Weather Fluctuations and Instruments!

Welcome to Tennessee!  Whew… I feel like I received my formal christening into Tennessee citizenship this weekend… at least weather wise that is!  Saturday and Sunday were beautiful spring-like days.  Yesterday I wore my shorts and a light golf shirt throughout the day… but then around 9:00 in the evening a cold front came across the state and the calm of the last few days was destroyed in a moment as the cold air came into contact with the warm and what resulted was winds blowing up to 75 mph, torrential rain, bright cloud to cloud lightning and LOUD thunder… and you guessed it… Tornadoes!  I got my first introduction to the Tennessee tornado sirens (which are just like Oklahoma’s – no surprise) and their emergency broadcast system! 

I even got to spend some time in my saferoom (ie; the bathroom, which is the centermost room in my apartment).  The only throw back to my Oklahoma storm night adventures was that I kept finding myself calling out to Fiver with calming words - every time things got loud… only to catch myself with a pang of sentimental sorrow and a laugh!  And then on my early morning walk today… the temperature had a wind-chill factor of 28 degrees and there were snow flurries stinging my face with the 20+ mph wind gusts!

Like I said… WELCOME TO TENNESSEE!

My family and I came through the storm okay, but I read this morning that there was some storm damage in south central Tennessee.  At this point, they are not sure if it was due to tornado touchdowns or the strong straight-line winds.  That clarification will come out in the next few days as the storm experts go over the scenes.

Prior to the roller-coaster weather changes this weekend, though… I spent a fair amount of time contemplating the shocking reality of me celebrating my 73^rd Birthday on Saturday the 14^th.  This Birthday seemed to hold a higher significance than all the previous ones since Piper’s homegoing.

As most of you know, my move here six months ago, was to be a new beginning… a fresh start (or re-start…) to my life in this senior season of my life.  And… this birthday seems to be a trigger to what’s ahead!  Even my dog’s departure from my side looks to me, to be a part of the process… as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says in the Message Bible,

“…The old (familiar) life is gone; a (fresh) new life burgeons! Look at it (and jump in with both feet)!” 

And it wasn’t just me thinking about this birthday and the moments and opportunities of personal growth ahead.  I’ve felt that the Lord has been working to prepare the way during our morning Bible Study and fellowship times each day… Since Piper’s passing, I have hardly even picked up my guitars and played a chord… which is something I loved to do when we were ministering in the various churches together.  I don’t think that I ever serenaded Piper with my guitar (or even wrote a song about her!), but always played them… after our marriage… to the glory of God as a vital part of our ministry to the children, youth and adults at church.

So… it wasn’t necessarily her connection to my guitars that caused me to lose interest in them… but the radical turn in my life that occurred when the Jim and Piper ministry team (in operation since High School) and the plans we had to pioneer a church in northern California following Bible College in 2008… suddenly went up in smoke!

But then early last week, I suddenly had the urge one morning to turn to the book of Psalms (I usually spend a lot more time in the New Testament epistles than I do in the Old Testament portions of my Bible) and read from Psalm 33:3-4 where the author wrote,

“Compose new melodies that release new praises to the Lord. Play His praises on instruments (in my case, my guitars) with the anointing and skill He gives you. Sing and shout with passion; make a spectacular sound of joy— For God’s Word is something to sing about! He is true to His promises, His word can be trusted, and everything He does is reliable and right.”  (The Passion Translation)

So… without boring you with a lot of detail… I really began to sense as I’ve been reading these verses for the last week or so, that God wants me to go back to some of the things that I really enjoyed… things that brought meaning to my life and gave me an outlet of personal expression and ministry.  To pick up some of the pieces of ME… that I dropped somewhere along the way between North Carolina and my recent return to the south here in Tennessee… and to realize and depend on the fact… according to these portions of scripture… that He has given me an anointing and skill to play my guitars, write music again and sing to and for Him.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?

As I’ve been learning this and receiving the rekindling of the joy that playing music for Him brings me… I’ve also realized, as I write this post for you, that He isn’t just talking to me and my guitars as instruments to be used for Him… but also to you and the “INSTRUMENTS” that you have used in the past to minister to and for Him and/or just to give you pleasure, enjoyment and personal fulfillment.  And He is not just speaking of musical “INSTRUMENTS” but instruments… ie; giftings, talents, hobbies and activities that you’ve enjoyed in the past that you’ve… for whatever reasons… put aside, lost interest in or maybe… don’t think you’re worthy to do anymore!

You may not have ever thought of those things that you do as being given to you by the Father… along with a special anointing to do them well… but I’m here to tell you today… that He only has GOOD plans and desires for you!  And He wants you to live your ENTIRE life to the fulness of the abilities that He has blessed you with!

So… think about it… pray about it… and read this post a few times.  Print it out and make notes of the thoughts that pop into your head as you read it… Then follow your heart and do and/or go back to doing the special, anointed things that He has especially given to YOU!

Isn’t God Good!

God Save the Chili!

I spent a good portion of the evening last night keeping track of the powerful storms* that were making their way through my former home state of Oklahoma.

My older daughter, who only lives a few buildings over from my apartment, and I had been texting back and forth with her two younger siblings that live in Oklahoma throughout the afternoon as the bigger storm began its journey into the areas of the state in which they live.  My younger son lives near Oklahoma City while my younger daughter lives a couple of hours northeast of him near Tulsa where my older daughter and I also used to live.

The storm passed through my son’s area pretty smoothly, but seemed to build in volume and velocity as it moved northeast.  By around 7:30 my younger daughter reported that the sirens in their area were just sounding… right as she was cooking some homemade chili… So of course, my immediate word of wisdom and encouragement was,

“God save the chili!”

I have always found that a little bit of humor helps to dispel thoughts of anxiety and stress… but I am also well aware… that if my wife taught our kids anything… it was to boldly, confidently and peacefully stand on the Word of God for His faithful protection of their family and property.

Well, the exceptionally strong wind, damaging hail and various manifestations and occasional touchdowns (ie; tornados) of circulation sent its havoc across the greater Tulsa area but… PRAISE THE LORD!... it passed south of where my daughter lives and literally came within a block of where I used to live near southeast Tulsa.

I will admit that watching the local Tulsa news station app on my smart TV brought back a lot of memories of Fiver and I hunkering down in the center of the house when tornado threats came near our neighborhood while living back there.  But I had to laugh and text my older daughter after the immediate threats had passed by… and tell her that I had a image of my dog Fiver sitting on a couch somewhere in heaven, watching the reporting of the Oklahoma storm through some kind of intergalactic internet, as he lay warm, calm and quiet next to my wife… with a clearly defined smirk on his face knowing that he’ll NEVER again, have to go through the anxiety that overtook him whenever the storms came by our earthly abode!

Another thought that I had last night was of how I am captivated and maybe even mesmerized a bit, by the sheer magnitude of the power and force that can be displayed by a severe thunderstorm as it generates excessive winds, hail and tornados that can leave behind a swath of destruction and mayhem all along its path.

Conversely, I guess I could kind of say the same thing about the positive way in which I am drawn to, captivated and definitely mesmerized by the name of Jesus and the power of His Word that leaves a wide swath of love, life, joy, peace, grace and wisdom in the hearts and lives of those of us, who make the daily decision to enfold their lives into Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that,

“Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he (or she) has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.” (TPT) 

WOW!  If you’re anything like me… that particular verse of the truth of God’s Word should thrill you from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet!  But you know what?  I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the thrill of God’s Word working in my life and have finally come… through my own thick-headed thinking… to the realization that not everyone thinks on or about the Word of God in the same way that I do.

Like “DAH” Right?  I’ve discovered that I tend to share a lot of the Word with people and suggest certain verses of scripture for them to read…especially here in my blog posts… and expect them to understand it just like I do.  But many times, I’ve seen some folks who will look at the recommended verses and not really gain the conceptualization of the points being made.  I remember my early years in my Christian walk as I excitedly sat down to read in my Bible only to turn away disappointed and thinking hummm… that’s all Greek to me (and I was reading an English translation)!

So, my point?  The scripture above tells us that as Christians, we HAVE become an entirely NEW person and that the old ways of sin that we may or may not have lived and seen as common place to us… the old habits, thoughts. words, tempers etc… are GONE!  VANISHED!  And BEHOLD!  ALL things have become new!  Like WOW, RIGHT?  But is it really possible?  Well… according to this verse IT IS?

But how do I do this, one might ask?  How do I start living the NEW life?  Well… First of all, it takes an ever-increasing knowledge of the Word!  So… you want me to read my Bible more?  Yes… BUT… you need teaching to go along with the personal reading of it!  So that’s another area that I am going to venture out into with this blog.  Along with the weekly posts, I am going to start suggesting some study aids in the forms of Bible Study series, Christian teaching books, videos and other helpful aids that you can study your Bible with when you are alone or with family and friends!

It looks like I’m getting a little too windy here… so I’d better wrap this up!  But I am excited to hear about each of you growing in your excitement with the tangible changes you will begin to experience as you learn more and more of God’s will (ie; His Word) in your lives!  And just to wet your whistle (as my mom would say…) a couple of my favorite Bible Study series are the “LifeChange Bible Study Series”** from the Navigators and the Warren W. Wiersbe “B” Series of Bible Study books.***

As I look out the window right now, I can see and hear that our Tennessee series of thunderstorms have moved into the area… and although there is a forecast of strong winds and heavy downpours… the chance for tornados is minimal with this storm!  PTL!  Have a great rest of your weekend and when the storms of life come to your neighborhood, REMEMBER…

God Save the Chili!  - (ie; chill and trust in the Lord!)

 

 *There were three different fronts that made their ways across the state throughout the day and night.  The most consequential coming across Oklahoma from the southwest in the early evening hours.

** https://www.navigators.org/resource/life-change-series/

*** https://wiersbe.com/books/series/be-series

The Sounds of the Morning...

One of the things I have come to enjoy in the early morning hours of the day, since moving into my apartment here in Tennessee, has been to step out on my balcony with a freshly brewed hot cup of coffee and enjoy the sun rising above the trees… and then over the apartment building across from mine.  I don’t know what it is… but there is nothing better than that first sip of java in the quiet still of the morning, before most people are up and out for the day!

The weather both yesterday and today has been gorgeous and muchly appreciated after another stretch of cold and wet weather.  So, as I stood near the open doorway to the balcony yesterday, I suddenly found myself being totally captivated by the Sounds of the Morning that seemed to encase and be clarified in my hearing like a quality set of noise cancelling stereo headphones.  After a few moments, I went back inside and grabbed my notebook so that I could write down the various sounds that were auditioning for me.

First there was the soft drone of distant traffic, then the gentle melody of wafting music, followed by the muffled sound of people talking somewhere below my room on the third floor and then off to the west, I could barely make out the familiar report of the commuter train whistle while its diesel engine crossed an unseen intersection on one of its morning runs to Nashville.  But my quiet symphony of calming music was suddenly interrupted by the uncomfortable discordant clash of loud, squeaky automobile brakes to my right.

The dissonant note was so incongruous to me that I had to break away from the orchestration outside and briefly return to the respite of my small apartment living room.  Once the irritation in my ears subsided, I took a calming breathe and stepped outside again.  This time around, all the other sounds melted away and I was drawn to the sweet, calming and gentle singing of the birds from their perches in the trees around my building.

As I leaned on the railing and absorbed the differing tones of the various melodies the different species of birds sang, I suddenly became aware of a song softly drifting through the open door from my computer on my desk.  When I stepped back in and sat down, I realized that the sound was emanating from the Southern Gospel channel I had clicked on earlier.

When my eyes focused in on the Sirius XM page opened on my screen, I understood what I believe the Lord was trying to show me!  It became like a moment of worship at church as the Southern Gospel group, Brian Free and Assurance sang the words:

“Behind my praise, there's a valley, God has brought me through

Behind my praise, there's a mountain I never thought I'd move

Behind my praise is a wilderness in bloom & I can't hold back

'Cause I've seen what God can do...

Because of God and His amazing grace

I live to tell the story behind my praise.”*

And then it all made sense to me.  You and I are able to enjoy and be gloriously mesmerized by the serendipity of the Sounds of the Morning that God broadcasts each and every day… right outside our front doors (or back door in my case)… because of the song that is in us and plays behind everything we hear, think, say and do.

As active and ever-growing Christians, the song that is in us… that is behind us… should be motivated and established by our Praise of God and His amazing grace that we can consistently experience in our personal lives!  Psalm 2:6-8 teaches us that,

“The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.  He stores up sound wisdom for the upright (that’s speaking of you and I), and is a shield to those (of us) who walk in integrity.  He guards the paths of justice and He preserves the way of His godly ones (& once again – that’s you and me).” (NASB – Ryrie Study Bible © 1976, 1978**)

From the WISDOM that He gives us through the regular personal study of His Word, attendance at a good Bible preaching and teaching church, sound Christian teaching books and fellowship with other believers, we gain the KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING we need to develop and amplify the song in us that is able to back us in every endeavor, challenge and situation that we face on a daily basis.

I really enjoy the Sounds of the Morning that greet me on my balcony every day… They encourage me to tell of the song that is behind my praise…

How about you?

Have a great weekend and listen closely for the Sounds of the Morning in your neighborhood!

 

*See: https://texasgospel.ca/2025/11/11/the-journey-of-faith-in-brian-free-and-assurances-behind-my-praise/

**Published by the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago

Listen!

It’s almost been two weeks since the somewhat sudden loss of my favorite, four-footed companion, Fiver.  I still think about him a lot, but the most difficult times seem to be in the late afternoons and evenings when I prepare and eat dinner and then relax for the night watching a little TV, followed by reading a good book while lying on the bed.  I can’t help but to remember the way he followed me around the kitchen whenever any food came out… be it his or mine… and then sat somewhat patiently at my feet… with the occasional whimper to remind me know that he was still there… while I are dinner. 

After the meal was completed, he would almost always suddenly disappear into the bedroom to rest on the loveseat in the corner, on the floor in front of the couch or right smack in the middle of the bed… many times pawing the decorative throw blanket on top of the bed into a comfortable pile for him to sleep on. 

When I finally retired for the night, got ready for bed and then laid on top of it to read, he would move up close to my face and not let me take one peek at my phone or Kindle until he was satisfied with the amount of petting and scratching that I would indulge him with.  Then he’d turn around and move to the end of the bed to sleep some more or to jump from the bed over to the nearby couch.

All of those activities in the quiet solitude of the evening… many that he also did previously in Oklahoma… just seem to be so engraved in me that I can’t easily forget them!  Not seeing them now, continues to bring the reality of an empty apartment and the sadness of the lack of his presence to my heart.

But… it’s going to get better… and you know why?  I bought me a plant!  So, while I can still come and go… pretty much as I please now (which is really weird to comprehend after 51 years of always having others to care about and coordinate with in the house…), I still have a living organism to see and care for when I walk in the door.

And with that… let me introduce you to JED, my new buddy Jade Jewl Dracaena house plant!  My daughter and I have been talking about getting some house plants for a while and are planning to go to a large nursery located just down the road from our apartments… but I needed something else sooner - that’s physically alive in my abode… and my new Walmart’s limited house plant section met the need.  So… who knows… future blog posts might occasionally tell about some new adventures that JED and I experience together!

But back to Fiver… While I really haven’t had many opportunities to tell his story to the folks around the apartment that we used to see on our daily walks, I have to told different people and their reactions were both expected and curious at the same time!

The expected reaction is the look of shock on their faces and the genuine sorrow that they express.  The curious part is how many of them will say how sorry they are and then immediately go into a long story about how they lost a pet and the tremendous emotional pain and stress that they endured.  And don’t get me wrong… because I know that their experience is their way of trying to connect with my grief and somehow consol me in the knowing that they’ve been through a similar ordeal.

What got me to thinking was how these conversations eventually changed from the discussion of my recent loss to theirs… and then onto their life story of unfortunate events.  When I contemplated on this during my Bible study time this morning, I was reminded of similar conversations in the past, when I would share about the loss of my beautiful wife.  And my first thought was that,

“They were not really listening to me and therefore not able to comprehend nor assist me with MY need at that moment in time.”

But that thought was quickly overshadowed by the personal revelation wondering… how many times did I do the same thing… when people told me about the needful times in their lives?  And Ooooh!  That hurt… because I was instantly flooded with memories of my guilt in that identical situation!  Hummm… I wonder if I am alone in this?  Have you ever considered the possibility that you’ve responded in a similar manner as me?

In discussing His reasoning for teaching in parables, Jesus explained to His disciples that,

“This is why I speak to them this way. They see, but they’re blind. They hear, but THEY DON’T LISTEN. They don’t even try to understand.” (Matthew 13:13 – God’s Word ©) 

Jesus’ words kind of stung to me when I read this today.  I will admit though, that my personal experience with the years of caring for my sick wife and then her eventual departure to heaven and most recently, of the loss of the last dog that we shared together, has definitely helped me to understand what it feels like to be on the other end of reactions like these.  But has it cured me from only thinking of myself and my needs at times?  --- NO!

I guess if I was honest… I’m glad that it took a recent difficulty in order to get me more focused again on the needs of others around me.  As Christians, I believe that is a responsibility that we all carry into our individual worlds that we experience on a daily basis.  In Philippians 4:5 the Apostle Paul instructs us to,

“Let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near.” (The Passion Translation)

The word “gentleness” in this particular verse is translated “moderation” in the King James Version and is defined in Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries as “being appropriate” or as I like to say, “letting your thoughts, speech and actions always be appropriate in every situation that you find yourself involved with in your life.”

And for me… that entails me keeping my mouth shut long enough to make sure that I really LISTEN to and hear what the other individual is saying… and then… and only then… make a reply that meets the need at hand and ministers to the heart and life of the person.

Another familiar scripture in this regard, is found in Colossians 4:6 where Paul once again, encourages us to

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (King James Version) 

Well… that makes it pretty clear to me… How about you?  At the least… It’s most definitely something for all of us to consider… pretty much every day!

My stomach is telling me that it’s time for lunch… so I’d best feed my new buddy JED and me… (actually I fed him some fertilizer and freshened his soil yesterday when I got home from the store?)

Have a terrific weekend, be BLESSED and then pass that BLESSING on to others by the way you LISTEN and then respond as a BLESSING back to them…

Genesis

This has been a difficult week for me with the unexpected loss of my favorite four-footed, furry friend, Fiver, on Tuesday.  I won’t go into detail as I wrote another post covering the details of the ordeal*… but to say the least… I feel like I’ve been in a fog for the last few days.  I guess that it is not too surprising, but I find myself constantly looking for him in all his favorite resting places around the house, or calling out to him before I realize… “Oh Yes!  He’s not here anymore!”

The blunt truth really hit home a couple of nights ago when I was sitting in the living room and suddenly thought that… “I’m the only one in the apartment now!”  Ever since my sweet wife went to heaven several years ago, I have regularly awoken in the morning, thinking in my slumber-soaked mind, that Piper is laying next to me with the dog curled up at her feet… only to fully awaken with the disappointing reality that “Nope… it’s just me and Fiver!”

This week I have found myself waking up and swinging my feet out and over the side of the bed, but pausing with the well-rehearsed reaction to make sure that I wouldn’t step on the dog… as he occasionally liked to lay on the floor next to the bed… only to have it dawn on me that he won’t be there anymore.  So… that’s another change that I’ll need to get used to!

I rehearsed all of these “realities” over and over again, in my mind’s eye this morning, when I automatically woke up around five when I would have normally taken Fiver down stairs for a quick, “wet stop” before hopping back in bed for another hour and a half before rising for the day.  As I stared at the ceiling through the dim of the nightlights in the room, I suddenly had the personal revelation that “This is where I am at… so, what am I gonna do about it!”

And without much contemplation… even surprising myself… I immediately spoke out… “Well, I am not a quitter and I going to continue moving forward to fulfill God’s plans for me here in Tennessee!”

My theme scripture for 2026, that I have personalized and have been writing down at the top of my Bible Study note page each and every morning since January first, is from Philippians 3:13-14, where I declare,

“Brothers and sisters… This is what I am doing TODAY:  I am not looking back as much as I was before, but instead – I am lengthening my stride and running FORWARD… STRAIGHT AHEAD… to fulfill the prize of my calling by God through Jesus Christ.” (combination of God’s Word © and The Heart of Paul, A Relational Paraphrase of the New Testament by Ben Campbell Johnson © 1976)

So… you can see that my early morning statement really shouldn’t have surprised me after all… since I’ve been confessing that fact for about a month and a half already!  Another similarly themed verse that the Lord just drew me to on Thursday, is found in Psalm 51:10 and is translated in The Message Bible as,

“God, make a fresh start in me, shape a GENESIS week from the chaos of my life.” 

It is interesting to note that the word “Genesis” in the Hebrew means “origins” which as defined in our modern dictionaries relates to “The point or place where something begins, arises or is derived.”  Dake’s Study Notes calls the book of Genesis “The Creative Ages” which speaks to my heart, telling me that “God’s wants to create something specifically for me, in this new season of my life!”

And so yes… I’ve had some traumatic events thrown at me over the past few years, but through it all… my heavenly Father keeps reminding me of His loving faithfulness to me and mine… and with that experiential TRUTH in my daily life… I can’t help but to see joy over and beyond the tragedies that I may face.  Hebrews 12:2 reminds us that,

“We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. (for) He saw the joy ahead of Him, so He endured death on the cross…” (God’s Word ©)

And don’t forget Ephesians 5:1 where the Apostle Paul encourages us to,

“Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as His beloved sons and daughters.” (TPT) 

Are there places or opportunities in your personal lives where you could use a fresh start?  Places where God would love to shape a Genesis, new beginning in the midst of the chaos, or confusion or changes in your life?

Well… He’s ready to make changes if you and I are willing to allow Him the freedom to move in us, with us and for us.  And how do we accomplish this?  By being an imitator of God in everything we do… By spending time with Him in His Word on a regular basis, in order to see how He does things… and then begin to slowly… but surely… imitate Him in how you handle the daily affairs of your life!

I’m excited about the Genesis that God is shaping in my life… and as I am not a quitter… I’m in it for the long haul… and will do whatever it takes to receive and then BE all that He has for me!

How about you?

 

*You can read Fiver’s blog post here:  https://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2026/02/fiver.html

FIVER

It is with a heavy heart that I have to write that Fiver, my faithful shadow, confidant, and joy-giving dog over the last ten plus years, has gone on to join his earthly mom and three four-footed sisters that preceded him into heaven.  He had been having difficulties with his joints and hips over the last few years.  A recent set of X-Rays showed that he had arthritis in his hips and lower back but we were able to reduce the inflammation when things flared up with some prescribed meds from our Vet.  After a recent flare up last week, I noticed that although he was regaining the flexibility in movement, that he was getting more and more lethargic and beginning to refuse food.  

So, I brought him into the Vet on Monday where the examination discovered that he was bleeding internally and more than likely dealing with some tumors.  We immediately scheduled explorative surgery for Tuesday morning and when the Vet went in, his diagnosis was confirmed as they found a tumor and nodules on his spleen and nodules on most of his organs.  And while they could have removed some of the problems, they wouldn’t have been able to get them all… and therefore the outlook of his quality of life was not very positive.  So… I made the heart-breaking decision to let him go because I did not want to have him suffer anymore. The Vet administered the euthanasia while Fiver was still on the table under anesthesia, so he never felt a thing.

I can’t explain the moral support that Fiver gave me over the years since my wife passed in 2018.  He became a member of our family towards the end of Piper’s fight for life and he immediately took the roll of being her protector, sticking by her side and not allowing anyone to examine or care for her unless he was present in the room… many times standing between the medical personnel and Piper.  Once he sensed that they were not going to harm her, he would step aside… but keep a watchful eye on them!

After Piper’s passing, he and I became almost inseparable.  He stuck to me like glue and always seemed to know when I needed a shoulder to cry on or an attentive ear to listen to my ramblings.  We became well-known in our neighborhood in Oklahoma and for the short time we’ve been in Tennessee, for our daily walks, both early mornings and mid-afternoons… in any and all kinds of weather… and for him… the COLDER the BETTER!

I realized earlier last year that my entire daily schedule functioned totally around his needs.  So, to say that he was spoiled… would be absolutely correct!  As I sat at the table this morning, I enjoyed the luxury of being able to eat all the bacon on my plate… but, at the same time, kept waiting for him to appear… as he did every morning… put his head on my knee and look at me with those big brown eyes of his that just sort of said… “You weren’t going to eat all that bacon by yourself, were you?

And so… the stories could go on and on and they will, as I will always treasure this special guy in my heart.  I’m not sure if angels can take the form of a dog… but if they could… I would declare that Fiver was definitely an angel of the Lord sent to me in my most desperate time on need!

I see his passing as another new chapter for me in this new season of my life here in Tennessee.  I’m still excited as God’s plan unfolds… but I do wish that my favorite, four-footed furry friend could have spent a little longer of his time with me.  He would have turned eleven this month.

And like I told him as I squatted down on my knees in the Vet’s office yesterday morning and began to gently pet him… as the tech moved to bring him in back for the surgery prep… “Everything is okay buddy… I will see you real soon!”

FAITH has a Face

As I sat at my desk earlier this morning, I found myself wrapped up in the scriptures that  I was studying when the dog came in from the bedroom and gave me a funny look…  When I glanced over to him and then back to my desk… I realized that I had been tapping my colored pencils (one in each hand – like a drummer) to the rhythm of the upbeat Southern Gospel songs that I was listening to on Sirius XM’s Southern Gospel channel enLighten.

I also became aware that I was actually singing… rather loudly… “Scooby, Doobie, Doo…” repeatedly in syncopation between each measure of the music.  And with all of that, I began to laugh and turned back to the dog and declared “What can I say… I can’t help but to be happy and groove along with the JOYFUL music!”

But you know… that’s not the way my morning had begun.  After all the slipping and sliding that Fiver had done during our recent snowstorm, his hips and lower back became inflamed again and I had to put him back, temporarily, on his anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers… which tend to do the job of bringing him back to his normal flexible and active self… but also have certain side-effects that cause me concern.  So… when I took him out at 4:45 this morning and he wasn’t as sharp, steady and vigorous as he usually is... I definitely had to deal with some anxiety and a lack of JOY first thing!

Once we returned to our apartment and I got him settled in one of his favorite sleeping spots in the bedroom, with a treat, I climbed back into bed, picked up my little, first edition, 1945 Berkeley translation New Testament, that I have been enjoying lately, and dove into many of the familiar “JOY” scriptures in both Paul and James’ writings.  If I’ve learned anything over the many years of my Christian walk… I’ve discovered that the different fruits of the Spirit like “love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness” * don’t always manifest themselves automatically in times of need, but that we must endeavor to stir them up in order for them to take effect in our lives. 

Well… with that task completed… my mind and my heart were switched back from potential worry and refocused on the power of God’s love and JOY, and I fell back asleep for another hour and a half, got up around 6:30, brewed some coffee and began my daily Bible Study (on the subject of JOY, no less) with Southern Gospel playing softly in the background… or at least that’s what I thought… and somewhere during that time the dog came in and I guess my silly JOYFULNESS was caught!

Fiver was walking a lot slower than normal on our afternoon walk today, so it gave me a lot of time to think about the events from this morning… and I was reminded of something I believe that the Lord had shown me earlier in the week… on another walk that the pooch and I took.  I had been having a conversation in my head about some of the different aspects of FAITH, when I suddenly had the thought that: “Faith Has a Face” (or a look) and that Face or look is JOY!

And if that be true… then Paul’s writings in Philippians 3:1 take on an even more powerful meaning and charge to our lives, when he steadfastly declared:

“My beloved ones, don’t ever limit your joy or fail to rejoice in the wonderful experience of knowing our Lord Jesus! (and) I don’t mind repeating what I’ve already written you because it protects you—” (TPT)

That no nonsense command was so important to Paul in his life and ministry, that he made a point to tell his readers that he needed to repeat what he had already wrote to them (and demonstrated in his life – as he was in prison at the time he wrote this letter), because faith-based JOY was an important force of protection for them, in their personal lives.  He was and still is today… telling us that JOY has a direct effect of our daily walks of faith, where we are standing on His Word for the various situations we encounter.

JOY radiating from our faces is something that people around us can’t help but to notice… and more than not… want to have for themselves!  But like I described at the beginning of today’s post… JOY doesn’t always get up with the morning sunrise!  Sometimes… okay… maybe many times… we have to give it a little push or encouragement!  The best method I have learned is to build my faith each and every day by reading and speaking aloud, the exact same things that God speaks in His Word… and although I’d love to say that this is something that I thought up on my own… I can’t!  For I learned this infallible practice from God Himself in His Word, where He tells us:

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17 - KJV)

Therefore, faith comes to us and increases in us when we HEAR the Word preached and/or taught in Church, on the radio, on TV, online and also… and maybe most importantly… coming from our own mouths!  I find that when I speak the Word out loud, that I tend to take it more personally and find myself uniquely applying it to my specific daily life’s experiences.

So… take a moment and think about it.  Where do you hang your faith-based JOY?  After reading and confessing the Word each day… I can’t help but hang mine right on my face… for everyone to enjoy and get built up by!  Even if it is the dog (or my very close in proximity neighbors) wondering what all the noise and action of beating pencils on the desk and singing without constraint first thing in the morning, is all about!  Hummm… I have gotten some strange looks from a few of my neighbors when I JOYfully say “Hi!’ to them in the hallway… You think that’s why???

What is being portrayed on your face RIGHT NOW?

Have a great new week ahead… and let me know how your week goes with JOY written all over your FACE!

Watch Your Step!

I got my first introduction to a Tennessee snowstorm this past week… although, to be fair, I hear tell that this last storm was not a usual example of a normal snow event in the state.  This particular storm was a much more powerful experience from Mother Nature.  I’ve actually seen worse in Oklahoma, but the cold out here definitely seems to be colder to me, than the cold in Oklahoma!  I’ve been told that it is due to the higher percentage of humidity in the Volunteer State.  But anyway that you look at it, frozen snow and ice on the ground… is still a dangerous combination… especially if you don’t pay attention when you are outside!

Throughout the storm and its cold aftereffects, I’ve made a point to stay close to Fiver’s daily walk schedule, as both of us tend to get a little stir-crazy if we spend too much time in our small apartment.  The walks may not be as long or in the same areas, but just getting outside for a small amount of time helps immensely!

The main hazard that I’ve had to stay alert for are the various stages of the slick surfaces that we walk on.  The snow isn’t that bad, but as the temperature plummets downward it starts to harden and become slippery.  Then when you add a small layer of ice… well it can get quite treacherous out there!

So… I’ve learned to master the shuffle step, the slide step and the automatic toe tap where you touch the surface before your next step in order to discern its stability!  But above every other technique, the most important is to simply WATCH YOUR STEP… and I am talking about each and every STEP! 

I allowed myself to get distracted the other day when we had stepped onto the road and began to walk when I noticed a gal making a raucous as she was trying to get something out of her car.  Well in that quick moment, I stepped on some black ice, lost my balance and began to go over backwards… but thank God for a big dog… as I immediately pulled up on the lease and Fiver proved to be the unmovable force that steadied me and returned me to an upright position!  PTL!  Needless to say, he got an extra treat when we got home!

One of the habits that I discerned in my wife, early on in our dating relationship, was her uncanny ability to have a scripture for almost every event in her life.  The Bible was not only her source for the spiritual wisdom and direction in her life, but it also played a very tangible role for just about everything in her physical, day to day existence as well.  I can clearly remember the stunned looks on people’s faces (both in the church and in the secular world) when she would nonchalantly, but yet very positively, associate a particular verse that spoke into the present situation… in a very literal manner.  She’d say, ‘Well you know, the Word says…” and then encourage whomever she was conversing with to trust God’s specific Word on the subject… right then and there!  And they would say Huh? What? Well… Yea!  It does doesn’t it!

Well… I grabbed on to her revelation of the literal understanding of the scriptures and tend to do the same thing nowadays.  So… walking safely on the frozen snow and slippery ice was a prime candidate… and the verse of scripture that immediately came into my mind was Psalm 37:23 where the Psalmist declares:

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” (KJV) 

I’m pretty sure that you can see why this verse was such an obvious choice for me.  The Baptist writer and theologian John Gill, wrote in his mid-1700’s Exposition of the Old and New Testament, that the man spoken of in this verse,

“… is blessed of the Lord; the steps which he takes in life are ordered by the Lord, both with respect to things temporal and spiritual: his good conduct is not of himself, it is a blessing of the Lord, who directs and keeps the feet of his saints, and inclines them to take such steps, and pursue such methods, which he succeeds and prospers;”

In other words, this theologian… a few years before my lovely wife, also caught the revelation of the scripture’s very tangible validity and usage in both our natural and spiritual lives. 

As I studied this verse, I came to understand that the man (ie; person) being spoken of (or to) is actually more than just a ‘good’ man but is, in particular, a ‘strong’ and  ‘valiant’ man whose is more on the stature of a ‘warrior!’  Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions describes this individual as: “a strong man or warrior (emphasizing strength or ability to fight)”

The Message Bible calls this man a “Stalwart” which Dictionary.com defines as someone who is “strong, brave, valiant, firm, uncompromising and a steadfast supporter of an organization”– which in this case would refer to our Christian beliefs and personal faith.

The Psalmist is specifically talking about a man, woman, boy or girl who is strong and steady in their faith and valiantly stands firm when people or the physical situation around them is telling them that it’s not working and to give up! 

Yours and my job as that strong individual, is to be the unmovable force (like Fiver was to me on the ice) and allow the Lord to work in and behind the scenes in order to cause you to succeed and prosper… and by doing so… show Himself to be faithful to His Word that you are standing on!

Makes good sense to me… How about to you?

As long as we keep our eyes alert to the places He is directing us to STEP… as well as where NOT to STEP… we may SLIP and SLIDE and even occasionally FALL… but quickly find ourselves right back in an upward position…  And the very next verse in Psalm 37 tells us why

“We will not be thrown down headfirst because the LORD holds on to our hand.” (Psalm 37:24 - God’s Word ©) 

Have a great rest of your weekend… and wherever you may be… stay warm… stay alert… and Watch Your Step!!

Hummmm… TASTY!

As part of my preparations for the storm that is now upon us, I spent the majority of my day yesterday cooking and preparing meals to have ready… in case the potential of ice-driven power outages did occur as the skies released their fury upon us.  So, I boiled eggs, fried bacon, roasted chicken and veggies and set aside the ingredients for additional sandwiches and desserts… and in the process… filled my house with a potpourri of delightful and mouthwatering fragrances.

And as you can imagine… FOOD was top of mind... for me… throughout the balance of my day.  I even found myself getting excited at the prospects of the coming storm and my need to hunker-down and stuff my mouth while reading a good book or two for the duration of the next few days!

But that wasn’t all that I was thinking about.  The picture of me stuffing my mouth with some delicious morsels of perfectly seasoned meats and vegetables also got me to consider how the Bible encourages us to stuff ourselves with delicious morsels of the perfectly seasoned and proven Word of God!

A favorite scripture of mine since moving to Tennessee and stepping into the new season of life set before me, has been Psalm 34:8 where the Psalmist wrote:

“O TASTE and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” (KJV)

The Message Bible gives a little more description in line with my activities from yesterday, as I prepared for the storm, saying,

“Open your MOUTH and TASTE, open your eyes and see— how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to Him.” (MSG) 

Other translations conclude this verse stipulating,

“…Happy and Blessed is the man, woman, boy or girl who put their trust and expectations in Him.”*

So… see if you can follow my train of thought here… The Psalmist is using the analogy of an individual bringing food to their mouths and tasting it, as a comparison to an individual tasting, through the hunger of their hearts, the delicious and nutritious Word of God and thereby taking it into themselves and making it to be a part of them and their lives.

When we eat, the food we put into our mouths, chew up and swallow, eventually becomes a part of us.  It is nutritious for us, strengthens us, feeds us and helps to keep us healthy.  It is a very personal and individualistic type of activity.  Most people I know are not going to expect (nor want) someone else to chew their food for them and then return it to them to swallow… RIGHT?  Gross thought… but true!  Eating the great variety of wonderful foods available to us is something most of us enjoy… the fragrance, the texture and the taste… RIGHT?

Well… that is why the Psalmist compares our study of the Word to the idea of one bringing food to their mouths, inserting it, tasting it, chewing it, savoring it and then swallowing it so that it can do the actual work that nutritious food is designed to do for the human body.  If you and I refuse to eat, our bodies will eventually break down and wither away with sickness or disease.   The same is true of our need to regularly take in the life-giving, strengthening and good health giving (both spiritually and physically) Word of God.

If we refuse to partake of the Word, and not take the time and effort to taste it, chew it and swallow it, our spirits will become starved and weak and have ZERO effect in our daily lives.

I just took a break to get some lunch and opened my refrigerator to see its shelves stacked with good food and boy… was I ever tempted to eat it all!  And that friends… is the same way that I believe the Lord wants us to react when we open up our Bibles and see it’s pages full of delicious, nutritious and POWERFUL morsels of God’s Word!

YUMMMMMMMMM!  I’m ready to TASTE and SEE… How about you?  Have a great rest of your weekend and I’ll try to post some updates on the storm throughout the weekend!

 

*JBS, BBE, DRB, ABP+ and Brenton translations

The Color of My Words

I always feel close to my late wife whenever I go grocery shopping.  I’m pretty sure that it is because of all the time we spent in grocery stores together over the years.  When the kids got old enough to stay home alone, going to Food Maxx or Raley’s became one of those opportunities where we could spend precious time alone with each other…

And my shopping excursion to my local Kroger’s yesterday was no different!  From the very first plastic bag I pulled to place my zucchini in, until I wheeled the cart away from the self-check area, my mind was awash with memories of us walking, talking and laughing our way through the hollowed aisles of canned, bagged and boxed food items.

But the real moment that brought happy tears to my eyes was when I was pushing my loaded cart to my car in the parking lot.  As I proceeded down the lane between the parked cars, I couldn’t help but smile when I passed two older ladies walking toward the entrance of the store.  They were deep in conversation and didn’t notice me as they walked by.  But what caught my eye and caused me to stop and turn around after I had passed them, was the white-haired (obviously older of the two) gal wearing a bright purple jogging suit and new athletic shoes.

The laughter that came up from deep inside of me and brought a rush of joy-filled tears to my eyes was the immediate thought that my Piper, if alive and in her seventies today, would definitely be the one wearing the bright colored jogging suit… although I am pretty certain that her COLOR of choice would have been red!  She used to sport jogging suits when they were popular back in the nineties and had numerous sets including a bright blue and a bright red one.

She tended to enjoy wearing brightly COLORED clothes that made her skin tone pop with vibrancy.  The bright COLORS also displayed the full effect of her personality and outwardly encouraging heart.

And that little journey down the sweet halls of her memories stirred up inside of me yesterday, sort of encapsulated a thought that I had been thinking about and investigating for the last week or so… with that thought being,

‘Do Our Words Have Color?’

Do our words represent the differing spectrum of COLOR perception?  A quick look at some prevalent scientific discussions on the subject quickly confirms the reality of that question.  And if that then be true… have you ever considered the COLOR of the words that you speak into your own life as well into the lives of others that you converse with?  Are your words pleasing and or acceptable to God?  In Psalms 19 :14 David prayed,

“Let the WORDS of my mouth and the MEDITATION of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” (NASB)

A very simplistic definition of the words “Words” and “Meditation” would tell us that “the WORDS of my mouth” relates to the actual words that we speak out loud, while “the MEDITATION of my heart” being the words we think about and in reality, are the words that we speak to ourselves.

So… with all that in mind, what WORDS do you speak (either aloud or to yourself) on a regular basis?  What COLORS do you employ in which to paint the daily world that you are involved with?  Are they bright with enthusiasm, encouragement and vitality or dull, dark and potentially depressing to yourself and others?  Now this doesn’t mean to imply that our words always have to be loud and overly joyful, but can also be soft and gentle as they bring enthusiasm, encouragement, vitality and Godly hope to people (including ourselves) who are hurting.

I was thinking on Fiver’s and my morning walk today, that I actually paint the foundation of my day as I get up, study my Bible and then shower and get dressed… way before I ever step out of the front door and into the public world around me. 

What do I do?  I confess the power and COLOR of the Word into my day!  I take scriptures that I have memorized over the years and keep active in my heart like “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19), “I am strong, confident and courageous, I do not tremble and I am not dismayed for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go” (Joshua 1:9), “The joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) etc… and I speak them out of my mouth and thereby pre-paint my day with a Godly, power-packed, encouraging landscape picture that serves as the foundation of the people, places and things that will become a part of the picture of my day!

So… what COLORS are you painting your day and the encounters that you have with others?  Are they bright purple, like the lady at Kroger’s yesterday?  I think that we all have unique COLORS and tones that best present our personalities and the way we encourage others with… wouldn’t you agree?

So… Give it some thought, pray about it, and then grab your brush and go out and paint your world!

Have an exciting, encouraging and brightly COLORED day today… Then slip me a comment and let me know about the COLOR of the words that you like to paint in the daily activities of your life.

Words That Produce Life

Well, I have finally become an official resident of the Volunteer state, Tennessee!  Earlier this week, I spent an entire morning driving out to the next town about 30+ minutes away, in order to surrender my Oklahoma driving license in exchange for a Tennessee Real ID driver’s license.  Then I turned around and headed back home to Mt Juliet and a stop at the county clerk’s office to acquire a Tennessee license plate. 

As it turns out, I was minus one important piece of documentation… my car’s Oklahoma registered pink slip (which was actually green), and needed to drive back to my place, which thankfully wasn’t too far away.  Upon my return to the clerk’s office, I opted to get a specialty plate that celebrates Tennessee’s rich music history and just happens to have a picture of a guitar on it that looks exactly like my brother’s 1960’s replica, that he played during our band days (and still has today) in the late sixties and early seventies!  I sent him a picture of the plate and told him that it was in honor of him and our band, “The Higher Priced Spread.”

I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed or not, but going to these governmental state and county offices tends to not be most people’s favorite activity.  And from what I have personally experienced in the four different states that I have lived in… this distaste seems to be a common thread.  So, I had to laugh and make a quick decision that I was going to keep a positive and joyful demeanor, when I drove up to the Driver’s License office and the line was with at least ten people standing outside the door!

As I inched toward the door, I could hear the moans and groans and less than complimentary remarks about how slowly things seemed to be moving.  But I kept a smile and interjected a humorous remark whenever it seemed to fit.  And you know… it really wasn’t that long a wait.  I was in and out within an hour and before long had the not-so-happy looking clerk (at both offices I went to) smiling, laughing and thanking me for coming in!

So, when I finally got home, I felt satisfied that I had brought a little bit of cheer and LIFE into the lives of those individuals that I interacted with. 

In last week’s blog post, we talked about speaking Words that give LIFE and took a peek at the scripture from the book of Proverbs where King Solomon wrote,

“Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.” (Proverbs 18:21 MSG)

And I mentioned in the postscript, that in my next post, we would look at a few places where we could find Words that give LIFE that we can speak into the lives of those around us.  Well… I am pretty sure that you’ve already deduced that I was going to point us to the Scriptures to find power-packed, creative Words that are infused with the glory of God… that we can put into our hearts and then release through our mouths into the atmosphere we inhabit!  So… then… Let’s Do It!

In John 1:1 & 4 the Apostle of LOVE wrote that,

“In the beginning the Word (ie; Jesus) already existed. The Word (ie; Jesus) was with God, and the Word (ie; Jesus) was God…  He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.” (God’s Word ©) 

This verse, and many like it throughout the Bible, informs us that God’s Word is actually Jesus talking to us and is in fact, the very source and power of the life that we need in which to bring the tangible, life and/or situation changing presence of His power into everything we do, say and think!

When I interact with people, like at the two different agencies I went to get my new state documents, the Word that is inside of me just sort of comes out in my conversations.  It has become a part of who I am… I guess that was one of the many things from my wife’s life that rubbed off on me!   And it is that Word… Jesus’ Word… coming forth from my lips, that changed the environment of complaining, short tempers and exasperated faces into some laughter, the release of tension and positive vibes around the office.

Remember, if you will, where Mark concluded his gospel, by declaring that the disciples (as examples to the entire church, past, present and to come*),

“went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the WORD with signs following. Amen. (Mark 16:20 – KJV)

In other words, the Lord works with us, will guide us, inspire us and teach us in our daily Christian walk… but it is His Word, spoken from our lips, that brings the life, change and the miraculous power required to bring a positive outcome to the various situations and needs that we and those around us might encounter on a daily basis.

So… What will it be?  Words that kill… or Words… His Words… that have the creative power to produce LIFE?

Have a terrific rest of your weekend!

 

 

*See Ephesians 4:11-12 / Mark 16:15-18