The newest twig on the family tree has arrived!
Introducing Emma Kate.
She has her very own fan club.
Emma decided to give PB a special birthday present. Herself!
Birthday buddies forever!
It never gets old.
“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come. Psalm 71:18
The common cold knocked me for a loop last month. Only four titles made it to my “Books Read” notebook, but they were good ones. Here’s what has been on the bookshelf in February:
Happy reading!
“There are no faster or firmer friendships than those formed between people who love the same books.” Irving Stone
I used to think I was like the Good Samaritan.
The hero. The protagonist. The good guy. Sure, I’d help someone lying in a ditch, stripped and bleeding and unconscious. Maybe I’d load him up in my car, take him to the Best Western and nurse him all through the night. It’s possible I’d use my paycheck to pay for his recovery.
I grew to see that I was more like the priest and Levite.
The self-righteous religious professionals. I’d be afraid to get involved, ready with a litany of excuses and in a hurry to get somewhere. Maybe I’d go take a closer look to evaluate the situation. Perhaps I’d think about doing something. It’s possible I would pray for the man in the ditch as I crossed over on the other side of the road.
I now know that I am most like the wounded, beaten, half-dead person.
I was walking down a dangerous road away from God, all by myself. The devil stripped me of my right to be a child of God. The world beat me with temptation and sorrow. I was left for dead in my sins. No one would stop to help me.
Then, a compassionate Savior came along and rescued me. He brought healing to the pain and wounds of my sin, poured into me the comforting oil of the Holy Spirit, and brought me the wine of communion to cleanse and strengthen. This kind Savior took me to an inn, His Church, where the innkeeper, my Pastor, was appointed to look after me and care for me. My Rescuer will return with rich rewards.
Who was a neighbor?
The one who had mercy.
Go and do likewise.
1. Paint the ceiling first. Then the walls. Unless you really like to do that little trim section where the ceiling and walls meet. In that case, go ahead and paint the walls first followed by the ceiling, because then you get to do that little trim section twice.
2. I choose paint color based on how good it sounds to eat. Warm Caramel won out over Hot Mustard Seed and Water Chestnut. Mmmmm. Warm Caramel.
3. My word for February was “yield”, as in: to surrender or submit. As in, I don’t always need to be right. As in, sometimes other people have better ideas. As in, it’s ok to not get my way. This screensaver on my iphone kept reminding me.
4. Visitors in church one Sunday morning turned out to be the grown children of a pastor that served our church from 1977-1990. They were thrilled to be invited over to the parsonage and to walk through the home where they grew up. It was fun hearing all their stories and memories from their years here. They were particularly pleased to see the same drapes hanging in the living room. They sure don’t make curtains like they did 40 years ago.
5. When I saw Tom Brady hoist up the Lombardi Trophy after winning the Superbowl, I couldn’t help but think of something he said after he won his third championship. “Why do I have three Superbowl rings and still think there is something greater out there for me? A lot of people would say, ‘This is what it is. I reached my goal, my dream.’ Me? I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this. I mean, this isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be.'” I hope he’s still asking that question.
6. Quote of the month: “Christians should be the most refreshingly unoffendable people on a planet that seems to spin on an axis of offense.” Brant Hansen
7. A successful ministry doesn’t always look successful by this world’s standards. Our women’s Bible study finished eight weeks on J the B (John the Baptist). We learned that a call to ministry and complete faithfulness to that calling can still result with your head on a platter. This world doesn’t always reward greatness, by God’s standards.
8. People make mistakes. Even glitzy, glamorous movie stars screw up sometimes. It doesn’t seem to matter if you’re wearing a gold beaded dress from the Givenchy’s couture collection and Chopard 59.9 carat diamond drop earrings. Nobody’s perfect.
9. Babies come when they’re ready. We are waiting for a phone call announcing a new grandchild. It appears Little Miss wants to be in the March photo collage on next year’s family calendar.
10. PB is longsuffering. He has put up with two solid weeks of my hacking and coughing and sniffing and sneezing. Never once did he suggest I take my germs and ruckus out to the couch so he could get a good night’s sleep. We promised “for better or worse”. He held to his end of the bargain this month.
“Who do the crowds say I am?” Luke 9:18
Five thousand people were talking. News was out that five little loaves of bread and two measly fish somehow multiplied into dinner for a multitude.
The throng was trying to figure out who Jesus was. And they were struggling.
The crowd was easily confused.
The word “crowd” is found 38 times in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus taught the crowd, He healed the crowd, He fed the crowd, He told the crowd stories, He answered questions from the crowd. And then the crowd disappeared, only to show up later, shouting, “Crucify him!” That’s the crowd for you.
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Luke 9:20
Ah. Now there’s the question.
Step away from the rabble and the opinions and the ego-centric philosophies.
Don’t put too much stock in National Geographic’s “The Story of God” or Amazon Video’s “Who Was Jesus?” or Oprah’s “Belief” series.
Be careful when dabbling with “religions” that were founded in 1965 by a guy named Bob.
The crowd is confused.
What about you? Who do you think Jesus is?
It’s the most important question you’ll ever answer.
My parents were married on February 23, 1946. World War II had just ended and my dad was desperately trying to get released so he could take the next train home and marry his girl. My mother was working in Madison, Wisconsin, waiting for her sailor to come ashore.
This is from one of my dad’s letters to his parents, dated Feb. 8, 1946.
“I’ll be home Thursday, Feb. 14th for a 31 day leave in Wisconsin!! Thirty one days in Wisconsin — it will be perfectly grand. If it is possible, I think Elinor and I will want to be married — that is, if it can be worked out okay. Thirty one days is plenty of time — a week or so to get ready for the wedding, then a honeymoon and a week or so at each home. I tell you truthfully that Elinor and I want very much to be married. Thirty one days is a long time — we are very much in love.”
I guess Grandpa and Grandma agreed, because the wedding took place 15 days later.
Here’s to love!
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8
I love this question for several reasons.
I love this response for several reasons.
I love Isaiah for several reasons.
I’m not sure I’d sign up for that. I’m afraid I would have been the one in the back row, hiding behind the kid in front of me, being careful not to make eye contact, whispering, “Please don’t pick me, please don’t pick me.”
“Now, no one lights a lamp and then covers it with a container to hide it, or puts it under a bed; instead he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.” Luke 8:16
“In the same way, let your light shine.” Matthew 5:16
“We are told to let our light shine,
and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does.
Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining –
they just shine.”
Dwight L. Moody
You don’t have to have all the answers — just shine.
You don’t need to make a lot of noise — just shine.
You don’t need to be perfect –just shine.
“You are the light of the world.” Matt. 5:14
“The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5
I remember my mother saying that February wasn’t good for anything except reading a book. I’ve adopted that same philosophy, but expanded it to include January and March. Gloomy winter days and cold dark nights are especially conducive to knocking titles off my To Be Read list and moving them to my Books Read notebook.
I’ve been listing books since 2004. There are enough pages in my notebook to keep recording titles until 2059. I’ll be 100 years old. I like to plan ahead.
2017 has gotten off to a brisk start. Here’s what has been on the bookshelf in January:
Happy winter reading!
When I was little, I heard tales about my older cousins that I’m not sure are verifiable, but they made memorable stories. As I am the youngest in that generation, there’s a possibility that by the time the recounting got to me, there was a bit of embellishment.
One such story was that when my cousin cried and refused to be consoled, my aunt would place a potted plant before her and say, “If you’re not going to stop crying you might as well put those tears to good use and water the plants.” My aunt didn’t believe in wasting tears.
I cry at weddings.
I cry when saying goodbye to loved ones.
I cry during Hallmark commercials.
I rarely cry over my sins.
Rarely, meaning, I can’t remember the last time I wet my cheek with penitent tears.
“….and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.” Luke 7:38
How many tears did it take to wash His feet?
Little confession of little sin results in little love.
“He who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:47
Who weeps over their own sin anymore?
Is it any wonder that love falters in our world?
Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way.
Search me and try me, Savior today.
Wash me just now, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
a small drop of ink 