Legacy

    The assaulting sound of a blaring alarm broke through the quiet. She awoke with a jerk but remained still. She looked around at the comforts surrounding her. Ruffled curtains that matched the bedspread, a warm robe to softly wrap herself up in, and the perfume in the air of fresh coffee as her automatic maker was set to begin brewing just minutes before the alarm sounded.

   She stretched as she walked toward the kitchen, remembering being wrapped in love by her mommas blanket and the sweet taste of oatmeal served up by beautiful hands.

   The kids were already awake, settled in front of the television. "Turn it down! And move back, you're way too close to the TV. You're going to ruin your eyes, ya know!"

   She stopped at the large window at the breakfast nook and gazed out at the artistry of spring. Bright yellow daffodils lined the drive, the grass was a brilliant green, and the sound of birds announcing God's glory seemed to take up every inch of sunshine.

   Gazing at her home -- her perfect, southern-living home-- filled her mind with countless reasons to say thank you. God had been so good. Having been loved as a little girl should be loved carved a trail in her heart. She knew how to love. Looking over her shoulder at the kids intently watching cartoons, she felt rich, so very rich.

    Today would be filled with video games and hair bows, dandelion chains and driveway basketball. The sound of little hands touching black and white keys will fill the house with the elementary sounds of workbook three.

   She reached for her favorite coffee cup, delicately adorned by pansies and miniature roses. The sight of her hand startled her. She placed the cup near the coffee pot and touched her wedding band. She closed her eyes and turned the band around and around.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 107:1

Her Hands

             The wind was brisk as she hurried to the shed. Her boots crunched in the snow and her toes screamed in protest to the missing lining. She wrapped her thin scarf around her face, covering her nose. Maybe this would keep the sub-zero temperature from burning in her throat and nostrils.

 Rushing around the corner, the shed shielded her from the angry gust that seemed to utter "not to worry, I will be here when you return!"

She grasped the handle and pulled as if her life depended on getting that old door to relent. Perhaps her life did depend on it. Hers and her sweet, young children waiting in the rented house a few yards away. They would wake soon.

 She stood still for a moment, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The shed smelled of old grass and gasoline. It smelled like love to her. She inhaled and sensed the arms of her daddy holding her close.

 The wind whistled her back to reality. She reached down and began piling wood in her outstretched arm. Soon she would have a happy, cozy fire singing as it snapped and danced a show of white, yellow, and orange flames. Just the thought warmed her soul.

            She took one more deep breath of comfort before heading toward the house. Glancing east she was overwhelmed by the wonder of the sun, peaking up over the horizon like a gigantic, beautifully shy flower. Only God could create such splendor in the dead of winter.

          The light above the door beckoned her to hurry, promising the refuge of home. She knew it was borrowed along with almost everything inside. Yet it was truly home. The screen door softly whispered the message of spring, assuring one day fragrant breezes would blow through its tiny, square windows.

           Moments later a fire sent its invisible arms rolling outward like an octopus reaching for company. She poured oatmeal into boiling water. Soon her children would be warmed inside and out.

           She heard the scuffing of little slippered feet moving down the hall. She turned to see sweet faces wrapped in hair askew, little pink cheeks wearing good morning smiles  and eyes that sparkled with the happiness of a new day. 

          "Good morning, Sunshine!" Momma smiled.

           This is home. Little ones gathered, snuggled up to the fire and bathed in its warmth while the aroma of oatmeal, cinnamon, and coffee filled the air. Home is right here, wrapped in a blanket framed in tattered satin trim.

           "It's shivery," squeaked the younger.

            "Is shivery a word?" asked the older as she held mommas hand and played with her ring, turning it around and around.

            Momma's voice laughed, "Yes, shivery is a word."

           "Well, your hands are warmery!" giggled the older, "and they are the prettiest hands ever in the whole wide world!" Using her own chubby little hand, she traced mommas fingers, "Someday, I hope my hands look just like yours!"

            With growling tummies the girls reached for their bowls, now full of steaming hot home.

            Today will be filled with Golden books, homemade paste, a shared pair of scissors and catalogues that have arrived in the mail. There will be songs of the Muffin Man and tea pots followed by games of pat-a- cake and eye spy.

              This is the beginning of a story of fiction, sprinkled with truth from my childhood. And I am happy to say, there are many days my hands look just like hers.

Above all, put on love--the perfect bond of unity. Colossians 3:14

 

 

A New Backpack, Jesus, and Eyes that Sparkle

I recently had the fun of getting to sit down with a young girl who announced to her parents on the way to VBS Family Night that she had asked Jesus into her heart. As we talked and she answered a few questions, her sweet and simple faith came through in a most strong way.

Before we got started, she showed me her new backpack and her school supplies. Her eyes sparkled as she lifted each treasure out of the backpack and explained things such as "This was the only one" and "I had to search for this."

Kids. We can learn so much from them. Here are a few things I learned from my new sister in Christ that day:

Trust Jesus. She listened, she learned, she loves, and she accepted. Her prayer was simple because she took Jesus at His word and trusted Him to remove her sins and live in her heart.

Beautiful.

Pay attention. As we talked, this precious child answered many of my questions by relating Bible stories to me. Her parents had obviously placed a firm foundation in her life by teaching her biblical truth and she had quite literally taken it to heart.

Perfect.

Simple faith. She took Jesus at His word and acted on it. She doesn't understand everything yet but then again, neither do I. Neither do you. She didn't wait until she understood it all because she has faith in the most important truth--God loves her and sent His Son to be her personal Savior.

I am in awe.

Genuine enthusiasm. She is a quiet little girl, one of those kids who can be in a group and only speak up when directly spoken to. She listens and learns. And she absorbs every word. As we talked about Jesus her eyes sparkled just like they did when she showed me her new school supplies.

I want to be like her.

I want to trust Jesus at His word.

I want to pay attention to the Bible and to those in my life who teach me scriptural truth.

I want a simple faith that doesn't have to understand everything.

I want a genuine enthusiasm that makes my eyes sparkle when I talk about Jesus.

You know, I remember the excitement of  new crayons, shoes, and notebooks. The feeling of starting over with a clean slate. And I remember the day I prayed and asked Jesus into my heart and He made me brand new.

Oh, what a Savior to give us a clean heart!

Oh what a Savior to offer us a fresh start every time we talk with Him and listen to Him!

Oh what a Savior--true to His word!

My little sister is going to have an amazing school year. She has her new supplies and, more importantly, her new heart.

I love kids and I love that God has placed me in the lives of so many. I learn from them every day.

Oh, if we would all just come as a child...

 

 

 

I've Got Friends in Low Places

Okay, you've read the title...go ahead, sing the song and thank me later for how it will play in your head the rest of the day.


The country song was a hit in the 90's. My eldest son and his buddy loved to sing it, usually at the most inopportune times.


You'll be relieved to know I am not talking about a bar room or about people who lack social graces. On the contrary I am speaking about friends, many of whom I worship with weekly, who are covered in God's grace.


And yet lately I have more friends in low places than anywhere else.


They are climbing uphill battles that are covered with pitfalls, pain and confusion.


The pitfalls of the unexpected and unimagined hurt caused by someone they love.
The pain of illness--newly discovered or chronic--illness that attempts every day to steal their joy and cover them in despair.
The confusion of feeling ignored by God or set aside because prayers aren't being answered fast enough.
There are others who are buried in debt or are so worried about the unknown they can't catch their breath.
Many are feeling hopeless as each day our news reveals the deep depravity of mankind without Jesus. 


Whoever came up with the logo Life is Good missed the mark. Life is hard.


Some days are more difficult than others. Anyone who has lived past the age of 13 can attest to that.
There are "flairs" of  trial that are undefined and indefinite. That word "flair" is used by people who suffer with chronic or autoimmune issues. They will tell you a flair is how an episode of illness is described. It can be anything from minor, nagging issues that last a day to debilitating pain that lasts for weeks.


Do you find that you are one of my low friends?  Are you struggling today?


I have good news. Wait...strike that! I have GREAT news!


You see, I know this Promise Keeper and He is aware of your struggle. Not only is He aware of it, He has experienced the pain and pitfalls Himself. And He loves you.


King David knew Him well. David talked to God a lot and we have the benefit of his conversation. Check this out...David said (to God):
It was good for me to be afflicted so I might learn your precepts. My comfort in my sufferings is this--Your promise preserves my life. You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word.
David reminds us:
I call upon the LORD in my distress, and He answers me. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The Lord has done mighty things!"




Low is a very scary place to be. I don't know anyone who would choose it. Will you accept some advice from someone who has spent her fair share in the low-land? Just a few things...

• It's okay to be where you are, it's not okay to stay there. Sometimes all it takes is a good, hard cry and some time talking it out with God. Other times, extra help is needed. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
• No matter what is weighing you down--health, confusion, hurt-- you can trust God to take care of you. Read the Psalms, John 14, Isaiah 26:3, and 41:10. Spending time in the Bible will bring your spirits up and will give you strength for the day.
• Do something for someone else. Maybe even anonymously. Realize there are hurting people all around you who need a kind encouraging word, a hug, or a pat on the back. Never assume a single person in your circle of friends or the strangers in the grocery store are free from pain.
• Pump up the jam! (yeah, I just embarrassed my kids with that one) God lives in the praise of His people. That's words from the Bible, not Shelley. God LIVES in your praises! So click on Pandora and create a Third Day, Brooklyn Tab, or Skillet station. Praise Him, praise Him all ye little children, God is love, God is love!

Dear Friend in low places, be encouraged today. You can trust God to take care of you. You can trust God to take care of your loved one who hurts. You can trust God to keep His promises. 

Back-to-School-Anxiety-Blues

I have four kids. They are all adults now and, I must say, they are all pretty awesome.

I was one of those crazy moms that loved snow days, government holidays, long weekends, fall and spring breaks...I even liked it when we had so much rain that the schools closed because of flooding.

Being at home with my kids was my favorite!

I especially loved summers with my kids. I have wonderful memories of board games, afternoon reading, movies, little league games and swimming.

I can even remember getting on to them about fighting, sending them to their rooms, and wanting to pull my hair out.

Even when it got a bit stressful, summers were good. Life was good.

In the blink of an eye, August would raise its intrusive head.

And

extreme

anxiety

 followed.

I would stay awake late into the night wishing I could stop time.

I wrung my hands and felt my chest get tight every time I'd glance over the back-to-school shopping list.

Once you have a child in kindergarten, you know what happens.

August melts into fall, which turns into Christmas, which quickly becomes Spring Break. Blink again and it's May--time for piano and dance recitals and another school year is in the review mirror.

Do this 11 more times and your kid graduates.

Hey moms, can I get a witness or am I the only one?

How did I survive 4 kids school year in and school year out without boarding the crazy train? After a few years of the anxiety, I learned a better way to handle watching my kids grow up and the inevitable fact that they would one day be adults out on their own.

Here is the Readers Digest version of Shelley's August Anti-Anxiety Advice...

• Remember God is in control. Always. Period.
• Your kids are not alone and neither are you.
• Pray for your children and their new teachers.
• Read and commit to memory scriptures such as Psalm 94:10, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 118:6 and Proverbs 12:25.

Here's another thought to consider.

Teachers everywhere feel their own kind of August anxiety. Be THAT mom. The mom that offers words of encouragement and prayers for wisdom, health, and strength for each day.

One of God's promises to His kids is to keep your mind at perfect peace when you are focused on Him.

When August anxiety raises its head you have a choice to make. You can get all balled up inside, half destroy your nerves and change nothing or you can make the mindful decision to trust God.

The hard reality is, allowing anxiety to take up residence in your heart is the result of not trusting God to take care of you and your children.

It's almost August. Here's your to do list:

• Pray for the teachers
• Pray for the kids
• Pray for yourself
• Look for and praise God for every single blessing in your life
• Be THAT mom

Now, to my Towering Oaks Baptist Church parents -- I look forward to a new school year, which means a new year in ministry. I look forward to another year of growing and learning with you and your child.

I'm proud of you. I know you will be THAT mom!

 

 

 

Impastor: Confessions of an Angry Preacher's Wife

If you are a TVLand watcher, as I used to be, you have recently been slammed with adds for a new program titled Impastor. It falls under the "American Comedy" genre.

This "entertainment" is about some guy who is pretty much the anti-pastor who takes the identity of the real deal and brings his immoral self in to lead a church. Sounds hilarious, doesn't it?

Why would this make me angry?

Maybe because I have been a pastor's wife for 34 years and what Hollywood feeds America isn't remotely close to the truth of our lives. My anger began a couple of years ago when Lifetime (Dear Christian sister--this is NOT the network for women) ran "Preachers Daughter," an insult at best.

Maybe I am angry because as America laughs, there's a small part of the brain that takes this information and files it under "truth."

Perhaps  I'm irritated at the story line that portrays church members as stupid.

Yes, fuming at the very idea that our Christian walk is reduced to a joke.

No one is laughing when a young mother and father try to breathe while their infant is rolled into surgery.

It isn't funny when my husband is called on Christmas morning to come to the hospital to help a family as their daddy dies.

It's no joke when he pours himself into the church family because he has a deep love for them, whether they return the affection or not.

It isn't amusing when preacher's kids, who did not choose this life but were born into it, are held to a standard they cannot live up to.

There is no chuckling as a sermon is prepared, knowing that eternity for the listeners hangs in the balance.

The world wants you to lose all respect for pastors in our society. Hollywood wants you to question the authority of the Scriptures and at the same time look at your pastor questioning his motives. The world wants to take the examples of those who have tripped up, messed up and fallen and hold them up as the norm.

I'm not placing my husband or any other pastor on a pedestal. There's no room up there for a human, it is for our Creator alone. But I will tell you that my pastor's heart is pure. I know him better than any other person, I know this life better than the producers of programs for TVLand ever could.

Mixed in with the heavy responsibility of leading and caring for the Bride of Christ, is the thrill of lives changed. A child who opens his Bible, a young dad who makes the commitment to bring the family to church, a senior adult couple who remain faithful through hardship, the excited college kid who is bringing her friends to Jesus, and a near-divorce marriage is restored--these are just a few of the super great reasons to stay the course.

Why does my husband, or any other pastor, stay in ministry? Obedience to God on the calling of his life. As his wife, I am called as well. I could not handle being a pastor's wife if God didn't prepare me early, call me clearly and provide for me daily.

So, what's it to you?

Well, first of all, pick up the nasty remote and turn the one-eyed-monster off.  Don't allow the world to feed you and your family garbage under the guise of entertainment.

Pray for your pastor.

Respect your pastor.

Speak highly of your pastor.

Support your pastor.

Teach your children to appreciate the pastor.

Wait a minute...

I do hear some laughter...

Until we take God seriously and allow him into our family rooms and what entertains us, the joke is on us.

Satan is laughing. 

 

He Didn't Have to Do It

It's another one of those wow-God-look what-You-did-through-ordinary-people kind of mornings. Today we'll take down all the super cool Vacation Bible School decorations and pack them up to wait patiently for another year. I will try to get the report done this week, return unopened items, find the floor in my office and possibly even the desk.

I will remember the special moments of the week such as

• The excited text from a teacher telling me about the child who prayed and is now my little sister.
• The friend who left Monday morning to buy a pair of flip flops for a distressed little girl who arrived with one broken shoe.
• The Facebook message from a mom telling me her daughter got in the car after VBS and immediately began to read her new Bible.
•  The ESP Staff that went back to school and enjoyed seeing their kids pull out their Bibles at reading time.
• The tear-filled eyes of the friend who came to me Friday morning with her ideas for NEXT year's VBS!

And then there's

• The tears of a sorrowful teen bearing burdens her young heart is not designed to bear.
• The teacher whose health issues tried to get her down but the burning in her heart to tell kids about Jesus kept her going.
• The personality differences among the family of God that Satan tried to use to sabotage unity but God said "NO!"
• The "pray for me" pleas from volunteers engaged in spiritual warfare.
• The torrential rain and flash flood warnings.

As I file VBS 2015 in my memory banks, my mind keeps resting on What God didn't have to do.

He could have chosen to use others to deliver His message to the kids.

He could have used the rocks and trees.

He could have used the wind to whisper salvation.

He chose to use the ordinary people of Towering Oaks to plant redemption seeds to hundreds.

And then my mind rabbit trails to other things God did not have to do. Have you ever thought

• God didn't have to create color. He could have created a gray world and we would never have missed brilliant blues, blinding yellows, and amazing reds.
• God didn't have to create taste. We would never have missed the joy of a great cup of coffee, the comfort of chicken and dumplings or the wonder of  cheesecake.
• God didn't have to give us the gift hearing. We would not have known the joy of our baby's first cry, the dawn-song of the birds, or the marvel in music--the music that calls us to worship The Creator of all that is.

And to steal the words from RONCO: but wait--THERE'S MORE!

We'll put the decorations in storage but we get to keep telling His story. We don't have to wait until next summer to talk about Jesus.

We get the joy and responsibility of being Jesus to people every day in the grocery store, on the ball field, at work, and you know what? Even through the words we tweet, our Facebook status', and our snapchats or instagrams.

And in The House? Well, we teach kids about Jesus every time the doors open.

It's exciting to know that God uses ordinary people...that's you and me...to do extra-ordinary things because He is THE Extra-ordinary God.

Wow-God-look what-You-will-do-through-ordinary-people who put their faith in You and walk in an I-am-not-ashamed-of-the-gospel kind of way!