SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: A Wedding Weekend

9/16/12 Whirling from one event to the next, New York came to town to be a part of Stephanie and Ryan’s wedding.

From “Up on the Roof" at Metro 67......

River Reflections

Floral Reflections

Mother-of-the-bride "to be"

Engaged tonight---tomorrow starts a new life chapter

.......To the sanctuary of St. Mary’s

The long walk to give away his precious daughter

The vows---may they remember "love is patient, love is kind, love does not seek its own, and love endures all things....(1 Corinthians 13)

The Kiss

Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Gillin

....to the historic Cadre Building

Celebrating "Southern" roots with upscale BBQ compotes, cones of fried goodies from okra to hushpuppies, and even Memphis' "Now famous cheese ring" with its requisite strawberry  preserves---yet served in a pastry shell.....plus dancin' to the music of the "SoulSations---mighty fine!

Sister of the groom and the best man, Ryan's dad

Flower girl with her grandaddy

A book of well wishes, Memphis style

Maintenance ???

9/15 12 Saturday’s have become a day for asking questions. No answers given, just questions to provoke thinking. Today’s question is, “Do you maintain a continual watchfulness over your heart?”  “Are there on-going thoughts for which you are ashamed?” (Psalm 19:14)

Oswald Chambers in 9/15 entry of My Utmost for His Highest asks the same type question. “Is there a thought in your heart about anyone that you would not like to be brought into the light?”

Unlike me, he also gives the answer. If so, “renounce” those thoughts immediately. That’s the maintenance required for one to live to the higher standard of God’s calling---of being our utmost for His highest. (My Utmost, 9/15)

Maintenance required. Always for our spiritual growth, maintenance is required.

September 13---A Day of Giving

9/13/12             Gifts received from others.

Gifts given to others. 

All gifts from God’s hand.

 It was a glorious day!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,….(James 1:17)

Legacy

9/12/12 It’s hard to load 27 years of living into a moving van as one enters a new season of life. To pack up to travel 13 hours away to a new home location and reduce one’s household to fit into a truck seems minimizing the importance of a life lived in that homeplace. The good news---it’s the relationship with people and the memories, especially the spiritual legacies, which remain. An impact on others that far outlasts our household goods. 

The Swets were such godly, caring people for us and all on our street. We watched our street change together. We watched people be carried out in ambulances together. Our kids grew up together.

We will miss their legacy of kindness as will the folks at Second Pres where Paul ministered for years. International students will miss their open door and holiday meals. All of Longreen will miss their gifts of soup on windowsills, energy drinks at the back door, caramel corn tied up with a verse of scripture and neighborhood watchfulness. 

Their kitchen table and chairs remain, along with the large, shiny “new” kitchen window’s unobstructed view of backyards. No fences between our house and theirs have given all our kids and grands lots of room to hit baseballs, ride in mini golf carts and just roam. A good neighborhood for folks to get to know each other.

This morning has the new neighbors, a young couple whose grandparents I know, making their first steps toward moving in and establish their own home and legacy. May they build a spiritual inheritance as well---a legacy that will last into eternity.

Man of Faith

9/11/12

Todd Beamer showed a true biblical faith aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on that fateful day in September 2001. 9/11.

“Let’s roll!” That was Todd’s voice leading the passengers to takeover and foil the hijackers.

That’s how he is remembered. Prior to that command, he had been on the plane’s in-flight telephone with GTE supervisor, Lisa Jefferson, for over 10 minutes before the plane crashed. She had apprised him of the other hijackings and he told her that he and others vowed not to be their pawns. What I remember is that though Ms Jefferson could hear the shouts and commotion, Beamer asked her to pray with him and they recited the 23^rd Psalm.

The rest, as they say is history. A tragic history.  A history of a man of faith. His wife told reporters that she knew Todd was in heaven because he was saved. As she puts it, "Just knowing that when the crisis came up he maintained the same character we all knew; it's a testament to what real faith means.” (http://old.post-gazette.com/headlines/20010916phonecallnat3p3.asp) 

The couple had met at Wheaton College near Chicago, IL. That’s where, this summer, I first got a glimpse of the legacy left by this man of faith. His story is there. In the basement of the Todd M. Beamer Student Center, is the 7' x 7' wall relief depicting Beamer and his sons. Clay Enoch, the sculptor, is son of First Evan folks, Betsy and Doug, and is a 1995 graduate of the college. Seeing this work gave new meaning to me of “let’s roll.” That phrase seems to be a statement, not only of Beamer’s character, but also of his faith in a trustworthy God. A man assured of his eternal destination can lead such a charge. 

Todd Beamer---a man of faith.*

Tonight’s NT reading by hubby was from Hebrews 11, dubbed by many as the “Faith Hall of Fame” of the Bible.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Todd Beamer, a man of faith, whose actions surely pleased God.

CHRISTIAN WALK

9/10/12 Walk, in the noun form, denotes a course of life for a Christian. Our plumb line for such a lifestyle is the Bible. A plumb line, that simple tool which determines if something is perfectly vertical/upright. How’s your vertical relationship with the Lord? If it’s perfect, then your walk will be one of uprightness.

We align our lives, and thus our walk, by that biblical plumb line. Pastor Cole suggests that “walk” defines the lives of faithful ones from Genesis throughout all of Scripture. 

Ephesians 4:1, Paul calls us to “walk worthy….” and then in the next two verses He describes how that “upright” and worthy walk looks.

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2-3)

As you think on these worthy walk traits this week, ask yourself, “Am I making strides in my Christian walk?

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: A TEXAS SIZE WEEKEND

9/9/12 Texans take sports seriously----from parks and play grounds full of “ball” fields to a 60 million dollar stadium at Allen High School. The Liles boys participated in baseball (practice) football, and soccer (2). Their Shug and Pop-Pop were very grateful that the temps dropped below triple-digits. 

Look who found the Oreos!

Relaxing after a hot baseball practice.

Sporting Uncle Josh's #.

Even aquarium fish in Texas are BIGGER!

Trying out a tent for next year's Deep Creek adventure.

A "crisp' Saturday morning at its finest. Go Eagles!

Where is field #6?

Go Noah!

What form?

Did you have fun?

9/8/12 Did you have fun.......is the right question to ask a 4 year old after his first ever soccer game. Questions NOT to ask: What was the score? Did you win? Did you score? The answers wouldn’t be known for the first two and probably very few goals were scored by anyone.

Life Lessons Learned from a Pre-schooler’s soccer game:

It’s easier to watch people than to keep your eye on the ball, no matter how many times the coach tells you.

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When you’re too afraid and discouraged to join the team huddle, the coach will bring the team to you.

Snacks are important. 

Daddies who coach soccer deserve extra stars in their heavenly crowns. Resting between coaching 4 year olds and 8 year olds, whose games were an hour apart. This was NOT a staged picture.

 For John Parker’s (4) first soccer game he had plenty of advice from 3 older brothers and his dad who was his coach. They asked questions to remind him of rules of the game. (Many of which did not exactly translate to the playing field.)

Nathan asked, “Where do you kick the ball?”

John Parker hollers, “In the goal!”

Caleb asked, “Whose goal? “Mine!” was his shouted answer

Noah asks, Do you touch the ball with your hands?

J.P., “NO!”

 Before getting in the car John Parker said for Pop-Pop to come watch him at Celebration Station. When asked what was going to “happen” there, he said, “Shug’s going to take my picture? (Which I did)

At the end of the game, Coach “Daddy” wisely asked, ”Did you have fun? Did you get what you really wanted---a uniform and snacks?”

”YEA!!!”

A resounding yes to the right question. 

3X

9/6/12 Three times something is mentioned in the spiritual realm is a real heads-up for me.

After Monday’s blog entry on the idea of fullness of Christ in me overflowing to others, friend Jennifer B. sent me (9/5) this great poster, John 7:38, from a Broken People facebook page. Today’s on-line devotional was on “Rivers of flowing living water.” Thus, the head’s up.

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Broken People FB entry

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https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150876815937255&set=a.379006197254.150030.272936877254&type=1&theater

My notes:

• Such a river is all about the Source….
• If we have received His fullness, “rivers of living water” will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8)
• We have nothing to do with the outflow
• God rarely allows a soul to see the blessing that he is to others
• A persistent river often has to overcome obstacles.
• Keep paying attention to the Source… God can either take you around the obstacle or maybe remove it all together. Wonder if sometimes He leaves it there until we learn the life lesson He has for us?

In conclusion, Oswald Chambers says it perfectly.

Think of the healing and far-reaching rivers developing and nourishing themselves in our souls! God has been opening up wonderful truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is another indication of the wider power of the river that He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has developed and nourished in you mighty, rushing rivers of blessing for others.

http://utmost.org/ 9/6

 His words are often a real heads-up for me!

Smells like home!

9/5/12 The smell that wafted (in BIG wafts) from the toaster oven was all too familiar. At least there was no smoke this time! I’m famous for burning toast. This morning it was my muffin.

Chatting with JoLynn recently, we discussed looking for life lessons from the Lord in the middle of all our circumstances. I wondered. Are there life lessons in burnt toast? If there are, I’m a slow learner---one with an acquired taste for burnt toast. 

20+ years ago, son Buddy’s (a freshman in college) suitcase held a sign for our kitchen. “Dinner will be ready when the smoke alarm goes off!” Molly and Josh became schooled in waving a dishtowel in front of that blaring smoke alarm. 

Various remedies have been tried through the years, including a brief stint with no smoke alarm in the kitchen. New toasters. Low settings, only. No toasters. But toast, even if well scraped toast, is a staple at our house. Now, most recent acquisition, an above the counter toaster oven, has begun to turn on me. 

Life lessons: palate adaptation, shared jokes---those only family members truly “get” are important, (I bet my kids are smiling if they are reading this.)

I think Ecclesiastes 3:4 has my spiritual life lesson. No more weeping over spilt milk or burnt toast, acceptance and laughter can go hand in hand. No mourning over insignificant happenings---let them go and just DANCE!

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Grandson, Owen, told his mommy that she smelled delicious. Daddy said, “She does always smell good, doesn’t she?” Owen said, “Yep, she smells like, “turkey and pancakes.” Mmm- mmm, I could eat her up.

As for me, I smell like burnt toast.

Ah-h-h the smells of home.