Tip Your Nurse

Psalm 63:5 -- "My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips."

Having lived on this planet for eighty-six years, now - my grandfather is bound to have a few hick-ups in his health. This past year has been a rough one for him in this regard, and so it was with great joy that we collected at his house for our annual family Christmas dinner and gift exchange. It was, as it always is, a comfort to hear his voice and watch him settle in to his favorite chair. In fact, my favorite gift this year was the warm and slightly chaotic family Christmas experience with Papaw in our midst.

With more than a few stays in the hospital under his belt this year, I can imagine that he was pleased and relieved to be in his own home. Especially during the holidays. But - like a thorn among the roses - and smack-dab in the middle of his elation to be back in his own house, a letter arrived from the hospital in which he had so recently been staying.  One would expect a patient survey or some kind of check-up in the envelope. Perhaps, even a thank you for allowing said hospital to handle his medical needs, but tucked inside the unassuming envelope was a request for a financial donation. Not for cancer research or to help those who have no insurance - no - it was a request to donate to the doctors and nurses affiliated with this particular medical institution. 

Really?! 

After slapping my grandfather's insurance company with more than one bill this year the hospital wants my recovering Papaw to send a financial donation to the doctors and nurses?! Isn't caring for patients - I don't know - their JOB?! Aren't they kind of paid to work at the hospital? Why do they want additional compensation for something they were hired - and PAID - to do?! It boggles the mind, does it not?

In Psalm 63:5 we hear a thankful soul sung out in satisfaction. We get to read about a spirit in complete contentment. And the REASON for this heart-warming praise? David explains in the previous verses that he has been to the Sanctuary where he witnessed the Glory of God. He expresses gratefulness for being in God's presence. This is during a time when David was on the run from people who were trying to have him killed and take his thrown! 

I love that later in this chapter David says "in the shadow of your wings, I sing for joy." He sings! On the run! Away from the comforts of hearth and home. 

The thing that caught my attention through-out this particular chapter in King David's life - was that David doesn't ask to be compensated for going to the Sanctuary. For ruling his people. For giving praise to our Creator. Why?! Because those are all things David knew he was SUPPOSED to do! Kind of like a job at the hospital, David was instructed by God to be King and caretaker of God's people. That's it! That was David's JOB!

David then sings out that he is satisfied with marrow and fatness. In the middle of a harsh land under stressful circumstances, David sang out with JOY! I absolutely LOVE that David isn't asking for further compensation just because the situation got a little sticky. No, instead, he tells God that his soul thirsts just to be in our Father's presence, like water in a dry and weary land. 

Aren't there moments when we would really like to be noticed for doing the right thing? Do we want additional compensation for fulfilling God's purpose? Do we seek recognition when we teach a Sunday School class or make a breakfast for the people with whom we fellowship and worship?

Fulfilling God's purpose is our "job". We should do this job to the utmost of our ability and in thankfulness. Others shouldn't be expected to give us shiny tip when we do what we are supposed to do. No - our endeavors come with the job description.

Now, I've witnessed AND experienced God's gracious blessings. God does, indeed, gift to us on numerous occasions during our life-time. But I can tell you this with confidence, He sure doesn't have to. And WE should not be greedy with the request for compensation to do something we were created and SAVED to do.

Graceful Gifting

Romans 12:6 -- "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us."

There is nothing quite like the wonderful tired that sets in when the gifts have all been doled out on Christmas morning. The shreds of wrapping paper pile up like Mount Everest and bows have been stuck to everything, including the cat. The warm contentment and sleepy twinkle in our eyes is some of the most precious joy I've ever had the privileged to experience. AND since our extended family is HUGE, and most of them collect right here in Florida to celebrate our Savior's birth - the sweet and joyful Christmas tired sets in ten fold once the juggling of get-togethers has come to fruition and the flocks all fly back home to their own states. Whew!

It tickles the soul to see the next generation start to make some of their own treasured Christmas memories. As the tiny ones learn to make wrapping paper balls instead of snow balls [we are in Florida, after all] and figure out how to hold their own in all-out after-presents paper war, one can't help but think back to sweet Christmas-past and remember the old family traditions.

When my sister and I were little, more often than not, we were given identical Christmas gifts. Especially at the big family get-togethers. We were so close in age that the twin gift thing was a great way to prevent comparing and complaining. Since we were the first set of grand kids on both sides of the family, giving us each the same gift was also a great way to keep us occupied by play. We could both get lost in our imaginations in a shared new-toy kind of experience. It puts a smile on my face when I catch myself doing the same thing with my extended family's little ankle-biters.

As the years flew by, however, and my sister and I began to grow into our own personalities and preferences, the Christmas gifts became less identical. We were each gifted something that was tailor-chosen to our very different tastes. Our family started to teach us that we were two different people and that it was o.k. - good, even - to each receive a little something apart from sister. We were taught to stop comparing our gifts and to be thankful for the gifts we were each given. We even learned that getting something so carefully and thoughtfully chosen specifically for each of us had a deeper and more sentimental meaning than did a package-deal with matching ribbons and bows.

In turn, I tried to instill that same lesson in my two boys when they were little, and I know the moment will come when the newest generation in our ever-growing family clan will learn to cherish individuality. I can't look back through a sepia-colored mental image with soft, foggy edges and remember the exact Christmas I became a separate identity from my sister. I DO remember that it didn't happen over night and that there were moments when we each complained that we weren't given equally. It must have been a monumental climb up a rocky mountain for my parents during those moments. As I continue to grow - older, if not up - I find myself in awe of the gentle love and patience  it surely took my parents to raise me. They have both, ever been graceful gifters committed to teaching their children to be graceful receivers.

In the book or Romans, Paul tries to teach this valuable life-lesson to a freshly planted church. The precious and well-thought-out gift gracefully given to you by our Creator, might not be the same precious gift He gave to me.

And that's GOOD! GREAT, even! If God has graciously given me the gift to sing, it would be somewhat pointless for me to wish I had been given an ink pen instead of a microphone. If I had the gift of teaching, it would be more than a little sad if I spent my limited time on this earth trying to be the best baker in the world.

And yet, that's sometimes EXACTLY what we humans end up doing. So-in-so leads the choir, I want to lead the choir, too. He's good at it, I also have to be good at it. Whats-her-face hosts beautiful Christmas parties every single year. I'm going to host beautiful Christmas parties that are even shinier and full of glitz and sparkle. Or - my parents were missionaries, I have to grow up to be a missionary....

I could add scads more to this list but I'm pretty sure you get the point .... 

In a fellow missionary's office nestled in the busy streets of Davao City, Philippines there hung a pig with writing on his rather ample belly and a smug look on his face. The words on this pig said:  "Never try to teach a pig to sing. It will frustrate you and annoy the pig."

Now isn't THAT the truth?!

Much like my parents raising two girls so very close in age, Paul had his hands full with the new church in Rome. In verses 10 and 15 of this chapter after instructing the baby church to cherish their individually given gifts,  Paul tells his fellow believers to love each other with genuine affection, and to take delight in honoring each other. He further instructs them to be happy with those who are happy, and to weep with those who weep. Notice, he doesn't tell them to compete with giggles and tears. He doesn't tell them to attempt to out-serve each other. Quite the opposite, in fact. He encourages them each to thrive and to share. Above all else, Paul asks them to practice being the person God has intended each of them to be - and to do it with as much hope and heart as they can possibly muster.

I no longer sneak a peak through gift bags and wrapping paper to spy on what my sister was given for Christmas. I no longer mentally count the number of items we each get to make sure they equal the same amount. I will forever be grateful for the teaching of this value by my parents and family. I will endeavor to do the same. AND I will focus serving my God with the precious grace He gave to ME. I will not try borrow the gifts He gave to other people. As I strive to unwrap the precious gift God chose specifically for me ON purpose, I will strive with everything I am to fulfill that purpose to glorify Him.

Merry Christmas!

Isaiah 9:6 -- "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 

 

Have a blessed Christmas and most joyful new year. I'll return to Breaking Daily  Monday, December 30th. In the mean time, may our Lord continue to richly bless you and keep you always safe.

Saved By Grace,

Kelly Babb Dalton

 

 

Baseball Bat Gardens

Psalm 126:1-2 -- "When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting."

Long before there was a television in every home, video game consoles with wireless controllers, and computers in every home office, there was this thing called .... playing. Groups of neighborhood kids would gather together in someone's yard or in a near-by park and soak up the sunshine. Imaginations ran wild and cowboys chased Indians, tree forts were built, and in the middle of the dust and gravel at the end of the street, little boys played baseball. The girls weren't invited, they had cooties.

Back then, when a lot of Americans were growing pretty vegetable gardens and it was a safer place for kids to roam on bicycles, there was a boy named Karl [but most people called him David] who ran with a good-natured bunch of kids that could come up with some of the most INGENIOUS pranks. Most neighborhood kids learned from their parents that carrot seeds produced carrots, cucumber seeds produced cucumbers, and when you planted flowers, flowers grew in the garden bed. Never once in all of gardening history had a tomato produced an onion or a tulip bulb produced a daisy. So when Karl informed a younger boy in his neighborhood that if you planted your broken baseball bat in the soil, a brand new baseball bat would grow in it's place - it seemed to make perfect sense. In no time at all, the young boy and a couple of his friends had planted a neat and tidy row of broken baseball bats. Eager to harvest the fruits of his labor, the younger boy headed home to dinner and to bed. He had been told by Karl that tomorrow when the sun came up, he would have a fresh new baseball bat growing in the dirt.

As the night grew long and a bright moon hung high over-head, Karl and his mischievous group of pranksters sneaked out to the baseball bat garden and pulled up all the old broken bats. In the empty holes They "planted" all new bats and arranged the dirt carefully around them so they would stand up straight and tall.  His deed done, he headed home. He was eager to see the look on the younger boys' faces when they set to harvest their baseball bat crop.

Sure enough, the next day the group of younger boys joyfully plucked their freshly produced bats from the garden bed and with unbridled excitement tested them out in a friendly game of baseball. I can just picture the sparkle in each boy's eyes as they rubbed the earth off of their bats and swung them wide to test their strength.

I don't know when or even IF Karl's little adventure was ever found out. I don't know if the younger boy finally determined that some mischief had been at play. But in that moment when he pulled his wooden bat from firmly packed soil, the logic of the event made perfect sense. After all, when you plant a seed, it produces fruit.

All through out nature seeds produce fruit of their own kind. Planted broken baseball bats might not really produce fresh new ones but banana trees produce bananas, apple trees produce apples etc., etc. The only exception to this genetically encoded rule is in the Bible.

In Psalm 126 we see that seeds of sorrow were planted in the people of Zion. Years of captivity and forced labor sewed tears of humility and defeat. They lived life through the haze of an oppressive fog - like those who dream. Days seemed to run together, life events passed without much notice, and reality was a blur. But those seeds of sorrow produced mouths of laughter and tongues full of joy! That doesn't happen anywhere else but in the presence of God and by the grace of His mercy.

Like Karl sneaking out to replace broken bats, God takes the seeds of broken lives and damaged hopes and plants joyous victory in the empty hole that's left. Standing straight and tall in a once devastated spirit is a fresh new tree that bears joy and laughter.

Don't be afraid to let the tears fall and don't give up hope. Take the thing that is broken, plant it in the tender fertile mercy of Jesus and let it go. Cling to the promise of brand new fruit. Remember that the seed for joy was planted a long time ago when Jesus was born. Wait and watch that seed produce a plentiful crop of JOY!

All That Glitters - Is JOY!

Psalm 16:11 --  "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence."

From the bottom of the Christmas tree I can hear the little bell that hangs from an ornament in the shape of a bright red top hat. The cats are playing with it again. As the tree shakes with their play, a sparkle catches my eye and I'm drawn to the word JOY as it spins slightly on a tree branch. Cardboard covered in gold glitter - each time the word spins, light refracts off it's multifaceted surface. The bright gold is a great contrast to the deep green of the tree. 

Joy, indeed. 

Ever wonder why some find joy so illusive during the hustle and bustle of this holiday season? Why the traffic gets meaner and the mobs in line at the store get more aggressive? More selfish? Why does Scrooge Mankind march through busy department stores in a puffy huff with BA-humbug radiating out from them in a huge grumpy bubble?

It's really pretty simple. 

In Psalm 16:11 David proclaims that he is filled with joy in the presence of our Lord. THAT's where the joy is! In the presence of our Savior! It's not wrapped up in fancy paper with pretty bows nestled under a brightly lit Christmas tree. It's not hidden in the icing of a really good sugar cookie or lost all the way in the toe of your Christmas stocking. It's not even in the big meal shared by family and friends .... it's in our Lord, Jesus Christ!

I love that David keeps the message simple. You fill me with JOY in your presence, Lord! Our Father lights up the path of our lives, leading us straight to the real joy of being in His presence when we reach the end.

Through out this month my goal is to focus on JOY. The joy that is so often missed when Christmas gets crazy. The joy that somehow gets lost in the scramble that puts a frown on my face and buried in the chaos that shifts my focus away from what this season is really all about. When I read this verse in Psalms this morning, it put a smile on my face. I am gently reminded that my joy was and is gift-wrapped in a little baby born in a humble stable. In HIS presence, lit up by a bright, once-in-a-life-time star that makes known to all of us the path that will lead us to real, unbridled JOY! The joy that can only be found in the presence of Jesus Christ.

My Favorite Lullaby

Colossians 2:9 -- "In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

Working in the cytology department of Orange Park Medical afforded me some pretty great memories. Not only did I learn a great deal about the cells that make up the human body, I experienced first-hand the in's and out's of working in an ever-growing and changing department of medical research. But specimen prep and the occasional opportunity to assist on an autopsy was nothing compared to the skitter of my heart-beat when the gentle chimes of Brahm's Lullaby played on the overhead speakers. I knew when those chimes played, a brand new life had been born just two floors up. It made me smile every single time.

I could imagine proud parents gathered around a tightly wrapped little bundle of brand new baby. All the hopes and dreams and potential, right there, kicking and squirming in the tired of arms of Mom and Dad. Would these two freshly-made parents wonder what sports the child would play? Would they take guesses as to what musical instruments the baby would prefer when he/she grew a little? Did they think about highchairs, baby bottles, or college?

The one thing I'm sure they WEREN'T thinking about - was how long they had with him before he had to walk up a lonely hill and hang on a cross for the sins of all mankind. In the sanitized hospital air with the sweet lilt of soft music dancing in their ears, these parents didn't have to worry about the agonizing death their son would face.

I cannot imagine what that would be like.

When Mary wrapped her little first-born child in swaddling clothes, she knew that "in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." In as much as she would like for Him to be, there was never a moment when she could call Jesus completely hers. From the moment she conceived, she knew that precious baby was born for the express purpose of dying on the cross with all of man's sin. The dreams and hopes she poured over her new-born, were for all of humanity!

When my boys were little, one of the things I would sing to them while they were swept away to dream land, was Silent Night. To me, nothing makes a more soothing lullaby than the sweet words that express the birth of Jesus Christ. Not only does the song portray the true meaning of Christmas, but it celebrates parenthood in a way that no other song does. In the verses of that gentle Christmas hymn, we feel a mother's love. The night is calm in the moment when mother meets child. Deep within the words I can see that the rest of the world disappears as Mary holds her precious new-born and his tiny little face beams brightly up at her.  As the day breaks just over the horizon and the animals near by are drawn to a reverent hush, so breaks the dawn of a brand new grace. THE grace.

Just like the hopes and dreams poured over a new life born at Orange Park Medical, so we can imagine that in the tender quiet of an animal stable, there is born every hope for humankind as one tiny little life takes His first breath and readies to take on the entire world.

It's my favorite lullaby. It's my favorite hope. For "in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."  It just does not get any sweeter than that.

Casting Mountains Into Oceans

Mark 11:23 -- "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him."

Walking into the kitchen to check on the Christmas cookies I could smell baking in the oven, I stepped on the little bit of exposed tack strip that holds the carpet down between the tiled breakfast nook and the carpeted living room. I winced and looked down and the bright red spot growing on the bottom of my sock. I have stepped on that thing at least a billion times since we moved into this house! One would think that I'd remember it's there and stop puncturing my feet with it. Somehow, however, I manage to impale some portion of my foot on the carpet tacks at least a couple of times a month. One of these days, I'll stop stepping on it. 

Or at least, that's what I tell myself.  One of these days I'll stop making the same mistake over and over again. And while I promise myself that I'll learn from this most recent mis-step - deep in my heart of hearts, I doubt it will ever happen. Because whispering in the back of my head, I hear a little voice tell me that I will be stepping on that stupid tack strip for as along as we dwell here. 

In short, I don't truly have any hope that I'll learn from my mistake. 

Perhaps that is the reason for my lack of success in the battle between me and the carpet tacks. I have doubt. 

Obviously I'm using my evil tack strip to illustrate a point and while I do step on it often, the bad habit of forgetting that it's there is not going to dramatically impact my life - other bad habits, however, are a different story. 

Every single year my husband and I sit down and draw a kind of road map that will lead us through the Christmas season with most of our sanity intact. And every year we make a promise to ourselves that THIS time, we're keeping it simple. THIS season, we refuse to allow ourselves to be stressed out. THIS year, we will NOT bite off more than we can chew and get swept away by the flash-flood, over-commercialized holiday season that is Christmas. 

BUT - once again, as we approach the last full week before Christmas, I find myself sitting in front of our Christmas tree, eyes glazed over, feet throbbing, and head aching -- a pile of things that I have yet to wrap clutters my dresser top and closet, while in my head I'm trying to keep up with homeschooling, laundry, and getting the bathrooms clean. Once again I find myself wondering just how in the world I let Commercial Christmas beat me ..... AGAIN! There are moments when I find that I envy the Grizzly Bear - tucked away all nice and neat and cozy - snoozing away the chaos of tangled up Christmas lights and the shortage of scotch tape. [WHY is the tape always gone?!]

In Mark chapter 11, Jesus reminds us that we should march forward in prayer with faith. Goals I have set for myself should be conquered with a strong faith that can move mountains! I'll never cast mountains into oceans if I don't cling to the truth in God's promises and claim victory for my very own. That means -- KNOWING that God is sufficient to supply all my needs. It means KNOWING I can climb to the top of the next hill/adversity/bad habit - not just THINKING that I can!

Turning the corner into another brand new year - I have decided to make Mark 11:23 my resolution. I will fight my battles with faith.  I will NOT doubt victory over issues that pop up in my life. Instead, I will march forward and KNOW God will grant me TRIUMPH!!

Oh Those Barkin' Dawgs!

Psalm 23:1-3 -- "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul."

The far away din of music and laughter muffled as I stepped onto the old porch to feel the wind shift while the temperature dropped. In contrast to the heat radiating from my face, the burst of fresh air set goose-bumps along my skin. Ah - it felt good.

The designated make-up artist for my niece on her wedding day meant that I had been stationed at Winterbourne since noon - and the clock was now merrily dancing it's way past seven. I looked down at my feet, sure that they were the size of watermelons, but they looked like they always did. Just feet. But oh where those dawgs a' barkin'! Reassured that my tender tootsies were NOT, actually falling off I enjoyed the happy glow of festive lights dancing in the wind that whipped up off the Saint Johns River. This place and it's rich southern charm, etched deeply by a hundred years of Florida history - was picture perfect.

I know there are those out there that will grumble at the mere mention of having to attend a wedding - but to me - there is nothing that lifts the spirit like the festive union of one soul to another. Like opening a freshly released book by a favorite author, the crisp start of a new adventure with a cherished kindred spirit is all joy. Ripe with promise, watching a new story unfold is very much like planting a seed and nurturing it, growing it, loving it to life and then smiling with pride as it blooms to bear fruit. It's refreshing. Digging deep into the grumpy and cynical part of human nature, a wedding tugs on our hope strings and restores the soul.

As the old wicker rocker creaked on the ancient wooden slats beneath me and I reveled in the warm glow of 19th century crystal chandeliers, I thought of Psalms.

In what is perhaps the most well-known Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 23 expresses true comfort in our Lord from the heart of a shepherd. Most of us have heard the passage so often that some of the subtle truths might go unnoticed or at the very least, are taken for granted. For example, the shepherd in these verses "makes" his sheep lie down in green pastures. There are times in our lives when we are so caught up in life - we might not recognize our need for spiritual nourishment in lush places - so our Shepherd leads us there. He provides what we need in moments when we might not be able to distinguish need from want. Or in moments when the chaos of everyday confuses us and causes us to loose our footing, our Shepherd "makes" us take pause and lie down for a bit. Looking at the hill below Winterbourne, lush with green grass and all lit up by Christmas lights, I could see how lying there would be wonderful. The body could take a moment to catch it's breath while cool grass cushioned and the sound of the waves in the Saint Johns River gently hitting the bulkhead echoed off the cypress trees.

In a raging life bombarded with the cacophonous turmoils that crash around us like angry waves in a boiling sea, it's wonderful to know our Shepherd will lead us beside still waters.  One of my most cherished child-hood memories takes me to the gently rolling streams of Bedrock Creek at Mount Carmel in the Philippines. While my fellow M.K's were running around hiking mountains and shimmying up coconut trees, it was nice sometimes to climb out on the rocks and listen to the creek gurgle all around me. With my back flat against the large boulders I could look up through the trees and watch the clouds roll by. It was a beautiful spot where I could just be still and "know the He is God."

My favorite part of this Psalm is verse 3; He restores my soul.

Feeling the beat of the music in the floorboards, I couldn't help but tap my foot along with the rhythm. The effervescent lilt of my niece's laughter danced in the air as she cut a rug with her brand new hubby. THIS is JOY. One generation huddled around good food and even better company as the younger generation embarks on the beginning of their own story - the collection of family - and old friends that might as well be called family - could not better define the word - RESTORATION.

Cake Kiss!

This Christmas, may you and your family remember real joy - and in the fold of fellow sheep, may you take a moment to allow our Shepherd to restore your soul.

Off Today

I humbly apologize, but there is no new blog today as we are celebrating my niece's wedding. Thank you for understanding.  I'll be back to Breaking Daily tomorrow.

God Bless you - and Merry Christmas.

Profound

John 15:9 -- "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love."

Kicking the light snow off my shoes I fiddled around in the dark to line my car key up with the door lock without scratching it. I loved a good Tennessee winter and the crisp smell of freshly fallen snow on pine trees. I was too tired to enjoy the moment,  though - I had to get to my parents' home and bathe my eleven month old so I could get him to bed. Already past ten p.m., I had my job cut out for me. Brian could get wound up if he missed what I like to call his "sleep window". AND, I still had homework and some laundry to do before I could get a little shut-eye in order to get up at four a.m. so I could start the chaos all over again.

Looking back at the now-locked door of my "alma mater" I reached deep within myself to pull out some energy that I really didn't have and headed toward home. It occurred to me that my accounting class was going to be the death of me. Suddenly a divorced single mother - juggling a full-time job AND school AND a toddler could really take a lot out of a person. 

And then, right there in the dark, in the green glow of my car dashboard - I broke into a spontaneous grin. It felt good to really smile again. It had been a while since I'd known that warmth on my face and it actually kind of surprised me to feel it there. I had accidentally let my mind wonder while focused on the dark, winding Dickson County roads to avoid hitting deer when the jovial voice of Uncle Charlie Hawkins [fellow missionary to the Philippines] managed to break through the mental fog. Bouncing around in my head was the punch-line to an accounting joke he'd told me earlier in the week. IT made me smile.

It goes somewhat like this; In an office of a prestigious accounting firm there worked a legend in the field. He was a master at balancing out accounts and most people asked for him by name. Each morning, when he sat down to his desk, he'd open the top drawer and read a note that he'd taped to the bottom. Fellow employees could see his lips move as he chanted what words were printed inside that drawer.  He'd then close the drawer and lock it, ready to face the day. 

The office wanted to know what made this accounting legend so great at his job.  They longed to know what secret he kept locked in his desk drawer. One afternoon as the Legend left the office for lunch, a group of his co-workers broke into the desk drawer and read the mysterious mantra. They closed the drawer back and looked at each-other, speechless. Could it really be THAT simple?

Inside the drawer, handwritten on a yellowing piece of paper were the words: debits on the left, credits on the right. 

REALLY?!. THAT's the secret? Keeping your accounting ledger lined up is the FIRST and most SIMPLE thing you learn in accounting ..... this Legend of the prestigious accounting firm chanted THAT every morning?!

I laughed out loud, right there in the car all by myself. [Thank you, Uncle Charlie!]

The thing is - you and me? - much like the employees of the prestigious accounting firm, we tend to make things more complicated than they really are. There is one pretty simple, yet amazing, truth most of us learned a long time ago but frequently forget. I like the way Billy Graham put it when he told a little story about one of his good friends. This simple truth is rather profound.

Billy Graham once said of his friend and legendary theologian, Dr. Karl Barth, that he was the most ingenious philosopher of his day. Sharing a story about this great man, Mr. Graham told of an experience Dr. Barth had in a class-room full of students at the seminary where Dr. Barth was a professor. One young student, eager to learn real truth, timidly raised her hand and asked: what is the greatest truth that ever crossed your mind?

The entire group seemed to come to a stand-still as the room full of eager young minds pushed to the edge of their seats. On pins and needles the scholars strained to hear what great and powerful wisdom Dr. Barth would impart to the class.  Mr. Graham said that's when Dr. Barth slowly raised his great shaggy gray head and looked at the student and said, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

There in the dark, bone tired and angry at myself for the mess I'd made of my life at the ripe old age of 22, I laughed out loud. I began to sing "Jesus Loves Me" at the top of my lungs. What greater joy is there than that?! My Jesus loves me. He told me so in the Bible! And not just with the simple words "I love you" - but with the deep and amazing precedence that - as God THE Father loves His Son so also does Jesus love me! So great is this love that Jesus died on the cross to ensure that I - calamity prone sinner - could be with Him in eternity!!

In this month of Christmas Joy - as we light the tree and purchase wrapping paper only to discover we already had some crammed into the back of the closet - let us cling to the REAL joy of the season! Jesus loves us! THAT is why we celebrate His birth!!

Why? ... Why NOT?

II Corinthians 1:3-4 -- "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble."

At The Cummer taken by Kelly S Dalton

Just finishing up the kitchen dishes I peek into the office and see my fifteen year old hunkered down over the desk in a strenuous tug-of-war with a math problem. Right about then, I hear the garage door go up, followed immediately by my twenty year old just getting in from working his over-night shift at The Wal-mart Neighborhood Market. I can almost feel my cheeks flush with the pride that seems to ooze out of me in that moment. I praise the Lord and whisper a prayer of thanks -- I am very richly blessed with these two. I am very richly blessed by their Dad. I am just plain, very richly blessed.

I may forget that when I'm grossly startled to find that one of my three guys left the toilet seat up again or I discover three feet of garbage spilling out onto the floor next to the trash can -- but the whole inspiration for the Breaking Daily blog from the get-go was that I endeavor to be a more thankful person. So I'll remind myself that the guys DID remember to lift the seat and that the same group of guys that forget to take out the trash provide me with the most joy I've ever had in my life. After all, it would be a lonely thing for the thrash can to out-grow the trash for once - it would mean fewer people in my household. I thank my wonderful Father in Heaven that I have clutter to pick up off the floor and a mountain of dirty clothes under the bed in my son's room. [I wondered how he "cleaned up" so fast.]

I know someone who had that particular burden taken from them before they could even experience it. A fellow missionary kid and close friend of mine in high school lost her newborn to a birth defect. When it was learned that there was nothing the hospital could do to save the baby, this friend of mine and her husband drove home with their precious bundle and rocked him to sleep for the last time. Even though this was some time ago and the family has an entire house-hold of children, now - my heart breaks for my sweet friend each time I think of the tears she shed as her tiny little joy breathed his last breath in her arms. I cannot begin to imagine that kind of pain. No parent should have to experience the death of their child.

My friend NEVER - not ONE TIME - asked God why it happened. She didn't look up towards heaven in disgust and demand to know why the Lord took her baby before he had a chance to live. She never buried her head in her sorrows and begged God to explain why He allowed her to experience a full-term pregnancy only to be denied the joy of holding her new born in her arms - never to have the opportunity to "train up her child." No - instead, she loved the children she already had and enjoyed the ones that came later. She faced her pain with the most grace I've ever seen in a human being.

My sweet friend clung to the Father of all compassion. She [and her husband] rested in the arms of the God of all comfort - and to this day - she's a hope for mothers who experience the horrible, gut-wrenching loss of a child. Instead of praying an angry prayer with fists clinched in anger, asking God why me? She asked - why NOT me? She asked God how she could be used through her experience of tragic and terrible pain. She knows better than anyone else I know - how to comfort people through trouble and lead them to the healing arms of Jesus Christ.

In the book of II Corinthians, Paul wrote to the church in Corinth shortly after he'd experienced what he called some of the worst trouble he'd ever faced. [II Corinthians 1:8 "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life."] In verses 3-4 Paul expresses deep, deep gratitude and an amazing understanding of God's authority. He handed his pain and fatigue over to the Lord and gracefully "pressed on towards the goal" that God put before him.

Our experience in this life is chock-o-block FULL of moments that inspire complaint. Loss of job, loss of health, rising grocery prices, car trouble, hurricanes, church politics, just plain politics ..... but what if we grabbed hold of those moments with the anticipation that God is growing our purpose? I am NOT, by any stretch of any kind of imagination asking God to grant me MORE trouble - I want to make that clear - but what if I could take the trouble I do experience as a widely opened door way to fresh opportunity? Have you suffered divorce? You have a kindred spirit with others who might go through it. Have you lost a cherished loved one? You know better than those who haven't - how to encourage somebody through that kind of pain.

Paul explains that the more often our testimony is bombarded with trials, the broader our spiritual opportunity. This is often - VERY often - a difficult thing to recognize or accept when in the throws of personal turmoil. But I wonder what our world would be like if we followers of Christ grabbed a hold of our trials with a death-grip like Bear Grylls with a salmon - and used them to sustain our spirit?

A Jolt Of Joy!

Isaiah 62:5 -- "As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you."

 

It's fairly quiet in my neck of the woods around 5:00 in the morning. A few cars might roll by, timidly taking their routine path to work - almost as if they were trying to tip-toe through the neighborhood.  In the humid Florida "winter", a lazy fog clings to the damp earth like a favorite blanket. Usually I can still hear the Barred Owl in the pine trees across the pond and - on this day, the house resonates with the gentle tinkle, tinkle of the cats playing with the low hanging Christmas tree ornaments. 

There is something remarkable about the warm glow of a well lit Christmas tree and a quiet cup of coffee before the rest of the world wakes up. There is the sweet excitement of a fresh day and holiday effervescence hanging in the air along with the nostalgic aroma of freshly-cut pine. 

Definitely a season for joy. Time to TAKE the time to reflect and be thankful.

But there is pain in this season, as well. Sometimes it's the sweet sadness of knowing that our babies aren't babies anymore or the gap felt where a cherished loved one once sat in Christmas celebration - the precious memories of all those years before our Lord called him/her home. Sometimes the pain is in the rift between human hearts - a loneliness felt even deeper during this season of family get-togethers. 

 

The status of our personal relationships seems to be magnified during this season in a way that no other season can quite manage. Happiness seems to be felt a little deeper in the soul and sadness can set in like a Florida Nor'easter blowing in with the ocean breezes. Perhaps, more than any other time in our year - NOW is when we reach out - searching for a much needed jolt of joy. 

Have you been looking for it? When the stockings are hung just so over the fire place or you unwrap a treasured, favorite Christmas ornament? Do you look for sweetness when you bake your time-honored cookies and ice them with sugared red and green? What about when your toes get run over by an enthusiastic shopper trying to cut line with an over-loaded grocery cart?

How about this: JOY is a fundamental part of God's character. As this planet was breathed into life God reflected and said "it is GOOD." God cherished the walks with Adam and Eve in His amazing Garden of Eden. He even sent His one and only Son to our crazy chaotic Earth for the sole purpose of keeping us - saving us from an eternity completely separated from Him. God gave - He gifted - He graced .... for the JOY!

Every THING God has done for you and I - has been because WE are God's Joy! That is pretty amazing! In Isaiah we are told that so joyous is God over us, that our relationship with Him resembles a world-wide, highly celebrated and important day - a wedding day - that precious and joyous occasion where two people become one. In fact - we represent JOY for our Lord in such a great capacity that our personal relationship with our Creator is mentioned over and over again in the Bible - never more clear than in Luke verse 7 of chapter 15: "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

 

Talk about a jolt! Zing!! In the midst of global Christmas Chaos where dollar deals seem to take precedence over human kindness - we need look no further for the seemingly illusive JOY than in our own mirror! How amazing is THAT?! I am God's JOY! 

JOY to the world!!

Pitfall

Proverbs 14:8 -- "The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception."

There is just something about the tinny sounding bleeps and pops of an old Atari video game.  Familiar is the feel of the awkward "joy stick" and the less than smooth movements of my chunky and pixilated digital character as he dodges alligators and giant wholes in the ground. No doubt about it - the game Pitfall brings back some wonderful memories. 

An iconic platform game, it really paid to know where you were going and to keep one eye on the path ahead. In fact, once you played through several times the goal stopped being about how to get through the levels and more about beating your own fastest score. All you had to do was memorize where the "pitfalls" were, and take the appropriate action when faced with one of them. Miss one? No worries, just start over and play through again. It was a hoot! I remember well my sister, Paul Latham, and I - all packed in around his Atari waiting to take over the controls when one of us fell into one of those nasty pits. [death marked the end of our turn]. Reluctantly, we would hand the joy stick over and secretly hope that our beloved friend/sister fell to their demise quickly.

Unfortunately, life does not imitate art in this case. When we hit a pitfall, we don't get to start over and avoid the trouble next time around. Nothing proves this better than the times in which we are now living. 

Roaming through our old neighborhood provides a gloomy snap-shot of empty houses in various states of decay. Run down yards where children once laughed and played and boarded up windows through which light once glowed pepper the landscape in frequent clusters. In many cases, the earth has begun to reclaim the once vibrant lot, and weeds and vines now cling to front doors and vinyl siding. In other cases, the roof is caving in and racoons have chewed holes in the structure to claim it as their own. It breaks the heart. Especially when one considers that the housing bubble that went "POP" so very loudly could have been avoided [and actually WAS by those who paid attention].

Proverbs 14:8 gives us a warning in this regard - it pays to pay attention. Not only do we need to keep one eye on the path before us - but it's important that we learn from our own pitfalls. No one could have predicted the closing of Cecil Field - a military base whose personnel flocked to our old neighborhood in droves for peaceful off-base living. But each of us could have been better prepared for the fall when it happened. Some were. Some weren't. The people that were caught by surprise when the housing market crashed were forced to leave their homes and move on to greener, more manageable pastures. 

This is only one small example of keeping an eye out for tomorrow. Currently our nation's map is dotted with stories like these that number in the tens of thousands. Proverbs 14:8 reminds us that it never pays to be caught off guard. 

Back to younger years with an Atari joy stick in my hands, I remember that if I was a well-prepared explorer, I could avoid some of the traps set out to trick my character to his early demise. Wanting to stretch out my turn, I learned quickly that it paid to pay attention. It paid to have the right tools and the wisdom to apply them correctly in each situation. God has graced us with this very same opportunity. He has provided the tools we need to avoid pitfalls and randomly placed traps. He can see the road ahead where we cannot.  It behooves us to keep our eyes focused on Him, that He can guide us through without mishap. When we DO mis-step [and let's face it, we ALL do], God gives us grace, that we might learn from our mistakes and not make the same one twice. 

After all, isn't the definition of insanity described by doing the same thing over and over again expecting the end result to change? If that isn't a fool's deception, I don't know what is.

The Lifetime Achievement Award

I John 3:2 -- "We can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is." 

I'll never forget the look on Peter O'Toole's face when he stood up to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Academy Awards several years ago.  Though nominated a number of times for various rolls, up until that particular point in time O'Toole had yet to receive an Oscar for best actor. This surprised me - especially after seeing him in A Lion In Winter and Lawrence of Arabia. In fact, to date, Peter O'Toole has the most number of nominees for Best Actor WITHOUT a single win than any other actor. Again, I found myself surprised - if anyone deserves an  Academy Award, it's Peter O'Toole. [In my opinion.]

As Peter stood facing thousands of people, camera lights reflecting in his bold blue yes, I could see a look of what could almost be described as determination on his face. The British stiff upper lip did nothing to hide the fire underneath the surface, the character that makes Peter O'Toole so great. He didn't walk out of the gilded swaray with his shoulders hunched and his head bent down in defeat due to his lack of win. No. Though the powers that be at the Academy have YET to honor Peter with an Oscar - he walked out of the building with his head held high, determined to do his best for his next roll - whatever that might be. His body of work - is - a work in progress.

Not that this wonderful actor NEEDS an academy award to collect dust on his shelf and remind him of his outstanding film accomplishments. He truly needs no feather in his cap to point out his talent and his professionalism. His film career does that for him and the manner with which he works speaks louder than any metallic trophy ever will.  Just watch him in films like the Rainbow Thief and Troy to get a good cross section of this man's acting chops. His character was never more keen than when he refused knighthood for personal political reasons. Nope, no feather needed here ....

I could probably write a book about this favored actor - but the real issue for which I have chosen Mr. O'Toole to carry this blog is actual work - and the fact that in spite of calling himself retired - he still works. Not for glory, not for recognition from the Academy - but because his real lifetime achievement will not wrap and "can" until his actual life is over. We have no idea within what film Mr. O'Toole might be cast next. We will have to wait and see.

You and I have a pretty hard time trying to conjure up what we might look like or list the things we might achieve by the time our Savior calls us home. Our lifetime achievement award will not be dolled out until our lifetime is actually over. But that doesn't meet we should slump our shoulders or get a little slack in our progress. No, it means our focus should remain keen on our lifetime achievement. We have but a short time on this earth - we need to use what moments we have been gifted to do as much as we can for Jesus.

One of the things I like about Peter O'Toole is that he never quit giving his all. No matter the roll he plays, he puts all of himself into it - even though he realizes he's probably not going to win an Academy Award for Best Actor this time around, either --- he works as though it's a possibility. I'm fairly confident that when King Ralph hit the theaters Peter O'Toole wasn't thinking: this is it .... this is my ticket to Academy Gold. But his Character in that film is no less played than his character in Lawrence of Arabia.

Each of us has a roll to play while this big blue marble keeps spinning on it's axis. We cannot compare our part to the part played by fellow Christians - we are not each given the exact same duty. We may work furiously only to discover that no one noticed ..... We CAN take a tip from the great Peter O'Toole - an no matter WHO might be watching - even if NO ONE is - we can still put everything we've got into our performance. When Jesus comes back to get us - we'll be able to look back and see our lifetime achievement - our reward will be that we finally get to be WITH our Savior.

Bristlecone Pines

Colossians 2:6-7 -- "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."

Far into the Great Basin National Park there stands a wonder rooted deep within rocky soil, clinging to the stark mountainside with the oldest root system on the face of the earth. In contrast to the smooth, bright blue sky, the Birstlecone Pine reaches upward with gnarly fingers worn naked by harsh winds and cold temperatures. As it stands firm in the bright sunlight, it's beauty doesn't register on what humans might call a normal scale - but shines through it's unique branches and small cluster of green needles as the oldest living thing on this planet.

When the Great Pyramids of Egypt were being built - brick by brick - this amazing pine tree was already old. It grew still when Europeans first colonized our Great United States, and stood fast when brother fought brother in our Nation's Revolutionary War. It is firmly rooted. It lives where other vegetation cannot survive. It is well established with a deep, strong, and winding root system.

As you and I are faced with daily winds of adversity that seem to blow with the force of a hurricane, it might do us some good to think about the amazing Bristlecone Pine tree. As we find ourselves buffeted from side to side, cold rain stinging our raw skin or blazing sun beating down hard on our faces - it might feel easier to break down and go tumbling down the mountain rather than stand up and face whatever struggle we find barring our way to true success. But Jesus has already given us a firm foundation - a rock strong and steady to which we can cling and plant our roots with confidence and assured victory. 

Just like the ancient old Pine out there in the Great Basin, we can thrive in spite of some pretty harsh conditions. As long as we allow our roots to plant firmly in our faith in Jesus - just as we have been instructed - we've already been handed our triumph. That's the key. While the earth keeps on spinning and things keep on changing, the Bristlecone Pine stands strong, unmoving - with roots that will outlast every other living thing on this earth. 

How do we cultivate those amazingly deep roots? We walk in the Lord. We hold fast to God's Living Word and immerse ourselves in the grace of Jesus Christ. It's true. Wars rage on, economies collapse, and wealth comes and goes - our victory in Christ stands firm. All we have to do is thrive in it.

This Little Light

Philippians 2:15b ".....in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world."

As the fog rolls in and paints our streets with a damp glow that mutes the sounds around us, I watch the cars slow down as they pass the house. All lit up for Christmas [once we plug in all the cords] a slow parade of neighbors trickles in to take pause at the warm holiday glow. I love Christmas - the season of lights.

More than any other time of the year, Christmas affords people a little more kindness toward one another, a little more grace, and a few more smiles. In the midst of heavy traffic and crazy shopping, there is a slow burning fire of human warmth beating like a steady heart underneath all the chaos. During no other season will you hear people announce that it's time to go look at all the lights.  

Suddenly the choice of music is shared, the choice of decor is celebrated while friends and family dig out old favorite recipes for cookies and eggnog. It's not just a local thing. It's world-wide. It's the ONE thing on this planet shared globally. Even if the season's celebration falls under a different label, people of all beliefs and faiths can drive by to admire the lights. The lights that hang in the fog and "bright" up the night. 

For the first time in ages the Dalton Gang was blessed with the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with my family.  As all of us gathered round the table and stuffed our faces, I couldn't help but the feel the warm beaming in through the windows as the cold Maryland winds rolled up and down the hills around my sister's house. Tiny tots bellowed out in joyous play, silverware brushed up against plates, and a gentle quiet settled over the family clan as mouths munched on tender morsels in palatable bliss - we shared our many, many things for which to be thankful. To my list, I mentally added the gift of light.

In the midst of the crooked where human pain is prevalent beyond these warm walls, there is light. As we move forward through our lives, Jesus shines through us - that is - when we pull back the curtains and let the light beam. That's the key is it not? Pulling back the curtains? Plugging in all the cords when we feel tired or disappointed? We have to keep on keeping on - even when it's cold outside and we'd rather stay inside wrapped up in a warm blanket, enjoying a steaming cup of coffee .... in fact, maybe that's when we are needed the most.

As people push and shove their way through black Friday and Cyber Monday - we are told to DO without grumbling. Philippians 2:14 instructs us to do all things withOUT complaining. As we pull back the curtains and plug in all the cords - the goal isn't to let the warm light IN - but to allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine OUT! We are asked to light up, to brighten the dark and allow people to slow down and look at the lights.  Guided, like moths to a flame, we've been given the precious responsibility of letting our light shine. 

So, this Christmas - let's light up!!  Lets hook in and bright up the night - withOUT grumbling or complaining.