I Luuuv You!

Do you remember the goofy mountain prankster from the Andy Griffith Show? In one of the episodes, The Education of Earnest T. Bass, the unruly hillbilly gets swatted on the knuckles by Miss Crump, while he is under her tutelage earning his grade school diploma (which he is trying to get to impress the love of his life—"Romena").

 

Smitten with Helen Crump, after she disciplines him for being unruly, he declares to her, in his distinctive mountain accent… "I luuuuv you! I luuuuv you!"

 

Of course, Helen runs to Sheriff Taylor, who eventually convinces the wild-eyed mountain man that his feelings for Miss Crump are due to her appearing to be a "muther figger". J

Although there are so many great things you can bring out about that whole episode, since it's Valentine's Day, I want to talk about "luv".

 

Love, according to Merriam-Webster, means strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; a person's adoration of God; unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.

 

According to the Bible, love is patient and kind. However, it is not jealous, boastful, or arrogant. Love does not behave inappropriately, does not insist on having its own way, and is not irritable or resentful.

 

Those two definitions definitely fly in the face of how people use the term "love" so flippantly.

We proclaim it, we fall into it, we share it, we lose it, and misuse it.

                                                                   I love my nail polish

                                                                                                                   …I love your hair color

                           …Don't you just love these potatoes?

                                                                                                                                                               …Everyone loves chocolate!

                                                                                              I love to play soccer…

                    He loves to go hunting…

                                                                  We love our home…

                                                                                                                   They love to eat out.

 

When I see what the Bible says about love, I have to ask myself if my closest relationships—with my spouse, my children, my parents—are characterized in that definition. Sadly, I would have to say…not always.

 

If you were to ask me if I loved my family, of course I would say yes; but what do my actions say? We all know that our actions speak louder than our words. I can say "I love you", but if my actions are impatient, unkind, jealous, arrogant, improper, selfish, angry, or resentful—then I am not displaying love.

 

In that same chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, it goes on to say, love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in truth.

This Valentine's Day would be a perfect time to reaffirm my love for my husband, my children, my family, and my friends.

 

In loving my husband, I want to be committed to serving him as I promised on the day we were married; to reverence and honor him whether I'm sitting beside him talking about our secret plans for our life together or I'm speaking in public to a group of ladies.

 

In loving my children and grandchildren, I want to adore them and make them feel special; to encourage them and support them in the wise decisions they make concerning their lives.

 

In loving my family and friends to whom I'm emotionally connected, I want to show them respect and to value opportunities I have to spend with them.

 

But most of all, in loving the Love of my life, the Savior of my soul, I want to walk in a way that would bring glory to him; to show how grateful I am that he gave his sinless life as a payment for my sinful life by dying on the cross and rising from the dead so that I may someday spend an eternity in his presence.

 

 

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I'll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

William R. Featherston, 1864

Happy Valentine's Day everybody!

Starting A New Resolution In 2013

Happy New Year!

Have you started your New Year's resolution? Or...have you already broken it?



As far back as I can remember I have never liked to make a new year's resolution. Mainly, because I know myself well enough to know that I don't have the fortitude to keep it. Blame it on laziness, distraction, weakness, or whatever…but I don't like to set myself up for failure.



Last week as I was studying for my Sunday school lesson, I ran across this statement, "Should Christians make New Year's Resolutions?" Well of course we should; there's even a hymn for it:

I Am Resolved

I am resolved no longer to linger,

Charmed by the world's delight,

Things that are higher, things that are nobler,

These have allured my sight.

I am resolved to follow the Savior,

Faithful and true each day;

Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth,

He is the living Way.

I looked up the word resolution and the definition that I liked best was "a firmness of purpose". So yes, I decided, Christians should make resolutions. Like the hymn says, be resolved not to be charmed by what the world has to offer…things that are higher and nobler should be what we try to obtain.

Then I began thinking about the new year and making changes. My thought pattern (if you dare to listen in) went something like this (imagine me talking to myself):

As a Christian, maybe I should "resolve" to do some things differently.

    --I don't make New Year's Resolutions.

But as a Christian, I should be resolved about some things.

    --I don't like New Year's Resolutions.

Have I ever lost weight, or read my Bible in a year, or stopped any bad habit, or started any good habit?

    --Well… probably, I just can't think of anything right now.

Maybe if I make one New Year's Resolution that I was going to do anyway, like lose weight (yeah, right).

    --But it's a New Year's Resolution.

Oh, come on! What's it matter what I call it? It's the same thing!

    -- I don't like New Year's Resolutions.

But losing weight would be a good goal, and I know I will be able to keep that.

    …Oh good…there's still some cookies left from Christmas…

I wonder where that fudge is that Mom made.

...I had better get that eaten if I'm going to make a resolution!

Actually, that was one of my more sane "conversations". But the point is, that statement about Christians making resolutions got me thinking. When I make a decision to change something about myself, why do I want to change? What's the reason behind the change?



Well, there are a lot of things we (I'm including you now, so I don't have to be out here by myself) all could change. Maybe it has to do with weight, punctuality, finances, attitude—you could insert a thousand things. But what are the reasons behind the change?



Let's take weight—you may want to lose, or gain, weight to improve your looks, or for health reasons.



Or finances—maybe you want to try to learn to save money so you can take your dream trip.



Maybe your attitude needs to change so you can be polite and considerate.



Although these changes, and the reasons for them, are good, the center of all the reasons is "I".

"I want to change so I will be better".

As a Christian, the changes I make should bring honor to God so I can be used for his glory.

• Does God want me to manage my weight? Yes, but I should seek out his will in that area.


• Does God want me to be more financially responsible? Yes, but I should find out what he wants me to do with my finances.


• Does God want me to have a loving attitude? Yes, but I should desire his way over mine.
  
   

Proverbs 16, verses 3 and 9 says, "Commit thy work unto the Lord, and thy thoughts will be established; A man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps."



Christians should be resolved, we should have a firmness of purpose, but our goal should not be self-improvement, but God-honoring—"Heed what he saith, Do what he willeth…" However, we don't have to wait until January 1^st, we can be resolved to change anytime of the year, month, week, or day. Just pick a starting point and make sure the hub of that decision wheel is God and he will establish your steps.

By seeking to be more like Christ, I'm becoming a better me.

The Christian’s Low-Carb Diet

Matthew 16:5-2

"And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

Then Jesus said unto them, 'Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.'

And they reasoned among themselves saying, 'It is because we have taken no bread.'

Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, "O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?

How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?'

Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

 

Bread has been a long time no-no in the low-carb diet world, and it appears here that the disciples thought Jesus was warning against bread, too. However, historically, leaven has been synonymous with sin, which is the context in which Jesus was using it.

 

I find it a little humorous when I read these verses. Jesus had just lambasted the religious leaders for being hypocrites, and then he and his disciples sailed over to the other shore where Jesus admonished them not to be like the Pharisees and Sadducees. However, not understanding the Lord's lesson (this is the part that makes me chuckle J) , their thoughts centered on the provision of food, or lack of.

 

Can't you see them? Jesus, in his concern for the spiritual lives of his friends and disciples, lovingly warns them not to allow sin to taint their beliefs, as the religious leaders were doing. And here may be where the problem originated…"they reasoned among themselves". Well, that is always a danger, but maybe they were hungry and food was the only thing on their minds at the time?

However, we know that's not what Jesus was talking about. The Lord was warning against leaven, or sin in their lives. He was cautioning his followers not to be like the religious leaders of that time, who knew the law, but didn't recognize the Truth. He did not want them to allow sin, hypocrisy, complacency, and self-righteousness to hinder them and to influence what he had taught them.

 

Aren't we like that, too? How much time do we spend considering the spiritual world? How often do we meditate on the temporal (our physical needs) instead of the eternal (our spiritual needs)? We Christians are always fussing over the food. Some would not even have a prayer time if they didn't say "grace" before a meal. Then of course, all of our church programs revolve around food. We have a birthday dinner for the preacher, an outdoor BBQ to celebrate the founding of the church, an ice cream social on the 4^th of July, VBS snacks, fall festivals, Thanksgiving dinners, and Christmas cookie parties. Sometimes our priorities get so mixed up, like the disciples, we allow our physical needs to take priority over our spiritual needs, or like the Pharisees and Sadducees, we allow some leavening to infiltrate the truth we have learned in God's word.

 

Jesus reminded his disciples that they had no need to think about what or when they were going to eat…ever, because he was more than able to provide. He cited the two occasions when he miraculously provided food for thousands of people out of a few loaves of bread—and had leftovers!

 

Heeding the warning taught by our Lord, we should think less on what is provided for our temporal existence and be careful not to allow leaven in our lives that hinder our spiritual walk.

 

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness…"

Matthew 6:31-33

Have We Cancelled Thanksgiving?

Why Should We Celebrate Thanksgiving?


With Black Friday starting on Thursday, and Cyber Monday turning into Cyber Week, the time to celebrate Thanksgiving has almost been lost. Christmas decorations go up before Halloween and Christmas music begins to play shortly after.

 

Why should we celebrate Thanksgiving, anyway? If we got rid of that day, then the holidays wouldn't be so crunched. We could go to Halloween parties, pumpkin patches, and trick or treating in October, in store shopping, online shopping and office parties in November, and squeeze in a plethora of gift exchanges in December, without the crunch of a Thanksgiving gathering.

 

Too Busy to Be Thankful


Well of course, I'm being facetious. Like others, autumn is my favorite time of year. The trees turning shades of yellow, red, and orange; the smells of drying leaves and wood-burning stoves; the sounds of leaves crunching under foot and acorns dropping to the ground; there's even something about the cool bite of the autumn air early in the morning that brings a feeling of nostalgia. I must have had a wonderful childhood (Thanks Mom and Dad!).

 

But why must we rush through the celebration of Thanksgiving? Is it because we don't care anymore about America's history? Are we too busy to sit down with family and friends to enjoy a feast? It seems that all the holiday rush is overshadowing Thanksgiving.

 

Abundantly Blessed


Taking time to remember where America started and the hardships that our ancestors faced is important, and we should be teaching it to our children always. Taking time to gather as a family and remembering all the great things we have been blessed with is equally important. But Thanksgiving Day should be just that—a day of giving thanks.

 

We should be giving thanks to God our Creator, who provides all things in abundance to every one of us. If you are an American, you should be thankful for the blessings that you have received merely by your presence in this country. If you are a Christian, you should walk in a thankful spirit always, remembering the grace of God that has separated you from death to life everlasting.

 

 

Be Thankful—Psalm 100


Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

36 Years And Counting

Recently my husband (the farmer) and I celebrated our 36^th wedding anniversary. Thirty-six years—can that be right? Surely, we haven't been married for 36 years!

 

It just reminds me how quickly time is racing by, and so in retrospect, I just thought I would reflect on things I would have missed if I had not married a farmer.

 

I would never have known the pleasure of watching an unplanted field go through the process of fruition: seeing the hard, dry ground cut deep with sharp plows and then the rich smell of the damp, dark soil wafting up as it was being turned over and over, making clods of dirt that would soon be drilled with kernels of corn; waiting and watching for that first sign of life, that first green leaf to pop through the dry, crusted ground; and later, as the plants grew to be over six feet tall, looking across the field which would have been mistaken for a green ocean, had each row of plants not been so meticulously straight; and finally, experiencing the smells and sounds of the harvest—crisp cool air, dry crunching leaves, and corn being picked, plucked or shelled.

I would never have known the delight of seeing a calf born in the green grass of spring, of seeing a baby calf nurse for the first time, or hearing him "maaawl" when he wakes from a nap and he can't find his mama. I would never have sensed the fear of a mama protecting her baby from us when we were just trying to help them out. I would never have been able to sit on the back of a four-wheeler and look across the great span of our pasture and watch our herd of cattle happily graze on a lush paddock of sweet, green grasses.

I would never have known the joy that comes from being called "Mom", not once but nine times. Each child brought a new enjoyment, but all were pleasantly the same, too. The pleasure of that tiny, warm bundle of softness placed in my arms made my heart melt. I never went anywhere that I didn't wrap up each child so they looked like a little papoose. And it was a joy to watch them grow; we worked so hard to get them to talk, and without fail their first word was always, "da, da". Then we taught them to walk, and they began to run on their own. They all went through the terrible twos, the terrifying threes, and the turbulent teens, but (thankfully) have now seemed to emerge as reasonably normal adults.

But most importantly, if I would never have married Ron, I would never have known the gratification of being who I have become. Through our shared experiences, both good and bad, we have both learned many things. The most important lesson is that we should honor God with our lives as individuals, with our marriage as a couple, and with our family as a whole. I have learned the principle that it's greater to give than to receive, to rejoice with those who rejoice and to cry with those who are sad, and that things go better if we work towards the same goal…making me happy! J

Happy Anniversary, Honey! Here's to 36 more years, which should be all downhill from here…right?!