Call Me Cheap!

By Carin LeRoy –

I have a confession: I’m a chronic bag washer. It seems a waste to throw out a useful Ziploc bag when it only needs a wash for another use. I also save cereal bags because their sturdiness is perfect for freezing quantities of meat that I buy in bulk. Rather than cleaning up things with wads of paper towels, I use rags. They are great for scrubbing, polishing and wiping up spills. I throw them in the washer and then store them under the sink for my next use.

Not only am I a bag washer, but I love to find a good deal. You’ll find me checking out clearance merchandise, browsing the Goodwill or stopping at a yard sale. I’ve even been known to pull my neighbor’s furniture off the street (after asking, of course!). My family groans if I pull out left-over food too many times. Now, they’re thankful that our puppy gets some so that I don’t feel too wasteful. Call it my missionary cost-saving background, but the bottom line is: I’m cheap. (Well…maybe that’s what others think, but I think I’m frugal!)

In these challenging economic times, we all need to cut corners and stretch our dollar. The price of gas, food and utilities take a chunk from the family budget, so finding ways to save in other areas has become a necessity for many of us.

In Scripture we see that even Christ was careful with provisions. After feeding the 5,000, he sent the disciples to collect the food not eaten after the crowds left. “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted. So they gathered them and filled 12 baskets,” (John 6:12,13 NIV). I’ll bet they ate it for days and gave it to others in need. Even Christ felt it important to be careful with the resources they had.

Not everyone feels compelled to wash Ziploc bags like me, but we can all find ways to be resourceful. God promises to supply our needs, but I think we can use His example to know that Christ wasn’t wasteful even when His own miracle supplied 5,000 people with food.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, that You have promised to supply our needs. Help me to learn in these hard economic times to be resourceful with what You have given to me and find creative ways to stretch the budget.

BIBLE VERSE: “Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty” (Psalm 37: 16-19 NIV).

We’re Having Triplets!!!

By Cheri Cowell –

We have triplets!!! My husband and I are proud parents of three baby mockingbirds. I’m sure that sometime in your life you have experienced the joy of watching the maternal care of one of God’s creatures. There is no training camp, no apprentice program, and no how-to baby book for these moms, yet they seem to know what to do.

I have heard many mothers say that something happened to them when their baby was placed in their arms for the first time. They didn’t have all of the answers, and especially the first time moms were afraid they would do something wrong. Yet, they instinctively knew their main role: to love and care for that child with a depth of love that can only be described as unconditional.

In the book of I John, John was an older man when he wrote boldly of begetting and birth in the passage listed below. He tells of the intimate relationship between Christ, God the Father, and the Christian. He explains that the “seed” of God’s nature is placed within each believer allowing that seed to be nurtured until it becomes a mature tree in the likeness of God. Verse 1 tells us who we are- God’s child, verse 2 tells us we are becoming reflections of God; verses 16-18 shows us how we are to respond to the gift of God’s love. Love is an action, not a feeling, and He wants us to learn from God’s love how to sacrificially love others.

PRAYER: Thank You for being my Heavenly Father, for showing me Your great love on a daily basis through the gifts of my relationships. I Praise You for placing the seed within me that allows me to become more like You every day. Help me learn from Your example how to love more sacrificially and more unconditionally today and every day.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:1-3, 16-18 NIV).

Even Toed Ungulate Mammal

By Elaine James –

While my family and I drove an hour from our house to a popular farm, we made a pact to purchase fresh cider, donuts and produce, and then leave. Our motto is “Get in, get out.” We got out of there so fast we still had sugar on our faces from the donuts!

The next day my daughter approached me with the question “How do you hide an even-toed ungulate mammal, more commonly known as a giraffe?”

I looked puzzled at my daughter, who has a lifelong dream of one day being able to pet a giraffe, and I asked “What?”

She burst into tears and stated “The farm we went to had giraffes back in the field that the public could go and pet!”

I was speechless, yet mustered up the courage to declare, “There is no way we missed that.”
She rebutted quickly, “Ya way, we did!”

That night in bed I pondered “how did we miss out on the chance of seeing those giraffes?” They weren’t hiding, but we were not looking. We had missed the signs that the giraffes were there. I failed to mention that right as we were checking out, there was a section in the gift shop dedicated to all sorts of merchandise with giraffes on it. We bought a sweatshirt. Did one of us slow down and question why were they selling giraffe merchandise?

Jesus is just like those giraffes. He is out in the open and available for us all. Do you slow down and see Him? Do you look at the signs?

“When Jesus saw His ministry drawing huge crowds, He climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to Him, the committed, climbed with Him. Arriving at a quiet place, He sat down and taught His climbing companions.” Matthew 5:1-2 (MSG) Jesus often directed the people to sit down in a quiet place. Do you sit down in a quiet place to learn? If not, this is a New Year, make it a priority.

Just as the even-toed ungulate mammal is believed to be spotted easily, so is our Lord Jesus Christ. Both, when spotted, are a blessing!

PRAYER: Jesus, help me to see You. Forgive me for I am having trouble sitting down and being quiet.

BIBLE VERSE: “And He directed the people to sit down on the grass.” (Matthew 14:19a 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.

Wait For It!

By Janet Morris Grimes –

“God? Are You there?

I’ve been meaning to talk to You about a few things.

No offense, but I’ve kind of been wondering what You are up to. I kind of feel like Moses, standing at the Red Sea with no way to cross it. I keep pointing upward, hinting that something big is about to happen. The stage is set for You to do something miraculous, brilliant, and unforgettable.

But then, nothing happens. Or at least, nothing big. Nothing anyone would notice, if they were watching from a distance.

Maybe my timing is a bit off. Maybe I hurried so fast to the sea that I missed an important leg of the journey. Maybe I took a shortcut, or tried to rush things a bit.

Just know that it feels as if I jumped off a cliff; that same cliff You told me to jump off of, but I have yet to land. And if You don’t mind me saying this; it’s taking too long. If I just knew when or where I might land, I could start on my ‘to-do’ list. You know; to help You get everything settled when the time comes.

I try to be patient, but even that would be easier if I knew what You were up to. Waiting is something I do in between all the big events in life, right? I mean, transition should never become my destination. It’s just a small part of the journey. Right?

So, here I sit, waiting for something big to happen. In the meantime, to prevent boredom, I thought I might flip open my Bible and see what You had to say, in case You were watching. What could it hurt for You to catch me being overly obedient? Thought it might speed things up a little, and might remind You that I’m still waiting.

How about the book of Habakkuk? That ought to score me a few points. No one ever reads Habakkuk, do they?

Hmmm. Let’s see what old Habakkuk has to say about waiting….

Oh, wait. I think I’m beginning to understand. Maybe it takes a major transition in life to get me to be still and listen to Your instruction. Maybe You aren’t too worried about my ‘to-do’ lists. Maybe my desire to be in control interferes with Your desire to provide for me daily.

If that’s the case, You know where to find me. I’ll be here, beside the still waters. Learning. Growing. And waiting.”

BIBLE VERSE: “Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5 NIV)

PRAYER: Dear God, Thank You for loving me enough to make me wait. Whatever it is that You are up to, I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

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