Sploshy Steps

Kristen over at Exemplify posted her monthly Monday Manna meme today. I couldn't resist this one, because it is part of the melody of my lifesong.

“The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”
1 Timothy 1:14, NIV

I love the way the Message puts it too...

"Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus."

The word that stands out to me is 'poured.' Picture being out on a walk, and all of a sudden, it starts to sprinkle. Random wet dots appear on your head and your clothing. But if it begins to pour, you're drenched all the way through your shoes...every sploshy step leaves the marks of your saturated state.

When I picture the grace of the Lord that way, it humbles me. I'm drenched with it. It has completely poured down and covered my stink. And because of who He is, each step I take leaves marks of His grace. Just as if I were to soak someone else with a big hug after coming out of the rainstorm, so I will drench others with Him as I touch their lives with love. With each trial and struggle I walk through stemming from the faith He's given me, so the faith of others can be strengthened.

He desires us to live this saturated life, and we can do so as we fill up on Him.

John 10:10b
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Lord, I can't thank You enough for pouring out your grace, faith and love. Please keep me soaked in it as I walk through this life. Help me not to trust in anything or anyone other than You to provide rich, abundant life. Be my everything, Lord, and may everyone I touch experience more of You as a result. In Jesus' name, Amen.

In the Key of HE,

A Mother's Testimony At the Well

"Each day of our lives we make deposits
in the memory banks of our children.
~Charles R. Swindoll, The Strong Family

A little girl, asked where her home was,
replied, "where mother is."
~Keith L. Brooks
 

Great quotes. I thought they would be particularly helpful to start the topic brought up by Penny who is hosting us At the Well today. Thanks to Chelsey for continuing to sponsor the At the Well meme each week.

As I thought through Penny's topic of encouraging our daughters, I couldn't help but think back to my own childhood. Especially since my mom passed away two years ago this week (Sept. 11th, 2006).

I regularly feel the void of a mother/daughter relationship from the "daughter" side of things. My mother was physically and mentally disabled, so I wasn't taught many of the domestic lessons that many moms teach their kids. But, praise the Lord, in His infinite grace and goodness, He gave me a mother who depended on Him for her every breath. Her chronic pain and depression could have turned her to many other ways of coping, but instead she chose the way of the cross. And guess what? I now carry that legacy. So does my sister.


This is the last picture my sister and I had with our mom before she passed away.

So my focus of Penny's three questions (which I will list at the end of this post) is her #1 question: "How do you encourage your daughters in relationship with the Lord?

I teach them what I learned from my mama--to depend on the Lord for everything, to love His Word and to love the church. That is the best encouragement I can give them, because all the other stuff I'm sorta wingin' and learning from others as I go along.

I wasn't taught to follow a recipe for a meal, but I was taught to follow THE recipe for living.
I wasn't taught to clean house, but I was taught to live a clean life.
I wasn't taught to iron, but I was taught to take my wrinkled life before the Lord for perfecting.

And I'm overwhelmingly thankful I learned from her that it is in being weak and broken that I can truly be strong, God-strong.

I'm not saying that the teaching of domestic duties should not be emphasized with our daughters...nothing is farther from the truth. The Bible talks about these important qualities in Titus 2 and Proverbs 31. I'm only saying that I'm probably not the source of expertise on them... ;) I'm hoping as I meet other mothers at the well today I will glean wisdom and insight into improving these areas in motherhood. And maybe someone else can glean from mine.

I truly, truly, truly pray that each woman at the well sees my heart on this subject and that my testimony can encourage another mother who thinks that she can't do the parenting thing for whatever reason. Think about it: if you cannot do one other thing, you can show your daughters how much you love and depend on the Lord, how to open their Bibles and live by it, and give them the love and affection that Christ has given you.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (NIV)
"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Would love for you to meet us at the well for discussion today. Here are Penny's questions for discussion. Which one can you tackle?
Discussion Questions:
As mothers we have the ability to shape furture generations through our children. Our daughters are not only ours but first and foremost daughters of HIM. The relationship they have with Jesus will affect all they do, now in our homes and later in their own. Having a married daughter expecting her first child, I have been blessed to see this all come full circle, Well almost, the circle seems to grow bigger all the time. I am really excited about sharing this week :)
#1 How do you encourage your daughters in their relationship with the Lord?
#2 How do you encourage them in areas of domestic service in your home?
#3 How do you encourage them in their future of loving their husbands and their own children, and also being content if marriage isn't in God's plan for them?

What's on your mind when you read these? Pleeeeeeeease take the time to share, and to go and learn from other Godly wise women at Penny Raine's blog. I can't wait!

In the Key of HE,

Don't Forget To Walk This Wii-kend

We finally broke down and got a Wii for the family. I love the way it involves using your body, and some of us in the family put more of our body into it than others. (Cha cha cha!) ;) How much better that is than sittin' around controlling things with your thumbs. Great fun. (Bump ya hip!)

This morning as I was having my quiet time, I heard the kids upstairs playing with the Wii, grunting and cheering over a tennis match. The Lord brought James, Chapter 2 to my mind:

James 2:14-17 (NLT)
"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?
Can that kind of faith save anyone?
Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, 'Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well'—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing.
What good does that do?
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless."

That says it all. It was just the reminder I needed, mainly because of this: I am more than willing to be active in my faith, but I am not always available. Ouch! It's easy for me to get my head stuck in my laptop or confining myself to the house or the taxi-cab...forgetting that I need to be available to walk next door and say hi to the widow next door or chat with the non-Christian couple on the other side of the street. Or whatever... Your situation may be different. What do you fill your time with that may keep you from showing your faith through deeds to others?

Another aspect of this is being available to SHARE my faith. It's a vewy scawey subject, but it's something I've been convicted about the past month as I've listened to my pastor's messages on evangelism. If I'm too busy, or too apathetic, or too whatever to be willing and ready to share the hope that I have, then something in my spiritual life is totally out of whack! Big crooked finger aimed totally at myself. I've been praying that the Lord would help me re-align my priorities and my attitude as it pertains to this subject.

Philemon 1:6, NIV
"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith,
so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."

"ME, ME!!!!" I want to have a full understanding of every good thing I have in Christ. I don't want to miss out on that. Nor do I want to see the tapes played in Heaven (if there is such a thing) of all the opportunities I passed by because of fear or apathy or busyness. Every once in awhile, the thought comes to my mind, "Laura, look around you. That person is going to spend eternity in hell!" Talk about internal admonishment. Right then and there, I pray for open eyes, a sound mind and a willing heart for however God wants to use me.

So that's that. YOu and me. Let's not forget to walk our faith this wii-kend, being prepared and available for whatever the Lord brings our way. I'm praying it, really, and asking Him to help me stop shakin' in my boots as I do.

Ephesians 5:11-16 (The Message)
"Don't waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It's a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!"

In the Key of HE,

The Sunday School Diaries of Virginia Dee

***Posted for Patty Wysong's Fiction Fridays meme. For more great fiction or to post your own fiction piece, click here:



The Sunday School Diaries of Virginia Dee

(7 years old—)

Deer Diry,
I got to go to sundy skool today. I had fun. My teechrs name is Mistr Mark. He says his name is jest lik the mark in the bibl. A Boy named Fil poold my hare.

Deer Diery,
I jes lernd that G-O-D luvs me in sunday skool that made me feel glad. Fil Smith kep gofing off.


(10 years old---)

Dear Diary,
Jesus loved me and dyed for me. My teacher said that she loved me too. I want to know more about what we learned in Sunday school yesterday. We sang a lot and I love that part. Phil sang in a high voice in my ear to iritate me. The teacher winked at me and smiled.


(15 years old---)

In youth class today, I learned about fighting temptatation with prayer and the Bible. I really needed to hear that message. I can’t believe that Jesus was tempted in every way I am tempted. That is neat. I got to play piano for the song time. Phil Smith really embarassed me when he started clapping loud and smiling at me.


(19 years old----)

I finally found a church with a college s.s. class! It is so incredible, because we go really deep into the Word! No more baby food for me! I’ve never felt so close to God—ever! I have to admit, though—I sorta miss Phil.


(25 years old---)

It’s strange going to a young marrieds class. All the guys go on one side of the room while the ladies go to the other. It feels so shallow compared to the people I knew in the singles class. Oh well, Phil says we’ll get used to it soon enough.


(37 years old---)

We’re only making it to S.S. twice a month now. Phil and I thought that it was time to take all the Bible knowledge we have and use it to teach the younger kids. It’s fun, though, especially since we can’t have children of our own.


(52 years old---)

I am truly amazed and blessed by how our Sunday school class has surrounded us through Phil’s cancer. I honestly don’t know how we would’ve made it through without the love of the Lord being poured out through them.


(70 years old---)

My heart is torn to bits over losing Edith Howard this past week. She was the prayer warrior of our class for over twenty years. She did so much for me when I lost my Phil. Seems like our class is dwindling down to nothing quickly.


(82 years old---)

I miss the days of prayer and study in my Sunday school group. They don’t have one here at the facility. I do enjoy playing the piano in the cafeteria, but I just feel lonely for the people I grew in body and spirit with for so long. I thank God for them every day.


(87 years old---recorded by Beth Johnson, nursing home volunteer, on behalf of Virginia D. Smith)

My brother's granddaughter came to see me in the facility today. She said that her church is no longer going to have Sunday school. Something about changing its model. What’s odd is that she didn’t seem the least bit upset by it. But my soul is broken to bits thinking about her missing out on the fellowship and community that made my love for God and others so deep and full. What will she do when she’s old and gray with mainly her memories to keep her company?

Hopefully, she will be led soon to a church that understands the value of a good Sunday school program.
I’m going to ask the nurse to help me get to my knees to pray.
It is the only thing I can do.

God save Sunday School.

*********
These journal entries were compiled by Allison D. Jenkins, the great niece of Virginia Dee Smith. In her last days, she begged me to go through her diaries and gather the entries of her Sunday School memories. It meant so much to her that I couldn’t help but respond to her request. One month after her passing, I found a church with a thriving Singles class. Even though they don’t call it Sunday School, I have never had such Godly connections, so it must be the same thing. I owe it all to Aunt Virginia for praying. My only complaint is this guy named Jay who really bugs me. (and yes, this is still part of the fiction story)


In the Key of HE,