opportuniTEA

2/28/11

Listening to son Buddy’s, “Vaporous Valuable Time” sermon on Psalm 90 made me realize that I am desperately longing to drink deeply from a cuppa of opportuniTEA. An opportunity blended with time and sweetened with energy to minister to family and friends. Why the desperation? Meditation on that psalm coupled with recent events.

Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses that emphasizes God’s eternity and man’s transitoriness. The psalm confronts several other "cuppas" that we are served as we age; frailTEA, we wither, fade & return to dust (v. 3-6) graviTEA, of our iniquities (v.8) and BreviTEA our days are limited (v. 10). That’s a lot to swallow but as we age those cuppas are ever before us. I want to make the most of my days, don’t you?

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

SHOW CANCELED

2/25/11

That’s what the sign taped to the door said. Disappointment. Having a production cancelled is not the end of the world……but it’s still disappointing. I had arranged everything---yea, right. Guess who is not in charge of the world? I had so wanted to have the perfect time with my T-Cup friends by treating them (thanks to HF) to dinner and G’town Community Theatre’s production of Dixie Swim Club, which focuses on the friendship of 5 women that spanned 33 years. The blurb says---their lives unfold, the years pass, these women increasingly rely on one another, through advice and repartee, to get through all those challenges life flings at them….as they rally around each other with strength and love—a hilarious and touching comedy about friendships that last forever.”

Disappointments over shows/plans cancelled are a part of life---and in the scheme of things, I know this was not major. Yet, I felt bad for them and they probably felt bad for me---because we had really looked forward to sharing this “event” together.

I had to ask myself once again. What are the life lessons in this?

Immediately I Thessalonians 5:18 came to mind. “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Thank you, Lord----

· for a hubby who helped “prepare” house for “company,”

· for friends who finish setting a table & find the glasses because I completely forgot to put them out,

· for “watched & unwatched” bread that didn’t burn, for friends to remind me to serve said bread---halfway through the meal,

· time to share a meal with friends, times to celebrate over births, baptisms, successful surgeries & anticipation of more grandchildren, time to grieve a parent’s terminal diagnosis,

· friends to listen & advise about challenges with economy,

· safety from unknown reasons as a theatre is renovated at the "last" minute

Shows/plans canceled are a part of life---but they’re not an end all---they can just be an opportunity to thank God and to be joyfully expectant for Act 2 or Plan B.

Idiosyncratic Behavior.....

2/24/11.....of librarians. This blog is under construction so please e-mail me or leave a comment on your thoughts in this area. I'm talking more than just stereotypical perceptions here. For example, I don't have a cat named Dewey. Those who know me well know that being ailurophobic, I would never even have a cat. I know it's an abnormal fear but it is persistent. I also know that the Lord has "not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind." (James1:7) So I take what's left of my sound mind and ask my loving hubby to be my "power" in this matter and run interference on my behalf----which he does willingly, saying that it's cheaper than psychotherapy.

WEDNESDAY WARRIOR

2/23/11 Today is “Weeping Wednesday” for me---a day of confession----a lot like AA step 4, I think, where you make a thorough /searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself. Today I confessed a real lack in fervent prayers for others and the need to pray scripture on their behalf. So, for my Wednesdays sisters and Wednesday wordsmiths, today I inserted their names as I prayed Psalm 25: 4-5.

Is there anyone you need to pray fervently for today? Just open your Bible to the middle----Psalms is still right there. Or you could just choose one of these versions to pray for your Wednesday folks or whomever the Lord brings to mind.

4Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 5Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. (KJV)

4 Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. 
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, 
and my hope is in you all day long. (NIV)

4 Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.
 5 Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
 All day long I put my hope in you. (NLT)

4Make me know Your ways, O LORD;Teach me Your paths. 5Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day. (NASB)

Anyway you say it or pray it, these verses are perfect for Wednesday Warriors.

SELF-SACRIFICE

2/21/11 Self-sacrifice. Sacrifice for others. It’s our spiritual service. Yet self-sacrifice is a most difficult thing for us to do. It’s a surrender of sorts. It comes with joy but only as we sacrifice all the details of our lives without conditions. Lord I will gladly serve you in Africa but just don’t make me walk across the street to my cranky neighbor and share your love.

Sacrifice is not easy. Yet, when we sacrifice with our eyes focused on Him, it becomes easier. His life becomes more evident in our life. As the child once said, “Jesus begins to stick out all over.”

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (Romans 12:1)

Consider these words of Oswald Chambers and then contemplate these verses. “You must be willing to be placed on the altar and go through the fire; willing to experience what the altar represents-burning, purification, and separation for only one purpose-the elimination of every desire and affection not grounded in or directed toward God. But you don’t eliminate it, God does."

“Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:27).

You “bind the sacrifice . . . to the horns of the altar” and see to it that you don’t wallow in self-pity once the fire begins. After you have gone through the fire, there will be nothing that will be able to trouble or depress you. When another crisis arises, you will realize that things cannot touch you as they used to do. (O. Chambers) What fire lies ahead in your life?

Are you willing to tell God you are ready to be poured out as an offering, Maybe you can start with the ones dear to you as it says in I Thessalonians 1:8, “so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” Sharing one’s life with another is true sacrifice.

GRIEF REVISITED

2/20/11

Past journal entries from this week in ’09 already had me feeling sad. Recent concerns for Daddy exacerbated this feeling. But nothing quite had me prepared for the pain and sadness I would feel as I once again shared “loss” with my sister-in-law, Louise. She and brother, Bobby are selling their Hoptown home of almost 34 years. They already have a condo in Nashville, near their daughter, Polly, and her family which includes their only grandchildren, but this will be the closing of the house where they raised both of their daughters. It is the only house where their Allyson lived (apart from a several weeks at UK) from the age of 1 month until she died in a car accident in 1995. It’s hard packing all the “stuff” that accrues after living in a home for so many years but…..how do you pack up a life?

Louise and Bobby had done the best they could over the years dealing with each new stage of grief as it came---but it never was easy …..and still is often incredibly hard even in the midst of gratitude for the 18 years they had with her. Yesterday was one of the hard times and though I wanted to ease her pain, I found it even hard just to swallow when I would pick up a card that Allyson had written to her mother or the framed handprints of when she was 4. Treasures. We talked and shared and culled and saved and then “hit a wall” as Louise dubbed it when we held up the red prom dress from her junior year in high school and her “Allyson” outfit for senior “dress-up day” that Louise had made for her. I took pictures of a closet full of those dresses and monogrammed dance team jackets so that when she does decide to pass them on to “prom dresses for disadvantaged girls” she’ll have the pictures.

Though I didn’t hit the wall as Louise did, I was certainly sobered when I picked up Allyson’s handwritten paper from middle school entitled, “My Future in the 90’s.” In the essay she mentioned making good grades in middle school, high school and going on to college. She also included supporting her friends at every juncture---which she did so well, never excluding anyone from her life. Her concluding paragraphs mentioned that following college, she would have a job and maybe she would marry and be a mom in the 21^st Century. Worthy plans and dreams for an 8^th grader. Plans interrupted. Her plans, her future, her hope are in the Lord…..for she lives for ever with the “Lord of the Dance.”

I'll live in you if you'll live in me,

I am the Lord of the dance, said he (Lord of the Dance lyrics)

SPEED BUMPS AHEAD

2/18/11 Baby Boomers Alert----It’s not easy being in one’s Medicare application year. So many unknowns loom and the volumes of information alone just add to the confusion. It’s disconcerting when the doctor no longer sees you as agile but notes that you are “spry.” Isn’t that a term for old folks? Hm-m-m. Even more disconcerting is when a doc won’t even see you anymore because you are on Medicare. “At your age” is another doc response when one questions certain ailments.
I’m not exactly speeding through life at this juncture, though the years do seem to be flying by. Plus, I seem more likely to tumble over the bumps that keep popping up in my path----like the riser on the HHS stage. In front of the “All Shook Up” cast I went careening to the floor after tripping on it. It’s just my new season.

Actually most “new” seasons in one’s life need to be approached with caution. There are bumps in the road---some are needed so that we don’t fall headlong into disaster.* Speed bumps are there to slow us down with an awareness of what’s ahead. What if we don’t really know what’s ahead? (Many times we don’t, even if we think we do.) Parenthood comes to mind. So many variables. First-time parents can’t even begin to imagine all of the twists and turns and challenges and delights ahead.

The final season, regardless of age, might come speeding in without warning---the death this week of a friend’s 27 yr. old grandson is proof of that. Another has a short final season--- “3 month” prognosis. Others, like Daddy and Mommar begin a memory slide that makes the season especially hard for family, while others their age are traveling, playing bridge or e-mailing, "skype"ing, and downhill skiing.

So what’s the answer to the fear of the “bumps”? How does one make the most of life’s seasons? TRUST---whether the bumps sneak up on you or you’re sailing through life at a “perfect” speed, the answer is found in trusting the Lord in the midst of your own season.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way. 
24 *When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. 25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging bread. (Psalm 37:23-25)

Back to the altar---

2/17/11 More ponderings on sacrifice this month have led me to some observations. In the Old Testament there were lots of blood sacrifices and burnt offerings as well as sacrifices for peace offerings. After the ultimate sacrifice of the Lord for our sins, the sacrifices that are fragrant aromas to the Lord are ourselves----as we live out our lives on behalf of others and to His glory. Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice, to God as a fragrant aroma. (Ephesians 5:2)

Oswald Chambers added to my ponderings with his 2/5 & 2/6 entries in his devotional My Utmost for His Highest. I had to ask myself, am I willing to sacrifice my “limited” resources of time, money, and energy for others whom God puts in my path?

Chambers asks, “Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer—to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? Or do you say, “I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him. I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice.” Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted—not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister?” “Are you ready to be poured out as an offering? It is an act of your will, not your emotions. Tell God you are ready to be offered as a sacrifice for Him. Then accept the consequences as they come, without any complaints, in spite of what God may send your way”

If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all—Philippians 2:17

Heb. 13:16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Literati Addendum

2/16/11

Previous literati blog was difficult for me to “publish” because I was afraid of appearing more judgmental than concerned. Am I? So like me----worrying about how others might perceive me.

But God…..showed me that what I was considering was just groundwork for the bigger conflicting picture of knowledge and truth with opinions factored in to it. Michael Kerns, a missionary from Barnabas Associates, monthly letter (February 2011) arrived and offered deeper insight and widened my somewhat narrow view. Guess what, folks? Even knowledge of the literati doesn’t lead to wisdom.

“We have heard of some very smart people and have met some. Pundits like to use smart to describe people that they usually admire whose supposed intellect surpasses the rest of us ordinary ones. These praiseworthy people sit successfully at the top of their endeavors in sports, entertainment, politics or even religion. You can be a very smart person and savvy in the ways of the world and be wonderfully successful, but you may not be wise.”

Michael went on to define one who lives wisely as one who uses God’s Word as his “flywheel.” (I had to look that word up.) “Skillful living must come from the applied knowledge of Scripture” is the way he put it. But….even as Christians we need to heed more than those words heard from the erudite of the pulpit. This scrutiny is not to disparage pastors in any way---my son is one---but to emphasize the responsibility we have to study God’s truth on our own. Then we can allow sermons to complement what God has shown us through our own personal study of “His Holy Writ.”

Well spoken, Michael. Now I need to call you before I add your addendum to my literati blog or maybe Larry can ask when he sees you at Poplar Perk 'n.

Literati

2/15/11 Literati----Love the sound of that word. Heard it just recently as the correct answer to the “final Jeopardy” question. A hint embedded in the question was the opposing reference to those in pop culture whose opinions are seemingly valued more than those of the well read/learned. That would be the glitterati ----those famed celebrities and social elites on whom we bestow intelligence and legitimacy whether they have a clue or not. How sad that the words of the glitterati speak loudest in our world today.

It’s as if fame and fortune give one the credentials for dogmatically explaining everything from foreign affairs to religion. Don’t get me wrong, we all have a right to our opinions but that’s what they are, “our opinions.” We don’t have to buy into what the glitterati say or their chosen lifestyles of overindulgence just because they make it big at the box office or on the sports circuit. A student told me that she watches the news everyday a 3 p.m. to keep abreast of what’s happening. When I asked her which program, thinking CNN or Fox, she said, “Oh no, I watch “Inside Edition.” They had Lindsay Lohan’s latest court appearance and you should have seen Lady Gaga’s outfit.” ---or lack there of, came to my mind. Oh my. You get the idea.

Impressionable young minds building their ideas on TV feeds. I would like to fill their minds with everlasting truth. I would like for them to consider ideas and lifestyles that are “true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report” (Phil. 4:8) and “think on these things.” I would like their iPad RSS feeds to stream from God’s word.

Of course, that’s just my opinion, what’s yours?

Heart Reflections

2/14/11

Jamie Trussell, of Downline Ministries, spoke yesterday about how easy it is for a “spirit of inconvenience” to override a “spirit of compassion.” His message from Matthew 15 was so convicting to one who, just this past month, confessed to the “lure” of ease and convenience in her own life. He reminded me that Christ –centered compassion spills over into action. Does my own heart reflect compassion? Does yours? Reflect on this heart description from God’s word.

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; (Colossians 3:12)

Move our hearts O Lord. May our lives reflect Your compassion as we take action and minister in Your love to others.

"HAPPYs"

2-13-11

Daughter Molly is always calling to say she’s bought me a “happy”----probably partly due to the fact that she’s already way ahead on “official” designated gift days. I received my Valentine’s gift weeks ago. I have to admit, she is a thoughtful shopper so her gifts are always “right on,” though this frugal mom wishes she would spend the money on her self. This past week, she again revealed ahead of time (via Ma Bell) her most recent gift. She labeled it a “little happy” and it was “perfect” right down to the packaging. The set of bookplates included one with a teapot----so apropos! The packaging alone brought a smile to my face. A teacup with a C.S. Lewis quote that speaks my own heart, “You can’t get a cup of tea BIG enough or a book L O N G enough to suit me.” (I told you it was perfect!)

Her gifts bless my heart. They make me smile. She gives out of her own lack and she gives thoughtfully and not under compulsion; I could learn so much from her.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful,….the cheerful heart has a continual feast. (Proverbs 15:13a &15b)

LITEA

2/12/11 Litea is a bookstore in Budapest and I love the Hungarian spelling because it reflects the two things I so-o-o enjoy in combination---a good book and a cup of tea---a good brisk Assam. I also loved this shop when I visited there on a mission trip in '97. There's just something universal about the smell of a good book store---it's right up there with the glorious smell of leather in an old library. Plus, this one had this small watercolor for sale that enabled me to bring this memory home with me.
I know that as Ecclesiastes 12:12 reminds me, "of making many books there is no end and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body." So, I try to do as The Preacher says, "find delightful words, and to write (and read, DAL) words of truth correctly."
A memory of the smell of good books (worthy of reading), a brisk cuppa and a small painting---a Litea experience right up my alley.

“POT PARTY”

2/11/11 Snow Day # 4 was reminiscent of “pot party” days of years gone by. Not the kind attended by hippies in the 60s, but ones where the Gurners, Higgs and Templetons with kids in tow, would come to our house with a “pot” of soup or spaghetti or chicken & dumplings or “whatever” was available from the pantry. Following sledding at the street hill on Lancaster, we’d come back to warm up and chow down. What fun that was!

So yesterday when I cooked, as I pridefully reported in a previous blog, I pulled out the big pots. Actually it was a lot like those former pantry raids. A recent Kroger sale had netted lots of stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce, so spaghetti was concocted. The potatoes were sprouting so I boiled ‘em in a pot and made potato salad. I had chicken left over and Velveeta in the fridge so HHS teacher, Debbie Gann’s, Tex Mex Cheesy Chicken Chowder was thrown into the mix. (*recipe below by request of the lunch bunch) A pecan pie was added “just because” (translated craving) and though I didn’t have those Pillsbury “unroll, fill and bake” refrigerated pie crusts, that I could borrow from neighbor Gayle in those days, I had the necessary ingredients in the pantry to make a crust using oil. (Certainly didn’t taste as good as when Elnora makes it----but eating around most of the crust and adding ice cream produced a tasty dessert.

But……the “fun” was missing. There was no one around to share it with---especially family and good friends. I’d gone through all the steps as in years past, but our home is an empty nest now---no little ones to share the joy. Isn’t that the way it is when you have something really good, you just want to share it, especially with kids. I want to be alongside my "grands" encouraging them in life----to create a meal from a pantry surplus or leftovers or to be with them at their first sports banquet. I want to watch them as they begin to “taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8) I want them to know I Corinthians 10:31….”whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”----even if it's just eating ordinary food out a big old dented pot at their Shug's house.

*Tex Mex Cheesy Chicken Chowder

(a big pot full that serves 16)

1 lg. onion chopped (I used ½ bag of frozen ones b/c that’s all I had.)

1 c. thinly sliced celery

2 cloves garlic, minced (NA so I just sprinkled in the garlic powder from pantry.)

1 T. cooking oil

1 ½lb. cooked boneless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces (I had bone–in and flavor was great.)

2 14ox. Cans chicken broth (I added a little extra broth from my chicken pot.)

1 32 oz. frozen hash browns, loose pack in frozen foods. (I only had 30 oz. & that was plenty.)

1 2.64 oz. Country Gravy mix (Only Pioneer brand pepper gravy in my pantry but it tasted like country.)

2. c. milk (I only had ½c. of skim so I used 1½ c. of half & half for the rest.)

1 8 oz. process cheese cut in chunks (My left over Velveeta was perfect.)

1 16 oz. chunky salsa (Available brand on my shelf was Kroger.)

1 4 ½ can diced green chili pepper. (NA I used 4 left over pepperoncini from the Papa John’s pizza box.)

1. Sauté onions, celery & garlic in oil until veggies are tender.

2. Add broth and potatoes Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 5-7 min., stirring occasionally.

3. In medium bowl, dissolve gravy mix into milk. Stir in cheese, salsa and chilies. Add to “pot” along with the chicken. Reduce heat to low. Cook until cheese melts.

Fantasy Blog

2/10/11 You know you can’t ever truly believe what you read on a blog because bloggers want to put their best foot forward----I just recently read that. I should have read it sooner so I could “spruce” up my blog life for public viewing. It is true that I don’t tell all---maybe I’m sitting on the couch with laptop in (well, in my lap, where else) surrounded by laundry that needs folding. A few weeks ago I “lost” a roast and I chose not to tell that because how does one lose a roast between taking it out to thaw and coming home to an empty counter. The search that ensued was dramatic, with hubby, the bloodhound of most lost things at our house (most usually lost by me), checking everything from garbage cans and car trunks to my closet. We assumed eventually our nose would lead us to it---similar to those years of “lost” Easter eggs. I figured it was just in the lost items black hole with my swimsuit, numerous gloves, (my newest replacement pair lost yesterday on the coldest day of the year) car keys, MEMORY etc. Said roast was eventually found 10 days later in the freezer as friend Hal had suggested---though both eagle-eyed Larry and I had checked all 3 freezers numerous times.

Why is it so important to appear as something we are not? Why do we want to appear organized, thoughtful and smart, not to mention spiritual, as if we never miss a quiet time? Do we have it all together? Not at my house.

That desire is a cover-up for all our perceived inadequacies because we know “man looks on the outside.” We are people pleasers! "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)

How many times do we need to be reminded to “never compare our insides with someone else’s outsides?”

Galatians 1:10 offers some great questions for pondering. Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Am I trying to please men? I thought about that as I was cooking today. (I was cooking---are you impressed---even making a homemade pie crust, though it wasn’t as light and tasty as when Elnora makes it) I rationalized that if I told too many of my foibles, folks wouldn’t want to read the blog because they would know how really pitiful I was, then how would I encourage or inspire? But God…..He let me keep the same title but made me include a few of the latest life snafus---because just sharing the good stuff would be a fantasy…..though I did sneak in the cooking part.

*Vanity of vanities, I didn’t even want to use my own "reminder finger" in the picture because it’s wrinkled, a touch arthritic and I don’t “do” manicures.

Solitude Sought

2/9/11 Duties. Details. Distractions. So many of those “D” words have been crowding my “quiet side” lately. I know many folks probably think I don’t even have a quiet side…..but God has shown me I need such. Just today as I sat curled up on the couch watching the snow falling quietly and gracefully, I was grateful for the time just to sit.

Do you ever ache for some quiet, yearn for some solitude? Job 3:26 says, “I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” That verse shows the root of turmoil---lack of peace, lack of quietness, lack of rest.

Need to relieve your life of turmoil? Try a little solitude.

Maybe I, (and you?) in solitude, need to quietly reconnect with the One who reenergizes….. “in quietness and trust is your (my) strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

Meet Ian

2/7/11 This delightful (even when he is on heavy pain meds) young 15 year old from Texas, will undergo surgery here in Memphis tomorrow morning at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital. The surgical team will remove some tumors from his brain. Ian has TS (tuberous sclerosis), a very rare disease that causes non-malignant tumors to grow in the brain and on other organs such as the kidneys, heart eyes, lungs and skin. A side effect of the TS is epilepsy and Ian has a very rare form of this seizure disorder. He had his first seizure five years ago. However, the more serious disease of TS was not diagnosed until approximately 2 ½ yrs later.

He had his first surgery this past Tuesday (2/1) and is doing remarkably well---with much of the swelling subsiding. He can now open his left eye again. Even in the midst of all of that, he had a way of capturing my heart. He let me know right away that he was going to be rooting for the Packers in the Super Bowl---guess who became my team of choice!! His southern Louisiana roots were clearly showing when, in somewhat of a slurred voice, he declared Memphis wings to be rather on the “wimpy” side. Naturally I had to introduce him to some serious “hot” wings from D’Bo’s---even promising to bring him some of D’bo’s “suicide” variety once he’d fully recouped. I wouldn’t want to send that new head of his into a tail spin trying to “digest” those things----though he assures me he will be up to the challenge.

The way that I was introduced to Ian was such a God thing---something I don’t take lightly. So, I will be praying for him as he begins his “BIGGIE” operation in the morning around 7:30 a.m. Prayers for---wisdom and skill for the doctors, exact location of the 2 large and possibly the third tumor that need to be removed, diminished pain following the surgery and extra measures of mercy and grace for Ian and his mom and dad, Jody and Wally, his brother Wes, his grandma (affectionately called fam-maw by him as a youngster) and his aunt Dawn plus a host of others whom I have yet to meet.

May all the Wrights "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12)

Now you’ve met Ian---allow God to move in your heart on his behalf.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY

2/6/11 ….was probably not written at the top of my 4^th grade homework sheet but that, in fact, was our assignment. Mrs. Munday (Alice M. Piper) would just tell us to learn Psalm 8 by heart so that we could recite it with the class----or Psalm 23, Psalm 24, or Psalm 121.

I assume today that learning by heart would be considered an idiom for memorizing. Yet, I think she had the right idea for if we learned something well enough that it became a part of our thought patterns, we then could be recite it quite easily without “contrived thinking.”

I really like that idea of learning by heart. Of course, I like everything that Mrs. Munday did. You might remember that she’s the one who held me in her lap when I cried over division. She took the “complex” elements of that arithmetic operation and separated them for me so that I could understand the inverse of multiplication.

Lately, I’ve wished she were close by so that I could ask her to help me move from the complex to the simple in scripture memory operations because I continue to struggle. For example, I still stumble over, Isaiah 41:10, which I received many times & in a variety of forms during my cancer journey. It’s a verse of trusting God and keeping fear at bay while being assured that He will continually give me all the strength I need and help me in any and every situation while holding me up in His righteousness

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. 
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I have certainly learned the meaning of this simple verse in my heart ---maybe that is more important than the recitation. If not, the simplified version, “Do NOT be dismayed, for I am your God…will continue to remind me daily of the “heart” of this verse---as it is reflected in the antique mirror that sits on my chest. This gift is from Michèle, my fellow MAC (cancer) sojourner, who understands that in the “new normal” things don’t always work as well as they once did, even scripture memory.

Are you thirsty?

2/5/11 This month hubby and I have decided not to “drink” any calories. That’s a “toughy” for me, so I’m grateful it’s a short month. I, unlike hubby, am not an artificial sweetener person. I like my cuppa with real sugar, and more than one lump is needed. I’m a sweet tea kinda gal. That other stuff just doesn’t cut it for me. It doesn’t satisfy. I have a taste for the real thing though I admit that cutting back on my sugar intake has probably been healthier for me. I have even tried the natural sweetener, Truvia,™ a few times but basically I’ve quit drinking much. That’s really not a good thing. Dehydration can appear pretty quickly, so I’ve been carrying around a big glass of water to ward off these symptoms. I don’t like that parched sensation. I long for that sip of “sweet tea” but drink good ole pure Memphis tap water instead.

Just last week, Dr. Crawford Loritts spoke of thirst in the Bible as being a picture of deep longing. He reminded us that though there are sometimes droughts in our soul, those droughts can be beneficial because they increase our longing for Him.

Water for our physical life is a matter of life and death. Spiritually it’s much the same. Psalm 42:1-2 gives us a picture of that truth. The deer in the verse pants longingly at the moving stream---he’s drinking from a living stream, not some dead stagnant pond. It’s where he gets his refreshment and satisfaction. We thirst with a longing and yearning from our inmost being. The cry of our soul thirsts for the living God. Nothing else will do.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Are you thirsty?

French Toast "Run"

2/4/11 Snow’s a-comin’ !!! Everytime snow is in the forecast, I, like many of you, have made a French toast “run.” (bread, milk and eggs) I have literally “run into” lots of folks doing the same thing. It’s like a battleground at Kroger for that last gallon of lactose free milk or a race as people jockey in line at the self-check out. It reminds me of the stories Larry would tell of his mom dragging him to the Clover Day sales at the old Goldsmith’s downtown at Main & Gayso. (Anyone have any idea why they were called “cloverday” sales?) He said that inevitably she would drag him to this big bin of lingerie where women would push, shove and grab for the seemingly last bra available.

Why are we like that? Pushing, shoving, grabbing, & running---unaware or worse, uncaring, of others around us. Why the panic? It’s not like we don’t have a grocery store or Walgreen’s on every corner or new sales and coupons at Macey’s every week. Is it indicative of our greed or is it a trust issue. Are we really going to starve if we miss a meal?

It’s not about us as Rick Warren reminds us in Purpose Driven Life. So why do we continue to act like it is---not just obnoxiously but even subtly? It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s about the Lord and His purposes. His purposes for us. His purposes for others, through us, as we share and supply His love. (Philippians 4:10-14)

It’s about Him who daily supplies all our needs ---the One who provides a lot more than “French toast.” “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost……” (Isaiah 55:1-3)

2/5/11 No snow came, but this morning I used those "supplies" for making some good French toast!

Little Altars Everywhere……………

2/2/11 ………………is more than just a title of a novel I read in 1993. The sequel, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, came out 5 years later. I know these things not from memory, but because all of this info is noted in one of my book journals. At best, these notations are a hodgepodge sketch of what I’ve read. BTW, these books are not a spiritual read---but more like dysfunctional reality books that are set in Louisiana in the 60s.

It’s the word altar from that title that has captured me lately. It had me wondering if I had altars scattered throughout my life. “Mizbe'ah,” Hebrew for “altar,” means “to slay” though altars evoke thoughts of sacred places. A sacred place where I knelt (on the maroon cushioned pads at the altar of FUMC in Hoptown) as I took communion alongside Daddy. A religious rite of bowing down and worshipping the One who was slain for me. One worthy of my worship at that altar.

What are the altars in my life? From a previous entry, folks know that I have built altars of ease and convenience. What am I so-o-o worshipping that I’m giving up, or sacrificing, or in effect slaying other things for, in order to keep these altars in my life? Ask yourself that hard question. Some of these sacrifices are very costly. How many altars are you erecting in your life? . “Not so little” altars of affluence or materialism seem to be erected in the homes of many Americans.

Recently, during a conversation with a young man, I became aware of his lifestyle being one of sacrificing the eternal on the altar of the immediate. (pleasure & instant gratification) That, my friends, is a very dangerous altar. But before we begin to look down our noses at those damaging choices, we need to consider the number of times we, too, have sacrificed opportunities with eternal implications because we were kneeling at the altar of busyness. Have you ever sacrificed relationships on the altar of work?

In the past I have certainly sacrificed time with family on the “altar of books.” But God …..showed me how I, at times, had wisely balanced & combined the two by sharing that book loving part of me with my own children. There it was in writing at the bottom of the page containing “Little Altars…” a list of books I had read aloud in 1993 to Josh and Molly. Josh was a senior in high school and he still shared that time with me. To this day he and Molly both talk about The Education of Little Tree as one of their favorite books from our read-aloud times. Even when they were in elementary and junior high, they listened as I read aloud Good-by Mr. Chips (9) and The Yearling (12) each morning to their older brother, Buddy. Shared adventures, through books with one’s kids, bring balance and topple self-serving altars. It’s those “self-serving little altars” we need to topple.