The Tens Have It

Titus 3:8 -- "This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.  These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."

image: gettyimages

That tight spot right in the middle of my forehead began to throb as I zeroed in on the pages of my algebra book. I'd been at my homework for hours and could not - for the life of me - figure any of it out. When I look at a page of math problems that go beyond the scope and understanding of basic multiplication - I might as well be trying to read Greek prose in Chinese. I know, that sounds funny - but I'm not kidding.

Math and I get along like oil and water. And there are times - especially as a mother who homeschooled both boys through all but two grades - when anything more than numbering a page for a grocery list is just not gonna' happen. I will literally break out into sweats when somebody mentions a math test.

For the longest time in school and for a period after graduation I stressed at my complete lack of ability to grasp mathematic patterns and concepts. Never mind that I more than excelled in honors history, English literature, and Creative Writing......that stinkin' math class was the only thing on which I could focus! There were even certain jobs for which I refused to apply just in case the employer asked me a math question!

Can you imagine?

I bet you can. Because each of us has a thing on which we focus when we mess up or simply cannot seem to succeed. We may be total tens at painting, or wood carving, or cooking, or singing - but we can't see past the low score of a two or three on that ONE something at which we do not excel.

Ever feel that way?

In our family - I am terrible at setting a budget. I'm even worse at sticking to one. It took YEARS of frustrating and horrible results for me to finally accept the fact that the family finances are not my strong suit - and learned to hand that whole ball of wax over to my husband. All that time I was struggling so hard to turn my lousy score of 1 to a measly improved score of 4 [that's being generous] in the budgeting department - I COULD have been focusing on the things in which I totally score a ten. I'm an excellent cook! I can score a bargain the likes of which you've never seen at a thrift store! I can sing an amazing alto in the church choir. I can come up with a pretty darn good tale if I want to and have a pretty good knack for encouraging others. All of those things for which I am grateful and WITH which I can serve God went sadly neglected for several years because I couldn't see past my budgeting failure.

Ya know what? Human beings have been struggling with this failure obsession for EONS! In fact, in Paul's letter to Titus - he expresses his deep desire to teach others to continue working on the GOOD things in their lives. He asks that fellow believers are careful to devote themselves to that which is good.

He makes a good point, here. How often did I neglect to encourage others because I had allowed myself to become deeply depressed over something so mundane as family budgeting? Probably quite often, I'm sad to say.

But it doesn't have to remain that way, does it?

Something keeping you up at night? Is there a thing at which you cannot excel and it's driving you so crazy you can't see past it?

Drop it. Instead - look at the wonderful things with which God has given you great success and an amazing knack!! Excel in those good, good things and use them to serve the Lord. That's what God wants from you. He doesn't need you to be perfect and He doesn't need you to be great at everything. Just serve Him with all of your tens!

The Popcorn Fire

Proverbs 17:27 -- "A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered."

 

 

image: pittsburgh.cbslocal.com

It took several seconds of blinking rapidly before my brain finally registered that there were flames licking up toward the ceiling from the pot of hot oil on the stove. When the smoke alarm starting to scream, my sister, Karla, ran into the kitchen to see what was going on. Before I could even open my mouth she grabbed the pot and threw it into the sink - and - turned the cold water on.

NOOOOOOOO!

Inside my head I was quick enough with my thoughts to tell her NOT to do that since we were dealing with a grease fire. But alas - I was NOT actually fast enough and before I knew it, flaming oil had splashed out of the pan and onto the sides of the sink and the counter tops. Well - now what?! I couldn't get to the pot lid because the flaming pot was sitting on top of it.....

Thank goodness our Mom didn't have kitchen curtains.

By the time the Dickson County volunteer fire department left with their big fans and humorless expressions, it was apparent that the kitchen was going to need to be repainted. But thank our good Lord - that was ALL. And it was the smoke that had done all the damage. Nothing actually caught the flames to successfully ignite anything else in the kitchen.

The thing is - just on the inside of twenty - Karla and I both really KNEW how to handle a grease fire. Panic left us prone to take some pretty - we'll say, ungraceful - actions. Cool-headed, even-tempered heads COULD have prevailed....

You would not believe the number of times in my life when my actions have allowed an easily avoidable popcorn fire.

Why did I say that? What in the world was I thinking? What made me do that stupid thing that I just did? What possible good could come from the words that just left my lips?

Thank you, Lord - You left us with The Holy Spirit!! Fill me up with your discernment, Father - and create within me and even-tempered human being. Guide me in the grace of Your knowledge.




































































1222

Computer Trouble --

For a little more than a week now I've had some pretty major computer issues. I appreciate your patience as I've attempted to sort them up. I THINK - things are back up and running now - so new blog posts will continue as of tomorrow, June 23rd.

Again I thank you for your patience and am so very grateful to you for reading. I apologize for any inconvenience.

God Bless,
Kelly Dalton

From A To B

Proverbs 3:6 -- "In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight."

Adjusting my vision in an attempt to make out the numbers on my phone screen in the very bright sunshine, I blew out a breath when the posted temperature on my weather app read 92 degrees. Just short of a light jog, I tried to increase my pace so as not to be late for a doctor's appointment. Ordinarily, I enjoyed my walks and bike rides from point A to point B - but in the heavy heat it was all I could do to make my legs keep pumping. It was just too hot.

The one thing that kept running through my sizzling brain was: if the way to the medical building was straight, I'd be there in no time. After all - don't we learn early on in Math class that the shortest distance from A to B is a straight line? But up ahead of me I could see the sidewalk twist and turn and take sharp corners ... ugh. At least, I thought to myself, I could treat myself to Starbucks after my appointment - there is one just next door to my doctor's office.

In spite of all my wishing - there was just no way I could make the sidewalk straighten out to shorten my walk. But - I DO know of One who can straighten the pathways of my life if I remain focused on Him. And amid the beating rays of sun hitting the top of my head, I smiled to myself in gratitude.

Proverbs 3:6 reminds us that if we keep our eyes on Jesus - He will make our paths straight. That's no small thing when you think about it. How often do we find ourselves lost among the winding roads of life - seemingly caught in the mire as we try to navigate through tricky turns and upturned roots? If only we had a life map. . .

While we don't always have the luxury of things being neatly mapped out for us - we DO have access to THE Navigator. Able to see EVERYTHING, God will get us from point A to point B in a manner that keeps our best interest at heart. THAT is awesome!! We just need to keep our eyes on Him.

Thank you, Jesus - for knowing my path, for loving me enough to keep me on it - and for the love and forgiveness you bestow on me when I stray and get tangled up in the flotsam.

Worm Sign!

Genesis 18:13-14 -- "The the Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "will I really have a child, now that I am old?" Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a Son.' "

image: clipartpal.com

The look on actor Patrick Stewart's face was never more intense than it was when he looked out of the chopper window down on Arakis to witness plumes of dust leap out into a desert sky. In the movie adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune - the plume and bulging sands beneath were a sign that they'd found a giant subterranean worm. Exciting and devastating for the characters in the movie because the worm produced the thing they were obsessively mining - but it also caused the death of many mine workers by leaving the mine in complete ruins after savagely attacking it.

"Worm sign" Patrick says - as he sees the golden sands billow out into the air.

There are often times in my life when I pray that the Lord show me very clearly the path upon which He wishes me to tread. But the signs I seek aren't always as clear as the ones given by worms on Arakis. In fact, sometimes I wonder if I've missed them all together - simply because I wasn't paying attention.

When three men visited Abraham at his tent in the book of Genesis, he met and greeted them according to polite social tradition - but I don't think it was obvious to him right away that he was greeting messengers from God. It took him a few moments to recognize them for what they were and for Whom they spoke. Sarah, on the other hand - never caught on. In fact, not only did she NOT believe what the men said to Abraham, but she lied strait to their faces when she denied laughing at their message. 

If she'd really grasped the significance and importance of her visitors - would she have behaved the way she did?

I'm thinking - probably not.

Do we pay attention today? In our most desperate prayers when we ask God to give us a sign - do we REALLY believe that we'll get one? Or do we miss seeing the forest for the trees?

The truth is - God shows us things He wants us to see every single day. Just look around! Things are moving quickly on this old blue marble - are we missing the significance of some of them as the days whiz by us? Do we take some signs for granted? Or do we outright find some of them laughable, like Sarah?

We might not outright see Worm Sign - but rest assured, God's voice IS all around us, and very much like he told Abraham - His son WILL be coming back at the appointed time. 

Are we ready?

Dominos

II Corinthians 9:12 -- "This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God."

Sometimes, the small things we do have very large impacts ....

With each footstep the pebbles in the concrete-mix stair way seemed more abrasive - the toddler in my arms seemed heavier - while the purse hanging from my forearm seemed lighter. It wasn't that Brian had grown in the last five steps up to my little government subsidized apartment, or that my paycheck somehow shrank from the time I got out of the car to the time I reached the top of the stairs - it was just that - I knew that once I got to the door, the emptiness behind it would feel almost too heavy for me to carry alone. I was beginning to understand why divorce wasn't in God's perfect plan for people.


Single parenthood wasn't either.


When I finally raised my eyes from the tops of my shoes I was surprised to find several brown paper bags FILLED to the brim with groceries - sitting just in front of my apartment door. What?! Where in the world did they come from?


Once the initial shock of total surprise ebbed away and my senses returned to normal I startled little Brian - and all of my neighbors - by yelling out a truly heart felt [if not obnoxious] thank you, Lord!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord!!!


And yes, I DID receive a number of loudly expressed sentiments in return as neighbors shouted back at me - not all of them nice and most of them colorful. But those were worth it, because my fellow single parent from across the way stuck her head out of her doorway to check on me. [We kind of kept an eye on each other.] "What is up with you?" she asked.


Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you - window of opportunity!


For the next several minutes I excitedly shared with her many of the prayers I'd spoken through out sleepless nights and rejoiced in her presence as I showed her the provisions of the Lord. I was able to share God's love along with some of my gifted groceries.

I don't really know who left the groceries at my door step, and I be THEY don't know the domino effect their small act of kindness had on my little apartment complex. But my neighbor was able to witness my effervescent thankfulness as I rejoiced in the glory of the Lord. Her excitement brought out other neighbors and SHE told THEM about it .... and on it went - like dominos.

You and I might never know the true effect we have when we serve our Father. Sometimes the little things we do seem like - well, little things. But more often than we realize - those little things have a growing and lasting impact on needy souls around us.

Food for thought.

Here I am to Worship

Philippians 2:8 -- "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" 

When the notification bubble popped on my phone it was all I could do to make myself pick it up and check to see from which social media whatever I had received the update.  To be honest, I'd had enough of the Duggars, Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner, and why Goldie Hawn feels her relationship of 32years with Kurt Russell doesn't need to be bound in holy - God-instructed - matrimony.

image: servantcc.org

But it wasn't a social media whatever vying for my attention. Instead - through one squinted eye daring to peek at the screen - I learned that it was my daily e-mail from Bible Gateway with the day's Bible verse and devotional. I smiled in relief.

In an interview with Tim Hughes, the NIV Worship Together Bible published that Tim had a hard time coming up with the lyrics to his song Here I Am To Worship. Tim shared that it took him more than six months to complete the song because he found himself stuck on the chorus. He'd been focusing on Philippians 2 and the humility of Jesus Christ. While the verses of the song came easily for him he said it took him quite a while to come up with a good chorus because: “I began to ask, ‘How are we going to respond to Christ’s great sacrifice on the cross?’ Do we bow down? Do we scream out? Sometimes we don’t know how to respond, even though we desperately want to.”

Now THAT's the truth! In the face of so many UN-Christian media events taking place across the globe - there seem to be crickets singing when it comes to relaying the biggest, most important news of all - that ALL of those things in the spotlight have been forgiven. And Tim Hughes has it exactly right when he says in his lyrics that I'll never know exactly what it cost to see my sin up there on that cross, covered by the blood of Jesus. I will NEVER be able to comprehend that.

So how do I respond? Do I blog about all that's wrong with Jenner's sex change? Do I fume about the things done in the darkest of shadows in the Duggar home?

OR - do I raise my hands toward Heaven - and simply worship my God? I AM here to worship. Today - I refuse to allow sin any more attention. I absolutely turn my focus on Jesus. Perhaps, God wants to hear the sweet notes of worship in the midst of so many UGLY noises.

Martha, Martha, Martha

Luke 10:41-42 -- "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

The din in the congregation hall began to increase as the people within it stood and started to mingle. We'd just finished one of my favorite hymns, Just As I Am, at the end of Sunday Worship and my heart swelled with the warm, satisfied comfort that comes from having just been spiritually fed.

image: huffingtonpost.com

In my hand I clutched a purple envelope and began to scan the crowd for a dear friend - so I could give her a birthday card. Before I could get to the other side of the sanctuary and head out the doors, however, my friend vanished through them and I was hard-pressed to keep up with her. Squinting into the bright Florida sunshine as I reached the parking lot, I hit the black top at a near run in order to find Wendy before she reached her car - but alas - I was not in time. Away she drove into the Kingsley Blvd. traffic. I would have to wait and put her card in the mail. I knew she would still be happy when she received her card - it would just be late.

In Luke chapter 10 we see two women as they received a visit from Jesus. Of the two, Mary was richly blessed by fellowship. As we read these verses we see that her sister, Martha, wasn't denied this blessing due to a lack of will that she should receive it - but instead missed out on time with Jesus because she was busy. She didn't sit still and listen - but maintained an intense focus on the things she felt she needed to do to make her visit with Jesus just right. Through this scenario, we learn along with Martha, that in order to receive blessings from Jesus - we need to put our focus on HIM so He can give them to us. How can we really receive from Him if we don't slow down and pay attention?

Like my illusive friend at the end of a church service, we sometimes miss out on things the Lord has in store for us because we have other priorities. In Luke, however - we are reminded that the REAL priority - the RIGHT priority - is always time with Jesus.

I've been guilty lately of missing out on these moments with my Savior. I tell myself that I'm too tired, or in too much pain, or too busy to set time aside to celebrate and worship my Lord on Sunday mornings in the presence of fellow believers. But today I was reminded of what Jesus said to Martha - there is only one important thing - I need to choose what is better and make Sunday Services a priority. How can I receive blessings from my Lord if I don't take the time needed to receive them?