SABBATH SNAPSHOTS : an-TEA-cipation

For readers, there's nothing like discovering a good book. It's even better when you realize that it's one of a "series." That's the way many readers felt when they discovered their first "Mitford" book featuring Father Tim, an Episcopalian rector, with a dog named Barnabas.

The Mitford series kept many waiting for the next one. 
An-TEA-cipation of a good read. A safe read. 

Jan Karon doesn't surprise her readers with filth or vulgar language. She just takes the reader into the small town of Mitford and its quirky characters and makes them want to return again and again. Karon's books are both warm-hearted and funny. 

Opening Light in the Window, my favorite of the Mitford books, to check out the town map on the frontispiece, I found signatures of  friends, with whom I had shared the book....a great jog down memory lane, because many have since moved away.

Home to Holly Springs, though not one of the "Mitford" books, does deal with Father Tim's early years in a location just down the road for all of us Memphis readers.

Finally, 9 years after the last Mitford book, listed as the "final" of the series.....  #10 is coming out in September. 

Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good. (9/2/14)

A title that seems to describe Mitford---a cuppa an-TEA-cipation for me.

"visibili-TEA" : a wedding cuppa

Men see not the bright light which is in the clouds. (Job 37:21, KJV)

Life is full of clouds. From our earthly perspective, these clouds can seem dark, foreboding even. But God....has a different perspective. He sees from above. Just as my grandson and I saw the reflective light in the mist a few days ago, in the double rainbow, God can always see the shining bright reflective light. It's a heavenly perspective.

Today is Suzanna and Nathan's wedding day. It's raining. The hope had been for clear skies. As their preparations continue for their outdoor reception, may I continue to pray for the wedding, (regardless of the raindrops) the reception (regardless of the weather temps) and the marriage (regardless of the clouds that they will face) to glorify Thee.

May daughter, Molly, from the crane high above the reception, capture all of this in the pictures. A photo journey of a true celebration of two, equally-yoked young people, as they begin their "forever" journey as man and wife. 

May they remember the "bright light" who is behind these clouds. These moving clouds. May they see His hand in their lives and rejoice because of who He is....a trustworthy God who loves them. 

May the Lord serve them a cuppa visibili-TEA of His love on this their wedding day, regardless of the weather!

CONGRATULATIONS Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Barnhart!

serendipi-TEA : a Re-Brew

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." (Genesis 9:16, NIV)

Arriving at Owen's soccer practice, the drops started to fall. Of course they did, it's Memphis BBQ Fest time. Dave Brown had just announced on the simulcast that it was raining down on the river and coming east at 40 mph. Then Joe Birch interrupted, saying, "Will you look at that---iPhones are snapping everywhere---it's a double rainbow."

Out east, we only had dark clouds and drops that were getting heavier by the moment.

But....the good news (serendipiTEA for me) was a Chi-Fil-A around the corner and the cancelled practice allowing extra time for the two of us to go inside the restaurant for a treat. 

The real treat was discovered before we even walked in the door. 

Owen saw it first. "Look , Shug---a rainbow. My first time ever to see one. Look it's two just like the man on the radio said." 

Owen was right. A double rainbow. A double blessing. Created by God.

Just seeing Owen's first (as he recalls) rainbow with him and then both of us sharing the special event of the double rainbow. Serendipi-TEA!

The primary rainbow had the colors showing red, orange, yellow, green....from outside to inside. If the light in the rainbow is reflected twice, it results in a double rainbow---with the reverse of the colors starting with red, orange...and continuing. (red faces inward toward the other rainbow, in both rainbows)(answer.yahoo.com)
That's just what we saw!

And Owen learned a new word.....serendipity!

Evening Prayer "veloci-TEA"

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe. (Psalm 4:8, NLT)

Speedy conviction. That was the "veloci-TEA" of the realization that my evening prayers probably set the stage for my morning prayers and I ought to give that time more attention. A new prayer direction. Certainly the compiler of the Psalms, this "hymnal of the Jewish people" knew that. Interestingly enough, the evening prayers are mentioned in both Psalm 3 and Psalm 4 prior to the mentioning of the morning prayers in Psalm 5.

Scripture before sleeping may prompt prayers. God's word, in and of itself can be a prayer. "To the Lord I cry....I lie down and sleep....and will not fear" (Psalm 3:4-6) and David concludes  in 4:8, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. 

"It's David's confidence in God that enables him to lay himself down calmly and tranquilly to sleep, whatever dangers threaten him. He seeks his couch, and at once (יחדּו) slumber visits him. No anxious thoughts keep him tossing on his bed for hours." (http://biblehub.com/psalms/4-8.htm) Confidence in God comes from knowing Him through His word.

Anne Graham Lotz's, endorsed Daily Light for Every Day, includes morning and evening prayers. Equal scripture content for both. The "Graham/Lotz families read this "little" collection each day. It keeps them all on the same page. 

Last night I read the 5/16 entry from Daily Light and prayed those "very" appropriate verses for a decision a dear friend would be making on that "very" day. Grateful for the "velodi-TEA of conviction that had me speedily changing my direction of evening prayers. 

Morning Prayer "veloci-TEA"

 O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you.....(Psalm 63:1, KJV)

Velocity can be both good and bad....especially in one's prayer life. Speed and direction in a moment of crisis is just the motion needed. Quickly praying upward. Immediately turning (directionally) to the One who hears. 

Yet, apart from times of urgency, one's prayer times can be so much richer than that, as reading through the Psalms clearly shows. The poetry of the Psalms seems to take on a slower rhythm......a rhythm of the life of the poet or author, from David and Solomon to unknown others. Laments. Praises. Testimony. Confessions. 

Morning prayer times often have me praying slowly.....prayers for others expressed thorough passages from the Psalms. The rhythm of my own life expressed in language from the Psalter. Inhaling the scripture, exhaling the prayers. A breath of God breathed out---His Words, my breath.

Panic prayers, arrow prayers and night-night prayers, are more rapid than those morning ones. Reading through a psalm or other scripture slows me down. No speed reading. In cadence with God's word. Reading and praying. The silences and the sounds.

Holy Spirit, living Breath of God, Breathe new life into my willing soul. Bring the presence of the risen Lord To renew my heart and make me whole. Cause Your Word to come alive in me; ("Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God," lyrics)

A "hurried" velocity in praying doesn't leave room for empty space. 

"A note in music gets its significance from the silences on either side." (Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift From the Sea, p. 115) As in music, empty space is essential in correlating the scripture to the prayer.

A slowing of my morning cuppa mirrors the velocity of my reading and praying, as it takes time to sip and savor both----my English Breakfast Tea and prayers re-directed to Him as I am stimulated from His word. 

"haugh-TEA--pomposi-TEA---superiori-TEA--vani-TEA"

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18, NIV)

How many ways can one "negatively" spell pride? A.r.r.o.g.a.n.t./ B.o.a.s.t.f.u.l. / C.o.n.c.e.i.t. / H.u.b.r.i.s. / S.n.o.o.t.y.

How many destructive results can pride bring into one's life?

• Pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God. (2 Chronicles 26:16)
• Pride is as a chain about their neck (bondage) (Psalm 73:6)
• When pride cometh, then cometh shame (Proverbs 11:12)
• Only by pride cometh contention (quarreling) (Proverbs 13:10)
• A man's pride shall bring him low: (Proverbs 29:23)

The results are destructive; the root is pride. What's the root of pride? Self!!!!!!!!!

prIde---I (self) is in the middle of it all. 

Memo to prideful person: "Get over yourself." 
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)

Drain those dregs of haugh-TEA-ness, pomposi-TEA, superiori-TEA and vani-TEA from your life's cuppa and allow the Lord to serve you a cuppa humili-TEA from His wounded hands!

Tea and Symphony

Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! (Psalm 150, ESV)

The Memphis Symphony was playing in God's sanctuary at the Dixon Gallery and Garden's Saturday night. (5/10) "Symphony in the Gardens," a bi-annual favorite of mine.
Trumpets and strings and brass and cymbals. Even couples spontaneously dancing, when the MSO Big Band took to the stage playing historic musical scores originally performed and broadcast live by CBS radio from the Peabody Hotel's Skyway ballroom.

.It was all there---even tea. Hot tea at the fancy table set-up, Long Island Iced "Tea-type" drinks at other tables. And hones-TEA at mine, thanks to friend Carolyn F.

Tea and Symphony made for a beautiful evening with friends, under God's sky.

A shout out of thanks to sponsors, Dominion Partners and Brian Kinney!

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: longevi-TEA

Hubby's mom (our Mommar) didn't live to be 103, as George Dawson the focus of today's book review did. However, she did grow up during impoverished times and yet kept that same positive "life is good" focus as Dawson projects.

Dawson's book, Life is So Good, written with Richard Glaubman, is not the best book I've ever read---but I liked it. There are so many lessons to be learned from someone who didn't learn to read until age 98. Even his kids didn't know he couldn't read, until he revealed that "secret" to them during their teen years. Yet, all 7 of his children graduated not only from high school but also from college.

His "learning" began at the knee of his father. "Life is good." And with a grin he added. I do believe it's getting better." (Dawson, p. 4)

In his youth, witnessing a murder of an innocent black man, had Dawson asking himself, "Why am I still here?" and realizing the answer. "I am a witness to the truth. That's why I'm still here. I can't let the truth die with me." (Ibid, p. 45) That was Dawson's impetus to get the true story written down before it was his time to die.

Tho his continuing story didn't focus much on that incident, you understand it's impact on his life and his reticence around others, not of his race. From building levees on the Mississippi and driving railroad spikes to breaking horses in his hometown of Marshall, Texas, Mr. George Dawson continued to work hard, show respect for all people and champion learning for the youth in his GED classes. He was their inspiration.

Dawson had a deep knowledge that came from watching and listening. Even with a limited understanding of Watergate, he still showed a depth of understanding when he commented, "...maybe Richard Nixon just wanted something too much. He worked hard to get what he wanted and forgot the important things along the way." (Ibid, p. 217)

Summing up his philosophy, he answered a 5th grader's question who wanted to know what life was like. "Life ain't all good or all bad. It's full of everything." (p. 233)

I, however, appreciated his answer to an adult who asked if he was a "cup half-empty or half-full" kind of guy. "I see it as being enough, so it's just fine." (p. 238) So biblical! (Philippians 4:11-12)

If you liked Same Kind of Different as Me, you'll like this book.

"Morning Quie-TEA-ude"

and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business...(1 Thessalonians 4:11, NASB)

No humming of air conditioners. No barking dogs. No lawn mowers or blowers. No chattering of people, just squirrels.

Quietness, broken only by the occasional honking of geese overhead and enriched by by a streaming fountain and chirping of birds at the feeders. Such serenity coupled with cool morning breezes and my quiet time accoutrements defines my Tea With Thee time on the patio. Bible. Prayer list. Journal.

Such a quiet life is enhanced by time alone with the Lord in the morning time.

A quiet life, begins anew every morning as the sun breaks once again. 

Tending to my own business begins with my attending to the Lord in the quietude of each new day. 

Qui-TEA-ude---that state of stillness, calmness, and quiet in both my person and my place--began this morning on the patio. May it continue throughout my day!

"migh-TEA to Almigh-TEA" : a transfer

Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6, NIV)

“Have you ever had one of those days boys, have you ever had one of those days?  When nothing goes right from morning 'til night, have you ever had one of those days?" Those old Elvis (?) song lyrics whirred in my head recently. Did you ever......?

Have you ever felt crummy from the "get-go?" You awake feeling "down" and that feeling continues throughout the day. Edges of His Ways (April 26 entry)

No matter how hard I try---my (mental) strength gets me no where. I cannot change this mindset.

Carmichael's entry helped me understand why this is so.
It (trying in one's own psyche) is useless. Trying to feel different does not "touch" feelings. One can't even argue with self because feelings elude arguments.  In psychology 101, I learned that feelings follow action.
Prayer is an action.

But now, I pray let the power of the Lord be great..... (Numbers 14:17)

Turning to the Lord is an action.
Even waiting on Him is an action. Especially if patience is involved.

One chooses to turn and to wait on the Almighty.

Not my might but His.

The Almighty serves up a cuppa migh-TEA to everyone who turns to Him.
Almighty might!