Plain, simple, praise:

Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is & is to come...

With all creation I sing,
praise to the King of kings,
You are my everything,
& I will adore You~


(Curtsy to commenter Craig. Thanks.)

amen?

~~

Amen.

~~~

Which One? (reprise)

I've only done a do-over one time @ Get the Big Idea. It's not something I do routinely, as I figure my friends are savvy enough to find 'like' posts using the handy labels list. Right? But sometimes, the mood strikes, & I want a do-over (don't we all?).

Lucky for me, this is my blog, & I get to choose. And no arguments from the rif-raf, either!

At any rate, I was walking the pooch today, with M.W.Smith on my IPOD. The sky was pristinely blue, as only a Carolina sky can be. Autumn leaves were warming themselves in the golden rays of sweet sunshine (after weeks of rain), & I was of-a-mind to count favorites. This original piece from 9-08 came to mind, & it just makes me feel good. Maybe you'll enjoy it too:

Books are essential. Reading is one of the best expanders of the mind, of the soul.

But what if some catastrophe occurs, and only one book could be saved? Faced with that notion, which book would you be sure to rescue? Which one would you save?

It's legal and it's literary. It’s historical and poetic. It's sophisticated

narrative and children’s delight. It's sexy and smoldering; compellingly real

and enigmatic. Come to it as a scholar, or scientist, an objective observer

or a hostile assailant. It's confounding, perplexing, nearly implausible. It

yields to antagonism, ignites debate and inspires awe. By it, through it,

one can be moved to a depth of intimacy that defies understanding. When

a catastrophe strikes, when all books will vanish and I can save just one,

this one will be clutched under my arm, shielded from the mayhem of

falling, crashing, burning. When I rush out of the flaming building and my

family is safe, I’ll have pressed against me this one, my Bible.
I’ll save it, because it first saved me.

~~~

Sunday Inspiration: Remain in My Love

Hi friends~
It's Sunday night here, but here's how my day started:

John 15:9-17
9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I
chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

...& the prayer that was laid on my heart with it:

"Oh Lord, help us to open our eyes, our ears, our hearts, our spirits to Your Love.
You are closer than our next breath–always–and yet we can’t or don’t seem to remember that.
Lord, forgive our willfulness, our forgetfulness.
Give us hearts that remember your love for us.
Give us spirits that are aware of Your Spirit & wills that choose obedience.
Help us to remain in Your presence & not get distracted so easily.
For it’s in You that we find true Joy, true Hope, & divine Rest for our weary souls.
Help us to remain in Your love & walk in the words You taught us to pray..."

May this part of His Word & these words be a blessing to your heart.

~~~

Obama-Taxes, Chavez-Sykes, & Garbage Trucks.

I haven’t written this week, but instead have used my scant free time to read: blogs, comments, & a fascinating book on Men’s Health.

What I’ve seen is that a lot of friends out there are getting discouraged. They’re seeing things like our President hugging & doing gangsta handshakes w/ notorious fascist dictators. They’re hearing the same man say that fixing what’s been broken by overspending requires spending even more; or that what we thought was our Christian nation – really isn’t. We’ve heard him make self-aggrandizing jokes @ the expense of Special Olympians & watched him chortle merrily as a famous-yet-uncouth comedienne publicly wishes the slow & painful death of a political adversary…

All this has a way of pi$$ing a person off (at best), or (even worse) darkening one’s spirit to the point of giving up. It seems to keep getting worse, doesn’t it, friends?

Let me introduce you to my new friend, Jan. I found her through DD2’s comments, & she has a interesting things to say. But her May 2nd post struck me at a fresh angle this morning. It gave me encouragement & buoyed my sense of mission here. She quotes David J. Pollay’s “Beware of Garbage Trucks”:

"How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? …The mark of a successful person is how quickly she can get back her focus on what's important...

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on…The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day…”

Please don’t get me wrong. We’d be a little crazy if the current situation were NOT making us a little crazy. We DO need to take breaks, pull away from it & find encouragement. We need to take care of ourselves, like our friend DD2 is doing.

All the while we need to remember that we are not throw ourselves under the garbage truck. We’re not to let it dump on us, & we’re not to let its cloud of dust & debris fall over our lives. We have the option of smiling, waving & letting it move down the road. After all, it’s NOT OUR TRUCK! And eventually it will run out of gas.

When we choose to let it pass & we watch its brake lights flicker in the distance, we would be wise to turn around, find our friends & remember who we are.

Nice analogy, the truck. It fits nicely here, & we can make real good use of it in the current climate.

But as Jan says, “The above is good advice, but this is better:

‘Come unto Me, all you who are weary & heavy laden,
& I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’ ~Matthew 11:28-29

Amen, sister.

~~~

Sunday Inspiration: Happy Mother's Day!

…from Proverbs 31
“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her, and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life...
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all’
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised...”

My family overflows with women of Godly & noble character who loved me, nurtured me & taught me how to be the same. I am truly blessed. The one & only Original is my mother, Lillian. She is the one who is spoken of in Proverbs 31, & I am forever blessed to be her daughter.

If you’ve read my archives, or been following since the beginning, you know that the end of my first post speaks of the ‘sarah palins’ in my life. While I count several dear friends in this group, these ladies are my foundation: Lillian, Mabel, Betty; Suzanne, Susie, Frances, & then my Faye. No other girl had more richness of womanhood in her life, of that I’m sure. To all of them, including friends, thank you, thank you, thank you; from the deepest place in my heart.

Happy Mother's Day!
~~~

Sunday inspiration.

My friends, Mr. & Mrs. Z, do what they call a 'Sunday Faith Blog' each week. I visited them first thing this morning. (I do mean first thing; before everybody was up at my house. It was only me & Otis, w/ our Bible & this laptop.) This week's Sunday Faith blog is really beautiful, & visitors have shared scripture in the comments. Please pay them a visit. I promise; it will be a blessing.

Because of my friends, I've been inspired to do the same thing on Sundays (thanks, Z!). Recent Big Ideas have centered on God's existence & His magnificent creation. Our discussion gave me a revived appreciation for one of my IPod favorites. Take a look/listen below to Chris Tomlin's, "Indescribable."



Now, as they say, "If that don't light your fire, then yer kindlin's wet."

~~~

Memo: We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.

Holy Week...Turkey, 4-6-09
Memo to the world:


Our President has decided: “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation (or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation), we consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are, bound by ideals and a set of values…”

Upon exactly which ‘ideals’ and ‘set of values’ does he think our nation is based? It is historical FACT that our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian values. (I’ll spare you the litany of historical documents with God’s fingerprints all over them.)

Our President goes on, “…what we’re seeing, in both countries [USA & Turkey], is the promise of a secular country that is respectful of religious freedom, is respectful of rule of law, respectful of freedom; upholding these values & being willing to stand up for them on the international stage…if we are joined together…then I think that we can have an extraordinary impact.”

The ‘promise’ of a country that is respectful of religious freedom, rule of law, etc.? Is our country not already precisely that? (Oh, I left out ‘secular’? Maybe that’s what he’s after…)

As for ‘extraordinary impact’… if Mr. Obama had been to church even once since he took office, he may recall scripture that assures us when we cut ourselves off from God, our ‘impact’ disappears. It was true of the Jews, it’s true of me individually, & I believe it’s true in the corporate & national sense also.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

I’m sorry Mr. President. You may NOT rewrite the history of our country like this. You may NOT speak for our entire nation, erasing our past, cutting the roots of our historical faith, snapping the tender shoots that are struggling for sunlight & strength. You may NOT prune as you see fit the future of the faith of our nation.

This is not a matter of debate. Historical facts are facts. Subjectively speaking, I am incensed with you over this, & will not allow it to go unchallenged.

If anyone doubts my last post: “Sharia Law, coming…” please review the video above. Our President has just opened the door. I believe bluepitbull (commenter on Sharia piece) might be right. One of our next Supreme Court justices may just be one who’s fully willing & able to rule on Sharia.

After all, “we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation,” & we must be ‘respectful’ of all. Sure, kind of like the poor young woman in the video below.

You wanna know who summed this up best? My 10 year old son. After watching the news story (no commentary from his adoring mother), he bunched up his nose & said, “I thought he goes to church?”

Right.

~~~

Race Relations.

Hi friends~

There’s a bit of brouhaha in blog-land about a friend named B who has been allegedly ‘race baiting’ other bloggers, ostensibly to draw traffic to his site. Several (including me) were lured by ‘bait’ only to end up ensnared in some of the most toxic, racially charged speech I’ve seen on blogs. This whole deal is not helpful, folks; not helpful to go there & certainly not helpful to participate. I tried very hard to leave carefully worded, respectful comments only to be ignored by the author. It seemed that only remarks which carried incendiary content were addressed, usually w/ equally toxic content from the author.

I've decided not to return to that blog, but did make one last trip to retrieve my comments. It’s important for me to state my case here, & below is one of them. (BTW, when my friend B decides to engage in authentic, productive discussion of ‘race relations’ I'll gladly return to his site. I invite him to comment here at any time, stating his intention to do so.)

Sus' response to B & P's comments:
B said: "All African Americans do not curse, listen to crazy rap music or dress in ways that are beneath me morally nor professionally. We do not run around the streets as drug addicts stealing and killing, and driving drunk." & then P said, "There is NO racism where we live. But in the South, racism is still prevalent."

Okay, I was pleasantly surprised to have B visit my blog & we had an interesting exchange in my comments. Regarding his comment above - of course not! Anyone who buys into that offensive stereotype is a boob. My Senior Pastor (a very kind & wise, Spirit-filled black man) would no doubt agree.

As for P's comment: Sorry, but do you live in the South? How would you know about which you speak except for the stereotype you've heard & perpetuated? I'd like to challenge your stereotype of 'The South.' To use B's template: we aren't all beer drinkin', redneck, KKK sheet wearing, hayseed, skinhead racists. My experience is that people go out of their way to dispel the stereotype. Maybe, just maybe, we're more aware & sensitive than the rest of the country. Ever contemplated that?

Folks could try to understand MY life perspective one of these days...I'm so weary of being lumped into such an offensive 'type' simply because of where I live. (MY ancestors were Scots - basically enslaved, brutalized, raped & murdered by the Brits for hundreds of years. Finally, we were stripped of our own culture -annihilated it, really- pushed out of our country & forced into indentured servitude in the 'New World' where we were unwelcome...sounding familiar??)

Sorry, but I am proud to be Southern, NOT racist, Master's level educated from a University who just lost (badly) in the NCAA Tournament. And I’m not complaining because nobody wants to try & understand me. I don't even care!

I'm living my life, serving my Savior, loving my husband & raising our family. I did NOT support Barack Obama, cannot abide what he & his friends doing to our country. But my politics versus Mr. Obama's has NOTHING to do with his race. NOTHING. And I will not be quiet about that.

Sad thing is, I'll be thought to be racist b/c of where I live & my politics. THAT's what really bugs me. Folks that are so quick to be offended @ perceived racism really don't see that they're doing the SAME thing to people like me - w/o even knowing who I am.

Whew! On my own blog, on a fresh day, I’m happy to share my true thoughts about race relations. Here it is in a nutshell:



People. The universe doesn’t revolve around humanity. It really isn’t all about us…

& thanks be to God for that!

~~~

Consequences, encouragement & true Hope

Feeling a bit reflective, friends. Here’s what I’m learning:

1) My God is bigger than I am. (Yep, simple enough.)
2) My God knows me inside & out, deeply & intimately; the humbly noble & the raw, sin-slain humanity.
3) My God loves me inside & out, deeply & intimately – anyway.
4) My God is able to craft victory out of brokenness, arise glorious out of discouragement & defeat.
5) My God is always whispering my name & searching my face for acknowledgement. He knows the smallest details of my life & is always at work for my good.

You just never know about the decisions you make every day, & how they’ll affect the people within your “sphere of influence”: family, friends, complete strangers. It’s a curious, awesome, sometimes overwhelming concept. If I think about it too long, I could sink under the weighty realization that my choices affect all the people in my life…& sometimes my choices aren’t very noble (just ask my children when I’ve had too little sleep & they’ve had too much sugar!).

Oh, I try. I try really hard. But ultimately I don’t have answers & sometimes even my best efforts fall woefully short. Before we get too slogged-in by negativity: my ill-considered actions, impulsive shrieks of frustration (think sleep/sugar scenario), or even more broadly - the consequences of our collective choices last Nov. 4th (it’s tempting to veer off course here, but – believe it or not – this post is not political); before we get too sidetracked, back to the complete-stranger/sphere-of-influence thing…

A few of you know that lately I’ve become a Pilates fiend. For years I’ve been a runner, but in recent months I was in need of a more corporate & interpersonal type of activity (where someone besides me is pushing me), thus, Pilates classes @ the Y. So, this week my Monday morning class was getting started. I spoke to my new friends, laid out my mat & was ready to go. Face value would tell anyone around me that I’m cheerful, happy & motivated; & by-&-large I am. But like anyone, there are burdens that I carry, & on that particular day, those were weighing especially heavy on my heart. (What does this have to do with consequences of daily choices? I’m so glad you asked. Please stay with me, we’re getting there…) So, in class this adorable young woman was positioned directly in front of me. There are probably 40 people total, & she’s within arm’s length, in my direct line of sight. I look up & hear God’s voice with my eyes. The back of her shirt was printed with these words,

“…but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” 2 Chron. 32:8

She didn’t know she was going to be God’s perfect encouragement, but for an entire hour, over & over I took in God’s message to me. Later, I looked up 2 Chronicles 32, & the thrust of it really began to take hold. The jist of the broader passage is King Hezekiah’s bold encouragement to his men facing overwhelming odds in battle. Hezekiah said to his men,

“Be strong & courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged…for there is greater power with us…with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.” 2 Chron. 32: 7-8

In the end, they were confident, not because of who they were, but because of whose power sustained them & whose strength would fight for them.

Reflecting on the lovely young woman, I am deeply grateful for her wardrobe selection on Monday. That small choice gave me more encouragement than she would ever guess. And out of that encouragement, God is growing a deeper confidence in His Providence. Listen. I'll tell you what I hear Him saying to me:

“Be encouraged, dear one! I am with you, & I will fight any battle for you. Have hope sweet one, because I am strength! And take heart, because I use you, too, to bring light to others, just like I did through that precious young woman! In the mean time, you just be strong & courageous, relax in my strength…leave the rest of the battle to Me.”

See? God knows I need to hear His voice. And as Prince of my life, He knows just how to help me keep my chin up. He knows just what to say, & just the way I need to hear it.

So, do our choices have consequences? Absolutely, whether we know of them or not. The big ones do, of course; but even the small ones like getting enough sleep, or even which shirt we pull over our head in the morning.

Because I’m learning #1 above, I know that God sees farther, deeper & wider than I could ever dream. Because I believe #2 & #3, I know that #4 & #5 are a sure thing. God is always whispering our name & searching our face for acknowledgement. There are times like Monday, that I actually hear & He catches a glimmer of recognition in my eye. I think maybe that delights Him.

As for all the other, I hope against hope that the stinky things I do or say (willful or ignorant) can be blotted out completely. Barring that miracle, I trust that ultimately those flaws will somehow be woven into a humble tapestry of forgiveness, bringing texture & contrast, instead of damage or pain. I trust that in the fullness of time this will be true. In the mean time, I'm going forward with renewed courage, hopeful that the more I learn & listen, the more I'll walk out into life wearing the right shirt.

~~~

For such a time as this...

Hi friends~

I started this blog because of Sarah Palin. Not because she's a smart, lovely woman who had a meteoric rise in politics. Rather, that she gave me hope that the voices of millions of conservative women (including mine) would finally be heard on women's issues. She gave me hope that conservative women could now join in the Women's Conversation of our time, & that the Left would no longer monopolize "issues that women care about." Get the Big Idea sprang forth - for better or worse - & then big ideas began to build. At the risk of sounding quirky (again...) I believe that God continued to whisper through "Read My Lipstick", "The Big Ben Silent Minute"& other small incidents.

Then, remember a few weeks back, when I found myself at a loss for words? I have continued find myself at a loss for words in recent weeks, not really knowing where this is going...where the proverbial ball of this-season-in-my-life is rolling. I know God has a perfect plan, but I'm a little fuzzy on the particulars lately, & that gets a little uncomfortable from time to time. (Can anyone relate?)

Here's the thing about trusting God, the notion that He has designed each of us for this generation, for this very time in history, for His purpose: I get it with my head (& occasionally I really get it), but when the details get blurred by life, trusting can take on a certain gritting of the soul. It's in these times that I find myself surprised by the tenderness of God's voice (like in the Dec. piece). Sometimes I find myself waiting, only to learn that "being still & knowing, staying & resting" is the point. And even if I don't see clearly, God is there; always moving & working toward His purpose for my life. And - if I pay attention & listen - I just may catch a vapor of His Spirit passing over me.

One such vapor passed me two days ago. I've had a desire to be in a study, & I've certainly been seeking God's purpose. On the "upcoming studies" table @ church, the Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman study nearly leaped off the table into my arms. I know Esther's story: a woman who had a destiny; & even when she seemed powerless, God used her toward a profound purpose.

I signed up immediately. If anyone can teach about purpose, it's Esther! This was God's gift to me, & I know the Word will speak about living "for such a time as this."
Here's the promo video:

Beth Moore's Esther, Web Promo from LifeWay on Vimeo.

God is continuing to work, friends, in the seen & unseen. I know it. We all are here "for such a time as this." We all have a voice & God intends to use it!

~~~

Advent Prayer

Lately friends, I’ve found myself a bit at a loss for words, not really knowing how to pray for some things. Several years ago, I learned from Beth Moore (& others) to go to the living, breathing Word of God, asking Him to give me words for prayer.

Three days ago, my Pastor invited me to deliver the morning prayer for the second Sunday in Advent. Having no idea what words would even begin to form that prayer, I said yes. Not even 30 minutes later, in Praise & Worship rehearsal I learned the following song by “Mercy Me.”


God had given me the start of that prayer. Then later, in a quiet time with Him, God gave me the rest, through His Word:

Dear Holy & Mighty God,
I’m finding myself at a loss for words, & the funny thing is, it’s okay.
The last thing I need is to be heard, but to hear what You would say.

Word of God speak, would you pour down like rain,
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty.
To be still & know that You’re in this place,
Please let me stay & rest, in Your Holiness.
Word of God speak.

I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let my foot slip – he who watches over me will not slumber;
Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over me – the Lord is my shade at my right hand;
The sun will not harm me by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep me from all harm – He will watch over my life;
The Lord will watch over my coming & going, both now & forever more. (Psalm 121)

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given,
And the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government & peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne & over his kingdom,
Establishing & upholding it with justice & righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9: 6-7)

I’m finding myself at a loss for words, & the funny thing is, it’s okay,
The last thing I need is to be heard, but to hear what You would say.

Word of God speak, would you pour down like rain,
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty.
To be still & know that You’re in this place,
Please let me stay & rest, in Your Holiness.
Word of God speak…

Lately, friends, I’ve found myself at a loss for words, but the funny thing is, it’s okay…

Indeed, & amen.

~~~

"Which one would you save"

Books are essential. Reading is one of the best expanders of the mind, of the soul.

But what if some catastrophe occurs, and only one book could be saved? Faced with that notion, which book would you be sure to rescue? Which one would you save?

It's legal and it's literary. It’s historical and poetic. It's sophisticated narrative and children’s delight. It's sexy and smoldering; compellingly real and enigmatic. Come to it as a scholar, or scientist, an objective observer or a hostile assailant. It's confounding, perplexing, nearly implausible. It yields to antagonism, ignites debate and inspires awe. By it, through it, one can be moved to a depth of intimacy that defies understanding. When a catastrophe strikes, when all books will vanish and I can save just one, this one will be clutched under my arm, shielded from the mayhem of falling, crashing, burning. When I rush out of the flaming building and my family is safe, I’ll have pressed against me this one, my Bible.

I’ll save it, because it first saved me.

~~~