Thrust of Trust

This summer has been a time of transition, concerns and difficult decisions for many of my dear ones, both friends and family: Farming friends rushing to get hay in before the rains; Special needs births, both here and in Mexico; A distressing cancer diagnosis for a young mom; Joblessness; A child's poor decision resulting in life altering consequences; Housing needs/renting/ selling/buying; Impending surgeries; School needs for children when money is lacking; Marital disappointment/discord, here and abroad; Ministry decisions; End of life approach for one's sibling. 

Today's Jesus Calling (7/15) once again speaks to me right where I am in my concern as I seek to pray for these difficulties. Sarah Young writes" "Throw off this oppressive burden with one quick thrust of trust,"

Do you, too, need a thrust of trust? If so, here's a trove of my favorite "trust" verses to help you in your thrusting.

• Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9, NIV)
• But I trust in your unfailing love; (Psalm 13:5a) 
• Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7)
• But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."(Psalm 31:14)
• O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. (Psalm 84:12)
• Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Keep on thrusting; It increases trusting.

More Peas, Please

As friend Doris reminded me, no one knows peas, especially field peas, like Blackberry Farm's John Coykendall. John and his colleagues plant about a dozen varieties row upon row row at the Farmstead. The Blackberry Farm garden's manicured rows are just outside the Garden Shed and around the corner from the Red Barn where many "pea" varieties appear on the "farm to table" menu.

Heirloom peas, which John collects from everywhere, openly pollinate. This just means that when a plant survives, its seeds can be saved and planted the next year. Not like those we buy at a garden center which have been treated (think genetically engineered by Monsanto) to produce for only 1 season.

For me, the shed itself is a great place to sit and observe the activity. For Doris it's a perfect setting for her to participate and ask questions as she pores over ---she even likes his washtub basin and had me take a picture for her to recreate in her own garden "shed" near her kitchen garden at Full Circle Ranch.
Drying beans and pea pods hang from the ceilings. Old-time tools are everywhere. A comfortable hodgepodge of a place that is really like a working laboratory.
Spread across the workbench are bowls of peas of unusual names like Turkey Craw and Siddlin' (a pea that grows well in the foothills of Tennessee, according to John's friend, Weavie Stevie, who has since died)

Doris spent much time at the shed and left with an envelope of Calico Crowder seeds (buff-colored peas w/ splashes of vibrant maroon) & other heritage samples as well. Directions included were written in John’s distinctive script. That alone made them a treasure for her.

Having both seen and tasted some of the freshness of the peas which John and his staff have coaxed to fruition, I appreciate all the effort that is taken for preserving the ""pea."

I appreciate Doris' enthusiasm for "pea" preservation as well.
Doris returned home inspired---often doning her straw hat, rolling up her pants legs when necessary, slipping on her croc gardening shoes---ready to spend an entire day with her "peas."
She, who takes her stand for the Lord every Sunday morning at Berlin United Methodist Church as she worships with faithful folks from her small community, can be found taking a "stand in her garden" on weekdays.

Her diligence reminds me somewhat of Shammah, one of King David's mighty men. Shammah "stood." He resolved in his heart that he would fight for a pea patch....and he won a great victory. (2 Samuel 23:11-12)

As it was for Shammah, sometimes there is a time to "take a stand"----to fight for what is right, even if it's just pea pollination. The resolve of folks like John Coykendall and friend Doris benefit all of us---enabling us to continue to  have "real" peas in our lifetime and for our future generations to be able to say, "More peas, please" .

Summertime Contentment

Question---Where does one find contentment in the "dog days" of summer in The South? Those July days of seemingly inexhaustible heat and high humidity.

Answer----at the kitchen table, of course.

Nothing says summer like homegrown or local produce. Just going to the Farmer's Market can calm one's spirit. Kentucky pole beans. Shelly beans. Mounds of squash. Cartons of okra. Baskets of tomatoes---Bradley, Cherokee purple, Ripley. Ziplocs of shelled purple hulls, butter beans (aka baby limas) and cream peas---the lady peas aren't "in" yet.
Then, hurrying home to "prep" and cook for friends, neighbors and loved ones adds to the excitement.

Bread and butter corn. White Corn. Silver Queen. 
Milking that corn from the cob, a labor of love-----a season all its own---- mixed for me with sentimentality and salivation. A touch of sentimentality as I lightly cut the tips and milk the corn just as Mama Davenport taught me 60+years ago. (Note--best done outside & with an apron or old shirt because "milking corn" is a splattering endeavor.)

Nothing better than fried corn for this gal, who can salivate/drool just smelling it cook. 

Whether it's peach juice dripping down your chin----the smell of cornbread baking in a black-iron skillet in the oven*---or peas, with strange names like pinkeyes, shirt and britches, zippers, and whippoorwills, simmering on the back burner, there's solace found when "sharing" summer's bounty. All served, of course, with sliced "homegrown" tomatoes and a BIG glass of "sweet tea" with lots of ice.
King David might not have had sweet tea, but he and his people were recipients of the bounty of others, as their hunger and thirst was refreshed by others.

They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils,...

The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness. 

(1 Samuel 17: 28-29)

Gratitude for the local harvest. Sounds, smells, tastes of freshness. Supping with others.

Summertime Contentment at its best.

*2nd serving---"poor man's cornbread"---another Mama Davenport "recipe" for frying a mixture of cornmeal (Sunflower SR from Hoptown is the best) and HOT water. Mixture is about the consistency of pancake batter and Mama always fried them in bacon grease, which she kept in a "grease" labeled aluminum container of the back of her stove top.

Encouraging Words

K- Love brightened my day yesterday with an "Encouraging Word."

That's the intent of the radio program's (94.9 FM/Memphis) daily Bible verse.

"Then when you call, the Lord will answer. 'Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply." 

(Isaiah 58:9, NLT)

Those encouraging words encouraged me, allowing me to share with others in prayers.....from Mexico to Binghampton and on to a hospice room in east Memphis.
Paying it forward.
How about praying it forward? .....all the way to the end of the chapter.......to satisfy the afflicted soul, (v.10) to allow the Lord to guide, (v.11) to honor Him (v.13) and once again to delight Thyself in the Lord. (v.14)
That's what encouraging words are meant to do.

"Lifter Uppers"

Been feeling low these past few days, especially in my lower back....but God sent a lifter upper from the "land of the living" (Psalm 27:13) and from His word.

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. (Psalm 3:3)

A plethora of "lifter uppers"---an encouraging email from a "new to me" sister in California plus food with flowers from Jerrie's yard and Dove chocolate served with God's truth.

Meditation" Mine or Thine: a Q and A

Randolph Walker stated in yesterday's (7/7/15) Commercial Appeal "Letters to the Editor," that "classic Judeo-Christian meditation is not about blanking out the mind." I concur. For many folks a blank mind easily turns to thoughts of SELF. Then, meditation easily becomes all about me.
My thoughts, (self-centered) not Thy thoughts. (other centered)
I practice meditation with God's word available---usually my Bible is open on my lap. Mr. Walker sees meditation as a "practice of reflecting on God's goodness."
Scripture at my fingertips helps me do just that.

Though prayer and meditation are different, they are not antithetical. Both are reminders of God's goodness. Meditation often serves as a springboard for prayer in a complementary way.

So.....does one meditate with the idea of discovering thoughts that are "all mine and will help me out" or does meditation help one focus on "Thine" as thoughts from Him with His help to direct those thoughts?

Rick Warren says it well in his first sentence on the first page of his book, The Purpose Driven Life. "It isn't all about you."

That pretty much sums it up.

The question, "Who is meditation about?"

The answer is, "Thee, not me"----especially in meditation.

GLORY BUMPS 2

Glory Bumps have been on my radar before. I even alluded to them in last week's teaching.
Glory bumps are precipitated by an awareness of God’s involvement in those incidences in our lives with a spiritual connection. A goose pimply feeling which one experiences when a God-ordained incidence touches her heart and often spreads to others within hearing distance of said experience.
CO-incidences are seen by the world----as a chance encounter/happening.....but believers are taught that the prefix "CO" stands for Christ Ordained.

I experienced "glory bumps" this morning as I shared with sweet Debbie Park, our church receptionist, how the Lord had orchestrated my 2015 prayer list for Allen Bible Church.
Admittedly, there are many directions which prayers can take, but God....began a work (Philippians 1:6) in late December/early January as I prayed about my annual "list." A privilege I have enjoyed since the church plant 10+ years ago.
I sought spiritual guidance for specific verses to pray for ABC. All of the verses selected were from the book of First Thessalonians, particularly chapters 4 & 5.

In April, after Easter, ABC's pastor, son Buddy, began a new series, "Exalt Still More," a study in I Thessalonians. As I have listened to his on-line sermons, I have heard him preaching from many of the verses I had already been praying for his congregation----since January, no less.

Sharing this experience with DP produced major "Glory Bumps" for me.

Photo simulation---Debbie just rubbed her arms.

Contagious glory bumps.

Debbie "caught" those glory bumps too.

Dance Step "E"

Book: When Wallflowers Dance: Becoming a Woman of Righteous Confidence

Author: Angela Thomas  A Springboard for "Dancing with the Lord" 

There is….a time to dance….Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 (NKJV)

The Message version of the concluding verse says it well---

You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance;

You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers.

I’m about to burst with song; I can’t keep quiet about you.

God, my God, I can’t thank you enough. (Psalm 30:11)

A KJV version whether "written on the tablet of one's heart" (Proverbs 3:3) or hanging at her backdoor, emphases "mourning turned into dancing" by Him.

Dance step “E” Extending & Encouraging

D eciding, Delving, Discovering  (Psalm 119: 139 & 160)

A ccepting & Attending (1 Thess. 2:13)

N oticing God’s Hand in ALL Circumstances (Genesis 50:20 & Romans 8:28)

C elebrating God’s goodness and being thankful (1 Thess. 5:18)

E xtending lessons learned during one’s own struggle as a way of Encouraging others. (Psalm 89:1)

Last week's Dance Step "C" dealt with celebrating God’s gooness in all aspects of life and giving thanks in all the "little" things. Big blessings tend to result as folks fill their heats with gratitude, which results in even more celebrating. 

Wrapping up the D.A.N.C.E. aspects of "Dancing with the Lord" included 2 movements for "E"----extending and encouraging. 

Extending = sharing one's story/journey/struggle with others. 

“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness, to all generations” (Psalm 89:1)

Encouraging =  (even above my fireplace)

An 10/8/09 letter from MAC survivor, Michèle  encouraged me to share my story with others---to extend the blessings I discovered in the middle of a cancer journey as a way to encourage others in the midst of their struggles. 

Teaching “dance lessons” this summer and celebrating Michèle's upcoming July 4th seven years of survival, I was reminded of the responsibility I had learned from her....(WORTH THE READ)

.....we all  have, as “household of faith” survivors of what ever tough place of hurt or painful struggle we have encountered, to stand at the top and call down to those still struggling to the summit.  Whether they’re emotional, physical, or spiritual, the mountains we’ve conquered are not ours to own, but ours to share.  

We might not always want to revisit the pain we’ve suffered or the crippling we’ve endured, but if we don’t offer them to others as a testimony of God’s sustenance and love, our fellow travelers may not have to courage to find their way to the top. 

My encouragement to you, Dotsy?  

Speak of the treacherous paths and looming precipices you’ve known, tell the story of your climb, the tale of your survival.  And when you’ve reached a place that is beautiful and stable and “breathable,” call down to those who follow and tell them of the strength that comes from surrendered weakness, of the peace that comes from vulnerable faith.  Tell them that you stumbled.  Tell them that you wanted to give up.  Tell them that you were bruised by doubt and battered by despair…but that you made it.  You.  Made.  It.  And the view from the summit of survival?  It’s priceless.

So......from my heart and above my fireplace, "I hope you dance" and tell others (extend to them) how the Lord orchestrated your dance that your words might to encourage them. ( TX Doris for the pic)

Dance Step "C"

Book: When Wallflowers Dance: Becoming a Woman of Righteous Confidence

Author: Angela Thomas  A Springboard for "Dancing with the Lord" Discussions 

There is….a time to dance….Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 (NKJV)

Last week's Dance Step "N" had each one “take notice” of God’s hand in all aspects of life. Once the "noticing" had one really looking to see the Lord's participation, there was cause to segue to the next step----"C" for celebration. 

Intentionality, in looking for God's hand often results in Glory Bumps.  The more we see His involvement in life, the more prevalent those "bumps" become.

Glory Bumps are similar to the goose pimply feeling that you get when you read a Hallmark card or hear a story that touches your heart. But “glory bumps” are more than that. Glory bumps are precipitated by an awareness of God’s involvement--a “God thing” a "God wink"---those incidences in our lives with a spiritual connection.  Glory bumps might result from seeing a miracle or a moving of God’s hand or just from experiencing the grand sense of LIFE that is beyond our comprehension. 

One's circumstances and situations might not change but an attitude adjustment can give a new perspective. Thanksgiving follows and a thankful heart is always a cause for celebration!

An "attitude of gratitude" helps to make even the seemingly "small" steps toward a life of abunDANCE seem worth celebrating! Dance Step "C," a dance of celebration, goes hand and hand with gratitude! 

D eciding, Delving, Discovering  (Psalm 119: 139 & 160)

A ccepting & being Attentive (1 Thess. 2:13)

N oticing God’s Hand in ALL Circumstances (Genesis 50:20 & Romans 8:28)

C elebrating God’s goodness and being thankful (1 Thess. 5:18)

E 

Finding great summation notes in the front of a "used copy from Amazon" of a study book, could cause "glory bumps" if one was prepping for a test!

Dancing with Daddy

According to my journal, 6 years ago today I danced with Daddy at my 45th class reunion.

Between cancer surgeries. Unmasked.

What a privilege! What a memory!

Fond memory brings the light of the days around me. (Thomas More)