Pearls of Wisdom from my Mom

            My mom was the most precious woman I have ever known. She had experienced her share of life’s difficulties and hardships for sure. She had an unwavering faith in God that helped stabilize our family during uncertain times. She loved reading the Psalms and singing around the house.

            In times of decision making she would often say, “Only what’s done for Christ will count.” What a truth, and a light shining down on how to make the best choice possible, this simple sentence still eluminates. Almost to beautiful isn't it?

            Another pearl my mom would say is “You can’t do a wrong thing in a right way!”  This confused me a bit growing up as a kid. It was very similar, in my mind, to another phrase I had heard other people say “You can’t have your cake and eat it too!” Both confused me. I would just generally nod my head in agreement, and walk away and try to behave the rest of the day.

            One day I finally asked my mom what does that mean. She would explain, let’s say that to walk up to your friend and tell them they were fat, lazy and ugly and you just couldn’t stand the way they smelled. And just insulted them in all kinds of ways, this would be a wrong thing. She continued that if you had the biggest smile on your face, and used soft pleasant tones in your voice and friendly gestures, that would be a right way.

            I finally got it, wrong is wrong, no matter how it’s done. Thank God for mom’s and their pearls of wisdom!

Gems that my Dad said

Growing up as a kid, I remember phrases my dad would often say to me (often to encourage me after I did something stupid). One such gem was "Think......always think before you do.......think about whats going to happen once you do that thing your going to do!" I was glad when I would hear him say that phrase, because it generally meant that I wasn't going to get a spanking. Just a good taking to!

Another word for the wise from my dad was "If you tell someone your going to do something for them, make sure you do it! Or make sure you call them and tell them why you can't...that's called Dependability!" How true. My dad is very dependable.

All these years I have watched my dad put his faith to work by speaking his words, then doing his words. As long as I can remember my dad has had a heart for missionaries that spread the gospel. I can recall the time he heard the Lord speak in his heart. He would say "I was in church listening to a missionary speaking and showing slides of the places he had been and it was horrible! Then I heard the Lord speak to me, and He said.....How would you like me to send you over there?....gasp....I answered the Lord and said I would'nt! Lord said back to me...Then make sure you support the ones I do send. And I said... I will!" My dad is a big supporter of missions.

My dad does 'talk the talk and walk the walk' by putting his faith to work by what he says and does. Thanks dad!

Food for a Friend

Is faith alive in the decisions we make, in every encounter we have, in everything we say... because we have choices.

Are we opening doors or closing them? Are we listening to the heart of God, being spoken to us through a minister or perhaps a loved one? If someone we love comes to us with a rebuke or corrective observation, what do we do with it? Will we do something to bring reconciliation and healing? Can we apologize and ask for forgivness? And can we in turn forgive others?

It's so tempting to shut people down, to limit the upside, to isolate, select and cut people off from having input to our lives. It seems to makes things a lot simpler. Not seeing means we don't have to take action; not taking responsibility for our mess means we don’t have to clean it up; not opening means it's easier to announce that we’re done.  And not raising the bar means we're less likely to fail. Is there faith in any of that?

James 2:20-22

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹ Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

James 2:25-26

 ²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

            The book of James in the New Testament has a lot on faith. For sure faith without actions or doing something is worthless, dead, incomplete. As we look at Abraham’s life James says,..

James 2:22-24

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
            Abraham’s believing alone is only half of faith, still unfinished. But put together with his actions made his faith full, whole and complete.

James 1:26

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

            Have you ever offended someone by what you said? Our words create mental pictures that are seen in the minds eye. Read below (imagine I’m saying it to you)

“I was out in the bay yesterday sailing and the wind was fantastic!”

            Its easy to see a mind picture of that right? Words are very powerful. The same is true when negative words are spoken towards us of hatred, judgments or insults. Much the same are senseless jesting, coarse humor they paint pictures in the minds of the hearers. Be careful not to offend by the picture you are painting in someone’s mind.
James 3:1-2, 5-6
 ¹ Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
            Our words are under our own control for the Bible tells us that “by our words we will be judged and by our words we will be condemned.” Very serious are the words we speak, for both the speaker and the listener.

Proverbs 27:6

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but and enemy multiplies kisses.

            Correction and discipline are for the brave. My prayer is for Wisdom from God that I might not shrink back from engaging in corrective words when needed. Also Wisdom from God that, with my speech, I might not cast pearls before swine.
May God bless us all!