THE OLD MAPLE TREE

Today was a day that was different from other days. Last year we put an above ground pool in our backyard. This pool is not used by me for pleasure. I only have time to clean it and exercise. Since I had my neck surgery in March I make sure that I spend at least 20 to 30 minutes everyday doing my exercises. I have been working so intently on getting the book I am writing completed and proofed that I felt I needed some time off. Some time to lay back and relax. I figured the perfect place for this would be outside in the pool.

As I was lying there on the floaty, I looked up and seen the large maple tree in my back yard. Have you ever noticed how they grow so upright and tall? To me an maple tree is a perfect picture of strength. Why does a tree grow upward? Why does grass grow upward? Why do flowers and plants grow upward? If all of creation has a tendency to reach toward the heavens, why do us humans have a tendency to reach toward things that bog us down?  We constantly go around looking down, looking for the negative or looking back at what happened to us. We would be wise to learn from creation and reach toward heaven to the “SON”, the giver of light, the only one that can sustain us.

I also noticed how wonderfully full of green leaves it was. Leaves blowing in the wind, leaves that were dark hunter green, and some of the leaves a lighter green. Then there were a few leaves that had brown tips and starting to turn different colors. As I scanned the tree I seen a couple branches that looked like a storm had come along and broken the branches off. These branches never again produced leaves. The leaves that was once on the branch, now had dried up and fallen off. The branch itself was ugly and just sticking out in an awkward way.

In order to help the tree, these branches need to be cut back. If someone will come along and trim the old damaged branches away, there will be new branches that burst forth with energy and excitement and they will produce their own set of leaves that will gently blow in the breeze. Although if we just leave the tree as it is, the old dead limb will just hang there on the tree lifeless, ugly and unproductive.

Isn’t this the same as humans?  How many of you were wounded two years ago. Oh you mean it was more than that. Seriously, it was ten years ago that you were wounded and instead of taking care of that branch you just let it hang there dead for ten years. Have you allowed the branch to just hang onto you and weigh you down? Each time the Lord tries to get you help pruning that old limb instead of saying yes, you lash out attacks. . Do we really want our lives to look like this old maple tree with a broken limb protruding for everyone to walk by and say, “I remember that storm, it was a bad one, we left that old branch there as a reminder to never let a storm hurt us this way again.”

Can you imagine if the tree were like us, it would never let an old car that backfires park under it. The sound of the backfire would remind him too much of the thunder that hit the day the storm came. Or would a tree seriously never allow anyone to ever water it again, because it was wounded during a rain storm?   The water from the sprinkler reminded it of the rain.  If the tree never allows moisture to hit it again, not only will the limb die, but the whole tree will die.

We know that to have real life that tree must be pruned. That old limb needs cut off in order for the new limbs to grow. How many times I have heard someone say, “I will never allow a person to get close to me again because I have been hurt in this area”. I have been guilty of that myself. But to be like the Psalms 1 tree we have have to be willing to let the Lord prone those bad branches off so when others look at us they only see the beautiful luscious branches with leaves and fruit in abundance. If we hold onto the wounds when others see us, they see old dead branches hanging on and weighing us down. Lord, help me remove the branches that are weighing me down, and the dead branches that are only hanging on to remind me of a past storms. Help me to develop new leaves, bright leaves, luscious leaves that remind others of joy, happiness and contentment.

Psalms 1

1 ¶ Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4 ¶ The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

DIGGING A WELL- PRAYER

If you read my blog today I would like that you take a few moments and leave the blog open and just pray over it.  I am pulling away from posting anything for a few days so that I can print out what I have written in the book and pour myself into it.  There are about 78 pages completed as of date.  I would love to finish the book before Sept 2012. 

Once the book is finished, I have no idea what I need to do in order to get it to a publisher or how to accomplish even the first step.  I know that as I was writing the book the Lord lead me and guided me each day.  I also know he will lead me when it comes to getting it published if it's the Lord's will that the book make it that far. 

Pray for me that I would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and put into the book every word he would have me to and that I wouldn't put things that don't need to be added. 

Thanks for your support in prayers and lifting me up when I felt I couldn't possibly write a book.  God didn't say I had to spell perfectly or punctuate perfectly.  He just wanted me to write what was on my heart and this is what I am doing.

"LET'S PLAY BALL"!

Football season is about to began.  Let's take a moment and reflect what takes place in a football game.  Before the season ever starts there are,"Two-A-Days".  This is a when the team holds practice twice a day.  Once in the morning, and once in the afternoon or evening.  Two-A-Days is used primarily to get in shape for the season.  The players of the team are required to attend Two-A-Days if they are planning on playing during the game. 

On offence there are two wide receivers, one tight end, two tackle, two guards, one center, fullback/running back, halfback/running back and a quarterback. It takes all these players on the field to continue with the game.  If one player is ill or has an injury, the coach has him sit on the bench and he takes in one of the other team players to play in that person place.  

What do you think would happen if in the middle of the season there are four players injured and sitting on the bench and five players have decided to take vacation, three players on the field decided to just stand around and talk to each other instead of playing, and the quarterback and two guards and one tight in are on the field trying to play the game.  Everyone of us know that this team is going to loose.  Who's fault is it?  Is it the coaches fault or the quarterbacks fault.  Not necessarily.

The same is true in our churches.  We can keep the coach and quarterback in position most of the time but if they get ready to pass the ball and the running back is standing around talking to the tight end do you think we can win the game?  Yet so many times the pastor and deacons of the churches are having to play two or three positions.  They are playing quarterback and they throw the ball and try to run out and fill in for the receiver who is nowhere to be found or just standing around talking.  When he fumbles the ball who gets reprimanded.  We have had deacons in our ministry that played every position because the team players felt they were not necessary.  The team members sitting on the bench decided to leave because the coach didn't pay them enough attention.

What do you think happens to that player eventually that plays two or three positions?  We all know that one person trying to do it all will become dehydrated and ill, or what we call burned out.

If you are a team player be sure and attend church regularly for your training,  Show up for the games and don't expect for one or two players to be filling all eleven positions.  If they try, not only will they fumble the ball but others will wonder what is the matter with them that they couldn't throw the ball and catch it too.   We can plainly see they shouldn't be expected to pass the ball and catch it, but they are having to do it while others doodle.

Let's take the game of life seriously and not treat it as something that doesn't matter.  We need a strong offense and defense for our coach and quarterback in order for them to be able to complete the plays and the passes. 


You may ask, "where am I included in the team"?  I am in the middle.  My team is more likely to succeed if I am doing my part. My team is less likely to succeed if I am not doing my part.  look closely at the picture below and see where you are in the

 

WATCHING FOR MY RAINBOW

Some of the greatest spiritual attacks I have had in Kermit took place this week.  I felt like every time I turned around I heard bad news.  I had three people contact me within about 20 minutes one night about 10:30 PM with bad news.  Instead of  being able to go to sleep and rest I was just hurting and praying for them until 1:00 AM.  The next day began with a severe allergy attack at 5:00 AM and by 6:00 AM I was getting more bad news.  As I began to ask for prayer a friend of mine reminded me of this.  Immediately I knew my storms would have a rainbow at the end and instead of being defeated, I felt victorious. 

The worst storm ever upon the earth was followed by God placing a sign in the sky.  The most beautiful thing, "The Rainbow".  Each time I walk outside and see one immediately I pause in wonder.  The array of all the beautiful colors is just stunning.  Oh and then to get to see a double rainbow.  It is absolutely awesome. 

None of us welcome storms in our lives.   But they are going to come.  Your storm may be the death of a child, husband or wife.  It may be financial, it could be in your marriage.  Many face the storm of cancer or the loss of a job.  How do you handle your storms?  Is it wrong to be angry during your storm?  No, it's what you do with the anger that could be wrong.  Anger used in the right way can be constructive.  Anger in the wrong way will be destructive.  Oh how we need to use our storms in a constructive way. 

Several years ago I was faced with a storm in my life that I thought was too big for even God.  As God walked with me through that storm I gained a wonderful since of peace when I used that anger to help others instead of torture and torment myself.  I would pound and pour my heart out on my piano and anything else I could pour myself into. Had I not walked through that storm, I would not be the person that I am today.  My world doesn't even have the same colors after that storm than it did the 35 years prior to it.  After the storm had passed and things began to settle, I could quietly hear the Lord say, :"Look, Look, Look, now isn't that beautiful, isn't that just so very cool".

For you see everything changed during the storm.  He was able to wash away all the impurities and when others seen me after the storm they seen the glory of Christ shining on me instead of "Sherry",   They were able to see there was a cocoon stage but what came forth was a butterfly.  A changed life.

Did I enjoy the storm?  No, it was the most painful thing I've ever gone through but when I came out of it I was able to write songs that could minister to people hurting, play the piano with emotion I had never been able to play before, and to speak to woman in a way that I had never done.  The Lord released an array of wonderful colors to come bursting forth from my life. 

After having this storm the last week, I have decided to start praying that tomorrow the Lord will allow us to see the rainbow.  We have poured ourselves into the lives of seventy one children and we will be able to meet their families tomorrow night and minister to them.  I claim the souls of these families and when the Lord saves them, Northside Baptist Church will be seeing a rainbow.  The glory of God shining through the storm will give us peace that it was worth going through the storm to just see the glory of God and the souls of people come to know Jesus.  This my friend will be My Rainbow.

OH DEATH, "WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

Living in Kermit Texas I have found there are several things you learn to live with.  One is the sand, another is the scorpions and then the wasp. My body responds very negative to all three of these nuisances. Although I learned last year how to be the one in control when it comes to the wasp. We have a swimming pool and the wasp love building their hives around my house. I had wasp swarming everywhere. Every time I would get into the pool there would be three or four joining me. I love company but not that sort of company.

Two nights ago I decided I would try to get rid of them. I heard if you spray them at night they can't fly. We soon found this is really true. One of the hives had about 20 wasp on it and I was thinking, "if this doesn't work we better run for our lives".  As we began to spray, the wasp began to drop. No running, no flinging my arms everywhere trying to keep them away from me. Just patiently standing there watching them drop to the ground.  What a cool thing.  The very thing that use to scar me now gives me great satisfaction.  This reminded me of the verse in the bible where death has lost it's sting.

Death is horrible. It is something that we know is going to happen to us and to our loved ones eventually. There is no scripture in the Word of God that says, "now that you accepted Christ you live on this side of the mountain, the place that death never visits".   No, it just doesn't happen that way. Each of us will experience death but we do not have to experience the sting of death. When Jesus died on the cross, he removed the sting. We may have to go to the grave but my friend, we do not have to stay there. The angel will come and lift us up and as he carries us into glory, he is waving the stinger and saying to satan, "This one is mine, you see the stinger has been removed from this child by the blood of the lamb. You have no power or control over her any longer".

When Christ died on the cross he took the wrath of God's-forsakenness upon himself.  Although he was innocent he took the punishment so that others could be saved.  At this moment he cried out, " Eli, Eli, lema sabachtani," which means "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me".  At noon the sky became black.  As with the wasp at night, satan became defeated.  He lost his sting.  God couldn't look upon sin and Christ became sin for us.  He removed the stinger from you and I so that we could be set free. 

Living He loved me

Dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified freely forever

One day he’s coming, O Glorious Day.

1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

MOUNTING UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES

This verse came to my mind one morning when watering my yard and seeing bird feathers everywhere.  I picked them up and began to look at Isaiah 40:31 a little closer.  Wait!  How many times have you read this verse?

But they that wait upon the LORD

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary;

and they shall walk, and not faint.

 Each time I would read this verse I thought the Lord may have been telling me to sit still, listen and watch. Let’s take a moment and dig deeper.  Let’s see if he might be saying something more than just to sit and do nothing.

In Strong’s Hebrew Concordance, the word "wait" is הוק qavah (kaw-vaw’), which means, to bind together. We see the importance of binding together in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

Two are better than one;

because they have a good

reward for their labour.

For if they fall,

the one will liftup his fellow:

but woe tohim that is alone when he falleth;

for he hath not another to help him up.

Again, if two lie together,

then they have heat:

but how can one be warm alone?

 And if one prevail against him,

two shall withstand him;

and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

First, we need to be entwined with the Lord.  We need to be so interlocked with the Lord so much that his ways becomes our ways,

Secondly, we need to have a close relationship with other Christians.  These are people who can help us learn to study, pray, witness, and serve others better.

The more feathers a bird has, the more protection he has against the elements of nature.  Surround yourself with other Christian brothers and sisters.  Doing so will help protect you from the elements of the world.

You’ve heard the old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.”  Surrounding ourselves with other Christians gives us more stability and strength.

We have many birds in our trees.  As I began to study out the things that feathers do, I gained a new insight on Isaiah 40:31. 

This is a list of the things that feathers are used for:

  1.     Protection from the weather
  2.     Controls Body Temperature
  3.     Protection from wind, moisture and sun
  4.     Swimming and diving
  5.     Floating
  6.     Balancing
  7.     Feeling 
  8.     Hearing
  9.     Making Sounds
10.            Muffling Sounds
11.            Looking for food
12.            Keeping Clean
13.            Aiding in Digestion
14.            Constructing Nest
15.            Transporting Water
16.            Escaping from Predators
17.            Sending Visual Signals
18.            Camouflage

When looking even deeper at the eagle I was even more amazed.  The eagles have from 7,000 to 7,200 feathers on his wings.  When the eagle is not in flight he preens his wings. His wings are made out of beta-keratin which is water resistant and wear resistant much like fingernails. The eagle feathers have interlocking barbs and a special coating that is oily. When the eagle preens his wings the oil is secreted from a gland at the base of the tail or on the back. When the eagle is preening, what is taking place?

•         Binding together his feathers for optimum waterproofing and insulation.

•         Binding together his feathers into the most aerodynamic shape for easier, more efficient flight.

•         Removing feather parasites and body lice that can destroy feathers or carry disease.

•         Removing tough sheaths from newly molted feathers.

•         Creating a healthier appearance to attract a mate.

Now looking at the word, “wait” in this light, what do you think we should be doing?

Remember, the word “wait” means “to bind together” or “twist together.”  If we desire to renew our strength there are some things the Christian needs to do besides just sit and ponder on what the Lord has in store for us.

Oil is mentioned repeatedly in the scripture as something we are to use.  Should we take the example of the eagle and follow it, since this is the way the eagle gains its strength? 

Maybe the Lord is telling us something deeper than we have been seeing. We need to take the time and cleanse ourselves as the eagle does while waiting.  Psalm 51:2 states:

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin.

So the next time you need to wait on the Lord, take the time to bind together, as the scripture says, with your Christian brothers.  While doing so, be sure and use the oil of the Lord, which is God’s Word.  Receive his anointing and you will be able to do as it says in Isaiah 40:31. 

You will find the Lord has renewed your strength; and you shall mount up with wings as eagles; you shall run, and not be weary; and you shall walk, and not faint.