Tummy Trouble

I appreciate your patience and apologize but the blog will not resume until Monday, February 3rd due to illness.  Thank you for understanding.

Thrift Shop Treasures

Numbers 6:26 -- "The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

From the moment our mothers hold us in their arms for the first time to the moment we walk down the isle as a bride or groom, [and even beyond] we are never far from their thoughts. Growing up, I wasn't sure that sentiment rang true all of the time, but now that I have my own two children, I know it's a fact written in stone.

Which is why, I suppose - when mother is out shopping with child - deep within each of us is a hard-wired instinct to turn tail and head in the other direction if we're faced with a very tall and somewhat apposing stranger in a crowded isle of clothing at the thrift shop. The white stubble on his five o'clock shadow bristling over rather dark skin did nothing to soften the edges of the man as I put myself between him and my fifteen year old, while very politely saying; "excuse us, sir" - that we might shuffle past him and head about our merry way.

We had not even reached the shelves of bed linen when the tall dark man stepped  up behind me and whispered: "I'm not a fresh person, but I have to say; whatever that is you're wearing, keep wearing it, girl .... mmmmm." His compliment was actually given to my shoes and even on his dark cheeks I could see the bloom of pink spreading from face to ears. I smiled, looked him in the eye and gave a very heart-felt thank you to this stranger who had just made my entire day by giving me a somewhat bashful compliment on my perfume. [It's Estee Lauder Cinnabar, by the way.] 

I looked at my son and grinned from ear to ear.

The thing is, through the course of our lives there are countless moments when things aren't always what they seem. Case in point; tall dark stranger might not always equal threat to person.

This is why I love the little prayer believed to be written by Noah in the book of Numbers. God is telling Noah to tell his sons how to greet some potentially dangerous strangers. An ounce of courtesy and respect go a long way when meeting a person for the first time, but even more than that - I like that the verse prays peace for the people we might meet. Just imagine how our interactions might change should we greet others in this same manner .... or even silently pray peace for them while we chat?

You never know, if we change the way we greet people, we might find more than a good bargain at the local thrift shop.

All The W's

Luke 1:38 -- "I am the Lord’s servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.' Then the angel left her." 

Passionate about writing, I have dabbled in more than one genre of written literature. One of the basic lessons taught to those who choose reporting - is that one must learn to cover all the W's. That would be the Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Every single article ever written covers some of, if not all of those W's. Without them, there really wouldn't be much of an article.

When current events takes on a different ebb and flow and the topic of interest manages to wind it's way into our personal lives, it's all those pesky W's about which we tend to worry the most. It's difficult to write objectively when the W's have camped in our own living rooms. It also seems to be more difficult to answer all the W's in a concise manner when we aren't sure how the article will wrap-up. We don't always get a happy ending - and sometimes, we don't' get an ending at all until years after the story reared it's confusing head. 

When the news broke [just yesterday, in fact] that there is a very good chance we might be moving again in just four months, all the W's hit me full force, leaving me breathless and more than a little deflated. Since old habits die hard, the first thing I did was send myself into a panic. But then I was reminded [by my awesome sister] that God is STILL in control of my life, and all these W's will be taken care of by Him, just as they always have been. And when my amazing dearest friend and neighbor called later, SHE reminded me that God is not surprised at all that these particular W's have paid a visit. In fact, He might have even arranged for them, Himself.

Now there's a thought!

When Mary was paid a visit by an angle of God to let her know that she was going to have a baby named Jesus even though she'd never known a man,  she had more than one of those W's hit HER full force! - along with several other letters of the alphabet. But Mary didn't stutter out a slew of questions, she didn't argue that her betrothed, Joseph, might not believe her or that the village in which she lived might have her stoned - she simply replied; "I am your servant, may your word to me be fulfilled."

In other words, Mary completely and totally surrendered! Obedient and humble, Mary accepted the angel's message. We know how her interaction with Joseph and her village must have gone after that because we know that she and Joseph were married and she delivered God's son with her hubby at her side. But Mary didn't know any of that when she looked up at the angel and completely obeyed! She didn't know that Joseph would remain with her or that her village wouldn't want her tossed out or maybe even put to death. She had no idea how her own article would wrap-up. She simply trusted God.

Packing a moving truck with boxes that haven't even been unpacked since the last time we moved can very truly NOT compare with an angel telling Mary that she was going to be an unwed mother. And yet, we see her completely step up and own her situation in humility and grace - without so much as a peep of an argument.

If  God can handle THOSE W's ..... what do you be He'll be able to handle mine?

How We're Drawn

Jeremiah 31:3 -- "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." 

Gummy eraser in one hand and Staedtler 2mm HB Carbon lead in the other, I cross-hatch emotion into the anime eye I just put on the face of a cartoon character. It is an amazing connection the artist has with his subject. Life will not be seen in the shades of pencil line until the cartoonist puts it there. With a keen eye and a mind for set detail, I can draw any emotion and/or action into this character that I want. Do I want angry eyes or inquisitive ones? Is the person anxious or adventurous? 

All it takes is a slight change in shade and angle and I create a mood to match the background and set design. Should I desire an evil character, I implement stark shadows and deeper contrast into facial features. If I want a person to look innocent, I open the eyes up and make them more round. Adding big bubbles of light into the retina make the character look child-like and full of wonder.

All of this can be accomplished with a few pencils and a really good eraser. 

In Jeremiah 31:3 we are told that we've been loved with a love no human can fathom. We have been drawn with unfailing kindness. I know the type of drawing mentioned in this verse isn't the same type I use when designing anime characters, but if you think about it, it DOES make total sense. Like an artist, God created humanity using a completely blank canvas - He then poured His love and His kindness into the image, making the character like Him. In Genesis we're told the creation story and how God put "ink to paper" to create something that He deemed good. It's such a beautiful moment. Once there was nothing - and then the love God has inside Him bloomed into everything we know about life.

The truth is, through much of the Bible we can see humanity whimper and whine, complain and argue, and totally loose faith in our Creator. Even today, unwilling to trust, we wonder through this canvas of a world doing our own thing in our own way. I think if one of my characters leaped off the page and began running amuck through the story I've written, I'd probably ball it up and throw it in the trash. He or She is not the writer of this adventure, after all....I am. 

But we see God refuse to do this on numerous occasions. He doesn't give up, chase us around the studio and toss us into the waste basket when we insist on taking the role of writer and producer. No, instead - God loves us with a love so deep, the human brain can't truly grasp it's concept. 

We are very truly drawn with unfailing kindness. 

THAT is an absolutely beautiful thing, indeed!

The Worth Of A Sparrow

Matthew 10: 30-31 -- "And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

The face in the mirror just looked at me with a blank stare, so I adjusted my glasses and tried again. Nope, the same face was there, just looking at me. I leaned in, intent on a deeper study and that's when I noticed the change in my hairline.

Are you kidding me?! It's one thing for me to tell my hubby that I think bald is beautiful when he mentions the steady retreat of HIS hairline, but I'M not suppose to lose my hair! No, this is so very different! 

I sighed deeply and stepped back. Well, getting upset is not going to change things. With that thought in mind, I left the staring face in the mirror and set about getting the day started.

It occurred to me that God knows exactly how many of the hairs that end up in the shower drain belong to me and exactly how many of them belong to Steven. I felt a grin spread across my face. My Creator tells me that I'm worth more than many sparrows, and He knows how many hairs I have left on top of this dome of mine. 

You and I might have a little difficulty trying to imagine the worth of a sparrow. We see them everywhere. They perch in the trees at our grocery stores waiting for customers to drop tasty crumbs. They sing loudly near our windows before our alarms go off and they leave us nasty little gifts on our car tops, just far enough out of reach that it drives us crazy. But when Jesus told his disciples not to be afraid, that they are worth more than many sparrows, he was pointing out that not a single sparrow falls from the sky without God's knowledge. While they may have been sold "two for a penny" God could name each an every one of them. Jesus pointed out - are we not worth more than sparrows?

There are days when I sigh deeply at the number of hairs lodged in the shower drain. Days when my focus is on the total loss. But that is such a trivial worry and a horrible place to put my focus. In the book of Matthew, Jesus was "sending out sheep into the company of wolves" and in his farewell to his beloved disciples, he told them to keep their eyes on the goal and reminded them that there would be bad days ahead.- Or in my silly case, there will be days when the drain seems more full of hair than usual.- He then told his followers that they shouldn't be afraid, because they are precious in the eyes of their Creator.

It just makes me think - what if I didn't focus on the lost things? On the mistakes made in the past or on the number of opportunities I miss to shine for Jesus? What if my focus, like Jesus said in Matthew, remained on the Will of God? Jesus said to his followers - as he sent them on their mission to tell every town about Him - "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet." [Matthew 10:14]

Shake the dust off!! Leave that disappointment/loss/mistake in the dust and move forward! We are worth more than many sparrows. In fact....we are worth so much, that Jesus stretched his arms out wide on the cross for us just to let us come home! We are worth so much, that Jesus gave up his life rather than live without us!

It's Contagious!

II Peter 1:4 -- "...He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

Struggling to focus as the stark, sterile, fluorescent lights whizzed by over-head, I finally got a good bead on a room number just over a door as my taxi-driver-like "chauffeur" raced me down the hallway for yet another CT scan. There was a big yellow sign taped next to the room number that read: "QUARANTINE! gloves and mask required." 


Now, I realize that my head was more than a little fuzzy due to the cocktail in the IV drip hanging from my arm, but I couldn't help but wonder what contagion warranted the bright yellow sign for the room a few doors down from mine own. Was the person alright? How long had they been in there before I arrived? ...and an even BIGGER question poked through the drug induced fog swirling around in my noggin' .... how did the hospital personnel escape nasty little contagions that hitched rides on in-coming patients? How in the world do they NOT come down with EVERYTHING inadvertently welcomed through the automatic glass doors?

Well, believe it or not, there IS a certain amount of protection that comes from working in a medical facility and the bright yellow sign on the door mentioned two items that make up medical armor: gloves and a mask. The donning of these things may seem simple, but it's amazing the huge amount of protection one can have just from slipping them on.

It works the very same way for us. On a daily basis, we are bombarded by nasty little potentially hazardous spiritual contagions. I Peter calls it - corruption caused by evil desires. - Not unlike an emergency room, our lives can become a little chaotic trying to juggle all the things that come in through the door,  but WE have been given precious protection in the promises given to us by Jesus Christ. Our gloves and mask have been graciously provided. Now, all decked out in our armor - what if - WE could spread a little contagion all our own?

Well, now there's a thought!! I Peter says that we've been given GREAT and PRECIOUS promises so that through them we may PARTICIPATE!! That's right! We have been granted the means to escape the IN-coming nasty little contagions .... now let's get out there and PARTICIPATE!! Let's spread a little bit of our own highly contagious offense!! These great and precious promises can be shared!

After all, JOY can be spread just as easily as can anger or hatred, no?

Keeper Of The Flame

Psalm 56: 13 -- "For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life."

In the night that stretches out as black as pitch with nothing but the waves and indigenous birds for company, Les Stroud, a.k.a. Survivorman, tosses and turns in a hopeless attempt to get some rest. But there is no true rest when much of the night must be used to keep the flame burning in a small pit-fire. Fitful bursts of shut-eye don't provide much time for personal batteries to recharge because one eye must always be on the fire. It mustn't go out. Without the convenience of a lighter or flint, if the flame dies, great effort must be put into trying to ignite another one. When energy banks are already below the negative mark, it's beneficial to use what little one has left to hunt for food and fresh water.

The flame is a life-saver. It's warmth where there is no blanket. It's light where there is no flashlight or candle. It's a source of energy to boil water or to cook what little food one might find or catch, and the smoke keeps blood sucking insects at bay. In a survivor situation, the flame is very truly vital - not only a physical necessity, but a beacon of hope to keep one's feet on solid ground. It's survival. One must keep the flame. And in Les's case, he's the only one out there to do the job. It's safe to say, he's got his work cut out for him.

We are far more fortunate, you and I. We have infinite access to the real Keeper Of The Flame - the life giving light from a brilliant spark that will never go out. In our case, the work is already done, we need but to bask in the warm glow of Salvation and cling to the light that will keep our feet from stumbling.

In the time of David, when this Psalm was written, feet were everything. Light was everything. There were no cars, bicycles, skateboards - or other easy means of travel. One had feet. Be they human or animal-of-burden, if our feet were to stumble and become prey to injury - a twisted ankle or a blister - travel suddenly became a whole lot more difficult. And in the darkness where cities were farther spread across the map without the benefit of interstates dotted with high solar light panels - stumbling was a very real threat to the progress of a journey. One couldn't simply whip out an LED pocket light and check the path ahead. No, one had to light a fire to keep the edges of the dark at bay. It was vital to keep the flame.

While our modern journeys may be a lot more convenient than conventional travel in the time of David, a well-lit path is no less vital. The same can be said of our life-walk with our Lord. Maneuvering from point A to point B in our spiritual path can be harrowing if the road is not properly lit. 

Want a well-lit path? Are you in need of that beacon of hope to pin-point your way home? Daily focus on the Flame. There is but ONE WORD needed in life to keep our feet from stumbling. David knew what it was. And really, so do we. God's WORD. 

Anchor there, my friend - in the true, never-ending light from THE Keeper Of The Flame.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Photo: The Orchard by Kelly Babb Dalton

Jeremiah 29:12 -- "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."

Like most of the good people on planet Earth, I find that home tends to be more about the people living in it than it really is about the structure and location. Nothing quite says HOME like the busy din of a hectic and humming kitchen, squeals and giggles from toddlers running through with bare feet, stories that embellish "the good 'ole days", and the crazy comfort that comes from the energized collection of familiar voices - the crescendo of which can reach a fevered pitch so loud you can barely hear yourself think. Over the years I have learned to compete for "air space" like a pro and can project my personal contribution to this heart-warming loud with the best of them. I would not trade this cacophony for any amount of money in the entire world. It's a joyful kind of crazy.

I would, however, be lying if I said that I always enjoy these chaotic visits to the homes in which my immediate and extended families gather. There is something to be said for a few moments of stolen quiet, where the stillness is so complete that I can hear the blood coursing through my veins with every heart-beat. There are times when I enjoy a gentle conversation where full attention is paid by all participants. Yes, there are moments when I rather enjoy finishing my sentences without being interrupted to the point that those around me have forgotten I was ever speaking. These precious gifts are sometimes few and far between - making the nectar of them even sweeter and more golden.

I couldn't help but think about those moments when I read Jeremiah 29:12. How very precious it is to know that when I speak to my Father, He ALWAYS listens to me.  He hears every single word.  

Even more amazing? He hears the words that I am unable to speak. Deep inside when sentences just won't form and the thoughts jumble together into a tangled unspoken mess - when there is a struggle, or a victory, or a concern, or a battle that leaves me tongue-tied - my Father hears me. ALWAYS!

What a very purely beautiful and generous gift.

The Whale Beneath Me

Isaiah 40:30-31 -- "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." 

When my guys were little, a favorite topic for all manner of media was the unbelievably huge dinosaurs that once roamed this planet of ours. They could name several - even some of which I had never heard and STILL cannot pronounce. It never ceased to amaze that my two ankle-biters could remember difficult Latin sounding names of animals no human has ever even seen, but then score "lazy" on a spelling test or a math exam. I learned very early on in our home-based education adventure that I could disguise math facts in the rumply skin of an ancient lizard, and the boys would hardly notice they were actually learning. 

I owe a great deal to the long-dead behemoths. 

One interesting little tid-bit of information caught the boys' attention as they grew into a genuine interest for education - our fossilized friends of eons past were NOT the largest animals to ever live on this earth. Nope, that honor and CURRENT title belongs to The Great Blue Whale.

Now, I have yet to enjoy the somewhat terrible pleasure that must come from meeting a Blue Whale face to face - so it's difficult for me to imagine that they out-girth the dinosaurs. AND - having this "size-mick" information tucked away in my mental library helped to generate some surprise when I learned that the biggest baby ever to be born - actually struggles a great deal to make it to maturity. Really? Does size not account for automatic and unflappable protection?

Nope. It doesn't.

In fact, these precious new-born giants begin their lives in warm waters, but, since krill - a.k.a. Blue Whale Food - don't live in these cozy, temperate nurseries, after a few short weeks Momma and new-born have to swim some pretty incredible distances for a bite of lunch. While Mom is equipped with expert-level swim fins, Junior has yet to grow into his aquatic graces. It is for this very reason that Momma places her ample body underneath her calf as they swim back home to frigid Arctic waters. If she didn't make her journey swimming just underneath her bouncing bundle of joy, he would drown. Her support provides a place for him to float, rest, and catch his breath. His very first "road" trip would certainly be his last if Mom weren't there to carry him when he's too tired to keep moving forward. 

If their size boggles the mind - just the heart of an adult Blue Whale is the size of  a VW Beetle - it absolutely shocks to think that an animal created to live in the ocean is vulnerable to drowning. [Crazy!]. 

With the sweet and heart-warming image of a mother providing a living life raft to her baby swimmer, there came a gentle reminder that WE have that kind of hope and respite in our Lord. We are not making this tiresome swim - so often fraught with danger - completely on our own. 

Like a new born Blue Whale growing into his muscles, God knows we have yet to grow into our spiritual armor. We are SOOO not ready to battle our enemy alone! Even veteran prayer warriors stumble now and then, so it should come as no surprise that you and I get smacked with a tired that renders us immobile from time to time. But since our hope is in Jesus Christ, we CAN stop and float on His unwavering strength. HE is NEVER going to tire out. 

Isaiah 40:28-29 galvanizes our Hope. It reads:  "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

I'm  covered. My eternal hope is knowing that I don't have to swim a vast and icy expanse of perilous water where-in I might tire and drown. Nope, I have the whale beneath me. The Whale of all Whales. THE Great Blue Whale - the CREATOR - of the Great Blue Whale, even!