PTL!

Through a set of seemingly unrelated experiences over the last few weeks, I've been drawn back to a very special scripture that both empowered and enlightened Piper and I through some ups and downs in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.  At the time we were a part of the leadership team of a small Foursquare church that was meeting at the local YMCA.  We were in the early stages of developing our Children’s ministry, leading the Praise and Worship and holding a youth Bible Study on Saturday mornings at a low rent housing development in western Santa Rosa.

Psalm 40:3 just seemed to capture the essence of Piper’s and my Christian walk and family life at that time.  The Psalmist wrote, “And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and revere, and put their trust in the Lord.” (NASB)  We spent a lot of time singing our praises unto the Lord, writing children’s songs of praise and just simply doing much praising around the house, the church and most everywhere else we found ourselves! 

Whenever something unexpected occurred, you could just about bet that our first response was an automatic “Praise the Lord!”  I would say it unknowingly at work and get some of the weirdest looks from my co-workers, while Piper would do the same around her fellow homeschool teachers… many times with the same results as mine!

When I quit my secular job at Hewlett Packard in 1991, we started a business called… you guessed it… “The Praise Works!”  Within the format of that company we put on Christian Book Fairs at Christian schools as well as marketing our original songs, plays, bookmarks, a children’s devotional, scripture confession cards and I even wrote a children’s adventure novel.  And yes…  just about everything we wrote had a lot to do with the simple but powerful act of praising the Lord. 

We ended up putting “The Praise Works!” business on the back burner when I went back to work for Hewlett Packard in the mid-1990’s and with everything that happened since then… never got back to it!  But lately… well, I keep finding myself being drawn back to that particular verse of scripture.  I watched a powerful live teaching seminar by Dr. Jerry Savelle a couple of Friday’s ago where he used Psalm 40:1-4 as his topic scripture… and WOW!  Did it ever excite me!

It got me to thinking that even though we may have put “The Praise Works!” business plan away some twenty plus years ago… that we never quite put the lifestyle of praise on the back burner, but kept it somewhat alive and healthy in the midst of the roughest time in our lives.  At the very onslaught of Piper’s physical deterioration, when my head and heart were spinning as I tried to make some rhyme or reason about what was happening, I surprised myself one night at work when I accidently dropped a pallet of loosely packed slate flooring while unloading a Home Depot freight truck.

What popped out of my mouth that night not only surprised me… but scared me!  That shocking event got me to repent very quickly while I stood alone in the receiving department.  I realized immediately that I needed to get myself fully back to where the proper thoughts came to my thinking in the stressful times ahead and that the right and uplifting words of God’s truth, praise and honor unto the Lord were the first things I found coming out of my mouth!

As I listened to Dr. Savelle, I could see how the Lord used that eventful and sort-of-reality-TV night back in 2008 to make the necessary heart, head and determination adjustments in me.  I was reminded of how those automatic words of praise were… many times… the only thing that got me off the road to giving up and self-pity and back into the same lane as the road our stand of faith was on!

I like the way the modern Passion Translation declares Psalm 40:3, as it perfectly describes how I’ve learned to live my life in this new day, two years after Piper’s homegoing.  The Psalmist states “A new song for a new day rises up in me every time I think about how he breaks through for me! Ecstatic praise pours out of my mouth until everyone hears how God has set me free. Many will see his miracles; they’ll stand in awe of God and fall in love with him!” 

I find myself praising the Lord a lot more lately, while I ponder all that He did for Piper and I throughout the 48 years of our time together and then especially in the last two years without her.  Sure, it’s hard… definitely the hardest thing that I have ever had to deal with in my 67 years… but I can’t help but somehow KNOW that He still has a plan in motion for me and that His best is still yet to come!

Is that the way that you feel about your life today?  If not, then I would encourage you to pick up your Bible, turn to Psalm 40 and then repeatedly read and study verses 1-5… until you see that the Psalmist is talking all about you!  Once you see yourself in these verses you won’t be able to stop yourself from praising the Lord aloud throughout the day and realize the new song of expectancy that is building up in you!

Have a great new week!

STUFF YOURSELVES!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Like Father, Like Son

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

·      

NEVER Let Go!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How about you?

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

Constantly Constant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a wonderful weekend!

Meatballs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roller-Coaster Rides...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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