Happy Happy Joy Joy! My new novel The Weakest Reed
is about to be released on Amazon! I hope you love it! So many things
happened to prevent the publishing. But the Lord graciously did for me
what I could not do on my own. I love His kindness! If you’d like to
read a snippet, see below or go to Amazon. If you buy the printed
version the ebook is free. As always, I really appreciate your
encouraging comments, likes and shares, and especially your reviews.
They’re so important! Thank you! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Here’s a preview:
There once was a lovely girl who was the delight of her parents. She
was obedient almost to a fault. Often we wondered if she’d ever think
for herself. When she finally did, one poor choice changed the entire
direction of her life.
As her father I watched helplessly as she struggled to overcome the
odds. Her natural personality as an introvert became exaggerated. Fear
took over and became her closest companion. Seldom did she smile and
rarely would she leave the house.
So we prayed.
Night and day her mother and I lifted our daughter up to the Lord.
She seemed broken beyond repair. I held tightly to a promise in
Scripture and did my best to believe it.
“He will not crush the weakest reed nor put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.” –Isaiah 42:3
I have lived on a
farm nearly all my life. Born into a small dairy farm family, I now own another
small farm. One constant in all that time has been chainsawing trees. When I
was small, I remember my dad using a chainsaw but I also remember him trying to
cut down trees using a two man saw. If you haven’t seen one, the thing has two big
wooden handles, giant teeth and preferably two men to pull it back and forth to
eventually fell a tree. It doesn’t work as well with a grown man and a spindly
kid.
When I was in
college and shortly after, I spent several years cutting trees to sell firewood
for extra money. It was a lucrative side job and as you might have guessed, I
loved the exercise involved. Sawing the tree down, cutting it into certain
lengths, manually splitting the thicker pieces, and loading trucks for delivery
had a certain manly appeal.
On my farm now,
occasionally trees fall and need to be cut up. I know of two along the creek
that need attention now. A least a couple saws are usually ready to get some
action. Almost never do I cut a tree that is healthy. Most of my experience has
to do with trees that need to come down or have fallen on their own.
Such was the case
with one certain pecan tree on Millbridge Road this morning. The tree had
outgrown its area and a portion of it was hanging over the owner’s house. She
called and wanted me to take it down, so I went early last Sunday to check it
out. Just a little touchy in spots on whether the falling tree would hit the
house, I planned to use experience, a quality helper, a good saw, a tractor and
a stout rope to make sure the tree didn’t damage the house.
Yes, I’ve taken
down trees that worry me before. One of the most interesting situations involved
a good-sized tree that likely would fall on an ex-mother in law’s house. I
thought I could take it down safely and she and her husband didn’t want to pay
the high price of a tree company. And the biggest thing—I wanted the challenge
to get it down.
Licensed tree removal companies should have
insurance to cover the damage of a mistake. A farmer with a tractor, a saw and
some rope likely doesn’t. But the price is right. That was the situation this
Saturday morning as I started removing low hanging limbs about 8am. My nephew
joined me about 10am as we used a tractor and front end loader to take off some
limbs that would counterbalance the way I wanted the tree to fall.
With all that
done, one major limb still hung over the house and could spin the tree once it
started to fall. With the rope tautly stretched to the tractor and my nephew
set to pull it north as it started to fall, I circled the tree a couple times
to make sure where I wanted to cut next. The base of the tree was about 17
inches thick, meaning that the 20 inch bar would be almost fully in use.
I took time for
prayer twice during this adventure, just to ask for God’s to help me make the
right decisions. At the last minute, I changed positions to cut from the uphill
side of the tree. The saw ran perfectly and hit the pre-cut notch just right
while the rope and tractor pulled forward after I signaled my nephew to do his
part.
I run for fun and
my heart is used to a good workout. Once I saw the chainsaw cut start widening,
I knew the tree was slowly starting to fall. We had already cleared out good
exit routes in case the tree twisted as it fell. I jumped up and ran up uphill,
then turned to see the tree fall perfectly as was planned.
My heart was
pounding, but all was well. Faith in my own experience and equipment, but a
much greater faith in the power of prayer helped me to move forward. Similar
situations occur often in life. Trust yourself and then trust God more. Move
forward, dream and then be encouraged to achieve. You can do it with God’s
help.
So funny. I was in the grocery store and there was a man standing at
the back of the store – with maybe 5 items in his buggy. He was talking
on the phone. As I walked by, I heard him say in an irritated voice,
“I’m IN the checkout line right now, but I will get OUT of line and go
back and get IT for you!” (You can hear that tone of voice as you read,
can’t you?)
Now, the man was nowhere near the checkout line and he knew I heard
him, but all I got when we made eye contact was an irritated look to go
along with the irritated voice. I, however, smiled brightly, and came
very close to laughing. Oh, the wife (my assumption) was going to
receive the item she had called him about, but he WAS going to make sure
that she knew that he did NOT want to go ALL THE WAY to the other side
of the store to get it. This is not what I would describe as a LABOR OF
LOVE. Yes, he was willing to labor, but he was not showing the love.
The reality of my grocery store visit insight was that it brought me
to a place where I examined my labor. Is it a labor of love or is it
just labor? Does my conversation and demeanor show that I am laboring in
love? Or, does my conversation and demeanor show that- yes, I labor for
others, but I want to be sure they know how hard it is for me? Good
question.
Where can we show our labor of love? Children, spouse, family,
friends, the workplace, home, community, organizations, the church… In
general, it is anywhere that we spend our time. Labor can be done with a
spirit of love and purpose, or it can be done with a spirit of
negativity. (Yes, ‘negativity’ is exemplified by the guy in the grocery
store.) And, those we labor for can usually discern the spirit that we
labor in….
God’s Word gives us great insight about our labor:
*Power of Labor- Ephesians 4:28 – Let him labor, work with his hands
the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
(Yes, our labor helps us help others.)
*Promise of Labor- 1 Thessalonians 1:3 – Remembering without ceasing
your work of faith and labor of love. Matthew 11:28 – Come unto me all
that labor and I will give you rest. (Yes, our labor of love will be
remembered and God will give us rest.)
*Profit in Labor- Proverbs 14:23 – In all labor, there is profit. 2
Thessalonians 3:10 – If a man will not work, he shall not eat. (These
two verses are pretty clear.)
*Prayer is Labor- Colossians 4:12 – Epaphras always labored fervently
in prayer for others. (Let’s not forget to labor in prayer.)
I love the story where a little boy was carrying a heavy load of
books. When the load became too heavy, he dropped them. His dad reached
down, picked the books up, and put them back in his son’s arms. He then
picked up his son and carried him. That is the same way God works in our
lives as we labor. We may become weak, but that is when He actually
makes us strong.
No, the ‘wife’ did not know that her husband was not already in the
checkout line when she called, but she did know that he was not happy
about having to pick up an additional grocery item for her. Dear man in
the grocery store, here is a better response: “Yes, I’ll get it.”
Translation: I love you, and I will show it- as I labor in love for you.
Now that I think about it, do we even need to call it labor? Let’s just call it love.
On
the day I returned from vacation, I went to get the mail. There were several
letters, so I glanced through them as I walked up the driveway. Bill, bill, a
piece of junk, and… a summons to jury duty! Are you kidding me? This was my
third time to be called. I was NOT excited.
I
looked to see when I was to report, and ironically, it was to be the same time
I would have reported back to school. I wondered if God was punishing me for
retiring. I have to admit, I was pretty grumpy for a few days.
The
letter stated that I was to call the night before to see if I had to show up. I
called, and of course, I did. I had a sinking feeling that not only would I
have to show up, but that I would be one of the people selected to be on the
jury. I just hoped it wouldn’t be a huge trial.
I
arrived and checked myself in. As I sat down and looked around the room I
sensed that none of us were very excited about being there. I decided right
then that I needed to change my attitude. I am a citizen of this community, and
in order for justice to exist in a fair and reasonable way I needed to do my
duty with a positive attitude.
I
prayed and asked God to forgive me for my negative attitude. There was a person
on the other side of that courtroom door that needed someone who would listen
with an open mind to all the evidence presented, and make a fair and impartial
decision. God touched me and my mind, heart, and attitude were instantly
corrected.
The
clerk of court showed us a video about what an honor it was for us to serve and
what our role would be in the process. A few minutes later, we were called into
the courtroom and the jury selection process began. They called twelve people
to come and sit in the jury box, and I was selected.
The
assistant D.A. and the attorney both gave us some general questions and then
talked with each one of us. It was a very interesting process trying to
determine who would stay and who would be dismissed as jury members. I was very
interested in the compassion that was shown to people who were caregivers or to
those with health concerns.
The
crime was a felony, but in the grand scheme of things, it was a minor crime.
What impressed me the most was how professional everyone acted and how the
individual was treated with dignity in spite of the charge. The details of the
case and the outcome are immaterial, what matters the most is that the judge
and jury gave both parties a fair chance at justice in this specific case.
I
walked away with a renewed appreciation for our judicial system. If the same
care is put into major cases as was in this case, then maybe we can hope that
our system works. I am sure that mistakes are made because we live in a fallen
world. There are certainly some people in every profession that do not always
give their best, and we know that sometimes people don’t always tell the whole
truth. But I still contend that my faith in our system was renewed by this
process, and I am glad that I had this opportunity.
I
am also glad that God’s system of justice is different in two key ways. First,
all of us deserve to be sentenced to a life separated from the love of God. But
if we are willing to repent, God, who is the fairest and best judge, will
forgive us for all of our sins and failures. The gift of eternity with God is
free for all who would receive Jesus as their savior. Second, if we have been
wronged in life and we can find the strength to turn to God and give Him our
case, He will take care of the situation and deal with those who wronged us.
God’s justice far outweighs anything we could ever do.
I
want to encourage you to open your hearts to God’s love. You may have committed
unspeakable crimes, or you might think that you are a good person, but all of
us are in need of God’s forgiveness. The only way to find God’s love and
forgiveness is through repentance. God stands ready, arms wide open to you…run
to Him while there is still time. Today is the perfect opportunity for you.
This is my gardening bench, patiently waiting for Spring. Pots are
ready. Dirt is on standby. Spades long to be picked up and used for
good. Nearby chairs rock slightly with the winter wind. Even though the
sun is shining, the calendar reports that it’s only February. Wait we
must.
I could force the issue. My indoor starter plants beg to keep my
potting table company. Roots of sweet potato vines and Wandering Jew
would feel much more at home in dirt than in the bottles of water on my
windowsill. Sunshine can be a deceptive friend. She calls out, “Come!
Why wait? Let’s take charge of this day!”
Experience warns that sooner is not always better.
So we wait.
And pray.
Lord, please fill these hands… these pews… these hearts… this table… my empty bed… my life… this crib.
The hope we once had disappears behind the dark cloud of disappointment. And we continue to wait. And pray.
“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”*
Then one day, winter becomes a distant memory.
“I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends. His mercies never cease.” **
Dear sweet Lord of heaven and earth, please strengthen us in the
waiting. Help us give You glory, knowing You love us and care about our
lives. You have given us the desires that wait in our hearts. You’ve
told us to ask and never give up.*** Thy will be done. We love and trust
You ever more.
Only on a rare
occasion will I do a movie review, mostly because I don’t see as many as I used
to. Plus, I am probably a harsher critic than most. Books often move me more
than a movie because I have found out much more about the characters by the
time the story concludes. Rarely now do I feel an intense connection to a movie
plot. Today, I was totally immersed in a movie that looked especially
interesting as soon as I saw the trailer.
During my own
extensive travels, I find the hype of places and things often disappoints once
seen in person. This movie was my Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls, the rare
sightings that are even greater than expected.
“Overcomer” came
out today (Friday, August 23rd) and I saw it during the first
showing at Tinseltown in Salisbury. Two screens were showing the movie and
regular TV commercials had promoted it. Nothing about those two statements
would make me go see a movie otherwise, as I’ve found the better ones often
don’t get such attention. In this case, I just couldn’t wait to see the movie.
What grabbed me
was the story although I won’t begin to give away the plot. I’ve been known to
nod off in a theatre and miss a third of the early action or lack of it.
Overcomer didn’t lose me at all and will be hard to ever forget. Reflecting on
the plot, every main character had something to overcome, just as most of us
do. Within the plot of the movie, all of them succeeded in some measure. Some
greater than others, but still they all moved forward.
The movie trailer
tipped me off to some of the action, just as it should. The successful
basketball coach and history teacher, his wife, their two sons, the
cross-country runner and her family and the school principal, all important
throughout.
Yes, cross
country and running in general are a huge part of the story and the first
things that drew me in. I love running, have been at it many years, and
everything related to the training and races was especially well done.
One question asked
several times in the movie was, “How do you define yourself?” And at what point
does Christian make that list? We can relate, at least I know I can. What do
the first two chapters of Ephesians tell us about how God sees us and why He
sent His son to die for our sins? What does His love guarantee us once we place
our faith in Him?
For the rest of
the day, my thoughts haven’t left the movie for long. I’ve told many others to
make sure they see it. A sure sign of a great movie—when it ends, nobody moves.
And while the long lists of credits play, much about things and people we don’t
know or fully understand, people still linger and take time gathering
themselves.
Go see this movie!
You’ll laugh, cry (a lot), be motivated and desirous of hammering out your own
identity in Christ. Take everyone you know. And be ready for deep reaching
discussions afterwards.
As a person who
has sought adamantly His help in difficult situations, often with humor and
hope, my own hope is that this movie draws you in and intersects with your own
story, just as it did mine.
I got my permit! Those four words may very well be the most exciting words a 15 year old will ever say to their friends.
A permit is defined as the official documentation or authorization to do something.
But… the emotion that goes along with that permit, may pale in
comparison to how the parent feels about relinquishing the driving of
their 3000 pound vehicle to them while they practice.
And it does not get any easier when they are allowed to practice at night.
However, even though my preferred bedtime is 9:30, I willingly got in
the car and traveled on the passenger side to purchase a much-needed
milkshake at 10:00, because my 15 year old wanted to practice driving in
the dark.
I reported to my passenger seat duty – ready to alert him to any – and all – pending obstacles.
The first comment he made after driving a few minutes was, “Look how
the light lets you only see what is right in front of you. We are
completely surrounded by darkness everywhere else.”
I felt a ‘God moment’ may have come, so I dared to shift my line of
vision from the road in front of us and took a look around me.
He was right. We were enveloped by darkness – except for the light shining out from our vehicle.
I think I actually felt the darkness. To the right. To the left.
Above. Behind. It was everywhere. Except in that one place – the
direction we were heading – where it gave us all the light we needed to
see the way.
Then, a few seconds later, a car was coming from the opposite
direction without their lights on, and it honestly seemed a little scary
for us both. That was when my 15 year old asked this wise question,
“Why would they do that?”
I responded, “They failed to turn their lights on, and they probably
do not even realize they don’t have light. They will figure it out
before it’s too late, I hope.”
As I said those words, I instantly became a distracted supervising
driver, because that was when I remembered a Bible verse I had read that
morning: Isaiah 45:7 – I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I, the LORD, do all these things.
That Bible verse that had seemed unusual that morning sure was making
sense on the dark road that night. It enveloped me – hovered sweetly in
my mind – letting me know that my God created the darkness, but He also
formed the light – and He watches over us in both darkness and light.
We may prefer to drive through life in the times of light, but we experience both light and darkness, don’t we?
And…both can help us to learn to be the person who God intends for us
to be – and to serve the purpose that God intends for us to serve.
*And we do not have to be afraid of the dark because even when it seems to surround us, the light still shows us the way.
*So, I guess we all have our permit – if we know God – because He is
the only documentation and authorization we will ever need. He is in
control of it all!
This
is a very strange week for me. All of my former colleagues are heading back to
school and I am not. Why is there such a big smile on my face as I type that?
The truth is, I am going to really miss being with my former colleagues and
friends. You get close to the teachers you work with on a daily basis. I will
miss catching up with them and hearing about their daily lives.
The
first week back for teachers is one that is filled with meetings. There is very
little time to actually be in your classroom preparing for the students. There
is so much that needs to get done that most teachers stay way past quitting-time.
There is the cleaning, decorating, getting handouts ready, and finding some
time to actually start planning your lessons.
The
students in Stanly & Davidson counties arrive next week. Here in Rowan
County, the students are already back. I always loved starting in early August
because we got out in May. It is so hot in August, you might as well be in
school. Late May and early June are so much nicer to be out of school. It is
also nice to get first semester exams out of the way before Christmas. I have lots of opinions about education,
like the importance of work-based learning. I also believe in starting school
later in the morning versus earlier. All these opinions are no longer
important. The political powers will make decisions and schools will go on
without me.
I
want to be very clear here. I believe in our public schools. They are great
places for our kids. There are some awesome teachers out there who make a huge
difference in the lives of their students. I never once felt unsafe at school,
thanks to the SROs. I know so many teachers who give their hearts and souls to
their students.
I
gave 34 years of my life to the public school system and do not regret one
moment of it. I tried to always give my best to the students. I tried to reach
the students using a variety of instructional methods. I know I wasn’t perfect
and there is always room for improvement, but I worked hard and I loved my job.
Are
the public schools perfect? No. There are people in every organization and
business who do not bring their A game to their jobs. That doesn’t mean that
all schools are bad. It just means that schools are just like every other
organization. For the most part, schools are filled with people who love and
care about the students that they serve.
To
the parents of students, allow me to share a few thoughts. First, I know this
is tough, but your little angel is not always so angelic. Children make bad
decisions no matter how good of a parent you are. It’s OK. It’s better that
they make the mistakes now where there is a good safety net. Support the
teachers and schools because we all want the same thing…to see your child grow
up to become a responsible adult in our community.
To
the parents, grandparents, and community members I have one request. Please
pray for the students, teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, staff, and
administrators of your local schools. We need God in our schools. He will protect
us. He will guide us. He will inspire and encourage us. He will give us wisdom
as we face the many problems that are in our society. He will love and support
us when times are tough. I will say it again: We need God with us every day in
our schools if we hope to raise up the next generation.
I
believe in the power of prayer to change situations and circumstances. I
promise you I prayed before I went to school. I also knew how important your
prayers were to my success as a teacher. No one can do it alone. Schools and
school systems need our prayers.
So let’s join
our spiritual hands and lift up our local schools, asking the loving and
gracious God of heaven to bless the 2019-2020 school year. I encourage you to
support the schools in your community, especially if you have children or
grandchildren going to school. Your prayers, cards, and encouraging emails are
truly blessings to the teachers who are working on the front lines. May God
bless you and our schools as they look forward to a great school year.
A gardening rule I’ve come to appreciate is this: When combining plants in a large container always use a thriller, a filler, and a spiller. The thriller is the plant that stands tall and gives presence. The filler is usually understated and fills in the gaps. The spiller flows gracefully over the sides adding beauty. Here’s a little example from my porch. What I really love about this combination is that it was all free. The tall bromeliad was a gift from my sister a few years back. It bloomed a giant red blossom and I hear it’s still got the potential to bloom. Right now, I’m not so sure. It seems to be content with just standing tall in the background.
The middle plants with the dark purple and gray stripes are Wandering
Jew. My friend Ann broke off a few sprigs of that and I kept it indoors
in a bottle of water over winter. Now it fills in the gaps nicely.
The bright chartreuse vine in the front is a sweet potato plant which
also lived on my windowsill over winter. Together in the beautiful pot
my daughters gave me, the combination is kinda pretty, especially for no
money spent. Don’t you love making something out of nothing?
Some of us are still waiting to bloom. A lot of us are just glorified
weeds. Some feel completely unnecessary. But the lovely blue pot
wouldn’t be nearly as attractive if any of the parts were missing. I
think it’s the combination of different strengths and weaknesses that
makes the prettiest bunch.
Whether you stand tall, fill in the gaps, or spill over gloriously
showing off God’s goodness, you are a beautiful part of the garden of
grace.
“How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are
many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I
don’t need you.’ The head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’ In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.”
