Wisdom & Understanding

“…who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,   but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.   Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-7 Christ stripped Himself of His deity when he came to earth as a little baby. He was the King of Kings and yet was born in a stable, one of the lowliest places. And yet in many churches today people create title after title to attach to their names. Christ was constantly humble never looking to draw people to Himself, but to God the Father; and yet many folks have created “personalities” in our churches that must drive the most expensive cars and live in the most expensive homes, all the while spreading a message that we DESERVE the best.   What we DESERVE for our sins we could not pay the penalty for…it was so bad that Jesus had...

"He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name."  Psalms 23:3 The Holidays can be so full of excitement and joy, but for some it is a season of depression and sadness.  I am very cognizance of hurting people this time of year. Mainly because this will be the 11th Christmas since my beloved husband passed away. I so sympathize with others that have lost loved ones and must experience the Holidays without them.  With all the hustle and bustle of celebration, when you are missing your loved ones, it can feel like you are sitting in the bleachers of a really exciting basketball game and not having a clue why everyone is so excited. It is so easy to then detach yourself from everything and everyone just to "survive".  And what is a very wonderful time of the year, to you, becomes a time of dread and anxiety to want it all to just be over. But here is one thing that I have learned...God loves us.  He has not forgotten u...

“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.   And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.” " And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your servant just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:20-23,27-28 T he tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the most famous monuments i...

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;   but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. " Matthew 6: 18-19 I love Teapots!  I always have!  Ever since I can remember I have loved the pictures in books and magazines of people sitting at a table and having tea.  Even Alice in Wonderland having tea with the Mad Hatter appealed to my childhood dreams. My collection started out very slow, but in the past few years it has really blossomed! I collect teapots sometimes by theme, like "Roses" or "Apples" I have lost count now, some jokingly say I am boarderline "hoarder". But I think I just enjoy the hunt for that one teapot that I may not have, at a cheap price of course! :-)  My eyes are trained now to scope out teapots as soon as I enter a Thrift shop or yard sale. So how can I b...

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  John 3:16 The words of this song are constantly in my head:   Listen :   Lord I'm amazed by You "Lord I'm amazed by You, Lord I'm amazed by You, Lord I'm amazed by You, and how you love me." How wide, how deep, how great is your love for me." Such a simple love song to the Lord and yet it capivates the heart and helps you to ponder on the depth and magnitude of God's love for us. I don't think that we will ever be able to understand in our finite minds just how much He loves us, but rest assured He does. I don't believe that we can truly love someone else until we know how we are loved.  God's love is not only sacrificial, but itis unconditional.  He gave His utmost best to pay the penalty for our sins and the sins of the world and He loves us regardless if we partake ...

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.   “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”     John 15: 4-5 While doing my weekly maintenance to my houseplants, I noticed that some of the leaves were beginning to turn brown on one of my favorite Philodendron vines. After close inspection I also noticed that though there were no sign of mites or any other pest; at the area where the vines met the soil they seem to be shriveling away.   This plant was given to me as part of a dish garden many, many years ago and I had taken excellent care, or at least I thought, to this plant.   So it surprised me when I took it over to the sink to spray it down with water and as I lifted the vines, the whole plant lifted up and came away from the soil as easy as lifting one’s hat from their head!...

"...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..." Philippians 1:6 I was in the 3rd grade and the buzz and excitement was about our annual school play; which would be "Alice of Wonderland."  You can only imagine my excitement when parts for the play were being chosen.  All us girls wanted the part of Alice, but it was given to a girl in my class named Linda, who had long curly hair and to me was kind of snooty. But just when I was about to go into my "poor me" persona, Mrs. Brown, my teacher came to me and said with a smile "We want you Veronica to be the Narrator because you speak so distinctly."  At first I was little upset, though I did not show it, I mean as a 3rd grader I had not heard the word "distinctly" too much nor it's meaning.  When I got home and my Mom explained to me what the word meant, I was happy again. After weeks of practice...

Ever wonder what is your purpose here on earth?   Let me assure you, we each have a specific purpose for being here, even if we don’t    feel like it sometimes.   Point in case ME… this morning, on the porch having a pity party ( I have those sometimes, no one’s invited though…sorry).   As I took inventory of my life; well into middle age, widow, work as a secretary for the past 15 years, who really needs me, I move slower, I wear jewelry with a sweat suit, I strike up conversations with strangers in a store, sometimes they respond, sometimes they look at me like I’m Osama Bin Laden in drag…yada, yada, yada…what do I do that rocks the world…I mean REALLY? So with that baggage first thing in the morning, here comes the pity and the heaviness you get when your joy has dissipated, in my case intentionally. Why do we do that to ourselves?   I dunno… As I read my devotional by Chuck Swindoll he said this “Two words will help you when you run low on...

“ I have nothing in my own self and yet I have it ALL in Christ. Can God use a life that has made so many mistakes, has fumbled so many times and has been such a disappointment to myself and others?   I believe so…humbly, humbly recognizing that I am but a vapor and yet God can use me to plant a seed of hope into the heart of someone searching for the Truth.”   I wrote this on a piece of paper and stuck it in my Bible a while ago.   I found it yesterday and it started a flood of memories… I cannot remember her name; only that she was a neighbor that lived up the street.   She would see me sitting on my porch and would stop by and somehow the conversation always got around to her past life.   She would openly share how she was a bad mother, going out late at night, partying all the time, neglecting her family, until one day God came into her life, changing her, making her the person that she really wanted to be.   I remember listening, but thinking “I’m...

“They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing,   To declare that the Lord is upright…”     Psalms 92:14-15 While out shopping the other day I noticed a little girl with what appeared to be her grandmother.   The older woman walked slower pushing the cart while the little girl danced and pranced down the aisles.   At one point they found an item to purchase and the grandmother questioned if it was the correct item. The child emphatically though not disrespectful said, “I KNOW that it’s the right one.”   Then she let out a loud sigh and placed her hand on her hip as if to say “Come on old lady let’s keep it movin’ !”   I had to chuckle to myself, because I remember that as a child I thought life itself was moving too slowly.   Maybe that’s why you hear people constantly telling kids to “Be still! “ Stop moving around so much!” Can’t you sit still for a minute?”     Maybe not, they are so chomp...

“For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers…” I Corinthians 4:15a As the scripture states there are many teachers, but not many that can father.   There are men that have sired children but there are unfortunately not many that know how to be a father…if you have or have had a true father then count your blessings…I had one… My Dad, a gentle man, born May of the year 1919, was a precious, precious father.   If it is true that we get our first impression of what we think God is like by the example our fathers set, then my impression of God from as far as I can remember is that He is loving, kind, protective and yes, gentle. Though my Dad came from a childhood of poverty in the south, back in the days when African Americans were looked upon as not being human beings; where the stereotype had already been cast that blacks, especially black males were lazy; he always found work and was never too proud to take menial...

"Which of you by worrying can add one cubit (inch) to his stature?"  Matthew 6:27 Peace comes with acceptance. After the many years that God has blessed me, I now have learned how to accept who I am.  Now you can look at that in two ways 1)Why the heck did it take so long or 2) Finally! the girl has some sense!.  I choose to believe the latter, though I am no longer a girl... but a 60 year old woman, who by the way has a lot less baggage than I used to have... Along my journey God has helped me to "lose" some of the baggage of my younger years. One very major piece of...er baggage was "What people thought of me".  Ha!  When I think of the years I worried, cried and fretted over what folks thought of me, I could just about upchuck over wasted time. We should live our lives in such a way that people will respect us, but in the major scheme of things "You can't please everyone" SO! you might as well be your respectful self and be thankful fo...

Dear Ma, Well, another Mother’s day has rolled around; this is the 12 th one without you.   But your passing from this life to eternity seems like yesterday sometimes. I miss you so much.   And it seems that the older I get, the more I understand you…does that make sense? I passed by a mirror the other day and wow I could see you in me so much…your mannerisms and movements! If I am becoming even a fraction of the woman of grace that you are I am so thankful.   I know, I know…during my turbulent teenage years I wanted to be anything but my mother. But now Ma, I am so thankful that you hung on to me during those times. Me with my smart mouth and “always having to say the last word” self; you hung on to me, even when I’m sure I broke your heart a few times.   Thanks Ma…only a Mother’s love can do that. I can think of a lot of things I’m sorry for; like the time I missed your 50th wedding Anniversary; and the time after Dad had passed, I should have had more co...

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”. Proverbs 3: 5-6 Reminded once again about “letting go” today. Am I the only one that have a hard time sometimes letting go?   The past, things and people in the now and present and oh yeah! The future too.   I’m a music person from the heart…I LOVE music!   Even as a child I can remember harmonizing with commercial jingles. I could hear harmony notes in every song that I heard at a very early age. So knowing that God has given me this gift, it is no wonder that God speaks to me through music. Listening to the CD “When Women Worship” today, they began to sing “I Surrender All”.   And If I can be perfectly honest with you, it is a song that I have been sort of scared to sing.   Yes Me! Miss “I know the Lord and He knows me”.    It’s like I hold back a part of myself when I sing that song, fearfu...

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26 I have a picture hanging in my foyer that says “Faith is…the bird that sings while the dawn is still dark.” Don’t know who said it but it encourages me. I arise very early in the morning in order to take care of my dog, pack my lunch and most importantly spend some time reading and meditating in the Bible. It’s not that I’m so spiritual, it’s because I am a morning person and that is the best time of day for me. And with the exception of the coldest day in winter, for every season I always can hear birds singing as early as 4:00 AM. Pitch black outside and they are just singing away! It never ceases to amaze me! We can learn a lot from nature, in fact I think God must chuckle sometimes when the creatures in nature seem like they have it together more than us humans. Jesus shared about this in the above scrip...

“Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalms 55:22 Spring cleaning!   That’s what I have been doing this past week. What a blessing it is to have a job that gives you a week off for the Easter break!   I considered traveling, but decided that I needed to take care of some needed things on my “to do” list.   So I have been busy, busy taking care of the things I felt needed to be done around the house.   But noticed this morning that though I had accomplished much, somewhere between taking care of those, what I thought were urgent needs, I had lost my peace. Now if you have ever really had a taste of what REAL peace is, you will know when you’ve lost it.   See I know what it is like to have peace, God’s peace in the midst of a storm. The storms of life that come and almost take your breath away…yep, I know what it feels like to be so shaken   that you can barely stand…but to instantly feel G...

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 I have always loved this scripture; it always encourages me that God has not given up on me.   In this text Apostle Paul was encouraging the new converts to Christianity of Philippi; letting them know that as they grew in the knowledge of their new faith, even though he, Paul may not be there, God would surely be there for them to continue the work in them. Some days, I need to read that over and over again! If you dare to listen to the news or look at one of the many reality shows on TV, it shows just how this society has fallen way below the expectations that God has for us. Isaiah 5:20 clearly states “Woe unto those that call evil good and good evil”…yet we see all the forms of media promoting sex and vulgarity and people, parents   allowing it to flow freely to our younger generation, and in most cases encouraging it. I look a...