Sunshine On My Shoulders

New Life

 

SPRING brings new life:

• the redbud tree in my front yard in full blossom
• bountiful appearance of bees and butterflies, the life-giving "gatherers"  and "collectors" of pollen... with the pollen covering everything (ah-choo!!!)
• a vase of flowering Indian paintbrushes gracing my kitchen windowsill (MY MAN has brought me the first of the season every year since we've been married... 38 years of paintbrushes!)
• signature Texas bluebonnets splendidly sprouting along the roadsides
• blooming of azaleas, ablaze in Houston landscapes
• homecoming of birds to my feeders... an animated potpourri of finches, cardinals, jays, sparrows, doves, woodpeckers, mockingbirds... hungrily foraging for life-sustaining food
• fragrances... sweet, flowering springtime smells wafting in the air
• transformations of yards, patios, and gardens with prunings, plantings, and plowing  

"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."  ~ Song of Solomon 2:12

 

CHRIST brings new life:

• assurance, hope, expectation... of HEAVEN to come... eternal life
• a clear conscience... living forgiven
• desire to spread/broadcast the GOOD NEWS
• desire to meet together with God's people... with benefits of growth and genuine fellowship
• hunger for the life-sustaining bread of life... God's WORD... accompanied by spiritual growth... a spiritual photosynthesis
• change in our heart's "want to"... with a new desire to prune our lifestyle, attitudes & thinking to please Jesus... to line up with principles of God's WORD
• growing understanding of being "accepted in the Beloved"... then an ability to accept others with that same love
• infusions of God's life-giving GRACE... and JOY... and PEACE
• living a life that bears godly fruit... while growing in GRACE

" I (Jesus Christ) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  ~ John 10:10b 

 

Genuine or Fake?

 I have enjoyed this sweet little cactus, a gift from My Man, for many weeks. Seeming a little strange that the cactus was growing without the red flower changing...

My Man examined it carefully, only to discover that... he had been duped! The flower was made of straw... and was applied with a glob of glue. Naively, he trusted that his purchase was a genuine, flowering cactus.

So many things in life turn out being a fake. They look lovely... we are drawn toward them... only to be disappointed or disillusioned... afraid to trust again.

Sometimes we perceive God that way. He let us down... He cannot be trusted. Because of presuppositions concerning Him from our childhood years, and perceptions from negative things that happen in life... we may turn our hearts away from Him.

The reality is... when we do not trust God... we are the ones who have been duped... as we do not really know Him. We assume we do... but it is not the genuine God of Scripture... it has become a fake god of our own making.

The God of Scripture is the real thing. And when we know Him... we can trust Him! How do we accurately know Him? By consistently spending time reading and studying His Word... His entire Word... and then choosing to obediently breathe close to His heart.

That little cactus with the fake flower... reminding me of a real thing... a genuine God of love. 

 

***** One of the best Bible Studies, taking you through Scripture, where you learn to know and trust the real God, is -  Lord, I Want to Know You: A Devotional Study on the Names of God.

Daniel Faces the Lions... of Desert Storm

  Wesley acts out "anointing" the tank.

Searching for an illustration to catch the interest of our Sunday School students, we recalled an account from COULD IT BE THIS SIMPLE - A Biblical Model For HEALING THE MIND, about a Sergeant at the outset of Desert Storm in 1991. I so vividly recall the tension of this period, as it was predicted there might be as many as 80,000 U.S. casualties As a nation, we were crying out to God.

Sergeant Smith (not his actual name), well respected for his military skills and also known throughout his battalion as a man of God, commanded an M1A1 Abrams battle tank. While final preparations were underway for an assault of Iraqi forces in Kuwait, the Sergeant anointed his tank with oil... dedicating himself, his men, and his tank to God. Not only did he pray that God would protect him and his men in the approaching battle, but he appealed to God to use them in a special way.

Shortly afterwards, he discovered that (against all his requests to withdraw) his tank, which was now without radio communications and night vision equipment, must face the night attack... blind and deaf. Their purpose became to draw enemy fire... which they did... with a vengeance... taking fire from multiple sources.

Four years after this event, Sergeant Smith was in bad shape. Nightmares... anxiety attacks... flashbacks... depression... relationship problems... the list went on and on. He needed help.

His counselor, after several sessions, made this observation to him...

"You were a Christian. You made a public display of your Christianity. You put oil... all over your tank and dedicated your tank and your men to God. You went into battle blind and deaf. And when your company came under attack, several other units were hit, but not one bullet, shell, or piece of shrapnel damaged your tank."

After he had acknowledged each statement as true, this conclusion was offered him...

"Your Desert Storm experiences remind me of Daniel's experience in the lions' den." 

The Sergeant's jaw dropped open... eyes wide and ablaze... as that realization sank in. He had been concluding that God had let him down. Realizing the truth that God had miraculously answered prayer, changed his outlook... and resulted in his recovery.

Perhaps you think that is a bit too deep for kids. No... it is not. We had been studying the Command of Christ, "FEAR NOT." (Matthew 10:28) As part of that study, we learned about BOLDNESS. Look at this Character First definition...

BOLDNESS: Confidence that what I have to say or do is true, right, or just. {The first step to boldness is knowing what is true, right, just.} vs. Fearfulness { opinions, feelings, notions}

The Sergeant's fearfulness was replaced with boldness as he began "camping out" on truth.

We looked at David's boldness facing Goliath vs. his fearfulness and guilt while retreating from his son Absalom.

Learning the first mention of the name of God, LORD Sabaoth {LORD of Hosts, or LORD of battles}, we found out God is interested in our emotional battles as well, as Hannah traveled with her husband to sacrifice to LORD Sabaoth at Shiloh, and then cried out to Him for a child.(1 Samuel 1,2)

Singing A Might Fortress Is Our God each week, and carefully studying the words, reinforced what we were learning.  

Wouldn't you love to know how our nature lesson, using the wolverine, fit into the picture?

Using stories... illustrations... makes teaching memorable. Hopefully, the tank story did just that.

My Lovely Fabric Covered Magnetic Board

 
What do you think? Is this adorable rosette to wear in your hair... or on your jacket lapel? Well... you could... actually I have. But it was designed to grace the corner of my lovely fabric covered magnetic board... made for me with love by my daughter and son-in-law. Not having a tutorial to guide them, they created it all on their own.

My pictures just don't do it justice, as my lighting was not the best. My son-in-law made the 24" x 18" wooden frame and painted it the loveliest olive green color. With spray adhesive, he attached the fabric to a sheet of galvaized metal.  
My daughter has a collection of vintage buttons, and she used some of them, affixing tiny ones atop larger ones, which she attached to magnets. Don't they look classy holding some of my precious grandma mementos?
 
The brown ribbon "clothesline" stretched between two more of her buttons, has little owl clothespins. Now... isn't that the cutest thing?

My son-in-law called the fabric covered magnetic board project a "labor of love."  Yes... I feel the love... and I love the board!!!

Holiday Season 2010... in Retrospect

A good blog is supposed to have regular posts. So... just how in the world do the rest of you bloggers manage to do that??? Sunshine on My Shoulders has suffered during the Christmas season. So... this post will do a little 2010 holiday catch-up by listing some memorable highlights.

Here goes...

• Enjoying our traditional family Nativity set lighting up our front yard. Our kids grew up with it... wouldn't be Christmas without it.
• Teaching about... then acting out the "Christmas in the Trenches," amazing WW 1 true story, with our Sunday School class. (It fit right in with our series on honor.)
   
• Watching with my husband, That the World May Know: Faith Lessons on the Life and Ministry of the Messiah. Put out by Focus on the Family, this 3rd. volume of the "That the World May Know Series," filmed on location in Israel... added to the marvel... and wonder of our Christmas.
• Happily munching on the many goodies from Heather& family. Especially the Chipotle Cheese Ball, which my husband made again, all by himself! (Okay... I'll post at the bottom the secret recipe that Heather's mom "sweet-talked" from someone from H.E.B. But... shhhh!)
• Worshipping at our church's traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
• Experiencing the "shrimp boil-to-top-all shrimp boils" at my brother's home on Christmas day.
   
• Absolutely creaming my husband each time we played our new Christmas game, BLOKUS. (How I enjoyed those victories! I doubt they will come again.)
• Lisa, my handicapped sister, and her trip-of-a-lifetime to Disney World! She was delighted... engaging... pumped... wonderously joyful... about-to-burst... belly laughing... the entire trip! (Alice and Patrick were AMAZING to help her have this trip!)                 
                              
• Making a Hallmark Recordable Story Book with... then later presenting it to... my granddaughter.
• Eating far too many of the Christmas treats I made to give away... like these Peppermint Pretzel Melts.                                                                                                               

Loving the greatest gifts of all... family members all wrapped up in each other!  

                  

Okey-dokey... that concludes my "2010 Precious Holiday Memories" list. The years keep ticking by... God's faithfulness remains. Praise His name!

***Here is the secret recipe for "Heather's Chipotle Cheese Ball."

Gather 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened, 1 can chipotle chilies in adobo, slivered almonds and a little butter.

In a food processor blend the can of chipotle chilies until smooth. Add 1 Tbsp of blended chilies to softened cream cheese, blending well. (My husband just tosses the remaining chilies into his salsa!) Cover, refrigerating until firm. Toast desired amount of slivered almonds in the butter, and roll them onto the firm cheese ball. Wrap in saran wrap and chill until ready to serve.

Way too easy to be SO yummy! Aren't you glad you were made privy to this secret recipe? 

Enjoying the Christmas Season

 
Is a board game on your Christmas list? You may want to consider Apples to Apples, Bible Edition. We pulled ours out for the first time to play during our Sunday School pre-session. We were searching for something fun to emphasize Attentiveness while teaching the command of Christ, "Hear God's Voice and Obey His Word."

The kids loved the game! As did their teachers, I might add. Surely, this game will be our 2010 Christmas game to play around the dining table.

And... while we play games, we can listen to my favorite Christmas music playlist. Each Christmas I purchase a new album. This year it is Susan Boyle's The Gift. Admittedly, I wish now I had just downloaded a few of the songs rather than buying the entire recording. Why would the song Hallelujah be on a Christmas album? But the beauty of creating your own playlists solves that problem doesn't it?

Do you follow Amazon's "25 Days of Free," where you can download a free holiday song each day in December leading up to Christmas? So far, none of them has been my cup of tea, but I still plan to keep my eye on it.

A fun game with friends and family... Christmas music in the background with the Christmas tree twinkling... and a cup of eggnog punch with a plate of cookies.  Sounds like a winning evening to me!

 

Looking for Christ in "A Christmas Carol"

 
This plaque graced the walls of my mom's home. Loving it, she kept it up year-round.

For years, our family, like countless others, has enjoyed Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. We read it. We watch the movies, ranging from my favorite animated version, the vintage Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol, to my husband's favorite version with George C. Scott. We attend theatrical stage productions. Proudly, my husband wears his traditional  "God Bless Us Everyone," Tiny Tim tie every Christmas Eve. A Christmas Carol has become part of who we are as a family, I think.

That is why I love recommending our latest "find," A Christmas Carol: Special Church Edition. It is a simple paperback book containing the complete novel with insightful, running notes by Stephen Skelton. Don't you love finding a classic novel, like Gulliver's Travels, for instance, with marginal notes which help you de-code the meaning of the book? Such does this one, with Mr. Skelton helping to reveal just how fully the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge was influenced by the teachings of Jesus Christ.

For instance, his notes referring to the title, A Christmas Carol:

While today we may think of a "carol" as a secular seasonal song like "Jingle Bells," Dickens is using the original meaning of a carol: a song celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

And the explanation of the use of "staves" vs. "chapters":

Dickens extends the concept of his book being a carol, a song celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, by calling each chapter a "stave," a stanza of a song.

Also available, the author has developed a Bible study series based on A Christmas Carol, and including a movie.

There is so much in history... in art... in nature...in literature... which points to Christ, if we but search for God's Hand. What a delight to see Christ in this classic Christmas masterpiece.

"I have always striven in my writings to express the veneration for the life and lessons of our Savior..." ~ Charles Dickens

William Bradford... his book, his infuence... but HIS-story

Day 23 {25 Days of Thanksgiving}

 

My husband is a lover of Pilgrim history. That is why years ago the kids and I awarded him this statue of Governor William Bradford, calling it the "Governor Bradford Award," to honor our daddy's leadership in our home. Dave even reads regularly from his Geneva Bible because that was the version Bradford and the Puritans used, refusing the King James version when it came out, for they objected to a king's name added to the Holy Script.

Something I find so fascinating concerns the original manuscript of William Bradford's famous book, The Plymouth Settlement (also titled Of Plymouth Plantation), about the history of the Pilgrims from 1608 through 1646. It is the single most important source document we have on these events, and so vital in understanding the Christian founding and shaping of our nation.

The history of the Bradford Manuscript is one no less remarkable than the Pilgrim epic itself. In the early years it was miraculously preserved from water, fire and loss. The Bradford estate would loan it out again and again to various clergymen. It was last seen in the tower library of Old South Church in Boston, disappearing for eighty years and considered a casualty of the American Revolution.

Quoting from the book (now out of print), The Hand of God In The Return Of The Bradford Manuscript, you will read how years later it was returned to our nation from England: 

"... just as America needed a reminder of her historic purpose, just before she was to endure her greatest ordeal of nationhood, the manuscript was discovered in 1855 reposing in utmost security in England. Not until the nation was partially recovered from civil strife did the Hand of God open up channels for its return after a probable absence from this country of more than one hundred and twenty years."

If you read carefully, you can deduct that the manuscript was returned to America just after the Civil War. Providential timing, was it not?

Looking for God's Hand in the course of history is exciting... and inspiring. As the Hebrew people in Old Testament days were so often reminded to review with their children what God had done for them in their past, we should hold before our families the awesome history, "HIS-story", of our nation.

As for me, if someone would allow me the privilege of choosing a name for a baby boy, I would choose the name Bradford. The child would always be reminded of his namesake, an incredible "used of God" Christian from our nation's founding... and my husband would be thrilled.

A Mixture of Blessings

Day 21 {25 Days of Thanksgiving}

 

These grateful pilgrims are holding bags of "Blessings Mix," a simple snack mix favor to remind us of things for which to thank God. 

 
Here is a peek at the gift tag which lists the ingredients... and corresponding blessings.

 
And here is my work table, as I assembled the bags of blessings. I chose my own proportions, but if you don't like guessing, you can check out the Blessings Mix Tutorial online.

 

The "Blessings Mix" bags were handed out in our Sunday School class this morning (the class being another huge blessing!), and also distributed during nursing home and hospital visits.

On Thanksgiving Day, my leftover ingredients will go into a huge bowl for munching, along with a framed label to let our guests know the meaning of the snack.

"Blessings Mix." A great (& tasty!) little project to make and share during the Thanksgiving season.

more gratefulness

Day 17 {25 Days of Thanksgiving}

There are times in one's life when one must turn off the computer. Such it has been for me for several days, and I have not kept up with my "25 Days of Thanksgiving" challenge. But each day I look around with grateful eyes, and so will try to "catch-up" by relating some of the things that randomly came to mind.

1. CONGREGATIONAL SINGING- How I love lifting up my voice with fellow believers to sing the songs of Zion! As I recall periods of time when I was sick and could not go to church, the thing I missed the most was the singing. That is why I try to have a sing-along when I visit someone sick, or in a nursing home. "Amazing Grace" seems to always fit the bill. Our church is especially blessed to still incorporate old hymns with their timeless truths. Singing God's praises together certainly does usher in His Presence, does it not?
2.  CHILDREN'S BOOK - MY HEART CHRIST'S HOME by Robert Boyd Munger with Carolyn Nystrom. How have I missed this marvelous book all of these years? It is a young children's version of the classic book, My Heart Christ's Homeby Robert Boyd Munger. Have you noticed that sometimes truth, presented with simple, beautiful stories, can be a most effective learning tool? I cannot tell you how much I love this little book... and how grateful I am to find it to teach children who cross my path. There is another similar children's book that I have on my wish list. IF JESUS CAME TO MY HOUSE has been newly re-illustrated, but I am wanting the original 1951 edition, with its charming vintage illustrations. 

Perhaps by sharing double... and triple blessings... I will soon catch up with my commitment. Don't you love what an intentional "Gratitude Attitude" does for your heart? And how it spills over, blessing others?

"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Hebrews 13:15

A Heart for GOD

 

"God Searches For a Heart Fully HIS," the current Precept Bible Study being held for ladies in my church, is course #2 in the Old Testament Kings and Prophets series. As Precept leader, God teaches and admonishes me as I study and prepare, and blesses me as the precious gals in my group respond to the living Word of God, and share insights and applications from the study. Studying the Old Testament reveals the nature and character of God. And the more we know Him and His ways... the more we can trust Him!

 

"Stay tethered to God's Word!" was the constant admonition given by Nancy Leigh DeMoss at the Total Woman Conference I was privileged to attend in Forth Worth last weekend. Online, you can watch, listen to, and read the messages that impacted thousands of women's lives. Such a moving of God's Spirit I will not soon forget.

 
Keeping our Bibles open must remain a priority each day. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21)
  

*** The photos were taken outside on my patio. Don't you love the pages forming a heart shape inside the Bible?

Peanuts & Potato Heads Teach ATTENTIVENESS

 

"What would Mrs. Potato Head and George Washington Carver have in common?"

Glad you asked. They both were used to teach children the quality of Attentiveness, while studying a unit on "Hearing God's Voice."

I used Mrs. Potato Head to show how to keep...  feet and hands from distracting... mouths quiet... ears listening... and eyes looking at the speaker. To gain attention at times, I will say, "Children, if you're not looking, then I know you're not"... (and then children will call out the answer), "LISTENING!" That quiets them immediately.

Available from Child Evangelism Fellowship, "Discovering With God," the story of George Washington Carver is a perfect one to focus on "Hearing God's Voice." To reinforce the teaching, we planted peanuts! After soaking raw peanuts overnight, they are ready to plant.

Children planted 3 peanuts in a paper cup full of potting soil.

I made labels to tape to the cups, and included instructions to care for their plants at home.

The kids were thrilled to take their planted peanuts home, and I've heard back that they did indeed grow. My own children did this one year, transplanting to a flower bed, where they harvested quite a crop.

 

By Google-ing "George Washington Carver coloring page," you can find a number to choose from. On the one I chose, I added appropriate text for our lesson.

 

Yes, George Washington Carver spent a lifetime being attentive to God, rising at 4 AM each morning to ask God's orders for the day. Studying his life through the years has caused me to place him in the top ten of my personal "Heroes of the Faith!"

And who could resist the charm of Mrs. Potato Head? She was a weekly reminder to the children to remain attentive.

So... go for it! Use those peanuts... and Potato Heads... and teach memorable lessons!

The 10K Cake

 

 
This is the most valuable cake in existence... a 10K cake. It is valued, not because of the cost, but for what it represents.

It is decorated with little beads. Black ones... red ones... white, gold, blue and green ones. Sound familiar? They are the colors of the Wordless Book, which is used to simply present the Gospel story. Since no baking is done in homes in INDIA, the cake was ordered from one of their numerous bakeries. They customized it to order, a cake unlike any this bakery had ever created.

The Team who celebrated with this cake had good reason to rejoice, for they were recognizing the completion of their "10K Project," an ambitious and exhausting undertaking which, at times, seemed unattainable. But the weary Team pressed on. Their leaders had led the charge, with the challenge to reach 10,000 of INDIA's children with the Gospel during a five to six month outreach period. The huge volume of beads had been donated, and were formed into Wordless Book bracelets.

Weekly, the Team would travel to slums, outlying villages, schools and hostels... teaching with songs, puppets, Bible lessons, and of course...using the Wordless Book. They would be flooded with enthusiastic crowds wherever they went. They were able to count the children reached by how many bracelets they passed out.

Having worked in schools and slums in INDIA, I know somewhat of the problems they endured. The oppressive heat. Constant need for water. The throngs of people vying for your attention. The challenge of transportation... the Team could not all ride on the only moped available. Public transportation such as buses, taxis and auto rickshaws cost money and by using, chew up large chunks of time in one's day. To borrow a vehicle still requires expensive petrol. Feeding the Team would be a challenge, as you do not find a MacDonald's on every corner, and the street vendor food is not always available or affordable. People have to rise at dawn to cook curries, rice and chapati, and pack a meal for a special outing.

You might think this "10K Project" would take a huge Team. No... rather I would liken the Team to Gideon's army. As I understand, the Team consisted mainly of five brave soldiers, with two others who came to serve for a time. And one valiant warrior manning the home station, staying by the stuff, and providing organization and inspiration... and prayer cover.

The day the Team reached their goal was one none of them will forget. Enduring to the finish line... what joy! Praises to God were expressed again and again.

The statistics are amazing: 
Project Duration: April - Sept 2010
Project Scope: 55 Villages, 11 Slums, 19 Schools, 7 Hostels, 10,017 Kids 1,086 Adults 

Among so many of the nationals in INDIA is a level of Christianity which shines so brightly in the spiritual darkness. Such it is with the 10K Team. Their leader joked that the street leading to their mansions in Heaven would surely be paved with Wordless Book beads!

The Team is witnessing even more fruit, as they are being begged to return, to start village Sunday Schools, and to tell more about Jesus. People are looking them up... approaching them... hungry for Truth.

So now you understand the value of the 10K cake, as it represents over 10,000 children who were clearly given the Gospel... 10,000 souls loved by Jesus Christ, Who gave His life for them. And it is a tribute to that faithful Team, who would be careful to point "up," giving all glory and praise to God above.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." ~Matthew 5:16

Put on a Happy Face!

Doesn't that photo make you smile? Dave and I had a blast playing with our little Andrah Kate this weekend. She loved wearing her grandma's reading glasses... not wanting to give them up.

SMILES are extremely important in our lives, aren't they? Having just taught the "Three Types of SMILES" to our Sunday School class, I decided to pass them along!

Three Types of SMILES

1. OBEDIENT SMILE --- We were studying Christ's Command to "Rejoice," so this smile fulfills that command. We smile in obedience to Christ, regardless of our feelings.
2. MINISTRY SMILE --- I like teaching this one. Since people have to look at my face... I should desire to encourage them with a smile. I tell kids, "Everyone can have a smile ministry!"
3. JOYFUL SMILE --- Bill Gothard states the meaning as, "Expressing with my soul the joy of my spirit because of the work of God in my life."

You can learn more by referencing the marvelous book, "The Power for True Success: How to Build Character in Your Life," put out by the Institute in Basic Life Principles. This book is always close by whenever we teach.

"I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." ~Psalm 42:11b

A Frown is Just a Smile Turned Upside Down!

Fifth and sixth graders monkeying around, while studying a unit on the Commands of Christ, "Rejoice!" What a fun way to show that FROWNING is simply... SMILING... upside down. Or is it SMILING is FROWNING upside down? You decide!

 
 


 

 
  
 

  
  

  

"For the joy of the LORD is your strength." ~Nehemiah 8:10