something that I would later regret!

Without any rhythm or reason, I got up this morning with the Biblical words of “O taste and see that the Lord is good” playing like an endless loop through my brain.  Since I was unable to recall the exact Biblical address of the verse, I went right into my study (after putting on the coffee, of course!) and ran a scripture search on my Bible Study program using the words, “O taste and see”  Well, the only verse that popped up was the right one found in Psalm 34:8 where the Psalmist passionately  proclaimed, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (KJV) 

The word “taste” implies not only the flavor of something pleasing to the palate, but also “to perceive or to take in nourishment.” (Thayer’s)  Other translations tell us to “drink deeply” (The Passion Translation), “to Discover” (CEV), or “to find out for yourself how good the Lord is” (GNB)  In defining this verse, the renown English Preacher Charles Spurgeon explained that we are directed to “make a trial, an inward, experimental trial of the goodness of God. (for) You cannot see except by tasting for yourself; but if you taste you shall see, for this, like Jonathan's honey, enlightens the eyes.” (The Treasury of David)

In my uncluttered way of thinking, this verse is simply saying, “the more we take in of God’s Word… the more we’ll want!”  It reminds me of my new experience with the Weight Watchers diet program.  I like it and have lost ten pounds so far… but it has taught me a little bit about self-control.  While I get more than enough points per day… If I want to keep losing weight, I cannot allow myself to go over my prescribed daily points… even or especially when I’m eating some of my favorite meals like the spaghetti, I made last night.  I have to learn to be satisfied with what is on my plate.

But NOT SO when one sit’s down to a feast of God’s Word. (See Psalm 23:5 and Psalm 91:15)  This is one meal where you can eat all that you want… and then go back for seconds and even thirds!   This is one dining experience where you WANT to put on a lot of spiritual weight… and the more you eat, the more you want to eat… for it’s a good thing to be a heavyweight with the Word of God.  It is the nourishment that your life thrives on and is the strength you need to sustain “involuntary silence” when anxiety knock on your door… just like what happened to me at Walmart this morning!

I’ll end this post and lead you into the weekend with the immortal words of Errol Flynn in the 1938 movie version of “Robin Hood” when he defiantly shouted to his merry men, “To the tables, everybody, and stuff yourselves!" 

Believe-you-me… this is one daily meal that I don’t want to miss!  How about you?

Like Father, Like Son

Whoopie!  Fiver and I got to take our normal long walk this morning after two days of very cold and very wet weather.  Sure, it was raining this morning, but it was a lot lighter and the temps had increased to the upper 30’s!  After five years in North Carolina and a combined four here in Oklahoma, I think that I am beginning to toughen up and shed my old California attitude when I would complain if the winter weather dropped into the low 50’s!

As I walked across the breezy parking lot of our local Neighborhood Walmart later this morning, wearing my heavy San Francisco Giants hoodie and jeans… complete with long johns, of course… I had to stop and take a deep breath in the briskness of the moment and admit how good the beginning of winter felt at that particular moment in time!

I was telling my sister last week that I am enjoying it out here and how Oklahoma really feels like home to me now.  She had sent me some pictures of the destruction that the latest round of fires in northern California had caused around their home in Oakmont, an upscale retirement housing development situated between the towns of Santa Rosa and Sonoma in the heart of the wine country. 

I realized as I looked at the pictures and thought about the even worse fire a couple of years back, that I would hardly recognize Piper’s and my old stomping grounds!  The previous fire had destroyed complete neighborhoods within a few blocks of our church and the home that we had lived in for nine years, previous to moving out here in 2006.

The region in which we now live as part of the greater Tulsa metropolitan area, is very different from our home in northern California.  Instead of grape vine covered hills, it’s flat for as far as the eye can see.  But I had made up my mind before I left North Carolina (which reminded me of my home county in California… exchanging pine trees for redwoods) that I was going to learn to enjoy Oklahoma for its own history and unique beauty… and you know?  I do!

The completely different weather, the culture, the great pride that the people seem to take for their city and state, along with the friendliness of its residents won me over in rapid succession!  I live about a mile north of Broken Arrow High School and enjoy listening to their state championship band as they practice out on the football stadium almost every night and the roar of the crowds when the varsity football team plays a home game.  Having no professional football teams in the state makes high school and college football a BIG deal out here!  With an enrollment of close to 4000 students, the high school has a large and beautiful campus and a football stadium that makes our Junior College stadium in my hometown look pathetic!  When you walk into any Super Walmart in Broken Arrow, one of the first things you’ll see is an array of official fan clothing for the Broken Arrow High School Tigers sports teams.

In Psalm 40:1-2 the Psalmist declares, “I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently, knowing God would come through for me….  Now he’s lifted me up into a firm, secure place and steadied me while I walk along his ascending path.” (The Passion Translation)

I know that I still have a way to go… but I am definitely beginning to feel that the Lord has finally lifted me up into a firm place and steadied me here in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma… as I continue to focus on His directions for me and walk closely with Him along His ascending path.  There is a Southern Gospel song called “I can’t even walk without holding His hand.”  The song talks about the mountains and the valleys in life that we have to walk and of how often we need the Lord to take our hands and guide us on our way.

I feel a close kindship to that song as I know that I could have never made it to this place without His firm grip on my hands!  I sort-of-figure that this is why I liked to hold Piper’s hand so much… and especially during the last few years of her life.  What’s that saying… “Like father, like son?”  I had promised her early on as we faced the Alzheimer’s diagnosis, that I would never leave her alone and always be at her side throughout it all, and holding her hand as much as I could seem to act as a visible sign of my commitment to her.

So, if you’ve got  problem or are facing a seemingly unsurmountable mountain or valley in your life today… my suggestion would be to reach out and take the hand of the Lord and let Him lift you up into a firm, secure place where you’ll find steady footing while walking along the ascending path that He has designed specifically for you.

 

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NEVER Let Go!

Okay… Be honest with me.  Do you ever find yourself talking to the TV?  I admit that on occasion, I have been guilty of an emotional response… or two!  The other night I suddenly laughed and cringed at the same time at the beginning of a commercial for a Final Expenses Insurance Plan.  My reaction wasn’t due to the idea of having a Final Expenses Plan for I actually took a couple out for Piper and I a number of years ago.  When the time came to use the plan for Piper’s final needs, it was easy to execute and the payout came quickly.

What bothered me though, was when the scene opened up showing an older lady sitting in a hospital bed with her daughter hovering over her.  The daughter’s first line was “Mom, you gave us such a scare!”  And with that fearful comment, I yelled out to the TV saying… “Well that’s the dumbest thing you could say.  Here the women supposedly almost died and instead of comforting her and saying something to build her faith you react by trying to put your worst fears on her?”

After I calmed down a bit, I realized that the scenario acted out in the commercial had hit very close to home!  Hebrews 6:17-18 in The Message Bible tells us that:

“When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go.” 

Piper and I had followed the writer of Hebrews advice as soon as we got the first negative result from her initial MRI back in 2007.  We metaphorically and in my case… literally ran for Piper’s very life to God and His promises for her welfare.  As soon as I disconnected from the call from the Doctor’s office, while at work, standing in the middle of the power tools aisle in the Garden department at the South Tulsa Home Depot, I ran outside to the very back corner of the covered soils area, fell to my knees and gave it all to the Lord in prayer and tears.

From then on, the last thing that Piper or I needed was for people to project their fear over Piper’s situation onto us.  I guess I had been pretty naïve thinking that everyone would come along side us, stand strong and be supportive of our needs while giving of themselves to assist me in the care of my wife.  But you know… while many people seemed to come out of the woodwork to support us… many did not.  I quickly learned that a part of my job as Piper’s 24/7 caregiver was also to encourage those who could not or simply would not be able to present their best side when in Piper’s presence.

This may sound strange… but it seemed that our faith in the unchangeability of the promises in God’s Word or “the immutability of his counsel” as the King James Version puts it, had to be strong enough to carry others when they were around us.  It was clearly evident to see how other people’s fear, depression, hopelessness or despondency physically affected Piper… and I did my best to assure that this wouldn’t happen.

The idea of grabbing on to the promised hope or expectation within God’s Word with both hands and NEVER letting go, became more than a positive thought… but a lifestyle for us.  One of the implications of the Greek word “immutability” is the inability to “transpose” something which, according to the Oxford Online Dictionaries means “to cause two or more things to change places with each other.”

In respect to our subject today, it would mean to take someone’s actual faith or even their need for faith and to replace it with fear.  One of the most important lessons I learned about positive pastoral hospital visitation from one of the Pastor’s I worked under, which was also confirmed through my classes at Bible School, was to take the time when visiting someone to find out where their faith for their need was… and then to hook up and support them from that point of view.

In respect to the point of today’s blog, it would be like going into a hospital room, not listening to the one laying in the bed and railroading them into thinking like you without even caring about their true needs, feelings or level of faith… just so you could feel better when you left the hospital!  I really don’t think that most concerned individuals would do that, do you?  So why then, would people put their fears on other people in need instead of trying to build them up!  

I was looking at a picture of Piper laughing at our wedding rehearsal dinner (as I was whispering something funny in her ear) and I thought of how much I enjoyed making Piper smile and laugh.  It was one of the most rewarding feelings that I have ever enjoyed!  I’ve also begun to realize that while it seemed to bother me at first… of how much I ended up enjoying helping those who interacted with Piper and I in her final years, to help them to rejoice along with us and catch the flavor of the goodness of the Lord that we were experiencing… in the midst of the toughest time in our lives.

And now… well now… I am getting the pleasure of encouraging others who are going through similar situations that Piper and I went through!  It turns out that grabbing onto the promises of God and hanging on with both hands has had positive results for my past as well as for my today and tomorrow! 

How about you?

Have a great week.  Seek to be an encourager to others in need to today and shed the joy of the Lord wherever you go!

Constantly Constant

I was thinking yesterday afternoon as Fiver and I were walking along our normal path next to the golf course, about all the various places that I had walked throughout my life.  I had a physical earlier in the day and was reminded of one of the conversations that the doctor and I had at that time.  He was asking me how much exercise I get and I answered back that I walk almost four miles daily.  I let him know that with my new Fitbit activity watch, that I now have the ability to track my daily mileage, steps taken and calories burned, amongst many other activities.

Then, as I was sitting and laying on the examination table while he pressed, tapped, inserted and prodded me all over the place (because of my age I got the super-duper exam where he checked everything… and I do mean EVERYTHING… but don’t worry… I won’t go into detail!), I mentioned Fiver and our daily walks.  I also went on to explain of how my wife and I loved walking outdoors and so had established the tradition of taking daily walks throughout our dating and marriage years together.

It was the memory of the actual locations of those walks and of the reasons we were walking where we were, that came to mind as Fiver and I walked, well-bundled due to the cold temperatures and even colder 20 mph winds.  I couldn’t help but to laugh as I explained to Fiver that Piper and I always seemed to be led down paths in life that were different from others.  It was almost like we were destined to walk the uncommon trails.  Both of us came from great families who loved and cared for us.  But as we got closer and closer to our wedding day, I remember Piper telling me that she was so excited for us to start our lives with nothing and be able to build them the way that the Lord would direct us to go… and to establish our own family traditions.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, we dedicated our lives early on to always seek God first and to obediently follow His leadings for us… wherever they should lead us… and boy did He lead us into some unchartered waters!  But through it all, I would have to say without hesitation, that we stayed pretty consistent to our initial promise to the Lord, who in many respects, not only held us accountable, but also supported, taught and encouraged us all along the way!

If you read my last post, then you’ll recall that I wrote about 1 Peter 5:7 where we are told to “cast all our anxiety upon Him, because He cares about us.” (EMTV - personalized)  As we walked yesterday afternoon and then again first thing this morning, I found myself thinking about the next two verses where the Apostle gives us a heads-up by adding to his instruction that we should then, “Be sober, be watchful; (for) your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour.  Resist him, being steadfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” (I Peter 5:8-9 EMTV)

We quickly discovered that this latter part of Peter’s lesson was the hardest but yet most important part of casting our anxieties and/or care upon the Lord!  I like how The Passion Translation states I Peter 5:7 as if Peter was setting us up for his warnings in verses eight and nine.  It says to: “Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and (THEN) LEAVE THEM ‘THERE’, for he always tenderly cares for you.” 

It is the “THERE” where the accuser of the brethren comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10) our peace and thereby our faith in the action that we have just taken!  It is also of importance to note that the devil’s ability to succeed in his attacks toward us and our faith is TOTALLY up to us!  Notice that Peter wrote, “Be sober, be watchful; your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking someone he MAY devour.”  Peter knew better than all the other apostles about giving into a moment of weakness when it came to standing strong in the Lord.  So he fervently understood the importance of being sober and watchful and NOT allowing the enemy ANY opening for him to sneak in and wreak havoc in your life!

The writers of the New Testament used the word “Patience” 34 times in the King James version.  In five of those times the original Greek word describes “being long-spirited and to not lose heart.” The remaining 29 describe someone who is “cheerfully expectant, has endurance and consistency.” (Strong’s and Thayer’s)  Therefore it would behoove us all to stay cheerfully expectant and consistent in our firm belief and faith that the Father is taking care off all the anxieties, needs and desires that we cast over to Him, as well with (as we found out) staying on the particular paths that He has called you to walk throughout your life… and NOT attempt to take any of those cares back and/or switch directions halfway through the adventure of faith that He has led you on!

So, yeah… Piper and I walked many DIFFERENT paths than our family or friends took, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way… and STILL won’t today!  How about you?  What pathways are you walking… and are you staying constant in being, “well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour?” (I Peter 5:8 The Passion Translation)

I believe that you are answering that last question in the positive and that this blog post is simply an encouragement to keep up the good work… for the rewards are WELL WORTH your patient effort and constant diligence!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Meatballs

I’ve talked in past blogs about Fiver’s predecessor Mandie.  She was a sweetly mannered black with copper socked Aussie mix that tended to follow Piper everywhere she went!  I think that she never forgot that it was Piper’s passion and tenacity with the owner of the home that we were renting at the time, that enabled her freedom from the dismal life at the animal shelter! Mandie was a great dog… but she did have a few quirks about her.  First of all, she was a runner.  If she could squeeze out the front door when someone opened it… she was gone in a flash… which led to some interesting chases and their resulting stories!

Another humorous behavior was that she couldn’t seem to catch a thing!  Whether it was a small ball, a toy or even a meatball!  You see, my Mom always tossed the last meatball she made for our weekly spaghetti and meatball feast when I was a kid, to our family dog Daisy.  And through the years, I endeavored to follow the same endearing tradition with all the dogs that Piper and I had in our family. But no matter how slowly or gently or on target I tossed a meatball to Mandie… it ALWAYS seemed to bounce off her nose!

Fiver, on the other hand, would make any fielder in professional baseball to be proud of him!  He’s good at catching the plastic squeaker balls I toss to him each day, is quick to zero in on the Milkbone treats I loft across the room to him, and I think has only missed one meatball… and that was mainly because my aim wasn’t too good that day!

Fiver’s ability to catch things that are cast his way makes for a good analogy of I Peter 5:5-7.  In these verses the rambunctious Apostle Peter declared that: “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (KJV) 

In my blog post last Saturday, I discussed some thoughts about the direct connection between our humble hearts and God’s grace.  Today I’d like to focus on the very last part of these verses.  As I enjoy tossing or casting balls, treats and even meatballs to Fiver for him to catch, God wants us to enjoy casting any and all of our cares upon Him… because He, as The Passion Translation states it, “always tenderly cares for you.” 

I believe that it is particularly important to recognize that Peter is distinctly talking about two different kinds of care here.  The footnotes in The Cambridge Bible explains that the care that we are to cast on the Lord implies “distracting anxiety,” while the care of the Lord toward us “conveys the idea simply of the care that foresees and provides.”  This definition had deep and personal meaning to me because I’d witnessed the effects of these two cares during Piper’s final earthly journey. 

It is easy for me to see how the cares that attempt to overtake us, can act as a large distraction to our good fight of faith but yet, immediately disappear from our radar when we cast them into the “mighty hand of God.”  Simply said, one care steals your faith and physical strength while the other builds and encourages your faith and in turn, strengthens your resolve and uplifts your tired frame!

I had another thought while walking Fiver yesterday… This verse specifically directs us to cast our care upon the Lord, right?  Well, an interesting activity that Piper and I seemed to face on almost a daily basis, was when individuals reacted to our situation in fear… and then tended to complicate our lives by the way they tried their best to CAST THEIR CARES and their FEARS ON US… instead of on the Lord!  You talk about added distraction to what we were already facing... WHEW! 

As I’ve stated on many occasions, this was one thing that I DID NOT EXPECT to have to deal with because it only further served to complicate our all-ready complicated situation and took precious time away from my focus on Piper and her needs!  I also observed that the more I refused to catch what was being CAST my way… the more infuriated those tossing their misdirected cares seem to get!  I can’t say that I ever got angry when Mandie couldn’t catch anything, but it did frustrate me at times!

I do remember one time when she actually did catch a meatball… but it was simply because I stood about one foot away from her and practically dropped it into her mouth!  That was a rewarding experience for me… just like when I stay close to my Father God and cast all my cares directly into His hands!  It’s hard to miss the target when your tossing your cares to the right subject while staying really close to Him!

The Jamison-Fausset-Brown commentary sums up I Peter 5:5-7 perfectly by declaring: “The advantage flowing from humbling ourselves under God’s hand is confident reliance on His goodness. Exemption from care goes along with humble submission to God.”  

The lessons I’ve learned in Piper’s and my past concerning these verses, stand as strong examples for me as I continue to seek out God’s plans for my today and tomorrows without her.  The difference though, is that I’m finding that many of the cares that are being cast my way are coming from myself, instead of from others!  But I am also learning that I have to follow the Lord’s particular plan for ME and not try to catch and run with all the “good ideas” that others are casting my way concerning the steps they think that I should be taking right now.

I am thankful for the quiet, reflective times that come my way… like at night when I take Fiver out for his last stand before bedtime.  While he romps around the darkened yard, I enjoy standing in the middle of the lawn and gazing at the myriad of stars that twinkle above me.  It somehow makes me feel close to God and causes me to wonder if Piper is looking down on me through the windows to heaven that the stars seem to provide! 

In those moments of peace, I hear the voice of the Lord reassuring me that He has my life under the safety and control of His mighty hand… and I remember how my confident reliance on His goodness had gotten me through the hard times of my recent past and am encouraged that it will continue to successfully guide me through the uncertainties of my future.

What about you?  To whom are you casting your cares upon?  You know… a meatball caught is a lot nicer than one that misses its mark, for there is no red-saucy mess to have to clean off the kitchen floor!  By casting our cares upon the Lord… we are also left with NO MESS to clean up!

Have a good rest of the week!  Our temps are supposed to drastically drop tomorrow!  I do believe that winter is knocking on our door!  But no matter what happens… keep expecting God’s best!

Roller-Coaster Rides...

I used to hate roller-coasters due to a scary experience as a kid.  For many years I avoided them like the plague… until one fateful day when we brought our youth group to a “Christian Day” event at what was then called Marriot’s Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, California.  We had brought a good number of youths with us and assembled a team of our friends from the Baptist church where we were serving as Youth Ministers, to act as co-leaders.  We split up the group between teams of chaperones and youth and met at set times and locations throughout the fun-filled day that lasted until the park closed around ten that night.

I quickly discovered that one of our good friends who was assigned to Piper’s and my group as a co-leader, loved adventurous rides.  Throughout the day and evening hours he did his best to convince me to ride the park’s main attraction roller-coaster with him, promising that I would love its sudden drops, sharp turns and spiraling tunnels.  Well… it literally took all day for him to turn me around and as the sun began to set behind the tall buildings that surrounded the park, I finally agreed to give it a try… but only one time I swore!

And what can I say?  I DID LOVE IT… and for the next hour or so I couldn’t get enough rides out of it.  I don’t even remember how many times in a row that we rode it after that!  Then before we left, I did my best to convince a very set “NO-WAY-WILL-YOU-GET-ME-ON-THAT-THING” Piper to give it a shot… promising her up and down that she would REALLY enjoy it!  But after a short resistance, she trusted me and also enjoyed the spirited ride… although she wasn’t quite as hooked as I had been!  She always had been the more sensible one between the two of us… but then again… she was always up for a good adventure!

So, you would think that after that experience, that I would be loving the roller-coaster ride that I have been riding since Piper’s first MRI in the summer of 2007.  But you know… I most definitely HAVE NOT!  Maybe I had just gotten out of practice being as Piper and I were more apt over the years, to take our family camping in the mountains than spend precious vacation time at amusement parks!  And this roller-coaster ride isn’t the kind where you laugh at the adventure, but one that continues to pull and tear at your heart with each twist and turn of the ride.

I had gotten pretty cavalier and enjoyed throwing my hands up into the air throughout the most daring parts of the amusement park roller-coaster rides… with my life’s roller-coaster ride… not so much.  In fact, every twist and turn and every mountain we climbed had to be well thought out, prayed through, researched and calmly entered into.

As I look back at Piper’s and my yesterday and into my today without her, I see many verses of scripture that have become my lifeline.  Recently I have been studying Jesus’ words when He taught the multitudes encouraging them to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 EMTV) 

The word “seek” describes an individual who “craves something from someone or to hunt for something eagerly”  (Thayer’s and Dake)  To me that describes someone who is desperate for answers and won’t stop until he gets them.  I especially like The Message Bible’s straight forward rendering which tells the reader to “Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. (and) Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”

As I did during my 24/7 care for my sweet wife for eight years, I continue to hang onto every promise of this verse today!  I find that by keeping my eyes on His-reality, on His God-given initiative and expecting His provision to meet my needs as I follow His will and directions for me, that I can’t help but come to the end of this ride and step into my new life surrounded by His Love, His Joy, His Grace, His Peace and His continual Encouragement.

I leaned that it helps to have this predetermination firmly established in me first thing every day… for believe-you-me, there are PLENTY of others out there who are more than willing to share their fearful reality and just-give-up initiative that only serves to distract your vision and your expectation away from God’s loving, grace-filled, and peaceful provision for you!  When you come right down to it…

THE CHOICE IS UP TO YOU… “but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!” (Joshua 24:15 KJV)

Have a great week, and keep expecting God’s best!

 

JEEPERS!

I checked my large outdoor thermometer through the back facing windows this morning before Fiver and I headed out for our usual morning walk to the neighborhood playground and pond.  It was a little before ten and the arrow pointed to the mid-fifties range, while the dramatic sway on my bushes demonstrated a fairly strong wind to go with it!  Since the wind was blowing from the south, I figured that I’d be okay with my shorts and heavy San Francisco Giants hoodie… Well, I guessed wrong!  It was pretty cool on the porch but I figured once I was in the sun all would be fine.  And all was hunky-dory until I got out from the coverage of the houses and walked into the wind tunnel along the perimeter of the golf course!

JEEPERS!  I found out real fast that I should have worn something under the hoodie as the wind seemed to go right through the thick material and beat on my chest!  But I sucked it up and told the dog that we needed to quicken our pace! It definitely was an awakening event.  The return trip was much better, as I had warmed up by then and the wind on my back didn’t seem to bother me as much! 

And then again, it was worth getting out in the cold, for as I was about to unlock my front door to go in, my neighbor and her two kids came walking by.  We’ve gotten to be good friends over the summer.  Benaiah, her five-year-old son likes to come over and show me his favorite toys and discuss what new things he is learning in homeschool.  This time though, they had made chocolate chip cookies and wanted to share a couple with me!  SCORE!  Yes… they are some of the kindest people I know!

And while we’re talking about good SCORES… I scored some interesting revelations when I awoke this morning with 1 Peter 5:5-7 on my mind.  It was one of those times when I kept repeating the verses in my head while contemplating many of the meanings behind the words, as-well-as the general thoughts behind the statements.  Peter is discussing some of the benefits of our humility and faith and teaches how we should “be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (KJV)

After getting up, throwing on some clothes (I’ve never been a pajamas/bathrobe kinda guy…) and brewing some coffee, I went into the study and dove back into those verses.  The first thing that had caught my attention was the word “therefore” in verse six, and mostly likely just like you would, I put on my Sherlock Holmes cap and began to investigate what the word was there-for!  Well, come to find out, Peter is pointing us back to his previous statement talking about how God “…giveth grace to the humble.”

That definitely stirred up my intellect and I I immediately referenced back to Ephesian 1:8 where Paul is also talking about the grace of God.  He declared that “this superabundant grace is already powerfully working in us, releasing within us all forms of wisdom and practical understanding.” (The Passion Translation)

So… that gives us a deeper understanding of the power of a humble heart for it is one that God is enhancing with His grace… which fortifies us with not just only “wisdom” but with “ALL FORMS of WISDOM” and the “PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING” to apply it in our daily lives!  I would think that if you’re anything like me, then you would want to posses as much wisdom and practical understanding as is possible… every time you walk out your front door and face the ever-increasing craziness out in the world today!

I was walking through my house the other day and suddenly found myself overwhelmed in thanking God for all the little and big miracles that He provided for me (and Piper) during the last 14 years or so.  I am amazed when I think about all of the totally-out-of-my-comfort-zone activities that He helped me to understand and accomplish when it came to all the financial and medical decisions, research, emergency situations, major moves across the country and the harsh persecutions we endured along the way.  And I can say without one ounce of doubt, that there is NO-WAY that I could have done any of it without His grace that power-packed me with “all forms of (Godly) wisdom and practical understanding.”

Needless to say, that same abundance of His grace with its accompanying, limitless measures of wisdom and practical understanding, is available to anyone who “humbles themselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God!”  There are a few more exciting revelations left in these verses that I’ll tell you about next week.  But until then, I encourage you to take some time this weekend and meditate on these verses.  Pray over them and then keep repeating them throughout the next two days… and I guarantee that you’ll begin to gain all kinds of revelations and find many opportunities to use all the wisdom and practical understanding that you’ll be receiving for your daily activities!

I always admired Piper for the special and unique ability that she possessed to practically apply and/or integrate the Word of God into her daily life… and NOW, I’ve got an idea of how she did it! 

I hope that you all have a spectacular weekend, have some fun along the way… and when you think about it… Thank God and give Him all the glory for it!

BUBBLING JOY!

Well, it finally happened!  I guess that I am fully initiated into southern/east coast living… I got a small case of Poison Ivy!  I used to break out into rashes of Poison Oak quite regularly as a kid and in fact, got a fairly severe case about two weeks before Piper and I got married!  We had been out at her Grandmother’s ranch on Riebli Road (most likely to care for her horse) when we spotted about a dozen old fruit boxes scattered all around the outside of the barn. 

We agreed that they could make for a unique set of shelving in our apartment (that was being furnished in vintage hand-me-downs), so we climbed into the tall grass and collected our new treasures!  And the rest is history.  Sad to say that I got a terrible rash all over my body… but the glad news was that the weeping, itchy sores had healed and all that was left come our wedding day was a bunch of scars!

When I went to my doctor’s office on Tuesday to get a flu shot, I showed the nurse my itchy spot and asked if she knew what it was, and without a moment’s hesitation said “Poison Ivy!”  It turns out that Fiver’s favorite morning relief spot at the foot of the pond in the park, just happens to be in an area filled with Poison Ivy!  I had my suspicion’s and proved it out with my plant identification app.  So today we found a new favorite spot!

But even with the Poison Ivy, I couldn’t resist finding things to laugh about over the last few days as I continued to read Psalm 119:162 from The Passion Translation.  After writing quite a bit about the truth of God’s Word and of his devotion to it, David penned, “Your promises (O Lord) are the source of my bubbling joy; the revelation of your word thrills me like one who has discovered hidden treasure.”  And every time I have looked at this translation, I can’t help but think of how it was the PERFECT description of my beloved wife!

The picture of having “BUBBLING JOY” has repeatedly gotten me remembering many of the seemingly countless times over the years of when Piper would break out into hilarious, contagious and sometimes, uncontrollable laughter!  I never realized the power or effect that Piper’s joyous laughter had over people and/or situations… until the Alzheimer’s stole her voice and physical emotions.  It became amazingly apparent during her family gatherings once her outward expressions of joy were silenced.  The atmosphere dramatically changed from that of a light hearted and uplifting event to one of quiet sullenness.

One of my favorite pastimes when Piper and I were together was to make her laugh… which as I implied… didn’t take much effort on my part.  For instance, there were multiple times when she would be pulling on her socks in the morning when I would run over to where she sat, pick up one of her little feet (size 6.5) and begin to tell the story of “This Little Piggy” while I gently wiggled each of her (tiny!) toes singing:

“This little piggy went to the market,

This little piggy stayed home,

This little piggy had roast beef,

This little piggy had none,

And this little piggy cried wee wee wee all the way home.”

And without fail… by the time I got to her smallest toe and laughingly sang “crying wee, wee, wee, all the way home” she would be lost in almost uncontrollable laughter!  Then there were the tickling contests.  I was always very ticklish, but she wasn’t… EXCEPT for her one point of weakness… squeezing her knees!  So, as we tussled around on the bed or floor, she would be unmercifully tickling me with one hand while holding my hand that was trying to get to her knees!  Of course, I was laughing pretty hard throughout the event as would be Piper, with the addition of a bright red face while straining to keep me from my target.

Well, the closer I got, the more she would squeal “JIM! NO!” which only got me to pursue my goal with even more resolve until I finally wore her down… but I only had to give her knee a gentle squeeze for us both to be rolling on our backs laughing to the point of tears!  Another time while vacationing with her family at The Sea Ranch, during a fun game of table tennis with other members of her family, she got to laughing so hard that she had to literally run to the bathroom to take care of an unexpected event!

She also loved to share her bubbling joy with all the youth and children’s groups that we ministered to over the years and she fit right into my Italian family’s somewhat loud and boisterous, fun-filled holiday gatherings.  My Dad was always a quiet jokester and she and he found a quick connection sharing jokes and other funny quips with each other.  I’d mentioned before that the Berruto Homeschool was like none other, and most of that was due not only to her passion for it, but also for her uncanny ability to turn any situation into something to be happy about, and/or to praise the Lord for.

She and I could find something to laugh about at almost any time. I can recall us laughing at lunch out on the athletic field on nice days in high school, while walking hand in hand around the campus and community in Chico California when we attended college, in the delivery rooms each time one of our kids were born, on family vacations when she would do things out-of-the-blue that surprised us and brought us to laughter, and during times of anointed Praise and Worship at church.  

And even when she was totally disabled and confined to her wheelchair, I kept up a light hearted and joyous atmosphere as I wanted to keep things as normal as possible for her…  and she would still occasionally surprise me or a guest with a big smile… and I’ll never forget her last words that she spoke to me a few months before she passed when she suddenly seemed to come out of a daze while I was feeding her one morning, turned to me and exclaimed with a huge, joyous smile “I love you!”

Now one may think that she was special and unique, and she was… BUT… the source of her BUBBLING JOY is the same One that can and will empower each of us to live a life that is filled with a special JOY in the midst of any situation that comes our way in this life.  According to the Psalmist David, that source is THE WORD of GOD!  The study and subsequent revelation of the Word of God that filled and thrilled my wife was the key to her life and lifestyle of praise, peace, grace-fulness and BUBBLING JOY.

She loved to be in the Word, and while she wasn’t an early morning get up and study the Word type of individual, she would take the opportunity to study it every chance she could throughout the day.  She always carried a pocket New Testament in her purse and many times would be seen carrying one of her regular Bibles with her when going out grocery shopping or running errands.  Like I have said many times, it was just who she was.  Her life and the way she lived it, as well as the way she talked and walked from day to day, was an outward expression of her Christianity!

She was a living, breathing product of her pursuit of the source of joy, peace, enlightenment, wisdom and eternal life… Jesus Christ.  And you know what?  If it worked for her… then I know that it can (& does) work for you and me!

Is the Word of God of God your source of BUBBLING JOY that thrills you when you hear it?  Why not?

Have a wonderful rest of the week… and keep expecting God’s best!

Sudden Outbursts!

I have never been one to follow a prescribed Bible Study plan.  Sure, I have used some but tend to grow tired of the structure after a short duration of time, although a number of years ago, I did come across the “Be” series by Warren Wiersbe and enjoyed having them as a platform from which I would delve into my daily study. 

I have had the habit of sitting down to spend time with the Lord first thing in the morning for as long as I can remember.  Usually I already have a particular scripture or subject in mind.  But at other times, I will simply hear that small-still-voice on the inside of me uttering a single word that will propel me into an hour or more of study time.

Today I sat down in my study, with Fiver comfortable reclined on the leather loveseat behind me, I turned on my computer, filled out the header on my note page and then sat back and stared at the screen saver that pictures Piper and I at a wedding we attended in the late 1980’s.  After a few moments of stunned silence, I closed my eyes and said aloud, “Lord, I got nothing!  Please show me where You want me to go today!” …and you know what happened?  Absolutely NOTHING!  So, I did what I normally have done the relatively few times that this has happened and went back to the last scripture that I had studied the previous day.

Well, that verse from Matthew 24:35 where we find Jesus teaching on the faithfulness of God and His word declares, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words (logos) shall not pass away” (KJV).  For some reason my very first thought after reading this, was that His Word is still as good, as strong and as true today as it was at any time in the past… and that got me thinking about how happy I should be today, so I took a few moments right then and there, to stop and praise the Lord.

In the midst of praise, the flood gates opened, and I was led to various other scriptures that talk about being glad, rejoicing and walking in triumph and/or victory everywhere we go… everyday of the week… and YES!  …even on Mondays!

Psalm 118:24 in the Passion Translation encourages us to proclaim, “This is the very day of the Lord that brings gladness and joy, filling our hearts with glee.”  And as I studied the context of the verse with the scriptures surrounding that statement, I noticed how the previous verse seemed to flow even better following the 24^th verse than leading into it, as it seems to complete the proclamation by declaring that “The Lord himself is the one who has done this, and it’s so amazing, so marvelous to see!” 

Those verses caused me to rejoice in the Lord even more and immediately drew me to a favorite scripture found in 2 Corinthians 2:14 where Paul in his excitement before the Lord exclaimed to his readers, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” (KJV)  It is interesting to note that the word “triumph” used here is actually describing “a noisy acclamatory procession” (Strong’s).  Robertson’s Word Pictures says it talks of “A sudden outburst of gratitude” while John Wesley explained that “to triumph implies not only victory, but an open manifestation of it.”

When I pondered those various commentaries, I thought “WOW” because I realized that Paul was telling us that when we go to the Lord asking His assistance on any matter that concerns us, that we are to not only EXPECT to triumph and have the victory… but also to acknowledge our victory through Him with an open and deliberate manifestation of thanksgiving and praise!  It reminded me of the various times that Piper would sense a breakthrough while homeschooling our kids and suddenly jump up and start praising the Lord… while the kids looked at her like she was crazy!  But they would soon join her in a moment of worship and thanksgiving to the Lord… right there in the family room of our house… in the middle of school time!  (Let’s just say that the Berruto Homeschool wasn’t your ordinary school!)

I recently switched pharmacies and was seeing some confusion in the communication between my doctor’s office and the mail-in pharmacy that is connected to my health insurance.  On Friday I had called both parties and listened to each one painstakingly tell me that they had accurately completed their part of the transaction… and I nicely explained that for some reason… IT WASN’T WORKING!  This has happened before and today as I got out of bed, I wasn’t looking forward to dealing with the problem if it hadn’t yet been fixed!  I’ve always been a proponent of the adage that “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” but my patience was growing thin…

So, as I returned to my study after breakfast today, in order to face the music… sort-of-speak… I paused and thought about my time in the Word and Paul’s encouragement to EXPECT and then openly rejoice with “a sudden outburst of gratitude.”  And with that, I resolutely adjusted my thinking from one of frustration and DOUBT to one of FAITH and determined that I was EXPECTING to find a positive result to my situation… and sure enough… when I went online to check my pharmacy account… the needed prescription orders had been completed!

Well, that put a knowing smile on my face and I pushed back in my chair and quietly thanked the Lord… until He reminded me about my need to interject “a sudden outburst of gratitude.”  So without too much hesitation, I stood up from my seat and began to loudly praise the Lord… but I had a sense that it wasn’t enough… so I proceeded to jump up and down with both a vocal and physical demonstration of thanksgiving and praise for the Lord’s answer to my prayer… and just like with the kids years before, the dog looked at me like I was crazy!  But I am sure that if he realized what was going on, that he would have joined in with my celebration!

So, hopefully my words of REJOICING in the Lord, EXPECTING His victory and TRIUMPH in the faith-filled requests that you bring before him… and then taking the time (and putting aside self-consciousness) to celebrate the good report He caused with “a sudden outburst of gratitude” to Him… has hit home in your heart! 

Give it a try… for not only do I believe that the Lord desires and enjoys our loud and excited heartfelt thanksgiving and rejoicing before Him… but it is good for us as well! (See: Proverbs 17:22)

Let me know how it feels!  Have a great new week while you REJOICE unabashedly before Him!

Milestones

I was looking at a picture that I had posted in Facebook the other day of Piper and I outside of the reception hall after our wedding.  I didn’t remember ever seeing the shot before, even though it was in the back of one of the many albums that we have containing snapshots of our special day taken by family and friends.  The more I stared at Piper and the look of complete contentment and happiness that was radiating from her beautiful face, the more I realized how this picture seemed to have perfectly captured the true and inherent essence of the sweetness* of the girl that I had fallen head over heels for! 

Our enjoyable years together seemed to flash across my mind as I got lost in the memories that the look on her stirred up in me.  After a moment or two, I began to smile and feel rather confident in the way that we chose to live our lives.  It suddenly dawned on me, that if we had followed the path that our families had wanted us to lead, that Piper would not only have been miserable but also very disappointed when she left this earth on September 2, 2018.

I remember an early conversation that I had with my father concerning my desire to go to seminary which would lead to a career in full time ministry.  To be honest, his main concern was that “ministers don’t make a lot of money!”  Years later, I had a similar conversation with my Father-in-law concerning one of my son’s desire to go into ministry, and his comment, similar to my Father’s, was centered around his idea that ministry afforded a lack of financial income.

I can look back through the years now and see various spiritual MILESTONES that changed our lives so much so, that we never went back to old ways of thinking and/or doing things.  For instance, a few days ago, I was studying in the book of 3 John where the Apostle of love is writing a heartfelt letter to his good friend Gaius back then… and to you and me today… expressing his thoughts that, “I was filled with joy and delight when the brothers arrived and informed me of your faithfulness to the truth. They told me how you live continually in the truth of Christ.  It is the greatest joy of my life to hear that my children are consistently living their lives in the ways of truth!” (The Passion Translation) 

The reality of living “continually” and “consistently” in the truth of Christ sparked a memory of how we felt when we returned back home after Bible College in Oklahoma.  Thinking back, I can clearly see how it seemed like we had entered a time-warp and had actually gone back in time!  It was pretty apparent that we had grown in our Christian maturity and understanding, while life back home, in many ways, seemed to have stayed the same! (our Pastor even commented to me about how we had changed!)

Attending Bible College and spending three years in the community of faith around the school had made such a lasting impression on us that it caused us to be able to step up and out with a new determination, understanding and a high level of faith in God and His Word, so as to be able to withstand the attacks that we faced in the ensuing battle for Piper’s life.

2 Timothy 1:9 tells us that (God) “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (KJV)  God has not only saved us but also called each of us to His own special purpose and grace.  As it is confirmed throughout the New Testament, God has a unique and special calling for each and every one of us to fulfill in our lives on the earth.  The word “calling” in the original Greek means “to utter in a loud voice (ie; with clarity) or to invite by name.” (Thayer’s)

I can think back of the times that God has spoken a word of direction to me and notate that while it was not an audible voice, but the still-small-voice inside of me… that it was one that I immediately recognized as the voice of God and knew that He had a personal word for me to obey!  When people questioned me on what or why I was doing something that had been directed of the Lord, there was never a thought of doubt or hesitation on my behalf.  I had heard from HIM and people’s thoughts did nothing to distract my obedience to His calling.

As the Greek defines it, Piper and I likewise saw those spiritual MILESTONES that I mentioned above, as personal invitations from the Lord to step out from where we had been, step up to where He wanted us to go and then step in to our world with a new, emboldened and empowered sense of strength and purpose.

I don’t think that there is much of anything of our past that I would change if I had the chance.  We lived our lives as pioneers of the faith before our families, friends, co-workers, neighbors and with anyone else that came across our path.  If we had followed the desires of our families… which were most likely God’s special plan and purpose for THEIR lives… in contrast to the unique ones that God had pre-planned for us… well, let’s just say that that look on Piper’s face depicted in the photo at our wedding reception (moments after we officially became husband and wife) would have been for naught!

When I looked at that sweet expression* that the picture captured on Piper’s face, I couldn’t help but get a warm feeling of joy and satisfaction while hearing the voice of the Lord saying, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…” (Matthew 25:21, 23 KJV)

Have you sent in your RSVP in reply to God’s personal invitation to the special and unique things that He has planned for your life?  Don’t put it off!  Jump in with both feet and hold on tight in order to experience the best and most rewarding ride of your life!

I hope that you have a fantastic weekend!

 

PS:  As I was writing this post today, I couldn’t help but remember the congregational hymn that Piper had picked for our wedding service called, “There’s a Sweet, Sweet Spirit” written by Doris Akers in 1965.  The first verse goes:

“There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place,

And I know that it is the Spirit of the Lord;

There are sweet expressions on each face,

And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.”

 

I truly believe that Piper’s SWEET EXPRESSION in that photo was prophetic of not only that song… but of our entire life together!

For some history of the Hymn & to hear it sung, go to: http://dianaleaghmatthews.com/sweet-sweet-spirit/#.X4H00-aSk2w

SHAKE

One particular word at the beginning of my Bible study this morning got me to thinking about food, seasonings and restaurants… strange wouldn’t you say?  But it really doesn’t surprise me as I have discovered over the years, that God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives!  So, I tend to go with the flow and see where He might be leading me with the wide variety of subjects that pop up during my morning Bible studies.

After coffee, quiet time in the Word and a quick shower, I went back into the study to put on my shoes and socks so that Fiver & I could go out on our morning walk.  As I pulled on my socks, I glanced over to my desk where my Bible and computer were sitting and then over to Fiver who was anxiously awaiting our walk and had to laugh!  I laughed as I thought about my earlier study and began to remember the many times that Piper and I went to The Cattleman’s Steak House in both our hometown of Santa Rosa and the other location next to the highway in the neighboring city of Petaluma.

For years it was our favorite restaurant... in fact, I proposed to Piper at the restaurant in Petaluma… well… in the parking lot actually!  Romantic right?   But that’s a whole nuther story!  The first thing I recalled was when one of the wait staff would come by the table with a large pepper mill and ask if they could grind some fresh pepper onto our salads.  I wasn’t a huge fan of pepper so I’d ask for just a touch while Piper would smile and keep nodding her head as they twisted the mill and say “more!”  Her liking of pepper always served to remind me of her more adventurous side!

The other memory was that of the “Bean Girl” who would come by our table after our dinner was served carrying a large kettle of baked beans.  I couldn’t help but smile as I thought about how much Piper enjoyed them, while I usually said “No thanks!”  What can I say? I was spoiled by my Mom’s cooking and soon after we were married, by Piper’s personalized recipe for baked beans in the orange crockpot we got as a wedding present!  Our kids hated them… but I loved them!  So, to me… the beans at Cattleman’s were just a little too bland for my palette.

The word that set me off in this direction at the start of my Bible study was “SHAKE!”  As soon as I had sat down, turned on my computer and dated my note page, I clearly heard the word “SHAKE” spoken from the small-still-voice on the inside of me.  So, I wrote it down in caps at the top of the page and proceeded to look up the first verse that came to mind, which was the main scripture that I had studied the previous day in Philippians 4:4-5.

While reading from different versions yesterday, I suddenly thought about a little obscure translation that I had found a number of years ago entitled “The Letters of St. Paul to Seven Churches and three Friends with the Letter to the Hebrews” by Arthur S. Way, second edition 1906.  Way’s translation of this particular verse instructs us to: “Rejoice in the sense of the Lord’s presence always.  I will say it again – rejoice!  Let unselfishness be known, as your distinguishing character, to all men.  The Lord’s coming is now at hand!”

I hadn’t remembered that translation and the thought of being able to rejoice at any time, in the midst of any situation BECAUSE you have a continual SENSE of HIS PRESENSE with you, really struck a chord with me!  It seemed to give me a much greater understanding of what the writer of this book was trying to convey to his or her readers.

From there I began to look up all the verses where the word “SHAKEN” is used from various translations.  Scriptures like Matthew 21:10 where the writer tells of Jesus’ final entrance into the city of Jerusalem at the end of His earthly ministry, reporting that: “As He made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, "What's going on here? Who is this?" or the incident in Luke 1:28-29 when a young teenage Mary is greeted by the angel of the Lord who tells her of God’s plan for the world saying, “… Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you.  (and) She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that.” 

And it goes on and on from there like the time the Jailor was stunned by a prayer induced earthquake and “…got a torch and ran inside.  (and) Badly shaken, he collapsed in front of Paul and Silas.” (3 scriptures -The Message)  The various uses of the idea of receiving a SHAKING seem to have to do with either an incident where God has caused a personal SHAKING in your life where you are forced to make a decision or when someone or something else causes a negative SHAKING in your life… and whether you prepared or not for it! 

Scriptures like Psalms 27:3 do a great job at summarizing the question of how to be prepared for the negative attacks in our lives as the Psalmist declares that: “My heart will not be afraid even if an army rises to attack. I know that you are there for me, so I will not be shaken.”  But the one that I liked the best is where Luke tells of a prophesy of King David’s when he wrote in Acts 2:25 that King David declared that, “I continually see the Lord in front of me. He’s at my right hand, and (therefore) I am never shaken.” (last 2 scriptures: The Passion Translation) 

Luke here did a masterful job in bringing my Bible study this morning back in a full circle… concluding with the identical thought that the Lord had started me out with… mainly that our success in handling the “SHAKINGS” in our lives… whether a positive one from the Lord or a negative one coming through the adverse situations or circumstances we face in our lives, are dependent upon our personal proximity to the Lord!

In other words, are we in a place in our relationship with the Lord where we have “the sense of the Lord’s presence always” and/or “continually see the Lord in front of us, (where) He’s (close by) at our right hand” or not?  A quick litmus test would be the answer to the question of “Who or what is the first thing I think of when something SHAKES me?  Is it the Lord or something else?”

Hmmm… something to chew on!

Have a great end of the week!

Continuing!

I just read that today is World Teacher’s Day and I would have to say without a moment’s hesitation… that my favorite teacher was our children’s Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School and High School teacher… who just happened to be my talented wife and our kids Mom… Piper! 

Like I’ve said on many occasions, homeschooling wasn’t just something for Piper to do, it was her passion!  She loved just about every moment of it, put in countless hours of study, research and preparation and was very protective of their daily time and schedule.  I remember back in the late 1990’s when I was working a four day week, ten-plus hours a day schedule during a busy season at Agilent Technologies, where I worked as a production supervisor.  I had the flexibility with the shift to take either Friday’s or Monday’s off and actually preferred to take Mondays due to my strenuous weekend schedule at the church in which we were serving as Assistant Pastors.

Well, that lasted about three weeks when Piper took me aside one day and said that she would prefer that I take Fridays off instead of Mondays… because I messed up their beginning of the week school schedule!  She went on to patiently explain that all I wanted to do was take it easy and play on my day off… and it completely interrupted their school schedule… whereas on Friday’s they were winding down for the week and could handle my intrusions… so guess which day I (mostly) took off…

I was watching a Hallmark movie last night when at the end, a young couple is shown playing guitars and singing a song together on stage, in front of an audience.  It immediately reminded me of a picture that I have of the first time that Piper and I sang together with my high school rock band at a New Year’s party that was held at one of the members of our Youth group’s home in 1970. 

Well, I happened to have the picture album nearby and I opened it up to the large black and white photo… and immediately started to cry.  Let’s just say that it brought back a flood of happy memories!  Then this morning, as I walked by the coffee table and glanced down at the photo that I had left out last night, I began to think once again, of memories of Piper and I… except that this morning… I was reminded of memories on the other end of our relationship.

In my mind’s eye I was brought back to the morning that she left this world.  It had been a long night that I mostly spent sitting on the floor in front of her, holding her hands and looking deeply into her eyes while telling her how much I loved her, regaled her with funny and poignant stories from our past and did my best to comfort her as her breathing had been getting increasingly more difficult for her.  I had only slept for a half hour that night during which time she passed, but I believe it was God’s and her perfect timing.

I actually thought that she had died at least three times during the previous week, only to see her chest slowly rise again after a prolonged time of stillness.  I have come to find out that she most likely did leave this realm for quick sneak peeks into her new home in heaven.  Having since read many books on heaven and people’s near-death experiences, I’ve learned that it is actually pretty common for dying individuals to see glimpses of heaven previous to their final departure.

Later on that morning, after the Hospice nurse had left and the mortuary attendants had taken away her earthly shell, I clearly remember walking into the dining room on my way to the backyard to call a dear friend, when I stopped at the table, closed my eyes and whispered… “Well now Piper, I promise to be strong for you.”  And, it was uncanny that as I then moved on through the room and out onto the back deck, that I suddenly and unmistakably heard Piper’s voice in my head softly saying to me, “No Jim, now I need you to be strong for you!”

Then a few weeks after her passing, after all of our kids had left and gone back to their regular lives out-of-state, I sat down in one of our La-Z-Boy recliners next to a living room window that looked out onto our front porch and began to pray and study my Bible, when the word “CONTINUE” popped into my head.   For some reason it sounded important and I began to spend a fair amount of time thinking about and asking the Lord for clarification.

I came to find out… that for me… it is very important to see my new life today without Piper, not as “MOVING ON” from what was, to what’s ahead but, in many respects as a “CONTINUANCE” to the life that we lived as a couple strongly anchored with a foundation in the Word of God.  It is not that I am moving away from the large portion of my life that included Piper, but that I am CONTINUING on with the strong foundation that has been built up in me that was influenced largely by that sweet, freckle faced, vibrant, encouraging and spiritually discerning young lady that I spent 48 close and most special years with.

It is CONTINUING on with the specific lifestyle that we built together, by my “continuing to advance in faith, assured of a firm foundation to grow upon and to never allow myself to be shaken from the EXPECTATIONS of the gospel that we had believed in.” (Colossians1:23 The Passion Translation – personalized)  As I studied on this subject once again this morning, I was amazed to discover how many times the Apostles Peter, Paul and John talk about the importance of we believers following this course of action in our lives.  Throughout each of their writings they extoll the importance of CONSISTENCY in our personal growth and the CONTINUANCE of our faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I talked to a lady at the grocery store the other day who had lost her husband six years ago and was still struggling with grief… and realized that although I believe that I am doing well, that I still have a long way to go in adjusting to this new chapter of my life.  Hopefully, I comforted the lady as I shared how my faith has helped me through my personal loss and pain.

Well… this post has gone a totally different direction than I originally planned, but I am a firm believer in following the flow of the Holy Ghost!  Hopefully it is a blessing to someone who reads this today!

I guess that if I was to leave you with a final thought, that it would be of the importance of NEVER allowing your EXPECTATIONS in the truth of God and His Word to grow dull, but instead to CONTINUE sharpening your love, knowledge, understanding and commitment to it! 

I have seen God’s Word come true in too many seemingly impossible situations to allow my earnest EXPECTATIONS in Him to fail me now!  And if you should have any doubt arise… just remember that Jesus Himself gave us His word on the subject saying, "As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes."  (Mark 9:23 God’s Word ©).

I hope you have a spectacular week... and keep CONTINUING to CONTINUE!

To BELIEVE or not to BELIEVE?

Welcome to October.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised but yet I was when the weather apps on my phone starting sending out alerts concerning the cooler temperatures and the outlook for upcoming winter storms.  I will admit though, that I am thoroughly enjoying the cooler days in our neck of the woods out here in Oklahoma.  I also realized that I am enjoying having a smaller backyard.  Yesterday afternoon I simply sat on the grass in the middle of the yard and tossed balls to Fiver!  He’d chase the ball, bring it back and then interact with me as I tried to take it from him, rub his tummy, laugh a lot and then toss it again.  I honestly can’t remember the last time I sat down on the grass in my yard.

Both yesterday and today, I found myself thinking that it always amazes me how many people’s first reactions to a startling event in life, is one of fear, negativity or is defined through the eyes of their own resources.  Piper and I saw a lot of those responses throughout our lives and especially during our journey with the attack of Alzheimer’s on her brain.  I didn’t realize it at first, but by the time Piper, our two youngest children and I crossed the California border near Lake Havasu City, Arizona on our way home from our three-year stay in Oklahoma where we attended Bible College, our determination was set in flint. (See Isaiah 50:7)

Our entire focus was centered upon our unshakeable trust in God and His Word.  It was just who we were, the direction we were headed in and the state of mind that filtered every word we spoke, every action we took, and every thought we considered.  What really surprised me was when others around us didn’t respond the way we did!  Looking back now, I probably should have been more understanding, but I was so focused on Piper’s needs, desperately trying to balance everything happening in our lives and on our single minded faith in God, that I didn’t have a lot of time to coddle others who believed differently than us… and many times… gave us very confusing advice.

This morning I turned in my Bible to the book of Ephesians 1:18-21 and read where the Apostle Paul is praying for us, asking that:

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” (KJV) 

What immediately caught my attention as I read this was Paul’s initial statement praying “that ye may KNOW…” amongst other things, “the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who BELIEVE…”  When I looked up the Greek word translated “KNOW” I discovered that it is not the same word that Paul used to express the kind of personal and very intimate knowing of the love that Jesus has toward each of us as found in Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:19.  Again, that kind of knowledge is something that is very personal and intimate between an individual and Jesus Himself.

Oppositely, the KNOWING that is described in Ephesians 1:18 speaks of a very public demonstration of the power of God in our midst.  According to Thayer’s, this word means “to see with the eyes, to perceive, notice, discern, discover and to experience!”  In plain English, Paul is saying that God WANTS us to see and experience His power in our lives on a regular basis… but there is also a very important stipulation included in this desire of God’s for us.  After telling us about God’s power, Paul clearly states that it is all dependent on our personal ability, desire and decision to BELIEVE in His power.  He tells us about “the surpassing greatness of His power to-ward us WHO BELIEVE!”

The Passion Translation says that “God’s power is made available to you through faith.”  And according to the Biblical definition of Faith, Hebrews 11:1 declares that “Faith assures us of things we expect…” (God’s Word ©)  If we don’t BELIEVE it then we can’t EXPECT it… and if we can’t EXPECT it… well, then we don’t have the FAITH to see and/or experience the POWER of God working in us, for us and through us unto others.

It’s a little on the funny side (at least to me) when I see these promises of God adversely working in different Christian Churches that state in their tenets of faith, that they believe that the gifts of the Spirit and/or the miracles of God ended with the death of the last Apostle (which is totally un-Biblical). The truth of God’s Word works, in that they don’t see miracles because they publicly declare that they DON’T BELIEVE in seeing the power of God… SO IT DOESN’T HAPPEN FOR THEM!  Now that may seem harsh… but in reality, it’s just another sign, as I like to say it, that God’s Word works!  It works when you believe it… and it doesn’t work when you don’t!

This may be a lot for some to chew on… So, I’ll stop here and maybe say a little bit more on this subject next week.  But until then, let me encourage you to BELIEVE in the promises of God working for you and through you!  Romans 10:17 tell us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (KJV)  So… The more time you spend reading and studying the Word of God, the more your faith grows, the more your knowledge of the will of God for you increases and therefore the more you know to believe for, to ask for, and to receive in your daily life! 

And remember that Philippians 4:19 says that, “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (KJV)  Let me ask you then… Just HOW MUCH of ALL do you BELIEVE that He can supply for you? 

Have a great weekend, and keep EXPECTING for what you BELIEVE in God’s Word!