The Wisdom of the Aged

“I don’t know why they brought me down here!” The old lady said that was sitting in her wheel chair next to me.

“Well, I think it’s time for lunch.” I commented smiling at her as she gave me back a troubled look.

I was at the assisted living center to visit Marie, my former client with my agency who now lives there. I come out to visit her once and awhile and get paid a little for doing it.

The old lady continued her rant. “I eat three meals a day, you know. That’s it. That’s why I am like this.” She opened her sweater to show me her slightly swollen belly. “I try to stay small, you know, and not get fat like some of these other people here who eat everything.” She gestured to all the others gathered around the door waiting for their meals. “I only eat my three meals a day,” she repeated showing me three fingers.

“What’s your name?” I asked her.

“I’m Loretta. I’m French.” She added and said a big, long complicated French-sounding name.

“That’s pretty.” I added.

“Do you speak French?” She asked.

“No, only a little Italian and Spanish,” I replied.

I ventured further. “And were you ever married?”

“Oh, yes! To a wonderful Italian man! He used to sing opera to me every day. I loved it. And we were perfect for each other. He had a boy and I had a girl.”

“How long were you married?”

“Only four years. He went down into the jungles of the Phillipines on a special assignment for the military.”

 Suddenly, a pleasant lady came out of the door that seemed to be in charge. “Only two minutes left, folks! They’re taking out the coffee right now.” She laughed. “We’ll time them and see if that’s right.”

I focused back on our conversation. “Did your husband die?” I asked Loretta.

“He contracted malaria. I found out later that every American who went in there contracted it…”

“That’s so sad…” I said and then the door opened and lunch began and our conversation ended.

All the walkers, wheelchairs and limping people now crowded around the door. We all stood there in a bottleneck. It was Maria, a lady I had met there on Wednesday. She couldn’t get her wheelchair over the little molding in the floor. Finally, a lunchroom worker grabbed it and pulled her over it and the rest of us filed in.

The rest of the afternoon I spent listening to the ladies at my table which happened to be Maria, Marie and another lady named Dee who was heavy-set with dyed red hair. She would cough vigorously every so often. Maria was Cuban and loved hot chocolate and desserts and claimed to be diabetic.  Dee was there because she had had two strokes and fell a lot. She used to be a foster parent and spoke fondly of the children. She complained about the food, but ate it anyway. Marie, as usual, was quiet and easy-going.

Finally, it was time to go and I brought Marie to her nail appointment. I kissed her good-bye and got ready to go.

On the way out, I realized (like I always do when I visit this place) that life is a fragile thing. I am reminded that I should live it one day at a time and not worry too much about the future. After all, I could end up in an institution like this one someday, being warehoused with others that are of no longer any use to society. I felt a little pain in my hip. Oh no, I thought to myself, I hope not, but I’m getting up there myself!

So I’m going to try to be thankful in this coming year for my health, my family and God’s Provision. I am going to try not to complain or be envious of others. Age is the great equalizer and so is death.

Life is a short waiting time for a long eternity. Live, love, laugh and cry! And, don't procrastinate...do all you were created to do...

Have a Happy New Year!

Love,

Laura

The Fruit Stollen

I had seen him staring at me as I drove by his eyes wide and wearing a backward baseball cap.

Turning my head back to the road, he disappeared, somewhere down the street.

I had been driving down this long country road that seemed to go on and on for miles. Wiggins road, it was called. It passed by cow pastures and strawberry fields. I slowed down so I could find his house. He was an erstwhile client of ours, I heard and autistic.

Finally, I found a mailbox that matched his address so I pulled into a concrete driveway. The house was dilapidated and rundown and surrounded by pines, live oaks and palm trees. A broken-down hatch-back car vegetated in the driveway. I strolled up to the door as a cool breeze hit my face. No one answered my knock. I called his cell phone and there was no answer either. I stood there a few more minutes not puzzling as to what to do when suddenly I saw this tall man walking rapidly down the road towards me. He was wearing a corduroy jacket  and had a head of curly grayish blonde hair.

 “Are you John?” I asked.

“Yep.” He replied as I shivered in the early morning cold.

“I wasn’t sure you were coming. They never called me back.”

I sighed. “Yeah, sometimes that happens. Emma gets busy.”

Wait!” he yelled, “I gotta do sumpthin’!”

He ran beyond the house as I stood there waiting.

I got cold so I went and sat in my car. He finally returned only to mumble something about getting a signed check. He ran to the house next door. His sister came out a few minutes later and said it was hers. She got in her car to go to work. She had him give her other two blank checks he held in his hand and had also given him an envelope of cash.

Finally, he said good bye to her and jumped into my car. “

“Where you want to go?” I asked and before he could respond I added, “Walmart?”

“First, we gotta go to Sweet Bay. I gotta buy a fruit stollen. Its my dad’s favorite dessert.”

“Oh, okay. Do you live with your dad?” I asked as he showed me the way down the back roads through the strawberry fields.

“Yeah. I’ve lived here since 1979. My mom, dad and me moved down from New Jersey. My mom just passed away in October. Now, it’s just my dad and me. We turn here.”

I took a sharp turn and saw about twenty workers bending their backs to pick the crop. The road was paved but was only one lane. I hoped he knew where we were going and we didn’t get lost. Finally, it opened up on to Hwy 39 by the landscaping place and I knew where we were.

“So, was your mom old? I bet you miss her.”

“Yeah, I do. She was 92. She had dementia and my dad’s 89. He used to drive our old AMC station wagon. You know, the big ones that could hold nine passengers. That car had over 300,000 miles on it.

We turned into Sweet Bay and I parked and got out.

“So you never learned to drive, then.”

“No, I never did. My dad took me everywhere til he got too old. You know, we sold that car and someone’s still drivin’ it. Those old cars lasted forever.”

We walked into the store and he started looking around.

“What are you lookin’ for?” I had forgotten what he had said to me.

“The stollen. Remember?”

“I don’t think they have them. Maybe Publix does.”

He asked the lady in the bakery and she confirmed our suspicions.

So, we went to Wal-Mart and bought a bunch of stuff there including a box of lighters, six bottles of distilled water, two macaroni and cheese dinners and other grocery items.

“My sister usually takes me on Saturday, but, you know, she can’t this Saturday.”

“Yeah, it being Christmas Day.” I added.

Then, he ran from register to register looking for something.

Finally, I caught up with him. “What are you looking for?” I queried.

“My dad smokes a pipe.” He said. “He likes the different colored lighters.” He explained. “His favorite color is green.” He picked one up off a shelf. “This one will have to do.”

We finally got to an open register and got in the shortest line we could find.

“And Dad likes pears, too.” He put one pear on the belt.

“One pear? That’s all he eats?”

“Yeah, he uses the skin for his pipe. It keeps the tobacco moist.”

“Oh, okay.” Very strange, I thought.

But there were no fruit stollens at Wal-mart although he looked and looked.

Our next stop was Publix. “I bet they have them.” I repeated.

“Look!” I yelled with excitement when we walked in. “A fruit stollen!”

There they were right on a little table.

He bought two.

So we went back and he brought me into his house. It reeked as badly as he did of neglect. He wrote out the check and handed it to me when I told him the amount.

“Where’s your dad?”

“He’s still sleepin’. He sleeps until noon.”

That was my first visit with John. Now, I go there almost every Saturday to take him shopping. He likes the big band sound, so we listen to that station on the radio as we run from store to store. He is very compassionate and helps me with my shopping too.

I don’t think of him as handicapped any more. I think of the rest of us as handicapped. He is more normal than anyone I know.

So this year it’s Christmas Eve and we’re shopping again.

I doubt it will be for fruit stolen, though. His dad is not feeling very good. We are concerned he may die soon. I hope not. I don’t know if I will be able take John out any more. He will probably move in next door with his sister.

But it sure has been an adventure and God has been right there with me. I’ve learned about compassion and kindness from an unlikely person.

“Insomuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40.

May your Christmas have as much richness and blessings as mine!

Merry Christmas!

The Wisdom of the Third Grade

It was the last day before Christmas break and a warm one. I was wary of what mood the kids were in that morning as their sub teacher. You never know how it’s going to go and every day is different.

It started with one of the kids making the President’s table and she ran out of the room. It was Kendra; a shy girl with her hair all tied up in braids. We all stood to say the Pledge of Allegiance and I sang to them the Star Spangle Banner.

Next, I checked her lesson plans and, to my delight, I saw that we would be watching the Polar Express; one of my favorite Christmas movies. First, they had to do 5 different Polar Express puzzles. Most of them finished quickly except for two boys who were behind the rest all day. However, I patiently helped both of them to keep up.

After this, the special education teacher came in to teach them their fractions. She fussed a lot and was very exacting, but the kids liked her. Next, we ate lunch. Then, we came back to the room and finished the fraction packet and prepared to watch the movie.

I had Ms. Burrows from next door turn on the Smart Board and she got it on the right channel for me. Then, like magic, the movie began. Everyone changed into their pajamas and got their blankets and pillows to lie on the floor. I gave each of them a golden ticket as per the teacher’s instructions. Midway through the movie, I gave them a Christmas Tree Little Debbie cupcake and a few white chocolate pretzels. I ate a few pretzels myself.

Finally, the movie was done. We met together to discuss it and put some strips in sequence. I asked them a few questions about it. We discussed the truth and reality of God and Santa Claus. Finally, I asked them how we got the idea of giving gifts. I was expecting them to say “the three wise men”.  However, instead, Kendra raised her hand eagerly.

“I know! I know!” She yelled, her shyness temporarily overcome. “God gave us the gift of Jesus, his Son.”

It was a good answer and the wisdom of Third Grade shined through!

And her answer was so true. Jesus is the greatest gift ever and we must live our lives in the light of his love. He was born in a manger, worshipped by lowly shepherds and died on the cross for our sins. What other person in history ever came even close to Him?

So have a great Christmas! Keep believing…and trust in Him to see you through another year!

Love,

Laura

My Quilt

I was acquitted in traffic court yesterday and my ticket dismissed! (Yeah!) It was because I had a good driving record. However, some day we will stand before God and be judged by Him – a much more frightening scenario. How is God going to judge us then? Here’s a great story given to me by my friend Brenda that describes what will happen when we walk close to the Lord.

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.

Before each of us was lain our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles. An angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry of our life.

As my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares were. They were filled with big holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been very difficult; the challenges and temptations that it seemed I was faced with every day. I saw that some of the hardships I endured were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me and noticed that nobody else had such empty squares. Some had a tiny hole here and there. They had tapestries filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel then began sewing together the ragged pieces of cloth, threadbare and empty that were like binding air.

Finally, the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light and the scrutiny of truth. The others arose, each in turn, and held up their tapestries. Their lives had been so full. My angel looked on me and nodded for me to rise and come forward.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn’t had all the worldy achievements and success. I had love in my life and laughter, but there had also been trials of illness, false accusations and financial setbacks. These had taken me off course so that I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to just quit but I was able to muster up the strength to go on and begin again. Yes, I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking the Lord to guide me and to love the unlovable. And now I had to face the truth; my life was what it was and I had to accept it that way.

I rose and lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. An awe-inspired gasp filled the air of those around me. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.

Then, I looked at the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes creating the image of the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, “Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life: My hardships and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through until there was more of Me than there was of you.

My all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through!

The Alphabet Prayer, Part II

Meek and mild are you, O Lord,

And merciful at all times.

Now, I ask you to work

And intervene on our behalf.

Open the right doors,

And close the wrong ones,

Please have mercy on us,

And answer our requests,

Remember me, O Lord,

And hear my petitions.

Save me, O Lord,

Redeem me from the mouth of the lion.

Totally, I will trust in You,

And remember your salvation.

Until the ends of the earth,

May Your truth be known.

Very mightily move on my behalf,

And prove to me Your Word.

Wholly Yours am I, O Lord,

I still love You,

Forever I am Yours,

Your zeal will forever be mine.

Amen…

The Alphabet Prayer, Part I

(I dremt I should write this in my blog. Every other line rhymes and I did here lines A - K. Next week, I will do the rest.)

All my hope is in You

For You, O Lord, do great things.

Black may be the night

But You will show up in the morning.

I will call unto You right now,

And You will answer me.

Darkness covers the Earth

But You are the light of the world.

Everyone has gone astray,

Send your Word to guide us.

For You alone, I give praise,

For You are my salvation,

Give praise unto the Lord always

Even in rough times.

He alone can save you,

Just trust in Him.

I love You, Lord, and praise You,

With all my heart, I worship You.

Jesus, Master of my soul,

I give you everything, even my life.

Kind and loving are You, Lord.

And your precepts are always right.

The Recompense of the Reward, Part II

            I was going to end last week with the recompense of the wicked, but I just happened to look at the devotional I was reading and the one for October 7^th said this: “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” (Heb. 11:26)

            I nearly choked on my breakfast! I was wondering if I should add anything to my little Bible study and I guess this was the Lord’s response.

            The point of this Scripture makes is that Christ gives us a different kind of reward than the wicked get: we get the reward of heaven with Him. Yes, you must suffer here below and go through many trials, but we have a wonderful reward awaiting us. We can be like Moses and esteem the reproach of Christ greater than the pleasures and treasures of Egypt. The reproach means the blame, shame or disgrace we have to go through. And that’s what reproach means according to Webster and summarizes what we sometimes experience when rough things happen; things that happen that our not our fault, but happen anyway. But we will have a payment someday too: the recompense of our reward in heaven if we hold fast to our faith.

            Lord , we pray for your help and strength right now. We can’t go through this on our own! We need your grace and guidance. Please give us the fruit of the Spirit and the peace of your presence in our hearts. May your Holy Spirit fill us with love for you and for others also. In Jesus Name, Amen.

The Recompence of the Reward - Part I

I was sitting in a classroom the other day co-teaching with a teacher who mentioned one of the students' vocabulary words was recompense. She said she didn't know anything about it, but I knew it was from the Bible. I thought about it and looked it up in a concordance and the next day when I saw her again, I told her about it. She said some of her students had told her that it was in the Bible too.

When I looked it up, I noticed there were many references to this word in God's Word. Here is one reference I particularily liked and felt the Lord wanted me to write about it: "For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation..?"(Hebrews 2:2-3)

This interesting passage in Hebrews emphasizes the need for salvation. Every sin and every folly of mankind has a consequence or "recompense of reward" which also means payment. The reward here the author of Hebrews is talking about is the "wages of sin". (Romans 3:23).

Think of all the sins of our society and culture today; all the violations of God's law which are myriad and increasing every day. Without a revival soon, we aren't going to have a great future especially as a country. Marxism and Feminism are being promoted in our schools every day - I've seen it first-hand - and Christianity is being trashed. What will be the consequences? If things don't change, it will be the payment of sin. Yep, that's it. Economic hardship, loss of jobs, loss of homes, more taxes and regulation and more social decay will be our future.

Just read Isaiah chapters 1-4 and you can see the same pattern. Its a society that has rejected God over and over again. The only salvation is not in politics or in philosophy. These have always proven to be a dead end... I've seen the same falsehoods rehashed over and over again over the last 40 years and they've never worked. They just get repackaged and recycled for each new generation.

Next week, I will talk about the positive side of the "recompense of reward" so stay tuned...to be continued...

Lord, we thank you for your mercy and dying on the cross for our sins. We will never forget your love and grace and how much you did for us. We're glad we can avoid the "recompense of reward" and be able to have all those sin debts canceled by your Blood! In Jesus Name, Love, Laura

Goodness and Mercy

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Ps 23:6)

"The Lord is my shepherd" starts this psalm and it ends with this wonderful promise above. So, if we follow the Lord as our good shepherd, goodness and mercy shall follow us. In the Webster's dictionary, it defines goodness as "quality or state of being good: the virtue of character, decency, honesy, integrity, morality, probity, rectitude, righteousness, and uprightness." Mercy means: "compassion shown to an offender; divine favor; a fortunate circumstance."

But goodness is impossible for any of us as a human being. The Bible says: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) And as it states in Isaiah 64:6, our righteousness is as filthy rags. Our righteousness is not our own, it is imputed through the blood of Jesus Christ. "For by faith are ye saved through faith, not by works lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8) Being good or religious can't change our status in God's eyes. We can't do anything to save ourselves or keep ourselves saved. We can only do good through the goodness of Jesus Christ.

Mercy means that Christ has forgiven us and it also means we can now forgive others and show compassion to them. "Righteousness and peace have kissed each other." it says in Psalm 85:10. Without the righteousness of Christ, there is no peace.

And, of course, the biggest challenge of all is I Corinthians chapter 13, the love chapter. If we all lived by this philosophy, most of the problems of the world would be gone... But because of rebellion and sin that's not going to happen any time soon. However, we can still shine as lights in the world and know that goodness and mercy will follow us just like it says in this great psalm...and it does. Believe me, it does if you just walk in his love...

Thank you Lord for your great love for us as shown on Calvary! Let us never forgot what you did for us on the Cross! Thank you for all your blessings and may we always walk in your righteousness, mercy and love! In Jesus Name, Amen!

Thou Preparest A Table Before Me...Comfort In Troubled Times

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies, Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. (Ps 23:5)

Sometimes God puts us in a difficult situation with enemies all around us on every side. We feel closed in and defeated. We don’t feel like there is any hope for us. We’re between the Egyptians and the Red Sea.

Do you ever feel that way? I certainly do and I cry out to the Lord for help. Still, He doesn’t always help the way we ask Him to. He holds our feet to the fire. We feel the flames of the fierce fiery trial. He tests us even when all around us the world is watching and probably hoping for our defeat. But it’s not going to happen, sorry to disappoint them. God is in control and more powerful than all our enemies combined.

Though there be a sinkhole under our house, the cracks widen more each day,

Though we’re under water, we’re desperate and the problems won’t go away.

Though I just got a 200 dollar speeding ticket, and I don’t remember a thing.

(I think its menopause and my memory is evaporating…)

Though I worked 45 hours and there’s no end in sight to my labor,

Though both of us are exhausted, and our resources are few and meager.

Though the stock market plunged 400 points, still we can be confident and not afraid.

We’re standing on the solid rock of Jesus and in Him we can sing his praise.

So I will go, plead my case, in the presence of the pagans I will cry.

I will throw myself on the mercy of the court and ask for the grace of God…

And also pray our mortgage can be refinanced so we can keep our home

But even if we become homeless and destitute, we can still praise Him alone.

Because He is sovereign, right and true. He will guide us with his staff and chasten us with his rod

He will bless us in the presence of our enemies and protect us in the midst of the trial.

And though we lose everything, this one thing is sure, He loves us and everything is secure in Him...

 Father, Thank you for strength. Thank you for courage and hope of eternal life with you. We love you and trust in you these most turbulent times and abide in your grace. Keep us looking up to you and resting in your arms of love. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Walking Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.(Ps 23:4)

This week was a thoughtful and sad one thinking about the events of 9/11. We as a country went through “the valley of the shadow of death” when that happened. Now, the events are fading and we have already forgotten all about God. We think He doesn’t exist so we can do our own thing. Sex outside of marriage, illegal drug use and excessive alcohol consumption have left us a bad legacy.We've been rebelling this way  for at least 40 years so we have had two generations who don’t even know what morality is. It sometimes feels as if God is dead or has given up on us. Meanwhile, many families are suffering financially and they now say one out of every 6 children lives in poverty. Almost 50 million Americans are now below the poverty line.

What happened? Is there a connection between rejection of God and our moral decline? Yes, I believe there is. We have made idols and have bowed down to them. We also have murdered innocent children in the womb by the millions. The consequences of sin are all around us. God has taken away our prosperity in spite of “give away” programs and gov’t spending. Taxing the rich to give to the poor is not a healthy society, it is an imbalanced one. We, as human beings, want control over our own money, lives and fortunes. We want to give out of our own money to the poor not have the government redistribute our money by force for us. It is bondage with the system we have now. Humans do not want gov’t interference in the form of excessive taxation. I know from experience how painful and rough can be to part with your hard earned money.

What about the Good Shepherd in all this? Well, he will be with us through our trials. It’s as simple as that. He will also comfort us as we walk through them. He will use his rod to discipline us and his staff to protect us from predators. I am glad He is with me. I am a dumb sheep and wouldn’t have made it this far without his guidance and help.

What about you? Are you walking through some rough circumstances? Just keep trusting Him. He loves you as you are. Turn to Him and He will be your guide through all the rough storms and the good times, too.

Lord,we ask for your help today. Our country is in bad shape and is drifting further from you. We are weak but You are strong. We are surrounded by our enemies. Please intervene on our behalf and be swift to rescue us. Please be our protector and guide, like the good shepherd in this psalm. We love you and want to serve you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

He Leadeth Me in Paths of Righteousness for His Name’s Sake

We have so far found out that the Lord is our shepherd and his guidance is the theme of this whole psalm. He leads us through good times which are the” green pastures” and difficult times which are the “still waters” as he meets our every need – “we shall not want”.

Now, what does it mean that when David wrote that “He leads us in paths of righteousness”? I believe, according to what the Bible teaches, that through all the experiences of life, the good, the bad and, yes, even the ugly, the Lord is leading us gently like a shepherd. These are the paths that He has chosen for us even when we are not aware of Him. When the World tempts us or evil betrays us and bad things happen to us we sometimes think we are straying and drifting in a sea of confusion. Then, we lose faith in the Good Shepherd. However, He does intervene and gently guide us back to Him and we will experience  more faith than we ever had before.

I remember in my own life how He has intervened and I will give you a few examples. Whenever we have moved, we have found a good church right away and Christian friends almost immediately. This has happened with us the last three times.  My story “The Rich Uncle” – that’s here on my blog – is a example of one of those times.

Also, He has led me in terms of employment also. I heard a still, small voice when I didn’t know what to do tell me to go back to substitute teaching. My other job, being a homemaker which I do during the summer months I found by going to two random networking meetings and meeting each of my bosses at each one. Then, I randomly pulled Arlene’s card right out of a full basket and called her. We talked about it and she hired me right on the spot.

Bob, too, my husband got his bus driving job idea from a friend, Charlie, who used to do it. At first, Charlie wanted me to be a bus driver, but I didn’t feel right about it. However, I told Bob and that planted the seed. Now, he’s doing it and he loves it. It is a real ministry opportunity.

So even in the chaos of life, somehow the Lord does His will. I wish I could say it was easy, but it is not. However, I believe God is good and does His will in our lives if we are Christians and love Him. Like the Lord’s prayer we can pray that the Lord will come to our rescue. He may take us out of our troubles or deliver us through them. Either way, his direction will guide us and his will is the wisest way we could go.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. And we give you all the glory, Jesus! Amen!

He Leadeth Me Beside Still Waters…

We are now on the third week of Psalm 23 and it’s been a rough ride for me! Thankfully, the Lord has already miraculously intervened the last few days and helped me. I also want to add that  a few wonderful friends and relatives also have come to my aid too and I thank them also. I know the Lord is testing us – Bob and I – and hopefully He will be able to use me in a greater way and more effectively for His Kingdom through these trials.

So that brings us to this week’s verses – Psalm 23:2-3. Last week it was green pastures, now it’s still waters. I thought about the comparison between the two. I thought of Irene and all the rushing water and flooding that was left behind after that hurricane hit the northeast last week. Then, I thought of a pond of stagnant water. What was the difference? Looks like its busyness and inactivity.

Now, the green pastures can be visualized as a pleasant scene: richness, prosperity and life. Stagnant or still water, however, can be smelly, polluted or tainted. Could this be a contrast, too? Yes, I think it is. Still water could mean poverty and green pastures mean prosperity. Both are times of waiting on the Lord. Rushing waters mean busyness that could distract us away from God because we can become too busy for Him.

What does all this mean? It means, I think, that no matter what happens to you in life, good times or rough times, happiness or despair, prosperity or poverty, the Good Shepherd is leading you. He never fails to guide you through all your circumstances. What, then, is the result of all these experiences? It’s the next verse “He restoreth my soul…” He renews us, restores us and refreshes us as we follow Him. This is so we can fight more battles, oppose more evil and trust Him even more.

So whatever you’re going through right now, whisper a prayer and ask Him to guide you through it. Trust Him with your life. Though His ways are sometimes curvy, you will be led safely home. Yes, whatever happens, just remember that He’s always there, always waiting with open arms to love and always eager to encourage you to grow in your walk with Him as His child.

Father, thank you so much for all your love and guidance through these perilous times were in! Both in prosperity and poverty will we trust you to keep guiding us to our last breath. Help us to always glorify You in all we do. In Jesus Name, Love, Laura

He Maketh Me Lie Down in Green Pastures

Are you tired, weary and struggling? Does it sometimes feel like you’re left on our your own without any guidance and direction from God? It does seem that way sometimes, but really, according God’s Word, He is in control and guiding us every day if we are His child. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct our paths.” Proverbs 3:5 & 6 – my favorite verse.

Do we really understand He is directing us? Do we really trust Him or do we question Him? I know I do some times. I question his goodness and love. However, if I acknowledge Him, if I bring Him into the formula and whisper a prayer, He is right there. It’s a walk of faith but we’re not alone. Somehow, it’s a partnership with Christ which is real but truly a mystery.

Sometimes, too, He just wants us to wait and not move forward. I think that’s what this means in Psalm 23, verse 2. Patience especially in our day and age, is not a virtue any more. We want everything now. We want to go, go, go and be busy. We have our instant communication devices like Ipads, cell phones, computers and of course, the ever-present TV. We have our jobs, our families even our church activities to keep us busy. It hard for us to be quiet and still. However, God has to intervene at times if we don’t rest. He has to force us to rest. He takes away our prosperity, our health and our human resources and make us look to Him for hope, guidance and rest. Sometimes, cancer is the best God can give us to slow us down so we will listen. And, poverty can be a good thing, too, if it turns us back to God.

Are you too busy and distracted? Jesus said: “Come unto me all ye that are tired and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon thee, for my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Mt 11:38). Let’s claim this by faith and lay down in green pastures and give all our burdens, problems and struggles to the Lord. He will take those from us if we let Him. And then we shall find peace and rest in the midst of our trials. “Be still and know that I am God…”(Ps 46:10)

The Lord is my Shepherd, I Shall Not Want

When I think about the Lord as my shepherd, what do I feel about it? Some of us, including me, have a vague feeling that He’s there and He cares but that’s about it. I am going to discuss the 23^rd Psalm each week for four weeks. Each time I am going to talk about a few verses of this very-underrated writing. We only bring this out at funerals to read which is unfortunate.  It has advice for us on how to live the Christian life every day.

            The Christian life can be very challenging. I say “life” not “lifestyle” because I believe there is a difference. “Lifestyle” means a more shallow definition than “life” so I don’t like to use it at all. I think our main problem is we take our focus off Christ, our Shepherd and focus too much on ourselves and our problems. Then, we sink into the mire and join the other “castaways” that gave up their faith, too – and there’s probably a lot out there. They’re bitter, angry and critical of Christians and Church in general because they got “burned” somewhere along the way. I hear this lament from people all the time and even get sucked up into it myself sometimes.

This is the program and agenda of our adversary. But “by the grace of God, we have our conversation in this world, and the more abundantly to you-ward.” (I Cor. 1:12) Let’s hang in there and be heroes of the faith just like Paul, Peter and all the others we read about in the Bible. They encountered tremendous stresses and problems in their lives. They were not exempt from suffering and trials. They were flawed human beings that “by the grace of God” accomplished great things because they did it through God’s strength and power not their own.

Anyway, back to today’s thought: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (Ps 23:1). “Want” comes from the Hebrew word “chacer” which means: “to lack, fail, want, lessen, be abated, decrease, lack, make lower.”

Jesus is the answer to all our problems. He is not going to allow us to lack if we trust in Him. It’s a radical thought that this world rejects. But it is the truth. Are you fully trusting Him today? Is your life in alignment with His will? Yes, we sin a lot but He is always ready and quick to forgive us. Let’s fully trust in Him today and ask Him to take control of our situation no matter how difficult it may be. Then, He will be our Shepherd and we will not want.

How God Changed My Life

Today, I want to give you my testimony which in Christian circles means how Christ saved me.

Now, when most other people hear this stuff, they usually tune out the Christian.

If you are not part of us – the Christian “bunch” that is – then please read on anyway and maybe you’re opinion of us might change us a little instead thinking we are a big bunch of fools.

When I was a kid, I was just ordinary kid and lived in an ordinary family. We went to church which I  was the Catholic church every week for our 1 hour of Mass. I attended a Catholic school. I didn’t know or understand why I was going to church. None of it made any sense and I wanted it to. I, at first, wanted to be a saint when I grew up. Then, I found out you had to be canonized and do all kinds of miracles so I switched to a witch instead. It was more fun and a lot easier.

Fortunately, I outgrew that phase and still felt empty inside and laden with sin in spite of my religious activities. Most people, I guess, ignore their conscience and try to excuse themselves and go on without any contact with a higher power. I had trouble doing this.

Then, one day when I was just minding my own business, God showed up. I went to Mass for our weekly 1 hour dose of religion. Down at the altar to receive the Eucharist, it came out of the priest’s fingers and landed on my hand. I put it in my mouth and a message entered my head. It was as if God was speaking to me and I was very afraid. The message was: “Do not fear! Something bad is going to happen to you and your family today, but I will take care of you.”

I didn’t know what to make of this and being a 13 year old, my parents didn’t believe any of it and said it was “hormones”. Well, that night my father passed away around 10:00. His last words were “I’ll always be with you”. He had died of a massive heart attack.

Now, God had gotten my attention. Two years later a girl came up to me in the front of my high school and asked me a profound question I could not answer. She asked me “Do you know the four spiritual laws?” I answered her honestly and said “No, I don’t.” She told me why Jesus died on the cross, not just for the sins of the whole world, like my church had always said, but for my individual sins. That made a lot of sense and I had never heard of it before. I accepted Christ right then and there as my own personal savior. From then on, I began to read the Bible and attend prayer meetings which were popular back then in the early ‘70’s.

Finally, I left my church and went to other churches to find the perfect fit. Since I didn’t know much back then about churches (and there was no internet) I finally ended up in a nondenominational church that was small then but today is a mega church. They helped me further to grow in my faith and become a stronger Christian. That is where I met my husband, Bob.

So you see, God reaches down to us and we have to open our hearts to him. When we reject him, we reject life and joy and healing and hope. Don’t do that! Accept Christ today and let Him change your life. The peace and joy He bestows is phenomenal even in the midst of trials.

How I Started Writing My Book, Part 2

One day, I was just sitting in church when the inspiration for my book started to come. I based it primarily on the students in my classes. I went home and continued writing it and soon I had typed about 110 pages. As the years went by, I added more chapters and pages and it became a very autobiographical project. Now it is over 250 pages. It is being edited so that I can get it published soon. I want it to in the best condition before it is so that’s why it’s taking so long.

Along the way, I joined, about 20 years ago, a writer’s group in Fernandina Beach called the Nassau Co. Poets and Writers. They helped me update and edit my story. However, we moved away in 1997 to Orlando. After that, I didn’t get involved with a group again until I heard about the Brandon Christian Writers Group and become a member.

In between, I did add on and rewrite my book when I had the time. When I was working full time jobs, I didn’t have the time to do it. Now, I wish I had a full-time job, but there are none out there. I sit at home writing and not worrying about bills any more. My life is half way over any way and I need it to count not only for God but also finish my projects and fulfill His calling on my life before I die.

So, I am revising The Land of Efacia for the last time with my editor. There’s still a lot of fixing left to do but it’s almost done. Any one who thinks writing a book is easy, think again, especially when it is a fantasy genre where all is a product of your imagination.

I hoping it will be a classic when it is finally published some day, but until then, I labor on to do my best  to make a story come to life.

What is the future? I just don’t know. Our lives right now are up in the air and we have many challenges. This I know for sure: the Lord has led me through all the minefields in the past. He‘s going to continue to lead me in the future even if that means the loss of all things. I know I will gain more of the knowledge of Christ through all the struggles.  And that’s a subject I will continue to talk about next Friday…

Until then, walk in the light of His Word and stay close to the Good Shepherd. May He bless you every one!

How I Started Writing Way Back When

I started out drawing cartoons and writing stories when I was a little kid. I won a scholarship in art in 3rd grade because of my doodlings.

I actually wrote three books when I was 10 or 11 but only finished one. I kept them all in my portfolio. I didn't know I was any good at writing because I never got any feedback on it. Everyone was always praising me for my art talent so that was where I went. However, I'm glad the Lord didn't give up on me.

I was an avid reader and would go through the aisles of the library looking for books to read. I found The Hobbit that way and many other classics that I enjoyed - especially adventure, sci-fi and fantasy. These were the genre that always attracted me.


I did well in school because of being a good reader, but school was boring and I was painfully shy. My father died when I was 13 and that didn't help any. However, it did help me turn to the Lord for help. By high school, I had discovered The Lord of the Rings and read that three times. I fancied myself a member of "The Inklings" which were the inner circle of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien and some other fantasy writers but I didn't have an inkling of how I would ever write anything to be a part of it.

When I was 15, a person told be about Jesus Christ and I received Him as my Personal Savior. That changed my perspective and helped me cope better with the problems in my life.


Upon graduation from high school, I went to Bible College and studied to be a teacher. I had lost most of my interest in art or writing by then.


However, the Lord had other plans for me. I ended up teaching school in Memphis, TN and that was my inspiration for the Land of Efacia. I will let you know next time the continuing story of how this book came to be...

Poor Man's Paradise

“Cookadoodle doo!” crows the rooster as I jog out the door that early morning. A whole cackle of hens follows him around as they cluck and peck in the back field behind our house.

I glance over to see some garage doors opening and people hastening off to work.  By this afternoon, the doors will all be open as people will be returning home to lounge in them. They treat them like patios in my working-class neighborhood and sit around and smoke and drink beer for hours. Of course, there are some retired folks that live here also. And some Latinos too.

As I dash down the street trying to get some exercise, I cross our little creek. It’s a generally stagnant body of water that breeds mosquitoes.  Usually, someone is fishing in it. Next, there’s a huge sunken dry area that sometimes is a pond when it rains a lot. A fake alligator faces it one way and a man and woman statues dressed in Dutch costumes cavort on the other bank.  In the middle, sits a lighthouse battered and scarred by the elements and when it rains, resting on its own island.

Down the street, I continue to jog past yelping dogs and meowing cats. A cow from out in the field sometimes sees me and turns my way as if to say: “And what are you doing this fine morning?”

Sometimes, an egret, a sandhill crane or a white ibis passes in front of me and an occasional person waves to me, too, either in a vehicle or walking in the opposite direction.  I have to swerve to miss them by going on someone’s grass since our street has no sidewalks.

As I round the bend, I come to the halfway house and wonder what kind of troubled folks may live there. Then, I pass the house with the red door and usually, when the garage door is open, a nice man with a broad smile always raises his hand and says hello.

Around the next bend is a jungle we normally call “the woods” and finally I come to the end of the street.

I have gone in one entire loop and am greeted by a forlorn sight: a foreclosed home that has sat abandoned for 3 years…Its palm trees are burdened with dead branches and its lawn is littered with trash.

Every time I pass now, I pick up what garbage I find on it and bring it home to put in my trash. I like to start my day with a good deed. It lifts my spirits some.

Then, I’m back at Tom’s cheery but sterile place again, the house right next door to us, with its knock out roses, colorful tropical plants and stately palms. A growing magnolia tree rules majestically in his front yard. (His other tree got whacked down by the hurricanes of 2004…) I recall all the Halloweens and Christmas’s he would decorate his place and go all-out with it. Now, since the Great Recession started, he is more Spartan in his decorating which makes October just another summer month – and December, too. (He’s become more like the rest of us, in fact.)

But the sun is still shining relentlessly up in the sky and even though we have little money at least its hard to get depressed. .. (After all, this is Florida). You just try to stay thankful for whatever you have - and hope you can pay your mortgage every month. And life goes on in a poor man’s paradise…

The Substitute and the Tornado

“Look here, kids!” I exclaimed, “in the Midwest and Florida most of the tornados or twisters  in the world occur!”

The class turned the page in their books to look at the map. Their interest seemed to perk up that sleepy Thursday morning when I mentioned tornados.  As the pages turned, my mind started to wander.

I  remembered that years ago I had worked as a substitute teacher in a small town. I had given it up to try my hand at various other jobs. Those were pretty awful. I didn’t enjoy staring at the four walls  of a cubicle every day. You never talked to anyone but your bosses and you worked all day long on a fickle computer. When I was laid off for the last time I didn’t cry. I knew the Lord was going to take care of me.

I collected unemployment for a few months and then decided not to do it any more; they could keep their checks. And then, I decided to go back to substitute teaching.

                My thoughts suddenly snapped back to the present.

                “Miss,” someone yelled, “have you ever been through a tornado?”

                “Yes, I have. It narrowly missed our house and we didn’t even know it. It was in the middle of the night.”

                Just then, the Principal sauntered in.

                “Hello, Mrs. C! We have just been talking about tsunamis, earthquakes and now tornados.”

                Then I showed the class how quickly a tornado can form and strike anywhere.

                Mrs. C added: “That’s right, boys and girls! Tornados are very dangerous. That’s why we monitor weather conditions very closely whenever storms threaten our area. We want to make sure you are always safe.”

She left and then we continued our discussion.

Suddenly, I strolled over to the window and lifted the slats in the blinds.

“Mmm…goodness!” I exclaimed, “ It looks awful outside!”

It was as dark as midnight at 11:30 in the morning.

A student screamed as a bolt of lightning hit and the lights flickered in the room. A thunder boom followed.

The announcements suddenly came on.

“Teachers and students, please give me your attention! A tornado warning for our area has just been issued.  Everyone please get to the back wall of your room immediately!”

Another student screamed and we all ran for the wall and crouched. Many were crying and I tried the best I could to comfort them. The rain now as pouring violently down and the wind was roaring. I kept saying:  “Its gonna be all right. I’ve been through this before and there is no need to panic!”

I patted a few of them on their arms to comfort them.

Finally, the threat passed and it was calm again. We returned once again to our seats.

                I said to the kids: “Well, now you’ve lived through a real tornado and this was a hands-on science project today!” They all agreed.

                So this is one day in the life of a sub. I’m so glad God has given me the ability to share my life once more with many children and influence their lives as a substitute teacher.

                And, it’s a new adventure every day….

               

Betsy

Hi, Betsy!” I spoke as loudly as I could.

 She nodded her head. It was the first time I met her. She was crunched up in her wheelchair and her head hung down low. A little trail of drool glistened from the corner of her mouth.

 The nursing home was hard to find on a back street of Tampa. It was a vintage house from probably the fifties in a residential neighborhood. It was called “Angel’s Haven.” The paint was peeling off the walls. The swimming pool was dry and gated off.  All the staff were foreign-born; the radio blared out Latino music day and night and none of them there could speak English.

Since she didn’t understand Spanish, I was hired to visit her and carry on a one-way conversation and try to get her to talk. This was harder than it seemed. But I heard she had travelled to Alaska and Hawaii when she was younger and she had also been a teacher. Since I had never been to one of these places, I brought my snapshots of New Mexico and started telling her about that trip.

She was silent until I was over.  Finally she said as clear as she could, “Do you have any pictures of Alaska?”

I said “no” and she went on to tell me some stories of her adventures in the past before she was confined to a wheelchair. It was like a miracle to see her open up and talk after my several hours of monologue. I guess it took that to draw her out of her diseased shell.

I had forgotten all about that visit until one day my boss, Emma, called and told me that she had ended up in the hospital. She had fallen and hurt her knee and they found she was badly dehydrated. As a result, she was now in renal failure. I was supposed to sit with her for ten hours and her regular provider would sit with her for two to give me a lunch break.

When I arrived, she was in a state of semi-consciousness and slept a lot. Her eyes were lowered to slits; her breathing was heavy and her mouth stayed open. I read books to her including parts of the Bible, The Autobiography of Ben Franklin and the Wizard of Oz.  Also, I read to her from an analogy of poems and stories that I had contributed to from years ago. There wasn’t much response from her except when I asked a simple and direct question. Then she would open her eyes and answer.

“Are you okay?” I asked again at one point.

“I’m okay,” was her response and then she got incoherent

Nurse Annie came in at one point and gave her a shot.

“What’s that for?” I asked.

“It’s Procrit. It increases the red blood shells.” The young girl smiled.

“Will you put her on dialysis?”

She paused. “No. No artificial means of treatment.”

“You mean to keep her alive?”

“Yes. It’s her guardian’s request.”

She pulled out the needle. “There ya go, Betsy!” She exclaimed and left the room quickly and we were alone again.

 Zebe, her normal caretaker, soon arrived and she perked right up at seeing her. But, boy, you should have heard the complaining (if you could understand it).

Finally, it was my time to leave. My 12 hour shift was over. I learned from Zebe that Betsy was a writer too, so I promised her I would write her story.

I listened to the machines humming and the drip of the saline solution. Everything was peaceful and functioning. I saw her sleeping like a baby and with her eyes closed. Her soft hands were curled into balls and her breathing was steady.

Finally, I said: “Betsy, you’re going home soon.”

She nodded her head and responded back, “I’m going home.”

I replied, “Good-bye, Betsy.”

 She mumbled and nodded her head.

 Then I thought: she is going home; it’s just a matter of time: her permanent one.  And until then she sleeps and rests. Keep waiting, Betsy, keep waiting; soon it will be your new beginning.

(Betsy went to a nursing home and passed away 6 days later…)

Fernandina Fog

        The mist rolls in over the marshes and hovers as I drive over the bridge and onto Amelia Island. I see the sparkle of shimmering water blending with the colors of green and gray as it flows out from under me and out to the sea.
        The fog hangs its damp mantle in the air as I reach the top and see the dimly masked blinking lights of the island far to my left. The paper mill churns out smoke and it rises incessantly from its barely visible chimney.
        The Marina with its variety of crafts is now in my foreground but veiled from sight. Only the sign is visible and a few masts poking up like upside-down lollipops in a bowl of cotton candy.
        As I look to the right, I see the faint outline of the airport runway etched in the ground.
        Finally, I can view on the far horizon what looks like a fortress but is really a hotel; the Ritz, pale and ephemeral, with ramparts that paint a fantastic and beautiful mirage. For a brief moment, I am dreaming about my life. What would it have been like if things had been different for me? But then, the mist closes and the view vanishes and now I swing my eyes back to the road and go down the other side of the bridge. I'm on "the Island" now as we call it here, and I can see the blurry signal of a traffic light ahead.
       My thoughts swing back around, too and my heart aches as I drive through a swirling maze. Will we be leaving or staying? Bob wants to leave and go to bigger and, perhaps, better places. I yearn to stay.
     The fog still it hovers around me. Deep inside, I know he's made up his mind and that's it. We will go. He says we've been marooned here for too long and he's probably right. However, the years ahead are mysteries with no guarantees. They will only unveil their ghostly secrets slowly like the dissipating fog, revealing a hint of sunlight and a splash of hope. And, inspite of all the pain and struggle I've experienced here, I will miss this place. It was home for a long time.
     Fernandina, I'll never forget you!
     The seagulls cry and I do, too.