Retirement Announcement

Retirement
 

No more- No more!

I’ve had it good,

done the best I could.

But no more- no more.
 

Time to move on,

Open new doors, set another tone,

Write another book,

cross another brook.

Out with the suits-

No more commutes,

No more heels

or business meals.

I’ll trade  the lowly pension;

For lazy mornings-a must to mention.

 

 Give me worn denim jeans,

Country living, and household scenes.

Out with the time clocks

and business frocks-

No more stress,

No more business dress.

 

No more – No more

Of paper pushing and reports.

Give me ragged denim shorts,

Give me walks, fresh air,

Flip flops to wear.

I’ll simply live on the little I make,

Pass up cocktails and juicy steak.

Give me  peas and beans,

Home-cooked turnip greens.

 No more- No more!

Time to close a chapter,

Keep memories captured,

Kick up my heels,

Find new thrills,

Start something new,

Wear a different shoe.

 

No more – No more!

Of what I’ve done before.

                                                Mary Crisp Jameson

A Name With Meaning

     Names are important and they have meaning.  Even from the beginning of time names were important. 
     Adam named his wife Eve which in Hebrew means life, living, lively.  (Genesis 3:20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.)
     Noah’s meaning in Hebrew is comfort; long lived, repose.  (Genesis 5:29 He (Lamech) named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.”)
     In Hebrew the meaning of Ishmael is God listens.   (Genesis 16:11 The Angel of the Lord also said to her (Hagar): “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.)
      I could research the Bible for hours and find meanings for almost every name given.  But it would do well to just know that there is a name to be declared above all others. 
     In Exodus God tells Moses, “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”
     Not only does God want His name declared throughout all the earth, but people also want to be recognized by their names.  In so doing we need to live in such a way that our families can be proud of our name.  ( Proverbs 22:1  A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.) 

     Most importantly in all of this, is not how people address us or whether our name has meaning but whether we know God and recognize the name of Jesus, the One who died for us.  Do you know and are assured that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?

     (Ecclesiastes 7:1, 5   A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.  For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. 

     (Revelation 20:15  Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.)

Bow The Knee

     Today is Father's Day!  A time for honoring and remembering the Dad who loved and raised us.  More importantly is remembering the Father of creation and salvation. Not only are we to honor and praise Him, but we should be diligent in bowing before the Master.

   Bow The Knee
 

I bow the knee

  not for others to see;
A warmth to find,
Anger and envy to leave behind.

I bow the knee

  for a relationship- Jesus and me;
Uplifted prayer to give,
A better life to live.

I bow the knee

  to talk with the One who set me free; 
A peace, a calm,
The Lord of the 23rd Psalm.

I bow the knee

  to the One who walks with me;
A prayer, a song,
Hope to make me strong.

I bow the knee
  for silence- to just be.
A voice to hear,
Jesus to keep near and dear.

I bow the knee
  holding to eternity.
Praising, asking, seeking,
Rejoicing in the reaping. 
 
I bow the knee
  to the Trinty Three. 
                       Mary Crisp Jameson

 

Star Light Star Bright

      Growing up, and even now, when I catch a glimmer of the first star sparkling in the night, I often quote a famous nursery rhyme.

          Star light, Star bright,
          First star I see tonight,
          I wish I may, I wish I might
          Have the wish I wish tonight.

      While quoting this rhyme in the quiet hours of "A Friendly Shade," the prayer of Jabez came to mind. It was a simple prayer to God, “Oh, that you would bless me…”   In the latter part of that verse it says, "And God granted him that which he requested." 

     Faith that God will answer prayers is so much better than a wish upon a star and a hope that our wishes will come to fruition.   However, both often take a little action on our part. Usually a wish does not come true unless we take a step to make it happen. It can be the same with prayer; however, with prayer, God is working on our side.   

     This makes me wonder why we teach our children to wish upon a star rather than aligning their thoughts toward God. With that in mind, I quickly made a few changes to the nursery rhyme.

        Star light, Star bright,

        First star I see tonight,

        I praise you God with all my might,

        Please bless me – bless me tonight.

Mobile Phones

     A friend of mine lost her smart phone a few days ago.  She hunted high and low; at her home, at the office, and in her car.  I felt her frustration.  Whenever I forget to pick up my phone in the mornings as I leave for work, I will always return to get it, no matter how late it puts me to work.  It just seems something is missing without my phone.  What if I miss a call?  How can I check Facebook to see what is happening?  How can I text message and all the other means of communication my mobile phone allows me to do during the day? 
     Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we were all as desperate to talk to God as we are to insure we have our mobile phones?  Psalm 119:10 gives us an example of what we should do, “I seek you with all my heart…”   
     What is the most important desire of our heart?  Do we stress and become as frustrated in not taking time to seek God as we are over losing our cell phone?  Are we as committed to talking with God as we are in communicating with friends?  Are we as dedicated in plugging into the God who is longing to direct our paths as we are in making sure our mobile phones are recharged?  Do we seek to fill our minds with the scriptures as much as checking what is posted on Facebook or in other news media?  Finally, have we allowed our mobile phones and other devices to become idols that prevent us from having time to communicate with the God of the Universe, the One who is waiting for a call from us?