Mary Crisp Jameson - copyright material







Saturday, December 28, 2013

Oxi Clean- Stain Remover

     As I was watching a television commercial about Oxi Clean which claimed to be the number one stain remover, I couldn’t help but wonder what really was the number one stain remover. 
      After looking up the definition, a discoloration, a spot, a blemish, or something that penetrates, I quickly determined that Oxi Clean was not the “number one stain remover.”  We all have personal stains in our lives; stains that penetrate the surface and leave spots.  Some of which are not easily removed.  What do we do to scrub away the stain?  If we can't scrub it away, are we able to camouflage or hide it or just cut the stain out, patch the spot and hope no one notices it 
     In Luke 19 we find Jesus going to the home of Zacchaeus, a man known to be a cheat and a sinner.  He was stained.  Yet when Zacchaeu admitted his fault Jesus said unto him, “This day is salvation come this house.”
     In Luke 7 a woman in the city who was stained with sin brought an alabaster box of ointment and washed Jesus’s feet with her tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head.  Jesus removed her blemishes and stains when he said, “Thy sins are forgiven.”
     Again in John 8 there was a woman brought to Jesus who was stained from the act of adultery.  Jesus simply asked the accusers which one was without sin and which one would cast the first stone.  Realizing that none of them were sinless they left one by one.  After they had all left Jesus lifted up himself and said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more.”
     Now I ask, “Who is the number one stain remover?”

Monday, December 23, 2013

Christmas Memory

     Christmas is a time for making memories!  We watch and delight in how our children and grandchildren react during their early childhood toward Santa and the twinkling, colorful lights of Christmas.  We stack brightly wrapped presents under the tree in anticipation of bestowing gifts to family and friends.  Even when plans are disrupted Christmas events are still memories.  One Christmas my family spent many trips traveling back and forth to the nearest shelter.  We could not open presents for the tornado sirens sending out warning signals of pending danger.  This Christmas, my memories will be filled with attempts to prepare a special Christmas dinner.  The   electrical power, and thus my cook stove, was out for two hours at just the wrong time.  The option was to have either a very late dinner or go out for hamburgers.  Another family spent the time opening presents by candle light and flashlight. 
     Overcoming unexpected situations may be just what it takes to make a memory special, but so many Christmas memories simply fade into the background unless we capture the event and revisit them as we thumb through the treasured pages of our scrapbook. 
     However, there is one Christmas memory which never fades, and it is the very reason for the season.  We remember the event of Jesus’s birth because He was born in a lowly, stinky stable.  He was a baby who was born away from home, and the only place He had to sleep was in a dirty, animal trough filled with dusty smelling hay.  Yet, there was joy everywhere!  Joseph and Mary could not have been prouder.  The wise men were so excited when they saw a bright star shining from the East that they went in search of the child to worship Him.  The shepherds were overwhelmed and afraid when “the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around about them…and a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”   
     Regardless of how the world celebrates Christmas and regardless of the memories each Christmas holds, the birth of Jesus is the only reason for Christmas and it is His memory we need to keep with us during the Christmas Season.  His is the only one that will give true joy.  Those who are trying to make “Happy Holidays” a memory will never be able to do away with “Merry Christmas” because the birth of the Christ Child is truly the only memory worthy of praise.  He was born to walk among men to tell the world about His Father.  He was born to give life, the greatest gift of all, when He created yet another memory of Himself hanging from two pieces of wood tied together to create a rugged cross.  From this cross He bled for our sins.  His Christmas gift is the joy that comes from knowing we have eternal life.
     “For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”  Luke 2
     To truly make a lasting magical Christmas memory, we must keep Jesus in  Christmas.   

 

    

Sunday, December 15, 2013

If You Like Your Plan You Can Keep Your Plan

     “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. Period!  If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.  Period!”   This is what we heard from President Obama when he was trying to sell the American people on the Obama Healthcare Plan.  We continue to hear this in the news every day as people are finding out the majority of them, come the beginning of the year in 2014, will not be able to keep their plan and will not be able to keep their doctor.  There have been a lot of false claims made.   It appears no one even knew all of what was in the plan; it was not read and studied; it is too vague to prevent different interpretations of the law.   Nancy Polosis even said, “We need to pass it to find out what is in it.”  A great number of people supported it in faith, but the truth was not clearly provided; the people were deceived. 
     Now, I ask, “Why don’t people accept the teachings of the Bible and accept Jesus in faith?”   The Bible is more than a Book of laws and instructional information. It is God’s spoken word. It provides answers to our lives. A believer’ s “delight is in the law of the Lord.” Psalm 1:2a. We all need to read and study it for it provides the truth.  In Psalm 115:1 we find, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory because of your loving kindness, because of your truth."

     The Bible presents a truthful plan; it tells about how to be healed. Jesus is the One who allowed Himself to be placed upon the cross for us.  He is the One we can trust.  If we accept His plan, we can keep it.  PERIOD!  Jesus  is the One True Healer and Doctor of our soul.  If we accept and trust in His plan we have salvation and eternal life.  We can keep our Doctor. PERIOD!  
      As the year, 2013, comes to a close it would be good to remember John 3:16, 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.”      This my friends, is the truth. If you believe in Jesus, “you can keep your plan”- forever. Period! “You can keep your Doctor. Period!” If God said it you can believe it. Period! End of story.

     

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Constant Companion

     Technology has become my constant companion.  Suddenlink is my internet provider and its name supports its meaning, "coming quickly" and a "link".  Verizon is my mobile phone provider.  They both connect me instantly to businesses for home shopping experiences and to friends on facebook and email.  What would I do without this quick connection to them?   
     Down through the ages we have had different links and connections.  There was and still is the mail, the phone, the personal visit, and the computer but text messaging is fast becoming the favored method of communicating.  I have found that if I forget my phone and leave it at home I turn around, no matter how late I may be in getting to work.  I just cannot be without my phone.  I would be lost without it.  What if I missed a call or a text message? 
     As I think about all this growing technology, I have to admit that none of this will get me in touch and on a communication level with God.  None of this great technology can replace a personal prayer life and a daily walk with God through the pages of His Book.   
     There is one consultation for when I fail to offer up a prayer in the morning before I leave home for work.  I do not have to return home to get God.  The reason is that He is with me at all times through the Holy Spirit who lives within my heart.  What I do have to remember; however, is to slow down and allow God to talk with me.  I often miss His call because I just do not listen for His vibration within my heart like I listen for the phone vibration alerting me to an in-coming call.   
     Last Sunday our pastor requested  that the members of our church fast and pray one day a week.  This is something few of us do, but as I searched the scriptures I found that there were times when people fasted.  In Matthew 4 we are told that Jesus fasted.  In Matthew 6 it says, “When you fast.”   It does not say “If you fast.”  I do believe that God listens to every prayer and every request, but by fasting we are showing a deep desire to seek His will.  We are allowing God to slow us down to listen to us, to respond to us, and to allow us to praise Him, as well. 
     I personally want a sudden, coming quickly, link with God but, more than that, I must have a daily constant walk with Him.  He is the One who sustains me.  I need that constant link in order to get me through the events of my daily life.  In order to obtain this link to my Higher Power, I need to disconnect the  Suddenlink and the Verizon connection I have come to rely upon in order to keep me in touch with earthly people and things; otherwise, I will not create time to talk with God and allow Him to be my constant companion; the One who will refresh and nourish my soul.   
     The only excuse I would have not to disconnect my service is by down-loading a Bible application and reading it daily followed by a true connect to God through prayer.      

      

    

      

 

 

 

 

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thanksgiving

     It's Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for parents who loved me enough to discipline and teach me respect for others.  They did not send me to church; they took me.  To get up on Sunday morning and go to church was not an option; it was expected.  They introduced me to the "Greatest Friend" I will ever have.
     It's Thanksgiving!  I am thankful for family times over the years with grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, neices, nephews, and lots of  aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Memories of companionship, family love and ties along with a table full of turkey, ham, dressing, yams, and all kinds of other foods fill my heart and my tummy. 
     It's Thanksgiving!  I am so thankful that although there were difficulties in my first marriage, there was love.  We grew up together.  We enjoyed each other's company.  We were the proud parents of the most wonderful blessing in my life, and our daughter will always be my greatest blessing.  I will love her until the day I die. 
     It's Thanksgiving!  I am so thankful for the man I am married to today.  He is understanding, patient, and kind. 
     It's Thanksgiving!  I am so thankful for my special friends.  Some who I could not think of as ever missing from my life.  I cherish their understanding and their love for me.
     It's Thanksgiving!  I am so thankful for my job -  the people who have touched my life during my career; my bosses, my co-workers, and all those people I have had the privilege to serve.  They have truly have made my life rewarding. 
     It's Thanksgiving!  I am thankful for my church family and its leaders.  Although I may only nod their way as I pass them by, it is their smiles and friendliness I look forward to every Sunday.  These are the ones who will lift you up in prayer and offer support in times of trouble.  I am so thankful for the pastor, associate pastor, song leader, and all the others who work in the Lord's service providing dedicated service to keep my family and me close to the One true power in our lifes.  
     As I sit here in "A Friendly Shade," and consider all the things I have already mentioned, I must acknowledge that God has been in control through it all.  He is the One I offer up my praise of thanksgiving to, and I pray to be more thankful all year long and not just today. 

Sunday, November 24, 2013

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

      Sitting in “A Friendly Shade,” I see the reflection of fallen leaves lying scattered across the ground.   The trees do not reflect the same image they did during the spring and summer months.  Their limbs are laid bare, and I am left with the chore of cleaning up what was once an array of beautiful clothing layering the horizon.  I see these leaves and bare tree limbs in a different light.  Thinking more about this, I reflected upon the fairy tale story of Snow White and how the wicked Queen changed when her magic mirror told her words something like, "Though fair ye be, ye are no longer the fairest to see."  
     For those not familiar with the story, Snow White's evil stepmother possessed a magic mirror which she asks every morning, "Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"  The mirror replies, "My Queen, you are the fairest of them all." The queen is pleased because the magic mirror never lies, but when Snow White grows up and becomes more beautiful than the Queen her mirror responds, "Oh my Queen, though fair ye be, Snow White is fairer far to see.”  Not hearing what she expects, the Queen gasps! She is horrified.  She becomes bitter and deceitful which leads her to plot evil against Snow White. 
     Mirror images often fool us.  What do we see when we look in the mirror?  Does the lighting over the mirror cause us to look different from one mirror to another?  Indeed, what we see may not be what others see; the mirror reflection could be far different.  Actually what most people come to see, over time, is the reflection of what comes from the mouth and the heart, and it is that mirror image they will remember. 
     If we truly want to become “the fairest in all the land” maybe we need to clean up our attire by shedding the leaves that hinder our growth.  Could we possible take a lesson from the seven dwarfs who rescued Snow White?    
  Bashful- may just have to get outside himself, open up to others, and unashamedly be a good Christian example. 
  Doc – may have to get closer to God and His Word to heal the mind and the spirit.  He may need to provide some loving care toward others to help heal their broken spirit.
  Dopey- may need to wise up and began to love others more.
  Grumpy- may need to make a decision to enjoy life and be happy.
  Happy - already has joy in his heart but may need to be more supportive toward others to spread his “Happy” around.  He needs to show people he cares about them and their happiness.
  Sleepy – could do with a little less sleep to spend more time with God, create more time for church attendance, and allow more time to do good deeds for others.
  Sneezy – needs to take better care of his life style and eating habits in order to become healthier and better able to carry on God’s calling.
     Now that I have given myself a lesson in cleaning up my attire and in what I want to see reflected from the mirror of life, it is time to abandon “A Friendly Shade”, take rake in hand and clean up some of these fallen leaves in order to make my landscape more attractive for the fast approaching festive holiday season.   I would truly like the appearance of my landscape to cause an exclamation, "Though fair other's be, yours is the fairest for all to see."  
 

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Black and White

     Through the power of the internet and the camera,  we have opportunities to view many wonders.  Some are magnificent man-made works of art but none of them compare with the breath-taking natural wonders created by God.   If the camera catches God's creations at just the right moment we gasp at the way the light streams through the woodlands, the way lightning explodes beneath the clouds, the flight of a new-born baby bird, the way a rainbow forms a half circle of colors across the sky and reflects into a lake below, the way a waterfall flows over and across the cliffs to a river below,  just to name only a few. 
     Nothing in nature is completely predicable. In other words, it is not all “black and white”, however I would like to share some fascinating and rare black and white works of nature. The squirrel pictures were taken in the Magnolia area.  Although I have heard of sightings of white deer in or near Stephens, the one here is a recent snapshot from a friend of a friend who lives in Tennessee.




      Sitting in “A Friendly Shade,” I have to admire photographers who are creative enough to catch these natural wonders and pass them on for others to enjoy.   Rare visions occurring in nature remind me of Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Sunday, November 10, 2013

The Five Senses

     As I took shelter in "A Friendly Shade" from a light rain shower, I gasped at the beautiful array of fall colors happening in the woodlands just beyond my "Shade".  Many people travel a great distance to have their senses awakened with this mix of reds, oranges, greens, and yellows.  Stepping out just a little I took a deep breathe, inhaled the fragrance of the fresh scent from the aftermath of the rain,  and then reached out my hand to catch a drop of the lingering water drops.  The touch of the rain was ever so light on the palm of my hand, and I realized that  all I was watching, seeing, smelling, hearing, and touching is a work of art from God.   He is busy every day painting a canvas that enhances my five senses and my very being. 
     Most of what I gain from my five senses is taken for granted.  I never realized that until I had a friend vist one weekend.  He arrived after dark, bringing along his young son who had never actually visited southern Arkansas, the home of many, many pines and oaks.  His first comment as he gazed out the window the following morning was, "What's with all the trees?" 
     My thoughts were, "I see them every day, I smell their piney scent, I taste the pollen in their seasons, I hear them whipping about with the wind, I touch the texture of their bark."   Most importantly "God is there! He is in control of it all." 
 
The Five Senses
Listen! You can hear Him;
In the winds of March-
In the snapping sound of snow covered limbs forming a downward arch-
In the gentle, cold wintery breeze-
In the sound of dew drops dripping through the trees-
In the crunch of fallen leaves blanketed beneath your feet;
Listen closely; His voice is quiet and discreet.
 
Watch! There are signs everywhere;
In the glow of an early morning dawn-
In a child’s innocent face as it wakes with a yawn-
In the array of fall colors painted upon the oaks-
In the twinkling stars added by His artful strokes-
In the clouds floating from the east, west, south, and north;
Do you see Him? His beauty shines forth.
 
Taste His flavor! It is so sweet;
In the kiss of peace within the heart-
In the fresh, sweet taste of fruit hand-picked from their shipping cart-
In the cool, moist spring water upon the lip-
In the honey getting sweeter with every drip-
In the spicy seasonings that enrich and flavor;
Taste it all; He hydrates with blessings for all to savor.
 
Take a sniff! Smell the freshness of life;
In the cleansing, aromatic whiff after a spring rain-
In the sweet sniff of field harvested sugar cane-
In the fragrant odor of honeysuckle growing wild-
In the fresh bathed scent of an infant child-
In the titillating, sneezy smell of just-mowed grass;
Smell the day; He created all of nature, first-class.
 
There’s magic in His touch. Love sprouts!
In the calming quiet as the Holy Spirit fills the soul-
In the warm touch of a friend sent to hug and console-
In the love of a child’s arms wrapped around the neck-
In the relaxation of a rain shower sent to keep nature in-check-
In the shivery cold, yet fireplace warmth, of a snowy day;
Feel His tender touch when you kneel to pray.
                                        Mary Crisp Jameson – 11/9/2013

“He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”  Acts 14:17b

Sunday, October 27, 2013

What Difference Do It Make? We Is Filling Up Space!

In "A Friendly Shade," I found myself going back to a story from Charles Stanley's In Touch devotional publication.  The story was titled "Finding Our Way Home."   At the end of the story, Denver, a homeless man said,  "Whether we is rich or poor or somethin' in between, this earth ain't no final restin' place.  So, in a way, we is all homeless - just workin' our way home."  As I reread this I was inspired to write the following: 

What Difference Do It Make?
 This ‘ole world ain’t no restin’ place,
We is all working,
Filling up space.
 
This ‘ole world-
It’s filled with poor folks living in shacks;
The rich with nice clothes on their backs. 
Whatever the case-
It ain’t no restin’ place.
We is just workin’ our way home
Looking for places to roam.
 
No matter the race;
We is fillin’ up space;
This ‘ole world ain’t no restin’ place.
 
What difference do it all make?
If we ain’t got God,
We is a driftin’ by.
It’s Him we shouldn’t deny.
 
Folks is a passin’ through,
And just making do.
There’s trials and troubles,
Joy and laughter,
Sadness and shame-
It don’t matter what we’re after,
Till God comes to call us by name.
 
This ‘ole world ain’t no restin’ place,
We is just fillin’ up space.
                                                                 Mary Crisp Jameson – 10/26/2013

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Catch and Release

     One of my favorite past-times is a good ole’ fishing trip whether on a pond or a lake.  It’s almost as good as sitting in “A Friendly Shade.”  In fact, my husband and I recently returned from a trout fishing trip.  This one, I have to admit, was not the typical fishing I am used to doing.  I learned at an early age that if you want to fish you do it all yourself; that is, you bait your own hook, remove your own fish, and clean them yourself.  This is not the way it is when you book a guided trip on the White River.  Jamie, our guide at Hurst Landing does it all for you.  He puts the boat in all the right places and baits the hook.  All we have to do is catch the trout.  Then he removes the trout and releases them, waiting for just the right size to keep.  At the end of trip, he cleans and bags them.    
     We actually did a lot of “catch and release” on this half day fishing trip.  Jamie counted 84 in a four hour span, letting us keep our limit of only five for each person.  I  suppose, if you counted the cost, the trout we brought home would be considered quite expensive.  Needless to say, they will be considered a special delicacy when served.  The ones we released will simply be forgotten.   
     We have been on several of these trips and I have never really thought much about the ones we “catch and release” until I read a story from my “In Touch” devotional publication.  In the story, a homeless black man asked, “I heard when white folks go fishing, they do this thing called ‘catch and release.’  Why?”  The answer was simple. “It’s a sport!”  The reply to that response was mind-catching.  “Well, if you is fishing for a friend, and you gonna’ catch and release, then I ain’t got no desire to be your friend.”
      Hold that thought!  How often do we strive to develop friendships and then let them go.  Maybe one moves.  How much effort is made to maintain that friendship.  Maybe one says or does something we don’t like or agree with.  How willing are we to “let it go” in order to maintain that friendship?   Maybe one has a problem.  Do we get fed-up with listening to their complaints and began to avoid them altogether?  What efforts do we make to maintain friendships?  How do we feel when we are the ones being released?    
     I don’t think the words, “catch and release” will ever mean the same after considering those wise words from this homeless man.    

 

 

 

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Holy, Holy, Holy! Prayer

I posted a praise to my Lord yesterday, and as I sat in "A Friendly Shade," I decided today to make a revision to use it as a prayer to praise God.   So often all we do is "ask" and forget to praise our God from whom all blessings flow.    

 
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Is my Lord in all your glory.
You are my Lord of Hosts;
Let me praise you uppermost.
You are my Lord in all your majesty;
My King who sits upon the throne;
Let me worship you and you alone.

Holy, Holy, Holy!
Is my Lord in all your beauty.
You are my guiding light;
Let me sing your praises day and night.
You are the King of Kings;
My Lord who reigns on High;
Let me honor you, not I.

Holy, Holy, Holy!
Is my Lord in all your righteousness.
You are my Shepherd and my Lamb;
Let me praise you for what I have and who I am.
You are my Lord, the Lamb of Life;
The One to whom none can compare.
Let me lift your name in prayer.

Holy, Holy, Holy!
Your glory fills the land.
Amen!
                          
                                                     Mary Crisp Jameson – 10/22/2013

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.  Isaiah 6:3

 

 

 

 

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Holy, Holy, Holy!

     In the silence of "A Friendly Shade,"  I could not help but think about our church service today and how the pastor described the Lord.  I agree with him.  There is no way we can describe Holy.  As the pastor stated, "It would be a failure to even attempt to do that.  God is indefinable!"  All I can do is to give Him as much praise as I can for the three descriptive words the pastor used today.  God is glorious in Holiness, Beauty, and Righteousness.   Below is my failure to give Him the praise He deserves.  
 
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Is my Lord in all His glory.
He is the Lord of Hosts;
Let me praise him uppermost.
He is the Lord in all His majesty;
The King who sits upon the throne;
Let me worship Him and Him alone.
 
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Is the Lord in all His beauty.
He is my guiding light;
Let me sing His praises day and night.
He is the King of Kings;
The Lord who reigns on High;
Let me honor Him, not I.
 
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Is my Lord in all his righteousness.
He is the Shepherd and the Lamb;
Let me praise Him for who I am.
He is my Lord, the Lamb of Life;
The One to whom none can compare.
Let me lift His name in prayer.
 
Holy, Holy, Holy!
His glory fills the land.

                                         Mary Crisp Jameson - 10/20/2013
 
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.  Isaish 6:3

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Listen! He Comes

     As I listen intently to the thunder in "A Friendly Shade" and patiently wait for the coming rain shower I remembered that God lives everywhere.  He is with me at all times- through joy, disappointments, and hardships.  If  I will just "Stop" and listen, He is there.


He comes!
Echoing through the mountains,
rumbling through the trees
silently through the breeze.

He comes!
Roaring like a lion,
charging through the wind,
quietly in the silence of the mind.

Listen!  He comes.
Peacefully in the Spirit,
truthfully in the word,
faithfully in prayers, heard.

He comes!
Calmly giving life,
hourly giving peace,
daily giving increase.   

Listen!  He comes.
Brightly through the lightening,
loudly through the thunder,
joyfully through the rainbow wonder.

He comes!
Loudly through the traffic,
zooming through the rush hour,
silently through the rain shower. 

Listen!  He comes.
                  Mary Crisp Jameson -10/13/2013

 "Look, he is coming with the clouds..." Revelation 1:7a


 

 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

What's On My Mind? Facebook Friends!


     What’s on my mind? … It’s my facebook friends!
     I was away from “A Friendly Shade” for a few days, and it was my facebook friends who kept me close to the home front.    
     Although folks don’t visit and call each other as often as they once did in the past, facebook friends have become a circle of friends who are staying in touch, encouraging each other with positive talk, sharing news of interest, and praying for each other.  Whether in times of trouble or need or by just being a friend remembering another, we are a circle who are holding hands around the globe and networking with each other. 
      I got so uplifted just thinking about my friends and, and must say, “Proud to live in the South.”  I do not think you will find a group of more loving people; people who are not ashamed to ask for a much needed prayer chain for themselves, friends, family, and even unnamed problems or persons.  When people are in trouble my facebook friends  reach out to each other even at times we don’t even realize it.  For example; in my rush to get to the office, I suddenly realized that my speedometer was not at all near the required speed.  At that moment, I hit my cruise, lowered my speed, took a deep breathe, relaxed, and offered up a prayer for all my facebook friends.  I am sure, that at that very moment, I also had a facebook guardian angel praying for me or else there was someone lifting me up in prayer.  I say this because, a few minutes later, I passed one of those dreaded, white cars with the bar across the top.  I am so thankful for the guardian angel who saved me from seeing the flashing blue lights that would surely have suddenly brightened the horizon if I had not, only seconds before, reduced my speed. “Thank you, guardian angel!”
     Not only do my facebook friends reach out in prayer, but I seldom see a negative comment.  My friends are so quick to offer encouragement with their positive comments and often good-natured humor.  I find myself laughing out loud as comical every day events are shared.  Positive words have such a power over our lives, and my facebook friends are my “Joel Osteen” daily book of encouragement.    
     I also drool over the shared recipes which crop up every day.  It’s better than a “Southern Living” cook book. My facebook friends help me fill up binders upon binders of enticing recipes; however, I must say, they have yet to instill in me a desire to get out my pots and pans.   Much too labor intensive!  I could, however, be persuaded to become a professional sampler!
     I enjoy, so much, pictures and events posted which occur during their vacations away from home.  Where else can you find so many different ideas on vacation spots of interest?
     So, back to, “What’s on my mind?” 
     I am learning so much from my friends, and they are helping me see how much I need to improve in ways that I never saw before.  I would like to be more like them.  Facebook friends are loving, friendly, prayerful, encouragers, humorous, gracious, uplifting, a circle holding each other up, news reporters, networkers, travel agents, rescuers, teachers,  good cooks, guardian angels, and so much more. 
     I thank God for each and every one of you! 

Thursday, October 10, 2013

A Timeless God

     Our pastor talked last Sunday about how God is alive and how He is eternal, ever-lasting, and ever-present.  He also gave us several descriptions of God.  God is Holy, Glorious, Omnipotent, Authorative, and Revered.  We are to stand in awe of Him.  As I comtemplate all this in "A Friendly Shade," I decided to try to sum up my worship experience and thoughts as follows :  

 

A TIMELESS GOD

With God there is no time.
He was here before it all began;
The world was void and without man.

 He is Alpha and the Omega;
The Beginning and the End.

He is forever, into eternity;
It is God all generations can come to know;
From Him all blessings flow.

God was alive! He is alive! He will be alive!
He has dominion,
Contrary to some’s opinion.

He created the air, the land, the universe.
God’s in charge of the seas, the wind, the sun, and the rain.
There is no escaping Him, though we may try in vain.

He is the First and the Last;
The Beginning and the End.

God is ever present!
Wherever there is life, He is there;
He’s found in the day, the night, and everywhere in the air.

God waits!  He’s patient! And does not go by the clock-of-time.
He reaches out His hand
To everyone across the land.

When the world will be no more,
There will be God loving the souls of man;
Men who have found the open door-
Those who have accepted His plan.
 
There is strength in this mightly God, 
He is all-knowing and wise; 
By His power the dead in Christ will rise. 
 
With God there is "no time!"
He is the great, "I Am."
                                      Mary Crisp Jameson – 10/9/2013

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1
 I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  Revelation 22:13

 
 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

And The Fight Started!


I am sure most people have read the jokes about "And The Fight Started", but I am here to tell you that this one is a true life situation occuring in and around "A Friendly Shade."

The wife took a week of vacation.
The husband had been retired for ten year.

Day One
Husband:  “What’s for lunch?”
Wife:  “The same thing you have been fixing yourself for the past ten years.”
… and the fight started.

Day Two –
Wife:  “Did you notice all the limbs laying around that I picked up and hauled to the burn pile?”
Husband- “I see a few you overlooked.”
… and the fight started.

Day Three- 
Finishing up a task the wife wanted to do- enlarge the garden.  Only required a few simple tasks;  like, move some crossties, relocate the fence posts, and haul a few loads of dirt.
 
Husband – “Do you go back to work Monday?”
Wife – “ Are you ready for me to go back to work?”
Husband- “Yes!”
… and the fight started.
… didn’t even make it past “hump-day.”

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!