teri – Page 5

R.E.S.T.: Four Life-saving Letters

1 Comment / Faith, Knowing God / By teri / June 28, 2022 March 17, 2022 / refreshed, rest, restored, Sabbath, sabbatical

Hush, sweet child!

Have you ever tried soothing an overtired infant? The baby struggles to keep her eyes open for fear she’ll miss some new delight. Big yawns interrupt her fussing, but she refuses to rest her head on your shoulder—experienced moms know when children reach an overtired state. Ironically, we often fail to spot the clues in ourselves.

Realize the need.

Everyone needs rest, not just children. How I wish someone would make me take a nap when I get cranky. But when we’ve reached a grumpy state, it’s because we failed to sufficiently ahead of time.

God knew the people He made in His image were prone to God-complexes. We insist that we don’t need breaks. We’re so proud at times, thinking our families and jobs won’t function without us. Tired people inflict more damage than good to themselves and those they serve. So, God wove rest into the rhythm of time from the first word He spoke, “Let there be light.”

Embrace God’s rhythms.

Creation commenced from the rhythm of light and darkness—a time to rest and work. While the Bible is silent in recommended hours of sleep, the design of days beginning with night indicates a good day starts with good sleep.

“It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.” Psalm 127:2

Sound sleep is a gift from God (I hear the chorus of moms with newborns shouting, “Amen!”). But how often do we sacrifice sleep for entertainment or stay up way too late or rise excessively early to squeeze in more work—work that exceeds the blessed boundary of a healthy bedtime. We feel guilty about what we don’t get done and covet more hours in a day than God appointed. After all, we should not be lazy. Yet, isn’t a lack of submission to our God-ordained limitations similar? Both emanate from a lack of self-control. God requires diligence in work and rest.

Not only did God inject rest as a daily routine, but He also instituted a weekly day of rest. He calls it Sabbath—a time to cease usual chores and reflect on the One Who made us. A weekly Sabbath sustains good living. Whether it’s Saturday or Sunday isn’t the point. The point is one day a week of rest refreshes people. And one day of worship puts God on the throne and us in our proper place.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Set time apart.

A day set aside to rest in the Lord reminds us to abide, live, in His power.

God even designated seasons of rest in Israel’s annual feast calendar: extra sabbath days as part of the feasts, the seventh month, the seventh year, and the Jubilee. Israel ignored these blessed seasons of rest, and the Lord sent them into exile for their disobedience.

“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. But you would not,” Isaiah 30:15

Trust God for extended breaks.

Taking extended breaks helps everyone. We need vacations and holidays off. We might even need an extended leave of absence to rest and recuperate. Illness and demanding jobs suck the life out of us. Resting restores us.

Photo by **Rachel Claire** from **Pexels**

I’m grateful for churches we’ve served that saw the value of allowing my husband (the pastor) to have sabbaticals, seasons of rest from the daily harness of pastoral ministry. We just came off a three-month sabbatical (It ended January 31). This break allowed my husband to convert his doctoral dissertation into a book. It also freed us to settle his parent’s estate and enjoy extended family visits over the holidays. We were able to see both of our new granddaughters. Our sabbatical was busy and full but full of different responsibilities. It allowed us to return to church ministry restored by the change of pace.

In the busy years of childrearing, my sweet husband saw the toll this work took on me. Once or twice a year, he made sure I got away alone for refreshment. At this point, I know some of you are thinking, “that’s nice for you, but I can’t do that.”

Really?! If God wants you to have rest, He will supply it. When God is willing, He makes a way. Trust Him to provide the rest you need. Israel failed to enjoy God’s sabbaths and their disobedience lead not only to exhaustion but defeat, and exile. Let’s not make the same mistake.

As God’s daughters, let’s learn to work from overflow not overwhelmed. Let’s learn to rest.

Whekl-come to God’s Word

Faith, Knowing God, the Bible God's Word, wonder of creation / By teri / June 14, 2022 April 22, 2022 / beach treasure, beach-combing, collecting shells, listening to creation, summer vacation, treasuring God's Word, we are God's treasure, whelk shells

Do you see what I see?

Strolling through warm sand, I hear the lull of waves splashing against the shore and the trilling of gulls as they scavenge for food. But I fix my eyes on the sand as I scan the beach for treasure—clamshells, limpets, sand dollars, any lovely shell I might collect. The best souvenirs from the beach are free, as our salvation in Christ.

Then I see it, a crown of whelk spikes partially exposed. I prize such a find. The intricate spiral twists up its slender stem. Beautiful. Perfect. Yet, more extraordinary are the truths this sea creature displays.

Whelks hatch from their eggs already wrapped in a shell. Their shells start as a thin, flimsy covering. The babies must eat to grow and build sturdier covers. As Christ-followers, we are born again by the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). We continue to grow strong on the calcium of Scripture. “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,” 1 Peter 2:2. Wrapped in the continuing calcification of God’s Word, He protects and shelters us. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock,” Matthew 7:24.

The more we study the Bible, we appreciate the intricate story of redemption. Truth upon truth twists into a wonderous spiral.

As our understanding of how each story echoes the same truth, we hear the voice of God Himself, like hearing the ocean as we hold a shell to our ear. At each twist and turn in life’s trials, we grow. We gain a more significant appreciation for His faithfulness. Our shelter through the storms grows. And a crown forms.

A crown of life (James 1:12 )—all for the King of Kings—crowns to cast at His feet (Revelation 4:10), as whelk shells scattered on the shore. He finds His treasure in us.

God creates many beautiful trinkets for beach-combers to gather. Blessed is the beach bum who grasps the great truths demonstrated by these tiny delights.

“I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.” Psalm 119:162

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Father, as we wander in Your world this summer, please, open our eyes to the beautiful lessons all around us. Amen

Four Ways to Reclaim God’s Feast, Shavuot, and the Reason We Should

celebrations, Community / By teri / May 31, 2022 February 24, 2022 / Jesus, Law Fulfilled, Messiah, Pentecost, Ruth, Shavuot

Mark June 5th on your calendar!

Yesterday we celebrated Memorial Day in America. Yet, a day of even greater importance—eternal significance—is just five days away. Can you guess what it is?

Pentecost! This celebration originated as the Jewish feast Shavuot, also known as the Feast of First Fruits. Its eternal fulfillment occurred when the Holy Spirit descended on the church—the first fruits of God’s Kingdom.

Only Shavuot is celebrated with fluffy, leavened bread. Leaven represents sin in Scripture; both leaven and pride puff things up. The two leavened loaves of bread waved before the Lord at Shavuot foreshadowed two sinful peoples—Jews and Gentiles—coming together in the Kingdom of God.

The Jews celebrate the giving of God’s Law to Moses on Shavuot, as many sects of Christianity celebrate the giving of God’s Spirit—the writing of the Law on our hearts (Ezekiel 36:24-27).

The Law calls Shavuot the feast of weeks, celebrated seven Sabbaths after the last Sabbath of Passover (forty-nine days plus one). Another tradition that the Jews adopted during this feast was the reading of the book of Ruth.

The book of Ruth records Ruth’s faithfulness to her Hebrew mother-in-law, Naomi, and their return from Moab to Bethlehem, the House of Bread. Ruth is a Moabite—a Gentile. The Jews read this book because the story takes place during the harvest of First Fruits. But the veil over Jewish eyes has blinded them to the greater message of the book.

This tiny story ebbs and flows with massive Messianic undercurrents. The book of Ruth establishes the linage of King David (the Messianic line). The story hints at two other Gentile women in David’s family, Tamar (mother of Perez whom she bore to Judah) and Rahab (Boaz’s mother who hid the Israelite spies in Jericho and joined the nation of God’s chosen people). Matthew names all three of these women in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-6). The central theme of Ruth is redemption which is also the primary mission of Yeshua Ah Messiah—Jesus the Christ.

While many liturgical Christian churches still celebrate Pentecost (the fiftieth day after the feast of unleavened bread following Passover), this day feels forgotten in evangelical circles. “In many evangelical churches in the United States, the secular holiday, Mother’s Day, maybe more celebrated than the ancient and biblical feast of Pentecost.” (from Wikipedia’s article on Pentecost). What might we be missing out on? His annual feasts for Israel foreshadow His redemptive work through time.

At the first Pentecost, a Jewish band of disciples gathered in the upper room. They embraced Jesus as their Messiah; yet, they failed to see the symbolism of the wave offering of bread. Eventually, Peter went to Cornelius’s house and witnessed the Holy Spirit come upon these Gentile believers. God revealed the mystery of the two leaven loaves.

How might we, as Gentile believers, grafted into the people of God, remember the fulfillment of this solemn feast? As lovely as some of the liturgical traditions are, I feel these fail to embrace God’s heart for the redemption of Israel. The Apostle Paul expresses his heart for Israel in his letter to the predominantly Gentile church in Rome.

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” Romans 10:1

Jewish people need the Gospel. A great way to celebrate Pentecost is to pray for Israel. Ask God to rescue the Jewish people from trusting in their righteousness and receive, by faith, the redemption of Messiah (Romans 10:2-4). Pray they hear the Gospel as they read the book of Ruth.
Read the book of Ruth. It only takes about twenty minutes, and it’s a riveting story (My granddaughter loves it when I read Ruth to her!). Ask God to open your eyes to the beauty of His redemptive work.
Be grateful we were grafted into God’s Kingdom. God, in a sense, baked us together with the Jews—like the loaves of Shavuot—two sinful peoples joined for His glory (Romans 11:23-24). Pentecost should be a day of thanksgiving for the harvest of the First Fruits. That’s us, His church!
Taste and see the Lord is good. A delicious way to celebrate would be baking two loaves of bread. If you want to get fancy, you could branch the loaves together with a dove-shaped piece of dough as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. As you enjoy this treat, explain the importance of this day to your children and grandchildren and any guests you may invite to celebrate with you.

Sisters, let’s reclaim the wonder of God’s festival and celebrate Pentecost, a memorial day far better than one that just passed.

Shalom!

Felici*Tea

2 Comments / Teatime Qualities / By teri / May 17, 2022 February 28, 2022 / bliss, extreme happiness, felicity, journaling

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Welcom to Tea Time!

Tea Time is a quarterly (February, May, August, and November) reflection on various qualties.

fe*lic*i*Tea /fəˈlisədē/ n. 1. intense happiness, bliss 2. an eloquent expression for one’s thoughts. 3. a tea party with friends (including favorite authors who articulate your thoughts).

Happy faces welcome us with the warmth of sunshine, like a formal tea party. Tables set with fine linens, flowered porcelain cups neatly seated on saucers, and crystal platters ladened with scrumptious treats and savory finger sandwiches, the bright aroma of Lady Grey, these evoke a pleasant mood. Tea parties make me smile.

I smile at well-turned phrases that give voice to my feelings, emotions that extend beyond my ability to articulate. And there, as I sip an afternoon cuppa and read, the author reads my heart and lightens my countenance with bliss.

Do you ever smile at strangers? I do. I love watching their faces light up in response. Sweet sisters, remember, a smile is an instant, painless facelift that everyone can afford. No one wants a pessimist to bring them down. We hunger for the optimist who’ll lighten our load and brighten our day with a positive perspective. Smiling at people is like responding with kind, encouraging words when someone speaks carelessly.

I’ve spent a lot of time on both sides of a cash register. Sometimes cashiers and customers alike go through tough days. We all wake up to the wrong ringtone once in a while. A pleasant word and well-spoken empathy provide a balm to wounded souls. Smile begets smile as grace begets grace; grins beget giggles when felicity dances into a room.

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“A merry heart does good, like medicine,” Proverb 17:22

The happiest people discover felicity even in difficult places. Good news sparks felicity. When the assault on Ukraine started, news of my friend’s children and grandchildren escaping the country made my heart sing. Felicity hides in the darkness and springs upon us in the strangest circumstances. Many are the happy places of those prone to felicity.

Where do you find intense happiness? Many women find it after the hard work of labor as they hold a precious new soul; birthdays are felicitous events. I love celebrating anyone’s birthday, especially mine (it’s this month!). My closest friend will attest to the truth of this statement. They have kindly indulged me on a few occasions, traveling hundreds of miles to join me in celebrating both my 50^th and 60^th birthdays. Their presence gifted me with more joy than any material present ever could.

Sensational sounds, sights, tastes, and smells conjure felicity at times. Warm sunshine on our arms, the aroma of fresh bread, a favorite song on the radio, chocolate melting in our mouths (unless you’re like my niece, Jessica. She hates chocolate).

Nobody feels happy all the time, and intense happiness is rare. Yet, the luster of those experiences sustains us through dreary, dismal times. The light we leave going into the tunnel promises to wait for us on the other side.

Think about your most felicitous moments. Chances are these resulted from things true and lovely. The things Scripture encourages in our meditations.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8

Happiness comes and goes. However, reflecting on our felicitous moments cultivates the fruit of joy. Let’s take a moment and praise God for our favorite things and all our happy places.

Three questions to ask when you’re drowning in responsibilities

Faith, Knowing God, prayer, Trials / By teri / May 3, 2022 March 17, 2022 / busy, overwhelmed, stressed, too busy, work well done

Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!

Two days ago, we flipped a page on the calendar. The ancients celebrated May first, or May Day, as the first day of summer. Today, May Day, signals the start of graduation and wedding season. School will soon be out. We plan vacations and other ways to keep children occupied. Yard work is in full swing. The spring we longed for now slips through our grasp. Soon, the summer heat will beat down, and there is so much left to do. It’s a busy time of year. Sometimes too busy.

When a springtime celebration sinks into overwhelming responsibilities how do we get everything done? Like a sea captain whose boat is taking on water, it’s time to issue a distress call, “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice,” Psalm 18:6a

As a young woman, the fatigue of pregnancy took me by surprise. I’d sleep ten hours and still feel the need for a two-hour nap. Suddenly my regular commitments swamped me. I couldn’t keep up with everything. “Help, Lord,” I cried, and He did.

He counseled me from Titus 2:4-5 “that they (older women) admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.” God’s priorities for young women became a filter for my activities. If I was not taking care of these things, nothing else I did was His will for me. God showed me what He wanted me to be doing in that phase of my life. But seasons change so it’s important to keep asking.

Question #1: What does God want me to do?

Now well beyond my childbearing years, I’ve walked through many busy seasons. I’ve discovered sometimes God does put more on our plates than we can handle. He’s waiting for us to ask for His help. The Apostle Paul shares a brilliant insight in the book of Ephesians. “For we are His (God’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

God planned our perfect to-do lists, and He’s glad to direct our steps. Are we taking the time to ask Him each day what work He wants us to do? As the director of women’s ministries in my church, I often recruit women for various tasks. Whenever I approach someone about a ministry opportunity, I ask them to pray before committing. I may think they’re a perfect fit for a job, but I’m not the Holy Spirit. I want God to direct His daughters to do His will, not mine. If you’re sinking under too many to-dos, ask God what He wants to cross off your list. If His answer is nothing, then the next question becomes vital.

Question #2: How does He want me to do it all?

When poor Martha felt overwhelmed, Jesus taught her the secret of simplicity. “And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:41-42). First, do not, I repeat, do not worry. Anxiety robs us of the peace and rest God intends for us. We need to learn the gentle rhythms of grace. God wants us to depend on His grace and embrace His peace (2 Corinthians 12:9, Philippians 4:7-8).

Next, we need the power of Mary’s one thing—time spent with Jesus. Nothing simplifies my workload more than bringing my to-do list before God each day. As more tasks come to mind and distract me from the Word, I jot them down. When my time with Jesus comes to a close, I lift my list in prayer and ask, “What do You want me to do today, Lord?” Sometimes He adds things. Sometimes He crosses them off. When I start my day with His input, things go much smoother. I know this sounds like I’m repeating question one, but we discover the how in this repetition. How does He want me to work? With Him, in His power, under His leadership. His lordship simplifies life.

Question 3: Who gets the credit for the completed work?

Accomplishment feels great. I love crossing things off my list and changing the “To-Do” to “Ta-da!” When we serve well and accolades come our way, it’s easy to forget Who accomplished what. Jesus reminds us in no uncertain terms, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Failing to give God credit for how He chooses to use us robs Him of glory. It’s a violation of the eighth commandment, “You shall not steal.” Let’s give God credit when He turns our impossible tasks into beautiful realities.

Easter Every Day?

2 Comments / celebrations, Community, Faith / By teri / April 19, 2022 February 28, 2022 / Holy Spirit filled, It's still Easter!, resurrection

We’ve got the power!

The children’s story, Christmas Every Day, chronicles the saga of a little girl who asked Santa to make every day Christmas for a whole year. Santa Claus indulges her by making her dream of 365 days of candy and presents come true. Within a week, the little girl regrets her greed as her family and most others are impoverished by gift-giving and feel ill from gluttony. Everyone ends up cranky. Finally, the year ends, and so do the celebrations. Everyone dances with joy. Then the girl sticks her foot in the other ditch asking Santa to never, ever have another Christmas. This time the jolly old elf does not indulge her, and everyone lives happily ever after with an annual celebration.

I love holidays and traditions. Easter is my favorite for many reasons; warmer weather, spring flowers popping up, cheery pastel decorations, cute, cuddly animal decorations, and most of all, Christ’s victory over the grave. Now, I must wait again for the year to pass for Easter to come again. Or do I?

As a follower of Jesus, I can celebrate the resurrection every day. I don’t need egg decorating and hunts, sunrise services, or chocolate bunnies to appreciate Easter. Who needs a bunny when we have Jesus? Christ lives! And He lives in us.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

The verse above implies we should remember Good Friday daily; the following passage encourages us to make every day a step-by-step resurrection celebration.

“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4

If we mindfully walked in the power of the Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead, imagine the positive impact on the world around us.

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus told His disciples to let their light shine among men. He’s calling us to live out the Sonrise life with Holy Spirit power. Jesus invites us to Easter every day. And I don’t think He’d mind if we ate a chocolate egg or two. Better yet, sharing those leftover sweets wrapped in shiny, pastel foil may be enough to brighten up someone’s day.

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Happy Easter, again! He has risen!

(If you know the traditional response, leave it in a comment.)

Four Main Functions of Blood and How these Point to Good Friday

Faith, Knowing God, wonder of creation / By teri / April 5, 2022 February 28, 2022 / blood, Good Friday, science and faith

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Good Friday?!

Blood splattered across the screen; I cringed at the gratuitous violence. Then I clicked the remote and turned the television off. Unfortunately, many react similarly to Christianity, calling it “a bloody religion.” And it is.

Recently, I finished reading the bloodiest book of the Bible, Leviticus. The sixty-six books of the Bible contain 357 verses that speak of blood. Sixty-six of those (almost one-fifth) are in Leviticus. What about blood makes it a central theme of both the Old and New Testaments?

We find the answer smack dab in the middle of the Pentateuch, the first five books known as the Law of Moses.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls,” Leviticus 17:11a

Did the ancient patriarchs understand the biological functions of blood? It’s hard to know. Blood sacrifices began at the first incident of disobedience when God Himself slaughtered an animal to cover the shame of Adam and Eve. We see these animal sacrifices continue through Abel and Noah. Even Job, who was not a son of Abraham, offered atoning sacrifices for his children.

My friend, John Olson (PhD in biochemistry), reminds me, “Science is just discovering how God does stuff.” Scientific research provides us with an understanding of blood’s functions in the body. Within this life-giving elixir, God painted pictures of atonement’s mysteries.

Four significant blood functions and what each reveals about atonement

Supplying oxygen to cells and tissues

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

God breathed into man the first breath; Adam’s blood carried that sacred air to every cell in his body. The name of God, translated in the Old Testament as Lord (Adonai), is how the Jewish scribes honored His most holy name YHWH (the breath). He created blood to carry His life into ours; He is indeed the Lord of Life. And the life is in the blood.

Providing essential nutrients to cells, such as amino acids, fatty acids, and glucose

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:6

Adam and Eve bit off more than their blood could chew. They ate the one fruit in the garden that could not nourish them. They ingested the poison of disobedience. The forbidden fruit introduced the fatal awareness of evil to their minds and the toxin of death into their circulatory system.

Removing waste materials, such as carbon dioxide, urea, and lactic acid

“And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22

Tainted blood travels through veins to organs that filter out the waste. Inside our lungs, an exchange occurs; unclean carbon dioxide is replaced with clean oxygen. But these purifying organs cannot extract sin. The removal of sin’s penalty requires another exchange; the life of a clean animal poured out to amend for the debt incurred by the guilty. Atonement became a necessary reparation for wrongdoing.

Protecting the body from diseases, infections, and foreign bodies through the action of white blood cells

“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

The white blood cells that fight disease illustrate the Lamb of God. White blood cells attack disease, so Messiah slew sin and the death it brings. He is Adonai Rapha—the Lord Who Heals.

Our blood testifies God is life, forbidden fruit poisoned us, an exchange is necessary, and healing is made possible. As Michael Card puts it, “By His blood, He bought a violent grace.”

In ten days, we will commemorate the blood sacrifice of Jesus. We call it Good Friday. I’m mindful of the words Jesus spoke to a rich, young ruler, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.” Yes, God is good. He was good to provide a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in his son Isaac’s place. What God asked Abraham to do, God, in His goodness, has done. He offered His only Son. Let’s reflect on the miracle of blood—His blood—for His life is in His blood!

An Important Life Lesson from Spring Flowers

Community, Faith, Maturity / By teri / March 22, 2022 February 26, 2022 / church life, gardening, generations, mentoring, teaching

Don’t cut the greens!

As March commences, one of my favorite flowers struggles to break through the cold earth. Soon after the crocuses pop up through the snow, daffodils take their place as the trumpet section in the parade of spring bulbs. I marvel at their bright blast of sunshine. These cheery plants announce God’s kept promise of resurrection life. But all too soon, their blooms wither, leaving behind straggly greens. Now what’s a gardener to do?

The first year daffodils grew in my yard, I made a rookie mistake and cut those leftover leaves. Then an older sister in Christ with far more gardening experience pointed out my folly, “Those leaves fuel the bulb to flower next year. When you cut them off, you rob yourself of future blooms.”

Oops! I learned to leave and appreciate those withering greens. Years later, I see a similar lesson for us as Christian women. Because now, I’m the straggling greenery past the prime of flowering. My blooms have grown. The petals scattered in the wind as my children have long left the stem of a home I provided. Younger sisters, please, don’t cut off the voices of experience. Older women are a gift of God to you. Our years of child-rearing and homemaking, and yes, even gardening, provide nourishment to help you thrive.

Unfortunately, women act a bit too much like bulbs. We gather more often in peer groups than in multi-generational settings. Peers do have their place, but God intends His daughters to live and grow through the process of the older teaching the younger.

“The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.” Titus 2:3-5

Together we face the challenge of reaching out and embracing one another. Too often, we cut one another off through criticism instead of spurring each other on through encouragement (Hebrews 10:24). So, what needs to happen to cultivate a healthy flowerbed in the family of God?

First, it starts with us older women being reverent. Our worship must be more than weekly church attendance. We need to worship daily. Moment by moment, we let God open our eyes to His wonders and praise Him. We must live in the hush of holiness—a contented, consecrated life of obedience. Second, older women must refrain from bad-mouthing others, particularly the young. We need to sing their new songs with our seasoned passion if we desire to impart the grace and knowledge of Jesus in their lives. Third, we value our sobriety and resist the temptation to overmedicate the physical pains of an aging body. When Paul wrote to Titus centuries ago, the painkiller of choice was wine; today, it’s opioids. The epidemic of opioid addiction, even among the young, shocks me! With my achy joints and sleepless nights, I understand the temptation. As God’s mature daughters, we must resist the temptation of inebriation. Then our lives will glorify the God Who renews us even while our bodies go to seed.

“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

2 Corinthians 4:16

Finally, God appoints the responsibility of teaching the younger women to us older sisters. We must be the bridge builders, the initiators. Not in a structured unnatural way, but in a caring communal way, we come alongside and get involved with the generation coming behind us.

Younger sister, Paul’s letter to Pastor Titus also speaks to you. Look for those reverent, sober, discreet women. Spend time with them. Seek their input. Please, don’t cut the greens. God lets older growth tarry for a reason. Absorb the nourishment we bring to His flower bed of saints.

What do Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Saint Patrick have in Common?

1 Comment / celebrations, Faith, Spiritual warfare / By teri / March 8, 2022 March 2, 2022 / courage, legends, St. Patrick, St. Patrick's Day, the Gospel, Volodymyr Zelensky

Legendary Courage!

As war rages in Ukraine, it’s business as usual in America. On St. Patrick’s day. Parades will march through our streets with marching bands and shamrock-covered floats. I predict many will wear blue and yellow armbands to support Ukraine. Who knows, maybe in Chicago, they’ll dye the river yellow and blue and watch it turn green? Then, the bars will fill in the evening, and glasses will be raised to Zelensky, toasting his courage as the usual drunken debauchery unfolds. This kind of celebration is not what Patrick envisioned when he left Britain and returned to Ireland.

Irish slave traders kidnapped Patrick (born a free Roman citizen) from his homeland in Britain when he was seventeen. He was one of few who escaped this fate. After returning to Britain, he came to saving faith. He returned to Ireland with a burning desire to see God transform the heart of the Irish people. His courage stands as an example to us today.

“It was not by my own grace, but God who overcame it in me, and resisted them all so that I could come to the peoples of Ireland to preach the gospel. I bore insults from unbelievers, so that I would hear the hatred directed at me for traveling here. I bore many persecutions, even chains, so that I could give up my freeborn state for the sake of others. If I be worthy, I am ready even to give up my life most willingly here and now for his name. It is there that I wish to spend my life until I die, if the Lord should grant it to me.” from Saint Patrick’s Confessio

As Zelensky stands against Putin, he understands the cost. Patrick understood the cost of returning to Ireland. Are we willing to lay down our lives for something greater than pleasure and comfort? Is the freedom the Gospel brings worthy of our sacrifice?

Yes! But will we count the cost?

Real courage isn’t rhetoric. It’s easy to imagine what we would say or do in dangerous circumstances. I waste a lot of time daydreaming like that. Yet, we shy away from sharing Christ because we don’t want to offend people. That’s like failing to do CPR on a person who passes out in front of us for fear of being sued. If we can save lives, shouldn’t we?

Courage shows up in hard places; we choose bravery, or we don’t. Many around us will head to the bar on St. Patrick’s Day. Before that happens, let’s ask them a bold question, “What do you know about St. Patrick?” Then let’s be bolder yet and thrust the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God—into the conversation. It doesn’t matter if they don’t believe the Bible is God’s truth. As a wise old pastor once said, “poke ‘em with it anyway!”

Remember Saint Patrick!

Stand Firm

2 Comments / Faith, prayer, Spiritual warfare, Trials / By teri / March 1, 2022 March 1, 2022 / How to pray, Russia, victory, War in Ukraine, wasting time

Pray for Ukraine!

Millions, if not billions, of peace-loving people—including many Russians—around the globe watched in horror as Russian tanks rolled over Ukraine’s borders. Vladimir Putin shattered seventy years of peace in Europe (the longest period in recorded history). “If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3).

This question posed by King David three thousand years ago still troubles us in times like this. On the first day of this war, I wasted too much energy with silly daydreams of just retribution against the present dictator of Russia. What I should have been doing (and am doing now) is standing firm in the armor of God.

My husband spent two weeks preaching through Ephesians 6:10-20. His message series in Ephesians ended four days before the war began. It took me two more days to realize how foolishly I was using my time to fight an unseen enemy. Putin is a puppet. Satan dances in the blood of innocent Ukrainians, and we, the Church, God’s holy army, are called to fight.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

In our strength, resistance is vain. To stand firm, we must bow low. Prayer launches our attack. The Word of truth is our sword, our offensive weapon. Sister Warriors, let’s wield it well on our knees.

Here are specific verses we can pray.

For ourselves, “ that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,” Ephesians 6:19. The power of the Gospel of peace changes hearts. It can even change Putin!
For bad Vlad (if he refuses to repent), “He (God) repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.” Deuteronomy 7:10. Vladimir will come to Jesus one way or another.
For courageous Russians speaking out against this war, and all our family in Christ in Ukraine and Russia, “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.” Psalm 57:1. May God protect them when no one else can.

Take heart, dear ones; this war is a mere skirmish in an eternal battle already won!

Stand firm; bow low!