Mary Crisp Jameson - copyright material







Sunday, September 29, 2013

The Help - Some Good Self-Talk


     It's a rainy day here in "A Friendly Shade."  Just the perfect day for getting out of my Sunday clothes and into a soft pair of lounging knits and t-shirt and then sticking a good movie into the VCR.  My first thoughts were a popular bestseller which I have previously watched but certainly didn't mind repeating, The Help. 
     On my second viewing of The Help, what grabbed my attention was not so much what the blacks had to endure years ago but  motivation and self-talk.   Abileen was the black maid who  cared daily for a white child who seemingly was neglected by her up-to-do mother.  Abileen is constantly giving the child an example of some good solid self-talk.  She lovingly encourages  the child by saying,  "You is beautiful.  You is smart.  You is important."
     Do you think that sometimes we fail to accomplish the things we want to do simply because we feel inferior?  Do we avoid making friendships because we feel inferior? 
     Whether we are black, white, or some other nationality, we need to remember that God loves us all.  Some of us are not in high paying positions.  Some of us do not have the nicest homes or wear the nicest clothes.  Some of us did not have the nicest up-bringing.  Some of us have past problems in our lives which we let hold us back.  We forget that they are "in the past."   Maybe, just maybe, it is time to let them go and give ourselves some good old self-talk.  "We are good.  We are loved.  We are important." 
     This is not to say that we should blame our situation on others and carry a chip on our shoulder,  but rather, make a choice to improve.  Develop self-esteem with some daily, good self-talk.   
     As Christians, we know that God ransomed all His people with His blood.  He does not select any one group of people no matter their position in life.  He created each and every one of us, and we are all loved by Him.  We are all important to God!  God does not hold our past sins against us once we have asked for forgiveness.  He does not hold us back because we were born "red, yellow, black, or white." 
     "Shut the front door!"  is a slang sentence some like to say when they hear some shocking, unexpected news.  I think I will change it a little and exclaim, "Shut the back door!"  Yes,  close the back door to all those things in the past that hold us back and open the front door to new experiences and new friendships. It is up to us to open the door of opportunity and forget the past expereniences of where we came from, what was done to us or our family, what sins we have committed and move on to the greener pastures of life.  Be brave, be strong, and trust the Lord that loves us.     
     As Abileen said in The Help, "You is beautiful.  You is smart.  You is important."

 Revelations 5:9  "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God and from every tribe and language and people and nation."

          

Friday, September 27, 2013

Christ In Me

     We all suffer at times from sickness, death, accidental injury, disappointments, and other unnamed problems which seek to pull us down.  As I sit in “A Friendly Shade,” I wondered how anyone without Christ and their faith in Him can cope.  There are no words anyone can say which will give the comfort that the simple presence of God can bestow.   During hard times it is good to “stop” and be thankful for the Christ that lives within us. 

               Christ In Me!

Whatever happens in life, there is hope,
For I know the One who carries me over the mountain slope. 
Though troubles creep in, I have no need to fear.
My Christ is always near.

When dreams vanish and flee, all is well within my soul.
I am assured my God will keep me whole.
If I am tossed and beaten, somewhere there is an open door.
Peace comes in the night for my God goes before.

As disappointments leave me shattered and frail, 
My God will lead me down another trail.  
The wind may push me to and fro,
But my Christ will love and lead where e‘re I go. 

Though I walk through the lion’s den, there is One who delivers me.
He knows, He loves, and He will see.
When I am in complete despair, He is there.
I find Him everywhere; within myself and in the air!

Although my world is broken down,
I look for the One who rejected a crown.
I look for the One who died for me.
I pray for the ones who have no faith; the ones who just don’t see.

When life brings a troubled sting,
I stop to remember there will be a new born spring. 
For Christ is in me.  He lives, He is!
I am loved, valued, and His!
                                  Mary Crisp  Jameson – 9/27/2013

...God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16b

 

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Like Father, Like Son!

     I have heard the saying, “Like father, like son,”  all my life, but until today I have never associated the saying with the One true Father and Son.   How were they alike?  This question came to mind while I was reading John 1:14 in  The Message.  It reads, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the   neighborhood.  We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”
     Christians recognize that the Father and the Son are One.  But God loved His people so much he sent Jesus to walk among them with a plan for Jesus to die to save our souls.   For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
     While Jesus walked on the earth among men, how were they alike and what did they do the same way?

                 Like Father, Like Son!

God created man and gave Him dominion over all creatures.
Jesus created an earthly ministry and gave man a commission to spread this ministry.

Through God’s creation, He provided life.
Through His death, Jesus provided life.

God’s word was first rejected by Adam and Eve and later by men.
Jesus’ words and death were rejected by man and are still rejected.

In the Old Testament God called special men to lead his people.
In the New Testament Jesus selected 12 disciples to lead the people.

In the Old Testament God did many miracles.
In the New Testament Jesus did many miracles.

God led the Israelites.
Jesus led the disciples.

The evolution theory rejects the notion that God created the earth and every creature.
Non-Christians reject Jesus’ death and the eternal life He provided.

God finished His work of creation.
Jesus finished Him work of salvation.
 
God is our shelter from the storm.
Jesus is the mediator for that shelter.
 
They are One and They are Love!
They are the way to eternal life!

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Anniversary

     It is my anniversary, and I have put up with it for 17 years… kindness, patience, endurance, and a God fearing character.  What more can I say?  Oh, yes- I have been blessed!
     I have to admit, my husband does not make beds.  He does not dust furniture or my doo-dads. He does very little to no cooking, but he does do dishes, vacuum, and take out the garbage.  He may sit in a chair while I shop, but he does take me shopping.  I believe you call that patience.  He is  retired and while I still have to crawl out from under the covers to get dressed for work, there is seldom a morning when he does not compliment me before I leave for work.  Anger is not a part of his character.  I could count the times I have seen him even semi-angry on five fingers, never going past my first hand.   The time my jealous dog and him had a stand-off in the hallway, just after we got married, does not count.  When I express a concern, he is never embarrassed to pick up my hand at that moment and pray with me. I do not remember ever hearing him say an unkind word about anyone. 
     The best way to describe my 17 years with my husband would be to simply read 1 Corinthians.  My husband meets all of those qualities, and that is what my husband has given me for the past 17 years.
     Thank you Chuck and “Happy Anniversary!”
   
    1 Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Red Touch Yellow, Kill A Fellow

     I don’t like it when snakes invade my “Friendly Shade.”  When that happens, one of us must go and, I have to admit, it is usually me.  In order to protect myself  and to know my enemy I must take the advice which is given to me. 
     When I was growing up I was told that a snake with a triangular head was poisonous.  My only problem is the fact that I am not around, after I see one, long enough to determine the shape of the head.  I was also told that the coral snake and the scarlet snake are often mistaken for each other; one is poisonous and one is not.  The way to remember whether it is poisonous or not is this standard rule or rhyme, “Red touch yellow, kill a fellow  - Red touch black, venom lack.”  Again, who can even remember this quote when they are eyeball to eyeball with such a ground crawling demon?
     Yet, it is up to us to know our enemy.  We are told so many times in scripture to chose who we will associate with.  There are angels all around us who are send from God.  It may come in the form of a friend, a casual acquaintance, a parent, brother or sister.  They may give us encouragement at just the right moment.  However, there are also those we come in contact with daily who are all too ready to lead us astray, away from the God who created us, away from the guidance of our parents, and away from the friends who love us.  
     How do we know our enemy?  I believe that knowledge comes from knowing God, His Word, and having a close walk with Him.  Since God lives within every Christian there is a built in feeling; there is either a complete peace or a feeling that something is not right.   
     We will meet people who are smooth talking and charming, but if we will watch their ways and listen to their actions rather than their words, we will soon learn their ways.  There are examples in the scripture regarding who we should allow to be our friends.  Proverbs 22:24-25 is one, “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” 
     The more we love the world rather than God, the easier we will be deceived by our enemies and the more accepting we will become of the ways of the world.        
     Satan has his own followers; they will attack in our weakest moments.  If we allow ourselves to be caught up in loving the world more than God, we may find that “at the last it biteth like a serpent but stingeth like an adder.”  God tells us in 2 Timothy that in the last days men will become  lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God."
     I wish I could recognize all my enemies by applying the rule, “Red touch yellow, kill a fellow - Red touch black, venom lack!”  However, the enemy comes in many different forms.  There was only One that walked the earth who was "whiter than snow."  I pray that I will always follow His example and will not become my own worst enemy by allowing the enemy to creep into my "Friendly Shade."  

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Boots On The Ground


     There is much to consider when the our government leaders talk of putting “boots on the ground.”  No one likes war and certainly not ones where loved ones are put in harm’s way.  Yet, there are many brave, dedicated men and women willing to sacrifice being away from family, friends, and other loved ones to serve their country.
     When I think about putting “boots on the ground,” I not only considered the controversy over going to war but the commission given in Matthew 28:19-20.
     “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
     Since this commission was issued, and even before, there have been dedicated servants willing to leave family and friends to follow Jesus and take His gospel throughout the nations and even into dangerous territory.  They are strong advocates and missionaries who are willing to put “boots on the ground.”   Then there are some whose intentions start out good but, at some point, simply go AWOL (absent without official leave).   Their intention is not to completely desert their mission but somehow slip and slide until they reach a point where the Commander In Chief redirects their path. 
     A sign stating, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter,” is what really got me to thinking about missions.  What is it and how can we all be missionaries?
     Missions, to me, is being willing to follow God’s call and His commission.  He is our true Commander and Chief, and He has called all Christians to put “boots on the ground.” 
     So, just how can we follow?  Let me sum it up with an acronym.
F- ocus on the gossip
O-ffer love to everyone
L-ove the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind
L-et God work through you
O-perate within God’s direction
W-illingly serve
     Christians need to remember the charge, "Go ye therefore," so we can successfully follow our Commander In Chief into a battle that will allow us to put "boots on the ground."

    

Friday, September 6, 2013

Vanity of Vanities

     As I sit under "A Friendly Shade," I am thinking and praying that an investment I made comes to fruition.  I am sure we all worry about our investments.  We want to accumulate enough to meet our needs and are often disappointed when our investments fail or, if we are fortunate enough to accumulate more than we need, we are still looking for something else to fill our desires. 
     In Ecclesiastes King Solomon wrote that all is vanity; everything is meaningless.  He wonders what profit a man has for all his labor "under the sun."  Soloman talks of how one generation passeth away-another cometh; the sun rises and the sun goes down; all rivers run into the sea yet the sea is not full. 
     Solomon was rich.  He had acquired more money than he could spend.  He was powerful, yet he pondered, "What is the purpose?  Everything is wearisome, we are not content."  He knew there was a time to live and a time to die.  Life was a cycle.  
     The key here is "under the sun."  The conclusion is that while we are busy building an earthly inheritance we need to be just as committed to building a godly inheritance, for God is the only true source of happiness. 


Vanity of Vanity;
The soul of humanity!

I created a great estate
And put up a mighty, protective gate.
I saw what my hands hath wrought,
But was it all for naught?
What profit did I have under the sun?

Vanity of Vanity
The soul of humanity!

I labored morning and night,
Purchasing possessions for my delight. 
I saw what I had accomplished upon this earth,
But who’d really know its worth? 
What value would it be under the sun?    

Vanity of Vanity;
The soul of humanity!

When old age has taken its toll.
I will yearn for a different earthly stroll;
Something more profitable under the sun; 
A work bringing words, like, “Well done!”

Thoughout the days and to the end,
Let not life be for naught, my friend.
Will it be, “Vanity of Vanity;
The Soul of Humanity,”
Or “Works of Christianity?”  
                       Mary Crisp Jameson