Simple Thoughts

As I wrote this title, I actually had two thoughts in mind. The first thought was actually for “head massage.” It has been a stressful two weeks and my brain is completely saturated with new knowledge. I am brain weary. I needed to massage my head. My husband happily acquiesced. As he is rubbing my head, I feel the stress bubble release. My sole focus is on enjoying this massage.

My second thought, which led to the title, “Head Message,” is that while I am weary and the massage helped, what I really need to is hear God’s Word. To be encouraged, uplifted. To change my thought focus from self and stress back to God and His promises. My devotions this morning have been on worship. Expressing my love for my Creator and Redeemer with shouts of joy and moments of quiet praise. Even in these busy days Lord, let me continually praise Your name, for You alone are worthy. I pray for strength that as I serve others, I am compassionate, patient, gentle, forgiving, graceful. Just as You have shown me your love, grace, kindness, patience, gentleness.

Colossians 3:12-14: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Baseball. America’s pastime. I recently tuned in to a baseball game, mid-stream. I purposefully missed the beginning. I don’t need to be alerted to your political stance or cultural objective. I just want to watch baseball. Great memories of my childhood: whiffle ball games in backyards, softball games, playing catch with my dad. Knowing the meaning of phrases like: bring the heat, pick off play, rundown. Munching on roasted peanuts, sitting in the upper deck with family and friends. Understanding the #21 forever memorialized outside the stadium. A game to be enjoyed whether you are a player or a fan. A brief respite from the grind of the day, a break from the new being hurled at us 24/7.

As we tune back into baseball, America’s pastime, let us also tune back in to God, testifying before a watching world. Childhood memories of going to church, coming home to a Sunday dinner, gathered around the table, giving thanks to God for the blessings from His hand. Knowing the meaning of words like: redemption, eternal life, sovereign. Making a renewed commitment, a profession of faith, to love God, to believe His word as truth, to care and love others as an outward expression of God’s love. And as 1 Peter 3:15 says, “in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

Picking up trash. Fetching tools. Sweeping up water. Our friends are building a house. My husband is helping. I like to go along and see progress and do what I can. I have no construction skills so I am given menial tasks. Today, I was handed a broom. Lots of standing water to sweep out. Happy to help.

As Christians, are we happy to help as we work in ministry? Cleaning toilets, sending out cards, visiting the sick or elderly, preaching a sermon, teaching the youth. There are plenty of opportunities. We are not all called to help in a particular area but we are all called to serve. Can we say with a joyful heart, happy to help?

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.  There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.  God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”

1 Corinthians 12:27: “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”

Doxology: a short hymn of praise to God

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him all ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” (Thomas Ken-1674)

I woke up singing this doxology the other day. What did it mean? Was God trying to tell me something? I did have some burdens on my heart. Loved ones I was praying for. As I reflected on this, I realized how happy I was to be singing this first thing in the morning.

I enjoy reading and studying God’s word. I also keep the radio tuned in to our local Christian station or listen to praise and worship music on Pandora. Music speaks to my heart. Allows me to memorize God’s word through song. When I am without my bible or music, these songs are still in my heart and on my lips. Singing praises to God, crying out to God, reaffirming God’s truths through song.

“Next to the word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the word of God through music.” Martin Luther

Too tall. Too small. Too wide. Too thin. Good knees. Bad shoulder. Willing mind. Weak heart. As I age, I begin to see my human limitations. I can not do the things I could physically do as a young person. Three hour basketball practices, cross country running, all day softball tournaments. I now have to take breaks, slow down, pass on a strenuous physical activity. It does not mean I have stopped enjoying life. It just means I have begun to enjoy new activities. Pickleball. Walks. 30 minute workouts.

Praise God, we can truly say He is awesome in power, limitless in all He is able to do. ” O, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17) We can look beyond our own limitations and pray to the One who is able, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20) Let us be careful not to put limitations on God. He is sovereign and as we pray, let us be faithful in our knowledge of Him. Allow God to “sustain, strengthen and deepen your faith” (John Piper) as you trust in Him more and more each day.

Did you wake up today thankful for a new 24 hours before you? As a community of believers, Christians should be the light shining for Christ today. Each day, let our thoughts be on others. How can I make a difference?

If you are raising children, you are overwhelmed, under appreciated, tired. But, you are giving all of yourself for the good of your children. You are making a difference.

If you are working, laboring, busy, you are appreciated by your family as you meet their needs of food, clothing and shelter. You are making a difference.

Whatever you are doing, as you serve, as you give of yourself with a joyful heart, a generous spirit, you are making a difference. Thank you for your loving, kind, compassionate heart. Thank you for putting others over yourself, for being more concerned for the well being and care of others. Look around you today. Ask yourself, “How can I make a difference in the lives of those in my world of influence?”

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.“

Thoughts. Meditations. Filling up our minds. What are you allowing to enter in: Facts, Fear, Truths, Worry? We need to be careful of what we focus our thoughts on because what we fill our minds with become the desires of our hearts.

I have been besieged by this truth over and over again this week. In my morning devotion, in my Philippian bible study. God is drawing these truths into my view right now for this very time. Me, you , us- we all need to guard our hearts and minds that we may meditate on His truths so God can rule in our hearts.

Philippians 4:8 “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Today, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to all 3 of my sons, all on an individual basis. As a mom of boys, I do not take this for granted and I savor each chat.

I am thankful for the 3 sons my husband and I were given the opportunity by God to raise. As much as I would love to have all of them under our roof today, I understand they have their God-given, God-directed lives to lead. I continue to remain their biggest cheerleader and most faithful prayer warrior.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

As I watch the nightly news, I see conflict, unrest, disobedience. In this country. I am saddened by how unhappy people seem to be. I also understand this is not new. As a country, with many freedoms, people display their displeasure without being in fear of their lives. But what if we focused on the positive, on what is right in this country? Wouldn’t that bring about successful dialogue and bring opposing views together, under the umbrella of love and respect?

When I first started writing, almost 4 years ago, I had just finished reading “1,000 Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. She inspired me to focus on the blessings in my life each day. I started looking outside myself and started taking a different look at my life- what blessings do I see? I called my first attempt at a blog, “Thankful November.” As I look back at those posts, this is what I was thankful for: $2.99 chicken breasts, pigeons, baseball, jury duty, time, Sundays, church, children, Election Day, soldiers, vacant lots, the Bible, teachers, garbage men, seasons, porches, traffic, dogs, birthdays, first responders, water, the human heart, words, rain.

Can we as an individual, a group, a community, a city, a state, a nation, start to focus on the positive? The blessings in our lives, being a thankful people. Let us build each other up. Let us love our friends, as well as our enemies. And in so doing, may God be glorified, a hurting nation healed, and hearts turned back to God.

Luke 6: 35-36: ““Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

In ancient days, parents and grandparents passed down family history as well as national history to their children and grandchildren. In the Old Testament, they passed down the mighty works of God so the children and grandchildren would know their own history. And not only hear it, but see the faithful examples of daily living of faith by their elders.

Psalm 78:4b; 7-8: “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,  His power, and the wonders He has done… Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. They would not be like their ancestors—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to Him.“

Oh, how true these verses are today. If you are a born again, saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christian, are you passing down to the next generation the mighty hand of God working in your life? Are you telling others your testimony of faith? Even as our children mature and grow into adulthood, we still have a responsibility to teach them of God, that they may heed the call of God in their own life and live a life of faith today.

I pray for my generation to talk to the next generation. I pray for God to open the hearts of those young people who have not believed and trusted Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

In today’s world, just as in the old days, young people are ripe for believing, for trusting and following in a cause greater than themselves. Let us take up this responsibility of sharing the gospel. Let us help them to see and know the unfailing love of Jesus Christ. He is the One to follow.