Morning Reminders

6/3/11 After yesterday's visit with Daddy and a restless night, I was grateful for the reminder I read this morning---from a reread of Tom Frazier's India 2010 journal entires.

Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection.' In essence He says, not Yesterday if, not Tomorrow when, but Today because. Living in the past or longing for the future leaves us empty and makes the promises of God of no effect to us. God is our 'ever present help in time of need.' Jesus is the resurrection , now. It's only in the NOW
that time and eternity kiss. Not yesterday if, not tomorrow if only, but today
because He is our Life.

His recollections reminded me of my own teaching on the verb tenses of life. Live in the pleasant (present) tense. Give up the if onlys (past) and the what if fears. (future) I needed that reminder this morning!

Nashville News--A sad commentary until.......

6/2/11 Sadness prevails as I scan the 3rd floor dining area. Not from the residents, but from me. Mother would have said ,"Get a hold of yourself!"
Daddy sits and watches as all await their food. No need for chairs as all are wheelchair bound. Tonight's ratio is 19 to 4. Only 4 resident men. There's a semblance of conversation at one table but most sit in silence. One screeches out on occassion even though her husband visits her at mealtime.
At Daddy's table Mrs. S, who is such a lady, doesn't hear well but regales us with her life stories. As the wait for food lengthens, she becomes quiet and then says, "For the life of me, I can't figure our why I'm here or how I got here. Do you know?" How do you answer that kind of question? Mrs. P, sitting next to her replied, "Darlin' I don't know why I'm here either but let's don't worry about it tonight." I think there's a life lesson/truth in her words---acceptance.
This scenario is so different from the rehab floor where Daddy was just last week and it's going to take me awhile to digest it.
But God....had Sheila show up. Sheila who calls Daddy, "Grandaddy" and worked with him on the 2nd floor. But as she says as she hoists Daddy over the toliet in his lift, "2nd floor was temporary, my real love is 3rd floor." Praises for people with a Sheila size heart.

Retirement Questions???

6/1/11 Lots of retirement questions. Of which there are no answers………..YET! Any plans? How’s it going? I don’t know how it’s going. It “feels” no different from years past when being out for the summer. My only stated goal, which is not at all spiritual, was to SLEEP for a year. With this congestion crud I’ve been fighting, I’m already taking sleep to the next level.

One concern I have is not living up to the expectations of family and friends during this upcoming season. I’ve been warned by folks, who have tread this path before me, not to make too many plans/commitments, especially with Daddy’s needs at the forefront of all decisions.

But, I am a people pleaser so I’m already feeling guilty, “No guilty feelings allowed,” son, Buddy, admonished during his retirement day phone call. Easy for him to say.

But God……has dealt wondrously with me in the past and most recently in allowing this time. Joel 2:26 states:

And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with youJ (I’ve definitely gotten the eating part down to a science. Now the plan is to beef up the praise.)

Therefore I can continue to trust Him for guidance to allow me to accept His best for me-----that which pleases Him.

So here’s the plan………..

Now the God of peace, …..make you perfect in every good thing to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, (Hebrews 13:21-22a, ASV)

I guess I’ll have to refer all retirement questions to the only One who knows the answers.

Military Positioning

5/30/11

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable. ~ Sun Tzu, Chinese strategist, on the art of War

I don’t know who Sun Tzu is, but he does reflect what I do know about the importance of positioning in military strategy. The works of Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian whose life was a symbol of steadfastness, have taught me much about strategies for living a spirit filled life in the midst of spiritual battles. In an increasingly hostile world, Nee, too, emphasizes position.

From his book, Sit, Walk, Stand, I have learned the importance of these positional truths:

• Sitting comes first---sitting at the Lord’s feet is essential so most of our pre-battle strategy time should be spent in this position;
• Walking follows sitting---the Lord will move us out in His timing and strengthen us to walk in truth as we are lead by His Spirit;
• Standing in His strength, coupled with His truth makes our position unassailable.

I also know that life is one continuous battle after another. Step 1 is realizing that our battles are against the evil one. Step 2 is keeping my mind filled with God’s strategies by meditating on His truths and walking in them. Step 3 is my stance, which is made possible only by following steps one and two. WARNING—Don’t reverse these steps!

The only way my position is unassailable in the warfare of my own life is by putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6: 10-18)

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)

That’s my military position what’s yours? Meditate on this verse this Memorial Day because as always, it falls on a Monday and meditation is what we always do on Mondays.

MEMORIAL DAY EVE

5/29/11

Sad. Sobering. Heart-wrenching. These words came to mind as I watched tonight’s PBS special honoring our country’s war heroes. The reality of war is brutal. The responsibility we have to the families of the lost and wounded is on-going. It’s a position of responsibility all Americans must take.

Throughout our country’s past there have been many wars resulting in many deaths. Thus, the establishment of this “holiday” to honor all those who died in service.....Yet, we can't help bur remember the living, and the wounded, who have served and fought for our freedom and have lost a part of themselves on the various battlefields..

Wars will continue and so must we. We need to continue, as He leads, to be the hands and feet of our Lord and reach out and minister to our military families, especially those who have lost loved ones in battle.

THE DEAD DON'T DANCE

5/28/11

Never judge a book by it’s cover, an old adage states, and in my case, not by it’s title either. Actually the book is a haunting story of love and loss and is classified as inspirational. So far, it’s just sad. Yet, according to the blurb, it’s a story of one man’s spiritual journey from the darkness of despair to the light of hope. (I hope so---that’s why I’m still reading.)

Any title with “dance” in it grabs my attention but it was my disagreement with this title that had me choose the book. Those who are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) are living outside of Christ and have no reason to dance. But God…. because of his great love for us, made us alive with Christ (Eph. 2:4-5) Therein is our hope and in my mind a reason to dance---now that I/you have found the right Partner.

Plus, I hope to find the perfect ballroom in heaven so that I can keep on dancing!! How ’bout you? Who says the “dead don’t dance”? HOGWASH!
Dead to the earth but “stayin’ alive” and jukin’ throughout eternity!

My last "cuppa"...........

5/27/11........at Houston High and in a special "gift" mug from Traci. "Friends are like flowers; you get to pick 'em!" How grateful I am for the HHS folks that "picked me!" It's been the relationships within these school wall that have made this last "work" season so special for me. It all still seems somewhat surreal.

I'm sure when I close the reference library door for the last time, a part of my heart will just chip off and reside there. It hurt just to take the Mrs. Liles sign down---like ripping off part of my identity. "Miss Dotsy" for 21 years as a pre-school/kindergarten teacher (and university tenure) and Mrs. Liles for the last 21, as a librarian was who I was.....a working woman.

The school farewell gift was a perfect remembrance----an Arthur Court chip and dip with horses, representing not only the mustang symbol of HHS but symbolic also for this born and bred Kentucky gal who is leaving. As I drive off in my silver "old lady" Cadillac, I'm sure someone is waiting in the distance for slot #1 in the front parking lot facing east. I just hope they enjoy their tenure as much as I have.

SAFE Place

5/26/11

“Hunkered down,” hubby said as he retrieved a call on his cell from the closet. Yes, once again we took our weatherman seriously and headed to our safe place. I think the news stories and pictures from the recent Joplin, MO tornado made believers out of us.

Before entering our “cramped” space we gathered a few supplies. I ‘m wondering what that says about us. Larry gathered pillows and a quilt to add a little comfort--- along with his Gideon New Testament, which he’s reads nightly. He also had a belt to secure the door---because of a story we once heard of someone riding out a storm in safety with that precaution. He had a bottled water for each of us and asked if I’d taken my meds. Then, he reminded me to take my billfold. These days he knows the importance of my ID and my insurance card. He wanted to bring in a fan for circulation but that proved impossible. He was taking care of protection and comfort with a Bible added for assurance.

I, on the other hand, put on tennis shoes----maybe thinking that if the funnel sucked me out I would feel better in sturdy shoes in case I landed on my feet. How irrational is that! A V-7 force twister that can topple cars could certainly strip shoes from my feet. I also took my two devotional books that are my journals, a book light and my current book, 1,000 Gifts. Emotional/sentimental stuff.

We both sought refuge from the “storm.” Hubby for physical/spiritual needs. Self for emotional /sentimental needs. What a picture of the One in our lives who is such a refuge during the “storms” of life. Regardless of the nature of our needs, He is our haven, our safe place.

1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. (Psalm 46 :1-3)

Saying Good-by

5/24/11 At the high school level, retirement parties are simple affairs, usually done at a faculty meeting with some cake and punch. And maybe that's a good thing because then the emotions don't take over.
But sometimes when an E-Team (encouragers, extraordinare) gets hold of an idea, surprising things can happen. Food and fun is shared and a good time is had by all. The fun overshadows the saying good-by. When you've shared life with folks through one of the toughest seasons of life, it's hard to say farewell, even when promises of keeping in touch are on one's lips.

.....I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15)

So to these stalwart faithful peers, I say adieu, which translates to "God be with you," because it's too painful to say good-by.

A "cuppa"......

5/23/11........... to make the medicine go down> Actually the cuppa is the medicine. There are probably as many varieties (medicinal, soothing, boosting) of tea as people who drink it. For me, a tasty cup of a good strong, black hot tea from India’s Assam region seems to diminish the soreness in my throat. Plus, it soothes my taut neck and head region. Maybe that’s “all in my head” but it “feels” like it’s working.

I have noticed though that I seem to like my tea stronger as the years pass. My taste buds seem to demand more.
Is there an analogy there with tea drinking and scripture meditation? Shouldn’t I be on something stronger than just snippets here and there? Sometimes scripture does seem to be more intense and I have to go deeper to really drink fully from His word. But isn’t that what meditation is all about? The same verse can mean different things to each of us depending on where we are in our spiritual growth or what our circumstances or needs are right at that moment. That’s the beauty of scripture.

Grab a “cuppa” and sip as you read along and meditate on this passage----enjoy the words at face value or go deeper.

11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-13)