Charmed by Charmin!

Psalm 119:72
The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

Mother's Day sure was different this year, wasn't it?  Ordinarily, my husband, Danny, and I would travel down to my mother's house for the entire weekend, bearing lots of gifts, and preparing special meals for her during our stay.  But current circumstances make that impossible.

Yes, we did order Mom some special treats online, which she received and loved; that's all well and good.  And since we don't want her going anywhere she doesn't need to, especially to the grocery store, my brother, Bill, has set up an Instacart account for her.  She gives him a list each week of the items she needs, he places the order, and these are delivered right to her doorstep.

Mom has, for the most part, gotten everything she's requested.  With one exception, and I'll bet you all can guess what that is:  toilet paper!

Ahh!  The soft, heavenly commode-ity we've taken for granted for countless years has suddenly come to be more precious to us than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.  And at this point, I think many of us would be willing to pay ten times as much for it than it's worth, just to make sure we have a ready supply.

Danny attempts to locate toilet paper online so we can have it shipped directly to Mom.  Site after site after site comes up empty, but he perseveres.  Hooray!  Finally, he discovers one site where he can pre-order the paper, and the company will not charge him until it is in stock and shipped.  Sounds like a fair deal.

But after weeks of waiting, with Mom running a tad low on this necessity, Danny cancels this order and starts a fresh search.  Bingo!  This time, he hits pay dirt!

Twenty-four glorious rolls are winging their way to Mom's doorstep.  We are elated, of course, but even more so when we discover the day of their promised arrival:  Mother's Day!  Can you believe that???  What marvelous timing that is!

Who, in their wildest imagination, would have ever dreamed that a gift of toilet paper for Mother's Day would be the perfect one?  Ten times better than flowers, candy or cards.  And oh, so practical!

As for Mom, she is absolutely charmed by the Charmin.

And we are so thankful to God that we still have a mother we can treat as queen for a day, every single day.

Amen!

Thank You!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

These are the times that try men's souls. ~Thomas Paine

How are you faring in these unprecedented times?  How are you feeling?  What are you thinking?  How are you coping?

My husband, Danny, and I, because of his preexisting heart troubles, and because of our age, decide it's best for us to shelter in place until the all clear is given.  In our state of Georgia, that will be in mid-June.

Oh, how far away that seems!!!

~

I'm guest-posting today at Cheryl's place, Homespun Devotions.  Won't you join me?

We Wonder, Why?

Exodus 20:3
You shall have no other gods before me.

Many of you reading this are probably old enough to remember when alluring prizes arrived in cereal boxes.  As kids, we longed for those precious toys much more than the cereal itself.  I recall when my brother and I, huge fans of Mighty Mouse, begged our Mom to purchase the brand offering such a reward.

Back in those days, my parents were on a tight budget.  That Mom even caved to our persistent desires still amazes me today.  But what surprises me more is that I can't, for the life of me, recall what cereal held this cherished gift, only the disappointment in the gift itself.

Months ago, the memory, for no reason I can fathom, emerges.  God is amazing like that, isn't He?  And out of that recollection, a poem is born.  May we have no other idols, no other longings, but to worship God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

My Daddy plumbs for promised toy

In chaotic cereal mix

Mighty Mouse to win the day

Stunts, heroic, hurts will fix

And when the treasure is revealed

Underwhelmed, we wonder why

We hoped upon a promise false

Wonder why grace passed us by.

Amen!

Walk to Emmaus

Luke 24:13
Now that same day, two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.  The were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

The two on the walk to Emmaus

Despondent, deprived, desolate, forlorn

Until the third partner joins, and three,

Not a crowd, but comfort welcomed

With words that work to lift veil forever

Though not seen until bread breaks

Revelation in scene and sight

Transforms beyond any hope imagined

Their hope lives here in us forever.

Amen!

The Heart of Worship

Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied:  "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about you,
It's all about you, Jesus.
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about you,
It's all about you, Jesus.  ~Matt Redmon

The photo above is our church, Kennesaw United Methodist.  Needless to say, it's been quite a while since any congregant has been able to set foot in the building.  And even though our governor has given permission, under guidelines, to reopen churches in our state of Georgia, we will probably stay shuttered until mid-May.

Do I miss attending church, mixing and mingling with other members?  You know it!  And I'm willing to venture that you are missing church gatherings, too.

Yes, we can watch services online, and even meet as Sunday schools via Zoom, but it's simply not the same as being together, is it?

And this has gotten me to thinking deeply about all the whys and wherefores we attend church in the first place.

Do we show up on Sunday mornings in order to:

• Teach Sunday school?
• Spend time with friends?
• Sing in the choir?
• Serve the snacks and coffee?
• Hear the sermon?
• Put long overdue offerings in the collection plate?
• Engage in corporate worship?
• See and be seen?  (Perish the thought, but it happens!)

Being distanced from one another has provided plenty of opportunity for reflection about what the church truly means to us.

So, I've taken this time to reevaluate and recalibrate my relationship with Christ Jesus.  Am I growing stronger in my love for and trust in Him?  Am I praying with genuine sincerity, knowing He will listen and answer in His time?  Most importantly, does Jesus hold the seat of honor in my heart?

With all the distractions stripped away, it is easier for me to return to the heart of worship.  Because all the reasons we have for attending church are meaningless unless it's about the One who saves.

It's all about you, Jesus.

It's all about you.

Amen!

Click here to hear Matt Redmon's song, Heart of Worship

To the Age's End

Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely, I am with you always, the the very end of the age.

Must I make this change?

A detour never asked for?

Where is the peace that passes

Earthly understanding?

When so confused, chaos

Reigns to boiling point

The Holy Blood poured out

Confirms that there is nothing

Deeper, wider, longer

Than the love of One

Who knows the coming, going

Of hapless, helpless souls

I am always with you

The Promise is and was

And will forever be

To the age's end.

Amen!

The Stones Will Cry Out!

Luke 19:38-40
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

All across our land, people have compliantly adhered to the CDC rules of self-distancing, hand washing, and in cases of high risk, self-isolating.  Most of it has been accomplished without complaining.  No small feat for a nation founded on the God-given right of individual freedom.

And all this has come at a dreadfully cataclysmic economic cost.  We have watched a boom drop to a bust in a matter of two months.  Not sustainable!

But there is hope . . .

With the recent proposal of a way for states to reopen their businesses, many governors are answering the call, chomping at the bit for citizens to return to work.  Others, whose states have seen a greater impact from the Covid-19, or who are enamored with a newly found draconian power, are less than eager to make a positive move.

And in these particular states, peaceful protesters, who fully understand the complications of this virus, are insisting that their fundamental rights, guaranteed by the Constitution, be restored and upheld.  They take into consideration the sacrifices they have made over these long, interminable weeks, but are more than willing to take the risk necessary to reopen their businesses.

After all, isn't that something inherent in the spirit of America?  Risk-taking?

No amount of government assistance can ever replace a thriving American economy.  Ultimately, it should be up to the entrepreneurs and the workers to decide what is best for them and their economic futures going forward.

The once complacent stones are crying out!  And they will not be silent.

For as our Declaration of Independence states, the government does not grant us the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Only God does.

Amen!