Point of View

 

dusk view from bridge between Sanibel and Captive

"Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, leading priests, and the teachers of the religious law. He would be killed, but three days later He would rise from the dead." (Mark 8:31)

Me: "How's the weather in Indiana?"

Rebecca: "It's warmed up!"

Me: "Well, it's cold in Alabama. What's the temperature up there?"

Rebecca: "Forty-eight degrees. What's the temperature down there?"

Me: "Forty-eight degrees."

Ha! Same temperature. Different points of view.

When Jesus told His disciples that He must suffer terrible things, be rejected, killed, but then He would rise from the dead, Peter took the Lord aside and reprimanded Him for saying such things.

Jesus then reprimanded Peter. "Get away from Me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's!" (Mark 8:33)

Peter viewed the cross as suffering, rejection, and death. God viewed the cross as salvation and forgiveness for whosoever believes in His resurrected Son.

As I beg God to stop the suffering and death in Ukraine, I also pray that God's kingdom will come and His perfect will is done, because

God's point of view is higher and greater than mine.

Selah.

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On the Road Again

 

"May the Lord watch between you and me when we are away from each other." (Genesis 31:49)

Good-bye beach.

Good-bye seashells.

Good-bye ocean waves.

Good-bye new friends.

May the Lord watch between us till we meet again. And Lord, please watch over Ukraine!

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Wars and Rumors of Wars

 

Jesus said, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." (Matthew 24:6)

Pray, beloved. Pray for the people and leaders of Ukraine. Pray for the people and leaders of Russia. Pray for God's Kingdom to come, for His will to be done, in Jesus' name!

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Hooked

 

"Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change their hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants." (2 Timothy 2:25-26)

We found this blue heron at Sanibel Island. If you look closely, the poor fellow has a fish hook caught in his mouth, and there's nothing he can do about it.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul said people who oppose the truth have been caught in a trap of the devil. So, he encouraged the young pastor to help ensnared souls get "unhooked" by being kind and patient, not quarreling, and gently instructing those doing the devil's bidding. 

Beloved, how do you respond to someone who opposed God's truth? Do you quarrel? Or do you treat them kindly, gently presenting truth so that perhaps God will change their heart and set them free?

Selah.

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Because God's There

Sanibel Island

 

"The LORD is in His holy Temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne." (Psalm 11:4)

In a class of second graders, my Rebecca told her students, "Heaven is a million times better than here."

A little hand shot up. "Teacher, how do you know heaven is a million times better if you've never died?"

Rebecca: "Can anyone help explain why heaven is a million times better?"

Another hand shot up. "Because God's there."

Selah.

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Every Breath

 

Sanibel Island sunset today

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!" (Psalm 150:6)

My dear friend, Cuba, texted this today (author unknown):

"There was a moment when Moses had asked God what His name is. God was gracious enough to answer, and the name He gave is recorded in the original Hebrew as YHWH. Over time, we've added an "a" and an "e" in there to get YaHWeH . . . Scholars and rabbis  have noted that the letters YHWH represent breathing sounds, or aspiration consonants. When pronounced without vowels, it actually sounds like breathing. YH (inhale) WH (exhale).

So, a baby's first cry, his first breath, speaks the name of God. A deep sigh calls His name — or a groan or gasp that is too heavy for mere words. Even an atheist speaks His name unaware that their very breathe is giving constant acknowledgment to God. Likewise, a person leaves this earth with their last breath, when God's name is no longer filing their lungs.

So, when I can't utter anything else, is my cry calling out His name? Being alive means I speak His name constantly. Is it heard the loudest when I am the quietest?

In sadness, we breathe heavy sighs. In joy, our lungs feel almost like they will burst. In fear, we hold our breath and have to be told to breathe slowly to help us calm down. When we're about to do something hard, we take a deep breath to find our courage.

When I think about it, breathing is giving Him praise. Even in the hardest moments! This is so beautiful and fills me with emotion every time I grasp the thought. 

God chose to give Himself a name that we can't help but speak every moment we're alive. All of us, always, everywhere. Waking, sleeping, breathing, with the name of God on our lips!"

Selah.

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Wild Frontier

 

"From there they journeyed on and camped on the other side of [the river] Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the boundary of the Amorites; for [the river] Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites." (Numbers 21:13)

My Phillip and I are on a 9-day camping trip in Florida. First stop: Wild Frontier Campground, Ocala. Tomorrow, we head to St. James City on Pine Island.

When the Israelites escaped Egypt, their 11-day camping trip across the wilderness turned into a 40-year crawl to the Promise Land. Why? Because God's people treated Him with contempt and refused to believe Him. 

Today, beloved, if you hear God's voice, do not harden your hearts and miss the blessing. Trust God and obey.

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Inside and Out

 

inside Fish Fry
illustrations by talented artist Anya Figert

"For You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:13-14)

Not only did my talented, 14-year-old grandgirl create the cover art for Fish Fry . . . 

Anya also drew the illustrations.

Beloved, never forget that you are God's masterpiece, created inside and out for His glory and His good works. Know God? Know your purpose? Then get to work and get it done!

Selah.

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6 Words to a Happier, Healthier Marriage

 

my parents: Winfred and Verna Watson
Mt. Rubidoux, CA
1944

"But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." (1 Corinthians 11:3)

Six words to a happier, healthier marriage:

Love

Respect

Pursue

Respond

Lead

Follow

Husband, LOVE your wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. PURSUE her in love as you did when you first loved her, and LEAD her down paths of righteousness for Christ's name sake!

Wife, RESPECT your husband as the God-ordained leader of your home. RESPOND to him in love and respect. Encourage him as your leader and FOLLOW him respectfully.

It's not a suggestion, beloved. It's God's command.

Selah.

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His for 50 Valentines

 

My beloved and me
💘1972💘

"My beloved is mine and I am his." 

(Song of Solomon 2:16)

Phillip was sweet 16 and I was 15 on our first Valentine's Day together 50 years ago. I can't help lovin' that man of mine!

Beloved, "for God so loved [you] that He gave His one and only Son, Jesus, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Happy Valentine's Day! 💗

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Now Available

 

"Ask and it will be given to you . . . " (Matthew 7:7)

My 12-year-old grandboy asked for a book about him, so I wrote Fish Fry, an action-packed adventure of a young boy's quest for courage (a sequel to Professor Sparrow and the Clear Creek History Mystery).

Jesus' half brother James wrote: "You have not because you ask not" (James 4:2). So, I'm asking. Beloved, will you order a copy of Fish Fry?

Available now on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Deep Sea Publishing, and more!

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Leaning on Jesus

 

my family
Bogalusa, LA
1986

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you." (Psalm 32:8)

The older I get, the more I'm learning to lean on Jesus. Mr. Earl Moak taught our young couples Sunday School class that hymn in the 1980s:

"Learning to lean

Learning to lean

I'm learning to lean on Jesus

Finding more power than I've ever dreamed

I'm learning to lean on Jesus" 1

Have you leaned to on Jesus, beloved?

1 LEARNING TO LEAN ON JESUS. John Stallings, 1976, copyright: Bridge Building Music, Inc. 

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UNITY

 

our Rebecca's family

"He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment —to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." (Ephesians 1:9-10)

Over the past couple of weeks, the word "unity" has repeatedly crossed my path. First, in next year's book: Unity Brown; second, while studying the book of Ephesians. I believe God is saying, "Pay attention, pay attention."

In his letter to the Church of Ephesus, Paul wrote of God's mysterious plan, which for ages past was kept hidden. This mystery was the complete unity of Jews and Gentiles in the body of Christ: His Church. 

God's multi-ethnic Church undermines the enemy's work of hatred and division.

Beloved, diverse people groups bound by love create unity. Which camp do your thoughts and action support? God's unity and love or the enemy's division and hatred?

Selah.

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Memaw's Bridge

 

my Phillip, Ben, and Bell
Coosa River Farm

". . . between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us." (Luke 16:26)

For years, I've wanted a bridge across a stream at the farm. For my upcoming birthday in April, my superman is building Memaw's Bridge.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus told a story of a two men: one rich and the other poor. At death, the poor man named Lazarus who had cried out to God for mercy was taken by angels to heaven. The rich man who had rejected God found himself condemned to Hades. A great chasm or "unbridgeable place" fixed for eternity stretched between them. 

Jesus' point: How we respond to God in this life determines where we reside in the next.

God offers The Bridge into heaven to every living soul on earth. That name of that bridge? JESUS. Jesus Himself said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

Are you trusting in The Bridge for your next life, beloved?

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LARGE

Indiana grands and one LARGE friend

"Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big . . . For your Maker is your bridegroom, His name, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel, known as God of the whole earth." (Isaiah 54:2, 5  The Message)

When our 6-year-old grandboy saw the picture of his Indiana cousins' snowman, he said, "That's LARGE!"

When you think of our God, beloved, think LARGE. For our Lord is all-powerful, all-knowing, full of grace and mercy. Nothing is impossible or too difficult for Him. Seek Him. Praise Him. Trust Him.

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Celebrate

Our Ben, Gabbi, Colt, and Liam
Orange Beach
Summer 2021

"Every join in with a great shout . . . bring gifts and celebrate, bow before the beauty of God, then to your knees — everyone worship!" (Psalm 96:7-9 The Message)

Tonight, we're celebrating Gabbi and Liam's birthdays. O happy day!

Today and everyday, Lord, we celebrate You!

(Okay, I know this is short, but I have a lot of cooking to do. Have a great weekend, beloved!)

 

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The Straight Path

Background: my parents 
Foreground: my Rebecca and my niece, Tamara
1984

"Teach me you way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors." (Psalm 27:11)

I love this 1984 snapshot of my girl and her cousin following their grandparents along a straight path.

Throughout God's Word, the Lord urges His children to make straight, level paths for their feet and stay on them!

Proverbs 3:5-6 - "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 4:26-17 - "Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil."

Hebrews 12:11-13 - "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame will not be disabled but rather healed."

The straight path is up-right living or the way of righteousness according to God's truth and commands. 

Got troubles, beloved? Check your path. 

(Yes, troubles will come to the straight path, too, but sometimes we've stepped off the straight and narrow.)

"Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." (Jeremiah 6:16)

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Raise a Hallelujah

 

grandkids "Ball Day"
2016

"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." (Luke 15:7)

At the end of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, an unbelieving soul we were praying for believed and put his trust in Jesus. Welcome to the family of God, dear one!

And everyone said, "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)

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Homeward Bound

 

dear friends:
L-R Jane, Eve, Nancy

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day." (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

My beloved friend, Jane, hangs in the balance between heaven and earth. Very soon, the Lord will bring her safely to His heavenly kingdom, and there she will be with God forever and ever.

Why? Because she has been a good friend, a faithful mother and grandmother, and a help to the needy? No, Jane will be in heaven because she confessed with her mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believed in her heart that God raised Him from the dead, and Jesus saved, forgave, justified, and redeemed her.

The present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to you, dear Jane! (Romans 8:18)

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for you! (1 Cor. 2:9)

God speed, dear friend. Until we meet again.

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