Month: March 2018

Sunday Stories, March 11, 2018

This is the complete, unauthorized accounting of my daughters’ response to perfect parenting. I suspect neither one of them reads my blog, which frees me to be totally biased and opinionated about things I could just leave alone, but won’t.

I gave birth to two exceptionally intelligent, strong and beautiful daughters.  From the moment they first drew breath I knew they were just what the world had been waiting for.  Naturally, I  made plans, followed by plans for the plans.  My vicarious dreams had no boundaries. Lucky for them, I had it all under control.

AND THEN……

Somewhere between the terrible twos and Kindergarten they demonstrated in action and deed, they were not in accord with my agenda. Thing 1 had no interest in looking like a catalogue mannequin every time she stepped out of the front door.  Thing 2 had no desire to engage in the many perfect playdates I choreographed. They each had a free will and they weren’t afraid to use it.

As Things 1 and 2 grew and matured I began to see the indelible blend of DNA on their personalities.  SCARY!!  Amongst all their talent and grace, they were a lot like their father and I. I did everything in my power to stop this generational spiral. They were meant to be greater than us, not like us!

AND THEN……

My children became ordinary.  Thing 1 spends hours in the dirt. She hated school, mornings, clothes that touched her funny and most anything else I consider moderately civilized. Thing 2 loves education, logic, order and the arts, but she can be annoying with her perfectionism. Still they had great potential to make their mother and father look like a really great parents if they would just cooperate!

AND THEN……

One sleepless night my adolescent child and her younger sister cried the tears of hopelessness.  They discovered vicious people take the lives of innocents and it’s hard to discern between friend or foe.  Terrified, they wanted all of us to stay close to home and create a cloistered world of surety and safety. 

AND THEN…….

I knew I had to build faith, not walls, not success, not grandeur, just a simple faith in the One that created them, loves them most and knows best.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Lamentations 3:22-23

These children of mine, so much like me, struggling with anxiety and depression, wondering if all their dreams will come true or whether life is vain, just as I did and still do, need only Jesus. I have great confidence that the God who found me in my despair will always be available to them in the same comforting and sustaining way and they will figure it out because….they really are exceptional in every way! And your children are too.

AND THEN…….

I look upon my girls and say, “Thank you!” followed with, “What were You thinking?” because they are brave, bold, and adventurous and I sometimes wish I had built those walls…….but not really.

Love,

Gretchen

Saturday, March 10, 2018

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people. Ephesians 1:18

The focus of Ephesians is the character of the Church.  It is believed to have been a letter written by Paul, a prisoner in Rome, as a circular to many churches in the Ephesus area. These words from their very first writing were meant to give encouragement and show gratitude for Christian fellowship among those facing difficult circumstances in their daily faith journey.

The gift of salvation is just the beginning. Accessing the power of the resurrection and bringing Heaven to earth is what the church is called to do. 

Happy Weekend!

Gretchen

Friday, March 9, 2018

But they shouted, “Take Him away! Take Him away! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify you king?” Pilate asked, “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. John 19:15

The determination of mankind to halt God’s work of Grace is astounding. God’s infinite persistence to continually offer Grace is amazing!

The Sanhedrin was the ruling court for the Jewish people of Judea/Jerusalem. It had great power over civil issues, but was subject to Roman governors. This counsel consisted of elders, lawyers, Pharisees and Sadducees.  These men were far more interested in protecting their cultural and monetary advantages than acknowledging that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus’ trial was highly unusual and technically invalid according to Jewish law!  There were no witnesses, it was done in the dark of night and the death sentence was pronounced and carried out immediately when the law says there is a waiting period of at least a day.

The offense Jesus was charged with was blasphemy, claiming He was the Son of God.  The very evidence that He was and is God’s Heir is what got the Jewish authority so angry and anxious about their own future.  Rome didn’t care who Jesus said He was so the Sanhedrin concocted the charge of sedition, the act of creating an uprising against the state. Still, Rome wasn’t all that worried, but the Jews would not stop until they forced the Roman judicial system to over look normal protocols and carry out the death sentence they wanted.

Evil was exhaustively determined to rid the world of this man called Jesus.  BUT!!!! The Good News, The Gospel……is the rest of the story, AN EMPTY TOMB and life everlasting!

Have a Lovely Friday!

Gretchen 

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18

In ancient times, the colors scarlet and crimson were fast.  If you have ever washed your whitie-tighties with a red sweater, you know you are doomed to wear pink undies into the foreseeable future. A number of products promise to restore your unmentionables to pristine perfection, but the scar of red tint is never completely gone. Nothing was different in Biblical times. These words illustrate that only God’s miraculous power can make things new.

Humans are born with the urge to have their own way at any and every cost! Isaiah begins his call as a prophet with a vision that shows just how badly man has drifted away from the One who created them in His own image. These entitled covenant people offered platitudes through meaningless prayers and sacrifice.  They practice empty worship thinking they will fool God by camouflaging their hearts. How offensive to the One who designed them to live in peace and joy at no expense except obedience. Yet, He is ever willing to intervene in for man’s corrupted heart and wash away the stain and scar of sin.

God says to Isaiah, “Come now, lets put this to rest!”  Those who continue in their disrespect and sin will be removed from the presence of God, those whose hope and trust is in the LORD will be saved.

Have a Terrific Thursday!

Gretchen

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things whether things on earth or things in Heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20

Paul defines Christ as The Image of the Invisible God, First Born of all Creation, Creator of All Things, Infinite, Designer of the Universe, Head of the Church, Peace Maker, and The Fullness of God. To be made full means to be brought to perfection. Jesus is the Perfect representation of a Perfect God.

We live in a broken world. Governments don’t serve people, families hurt one another, communities are twisted into personal agendas, and the world’s message is “Me first” rather than “Love thy neighbor.” Except! Christ, the fullness of God’s Glory, came to restore the perfect relationship between man and God. While earth’s principalities, from corporate to patriarchal to governmental, are wreaking havoc for a populous that has no voice, God is at work weaving personal peace for each one of us, and robbing death of its victim.

Every age has had its devastation and hopelessness.  The people of Colossae’s church struggled with the same crisis you and I see each day. They felt threatened and anguished, but Paul delivered the news he knew first hand, God is in the business of salvation, not destruction.

Have a Victorious Wednesday!

Gretchen

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

God’s gift to the world: Love. Grace is unmerited favor, worthiness you have not earned. It is not a barter of equal give and take. It is your get out of hell free card and all you have to do is reach out in faith and take it. Grace is the manifestation of God’s kindness, His choice to love always, anyways, every man, every where.

Carnal man seizes credit for anything he can, then turns it to his advantage over another.  This is the complete antithesis of God’s abounding love.  God alone is able to save, not man’s talents or endeavors and God does so because He choses to. 

It is a great temptation to exhaust ourselves attempting to be worthy of man’s standards. Hint: Man will never be satisfied with you, but God was the moment He wove you together in your mother’s womb.  Seek to honor His love. It is by His grace alone that you are saved.

Love,

Gretchen

Monday, March 5, 2018

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. Psalms 146:5

The last four hymns in the Bible’s song book are called the Hallelujah Psalms.  Psalm 146 is the first of these. 

Jacob’s early years are marked by total lack of integrity and complete self indulgence.  There were consequences for his behavior, the greatest of which was total separation from all that he loved and gave him security. On a lonely night with nothing but the stars to keep him company, Jacob had an encounter with God.  The God that made a covenant with his grandfather Abraham made the same covenant with him.  His descendants would number the stars and bless all nations. Abraham’s God became Jacob’s personal Lord, faithful and loving.

Our only hope is in the same God that provided abundantly for David, Abraham and Jacob.  He is generous and kind.  This Psalm is sung today in both contemporary and traditional worship settings.  Find a tune and fill your day with praise.

Love,

Gretchen

Sunday Stories, March 4, 2018

Current events are not something I have ever brought to my blog, but this week my very wise father comforted me with perspective that only time allows. This story is longer than most, but its purpose is to bring hope and peace to confused and tremulous hearts and minds.
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

 

 

The recent Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida has again opened a wound in our nation that defies our most vigorous efforts to stitch, dress and heal.  The wound is deep, so deep, in fact, that the pain is not only an experience on the personal level of families of the victims but of all caring citizens all the way to the POTUS.  Immediately following the event, blame and possible solutions begin to fly from every sector.  All the Noise (news) Networks with their talking heads offered their diagnosis and treatment based on their political agenda and/or viewpoint. 

 

Among the comments and rants, there were many who sincerely offered words of condolence for such an unthinkable tragedy.  Anyone’s attempt to allay pain with words finds it an almost impossible task in the face of such a horrendous act.  Every attempt falls short.  That does not mean that the attempt should not be made.  God bless all the tender-hearted and caring people who spoke words publicly in empathy with those who were the victims.  The most common and sincere expression was “We are sending our thoughts and prayers.”  What more can be said that might be therapeutic?  This writer is at a loss to come up with anything better that would be acceptable for public dissemination.   These words were not intended to circumvent social action and change, but were directed to those most severely affected by the pain of grief and loss.

 

For dramatic effect, cameras and microphones where focused on anonymous bystanders for comments that some producer thought worthy of viewing by an anxious and vulnerable public. One such comment that was screamed and consequently broadcast: “We don’t need thoughts and prayers, we need action” followed by whatever prescription the speaker wanted to voice.  It is not my intention to join the fray and make judgments about possible solutions to what has become epidemic in our nation.  It is my intention, however, to express my dismay and broken heart at the very public repudiation and rejection of thoughts and prayers as a viable factor in our national crisis and response.

 

I have been thinking some thoughts about “thoughts.”  In my lifetime, I have come into contact with various theories of the power of the mind and the ability to communicate via mental waves.  It is called “telepathy” which means “the communication of one mind to another by extrasensory means.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)  For the sake of honesty, I do not know exactly which discipline of science is responsible for this study.  It must be somewhere in the broad spectrum between psychology and VOODOO.   Consequently, I cannot speak with even a modicum of authority on the subject.  I can relate to a quote that (I think)  is ascribed to the late cowboy philosopher, Will Rogers, “Most of what I know is hearsay.”  I have heard many apparently sane people speak of mental communication experiences with others that seem to have no other explanation outside of a mysterious power.  Let’s just leave it at that.  But….

 

 

I know by personal experience there is tremendous healing power in having a host of friends who sincerely and thoughtfully remember you in whatever predicament you may find yourself.  Expressions of sympathy in a moment of grief are healing.  To have someone come beside you with a loving expression in your time of trouble, faltering and inadequate though it may be, is priceless.  I’ll take those “thoughts” any day. 
They are not….well….nothing….they are really something! It gives me a case of the “warm fuzzies” just to think about it.

 

And what can I say about prayers?  For those who don’t pray or believe in prayer, nothing really can be said.  But for a world of people who, like me, believe big and understand little, we are going to pray on and for whatever occasion.   As is the case with my lack of knowledge of just how thoughts have mysterious power,  I confess there is a “knowledge gap” in prayer also.   The more I learn about prayer, the less I understand.  I was born in a home where prayer was a daily family activity.  I was taught to pray at home and in church.  I have heard long prayers, short prayers, loud prayers, hard prayers (I’ve never understood what “praying hard” means),  written prayers and extemporaneous prayers.  Our Lord prayed and taught us to pray.  St. Paul prayed and challenged us to “pray without ceasing.”  I have preached on prayer based on what the Bible teaches.  I’ve read numerous books on prayer  by good writers with sound reasoning .    Where am I now in relation to prayer?   I just pray.  Every day.  Any time.  Any where.  For anybody.  For anything….yes, even the small stuff.  It must have worked in my life because all I have to do is look around me and see that my life is bulging with blessings. The prayers , especially by others who have prayed for me, are about the only explanation I can give.

 

Let me do the “preacherly” thing and conclude with an illustration.  It may seem a bit off the wall at first but stick with me.  Some things fascinate me to no end.  One of them is the migration of flying creatures.  The blackbirds in fall come in swarms,  sometimes reaching as far as one can see in both directions.  Especially fascinating is to watch them late in the evening.  They are making configurations in sky to rival a kaleidoscope.  The directions, formations and precision is simply amazing.  In all that mass, some of them surely should be bumping into others and causing catastrophic results.  I’ve never seen it happen.  My question – which bird is in charge here?  Is it follow the leader?  Was there a choreographed plan for this aerial dance?  Was there a rehearsal before they left their summer nesting  area.  And that old gander at the head of the “V” formation of geese headed north in the night sky.  Is he on a higher pay scale than the others?  Was he elected by a majority vote?  Where is his GPS?  Where and when does he get his weather reports.  Is he on the Julian or the Gregorian calendar?

 

 By now you’re saying,, “Surly you jest!”  And, yes, I am a bit only to make a point.  A simple explanation that satisfies me until I get a better one is that they, as a flock, are in touch with something that we can’t understand.  Their cooperation and precision is a mystery but oh, so effective.  Oh! that the family of man could be in touch with a Spirit that would bring us together, engender a spirit of cooperation,  equip us with wisdom that is beyond our personal political and social preferences and heal our land and people!  Oh! that there would be a “Balm in Gilead” for the sin-sick soul!

 

 I know that to the unbeliever this is a futile exercise in idealism and radical faith.  But so far, our efforts via laws and regulations, etc., have failed us.  Maybe it’s time we all got together and send our thoughts and prayers.

 

Still thinking good thoughts and praying,

 

Bryan Jones

 

 

Saturday, March 3, 2018

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand.  John 10:28

If you read verses 1-21 you see Jesus likened to a loving shepherd that provides perfect care and security to His flock. In 22-39 you see the behavior of those who really want Jesus to be the long awaited Messiah, but on their terms, meeting their expectations. They become angry to the point of murder when they don’t get their way!  Jesus is unaffected by the temper tantrums but assures these hostile hearers, of the hope for those who believe with no strings attached.

Just believe.  Easily said, tough to live! As for me, there is a constant struggle over who is the boss of whom!  I know best what I need and how I need it, if God would just listen!  Crazy I know. Jesus the Good Shepherd, the correct and perfect Messiah, Lamb of God, the One I must trust and believe, is all knowing and all loving.  I am safe in His wisdom and care.

If you have created God in your likeness, you will never be satisfied, only anxious and resentful. Just be a dumb and helpless sheep. The greenest grass, calmest waters and warmest barns ….in other words, peace and tranquility…..await. 

Have a Restful Weekend,

Gretchen

Friday, March 2, 2018

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  Colossians 3:1-3

The theme of Colossians is the All-Sufficiency of Christ. His death sealed the victory over eternity. Sin and satan’s power will never have the last word!  Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t just an event in His history, but also, those who choose to believe, you and me.  It is our resurrection too. 

Many years ago a young man proposed to me.  I said, “Yes!” At that moment, my heart dwelt in the home we would someday share. Even though it would be several months before we became husband and wife and lived under the same roof, my thoughts, dreams and actions were wrapped up in the day I would change my name and address.  My soul knew where home was and the rest of me acted accordingly.

Heaven’s move-in day may be unannounced, but the house is ready, furnished and well stocked for all the ages to come, so act as though you already live there! 

Love,

Gretchen