From the Inbox

[Tina]

A Mother's Love
This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.—John 15:12-13

My mom and I didn’t get along when I was in high school. I could give you my version or her version of why we didn’t see eye to eye, but both stories arrive at the same place. Put us in a room together and the result was volatile. At that point in my life, I knew our problems were her fault. She didn’t listen, she didn’t understand, she didn’t…you get my point. I left for college vowing never to be like everyone else who went off to college and suddenly became best friends with their parents.

Four months later, I apologized. My mom picked me up from the airport for Christmas break, and as I sat with her, I let her know how very sorry I was for disrespecting her for almost four straight years. As I consider my own future as a mother, I imagine my own child will go through the same phases I went through. As a young child, my mom could do no wrong. She was my hero. But as I grew, I somehow began to think I knew more than she did. Soon I stopped relying on her. By high school, I had decided she didn’t know anything and I moved on. But only four months of being away from her, I started to realize what an amazing woman my mother was and is. Now, 10 years after I vowed never to consider my mom a friend, I can’t imagine my life without her presence. I call her for advice or just to say hi. I look to her as a role model, a hero.

Being a mom is a thankless job. There’s no report card to hang proudly on the refrigerator, no ceremony to celebrate a good season, no award for being the “Most Valuable Player”, few pats on the back, and it’s not often that someone tells you how good you are doing. It took me almost a quarter of a century to finally see that she loved me like Jesus commanded. She did not die for me, but she has made sacrifice after sacrifice for my sister and I for the past 30 years. In essence, she gave up everything in her life to be there for us and love us through the good and through the bad. She still does.

I hope one day I can be a mom just like her. Is she perfect? No, and I won’t be either. But I know I will do a good job if I can match the same sacrificial and pure love she had for me. If I can love my children, just like Jesus…

Our mothers are a blessing.

[Tina]

Trash Day
This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”—Psalm 103:12

Friday is trash day in our neighborhood. That means on Thursday night, I get busy around the house throwing away about anything that is not nailed to the ground. I collect trash from each room and rejoice as I take overflowing trashcans out to the curb to remove the clutter and junk from our home.

Then the trash man dumps all my trash into his truck and drives away with it, never to be seen by me again. Halleluiah! Weekly, I get to wipe my hands clean of the rubbish in my life.

Fortunately for us, we also have a spiritual trash day. But, instead of weekly, Jesus is willing to come daily, hourly or each minute as we ask for forgiveness to remove the trash of sin from our lives. By His love and grace, he takes away the sin in our lives; He then dumps them at the foot of the cross and removes it from our presence permanently. As far as the east is from the west is how far our sins have been removed from us.

He has cleansed us of our sins, and we are clean in His presence when we ask for and accept the forgiveness He offers us. There is no longer a need to be weighed down by the sins of the past – they are removed. We cannot move forward with the weight of sin around our ankles. When we ask for forgiveness, God completely removes our sin from us, never to be seen again. How great it is that God removes all the junk from within us…all we have to do is ask. We are white as snow, we are forgiven, our record is cleared.

I am so thankful for the forgiveness the Lord has granted me. Now, He says, go and do the same for others. Forgive them. Do not bring up old grievances in the heat of an argument, do not hold them over others’ heads when you need something from them, forgive them. Remove the penalty of the sin so far from them that it is as far as the east is from the west.

[Tina]

If I Really Wanted to Make a Difference
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”—James 1: 22

A small book sits on an end table in our house entitled If I Really Wanted to Make a Difference… Each page finishes the sentence with ideas like, “I would say I’m sorry,” or “I would read to a child,” or other similar anecdotes. It’s a daily reminder that the simple things in life are what often make the biggest difference. One day, the cover caught my attention and I read it a little differently. That day, my eyes read the words with a period at the end. “If I really wanted to make a difference, I would.” The change this made in my own mind, though plain and simple, was deep.

James gives us a similar charge: “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:23-25

Typically, we all have daily opportunities to make a positive difference in the life of another person. We know what we ought to do, but we pass up opportunities right and left. Maybe we’re too busy or distracted by “more important things.” Perhaps inconvenience prevents us from acting. Really, there are uncounted excuses that can keep us from doing anything. But James was serious about conveying the importance of doing what is right. Later on in chapter 4, verse 17, he wrote very clearly, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”

James is saying that inactivity can amount to sin. Ouch. If you are like me, so many times I’ve passed on the opportunity to do good and, in doing nothing, have sinned. That stings, doesn’t it?

Today can be different. Each of us can make a difference in the life of someone else. So, when you see the opportunity arise, seize it.

[Tina]

Garbage Truck.

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.
We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

He explained that 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 sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so..... "Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't."

[Tina]

Lord, Be My Peace
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder

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.—Philippians 4: 6-7

Anxiety is real. In fact, it is so prevalent it has its own medical classification and a myriad of medications to help lessen its often paralyzing effects. While a little anxiety is common – like when a deadline is looming at work or school, or when you’re signing that loan for your first house – anxiety that lingers or that surrounds every decision is a sign that something deeper is occurring.

At the core of anxiety is worry. But hear what Jesus says about worry,

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat? Or what shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34

I find it interesting that despite the Scriptural challenges, even those including our Savior’s words that we ought not worry, many of us still find anxiety to be a daily companion. Still, we are in good company with our fellow believers over the centuries.

The early Christian Fathers used what is called a “breathe prayer” to help those experiencing anxiety. We use it in our ministry today. It is simply this: As you inhale, say the words “Jesus Christ is Lord” to yourself, then, as you exhale say the words, “Lord, be my peace.” Repeat this pattern until you feel your anxiety lessen or go away completely.

Today, if you are feeling anxious, give this “breathe prayer” a try, and may God’s peace be with you.

[Falla39]

Sis. Tina,

The devotional by Leslie Snyder is very good! Thank you so much for posting
it today!

Blessings,

Falla39

[Tina]

Thanks Margies3 for sharing this with me.... I think the rest of the Mom's here need to see it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I'm Invisible ~ For all the mom's



It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.



Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.



I'm invisible; 'The Invisible Mom.'



Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more:

Can you fix this?

Can you tie this?

Can you open this?



Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5 :30, please.'



I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.



She's going, she's going, and she's gone!



One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.



I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well.



It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it.



I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:



"To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'



In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book.



And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.



A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'



I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'



At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder.



As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.



When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'



As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot see if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.



Great Job, MOM!



Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know..... I just did.

[Tina]

Messy Lives
This devotional was written by Robin Dugall

“Turn to me and have mercy on me, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all. Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins…may integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you.”—Psalm 25:16-21

The other day, I woke up with a bad cold and an even worse mood. I don’t like having a cold. It makes me feel lethargic and it saps my initiative. Since I wasn't feeling too well, I laid around and watched one of my favorite musicals that just came out on DVD: The Phantom of the Opera. This operetta is deep, tragic and full of real life. I was talking with my wife after we watched the movie together, sharing with her the fact that movies or plays with unhappy endings are usually the ones we remember the most. I went through a whole laundry list of shows that we had seen together to prove my point. I noted Saving Private Ryan, Romeo and Juliet, Gladiator, The Patriot, Revenge of the Sith, and Braveheart (just to name a few). In every one of those movies, it is the same story of the reality and struggle of human existence. There is something about those types of artistic expressions that simply feels right.

Have you ever wondered why? It is because that is the way life is. Not every human story has a happy ending, what current culture wants us to believe. Our culture teaches that if you have the right system, laws, or technology, you can assure your own happy ending. Television and movies give us the impression that any and all human dilemmas are only 30 to 90 minutes from the happy ending they were meant to have. Many people have bought into the lie that happy endings are what every human being is entitled to live. Improvement, happiness, material blessings, easy living and progress are things God owes us. Unfortunately, this is the reason why much of modern culture is failing us: it is just NOT real. What is real is unpredictability...struggle and pain...brokenness and desperation...sometimes joy and sometimes weariness.

In a life of unpredictability, what can we count on? Jesus. As we journey through this life, Jesus is the only ONE upon whom we can surely bank. He and His Kingdom provide the only hope that can transform the shattered dreams and broken lives that accompany most of what we call “living.” Remember, Jesus understands what our lives are like. He could have spent his time on earth selling a new product that would have cured all of life’s problems, but He didn’t. Instead, he spent much of his time hanging out with people whose lives were complete messes – lives that look a lot like yours and mine. Why? He knew that what matters most wasn’t creating a happy ending in this life, but rather, the transformation of peoples’ souls in the midst of their struggles. Today, He’s still working that same plan. Now, that’s something I can buy into! How about you?

[Tina]

Recipe for Preserving a Husband

Be careful of your selection. Do not choose too young. When one is selected, give your entire thought to preparation for domestic use.

Some insist on keeping them in a pickle, others are constantly getting them in hot water. This makes them sour, hard, and sometimes bitter.

Even poor varieties can be made sweet, tender and good by garnishing them with patience, well sweetened with love and seasoned with kisses.

Wrap them in a mantle of charity. Keep warm with a steady fire of domestic decoration and serve with peaches and cream. Thus prepared, they will keep for a lifetime.

[Tina]

The Bible
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
—Hebrews 4:12-13

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could. One day the grandson asked, “Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?” The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.” The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You will have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was “impossible to carry water in a basket,” and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See Papa, it’s useless!” “So you think it is useless?” The old man said, “Look at the basket.” The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean. “Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.”

Current statistics from pollster George Barna report that 45% of all Americans read the Bible at least once during the week. That is a hopeful statistic and one of the highest in recent times. How about you? Does the Bible take priority in your personal life outside of the church? How well do you know what it really says, or do you rely on someone else to tell you what it says? Are you allowing it to transform your life, like the dirty coal bucket in the above story?