The Door

     In “A Friendly Shade” I have no doors closing me off from nature.  I may sit in my shade swinging underneath a breezy tree, labor intently in my small garden, or just take a walk in the woods.  However, when I have enjoyed nature for a time and wish to enter another more cooler or warmer climate all I have to do is return inside.  To do this, I must enter a door. 
     What do we do when the door doesn’t open?  Don’t we expect it to open easily when we turn the knob?  If it does not open as expected, do we kick it, bang on it, or shove the mighty force of our shoulder against it?  Do we give up and walk away, or do we find another door?  Thank about it! 
     In Matthew 7:7-8 it says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."  Doesn’t this scripture make us expect the door to open?  Yet, there are times we are left disappointed, and in our disappointment we have several options when the door does not open.  In Mark Batterson’s book “The Circle Maker,” he asks, “How long and loud will you knock on the door?  Until you knock the door down?”  Sometimes, we need to pray harder and become as Mark Batterson writes, “We need to become desperate in our prayers.”   
     When we don’t get answers or the answers we expect, we need to aways keep praying and keep knocking.  Maybe God is saying, “No, not now,”  or is He saying, “There is something better. Look for another door.”  Whatever the case, we must keep praying. 
     Maybe we slammed the door so hard it won’t open.  What happened?  Did we take our request away from God in our effort to do it ourselves and to do it our way?  Is it time to release our stubbornness in order to finally let God back under the steering wheel and allow Him to open a door?      
     Often times, we may need to listen harder.  Some would complain, "Why can't I hear Him? Why is He not answering?"   Could it be that we have sin in our lives that we have not been willing to get rid of ?  Can we really expect a door to open when we are not willing to obey?
     If we are truly willing to obey, there is hope.  God knows how to correctly dot every “i” and cross every “t”,  and He will open the door that is right for us at just the right time.   So, if we find a door that will not open, we need to keep knocking- there are surprise blessings behind that door in due time.     

    

 

Friends In Church Places

     Sitting in “A Friendly Shade” I thought about all my friends and what they mean to me. I am thankful and blessed to have them. Friends are special, and they are needed in life. We find friends in all kinds of places. We find them in the workplace, in different towns and communities, and even on Facebook.   Some friends stay with us for a lifetime while others come and go.  There are some who we love but create too much drama in our lives and we have to chose when and how to let them go. 

      Some of us know “friends in high places.” By that I mean, someone important whom we can call when we need support and help getting what we want. Then there are those who have “friends in low places.” Some would say these people might not have good social graces but could also get you what you want... Just don’t ask questions! 

      Thinking in terms of a completely different meaning, friends either in "high or low" places can be rich in joy, peace, and love, and either can be lowly and/or humble. I cherish both types as my “friends in church places."  I probably would not ask either one to “get me what I want.” but I would not hesitate to call on them for support. 

     “Friends in church places” are the people who are dependable in most all situations. They will hurt with you, weep with you, laugh with you, and most of all pray with you. 
     We do depend on our friends, but God is the One we should depend upon the most. He may not necessarily give me what I want, but He will give me what I need.  Although I would hesitate to ask my friends to get me "what I want"; somehow, I have no reservation in asking God.    I know He listens and He hears.  I also know He wants to bless me. 

     Since we need to choose our friends wisely, I choose God first and then I  choose, “friends in church places.”

The Garden

       To the best of my recollection, my dad never planted his garden until Good Friday.  For that reason I simply cannot wait to get out in “A Friendly Shade” and plant my own garden.  As I contemplate planting my tomatoes and other vegetables, I can't help but think of how beautiful the Garden of Eden must have been.  God had given man direction on how to keep it and dress it.  He only had one request.  As with all humans, we have such a sinful flesh nature, the request was disobeyed.  That disobedience is the exact reason I will be sweating as I struggle to till and plant my garden. 
     Yet, I am so thankful there was another garden called Gethsemane.  It was there Jesus went in deep despair and prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt.”   In His anxiety, knowing how cruelly He would be treated, Jesus was still willing to be placed on a cross and let nails be hammered into His hands for me. 
     This Easter, I praise God and think Him for giving me salvation through grace as I remember the importance of two other gardens in history. 
 

  The Garden of Eden vs. Gethsemane

The Garden ...

    A paradise,

    All, green and lush.

    Cheerful sounds of a chirping thrush-

    All was beautiful and nice.

 

The Garden...

    The soul was grieved,

    Despair filled the heart.

    Father and Son were to be torn apart-

    Suffering and pain to be received.

 

The Garden...

     Freedom to end,

     Sin would be unfurled.      

     Suffering and fear was to enter the world;

     Man and woman would sin and offend.

The Garden...  

     Freedom was to begin.

     No one understood

     The Man who had done earthy good;

     Nails would soon pierce His skin. 

 

The Garden...

      Disobedience contemplated;

      The serpent simmering in deception;

      Knowledge a preconception;

      Man found sin overrated. 

 

The Garden...  

       Men slept; tears were wept in this place-

       A betrayal was finished!

       God's plan was not diminished;

       The kiss of death, the beginning of Grace.

                                            Mary Nell Jameson 4/17/14

      

          

The Bucket List

      The Bucket List is a good movie about two terminally ill men on a road trip with a wish list of things they want to do before “kicking the bucket.” Initially the list is about self-gratification, but it quickly turns into friendship as they mark off the adventures on their list.
     During the trip there are some profound statements. One asks the other two questions:
  1.“Have you found joy in your life?
  2. Has your life brought joy to others?”
     In the end, one said about the other, “The last months of Carter’s life were the best months of mine.”
     I am, thankfully, not terminally ill, and it was not watching the movie that really got me to thinking about making a “bucket list”. It was reading an article written by Travis Plumlee in the Baptist Trumpet about “Little Things Mean A Lot.” His article is not about a “bucket list” or a wish list of things to accomplish for self, rather it is about things we can do every day which are meaningful for others.
     As I think about “Little Things Mean A Lot” while relaxing here in A Friendly Shade, I realize that to be truly remembered, it will be for something we do for others, not something we accomplish for self. That is truly how we will make our lives bring joy to others.
     To quote Travis Plumlee, “Doing little things for someone else in your family is like putting oil in the motor; it just helps things run smoother and keeps the engine going….One thoughtful act, every couple of days, over several years can really add up to be a blessing to the receiver.” He also referenced Ephesians 4:32 “Be ye kind one to another…”
     Maybe there should be a sequel, Bucket List II, made about two terminally ill men who set out to see how many faces they can put a smile on before they “kick the bucket.”
     On second thought, what if we become the main actors and actresses and create our own memorable “bucket list?”

 

The Lord Is My Shepherd

     One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Psalm 23.  Truly the Lord is the Shepherd of all.  He was in the burning furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and their clothes were not even scorched.  When Daniel was thrown into the lion's den for praying to God, the Lord protected Daniel so that no harm came to him.  When the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, food and water was provided, and their clothes did not wear out.  When the people listened and obeyed, they were able to defeat their enemies.  God led them to victory.  He is faithful, and He is the good Shepherd!
     Going back to Psalm 23 we learn that God provides goodness and mercy, and I am reminded further in Isaiah 40:31 that "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

The Lord Is My Shepherd



The Lord is my Shepherd,

He restores my soul;

He fills my cup.

Surely goodness and mercy lifts me up!

Though I am afflicted all around,

I shall mount up with wings.

Faith lifts me from the ground.

Alas! The Lord is my Shepherd.

 Though the storms of time,

I am not forsaken;

Surrounding me is God's love sub-lime.

I shall not want.

My cup runneth over;

All is well with my soul.

 Though I walk across the red-hot coals,

The Shepherd is my strength.

He restores my soul;

He makes me whole!

Yea, though I am thrown into the lion pit,

His presence is there.

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Surely, mercy is bestowed upon me.

Through I stray into a desert land so hot and dry,

My thirst is quenched.

I know not why.

Thanks be to the good Shepherd.

Though my enemies circle near,

He leadeth me beside still waters.

There is nothing to fear.

Where I am, He is there.

The Lord is my Shepherd,

He restores my soul;

He fills my cup;

Surely goodness and mercy lifts me up!”

                                           Mary Crisp Jameson -3/30/14

 

 

Jesus Is Not Dead

     I am anxious to see the new movie entitled, God's Not Dead.   Friends have told me it is a good movie, and one even said he got right up to the ticket window and was told, "Sorry, the seats are sold out." 
     With the movie, God's Not Dead, and Easter only a few weeks away, I got to thinking about my Jesus dying on the cross for me and His great Salvation plan.  I can only say that I am so blessed to have a Lord who loves me enough to allow those who hated Him to nail Him to the cross for my sins.

Jesus Is Not Dead

His wounds ran blood red!

  Skin torn and pierced-

  Body whipped-

 

Friends stood and wept in dread!

  Darkness fell-

  The ground shook-

Hanging on the cross, Jesus bled!

  Hope sprang forth-

  Promises fulfilled-

 

Lying upon His death bed!

  Angels stood nearby-

  The stone rolled away-

 

Word spread!

  “The tomb is empty!”

   Hearts lifted-

 

He arose the Living Bread!

  Lives changed-

  Brokenness healed-

 

In resurrection, Jesus became the Thread!

  The Way-

  The Deliverer-

 

He is not dead!

  Souls are saved-

  Eternal life proclaimed!

                                              Mary Crisp Jameson