Holiday Bazaar 2015 Devotional - Bible Verses

We had our 5th Annual Holiday Bazaar last night at church.  It was a fun evening with friends, food, shopping and God's word.  I read several verses last night and thought I would share them...

Psalms 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Psalms 37:7-9 - "Be still before the Lord and wait  patiently for Him. Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath, do not fret - it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Be joyful always. Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Colossians 3:12-17 - "Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweights them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal."

Philippians 4:4-9 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whaever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

John 14:26 - "But the Counselor the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Peace I leave with  you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

The Flower

Last year William and I went to visit our family.  My mom's birthday was coming up so she and I went to a local nursery to shop for flowers. She had birthday money to spend. My mom loves flowers. She has a green thumb which she inherited from my grandfather who could look at a flower and make it grow.

I, on the other hand, did not inherit that ability even though this year my flowers have survived the summer. They do need water right now but that will have to wait until tomorrow.  (Have your plants ever gotten so thirsty that the leaves start moving when you water them?)

Back to my story. Mom and I went to the nursery and started looking around. Soon she had picked out several flowers. I decided to be brave and find a plant or two that I could take home. I love gardenias so I first chose a healthy plant with a bloom that smelled wonderful. Sold.  I continued looking and a pot filled with yellow blooms caught my eye.  The flower was called purslane. I loved the color so I put in our cart that was filling up fast.

We finished, paid for our flowers and loaded up the SUV.  When we got back to Mom's house, we started unloading our treasures.  William walked out to help.  When he saw my gardenia bush and yellow purslane, he looked at me. I looked back with a smile.  William knows my history with flowers. 

Soon it was time to leave.  William and I drove home and then unloaded the truck. I grabbed the gardenia bush and the yellow purslane flower pot and found a home for each. During the summer, I learned that purslane blooms open during the day and close at night. I remembered to water the flowers, especially when they started to droop.



Yellow Purslane

Winter came. The cold weather got the best of the gardenia bush and the yellow purslane.  William had planted the gardenia bush near our mailbox by the road in hopes that it would recover. Didn't happen. No new leaves. Just dry, brittle branches. I think William finally pulled it out of the ground. I'm not sure. It may be by the mailbox still. And as for the beautiful, yellow purslane flower. It didn't survive either. We watched and waited but no new leaves or blooms. William finally dumped the dirt out of the pot.

That was the end of the yellow purslane or so I thought. Yesterday I went home for lunch. I got out of the car and started walking toward the front porch. A yellow flower caught my eye. I walked closer and couldn't believe what I saw. A single yellow purslane bloom was growing out of the crack between the brick wall and driveway. The flower that we had given up on and even emptied the pot had somehow survived to bloom another day.


My little yellow purslane bloom

Tears were in my eyes as I walked in the house.  The wonder of that single bloom from a flower pot that had not bloomed in over a year. What did it mean? What was God showing me? And this is what came to mind. We walk through times of joy and times of despair. We walk through times we don't understand. We walk through times when we want to give up or we want to give in. We wonder where is God. Why is He not doing something to help?

And then we remember... God sees and He knows. He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). The battle is His... not ours. 

So we must not lose hope when times get tough. We must keep trusting Him and the plans He has for us. I thought my yellow purslane flower was gone forever. But it wasn't. Somehow one small seed survived and one year later bloomed again. And looked where it bloomed. In between two hard surfaces. For all of us, there is a small seed that will one day bloom in victory. So don't give up. Let's fix our eyes on Jesus knowing that He is in control and trust in His timing.  Remember He loves us and He is on our side.

2 Corinthians 4:16-17 - "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 


Writer's Block

Today I'm sharing a short story that I read many years ago in the May 2003 Edition of Guideposts magazine:

Writer's Block by Joseph Caldwell 

   No birthday presents. That's what I told my friends. I'm a writer and by habit a person who keeps things simple. My sock drawer is stuffed. I have plenty of studio recordings, and I don't have a VCR or a DVD player. Dinner at a good restaurant was already planned. So no presents.

   One friend of somewhat independent mind decided otherwise. I might have considered suspending my dictum at the hint of a gift of a rave review for my latest book. But since that was not likely, he gave me a quite different present, also inspired by my calling: a ream of typing paper.

   It might seem a useless offering in this age where computers do everything. Manuscripts can be saved on disk. But I don't use a computer. I work on a manual typewriter, going through reams of paper for every draft. My Olympia portable has seen me through seven novels, two plays and who knows how many grant applications.

   Five hundred blank pages. What to make of this? Was this a declaration of faith in me as a writer? Did it represent a hope in what I might do to fill the blanks? Was it an act of love? In a way, yes.

   Yet five hundred blank pages can bring real terror to a writer, a challenge to whatever limited gifts God may have given me. An invitation to failure. All the same, it's a gift that must be fulfilled, not a present requiring a simple thank you. It's an imperative: Get busy. Accept the challenge.

   A gift unwanted, yes. But a gift I could never refuse. Not from God, not from my dear and daunting friend.

   Five hundred blank pages. Happy Birthday. Get busy.  

So... why am I sharing this today. Over the years, I've thought of this story and the challenge that was given to the writer, Mr. Caldwell. Blank pages... what an awesome gift. The opportunity to fill pages with words that will convey thoughts and ideas to others.

We all have that opportunity each and every day. Maybe not with words but we can make an impact in the lives of the people we come in contact with. We can make the most of the special gifts that God has placed in us. The ability to love, to encourage, to listen. Like a writer with a blank page, we all choose the story we are going to tell. The life we are going to live. Let's make the most of the opportunities that God gives us. Let's accept the challenge and let's get busy.    

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

The Man at Walmart

The other day I went to Walmart. As I walked through the door and grabbed a shopping cart I noticed a man.  He was sitting against the wall eating chicken nuggets from a cup. He wasn't looking around. He wasn't making eye contact with anyone. He was just sitting, looking down, eating his food.  

By his appearance, my first thought was that he was homeless and had come inside to take a break and eat. I pushed my cart, passing him. As I walked around the store, I couldn't stop thinking about him. Tears were in my eyes and I felt an incredible sadness. I wondered what he was thinking as he sat there. Did he look up and notice families and friends walking by talking to each other? Did he feel lonely? Was he wondering where he would go next? Where he would sleep that night? And then I thought what should I do to help him?  What could I do to help him?

I walked around the store putting items in my cart.  I noticed other people shopping, talking, living... Having things to do and places to go.  And I thought about the man sitting in front of Walmart.

I finished shopping and went to self checkout. I thought about getting extra cash to give the man... but I didn't. I wondered if he would still be there when I walked out. I almost hoped that he would be gone. That I wouldn't have to keep thinking about what I could do for him? What I should do for him?

As I walked outside, I looked and the man was gone. I then saw a bus parked in front of the store and people in line getting on the bus.  The man was in the line. He was getting on the bus. I felt relief and happiness. He was going somewhere. He had a destination. He was not just wandering around homeless but had a place to go.  I was thankful that God allowed me to see him getting on the bus.

Since that night, I've thought about that man and why seeing him stirred me so. Years ago I remember getting overwhelmed by all the needs in our world.  Thinking about all the pain and suffering and feeling helpless to do anything about it.  God showed me that I can't do everything but I can do something.

I can't help everyone that doesn't have a place to lay their head but I can support ministries that are trying too. I can't feed the world but I can buy groceries for someone that needs food or volunteer at a soup kitchen. I can look through my closet and give away coats that can keep someone warm. I can buy socks and send to homeless shelters. I can give to my church's benevolence fund so they can help those in need. The list is limitless...

The most important thing is that we do something.  I've heard this phrase over the years... many hands make light work.  So true. With God's help, each of us doing a little can accomplish much. God is great and greatly to be praised.

"Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. " Psalms 96:1-4

My Pennsylvania Grandmother

On Flag Day (June 14th) of this year, I thought of a story that I wanted to share. Being the procrastinator that I am at times, I am finally doing that today. My paternal grandmother, Helen, was born on Flag Day in 1906. She would have celebrated 107 years of life this year. As I thought about my grandmother on her birthday, I remembered our story. I didn't meet my grandmother in person until my early twenties. My mom and dad divorced when I was very young. My grandmother lived in Pennsylvania and I lived in Alabama so there was no opportunity for us to see each other. During my childhood, she would send birthday cards to my maternal grandmother's house. My mamma (pronounced ma-maw) would give me the cards when they arrived in the mail.  They were always signed "Your Pennsylvania Grandmother." I would read the card and know that somewhere there lived a lady that was my grandmother and that she had remembered my birthday. 

In the early eighties, I had the opportunity to meet my grandmother in person. She, my Aunt Margaret and Aunt Margie all made the trip from Pennsylania.  It was great to finally meet her and my aunts. Later, I went to Pennsylvania with my dad, stepmom and sister for a visit. Beautiful place. Nice people. It was great to see my grandmother again and to meet other members of the family.



My Pennsylvania Grandmother, Helen

Over the years, my grandmother and I kept in touch by mail.  As a young stay-at-home mom with preschoolers, getting mail was an exciting part of the day. (Even if the only thing we received was bills.) It was even better if I received a letter from my grandmother.

My grandmother's handwriting was very neat. All of the letters were formed properly and all slanted the same way. Having been a teacher in her early days, she always used proper grammar and punctuation. In her letters, she would always mention how the weather was in Pennsylvania.  She would tell me about the trees and flowers that were blooming in the spring, about how much snow that had fallen in the winter. I still have all of her letters.

Today in our society, writing letters has become a lost art for some. We text, we email, we skype, we call. There are so many ways to keep in touch. Do you remember the last time you received a letter? Did you get excited as you opened it? Did you enjoy reading it? In the old, old, old days, handwritten letters were the only way to keep in touch. And the mail (what we now refer to as snail mail) could take days or even weeks to arrive. But oh, the excitement and joy when a letter would arrive. Everyone would gather around to hear the news from far away.  



Four Generations
 

With the distance between us, I didn't get to see my grandmother very often. I am thankful she was able to meet my husband and was part of my life when my children were born. My Pennsylvania grandmother is no longer with us but her legacy lives on in her children, their children and so on.  As for me, I think it is time to read a few of her letters and take notes. Start watching your mailbox. I may be sending something your way soon.  And, by the way, we've had a lot of rain lately but the sun was shining bright today.  

The Conversation

The other day I met a nice older gentleman in the building where I work. We have a bank on the first floor so I went down during my lunch break to make a deposit. When the elevator door opened, I saw a man sitting on the bench in the foyer.  (I'm going to call him Bert.) We smiled at each other and then I went in the bank. On my way out, I noticed that he was still there. We smiled again and then I pushed the elevator button to go back upstairs.

I didn't want to be rude so I turned around and said hi. Bert and I started talking. He mentioned how nice it was in Baldwin County. He had just moved from Birmingham and said things were really bad there. I told him that my mom lived in Montgomery. He then started telling me about getting robbed recently. The elevator door opened and then closed. We kept talking.

Bert's first comment was about the news article reporting that he was eighty years old. I asked him if that was true.  He said yes. (Bert did not look eighty. He could have passed for sixty any day.) Bert continued his story.

Bert had recently purchased a storage container in a building in Birmingham. One morning he went to the building to check on the container. A young man approached him and then pulled out a gun to rob him. Bert told the young man to go ahead and kill him but to think about it first. Would he rather go to jail for robbery or murder? The young man must have decided robbery because instead of shooting Bert, he locked him in the storage container.

While Bert is telling me his story, several people are coming through the foyer going to the bank or upstairs. The elevator opens and closes a few times. Bert keeps talking.

There was not much space in the container. Bert said it was dark and he could barely move. After a day or two had passed, he decided it was time to talk with God. He could tell that the air was getting scarce in the container and it was getting harder to breathe. He asked God for one more big breath. He didn't want to die like this but wanted to have at least one more big breath before the air ran out. As soon as he finished praying, Bert said he felt a big rush of wind. He said it felt like a strong wind during a storm. I could see that Bert knew that God had answered his prayer and saved his life. I told him that God had other plans for him. He agreed.

Bert has a daughter in the area and moved to Baldwin County to be near her and get away from Birmingham. He was at the bank taking care of his financial business. One of the guys from my office came in and pushed the elevator button. I told Bert goodbye because it was time to get back upstairs. He told me to tell my mother hello.

I went upstairs and searched for an article on al.com about an eighty year old man getting robbed in Birmingham. I found it right away. He was robbed and locked up on Saturday and his son found him on Tuesday.

As I was talking with Bert, I was wondering why I met him. I think it was to share his story with you. God answered Bert's prayer and saved him. He can do the same for you and me.