CACKLING IN THE CORNER

"Even though the place of meditation might be secret, some hypocrites handle the matter in such a way that all the world knows. A hen may retreat to a quiet corner to lay her egg but her cackling tells the whole house where she is and what she is doing."

William Gurnall
The Christian in Complete Armour
World Challenge in association with Banner of Truth Trust  1655, 1658, 1662, revised 1864
p. 79

I suppose "humor" might be an odd place to file this notecard, but . . . it's absolutely so true and the image makes me smile. Humor, sometimes, seals a truth to our heart, don't you think?

EverGrowing,
Lonnie

TRUTH SOFTENED WITH HUMOR

"The Bible could be no clearer. God does ask his children of every nation and walk of life to suffer. Only 2 places on this planet are exempt--a few acres in southern California, and a few in Florida, both run by a friendly talking mouse who wears suspenders."

Joni Earekson Tada
When God Weeps
Zondervan   1997
p. 65

STRAIGHT TO THE CEMETARY

"You know, there's 2 places I never want to go. One's jail and the other is in the hospital. So when the ambulance came for me [broken hip] I told the driver, 'Just take me straight to the cemetary. I'd rather go there, yes sir!.'"

Bessie Delany
Book of Everyday Wisdom
Kodansha International  1994
p. 124

Sadie and Bessie Delany lived into their hundreds; and I mean "lived." I read their book, Having Our Say, years a go and plan to read it again. These African American women are so fun! And they give us good lessons in creative perseverence.

Smiling,
Lonnie

PS: Also reminds me of an older woman who my roommate visited on her off-nursing-hours. She was a touch cranky. One time, she spouted at Candi, "Well forgive me for living; but I fell out of the hearse."

Still Smiling,
Lonnie

HOMELESS IN MINNEAPOLIS

"An attitude of hope, I believe, is the forerunner of trust. The expression of this trust is belief.

One radio preacher said, "Hope is closer to wishing and it is not as strong as believing. If you hope God will do it, you give God the option not to. But if you maintain an attitude of hope, and you trust and believe intensely enough, that's a different story.

". . . since I have nothing, I have nothing else to lose, so 'Why not?' I think that's what Jesus was getting at, with the rich man getting through the eye of a needle. He had more baggage and therefore more to lose. Jessie Lair paraphrases, 'Here is a splendid, abundant life for you; all you need to do is let loose of your garbage.'"

Pat McDonough
Without Keys: My 15 Weeks With The Street People  !996
P. 282

Pat, a middle class, professional woman found herself homeless in Minneapolis--in my backyard, if you will. Pardon my emphasis. Sometimes I have to shake myself loose from inaccurate pictures stored in my head.

I've read 2 or 3 books by people who know, first hand, what it's like living on the streets or in their van. I might expect to encounter lessons in perseverence and survival. I'm not sure I'd have looked to the homeless for wisdom and hope. But Pat McDonough certainly has some. 

And that makes sense, I guess. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says, "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame (confound KJV) the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame (confound) the things that are mighty . . . "

What is "your" perception of the homeless? Mine is changing . . . some mind pictures are accurate; others, not.

EverGrowing,
Lonnie

TROUBLED

"If your closest associates are grateful people, you're likely to become more thankful for what you have. If your closest friends are negative, critical complainers, you will soon emulate them."

Bob Russell and Rusty Russell
Jesus: Lord of Your Personality
Howard Publishing  2002
p. 16


I'm troubled. Because "I" am someone's closest associate. My workplace, with it's challenges and smorgasbord of personalities, comes to mind. If my half-dozen, or so, coworkers emulate "me;" or if the customers who cross our threshold carry my attitude out with them what will our workplace and community look and sound like?

God, when needed, help me go against the flow.

Better yet, help me set the pace.

Ready To Grow,
Lonnie

A FORK IN THE ROAD

"Imagine walking down a road and coming to a fork, one leading to eternal life and the other leading to hell. The problem is you don't know which one leads where. Then you notice 2 men--one living, one dead. Which one will you ask for direction? The living man, of course."

Franklin Graham
The Name
Thomas Nelson Publishers  2002
p. 77

We all, without exception, have the promise of eternal life. "Where" is our "choice." Eternity is a long -- long -- time. Choose wisely.

Ever Growing Closer to EverPraying,
Lonnie

JESUS IS GENTLE, BUT . . .

"Jesus is gentle, but He is not weak. He loves the sinner but is absolutely intolerant of sin. He is not a negotiator. He is Lord."

Franklin Graham
The Name
Thomas Nelson Publishers   2002
p. 57

What's to add?
EverGrowing,
Lonnie

CLINGING OR SHARING

"We cling to our possessions rather than sharing them because we are anxious about tomorrow."

Richard Foster
Celebration of Discipline
Harper SanFrancisco/Harper Collins  p. 89


I love sharing, but I admit that the more anxious I am, the less I do so. Sadly, I call my actions wisdom, careful planning, or even saving for the future. Careful planning is correct, if it's spelled differently: Care-full. So full of care (for myself) that I, like the man with one talent, hide what I have and end up with less--if not in possessions, certainly in richness of life.

Foster's flip-side is where I want to live, and will, with God's promptings and help.

" . . . we can share because we know that He will care for us."

Richard Foster

EverGrowing With His Help,
Lonnie

BIRD BRAINS

"Birds retain strong memories of places where they have been threatened or alarmed. Margaret nice noted that a tame Song Sparrow was deeply agitated when taken into a room where he had been shown a stuffed Barred Owl more than four months earlier. The same sparrow was even moderately alarmed when exposed to the outline of a model of an owl that had frightened him thirteen months earlier and that he had not seen in the interval."

Alexander F. Skutch
The Mind of Birds
Team A & M University Press  1996
p. 18

We've been reading about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families).

Hmmm. I think this applies. I used to think PTSD was all about service men and women; and if anyone has permission to that experience, they do. But I feel anxiety rise without warning in certain situations--and have realized, recently, the feeling is at least a cousin to PTSD.

EverGrowing With An EverPresent and EverLoving God,
Lonnie

MISSING CORRIE TEN BOOM

"The Butlers (who headed Corrie's organization, Christians, Inc.) said, 'Few Christians take risks. Corrie would take risks and when the big time came, it was just more challenge for her to meet God. God created a strong leader for our time--someone who went through things we fear, to show us that He will take care of us."

Carol C. Carlson
Corrie ten Boom: Her Life Her Faith
Fleming H. Revell Company  p. 211

Missing Corrie. What great stories of faith she told, and left for us.

Who are your faith heroes? If you haven't read their stories lately, maybe now is a good time.
EverGrowing,
Lonnie

TEN MILLION DOLLARS TO RESEARCH FORGIVENESS

"The LosAngeles Times recently reported that the Templeton Foundation gave a $10 Million grant to a team of psychologists, sociologists, and neuroscientists, earmarked for 'forgiveness research.' The researchers determined that the problem with forgiveness is that most people are willing to forgive but don't know how.

"They concluded that the ingredients required for forgiving someone included facing up to the fact that you've been hurt, giving up the grudge, and choosing to show mercy. They spent $10 Million to confirm the Bible's teachings are true. God commanded, 'Do not take revenge . . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.' (Romans 12:19, 21)"

Bob Russell with Rusty Russell
Jesus: Lord of Your Personality
Howard Publishing  2002
P. 87

It's Sunday, the Christians' Sabbath . . . a day of rest. Can't think of a better way to "rest" than to put down those heavy grudges and hurts we've been carrying around.

Yes?

Ever Challenged--EverGrowing,
Lonnie

P.S.
"Forgiveness can be instantaneous. Trust takes time to earn."
Bob Russell with Rusty Russell
p. 85

FROZEN WITH FEAR

"We've all felt fear, and we give it lots of different titles: apprehension, anxiety. There's a lot of fear out there. Having courage doesn't mean you've conquered every fear, but holding on to fear keeps us frozen in place. It keeps us from doing basic things to survive."

Chaplain Commander Doyle Dunn
A Greater Freedom: Stories of Faith From Operation Iraqi Freedom
Oliver North, Executive Editor/Stories by Sarah Horn
Broadman & Holman  2004
p. 80

I've known that fear and faith cannot co-exist. And, of course, I've known that fear is not helpful. I don't think I've ever thought of it keeping me from doing the basic things to survive. Yet, if I look back at some of my trials, I see myself immobilized, kind of like those dreams where someone is chasing you and you can't make your legs move. Frozen with fear . . . and begging for deliverance. Be it through His Word, others' prayers or my own, God has given me courage to take the first step. He has seen me "through." 

EverGrowing,
Lonnie

BURDEN OF "CHOICE"

"We do not always like the enormous freedom to choose that we actually possess. It frightens us. It makes us responsible."

Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
It's Not My Fault
Integrity Publishers  2007
p. 12

Sometimes, we are so insistent on discovering God's will; especially with the big things of life: large purchases, job changes, relocating. Do we seek His will, at times, so that we have Someone to blame when it doesn't work out, or when the path isn't as smooth as we expected it to be? Just saying . . . think "I've" been there.

How about you?

EverGrowing,
Lonnie

LETTERS TO GOD

"All I do know is that when I write letters to God, no matter how mundane they are, God answers his mail . . . '

Henriette Anne Klauser
Write It Down, Make It Happen
Scribner eBook
p. 123/Nook

I love getting a good ways through a book, and discovering that the author may very well have a relationship with God. Whether written mail or voice mail, God answers . . .
EverGrowing,
Lonnie

WHY DO YOU SAY . . . "YES?"

"Saying yes is a favorite habit of the woman who always feels too busy . . . We have a thousand ways of saying yes, and lots of reasons for doing so. For one thing,

yes gets people off our backs.
It makes us feel omnipotent.
It boosts our self-esteem (temporarily).
It keeps us from being bored.
It saves us from having to be purposeful about what we choose to do.
And it flatters our ego because we're needed and viewed as capable.

"We may not be bored, but we're doing something uninteresting to us, and we're doing it without conviction.
 We beat ourselves up because we didn't have the courage to say no.
Or maybe we just got uncomfortable saying no and wanted to try a little yes on for size."

Linda Andersen
The Too Busy Book
Waterbrook Press   2004
p. 143

Why do YOU say yes?

EverGrowing,
Lonnie

CROW STORIES

KABOOM!

"A raven that heard repeated explosions being set off by a highway crew is reported afterwards to have shouted, "Three, two, one, KABOOM!"

COMPASSION OF . . . A CROW?

"Crows are known for their acts of kindness to injured and ailing members of their species. In one well-documented case, a mated male northwestern crow regularly brought food to an unmated female that was handicapped by deformities and partial blindness. The association lasted for at least 2 breeding seasons, even though the male was simultaneously pressed to feed young chicks in the nest.

"During 1635 minutes of observations by a precision-minded team of biologists, the male fed 

the young--66 times
deformed female--24 times
while his mate fed the young 89 times."

Candace Savage
Bird Brains
Sierra Club Books  1995
p. 80, 86

I know crows and ravens have their wicked side (as do we all), but I love crows. I love to watch them, hear them, and read about them.

Growing Is Fun,
Lonnie

"HOW" DOESN'T MATTER

"When Jesus encountered people who wanted His healing touch, He never questioned them about how they became sick."

Franklin Graham
The Name
Thomas Nelson Publishing  2002
p.169

What's more to say?

EverGrowing,
Lonnie

LITTLE TWIST TO THE RIGHT

"After hearing again and again that Jesus told his followers to forgive 70 x 7 (Matthew18:21-22), I finally pulled out my calculator one day. Unless my calculations are off, that's 490 times--and the highest I've ever gotten in practicing forgiveness was 3! If I still have 487 more times to forgive someone for my grievances against him or her, don't you think Jesus had a pretty good handle on how deep hurt can run . . . ?"

Kevin Leman
What Your Childhood Memories Say About You
Tyndale  2007
p144

Boy, I have to tell you, once I got past the fact that Leman had to use a calculator, I said, "That's a new twist; a little to the right, I think. And I love it!" I don't think I will ever see those well-known verses quite the same.

Jesus understands. He understands! Tell me the "picture" of that helps you as well.

Finishing Leman's quote helps still more. " . . . don't you think Jesus had a pretty good handle on how deep hurt can run and how many times we mess up in our relationships?

In other words, we ALL mess up. It's a little bit of the log and splinter thing. Yes, I'm hurt so deep that only God can reach and heal -- and He does. But, I'm not free of responsibility. I hurt others--maybe not the same ones who hurt me, but it's likely that someone is struggling to forgive me too. 

Would love to hear your thoughts on 70x7.

Growing to Love His Word More Every Day,
Lonnie