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“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3 NIV)
Peace can be elusive. What is peace? According to Dictionary.com, ” Feeling of the mind, free from annoyance, distraction, anxiety and obsession, etc.” Some of the words describing peace are: serenity, tranquility, calm, quiet or stillness.
I recently participated in a Women’s Bible Study at the church I attend. I sensed a peace and joy in the first 10 or 15 minutes. Then, I had to open my mouth. Out came the anxiety of what I had been thinking and praying.
What I found to be interesting in looking back on the evening, beside the fact that the women were gracious in bearing with me, I started the evening with peace, but the more I said, the greater I became upset and lost my tranquility. I don’t think that’s what speaking your peace means. I was not speaking peace.
Wouldn’t you know it, I am in the midst of researching and writing about peace and here I was far from it. I decided to eliminate the distractions of some e-mails and the subjects that caused anxiety in my heart.
I think you’d agree it is far more pleasant and peaceful to surround yourself with the things that portray peace, such as this picture. I am able to minimize information that may cause me to lose my peace, thus keeping peace where it needs to be, in my heart and in my mind.
What about you? If you have some peace to speak, leave a comment.
This morning, February 24th, 2012, on my way home from dropping my daughter, Rachel, off from her last day at Blick Clinic, I saw the Republic Recycling truck picking up the canisters of refuse. They usually start at the end of the street and work their way to the beginning. Not today. They not only were reversed, but they arrived hours later, at 10:30 A.M. instead of 5 A.M.
I thought they would be picking up a day later because of Presidents day, which was observed on Monday, so I didn’t put my garbage out the night before. They were next to pick mine up, even though there were 3 houses between stops. I slowed my car to a stop where they were and said to one of the workers, “I thought you would be picking up tomorrow because of the Holiday. I didn’t put mine out.” He said, “Don’t worry Ma’am, we’ll wait for you.” I was surprised at his reply. I thought to myself, “Good, I’ll have enough time to get it down to the pick-up location.” I parked my car and saw the man walking up the length of my driveway and he collected my canister and began to roll it down to the truck. “You are so kind to do this for me. I’ll walk down with you so I can bring it back right away.” He added, “Other customers usually call us to come back and get it, so it saves us a trip.”
I count this a blessing from the Lord. It was unusual, out of the ordinary and left me with a feeling of gratitude. To God be the Glory!
“Heavenly Father, bless the men that took the extra time and extra steps. I thank you for the verse that tells me you know what plans you have for me.” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) “Help them know you have a plan for them and help them to embrace the blessings of your peace, love, forgiveness and the gift of everlasting Life.”
I think there are many things Jesus continues to do each day we live, according to John 21:25.
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
The miracles, healings, answers to prayer and blessings did not stop when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He was resurrected and now sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. I repeat, He continues to do many things.
What blessing has God shown you that is out of the ordinary in your life today? Leave a comment at the end of this post.
Beautiful Battle Hymn
The Helmet of Salvation and the armor of God,
I don in preparation each day before I trod.
A war of unseen danger, in forces dark to roam,
The foe that wages battle, defeated long ago.
Yet still he causes trouble, for those who love the Lord,
To Christ I cling for refuge, His Word my wielding sword.
The shield of faith surrounds me, fiery darts can’t penetrate,
On knees I face the battle with prayer I saturate.
Transformed to His own image, a miracle each day,
I’d linger in His Presence, He sends me on my way.
To serve the risen Savior, and follow His command,
Lost souls to bring to Jesus, and snatch from Satan’s hand.
For God so loved the World He gave, His one and only Son,
That whosoever should believe, would live forever on.
I’ll tell them how He loves them, from sin to set them free,
His blood He shed to save them, He died on Calvary.
I’ve been in prayer to wrestle; against the evil ones,
That’s where the strongholds crumble, and victory is won.
Sweet victory is given, when yielding unto Him,
To God give all the Glory, the Beautiful Battle Hymn.
Jewelry, like fashion, has trends and styles that come and go. Most jewelry-divas are familiar with the Journey necklace and its subtle serpentine curve of rhinestone or diamonds. The Circle pendant is not only shaped as thus, but represents unending love and is designed with similar types of stones. Who would think the cocktail ring of the 40’s and 50’s would become the current fad? Today, the amazon-bauble is worn on the middle or index finger as part of everyday attire or on special occasions; such as the Red Carpet Fashion Awards. Although some may find it is still the gaudy status symbol, others praise the donning of a flamboyant trinket.
Seeing a revival of the cocktail ring reminded me of a finders-keepers ring. Several years ago, I finished paying for groceries and made my way beyond the check-out in a local store. Within a few feet of the counter, my eye caught a glimmer of something shiny. I stooped to pick it up and was amazed that is was a 3-stone diamond ring. My heart and mind raced. The total weight of the diamonds may have been about a carrot and its value: around $3,000.
I wondered if it was my size and tried it on. It fit! Finders-keepers, right? Wrong. I couldn’t allow myself to keep something knowing it belonged to someone else who probably lost it that day.
I went to the customer service desk and stood in line to inquire if there was a lost and found. The store’s policies were to record the following information: date, time, description of article, name and signature of the finder. In addition, the store clerk would sign their name to verify the record. After 2 weeks, if the lost article wasn’t claimed, it would become the property of the finder or store.
I followed the necessary steps for turning in the ring. If the owner came to claim the lost ring, she may thank me or even offer a reward as a token of gratitude. After two weeks, I returned to the store and asked a different clerk if the owner of the ring had picked it up. The clerk looked carefully at each entry and said, “No. I don’t see a name written beside the entry for the claim.” I may have been jumping up and down a bit when I replied, “That means it belongs to me. Would you get it out of the safe?”
As quickly as my hopes had risen, they had fallen. It was not in the safe or anywhere else. I asked to speak to the manager. After explaining the situation I added, “Surely the owner would want to thank me for finding the ring. I know I’d be grateful that someone found something of mine that I treasured dearly.” I wasn’t prepared for a mouthful of brash remarks. The female manager vouched for the honesty of her clerks and accused me of accusing them of theft. She called the next day to tell me that another employee forgot to record that the owner of the ring had indeed picked it up from the lost and found. You could almost hear what I was thinking, “How could someone forget to record such a ring?”
Over the past 7 years, I avoided shopping at the store where I found that ring. However, every once in a while it has been convenient to stop when in the area. Recently, I returned something I bought on sale that tasted spoiled. The same clerk that recorded the lost and found ring so long ago, still worked behind the customer service counter. She refunded double the amount of the price of a 2 lb. bag of shrimp. I couldn’t help but notice she wore a lot of rings. As a matter of fact, she was wearing a 3-stone diamond ring on her middle finger that looked just like the ring I had found.
Maybe you’re thinking she lost weight and that’s why it doesn’t fit her ring finger. It’s not because of weight loss that she has to wear it on her middle finger; she is still the same short round clerk. The 3-stone diamond ring is not a cocktail ring; it is typically given as an engagement ring because it symbolizes the past-present and future.
I waited on the Lord for guidance. “Help me know if I should say something. Should I make a comment about the 3-stone ring she is wearing? Maybe I should say”, ‘I can’t help noticing your rings. The 3-stone diamond looks very familiar, I found one in this store years ago and it looks just like what you are wearing.’ Instead of commenting on her rings, I prayed for her. How many of the rings on her fingers were from the lost and found?
If I had done things differently by placing an ad in the newspaper’s lost and found, I would not have seen that the clerk kept the ring I had turned into the store’s lost and found. I’m thankful God allowed me to see the ring on her finger.
God sees everything we do, and is concerned about our feelings as well. He put his thumb on a matter in my heart that needed removal. I shouldn’t have been driving across town to shop so I wouldn’t have to deal with her. When I did patronize the store, I made sure to avoid the customer service counter. Now, I am free from bitterness and resentment; instead I feel compassion toward her. The indwelling work of the Holy Spirit helps me to show her mercy and love.
I pray there will come another day for a divine encounter with the customer service clerk. I hope to then minister to her point of need. “…snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by the corrupted flesh.” Jude 1:23 NIV
The truth is, at some point in our life, we are lost in sin. However, God sent his one and only Son Jesus, to find us and redeem our souls from the consequences of sin. I once was lost, but because of God’s amazing love, now I’m found. That makes me a finders-keepers child of God.
Luke 15:4-7 NIV
” Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Cruise ships today may not be a popular notion for many people since the sinking of the Carnival liner Concordia this past week on January 15, 2012. Staying the course would have prevented the lost of precious lives and valuable cargo, not to mention the ship itself. The captain’s leaving the sinking ship before all passengers were safely off cost him the loss of his position and resulted in his being detained; he was placed under Coast Guard arrest.
I recently went on a different Caribbean cruise ship with my daughter, simultaneously to the one that sank. Taking a few minutes of my time to retrieve her sea pass card would have prevented a greater amount of time lost while she had been detained in a foreign country.
We sailed to Cozumel, Mexico, a faraway destination we had been looking forward to since last July. I hadn’t yet booked an excursion for the port-of-call. After embarking from Fort Lauderdale, the ship’s representative sold us a tour featuring highlights and shopping. It was emphasized to arrive early at the designated site on the Mexican pier. The morning we reached Mexico, I was anxious to depart for the excursion. I protested to the ship’s porter who detained us due to leaving my daughter’s sea pass card in our stateroom. I carried my sea pass card, my driver’s licence and her state ID in addition to both our passports. Shouldn’t that be enough identification ?
No! It was enough to get passed the ship’s attendant, but not the Mexican Police! I had to leave her at the Mexican gate…in the rain…in a wheelchair! I was thankful a couple of friends were not far behind and willingly stayed detained with her.
I ran 75% of the way to the ship before slowing to a fast walk. I explained the crisis to the ship attendants who commented that she should not have been allowed off the ship without her sea pass card. I waited the slow elevators full of people pouring into the ship from their excursions in Mexico. I obtained her card from our 10th floor stateroom and repeated the patience-assimilator back down to the gangway. No waiting in line to leave the ship. Who in their right mind would get off a ship just about to sail back to the states?
The marvelous tour we’d been on took longer than expected and I feared I would not have ample time to reach the Mexican Police with the sea pass card. So I again ran 75% of the way back to the Mexican gate, breathing heavily as I walked the remaining distance. I could see one of our new friends making her way through the crowd ahead. She met me to say they had kept my daughter distracted. At that moment I was about to cry, she protested. “Don’t fall apart now, you’ll stress your daughter out and undo all our efforts to keep her happy these past 40 minutes.”
The rain increased to a downpour. Could we get any wetter? Some of the other returning passengers may have thought we were having a wheelchair race back to the ship. I know for me, it couldn’t be too soon to have both my daughter and I back onboard again.
Though detained a short time before sailing back to the states, I count my blessings for traveling mercies on our first cruise. I also thank God for keeping every one of my steps safe.
Why wasn’t two forms of picture official ID acceptable for the Mexican Police? I discovered upon returning to Florida at the Customs check-point that our passports were invalid. I hadn’t read the directions to fill in the signatures on the first page of the new passports after receiving them in the mail. There is an old saying that really is a nugget of wisdom: A stitch in time saves nine.
If you have a story about a similar experience, I would love to read it. Leave your comment at the end of this post.
Jerry Cradlebaugh
Honor. On my honor, your honor, in honor of… The on-line definition of the word “honor” list several examples of its meaning. I’ve included the following; Good name; Reputation, Glory or Recognition of distinction.
As Jerry’s widow, I was asked if there were a few things I wanted said when the Memorial Roll of the recently departed would be read.
Gerald Lee Cradlebaugh was a great husband and father; he was kind, thoughtful, loving, respectful, dependable, and hard-working. In addition to his upright character, he was a committed Christian who was saved, sanctified and delivered back in February of 1999. It was unexpected that he went to his eternal home in heaven so suddenly on October 15th, 2009… but he was ready.
Family issues arose in the last couple of days of his life, which caused a resurgence of grief that involved other estranged family members. On the night before he died, he carried those burdens again to the Lord. He spoke out loud as he lifted his face toward heaven and ask God’s forgiveness for his angry feelings towards those individuals. “Forgive me Lord, that wasn’t right what I said . I know you don’t want me to feel that way towards them. You want me to love everyone and to forgive.
” One of the things his brother, Reverend Charles Cradlebaugh had said on a few occasions in the Church of God was, “You gotta love everybody before you go in.” Jerry was ready.
Jerry did not want to follow the line of succession of preachers his family descended from. However, he did preach a profound message that was for those he wanted to be ready. Jerry said that people needed to get ready. Some of the people he knew as neighbors, co-workers, friends and family members weren’t ready. Jerry would pray often and on special occasions would fast and pray for family members; for their salvation, for reconciliation and to be reunited with loved ones he hadn’t seen for years.
For someone who didn’t say much, what he did say about being ready when he lived his final night on Earth was important. Jerry was ready. Some of you that are listening aren’t ready. But you still have the opportunity to get ready by turning from your sin and asking Jesus to forgive you of whatever is keeping you from being ready.
The end of the year reflections bring a mix of perspectives reviewing one’s life over the past year and the hope of a bright new year.
It is healthy and productive to look over the past year to review what has or hasn’t been accomplished in one’s personal and business goals.
It is also healthy and productive to make new goals that have a balance of realistic expectations and the guidance of Almighty God.
I find that the ushering out the old year’s disappointments, shortcomings, mistakes and unmet goals is tempered by the grace of repentance, forgiveness and renewal in the new year.
For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
T.S. Eliot, “Little Gidding”
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.
Edith Lovejoy Pierce
I remember Anne of Green Gables’ teacher said something to this effect, “Tomorrow is a fresh new day with no mistakes on it.”
God’s love and grace can give you a new slate. I’m so glad Jesus wiped mine clean. Each new day in the coming new year holds the potential for beginning with a clean slate.
Christmas. What an encompassing word containing the pivotal message of hope. God loved us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, so we would not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (Paraphrased) It also because of His love that we celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th.
The meaning of Christmas is different for individuals, families, religions, and countries. The Free On-line Dictionary defines it as:
1.A Christian feast celebrated on December 25th
2. A Christ festival
3. from Old english, CrIstemaesse; Christ’s Festival
What memories do you recall from your childhood that fit this definition? Would you describe the gift of God’s Son born as a baby in Bethlehem? If you would venture to ask a group of people in a shopping center this question, it is likely some of the answers would have nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas.
People might say Christmas is about getting together with your family to exchange gifts.
Parents might say Christmas is about surprising their children with gifts from “Santa”
Still others might say it is a time of year when we celebrate at parties with eating and drinking.
Perhaps you might even hear a “Ba Humbug” among the answers.
If we look further into the celebrations of Christmas many countries have, a common thread is gift giving. In this great United States of America, great because it is so blessed by God, many gather together in families, at places of work, churches and communities celebrating the season with gift giving as well.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive,” the apostle Paul said in Acts 20:35.
If we look at the words of John Greenleaf Whittier below, we might be inspired to be blessed everyday.
Somehow, not only for Christmas,
But all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others,
Is the joy that comes back to you.
And the more you spend in blessing,
The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart’s possessing,
Returns to you glad.
John Greenleaf Whittier
We can take the gift of the message of salvation and forgiveness of sins we received to others that have not yet received Christ. Jesus is the best gift of all.
EverGreen 
Written
on 03/13/2012