GIFTS

When Fiver and I were returning home from our morning walk between thunderstorms today, we came upon a backyard that faces the golf course where there were a bunch of little kids playing on an enclosed trampoline.  Amidst the laughter and loud talking, one girl suddenly started screaming when another playmate stopped her from going to where she wanted to go against the wall of the trampoline.  As we neared them, I looked down at Fiver with a smirk and told him how Piper would never allow our kids to scream unless it was a real emergency.  I was also a little taken back as there was no adult in the yard… nor did one come out of the house when the child screamed.

That observance once again, kicked me back into memory mode and I thought of how Piper would have probably been out there supervising the children… and then I couldn’t help but to laugh as I confided in the dog saying… “Hah!  She not only would have been out there, but jumping on the trampoline as well!”

As the dog and I walked by, all of the kids took turns yelling out “Hello” to us and asking us how we were doing!  So, I yelled back my answers and then, one by one, each child excitedly exclaimed that they either liked my dog or that I had a good-looking dog!  That also made me smile and I thanked them all… I even think that I saw a smile on Fiver’s face!  He definitely had a noticeable high-step to his gait for the remainder of our journey home!

The kid’s conversations got me thinking some more about the book of Ephesians where the Apostle Paul made many interesting comments to the church that was located in the very worldly port city of Ephesus.  I have many times heard comparisons of the city of Ephesus to that of San Francisco, California.  The growing congregation in Ephesus was struggling as they dealt with some of the wrong practices going on in the city and the seasoned Apostle gave the church much needed encouragement and practical instruction in his letter to them.  In Ephesians 4:29 he declared,

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister GRACE unto the hearers.”  (KJV) 

We talked in our last blog post* about the importance of the words that we speak and in particular, of the need to speak words that are in agreement with the Word of God as found in our Bibles.  As I continued to study from this verse, previous to Fiver’s and my morning walk today, I immediately took note of the very first word in this verse: “Let.”  Dictionary.com defines “Let” as “to allow or permit.”  So, from the very git-go of his statement, Paul is making the point that the successful application of this verse is all dependent on whether we (as the speaker) choose to “allow” or “permit” certain words to proceed from out of our mouths.

Hummm… so before we open our mouths… we have a decision to make.

The word “proceed” coincides with the decision as to what we LET out of our mouths.  In the Greek it means to “depart, to be discharged, to flow (like that of a river) and to be spread abroad.”  In my simple way of thinking… that means that once we say something… those words will flow like a river and are permanently out there in the open for anyone and everyone to hear… and there is no taking them back.

Think about the many accusations that were falsely leveled at our previous President.  Once the statements were made public it went out through the news cycles and many people believed the words to be true… and even though most of those words have now been proven to be wrong… the original speaking of the words did its irreparable damage and the truth that finally came out couldn’t change the destruction of character and the physical results that ensued.

Lastly is the very common word that is used throughout the New Testament: GRACE.  In this verse, Paul teaches us to speak words that will minister GRACE unto the ones that we are speaking to.  The Greek describes the action of “GRACE” as something that is full of “graciousness, gratifying, joy, liberating, and pleasurable.”**  Thayer’s Greek Definitions tells us that words of GRACE should be “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness and favor.”

During Piper’s illness we received an abundance of loving and encouraging words of GRACE that were most comforting and supportive to us… but we also received a few that were far from being LIBERATING or sent forth to produce JOY in us.  There were also a few spoken that made it crystal clear that I no longer had FAVOR with them.

Experiences like those have helped me in a positive way, so that I now strive… more than ever… to STOP, THINK and PRAY before I engage my mouth… Today, I STRONGLY desire… as much as possible… to only speak words that will minister GRACE unto those that I am communicating with.

How about you?  How do the words that you communicate to others stack up in the face of Paul’s definitions of LET, PROCEED, and GRACE?  The modern language used in The Passion Translation eloquently describes this by encouraging us to “let your words become beautiful GIFTS that encourage others.”

That most definitely makes me think twice before I allow words to flow out of my mouth… I want my spoken words to go forth and be received as beautiful GIFTS that I am giving someone… How about you?

 

*http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-importance-of-words.html

**Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

The Importance of Words

If I’ve learned one thing in my life… and yes… I have learned a few things... it would be the importance of my words.  Looking back in time, I can see that I have said a lot of stupid words in my past.  But I am also happy to report that the occurrence of those kinds of mistakes has been greatly reduced with each increasing year of my existence.

When I think about it, most of those thoughtless words were uttered when I was embarrassed, trying to look or be “cool” or most often… to fill in an uncomfortable time of silence while in a conversation with someone.  Have you ever been there?

But as I began to grow in my Christian walk and in particular with my knowledge of God’s Word, I realized that the Bible takes a clear and very vocal stance on the importance of the words that we speak!  A quick search with my Bible Study program revealed that the words mouth and tongue… both defined as speech or language*… are used over 550 times in the Old and New Testaments combined.  That alone should catch the attention of every Believer and cause them to put a watch on what they say!

Proverbs 18:21 in The Message Bible makes the case very bluntly when it declares:

“Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.”

Lately I have been studying the Apostle Paul’s many thoughts on the subject and specifically in Ephesians 4:19 where he wrote,

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”  (KJV) 

And what really made me stand up and take notice is when I learned that the word “communication” is the word usually translated from the Greek as the “LOGOS” of God… meaning the whole of the Word of God… ie; the words that are written between the covers of yours and my Bibles!  When I was finally able to sit down again, I realized that one could easily understand this verse as saying, “Let no corrupted Word of God proceed out of your mouth in your spoken language!’

So, if that is true… then what would one consider to be a corrupted Word of God?  Well, that’s pretty simple!  Any word that we might speak that is contrary to the truth of God’s Word!  Simply stated… any word that would put any hint of doubt, unbelief and/or fear into the ears of the one that you are talking to at any given moment.  The word “corrupt” in the original language is defined as “worthless, rotten, not fit for use, of poor quality, depraved, wicked or perverted.”*

It is also no coincidence that the verses of scripture previous to this verse teach us to, “not leave room for the Devil.” (Ephesians 4:27 – Weymouth New Testament), while the following verse encourages us to “never grieve the Spirit of God or take for granted his holy influence in your life.”  (Ephesians 4:30 – TPT) 

Similarly, the Apostle Peter tells us in I Peter 3:10 “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.”  With the word “guile” defined in the Greek as “to decoy, to trick or bait, wile, fraud or as a contrivance for entrapping.”*

My current study of these verses and the concepts and truths behind them, finally got it to register in me, that our spiritual and physical battle for Piper’s health, when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, quickly turned into a battle for of our words.  I learned that other people’s words of doubt, fear and unbelief toward the Biblical principles that we were standing on, came as a weapon being used by the enemy of our faith, that were being spoken in order to trick, deceive or entice us into questioning our faith.

So… in the most important battle of our lives, Piper and I, once again, learned the importance of speaking and standing on the truth of God’s Word… and gave no way to the wiles of the enemy… It is actually one of the reasons that we moved to North Carolina.

In today’s current WOKE culture, we see the enemy of our Christian faith attacking us by the guile of society’s words!  Why else are we witnessing the movement of the liberal left in our government, as they work to redefine God’s given creation and the associated meanings of our words and attempt to insert a whole new set of gender pronouns into our everyday language?  It is a not-so-sneaky way of coercing people to walk in doubt, fear and unbelief of the Christian Judeo foundations of our country.

And how do we combat these entrapments and hinder their acceptance into our society… into our families… and in some cases, into our churches?  It's simple… by continuing to speak the truth of God’s Word in your normal conversations and live out those principles in EVERYTHING we do!

It is a basic spiritual principle that is spoken of by almost every writer in the Bible… and if it was important to God (as witnessed by Jesus’ life on the earth)… then it should be just as important to you and me!

Have a great week, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s BEST in your lives!

 

*Strong’s, Thayer’s and Mounce Hebrew and Greek dictionaries

Making a Mess!

One day in 1998, we received an apologetic call from the agent at the management company through which we had rented our home less than two years before.   She regretfully informed us that the owners of the house had suddenly and without any warning, decided to sell the house we were living in… and we were given a 30-day notice to move.

So, needless to say, we had to scramble.  They only problem though, was that I had just recently been promoted back into management at Hewlett Packard and although the financial aspects of that promotion would greatly ease the application process, it also meant that I had no time to help with the house hunting.  Therefore, the burden of finding a home in a nice neighborhood that would adequately fit our home-schooling family of six fell entirely on Piper’s shoulders.

Well, it took a few weeks, but she found a nice house only a few blocks away from where we currently resided.  I clearly remember being able to squeeze in sometime between meetings at work in order to get out and take a quick peek at the home before it was taken.  I literally ran in the house, bounded up the stairs to check out the bedrooms and back downstairs to look at the kitchen, living and dining rooms and the rather large sunken family room that would work perfectly for the homeschool room. 

Three things that particularly caught my attention were the ugly dark brown carpet that was thankfully offset by a bright kitchen and eating nook… and out in the back there was a beautiful (but greatly overgrown and in desperate need of pruning) Gravenstein apple tree!  So, besides the brown carpet, Piper and I both thought the house was perfect for our needs and she went right over to the management office and signed the deal, while I hurriedly drove back to work.

After we moved in and I finally got some time to closely examine the backyard, I noticed that not only was the tree in great need of pruning but that the ground below it was covered in at least four inches of brown rotting apples… it was quite obvious that whoever the previous renters were… that they didn’t care for apples… or yardwork in general!  But for an avid gardener like myself… the place looked like seventh heaven!

I spent an entire cold Saturday in November climbing up into the tree and trimming, sawing and clipping branches galore!  I had never seen anything like it before.  It had an extension of the center trunk that had shot up at least four feet above the main canopy!  When I began to attack the tree, I decided that I would focus on the pruning and just let the branches fall down to the ground, to pick up on another day.

When I finished the pruning, I glanced over the yard and observed that it was almost entirely filled with various sizes and shapes of apple tree branches.  Piper came out when I finally climbed out of the tree and could only shake her head and laughingly talk about what a mess I had made!  Do you know that it actually took me and the kids another two days to pick up all the branches and trim them down to size to fit the garbage can (for multiple pickups) and then rake up all the old apples! 

Whew!  What a job!  But you know, from that summer on, during the next nine years we lived there, we had the best sweet Gravenstein apples one could crunch on, countless home baked apple pies, applesauce and baked apples with cinnamon and brown sugar!  I had surely made a huge mess when I pruned the tree… but afterwards… the rewards far exceeded the work… and the mess!

In Philippians 2:12-13 the Apostle Paul tells us,

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, WORK OUT your own salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is working in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”  (EMTV)

The phrase “WORK OUT” is defined in the Hebrew as “to accomplish, to finish, to perform, to practice and to achieve.” So, in other words, in order to “make this new (Christian) life fully manifested as you live in the holy awe of God…” as The Passion Translation puts it, you have to work at it, practice it, perform it and determine to accomplish and finish the things that God tells you to do in His Word… and along the way… you’re probably going to make some messes as you work to apply the principles of God and His Word in your daily life!

I firmly believe that churches and the Christian life can… and maybe should at times… be messy!  It would seem to me, that if our lives were always perfect and that we were always living comfortably in our comfort zones… it would show that nothing new was happening… no new challenges, no opportunities to grow and no stands of faith in which God can work His miraculous power in, for and through our lives… unto others!

Like I mentioned earlier, I remember that it was an exceptionally damp and cold (yes… even for California) and overcast day when I went out to trim and shape that old apple tree… and I was definitely chilled by the time I stumbled back into the warm house for dinner that night.  I was also pretty sore for the next few days as I did it all by hand without the benefit of the power outdoor tools I now enjoy!

But like I said… no effort, no mess, no pain… no gain!  I was happy once all the work was completed, and the huge mess cleaned up… as was Piper!  But the results of all that effort and blisters… not only blessed our family, but neighbors, extended family and friends as well as our church!

So, what am I trying to say?  Don’t let the thought of making a mess STOP you from stepping out of your comfort zone in your Christian or secular lives.  Allow yourselves the adventure of learning new things, to stretch your faith and to reach out and be a blessing to someone else!  Look at the potential messes in life as a normal outcome of your personal growth!  Don’t purposely go out and make a mess, but if one does occur, see it as a part of the learning curve and clean it up when you are done!

Living a life that is afraid of change is… to me… a stagnant life that desperately needs a new adventure… and a little stirring up! 

Have a great weekend, and as you do, keep EXPECTING God’s BEST in your life!

Super Glue...

In the 1980’s the Geodex Planner System notebook was the norm for every supervisor or manager at Hewlett Packard.  They even offered a day long class to teach the system to its users.  When I first heard about it, I immediately signed up for the class and at the end of the day, proudly walked out of the conference room with a spiffy new brown leather notebook in hand!  I had (and have) always been interested in self-help and time saving information, books and classes, so my new planner made me smile from ear to ear!

In the ‘90’s, most management personnel switched over to the new and upcoming electronic PDA’s, but I had so incorporated every aspect of my life involving work, ministry and family into the system, that I was not about to let go of it… so I simply integrated parts of both systems to fit my unique needs.  And while it has been delegated mainly to note taking, I continue to use my Geodex notebook today!

My first brown leather notebook lasted a few years before it wore out through all the use it received… as it literally went just about everywhere with me!  I had noticed other managers carrying notebooks of varying colors, so when the time came, I ordered a beautiful dark green leather cover set.  Much to my dismay though, after only a few weeks, one of the metal rivets that attaches the ring binder clip to the cover popped free.

I mentioned my dilemma to one of the machinists who worked for me and he very nonchalantly told me to go to stores (the supplies area of the shop) and pick up a container of two-part Super-Glue… for he assured me that it would fix anything!  I was a little dubious of Larry’s suggestion, but he was a good guy and a long-term machinist and quite mechanically inclined.  So, I figured what could it hurt to try it and I did… and low-and-behold it worked!  And it held together for years until I finally replaced that cover-set with a new black leather one! 

In some respects, I guess you could say, like in many other areas of my life, that I was PASSIONATE concerning the use of that system.  Even when my sister and brother in-laws tried their best to convince me on a family vacation, to switch to the system they used (Franklin, I think), I would not budge.  The Geodex system worked well for me.  It was integrated into every area of my life and… I even liked the physical style, weight and size of the notebook and the way it fit in my hand!  People may have even thought that it was glued to my hand as they hardly ever saw me without it in my possession!

The Psalmist declared in Psalm 119:69 that:

“Proud boasters make up lies about me because I am PASSIONATE to FOLLOW all that you say.”  (TPT) 

I talked about the importance of being PASSIONATE in our lives in our last post*, but today I wanted to take a quick look at what it means to FOLLOW something, someone, a cause or a personal belief.  The King James Version uses the word “KEEP” in place of FOLLOW in the more modern translation of this verse. 

Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions explains to “KEEP” as “to guard with fidelity.”  And “FIDELITY” in the Oxford Online Dictionary is defined as “faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief as demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.”  Dictionary.Com describes it as “adherence to fact or detail; conjugal faithfulness, loyalty.”

The idea of “conjugal faithfulness” caught my attention in that last definition.  That term, according to the dictionary is “relating to or the characteristics of (a healthy) marriage and the relationship between marriage partners.”**  So… it is pretty evident that the Psalmist, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is teaching us that the practice or demonstration of being PASSIONATE in FOLLOWING all that God says in His Word, is identical to the way a husband and wife should be PASSIONATE in their loyalty and support of each other 

My immediate thought when I read those definitions this morning, was what Moses wrote about concerning the relationship between and husband and a wife, where he stated that:

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall CLEAVE unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”  (KJV) 

And with this verse, my long-winded, introductory story of my Geodex usage comes full circle.  Come to find out, that the word translated “CLEAVE” is defined in the original languages as “to cling or adhere, to closely join one's self to another, or to GLUE together, cement or fasten together.”***

It is increasingly interesting to me, to learn how much of our personal relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ is patterned or explained in the Bible, in similar terms as the workings of a healthy Christian marriage.  No wonder the Christian family unit is under such vicious attack in today’s worldly society!

The idea of being GLUED together was very evident in Piper’s and my marriage.  It is not that we had to be together all the time as I had my jobs outside the home and she homeschooled our kids.  But one could say that we were permanently GLUED together in the way that we loved and honored each other.  When it came to our Christian faith, we were very much in agreement and unity with each other’s beliefs.  In fact, we were pretty much in unity about most things. 

I knew her better than I knew myself… and the same with her toward me.  When she got sick and lost her ability to communicate, I knew her well enough both inside and out, in order to be able to respond to what she needed or wanted… simply by the expressions in her eyes, on her face, her movements and by the interactions of our spirits together!  In many respects, as Moses wrote, we had become as one!

I’d like to think that over the years of our relationship, that God and I have become the same… or at least, that I am continually working toward that goal… because, like my wife… I know that it is exactly what He desires of me! 

How about you?  How are your relationships?  Have you used any Super-Glue (I actually prefer Gorilla Glue nowadays…) lately?

What more can I say… just think about it and be encouraged in knowing that God strongly desires to be Super-Glued to you as well!

 

* http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2022/07/passion-and-italian-man.html

**Dictionary.Com

***Strong’s and Thayer’s

PASSION and the Italian Man

I was talking with my cousin over the last few days since the celebration of what would have been Piper’s and my 47^th wedding anniversary.  And in line with that event, she was very kind and patient to listen to me talk and reminisce about my dearly departed wife… from our high school days together, until the time she took her last breath… which was exactly six days from the very day we started dating as High School seniors back in September of 1970.

I was telling her that it is very difficult for me to understand a husband who does not put his wife first and foremost in his life.  Since our high school, fun-filled antics together, Piper had always been my priority.  I lived to make her happy, to see her smile and to see her give me that special “I love you” sort of smile when she stepped in front of my camera lens! 

One of the things that stuck with me, and got me to thinking, was when my cousin replied back to me, stating that my response to Piper was a natural reaction of my PASHIONATE, Italian DNA that makes up a 100% of who I am!  I would always joke with Piper and others by telling them that since I am 100% Italian… I don’t bleed blood… but pasta marinara sauce!

This morning I was studying some scripture verses about JOY when I happened upon Proverbs 12:27 where it is written,

“A passive person won’t even complete a project, but a passionate person makes good use of his time, wealth, and energy.”  (TPT) 

It turned out kind of funny… as the more I began to study the word “PASSIONATE” the more I began to see a picture of me (and Piper) emerge!  The King James Version translates the word “PASSIONATE” as “diligent” to which the Greek defines as “determined and eager and/or incisive.”  And in the modern English dictionary, “incisive” is defined as “remarkably clear and direct, sharp, keen and acute.”*

When Piper’s diagnosis was finally made clear, I didn’t pause for a moment.  I jumped into a decisive plan of prayer and care that was motivated by an almost life-long loving PASSION for the most important individual in my life.  Other people’s passive attitudes and unsubstantiated complaints, strange suggestions and lack of personal commitment to Piper didn’t move me… YES!... It upset and frustrated me… but it didn’t cause MY personal PASSION to miss a beat!

In the early and rapidly declining days of our situation, I sadly realized that there were people around us that had never taken the time to even consider the fact that I was wired differently than them!  I don’t believe that they ever saw and therefore understood the PASSION that is deeply rooted in me.  (Piper knew and loved it… and that’s all that really mattered!)

I laughed this morning as I read three or four online articles on Italians and what makes them unique from other ethnic groups.  One was titled the “Top 6 Reasons Why Italians Are So Easy to Love!”** and the first four characteristics were listed as:

·       They are fearless

·       They’re family orientated

·       They are PASSIONATE!

·       & They enjoy life

Another article listed the “Pros and cons of dating (& marrying) an Italian Man”***  And in order it listed:

·       Italian men are gorgeous (what can I say here… Piper once told a cousin when asked to describe me, that I was “a tall, dark and Italian!”)

·       But that means their women are expected to be gorgeous too!  (Piper always went the 2^nd mile to look good… any time of the day or night… no matter where we went!)

·       Italian men are romantic (my kids will attest to this as I would dance Piper around the house…)

·       Italian men like to have fun (& so did my ¼ Italian wife… we were a good match!)

·       Italian men are passionate (I can see Piper nodding her head in heaven to this attribute of mine!)

·       And also intense (I guess I have my moments… but I also like to keep the peace!)

·       …BUT they are Mama’s boys! (I always listened to and respected my mother… but after we were married… I NEVER put her before Piper!)

So… I could go on and on about the attributes of PASSION… but I’ll wind it up here with the outlandish thought that God must have some Italian blood (or pasta sauce…) in Him!  When I read His Word, I can literally feel the adventure, the excitement and the drama of His PASSION cascading off of each statement!  It makes me want to take hold of Him and draw Him as close as I can to me.  His Word ignites and builds up an intense fire within me for life and living.  It makes me strive to live to the fullest of His abilities that are in me and then go out and share Him with the world.

Whenever my wife and I walked into a room, I always felt that every eye was immediately drawn to her and her sparkling personality, gorgeous good looks and the heart of Christ that sparkled through her like the golden sunshine on a warm summer afternoon.  And as for myself… I want every eye to see the PASSION of God that is in me and find themselves hungering for that same kind of PASSION in their own lives!

How about you?  How PASSIONATE are you in your Christian walk?

Have a great weekend!

 

*Dictionary.com

**https://hardcoreitalians.blog/2022/01/07/top-6-reasons-why-italians-are-so-easy-to-love/

***https://www.elitedaily.com/dating/dating-italian-men

FRESH and FITTED!

If you were raised in an Italian family, then you’ll understand what I’m about to share… When I was a child, it was very common to see my mom in the kitchen on most days, both before or after breakfast, prepping things for the evening meal.  Like I’ve mentioned before, dinner was usually an event in our home.  It wasn’t just something that was slapped together at the last minute. 

My mom normally had the meals planned out for the week and began talking about them and taking things out to defrost the night before!  I think part of it was an interaction that my mom and dad enjoyed.  He liked to brag about her cooking (which is ALWAYS a good thing to do with an Italian wife) and I believe that she liked to tempt him with her vivid descriptions of the coming dinner meal!

So therefore, not knowing any different… it is a tradition that I continue, even if it is just me at home!  I have a cousin that I text each day who lives back in California (a daughter of my mom’s sister) who does the same thing!  The only difference being that she is a gourmet Italian cook, like her female predecessors in the family, and while I can cook a mean plate of spaghetti and meatballs… my recipe book (and enthusiasm without Piper) is quite limited! 

For me it is more about taking out a piece of chicken or a steak to defrost and plan the side dishes to go with it… or to occasionally think about picking up a fast-food burger for the evening meal.  And since I don’t care for the hassle of rush hour traffic, I normally find myself going out around four in the afternoon to get the burger and then toss it into the fridge to reheat a couple of hours later.  But what I’ve come to learn… is that even with the marvels of the modern microwave oven… the food is always better when eaten FRESH off the grill!

And you know what else I’ve discovered over the years?  I’ve found out that it is also much more effective to face each new day and its own unique set of circumstances, with the consumption of a FRESH meal from the Word of God!  2 Timothy 3:17 tells us that our Father God gave us His Word, written down within the covers of yours and my Bibles, so,

“That the man and/or woman of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”  (KJV) 

It’s interesting to note that the word translated “PERFECT” for the King of England in 1611, actually connotates the idea of being “FRESH, complete, ready, FITTED, or to have a special aptitude for given uses." (Strong’s, Thayer’s and Mounce) 

So, as the Apostle Paul was telling his young pastor protégé Timothy, as well as us today, we need to be ready each day with a FRESH meal of God’s Word that is FITTED for the current and unique needs that we face each new day… And like my dear Italian chef mom, whose meals could rival any Italian restaurant in San Francisco, you’ve got to plan ahead for each meal and take whatever time is necessary to prep, cook and then serve the gastronomical masterpiece!

The thought of being “FITTED” for each situation reminded me this morning of my wife who had a couple of FITTED long sleeve blouses as well as a really sharp FITTED red denim short waisted (or cropped?) jacket.  Those particular articles of clothing were designed to fit her specific body-type.  One of the blouses was actually custom sown for her… kind of like the way her wedding dress was altered to perfectly fit her and accentuate her tiny waist. 

Unlike most mass-produced clothing, these items specifically highlighted her slim and shapely form.  In other words, they were made for her… for her personal figure and special requirements.  At 5’ 2-1/2” tall and weighing in at barely 105 lbs… those blouses and jacket were not going to fit a lot of other women!

Likewise, our intake of the Word of God also needs to be FRESH each day.  We can’t depend on yesterday’s revelation or meal to meet another day’s unique needs.  And similar to Piper’s FITTED clothes, God will design each day’s revelation from His Word to fit you specifically… with your special and unique background, experiences, education and personality!

If you’re anything like me… then you most likely would enjoy a FRESH piping hot meal over reheated leftovers any day!  So then, I would encourage each of us to take advantage of the FRESH meals that are FITTED just perfectly for each of us individually and being served on a daily basis! 

That is a FREE benefit that I aim to participate in… Don’t you?  Have a great new week, and as you do… keep EXPECTING to participate in and enjoy God’s unique BEST for you… each and every day!

Keep on Keeping On!

I was watching an evangelist the other day that Piper and I first partnered with in the mid-1980’s and I continue to today.  He was explaining that in his nearly fifty years of ministry, that he has never changed his message.  Since his original introduction to the gospel and the message of faith in 1969, the subject of his teaching has never varied.  Through the years his understanding and depth of detail has continued to grow, but he has always stuck with the original subject that caught fire deep inside of him!

He traveled and assisted another well-known minister for many years before embarking on his own and described his experience during that foundational season in his life, as being like a sponge that couldn’t but help to soak up the Word that was being taught.

His story immediately ignited a storm of memories of the fire of our faith that had begun to flame in Piper and I during the first ten years of our marriage… that continues to be white hot today within me.  2 Timothy 3:14-15 tells us to,

“Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed, (being) sure of the integrity of your teachers. --- why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with (or like you took) your mother's milk! There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ” (CEV / MSG)

I can’t say that Piper and I ever made a conscious effort or agreement to do this… but it was just who we were.  Simply put, once we found something that rang true in our hearts and worked in our lives… we never let go and kept pursuing it while hungering and thirsting for more and more of God to be active in and through our lives! (See: Matthew 5:6)

Back in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s, Piper and I got to know a young youth leader from a sister church in San Jose.  Our youth groups had combined for a few events over the years and although we didn’t see each other very often, I felt like we had developed a nice friendship.  But once we left the church we were at and began to work with a new ministry in our hometown, we lost contact with each other.  Then, low and behold, after five or more years, I ran into my friend in the hallway at my secular job at Agilent Technologies!

I immediately recognized him, stuck out my hand and greeted him warmly… but it was obvious that something had changed as he was sort of cold and indifferent and barely gave me the time of day!  So, I backed off and talked about some general things and discovered that he had gone to work for Hewlett Packard in San Jose and had transferred to Santa Rosa when HP spun off Agilent as a separate company.  I told him it was good to see him and walked off.

After that our paths began to cross regularly and I kept talking with him whenever I could.  Eventually he told me that he and his wife had stopped going to church and that he had felt a little guilty when he first saw me!  He confided that they had lost the fire or passion in their faith and had simply drifted away.  We continued to rebuild our relationship and eventually, he and his wife began to attend our church until family matters drew them back to the south Bay Area.  Over the years in ministry, we interacted with countless individuals, couples and families with similar experiences.

We also discovered that the solution for this far-to-often seen situation is found in the verses following the above scriptures.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 continues to explain that,

“Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way.  Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”  (MSG)

It would seem that the Father in heaven has set up His Word to be the source of our strength, our direction, our growth and our peace.  On numerous occasions, I’ve heard this Word, which is contained between the pages of our Bibles, described as the owner’s manual of our lives!  Through it we have a direct and divine connection to the designer and manufacturer of our lives.  Each unique piece and placement of our one-of-a-kind personalities, physical, mental and emotional makeups is known to Him.  So, wouldn’t it therefore make sense to consistently and passionately stay in tune to Him and His plans for our lives?

For some reason, it still bothers me in a personal way, when I think about different individuals who set aside what they had learned and had believed in their Christian walk, when they came face to face with the devastating reality of my wife’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.  What they saw on the outside seemed to quickly overwhelm what they had on the inside of them.

Paul told his young protégé Timothy to “Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed…”  The King James Version says “To continue…”  You know… I looked up and down the page of my Bible where that verse is printed and I cannot find a footnote or margin asterisk that list any circumstance that would invalidate that command!  Can you?

So, what’s my thought for the day?  Simply put: “Keep on keeping on!”  Keep using what you know works… like the Word of God as the guide book or owner’s manual of your life… and don’t start making alterations… or maybe better yet said, EXCUSES when times get a little tough!

A little determination and stick-to-itiveness (dogged perseverance: tenacity) goes a long way!  And in the end… you’ll be glad that you did!

Have a wonderful weekend!  We’ve got a slight cooling trend today and tomorrow and even though it’s not that much… it SURE makes a pleasant difference!  So, go out and keep EXPECTING God’s BEST in and for your life!

 

Be Full of Cheer!

I hope that everyone had a safe and fun Fourth of July celebration this last weekend.  I spent the majority of the day yesterday with our two younger kids and their fledgling families.  I don’t get to see our younger son and his wife and our newest granddaughter as much as I like since they live a few hours away in Oklahoma City.  So, it was great to be with them and watch all three of our younger grandkids play together!  With our oldest son and his family living in Tennessee, we are all looking forward to when we can get all five of the grandkids in one place at the same time!

I had made a point to come home before it got dark so that I could be with Fiver when the fireworks started going off and pulled into my driveway just as my neighbor was getting ready to fire off some rockets in the cul-de-sac in front of my home!  But Fiver did relatively well, although he did spend a few hours in the walk-in-closet off our master bath.  The fireworks don’t seem to affect him as much as the rolling, deep roar or sudden house shaking claps of thunder does.

When things finally started to quiet down for the night, I picked up a Christian teaching book that I had been reading and came to a paragraph where the author was quoting from a portion of the scriptures that immediately brought up some difficult memories from the initial years of when Piper was sick.  In His teaching on the Beatitudes, Jesus declared,

“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven…” (KJV)

I don’t think that most people really have a full grasp of the understanding of the powerful connotations and or feelings that are involved with the word “hate.”  Dictionary.com defines it as “to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest:”  I’ve noticed in the news, how some individuals who lean to the left in their political beliefs, tend to throw the word around when describing another individual who may not believe the same as they do.  It seems to me, that in most instances, they are making assumptions about their opposition that are not factually true concerning the circumstances or belief system from which they disagree. 

The scripture from last night made me recall a time when some incorrect assumptions were made about me to my children that concerned the way I had lived my life and was currently caring for my wife.  The repetitive nature of the false commentary and the anger projected by the way in which it was spoken, was very hard on me.  It eventually brought me to the place when I literally found myself in tears asking my wife (who couldn’t reply back at the time) if the people spewing the conversation actually “hated” me as much as it sounded that they did!

It is difficult to explain the depth of confusion, pain and ostracization that I felt when the realization hit me that people, I had always thought to be close to me, could actually have that level of animosity and contempt toward me.  I’ve since come to learn through my continued study of the scriptures, that much of the words that were said and the actions taken by these individuals were reactions of their fears of the sudden changes and severity of Piper’s declining health.  But the strong remembrances of the feelings that I personally encountered still bring up very sensitive memories that I never want me nor anyone else in my family to ever encounter again!

But alas… on the positive side, in verse 23 of our scripture, Jesus made it clear that there is a place in our Christian response to any negative and our hateful words that are spoken against us, where we can “REJOICE” or “Be full of CHEER” as Thayer’s defines the word “REJOICE.”  According to Jesus, in another teaching found in Mark 4:17, we can REJOICE in these times by knowing that “persecution ariseth for the word's sake…” (KJV)

In other words, we can have the ability to REJOICE or be FULL of CHEER in the midst of these attacks in knowing that in reality, it was the Word of God, in which we had set our faith, that was actually being attacked and not us personally.  In God’s view… and as well as it should be in ours… that is a good thing!  For it shows that no matter what some people may think or say… we are actually doing what is RIGHT in God’s eyes… and the persecution can and should act as a catalyst for us to REJOICE and at the same time, continue to strengthen our faith in the truth of His Word!

James agreed with Jesus when he taught the members of his church saying to:

“Count it all joy, my brothers (and sisters), when you fall into various trials, for you know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.” (James 1:2-3 EMTV/MSG) 

I didn’t have this understanding at that time about ten years ago, but I am thankful for the grace of God and His patient instruction of me from the principles of His Word through personal study and under the teaching of anointed pastor’s and evangelists that I have sat under.  And now… if you didn’t already know… well… you know now!

So, REJOICE and be FULL of CHEER when the various trials of life come upon you.  Choose to see these situations as an opportunity to have your strong and positive stand of faith in the truth of God’s Word, to be forced into the open where it gets to show its true colors for the world to see… and take note of!  Then when people come up to you and ask you how you went through that tough situation with such good CHEER and grace… you’ll have quite the story to tell and another opportunity to share your personal faith with them! 

Have a great week as we begin a new month, and as you do… keep EXPECTING and SHARING God’s best for you and those around you!

 

CHEER Up!

I’ve mentioned in past blog posts of how I have always enjoyed researching things, and that is exactly how I approached our first ministry position as youth leaders at Piper’s Baptist church.  I had received education and experience at Chico State as a Recreation Administration major with an emphasis in community recreation.  I even spent time assisting at a community center in downtown Chico.  But when it came to the religious education of our students… well… I was a little out of my league!  I was born and raised Catholic and was brand new to the Protestant side of the faith!  On the positive side though, I had an ace up my sleeve with my sweet and mature Christian wife Piper, as well as a Senior pastor that was behind me 100%!

So, what did I do?  I began to pour through all the church’s American Baptist Churches of the West denominational materials that I could get my hands on, looking for youth ministry resources… and organizations, publishers and other youth ministries began to pop up! 

My father-in-law loved junk mail and seemed to sign up for just about any free information he could!  He even had a system to read everything that was stuffed daily in their large mailbox at the foot of the hill where they lived.  His mail was always stacked next to his chair in the living room by the fireplace and as he watched TV, he would go through everything, keeping what was interesting and tossing the rest into the fire! 

At the time I thought it was cool because he always seemed to get free samples like pens or flashlights or pocket knives and the such.  So, I followed suite and started signing up for every and anything that had to do with youth ministry from any denomination whose materials I came across!

Eventually that process got me hooked up with many organizations across the country that we ordered books and study materials from throughout our years of active ministry.  Ironically, one of my favorite small group publications came through a local Catholic resource.  We had discovered early on in our own ministry, that the best way to get youth (and really people in general) to open up, was to get them talking about themselves.  About the things that interested them, the times in their lives when meaningful events took place and/or unique and special places that they had been.  These small group activity books that eventually became a popular series entitled “Serendipity” perfectly fit that bill!

They worked really well in the format of a weekend retreat where various sessions could be held as each new session built upon the last.  The first session had a series of simple and usually funny questions for every member to answer with each succeeding session growing from that level, building confidence and trust in the participants so that by the final session, most participants felt free to share from their hearts, and openly reach out to God and each other.

As Piper loved to share… “It was all about allowing our students to let their guard down and come to know how much Jesus loved each and every one of them in a very personal way.”  In an intensely private moment, the Psalmist in Psalm 23:4 cried out to the Lord and exclaimed,

“The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you )O Lord) are near.”    (The Passion Translation)

It is interesting to notate that the word translated “comfort” in pretty much every Bible version I have, also gives the connotation of “cheer bringing” (Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary)  The Oxford Online Dictionary defines “cheer” as “to shout for joy or in praise or encouragement.”  In other words, God’s love toward you and me, is supposed to be a very CHEERFUL force in our lives!

Piper and I always strived to make every retreat we held, every weekly meeting we led at church as well as every youth or children’s activity night to be a very CHEERFUL event.  It is the way that we sought to live our Christian lives everywhere we went.  And when Piper got sick… it didn’t change us and our approach to life.  If there was one thing we knew (and especially Piper) it was how much God loved us… and that personalized knowledge made it difficult for us to get pushed out of shape when situations went south! 

I personally believe that our Christian faith should be the happiest force and source of CHEERFULNESS in our lives.  The CHEERFULNESS of God’s love for you and me has the power to ward off any fear that might try to engulf us!  CHEERFULNESS or joy is God’s secret weapon!  It is His supernatural source for our strength.  In times of distress and or need, Nehemiah 8:10 tells us not to feel sorry for ourselves but instead declares that, “the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (KJV)

It may not always be easy to be CHEERFUL in the face of the negative situations in our lives, but if your trust stays focused on God and the truth of His Word… the worry, the fear and the depression that tries to settle in around you will have to stay away from you… and you’ll find that you have the physical, mental and spiritual strength to make it through the tough times with great victory and a smile upon your face!  You’ll also be a lot more enjoyable to be around! 

So… bring on the CHEER as you celebrate America’s independence on this Fourth of July weekend!  I don’t care what some mis-guided individuals say in the news about our country… She is still the greatest country in the world, was founded on Christian principles and allows every citizen the opportunity to succeed in anything that they desire to accomplish through lots of dedication, hard work and a healthy, happy and loving attitude toward themselves and others!

Have a great, CHEERFUL and safe weekend… and while you’re at it… keep EXPECTING God’s Best in your life!

…And then remember Francis Scott Key’s famous words written in the heat of battle in 1814 that in 1931 came to be sung as the national anthem of the USA:

 ♫ “America the land of the free and home of the brave!” ♪