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When you begin to think you are the center of the universe God sends a servant’s heart your way to show you that you are not. And if you’re lucky, they’ll stay and become your friend and the world becomes a better place.  Here is a beautiful testimony from one of the kindest hearts I’ve ever known.

Legacy

“The Lord knows the days of the upright and blameless, and their heritage will abide forever.”  Psalm 37:18

They sit inconspicuously tucked away on a shelf in my living room.   Some of my most treasured possessions.   I have other ones-newer, fancier, and more contemporary.   But their worth is from something money can’t buy.   Their value great enough to stand the test of time.  Five Bibles who belonged to 5 people I loved and admired.  Five Bibles that represent a rich heritage and the enduring legacy of a life lived for Christ.   Five women who’s faith-filled lives continue to teach me even after they have gone to their heavenly home.

The first belonged to my great grandmother on my mom’s side.   Her Bible reminds me of the sacrifice it took to ensure her family and others in the community would know Christ.  She and my great grandfather were founding members of the country church where I grew up.  They gave freely of their time and of their meager income because they wanted a place that would point others to Him.  I have an old ledger book where she kept track of their finances carefully documenting her monthly tithe.  Service in their church was a blessing, not an obligation.  I see her Bible and wonder if I’m willing to sacrifice so that other’s can know Him or do I buy into the lie that someone else is will do it.

My mom’s mom owned the second Bible.   Meme was an amazing lady who put others before herself.   Looking at her Bible, I am reminded of her ability to really listen to others, see their needs, and minister to them.  She had surgery one summer and I spent a month with my new learner’s permit driving her from house to house where she sold Avon.   After the first day, I knew selling cosmetics might give her an income, but her real job was ministering to the ladies she met with.   She would sit unconcerned with the passing time listening to their problems and praying with them.   Her Bible reminds me of the importance of slowing down enough to see people’s needs and then caring enough to meet those needs.

The third Bible belonged to my grandma on my dad’s side.  Mama Gee was the most determined person, some might say stubborn,  I’ve ever met.  This determination gave her the confidence to tackle any challenge.   She raised 10 kids, worked in the fields and later in a cafe, and was push mowing her own yard in her 80’s.  I remember one day when she had to be in her late 70’s walking into her small home to find the toilet from her only bathroom scattered in pieces across the floor.  When my mom in disbelief asked what she was doing, she confidently informed us that the toilet wasn’t working so she was going to fix it.  And she did!  That’s how she lived her life.  She saw the problem and fixed it, no matter what it was.  She didn’t complain about how hard it was, wait on someone to do it for her, or give up when things got rough.  Her Bible reminds me that in Christ nothing is impossible and I need to use that determined streak I seem to have inherited (ok, I’ll admit it tends to be more stubborn in my case) to face every challenge.

My mom owned the fourth Bible in the stack.  She was a wonderful example of courage, strength, and unwavering faith in the midst of life’s storms.  As a child she was thrown from a car suffering a very serious trauma.  As an adult she faced the sudden death of her father, the death of her mom and my sister in a car wreck, an excruciating trial of the man who hit them, serious complications from a surgery that caused months of horrible pain and required a second surgery, and later a stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure which took the use of one side of her body and required months of rehab.  Any one of these could have caused her to doubt God’s goodness.  Instead each new trial strengthened her faith.  When it would have been so much easier to give up, she clung to her Heavenly Father and let Him carry her through.  When I face trials and challenges, I pray I remember her example and trust in the fact that although my footing seems shaky, my foundation is on the solid rock who will not let me fall.

The last Bible in the stack belonged to my younger sister, Stacy who was killed along with my Meme in a car wreck when she was 14.  Stacy was easily the most incredible person I have ever known.  Her faith in Christ was deeper and her relationship more intimate than most Christians four times her age.  Her entire life was a testimony that pointed others to Christ.  She was musically gifted, playing the piano for Sunday worship and singing specials for a couple of years before her death.  She unashamedly witnessed to those around her by her actions as well as her words.  Even through her death, others came to know Christ.   I am reminded by her a Bible that no matter how short a life is, it can have an impact on others for eternity and that while we are here everything we do needs to count for Christ because in the end that is all that matters.

What may look like an ordinary stack of Bibles, is a daily reminder of a Christian heritage and the lessons learned from 5 amazing women of faith.  I pray these are lessons I not only take to heart, but pass on to my girls and that in the end, my life will be added to that legacy of women who made a difference for Christ.

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel. Ephesians 6:19

The ancient city of Ephesus might remind us of today’s Hollywood or Vegas.  It was a city that celebrated the worldly and dysfunctional with an extra dose of occult.  Yet, Paul had a great love and passion for this Roman capital of Asia. With this in mind, Paul, a prisoner in Rome awaiting execution, realized that he was at war as the defender of the Gospel and a conquerer for those who would believe. He wrote of God’s incomparable power and authority, far exceeding man’s dominion.

The aforementioned issues were a tremendous distraction to the early church, not just the everyday secular citizen, therefore, the supremacy of Christ was a very important fundamental and foundational theology for the new believer. If this conviction of faith is lost there is no hope of strength and continued growth and spiritual death will result.

A simple truth: We, like Paul are underprepared for the battle we must fight daily if we are not prayed up. Asking his Christian friends for prayer united them to a like mission. To be fearless means to be faithful! Faith’s connection to action is prayer.  We can’t survive without it….so, you pray for me, I’ll pray for you and when we all get to Heaven, along with those who found their way because we spoke our faith, we can share war stories with Paul and friends.

Heaven Bound!

Gretchen

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5

Early Christian teachers from Jerusalem, attempting to undo Paul’s message of salvation by faith alone, were major trouble makers for the early church. They believed that all new believers must accept and adhere to Jewish laws. They took letters of introduction/commendation from the church authorities when they traveled or moved from town to town. One of the arguments these ‘leaders’ raised was, “Who is Paul?” for Paul had no such letter recognition.

Paul’s response is that the Cross’s work of grace is written on our hearts, a story easily read in our countenance and actions. The law written on stone and tablet, held people to condemnation, the law of love is a living testimony to the presence of the Holy Spirit transforming each of us into the image of Christ.

Men set standards for men, often exploitive or too lofty to attain, removing Godliness as the desired outcome. Beware of people that ask more of you than God does. True spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin is found in the secret Paul knew. We answer to God and God alone. Everything else will take care of itself because EVERYTHING we need is found in Him.

Love,

Gretchen

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. Romans 5:5

God has done what He said He would do. He has kept His promises, He dealt with sin once and for all. He gave is Son, not one person to die so another could live, (this would be a logical equality of sorts) but One man to GIVE His life so that ALL may live.

Mankind has a disease, sin. This carnal nature is universal and if unchecked, cuts us off from God and condemns us to death. The death and resurrection of Jesus has given man justification, the ability to be found ‘Not Guilty’ of our sins.

All because God loves us and continues to extend His boundless love through grace and mercy and the power of the Holy Spirit, we have life, peace, and HOPE.

Happy Thursday,

Gretchen

Be merciful to those who doubt; Jude 23

Although he wrote this letter when he was very old, Jude is the younger brother of Jesus and their brother James.  He expresses in the early verses of this short letter that he wanted to write out of Christian fellowship, but he learned of teachers with very secular immorality coming to a place of spiritual leadership and using it to abuse and corrupt.  Jude’s intention was to build resistance to those who taught falsehoods and strengthen the ethics of those who love and believe.

Jude himself did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God during His earthly ministry. He was witness to Jesus’ earthly works and still did not follow! It was the resurrection that brought about his faith. He knew doubt, but he also knew the glory, wonder and transformation of grace and mercy.

We are called to extend Christ like behavior to a world in need of salvation. Your faith can be someone’s answer to prayer in overcoming doubt, accessing the Power of the Holy Spirit and/or finding grace and mercy. What an amazing calling for each of us.

Have a great Wednesday

Gretchen

 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? John 14:2

John was one of Jesus’ closest friends. He and Peter were recognized as the leaders of the twelve disciples. His gospel focus was Jesus’ deity, not the miracles He did, but the things He said about His Father and His eternal Home.

Jesus has celebrated His final Passover meal on earth.  He has shared His fate with His friends. They are confused, frightened and humanly driven to redirect destiny. God knows best, but it takes a lot of faith to rest easy!  Chapter 14 is the comfort chapter.  Jesus Himself gently tells that intimate circle, “Don’t be troubled. Stay the course.”  The questions continue on and on…..Jesus meets each fear with Good News!

This passage is one of the most beloved in the entire Bible and often quoted as those we love walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus, Son of man, the carpenter that worked beside His earthly father building homes, is the Master Builder, Son of God that is leaving to build a perfect place in Heaven for those who believe and follow.

These are Jesus’ words. He has a place ready, custom designed for those He chose to die for.  What makes this home so wonderful? It is built by love.

Have a lovely day,

Gretchen

And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. Matthew 18:13

This verse is not about the security of ninety nine obedient sheep that do not need supervision. (FYI, sheep forever need guidance and oversight.) It IS about the value of the one lost sheep and the extreme measures the shepherd is willing to extend to assure the safety and salvation of the lowly beast that chose to drift into dangerous territory and became vulnerable to the pitfalls of the world.

I have lost things of trivial significance. When I stumble across them I think, “Oh! I’ve been looking for that.” and passively place the item back where I can find it if needed. However, when things of great value are lost, I want world stop until the object is found. Retrieval is the highest priority. I am truly joyous when the lost is found and returned to its honored place. The worth I assign the lost, then found, determines the intensity of my search and celebration.

The world’s standards are not the ways of Heaven. On earth it’s every man for himself. ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, the strong help the weak. It is our mission, our calling. The lost, stuck, abandoned and hopeless won’t find their way if we don’t leave our safety, go find them and bring them home. Jesus has shown us how much they matter to Him. Now we must act.

Love,

Gretchen

Last Girl Laughing

I recently asked one of my siblings what the most hilarious events of her childhood were. I had no idea I was the leading lady in our family’s comedy reel. My antics were laughable, but I never meant for them to be. I do NOT laugh at myself and I am easily offended when others do. However, I envy those easy going folks that gleefully tell of their most embarrassing moments concluding with the biggest belly chuckle in the room. So, today I am turning a new leaf. I am going to tell you one of the most embarrassing few minutes I’ve ever lived. As with all my accounts of days gone by, there is no ‘long story short.” Here it is in all its glory.

My earliest memories are of warm summer days in southeast Iowa with neighbors and friends. My mother grew up in Burlington, a city of mills and factories along the Mississippi River. A few years after she and my father married they returned to a small, nearby farming community to pastor a church. When I was a first grader though, we moved to northwest Arkansas. For the first time in my short life we had to pack suitcases for visits to places I once spent carefree afternoons.

One particular holiday our family of six was staying at my grandparents’ home. All the maternal relatives, aunts, uncles and cousins, had come for the evening to celebrate and fellowship. Wall to wall people filled a very small and noisy space when the time came to settle the kids for the night. Baths began and pajamas were donned. It came my turn to quickly bathe, so of course I did what I was told. (Insert reality filter here.) Behind the closed bathroom door I did as directed, dried, put on my nightgown, opened the medicine cabinet door and put a white substance from a tube onto my dampened toothbrush. No minty foam formed. Instead, bristles began to stick to my teeth. I panicked and grabbed some toilet paper to remove the horrible glue that was now welding my lips to my gums. The paper stuck too. I threw open the bathroom door to a kitchen full of festive adults and gave a panicked scream. All eyes turned. Those who could see me understood my dilemma. Mom took me to the sink and began rinsing and removing Poly-Grip from my mouth. I had put denture cream on my tooth brush. In my defense, no one I lived with used this product. I thought everything in a vanity coming from a tube was meant for dental hygiene.

I knew I had no choice but to seek help when tissue paper adhered to my teeth, but I was MORTIFIED! While mom was cleaning up my mess everyone else was hysterical. With all the ruckus, the cousins came to share in the fun and my humiliation was complete. They were laughing at me and I wanted to disappear.

My sister reminded me I hold one of the top spots in our family’s history of public blunders. Sis loves to put an addendum on this chapter, “At least it wasn’t Preparation H!” She is correct and I am grateful for that small blessing. This story has been told many times over the years and when it begins I leave the room, but shame on me. To withhold laughter at my own faultless mistakes inadvertently holds others to a standard of perfection that is not possible, certainly is not fair and marginalizes the boundless joy God lovingly gives.

Proverbs ends with a section dedicated to a wife of noble character. 31:25 says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; SHE CAN LAUGH AT THE DAYS TO COME.” Laughter is a treasure, a gift, an art and it can make you strong. Don’t rob yourself of something so completely wondrous!

Love,

Gretchen

 

 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Micah 5:2

Micah’s prophecy spanned the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Two of them were good, the wickedness of Ahaz was epic. Micah witnessed a corrupt society where the powerful oppressed the marginalized. It was a time of conflict and hostility. God expects kindness, justice and humility. The sins of the people would ultimately lead to destruction, but God would provide a plan of restoration.

One of Micah’s strongest messages was that exile, a consequence of sin, was actually very important to the salvation of the Jewish nation. These people had become incredibly evil, but God would wipe out all their vices, greed, exploitation, dishonesty and sham religious rituals and leave them with nothing but hope. Micah encouraged his hearers to accept their punishment without giving up hope of God’s eventual Glory.

Matthew, the Gospel writer who recorded the nativity story, recognized the birth of Jesus, in a Bethlehem stable, as the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy. Where the world leaves a path of dysfunction, confusion, and destruction, a tiny baby, the Son of God, would be our peace.

Merry Saturday!

Gretchen

And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:16

Children track dirt, leave marks on the walls and windows, make a lot of senseless noise, peek in every closet and drawer and exhaust their grownups with unending inquiries. They do very little independently, but ask for companionship and love.

People, probably their mothers, were bringing little children to Jesus so that He could lay His hand on them and bless them. The disciples rebuked them, treated them as a distasteful nuisance, but Jesus became indignant and said, “Let the little children come to me.”

In Jewish life women and children had no worth, yet Jesus used childlike humility and faith as the model of correct approach the the Kingdom. Despite gritty fingers, dirty feet and most likely a snotty nose or two, Jesus took the children into His arms and gave them value. My mind tells me there were a few boo boos that needed attention also and as always, Jesus did what He does best, He healed them and those precious lives were forever changed.

The world’s value system is skewed and has no bearing on true worth. If we want to come to Jesus we must come with a heart made innocent by trust and if we desire to be like Jesus, we must see and love what He does, even if soap and water hasn’t touched it for days.

Embracing My Inner Child,

Gretchen