"Can we face time, Grandma?"

It was lunchtime when I received a text from Tristan, my 9 year old grandson.  He asked, "Can we face time I need to ask u something?"  I answered that it was a good time so my phone began to ring and there he was looking at me on the screen. 

(This so much makes me think of Star Trek when I was younger when Captain Kirk would buzz Mr. Spock.  They were on the screen like T.V.  I never thought it would really happen but I digress)

"Hi Tristan, what's up?" I asked as I ate my banana which was probably rude since he could see me. :)

"I have a baseball game today, can you come?" he asked.

"Of course, I would love to come," I answered.  Then we said our goodbyes.  That was all he wanted.  He wanted to give me a personal invite to his game.  How sweet of him.

Later at about 4:00 pm, I received another text from him.  This time it was a picture of him in his uniform with the words, "like it?" underneath it.  "Yes sir, Nice," I answered.  He thanked me and then said goodbye.

This boy was excited about his game, very excited.  He wanted my support.  He wanted me to be there.  I stood in the rain and watched him play.  What a joy to be able to do that!  I know that this time is going to pass quickly when he won't really be interested in Grandma coming to the game.  I will be replaced by a girlfriend or other guy friends.  So I will enjoy this now while it lasts.

This whole face time thing is a marvel to me but really face time has been around a long time.  When God breathed His Word out for men to write for Him, He was face timing with anyone who reads it.  It is His Story.  It is His breath on our faces as we read.  Our Father wants His children to face time with Him on a regular basis.  We need to face time with Him in order to know Him and His ways.  We will never grow too old or too smart or too "anything".  This side of the Kingdom, we will always need to face time with Him. 

When was the last time you opened the Book?  When was the last time you sought His face?  When was the last time your excitement couldn't be contained and you had to face time?

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."    2 Timothy 3:16-17

An Uncelebrated Birthday

Today is my son's birthday.  He is 36 years old.  I did not get him a cake.  I was not able to watch him blow out the candles.  There was no singing of the traditional song.  His voice is not heard by me.  He is not here.  He is in another part of the world.  He is living a life without family.  It is the way he wants it.

As I was thinking of him today, I prayed for him.  He would probably not like that but it is all I can do for him.  I pray he is protected from harm.  My desire is that he has people around him who will love him.  I pray he has all that he needs to live comfortably.  But more than all of that, I have prayed, am praying and will continue to pray that he turn to Jesus.

Every person in this world needs Jesus.  We are not even really alive until we are following him.  We are really dead in our sins, our own ways of doing things.  God revealed Himself to me by His grace and I still marvel at that.  The reminder here is that it isn't just about my son but is about all those who are lost in this world without God.  Each one of them has a birthday which is just another year of going through the motions without a purpose.  Jesus gives a purpose.  Jesus is the purpose.  He gives us the ability to truly live.

If my son were here today, I would tell him that I love him.  That is very true.  My love for him will never change even though he is not here.  But my love is nothing in comparison with God's love. 

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8

Wow!!  A love that is willing to die for us.  I would like to think that I would die for my son but would I?  Really, would I die for anyone?  I haven't been in that situation but I know my heart is deceitful and wants its own way.  God has already proven His love in the death of His Son.  There is no greater love.  This greater love is the one I desire for my son.  Maybe just maybe God will be pleased to reveal Himself to my son today on his birthday.  If He does then my son will have a new birth to celebrate on the same day. 

My prayer is that we will be concerned for the lost souls and bring them before the throne of grace.  There are many sons and daughters who need to know Jesus. 

"...And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."  Acts 2:47b

PSALM OF PRAISE

Stand back!  Don’t crowd me!

 I have a song to sing to my Lord and I need room!

Listen all you people for my God is great!

I lift my hands and sing to His name,

The Holy One, Almighty God,

The Creator, The Christ,

The Risen One, My Savior!

I clap my hands and sing to His name,

The Good Shepherd, The Lamb of God,

The Prince of Peace, The King of Kings,

The Resurrection, My Savior!

I wave my hands and sing to His name,

The Everlasting God, The Life,

The Light of the World, The Master

The Messiah, My Savior!

I fold my hands and sing to His name,

The Bread of Life, Living Water,

The Rose of Sharon, The True Vine,

The Only Begotten Son, My Savior!

I lay my hands on the floor as I kneel and sing to His name,

The Author and Finisher of our Faith,

The Way, The Truth and The Life,

The Great I AM, My Savior!

Listen all you people for my God is great!

I sing to His name here on this earth,

But one day I will sing face to face to My Savior!

Nostalgia on a Saturday Morning

This morning Ronn and I decided to get out our LPs and turn on the turntable.  Yes you read that right.  We got out old albums that were tucked away in a bottom shelf for a day like today, I guess.  We used to have way too many LPs but did get rid of some.  We kept our favorites from days gone by.  As I write this I am hearing Cat Stevens sing, "A Wild World".  As I listen I have to agree it is a wild world and it was one when I was 18 years old first hearing that song.  The world is on a wild road that is not straight but crooked which is leading many over the cliff to eternal death.  As you can see even in the nostalgia of the morning, I am thinking God or at least trying to.

We sat and listened to Simon and Garfunkel sing "A Bridge Over Troubled Waters".  I remember that was my graduating class song in 1970.  We all loved the song and sang it all day long in our heads as we went from class to class.  There is a promise in that song by the singer to be the bridge that helps the listener get through the troubles of this world.  There is one bridge and He is LORD!  He is the one who can ease a troubled mind.  We are promised trouble in this world but Jesus has overcome the world!! (John 16:33)  We have hope in that.  We are to come along side of those who are suffering and in need as Followers of Christ but we cannot BRIDGE the trouble only CHRIST can.

It seems so interesting to me how now as I listen to these songs of long ago, my mind goes to God.  I think it has to do with maturity.  I am listening at 60 and not 18 but it is more than age.  God in His mercy and grace has seen fit to mature me in Him.  I am flat of my face grateful for that!  I know I have so much farther to go and need His mercy and grace daily.  My desire is to continue to grow in Him and not get comfortable.  Comfortable is so easy to fall into but I need to be stretched moment to moment in Him.

So I guess I will look forward to another nostalgic morning in the future to see how much more I think of Him during a secular song.  It is an interesting concept to explore more in the future.  For today, I will join my husband in this nostalgia remembering our youth together, the early years, the birth of children and how we got to where we are now.  What a journey!!  This journey is the race marked out for me by my heavenly Father!! (Hebrews 12:1-4)

Life is Short

Today as I watched my grandson play fall baseball, I thought, "Life is short."  I remember the day he was born.  I witness the first showing of his hair before he ever took a breath.  It seems like only yesterday but I know many days have passed since then.  But as I watched him play ball, that was not all I remembered.

I remembered his mother standing on first base (just like he was) making the catches and getting the outs.  I remembered her at the plate hitting the ball with a great big "umph" sound escaping her lips as the ball soared.  There I was standing to see her just like I stood every time Tristan was at bat today.  But that was not all.

My mind saw my youngest brother out there on the field.  He loved the game and played hard.  I was 12 years older than he and enjoyed watching him as if he were mine.  Sometimes I treated him like he was with my mothering over the years.  Yes a baseball game can bring back memories.

If the field were life then I have rounded third and am headed toward home.  I so desire to run this last length of life well.  The first three bases didn't seem like they took me very long.  Life is short.  So I know this last length of time will go by quickly.  What will make this run to home the most memorable for those still running the bases?  The answer is this...the more I look like Jesus the more they will remember.  The more I strive to follow hard after HIM, the more they will be pointed to HIS grace and mercy.

Every rounding of the bases is about God and His Glory being made known.  I am running now toward home where I will be safe for eternity with my Lord and Savior.  I need to make this run count for His Glory.  This run could go on for a long time yet and I cannot grow weary.  So in order to run I will remember that every moment is precious because "Life is short"... "making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16   

I also need to remember that I do not run alone, the Holy Spirit is within me and the brothers and sisters in Christ are also running beside me and God has planned my race..."Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."  Hebrews 12:1-2

Life may be short but I still have a lot of running to do in it!!  May God be glorified as I run.

Another Mother's Day

In the past few days there have been different things which have happened concerning my mother's state of mind.  Since she has frontal lobe disorder I know that things are going to continue to change and those changes are in the category of "worse".  The few things that have happened since Wednesday are:  she has now started to leave the house before my father awakes to take a walk...the neighbor has written a note and posted it on the fence (a kind note) asking my mother to please not feed her dogs anymore...my mother has informed me that this same neighbor just purchased a lot of clothes as a gift for her.  Each one of these are not really huge but all together they are of great significance.

This morning, I cried.  I don't usually cry concerning my mother.  I handle it.  I accept it.  But today, I cried.  My mother is gone.  At least the one I knew so well.  The truth is I can't handle it and on many levels I don't want to accept it.  I needed to cry.  I know it is all right to cry and I would tell anyone else that.  But in my pride, I want to be strong.  The truth is I am not strong, I am weak and I need a greater strength than I have.  That's where God comes in.  He is the strength.  He is aware of this situation.  He knows my mother and loves her more than I ever could.  He knows me and loves me more than I realize.  I need HIM!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day!  My mother does not know that.  She will never even remember it when we are eating at a table together tomorrow.  She will tell stories of people who love her so very much.  She will tell stories of men wanting to marry her and of men wanting to marry me.  She will tell about people who pull her aside on the street just to say how much they love her daughter.  She will whisper in my dad's ear that she needs to go home because she is expecting an important phone call.  She will be mad when she realizes I am her ride and she can't get home when she wants to.  But in the midst of all that I know that God will give me a view of my mother which goes far beyond anything she will say.  I will see:

• The woman who let me polish her nails when I was only 4.
• The hair I sat on the back of the couch to brush as she closed her eyes in enjoyment.
• The woman who stepped out in faith and moved from Tennessee to Michigan to care for her children.
• The woman who curled my hair and caught me when I fainted.
• The woman who held me when my father died even though they had been divorce for so very long.  She gave me comfort.
• The woman who held my children and gave them great love as their grandma.
• The woman who is generous to a fault even to the point of now desiring to feed every dog she sees.

These are just a few of the things I will think about.  The only way I can do that is in the strength of Christ.  I can't handle it but He certainly can.

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

The Body of Christ at Work

All Followers of Jesus Christ are part of the body of Christ, the church.  It does not matter if we meet in the same building or not.  We can be in the United States or in France or in Mexico or in Canada, as Followers of Jesus Christ and we are part of the same body.  What a wonderful thing to be part of the whole.  Every part is needed to do the work of the gospel.

There may be times when we feel threatened by another part of the body.  Why?  Because we can become so self-focused.  We think we have the answers or we think we can do it all by ourselves.  NOT!  We need one another.  The hand is not threatened by the foot or the eye by the ear.  Each has their job to do.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a place where the hand actually helps the foot or the eye helps the ear.  Our physical bodies work that way and so does the body of Christ.  We can be seeking to help someone and feel like we are lost not knowing what else to do.  But God sends another to give what is needed.  This should cause us to rejoice.  There is to be no jealousy in the body of Christ, only praise to God for His work through us.

I have found myself in this position.  I am rejoicing at the provision God has given.  I am rejoicing at the help given by another part of the body.  I am rejoicing at how God has used the body.  My Pastor often says, "We are not lone ranger Christians."  He is so right!  How encouraging to know I am not alone.

"To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:7