Month: April 2022

The title of this post is from a poem that I wrote a few years ago.  I thought it might bless YOU! 

Something great happened 
On the day you were born
Something that touched people’s lives
The hard work was over
The promise fulfilled
The receipt of the sought-after prize.

Your family rejoiced 
On that wonderful day
For your presence changed everything
A welcomed addition
A blessed event
A new life that came into being

Your needs were many
In those earliest days 
But your family was always there
To give you their strength
To give you their love
To give you their most tender care

In time you grew up
So you could stand on your own
And give back to your family so true
To give them your strength
To give them your love
To give them the best of you
 
Your family was blessed
On that day you were born
But your heavenly Father, even more
He saw you that day
He knew you’d believe
For He called you a long time before

Your first birth was needed 
For you to arrive
At the place you would answer God’s call
Now you’re born again
Now His seed lives within
Now God is the happiest of all

As much as you’re loved
By your mom and dad
God’s love is far greater yet
For you are His child 
For you are His joy
It was YOU that He yearned to get*
 

Those of us who are parents know what the birth of a child means to us.  It is probably one of the greatest highlights of our lives, and one of the hardest at the same time.  That beautiful baby that we anxiously waited for so long to arrive, was finally here!  But taking care of them could be unexpectedly difficult. Newborns are pretty much helpless, so their needs are many and their demands are fairly constant.  Add to that sleepless nights and lifestyle interruptions, and parents can feel overwhelmed.  I can’t tell you how many times I cried right along with my newborn because I didn’t know what else to do.  But looking back now, I consider those moments to be some of my most precious experiences because I have great kids, and I love them a lot.      

Although, I can’t remember my own infancy, I know that my parents must have shared a lot of the same emotions and experiences because they loved me.  They wanted me to grow up straight and tall.  They cared for me and taught me in the best way that they knew how.  I can still hear my mom’s voice admonishing me, “The world does not revolve around YOU!”  (Boy, did she say that a lot!)  Her point in saying that was to teach me not to be selfish.  All children need to be taught this because their lives begin with the whole world revolving around them of necessity.  Loving parents understand this and are happy to take care of their children.  But they also know that their children must learn that cannot stay self-centered.  A well-rounded life is an unselfish one. 

We probably all have known people in our lives who are self-centered.  Sometimes they are not so pleasant to be around.  I knew someone once that no matter what you said on any topic, she could turn it around to be about her.  I used to marvel at her skill for doing that.  I would intentionally say things from time to time that I thought she couldn’t possibly turn around, but it seemed she always managed to do so.  It’s actually kind of sad for those folks because they are missing so much of life’s fulfillment by keeping their thoughts so focused on themselves. 

The reason we cannot be selfish is because of the principle of giving and receiving.  It is a Godly principle that always works.  Selfish people seldom give, so they seldom receive.  And since they are not receiving what they need (or think they want), their attention is spent on their lack.  And their efforts center on taking what they need instead of receiving it.

So, we see that being selfish is not a good thing.  But does that mean that we should never think about ourselves?  Of course not.  There are always times that we must focus on our own lives.  Times of need, times of celebration, times of reflection all come to mind as ‘self-caring’ times.  It is okay and necessary to take care of ourselves.  If we don’t, we won’t have anything to give, and we’ll end up not receiving what we need either. 

Perhaps, you might have had thoughts like I did.  Selfishness was so appalling to me that for a long time in my adult life, I didn’t take care of myself.  I tried to be constantly giving because I felt that receiving was selfish.  The result was that my needs grew and my ability to give shrank.  Eventually, I was so depleted that I began to fail at everything I did.  This resulted in my thinking, “what is wrong with me?”  Although, I didn’t realize it at the time, that was being selfish.  My thoughts were constantly filled with my own inadequacies, and my focus was always on my failures.

My deliverance came when I realized my importance to God.  God chose me and YOU before the foundation of the world to be His children!  He knew on the day we were born that we would answer His call.  He knew that we would be His sons whom He would love with all His heart!  Sons that He would rejoice about having in His family!  That makes me and YOU very special!  Oh, I’m still inadequate on my own, I know that.  But God made me and YOU adequate to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. (Colossians 1:12)  He gave me and YOU the gift of holy spirit.  We have His abilities in us now.  And we have access to God’s unlimited resources! 

Thinking of ourselves in these Godly terms is never selfish because we are giving the glory to God, and not boasting of ourselves.  We never have to feel second-rate because we belong to the family of the one true God.  We never have to suffer need because God promised that He will supply all our need (Philippians 4:19).  And we are sufficient because God made us so. 

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound toward YOU (and me); that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Having been given all these abilities allows us to freely give and freely receive God’s blessings.  We need never be selfish because God cares so fully and completely for us that our thoughts can be unincumbered by worries.  We know that God is always able to be whatever we need Him to be; and to provide whatever we need Him to provide.  Claiming all these promises isn’t selfish, it is confessing the truth of God’s Word. 

It might seem like a paradox, but our most unselfish thoughts come from always remembering who we are and what we have in Christ.  When we are thankful for all that we’ve been given, and rejoice in all of God’s blessings, we will be ready, willing, and able to be our best for God and follow His example of unselfishness.

Romans 8:32

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

YOU and I can be thankful for our earthly families who did their best to raise us properly.  And YOU and I can be thankful to our Heavenly Father who called us both to a life of peace that surpasses our understanding.  There is no room for selfishness in our lives because God has filled YOU and me with all spiritual blessings through the new birth, which is Christ in YOU (and me), the hope of glory!    

Note to my readers:  YOU are special to God!  And to me!  Thanks for reading!

*Poem is personal property of Terri Lee

When I was young, there were some people who were called “the beautiful people”.  They were stylish Hollywood stars and rich socialites who led glamorous lifestyles.  They were trend setters and fashion icons.  They were the rich and famous.  (There was even a TV show about them called, “Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous.”)  They were touted as the people everyone else wished they could be.  Of course as a young person, I thought their glamorous lifestyle seemed exciting.  Who wouldn’t want to have all those cool clothes, fancy houses, and parties with hundreds of their ‘closest friends’? 

But I grew up.  Reality replaced fantasy and life left little time for day-dreaming.  Yet, for a while deep down, I still kind of wanted to be like the beautiful people – maybe on a smaller scale.  I thought I needed a trendy haircut, stylish clothes, a big house, and the right circle of friends to be happy.  Then I actually did grow up and I began to understand the ways of the world.

Scheme #1 – Unattainable standards

Our society has determined the standards for what is called beautiful and for what is considered successful.  Hence, bombarding us with the images of “the beautiful people”.  Somehow, the beautiful people became the standard, howbeit, an unattainable one.  And this is because no matter how beautiful we are, the standard will point out our flaws.  And no matter how successful we are, the standard will up the ante.  The result is a lifetime of striving and never really being fulfilled.

People who get caught up in this scheme can spend their lives never accepting who they are or appreciating what they have.  We’ve all seen it.  Women (mostly) who take extreme measures to change their appearance because they cannot be content with the way they look.  Or others whose careers are the central theme of their lives, and they have no time for family or friends.  Both are constantly seeking to attain a standard that eludes them. 

Scheme #2 – Copious criticism

Have you ever noticed that often in the world, criticism flows like a firehose but praise trickles like a dripping faucet.  The world is quick to judge and even quicker to criticize the things we think or do.  And constant criticism is stifling.  Criticism can be such a habit for people that it seems like every word they speak is critical.  I think sometimes people may not realize how hurtful their words can be.  Other times, it seems that they are purposely trying to thwart our efforts or discourage us.  Sometimes we can let criticism roll off our backs, but a lot of times it paralyzes us.  And that is the scheme’s design.  The world would have us doubt and question ourselves whenever possible.

Scheme #3 The grass is always greener…

This scheme produces dissatisfaction by comparison.  Maybe we are struggling in our lives, but we look at our friend’s lives and think that they are doing just fine. We might become jealous.  We might have thoughts like, “If only I had whatever they have, I could be happy.”  Or maybe, “If I had (or had not) done whatever, I would be as well-off as they are.”  Meanwhile, our friends may not be feeling very fortunate at all, but we don’t see their struggles.  In reality, the grass is not greener on the other side.  What is more commonly the case is that we don’t recognize the value of our own grass because we are too busy envying someone else’s.   

Scheme #4  Why bother?

This scheme is the culmination of the first 3 schemes listed.  Worldly forces would have us quit trying or give up altogether.  By flaunting a standard before us that we cannot attain, by criticizing all that we think and do, and by coaxing us to compare ourselves to others, the world wants us to be disheartened and think, “Why bother?  Nothing is going to change anyway.”  If the world can trick us into thinking that our efforts are futile and our lives are worthless, it has successfully accomplished its goal of suppressing our initiatives, thus by default, accepting its lies. 

We as Christians are often able to recognize these schemes, but we are not immune to them.  Any of us might fall prey to measuring ourselves against the world’s standards or being critical or becoming jealous.  BUT we also have the ability to change those thoughts and put on the thoughts of God’s Word instead.  The world screams inadequacy at us, while the Bible says that we are perfectly equipped. (2 Timothy 3:17)  The world calls us losers, while God says that we are super conquerors.  (Romans 8:37)  Society says we’ll never measure up, while the Bible calls us masterpieces.  (Ephesians 2:10) 

We must decide to whom we are going to listen.  If we listen to the schemers, we will indeed be miserable and unfulfilled.  But is we listen to God’s Word, we will have our needs met and live an abundant life.  (Philippians 4:19 and John 10:10)  The choice is ours.  Cling to the words that God speaks and resist the adversary’s rhetoric. 

So the next time society tries to trick you into thinking its way, stand up and say, “Not today, world!  I am what the Word of God says I am.  I have what the Word of God says I have.  I can do what the Word of God says I can do.  And I will be what the Word of God says I will be.” 

Note to my readers:  Never forget that God loves you! (and so do I)  Thanks for reading! 

What is commonly known as Easter takes place this Sunday.  I don’t particularly like calling the holiday, “Easter” because that is not really a Biblical term.  But regardless of what it’s called, I appreciate that it is so widely recognized and celebrated as the day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  A more accurate designation for the day might be “Resurrection Sunday”.  But I doubt that society will change it at this point.    

The angel’s declaration to the women at the tomb as recorded in the gospel of Matthew is probably the single most important statement ever made to mankind. 

Matthew 28:6

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Two thousand+ years later, our hearts still thrill at the sound, “HE IS RISEN”!  Those words changed the world.  They changed the course of history.  And they changed us. 

No other event in the history of mankind has ever had such a long lasting, life-changing impact as the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Think about it.  Without the resurrection, there would be no Christians.  There would be no hope for this world, and there would be no future for us.  Without the resurrection, the adversary (the devil) would have free reign. 

The resurrection of Jesus Christ redeemed man to God.  The sacrifice that Jesus Christ made as the Passover lamb and his subsequent resurrection fulfilled all the legal requirements necessary to reconcile man back to God and free him from the clutches of the adversary once and for all.  In fact, man’s redemption and salvation are so totally legal that they are above reproach.  They are a done-deal! 

To the non-Christian, the resurrection may seem of little consequence, however, nothing could be further from the truth!  For those of us who are saved, the benefits of the resurrection are beyond comprehension.  Could any of us imagine what our lives would be like without our salvation?  Could we conceive of a lifestyle that didn’t include a relationship with our heavenly Father?  Could we envision our despair if we didn’t know that we were going to heaven?  All of these things and much more are ours because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 

Jesus Christ paid the price that unlocked the door so that we could enter into the throne room of God as His beloved children; and stand in His presence without any sense of sin, guilt, or shortcomings.  We have all the rights and privileges that being a child of God affords.  We have peace with God.  We have joy and hope.  We are loved.  We are free.  (And that is just scratching the surface!)

So, no matter how you observe the holiday this Sunday, let it be a day of praise and thanksgiving for the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made in laying down his life for us; and for what God wrought in Christ when He raised him from the dead and set him at His own right hand in the heavenlies (Ephesians 1:20).  Our salvation is completely and absolutely complete.  Because of our Savior’s resurrection, we are now children of God with Christ in us, the hope of glory, and nothing in this world can ever change that!   And although this Sunday may be set apart as a special day of recognition, we know that all these things warrant our praise and thanksgiving every single day of our lives! 

 HE IS RISEN!  Hallelujah! 

John 8:36

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Note to my readers:  Happy Resurrection Sunday!!  Thanks for reading!

This time of year, our excitement is kindled by new life exploding all around us.  The days grow longer as the sun’s light and warmth loosen winter’s cold grip on our lives.  Flowers begin to show their dazzling colors; and leaves and grasses turn bright green in their awakening.  Almost overnight it seems that the slumber of winter gives way to the clarion call of spring.  We can see it on people’s faces. The sullen expressions of winter’s grey are replaced by the enthusiastic smiles of springtime’s cheer. 

Spring is my favorite season.  I love the onset of warmer weather.  I love the influx of color and the return of the sweet sounds of the songbirds.  It is a time of regeneration, and a time of renewing.  Think about it.  We till our gardens to prepare for new growth.  We do spring cleaning to rejuvenate our homes.  We head to the ‘great outdoors’ to revitalize our bodies.  And in the midst of all that, our minds are refreshed as well.

It seems that the onus of wintertime can be like a cloud hanging over our heads.  Even if we are fans of winter, by the end of March we are usually tired of the cold temperatures.   For most of us (except the winter sports enthusiasts) the cold weather is uncomfortable.  And for just about all of us, the short days tend to impede our ambitions.  Who wants to go back outside in the cold and dark after you’ve hunkered down for the evening?  But springtime changes all of that.  We don’t mind being outside at night when it’s warm.  In fact we look forward to the nighttime activities that spring ushers in.  Some of my favorite memories are of campfires, fireworks and star gazing on summer nights.

Springtime is the happy transition from winter to summer.  Not only is springtime beautiful, but its gradual warming also prepares us for the hot days that lay ahead.  It would certainly be a shock to our systems if it were below 0° one day and above 90° the next!  Spring and fall both afford mild temperatures to offset the extremes of summer and winter.  Both seasons are enjoyable, but to me, spring is waking up and fall is preparing for sleep.

My husband saw a funny meme the other day that talked about the seasons in Florida.  The list of seasons included a couple of “fake springs”.  I laughed because we can all relate to the times when the weather started warming up and we thought, “yea, spring!”.  But then it got cold again.  That is fake spring!  There can be multiple fake springs that just seem to taunt us.  And a fake spring can end abruptly with the onset of “premature summer”.

Springtime offers us new beginnings.  Although it happens every year (at relatively the same time), it seems to surprise and delight us with all its budding foliage and bright sunshine.  It offers us a change of lifestyle from winter’s seclusion.  It awakens our outlook for brighter days ahead.

It is only fitting that this time of year is also the time that we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Talk about a new beginning!  That was the pivotal point in history that changed everything forevermore.  It was that occurrence that enabled us to become born again and gain eternal life.  It was that occurrence that sealed the devil’s fate forever. 

Just as springtime awakens growing things, the resurrection awakens new life in us.  And just as spring supersedes winter, our new life supersedes our old one.  Our new life is more beautiful than all the blossoms of spring, and more delightful than all of its sunshine.  For all that the Lord’s resurrection gave us, we are thankful, and we rejoice with joy unspeakable.

Note to my readers:  Enjoy the new birth of spring and the new birth of you!  Thanks for reading! 

Shadows are a familiar part of life and can be useful.  Ancient cultures used a sundial to tell time.  It was the shadow that the sundial produced that denoted the time.  Even today, we roughly judge the time of day by the length of the shadows we see.  In Florida, the premium parking spots are the shaded ones.  Floridians are always seeking shadows in which to park.   Figuratively, shadows are used in literature to convey a variety of ideas.  Physical shadows are artistic elements in photography and artwork.  Stage-lighting designers are keenly aware of the importance of shadows.  A well-placed shadow can add dramatic effect.  An ill-placed one can obscure an actor’s face. 

When I think of shadows, I remember my shadow on the sidewalk when I was a little girl.  I waved my arms and jumped around to see if I could do something that my shadow could not.  (I had just seen the Peter Pan movie.)  But my shadow did everything that I did without fail.  So I proved to myself that my shadow was attached.  Yet, for a short time, I would still challenge my shadow – just in case.   

As I got older and started watching scary movies, shadows became a source of fright.  Somehow the innocuous shadows of daytime would become ominous threats at night.  In the dim light of nighttime, a quick glance at the shadow of a coat hanging on the hall tree might look like Frankenstein and scare me.  Even as an adult who knows that monsters are not real and never watches scary movies, I can still get startled on occasion by an unfamiliar shadow at night. 

A shadow is defined by my friend Merriam Webster as, “the dark figure cast upon a surface by a body intercepting the rays from a source of light.”  I like that definition because it accurately describes how objects react to sunlight.  They don’t block the light, they intercept it.  Have you ever sat under a shade tree in the heat of summer?  It’s cool and comfortable because the tree intercepts the sun’s heat as well as the light – hence the shadow that you’re sitting in.  Inanimate objects may reflect the light, but living things absorb it.  Either way, it is intercepted. 

As adults, it’s not usually the physical shadows that intimidate us, but the figurative ones.  Perhaps, when you read the title of this post, you thought of Psalm 23:4, “Yea, 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.”  The emphasis of the Hebrew word for shadow in this verse is darkness.  Sometimes people focus more on that darkness than on the next part of the verse that says, “I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.”  Because of that, people get stuck in the dark figure that a shadow casts. In fact, another definition that MW attributes to ‘shadow’ is: “a source of gloom or unhappiness.”  If we are stuck in the shadow of death, we will definitely be gloomy and unhappy!  Consider this… logically, if we are stuck in the shadow of death, it must mean that someone or something has intercepted the light before it reached us.  Doesn’t that sound just like the world?  All the schemes of the world are designed to keep the light of God from reaching us. 

So how can we escape that darkness if we’re stuck in it?  By taking a step. It’s just that simple.  A shadow is a fixed area corresponding to whatever is making the shadow.   When we step outside that area, we will no longer be bound by the darkness it has produced; and we are free to walk in the light.  The shadow is then beneath us, not above us.  And one way that we can take that step is by claiming the rest of Psalm 23:4; “I will fear no evil: for Thou (God) art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” 

Several times in the Old Testament, it also talks about us being under the shadow of God’s wings.  The word for shadow here denotes shade, defense, and protection.  Being under God’s wings is a figure of speech symbolized by how a mother hen or duck hides her babies under her wings.  I actually witnessed this happen.  We were on vacation and had just finished dinner at a nice restaurant, which had a pond out front.  We stopped to look at the pond just as a mama duck waddled up onto the bank and called her ducklings in for the night.  We watched a dozen baby ducks crawl underneath her and disappear.  Once they were all tucked in; they were hidden, warm and protected from harm.  That’s how God takes care of us.  He covers us with His strength and surrounds us with His defense and protection.  The only way a predator could get at those baby ducks was by fighting the mother.  The only way our predator can get to us is by fighting God Almighty!  And that is a battle that our predator absolutely will NOT win! 

God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).  God’s light is so bright that even His shadow is light!  So if we abide in God’s shadow, no darkness can overcome us because light dispels darkness.  Even the tiny light of a match’s flame pierces the darkest night.  God is our protector.  He is our refuge and our fortress.  We need never be stuck in the shadow of death because God has called us and placed us under the glorious shadow of His wings.

I love these verses:  Psalm 91:1-5

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 

Note to my readers:  We can always count on the shadow of God’s faithful protection.  Thanks for reading!