Who Am I

grandboy

A Riddle for the day:

"The Lord created me first of all, the first of His works, long ago.

I was made in the very beginning, at the first, before the world began.

I was born before the oceans, when there were no springs of water.

I was born before the mountains, before the hills were set in place, before God made the earth and its fields or even the first handful of soil.

I was there when He set the sky in place, when He stretched the horizon across the ocean, when He placed the clouds in the sky, when He opened the spring of the ocean and ordered the waters of the sea to rise no further than He said.

I was there when He laid the earth's foundations.

I was beside Him like an architect, I was His daily source of joy, always happy in His presence."

Who am I?

(Answer found in Proverbs 8:22-30)

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Sugar

my favorite son-in-law, Stephen



"How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103)

As a youngster, Daddy's pet name for me was "Sugar." One day I told him, "I'm gonna be a lawyer like you when I grow up and the name of our practice can be Watson, Watson, and Sugar."

And now that "Sugar" is a memaw, my worst enemy is... You guessed it! Sugar.

Want a better 2019, beloved? Consume less processed sugar and feed on the sweet Word of God. It's the healthy thing to do!

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In the Goal

grandboy



"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!" (Philippians 3:14)

He shoots and ....

He's in the goal!

Our greatest goal for 2019 should be pressing on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Are you in the goal, beloved?

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Happy Birthday, Jesus!

grandboys



"Sing a new song to the LORD!
Sing to the LORD, all the world!
Sing to the LORD, and praise Him!
Proclaim every day the Good News
That [Jesus] has saved us.
Proclaim His glory to the nations,
His mighty deeds to all peoples.
The LORD is great and is to be highly praised!"
(Psalm 96:1-4)


Happy birthday, Jesus!
Merry Christmas, one and all!

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Christmas Eve Gift

Granddaddy, brother Mark, and me
Christmas 1958

"So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

My phone dinged at 5:30 this morning - a text from our youngest saying: "Christmas Eve Gift!"

I thought my granddaddy started the tradition, but actually the Christmas-Eve-Gift exclamation can be traced back to the 1800s in the southern United States. The person being told "Christmas Eve Gift!" is expected to give the person saying it a small gift - traditionally candy or nuts.

Whatever your traditions, beloved, may the Lord bless you and yours with a very merry Christmas. 

Christmas Eve Gift!!! J

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Back to the Manger

Piper's shenanigans

"They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the Baby, lying in the manger." (Luke 2:16)

Every Christmas season at our daughter's house, Piper, a little, brown sheep, wanders from the flock and gets into mischief while the children are nestled, all snug in their beds. One night this year, she rode the "shoe-shoe" train, but Christmas morning, Piper always finds her way to back to the manger.

Beloved, will you find your way to the manger this Christmas? Jesus truly is the reason for the season!

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Numbered Days

My 40th birthday,
April, 1996



"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)

See that cute seventeen-year-old in the middle of this picture snapped on my 40th birthday? Well, today is his 40th birthday! My, my. Time does flies like a Peregrine Falcon. Happy birthday, Rhett!!

The 90th Psalm of the Old Testament is a prayer of Moses acknowledging the eternity of God and frailty of man. Moses prayed:

Lord, You have been our dwelling place

in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

Or ever You had formed the earth and the world.

Even from everlasting to everlasting,

You are God...

For a thousand years in Your sight

Are like yesterday when it is past,

and like a watch in the night...

The days of our lives are seventy years;

And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,

Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;

For it is soon cut off, and we fly away...

So teach us to number our days,

That we may gain a heart of wisdom...

Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us;

And establish the work of our hands; 

Yes, establish the work of our hands.

"Everyone needs to take inventory regarding how they are spending their days. A day is like a dollar: it can be spent wisely or foolishly, but once it is spent, it cannot be spent again."  ~ Dr. David Jeremiah

So, beloved, how are you spending today?

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The Subject of Love

Grandboy and Pompa from Honduras

"Love is patient and kind." (1 Corinthians 13:4)

It's only to be expected. When studying for a Bible study, God gives opportunities to "practice what I'll preach." Currently, I'm studying the biblical meaning of love. 

When our Ben was a first grader, he came home with his report card and proudly announced, "Mama, I got an 'A' in everything but acting." 

"What's 'acting?'" I asked.

He replied, "It's the way you act." 

First Corinthians 13:4-13 clearly defines love not as a feeling but as behavior - the way we act:

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance... Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love."

Beloved, what grade are you earning in the subject of love these days?

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Exercise

Grandboy's cross-country race
(boy in black and gold)

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (Romans 12:1)

This older this ol' gal gets, the more effort it takes to keep my motor chuggin' along with just the right balance in diet, exercise, and sleep. However, although physical exercise is valuable, spiritual exercise in godliness holds value for this present life and the eternal life to come (1 Timothy 4:8).

Spiritual exercise includes: 

• daily confessing my sins to God and receiving His forgiveness and cleansing,
• daily feeding on a rich diet of God's Word and truth, and
• daily offering myself to Jesus for His service - my hands, my feet, my words, my mind, my eyes, my ears, my time, my treasures, my abilities, my all.

Beloved, looking for a good New Year's resolution? Try putting spiritual exercise at the top of the list for 2019. 

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Three Lessons from the Wise Men

"They entered the house and saw the Child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)


Yesterday, from the story of the wisemen in Matthew Chapter 2, Pastor Dino Rizzo of Church of the Highlands preached three simple yet profound lessons offered by the wise men:

1. HUMILITY - The wisemen bowed down.
2. A HEART OF WORSHIP - They worshiped the Christ Child.
3. GENEROSITY - They opened their treasures and gave.

Beloved, can you even imagine the profound difference in our world if we all simply walked as the wise men in humility, worship, and generosity? So, please, help us God!

Full message, "The Gift," available at:
 churchofthehighlands.com

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Harmony

grandgirl a few years ago




"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in harmony!" (Psalm 133:1)

I LOVE this picture of the grandgirl a few years back. Just wish I could remember what she was saying and who she was "straightening out."

A good word for this Christmas season is HARMONY. I opened Larry Stockstill's daily devotion this morning and read: "Harmony is a choice to sacrifice one's personal agenda for the greater good of the 'team.'" Then I opened my Promise Book devotional and read: "Live in Harmony" followed by:

"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud... Do not be conceited. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Romans 12:16,18)

"May God, who gives patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other - each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other." (Romans 15:5)

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:8-9)

"Minimize friction and create harmony. You can get friction for nothing, but harmony costs courage and self-control." ~ Elbert Hubbard

Beloved, may your family walk in harmony like a well-tuned orchestra. ~ Jill 

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Stranded

grandboy

"...Once far away from God... separated from Him by our evil thoughts and actions... He rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins." (Colossians 1:21,13-14)

Yesterday, the grandboys and I found ourselves stranded in make-believe woods - helpless with no hope of escape! So, we gathered firewood...

other grandboy

trapped rabbits and quail, and roasted them over a hot fire.

Made hickory-nut stew...

and brown-leaf salad,

and desperately longed for rescue. The End.

Hmmm... that reminds me.

Yesteryear, I found myself stranded in the fallen, real world, helpless with no hope of escape! So, I just did the best I could and desperately prayed for rescue. And God so loved me, that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, who rescued me out of darkness through His ultimate sacrifice - death on a cross - and brought me into His marvelous Kingdom of Light. And that's the end of my beginning. 

Beloved, are you stranded or rescued?

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Decorated Hard

grandboy

"Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion." (Romans 12:11)

Yesterday, when the three-year-old grandboy saw our

Christmas tree, his blue eyes grew wide and he exclaimed, "Oh, Memaw, you decorated hard!"

Beloved, whatever our hands find to do this Christmas season, let's work hard for the Lord and serve Jesus with heart-full devotion.

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White as Snow

photo by my Rebecca

"LORD, if You kept a record of our sins, who, O LORD, could ever survive?" (Psalm 130:3)

This morning, I awoke remembering an old, Fanny Crosby hymn that Mr. Williams, our church youth choir director in the 1970s, taught us:

Though your sins be as scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Thought your sins be as scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they be red like crimson,

They shall be as wool!

Though your sins be as scarlet

They shall be as white as snow,

They shall be as white as snow.

Stanzas two and three go on to say: Hear the voice that entreats you. Oh, return ye unto God. He is of great compassion, and of wondrous love. He'll forgive your transgressions, and remember them no more. "Look unto Me, ye people," saith the Lord your God. 

On this fourteenth day before the birthday of Jesus Christ, remember, beloved, "the LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love... For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as  the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins [by the blood of Jesus] as far from us as the east is from the west." (Psalm 103:8,11-12)

O come let us adore Him!  

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I Believe the Story

Christmas Express
(grandgirl on stage, 3rd from right)
grandboy amongst the left-side choir)

"And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn." (Luke 2:6-7)

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is traveling to Indiana for the midwestern grands' annual children's choir musical. This year's production, Christmas Express, is the tale of a workaholic Christmas-skeptic who lands in the "JOY" car of a train headed to to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The fellow passengers "just happen" to be Christmas-zealous children.

When the "scrooge" asked the kids if they really believe the whole angel-shepherd-baby-Jesus story, they answer enthusiastically, "Yes! Every word!"

I believe the story. Every word. Don't you, beloved? And if we whole-heartedly believe that Jesus is the reason for the season, shouldn't that make a King-sized impact on the way we talk and walk and love and forgive and tell the story to others?

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Nomads

our "nomad tent"

"Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cosy in it." (1 Peter 2:11)

After discovering that our big, ol' house needs some major repairs, I prayed, "Lord, help me not worry or fret. This house belongs to you and so does our bank account. Please order our steps and accomplish Your good purposes for Your glory," and then I read: 

"Those who trust in the LORD are like Mt. Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people." (Psalm 125:1-2)

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

"Remember, you are no more than a nomad here on earth looking forward to your own country - a better place, a heavenly home - a heavenly city God has prepared for you." (Hebrews 11:13-16)

Beloved, take the nomad perspective and TRUST in Jesus, the Savior, Master, and Lord of heaven and earth.

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Snippy

us
Sanibel Island
Valentine's 2018



"Love is patient and kind." (1 Corinthians 13:4)

Shame on me, I got a little snippy with Superman this morning, and then opened my Promise Book devotional and read:

"A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire" (Proverbs 15:1) "Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13)

A "good wife" reminder from the Father, who knows best.

Tongue check, beloved. Is yours sharp or gentle?

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For the Love of God

super grandboys

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments..." (1 John 5:3) And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also." (I John 4:21)



I kept two of my grandboys yesterday afternoon, and while they napped, I studied: "Lord, please teach me more about loving You."

"Study my beloved John," He whispered.

John was among the first four disciples Jesus called to follow Him and would be the last man standing of the twelve after Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. He penned five books of the New Testament including the in-your-face teachings of First John and mind-blowing prophecies of Revelation. And how did John love Christ well? 

• By loving the One who loved him first. (1 John 4:19)
• By abiding in the Savior, His Word, and His love. (John 15)
• By demonstrating His love for Jesus in loving others. (1 John 4:21)
• By sticking with Jesus through thick and thin - even exile to the prison island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and testimony of Jesus, the Christ. (Revelation 1:9)
• By eagerly awaiting the Lord's return. (Revelation 22:20)

This Christmas season, beloved, let's love Christ well by loving others well. May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with His people. Amen.

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The Holy City

our mantle



"Pray for... Jerusalem." (Psalm 122:6)

Jesus came as a babe in a lowly manger to Bethlehem; He will one day return as King to Jerusalem, and God's glorious presence will bless His people and the holy city. 

I confess that a few Santa decorations sprinkle our home, but Christ is the heart of our CHRISTmas - the perfect season to pray, as God instructed, for Jerusalem:

"Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces." (Psalm 122:6-7)

Beloved, let us pray.

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Ladies

Christmas party, Fort Payne, AL, 1960
Back L-R: Opie Hawkins (half), Elizabeth Owen, Hazel Sauls,
Doris Chambers, Arleen Igou, Verna Watson (my mother)
Front: little Shannon Sauls

"Teach the older women to live in a way that honors God...These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God." (Titus 2:3-5)

In my experience, women of the 50s and 60s were ladies in every sense of the word, and anyone of those pictured above could have given June Cleaver a run for her money. Dedicated to family. Soft-spoken and kind. Her husband's best friend and cheerleader. No, not housekeepers, but homemakers.

Recently, I believe the Lord assigned me the daunting task of teaching Titus 2:3-5 in a Bible study to younger wives and moms of the 21st Century. Help me, Lord!

Facing a daunting task, beloved? Look to the Lord and obey.

"Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). ~ Jesus Christ

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O Christmas Tree

our Christmas Tree

"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other." (Romans 12:10)

This year, we broke tradition and bought a "pretend" tree instead of the customary fresh Fraser Fir from the Daniel's at Lloyd's Christmas Tree Lot. (But, we still watched "White Christmas" as we decorated.)

In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul urged believers: "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection."

In this most wonderful time of the year, beloved, let us cast off all pretense and love others with genuine affection. 

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Closing Argument

"Jesus" by Priscilla Wadsworth

"I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise You among your assembled people." (Psalm 22:22)


Astonishing?

Remarkable?

Amazing?

Striking?

I'm searching for the right word to describe the celebration ceremony we attended yesterday, where our friend, Richard - a former District Attorney - at his own funeral gave a final, closing argument for...

the case of Jesus Christ,

Savior and Lord. 

The first "witness" took the pulpit and testified that, on the basis of science, history, and prophecy, Jesus Christ is indeed God.

1. Thousands of years before scientist discovered that the universe had a beginning and still continues to expand, God said, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), and "He alone stretches out the heavens" (Job 9:8).
2. Historically, there were more eye-witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead than any other recorded event in history.
3. And in Psalm 22, David prophesied the crucifixion of Jesus some 1,000 years before Jesus was born. 

His colleague and friend gave Richard's final, closing argument: Richard's own surprising journey to salvation.

Richard lived an exemplary life. A man of integrity lovingly devoted to his family, church, and work. But, it was only one year prior to his death at age 74 that his head knowledge of Jesus Christ became heart knowledge when Jesus by grace through faith saved Richard from religion, sin, and eternal death and gave him forgiveness, personal relationship, and eternal life.

Before his death, Richard said, "This story needs to be told. On earth, it's never too late to be saved."

The defense rests its case.

I pray Richard's life-changing testimony circles the globe. Lord Jesus, use it to bring many sons and daughters to glory. Amen and so be it!

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Things Above

Grandboy

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:1-2)

We're headed to Fort Payne today to bid a dear friend farewell until we meet again where Jesus is. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the enduring promise of heaven.

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These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Five Glassco Men and Boys

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30)

One of my favorite things is walking through a field with my boys on a bright blue November day. Another is walking through the woods with grands and pups.

But, my most favorite thing of all is walking through life with Jesus, the Author and finisher of faith.

What are a few of your favorite things, beloved?

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving at my house



"Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name." (Psalm 100:4)

Thank You, Lord, for so many, many blessings.

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The Truth, Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth

My daddy and me
1958

"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

After earning his Bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama in 1943, my father, W. W. Watson, joined the Army and finished O.C.S. as a Second Lieutenant in Anti-Aircraft Artillery at Camp Davis, Wilmington, N.C. In May, 1944, he sailed to New Guinea - landing on June 6th, D-Day in Europe. He was later transferred to Subic Bay in the Philippines and, after WWII ended, was sent with the occupation troops to Japan. 

During his twenty-six months overseas, Daddy was promoted to captain and served as a Platoon Commander, S-II-Intelligence Officer, S-III-Training Officer, and Trial Judge Advocate. After the war, he returned to law school at Alabama and, for forty-four years, advocated the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

In the Gospel of John, the beloved apostle quotes Jesus as saying that He is the Truth and no one comes to the Father but by Him. 

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 the redemption 'much ado about nothing.' God forgives sin only because of the death of Christ." 

And that, beloved, is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help us God!

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Tell Me the Story

2 grandboys and Bell
(Granddaddy and our Ben in the background)

"But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them the story of Jesus?" (Romans 10:14)

"Memaw, did you get Bell at the pet store?" four-year-old grandboy asked for the umpteenth time. (His way of asking me to tell him Bell's story.)

"No, buddy. One day, Bell just walked up on the cabin porch. She was so hungry and..."

Recently, in regard's to faith in Jesus, a friend said, "How can you make yourself believe something you don't believe?"

The Bible's answer? "Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ." (Romans 10:17) And even faith itself is a gift from God: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

Know someone struggling to believe, beloved? Tell them the story of Jesus and encourage them to read the life-changing Word of God!

Tell me the story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word;

Tell me the story most precious

Sweetest that ever was heard.

Tell how the angels in chorus,

Sang as they welcomed His birth,

"Glory to God in the highest!

Peace and good tidings to earth."

Fasting alone in the desert,

Tell of the days that are past,

How for our sins He was tempted,

Yet was triumphant at last.

Tell of the years of His labor,

Tell of the sorrow He bore;

He was despised and afflicted,

Homeless, rejected and poor.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,

Writhing in anguish and pain;

Tell of the grave where they laid Him,

Tell how He liveth again.

Love in that story so tender,

Clearer than ever I see; 

Stay, let me weep while you whisper,

"Love paid the ransom for me."

Tell how He's gone back to heaven,

Up to the right hand of God:

How He is there interceding

While on this earth we must trod.

Tell of the sweet Holy Spirit

He has poured out from above;

Tell how He's coming in glory

For all the saints of His love.

TELL ME THE STORY OF JESUS. Fanny Crosby, 1880.

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Joy Ride

Memaw and her grandboys





"You will find joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the earth..." (Isaiah 58:14)

On Saturday, the little grandboys took Memaw on a joy ride in the wagon.

"I can see it now," I laughed, "in about 20 years, my grandboys hauling Memaw around the farm in a wagon."

In Isaiah 58, the LORD told His people to feed the hungry, help those in trouble, and keep the Sabbath holy. In return, He would make their light shine out of darkness, guide and provide for them continually, and make them ride on the high places (in other words, give them great honor).

In this Thanksgiving season, beloved, take a joy ride: thank God for His continual guidance and provision and help someone outside your family circle. 

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A Good Man

Our Dan and his boys



"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way." (Psalm 37:23)

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy 33rd birthday, dear Dan,

Happy birthday to you!

We love you, good man.

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What Are You Thinking?

Fall Creek Falls
in the fall

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:8)

For years, Dr. Caroline Leaf, a cognitive neuroscientist, has studied the effects of thoughts on the human brain. She discovered that negative or "toxic" thoughts actually release chemicals into the brain, which, overtime, negatively impact physical and mental health. Dr. Leaf, who is also a Christian, now travels the globe as an author and public speaker teaching the scientific benefits of thinking God's way: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self-control, forgiveness, etc.

Dr. Leaf goes so far as to say that mental illnesses are actually mental disorders that can be changed by changing thought patterns. Interesting.

So, beloved, want to change your stinkin' thinking? Here's a vigorous mental workout. I challenge you to try it. 

1. Read aloud (yes, out loud) the following Scriptures.

• 2 Timothy 1:7
• Deuteronomy 30:19-20
• Romans 12:2
• Philippians 4:8
• Romans 8:31-39
• Romans 8:15-17
• Psalm 103:1-5
• Psalm 112:1-9
• Psalm 100
• Psalm 23
• Psalm 91
• Proverbs 3:1-6

2. Repeat #1 once a day for 21 days.

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