Obituaries and Eternity

By Peter Lundell –

For a brief time I read obituaries in the newspaper—just for fun. It didn’t last long, because they got repetitious. Besides, reading about dead people can get morbid. Yet I learned something.

All the deceased were good people and were missed. Of course they were; people don’t spend money on obituaries for people they don’t like. I didn’t see any for jerks—no one missed them. Or if anyone really was bad, the description was whitewashed.

Each obituary listed the career highlights and accomplishments of the deceased. Some were impressive: degrees, important jobs, civic activities, and contributions. Most folks appeared to have been nice people, good people, ones we’d like if we met them. I found myself being impressed. I imagined meeting them during their lifetime and being impressed—even envious and wishing I had accomplished the things they had.

But there was always one catch: They were dead. This single fact changed everything. After reading all the impressive things they did, I found myself oddly unimpressed. I kept thinking, So what? Their life achievements are over, and now they’re in eternity.

I scoured each obituary for indications of whether they had prepared themselves for eternity. I can’t say whether they or not they did, but nothing was ever said about it. I’m sure some did and some didn’t. Some knew God and some had positively influenced others, but most centered their activities and accomplishments on themselves.

Crossing the line into eternity changes everything—everything that on this earth is impressive or important or worthwhile.

Someday people will read my obituary. Yours too. What if we live our brief lives in ways that reflect and prepare for eternity? After all, that’s where we’re all going. And besides, we’ll almost certainly end up living better lives.

PRAYER: “Lord, teach me to live with eternity in my heart, eternity in my thinking, eternity in my actions, and as I do to change the world I live in.”

BIBLE VERSE: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV).

Say What?

By Steph Prichard –

Mumble, mumble, mumble.

“W-h-a-a-t?” I clicked Save and trudged from my bedroom office to the top of the stairs. “Did you say something?”

Mumble, mumble, mumble.

I trekked down the stairs, through the living room, and into my husband’s dining-room-converted-into-an-office. “What’d you say?”

He answered. I answered. Back upstairs to my computer.

Mumble, mumble, mumble.

“Wha-a-a-t?”

Mumble, mumble, mumble.

Uh-huh, you guessed it—back downstairs again. Grace ebbed with each step until, on my fourth trip, I suggested what clearly was more than a recommendation. “From now on, how about if we have the rule that we meet at the stairs to talk?”

Agreement. An hour passed, then mumble, mumble, mumble.

I stomped out of my room. What part of “meet at the stairs” did the man not understand? “Wha-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-t,” I yelled, my protracted vowel definitely not coated with shugah.

Oh my. At the bottom of the stairs, already waiting, stood my husband. My jaw dropped, and heat pinched my cheeks as he grinned up at me. “Maybe we need the rule,” he said, “that we see the whites of each other’s eyes before we talk.”

Or, face it, I needed a hearing aid.

“Why wait until you’re old and gnarled to hear better?” a friend asked. Why indeed? I was missing out on half the content of conversations directed to me. As if listening to a skipping tape recorder, I had to piece words together to catch the gist of what was said. Worse, my daughter spoke softly—I heard maybe twenty percent of what she said—and she allowed me only two whats. And then there were my friends who teased me by muttering juicy tidbits just loud enough that I couldn’t quite catch what they said. Meanies.

Why put up with this? I bought a hearing aid for each ear, and, yessssss, finally, I could hear!

Reminds me of how we need spiritual hearing aids too. Before I became a Christian, I read the Bible … and thought it horrid. I listened to sermons … and the words went in one ear and zipped out the other. Scripture by itself, whether read or listened to, is not a hearing aid to God’s Truth. First Corinthians 2:14 says, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” Yep, nailed me!

Once we are Christians, however, the Holy Spirit opens our ears to hear and our minds to understand the Truth that God reveals in Scripture. That’s when we can meet with Him at the stairs and talk. “‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord.” Oh yeah, that’s an invitation I don’t want to miss out on!

Footloose and Fashion Free

By Hally Franz –

Kevin Bacon’s 1984 original, Footloose, was released during my college years, and twenty-seven years later, the remake starring Julianne Hough hit the big screen. I’ve seen the first several times, but have not yet viewed the updated version. However, I did attend our local high school’s musical production of “Footloose” just recently, and it was both fun and frightening.

In the live show, students unabashedly replicated the 1980’s fashions. I envisioned girls reviewing their mothers’ old photos and raiding their closets for vintage looks, as any dedicated artist would. And, each actress embraced those crazy trends, working every terrifying one into the outfits worn on stage. Neon-colored leggings and tights, leg warmers, gym wear hanging topsy-turvy off their shoulders, cock-eyed pony tails, and gloves with lace and without fingers—scary fashion flashback to the third power!

While inspired and amazed by the talent of our local young people, I think I sat mouth agape when reminded of how I no doubt looked some thirty years ago. Then, I looked down at my 10-year-old daughter. She was enthralled by the performance of the teens on stage, and she was sporting some of her own styles.

Rosaline’s skinny wrist was encircled by numerous “bracelets”: hair bands, rubber message bracelets, elastic shape bands and bead craft jewelry. Apparently, she figures that more is better. She recently purchased a very interesting “hat”. Imagine marching band shako meets Russian fur hat. Next, picture long hot pink yarn braids down each side of the—hat. Now, against the background of spiky hot pink faux fur, add the face of famous Muppet character Animal. You’ve got quite a headdress!

When she first wore her hat, I noticed moms looking at me with big eyes and nervous smiles. I had to respond truthfully. I said matter-of-factly “her money, shopping with Dad,” and, in Forrest Gump style, indicated that was all I had to say about that.

As my daughter grows into a teenager and young woman, I’ll continue to question her fashion choices sometimes. I may question other decisions along the way, too. While I hope she’ll always make good clothing choices and, more importantly, wise life choices, I know she may not. That’s when my guidance, understanding and forgiveness will be important. So, bring on the wardrobe, friend and school drama, frightening though it may be.

With His help, she and I are going to have fun!

PRAYER: Gracious God, provide me with wisdom and understanding so that I may raise my daughter well. And, please walk with the two of us through the challenges of the teen years.

BIBLE VERSE: “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them” (Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV).

Remembering to Think

By Janet Morris Grimes –

“Can you get out the GPS and run a search for the name of this restaurant? I know it is around here somewhere.”

My daughter, Malloree, proceeded to do so while we waited at a red light. It took a minute for our global positioning system to determine our exact spot on the globe, and then we focused our attention on that tiny screen, making sure to spell the name of the restaurant correctly. A honk from behind notified me that it was time for us to move on; the light had turned green.

The GPS calculated, then recalculated, directing us through a route that made little sense. After going a few blocks down one road, it directed us to turn around and follow that same road in the opposite direction.

“In one mile,” the stoic voice predicted, “you will reach your destination.”

“Good. At least we are close,” my daughter, remarked, checking the time she was supposed to meet her friends.

We scoured both sides of the multi-laned road for this restaurant, as the GPS counted down the yards until we supposedly reached it. Soon, it gave us the signal that we had passed it. But it was still nowhere to be found.

In frustration, I turned on the road circling the mall; the same road we had originally started on. Within seconds, the restaurant was there; right beside us as we waited at another red light.

“Um, Mom. This is the same red light. We were sitting beside the restaurant when I got out the GPS. ”

Ooops. How could we have missed it?

Maybe it’s because somewhere along the way, with all of our helpful gadgets, we have forgotten to think for ourselves. I used to know the number of everyone in my calling circle by heart. But now, if I lost the numbers in my phone for some reason, I would only be able to call about 3 people from memory.

The same is true for the GPS. I used to be able to worm my way through unknown streets, checking for clues and learning my way around. Now, I am dependent on that GPS to count down my turns for me, rarely paying attention to the names of streets, nor how I reached my destination.

Wisdom comes through experience, wise counsel, and a constant desire to learn.

I trust that as God leads me through the confusing paths of day to day life, I would do better to keep my eyes and ears open, depending on what He has taught me thus far rather than some quirky little gadget or shortcut.

BIBLE VERSE: (referring to wisdom) “Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.” (Proverbs 8:34 NIV)

PRAYER: Dear God, Help us to have the wisdom to watch for signs of You everywhere.

Make Level Paths for Your Feet—in the Kitchen!

By Julie Morris –

“That’s lame!”

Evan, my five-year-old grandson, loves to say “That’s lame!” to show his disapproval. He says it when I cut off his favorite cartoon after he’s watched TV too long or when his mom offers him a healthy choice rather than the candy he is asking for. We often hear “That’s lame!” from this precious little guy. Evan knows that being lame is not fun…and so do I. My weakness with food is definitely lame.

In Hebrews 12:13 (NIV), God talks about people who are lame, and tells us what to do if we are one of them: ‘“Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.”
I’m normally not lame when I walk, but before I started “making level paths for my feet,” I would often get tripped up when I walked in my kitchen. I would have wonderful intensions in mind, but at certain times, like when I baked cookies or started eating chips out of the bag, I’d stumble over my good intensions and fall into overeating.

But many years ago I learned what I could do to make level paths for my feet so that I could stop all of this lame behavior and be healed of my uncontrollable cravings.

I’m excited to tell you that God’s promise in Hebrews 12:13 is true. I know because I lost my harmful extra pounds 30 years ago (!) by making healthy paths for my feet—especially in the kitchen. And I am no longer disabled by out-of-control blood pressure, fatigue and other incapacitating things my overeating caused.

Here are some things that I do to make level paths for my feet:

1. I pray daily that God will help me to make healthy choices.
2. I use a well-balanced food plan similar to the Food Pyramid.
3. I write down what I eat each day.
4. I meet weekly with my accountability partner Tish, and am honest with her about how I have eaten and exercised, as well as other goals I have decided on.
5. I let go of negative emotions because I know that resentments are fattening, pouting puts pounds on and worries widen hips.
6. I don’t go to the grocery store when I’m starving or stressed.
7. When I’m going to a party or out to dinner late, I eat a light snack so I won’t be too hungry.
8. I limit foods that trigger my cravings because the few seconds of eating are not worth the hours (or days) of cravings that are sure to follow.
9. I seldom bake sweets.
10. I take it one day at a time.

If you are disabled because of overeating, I pray that you will make your own list of things that you can do to make level paths for your feet.

Comment below and I will help you personally to learn what you can do to stop being lame!

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