"electrici-TEA"

"I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, 
but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12, NASB) 

An e-mail from son-in-law, Corey, warmed my heart. (No pun intended, or was it??) Sweet Corey who reads my blog, says that lately he's had "tea" words whirring in his head. His subject line for the recent message was,  "I have tea every day, its my job."  As an electrician at FedEX, that certainly rings true.

Electrici-TEA!!! Hahaha! It just hit me this morning reading about the "power" of God's love. Just a thought. Light, power....

John 1:3-5--English Standard Version (ESV)

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome. 

A cuppa, surrounded by the light--brewing in daylight, under the artificial light, & even documented with a flash of light. In the spiritual realm there is no such thing as too much "light" from the One who is Light.

Thanks, "Corey Gene"---a family "joke" name. Isn't God good! When in-laws are true family, we are all blessed.

"chari-TEA"

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Corinthians 13:13, KJV)

Chari-TEA! It's all about love. The Greek for charity is "agape" translated as unconditional love. Here in these verses from 1 Corinthians 13, one clearly gets the idea that love is NOT about self.

"Self" often acts for its own profit, and seeks its own with a "puffed up" ego. According to this chapter, charity does none of these. Longsuffering and kindness are factors of this love. Charity bears all things with hope and endurance.

Without love, mankind is nothing.

It's a covenant love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term necessarily extends to the love of one’s fellow man.

Dr. Constable dubs the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians as the supremacy of love. "Love is the most fundamental and prominent of these graces. The love in view is God's love, that He has placed in the believer by the indwelling Spirit, that should overflow to God and others." (p. 153)
An over flow of my morning tea opened my eyes to the reality of a cuppa chari-TEA. Overflowing of love is a good thing.

Disclaimer, I added a little tea to the saucer so that you could see it & get the idea.
Not the first time such a spill has taken place---but now it has meaning.

Sipping a cuppa chari-TEA allows love for God and others to spill over into life, just as the saucer for my morning brew caught the overflow and drips from my cup. That's what our charity needs to do......splash all over others and cover them with love.

"tea" blends

1) O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
 ; (humili-TEA)

Nor do I involve myself in great matters,


Or in things too difficult for me. (teachabili-TEA)

2) Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; (sereni-TEA)
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
 (tranquili-TEA)

My soul is like a weaned child within me. (gra-TEA-tude)

3) O Israel, hope in the Lord  (sweetness of Hope in Him) 

From this time forth and forever. (eterni-TEA) (Psalm 131)

 

Sometimes I desire a stronger morning cuppa. Sometimes I need one. Sometimes a longer steeping time helps, but that's tricky because bitterness can be the result. Usually I just defer to master tea blenders and use one of theirs----blends from all the best tea growing regions. This morning I found a psalm that seemed to blend the best "teas" for my morning cuppa.

Psalm 131 is one of the shortest of the Psalms, "but one of the longest to learn" as C. H. Spurgeon says. (Treasury of David, vol. 6, p. 136)

Yet, those 3 verses can provide beneficial blends to my life's cuppa. Humili-TEA. Teachabili-TEA. Sereni-TEA. Tranquili-TEA. Gra-TEA-tude. All blended and sweetened with hope for eterni-TEA)
.

Again, Spurgeon says it well, "Lowliness and humility are here seen in connection with a sanctified heart, a will subdued to the mind of God, and a hope looking to the Lord alone." (Spurgeon, p. 136)

What a sweet "tea blend" to sip and savor as I ponder Psalm 131 throughout my day.

"scru-TEA-ny"

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalm 139: 23-24, NASB)

Scrutiny requires that one looks within. A spiritual check-up.  A look at the heart. Vital signs. A motive check. 

The problem with scrutinizing one's spiritual life is the limitation of one's  own humanity. A great frailty in most folks is the inability to see one's own faults.
It's God who can penetrate the recesses of our hearts---those "desperately wicked areas." (Jeremiah 17:9) 

One must be willing to ask God to do the search. To probe and dig deep. "Down where our unspoken thoughts swell and unstated  motives hide." (Living the Psalms, p. 282)
Such searching by God of one's inner most being could be so-o-o painful. Why would one want to do that? Could truth revealed by the Great Physician change one's actions?
The result is an awareness of anything that brings pain to God or to others. Deep hurts. Knowing....and then changing, with God's help, allows one to walk in the everlasting way....a path of righteousness, and to bring others along with her.

Something to think about during my "Tea with Thee" time....as I sip a cuppa scru-TEA-ny from my most transparent teacup.

"tenaci-TEA"

Be still,  and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10, KJV)

Holding on can be hard, especially if it requires waiting. Tenacity is needed. Waiting to see what God will do. 

Disappointment occurred today when news was received that my "local" grandson did not get accepted to the campus school at the university. His assigned school has been taken over by the state and is in an unsafe area of town which adds great concern to the disappointment.
Though his mom had been diligent in doing all the "right" things, too many other variables seemed to over-ride her dream.
Too many others parents were employed at the university.
Too many others "grandfathered in" as siblings.
Too many others lived a "tad" closer to the school itself.

Regardless of the reasons for the outcome, it wasn't the news any of us wanted to hear.  

Oswald Chambers 2/22 entry in "My Utmost for His Highest" was a reminder that when hopes are disappointed, it isn't the end of a matter. Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation...(Revelation 3:10) reminds us to NOT fall into the temptation to worry or to rush to "fix-it" in our own strength.
Waiting is required. Waiting with absolute certainty that God is sovereign. Waiting with scripture verses in our minds rather than fretting and being unduly upset. We need to "take heart" and not let our anxious thoughts multiply within us. (Psalm 94:19)

Great hope is shown by the psalmist in Psalm 27---a hope rooted in God's goodness. A hope that is patient, waiting on Him. A hope that gives strength to our tenacity.

For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble. (Psalm 27:5)

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.  (Psalm 27:14)

Spiritual tenacity is needed. A big cuppa tenaci-TEA! 

SABBATH SNAPSHOT: securi-TEA

Part of security measures at church have all of us signing in during the weekdays. The downside of that is that we live in a volatile world that requires such.
The upside is Debbie P. She "mans" the desk with her smiling face and upbeat personality. She's also the friendly voice one usually encounters when calling our church.

For me, she's also a wealth of needed info and a font of "you have to read" recommendations. Last week, she went beyond the suggestion level and loaned me the recommended book, a book of meditations on God and trouble. Taken from verses of Psalm 27, pointing to many "nuggets of wisdom that could only have come from the mouth of the Divine." (Tripp, p.17)
What a gracious act of transparency to share one's book with all it's notes and underlines.

Allow me to share some of my own notes & questions from A SHELTER in the time OF STORM by Paul David Tripp:

• The trip to where God is taking us is not an event; it's a process. (p. 58)
• God has not coated us with situational Teflon, protecting us from the disappointments and hurts of a world gone bad. (P. 69)
• Spiritual muscles---When God asks you to wait, do you think he has forgotten you or do you consider it as a time to grow in your faith? (p. 88)
• Spiritual muscles---Does waiting allow doubt, anger, discouragement, and envy to destroy your motivation to grow in faith? (p. 89)
• Someday. Is "someday" a statement of hope or just fatalistic resignation? "Someday" is what I wish would happen, but....deep down don't really think it will. (p. 90)
• Don't confuse the goodness of the Lord with the assumption that He will give you what you set your heart on. 

So many of our questions and encounters are answered from Psalm 27, as Tripp shows us the psalmist's understanding of God's Presence throughout the psalm.

Now, I just need to find a way to share this book with my Cherkasy friends who are experiencing turbulent times in "their" Ukraine, where their "adversaries are breathing out violence." (Psalm 27:12) Fear surrounds them. Schools are closed for Katya's kids. Businesses are shuttered. There is no food in the markets but there is blood in the streets. Oksana asks for prayer for her nation. Lisa's own brother, along with his friends, was prayerfully protected during a recent uprising. Masha has been a part of the occupation of Maidan (Independence) Square in Kiev since November. All of these are beautiful women I know and introduced on my 7/8/12 Ukraine Beauty blog entry. I pray Psalm 27:7 for them and the "Mercy Prayer." (Tripp, p. 60-61) and continue to encourage them to "Hope in God in a world that is broken." (Tripp, p.7) This book is full of hope.

If you love Psalm 27 as much as I do, this is definitely a book for you.

"diversi-TEA": a Re-brew

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God....(Mark 12:14, ESV)

Diversity among believers, who serve the one true God, is a good thing. Within one's own congregation, many God-given gifts are employed in a variety of ways, in order to celebrate the unique unity of the body. Diversity is uniqueness as I shared in a 9/10/11 blog entry.

Embracing the culture of my Sudanese friends in Bible Study has so enriched my understanding of trusting God. These gals have lived this truth right before my eyes. What a blessing. 

In appearance we are vastly different---from the color of our skin to the age of our bones. But God....in His love and mercy has had our paths cross and my life is richer because of this relationship. I count on their support when I'm teaching and they are always there. Front and center. Encouraging. Hopefully they value my friendship as well. 

So let’s stop condemning each other...as Roman 14:13, NLT says, and choose instead to share a cuppa diversi-TEA. Their's 's might be a Rooibos red tea and mine might be an Assam black tea....but, when shared, both cuppas warm our souls. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. (Colossians 3:11, NLT) That's God's way.

"finali-TEA" of current "directionali-TEA"

The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9, NASB)

Mrs. Rand McNally, here.....is ready to hang up her maps. No longer can I be the "directionally" sound one in mapping out our routes. This past weekend in Austin, TX proved that. I was even somewhat directionally dis-oriented in our hotel, no less. 

Recently I taught on "being confident" (Psalm 27:3) & blogged on "relying on God," (Isaiah 40: 10) but I've begun to realize that a new season of life is now beginning. A "direction" change, coupled with understanding of  God's wisdom in this season needs to be employed.
Things aren't quite what they once were. I can still make plans and God will still direct them (Psalm 37:23)....but the plans might be fewer. I can also allow younger ones to lead the way. Following son's BIG Suburban on those confusing multi-level cloverleafs, access roads and exits allowed me to enjoy the ride and not be stressed. Possibilites of getting lost, seem not so overwhelming when I don't feel responsible.

Change, especially from aging, is sometimes hard to swallow, but God...can offer new directionality and it will be okay!
Final proof of finali-TEA of current directionali-TEA---I just spilled my morning cuppa all over my map.

"locali-TEA"

Honor and majesty are [found] in His presence; strength and joy are [found] in His sanctuary. (1 Chronicles 16:27, Amplified)

Entering the psalms this year in a "fresh" way has added vitali-TEA to my times of prayer and scripture meditation.  Med-TEA-tation might be a bit of a stretch for a "tea" word, but it's what my "Tea with Thee" time has become. It's all about thinking through & pondering old favorite psalms in a new way with both a cuppa and my Bible close at hand. More of a heart connection. Tho, the prayer chair is still the location I'm drawn to for quiet times.  My locali-TEA of choice. My sanctuary, of sorts. I realize the true location is "in His Presence" (Psalm 16:11) and reading & praying thru the Psalms seems to propel me there more quickly. Scriptural focus helps me to be fully present.

The psalms have proven to be my sanctuary of prayer---a place where my heart is nourished. Where I can bring the realities of my life in to His throne room and cry out for help as the psalmist did. Fears. Doubts. Grief. Physical struggles.....knowing that He hears. (Psalm 34:17 & Psalm 116:1)

It's still a quiet time and yet in ways it's become a BIG adventure because God is there waiting to meet me right where I am---and I'm not always in a "pretty" place. But God....stirs my soul.

His word begins teaching me, once again, not to repress the emotions that are plaguing me. His word offers hope as well as comfort. Just read the psalms to see how often those words are used.
I just finished meeting God at my prayer chair with an open heart & a cuppa Harney and Sons Organic English Breakfast----a rich black tea brewed in a cup that evokes great memories of a favorite British locali-TEA---The Shop on the Corner in Royston, England.

Time with Him seems to carve out space in my soul, not only for more of Him but for prayer for others in my life as well.

His Presence---a locali-TEA we can always take with us.

"dain-TEA" love prints

...out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart  his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45, Amplified)

I would "amplify" that verse to include actions---because one's actions follow what one is thinking  (mind) and feeling (heart.) Proverbs 27:19 backs up my thought: "As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart."

In the Hebrew culture, the heart was the metaphor for the core of one's being. Center of one's personality. "It was a spiritual hub and life flowed from its orientation." (gods of war, p. 31)

If a heart is filled with love....it's love that flows forth. Love in words AND deeds.

Love can be shown in a variety of ways---but "hands on" love is the best. Being the hands and feet of God. Doing unto others. Serving with an overflow of the love of your heart....or if you are just two years old, making your dainty hands into a heart shape print for your grandarents' Valentine card, is the perfect expression.

Lucy's card was by me as I sipped my morning brew in a dain-TEA cup and opened my Bible to scriptures of love.