Change Happens

What a difference a summer can make! Close your eyes for a second and imagine yourself as a young teen the second week of August. You're thirteen and you've grown over the summer, your braces have come off, and the excitement is building to the first day of school. So many things happened over the summer. You're eager to tell your friends all about it. In fact, you know your English teacher is likely to ask for a one-page paper detailing the events of your summer. Fast forward to today. Now you're a part of the work world. Summer doesn't mean quite as much as it once did because you no longer have three months vacation. (We could always ask.) Basically, you go to work every day, it's just hotter when you leave the building for lunch.

But still, there's something about summer. Changes just seem to happen in the summer, whether we're on vacation or hard at work. Look at your own personal life. What big or small events happened this summer? In our family, two of our precious children (my grandchildren) were baptized. To me, that's in the big category. Making the decision to follow Christ and give your life to Him is BIG. Then, the long awaited desire for my bangs to grow out finally happened. That's definitely in the small category. The world would absolutely still rotate just fine if I had bangs or didn't have bangs. Speaking of world issues, what changes have happened? Let's see, terrorism is still a threat and our young men and women continue to fight for our freedom, but many troops have returned home to their loved ones. The gulf has gone from a complete disaster to hopefully being saved and up and running by next summer. Many families have found work after months of being without, but many others are now facing months with no income. I'll say it again, what a difference a summer can make!

I'm reminded of one of the summer themes we had a few years ago at our local Christian youth camp. The theme was "Things Change, He Doesn't." In our ever-changing, ever-growing, fast paced world, it's so comforting to remember that God is always there, unchanging. We may not be able to depend on many constants in our lives, but on this we can be sure of! God is our refuge and strength, our ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we do not have to fear, even if the earth gives way or the mountains fall into the sea…Does that verse sound familiar? It's Psalms 46. Read the entire chapter and you will be comforted knowing that whatever happens on this earth, God is in control.

School beginning is full of changes as well. It's not all about new markers and fresh, clean white paper. It's about developing new relationships and acquiring more knowledge and tackling never-before-tried projects. As you encourage your children to "do their best" remind them that God is watching over them. Not in a bad way, but in a GREAT way--to help them through each new adventure. He's their constant source of strength, their refuge in any storm and change has never thrown Him for a minute.

Have a great week.

Hugs, Chrys

When God Listens

Teenagers are strange creatures, wouldn't you say? I now have two teen grandchildren. They have typical teen traits like a seemingly unending source of energy into the wee hours of the night, but not an ounce of it in the early morning hours; confidence and independence when they decide they can cook or drive (scary), but are filled with insecurities when faced with the decision to attend a teen event and don't know who else will be there; complete love and devotion to parents and grandparents, but the ability to look right past them when they are in a group of their peers in a public place. Yes, it's both fun and alarming to watch any teen as they navigate the turbulent teen years like skittish horses waiting for the gun to be fired and the race to begin.

Last week, our oldest grandson (to be left unnamed for his privacy and my protection if he ever reads this) came over to help me move something (here's where they do come in handy). We finished up that job and had a fun time playing a challenging ping-pong match. Youth won the first match and experience the second, so we decided to stop there. The heat was near unbearable that night, so we headed to the kitchen for a drink. Then, we settled in to "talk." This is the part I love. I learned a long time ago that when a teenager talks it's better than E.F. Hutton and you really need to listen. He talked a little about his day and what's going on in his life, but determined the bulk of his conversation would be about a book he's reading. As he talked, I realized I did not care one bit about that book (however, happy he's a reader), but I used the conversation time to examine him. I noticed the way his face was changing and how straight his teeth are now and thought he should be getting his braces off soon. I marveled that his arms had muscles and his legs had hair. While he still sounded like himself, his voice was low and manly and I spotted a few hairs above his upper lip. He seemed so grown up, telling me about this 700 page book he was reading, but to me he is still my little "buddy"-- the one who followed me around like a shadow the first four years of his life. I could still see the bright smile and deep dimples that absolutely charmed me as he toddled around my house with a bag of popcorn, his favorite treat for many years. As I watched him talk so fluently, using big words, about the characters in the book, I could still hear him chatting on and on, in a little boy voice, about a Disney character in a movie we had seen together or a cartoon character he loved. I used my "talking" time wisely to observe this little boy who is growing up too quickly.

Our earthly relationships always mirror our heavenly ones and I envision God listening to us, His children, as we talk about events he already knows have happened and those that will happen in the future. I imagine that He watches us, not listening so much to our words, but looking for changes physically and spiritually and then listening to our hearts. I know He marvels at us, too, when we seem grown up and young both at the same time. He smiles at us as He remembers our past when perhaps we were insecure about our faith and now looks at us with pride as we mature in our faith and speak confidently about topics such as grace, peace, and the hope of heaven. He weeps when we talk of the hurts that have entered our lives and He cheers us on when we struggle to overcome them. He never gets tired listening to us talk on and on and on because He loves us and we are His children.

I love how The Message says this verse found in Psalm 4:3, "Look at this: look Who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him." Don't you love that you are picked by God and one of the blessings of that choosing is that He is ready to listen at any second. I hope my grandchildren feel that special when they come into my presence—like they were handpicked and chosen to be my grandchildren and I am ready to listen at the split second they call on me. But reality tells me that often I'm busy on the computer or on the phone or listening to someone else when they call out to me. So, my greater desire is that they know they have a Heavenly Father who IS ready to listen the split second they call Him.

Have a great day, knowing someone is listening to YOU!

Hugs, Chrys

Rules Rule

We have a pool. That means we have a constant pile of wet beach towels in front of my washing machine. That also means I spend a lot of time saying these words, "Do NOT sit on the couch wet!" It seems that no matter how many times I say those words, the kids love to come in the house, use the towel until their skin is dry and then plop down on the couch, never considering the bathing suit they are wearing is still soaking wet. Yesterday, we repeated this process for the approximate 40^th day of summer vacation. All I want is for them to put on dry clothes. Then they can sit anywhere and I won't say a word.

I got to thinking how we sometimes wear our faith like a child asked to dry off and change clothes. The Bible is full of God's words that promise good results in our lives, but we continue to ignore those requests. There's a continuing debate about whether our God sits on His throne and decides if good things should come to you or me or the person next door. I'm not prepared to debate that issue on this Monday morning, but I do know this. God's laws, rules, commands—whatever you want to call them---were never meant to bring harm, only good to those who choose to follow them.

Many years ago, as the director of a summer camp, I allowed the teenagers to play a game of basketball with no rules. They could run with the ball; they could kick it; they could foul anyone they want to foul. They looked forward to this "fun" way to play basketball. But, you can just imagine the chaos that occurred within five minutes of the game beginning. It was a great opportunity to sit the kids down after a few bumps and bruises and tell them that God's "rules" for our lives are intended to bring peace and harmony to what promises to be a chaotic world. Every game comes with a set of rules. If this were not true, no one would enjoy the game. The rules make the game enjoyable. They give the game boundaries and direction. If we choose, and it's a choice, to live life respecting the principles in the Bible, we can avoid so many of the pitfalls of life, keep the bumps and bruises to a minimum, and find life more enjoyable.

But, like children, we sometimes get lazy in our faith and believe we can get away with sitting on the couch in a wet bathing suit. In other words, we get lazy in doing good. The Bible warns against this in Galatians 6:9 where it says, "So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing
good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith."

Today is Monday. It's a great day to get to some of the "God rules" you might have let go in your life. Again, I don't know all there is to know about God answering prayer, but I do know that the scripture above tells me--I will harvest a good crop if I don't give up! And you will to. Keep on keeping on and following God's rules better living.

Have a great week.

Hugs, Chrys

Bumper Sticker Devo

       With summer camp in full swing, I have not been at the computer lately, hence, no blog for the past few weeks. I am grateful for my time at Camp Ch-Yo-Ca, a camp our church operates for four weeks each summer. I am serving as one of the directors this summer. One of my jobs has developed into the "errand runner." Now, running errands is not the best job in the world, but it's not on the same level as scrubbing the toilets and does involve an air conditioner, so I feel quite blessed to make the trip to Wal-Mart a couple of times a day.

On a recent trip to Wal-Mart, I experienced first-hand how little things can make or break the adventure of errand running. The other day I got behind a beat-up, red truck with a faded-out and slightly tattered bumper sticker staring at me. I was trying to read over the list given to me (safely, of course), when my eye caught these fabulous words, "Jesus Is the Answer." Four simple words and I suddenly felt like the world was right on track after all. "Yes," I thought. "Jesus is the answer. Thank you, red truck, for reminding me of that." It was a mini-devotional, of sorts. I thought it was pretty cool that someone I don't even know could have an effect on my total sense of well being and encourage me in my faith in that way.

      I bounced into Wal-Mart, smiled as I checked out and happily loaded my car with much needed camp supplies. Our roads are under construction, but since my little devotional thought, that didn't even bother me. I patiently waited for my turn to get back into the traffic. I was on to Hobby Lobby. My errands weren't over and it was 102 degrees outside, but I still felt good. Another beat-up truck pulled out in front of me. This part isn't surprising since we live in Louisiana and trucks are the vehicle of choice around here. So far, it was the "same song, second verse"—a truck with a bumper sticker. But this time the bumper sticker read, "If men are the jerks of the world, I married the king." Wow, my perky self suddenly became sad as I thought about the implications of that statement. Does the driver really have a jerky husband? Has the husband ever seen the bumper sticker? Does he need counseling? Does she? Should this bumper sticker meet the other bumper sticker for lunch? All the pleasant thoughts in my mind had been replaced with concern and worry. I wish I had never seen that bumper sticker. I didn't want to have to think about all those things. After all, I was just running errands, not saving the world!

      For many years now, much has been written and said about the value of putting good things into our brains. In this age of mass-everything, we are bombarded with bad thoughts with as little effort as a click or a glance. Sometimes, in all innocence, we are exposed to things we don't want to see or hear and then we begin to dwell on those thoughts. This fact makes the words God says even more important. Remember these words, "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." It's pretty tough, isn't it? But it's not impossible. Here are some other really important words, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle belongs to the Lord."

      We are in a battle. The fight is on to keep our thoughts and hearts pure, but--here comes the good part-- we are not in the battle alone. In fact, this battle is not even ours, as the scripture in 2 Chronicles tells us, it belongs to the Lord. He owns it and is in control of it. The next time I see a bumper sticker or a TV ad or a magazine cover that puts my mind where is doesn't need to be, I am going to remind myself that God is fighting that battle for me and, guess what, we've already won and JESUS IS THE ANSWER.

     Have a great week knowing God is control.

Hugs, Chrys

Slow Down

Like many of you, May was full for me! I've attended graduation ceremonies, hosted end of the year parties, clapped at award's days, bought new ferns to freshen up the porch, dug out the supply of sun screen to check the expiration dates, and the list goes on and on, doesn't it? But, today is Memorial Day and the somewhat official beginning of summer.

      On a business trip to Washington D.C. one spring, I was surprised to see that the street lights have a countdown feature to let you know how much time you have to walk across the street. So, if you come upon a green walking light, you can judge whether or not you can make it across before it turns red. Here is the phenomenon we discovered about ourselves. No matter how much time we had on the countdown clock, we would try to beat it and get across the street. Whether we had 4 seconds or 40 seconds, we were determined to get across the street. Do you feel like your life is like that? Do you feel like you've got seconds to cross every street in your life?

     When I was a teenager, I loved Simon and Garfunkel. They sang those cool songs with cool words that made you think about life. One of those songs had these words, "Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last." You may not be as old as I am and have never heard this song, but you still get the message. It would probably benefit us all to have that song on our iPod to remind us that we're trying too hard to beat the clock to cross the street.

Here's what I love about summer-- we do get to slow down even if it's just a little. If you have kids in school, the homework hassles and nightly rituals of school preparation are over for a while. If you're a grandma, you may get to schedule more time talking to your grandkids and less time watching them at an extracurricular activity. The longer days and warm temperatures give us such a great environment for slowing down and just enjoying life. Here's another famous quote you might remember, "Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." That's from someone else very popular, Jesus.

     As a former teacher, I still relate to life in semesters and school years. Summer will always be more significant than New Year's in terms of renewal and new beginnings for me. This past school year, I mean the months from August to May, may have been a struggle for you. For those of you with kids, perhaps grades didn't work out like you wanted or there's a bully you can't get away from or the teacher didn't like your child. For those of us without kids in school, perhaps you are just having a hard time at work or you've had some illness or a parent who is struggling. Whatever you faced during this past school year, summer will allow you some time to rest from it, even if it's just for a week or even if it's just one night as you sit outside and look at the stars.  So, relax, slow down, and give your burdens to God. Just let the seconds tick away and don't rush to cross the street. Trust me; the other side will still be there no matter how long you wait. 

I hope you have a relaxing Memorial Day. Remember our troops serving today and keep them in your prayers.

Continue to relax and enjoy the summer.

 Hugs,

 Chrys

 Here's a bonus: The words to the song. Yes, it really does say groovy. Enjoy!

Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feeling groovy
Ba da da da da da da, feeling groovy

Hello lamppost, what'cha knowing
I've come to watch your flowers growin'
Ain't cha got no rhymes for me?
Doo-it in doo doo, feeling groovy
Ba da da da da da da, feeling groovy

I got no deeds to do
No promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life I love you, all is groovy  

Life is a Bubble

Sunday was a blessed day that included worship and, then, company for lunch. I hosted a group of summer camp counselors. We sat around the table, laughing and talking about our experiences at camp. I asked them to tell me about a counselor that made an impact on their life. As each one shared, we were able to point out qualities that made those counselors stand out for them. I wanted each of them to realize that camp would be as meaningful to the campers this summer as it had been for them and they would have an impact on the campers in a big way.

After everyone left, it was time to wash the dishes. First things first so I picked up the bottle of detergent and made my initial squeeze. As the green liquid flowed right unto the pan one tiny bubble broke free from the stream of soap and began floating to the ceiling. What a treat to be given this gift. I know you're saying, How is a tiny bubble a gift? I think it was God's way of reminding me of how fragile life is.

This past month I have attended five funerals and a wedding. That's right—it sounds like a movie, doesn't it? But, it's true. Five funerals and a wedding define the month of May for me. I was so honored to attend each funeral as I was to attend the wedding, each in a different way. The wedding is like that tiny bubble in that it represents a fresh, new beginning. Dreams have yet to be realized as the happy couple said vows that bound them together for a lifetime. But, the sad reality of attending the wedding is those dreams may or may not happen, so it's with some reluctance that we watch their bubble float away.

The funerals, though, are a different story. When we journey to heaven, our dreams and reality have already collided. Words that are spoken at a funeral depict an actual life. The words spoken at a wedding hold possibility instead of actuality. With modern technology, funerals now include photos and each precious life is shared though words, stories, and Bible verses. There were many good deeds recounted, many relationships affected, many happy times shared, but their bubble already is now gone, except for the memories. Life passes by very quickly.

Someone once said that our children never see the beginning of our life, only the end. As your children get older, they will be storing away the memories they will tell at your funeral one day. It's true, they won't remember the hundreds of peanut butter sandwiches you made or the thousands of loads of laundry you washed, but they will know if you loved God and loved them with all their heart. Like the camp counselors I had lunch with, your life as a mom will make an impact on your children for now and eternity.

You serve an awesome God who values your life and has plans to protect it as if it's a fragile bubble. Don't try to blow it higher yourself or it might end up in a direction you don't want it to go and don't try to hold it in your hand, it will not survive. Let God be in control and you will float through every trial with ease and confidence and when you do reach the top—you'll float right into the hands of a loving Father.

Have a super great week.

Hugs, Chrys

Expect the Unexpected

Last week was one of those "topper" weeks. You know the kind—just when you think life can't get busier; you have a week that tops all the previous busy weeks. My oldest daughter was out of town, so once again, I stepped out of my full-time grandma mode and into full-time mom mode. I hosted the second grade party for Will and got him to two baseball games, watched and cheered for Sadie's first pep rally and two softball games, cheered again for John Luke at his spring football game, took pictures at Bella's end of the year chapel, looked at and signed all papers, passed out lots of dollars, helped with homework questions, braided hair, encouraged teeth brushing and baths, took lots of pictures, drove to and from ball practices, school, birthday parties and church and tried to keep something fairly nutritious in them. Of course, I couldn't neglect my grandma role to the other kids, so I also hosted a swimming party for Asa and Aevin, attended their ball games, and had all three over to spend the night. Whew! What a week.

When John Luke, my oldest grandchild was seven years old, I had taken him to the grocery story with me. I always love it when I have the rare opportunity to be in the car with any of my grandchildren. There's something about the car that brings out conversation. That day, John Luke surprised me when we said that he had learned three things about life. Since I've learned some things about life as well, I knew when a seven year old says something this profound, one should pay attention. "What have you learned?" I quickly asked. "Well," he said, "I've learned you have to work hard, play hard, and expect the unexpected."

Now sit back and let that part sink in. John Luke went on to explain how the hardest one was expecting the unexpected. My mind went to Abraham and Sarah and then to Hannah and then to David and Goliath. The Bible is full of God's people who were blessed by the unexpected events in their life. As a busy mom, your days are partly planned out in your calendar book or your iPhone. Your life could not function if this were not true. But, there's that other part that never gets written down, the daily surprises. Like all good moms, when my daughter left town, she had my week carefully planned out, but she couldn't know what she didn't know. Those are life's surprises.

Guess who is not surprised? God, your heavenly father. In fact, scripture lets us know that God rejoices in delivering surprises such as when He blessed Sarah with a baby boy in her old age. But, God is also there to help us through the surprises in life that are not directed by him, but are just the result of our fallen world such as job losses, sickness, and death.

John Luke, at the tender age of seven, was right. Expecting the unexpected is the hardest part of life. But, if we look at each day as a brightly colored package with the hidden contents ---no matter what is in there---a gift from God, then our days will be more about Him and less about us.

Have a blessed day of surprises,

Chrys