BEWARE OR BE BEWITCHED!

 

Today is a BIG DEAL in the lives of many a young one.  Halloween brings the annual Trick or Treat ritual of going from house to house looking for "Treats"  CANDY.   Truthfully this is not my favorite holiday of the year---although I do enjoy seeing all the inventive costumes that knock at my door.  My daughter loves to laugh about some of the things I dressed her up to be---the sheep is her favorite one---she almost had a heat stroke.  HEY---NO PAIN-NO GAIN!  She was SO cute!  I see entire families out together dressed in one theme---my Mother would NEVER DARE exhibit such "juvenile behavior".  She was not a lot of fun-LOL!

We have hordes of Trick or Treaters and someone described the night as three waves to me recently.  I immediately thought of Pearl Harbor and the waves of bombers who attacked.  It can begin to feel like that with those who celebrate by knocking at my door.

The first wave is those who are really young and have a bedtime.  They begin before dark --around 5 PM.  HEY----I TOTALLY GET THIS---I was a FIRM BELIEVER in bedtime for my own children.  These little ones come in strollers, on foot-in wagons--or in Momma's arms.  Do they really give those under 1 this candy or do mom and dad eat it?  This is the cutest part of the night!

The second wave are the elementary school children and many times their parents who are also in costume. This wave begins around 7:00 PM.   MOST of the time--the adults do not ask for candy.  I have heard tales of parents in the name of safety going through the night's haul before allowing any consumption.  Some of these parents have even admitted they set aside their favorite candy bars for personal consumption.  SHAME!  Many times the adults have gotten together and enjoyed a Halloween libation before setting off to make the rounds and are enjoying the night more than the children it seems.  Another of  my favorite parts of the night--good for many laughs!

The final wave of the night is the teenagers who consider this a night of free candy and sometimes mischief.  They do not start until 9:00.  NOW---in my personal opinion---this is ridiculous.  Can't they find a parent to host a party for them--that is perfectly acceptable.  BUT to be out asking for candy--sometimes without even bothering to be in costume---well my old grouchy self is not on board.  MANY times by 9:00 the candy is long gone, the light is off and I do not answer the door.  NOW--the chance I am taking is the mischief that may then ensue.  

There have been years I have not been at home---there have been years I chose to not participate---and there have been years I handed out candy.  The night only works if some answer their door when there is a knock.  If the porch light is off---if the lights are all off---if no one is at home---or if they are refusing to answer the door---it is a lost cause.  The night is a bust---unless someone answers the door.

I KNOW you see where I am going.  One of my favorite scriptures is~

"Ask, and it will be given to you;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives;

the one who seeks finds;

and the one who knocks,

the door will be opened."

Matthew 7:7-8

Nothing more needs to be said---what a wonderful reassurance!

ARE YOU WILLING?

 

This is NOT what I am trying to say-

what we deserve--

I will leave for another post.

One of the most difficult lessons in life is my wrath---my indignation---my fury---my resentment for another---only hurts me.  They are either oblivious to my emotion or more than likely do not care.  All this negativity can eat you alive---from the inside out.  It can absolutely affect your physical health and what a waste of time and energy.  When we allow our differences or the pain we have experienced to rule our heads and hearts over a prolonged period of time, we become bitter.  The book I am currently reading has a character who is a stark reminder of how we allow all of that negativity  toward another  to rule our thoughts when we spend time dwelling on the offense.  

Recently I was watching a movie (I don't even remember which movie) that had a line that stuck with me ~

"Seems to me a whole lot of people are carrying around a heap of pain tied to the past."

WHOA!  When is it time to LET IT GO?  This is really the entire message about this subject---BUT I plan to die at peace with my fellow man.  Peace can only come when we are able to let our negative emotions go.  The first step to doing this is we have to be willing to let it go.  We will never be able to leave the past in the past without our willingness.   My personal experience--once I was able to tell God I was willing, but needed His help---I could not do it without Him---the process became much easier.  I might have to give it to God again---after a stumble back into old feelings---but He is faithful---He will show us how to forgive---and eventually forget.  He is the ultimate example of how it is done.

"Bear with each other and forgive one another

if any of you has a grievance against someone.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

Colossians 3:13

THE TIE THAT BINDS

   I will spend the day singing this sweet old hymn!

Not every sermon spurs me to think---just as every blog I write does not strike your fancy.  It is always in the eyes of the beholder and our perspectives.  This sermon was in a series on the making of disciples and the topic was "Community".  Community is one of those things which does not happen overnight---it takes time and effort.  I must admit, lately I have been very homesick for the community I had in Ruston.  That community was built over years and years of interaction.  Of course, it is impossible for me to have that community here in Fort Worth.  NOW---I moved here to be near family---and I do enjoy our times together---BUT both of my offspring have BUSY lives and active families.  I do not expect them to interact daily with me---their own families should and do take priority.  That gives me great joy.  BUT as the High Reverend told us---building community is an integral part of the Believer's Walk.  This time around in Fort Worth---I have not done a very good job of making the required effort.  That's on me!  What I would like to share with you today are the three points (Is it always three?) on how to build friendships within the community.

I. Speak it---there was a recent post on this very thing--refer back to October 9th if you missed it.  I spoke of my grandsons always telling me thank you and they love me when I furnish Lulu Uber rides.  It is ALWAYS my pleasure to have them with me.  Occasionally I even get to put Lulu words of wisdom on them (I am not certain they think I am wise---OLD does not equal to wise  through their young eyes).  I am thankful for each, "I Love you" that is said to me.  As the learned pastor said, "Words Matter".  If you think not, I invite you to ponder some hurtful words flung at you in the past---that never leave your head---that can scar your heart.  Perhaps our most powerful tool is our words.  If only we could remember that and use them for affirmation and not condemnation.  What a beautiful community we could grow.

2.  Show it---have your ever heard the phrase, "Words are cheap"?  NOT to discount the value of words which affirm our worth---they can fall flat or fly right over our heads if they do not sound sincere.  What gives those words real power---believability?  The actions which back them up.  Show your love to those you claim to love by acts of affirmation.  I am reading a book now that has one of the characters sending flowers to the woman he is pursuing.  He didn't just send roses---he went to the florist and put thought into what he was sending.  She immediately picked up on that by the variety of bouquets.  He was putting thought behind his gift and personally involved in the selection.  He was seeking to show her worth to him, by his attention to the details.  Telling someone you love them, without any action behind those words is not very convincing.  We convince others we love them when we show up, listen, and pay attention to the details.

3.  Sacrifice ---Give of your time, your attention, your actions. When actions are sacrificially made they are such powerful proof of your love.  When you put "Me" on the back burner and strive to serve "You"  THEN YOU UNDERSTAND LOVE!  

My hope and prayer is we all are part of community.  Iron does indeed sharpen iron and God did create us for community.  He stated in the very beginning, "It is not good for the man to be alone." Genesis 2:18

"Therefore encourage one another

and build each other up,"

I Thessalonians 5:11

THE NOSE KNOWS

 My daily walk with Hero always allows time for thought since he has to stop and smell every interesting smell  we walk by.  Some days it can be an exercise in frustration and my patience can be stretched thin.  Today----he caused me to ponder that body part---which I spend a great deal of time blowing this time of the year.  I really do not realize I have gone through a faze of LESS allergies until the real full blown season is upon me.  I am back to carrying a Kleenex everywhere I go and having to deal with occasionally forgetting to get them out of my pocket when washing clothes.  THAT IS ANNOYING!

Today as we walked and I watched him grab on to a scent and literally sniff the green off the grass, I began to think about smells and our noses.  Obviously, I cannot smell the scents Hero does with his super power of smell.  I do have a fairly sensitive sense of smell.  Nothing can send me out of a room faster than something stinky.  You have to admit---our noses garner much attention.  Think of all the nose phrases~

Nose First, Nose Dive, Up to My Nose, Keep Your Nose Clean, No Skin Off My Nose, Rub Your Nose In It, A Nose For Something, Nose In The Air, Look Down Your Nose, Nose Out of Joint, Nose To The Grindstone, On The Nose, Pay Through The Nose, Right Under Your Nose,  Lead By The Nose, Not See Beyond Your Nose, Powder Your Nose, Stick Your Nose In, Turn Up Your Nose  and on and on

Obviously we hold noses in high regard.  I come from a long line of people with BIG noses.  Does this mean we smell things better?  Does it make us more prone to nose problems?  Do we follow our nose into the room?  There was even a "nose sock" we created and gifted and re-gifted over the years.  Why we have even made an effort to measure noses to see who won the Big Nose Contest.  Obviously our noses are the center of the face---and some of you have tiny noses which are barely noticed.  I really do not understand how you get a good breath.  Others have "classic noses"----What is a classic nose anyway?  If I had my preference---I would like a nose that worked well, but did not create any problems and, preferably, was not noticed when you gazed at me.  OBVIOUSLY, I do not get my preferences----Thanks to Daddy.  We all inherited Daddy's nose.  

Then there are the smells our nose allows us to enjoy---I think of the smell after a rain shower, the beach and the ocean, a garden filled with blooms, freshly mowed grass, a pot of chili on the stove, a cup of freshly brewed coffee, cookies baking in the oven, a steak on the grill (how I miss that smell!--no red meat--cholesterol raiser), a real wood fire burning, a sweet baby's head, a dirty little boy (girls do no have the same smell), and on and on.  I can get a whiff of one of the familiar smells I associate with good memories and my mind is off to the races with reminiscing.  What a gift our noses are---what a gift to have a sense of smell---what a miracle of creation.  AND you tell me there is NO GOD---the God of Creation---the Master Architect of our world---Who gave us a beautiful gift in the Creation and the senses within us to enjoy His creation .  I AM SO THANKFUL!

"If our bodies were only an eye,

we couldn't hear a thing.

And if they were only an ear,

we couldn't smell a thing.

But God has put all parts of our body together

in the way that He decided is best."

I Corinthians 12:17-18

TRASHY PEOPLE!

 Yesterday was garbage collection day in the hood.  All of the different forms of garbage are collected on the same day each week----three bins.  It takes 3 different trucks to collect the three bins---recycle, yard waste (those things which will decompose) and plain old garbage.  Living in the big city allows this expeditious garbage collection---though it takes the entire day for everything to be picked up.    All of those years in Ruston (when I was in the city limits) there was garbage day and a different day for recycle.  SIDENOTE---MY RUSTON FRIENDS WILL FIND IT INTERESTING THAT EVEN IN A CITY THE SIZE OF FORT WORTH THERE IS THE DISCUSSION ABOUT ARE THEY REALLY RECYCLING OR JUST THROWING IT ALL IN THE SAME PLACE.  I prefer dealing with all of my garbage on the one day and not having to think of garbage again until the next week.

We have come a long way since the days of my youth.  Another story I have told you before is about having a burn barrel (old oil drum) in which we would daily burn our garbage and the ashes were collected periodically (I don't remember how often) when I was growing up.  If you recall the story, I told the possums would get into the barrel and when I would take the garbage out to burn they would snarl up at me.  This led to me throwing garbage all over the place while screaming and later being sent to pick it up.  WHERE AM I GOING?  Man has a propensity to create garbage.  At some point in the past, it occurred to the authorities who rule that the garbage brought rats and other vermin who spread disease.  It would lead to better health for the masses if the garbage was dealt with.  Thus the birth of the garbage collection system which has evolved into the description above.  I must say, we are much better at our collection system--someone finally realized we would be someday be overrun if we did not come up with a better plan.  ESPECIALLY for those items which take thousands of years to decompose.  I always feel like a better citizen when I buy something made from recycled goods!

Since the early days after creation, man has struggled with a garbage problem.  In the earliest of days everything would finally decompose since everything was made from decomposable (God made) materials.  When man became involved in the production process and man made goods were available, the garbage problem began its slow and steady increase.  Today we are faced with a huge problem--we are a consumer society now and most consumable goods seem to be disposable---to a degree.  There is a colossal industry all for the disposing of our garbage.

I am certain you see where I am headed---sin.  Sin is the definitive garbage and like today's man made goods--not often easily disposed of.  Some sin lasts generation after generation with little hope for dealing with it.  BUT GOD---He is in the BIG business of forgiveness and forgetting.  He is a virtual master at disposing of our sin--but we have to be wiling to put it in the can and stick it on the curb.  He will do the rest. 

"For I will forgive their inequity,

and I will remember their sin no more."

Jeremiah 31:34

TIME FOR A CHANGE

 I have decided I need to buy headlights for my shoes.  Hero and I began to delay our morning walks about a month ago because of the shortened daylight hours.  If we started at our usual 6---it was still dark even when we finished his morning constitutional.  It is wonderful to live in the midst of old trees which provide shade during the hot daylight hours.  BUT--the downside of that is it also keeps the sidewalks in the deep shadows of dark until the sun is finally over the tree tops.   Top that off with the cracks in the sidewalks made by the roots from the same trees and you have a morning obstacle course.  I am not as quick to recover my balance as I once was and the combination of all the above is an invitation for a fall.  We all know OLD PEOPLE should avoid falls if at all possible.  You fall and next thing you know---you have become part bionic.  

Here is my solution--and only $7.55 on Amazon Prime---problem solved!  There was a time in life when I would stumble around in the dark---chasing armadillos in the middle of the night through the woods surrounding our home with flip flops on and not think one thing about it.  At the time,  I could catch my toe on a root and be in a full out arm whirling fall and recover.  Those days are gone.  SO, I either need a light or the sun to come up earlier.

As I was thinking this over, it occurred to me that the  problem can be alleviated with the time change coming the first Sunday in November.  NOW---I am NOT a fan of changing the time twice a year---BUT let's leave it one way or the other.  What is amazing is that we can count on the sun coming up day in and day out.  We take it all for granted---come to expect it---do not even think about the possibility we should thank anyone.  So it goes with so much of life--we have faith in our expectations of many of the things which occur day in and day out.  We forget who put all this into motion and are not even not grateful, but expectant of our expectations being met.  It is time for a time change, but perhaps it is also time for a change in our attitude.  I am praying for forgiveness for my lack of gratitude and asking for help in remembering Who I should be grateful to.  

"In everything give thanks;

for this is God's will for you

in Christ Jesus."

I Thessalonians 5:18

THE WONDERS OF CREATION

Yesterday we talked of the lilies and how they propagate by growing additional bulbs~ which a new lily will sprout from.  These bulbs are not all connected, but instead break off to form individual plants.  Thus I will have a lily sprout up a foot from the bed of lilies---probably starting from a bulb which was inadvertently thrown by the mower or my spade.  A genius plan of nature to insure the continuation of the species.

Vail, Colorado at a Sweet Friend's Wedding

The photo above was taken in October at the peak of the Aspen turning season when attending a destination wedding.  It was quite the sight to behold!  "Most aspens grow in large clonal colonies, derived from a single seedling, and spread by means of root suckers."  We see the same thing here in the deep south in a much smaller version with crepe myrtle trees.  These trees are all connected to the primary source of one tree.  An interesting fact for you is that you can tell by the color of the turning leaf which colony they belong to.  They are not really very hardy trees (Interestingly enough--neither are crepe myrtles), but ensure the continuation of the colony by continuing to put off shoots for new trees.  You normally find them in the same area as coniferous trees as evidenced by all the green in the above photo.  They are able to survive in the cold harsh climate because their bark is photosynthetic which allows growth after the leaves have dropped (thus the light colored bark). " The colony is made up of trees with a life span of 40-150 years, but the root system is long lived--in some cases for thousands of years."  Another marvel of creation----with such a beautiful master plan for survival.  Who could ever doubt there is a Master Gardener looking at the complexity of nature.

Once again---we are shown how God created with an attention to detail.  Could we ever doubt He has a plan when we take the time to look around us and study the details?  God not only created it all---but He declared it GOOD.  It is good--until man comes along and messes it up.  Think that over today as you notice the world around you.  We were given a beautiful world to live in---and what did we do?

"It is time to destroy everyone

who has destroyed the earth."

Revelations 11:18