FOR THE YOUNG AND OLD-THINGS TO REMEMBER

This is an old piece, but I came across it this morning in one of my prayer journals. It did me good to revisit it because I am older now than I was when I first read it.  So, I am sure I need to remember it's advice more now than I did when I first read it. You can read it & weep or read it & laugh, but hopefully we will read it & heed.

                    17th Century Nun's Prayer

Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself

that I am growing older and will someday be old.

Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking

I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

Release me from the craving to straighten out everybody's affairs.

Make me thoughtful, but not moody: helpful, but not bossy.

With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all,

but thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.

Keep my mind free from the endless recital of details;

give me wings to get to the point.

Seal my lips on my aches and pains.

They are increasing, and love of rehearsing them is

becoming sweeter as the years go by.

I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of other’s pains,

But help me to endure them with patience.

I dare not ask for improved memory,

but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness

when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.

Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally, I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet;

I do not want to be a saint *- some of them are so hard to live with –

but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil.

Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places,

and talents in unexpected people.

And give me, oh Lord, the grace to tell them so.

*Just one correction of this nun..if you know Jesus personally, you have no choice ..you are a saint.

 

Mothers Day Mentoring

With Mothers Day upon us; I just wanted to remind all of us women what Titus 2 says:

"....the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things...that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands that the word of God may not be blasphemed. " (NKJV) 
   
Now in all honesty...many of these words we do not even remember what they mean!  Discreet, ???chaste..??? Read it with me in the New Living Translation:

"....Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God.  They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers.  Instead, they should teach others what is good.  These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their home, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands.  Then  they will not bring shame on the Word of God. .."

 OUCH!  Not a problem understanding those words.  Don't shoot the messenger.  God said it first through Paul.
     When you think about it; you are both the older woman and the younger woman in every instance of your life.  We learned this recently from Priscilla Shirer in the Gideon study.  So, you should be mentoring someone younger than you and you should have someone older than you that you can go to and say HELP!! In fact you are probably already doing this, but have just never thought about it.  Who is it that's younger that comes to you with questions?  Maybe your daughter? Maybe a younger woman at church?  You are that woman's mentor.  Who is it that you go to when you need advise with anything that has you stumped?  That person is your mentor.  It doesn't have to be planned or regimented.  Just avail yourself and it will happen..
     
       My mother went to be with the Lord 20 years ago today and I still miss her.  And I am so grateful for all she taught me.  My prayer is that I am being a mentor, an admonisher to all the women that God brings me in contact with.  
       
          Passing the faith along.. This is the way it's done ladies.  Until next time, I hope you all have a glorious Mother's Day.
 
 

Love in Him,

MANY LITTLE THINGS

                                                                  
                                                                     

    It has been many months since my last post ; but this morning I just have to share a life moment .  My last post was "One Thing".  Well, today I want to talk about Many Little Things. So often we forget to praise Him for the many little things He does everyday for us.  I hope to instill in my children and grandchildren that LIFE is made up of "little things" and not just the big life changers.  So what's all the little hallelujahs about?
     
 Back in the summer Glenda gave me a pair of earrings that said "My Grandkids Rock".  Well, you might guess where this is going...yes, I lost them.  Now, they came from Sam Moon so not a great monetary loss, but I loved those earrings and wore them a lot.  I looked where I knew I had put them and only found ONE!! Well, I looked and re-looked (bookshelf in bathroom) and still no earring.  So I gave up and Penny said, "don't worry Mom we'll get you some more."  Isn't it funny how when you get older the little things are what matter and the big things you've just learned to trust God for??? Oooo...that will preach!
        Anyway, yesterday I picked up one of my devotional books that I keep on that bookshelf in the bathroom AND inside that book was the missing earring.  Now you tell me how that earring jumped inside that book?  I do not even read this particular one that often, but this day I decided to.  Well,  NOW my devotional that day had nothing to do with what was printed in that book (sorry Kay Arthur), but it was all about this little thing that God had given to me.
                                     

                                JUST   ONE  MORE  and I'll let you get to your own "little things"........

          This morning I got to looking for a book..RABBONI by Phillip Keller.  Of course this Sunday is Easter and since this is the Name that Mary called Jesus at the garden tomb, I thought that it might have some insight for me.  I was so delighted to find the book relatively easily.  (My library is in terrible disarray) However, the last section (106) pages was missing!!! And of course that was the section I needed for my research.  Well, once again I'm on the hunt and not for Easter eggs!.  I gave up.  Then I thought no, it's got to be in that library!  So I started searching shelf by shelf, book by book.  Hallelujah!! There it was!! You've been there.  So happy, happy, happy to find something that has been lost.  (ooooo..another sermon).  Well, that's TWO Little Things in as many days that God has blessed me with.

            Will the earrings make my "look" as I wear them?  NO!  Will that portion of Rabboni that I will  
read impact my Sunday School lesson? Probably not!  BUT GOD, wanted me to see that HE is in the little things of our lives. And if we miss them.....well, we miss most of life.

             Don't miss His Life today.  Glory in the MANY LITTLE THINGS that HE provides so richly for us to enjoy.



Love in Him,

ONE THING

I rarely go to the movies; and even more rarely do I remember one special quote from a movie, but this is my all time favorite:

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? 
[holds up one finger] 
Curly: This. 
Mitch: Your finger? 
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean......(unnecessary expletive)
Mitch: But, what is the "one thing?" 
Curly: [smiles] That's what *you* have to find out
Points for you if you know which movie this is!!          


It's from the 1991 movie "City Slickers" with Billy Crystal and Jack Palance. The sequels were not nearly as good as this one.


             Do you know what that "one thing" is for you??  In my Bible reading for today from 
                                                Psalm 27:4 David says:
"The one thing I ask of the LORD--
The thing I seek most--                                     
is to live in the house of the LORD                                  
all the days of my life, 
delighting in the LORD'S
perfections and meditating in His Temple."


So did this mean that David wanted to go to Temple or to church everyday?  I think not. But I do think the last two phrases are a clue to what he was trying to say..........


                                  delighting in the LORD'S perfections
                                                            and
                                          meditating in His Temple


Oh Lord, may delighting in and meditating on You be the one thing in my life above all others. 

Love in Him,

A CLEAN HOUSE

                    I was reading about Josiah this morning at II Chronicles 34 where they "came across" The Book of the Law as they were cleaning and restoring the Temple. Oh, you can just feel the drama and anxiety as Josiah tears his clothes in despair.  My question:  Will they have to "clean house" to find your Bible?
              Now, those of you who know me, know that I study my many Bibles everyday-more or less- BUT--that doesn't let me off the hook because the Holy Spirit really pierced my heart at these verses. So I prayed and reminded the Lord that this is part of my routine, but still this gnawing.. So, OK, what Lord?  Speak Your servant is listening! Then I got what He wanted me to see:  The real Temple is within us.
      Is this "house- this Temple" clean enough to find His Word not only dwelling, but active and alive within?? Or will I have to search and restore to find it?? OUCH!! The good news is that Josiah fully restored the Temple of His God and it started by a complete reading of the entire Book of Covenant!  They didn't get out by 12:00 that Sunday!!
             
Do you need to clean house today?
               
                 "Search me, O God, and know my heart;
                       Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me,
                 And lead me in the way everlasting."  Psalm 139: 23-24.

Love in Him,

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

On this Mothers Day 2012 I just want to say that I feel my legacy is well in hand with my two godly daughters.  If I went to be with the Lord today, I know they would carry on just fine without me.  It has nothing to do with anything I have done, but all to do with the Great God that lives within them. There is no greater blessing or Mothers Day gift than to know and hear from your children that they love God supremely and their families foremost.  I praise the Awesome God Who is Sovereign and Ruler over all for His great mercy toward this mother and grandmother who for most of my life did not have a clue how important showing them Jesus was.  But in these last days I now realize that it is their only hope.  Praise You God for Your Unspeakable Gift to me and my family.

Love in Him,

The Best

I realized this morning that the Lord really wants me to get back to this project Penny inspired me with 3 years ago; then disaster stuck and I have pretty much abandoned it. So in obedience I am going to post "something" today to try to "prime the pump" (probably be a littler older if you know what that means) of this well.
         If you ever do not know what to say my grandmother always said: Just say something good you are thankful for. So here goes.  I have the best family in the whole world.  I have a husband that is a rock, two daughters that are a chip off that rock and a son-in-law that tries to keep his chaotic life smooth & running..and grandkids.  Well, you know that I have the cutest, smartest, and sweetest in the whole world. I have the best church family in all of the kingdom and last but not least the One and Only True God in all the world; which is why I have all the above just mentioned.  Without Him I would be and could do nothing...but with Him... I can do all things through Christ His Son Who strengthens me.
             Now, if I behaved like I believed that (which I do) I would not have to try to leave a lasting legacy ..... it would just be a natural product of the remains of my life.
Oh God..... make it be so and thank You for all of Your blessings today, especially those I have just mentioned.
                            I close with an appropriate verse that just happens to be my favorite:

                                        "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for
                                             wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jer. 29:11

in Him,