Category Archives: Family, Friends & Fellowship

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January 26, 2016

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Plan, Patience & Perseverance, Spiritual Gifts, Temptation & Sin, Today: Make it Count

COMPARISONS

Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won’t need to compare himself with someone else. Each of us must bear some faults and burdens of his own. For none of us is perfect! [Galatians 6:4-5 (TLB)]

julias and clouded yellow butterflies When I log the number of steps I’ve taken each day, I often compare my total with that of my Fitbit friends. No matter what I do or how far I’ve walked, one friend is always far ahead of me. True, a little friendly competition can be good for us when it makes us challenge ourselves and work harder. Walking with this friend, for example, challenges me to step up my pace. Too competitive a spirit, however, can hurt us. Last year, bound and determined to record more steps than she, I devoted a week to out-walking this woman who is nearly thirty years my junior. I ended up with a stress fracture and, to add insult to injury, she still logged more steps!

Comparing ourselves to other people can lead to more than a stress fracture. We usually end up thinking we’re either inferior to or better than the other person. Either way, comparing puts the focus on us rather than our goal and love ceases to be our motivation. We’re commanded not to covet and comparing ourselves to others often leads to jealousy and coveting. By trying to out-walk my friend, I was coveting her youth and fitness. I was focusing on what I wasn’t and wanted to be (a beautiful athletic young woman) rather than what I am and can be (a healthy fit older woman).

When comparing ourselves to others, we also risk becoming pride filled. Even though I can’t out-walk my friend, I usually manage to out-walk most of our other Fitbit friends. I confess to having felt rather smug about that until I remembered that their goals may be quite different than mine and they probably don’t have the free time for fitness that I do.

God created each of us with unique strengths and weaknesses and gave each of us our own custom-designed race to run and track on which to run it. Some people will be faster and some courses will be easier but that’s God’s business, not ours. Instead of comparing ourselves to anyone else, we should be thankful for who and what we are. Rather than trying to be better than the other guy, perhaps we should just try to be the person God wants us to be! The good examples of others can encourage us and our good examples can inspire others, but we must never get bogged down by comparing ourselves or by trying to run someone else’s race. If we must compare, how about comparing ourselves to Jesus? A word of warning, however, it’s a guarantee that we’ll be found wanting in that one!

Be all you can be. [U.S. Army slogan from 1980-2001]

I don’t mean to say I am perfect. I haven’t learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us. [Philippians 3:12-14 (TLB)]

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January 11, 2016

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Attitudes & Behavior, Church & Worship, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Grace & Love, Joy, Love & Works, Obedience, Sharing Our Faith

RAINDROPS FALLING ON MY HEAD

Celebration community beach church
As you serve the Lord, work hard and don’t be lazy. Be excited about serving him! [Romans 12:11 (ERV)]

Do your best to be the kind of person God will accept, and give yourself to him. Be a worker who has no reason to be ashamed of his work, one who applies the true teaching in the right way. [2 Timothy 2:15 (ERV)] 

It rained in southwest Florida yesterday. While that is of little interest to most of you (especially if you are experiencing an Arctic blast in the north), it was of concern to our church. We have one of the most beautiful churches in the area—designed by God (with a little help from the park district)—but it has a leaky roof. Actually, since we meet outside in a city park, we have no roof at all! While God and the weatherman seem to cooperate most Sundays, every once in a while our sanctuary has mud puddles and the chairs are wet. Many find shelter in the nearby gazebo while the early birds crowd onto the band shell with the band and singers. The truly hardy (and latecomers) hunker under their umbrellas in the rain.

Pastor was asked if there would be an abbreviated service because of the weather. As long as we were without tornado warnings or lightning, the service would proceed as planned. If, in spite of the inclement weather, people came to our church, a full worship service is what they wanted and what they’d get. Without a doubt, I am sure there was a least someone there yesterday who desperately needed the entire service, not just a Reader’s Digest version that had been condensed because of the weather. I’m sure there was at least one person whose heart was moved by the words of Amazing Grace and more than one who needed to hear every word of Pastor’s message about truthfulness. There probably were many more who craved laughter and truly needed to hear each one of his jokes. There were many who were there, not just for music and message, but also for Christian fellowship. Along with worship, they needed the welcome, kind words, smiles, handshakes, and hugs that came with the service.

Yes, we are saved by faith alone. All the work in the world does not mean salvation and even our grandest efforts will not get us into heaven. That doesn’t mean, however, that we are not to put our best effort into everything we do for the Lord and His church. God expects a first-class effort, not a half-hearted attempt, even when it’s raining.

While those who passed by the park may have seen a rather bedraggled group of church-goers gathered together and trying to stay dry, I think God looked down from his heavenly throne and saw a grand cathedral filled with joyful worshippers. He didn’t hear just a few voices raised in praise, he heard a choir much grander than that famed one in Utah! He saw people expressing love—for one another and for Him. Yesterday, God was just pouring a little of his goodness down on us and I pray that His goodness continues to grow because everyone did his or her best during worship service. After all, “Into each life some rain must fall.”

Be still, sad heart, and cease repining; Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary. [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]

May the clouds in the skies above pour goodness on the earth like rain. May the earth open up to let salvation grow. And may goodness grow with that salvation, which I, the Lord, created. [Isaiah 45:8 (ERV)]

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December 22, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Holidays & Holy Days, Love & Works, Obedience, Sharing Our Faith

THE ALONE

Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. [1 Timothy 5:3 (NLT)]

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. [Isaiah 1:17 (NLT)]

great blue heron
In Netflix’s The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, there is a funny scene in which Jacqueline, a recently divorced out-of-touch wealthy socialite, complains that her husband got their maid in the divorce. “I’ve been in this dress for two days because there’s no one here to unzip it. I took a shower in it and now it’s rusted shut.” I thought of her grievance as I struggled to get dressed last night. Needing my husband’s assistance, I joked that I’ll have to keep him around since we don’t have a maid.

I then thought about the widows and divorcees on our street who have no one to zip and unzip or hook and unhook all of those closures on the back of their clothing. How do they cope? Do they discard a major part of their wardrobe when they lose their spouse? Do they arrive at work or parties partially dressed? While that’s a possibility, what about when they get home? Do they wake their neighbors at midnight or, like Jacqueline, sleep in their attire? Dogs and cats are a great comfort but, without opposable thumbs, they aren’t much good at zippers or buttons.

The Bible is very clear about caring for widows. Granted, the plight of a widow thousands of years ago was far worse than today. It was a man-ruled world, women had minimal inheritance rights, and honorable employment wasn‘t readily available. Yet, today one in three women still live in poverty or at the brink of it, so there are economic issues to address. It is more than just a person’s economic status, however, that should concern us when we think of people who’ve lost a spouse, whether through death or divorce.

As I walk through the park each Sunday taking photos before church, I am struck by the number of people (both men and women) who used to be part of a pair and now are alone. I am painfully aware that one half of every couple eventually will be widowed. There are many men whose experience in the kitchen consists of making a PB&J or opening a bag of chips and a tub of dip. There are some men who ran corporations but never ran the dishwasher, washing machine, dryer or vacuum. There are women whose husbands did all the driving, who’ve never handled the finances or done the taxes, and never eaten out alone or taken a trip by themselves. There are many who will sit alone at their table tonight, who have no one to complain to when customer service doesn’t serve, who have no one to laugh with at the funny YouTube video, who have no one with whom to share their deepest secrets, and have no one with whom to walk while holding hands. I’ve been part of a couple for nearly half a century. Believe me, if my husband goes before me, I will miss him for far more than his assistance with zippers and hooks.

God’s tender concern for the bereaved is declared through all of Scripture. While today’s widowed may not necessarily need our legal and economic protection the way they did in days of old, they still need our love and compassion. The command to care for the widowed is as valid today as it was centuries ago. As we gather with family over the holidays, let us not forget those without family, whether men or women, single, widowed or divorced. May we keep them in our prayers but, more important, let’s reach out our hands in friendship and love (and maybe with an offer to help with difficult zippers!)

This is a time to celebrate before the Lord your God at the designated place of worship he will choose for his name to be honored. Celebrate with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites from your towns, and the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you. [Deuteronomy 16:11 (NLT)]

Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord—rejoice in his presence! Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. [Psalm 68:4-6 (NLT)]

Copyright ©2015 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
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December 11, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Grace & Love, Holidays & Holy Days, Joy, Peace of God, Today: Make it Count

HOLIDAY TIME

He continued, “Go home and prepare a feast, holiday food and drink; and share it with those who don’t have anything: This day is holy to God. Don’t feel bad. The joy of God is your strength!” [Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)]

christmas starThe countdown has begun and it’s just two weeks until Christmas. At this point in December, we’ve probably made ourselves and our families crazy while preparing for this wonderful holiday. The word “holiday,” however, doesn’t come from “holler-day” as in holler at your family because you’re over-booked or over-drawn, nor does it come from “hollow-day” as in feeling drained and exhausted. A holiday is not supposed to be a “horrible-day” either! The word “holiday” actually comes from the words “holy” and “day.” Its original Old English meanings were “religious festival” and “day of recreation.”

As we prepare for the upcoming holiday, we want to remember to keep the day “religious” which means keeping Christ in our Christmas festivities. But what about that other meaning of the word holiday: a “day of recreation”? Perhaps it’s time to stop the madness and do some refreshing and recreating. Try taking a break from all the holiday prep and listen, truly listen, to the beautiful music of the Christmas season. Ponder the words, “joy to the world” or “tidings of comfort and joy” and let them fill your heart. Sing along with the carols’ words and let the hallelujahs, glorias, and fa-la-la-la-las echo throughout the house. (FYI: “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” and “Santa Baby” are not Christmas carols!) Put your feet up and read some Christmas stories or poems—the first two chapters of Luke are a great place to start. Perhaps you’d prefer O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi, Max Lucado’s The Christmas Candle or even The Grinch Who Stole Christmas! Watch a holiday movie, drink a cup of cocoa with marshmallows, sit quietly by the fire, or make a list of things for which you’re thankful instead of things you need to do or want to purchase. You’ve probably spent hours decorating the house but have you paused to enjoy the decorations or think of what they represent? Notice the star on the top of your tree and imagine the magnificence of the star of Bethlehem. Take the time to look at your nativity scene and think about the people depicted in it. Remember the purpose of all this holiday hubbub: the celebration of Christ’s birth. The Jews were told by Isaiah to clear the way for the Lord. Have we cleared the way for His presence in our hearts, not just during the holiday season, but all year long?

Father, as we busy ourselves with preparations to celebrate Christmas, keep our hearts and minds focused on the real meaning of this holiday—the loving gifts of salvation, forgiveness and restoration brought to us by the Christ child.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. [Dr. Seuss]

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken! [Isaiah 40:3-5 (NLT)]

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November 17, 2015

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Today: Make it Count

IN THE VALLEY

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [Psalm 23:4 (NIV)]

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear. [John Newton]

golondrinas penetente NM My mother had been very clear—she was to be cremated and her ashes tossed into our rose garden. I was only fifteen when she died and filled with teen-age indignation when my father interred her ashes in a cemetery plot. Angrily I asked how he could go against her wishes. He simply replied, “Following her wishes is far easier said than done.” What had seemed so easy in theory was, in actuality, far too difficult for the grieving man to do. Burdened by my own grief, I didn’t understand; older and wiser, I do now.

I thought of my father’s reply when a friend mentioned the difficulty of planning her husband’s Celebration of Life Service—she wanted to do one thing but family members insisted on another. A few days later, I overheard two other widows discussing their husbands’ cremains—neither woman felt ready to dispose of them and yet they were being pressured to do so by family members. Grief is hard enough by itself; family dissension only makes it worse.

Each of us grieves in our own way and at our own pace. In his grief and loneliness, my father made some rash and foolish personal choices. I dealt with the loss of my mother in acts of teen-age rebellion and reckless stupidity. A friend reluctantly went off to college just a few weeks after her father died and ended up sitting in her dorm room in tears. Grief-stricken and unready to move on with her life, she flunked out of school. Once done mourning, she returned to school and graduated with honors! While none of us handled our grief well, we all needed to pass through that dark valley the best we could, just as my widowed friends will do in time.

Rather than telling our friends and family what they should do and how to behave in their grief, perhaps we could take a lesson from Abe and Sarah, a long-married couple with whom I attend Bible study. Sitting across the table from me, they’d left an empty chair between them. Jokingly, I asked if they were annoyed with one another. No, they were just leaving a spot for the recently widowed Mary. She and her husband used to sit across from them at Bible study. Not wanting Mary to sit by herself, they now save a place for her between them so she won’t feel alone. That, I thought, is what church family does for one another—they walk together in the dark valley of sorrow.

For those who mourn, that dark valley can seem long, gloomy and desolate. A Christian knows he is never alone in his grief—God is always with him. The Bible, however, is abundantly clear—we are to bear one another’s burdens. When someone is walking in the valley of sorrow, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to make their journey easier by offering our love, encouragement and support, and possibly even by saving a chair for them.

Do not mourn the dead, but comfort the living. [Jonathan Lockwood Huie]

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. [Romans 12:15 (NIV)]

 

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November 10, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Fruit of the Spirit, Love & Works, Obedience, Today: Make it Count, Wisdom & Guidance

THE LBD

And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. [Colossians 3: 14 (MSG)]

polydamas swallowtail - NBG595webIn spite of the Netflix show’s title, orange will never be the new black, at least not when it comes to women’s dresses. The iconic “little black dress” was first introduced by designer Coco Chanel back in the 1920s and this piece of clothing has been a woman’s wardrobe staple ever since. Depending on the fashion accessories worn with it, the LBD can be appropriate for just about any occasion. For most women, it’s our basic all-purpose garment. Of course, at my age, my LBD gets more wear with a jacket at funerals than with pearls at a cocktail party. While my husband doesn’t have a little black dress in his closet, he also has a basic all-purpose garment: brown khakis and a light blue button-down shirt that can be dressed up with a navy blazer and tie.

While I consider my little black dress to be a wardrobe necessity (and actually have more than one), the Apostle Paul tells us there is another, far more essential, all-purpose garment we need in our lives—love. The image of slipping into a suit of love every morning appeals to me. How nice to know that a suit of love will always fit, never make me look fat, and match every accessory in my closet! It will never shrink, stretch or fray and doesn’t even need ironing! When I’m clothed in love, I’ll never be over or under-dressed and I’ll always be in style.

Today, as we look through our closets and dresser drawers, let’s be sure to reach for love before putting on anything else. While we’re at it, how about adding the accessories of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? After doing that, we’ll be dressed in an ensemble finer than any we’d ever see featured in Vogue or GQ.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. [Colossians 3:12 (MSG)]