Humility Sure Looks Good on You

It's time for a self-examination of conscience and attitude during these times. I say that based on the scripture that seems to come up daily in someone’s blog or post: “If MY people who are called by MY name, would HUMBLE themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways….” (2 Chronicles 7:14) Many of us get on the bandwagon and put in our two cents worth about how we should be handling “Black lives matter” and other national topics of debate. If we’d do this or if we’d do that or if we’d stop doing that, peace would reign supreme again. But, 2 cents worth and beyond -- came directly from God in that scripture.

I live in a safe and comfortable community, so it’s easy to be in an overly confident mode. I’d like to think that someone said to me: “Humility sure looks good on you!” But, Lord knows, I have had moments of being over-confident and self-assured. But, then, God reins me in if that turns to conceit or arrogance. I have been brought down several notches when I have come across less-than-humble. I have eaten many slices of Humble Pie. It’s not all that tasty, but it's always good for me.

This blog was prompted when I read this email from an online ministry: “Only a fool would become complacent in the midst of danger. Stay alert and be watchful. Refuse to allow yourself to be overly confident or self-assured. Humility is a good look for you. The enemy is seeking whom he may devour, so "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

I have been thanking God for such good health during these C-virus times. Maybe, even a little bit prideful about it. Then, on Thursday, after a shingles shot the day before and, unlike the first one I received, this one had a very negative reaction to it. First, my arm hurt so much that I couldn’t lift it. Then I started having flu-like symptoms, achy all over, felt like I had fever, and started thinking “Is this from the shot or do I have the C-virus?" Seriously! Oh, how the enemy attacks our minds! I self-prayed for me, took two pain reliever tablets and thanks be to God, the next morning, I was walking on sunshine, in sunshine and taking pictures of sunshine again. Oh, happy day!

To be humble is to gratefully recognize our dependence on the Lord -- to understand that we have constant need for His support. Humility is an acknowledgment that our health, our abilities, our blessings are gifts from God. It is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; it is an indication that we know where our true strength lies. We can be both humble and fearless. We can be both humble and courageous. Jesus is our greatest example of humility. While on this earth, He repeated that His strength came because of His dependence on His Father. He said: “I can of mine own self do nothing. I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father Who has sent me” John 5:30.

We're being reminded to keep a watch out for those times when pride sneaks up on us and we get full of ourselves. God is awesome in the ways He brings us back to taste some Humble Pie. Okay, I've confessed and I’ve asked God to please let me know BEFORE He has to pull out the "Humble Pie". I think I'll do my best to avoid that dessert and keep my eyes and heart open, in case God needs to offer me another slice!

Remind Me, Dear Lord

Remind Me Dear Lord
I’m in my cozy chair. I’m a little dozy. I take off my glasses, shut my eyes, and a few minutes later, I’m awakened by this old song in my mind: "Roll back the curtains of memories now and then. Show me where You’ve brought me from and where I could have been. Remember, I’m human and humans forget. So, remind me. Remind me, dear Lord!”"

I was giving a talk a few days ago which included many times of the faithfulness of God in my life. I told the ladies about the tough times my husband and I had early on in our marriage. Two “young sprouts” we were at 17 and 18 and getting married. That should have been the first clue that the future might be bright – but it was on course for some ups and downs – most of all because we were such novices at the “game of life”. Three months in, he declares: “I’m ready for us to start our family!” And, bada-bing-bada-boom – nine months later our baby boy was born and 2-1/2 years later our baby girl was born. Both children had serious illnesses and both children survived and thrived. Thanks be to God!

We had all kinds of financial woes but we also had times of plenty. At the time, it seemed that the storms of life were enough to cause us to cave – but we stayed the course. So here I am these many years later, sitting in my cozy chair and I tear up as that old song comes back to me. “Roll back the curtains of memories now and then. Show me where you’ve brought me from and where I could have been!” BUT, God! Our Anchor and Stabilizer is what brought us through. How well I remember those tough-times and God-carrying-us-through-times memories.

I remember the "I'm going home to my mama" times and my mama's times -- "No, you're not coming home" times. "Donna, you two love each other and you can work it out." So, we did work it out. We always came back to our Center. We remembered our vows, our commitment and we worked it out through the laughter and the tears of growing up and being BIG KIDS now! But it could have all been so much worse. We could have gone our separate ways. We could have given up and thrown in the towel. We could have lost our faith and trust in God. We could have fallen and never gotten up again. Oh, but the amazing grace of God. God reminded me to look back and remember how much we learned in the worst of times -- that carried us through. God is with us through it all.

I can't say it better than the chorus of another old song that I recall as I'm typing this. "He'll do it again. He'll do it again. Just take a look at where you are now and where you have been. Hasn't He always come through for you? He's the same now as then. You may not know how. You may not know when. But, He'll do it again!

Maybe you should roll back the curtains of your memories and recall the faithfulness of God, too. I'm sure you'll find how far you've come, too! "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

What SUPPLEMENTS Do You Take?

From the looks of this photo, you’d think I am a supplement and vitamin junkie. Well, I guess I am and this case of pills and capsules proves it. Many years ago I realized the health and nutrition benefits from a regime of daily supplements that include vitamins, minerals, herbals, and fish oils. Most recently, at my doctor’s advice, I added cranberry tablets (I learned I needed that one from two UTI bouts) and a probiotic (I needed that one for IBS). Thank God that they’re all natural supplements and I don't have to be on any kind of drugs or medication. I was dramatically healed from a diagnosis of osteoarthritis when I was told that I would forever have to only control it with pain meds. I never had that prescription filled because I discovered nutritional products that gave me what I needed. Thus, those supplements have been my mainstay for over 16 years. I’ll admit my meal selection isn’t always the most nutritional, so supplements help with balancing out what I missed.

Supplement: something that completes or enhances something else when added to it.

This post was inspired by a scripture I read a couple of days ago. It was 2 Peter 1:5-7 “ For this very reason, make every effort to SUPPLEMENT your faith with virtue (moral character) and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance godliness, and godliness with brotherly kindness, and brotherly kindness with love.”

It’s a habit and daily ritual for me to take my supplements. I know how much they add to my overall well-being and health. If I fail to maintain that daily habit, I feel it in a lack of energy and little aches that creep in. And, in adding the SUPPLEMENTS mentioned in this scripture to my FAITH diet (virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly kindness), my ability to overcome fear, anxiety, worry, envy, selfishness, anger, weakness….is strengthened. When I do my part with the SUPPLEMENTS, then I am growing stronger in body and spirit.

Night before last I attended a meeting of about 15 people and we were all given the opportunity to offer a praise report for what God had done in and through us over the last week. Each one of us had something to share about God’s goodness. I left that meeting realizing my life had been SUPPLEMENTED with a celebration of gratitude. My daily devotion time with God SUPPLEMENTS my spiritual growth. Mentoring and being mentored SUPPLEMENTS my desire to grow in God and help others to do so, too. Bible Studies and prayer groups SUPPLEMENT our faith and fortify it to grow stronger.

Peter, in that scripture above, gave us some wise counsel about growing in faith. We won’t grow without deliberate discipline and effort. Isn’t it interesting that Peter, known for being impulsive and reckless, gave us a deliberate, disciplined SUPPLEMENT to our spiritual growth? If Peter, that impulsive fisherman could become a disciplined, fearless, godly man, then so can we.
Having a healthy physical AND spiritual life is a daily process of intentional and purposeful action – like a diet or exercise program. It only shows results when we practice it consistently and stick with it over the long haul. If we’re not making health or spiritual progress, then we’re not taking our SUPPLEMENTS.

Where Do You Get Your Daily NOURISHMENT From?

My word for today is NOURISHMENT -- the food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition; sustenance, nutrition, provision

Yesterday, my granddaughter, Alexia Wallace, came over to help with racking my leaves. I picked up a Chick Fil A breakfast for us (Alexia’s main hang-out – it’s her place of work and her favorite place to eat.).

We needed NOURISHMENT to get us through the task that laid all over my yard and porch. That was the second time of racking this winter. Yes, Winter. Our Fall went straight to Winter before all the leaves fell off Many are still hanging on for dear life, but a ton have made their way, like a wind tunnel, to my front porch and yard. I think the neighbors’ leaves joined mine. Six bags of leaves later, we could rest from our labors. Once upon a time – my Alexia wanted to play in the leaves. Yesterday, she NOURISHED her Nana with her young agile body AND her heart to serve.

More important than my daily food NOURISHMENT for my physical well-being, is what I feed on that keeps me strong mentally and spiritually – that which NOURISHES and sustains my soul and spirit.

Romans 10:17 says “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Our faith hungers for that food that will cause it to be NOURISHED and to grow. Faith feeds on God's Word (the Bible) and faith is NOURISHED and grows stronger the more God's Word lives in us. Our Creator made it so that our faith works much the same way our bodies work. He designed us to require daily NOURISHMENT. So, a few cups of coffee in the morning, a protein bar at lunch and dinner isn’t enough to sustain us physically. We need real food — fruits and vegetables, proteins and carbohydrates — to supply the fuel we need to carry us throughout each day.

Similarly, a diet lacking a steady intake of God’s Word doesn’t provide our faith with the NOURISHMENT and sustenance we need in facing giants of doubt, unbelief, and worry. Again, that verse in Romans says “Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.” How do we hear it? We attend church and Bible studies where faith is taught. We read it. We study it and live our lives by what God's Word says. Then it becomes alive in us.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 says "But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and never stop producing fruit.” True NOURISHMENT.
When we read, study and meditate on God’s Word, we become like those strong, unbendable, bountiful trees.

I notice my faith barometer drops drastically when my pursuit of God’s Word slackens. When I’m intent on not just reading God’s Word, but even memorizing scriptures, I’m able to counteract the fiery darts of the enemy when he comes barreling into my life.
It’s time to increase our daily intake of God’s Word. It will be like NOURISHMENT and medicine to our bodies, souls and spirits – and if ever we needed to be operating at full capacity, our fuel topped off for the day’s long haul, with our hearts renewed and filled with the Word of God – it’s today.

“Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4

STOP.....and Smell the Roses!!!

Yesterday, I stopped by a garden center to check out some trees for my yard. The aroma of the Spring flowers was overwheming when I walked in! Immediately, I thought "I need to get some flowers!" Those fragrant, fresh smells almost led me astray because the nursery rep told me, for Tulsa, it's still too early to plant -- another freeze could play havoc on those little plantings. But I did enjoy the moments and sure wanted to linger there, but just too much to do -- I just had to go. Then, I realized that sometimes I get so wrapped up in my day-to-day activities that I don't take time to even notice the sweet smells around me -- literally, not taking "time to smell the roses". Could it be that we're not enjoying our life journey like we should? Are the details of life -- the finances or taxes, work, family, health, and even Facebook or emails distracting us? Then it is time to "stop and smell the roses"!!

Life really is so short -- the sweet photo here are Larry & Staci's two children, Alexia and Payton, 10 YEARS ago. I think....where did the time go? Isn't it best to be savoring the moments the best we can, while we can. Taking the time to enjoy their sweet smiling faces or listening to their silly laughter, or enjoying the upbeat music that just makes us want to do a little dance, really savoring the food we're eating, or noticing and smelling the fragrance of Spring! When we enjoy the little things, we’ll begin to experience joy and happiness that will make our life journey absolutely so worthwhile! So often, when I'm not distracted by so many day-to-day routines, I just love to sit quietly and reflect on the many blessings of my life -- that is the best way to "stop and smell the roses". If we don't stop and smell them today, before we know it, the roses will have wilted and withered and be gone. Okay....I'm getting off Facebook for a while -- and I'm going to find some roses to smell!!!