"Puri-TEA" of Faith

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27, KJV)

Many world faiths "do good." It's their version of "doing good," as well as their motive, that can bring the validity of such faith in to question, at least for me. Suicide bombers purport to be acting our their faith. But to what purpose? And to whose benefit?

Therefore, puri-TEA of pure faith is a cuppa poured out for the benefit of others.....the least of these. Orphans. Widows. 

Puri-TEA of faith is acceptable to God. For the glory of God---not for fame and glory for self. 

In the Christian faith, purity goes beyond this action of service to others, to keeping oneself pure, not soiled and dirty from the mores/morals of the culture.

Unstained. Unblemished. Spotless.

May I wait each day for God's purpose and motives in order to fill my empty cuppa with "puri-TEA of faith."

SABBATH SNAPSHOT : harsh reali-TEA

Yes, I have read The Tilted World. (CA Viewpoint, 6/8) Beth Ann Fennelly, is co-author. A prize-winning poet, as well, I first heard Fennelly read from her book, Great with Child: Letters to a Young Mother, at the “ Southern Festival of Books“ in the fall of 2006.  

I've always liked books of letters and diaries and the topic was certainly apropos as daughter, Molly was pregnant at the time.  It inspired me to write (still unfinished) “Letters to my Molly” to chronicle her pregnancy, interspersed with memories of my own pregnancy with her.

Fennelly’s latest book, co-authored with her husband, and set against the 1927 flood of the Mississippi, was a story of abuse and murder and tthe historical info was well documented, I did not review it on this blog because the  story, though in many ways tender, had a “roughness” to it. Yet, I’m glad I read it---well written and historically rich in an area close to home.

Just this week, I read Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall, a story told from the point of view of 9 year old Starla that takes place during the summer of 1963, a very familiar time frame to me.

Describing herself as having “more sass than sense” with a “mouth that wandered off more than it stayed home,” Starla ends up on a trek with Eula, a black woman with a white baby. Eula, who called Starla a “blessing” when  no on else ever had. (p. 141) Starla began to show gratitude, using Eula’s  words, “Thank you baby Jesus.” (p.257)

There’s good and bad portrayal of folks of faith. Sadly, that’s still a reali-TEA of life today.

Heartwarming and tender around the edges, but rough as well. A roughness indicative of the time.

Readers who liked Saving CeeCee Honeycutt would probably like this one as well.

This Starla quote explains the book’s title as well as giving one a taste of her dialect.

My daddy says that when you do somethin' to distract you from your worstest fears, it's like whistlin' past the graveyard. You know, making a racket to keep the scaredness and the ghosts away. He says that's how we get by sometimes. But it's not weak, like hidin'... It's strong. It means you're able to go on.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:

Books reviewed by me are not always recommendations! Just because there is a picture or a quote, that does NOT indicate a recommendation---with, or without reservation.

So-o-o to many readers, who are interested in a book mentioned, but not necessarily recommended, leave a comment, email or call---I can give more info and then you can decide for yourself.

SWEET TEA OF Biblical Authori-TEA

...For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. (Romans 13:1, NIV)

Some things make me glad to be "Southern." Friendly folks, wraparound porches, familiar drawls, fried crappie and sweet tea. 

Lots of "sweet teas" in my life, (joyous things, even seemingly "tuff" ones)---and a recent USA Today snapshot reminded me of another one. In terms of "Bible-mindness," a recent poll showed that the highest percentage of folks who had read the Bible and believed strongly in its accuracy, reside comfortably close to me, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

Count me among them.

"Selectivi-TEA"

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3, NIV)

Many a couple struggles with selective hearing "chosen" by their spouse, though most often men get the blame. Mention the opera or a conversation with a friend and he is tuned out but mention football stats or golf scores and "he" is all ears! It goes both ways---but for either, it's an action when one chooses to focus his/her attention on a specific source of a sound (think...spouse vs TV) or the spoken words themselves.
Selective hearing is a euphemism for listening to only what one wants to hear.

Some of us sip from this cuppa of selectivi-TEA when we read our Bibles. Even being aware that ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable.....(2 Timothy, 3:16, emphasis mine), one can still pick and choose the truths he/she wants to heed. Some even hop from church to church or tele-evangelist to tele-evangelist til they find the prosperi-TEA gospel they want to hear. In our culture, there's always a "teacher/preacher" ready to tickle your ears so that you "feel good"----because they say what you want to hear.

The selective hearer only ever hears within their own frame of reference.

Ask yourself, "Am I hearing what God is saying and wants me to hear....or is self my frame of reference?"

Selectivi-TEA of truth is a choice each must make on his own.

lis-TEA-ning

And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: (Mark 4:24, KJV)

Yesterday's Commercial Appeal comic strip was so "right on" for my recent ponderings. 

ZITS COMICS

When it comes to listening, whose voice am I choosing? Where is my aural focus? God or self?

When God speaks, am I hearing as to heed or am I only 1/2 listening----hearing the parts I like?? That's similar to Jeremy, the 15 yr old Zits' character, who will only listen to those things he wants to hear.

So many voices in life's cuppas....choosing the right cuppa lis-TEA-ning is important.

"insecuri-TEA"

What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight: what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roof-tops. (Matthew 10:27, NIV)

Sometimes, God gives me blog ideas in the night. Sometimes I easlily recall them the next day. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I write them down, Most times I don't. Normally, I don't tell of these infrequent occurrences. It feels embarrassing. It might sound self-righteous. What would others think? Would I sound like a mystic?

I'm not a mystic. I'm ordinary.  I don't hear an audible voice---but God still "speaks to me." An impression. A sense. A middle of the night idea. A struggle. A serendipitous circumstance. A check in my spirit. A deep longing that fills my heart. 

I hear from God by reading His word. Even a single verse. 

Today's verse, which I had also embedded in a '09 cancer journey blog, spoke to me in a different way, But God used it then, as now. Same verse different lesson.

But....speaking "it" (that I hear from God) and proclaiming "it" (from the rooftops) does not come easily. I need to rid myself of this cuppa insecuri-TEA so that God can use me as He sees fit. 

So here's today's SHOUT-OUT----God speaks to me. I can't explain it....

but God does speak. I have lots of "But God" moments in my life---this is just one of them.

"jit-TEA-ry"

 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12, KJV)

Growing up at 2211, we were always told to "turn out the light" when we left the room. Or asked, "Did you turn off the light?" Mainly, the concern was payment of the light bill from Pennyrile Electric that prompted these remarks.

These days one needs to turn the "off switch" in order to have the light. Light from the One who is the Light.
Our lives could do with a little dimming of extraneous stimuli. Away from the bombardment of visual and auditory distractions.Turning off digital devices alone could afford one a little less noise and commotion, making life a little less jittery----but a lot calmer. 
Disconnecting digitally. Connecting spiritually.

If we don't intentionally create these quiet times, we can get caught up in all the wrong "hoopla" that will beckon us at every turn. Hoopla that is NOT from the Lord.

The de-caf shelf in my pantry where one can find "jitter free" tea.

We need to "de-caf" our life cuppa, just a bit, if we want to enjoy times of peace and restoration at His feet. It's only when one's away from the ji-TEA-ry influences and sensations that one is then able to hear His still small voice.

"mul-TEA-ply"

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. (Psalm 94:19, NASB)

Insomnia seems to "reign" lately---at least on my side of the bed. So....whether I am awakened by an extreme warmth (aka a flash) or an "urge" which has me trekking to the loo. (aka the toilet) It's during these early am awake times that worry seems to reset my metabolism from the calm I desire in sleep to the racing of whirring thoughts. If our minds have a metabolism, anxious thoughts upstart mine toward mach speed during the night watches. Obviously, the Psalm 94:19 verse is a "go-to" verse for me as I have embedded it in 4 previous blogs.* But today, it's front and center!

The question asked by hubby prior to bedtime came to the forefront of my mind.....and sleep eluded me for another couple of hours.
"Why do you have to blog every day? Maybe when you go on your girls' trip you could blog that you're taking off for a few days."
In recent years, I have never sensed such a "daily" compulsion. Would it be acceptable to no longer adhere to this semblance of a commitment? But God.....Isn't my love for Him the compelling factor? If not, then why am I doing it?

Struggling to crawl out of bed to be on time for an 8:30 appointment, I had doubts. No middle of the night blog ideas came. No "tea" words on the edges of my mind. No energy for the day seemed evident and that was even without factoring in a blog entry. But God............

Leaving point A at 9:25 am to get to point B by 9:30 am, I passed a table, with a "tented" brown leather book. As a librarian, dog-earing a page, or "tenting a book" to hold one's place is a no-no! So, I backtracked. I picked up the book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young which was holding a place for today's date. There was my "tea" word and that one word was an affirmation for me-----today I was to blog......"mul-TEA-ply."

The Pharisees chose to "multiply" regulations to create their own form of godliness and lost sight of God. (Jesus Calling, 6/2) Even today man-made rules can enslave each of us when one's focus is on performance and not on knowing God.

For Christian bloggers, a worthy goal is to "shed the love of God abroad in our hearts " (Romans 5:5) that His word might spread and his disciples multiply and become obedient in the faith. (Acts 6:7) and For God's sake. His glory, not our own.

Several cuppas of mul-TEA-ply are available:

• A pharisaical form of multiplying that focuses on "self." 
• A God focused multiplying that brings Him glory.

I hope to choose the right brew so that "whatever I do in word or deed will be done in His name and to His glory." (Colossians 3:17) Today I chose to focus on Him and He led me to blog.

* Older Psalm 94:19 blog entires
Night Noises 3/9/11 http://dotsydetails.blogspot.com/2011_03_09_archive.html
Peaceful Meditation 4/2/12 http://dotsydetails.blogspot.com/2012/04/peaceful-meditation.html
Don't Doubt 6/19/12 http://dotsydetails.blogspot.com/2012/06/dont-doubt.html
"tenaci-TEA" 2/24/14 http://dotsydetails.blogspot.com/2014/02/tenaci-tea_24.html

SABBATH SNAPSHOT : gra-TEA-tude

Grateful to have my own copy of this book, Ruthless Trust the Ragamuffin's Path to God by Brennan Manning---thanks to Wynellen, whose book I first borrowed.

Though I read it sometime ago, I needed to  re-read some parts.

Plus, I couldn't highlight or underline in her copy. My decision, not her requirement.....she probably wouldn't have minded.....that's just the way she is. Gra-TEA-tude abounds for friendship with someone so accepting and giving.

In this sequel to The Ragamuffin Gospel, which I have not read, Manning deals with grace and gratitude with an honest, authentic approach. Tho the story in Chapter 1 about the parents and their child with Down's syndrome is beautifully etched in my mind, this time around, I've been taking small bites and spending lots of time in Chapter 2. "To walk in gratitude is a way of living that is inclusive, attentive, contagious, and theocentric." (p. 30) In this chapter, he talks about how being grateful for our lives actually releases us to inner freedom.

Two good quotes from the book are actually from Henri Nouwen:

" Stop wandering around....trust that God will bring you what you need." "For as long as you can remember, you have been a pleaser, depending on others to give you an identity.....trust that God is enough for you." The root choice is to trust at all times......" (p. 23)

"To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives- the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections- that requires hard spiritual work. Still we are only grateful people when we can say thank you to all that has brought us to the present moment. As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for. Let's not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God."(p. 31)

One of the most arduous spiritual tasks is that of giving up control and allowing the Spirit of God to lead our lives." (p. 115)

For someone who grew up in a works oriented church and still has a tendency toward self-condemnation, grace is a hard concept for me to grasp. I need reminders and am grateful for the ones this book gives.

"Live free or die is the ragamuffin's motto." (xv)

When the Lord makes us free, we are free indeed (John 8:36)----what a sense of gra-TEA-tude for that truth.

"Fideli-TEA"

and the two will become one flesh.(Ephesians 5: 31, NIV)

Finali-TEA of singleness.  So....they are no longer two...

...as today these two, Emme and Tyler, become one. A joyous time.

Vows will be taken before God and man. 

Lots of family and friends. A serious time.

The bride has been on my Saturday prayer list, by name since April 2001, where I had noted specifically a godly spouse as a request for this young lady, Mary Elizabeth Andrews. 

Prior to that she had been one of many of Maureen & Rad's kids as I had been praying for Maureen on Friday's since 1986---still do. 

Wedding day prayers have become a big part of "kids" from the Saturday list---which now includes "grands."

Prayers for each "to find one whom their soul loveth" (Song of Solomon 3:3) and that both the wedding and the marriage would glorify the Lord. Wedding day prayers are for fideli-TEA. Prayers of faithfulness for their marriage---to the Lord Jesus Christ and to each other, for the rest of their lives.

This morning was no different as those prayers were lifted before the throne of grace for Emme and Tyler. 
May all gathered toast a cuppa "fideli-TEA" to the young couple tonight.

CONGRATS TO MR. & MRS. TYLER PATTERSON