High Expectations, Fair Weather Fans, and Jesus

This year, Rod and I decided to buy season tickets to the NC State basketball games. Being "empty-nesters", with the exception of Izzie, it was something we thought we would do together for fun and date nights. With the success of last season, after several "dry" years, expectations were high for this season's team. With talents like Calvin Leslie, Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell and the others, Rod, me, and other fans were expecting a fantastic year!

It has been a good season so far with its ups and downs. We've won some and we've lost some. We've beaten both Duke and UNC but the season has not been all that some fans had hoped for, even though the Wolfpack has done very well. Some fans' expectations, while maybe unreasonable, have not been met, or so they think. And frankly, some fans have been very ugly, disgustingly ugly. Over the last week, I have read some sad, mean comments and tweets on social media. While I've had some  disappointment over some games that we lost when we thought we should have won, I have been shocked at how ugly and vile and hurtful the comments have been. They love the Pack when they win and then turn on them when they lose. To me, they are not true fans AT ALL.  But sadly they do represent today's "win all or else" culture. 

As I was thinking about these so called fans and their comments and tweets, Jesus came to mind. I thought about how many "fans" Jesus had while he traveled from place to place, healing the sick, the blind, the lame, raising the dead and expelling demons. Many people loved him until He didn't meet their  "expectations". He wasn't the one they had hoped for. He wasn't the kind of King they thought had been promised. When Jesus died, there were only three people at the foot of the cross-His mother Mary, John the Beloved disciple, and his follower Mary. Where were all of the others? Where had they gone? Why weren't they there to defend him, to support him, to cry out for him? They turned their backs on Him. Can you imagine what would have been said if facebook and twitter existed back in Jesus' time? I can only fathom what horrible things the people would have written. If Jesus, the Savior of the World, God Almighty Himself, had people turn on Him, why should the Pack expect anything less?? Why would we, Jesus' followers today, expect any less suffering?
Jesus told His disciples they would have trouble in this world but He had overcome the world. He
would have the final victory. He promised His Holy Spirit to help them and He promised that he would return one day and their grief would turn to joy.
I've enjoyed going to the games and cheering for Calvin, Zoe, Richard, Scott, Rodney, TJ and the others.  But in life, basketball is of the least importance. One day this world will not exist as we know it and all they we've worked for and acquired in this world will be gone. I don't believe there will be a basketball court in heaven.  What will last is what we've done for Jesus. That is what matters.
My hope for the NC State basketball players is that they will not read the rude comments of others. My hope is that they will not base their worth on how they play basketball and how many games they win or lose. My hope for them is that they will not put their hope for the future on an NBA career or on endorsements they receive.
My hope for them is that they know and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. That they know through faith in Jesus, they will have eternal life. I pray for them that they will know this world is temporary and only what is done for Christ will last. One day, they will stand all alone before God without a basketball in their hands, without cheerleaders cheering, without fans yelling, without the pep band playing and without their Coach instructing from the sidelines. It will be only them and they will be judged only according to God's holiness, not by the comments and opinions of others. And in Christ, they have nothing to fear. Victory will be theirs! That will be the greatest "W".

John16:33

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

 In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

NC State defeats Duke 01/12/2013

 

Lorenzo Brown (#2) and Robin

IZZIE

On August 16, 2011, our sweet, 14 year old Jack Russell, Little Ann passed away.  When she left us, Rod and I were devastated. Our daughter Caitlin had recently married and with the loss of Little Ann, we became "complete" empty-nesters. I vowed at that time I would NEVER have another dog. I felt that we were at the age that we didn't need to be tied down to a dog and frankly, the last year of Little Ann's life with Cushings Disease left us (especially me) weary.
Never say Never-

Izzie Belle, 6 weeks old and barely 3 pounds, came into our family on January 21, 2012 despite my reservations and protests. She is the half-sister of Caitlin and Bradley's dog Ellie (same dad, different mother). Izzie's dad's name is Taz..short for Tasmanian Devil. I think you get the picture. Her energy level is 10x that of what our sweet, calm, Little Ann's was. One morning, Izzie had all the toilet paper off the roll, the toilet scrub brush out of its holder and a container of Clorox wipes out of the bathroom is 5 seconds flat. She cried all night the first week and I was one exhausted new mother. January 21 will forever be etched in my mind. Before Izzie, life was free and easy! My thoughts after Izzie were - "I'm too old for this! I don't want to stand in the yard in my housecoat and rain boots at 5:30 in the morning coaxing a puppy on a leash to pee and poo. What have I done??" (On the positive side, I can tell you exactly what time the newspaper carrier comes by and I bought myself the most adorable new rain boots!) Before Izzie, all of our socks were intact. Now we are lucky to find our socks. Before Izzie, the floors were neat, now there are more toys on the floor than a house with a 2 year old. None of our toilet paper holders have a roll on them. Any paper product, shoe, and piece of clothing is fair game. Instead of the exotic trip Rod and I talked about for our 25th anniversary, our present to each other was a fence around the backyard. (Hey the 25th is "Silver"!) But during those exasperating first 6 months, a funny thing happened. Izzie stole my heart. I think every woman has the need to nurture and I am no exception. With Caitlin grown and married, Izzie filled that need. She became our baby. Rod and I were smitten. At this point I can't imagine life without Izzie. I love that warm little body next to me! I love that sweet face with eyes full of expression. I love those kisses! Her energy level is high, her desire to love and please is higher. I miss her when I am not with her. When she deserves scolding, all she has to do is look at me with those eyes and I melt. (No wonder our excellent vet, Dr. Sabrina Grinstead, at Eno Animal Hospital, tells us we are more like grandparents than parents.) I think after having an older dog, we forgot how fun a puppy can be. It can be a lot of work, but love is work and isn't it always worth it?

I have the tendency for selfishness. It is a fault I must continuously surrender to the Holy Spirit. I believe God knows my tendency and sent Izzie to help me out. It is almost impossible to be selfish when you have a little dog so sweet and dependent on you. In the beginning God created animals. He doesn't waste any of His creation, it's all for a purpose. I am quite certain, Izzie's creation was for me.

WOF vs "Word of God Snob"

Last weekend I attended a Women of Faith (WOF) conference in Charlotte with a terrific group of ladies from Ridgecrest. My daughter Caitlin, who lives in Charlotte, also joined me. Now, I must admit that before the conference, I had some "negative" feelings about WOF. I attended one about 15 years ago and I remembered the women speaking but not "teaching" from God's Word. In all honesty, I like smaller, more intimate conferences with the speaker teaching straight from the Bible. Verse by verse...teach me what it says and how it applies to me. I prefer the "just teach me, no yak-yak approach". I am a Kay Arthur and Anne Graham Lotz kind of gal. So with my past experience at WOF, I wasn't expecting much.
The first night proved me right. I lugged my "Big Bertha" Bible into the conference on Friday evening for it to sit in my tote bag all night.  Ha! I knew it! They aren't going to teach me ANYTHING! And so the conference went on Friday night and Saturday with different speakers and praise and worship.  Despite the testimonies and wisdom they shared and the absolutely awesome time spent in worship, I was still a little huffy. You could have called me a "Word of God Snob".
But then a funny thing happened. God began to work in me. I needed an attitude adjustment. I began to realize that while there was minimal  teaching straight from the Bible at this conference, God was still there. He still spoke through the many speakers, worship leaders and musicians. I believe that women testifying to God's grace, faithfulness and mercy pleased God. I do believe that thousands of women lifting their hands and voices in praise to God makes Him smile. The conference was a celebration of Jesus! It was OK to relax and have fun! It was OK to spend two days praising Him and thanking Him and sharing the joy with other ladies. It was OK to Look Up!!
Sometimes,  I think we Christians are just too serious. Yes, it is important to study and know God's Word. Yes, it is of the utmost importance to share the Gospel with others. But it's OK to rejoice too! Many times, I think nonbelievers are turned off because believers are so blah! No wonder they think Christians are boring and following Jesus is no fun. They don't want a lecture.  Maybe instead of spending all our time with our nose in the Bible reading about the one Who saves us,  we just need to LOOK UP at the One Who saves us! Maybe instead of preaching and teaching and discussing theology and doctrine,  we need to show more excitement over the One it's all about! We need more testimonies of how He has worked in our life. We need more sharing about the joy and peace knowing Him brings. I wonder how many women were at that conference that didn't know Jesus. I wonder how many met Jesus because of the excitement about HIM and for HIM!
So, get excited, dance, shout, and knock yourself out. It really is permissible. I promise!  I did it some last weekend. Look out! I'll do it more next time!

Coupon Redemption

Last weekend I attended a "Coupon 101" class offered at my church by the Women's Ministry. The class taught me everything I needed to know about couponing. The presenter, Sarah Lineberry, had lots of great ideas and tips. I learned how to organize my coupons. I learned how to recognize "friendly" cashiers and how to "play the game" at my local drugstore. (Don't worry, it's all fair and legal!) I discovered several helpful websites devoted to couponing and which grocery stores had the best deals and will double and triple my coupons! At the end of the presentation I was motivated to go shop, redeem my coupons and save money!
But during the class, as I was pondering coupons, I thought of  the best "coupon" that has ever been redeemed. The best that has ever been offered - Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, I have the redemption of my sins, the promise of eternal life. I don't need to present a coupon,  I just need faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of my life. No clipping, no organizing, and no searching out deals. Jesus gave me the best "deal" and coupon of all when he went willingly to the cross for my sins. His gift of eternal life has no expiration date and I don't even need my "readers" to see it!

Colossians 1:13-14 "For he has rescued us from darkness and

brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption,

the forgiveness of sins."

 

POW! POUND! OUCH!

During the recent renovation to our dining room that I wrote about in my previous post, I recovered the seats of the dining chairs. My grandmother had recovered them many years ago with what I'm sure was once a lovely gold fabric. But from many years of  gluteus maximus' in the chairs, the fabric was now faded and worn. And it ABSOLUTELY did NOT match my Butterscotch accent wall!
To redo the seats, I first had to remove them from the chair, and then go about the task of removing all the old upholstery tacks. Not an easy thing to do. With each tack, I would murmur, "Mimama, you did a great job!"  I was admiring her work and complaining about how difficult removing the tacks was at the same time. After removing the old fabric, I cut and placed a new piece of fabric on the seat (it actually came from the curtains I took down before the renovation and was not going to use again). Then I had to go about the job of nailing new tacks into the bottom of the chair to hold the fabric in place. Easy, right?
Here is a little snippet of trivia about me. I am simply horrible at hitting a nail on the head. I am as good at that as I am at playing "Cornhole".  It's a really sad thing. So with each swing of the hammer, there was a good chance I would catch my finger holding the tack in place. My hands and fingers took a beating!. As Izzie slept in the little cushion in the kitchen, I sat in the middle of the floor pounding one tack after another into one chair after another. Six chairs in all. Pow! Pow! Pow! Pound! Pound! Pound! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! It was LOUD and painful. But as I continued, with each loud pound, God began reminding me of His Son Jesus on the cross, and the nails, hundreds of times bigger than the upholstery tacks, that held him there.  Pow, Pow, Pow, Pound, Pound, Pound. It was loud in the kitchen and I'm sure it was loud that day on Calvary when the Roman soldiers pounded nails into Jesus' body. Pow, Pow, Pow. Pound, Pound, Pound. The tacks I used never drew blood. The nails the  soldiers used, drew lots. With each nail, a loud Pow! Pow! Pow! Pound! Pound! Pound! Add to that, the sound of bones being crushed in Jesus' hands and feet. Blood spurting and pouring in different directions. Muscle and tendons tearing. Soldiers and onlookers mocking and  women at the foot of the cross crying. I can hardly imagine the pain. I can't even begin to fully realize the scene. I continued my "upholstery work" and continued to think of Jesus on the cross. With every hit of the hammer, I saw Jesus on the cross before me. Why did God sacrifice His Son for me? Why did Jesus stay on the cross when He could have come down? Why did he have to endure the agony and such a painful death? It was all for me. It was all for us - sinners in need of salvation. Jesus took the nails for me, for us.
God speaks to me in different ways. That day, on the kitchen floor, God spoke to me with some upholstery tacks. Each pound on the tack said "I love you that much." Thank you God, for using chairs, tacks, a hammer, and an occasional hit on the finger to remind me!

Romans 5: 8 "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

 



The Renovation

Over the last couple of weeks, we've had work done on our living and dining room. The room was sadly way past due for an update! God reminded me of a few truths in the midst of the renovation.

As the old carpet was removed, walls sanded and painted, and new flooring laid, I couldn't help but think about my old self and the renovation I've undergone. Remodeling is not for the faint of heart. I knew the end result would be worth it, but when the living room couch, 2 Wing back chairs and a dining table were sitting in the den with me, and dust covered almost everything in the house, I had to wonder.

Truth #1: When God does the job of remodeling our hearts,

 it can get messy but the end result will be worth it. God uses every mess to make me

 more like Christ.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:28, 29)

 

The carpet was worn and dirty (thanks to an old sick dog and a new puppy!). My old nature was worn and dirty by sin. Just as the carpet was pulled up and discarded and new, clean flooring was placed, God has removed the old and dirty in me and placed a new nature, one clean and fresh by the cleansing of Jesus.

 Truth # 2: God can take even the dirtiest of sinners like me, 

clean them up and make them new.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)
 

The walls at first glance looked ok (except for that awful shade of blue-what was I thinking when I picked it?), but with close inspection it was obvious they were damaged and needed repair. At first glance, I may look ok on the outside but under my paint, I was and am definitely broken and need fixing!

Truth #3: God sent the best Carpenter, His Son Jesus, to fix and repair the broken. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

 

The furniture in the room was handed down to me by my grandmother and I still love it. It is  mahogany and has aged beautifully. As we brought back the "old"  into the "new" room, I was reminded of how the old nature in me sometimes tries to creep back into the new nature. 

Truth #4: I am not controlled by the old, because of the life-giving Holy Spirit in me.

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you." (Romans 8:9)

 

I am pleased with the outcome of the renovation, but as I prepared the lesson for the Connect Group (SS) I teach, I was reminded that the room and everything in it means nothing. In the end, I will stand before God's throne and it will be just God and me. All the "earthly" things I love and have done will not matter. Only my relationship with Jesus and what I've done with a kingdom perspective to glorify God will matter. Only those things will last.

 

Truth # 5: "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar,
the elements will be destroyed by fire and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.

That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." (2 Peter 3: 10-13)



(Thank you to Robert Hunnings, Romero Sosa, Ben Francis, and of course my husband Rod, for their part in the renovation!
And yes, I love my Butterscotch accent wall!)



Don't Wave...GO!

As I was walking through church this morning, hurriedly on my way to the gym for the EXALT service, I saw a little girl I had worked with in Awanas and her brother. I waved hello and she had a happy and "I know you!" expression as she waved back. All was well, or so I thought.
As I sat in the service listening to Pastor Marc teach about following Jesus' example of connecting with people, I had one of those hit between the eyeball moments, or as Pastor Marc called it, "a hit in the heart with a 2x4 moment".  I listened to how Jesus STOPPED what he was doing to really minister and connect to people. I thought back to that simple wave before the service and asked myself how many times do I simply wave when I should STOP and connect. How many times do I think "all is well" when it really isn't. Waving is really a way of saying, "I see you but I don't have time for you." Or at least at times it is for me. It's like going through the grocery store, passing someone and giving a nod of the head, a slight glance or maybe a slight hello as you cut in front of them to grab a can of green beans. You try to look friendly when all you want is a can of beans. You don't know or care about the other person's beans. You just want yours. It's the "I'm in a hurry and life is all about me" syndrome and I yes, I am afflicted with it. Green beans and all.
Ah, back to the wave. Do I wave at the homeless person? Do I wave at the busy, tired mother in the hallway? Do I wave at the person whose marriage is falling apart? Do I wave at my friend that I know needs to talk? I'm surprised my waving hand isn't falling off! Do I wave at the cashier at the store who looks exhausted? Do I wave at the elderly widow, at the next-door neighbor caring for her disabled husband and do I wave at the new neighbor? What if Jesus had gone through his life on this earth waving and smiling instead of touching, listening, teaching, healing, and really loving and caring about the people He came in contact with? He didn't just wave, so why do I? If I am serious about following His example, sharing His love and reaching people for Him, I'll stop waving. Instead, I'll stop what I 'm doing and listen, touch, share, care and look them directly in the eyes. I'll leave my place of comfort and go to where they are. I will go into their homes, their business, their playground. I will not just study His Word, I will actually DO His Word. I will quit worrying about my busy schedule and all that I have to get done and pay attention to the mom who is so exhausted she can't get anything done. I will notice the widow that just wants me to hold her hand and listen to what she has to say (and to what she can teach me). I will interrupt my schedule and offer to run errands for the neighbor with the disabled husband and I will introduce myself to the new neighbor and finally learn their name. It won't always be easy or convenient but Jesus never said following Him would be easy or convenient. I need to remember what Priscilla Shirer writes in her study of Jonah: "Your life involves you but is not ultimately about you."  Maybe I need a visual to remind me of what God revealed to me and convicted me of today. I got it. A can of green beans will work just fine!