It Makes Perfect ‘Cents’

 Today as I was randomly going through some coins looking for early silver ones, I ran across this 1998 Quarter. Now 1998 quarters are only worth 25 cents but this particular coin today held so much more valuable things to me now than it did 5 minutes ago.

You see, I found myself looking at it, examining it closely with a magnifying glass and turning it over and over. I thought to myself, “ what in the world has this quarter seen to make it look this bad! Scars and dents and mars and divets. Wow! If only this quarter could talk, it surely would be crying or moaning about it’s improper handling and care. George even looks like he taken a direct hit in the head! What stories it could probably tell. I mean, look at those edges, they are chewed and dented as if this coin was used as a tool or well I just can’t imagine. 

This dented and marred quarter certainly got me to thinking about my own life. Do I look the worse for the wear on the outside like this 23 year old quarter? Are my edges gashed and mis-shapened due to numerous accidents and mishaps? Are my scars visible to all who look at me? Does the wear and tear of my life exhibit itself for all to see? I certainly hope not! But this sad 1998 quarter is a beautiful illustration to me of how sometimes we wear our scars and they become “badges” so to speak of the hurts and the trials in our lives. Now, here’s something to note; this quarter, as beat up as it is, is still worth what it was created to be worth. It’s still worth 25 cents. It hasn’t lost its value!

Life can beat us up and life can beat us down but no one has to know. If we don’t bring it up or constantly remind them of our hurts and strugggles. Is it even necessary for everyone to be aware of our scars? Funny thing is in my humble opinion, if we constantly bring up our hurt and pain to the point that people begin to avoid us, and well, we could be in danger of devaluing ourselves. The thing

That we must always remember is that we are of great value to God and how we exhibit our lives reflects on Him! I for one want to be the shiny new looking coin in his pocket that brings him glory even though it is older and very used. The age of my coin might say 1954 but I want it to look like a 2021 coin, minted just recently. The world doesn’t have to be constantly reminded of our pain and hardships and we are of great value in Gods kingdom so, let your light shine and unlike this coin, let all who see it know that it’s shining bright in order to honor God. Don’t allow the ‘dings’ and ‘bruises’ and ‘gouges’ that this life can bring to be on display so that you can have others stroke you and take pity on you. 

Second note: just above George’s head it says “Liberty” and below his chin it says, “ In God We Trust”! So know this, even though you are worn, marred, scarred, scratched up, beaten or tattered, place your trust in God and shine for him regardless of what life has dealt to you. My friends, just like this coin, you hold value! And just like this coin proclaims, there is ‘Liberty “ for us all so let’s walk in that and SHINE!

Increase My Appetite

     I know in today’s world of slim, abstinence of and self restraint living it may seem very counter productive to ask the Lord in your prayer time to “ increase my appetite”. But I find that is the prayer on my lips every morning and one that stared me in the face with a visual clarity as I watched my squirrel friends feasting at my windowsill today. You see, I have this old chicken feeding trough that my husband mounted under the window of my sunroom where I sit and have my quiet times and watch nature sitting down for breakfast every morning. The squirrels come and literally sit next to me as I sip my coffee and they stuff their bellies with the black sunflower seeds that are supplied. As I sat watching this morning I was reminded of my prayer to “increase my appetite” as I watched a squirrel shoving seed in as fast as he could and noticing his belly that had grown so fat that he could hardly sit in the trough. 

I’m sure he was taking full advantage of the plentiful seed as he fattened himself up for the impending days of winter and it’s meager food supply. But I was also reminded of my prayer and it revealed a picture of Gods provision and how in the harder days that I was to approach things. 

I was asking God to increase my appetite for Him and the knowledge of things in His Word that I would need to know for the difficult days that seemed to be looming on the horizon. 

But here’s the truth of the matter:  if the squirrels didn’t come down from the trees seeking to find the black seed in that trough then it may have been harder for them to have what they needed for the cold winters days. Oh they would probably have had enough to get by but what if it were an extra harsh winter. Well they may not survive as is the course of nature sometimes. But they did have more than enough right now so they ate veraciously at the trough of blessing. We have at our fingertips the greatest treasure that will forever satisfy our hungry appetites and “fatten” our spirits if you will for any impending days of hard times but we fall short of climbing down from our comfortable trees of contented living to eat hungrily like the squirrels. We can’t seem to see the value of it like they do when preparing for winter. So we sit on our limbs of comfort and look at our bibles gathering dust on the tables of our contentnent and think that we have enough. But do we have enough. Are we ready when plenty and provision comes to an end? Will we be ready when sickness or death knocks on the doors of our dwelling places? Will we know what to do when we are at a crossroads of critical decisions of life? What if the coffers of cash ran dry? What if our secure jobs ended and weren’t so secure after all? 

All of these things are never expected or anticipated but that doesn’t stop them from happening when we least expect them to.

Last week, my precious mother went to be with her Jesus in heaven. As there were many tears at her bedside I found myself oddly standing there in a place of peace and joy. I felt guilty for a brief moment because I wasn’t crying but having these good feelings. But as suddenly as the guilt came i was reminded by the Lord of my veracious appetite of prayer and feasting on his Word in the impending months before her death. My appetite for more of Him had been satisfied with peace and joy at the moment I needed it most. It was the answer to the situation. It was the provision for the difficulty to come. 

So, today as I watch my friend the squirrel I am reminded to keep praying the prayer that begs me to “ increase my appetite”. The table of provision and promise and needs met will only be satisfied when we feast on his Word which gives us EVERYTHING we need for days to come. I pray that you will as well seek to pray that prayer. Then, pull up a chair my friends because you won’t go away hungry!

Psalm 63:1-5

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;

My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips will praise You.

So I will bless You as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

ROOM TO ESCAPE

Have you ever found yourself with lots of “downtime” on your hands on cold and bleak winter days? Well I know that sure has been the case for me. One of the things that I have found myself passing those dreary hours with is a game that I play on occasion on my phone. The game is one that challenges me to escape from different situations in different rooms, I love a good challenge and gathering the clues and solving the puzzles in order to get the key that unlocks the door for my escape, well, it’s stimulating to say the least. There are word clues, number clues, color clues and the list goes on  but I’m sure you get the point. It’s all about the thrill of the hunt I suppose, the pushing myself to find the answers so that I can reach the goal. It causes me to think outside the normal thought processes to see what is really “hidden in plain sight”. When the key finally appears and I place it in the door and it opens I can almost hear the theme to “Rocky ” playing. 

What is it about a game that can challenge us from the comfort of our chairs causing us to play on so that we can win or get to our destination point? We can’t seem to put it down until we achieve that goal yet, when life throws us a challenge we find ourselves lost at times, crumpled up in a heap on the floor in tears or in a pit of depression ready to give up? Why? What’s makes the difference? I know life is real and it’s not a game but the challenges we face are just that, challenges! What would it look like in real life if we met our challenges with as much tenacity and vigor as we do with those games? What if we viewed each small victory as something that propels us forward instead of allowing it to cripple us with anxiety. What if each small “clue” or hurdle that was accomplished propelled us towards the next one with a desire to get to the freedom that awaits us when we arrive at our goals? And there is an end! There is freedom and it just waits on our proper responses. 

In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus was just about to enter into his challenge if you will. His cousin John the Baptist has just been arrested so he moved towards Galilee and set to gathering the ones who would help him along the way. He called Simon and Andrew and they followed him then James and John and they likewise came. From there he went over all of Galilee finding synagogues and places to teach and touching all that needed healing.  More and more people came to hear him, momentum gathered . Then here’s the part that jumped out at me. It said, “when Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hill.(obstacles/trials) Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, (support team/small victories we are given) climbed with him”. Then the answers started pouring in. . . . He spoke:

-You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope, with less of you there is more of God and his rule in your life. 

-You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you, only then can you be embraced by the one most dear to you.

-You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

And the answers (clues) kept coming.

They were given the keys that day. Keys that would unlock doors to their freedom. They stayed, they listened, they heard what they must do and the key to their feeedom was handed to them. Who wouldn’t want the key! Isn’t that the goal? 

Then He wraps up the challenge in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”.

What a key! What a freedom when the door of those trials swing open to our victory! But, we must persist, we must be driven by his leadings in Matthew 5. He has made a way of escape if we follow through all the way to the end, never giving up but pushing through for your answers. He has provided! He will give help along the way. Please know that there is a key but you must persist! That door will open and you May very well hear the theme to “Rocky” as well! 

Matthew 24:13

“But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

”Peek A Boo” of the Father

Recently, on a trip to visit my elderly mom I was delighted when she gave me a large envelope that contained precious old photographs. There was one in the middle of the stack though that made me pause and then ultimately made me cry. You see, I lost my dad to COPD in 2004 and my world hasn't quite been the same since. He was that ”knight in shining armor” kind of dad that was always there when you needed him. He was a gentle giant if you will, who was somewhat content to stand a bit quietly in the background but was truly the mortar that kept all things secure. The photograph that opened the treasure box of emotions was one of my dad playing ” peek a boo” with me as a baby. When I saw that picture I somehow mentally ran through my life with him as if it were that whole ”life flashing before your eyes” moment. Everything about my time with him on this earth came flooding back to me in a few short seconds. Joy, laughter, dependency, love, security, trust, wisdom and faith. Among the myriad of memories one in particular was foremost to me. The term ’role model’ I recalled, best described my thoughts of dad. He wasn't perfect by any means but he always had his girls’ best interest at heart. He was a very good father and I was most blessed to learn and grow under his influence 

There was something else here as well that made its way into my thoughts. This picture of my dad and me was also a beautiful picture of my relationship with my heavenly father. Here's my thought. . . .  There are many times when I feel like my heavenly father is standing in the shadows of my life and he's there and then he's not. He's real but hiding some how, or at least it seems staying at a distance so I can't feel him or sense him. Much like my real dad playing peek a boo, darting back and forth .Now Im well aware that God’s always there but it feels sometimes like he's disappeared. I know instinctively though that he will pop back into my life and reveal himself. 

I read somewhere that the early developmental years of a child are super important. And strangely enough the simple game of peek a boo helps the child go from complete trust and dependency on the parent to trusting that they will come back after hiding. This part helps the child grow in the development of their independence. So, the game  of peek a boo is not just entertaining and fun but it's doing something important in the development of your childs personality. Who knew? 

So, keeping all that in mind, when we feel like God is hiding in the shadows with us, just playing peek a boo, remember that just like a loving parent, he hasn't gone anywhere. He lovingly stands back while we learn a very important lesson in our development. He stands back while we learn to trust Him more. He never leaves but watches and at the most crucial and divine moment he's there again. Sounds a bit crazy huh! But just remember this. . . . . It's meaningful and it's doing something in us. It's building trust, faith and probably wisdom and our heavenly father/role model knows exactly what we need.

Jeremiah 32:19

“great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

UP NOT IN

Have you ever noticed a little baby when someone other than their mother or father are holding them? When the parent comes near, the babies arms just fly upward signaling the parent to ”take me, hold me, give me what I need”. They know instinctively where their help and comfort comes from. 

God is not dead, he does not sleep. God does not even get tired so we need to rest and relax in knowing he's got everything in his care. 

Gods strength will always provide us with just what we need for today's problems, burdens and issues. We should never try to take tomorrows problems, burdens and issues and work through them today because God has not yet equipped you for tomorrow. He equips us for coping today with today's realities. He will always be at your side, ready to bear you up and tomorrow He will do the same. He will give us the strength that we need for that day.

When our minds tend to wander over the border into tomorrows realities, the worlds response that we've heard echo in our heads a million times will sweep in to try and take over. It will tell us to ”reach deep down inside yourself and you will find the strength you need within your own self to get through”. Or it may say, ”you can do this because you are great and strong and amazing”. Now, while our heavenly Father may think all of His children are amazing, I’m here to tell you that according to Romans 7:18, we’re not. It says, ”For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”

God assures us though in Isaiah 40 that even when the youngest and strongest have the strength to keep going or overcoming their obstacles that He (The Lord) will give us the strength we need for that day to get through. We can do nothing in our own strength that will yield victorious results like what God can do in us. He never gets tired. We may even feel our outward bodies wasting away but inwardly God is renewing us day by day. He comes to us through His Word in answer to our pleas or our outstretched arms. He bears us up on ’eagles wings’ the Word says. 

The World may tell us to ’reach down deep inside ourselves for reserves of strength and energy’ but the Word straight from the one who created us and knows us best invites us to ”reach up to the Lord for His supply of strength”. He has plenty to spare and he's only too happy to share because He loves us so. . . . . 

His mercies for us are new every morning and looking to ourselves or someone else to receive will never yield lasting results. They may give us momentary gratification but at some point they will fail. Why not lift our arms up to call the only one who can ever rescue us. Reach up not in!

Grandmas Succulent Wall

I have a very very vivid memory as a child visiting my grandmothers house in the country in Virginia. She was the A-typical grandmother that wore the apron always and her house smelled of wonderful cooking or baking things and she always greeted you with the biggest hugs. That farmhouse was filled with love and extraordinary memories in every corner. One thing that stood out to me for some reason was the stone wall that was outside of her backdoor. It was a pretty ordinary stone wall but grandma had it covered with succulents. They grew out of every nook and cranny that they could find and as a small child I found it a wonderment! Grandma called those succulents her ”hens and chicks” and I never knew why until I was grown that it was the country term of sorts for succulents. At any rate, this wall was covered and I used to go out and sit on the old swing and stare at that wall. How could anything grow out of rock? I didn't see any dirt so my little mind didn't comprehend the ability of a tiny root to find cracks to meander into and latch onto any soil or organic medium in order to thrive. Those ”hens and chicks” you see hold quite a bit of water in their fleshy tissues so it enables them to survive in what appears to be rock or very dry places. It's their built in secret weapon so to speak. Store up water and in the dry times you can thrive! Hmmm sounds like a brilliant design, right! 

You probably know where I’m going here, so, just keep walking with me and I won't disappoint. Gods perfect design with those succulents and how they can survive hard, tough and dry times is built into us as well. For instance, we know that if you go to school or  college, that you will gain more knowledge to hopefully sustain you for future challenges. We also know that if you work a 9 - 5 job and bring home a paycheck that the money will hopefully sustain you through the week until your next paycheck. But what we as followers of Christ seem to miss a lot is that you can't eat once a week and expect that to sustain you all week. We can't just go to church on Sunday and expect to get enough biblical sustenance to carry us through the trials, hardships and challenges that life throws at us on a daily basis. We will wither and die for sure. You see the Bible says in II Timothy 2:15  ”Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We need to fill ourselves with the Word of God on a daily basis just like those succulents need to store water for those dry days. It also says in  Isaiah 58:11 ”The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Drawing from the well and wealth of knowledge that we have from God Word on a consistent basis will enable us to be like those succulents, survivors! I believe that as a small child the Lord God was imprinting that succulent wall on my mind and heart so today I could understand the beauty of his ways and plans for my life. Lord, make me always aware of my need for you and in that need may I always be extending the roots of my life to search for more sustenance and watering that only you and your Word can give. I pray that I will always stay watered and prepared for the dry spells of life and flourish, giving you glory in the well watered seasons as well as the dry ones. 

Insight Insert: The challenge here would be to make a plan and get yourself into a routine of reading or listening to the Word on audio. There’s a quote that says, “we should treat our bibles like we do our cellphones”. Isn’t it true though that we pick up our cell phones first thing in the morning and they stay close by our side all day! Oh the wealth of knowledge, insight and communication strategies that the Word holds for us instead. It’s hard but technology itself has made it easier for us. Turn the audio on your Bible app and water your spirit on your drive to work. I promise, your roots will latch on to the sustenance it gives!

Word Of Truth: Psalm 63:1 “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

Crying “Whose” Name?

You know children are always interesting and ever changing little creations. Recently while holding my youngest grandson on my hip, I asked him to " give Gammie a kiss"! Well, my requests are almost always met with sweet compliance and a hug to go along with it, however, not on this occasion. For whatever reason, when the question was posed he began to reach for my daughter and cried out, "momma" as if he needed to be rescued from me! I didnt know quite what to make of it but gave him over to the arms of his mother so he would be quieted. For whatever reason at that point he just wanted the comfort and safety of the one that he knew always gave it! Don't get me wrong, he allows me to have kisses and hugs all the time but just at some particular times (maybe having a rough or needy day) he choses the familiar safety of his mothers arms. His cry for "momma" brought him just what he had need of at that moment.

This little scene brought a story to mind that has always been hard to imagine for me of how the following incident could ever have happened. The story is that of the day of Jesus' crucifixion and specifically the incident of Pilate. When Pilate decided to give the choice of who would be crucified, Jesus or someone else of the crowds choosing, the crowd chose another prisoner named Barabbas. We've seen in the making of many great movies of the Life of Christ, that scene with multitudes of people watching as Jesus stood before Pilate and the crowd and we heard the question, "who should be released Jesus or Barabbas?" and without hesitation you then saw the multitudes cry out, "Barabbas, Barabbas. . . . " . I always watched in amazement at those sad, misguided people who would choose Barabbas, a convicted prisoner, over the sinless, blameless and loving Christ! What had the people of the world become? What were they thinking? Why couldn't they see the "not guilty" banner over my Lords head? What kind of a choice was that anyway? But, nonetheless, the choice for Barabbas was made! Isn't it true too, that many times in our lives when faced with making a right or a wrong choice that we sometimes choose "unwisely" and it changes everything! Today, as you sit here reading this story are you on a diet and are you following it to the letter or have you said, "what the heck, this one little cookie won't hurt me"? Or, do you have important work to finish and you are surfing the Internet instead? Or, well, I could go on but I won't, because you get the picture I'm sure! You see, whose name you cry out WILL make a difference! It could be the name "desire" instead of "discipline" or it could be the name "procrastination"  instead of "work". Whatever name you cry out will be the chosen course for your life at that moment. But here's the good news. . . . . Courses can be corrected! You can decide to choose "peace" over "anger" and you can decide to choose "discipline" over "self" and you can decide to cry out the name of "Jesus" instead of "Me"! It's the name that we cry out that dictates the courses of our lives. It's the name that we cry out that could change everything either from good to bad or from bad to good. Whose name is on your lips today? Is it a cry to others around you to pull you to safety from the pit you are currently in or is it a cry to Jesus to save you and your life from future pits? Is the name that you cry out one of safety and comfort in loving familiar arms like my little grandsons cry? Or, is the name you cry out one of "money", "fame" or fortune that you believe will change everything for the good in your life? Now, back to Barabbas. . . . .you see that day, as I look back, the name that was cried out (Barabbas) was the name that was meant to be spoken. You see, if Jesus' name was the cry at that time then we wouldn't have the hope for the future that we have now. So, NOW is the time to cry out his name because his name holds far more than we will ever know or realize that we have need of. And like my little grandson, the safety and constant love and care will always be felt in those arms.

Insight Insert: You know that saying " you'll know them by their fruit?", well that means you will be able to recognize who and what a person is by the things that are growing out of their lives. Whose name is on your lips continually will be someone who is probably the most influential in your life. Stop and take stock this week of the things that you seem to talk about the most and the subjects that most consume your conversations. That will say a lot about your "fruit" and give you pause to make the judgement to whether it is fresh healthy fruit or rotten fruit. If you need to make a course correction then make it but make sure that whose name you cry out to change things in your life is the one who made the ultimate change for us! 

Scripture:  Psalm 57:2.  I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.  NIV