Season's Greetings

I don't mean to cause widespread panic here but has anyone noticed that it's only 3 months til Thanksgiving and that means it's only 4 months til Christmas?

GULP

Maybe it's not like this at your house but at mine, I am the one pretty much in charge of these holidays. Including everyone's holiday happiness.  And I am not trying to throw myself a pity party over here but I cannot for the life of me recall signing up for this duty!

Am I reading anybody else's mail???

 I don't like the stress and pressure and chaos that this upcoming season tries to throw at us. Any I don't think you do, either.  So I am gonna do something about it! Nope, I am not cancelling Christmas this year! No Grinch wanna be's allowed!

Let's blog some ideas on how we keep the holidays from causing us to resign from motherhood - please send me (either email, snail mail,or even comments to this post) some things you do or have done that help keep this season HOLY...seeing how it's supposed to be HOLY DAYS and all...

Anything from meal planning to budget tips to gift ideas to meaningful celebrations.  Please send these my way!  You were over the top awesome when I asked for your input on loneliness (look for some posts on that coming soon - AND listen out for my next visit with Jules on The Jules Show 88.9 FM - I'll let you know when that date will be - we're gonna talk about loneliness!)   Your feedback has been really helpful as I compile thoughts on that subject and I'd like to do more of the same on the holidays.

Thanks, girlfriends!!!

You can reach me at chamfam@bellsouth.net

Merry Christmas!

The path to joy

(This post originally appeared in August 2013)

Psalm 16:11 is definitely one of my most favorite verses.  We've already looked at it in another context (the path of life) but today let's focus on the joy part.  God tells us in this verse that in His presence is fullness of joy.  Psalm 15 tells us how to get into His presence so that we can find that fullness of joy.....


O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?

Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right

and speaks truth in his heart;

3 who does not slander with his tongue

and does no evil to his neighbor,

nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,

but who honors those who fear the Lord;

who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

5 who does not put out his money at interest

and does not take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

I see 10 things in this  Psalm that describe the path to joy...

1.  Blameless living.  Note that I didn't say perfect but blameless.  The word used here does not mean unblemished but rather without fault.  Big difference.  Unblemished would mean that we were without sin.....without fault means that God no longer finds us guilty.  That is only possible if we are in Christ.  Even if we were to somehow be able to do all the other things listed in this passage, if we are not blameless, then we cannot get into His presence.  Therefore, no fullness of joy.

2.  Does right.  Pretty simple.  Does right.  When I was a little girl, my Mama's parting words many days would be "You do right, now".  I knew exactly what she meant.  Do the right thing.  I don't know if Mama realized that her counsel was more than just avoiding trouble, it was also the path to joy.  Do right.

3.  Speaks truth in his heart.  Speaking truth in our hearts is more than telling the truth.  It's knowing what the truth it....and believing it.  Not being deceived.  Telling ourselves the truth.  Since we behave what we believe, this results in speaking...and living...the truth.  We need to ask the Lord frequently to show us any areas where we are not speaking the truth in our hearts so that He can remove the deceit....so that we can walk the path to joy.

4. Next thing that leads us to fullness of joy is to not slander other people.  News flash - what we do to others affects our own measure of joy.  Slandering others - saying things that reduce another's opinion of someone - is not the path to joy.  Even though we might be tempted to think so in the short term.  My husband often tells our children that there are two ways a tree can feel tall-- grow tall itself or cut down all the other tall trees in the forest so that it can feel tall in comparison.  Point made.

5.  Interesting how the psalmist separates speaking evil and doing evil.  Making a double point, perhaps?  One who wants to live in joy does not take revenge, do harm, or fail to pay the debt of love we owe to others.  Tall order.

6.  Does not take up reproach.  The word means not to blame others.  Sounds like forgiveness, doesn't it?  Path to joy....forgiveness....connection.....

7.  In whose eyes a vile person is despised.  That doesn't sound right!  Aren't we supposed to love everyone????  Yes we are but this verse is commanding us to  not place value on evil things.  Very clear connection between loving to be with vile people and lack of joy.  Even though sin may seem attractive/desirable and there may be pleasure in sin for a season, it will eventually turn out to bring very undesirable consequences.  Proverbs puts it this way - " Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth." (20:17).  Path to joy -- hate evil.  And do not associate with evil people.

8.  Honor those who fear the Lord.  Loving God's people is for sure one of the best ways to experience fullness of joy.  Honoring them -- loving them, serving them, valuing them.  I am practically shouting amen at my computer.  This is one of the wonderful things in my life -- loving God's people. 

9.  Swears to his own hurt and does not change.  Keeps his word.  Even when it's inconvenient.  I won't get on a soapbox or anything but I'll just say that my own experience has shown that when a Christian violates this principle, it not only short-circuits his/her own joy, but it also robs other people of joy.  Then, I guess, we need to apply principle number 6 - not taking up a reproach.....

10.  Last principle for joy given here - not taking advantage of people.  Not doing things that can be to my benefit but someone else's detriment.

So, for one who is in Christ, this is the path to joy.  If you're lacking in that department, ask the Lord where the problem is.  Here's 10 to choose from. 

Oh, one last thing to add to our joy.  If we do these things, not only will we be full of joy, we will never be shaken.  Wow.  What a promise!! 

Thoughts on the eclipse

This subject has been  in overdrive, hasn't it?  We've seen advertising frenzies for solar glasses and product disclaimers prompted by anxious legal counsel and nervous school administrators (and rightly so!) and bizarre predictions from end times prognosticators and wild parties from epicurean philosophers. As my mom wisely said, some folks can turn anything into a circus!

So I don't want to jump on any of these bandwagons but I do have some thoughts on this astronomically significant event.  We discussed these in our adult Sunday School class yesterday and I wanted to share them with  you...

1. Psalm 19:1 (which by the way is my favorite man's favorite chapter in the Bible) tells us that The Heavens declare the glory of God.  He intends for the marvels of His creation to propel us to worship the Creator.  As we look to the Heavens, we should be awestruck at His power and His vastness and His beauty.  The details of the eclipse - how the moon can line up precisely so and block the view of earth's view of the sun and especially how this even is so orderly that it can be predicted with such precision - declare the glory of our great God. 

2. Psalm 8:3,4 - When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?                                                                                                                           When  I consider the greatness of His heavens (which He made with His fingers - I love that!), I cannot help but see myself as small and insignificant. And, contrary to contemporary thought, I should! The fact that He loves and cares for me does not point to my importance but rather to His magnificent character.  He loves me not because I am so wonderful and loveable but because HE IS! Glory to His name!

3. The creation account in Genesis tells us Then God said," Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and for nights." (1:14)                                                                                                         All the times I've read that, I've failed to notice that God says the lights of the heavens (that would be the sun, moon, and stars) are given to us for signs.  Yes, for seasons and to distinguish day from night but also for signs.  Now, I'm not about to go all apocalyptic on you but let's take God at His Word. What sign could God be displaying with the eclipse?                 Surely I do not know what all it means and what He wants to say to us. But I do know what it makes me think of. When Jesus died, Scripture tells us that the world grew dark for three hours there at Calvary.(Matthew 27:45) Since this event of redemption took place in the middle of the day, I believe this is describing an eclipse. And since God controls the events of all the world, I certainly do NOT think that was a coincidence!  It was at this moment that God judged the sins of the world and laid them on Jesus so He could pay the price for failing to meet God's standard of holy perfection. The price that I owe. The price that you owe. The price that you nor I nor any other person could ever pay. God judged Jesus for what I should rightly be condemned for.

And the sky grew dark to signify the blackness of that judgment.

Now don't hear what I am not saying - I am NOT predicting that Jesus is going to return at the eclipse!  In fact, I think it is a safer bet to say He is NOT going to return at that time because God says He will return like a thief in the night, when we least expect it. And plenty of "prophets" have declared the eclipse of 2017 is The Day. So I doubt He is coming during this eclipse. But I do think He would have the eclipse to cause us to ponder judgment. To remember the great price He paid for us to not bear the penalty of our sins. To praise Him for that great  mercy.

And to remember that One Day, He will come again. Not only to gather His people together but also to judge the world. And for those who have not trusted Him, there will not be another chance to do so.  Existence for those souls will be an eternal eclipse - dark and hopeless.

The Eclipse 2017.

God's glory

God's great love

God's judgment.

Alt Right Disavowed

Like everyone I know, I am still horrified by the events in Virginia. And I do mean everyone I know - I am grateful that I do not personally know a single person who is not angry and appalled by what the group called "Alt Right" stands for.  The viewpoint they express is vile and despicable. Especially despicable to me is that fact that they claim to be "Christians". I lack the words to describe it.  

I am just one voice but I want to be sure my voice is heard repudiating this ideology. I pray that if enough of us proclaim that these views are not only unacceptable but also most definitely not Christian, then maybe this poison won't spread. A wise leader in the Christian community told me yesterday that he feels a responsibility to publicly stand up against this evil.  I want to add my voice to his.

In addition to adequate vocabulary to describe it, I also lack the ability to fix this problem. I think back to what Ben Watson said (just want to note that he is a former UGA Bulldog - Go Dawgs!) in the aftermath of the mayhem in Ferguson and Baltimore. He put it so eloquently - "We don't have a skin problem - we have a SIN problem".

That'll still preach. 

The real cause of anger and hate - whether it is directed towards someone with a certain skin color or someone who holds a viewpoint you oppose or someone in a position of authority (eg. law enforcement) - is sin. Not background or lack of education or poverty. SIN. 

And the only answer to sin is the love of Christ. Not tolerance or understanding or hopes for change.  The love of Christ.

And that happens person to person, one at a time, in each individual life.

This part is for us church people - we can surely all agree that our land needs healing.  And God tells us the prerequisite for His healing ---- for those who are called by His name to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways.  

May I offer these suggestions as some practical ways to do that:

1. Ask the Lord to reveal any wrong attitudes in each of our own hearts.  Is there a spirit of arrogance or selfishness or even hate towards ANYone or ANY group of people? Then we must confess that as sin and repent.

2. Speak out and add your voice to proclaim that attempts to declare superiority over anyone or expressions of hate against anyone are wrong. Unacceptable. And NOT Christianity. When acts of violence were committed in the name of Islam, Muslims (especially those in leadership) were criticized, and rightly so, for not speaking out in protest, loudly and frequently. When  law enforcement was targeted with  hatred and people of color did not condemn it, they were criticized, and rightly so. When members of Congress were gunned down  at a softball practice and some members of the media went so far as to say the victim's voting record justified the shooting , conservatives were indignant and rightly so. This is an opportunity for white people to voice our rejection of hatred, especially in the name of Christ. Not only speak out but speak UP for the voiceless when you see mistreatment take place.  

3. Do not let fear take hold. If you are being disparaged (for skin color or political views or religious beliefs), do not succumb to fear. The love of Christ towards you is greater than fear - grab hold to that. And always seek out the truth of what happened, not just what makes the rounds on talk shows. Get the facts, all of the truth.

4. If those around you are afraid, comfort and encourage them. But also reject the  idea that these positions are pervasive. Truly, they are not. Yes, what happened last week was horrible. But such incorrigible behavior is NOT happening everywhere. Yes, even one incident is one too many but do not buy into the idea that this is representative of thousands of people. It is not. 

5. Be kind to one another.  Everywhere. To people that don't look like  you AND to those who do! Commit to showing kindness at every turn and watch how it affects the environment around you. Things that seem insignificant like holding the door for a stranger or sharing a cheerful word with the waitress or giving up your seat to a senior citizen. Be a channel of kindness everywhere. 

6. Do not develop a filter that tells you everything negative that happens to you is a result of racism or your position or your opinion. If someone didn't speak to you, it very likely may NOT be because you are in law enforcement.  If you didn't receive a promotion, it might very well be that you didn't deserve it, not because of your skin color.  If you hold a certain political view, do not assume that everything "your side" says is right nor that everything from "the other side" is categorically wrong. Important note: not everyone who voted for a candidate you oppose is a bigot nor a socialist.  And on that note, make sure you cultivate relationships with people that are different from you in all sorts of ways. Listen to their stories. Respect their positions. Even if you don't agree. Embrace their value as a person created in the image of God. One friend of mine says she is purposing to develop empathy for people who see things differently than she does.  Empathy - another way to show kindness.

7. LOVE does not mean agreement. We are totally free to love and accept one another without putting our stamp of approval on differing ideas. And we can disagree (even strongly) without being hateful. I have a friend from high school with whom I do not share political or religious beliefs. In fact, if we were to compare notes, we would probably find lots and lots and lots to disagree about. And yet, this woman treats me with the utmost kindness and respect and she is actually one of my greatest encouragers! She has gone out of her way to celebrate good things that have happened to me/my family and I hope she feels that she can say the same about me. We truly can love each other without agreeing. 

8. Finally, know that real change is possible only through Jesus. We cannot accept one another enough, understand one another enough, or educate one another enough to bring about lasting change. That only comes as a result of the work that Christ does in the hearts of those who follow Him. This world is broken and it will be that way until He makes all things new. And in that newness, nothing unclean,no one who practices abomination and lying shall ever come in to that place of glory and light.  Instead, people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, those bought for God by the precious blood of Christ, will be in that new place. Full of perfect love. Forever.

So let us pray that His Spirit would move across not only our land but also our world and that He would draw people to Himself.  Let us be joyfully willing to go into all the world and make disciples. (And for us Moms, let us be joyfully willing when He calls our children to go.  You have my permission - in fact my invitation - to remind me to do that my own self).

Humble ourselves. Pray. Seek Him. Turn away from wickedness.

Amen.

I need your help! Please answer these questions !

I am doing a bit of research and I need your input please.  The topic is loneliness.  Please take a few minutes and answer these questions.  You may answer on the blog, email me chamfam@bellsouth.net or print out and mail to me at 1011 Broadlands Drive/Watkinsville GA 30677.  I will not disclose anything personal (unless you ask me to!).  I would be so grateful for your help.  I need your responses by the middle of August.  Tks!

1.      Knowing that everyone experiences loneliness at some point, how frequently would you say you feel lonely?

2.       Do you believe the problem of loneliness in the world has gotten worse?

3.       Do you think men and women experience and handle loneliness differently? Please elaborate.

4.       Can you describe a time your feelings of loneliness were debilitating?

5.       What are some ways you address your own loneliness?

6.       What are some things you would suggest to someone who feels lonely?

7.       What do you think are root causes of loneliness?

8.      Please share anything else you would like me to hear.

Tks