Crucible Faith

Our Dan (back row, 2nd from left)
2009

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the suffering of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation." (1 Peter 4:12-13)

A story revisited:

The Crucible at US Marine Corp boot camp is a 54-hour, 9-mile hike with heavy backpacks and limited food and sleep to test the future Marine's physical and mental endurance. Before our Dan's Crucible, a team of faithful prayers fervently asked God for fair weather, and He answered with a hurricane. A few years later, when Dan hunkered down in the sand storms of middle eastern desert lands, I appreciated the mission and purpose of a hurricane.

This Christmas season is far from holly and jolly for multitudes in war-torn nations and hospital beds and prison cells and far from home and risking their very lives to follow the Savior. One such believer, our friend, wrote:

The smallest faith can move a mountain;

Cast it in the sea.

I'm glad I have my faith in God,

A mountain is on me.

With God all things are possible,

And I'm so glad that's true,

For what I need, it seems to me

No man will ever do.

You raise the dead, You part the sea,

Such wonders You have done;

The greatest wonder of them all,

The greatest Gift Your Son.

The smallest faith can move a mountain,

Cast it in the sea.

Please my God remove this mountain;

Father set me free!

O Lord, have mercy on the broken-hearted and down-trodden and please extend that mercy through me!

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Raise the Roof

Bible study small group 

"Celebrate God. Sing together - everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof!" (Psalm 32:11 The Message)



Our celebration of Jesus' birthday kicked off last night with a Christmas pajama party with the Bible Study girls - a fun evening of games, decorating the tree, Christmas cookies...

and a farewell-till-next-year blessing:  

May the good LORD bless you and keep you

May the LORD make His face to shine upon you

and be gracious unto you

May the LORD lift  up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.

(Numbers 6:24-26)

Remember, beloved, Jesus is the reason for the season. Celebrate God! Sing together and raise the roof!

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Bend, Stretch, and Strengthen

Our Rebecca and 12-year-old grandboy
Thanksgiving 5K Turkey Trot
(in 20-degree weather)

"Do not fret...Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness." (Psalm 37:1,3)

Saturday, when I leaned over and my back "caught," I quickly remembered the bend, stretch, and strengthen rule: 

• bend the knees, NOT the back, 
• stretch muscles, ligaments, and tendons daily, 
• strengthen my core.

Monday, when I caught myself fretting over an upcoming event, the spiritual bend, stretch, and strengthen rule came to mind: 

• bend (submit) to God's will and purpose, 
• daily stretch my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
• strengthen my trust in God. 

Caught in a fretful frenzy, beloved? Bend your knee to Jesus. Stretch your faith in Him, and strengthen trust in God.

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It's Just a Drill

Grandboys and Memaw
North Piney Woods
Coosa River Farm

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

While playing super-hero action figures, Wonder Woman got mowed down by a school bus and was rushed to the hospital with a broken leg. Dr. Three-year-old-grandboy told his patient, "Now, be still and don't be scared, it's just a drill."

Life mowed you down, beloved? Be still and don't be scared. Dr. Jesus can change your wreck into better than new.

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Full

"Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of His name! Tell the world how glorious He is!" (Psalm 66:1-2)

Full house.

Full bellies.

(Three-year-old grandboy, "Will you come to my house to play, cousin Clint?")

Full hearts.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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He breathed and the Stars were Born

"Ingrid," the great white heron
Coosa River farm




"I'm thanking you, God, from a full heart,
I'm writing the book on Your wonders.
I'm whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy;
I'm singing Your song, High GOD."
(Psalm 9:1 The Message)

"Before He made the world, the Creator made a plan - a very grand plan. And at the appointed time in His very grand plan, the Creator made the heavens and the earth, and the earth spun empty and dark - inky black and darker than a moonless night. No shiny stars bejeweled the night sky. No big oaks stood tall in the forest, no humans or field mice or little, speckled tree frogs scurried over the face of the earth."

"The Creator merely spoke and the heavens appeared. He breathed the word and all the stars were born. He commanded the waters to gather, and there were oceans. He charged the earth to sprout, and ferns and Indian paintbrush and Grancy Greybeard and trees of every species sprang forth."

"He spoke the sun and the moon and the stars into the galaxies and water creatures into the seas and land creatures onto solid ground and birds into the heavens."

"And before He rested, the Creator formed a human creature in His very own image and named him Adam."1

Dear human creature, beloved of God, in this Thanksgiving season, offer praise and thanks to the One who made the heavens and the earth and you.

1 A WILLOWKINS CHRISTMAS STORY. Jill Glassco, 2017.

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Out of Darkness

Confirmation Class, 1963
First United Methodist Church, Fort Payne, AL
(brother, Mark, 3rd boy from left, I'm the little girl, 2nd from left)

"But you are the ones chosen of God...instruments to do His work and speak out for Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9)

The photo above was snapped on the day I joined the church and was baptized, but it was not the day Jesus called me out of darkness and into His marvelous light. That day came a few years later at an "altar call" by the young pastor, Bobby Welch, after an evangelistic movie at the DeKalb Theatre. Jesus called; I answered, and He brought me out of the darkness of my sins, forgave me, and granted me His free gift of eternal life.

Oswald Chambers wrote: "Never build your case for forgiveness on the idea that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. That contradicts the revealed truth of God in Jesus Christ. It makes the Cross unnecessary, and redemption 'much ado about nothing.' God forgives sin only because of the death [and resurrection] of Christ."

Are you out of darkness, beloved, and walking in the light of Jesus Christ? Then speak out His praises to a world still lost in the darkness.

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Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

illustration from Secrets of Shiloh 
by talented artist, Donny Finley




"Enter His gates with thanksgiving;
go into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the LORD is good
His unfailing love continues forever,
and His faithfulness continues to each generation."
Psalm 100:4-5

Benjamin and Viola Robison
my paternal great-grandparents

Oscar and Elsie Brazelle
my maternal grandparents

Winfred and Verna Watson
my parents

Phillip and Jill Glassco
my husband and me

Phillip and Jill Glassco's children and grandchildren

"Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise You!
I will praise You as long a I live,
lifting up my hands to You in prayer."
Psalm 63:3-4

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At the Movies

Mama and Rocky
1950

"Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, 'This man receives sinners and eats with them!' So Jesus told them this story: 'If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do?'" (Luke 15:2-4)


On the way up the church steps when my brother, Rocky, was a little fellow, he asked our parents, "What's showing, today?" 

Mama said it was a big wake-up call to go to church more and the movies less.

In chapter 15 of the Gospel of Luke, when the Pharisees complained of Jesus associating with sinners, the Lord told three famous parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son to teach the truth that the Savior came to seek and save people lost in their sin.

It's "At the Movies" time again at Church of the Highlands - where Pastor Chris uses modern-day stories to unpack spiritual truths and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with lost people. It's a Christ-like thing to do.

Know a lost sheep, beloved? Bring 'em to "At the Movies." Find the campus nearest you at: churchofthehighlands.com

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The Test of Praise

Fort Payne, Alabama Christmas parade, 1964
(I was a 3rd graders somewhere on that float)

"The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, and each is tested by the praise accorded him." (Proverbs 27:21)

In the 1950s and 60s (maybe into the 1970s), Mr. John Blake played Santa for the children of Fort Payne, Alabama. When I was three years old, Santa said, "You sure are a cute little girl," to which I responded matter-of-factly, "I know it." (Boy, did I ever fail the praise test!!)

In the Gospel of John, the beloved Apostle reported that many believed in Jesus including some of the Jewish leaders, but they refused to admit it because they loved the praises of people more than the approval of God.

Lord Jesus, may all praise given to us be pointed to You, and may we never love the accolades of men over the approval of our God and King.

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Little Orphant Annie

L-R Uncle Claud, Aunt Sally, and my grandmother
1907?

"I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother, Lois, and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you." (2 Timothy 1:5)

She read. We listened.

Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,

An' wash the cups and saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,

An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,

An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;

An' all us other childern, when the supper things is done,

We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun...

When they cleaned out Grandmother's house, I asked for the book with the James Whitcomb Riley poem: "Little Orphant Annie."

Grandmother's love of books and, more importantly, her love for Jesus imprinted the hearts of her grandchildren. 

O Lord, today I pray for my own grandchildren. Help them to love You, obey your voice, and hold fast to You. Teach them Your ways that they may walk in truth. Give them undivided minds to fear Your name. I pray they will follow and serve You all the days of their lives and live in Your house forever! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen and amen.

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Clean Sheets

"Mrs. Weatherby" from A Chancellor Ferry Tale

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever!" (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Every Monday morning, I wash sheets. Every Monday night, my sweet husband says, "Thank you for clean sheets."

'Tis the season of giving thanks to God and others. Who have you thanked today?

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Useless

Babygrand's baby blues

"Now for this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if these qualities are yours and increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ...because if you do these things you will never stumble." (2 Peter 1:5-10)

When I got some good news from my publisher last week, in the twinkle of an eye, my focus shifted from God's people-mission to dollar signs. Scared me silly!

In today's daily devotion, Pastor Larry Stockstill wrote:

"Satan was clothed with garments decorated with beautiful stones and some believe he was even covered with musical instruments. He was a 'mighty angelic guardian' (Ezekiel 28:14), walking among the fiery stones that surround the throne of God. [When the sin of pride gripped Satan like a vice] Jesus said that He saw 'Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning!' (Luke 10:18)."

Beloved, we need Jesus every minute of every hour lest we stumble into pride or greed and render ourselves useless in God's Kingdom. Today, let us humble ourselves before God, love Him, obey His voice, and hold fast to Him!

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Avocado Jelly and Ripples

Superman and me
Kennebunkport, ME
Summer, 2017

Jesus said, "But you walked away from your first love - why?...Turn back! Recover your dear love. No time to waste!" (Revelation 2:4-5)

"Do we have any jelly?" asked my superman.

"I think we have some avocado jelly in the pantry," I answered sweetly.

(Chuckle)

"Avocado? Do you mean apricot?" he asked.

"Yeah, apricot. Why do you need jelly?" I asked.

"A peanut butter and jelly sandwich with ripples [potato chips] sounds good," he explained.

(Laughter)

"Do you mean Ruffles?" I asked.

Life after 60 is a hoot, and I'm having a blast with the #2 love of my life. (Jesus is #1!)

Have a fun-filled weekend, beloved, with #1 and #2 loves of your life! 

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Covered

Our grandgirl
Christmas Past

"O my soul, bless God! God, my God, how great you are! beautifully, gloriously robed, dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for Your tent...You set the earth on firm foundation so that nothing can shake it, ever. You blanketed earth with ocean, covered the mountains with deep waters....Oh, let me sing to God all my life long, sing hymns to my God as long as I live! O my soul, bless God! (Psalm 104 The Message)

To the one who...

sits alone...

cried yourself to sleep last night...

sits beside a hospital bed...

now is the parent to a parent...

got the phone call...

never thought you'd see the day when...

weeps with a broken heart over your rebel...

is jobless...

sick...

afraid...

tired...

hopeless...

you are not alone.

Oh, my soul

Oh, how you worry

Oh, how you're weary, from fearing you lost control

This was the one thing, you didn't see coming

And no one would blame you, though

If you cried in private

If you tried to hide it away, so no one knows

No one will see, if you stop believing.

Oh, my soul

You are not alone

There's a place where fear has to face God you know

One more day, He will make a way

Let Him show you how, you can lay this down

'Cause you're not alone 1

1 OH MY SOUL, Casting Crowns.

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Happy Dance

"Blessed are the people who know the password of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of GOD. Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who You are, what You do- they can't keep it quiet!" (Psalm 89:15-16 The Message)


I'm doing a happy dance today. It's been my prayer that God will use my storybooks for His good purposes. Early this morning, a kind neighbor emailed:

"I have to tell you the story of the "oldest living person" in Georgia (now deceased) Mrs. Cooper. Her family read your story [The Schoolhouse] aloud to her because the schoolroom in your book was just like the one in which she taught. It brought tons of joy."

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for blessing Mrs. Cooper through my own grandmother's adventures as a young teacher in a one-room school in the mountains of Tennessee. And thank You, Lord, that both ladies are now in heaven with You!

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Windows

L-R - my brothers, Rocky and Mark, and me
atop Lookout Mountain in Fort Payne, Alabama
1963

Jesus said, "We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent Me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over. For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the Light of the world." (John 9:4-5)

From Thanksgiving until December 24th, a tall Frazier Fir will go for a hundred bucks or more! But come December 26th, you couldn't trade it for a plugged nickel. 

Today, I find myself in a narrow 7-week-window of opportunity for the new storybook, A Willowkins Christmas Story.

Lord Jesus, please use this little book to draw families closer to You and one another and to teach them the true meaning of Christmas. I pray that Your good purposes will be accomplished and that You will be honored and glorified. Lord, in every open window, I pray Your light shines through so that the world may know You and Your love and Your great sacrifice. 

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One If By Land Two If By Sea

Old North Church
Boston, Massachusetts
(snapshot from our 40th anniversary trip)

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are." (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Listen, my children, and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five:

Hardly a man is now alive

Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march

By land or sea from the town tonight,

Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch

Of the North Church tower, as a signal light,

One if by land, and two if by sea;

And I on the opposite shore will be,

Ready to ride and spread the alarm

Through every Middlesex village and farm,

For the country folk to be up and to arm..."1

1 PAUL REVERE'S RIDE, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1860.

Call me cuckoo for cocoa puffs, but, yesterday at the farm, when Phillip accidentally shattered the back windshield on his car and, minutes later, a yellow jacket crawled down my shirt and stung my back, I sounded the spiritual-warfare alarm and counter attacked with praise to the Lord, prayer, and the Word of God. It just seemed a little too "coincidental" to me.

In Peter's first letter to believers scattered throughout a world growing increasingly hostile to Christians, he warned them to stay alert and watch out for enemy attacks and reminded them that their living hope is in the Lord Jesus: "My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God's grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Peace be with you who are in Christ." (1 Peter 5:12,14)

Beloved, stand firm against the evil one, be strong in your faith in Jesus, strong in His grace, and steadfast in His peace!

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Let Your Little Light Shine

wee grandboys

Today, beloved, "let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."(Matthew 5:16)

I'm headed to the zoo with three, little buckaroos, so that's all, folks!

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Will You Still Love Me

grandboy
fall family camping trip

"At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, 'Are you also going to leave?'" (John 6:66-67)

Because I long for next year's book, Seabound, to teach children to trust and love God in dark times, I asked the Lord to teach me how to paint unwavering faith into a story. Not only is He helping me write the manuscript, but He also laid out the outline for a 12-week Bible Study: "Will you still love Me? Trusting Jesus in the Darkness."

In John chapter 6, Jesus miraculously fed the 5,000, walked on water, and implored the crowds to believe on the One God sent to them.

"Show us a sign if you want us to believe!" shouted the people.

Jesus replied, "I am the Bread of life. For it is My Father's will that all who see His Son and believe in Him should have eternal life."

But the people murmured and argued and complained, "This is very hard to understand!"

Then John 6:66 reports that many of His followers deserted Him. (Sidenote: I find it interesting that John 6:66 records Jesus deserters. See Rev. 13:18.)

When Jesus asked the Twelve if they were going, too, I love Peter's response: "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know You are the Holy One of God!"

Beloved, in the darkness, will you still love Jesus?

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