Author: admin

It’s the time of year when half the world starts putting family customs and traditions into practice. Last weekend we carried on a custom, a tradition, in our family, readying the house for Christmas. Like millions of other Americans, the weekend after Thanksgiving, we carried tub after tub up and down the basement stairs. Here’s the Fall tub, take that down and get the Christmas tub. No, that’s not the right one, please take that back and get the other one, etc.

There are so many customs and traditions that surround Christmas and some of these customs and traditions have been handed down for many years — from family tree cutting outings, topping the tree with grandma’s star or angel, clutching the side of the house to hang lights, to baking certain yummy family recipes — applesauce cake, red velvet cake, chocolate chip cookies. Woohoo! Customs are the habits we establish and those customs become traditions as they are passed down by word, act, or recipe card, and some are deeply embedded in family lore. Customs and traditions govern our actions, our words, our decorations, our plates. They’ve been handed down and handed over, generation after generation after generation, until one day you find yourself in line to fry the oysters on Christmas Eve.

Customs and traditions with family and friends are important. They are interwoven into our lives and become these beautiful tapestries that cover us. I dare say we can go a day without enacting a custom or a tradition in our life (good or bad), even if it’s so subtle we don’t recognize it. It is good to have customs and traditions, they bring us together, they give us a sense of belonging, a sense of comfort, they are full of sweet times, and remember when’s. All of those things make up who we are.

During this Christmas Season, as we put our customs and traditions into place, let’s keep in mind the Reason for the Season, it sounds so cliche, but it’s just truth. For believers, the whole reason we practice our Christmas customs and traditions is grounded in the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

God is not tied to man-made customs and He is under no obligation to fit in with our expectations. Alistair Begg

Begg gives us a gentle, or not so gentle, reminder that God’s ways are not our ways. To me, it’s a gentle reminder that but for the birth of the Messiah, we would not be putting in place all of our customs and traditions of Christmas, those that are man made. God cannot be pigeon-holed into our customs and traditions. We can’t pull out the manger and say to Him, Lord, just sit right there.

Our God is a God of custom, tradition. Our Bibles are replete with those examples. But He also gives us perspective for those customs and traditions — remember — we honor Him with our lips but our hearts are far away from Him? We need to remember that the customs and traditions we put in place are the window-dressing for the Grand Celebration — the Birth of Our Savior — he came once and He’s coming again! As we hang the greens and mail the cards, let’s not get so tangled up, like the lights for our trees, that we forget not only who God is but whose we are. Jesus should be forefront in our minds. All our hustle and bustle, our scurrying around in breathless preparation would be for nothing without Him. May our customs and traditions of the Season include the Reason. Let’s not forget to pass that down, He came to do something that no amount of custom or tradition could ever do – our Savior has come!

If we walk around with a full glass and someone bumps into us unexpectedly, whatever is inside it will come out. The same principle also applies to our character: if we are filled with bitterness, ingratitude, envy, or jealousy, then it won’t take much of a “bump” for what is within us to overflow. Alistair Begg

When I read this earlier this week I was like, oh my goodness! This is something that I absolutely don’t want to forget. Leave it to Alistair Begg to give me a good thwack!!

As I read and re-read this statement, I kept thinking of Thanksgiving I mean the celebrations and interactions (opportunities) we will have on Thanksgiving day and even on the preparation days leading up to Thanksgiving. Then I thought, well it doesn’t end with Thanksgiving, preparations, celebrations, and interactions (opportunities) carry us right through Christmas, actually, right on through life.

Let’s take just a minute though and think of the sheer number of people we will come into contact with just between today and the end of the year. We will be “bumping” into people left and right, quite literally. It could be a bump at the grocery store when diving for the turkey, it could be a bump at our Thanksgiving celebrations while out smarting our cousins for the last piece of pumpkin pie, it could be a bump at the gas station while filling up for the Thanksgiving trip, it could be a bump at your workplace on a hectic day before the Thanksgiving four-day, it could be an all out body-slamming-jolt when Black Friday shopping. That’s a whole lot of “bumping” going on. I’m sure we could come up with hundreds of other bumps (opportunities), if we think about it. And, we should.

I love (not love) how Begg reminds us that our character is like a full glass of water. I also love (not love) how he reminds us to think about what is in our glass. I also love (not love) how he reminds us that what is in our glass, when tapped, bumped, or jolted, is going to splash out. I love (not love) how Begg gently (or not so) reminds us that we need to be careful of what we carry around, what’s in our glass, because a tiny tap could leave us trying to balance our contents and not so gracefully keep them from spilling out, which we usually aren’t successful at. We all know what that looks like. Whoaaaaaa! And once it has spilled…

“A healthy tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a poor tree bear good fruit. Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes. A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:43-45

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of…hmmm…soooo…it is critical that we think about the kind of fruit and the resulting juice that’s in our glass (hearts). Remember, what’s in our glass will splash out.

Since you are God’s dear children, you must try to be like him. Your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God. Ephesians 5:1-2

During our life-seasons, let’s keep in mind that we are children of the King, we are royalty, and royal children must have royal manners. If we fill our cups (hearts) with that which is good — love, mercy, compassion, thankfulness and humility — all things Jesus — there will be no room for “bitterness, ingratitude, envy or jealousy.” If our cups are full of good and we are controlled by love, when we are jostled or even laid flat-out, that’s what will be split-out. Let’s examine our cups and see what will be splashing out this season.

Tony pointed out to me this week this amazing act of God. Do you see the work of His hand? Gaze at it for a minute and take it in.

What is it you ask? It’s a star making machine! Yep. The Cone Nebula is a “pillar-like cloud of cold, star-forming molecular gas and dust” according to NASA. It’s a star machine in the Heavens — it’s where stars come from! How cool is that?

Not to get into the weeds too far, this image was taken by a (VLT) a very large telescope (yes, that’s the technical name of the equipment – duh), located in the Atacama Desert in Chile. The VLT is operated by the European Southern Observatory. They say this Cone Nebula is located fairly close to us, about 2,500 light-years away from earth. A light year is the distance a light travels in one year, nearly six trillion miles. So, six trillion times 2,500, who knows, you do the math. Anyway, they call that “relatively” close to our home towns. What in the world!?!? Actually, it’s out of this world…

Check out the video below from the ESO. It’s wild!

When I watch that I think of the word miracle. What is a miracle? An extraordinary event taken as a sign of the supernatural power of God. An event that requires the supernatural power of God to be accomplished. Each star made, each shining star released at the top of this nebula is a miracle. God of wonders…

As I’m star gazing that video, I find myself humming the song my 4 year old great-nephew Declan was humming this weekend, Million Little Miracles by Maverick City. Every single star produced by that Cone Nebula is a miracle. A gracious act of our Creator God. Hallelujah!

All my life, I’ve been carried by grace
Don’t ask me how ’cause I can’t explain
It’s nothing short of a miracle I’m here

I’ve got some blessings that I don’t deserve
I’ve got some scars, but that’s how you learn
It’s nothing short of a miracle I’m here

I think it over and it doesn’t add up
I know it comes from above

I’ve got miracles on miracles
A million little miracles
Miracles on miracles
Count your miracles
One, two, three, four, I can’t even count ’em all

Just like the star machine, we are miracles on miracles, we’ve got miracles on miracles, and just like the stars in the Heavens, one, two, three, four, we can’t even count ’em all. The miracles we are, the miracles we have, the miracles we see…when we stop to think about it, it is a little hard to wrap our brains around, right?

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

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. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

The Apostle Paul knew a little about miracles, didn’t he? He was a miracle. He lived a miracle. He was even given the power from God to perform miracles. But when Paul thought on God’s mysterious plan revealed, the millions upon millions upon millions of little miracles, all he could do was fall to his knees and worship the God of Miracles. Shouldn’t we do the same?

So, we know that great feasting day will soon be upon us, literally, our bellies and our hips. Our eyes are focused ahead on that day. We travel around it, we plan around, we cook around, we talk about it, we are zeroed in on that day, it’s a benchmark — Thanksgiving. But, do we actually celebrate the Reason for the Season? What is the reason? Thankfulness.

I’m trying to think a little more instead of just the day, the season. That’s right, there’s more than one season this time of year, despite Thanksgiving items being 75% off before Halloween. The stores completely skip from one receiving “holiday” Halloween, to the next, Christmas. Maybe that’s why we spend so little time in Thanksgiving, in being grateful, because we don’t have (take) the time, we skip the season (month), the world has pushed us forward, and we(I) have obeyed. We plan for December without living in November.

I’m trying to live in November this year. Trying to live out Thanksgiving as more than just one single day, which now we don’t even set aside — Black Friday shopping starts Thanksgiving Day evening.

But, just for a minute, let’s think about what the world would look like if we actually landed squarely in November, Thanksgiving, the “giving” holiday without skipping from one “receiving” holiday to the next. With the world noise around us, how do we do that?

How do we celebrate Thanksgiving? By living Thanksgiving, or Thanksliving? The answer seems almost too easy doesn’t it? Be thankful — not just, yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m thankful, but sincere, reflective, real Thanksgiving. Training our brains to consciously think thankful — yes, it can be done. We should be thankful for everything from chocolate to challenges. How about we pause, take a breath, step out of the chaos in our minds and our lives, for brief periods and allow Thanksgiving to wash over us. Allowing ourselves to celebrate Thanksgiving every single day is refreshing and required.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2

What would our world look like if each of us lived Thanksgiving everyday? We cannot change the attitude of the world, but we can have a major impact on our own little corners and our little corners have little corners. Think of how we can impact the folks around us by planning, practicing, and living Thanksgiving, Thanksliving, every day?

We did some traveling last week in West Virginia to spots I call “God’s Country,” isn’t it all?  I have not traveled far and wide, but to the places I have traveled, West Virginia truly has some of the most beautiful spots on earth. To me, it is God’s Country.

We visited Blackwater Canyon, taking in the scenes from every angle and the absolute beauty of that creation is difficult to put into words.  Some spots were so magnificent and touching that I wanted to cry — just thinking of the unspeakable beauty created by our Creator!  The scenes have stuck with me, mainly because I took lots of pics and I pull up those peace shots often, but also because they gave me perspective, centered me.  In a world that is littered with hurt, anger, violence, busyness, hostility, chaos, aggression, and uncontrolled actions, there is glory. That’s what we have to keep in mind.

It’s funny, as I had all these thoughts swirling in my mind like the fall leaves, I thought back to a post from 2018, Glorious Day, and it gave me some perspective. We often talk about how the Bible is just full of reminders, not by chance, but because we need them! I guess I need this reminder often, because after I pulled the 2018 post out of my archive folder, I see that I also republished it in 2020 and 2021. Clearly, the message is — Beth, remember my glory!

Majesty, worship His Majesty.
Unto Jesus be all glory, honor and praise!
Majesty, Kingdom Authority,
Flow from His throne, unto His own
His anthem raise!

So exalt, lift up on high the Name of Jesus!
Magnify, come glorify, Christ Jesus the King.
Majesty, worship His Majesty;
Jesus who died, now glorified, King of all kings!

GLORIOUS DAY – 2018, 2020, 2021, and now 2022

I’m out walking in the dawn’s early light.  Sun peeping.  Silent.  Cool.  Refreshing.  Observing the work of the Master Artist puts a little spring in my step, a lilt in my tilt, a be in my bop.  I walk with the worst-best dog ever, feeling whole.  The sense that all is right with the world is palpable.  I offer praises to my Maker for the glory of the moment.  I smile.  It’s simply a glorious day!

When I start thinking about my day, reality sets in.  The song stops.  The birds stop singing.  The storm clouds roll in.  The mind reels.  I think of the busyness of the day ahead.  I think of the diagnosis of a friend.  I think of the relationship hurts of another.  I think of the addictions of another.  I think of the loss of a loved one of another.  I think…I think…I think…  As I think, I pray.  As I pray, I look beyond to the scape that only minutes ago made me feel on top of the world.  Have you ever experienced that? Mountain to valley in a minute? Rising to submerged in a second?  Underwhelmed to overwhelmed in a heartbeat?  I wonder to myself, how did I get from glorious to downright gloomy in a millisecond?  I simply lost my mind – no kidding, I completely lost perspective and perspective comes from the mind.

I look out across the field and the landscape has totally changed.  So, I continue to walk, my prayers changing from praise to pleading.  Then I hear this still small voice (now you really think I’ve lost my mind) say “Nothing that happens today will change the fact that today is a glorious day.”  I understand.  In my lost mind I go to all the buts and His voice responds.  But…it’s still a glorious day.  But…it doesn’t change that this is a glorious day.  But…it will still be a glorious day.  Over and over again.  No matter what happens today…it doesn’t change the fact that today is a glorious day.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.  Now glory be to God our Father forever and ever.  Amen.  Philippians 4:19-20

Glorious – full of glory – adoring praise or worshipful thanksgiving – absolute gratification.

Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.

In every thing give thanks:  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Sun going down, I was again walking the worst-best dog in the same spot as this morning.  I look across the fields and at the sky.  I observe again the work of the Master artist.  The clouds show the Earth’s rotation.  Thinking back on the things of the day, even the things that made me briefly lose my mind, the hard things, the scary things, I can thank Him for showing me that “It was simply a glorious day.”  Thank you, Lord.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

Do you ever have those days you just want to get back? You know, you want a do-over. Maybe it was a chaotic day, maybe things didn’t go the way you planned, or should have gone. No matter, that’s just how life goes. It’s just not reasonable to expect roses and sunshine all the time.

But, there are days that I wish I could do-over, not because of the happenings of the day, but because of how I handled those happenings. That’s what I’d like to do-over. You know, the whole attitude and mindset of a crazy day not handled well. You know, anger, frustration, loose lips, the evil eye all the result of a crazy day. Actually, those are not the result of my crazy day, but more like my poor handling — an attitude out of check. Ugh! It’s not what happens in a day, it’s my response to those things that happen. Ugh!

There’s a hymn called Be With Me Lord we heard of a couple of weeks ago at Church. It goes like this:

Be with me Lord, I cannot live without thee;

I dare not try to take one step alone.

I cannot bear the loads of life unaided;

I need Thy strength to lean myself upon.

This would definitely help with the handling of the chaos of life, wouldn’t it? I’ve been trying to memorize this song and it occurred to me this morning that that’s all well and good, but it does me no good to memorize it, if I do not learn from it, call on it, lean into it, and submit to the Spirit. You see, my handling of many things yesterday, and countless other days, would have been different had I really believed those words, called on those words, and lived those words. I could have saved myself a full 14 hours of anger, frustration, self-pity, whining, sugar-eating, temper tantrum-like behavior. In fact, a lot of times I could save myself from the pattern of poor handling, day after day, if I would just go to the Source.

Einstein was right — It’s crazy to think that doing the same thing over and over is going to glean a different result. Handling our days in the exact same way, with the exact same attitude, expecting them to be different. ..Always leaning on self. Rarely leaning on God.

Think what our day may look like (or our evenings after a long day at work) if we (I) didn’t mishandle the happenings of the day. Think about how things could be different in our days if we would live Be With Me Lord. Our aim everyday should be to cling to Christ, not be self-sufficient. We can’t live without Him – not one step alone – we can’t bear the burdens – without His strength. If that’s not what we’re doing maybe we need to look at our prevailing attitude and thoughts — maybe it’s time for a change.

While sitting at my desk this morning a million thoughts are running through my mind, all at the same time. Does that happen to you? You know, the thought super-super-highway? I keep trying to revert my thoughts back to what I’m doing — studying the Word — and things are creeping in, my workday, my to-do list, my after work list, etc., and I’m just fighting for focus. It truly is a battle sometimes. So, I start looking for re-enforcements, those things that will calm my mind so I can concentrate on one task at a time (which is super difficult for a life-time ADHDer) and slowly but surely, as I pick just one thing and read and re-read, the Spirit calms my mind and helps me to focus. That’s where He speaks to me, but mostly that’s where I can hear — in the calm.

As I’m reading through many different things to get to the calm, I came across the following post from 2020 entitled Focus. The funny thing about it is I also came across a completely different post I’d written in 2018 also entitled Focus. Obviously, this is not a new thing for me, looks like about every two years or so I admit the struggle. As I read through that 2020 post, it reminded me of how often I am completely focused on the wrong things — maybe that’s why I struggle?

FOCUS

A funny thing happened the other day at the office…we were tasked with a particular assignment officewide for which we all needed multiple reminders.  This was a particularly important task that needed everyone’s cooperation.  Throughout those reminders we were urged to “focus.”  In response to the last gentle reminder of the task came the following:

I’m sorry.  I lost focus.

I smiled at the apology but I belly-laughed at the explanation.  The more I read that simple statement:  I lost focus, the more I read that explanation, the more convicted I felt – I stopped laughing.  You know that nagging feeling about something in particular that makes you think.  The kind of nagging that makes you know the Lord is speaking to you – that was happening to me right here.  As a Believer, a Follower of Christ, I am tasked to live out my beliefs.   The Lord gives many, many gentle (and not so gentle) reminders to me to focus.  I find myself daily having to say:

I’m sorry.  I lost focus.

Oh, good, I’m glad I’m not alone…  It should be so easy to follow Peter’s directive:  Be alert and think straight… but we just don’t consistently operate like that in this crazy world with the millions of distractions, do we?

The other morning I was getting ready for work.  I kind of have a process for getting ready – wash my hair, wash my face, brush my teeth, put lotion on my face, stick some product in my hair and I’m ready to roll.  I’m doing my thing, thinking about my day and what lies before me, and I notice that something is really wrong with my face – it’s super chapped and when I try to smile, where I can get my face to move, it feels like it’s cracking.  Ahhhh!!!  What in the world is going on – this is not  part of my daily routine.  Then it dawns on me – I had just moisturized my face with hair gel – yes, ooey, gooey hair gel!  Ugh!  I was gettin’ it with my daily routine and I LOST FOCUS!!!   I was supposed to be focused on getting my hair gel in my hair, but I was focusing on the day ahead instead, the wrong thing at the wrong time!   How in the world can that happen?  Duh!  Beth lost focus. 

I note both of these focus lessons occurred within a couple of days of each other.  His gentle reminders… Beth, don’t lose focus.  He says the same to you.  So, exactly what should we be focusing on, there’s a ton of stuff happening out there, right?

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.  Colossians 3:1-3

Right there it is.  It could not be spelled out more clearly for us.  Ok, but if we have to live here for now, what does it look like, how do we do that?  We focus in on the eternal not the temporary, looking at everything we do and everything we are with Heaven’s eyes, with Heaven’s priorities in mind.  We look at our lives here, in the temporary, with God’s perspective, eternity.

Guard your heart above all else,

for it determines the course of your life.

Avoid all perverse talk;

stay away from corrupt speech.

Look straight ahead,

and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

Mark out a straight path for your feet;

stay on the safe path.

Don’t get sidetracked;

keep your feet from following evil.  Proverbs 4:23-27

We guard our hearts, watch our mouths, look straight ahead, follow the narrow road, and focus, lest we fall into sin.  Putting hair gel on my face is not exactly evil, but it’s a great example of what can happen when we lose focus – things can quickly get sticky when our focus takes a detour.  Who knew you could learn so much from hair gel?

So, how do we stay focused on eternity in the tasks of our daily lives?  We cannot will ourselves to focus, that obviously does not work, that’s relying on human power instead of on God’s power.   We focus on the only One who can give us all we need to protect us from the distractions of this world.  If Jesus is our focus, if we live for Him, if the Kingdom of God, eternity, is our primary concern, He will give us all we need.  Don’t lose focus.

So, I’ve lost another one of my girls — Red Girl, formerly known as Georgi Girl, has gone missing. The irony of it is that I had just republished a blog on September 7, 2022, about her narrow escape from a hawk in 2019. Free ranging chickens are sort of like cats, they have many lives, until they don’t.

I went to the barn Monday night to tuck in my critters and in the coop were my two Black Girls, but no Red Girl — no offense, we name them by color because we otherwise couldn’t tell them apart.

I waited a bit for her to show up, as they always do, with the hint of the night star. I chirped for her, no answer. I went looking around in all the chicken hiding places, not a sighting. Tony came out, we walked the woods and the fields and up on the ridge, all the while calling chick-chick… we heard not a peep, literally.

I returned to the barn to button up the Black Girls for the night. They were sitting in their coop staring out the door. As flock animals, they were looking for her, a part of their flock was missing. Now we believe there was a little bit of Wild Kingdom going on at the barn that day as the Black Girls were quite skittish and refuse to come out of the barn. Red Girl never returned. I’m a little bit sad although I knew we gave her a happy life. Not all chickens get watermelon, grapes and tomatoes as treats.

Here’s the thing that sticks with me most…she’s just gone. Here one second, gone the next. There’s absolutely no trace of her. Not a feather, not a peep. She vanished, she’s gone, in the twinkling of an eye, without a trace. At first I thought, wow, maybe that’s how the rapture works, then horror struck me that if it was, I might have been left behind! Although I’m talking about my chickens here, I don’t make that statement lightly. It is an excellent reminder of how quickly things may change. The Lord has warned us of this:

“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” Matthew 24:42-44

I love the way William MacDonald puts it: “The Son of Man will come when least expected by the masses. Therefore, His people should be on the tiptoes of expectancy.”

Standing on our tiptoes – looking for Him, searching for Him, straining to see Jesus, finding Him in the Word until He returns to the world.

I will forever remember Red Girl for her narrow escape from death (the first time) and for how quickly she was vanished (the second time). It is such a good reminder that we must live as if the Lord were coming back every single day. We have no earthly idea when He’s coming back and the Bible says it is impossible to predict, and we just shouldn’t spend our time trying to figure it out. We have no earthly idea how long each of us will be on this earth before we quickly vanish. But, He has given us every idea of how we are to live until we do, it’s in His Word.

When the moment comes for us to vanish, will we be found to be people of the Word or people of the world? Will we be standing on our tiptoes or will we be caught flat-footed?

Tony and I visit Orr’s Farm Market on Saturdays. We especially love all the fresh produce, you know, apples, peaches, fresh veggies. But, just to be honest, that’s not at all why we go. They have a killer Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie –that’s why we go, straight up! Over the course of a few years, we’ve become familiar with some of the folks who work there. We don’t know everyone’s name, but we know their faces, we stop and talk. It’s kind of like Facebook friends without the Facebook — Farm Market Friends, I guess. Certain of them we seek out for their advice on the best peaches for canning, the newest you-pick fruit, the timing of other produce, you know just general farmer’s market advice.

One Saturday a few weeks ago as we were next in line at the register the cashier was talking with the folks in front of us. I wasn’t paying too much attention to the conversation until I heard the word that caught my ear – Jesus. There is just something about that name…

I didn’t catch the whole of the conversation, but it was more than obvious that the cashier was witnessing to the customers about Jesus. That moved me in so many ways. Am I alone in my struggle to reach out to others about Jesus? You know, finding the right words, finding the right timing, trying not to be awkward? (Trying to control the witness?) The interesting thing is that there was another time we had overheard her as she walked by with a customer telling of her church’s belief in the healing power of prayer. What I noticed most about this believer was her sincerity. She was genuine. Her love for Christ beamed for all to see. It was the perfect example of how we are to spread the Gospel.

We were next in line and I so appreciated her lesson to me on evangelism and I so appreciate her love for Christ, that I wanted to say something to her, without sounding like the creepy eavesdropper, of course. I simply said to her I love your witness. Her perfectly serious-faced response floored me and over the past few weeks, there hasn’t been a day go by I haven’t thought of what she said. It’s almost haunting.

She said – I would be remiss if I did not. It struck me at the time, but it has struck me even more since then, kind of like a dagger.

I looked up the definition of remiss. You know it’s one of those words you know but you don’t know what it means? Or, you think you know what it means and it could mean something totally different? Or, you use it in a sentence and people look at you either because they don’t expect it to come out of your mouth or, because you have used it in the wrong context. Anyway…

Remiss means – negligent, careless. She said I would be remiss if I did not. I would be negligent. I would careless. Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! That definition from my Farm Market Friend’s statement, when I really think about it, breaks my heart. Jesus died on the cross for me. Jesus died so I could be free, no longer held captive to sin’s hold. Jesus died so that I could live eternally. Jesus died because He loves me so much. Jesus died with me on His mind. Jesus died with you on His mind.

In light of what He has done for me, she’s spot on right! I would be remiss if I did not, we would be remiss if we did not speak the name of Jesus to anyone and everyone we come into contact with. I seem to be able to prattle on about absolutely everything else, but the thing that is absolutely most important — the fact that I have a Savior who changed my life, who washed me clean, who made me new, who adopted me into the precious family of God. Even me! I would be remiss..

I’m praying that I never forget what He’s done for me, and going forward that I am not remiss. The words to this song play over and over in my mind, they’re an amazing reminder.

In a June blog I noted how our fields had just been planted with soybeans.  How the farmer had prepared the field to rid it of weeds but that the soybeans would grow where they were planted because of the right amount of water and sun.  Just like us, we grow where we’re planted, and with the right amount of Living Water and the Son (of which there is an endless supply), our landscapes can be changed from weeds to lush, nourishing, productive beans.

In another few weeks, it will be time to harvest the soybean crop.  The soybean plants have gone from growing among the weeds, to overtaking the weeds, to bush-like plants that are 18-24” tall, to bean-bearing plants.  It’s funny to look at them though because now the actual soybean bush is dying.  The leaves are  turning yellow, soon to be brown, forcing all the nourishment to the bean – technically the legume.

But, here’s another thing I recently noticed.  The deer.  They love them some soybean – leaves.  Isn’t that interesting?  They don’t eat the bean pods, they eat the leaves.  As you can see in the picture, they top them babies right off.  Some of the soybean bushes look like stems with beans hanging on them.   Almost like a Soybean Tree.  The deer are only eating (thankfully, in this case) what’s on the surface, what’s easy to get to, what’s right on top.  They’re missing out (thankfully) on the real bean.  They’re missing out (thankfully) on opening the pods and eating the plump, rich, nourishing beans.   Now I’m not sure why they don’t eat the bean pods (thankfully), but you and I know it is the best part of the plant.  Maybe years ago a deer ate one and said ew that’s gross don’t eat the beans and the deer thereafter did not (we humans are little like that)?  Who knows?  But, it could be because they were satisfied with what was on the surface, what was easy to get to, what was easy to access.  Maybe they were satisfied with just enough.   What does just enough look like for us?

Church only on holidays?  Maybe only on Sundays and a buck in the plate?  A Bible only open on Sundays?  Prayers only when we need something?  Prayers only when we want something?  Giving to those in need only when we have to or only when someone is looking?  Loving God only because of what He can do for me?  That’s leaf work.  Taking in the bare minimum from and for the One who bore it all?

Are we satisfied with just enough…The minimum amount…Only what we have to…when it comes to following Jesus?  Are we satisfied to just top off the leaves and not dig down into the bean?  Are we content to take in the minimum amount?

Growing in Christ involves eating the bean, and not just munching on the leaves.  The real nourishment is in the bean!  What is the bean – vegetable – legume?

The Word of the Lord!  The Word sustains us.  The Word nourishes us.  The Word causes us to grow.  The Word satisfies our hearts.  The Word gives us life – The Word makes us live!  Alive!  In His Word, Jesus said so:

Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; this bread is my flesh offered so the world may live.

John 6:51

In order to be nourished, we must take Him in.  The first step is acknowledging who He is.  But, it doesn’t stop there, that’s just the beginning.  That’s where it starts.  We must not be satisfied with just enough.  We must eat the bean.  He alone is our nourishment.  He alone is our sustainer.  He alone is our provider, our healer, the filler of the holes in our hearts, the balm in Gilead.   But it’s not magic, it’s science – taking in life giving sustenance, life giving nourishment is required for something to live, whether our bodies or our souls.  It is what is required to sustain us, it’s what is required to make us fully alive – alive in Christ!

When growing up and it came to report card days, my mother always used to say to me “if you would just apply yourself!”  I hated that phrase! It always irritated me and usually ended with us both huffing and puffing, but she was right.  I was always content to eat the leaves and not the bean, I was satisfied with what was on the surface, what was easy to get to, what was easy to access, what took the least amount of effort. I was always satisfied with just enough.  Every six weeks, it would end the same way (I’m a super slow learner!), mom was super mad, we’d have a row, some grounding and some tears were always involved. I knew she was right, but because of my immaturity (not that I’ve got so much more now), it felt like she was just being mean, like she didn’t love me – which was the exact opposite!!  She loved me so much she wanted more, better, the bean, for me!

Jesus came with a purpose.

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.  John 10:10

He did not die on that cross for you and me to have just a little life, to only taste the leaves, which by the way eventually wither and fade.  He came so that we would have “fullness” of life.  He wants us to be complete, whole, totally one with Him.  He wants us to totally saturate ourselves in Him and His Word – not just to learn it, but to actually apply it to our lives – to live it – to be totally alive!  Jesus doesn’t want us to be satisfied with just enough.