Eternal Springs:
366 Daily Inspirations
Sheila Hollinghead
Published at Smashwords
Copyright © 2012 Sheila Odom Hollinghead
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Scripture taken from The Message copyright 2005 (Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group); THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide; and the King James Version.
Dedication
To my sister in Christ, Tommie Lyn who has taught me much more than the nuts and bolts of the publishing business and all the other folks at Ciaindie!
Acknowledgments
If I thanked all who helped me on my journey to publication, this book would be twice as long. It has been a long journey and many have helped my faltering steps. My thanks to everyone who helped me on my path.
May God richly bless you!
Introduction
Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have. ~Matthew 6:22-23 (The Message)
My hope for those who join me in my journey through God's word is that you "open . . . eyes wide in wonder." And that even the squinty-eyed will pull open the blinds a little wider.
And my prayer is that I have allowed the crystal stream to flow through my words, and that they will refresh your life.
May we thirst for "the crystal stream that flows from the throne of God." And, when we partake, may we allow the spring that leads to eternal life to flow from us. Amen.
These daily inspirations come from my blog Sheila Hollinghead's Rise, Write, Shine! and my former blog Eternal Springs.
January 1
Replenish Our Commitment
Right after I married, my husband and I found a persimmon tree. I had never heard of persimmons, so, when Carl offered me a green one from the tree, I trusted him and took a bite.
That was one of the first tests of my commitment to my marriage. If you have never experienced anything that tests your commitment to the church, to your family or to God, then you’re not paying attention. Or you have emotionally distanced yourself.
Or you have never bitten into a green persimmon.
Commitment is defined as: The state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to a course of action or to another person or persons. (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language)
Eric Liddell was a Scotsman who trained to compete in the 100-meter race at the 1924 Olympics. When he learned he must compete on a Sunday, a day he held to be the Christian Sabbath, he refused to race.
However, one of his teammates, in a show of compassion, withdrew from the 400-meter race to give Liddell a chance to compete in the Olympics. But Liddell had not trained extensively for the 400 meters as he had for the 100 meters. Before the race an American gave him a note. The note came from 1 Samuel 2:30 and said:
Those who honor me, I will honor. (KJV)
Liddell raced with the note in his hand, won the 400-meter race, and broke the existing world record.
What a commitment! He turned down the chance to compete in an Olympic race. However, through his friend and God's providence, he was still able to compete in the 400-meter race, not only winning, but breaking the record.
A movie was made based on Liddell’s story called Chariots of Fire. And, if you think about it, most movies or books that inspire us tell a story of commitment.
Would your life inspire others?
Things may happen to test our commitment to our marriage, to God, or to our church attendance.
We may bite into a green persimmon.
But, when we are truly committed, not only will God honor us, but we be honored by the people around us.
Let us determine now to commit our lives to God. Even through the inside-out sourness of green persimmons!
January 2
Relinquish Our Comfort Zone
We watched Akeelah and the Bee, and I heard this quote:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~Marianne Williamson
Akeelah was afraid to shine. She feared others in her school would shun her.
This is a common problem. We want to be accepted by others, to fit in. However, just fitting in leads to mediocrity. Being around others when you have feelings of inadequacy can even affect our problem solving ability.
Perception of social ranking in the room (in other words, worrying if you’re as smart, capable, or cool as the others in a group) can impair even the smartest person’s problem-solving ability . . . (Group Meetings Make You Sound Stupid on everydayhealth.com)
We are children of God and on this earth to serve God, not to focus on self. Thinking of how others perceive us is focusing on self and causes us to close off the eternal springs.
It’s not about us. It’s about God and laying down our lives for him.
Only then will we be able to shine the way God intended.
January 3
Cherish the Water
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
~ Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)
We need to be trees planted by the water and develop deep roots. Fortunately for us, we can plant ourselves wherever we choose.
We can search for the water.
Where is the water? Jesus tells us in John 4:14: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (NIV)
When we plant ourselves by the water, we will not fear.
And, we will bear fruit.
Contrary to the words of Kermit the Frog, it's easy being green!
As long as we bask in the eternal springs.
January 4
Replenish: Absolute Truth
As most people know, the Orange Bowl is played in Miami. Warm, sunny Miami. But, one year, the bitter cold seeped down south, causing the temperatures to hover in the fifties that week.
Before the game, the Georgia Tech players stayed in because it was too cold. The Iowa players were out catching some rays.
Two groups of people seeing the temperatures vastly different.
If we put our hands in a very hot bowl of water, and then plunge them into a lukewarm bowl of water, the water feels cool. On the other hand, if we put our hands in icy water and then plunge them into lukewarm water, the water feels warm.
My husband has chicken houses, and the egg room is kept at around sixty-five degrees. When we go in the egg room in the summer, it’s nice and cool. In the winter, nice and warm.
All relative, isn’t it?
Well, no. The temperature is correct. Our feelings about that temperature may vary, but the temperature does not. So, while some of us may find fifty-eight degrees a little too cool, other people find it toasty.
However, the temperature is still fifty-eight degrees!
Our feelings about it do not change the truth. The temperature is an absolute truth.
People’s feelings about the Bible do not change its truth.
The Bible is truth! Absolutely!
January 5
Relinquish . . .
There have been many twists and turns in my “journey of life.” These bends shaped me into the person I now am. This is the story of one bend in the road.
When I was ten, my soldier father received orders for France. We lived there for the next three years, before journeying back to the United States when I was in the middle of eighth grade.
This new school was a public school. Up until that time, I had always attended schools on army bases.
Imagine—for three years in France I had been cut off from TV, radio shows, new fads, and all teenage girl gossip, at a time when peer pressure was most acute. Beginning a new school is always challenging—but beginning a new school when you are clueless is devastating.
My new school in the United States was a public school near an army base, and the kids had done what kids do in schools everywhere—developed cliques. The two major cliques were the “townies” and the “army brats.” The town kids drew a big target on my back from day one.
The first day, for whatever reason, my homeroom teacher did not ask anyone to show me around. I had no idea how to get to my classes or to the lunchroom or gym.
This was torture for a shy, young girl. The other kids laughed at me because my clothes were not cool enough for my new school. In gym class, several girls tripped me “accidentally.”
God had a difficult lesson for me to learn.
A lesson that was to change my life. (continued)
January 6
Relinquish . . .
While we were living in France, army bases were closing. As more and more troops left, the seventh and eighth graders were herded into one small classroom. The one teacher, teaching all subjects, was not a math major, and I learned very little math in that environment.
Or much of anything else, for that matter.
Of course, it was not just the overworked teacher’s fault. In France, my family was isolated, especially the first year or two. With virtually no outside distractions, I spent my time reading instead of doing homework. In class I read my favorite books whenever the teacher wasn’t looking instead of doing class work.
That was easy to do because this one teacher had to deal with such a large group of students. Besides, we were army brats and not always the best behaved bunch. Part of the chaos stemmed from the base being closed. Discipline was lax among the soldiers, and, thus, it was among their children.
I journeyed back to the United States to enter the first public school I had ever attended with the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude, and the wrong information in my brain.
Math class especially was a disaster. Already behind, I made matters worse by not paying attention at my new school. F—A Gift was scrawled across the first math test I received back.
If Mr. K, could have given me a grade lower than an “F,” he would have done so. His F was a gift to me.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
January 7
Relinquish . . .
The test with the F scrawled across it did not concern me. However, when Mr. K handed me my paper, he paused at my desk.
“Why did you make an F?” he asked, in a voice loud enough for the entire class to hear.
I didn’t answer, simply shrugged my shoulders. Perhaps that angered him. He raised his voice even louder. “Do you need to be tested to find out what’s wrong with you?”
The class snickered. I slumped in my seat, my face burning. “No,” I whispered.
“If not, I suggest you start paying attention and doing your work.”
He continued berating me for several more minutes before moving away.
He provided fresh ammunition for the town kids to continue their bullying and ostracism.
I resolved to change me so that I would not have to endure another moment of humiliation. The next day I entered his class with a new attitude. I listened and did my work.
The next test I received back was a “C.”
What did I expect? An “A” after years of not listening and not learning?
But with a group of kids ready to kick me when I was down, I kept working. My grades gradually improved.
I had the same teacher the next year for Algebra 1. At the end of the first semester, I had a 93 average, one of the highest in the class. (continued)
January 8
Replenished
An interesting thing happened along the journey to improving my math grades. My new attitude spilled over into my other classes. I discovered I enjoyed making good grades.
That day, that moment, my path changed. And it is seared into my brain forever as one of the worst times of my life. But even from bad can come good.
And, may I submit, that sometimes it takes a jolt to initiate change.
Perhaps Mr. K’s approach could have been gentler, but I’m not sure if I would have responded.
The moral to the story?
Life is not fair.
Sometimes things happen to us we do not deserve.
But, we can decide the directions of our journeys even when the jolts are painful. Or, perhaps because the jolts are painful, we discover we can bend.
And that bending in our journeys can change our lives forever.
Thanks, Mr. K, for the “gift" of bending!
January 9
Cherish Time
I’ve been contemplating my life as of late. Wasted days and wasted nights. That’s how I feel, and I wonder, why did I do that? Why did I waste all of the opportunities God has given me?
One of the saddest times of my life was when my husband started working the night shift. At the time, he worked as an Avionic Technician at Ft. Rucker. Also around the same time, one of my sons married, and my other son left for college. I was so lonely!
Loneliness is something we can all relate to.
But what I am thinking about now—now that my life is constantly filled with interruptions—is why didn’t I take that time to write? Why did I fritter it away watching TV shows or playing video games? Perhaps I was too depressed to write at the time.
Now, I want to write, yet I’m having difficulty finding the time.
It’s a cliché, but it’s a cliché because it is true. One morning you awake to find you are old(er), and those dreams you had have passed you by. I’m by no means too old to write. But I know I will not have the time to write all of the books I want to.
However, I will have time to write all the books God wants me to. No more wasted days and wasted nights!
January 10
Cherish God's Power
As humans, we think we know best. We think we could make a perfect world with no pain and no sorrow. However, as God said to Job:
Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. ~39:19-25 (KJV)
And that’s just one animal God created. Look, really look, at his magnificent creation. Who are we to question his ways?
When we go through troubles, it teaches us to rely on God.
It teaches us patience.
It teaches us we can still be Christians even in the face of adversity. We can still be kind, considerate, loving, patient, and joyful.
It teaches us God will get us through even the most difficult of times!
January 11
Cherish Sleep
My college classes went by in a haze—I slept through most of them. None of my friends worked, and we stayed up until all hours of the night . . . ummm . . . studying. I took the final for one of my biology classes and fell asleep during the test—while I was writing. I woke up to see a bunch of gibberish on my test paper. Too tired to start over, I turned in what I had.
I’m not typing this in my sleep, but I am nodding over the keyboard. It’s been a busy weekend, and I’m exhausted. My mind has shut down with my body.
God, for reasons of his own, gave us the opportunity to sleep. He could have made us so that we did not need seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
Not only did he give us sleep, he also gave us the ability to dream. I have heard many, many writers claim ideas for books come from dreams they have had. (One of my books did, as a matter of fact.)
Also, how often have you gone to bed with problems buzzing around, and discover solutions while sleeping and dreaming? Is the dream state one in which we communicate on a different level with God? The Bible has several examples of God or angels visiting people while they sleep. If I weren’t so sleepy, I would look them up for you.
For now I need to replenish with sleep!
January 12
Relinquish to be Replenished
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” ~Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)
Jesus has given us a yoke. A yoke has been a sign of submission since the Babylonian captivity of the Israelites.
Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. Now I will hand all your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. ~Jeremiah 27:1-6 (NIV)
God told Jeremiah to put on a yoke to let Nebuchadnezzar know that Israel would now be in submission to the Babylonians.
In the same way, the symbolic yoke in Matthew means we are now in submission to Christ. He’s holding the reins.
We’re wearing the yoke!
January 13
Cherish the Rejoicing
Praise God in the good times.
Praise God in the bad times.
Praise God in the whirlwind.
Praise God in the silence.
Even in the bad times we need to believe God has a plan,
a reason for us to experience the bad.
And, yet, we can still rejoice!
January 14
Cherish Friendship
I love the stories by James Herriot. In one of his books, he tells about a couple that had two dogs, one elderly beagle and the other a young bulldog pup.
The puppy tortured the older dog, using the beagle’s ears as a chew toy. However, the beagle good-naturedly tolerated it. The puppy grew up, but was found to have an incurable disease. Herriot had to put the young bulldog down.
The elderly dog went into a decline, refusing to eat and losing weight rapidly.
The couple made the difficult decision to have this older dog put to sleep. Before doing so, they bought a new bulldog pup.
They brought both dogs to the vet’s office, one to be put down, and the other to receive shots and worming. In the vet’s office, the first time the dogs had been together, the puppy began chewing on the beagle’s ear.
This old dog, that had been listless for days, perked up and eyed the new puppy. The couple decided to take both dogs back home.
The elderly dog lived several more years in the company of his new friend.
Friendship is to cherish!
January 15
Cherish Families
My mother came from a family of six children, large by our present-day standards, small by the number of children her grandmother had.
Her grandmother had fifteen children, thirteen who survived into adulthood. Her mother, my grandmother, was the oldest. My grandmother married at sixteen, and her first four children were the same ages as her mother’s last four children. (Does this sound like one of those convoluted math problems?)
This meant my mother grew up in a large, extended family, with aunts and uncles who were more like sisters and brothers.
Scientists now know what we know intuitively—that large families (or, in most cases today, an extended network of friends and family) help maintain our mental well-being, and, by extension, our physical well-being.
Thank God for our families!
January 16
Replenish Meekness
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ~James 3:13 (NIV)
"Humility” in this verse is sometimes translated "meekness."
At Dictionary Reference, meek is defined as:
1. humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others.
2. overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.
3. Obsolete . gentle; kind.
In today’s world, we want to appear anything but meek
However, we, as Christians, are called apart from the world.
Jesus was meek, and we are to follow in his footsteps. And that means “patient,” even when others provoke us, as we see in the first meaning.
Or even consider the third meaning: “gentle, kind.” We, as Christians, should not have an attitude of impatience or unkindness.
Not that we can always be as patient, gentle and kind in our words and deeds as we should.
James says in this same chapter “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ~2-3
We may not have reached perfection, of never stumbling in what we say, but it’s something we are to strive for in our quest for "meekness of wisdom."
January 17
Cherish the Scars
Scars are proof of pain, but also proof of healing. Never forget that. ~ Nat Shepherd
A few years ago, I helped my son pick up a slat at my husband’s chicken houses. Somehow my fingernail got caught and was ripped off, down to the first knuckle.
I pressed the skin and nail back in place and wrapped it up in a paper towel before heading to the emergency room.
The doctor told me that the nail had been ripped out so deeply that I would lose it.
The nurse simply removed the paper towel and bandaged my finger properly, leaving the nail I had pressed down in place. I went home grieving the loss of my nail.
I chided myself. It’s only a nail—it could be much worse. I could have lost a finger or a hand or an arm. What does it matter if I lose only a fingernail?
As it turned out, my fingernail survived. Sure, scars surround it, but my fingernail is still there.
Scars are something we should cherish.
We’re all familiar with 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12 in which Paul talks about the church being made up of parts of the body. Some may seem insignificant—like my fingernail—but each of us plays a part, whether we even know what that part is or not.
How often have we seen someone who just never participated much in church activities fade away, and we did nothing to restore them? If any part can be restored, like my fingernail was restored, we should rejoice!
And scars may remain, but let us remember, they show God’s healing power.
January 18
Relinquish Control and Accept His Will
I’m not a Green Day fan. However, one season on Sing Off one of Green Day’s songs was performed. It keeps replaying in my mind.
The first time I had heard it was on Sing Off. Perhaps not—but it was the first time I had heard it.
And, sure, they probably didn’t have in mind what I thought when I heard the song. However, this is my interpretation from a Christian viewpoint.
The person’s life is in shambles. The advice given is to throw down the guns, and throw up their arms in surrender.
Isn’t that what we need to do? Surrender to God? Throw up our arms and accept him in?
In the Green Day video, a gun shoots holes in the wall, letting the light in. In the same way, Christ’s light shines through our brokenness.
We must be humbled and broken to accept him into our lives. When we surrender and throw down our guns, only then will we find the peace and happiness we seek.
Just as Jesus surrendered to his father’s will, and entered into this earth as a helpless babe, and died upon the cross for our sins, so must we surrender.
For it’s only when we throw up our hands in surrender that God is able to cradle us in his.
January 19
Replenish by Withdrawing
People have a tendency to simply react to the events around them. Jesus withdrew from the crowds as often as he could and spent time in prayer and meditation. If the son of God had to do that, doesn’t it make sense we do too?
Proved reserves of crude oil (estimates) stand at 1342.207 billion barrels. An average family car, driven 12,000 miles a year, could travel for the next 93,550,000,000 years on the amount of gasoline produced from that crude oil. The crude oil is hidden under the crust of the earth, but it’s there, just waiting to be used.
So it is with the power of God. We have to seek it to find it, but, oh, when we do, what power!
I am withdrawing, praying, and meditating on my life. Instead of simply reacting, I need to seek to understand, seek to believe and trust.
Do you need to withdraw from the demands of the world?
Seek quiet and meditate on God's word! And be replenished in the eternal springs.
January 20
Relinquish to Replenish Comfort
And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
I will not accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me—
the breath of man that I have created.
I was enraged by his sinful greed;
I punished him, and hid my face in anger,
yet he kept on in his willful ways.
I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will guide him and restore comfort to him,
creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,”
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
~Isaiah 57:14-19 (NIV)
God spoke specifically to Israel, yet, we can apply these words to our own lives. We need to be of a “contrite and lowly spirit.” Then he will revive us.
He will “restore comfort” to us and will bring peace and healing.
When we come to God on bended knee; we will receive comfort, peace, and healing!
January 21
Cherish Others
No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. ~ John Donne
Sometimes on HGTV shows, when the “new” room is revealed, the person will say, “I didn’t know this is what I wanted, but I love it. It’s more than I could ever imagine.”
Sometimes that's the way it is with the people in our lives. At least, that’s what it has been like in my life.
What I thought I wanted and what God knew I needed have not always jived. Yet, our father always knows best!
God’s gifts far exceed expectations. Cherish others!
January 22
Cherish: The Pain
I had a bout with shingles.
Remember the episode from Everybody Loves Raymond when Robert was gored by a bull? He told everyone he had been gored in the upper thigh instead of his behind.
That’s where my shingles began—my upper thigh. Let me tell you—it’s painful to sit with shingles on your . . . upper thigh. And just when I thought the worst was over, they moved to the front of my leg. Almost as painful if not more so than having them on my . . . upper thigh.
I had another bout with shingles a few years ago. At that time, they first appeared on my head and then traveled down the right side to my ear and into my salivary gland. My face swelled as if I had the mumps.
This last bout on my . . . upper thigh was probably due to my weakened immune system caused by epidurals for my back.
Thank God, it's only temporary. One day all pain will be gone, and all tears wiped away! The crystal clear water flowing from the throne of God will heal us.
January 23
Cherish: The Joy
I have been contemplating the difference between happiness and joy. I have often used these words interchangeably—but, are they really interchangeable?
Rick Warren’s words echo in my brain:
God is more interested in making you life holy than he is in making your life happy.
When we are holy, we will be joyful--not necessarily happy, but joyful!
I am weak in the area of rejoicing. Part of this, I believe, is just inherent in my personality. I have always been strongly compassionate, and, of course, we are supposed to be. But sometimes we can be too compassionate about the wrong things.
I have a friend who once slammed on her brakes when she saw a caterpillar in the road. (How her eyesight was good enough to see the caterpillar I have no idea.)
I have done similar things. My brother received a spanking. I cried. Someone kicked at a dog. I cried. My cousin killed a ground wasp. I cried. Not that I shouldn’t be compassionate to my brother, animals, or even insects. But perhaps my brother deserved a spanking. Perhaps the dog was trying to bite someone. Perhaps the ground wasp was destroying someone’s lawn.
Sometimes, though, bad things happen that are undeserved. And, in today’s world, when we are bombarded with bad news from TV, radio, internet, etc., etc., I could cry all day long. I limit my interaction with sad-stories-media to a certain extent. But blocking of bad news is not the solution. The true answer to this is to rely on God—to truly believe we can and must rejoice in all things, even when sadness threatens to overwhelm us.
These words from Ecclesiastes help me to understand what I need to do:
Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success. ~10:9-10 (NIV)
We know “the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.” ~Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
God’s word is our ax that helps us meet the world head on. Its sharpness will give us the strength we need to “quarry stones” and “split logs” without being fatally hurt by them.
The more skill we have in handling God’s word, the more we can combat the things that threaten to destroy our joy.
And truly rejoice!
January 24
Cherish God's Promises
My husband and I went shopping, and I bought a new outfit. On the way home I told my husband I needed new jewelry.
Something silver, black, and sparkly but not expensive. When we got home, Carl brought the mail in and tossed me a catalog. I flipped through it and found the perfect jewelry!
And the weird thing is that I’ve never received a catalog from this company before.
Reminded of the words of Jesus:
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? ~Matthew 6:28 (NIV)
January 25
Cherish: Remembering the Beatles
In my teens, many years ago, I was a huge Beatles fan. Nostalgia pushed me to research them recently.
Following are some quotes from John Lennon:
1. “My role in society, or any artist's or poet's role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.”
2. The goal was always just a few yards ahead.
3. You can be bigheaded, and say, “Yeah, we’re going to last 10 years.” But as soon as you’ve said that, you think, “You know, we’re lucky if we last three months.”
4. It’s still the same up there with the mike, you don’t try to work out what it all means, you forget who you are. Once you plug in and the noise starts, you’re just a group playing anywhere again and you forget that you’re Beatles or what your records are; you’re just singing.
5. It’s a bit haphazard. There’s no rules for writing.
6. What's talent? I don't know. Are you born with it? Do you discover it later on? The basic talent is believing you can do something.
Do you believe?
January 26
Cherish: Remembering the Beatles
Yesterday, I shared some John Lennon quotes. Today, Paul McCartney has to have his turn.
Here are some of my favorite Paul McCartney quotes:
1. I just always enjoy it; if you really enjoy what you do, you don't want to stop.
2. Nothing pleases me more than to go into a room and come out with a piece of music.
3. I don't know how I got here, and I don't know how I write songs. I don't know why I breathe.
4. I just want to do my job well. And really, that's all I'm ever trying to do.
Are we doing our job well?
Notice how John Lennon and Paul's quote dovetail. Believe you can do it and then do your job well.
That's what God expects from us!
January 27
Cherish: God's Promises
We live in a world most of us consider “safe.” We have locks on our houses, airbags in our cars, and sanitizers everywhere.
Yet, that safety is only an illusion. Recently, a car hit a pothole and broke off a chunk of asphalt. The piece of asphalt flew up, crashed through the window, and killed the driver. A freak accident. In a split second. An earthly life gone.
Earthly safety is but an illusion. Real safety is when we abide in our Father’s hands. It’s only then that we can be “convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~Romans 8:38-39 (NIV
Let's rejoice today!
And remember:
Death is not extinguishing the light from the Christian; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come. ~Rabindranath Tagore
January 28
Cherish: God's Handprints
We see swirls all around us. In shells, in sunflowers, in hurricanes, and in galaxies, to name just a few. Some swirls are known as golden spirals. According to Wikipedia, a golden spiral is a logarithmic spiral whose growth factor b is related to φ, the golden ratio. Specifically, a golden spiral gets wider (or further from its origin) by a factor of φ for every quarter turn it makes.
Got that? Wait, wait. Don’t bail on me yet. I’ll try to explain a little more.
For those of us less mathematically inclined (or less geeky, as I like to think), back in the year 1202, a man known as Fibonacci came up with a sequence of numbers. This sequence is: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 . . . (Notice 0 + 1 = 1; 1 + 1 = 2; 1 + 2 = 3; 2 + 3 = 5, etc. In other words, when you add the preceding two numbers, you get the next number in the sequence.)
Furthermore, as you move farther along the sequence, and divide the smaller number into the larger number, you get 1.61803398874989 . . . an irrational number (to simplify, we’ll round it to 1.6), a number known as Phi (φ) or the golden ratio.
Here’s the thing. The golden ratio is found in manmade designs and also throughout nature.
In plants, insects, and, mammals.
In hurricanes and our solar system. In music. In buildings.
In things of beauty!
Showing God’s handprints! (continued)
January 29
Cherish: God's Handprints
Let's take a look at the golden ratio that we find in the spirals.
In plants, we see the golden ratio in the pattern of seeds in a sunflower. There are thirty-four arms spiraling in one direction, twenty-one in the other. 34/21 = 1.6 (Phi)
In humans, we see the golden ratio in the placement of eyes, nose, and mouth on the human face. Some believe as the ratios approach phi, beauty increases. For example, think of someone with perfect teeth. The front two incisor teeth form a golden rectangle, with a phi ratio in the height to the width. The ratio of the width of the first tooth to the second tooth from the center is also phi. The ratio of the width of the smile to the third tooth from the center is phi as well. (GoldenNumber.net)
And that produces a beautiful smile.
In our solar system we see it in the orbits, distances, and velocities of the planets.
Our very DNA exhibits the golden ratio. (DNA) measures 34 angstroms long by 21 angstroms wide for each full cycle of its double helix spiral. (GoldenNumber.net) As we’ve seen: 34/21 = 1.6 (Phi)
In music, Mozart used the golden ratio, consciously or subconsciously. For example, many of his sonatas are divided at the Golden mean. Another musical example is the piano, which has fifty-two white keys, and eighty-eight total keys. 88/52 = 1.69 (not Phi, but close)
In the Bible, we see it in the construction of both the ark of the covenant and Noah’s ark.
And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. ~Genesis 6:15 (KJV)
Thus the end of the ark, at 50 by 30 cubits, is. . . in the ratio of 5 to 3 (Fibonacci Numbers! ), or 1.666..., a close approximation of phi not visibly different to the naked eye. Noah's ark was built in the same proportion as ten arks of the covenant placed side by side. (GoldenNumber.net)
The swirling takes the golden ratio one step further.
These God swirls are called golden spirals. We see it in the swirl of the seeds in the sunflower. We see it in the swirling shape of a Nautilus shell. We see it in the swirl of a hurricane, and even the swirl of a galaxy!
We serve an awesome God. One who swirls seeds, shells, hurricanes, and galaxies.
With such perfection. With such evidence. Leaving his handprint.
A “golden” handprint.
In his swirls!
January 30
Relinquish Our Work
Kahlil Gibran's poem, On Children, is one of my favorites. This is part of it:
You may house their bodies but not their
souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which
you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be
like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes
not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
I rewrote Kahlil Gibran’s poem, changing the focus to the words I write. Here's my version:
I may house my words in the covers of a book
But they dwell in the house of tomorrow
In the eyes of the readers
Who will see them in their own ways
And not seek to make them fit my conception.
Just as we let go of our children, let them leave the nest, writers must also let go of their words.
Both processes are painful.
January 31
Cherish: The Warmth
Dragon Flames
The coldness of the night is
Embraced by swaying trees,
Bent by the relentless surge of the wind.
I peer into the darkness,
Longing, yearning, needing.
My body shivers and warmth seeps.
Lonely trees lean to
Touch a fading shadow.
A freezing wind rustles the leaves
Who speak knowingly of my loneliness.
A dragon breathes upon the night,
Warming the marrow of my bones.
I tremble before the shimmering blaze.
Slay my soul with your flames, Oh God,
Quench my thirst.
Let your searing fire seal my heart,
Destroy the coldness, as you ease
The loneliness of your child.
February 1
Cherish: The Stories
This morning, I read chapter four of Mark during my devotional time. In The Message, Mark 4:33 is paraphrased as this:
With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke.
Teaching through story.
Never without a story.
Have we shared his stories?
February 2
Cherish: The Promise of Heaven
He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. ~Mark 4:34 (NIV)
“Never without a parable!” What it must have been like to follow in his footsteps, listening to his stories, from the greatest story-teller ever known. And, to think, we just have a portion of his stories. John tells us:
Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. ~John 21:25 (NIV)
That thought brings tears to my eyes—that there is so much of the life of Jesus we have not yet heard.
Yet, one day we will sit enraptured at his feet and hear all the stories he has to share!
February 3
Cherish . . .
I don’t remember learning to read. It seems as if I’ve always been reading. Because neither of my parents read fiction, my house had few books.
When I began school, I read as much as I could get my hands on and as much as my parents would let me.
The other day on Facebook, I read, with a twinge of jealousy, how some of my friends’ parents cultivated the love of reading in their children. Just the opposite occurred in my home.
My mother sought to destroy my love of reading. She was always telling me to quit reading. To read, I would have to hide or read at odd hours.
When I was growing up, my mother always left the bathroom light on at night. After my parents were asleep, I would tiptoe to the bathroom, closing the door softly, and settle on the floor with my back against the bathtub.
I also did the reading-under-the-covers-with-a-flashlight routine until my mother caught me and confiscated the flashlight.
I once foolishly told my parents I wanted to be a writer. Even my father scoffed. My parents refused to help me go to college if I planned to become a writer. I had a scholarship and a college job so their input was minimal. Still, I knew I would have to get a job while I pursued writing. I caved to their wishes and got an education degree.
Life intervened. And here I am at fifty-eight, having never fulfilled my dream.
Until now.
And I have stories.
Jesus, as always, is my inspiration. He had stories. He shared his stories. He changed lives with his stories.
I am not too old to share my stories.
The skies are clearing for me, and the SUN always shines. The crystal stream forever flows.
I will bask in the SUN, refresh in the stream, and reflect some of his light!
February 4
Replenish: The Light
Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. ~Albus Dumbledore (J.K. Rowling)
Even in the darkest of times, we can know the ultimate joy of Christ. Even amidst our tears, joy can be achieved by simply turning on the light. How do we turn on the light? Quite easily, since the light is never extinguished. Clouds may obscure it, but it's always shining.
Right now I am in a place surrounded by deep fog. Yet, I know the Sun is shining brightly and soon will burn the fog away.
I won’t say these are “the darkest of times.” I’ve known darker times, and it’s likely I will know darker times in the future. However, I am going through a difficult time.
And these are the times when the devil whispers in our ear, “Does God care? Why is he allowing this to happen?”
Even in the dark times, we can simply turn on the light. How do we turn it on? Simply by seeking him. We find him shining in our fellow Christians and in his word. The light surrounds us.
All we have to do is flip the switch.
February 5
Cherish: Truth
Basically, there are three beliefs about God. Either,
1. God does not exist.
2. God exists but does not care.
3. God exists and does care.
I choose number three!
February 6
Relinquish: Disbelief
The other Sunday, my preacher pointed out these words of Martha, spoken when Jesus arrived after the death of her brother:
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” ~John 11:21-22 (NIV)
She seems to be showing her strong belief when she says “God will give you whatever you ask.” She believes even now Jesus will be able to bring her brother back to life. “Whatever you ask.”
Yet, as they approached the tomb, this exchange takes place:
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Then Jesus said, Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God? ~John 11:38-40 (NIV)
Martha believed, yet Jesus needed to help her unbelief.
Jesus cares for us. He cares enough to help us through our times of doubt.
We just need to hold onto that small mustard seed of belief.
And we will see the clouds clear.
We will see the SUNlight.
We will see “the glory of God!”
Dear God, I believe! Please help my unbelief.
In Jesus name, AMEN.
February 7
Replenish: The Flow
We must continuously allow God to replenish the flow of his love through our lives. He has given us several ways.
One way is by rest. We need to take the time to put away our list of to-dos and to simply rest.
God gave us an example by resting on the seventh day. Jesus also sought rest by withdrawing from the crowds. The familiar words of the Twenty-third Psalm say: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. ~verses 1-3 (NIV)
He gives us opportunities to rest. Often, we do not take advantage of these opportunities.
Or, we are not going about it the right way. People today are having problems sleeping more than ever.
One of the robbers of sleep may be right in front of you. The computer screen is backlit, and the light shining in your eyes signals your brain to stay awake.
At night, read a book, the Bible, for instance, instead of things on your computer screen. Or, use a Kindle, Nook, or other reading devices that are not backlit.
Reading makes the best pillow.
Replenish by resting! (continued)
February 8
Replenish the Flow
We are looking at ways to replenish our flow of God's love.
Yesterday, we considered rest. Exercise also restores, as well as getting adequate amounts of sunshine. At least twenty minutes of sun a day, without sunscreen, is recommended. And the sunshine also helps with aches and pains.
Communicating with God is another way to refill. Prayer is our connection to God. Our prayers can give us “the peace that passes understanding.”
We also need to fill up on the words of God. Reading God's word is not enough. We need to think about what we’re reading. We need to spend time meditating on the word.
We need to make the time to let the word seep into our very soul.
Let God replenish us by sleep, exercise, sunshine, prayer, and his word! (continued)
February 9
Replenish: The Flow
Not only do we need to be replenished, we also need to replenish others.
We are to be encouragers. Filler-uppers. Not bring-em-downers.
To be “filler-uppers” we have to have meaningful conversations with others. We have to know what their needs are.
We are to give preference to our fellow Christians. That means we are to cultivate friendships with them--not just sit in the pew beside them.
We should also seek help from them when we need it. That’s why God gave us our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Someone said this the other day: We are the faucets through which God’s water flows.
Let’s keep our faucets turned on by resting, praying, studying, and leaning on each other.
And God will “restore our souls” and replenish us!
February 10
Relinquish: The Pouring
Replaying in my mind is the song Poured Out Like Wine. The song begins: Would you be poured out like wine upon the altar for me?
Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:6: For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. (NIV)
Do we allow ourselves to be poured out? Or do we instead keep our bottles tightly corked? Perhaps we allow some seepage, but hold in, hold on tightly, to that unholdable liquid essence, our wine offering that is worthless if not used.
Let us uncork our bottles and let our love for God flow! (continued)
February 11
Relinquish: The Pouring
The Israelites were told by God to use fermented wine in their wine offering. And, like always, God demanded the best. And still does.
It takes time for the wine to ferment, just as it takes times for us to “age to perfection.”
After God “molds us and makes us after his will” and we mature, we must use us to do his will. We are to pour out, spill out God’s light, his love, to those around us.
In Psalm 72 are these words: He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. ~ 5-7 (NIV)
And, we are to be like him, “like rain falling. . . like showers watering the earth.”
Symbolism builds on symbolism throughout the Bible. Wine is one of the elements of the Lord’s Supper. The wine represents the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ represents our salvation.
Just as Christ spilt his blood upon Calvary to offer us hope, we are to spill out ourselves to those around us, spill out our Christianity, to show others his love, so that they too may be in the rain, the reign, of Christ, drinking in the eternal life-giving waters showering us. And receive that hope.
Is your love spilling out? If not, uncork the bottle.
Let your love flow! (continued)
February 12
Replenish: Holiness
I encountered the following quote that dovetails with the song, Poured Out Like Wine.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters to what lies within us. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
What does lie within us? Is it even something we should be pouring out?
As I cleaned out a folder last week, I found a transcript of an interview Paul Bradshaw did with Rick Warren, the author of The Purpose Driven Life. Listen to some of Warren’s words:
Life is a series of problems. Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making you life holy than he is in making your life happy. . . . We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God’s purposes for my life?
What lies within us? God’s holiness?
If so, let 'er pour!
February 13
Cherish: The Love
To my husband:
I remember our first fight over thirty years ago.
We have been married almost six months. It’s my birthday and one of your friends arrives as you come home from work. You shove the present in my hands as you walk through the door and then proceed to carry on a conversation with your friend.
I think, “He doesn’t love me enough to ask his friend to leave.”
And, I remember another fight. It’s our first Christmas and you buy me two housecoats. You thought one was a gown.
I think, “He doesn’t love me enough to pick out a gown and housecoat.”
As if such things really show love.
One morning I leave crying over an incident with another family member. You are supposed to be going to work.
When I look in the rearview mirror, I see your car and pull over. We get out of our cars and, there on the side of the road, you wrap your arms around me, and I cry on your shoulder.
That’s how you love me.
The baby’s diaper needs changing and you change it, without being asked. Because that’s the kind of father you are. The kind of person.
That’s how you love me. (continued)
February 14
Cherish: The Love
One day I fall through rotted planks. My two grown sons are only a few feet away while you are out of sight.
Yet, you are the one, out of breath. You pull me to my feet and make sure I am okay.
That’s how you love me.
You tell a story of your childhood while our three grandchildren and I sit on the couch listening. They laugh, even the baby who mimics you, the baby who is a mini-you. And I laugh with them.
That’s how you love me.
I want a puppy, and you don’t. We get a puppy. You clean up the accidents, without being asked and without complaining–too much.
That’s how you love me.
I wake you up in the middle of the night because the cat is walking around, mewling, and I think she’s caught a mouse. But it’s only a toy she’s carrying.
You must be up by 4 a.m., but you laugh at our cat. And me.
That’s how you love me.
Presents and poetry and songs and flowers are not how you love me. You love me from the depths of your heart and manifest it in so many ways.
The skies are clearing. I see the SUN in you.
And that’s how you love me.