Category: Uncategorized

Neon Stubs

My husband is an avid motor sports enthusiast. For me it’s an acquired taste. Keith was five years old, his younger brother four when their father surprised them, and their mom (!) with mini bikes. Keith’s wheels became a second pair of legs and just as he did, his bikes got bigger and faster as the years went by.

An adrenaline rush is a real addiction and it appears we deal with this in our home. Sitting in a lawn chair watching others have all the fun has never been an option for Mr. Rooney. He must ride and discover three things: How fast will this go? What degree of control do I have at that speed? And, how many nonstandard places will it take me? Please note, none of these questions ever occur to me, I’m good not knowing. However, Christmas dinner has become an amusing reveal for our adult children to confess the secrets of speed they shared with their dad when they were little. They’re alive to tell this tale so all is well…….I suppose.

This thing I do not get, is well understood and accepted among many others, and so a natural course of life occurs. A competition is organized. Annual meetings and traditions begin and continue. Many weekends a year find us among uncommon friends sharing a common bond, motorsports.

Keith has only one complaint. The race director must begin work days, maybe even weeks ahead, to mark several miles of designated path through dense forest, across creeks, over rocks, along ledges and up hill and down. It’s a challenge to see both the big picture and the minuscule details needed to create an event of challenge, safety and recreation. One option tested was to mark hazards along the race route with neon paint. Tree roots, protruding rocks, stumps, and so on were sprayed. The solution became the hazard. Keith, not used to seeing safety orange in a habitat of nature’s greens and browns found the help to be a serious hindrance. Focusing on the gleaming marker, searching for what to avoid, processing a resolution and finally proceeding, all within in seconds of thought distracted him from his planned path. Somewhere in all this thinking his eyes remained on the distraction long enough it became a target and he hit several. He couldn’t take his eyes off the danger, and where his eyes were, his bike followed.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God. Hebrews 12:2.

Our thoughts are our life. If we focus on who might not like us, we miss those who might love us. Continual worry about the “What ifs,” leads to a life of “Didn’t even try.” Keith’s focus, even briefly, led him to a place he was trying to avoid rather than the path he might have taken.

Fix your eyes on Jesus. Walk toward Him. You’ll see the cross and just beyond, the Throne of God. Fix your eyes on Him.

Have a great day! Vroom!

Gretchen

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the LORD’s people. Ephesians 6:18

Prior to this verse, Paul gives perfect instruction for victory in defensive spiritual warfare, the Full Armor of God. Don’t go to battle without your gear! Protect your soul but then do a little warfare on the enemy. Verse 18 turns to the offense. Pray! The one thing satan, the enemy, does not want you to access is the power and strength found only in prayer.

Your ‘go to’ reaction to every stimuli in your life should be prayer. On all occasions pray. Worship, praise, implore, petition, confess, commune and intercede, but PRAY!

We’ve got our game plan, offense and defense, we’re set for the win!

Have a great weekend!

Gretchen

It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows His blessing, even life forevermore. Psalm 133:3

These beautiful words are the final words of a three verse Psalm. Identified as one of the wisdom Psalms and a Psalm of David, it calls for peace and unity among family and community. Harmony is placed as a priority.

Mt. Hermon marks today’s northern boundary of Palestine. It’s snow caps can be seen from great distances making it a tremendous landmark. Refreshing breezes blow from its cool heights across the heat of the lowlands, spring melting feeds summer’s lakes and rivers, morning dew is a refreshing respite in the arid and desolate deserts.

Peace, like all other things of great value, is difficult to find and obtain, but once achieved it is a treasure of worth. It completely changes the quality of life. Peace, where the LORD bestows His blessing…..life evermore.

Love,

Gretchen

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! !! Corinthians 5:17

The reference to ‘new’ in this scripture has many facets. First, the old covenant of law has been replaced by a new life giving covenant of love. Second, while Jesus was human we were connected to things of this earth, but through the death and resurrection we have a new life eternal. Lastly, we are made new through Christ’s blood. When Jesus rids you of your sin, the only thing left from the past is the skin you’re in!!! You are new…. not remodeled, not repurposed, not re-anything!!! You are new!

New is completely irrelevant if you cannot put the old away. The two cannot exist together. Choose a new life in Christ!

Love,

Gretchen

These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm-shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted- twice dead. Jude 1:12

Einstein defined insanity as, “Doing the same thing over and over but expecting to get different results.” If this is the case then sin is insanity.

Jude, a brother to Jesus, did not believe Jesus as the Messiah until the resurrection. After becoming a believer himself, Jude ministered to the converted Jews of Jerusalem. False teaching infiltrated the church leadership and Jude took immediate action with this letter. He gave harsh descriptions of their character: A shepherd that lets their flock starve? Trees that take up space in the orchard yet produce no fruit?

Sin has great charisma and no ethic, a toxic combination through the ages. Although attractive and hard to resist, believers are not left defenseless to resist sin. Through faith we can and must call on the strength of the LORD.

Love,

Gretchen

But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9

Hebrews is known as the sermonic epistle. The writer has an absolute mission to thoroughly deliver the story of salvation.

For a very brief moment in history Christ shared our human nature, and then He died. Death brings an end to earthly everything. It is incredibly hard to fathom an eternity we know little of, while resting all our hope upon its existence. The crevice between Heaven and earth never seems broader than in times of deepest grief but then peace that passes all understanding washes over us in a comforting wave and by faith all is made clear.

While on earth satan waged all his powers against Jesus. He withheld nothing to defeat the purpose of God through Jesus. Satan DID NOT want Jesus to give His life for yours. But He did. The moment Jesus drew his final breath, satan lost! Then on that glorious resurrection morning, His sacrificial love changed the face of the world. Death lost all its sting.

Death is nothing but the end of satan’s grip. God’s redeeming and saving power has been assured because Jesus left Heaven and tasted death for us all.

Have a wonderful and powerful Tuesday!

Gretchen

This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who trust in mortals, who depend on flesh for their strength and whose hearts turn away from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5

God’s chosen people have repeatedly turned away from God’s sovereign rule, also known as love. Earthy treasure habitually becomes far more important that the Provider. The proceeding verses in chapter 17 tell the story of children that know more about pagan gods than they do the God of Israel.

This is going to get ugly so be ready. If your children can name movie stars, professional athletes and know how to shop for name brand clothing, but don’t know Abraham from Moses…..there is a serious problem in their life and yours.

I’m not done. If they know McDonalds from Burger King by their logos, yet they don’t know why church steeples have crosses on them……..we have a problem.

Here’s good news! It is easily fixed! There is nothing more valuable and important on this earth than God’s Holy word and His community of believers. DON’T MISS HEAVEN FOR THE WORLD!

I really love each of you!

Gretchen

Vision + Faith = Hope

Following the age of the great depression my grandparents pastored a church in eastern Arkansas, Paragould. Located on the prairie along the St. Francis river, the congregation had many farmers among its number. The two major crops were strawberries and cotton. Harvest was a major undertaking and took greater manpower than the local population could provide, so there was welcomed opportunity to take a few days out of each year, spring and fall, to join the migratory workers that came through and make a little cash. My grandparents were among those who took advantage of this blessing.

In the tradition of historical time and place, small children did not go to a sitter while their parents toiled. They came along and arrangements were made for them to participate appropriately. For the cotton harvest each person had their own canvas sack. Men pulled nine foot bags that at capacity could weigh upwards of 100 pounds, women filled seven footers. Children were given gunny sacks modified with a shoulder strap and away they followed.

My dad retells the story of one particular season of harvest when my aunt Betty, his younger sister, probably about six years old, wanted a new purse. Grandmother told Betty she could have the money she made picking cotton to buy herself a pocketbook. Granddad and grandmother took a row, one on each side and with their youngsters at their elbows, began picking. There hadn’t been much picking done before Betty gazed into her tow sack and said, “Oh! I see a purse!”

Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Betty had great faith that at the end of the day she would have the resources to purchase the longed for purse. Each time she looked into her gunny sack those fluffy white boles looked more and more like a little handbag. Each step forward meant one inch closer to her goal and she was energized to complete her task.

Little did Betty know that occasionally an adult’s hand dropped it’s yield of cotton into her sack rather than their own. Her vision had caught on. Others were investing in her dream, her hope. She was not alone.

Many journeys set out with great vision and faith, but somewhere along the way weariness distracts, the magnitude of the endeavor overwhelms and discouragement extinguishes hope. Here lies a great tragedy of life. But there is much evidence that vision powered by faith becomes the great and only hope for someone.

At the end of World War II when Allied forces entered Germany, the following words were found etched on a cellar wall in Cologne, left by a victim of cruelty and injustice.

“I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining,
I believe in love, even though I don’t feel it.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.”

Later, someone extended to poem with these words,

May there someday be sunshine,
May there someday be happiness,
May there someday be love
May there someday be peace.

From a child looking into a tow sack filling with cotton to an innocent victim of hatred, vision and faith met and became hope.

Look back and see what God has done.  Look around and see how far you’ve come, look to the future with a vision and faith.  From this hope, life will spring forth and God will do a great work.

Love,

Gretchen

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. Colossians 2:13

The Christian community at Colossae was being led astray by false teaching. Jewish mysticism had become a serious problem. These mystics wanted a return to Jewish customs, and believed that they could move in and out of Heaven and visit with the angels. A residual arrogance appeared removing Christ as the center of worship.

Paul, a Jew, sets the record straight! Circumcision, the irreversible physical distinction between Jewish men and all others on earth, is NOT what brings about salvation. God sent His Son who brought everlasting life through His death. Only one way to Heaven? Through the cross! This is worthy of great praise and worship.

Have a great weekend!

Gretchen

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Ephesians 5:25

There must have been marital issues in the early church. There must have been disputes about who got to have the last word, and it must have been ugly or Paul would not have written these words of instruction. Christian homes are not exempt from gender role issues. However, who is designated a slave and who has the right to be a petty tyrant isn’t Paul’s directive. It is unity rooted in LOVE!

The scripture proceeding this states, “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” There is no mention of the word LOVE in this verse, but I go to church and submit myself to worship and service because I LOVE the One that died for me! Christian community, especially families should model a right relationship with Jesus and each other. (For appropriate definitions of love see I Corinthians 13)

Years, (I mean years!) ago my stay at home mother became ill with the flu. During her incapacitation my dad made the best potato soup I ever remember tasting for four little children! He kept up with the dishes and the laundry too. It wasn’t about who was meant to do what, it was about taking care of this important and intimate relationship. He acted out of love. In turn, my mother packed the household more than once and stepped into the unknown because dad felt the call of Christ to go into a new community and spread the Gospel. Her actions were indicative of her great faith in her Savior and the husband called to serve. It’s all about love!

Have a great almost Saturday!

Gretchen