My First AA Meeting Shines with Hope

By Pam Kumpe –

It’s not every day I attend an AA meeting. After I picked up a young lady at the rehab facility for her off-campus day outing, I discovered our first stop was—the AA meeting. I drove about 10 minutes to a white building, tucked near a park, on a dead-end street. Women and men, young and old walked inside taking a seat, some greeting others, while some simply took a seat.

I sat next to my friend on the wall, and I heard the testimony of Tim, a nice looking middle aged man, who spoke of his journey of alcohol and its hold on his life. He shared the victories in his life without the drink, and his discovery of ice tea at restaurants instead of beer. His new philosophy—keep it simple and take it one day at a time—with God at his side.

Larry spoke of attending his son’s high school football game, and going there sober, and of knowing he was going to remember the night with a clear head. He cheered his son on at the game and was confident he’d go to the next game.

Arturo lost everything a few years ago, and he spoke of his divorce and how that personal chapter sent him into despair. He thought, living without the woman he loved was not possible, so one night he ended up on the highway, got arrested and spent some time in a mental facility. He’s taking his recovery seriously, says he’s still lonely, but he is trusting in God with his life, and living in the present, and he’s staying focused and finding support from friends.

Britney shared how she spends a lot of time in the Bible processing what God says, and she mentioned she knows it involves surrendering her all to God, but she’s not quite there yet. She was quick to say she loves God and is working on becoming the woman she was meant to be.

Cliff shared his heart while sitting in his wheel chair. He’s an older man who leans on the group spiritually and emotionally, and is hanging on to his day, always looking for answers.

As I sat there in the room, I noticed a common thread—our need for love, our need for Jesus to be a part of our lives (even when we don’t know this), and how the heart of the broken and bruised is not only found in AA meetings—it’s all around, because we all hurt or feel lost or find ourselves lonely from time to time.

As simple as God’s love is, this bridge of hope can seem so far to the wandering heart. In reality the Lord is near the broken hearted, and in Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

On that morning, I found rest with some friends, and somehow, I needed them more than they’ll ever know. I never expected to cry—I never expected to feel the love—I never expected to find such hope; but when Jesus is at the meeting—grace and mercy rise up and take the front seat of our heart.

What Will You Do With Tomorrow?

By Jarrod Spencer –

“Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You’re only a day away.”

Most of you probably know that line comes from one of the main songs on the movie “Annie.” Tomorrow allows freedom. Freedom to start over. Freedom to have a new set of 24 hours. A new set of 1440 minutes. A new set of 86,400 seconds.

How we use each “tomorrow” is up to us. Most days, “tomorrow” is something I look forward to because I enjoy my job. Only a few days, job or otherwise, do I not look forward to its arrival.  Either way, it is still a new day, and you can do with it however you wish. This brings us to this quote by Lyndon B. Johnson, “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or to lose.”

Tomorrow is not here yet. Yesterday has already past and you cannot change that. Now is present and you can choose how you deal with the choices you face. However, what will you do with tomorrow? How will you make it a great day? How will you make someone else’s “tomorrow” great? What will you do? Wave, smile, buy lunch/dinner, etc.???

Go and make someone’s tomorrow great!

PRAYER: Thank You for my “tomorrows.” May I use them to glorify You, to point people to You, and make others’ tomorrows be better by how I reflect You to them.

BIBLE VERSE: “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him” (Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV).

When the Internet Fails

By Marty Norman –

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). 

We’ve all experienced the confusion. Last night your email was working, this morning – no go.

What’s going on? Usually no one can say.

Personally I think it’s a sign of the times. More than likely it’s a sign of my age. And if the truth be known, I don’t like computers, never have and don’t think I ever will.

Sure, I use them. Sure, sometimes they make my life easy, especially when you compare Word Perfect to the old fashioned hit and peck type-writer that we used in my day.  In retrospect I can hardly believe we had to type everything perfectly. There was no cut and paste. How did we do it? Now you can change every word from top to bottom in a heartbeat. That part I like.

But with each blessing also comes a test.

And computers have tested me sometimes beyond my ability to endure. I’m talking about my patience and kindness quotient. They seem to fly out the window whenever I talk to someone regarding technology, especially the guys from India.

Bless their hearts, it’s not their fault. I don’t know what happens to me. Something just comes over me. I like to think it’s a computer demon that jumps on me and says, “You don’t have to take this. Let her rip.”

But the truth is – it’s me. It’s that old flesh thing rising up inside, making itself known, keeping me humble and needing God.

As a result I spend more time feeling bad about my behavior and in repentance to God than I do in fixing the computer.

So God and I are working on this issue. He’s developed a new training program for me: Plan B – being kind in all circumstances.

Clearly Plan B does not come naturally to me. I thought it did, but since the invention of the computer, all bets are off.

My current problem is buffering. Surely, you’ve experienced it. It’s when you are trying to live stream or watch a download or U-tube video. The tape stops incessantly and is crazy making.

I know this is not a computer problem.  My computer is only three months old and everything is up to snuff. I’m finally even comfortable downloading updates.

But regardless the problem, I’ve spent hours with my server on the phone. We’ve checked my download service, my download speed and my router connection. A technician has come out and replaced some gadget on the side of my house.

Recently I was told it was my modem.  That might be true as this one was probably purchased in the year 2000. But why didn’t they tell me that the first time I called?

But praise God I was nice this time. And that is only by the grace of God. Everything in me wanted to use the age card and shout, “Do you not know I am an old person. Technology is not my thing!”

After a brief conversation, which in itself was pretty miraculous, I was told it was indeed my modem and was promised a new one within five days.

“It is easy to install,” the heavily accented voice on the other end of the line told me.

I’m skeptical. But sure, I’ll play.  Maybe, just maybe this time things will turn around. But if this is part of the test, my training has been ratcheted up a notch.

When I receive the new modem, I plan to follow the instructions to the letter. If that doesn’t work, then I’m going back to the tried and true “age card.”

What else is a grandmother to do if she wants her computer to work?

A Grand Event

By Aubrey Spencer –

Nana and Papaw’s house is the greatest place on earth. At least it is for my children. No matter how often my parents see our kids (which is quite frequent now that we live only ninety miles away), they treat it as a grand event. Oliver and Ava
are showered with attention and sugared with kisses. There is no doubt, they are both loved and adored.

The last time we visited there, I tucked Oliver in his bed for a nap, and thought back to the very first time we took him to his grandparents’ house. He was a few months old, and we lived thirteen hours away. So it’s not too surprising that it felt like a grand event. My parents were over-the-top excited for their grandson to be there. They told everyone they knew that he was coming. They bought him a new wardrobe. They bought him a great little mobile for his car seat (which came in quite handy on the thirteen hour drive home.) They also went out the day after we arrived to purchase him a totally tricked out exersaucer activity center, because they said he “needed” it. But the biggest display of grandparent craziness was Oliver’s room. That’s right – Oliver had his very own bedroom at Nana and Papaw’s house. (Both kids have their own rooms there now.) His room housed a crib bought just for him, complete with adorable construction truck bedding. Everywhere we looked, we saw diapers, wipes, trucks, decorations and more. They went nuts. We melted with gratefulness. There were even blocks with his named spelled out sitting on one of the bookshelves. It was too much! Talk about making us feel special. Oliver was a blessed little boy to have grandparents like that. And now Ava gets to enjoy the same sort of royal treatment.

I started thinking about my parents and their excitement over Oliver’s first visit. I wondered how many of us live with such excitement about our God. Does He consume our thoughts and dictate our actions? Do we smile every time we think about Him? Do we long to spend time with Him, eager to be in His presence? Do we tell everyone we know about Him? Do we clean out areas in our lives to make room for Him to dwell there? In fact, does He have His very own place in our hearts, or does He have to share space with other “gods” in our life? Is He the center of our attention? Is His name written on us, displayed proudly, like the blocks in Oliver’s room?

What a powerful reminder for me to check my heart, my priorities, and my excitement level for my God. What about you?

PRAYER: Lord, I long to fill my heart and my life with Your presence, Your will, and Your Word. But, I must confess that I can easily allow myself to crowd You out of my thoughts and my actions when I put other things before You. Help me to treat every moment with You as a grand event. Remind me to share my excitement about You with the world around me.

BIBLE VERSE: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:1-3 NIV).

Thankful for Bananas & Vacations

By Kathi Woodall –

Last Thanksgiving I was driving in my van with my then four year old daughter. From the back seat her little voice piped up, “Is Thanksgiving the day we thank Jesus for things?”  I smiled and told her it is.

She continued, “Like grass?”

“Yes, like grass,” I answered.

“And trees?”

“Yes, and trees.”

Her list continued, “For apples and pears?”

“Yep, apples and pears.”

“And bananas?”

“Even bananas.” I began wondering how long her list was going to go.

“For houses?”

“Yes,” I answered aloud while silently thinking, “It’s a long car ride; I can keep this game up awhile.”

“And cars?”

“Yes, thankful for cars.”

“And hotels and vacations?”

I burst out laughing as her list suddenly took a turn from the practical and necessary to the fun and fanciful.  I knew she’d crack me up eventually and apparently this was her desired objective as her list came to an end at this point. At that time we had no travel plans for the holiday season and her last hotel and vacation experience had been several months previous. However, the idea of a vacation and the fun of a hotel are always forefront in her little mind.

In the Old Testament, the primary Hebrew word translated as thanksgiving does not denote a mere listing of all the things for which we are thankful.  First and foremost for the Israelites, thanksgiving was preceded by confession. Confession, and the resulting forgiveness, overflowed into praise and thanksgiving to God.

I have much to be thankful for this season.  Like my youngest, I am thankful for creation, food, a home, and even vacations.  I could add more to her list as well. Most of all, though, I am thankful I can come before a loving Heavenly Father in a spirit of confession.  I am thankful that when I do, He turns my tears of repentance into tears of joy.  I am thankful for His Son who died to make that relationship possible and who will return again to establish a kingdom of peace on earth.  Finally, I am thankful for His Spirit who guides and helps me as I walk this earthly journey.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
And His courts with praise;
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
(Psalm 100:4-5 NIV)

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