Are We Paying Too Much?

As I put the finishing touches on the tuna salad I was making for supper, I heard the very last of a Bonanza re-run on the TV in the next room. I had not paid much attention to the program until the last ten minutes or so. The plot had something to do with a rather old man who had kept a secret for years about an unethical scheme he had been involved in to make money at the expense of others. He finally made a clean breast of his guilt and told Adam Cartwright that he would do whatever it took to try and make it right with the people he had wronged. As Bonanza was about to end, Adam said to his father Ben, "Sometimes truth costs a great deal." Ben nodded and replied,"Yes, but never as much as covering it up does!" It was sort of an "Ah-ha" moment as I stood there at the table cutting up an apple for the tuna salad. I thought to myself how true a statement that was.

I was reminded of the verse in Proverbs 28:13 that says "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." When we cover up our sins we never gain as much as we lose. We may save face with those around us when we cover our wrong doings but deep down we carry a load of guilt that makes us miserable. We are paying a big price. But we don't have to! The last part of this verse tells me that if I confess my sins to God and forsake...or turn away from...them, He will give me mercy. And along with that is implied forgiveness and rest in my spirit.

One thing I want to do in the New Year of 2012 is to try and keep "short accounts" with the Lord. I don't want to have to pay for something that I don't have to pay for by keeping it "covered up"! Do you?

God bless you!

Marilyn

($ image created by Stuart Miles)

Something Missing?

Have you ever worked and worked putting an intricate puzzle together only to find at the end there was a piece missing? Our children used to love puzzles and a missing piece was always quite a frustrating feeling! I was reminded of this last Sunday as Benny and I ate lunch after church with our son David. He and his Dad have a lot in common and usually carry the conversation between themselves. Soon they became very engrossed in talking about some news from the science community. Seems the great physics minds of the world were disappointed last week. You may have heard about it. I had not. That's not really the kind of news I normally follow. But it seems my men do! I pretty much sat there in silence soaking up all the knowledge they had of this news and wondering why in the world I had never even heard of it!

The news was that last week the scientific community gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, hoping to be told that the last "missing piece" of the universe had been found. I sat spellbound as I listened to David and Benny talk about this giant particle accelerator where "stuff" is sent at almost the speed of light in a huge underground tunnel in the UK. All this "stuff" collides with each other and it broken down into smaller particles. Oh it goes on and on but my mind is not scientific enough to either explain or retain all the information! To find out more, click HERE. This is what they're looking for in a nutshell: It's what makes "mass"...or basically what holds things together...and is called the Higgs Boson or sometimes the "God-particle".

We all commented on how interesting it is that nickname for the Higgs Boson particle is the "God-particle". I like that. Because what better name for the particle that holds everything together? We were reminded of the verses in Colossians 1:16-17 that say: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."

Thousands of people wait on the edge of their seats to see if this "God-particle" will be found in their lifetime. I am pretty sure there are thousands upon thousands more who are searching for a different "God-particle" and don't even know it! I did for many years! I was born into a Christian family, was in a Baptist church three times a week at least and still grew up searching for something that was missing in my life. Something that would be the "mass" in my life. Something that would hold it together. And in September of 1978 I found what I was looking for. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

A couple of Sundays ago all our family went to see our two grandchildren sing in the children's Christmas program at their church. Six year old Leah had a solo part in one of the songs. Her part went like this: "If you seek this baby Jesus...Seek the Lord with all your might...You will find Him, like the shepherds did...As they searched for Him one starry night!" What a truth she sang. The Scriptures echo this promise in Jeremiah 29:13..."And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

I'm sorry that the scientific community was disappointed with the incomplete results from the European Organization for Nuclear Research. As God-Seekers we won't be disappointed !

Merry Christmas!

Marilyn

(p.s. That's David at age 3 putting the puzzle together)

True or False? "Jesus is the reason for the season".

True or False? "Jesus is the reason for the season".

Seems every day I read on a friend's blog or facebook page or hear in person something like "I don't like Christmas anymore!" I admit I've been feeling some of that lately myself. I think we sometimes get upset when we see all the commercialism during Christmas. But why are we surprised that people who don't believe in Jesus anyway want to leave Christ out of Christmas? They leave Christ out of their lives 364 days a year....why would they want to include Him the other day? It should be a wake-up call to us to be in prayer that more people would come to the knowledge of who Christ is and what He has done for them. Most of us give Christmas presents to our loved ones. God ...who IS love (1 John 4:16)...offers the greatest, best, most expensive (to Him) present there ever was to all of mankind...not just at Christmas but all during the year. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 3:23)

I realize that our Christmas holiday is not sacred or holy in the truest sense. But since we have decided to have a holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ, let's try to not make Him the last thing we think about! I'm trying to use this Christmas season as a conversation starter with people who may have never trusted Christ as Saviour. It seems to make it easier to explain why His birth is so important. That was the beginning of His life as Immanuel..."God with us"....here on earth, living a perfect sinless life so that in His perfectness He could take the horribleness of our sins and pay for them while dying on the cross. We always need to remember that He didn't remain a babe in a manger! He had a specific work He came to do and He did it! That's why just before He died He said, "It is finished."(John 19:30)

So, I'm curious. Did you answer True or False to my question, "Is Jesus the reason for the season"? I'm gonna say True! We normally only use this phrase during the Christmas season but I think really it would apply to ANY season! Jesus should be the reason behind any and every thing we do. I fall so short of practicing this but I truly want to do better!

I pray that Jesus is the reason for ANY season in your life friend!

May God bless you!

Marilyn

A Month of Thankfulness: Day 30

Day 30: I'm thankful for all the MANY blessings I receive daily!

Today is the last day of my Month of Thankfulness and yet I've not scratched the surface of being thankful for all the blessings I daily receive! "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." Psalm 68:19


This morning before I ever got out of bed I began to think about what I could say today. A song came to my mind. One that was a favorite of our family when we used to sing together a lot. It was written by one of Bro.Ronnie Simpson's daughters but after all this time I'm not sure if it was Cindy or Gwen! I hope they won't mind me sharing some of the words here today because it says so well what I'd like to say today. It begins like this: "The LORD has blessed me...in so many ways...that I couldn't begin to tell you...how good He has been!" I'm not sure I have the rest of the song word for word even but this is close:

"I've been blessed with a family, that has felt God's great touch. He's been present in trials, and has loved me so much. Though we've failed, though we've stumbled, on His Word we still stand. And we know He'll be faithful...till we reach that fair land......But the greatest of all blessings that I ever received...was His saving power...when on His Name I believed. I had nothing to offer...but my guilt and my shame...it was all through the blood...and His Holy Name!"

Although this is the last day of A Month of Thankfulness on my blog, you can rest assured that I will continue to be thankful and try to recognize God's blessings each day!

Thank you for joining me in this journey of thankfulness!

God bless you!

Marilyn

A Month of Thankfulness: Day 29

Day 29: I'm thankful for the beautiful snow I woke up to this morning!

It's all pretty much gone now but it was pretty while it lasted! There was enough of the heavy wet snow that it took out my internet by covering up the satellite dish. After I figured out what had happened Benny took the broom and swept it off and all was well.

Every time I see snow I think of the verse in Psalm 51:7 that says, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." It doesn't matter how muddy or dirty or littered a yard may be...if a good heavy thick snow settles on top of it, it's clean and beautiful looking! God says that's sort of how it is when He covers our dirty sins...our lives look snowy white! Not because we've tried to clean ourselves up, but because He has covered us with His righteousness! I am SO thankful for this!

May God bless you!

Marilyn

A Month of Thankfulness: Day 28

Day 28: I'm thankful for our wood heater!

I'm pretty sure a wood stove was at least part of the heating system in my Daddy's house when I was born but we moved from that house when I was two so I have no recollection of it. Only stories he's told. Gas heaters are all I remember growing up. We had a couple of space heaters...one in the kitchen and one in the living room...and then a big furnace type heater in the middle of the house. Daddy would always light the pilot light in the big heater sometime around the last of October every year. I can remember my Grandma Martin pulling her chair up really close to the heater in the kitchen and sit there until the front of her shins were turning pink and her bones began to warm up. I had a few friends that had central heating and air in their homes but I didn't like the way it came on and off. Off till you got cold. On till you were burning up.

And then when I married Benny I was formally introduced to heating with wood. The first couple of winters we were married we lived in a cabin at the lake which we heated with a huge fireplace. Most of the heat went up the chimney. I stayed soooooo cold those first winters! And then Benny decided to get our first wood heater. Oh my! What a great difference! Not only did it actually heat the house but it was such an even, gentle heat. It took some getting used to for this "city girl" but I got the hang of bringing in wood, building a good fire, and taking out the ashes. It's not as simple as flipping a switch but for us we hope to keep using wood heat as long as we're physically able. Most all the work falls on Benny's shoulders now...cutting the wood, hauling it up, splitting it in smaller pieces, filling up the wood box beside the heater, and keeping the fire going. In years past when the kids were home they helped cut, split and bring in the wood. Before they were big enough to do any of that, they would open the door for me as I made several trips in and out bringing in wood for our huge wood box. Lots of memories associated with our wood heaters.

This morning even though it's 36 degrees and misting rain outside, there's an even warmth in the house. (Let it get down to 5 or 10 degrees with a stiff north wind and it's a different story though! lol) I'm very thankful I have a warm home during cold wet weather. I don't want to take it for granted because I realize there are millions throughout the world who don't have this advantage.

I hope for you today a warm home and a warm heart!

Marilyn

A Month of Thankfulness: Day 27

Day 27: I'm thankful for the good Sunday School teachers in my life.

I'm sure I've had a lot of good ones because I've been in Sunday School all my life. But two stand out in my mind the most. First is Mrs. Lena Pearl Griffin. She was the head of the Junior Sunday School Department at First Baptist in Ripley when I was a kid. I remember some of the things she would say and stories of missionaries she would tell us during the "opening assembly" each Sunday morning. She was a great example and in fact still is a great example at the age of ninety-something!

The other one was Bro. Leon Mathis who taught the Young Married Class at Tiplersville Baptist when Benny and I first got married. He was very smart in the Bible and was able to communicate his godly wisdom to us in a very effective way. I think I still have some of my notes from his class in a filing cabinet somewhere!

I pray that today as I try to teach the ladies class that has been entrusted to me that I will be able to encourage and build up these ladies in the Lord!

May God bless you!

Marilyn