King of the World

Challenges

Our family has some challenges

I have some challenges

Our Nation has challenges

With each challenge we either turn to the truth or walk away in unbelief.

This song has been touching my heart recently.  I sing the words to my spirit and soul.

As we look at the challenges before us, may we remember

He Has Always Been the King of the World!!!

King of the World

I tried to fit you in the walls inside my mind
I try to keep you safely inbetween the lines
I try to put you in the box that I've designed
I try to pull you down so we are eye to eye

When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world
How could I make you so small
When you're the one who holds it all
When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world

Just a whisper of your voice can tame the seas
So who am I to try to take the lead
Still I run ahead and think I'm strong enough
When you're the one who made me from the dust

When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world
How could I make you so small
When you're the one who holds it all
When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world

Ohhhh, you set it all in motion
Every single moment
You brought it all to me
And you're holding on to me

When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world
How could I make you so small
When you're the one who holds it all
When did I forget you've always been the king of the world
You will always be the king of the world

Humble Pie

Humble Pie - the type of pie we usually don't want a piece of, yet life always serves it up on many types of plates.

I am not a fiction reader, although I am trying to learn to read more for just pure entertainment.  The Hawk and the Dove is one of my all time favorite fiction novels.  Within this trilogy set in a Monastery, the Monk walks through a season of eating humble pie.  Delivering the most powerful illustration of humble pie, my father, who doesn't read fiction, commented on the power of this chapter. I recall this chapter every time I experience the same.

As a mother of six children and 55 years here on earth, I have had plenty servings of humble pie.  As  a parent, I learned early in my parenting that if I ever wanted to impress anyone with my children's behavior, that almost guaranteed I would be dished up a hearty serving of humble pie.  What was ironic is this humble pie would usually be served on a plate meant for desiring to witness for Christ.  One wise friend counseled me one day, after something with one of my small children's actions, "Janette, if you are going to take credit for your child's failures, you will take credit for their successes!"   She desired for me to learn early that it was God who was at work in my children's lives for His glory.  Her advice stayed with me for decades and came back to land again last week.

I received an email from the director of Benjamin's school.  The email just said, "I am giving  your SON an award tomorrow.  If you can make it to the assembly that would be nice."  That was weird, it wasn't the end of the grading period when awards were given.

I arrived for the morning assembly. I noticed there weren't any other parents.  One of the faculty members came to ask me to come inside the gym. I came in set down, and wondered, "what is going on?"   The director started out explaining a new award for this year.  Each teacher would nominate a student who encouraged them to come to work each day.  She would begin this year with the student she nominated.  She went on to explain about this student.  I was listening, not realizing, she was talking about my son.  After a few words, she said, "Ben Wright".  To my shock and Benjamin's he was who she selected out of the whole student body.

Humble Pie - the good tasting one, yet the one that leaves you speechless.   As her words continued I stood to take pictures.  I forced back the tears, as I called out to God, "what are you doing?"  The gentle whisper in my spirit was, "it is for MY GLORY, don't touch it!"  How humbling is that?  It wasn't for me to look good in front of staff or other parents or anything to say, "look I have done well parenting my son!"  It was more the, in spite of all your weaknesses, He will still work all things for his good.

Later that day, while still being dazed by the morning events I was served up a very heavy dose of Humble Pie.  The humble pie that leaves you weak, faint, sick at your stomach kind.  The one that if you don't handle it right there will be a huge price to pay.  This humble pie was eaten with "I am in control" spoken from the Lord.  If He could use Benjamin for His glory, then He would also use this humble pie also.

One humble pie is framed and the reminder hangs for us to see.  The other humble pie is in the process of being walked out with God's grace.  As my head hit the pillow that night the advice from my wise friend rang through my head again, "Janette, if you take credit for their failures, you will take credit for their success."

Heritage Left Behind

I can almost hear the voices of both of my grandmothers, and how they would have responded to the comments spoken in front of a wooden church pew.  I must say, I couldn't believe my reaction at first, but the truth that rolled off my unrestrained lips reminded me of my own heritage.

Most of our churches are built for comfort now.  You can choice which service you would attend since many of our churches have multiple services starting on Saturday night through Sunday.  If you have an event you want to attend or a game you want to watch, you just change the service you attend that weekend.  The length of the services is down to an art, to keep the attention of all in attendance.  Your A/C and heater, are managed to make you comfortable, as well as, child care up through elementary school.  The days of "hard wooden pews' have been replaced by more relaxing cushioned chairs.

I am not saying I am in disagreement with all the changes, but sometimes it makes me wonder, would we still attend, if all the comforts were removed?

Our women were having a ladies breakfast and worship time at our church.  I am part of a small group of women who serve by decorating for different events. I am one that follows the leaders with a working hand....move items,..put up and take down.  This event the designer wanted a place for women to gather, enjoy breakfast and maybe take a picture or two.   Her vision was expressed and I came along side her with items I had collected from my home. This would include a wooden pew, chandelier,  vintage songbooks and Bibles.  The songbooks were my grandmother's she used for "singings".

The younger adults were enjoying seeing the pew, then the comments came.  "Oh, I remember those and I am soooooooooooooo glad we no longer use them!"  "Those were so uncomfortable."  "The first time I got in trouble at church had to do with......................."

Without checking my words through my brain I stopped in my tracks.  "Well, then you have something to be thankful for!  You were raised in the church!  If you set on wooden pews, then thank God for your Christian heritage!"

Needless to say, they just looked at me like I had dropped down from Mars.  They hadn't thought of that, they were just expressing how much they liked church the way it conducts services now compared to their childhood memories.  The point they missed was, they have a spiritual past. Someone dressed them, drove them, and attended the single service on Sunday, weekly, so they could hear the Gospel.  Back in the day, there wasn't children's church, which meant they heard the Word from the Pastor.

I slowly walked away, glanced at the books sitting on display and thanked God for my Christian heritage.  There was my husband and mine Bible's from our youth.  The songbooks that my Grandmother had written her name across and used to sing from, the pew, though not from a church I knew, still represented where I would set.

I am still passing the Christian Heritage baton to my own children and now my grandsons.  It will not be a wooden pew, or songbooks, but I pray that I will leave something behind. I pray that instead of them only seeing  discomfort or entertainment, they embrace the truth of going to church -               The Gospel. My grandmother might just say, "give me that old time religion."  My grandmothers both were faithful to God and family until their death.  Maybe those old wooden pews were better than we thought.

Who Decided That?

The past few months my heart has told me over and over again to come back to blogging.

It isn't that I feel my words are needed by others, or even read, it is for me.  It seems that blogging is like a balm to my soul.  Our souls need to be refreshed, as the world continues to drain them.  Typing out my thoughts, my joys, my struggles and dreams, reminds me that life is good!

God's Word is the daily balm to our souls and spirit.  I rest and soak in His word before taking on my day.  I also believe there are other means God uses to refresh our soul.  A visit to a play, a piece of art, a smile and kiss from a grandchild, can sooth the bumps of this life.

So, today I came back to look at my neglected blog.  I should know, all things neglected need a lot of repair. It is better to continue to maintain, then to have to do a huge overhaul.

Well somehow, or some technology, decided to rearrange my blog.  On the sidebar where I had social icons there were flashing  " not nice" ads.  One I wouldn't want anyone to see.  I then took all the social icons off my side bar.  If you were exposed to them, I apology.

As I scrolled down, all the blogs I cherish and their newest post were gone!!!  They have been taken...whatever new update or whatever!!!, had removed them.

As soon as I get my other business done I hope to return and figure all this out once again.

Lesson to self....neglect is never a good thing.  Not for my body, my mind, my spirit nor my blog!

Hope to see you soon................with a new outlook and cleaned up blog!