rou-TEA-ine

But all things should be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:40, ESV)

Routine enhances order---at least these days that is true in my life.
Is that an aging thing? A "sot in your ways," control issue. Is it hereditary?

Certainly a cuppa rou-TEA-ine is preferred by lots of my family members, especially my brothers. It was modeled by our parents, whom you could set your clock by. As Daddy aged I watched him put his day in order more than ever, as if routine helped him keep a handle on things, that were trying to slip away.

Walking with Ellen has been a part of my exercise routine for over 24+ years. It's a routine that goes beyond physical exercise because I never know what gem I will glean from her. This morning was no different as she shared a Shane Stanford "jewel" from her last night's CUMC Bible Study. A reminder that being in His presence is a "spiritual routine" one should not neglect.
"One's joy is directionally proportional to the amount of time spent practicing the Presence of God in the midst of all his /her circumstances."
That's certainly biblical---Fulness of joy comes from being in His Presence. (Psalm 16:11)

The Bible----a great threshold that leads one into God's Presence.

A 3/2/10 original “Tea with Thee” blog, described my best “routine” for  morning quiet times----"like my tea---steeped just right, not rushed. An ordinary cup of tea, my daily Jesus Calling reading, simple scripture verses at my fingertips----ordinary beginnings can make a day extraordinary."

Now,  I would add.....a cuppa "rou-TEA-ine" in His Presence over flows into joy for a truly extraordinary day, regardless of the circumstances.

s-TEA-rife tempered by captivi-TEA

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIT)

Strife. What is it? What causes it? What can one do about it?

My life must have it as I often realize my teeth are clenched. Even my shoulders seem to stay "clenched" lately. Up around my ears----until I intentionally pull them down, willing myself to calm down and relax.

Then, yesterday my iPad notes from 2 years ago opened wide for me to see:

• Strife---an inside job---it springs from within
• Strife---the enemy of peace and calm
• Root of strife = SELF-Worldiness, aka pride (opposite of pride is humility)
• Strife is conflict between our thinking and God's word.
• Mood-induced thoughts can keep me in turmoil, aka strife.
• Real issue--Whom will I love? God or the world? James 4:4 asks, "don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?"

Good riddance for strife---submit to God, draw near to Him and as He reciprocates by drawing near as well, it becomes much easier to take every "rebellious self" thought captive.

(Continue reading).....God's word, that is.

God gracefully serves us cuppa after cuppa of humili--TEA, puri-TEA, and in-TEA-macy once we pour out the dregs of enmi-TEA and s-TEA-rife that have stained the insides of our former cuppa.

Mammogram TEA-nsion

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.(2 Corinthians 12:9, KJV)

'Tis the season for my annual mammogram and my anxiety is trying to creep  back up. There's just something about sitting in a mammogram waiting room that serves up a cuppa anxi-TEA, whether one sips from it or not. Anyone who has ever received the "dreaded call back" understands.

Today I am choosing not to allow the tension of the exam to result in my ingesting any anxie-TEA. 

Trust me, I couldn't conjure this courage up. But God had a verse for me....allowing His power to work best in my weakness. 

I really thought of God's strength as the pressure pusher that squooshed me digitally registered 9.4 pounds and then 12.0 pounds on the pull backs. How low can it go???

As I added the punctuation to that last sentence, the tech appeared and leaning down, she whispered in my ear, "We need to do an ultrasound. Okay?" What can one say but, "okay."
As the "Happy" song started playing in the background---I had to smile. If my gowntail would have stayed closed I might have gotten up for a "little dance." Even after the doctor had to come in to scrutinize ultrasounds 3 and 4, I sensed God's grace as discussions began.

My momentary fears and afflictions are just that. Momentary. Even in a call back or a less than perfect diagnosis. So, each year I go back because I have to. The alternative is not to know, and that is worse. This time I have to return sooner but today's event  has been better because I brought  God in with me. The reali-TEA station at the Methodist Hospital Breast Center was offering many a cuppa of uncertain-TEA to several of us ladies......

.......But God..... sweetened my cuppa by blending veraci-TEA from His word!
With a little background music!

......Because I'm happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do....(Pharrell Williams)

It's what I want to do---choose joy, not fear. 

Spiritual For-TEA-tude

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-22, ESV)

I have prayed the Proverb that coincides with each of my kids' (and now their spouses and grands) birthdays for as long as I can remember.

Attentiveness comes from being in God's word. How else does one know what God is saying. "Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge," (Proverbs 22:17) is prayed often for those born on the 22nd.

Love the marks on the inside.

"A well worn Bible is sign of a well fed soul," as the saying goes. And when it's a son's Bible, it warms the mother's heart more than any cuppa.

SABBATH SNAPSHOT : Genteeli-TEA

A southern lady is often seen as genteel, albeit sometimes with a little added pretense. However, to me, true gracious goodness is something to aspire to for this southern Kentucky gal. So my Southern Lady magazine, a gift from a sweet friend, is a bi-monthly +1 treat---any more issues than that and I lag behind. Plus, it has fewer ads than Southern Living, fewer pages than Good Housekeeping & no racy topics like Redbook started publishing a few years ago. Just  more beautiful pictures---perfect for an old lady on the go.

The most recent issue had an intro to a Christian author from Nashville and a cookbook review. Favorite sections include "Recipe Box," which included a pecan pie, which I'm made to share tonight at "pie on the patio" with neighbors, great southern cities' escape ideas, "Seasonal Settings," a verse of scripture on the editor's "Sincerely" page and as always, a great "Afterthought" section which has an inspirational quote.

 "By all these lovely tokens 

September days are here. 

     With summer's best of weather

And autumn’s best of cheer." 

Helen Hunt Jackson, "September"

Not a book review, but a Sunday "review," nonetheless.

migh-TEA cuppa re-brew

So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11, NIV)

Why do you start each of this year's "Tea with Thee" blogs with a scripture?
A mighty backbone for a Christian's blog is God's Word. For His word does not return unto Him void. Though I will pass away, His words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35) His words will be there for my grands & great grands. Thus, I start each blog entry with a scripture---as His word not only saves us, it instructs us. (Titus 2:11-12)

What's with the "tea" wordplay?
Part of who I am is a hot tea aficionado.....so that makes it fun for me. It's what all my grandkids know about me. But also it gives me something to hang my hat on and jog my memory. Any memory jogging is useful at this age. I know some of them are a real stretch but emails and comments form folks have let me know that they too have amused themselves by coming up with tea words and sharing them with me. A connectivi-TEA in more ways than one.

Will you continue the "tea" theme next year?
Possibly, but only on occasion.  Frankly, I'm  hoping for a respite from the compulsion to post daily entries.  I do have a few "dance" ideas still floating in my head and friend Beth recommended that approach. But God....usually has His own ideas. I rarely know which way an entry will go as my fingers start typing.

God's word is the only "constant" so I keep blogging, and each entrywill be based on His truth that never fades. As Peter wrote, "people are as transient as the withering grass". (1 Peter 1:24)

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

Another cuppa of His word, which is migh-TEA to save and is from everlasting to everlasting.

migh-TEA BIG cuppa

Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6, NIV)

Why blog? 

Maybe because it will have lasting value for my grandchildren. Tweets, Instagram and even FB seem more ephemeral. Tweets evaporate almost instantly and Instagram and FB too follow into an almost black hole within a month. I want my "grands" and great grands to know of my faith---after I'm long gone. A faith that anchors my soul.

Why blog daily? 

Certainly not to add more cobwebs to the "blogosphere." But God seemed to "compel me" to daily blogging this year.

Is blogging hard work? 

Yes......Though it's not as hard as building a temple would have been for Zerubbabel in the above verse, it's beyond my own strength. If my blogging is not Spirit led, it is rubbish with no lasting value. Often, I wonder if the time to quit is drawing nigh, especially when I don't "feel" His power and and the writing seems "toilsome." (Ecclesiastes 2:26) 

How does one know if her blogging pleases God?

The other day I asked myself the same question. And tho the "drop and plop" method is not spiritual, recently I did just that---finding 1 Corinthians 10:13 and a Harriet Beecher Stowe quote that I hope explains my purpose.

I did not write it. God wrote it. I merely did His dictation.

Stowe's writing coupled with God's word would be a "migh-TEA BIG cuppa to digest....but hopefully even my small blog is sincerely written in wholehearted service to the Lord in order to glorify Him.

at-TEA-boy! At-TEA girl!

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29, NLT)

As all teachers know, it takes at least 10 "attaboys" or "attagirls" to temper one "now-now" negative. 

Kids need encouragement.....but then, so do adults. Heart to Heart Bible study teacher, Crickett reiterated that last night as she shared a great model for a "Ministry of Encouragement" from 2 Timothy 1:1-7.

5 Ways to Encourage Others

(as Paul encouraged Timothy)

1. Love them- (v. 2 & 4) & show that love.
2. Pray for them- (v. 3) & keep on praying.
3. Affirm them- (v. 5) in their faith walk.
4. Exhort them- (v. 6) to be all that God has called them to be.
5. Remind them- (v. 7) of all the Lord's resources that are available to them.

What a great reminder that spiritual at-TEA-boys are good for spiritual health as well as emotional health. 

Each at-TEA-girl fills someone's cuppa with much needed positivi-TEA. Thanks to Crickett for filling our cuppa week after week!

Conviviali-TEA

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 8:15, NLT)

I followed the advice of the "Preacher" of Ecclesiastes and this morning joined a couple of our local preachers and other members of the household of faith for pickleball. What patience those "pros" showed us---the female beginners. Just "getting" that 0-4-2 was a score was the first stretching I had to do.

A great time for physical exercise--semi-physical for this less competitive one--fellowship and plain ole fun. I thought there was going to be food as well---a real draw for me. But, the "kitchen" that was mentioned was actually just a section of the court. Oh well, it's a little hard to swallow anyway---if your gasping for breath. 

But, I was served a mug full of conviviali-TEA---a cuppa would be too dainty for this crew......yet one I would want to serve others.

Fini-TEA-ude : a fuzzy cuppa

Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear you and I will deliver you. (Isaiah 46:4, NASB)

In all seasons of life, many of us go through many growth-type cycles. As children we want to be taller in order to qualify for a Disney ride. As aging adults we shrink but it’s okay because those rides would throw our back out anyway. As pre-teens, we want to be old enough to drive while as "senior" folks we like to be driven, at least this gal does.

My Freedom of Simplicity e-audio book stated that finitude is a cycle……a growth cycle known as aging. Of growing old---at least I think that’s what I heard as I was dozing off last night. I do understand finitude as being finite and having limits. I see that every time I’m asked, to check an age category when filling out forms or applications. 65 and above is always the "last" one.

So grateful that retirement has been a part of my aging cycle---just as it was for Bob M. when he retired from RCA.

Maybe aging is seen as cyclical when the very “old” revert to their childish ways. Interestingly enough, for years young people have wanted to look older to gain admittance to movies or bars while many of the aged try desperately to stall the effects of aging in order to “look” younger. Each age trying to interrupt the God-given life cycles.

Yet, finitude really seems linear to me---as a way of seeing the length of one's days. Certainly one's season of aging can be thought of as the “finite season.” When you reach the end.....you fall in. A 6-foot drop!

But God…is there for eterni-TEA, so..... I can continue to sip my cuppa fini-TEA-ude, whether it’s cyclical or linear, because God has determined the length of my days. (Job 14:5)