Preparation for Hard Times~Warplanes

Each with his sword at his side, prepared for the terrors of the night. Song of Songs 3:8

I have two thoughts this morning about Chapter 9 of Meeting God in Quiet Places: The Cotswold Parables by F. LaGard Smith, which is titled "Preparation: Warplanes." One thought is about a book I taught when I was teaching at MTSU for a year. Another teacher recommended it, so I didn't really know the book until I had already given it out as one the students would read that semester. Obviously naive, I wondered how bad it could be. Well, for me, it turned out to be pretty bad. The title of the book was Welcome to Hard Times. The "hard times" part of the title was the name of a town in the old West that had built up out of absolutely nothing. One day a bully came along and completely destroyed the town. That was the shocker for me...as I prefer books with happy endings.

  Another thought is closer to the analogy that LaGard has made with warplanes. Kelly, my granddaughter, is married to Eric, a Harrier pilot. He just got back from a tour in Afganistan. His life on the job is training in his Harrier jet with his squadron. You're probably wondering: What does this have to do with my spiritual life?

In this parable, LaGard talks about his walks into the beautiful Cotswold hills, where he can look down on life below, almost Godlike. But it seems that the hills and valleys of this area are perfect for practicing wartime manuevers for the Royal Air Force. So one day, when he was deep in  reverie, war planes came swooping down at him, which was not only jarring, but shook his body and nerves to the bone. It felt like an invasion!

 Life is like that, isn't it? Our lives resemble a war zone, because life is about conflict. You may be going along very well, when suddenly--out of nowhere--comes bad news! From peace and security, you're thrown into catastrophe! The bad news may be unbelievably bad...your husband has cancer, your teenager is pregnant, your child is very sick and may die. Or even less life-threatening news, but still disastrous--you've lost your job, or your child failed a year in school...and so on and so on. From a position of control and security, you suddenly feel adrift. Like a Harrier jet, catastrophe just swooped down and shattered your life into bits and pieces! And there is no escape. 

Remember how Job lost everything? Flocks and herds, servants, and even his sons and daughters...one piece of bad news after another. What had he done to deserve it? Well...as it turns out...nothing! It can happen to any of us: death and disease, alienation, fear, loneliness, and many other kinds of disaster are part of this world. And since you're in it, you may experience more than your share of bad news. 

And yet, you may have managed to get along with all your problems, with nothing being really catastrophic. You may simply experience sneak attacks of depression or loneliness or anger. And just when you thought you were doing so well! Here I want to quote LaGard directly: "Nothing is more terrifying than those spiritual intruders--those secret thoughts, forbidden relationships, and fleshly desires that drag us down. Those moments of weakness that attack us just at the point when we think we are strong. Even those times when we get so tired of fighting off temptation that we are tempted to let the intruders win, hoping in vain that we can find peace in compromise." 

I know that Eric would never allow foreign intruders into our territory. He knows who he is:  a Marine who understands why he's fighting. He knows that he's a Christian fighting an Islamic threat to the security of our country. And it makes me feel safer and more secure knowing that he's on our side. But I'm really talking now about your own personal invaders. Will you fight, or will you compromise to have some peace? Tomorrow I'll give you some ways to deal with those spiritual invaders that are destroying your peace and happiness.

We're going to celebrate Michael's 9th birthday tonight. I've got several things to do before I go to their house: wrap his presents, make some muffins, and chose something to wear. I hope all of you have a very good weekend! 

Blessings...Mimi   

Church Bells: Reminders of Holiness~2

We all need to be reminded of holy things because "the world is too much with us." One of the reminders in England is the ringing of church bells. From all accounts, England is no longer a spiritual country, choosing rather to take God for granted with their stiff-upper-lip attitude. This has been true for many years now, and it's showing in their choices.

So even though there are at least 160,000 church towers with bells ringing out a reminder of holy things in their villages, it's what is in their hearts that matters. In this 4th chapter of  F. LaGard Smith's Meeting God in Quiet Places, he has told us that there are tiny golden bells on the bottom of the priest's robe to announce his coming before the Lord, so that he would not die.
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A thousand years later, when Zechariah prophecied about the day the Savior of the world would revolutionize the nature of worship before God. Zechariah says:

"On that day, 'Holy to the Lord' will be inscribed on the bells of horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar." What a dramatic change from tiny golden bells on a robe to bells on horses! What a shift in attitude with the enormous "holiness gap?"

We don't understand all the underlying meanings, but the message for us is clear. If you have ever felt that you aren't worthy of being loved by God, or felt at such a distance from Him that He doesn't even care that you exist, or that your guilt is too great for Him to cover, then read on.

LaGard says: "The good news is that, with the coming of Jesus Christ into the world, we are no longer kept at arm's length from God." Christ has himself completed the work of the high priest, bringing our guilt and unworthiness before God. He offered himself as the sacrifice, and while we are unworthy, He is worth for us. Where we are unholy, He is the holy Lamb of God. This means that Jesus has given you and me unlimited access to God. You can reach out and touch God. AND...because of the cross... God has reached out and touched you!" These are amazing and comforting words.

The moment of Jesus' death, "the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." This "curtain of separation" is no longer between you and God. Through Jesus, you can now approach the throne of heaven--an act that could not have happened when Aaron was high priest. Think about that!

LaGard goes on to say: "Jesus is our announcement, like the bells announced the priest. In one single hour of history, His crucifixion became the greatest moment of mourning, celebration and peace ever witnessed by humankind. Jesus' death was the loudest anthem of bell-ringing the world has ever heard!"

Yes, the bells are a reminder that YOU can approach God joyfully, and find help when you need it. Or the bells may remind you to love Him and praise Him in your life. God longs for a relationship with you, and you surely yearn for a relationship with Him. The bells peal out the sound of joy, which is felt in the hearts of many around the world.

Decide today that you will meditate more seriously on holy matters. So many of us are caught up in the poor quality of spiritual life that is dominant in our society. Only you can change your attitude toward a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.

Have a good weekend! Remember to thank God always.

Blessings...Mimi 

Church Bells: Reminders of Holiness

Among those  who approach me I will show myself holy. Lev. 10:3

Yes, I made it to Santa Fe and back by 10 A.M., just in time to have lunch at Hannah & Nate's with my friend, Alice at 11 A.M in Corrales. This small restaurant uses organic produce from Los Poblanos Organics, a farm that isn't very far away from them. I am getting about 2 deliveries a month from LPO, and I enjoy the fresh, organic produce, as well as products from other organic companies.

Today I'm adding another of my summaries from Meeting God in Quiet Places by F. LaGard Smith and it's from my original blog, so please be patient. Chapter 4 from Meeting God is probably my favorite parable from this book. The idea that golden bells on the edge of a priest's garment mean so much is very moving. See what you think. 

This parable equates the ringing of church bells to holiness. There are about 160,000 bell towers in England. In fact, most villages have bells in the church tower to tell the villagers that something important has happened. Births, deaths, weddings, and even times of peace after a war are all cause for ringing the church bells.

Some of the bells are over 10 feet in diameter and very heavy...weighing tons. And in England, there must be bell ringers who have practiced the art of "change-ringing." This style of ringing dates back at least 3 centuries. The bell-ringers are proud to pull the ropes of the bells perfectly. There are episodes in All Creatures Great and Small series about a group meeting to practice their bell rope pulling. But what all of this got to do with holiness?


Bells are mentioned only twice in the Bible. The garments of Aaron the high priest were sacred and included a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a tunic, a turban, and a sash. Instructions for making the robe say that it shall be made of blue cloth with pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn around the bottom of the robe with gold bells alternating between them. Aaron wore it when he ministered as a priest before God in the Holy Place. The explanation for the bells is: "Their sound will be heard when the priest enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die." DIE???!!! The tiny golden bells were a matter of life and death. 

How could this be? Because the high priest was the only mortal man who went into the presence of the God of all creation. Anyone else entering would die. It seems the bells were to announce the coming of the priest before the Lord--the unholy one before the Holy One.
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I'll continue this parable tomorrow with more explanation about the bells. Have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!

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Blessings...Mimi

Graffiti of the Heart: Verbal Abuse~2

Well, it's Wednesday and I had a good day talking to two of my daughters and cutting out doll dresses yesterday. I know my life is simple compared to many people, and I'm very thankful. It hasn't always been that way.

I learned last night that my brother, Ron Roark, is leaving from Birmingham, AL, for Africa the 20th of October to teach and preach the gospel in Mozambique until November 9th. Please pray for him!


Now I want to continue telling you about the way David dealt with slander and betrayal. Remember how David asked God to help him get back at his enemies?
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You cheer David on because you too have felt the hurt--maybe not of hatred, but of spite, or selfishness, or even an important difference of opinion. You want to feel better, and lashing back at your "enemy" will put salve on your wounds. Unfortunately, it doesn't heal them completely. But you can cover over the ugly words of grafitti with paint, and ugly abusive words with love. In fact, you may remember that the apostle Peter tells us to "Love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins."

Covers...yes, but what about forgetting those hateful words? It's because David wrote the 23rd Psalm that we know that he didn't allow vindictiveness to consume him. Writing the 23rd Psalm showed that no matter who came against him, he depended on God. "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Depending on God worked for David, and it will work for you!

And, of course, the best example of forgiving your enemies, your friends, or your relatives is Jesus. Betrayed by friends and hung on a cross by enemies, Jesus also looked to God and turned all His grief and pain over to Him, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing?" Forgive them?!!! Can you really learn to be that commpassionate and forgiving? Certainly, you can be strengthened by realizing that God knows how much you have been hurt. Bearing the greatest slander, the greatest scorn, the greatest hatred the world has ever seen, Jesus said to God: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

That is what you should do when you're faced with verbal grafitti--FORGIVE. To be like Christ, you must forgive and turn it over to your heavenly Father as He did. Sometimes you treat your family like the enemy, and your acquaintances like family. That is a false way of moving through the world. You must realize that you haven't been perfect either, and someone has undoubtedly covered your wrongs with their love. For God to forgive you, you must forgive others. We all forget that sometimes!

Have a good Wednesday and thank God for all your good gifts!

Blessings...Mimi

Graffiti of the Heart: Verbal Abuse

The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:4

Is there anyone who hasn't felt the sting of hateful, mean-spirited words spewing out all over their formally placid mind? The shock of those bitter words flows through you like no other feeling you can recall. We've all been there and know that feeling--the paralyzing quality of their meaning. And all of us ask the same questions: How could they say that? What are they thinking? What have I done?!!! Sometimes we can answer those questions, and sometimes we can't. We usually respond with anger and outrage. But should we?

In Chapter 3 of F. LaGard Smith's Meeting God in Quiet Places, he addresses this kind of desecration written on our mental walls. How do we cope with this kind of attack? Can we find a similar situation in the Bible? Yes, David's anguish at being attacked with slander by friends can be compared to our own. And who has suffered the most pain from slander and betrayal by friends? Jesus, our Saviour. 

I have often referred to the Psalms because within them lies all of the elements we experience in our own lives. In this parable, the same connection is made when David writes poems about his enemies speaking evil of him. Not great armies coming against him, but hateful words. David even prays for protection from the words of his enemies, many who hate him simply because he is "a man after God's own heart." Like our own enemies, David's were just waiting for him to fail, so they could heap scorn on him. Our enemies are waiting for us to fail, waiting for us to show our struggling faith, so they can express words of derision and hurt. 

But when you think about it, it isn't surprising that our enemies throw hateful words at us. Having no regard for anything spiritual, and by pointing out our faults, they justify their own sinful ways. That is the way it works in the world. 

However, it is when the one who has abused you is a loved one that you are most deeply hurt. This also happened to David, and we can only guess who he was talking about in one of his psalms: Was it King Saul, who loved him like a son, then tried to kill him? Or maybe his beloved son Absalom, who brought a rebellion against him? Two people close to David--people he loved--betrayed him!

Can you imagine how David felt, because you have also had this experience? Has a close friend or relative betrayed you? Your first reaction is to give back in kind. Like David, you feel totally validated in asking God to help you get back at them. David said of his enemy: "May his days be few. May another take his place of leadership. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children be wandering beggars. May a creditor seize all he has. May strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children." 

OUCH! Can this be the same David who wrote the 23rd Psalm?

You'll get the answer to that question tomorrow. I hope your week is going smoothly!

Blessings...Mimi 

Trusting In the Unseen~Riding in A Hot Air Balloon

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Proverbs 3:5

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is ending today. These pictures were taken sometime this week. Every day there is something new to see...the Mass Ascension, the special shapes, the races, and the balloon glow at night. Many people pay to take a ride in one of the beautiful balloons, and as you can see, it's a never-to-be-forgotten experience. Would you be brave enought to climb into a basket and take a ride in a hot air balloon? 

Trust is the basis of Chapter 2 of Meeting God in Quiet Places by F. LaGard Smith.  Here he's comparing the trust you must have in the person who is flying the balloon--that they will take you up and bring you down safely--to the trust you must have in God with your life. It's easier for you to trust a person that you can see than it is to trust an invisible power that you can't see. And you're more easily persuaded that you'll be safe in a real person's basket, because you might trust someone you can see, but you aren't likely to trust an invisible power you can't see. And isn't faith in the unseen what faith is all about?

 Think about seeing a balloon floating lazily in the sky...you think about how much fun it would be to ride in it. Or maybe you run after it as it floats along. But the question is, would you actually ride in it? You must answer the same question about trusting God enough to get into His basket and give him control of your life. You may feel confined at first because you have to do things His way...which goes against the grain. But isn't that a normal response to giving up control? 

Have you ever really given up control to God, been dependent on God, and felt how freeing it is? Here LaGard gives you something more to think about: "Jesus talked about the kind of freedom that is really free. 'If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,' said Jesus. What makes us really free? In the words of Jesus 'the truth will set you free.' The truth that we are never in control even when we think we are. The truth that a life without God is the most fearful life anyone can live. The truth that the most fulfilled people in the world are those who have 'let go and let God'." 

But letting go isn't all that easy, is it? We cling to our fears and stay on the ground. We cling to our fears and stay out of God's basket. What is preventing you from climbing into the basket and taking off with God? What is preventing others? Sometimes you may run after God--like running after the balloon--to seek a relationship with Him. But running and seeking are just replacements for actually letting go of everything that is holding you back and knowing true freedom. 

Allow yourself to compare the feeling of letting go of everything to take a ride in a hot air balloon with letting go and letting God control your life. Both choices are yours! You can experience the exhilaration, freedom and joy of being carried along by God in your life. The sensation will be very much like that of riding in a hot air balloon!

Have a wonderful day~

Blessings...Mimi  

Spiritual Perception

Thankfully, you've made it through another week and are ready for a nice, relaxing weekend. I'm having someone to stay the night with me, so I'm trying to get things in order. It's actually not working very well, as I seem to be glued to the computer! But I'm going to put this blog on--a repeat from my original blog--and hope that it's worth reading twice. I like this one very much. It's called  "Spiritual Perception," and it's a summary of Chapter 1 of Meeting God in Quiet Places: The Cotwold Parables by F. LaGard Smith.

Does the length of a rabbit's ears help it hear? Dogs don't have long ears and they have acute hearing. Watching rabbits reminds us that rabbits are doing what rabbits do, but they are also being what rabbits are--animals. God tells us as His children to DO and BE a person that pleases him.

Now I want to quote LaGard directly: "In much the same way (as the electronic sound waves that create what you listen to on the radio or television), there is also a spiritual dimension which surrounds and permeates our material world. Think of it as the realm in which angels exist--and Satan. It is in this unseen world that the Holy Spirit moves and in which spiritual warfare is taking place. The spiritual dimension is the arena of prayers and miracles. It's the world of the supernatural, the transcendent--a trysting place between the human and divine."

And now I hear you saying, WHAT???!!! Because you probably hadn't realized that the angels of God and the angels of Satan are fighting for your soul every moment of every day! The choices you make are not only choosing what you'll wear and where you'll go, but whose side your're on: God's or Satan's!

In some ways, it is to Satan's advantage to be moving in a material world, appealing to the lust of the eyes--what you see, the lust of the flesh--what you touch and feel, and the pride of life--what you own and what you do. But most of us have learned that these things are disappointing in the end, and do not fill us with what we most crave: love, peace, and happiness (or even contentment). Making choices out of our own wisdom is often choosing short term, when knowing what God wants us to be, and choosing on that basis is long term and fulfilling.

Going back to LaGard's analogy of the rabbits who use their ears as an "early warning system," did your "ears" go up when I mentioned that Satan is out to claim your soul? You have been given ears to hear and a heart to understand, but you must take time to be aware of the spiritual dimension around you in order to save your soul!

Have a great weekend!

Blessings...Mimi

Jacob Sheep: Part 2 Life Imitating Art

Do not imitate what is evil but what is good.
3 John 11

In this 7th Chapter of Meeting God in Quiet Places, F. LaGard smith has posed the question: Do human beings, like the original Jacob sheep, imitate what they focus on--what they see--with their eyes? The answer is YES! It is human nature to imitate the "art" you see before your eyes. Does that give us a clue about what we should choose to look at, or are we clueless?

As you understand, your eyes feed your imagination. This means that what you imagine can be as spiritually damaging as what you actually do. Now let's look at what Jesus had to say about what we see. You may even remember Jesus' statement about looking, lusting, and sinning: "I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." This direct connection between eye and sin is very powerful. In fact, Jesus says that if your eye offends you, "gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." Gouge out my eye?!!! Are you serious? Yes...because it's a serious matter. 

Are you one of those men who looks at nearly naked women in a movie, in a catalog, or in a magazine without giving it a thought? Do you have sons who are looking at them with you? Even if you believe you can "handle" it, what about your son? You must give some thought to what you're doing--training your son. Jesus says, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" What you see affects what is in your heart! 

Let your eyes have screens to guard what is inside you. You see, you think, you do. It's just about that simple. You progress from seeing to imagining to imitating. Sometimes the imitation doesn't come right away, but chances are that it will affect your behavior somewhere down the line. One thing always builds on another.

So how do you set about changing your character, making Jesus' character your own? First of all, you can transform your own thinking and behavior by looking to Jesus for your model: His character becomes yours, His higher ways become your ways, your spirit becomes like His Spirit. That may sound very far above you, if you don't realize that it's a process of becoming more spiritual. It may take some time, but the effort in this case is truly worth it.   

What does the apostle Paul have to say to us about being pure: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

You should take the time to compare your daily thinking to what is called for in the scriptures. If you're watching off-color television shows or movies--and that includes the half-naked females in them--you are watching shows that were considered pornography only a generation ago. Satan has certainly won that battle!

Your life can't bring goodness out of badness. James puts it much better than I, when he says: "Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." You can't have it both ways! If what you're seeing in your life is impure, then you can't expect to be pure. And perhaps that doesn't interest you at the moment. My advice is to take care while you have time.

And you also have an advantage over the Jacob sheep. God never sets temptation in front of you, the way Jacob put the images before the sheep. So you have a choice. If I seem to be hitting on the men more than the women, it's because television has found a large, willing group in men, and in our time, it seems that the women go along with it. Where are the moral women of decades past?

Our lack of morals is bringing our families and this country to their knees. It isn't a difficult thing to say no to Satan--if you decide that's what you want to do--and if you put your mind and heart into thinking about your husband or your wife, and your children. Satan has lulled us into a stupor in regard to what we see. Show him how you really feel!

Have a wonderful week, giving thought to what you're imitating and all the gifts from God you have.

Blessings...Mimi

Jacob Sheep: Life Imitating Art

Do not imitate what is evil but what is good. 3 John 11

This week in Meeting God in Quiet Places, we're in Chapter 7, where F. LaGard Smith has an interesting parable with Jacob sheep and imitation.

If you've never heard of Jacob sheep, you may be surprised about the origin of the name. As you see in the picture, the Jacob sheep are spotted, an almost jarring aspect of what a sheep is supposed to look like. Aren't all sheep either white or black? Well, most sheep in Syria in the time of Jacob were white. What difference did that make to Jacob? That's where the story gets interesting. 

Jacob had worked for 14 years for his father-in-law Laban, when he decided to return to his own country. Laban was willing to allow him to take a part of the herds to create his own wealth, but he was especially happy to agree with Jacob's terms. Jacob told Laban that he would take only the speckled and spotted animals. Laban immediately had his sons grab all the speckled and spotted sheep and goats, and remove them to a far away place. Having cheated Jacob for 14 years, Laban wasn't about to be fair now.
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But God appeared to Jacob in a dream and gave him a formula for breeding speckled and spotted sheep. God told him to have the animals mate before multi-colored objects. Jacob cut dark branches so that streaks of white showed and placed them before the watering trough. And he would also simply put spotted animals in front of the mating animals. Whichever device Jacob used, it worked! And he quickly became a prosperous man. Now the questions is: Did what the sheep looked at when they were mating really affect the color of their offspring?

More interesting for us is the question: Does what we act out in our lives depend on what we focus our attention on? Are we like Jacob's sheep? Yes, it's true. Human nature dictates that like Jacob's mating sheep, we mimic whatever we focus on in our lives!

More on this tomorrow. Give the idea of imitation some thought today. 

Blessings...Mimi   

Intro: Meeting God in Quiet Places by F. LaGard Smith

In searching for books which may touch your heart and change your life as they have mine, I pulled Meeting God in Quiet Places: The Cotswold Parables off the bookshelf. Written by F. LaGard Smith, it is one of my favorites. I have already been sharing the chapters on my original web site, and so this is a repeated blog, but I want to make sure that the people who are only interested in spiritual thoughts would have the opportunity to read it.

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The picture is of a church outside of Buckland, where LaGard's home is. I mostly want to show you the lay of the land, because it is a factor in the mental pictures given--analogies from life to compare to the spiritual. You may call them parables, if you prefer, much like the parables in the New Testament, which Jesus used to teach. I find them both beautiful and practical, and that's why I determined to summarize them and share them with you with LaGard's permission. This is a devotional book, which will move you closer to your Creator than you may ever have been before.

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LaGard says in his introduction: "The Scriptures tell us that Enoch 'walked with God,' as also did Noah. It's the way of the righteous to walk each day with God. As the prophet Micah saw it, walking with God leads us to the very heart of our purpose for living. 'He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.' How could we not be humble, knowing that our Maker has invited us to share each day with him, whether we are literally taking a walk or perhaps unable to walk at all?" He ends by saying that it is his hope that you'll "experience new depths of love and new heights of faith in your daily walk with God." I echo that hope.

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The life which includes quiet villages and tranquil hills is going to teach you about yourself and your purpose for living. You have a purpose, you know! Are you fulfilling your purpose? If you can't answer that with a yes, take some time to ask yourself, why not. I believe that many of us live a life stuck in survival mode. We feel lucky to get through a day, much less think about its purpose. You are the only one who can change that mode of operation. Only you can decide to make your life more meaningful and worthwhile.

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This is half the original blog I put on the other site. In an effort to shorten my blogs, I'll put the rest on tomorrow. I think I'll go take a walk!

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Blessings...Mimi

Finding Grace in A Winter Snowfall

"Where sin increased, grace increased all the more." Roman 5:20

Is there anything more thoroughly satisfying than a snowfall? There is nothing which compares to the way it smooths and calms both you and the world you live in. In Chapter 6 of Meeting God in Quiet Places: The Cotswold Parables,  F. LaGard Smith compares a winter snowfall to the grace of God. The characteristics they share may surprise you.

For one thing, both snow and grace are so much more than anything in our "normal" world. Snow seems magical as it softly falls and turns everything in sight to a perfection unknown before. Grace also feels magical because it covers your sin--which is so dark and staining that you feel guilty and lost. Yes, you can be free of your guilty stain because of God's promise: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool." The stark whiteness and cleanness of snow and wool represent God's grace.

David knew that only God's grace could help him as he pleaded with God for forgiveness: "Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." He had his sin always before him, for he was guilty of not only adultery, but murder. How does one wash THAT sin away? Only God can make you white as snow.

Look in your heart and see if there are sins hiding there...haunting you and keeping you from being the person God wants you to be. He will cover your sins completely, as with a newly fallen snow. I'll tell you the rest of the story tomorrow.

I had lunch with my friend, Alice, today at Cracker Barrel. It's really nice to be out and about after the rain. It's cooler...and reminds us that Fall has just come around the corner. The moon is a very beautiful harvest moon with Jupiter sitting close by, both shining brightly.

Blessings...Mimi

Living Stones: Sages Among Us

"Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?" Job 12:12
In Chapter 5 of "Meeting God in Quiet Places," F. LaGard Smith compares the beauty underneath all the dirt, ivy, grass, weeds and brambles on an old stone wall after it's cleared to uncovering gifts and talents--"gemstones of character"--within every person. We tend to be shallow when looking for treasures in other people, don't we?

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When you see an old person--perhaps not even a very attractive old person--have you thought about what that old person might have learned in their life? When you think of the tales the stones in an old wall could tell, as we say, "If only stones could talk," you might remember that old people are living stones who have a lot to say: not only have they seen it all, but they still have the ability to get back to basics and true values.

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It's what I call my lifetime of learning, so that I can share wisdom with others. As I've said repeatedly: I enjoy being older because I have finally learned to do some things well. And I've learned not to try and run other people's lives. Yes, I fail sometimes, but I'm aware that I shouldn't do it, and back off sooner. Now I'm able to see "through" things and don't take them at face value.

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And that's what LaGard is saying here: many people have trouble letting their inner beauty show. Circumstances beyond their control, such as child abuse, or an alcoholic parent, or an abused wife, who has spent most of her marriage trying to cope--all hide the inner beauty of people in your life. These people have a story to tell. I have a story to tell. You have a story to tell. Painful? Yes. Scarring? Yes. Blighting? Yes. So blighting of your true value, it's hidden beneath briars and brambles. Only One can uncover your true self.

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Only Jesus can bring out your true beauty. It was something He specialized in. Whether Jesus was talking to a hated tax collector, a beggar, a cripple, or even a prostitute, each person was important, and each person had a story to tell. Each person had wounds to heal and sins to be forgiven. Shame? Yes. Guilt? Yes. But that is what Jesus came to do! He came to take away the guilt and sin. Jesus saw through their suffering to a penitent heart.

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Once a person had been with Jesus, they were never the same. Not only was their body transformed, but their mind and spirit. Would they ever have a lapse in faith? Yes. Would they ever need to renew their faith and weed out the evil thoughts and deeds? Yes. But the difference would be that they would never again completely give in to the ways of the world. And now they knew where to turn for the reassurance to go on with their lives.

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It's one thing to uncover an old stone wall. And while it's worth doing and is gratifying, think how much more wonderful it is to uncover the beauty that is hidden all around you! If you had the eyes of Jesus, you too could see the people around you with His eyes. You could touch the hearts of those who are forgotten, because their problems isolate them. It is just those people who need to feel a sense of belonging. It is just those people who want to feel useful and get a bit of encouragement from you. And many times, that is all they need to move on.

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Then what happens? When you allow the love of Jesus to move through you to others, YOU are never the same. You will blossom as well! This beautiful hymn says it all:

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Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity;
May His Spirit divine all my being refine.
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

George L. Johnson

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Will you see things in yourself that you must keep weeding out? Yes. But have you noticed a big difference since you took the time to clear out most of the debris? I believe you'll say YES! The attention you give to your spiritual life makes a difference in the beauty that is seen by other people. And eventually by you, looking at yourself. Unlikely people can be shown to be so much more than you ever imagined. Look at unlikely people and see if you can uncover their story and their beauty. You'll be adding gems to your collection!

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If you're feeling disconnected, it is your own lack at the moment. God is waiting for you to approach Him! He will reward you with His healing warmth.

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This blog is dedicated to my grand-daughter-in-law, Jill, because she read my blog "Church Bells: Reminders of Holiness" and said she would like to feel holier. The message of this blog will help her--and all of us--to do that.

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Blessings...Mimi