Appreciating the Almighty – 30 Days of Thankfulness

I’m a bit behind here, but jumping into 30 Days of Thankfulness. This blogging event leads us into a month of gratitude, right through Thanksgiving and into the start of Advent.

Because I adore a challenge, I’m starting with the alphabet, as I adore the Almighty. Even as storms swirl, both meteorologically and personally, Father God covers us with His strong arms and holds His beloved close to His heart.

The eternal God is thy refuge, 
and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:27a, KJV

I am thankful for the Almighty.

Does your life feel stormy?

Cyclones and crises come in all sorts of forms, from everyday hassles to health horrors and full-out hurricanes. But God is able to answer the call of any who desire to trust Him.

Maybe He stills the storm, or maybe He simply holds us dearly till the tumult has subsided.

Today, I thank God for who He is – the Almighty, the All-Wise, the Awesome One. He is Abba Father, the Amazing Ancient of Days.

To Him belong all Alleluias.

For what are you thankful?

Image/s:

God the Father

By Cima de Conegliano

Circa 1515

Thankful at Thanksgiving

Adapted from public domain artwork

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Maintaining memories of 911 heroes

This September 11^th marks the 11^th anniversary of the tragic and terrifying terrorist attack on American soil. This infamous date gives us pause to ponder the horrific loss our nation suffered.

The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center toppled in New York City. The Pentagon took a tremendous hit. And a plane filled with valiant and persistent passengers crashed in a Pennsylvania farm field, instead of at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The internet, TV networks, radios, and other communications channels trumpeted reminders of this mind-blowing and disastrous date in American history.

Like so many fellow Americans, I read this morning’s many poignant posts and forwarded lots of touching and inspiring photographs and quotes. I stopped to pray again for the families who lost loved ones on that dreadful day.

And I thanked God that we live in a nation where we generally feel safe. We go about our daily business unimpeded. Despots do not threaten our faith, our professions, or even our lifestyles.

Still, we complain. We mope. We gripe about imperfections in our land.

Some of these rumblings may actually lead to positive changes, particularly in an election year, when candidates of every stripe and their followers consider real issues that affect us all.

Amid these considerations, I stepped out to log a few miles in my running shoes. Then I saw this.

Perhaps I need not mention that the homeowner that assembled this visual tribute today frequently displays political placards supporting candidates and causes with which I tend to disagree rather strongly.

But today that does not matter. Not one bit.

Take a closer look. 

OK, the folks in the photo are not real. But they certainly remind us of the most genuine among us all.

We remember. Surely, we remember. And, although our country is far from perfect, we may indeed be grateful that we live in such a land. Certainly, our fallen finest deserve another “Thank you” and a solemn salute.

Image/s:

Photo by Linda Ann Nickerson

Nickers and Ink Creative Communications

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Stick-necked or Soft-hearted?

My neck is stiff today, as it often is.

A chronic neurological condition can crank things up pretty quickly, spinally speaking, particularly during a summer heat wave. Yesterday, the top half of my vertebral column suddenly seized up, as if an unseen force had slammed my sensory doors shut. Those proverbial passageways have still not reopened.

Nearly numb, my hands and feet tingle, although the outside temperature reads nearly 100 degrees (F). And my neck is locked up still.

Still, I’m not sure that’s what the Bible means, when it talks about stiff necks.

"I have seen these people,"

the LORD said to Moses,

"and they are a stiff-necked people.”

(Exodus 32:9, NIV)

Whoa! That sounds like a slam against stiff-necked people?

As usual, the secret lies in the context.

Consider the scene. Moses has just climbed the mountain to receive the laws of the Lord, when God reveals to the prophetic patriarch how the people are worshiping the golden calf down below.

En route to the Promised Land, those folks may have melted down all their golden chokers and other treasures to mold the idol. But they were likely more stiff-necked than ever.

Look at these additional translations of the same verse:

Then the LORD said,

"I have seen

how stubborn and rebellious

these people are.”

(NLT)

The LORD said to Moses,

"I have seen this people,

and behold, they are an obstinate people.”

(NASB)

God said to Moses,

"I look at this people—

Oh! What a stubborn, hard-headed people!”

(MSG)

Stiff-necked-ness, so to speak, seems to be something offensive to God, at least in a spiritual sense.

Scriptural synonyms for “stiff-necked” include:

hard-headed

obstinate

rebellious

stubborn

Ouch!

Perhaps it has something to do with our willingness to turn towards Him and to keep our eyes focused in the right direction. Maybe it’s about pride and determination, as opposed to humble faith and obedience to the One who deserves all honor.

Is it possible to have a stiff neck and a soft heart at the same time?

Yes, my neck is stiff today, but for medical reasons. I only pray my mind is open and my heart is soft, even as the nerves around my upper vertebrae are clenched.

Pass the Ben-Gay ... and the Bible, would you, please?

Image/s:

From: The Book of Snobs

By William Makepeace Thackaray

1848

Public Domain/Copyright Expired

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Slinging Snow Cones and Sloppy Lies

People lie. Deceit is part of the mortal condition, human frailty, and life in a fallen world. Untruth thrives in darkness, but it shrivels in sunlight.

Cheating, chicanery, and the craftiest of shenanigans merely melt under the Master’s gaze – much like snow cones melt on a hot summer day.

What’s in a snow cone?

Some of these sweet summer treats may contain real fruit juice. But most are filled with artificial flavoring, artificial coloring, sugar, and crushed ice. Leave a snow cone outside in the sun, and it quickly softens into a sticky, icky mess of artificiality.

That’s what lies do.

Have you ever heard of someone spreading a nasty rumor or deceit?

What happens when truth is revealed? The prevaricator (or liar) is stuck with messy hands, as the target of the falsehood comes out clean. That is, the target comes out reasonably unstained, if he has not spilled lies of his own.

Someone has been making lie-flavored snow cones about me lately.

I’m not even going to outline the nature of this conflict. Trust me; you don’t want to know. Let’s just say that there was a disagreement, and a few harmless ones were being harmed. When this occurred, I went directly to the person in question and outlined my concerns.

That person refused to respond to the issues, so I moved on, removing the innocent ones from the situation. Occasionally, that’s the only course to take.

Sometimes we simply have to shake the sand off our sandals (see Matthew 10:14) and walk on.

Almost immediately, the rumors started to fly. Over several weeks, this person even enlisted a small band of followers to spread the poison.

In fact, one individual stopped by in person (when I wasn't around) to share her pretenses with some of my colleagues. Fortunately, these straight-shooting folks did not take kindly to her dirty pool.

Maybe that’s how David felt, when plotters accused him wrongly.

“When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
    then he goes out and spreads it around.”

(Psalm 41:6, NIV)

Truth will out in time.

Frankly, I’ve considered a few creative ways to respond to the deceivers, but it’s not worth it. Their charges don’t hold water. Their snow cones are already melting. And it's not my job to set them straight.

Of course, it’s not worth playing the mud-slinging game. Besides, it’s not biblical.

A person who plans evil
    will get a reputation as a troublemaker.

(Proverbs 24:8, NLT)

The Lord knows the difference. Friends know the difference. Honest folks generally know the difference. So it makes no difference.

Still, it’s hurtful to consider how others may want to hurt us. And it’s easy to grow tempted to strike out at others in return. But we don’t have to spread the chill by making snow cones.

Thank God for His grace, His power, and His undying love. And thank Him for stopping me in my tracks, just when I need it most.

“There are seven things that the Lord hates and cannot tolerate:

A proud look,

a lying tongue,

hands that kill innocent people,

a mind that thinks up wicked plans,

feet that hurry off to do evil,

a witness who tells one lie after another,

and someone who stirs up trouble among friends.”

(Proverbs 6:16-19, Good News).

God, keep me honest.

Prevent me from reacting, when I ought to respond instead, or do nothing. Guard my heart, my mind, my life and my words. Keep me honest, and mold me in the authenticity that only You can offer.

Give me a heart like Yours, to love what You love and loathe what You loathe. Teach me to love people, even those who do not love me. Keep my heart on the right path (Proverbs 23:19).

Let Your truth triumph in our tests. After all isn’t everything a test?

Besides, I never really liked snow cones, anyway.

Image/s:

Snowcone by Matthew

Whisperer by Thivierr

Creative Commons Licensing/Wikipedia Commons Photos  

.

.

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