People sing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” during the Christmas season, but I think spring is the most wonderful time of the year. Apparently, some think the months of spring are March, April, and May, but I think spring is still April, May, and June. Nothing revelatory or scientific there. Just, as the old timers used to say before I became one of them, “I feel it in my bones.”
Five letters. Five little letters. If you are into Wordle, you know those five letters can lead to a multiple of answers, only one of which will be the correct one. The five-letter word I am talking about here is FAITH.
It seems like a small thing. It seems like a no-brainer for the professing Christian. It seems like an absolute for the sanctified believer. But it’s not always so simple, and it’s not always so small. Faith.
In a conversation, a woman was telling me how she had advised a fearful friend that if she exercised enough faith (in the saving God — not in her ability to believe), she could beat down her fears and apprehensions. She told her it was unnecessary to live with vague fears and premonitions and apprehensions, because they were of the evil one and not intended for believers. Right or wrong, good advice or flimsy, look at the advice from the view of the one receiving the admonition: the one who must continually work to have, lean toward, and pursue faith. For some, it is not an easy acquisition.
I found some notes of a sermon I heard at Daybreak Community Church, in Lexington, KY, a few years back. The pastor had made this observation:
““You are ill. You go to your family doctor, who sends you to a specialist. You do not know this specialist. You have never seen him before, and, furthermore, you can’t even pronounce his name.
He tells you something you know nothing about and gives you a prescription that you can’t read for a sophisticated chemical compound that you don’t understand.
You take that prescription to a pharmacist you do not know, and whose last name does not even appear on his name tag. He gives you a medicine that you know absolutely nothing about and tells you how to use it. When you get home, without questioning, you take it as prescribed.
”That’s Faith.””
Our Ladies’ Bible Study this morning was entitled, “Joy in Affliction”. Where is your faith in time of affliction Let alone joy? This study is based on the joy-filled book of Philippians, but when you talk of joy in affliction, it must always come back to faith. And faith is the subject of Hebrews 11, whose writer penned:
““Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.””
Why not take a little time to read the short book of Philippians and the long chapter of Hebrews 11? Can you exercise faith in your affliction? Perhaps then you can also find joy in your faith. How’s that working for you?
Happy Mother’s Day!
Teller of Tales
We can all use some wisdom from Tom T.
(not a typical turkey)
If you’ve read any of my books, you’ll know Tom T. is a family farm turkey who shares stories about other animals on the farm. Without being preachy, these books show growth of character. Learn more about these hardcover bilingual beauties on my website and contact me if you’d like to purchase one or more for Christmas this year.
I want to let you know I’m still here and doing well. I’ve been caring for my sister, who has dementia, both at her home, and now in ours. Though she sleeps quite a bit, it is difficult to plan around her care, which is 24/7. My blogs have taken a back seat, temporarily.
I am thankful for this time with my sister and the ability to care for her from our home. Most of all, I’m thankful for Jesus and all he does in our lives - especially for salvation.
Photo from: https://www.katieashby.co.uk/the-d-day-darlings/
Do you ever find yourself thinking about music? I don't just mean music from this era; I mean music from way back. You know, from the olden days.
When I was a very young teen, my sisters and I would gather around the piano and sing songs from an old book of "popular", "modern" songs. Recently when I was with two of my sisters in Arkansas, we had great fun singing together. My brother-in-law and his wife are fine musicians and singers, so he sang and played guitar, while we sang along.
We started out with hymns and. I was happily surprised when my youngest sister began singing some of the old songs we'd learned in music class in our little country school. We had great fun with hits like "Me and My Shadow", "The Happy Wanderer", and a song where each of us sang the part of different instruments (violin, clarinet, horn, and drums). We even did Christmas songs, since we hadn't been together at Christmas in decades. The rendition of Silent Night was great fun to sing with the special descant I'd learned in seventh grade.
But, the one that keeps coming back to me is the one my (late) sister, Lynn, and I loved to sing. She had an amazing, smooth alto voice, and, believe it or not, I used to sing high soprano - with a range of three octaves, but that's long gone.
As I contemplate our singing together, and think of the words of the old song, I realize that probably nobody knows this song (from World War I), probably nobody is interested in the close harmony, and even as you read the words below, it won't mean much to a younger generation. Saying goodbye to a young soldier marching off to fight in the "war to end all wars", doesn't seem so poignant in a world where children are being shot right here at home.
I attended a funeral this week of a man who had retired from the Air Force several years ago. The photos of him with his beautiful young wife and children made me think of earlier times. As I looked around at the mostly older choir, the elderly priest officiating, and the mostly older attendees, I remembered what my husband had said earlier: "Young people go to weddings; old people go to funerals."
That being said, I am going to share the song with you. Sometimes it's good to think back on the older times, the older ways, the older music. To listen and/or sing along, click on the YouTube video for the original 1919 rendition with actress Mary Pickford. Later, Doris Day revived the old song, though it was a shorter, version. (Sing along! )
““There’s a song in the land of the lily
Each sweetheart has heard with a sigh.
Over high garden walls
This sweet echo falls
As a soldier boy whispers, “Goodbye.”
Smile the while you kiss me sad adieu.
When the clouds roll by, I’ll come to you.
Then the skies will seem more blue
Down in Lover’s Lane, my dearie.
Wedding bells will ring so merrily,
Every tear will be a memory.
So wait and pray each night for me
Till we meet again.””
“Never Alone”
Stop and think about that for a minute. Sometimes we forget that as our Lord and Savior, He is always with us. Always! When we are running late, when a co-worker berates us, when someone we love chooses not to love us, when we make the excuse, “Everyone needs to let his hair down once in a while.”
Anybody Need A Coke?
The Four Gals’ Farewell Tour
This month, three of my sisters and I are getting together for what one of us has entitled, “The Four Gals’ Farewell Tour”. We’ll be trying to find the places we knew in younger days in Benton County, AR. One of us is from OK, one from TX, one from KS, and the youngest, after years in CA, lives in Benton county, of all things!
As I was ruminating on what this month’s blog would be about, I kept having little snippets of memories and conversations wandering through my brain. As the detritus gelled, it suddenly shocked me to realize that my blog this month would be totally unlike any other I have ever written. It didn’t seem appropriate, somehow, but it wouldn’t leave me alone. And so here we are discussing memories, or lack of them.
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