electric blue

When we re-stocked my son's aquarium in February, the sales girl was so excited about one particular breed of ciclid—the "electric blue"—I couldn't say no without hurting her feelings. Neither blue, nor electric, he was a disappointing non-color, sort of a cross between ochre and grey. Recently, we added a flat piece of slate to the tank, forming an aquatic lean-to, into which this fish immediately retreated. Since then, day by day, his color has become quite blue. Electric, in fact. Turns out, he just needed some room to breathe, away from the other fish. E.B. is an introvert.

Widely misunderstood by our louder extroverted comrades, we introverts gain strength and refreshment from time alone. All Christians, intro- and extro-verts alike, need daily time away from friends and family to be with God. But, introverts need to pull away from the masses even more, in order to refuel. Allow us some solitude, and watch us glow.

You've always given me breathing room, a place to get away from it all. ~ Psalm 61:3, The Message

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trust

While serving as the Substitute Teaching Leader of the Savannah, GA Day Women's Bible Study Fellowship class, I got to try out about ten different bible study methods, in order to teach them. What a gigantic blessing! Homiletics is by far my favorite; however, WORD STUDIES (infinitely easier) are a close second. The idea is self-explanatory: trace every use of a word through Scripture, from beginning to end. A concordance or bible dictionary can be quite helpful in the hunt; my favorite tool when applying this method, however, is biblegateway.com's keyword search. 


This study method gets nice and toothy when you put some thought into the word you decide to study. Example: identify a personal struggle—a character trait or fruit of the Spirit which you feel is lacking—and choose a word of the opposite meaning. Then meditate on the better quality expressed in those Scriptures as you try to replace the bad with the good. A legendary coward, I did a study of the word BOLD last summer. I still pray Psalm 138:3 quite regularly: "When I called, you answered. You made me bold and stouthearted." Getting bolder day by day!


TRUST—the first word I sleuthed—holds the penultimate spot in my heart. Having filled a spiral-bound index card notebook with the 80-odd verses in the NKJV that include the word TRUST, each on it's own page, I subsequently wore it out! My TRUST book has been soaked by rain and ocean mist, has spent the night under my pillow, has run with me for miles and miles... many of it's dog-eared corners have broken off with wear. I have given it away three times now, to souls whose distresses dwarfed my own. Whenever I hand the collection of verses off, I re-do the study, making a  replacement book. I'll be penning a new one this summer, and I can't recommend it enough. If you're looking for a study method, give it a try!


Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on his faithfulness. ~ Psalm 37:3, NKJV


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the umbrella

A few days ago I barely miss slamming into a van on a busy Savannah thoroughfare.  As it crosses nonchalantly inches from the hood of our car, I double check: yes, the light is green. He ran the red. I glance at Gray, my nine-year-old son, peacefully riding shotgun. We exchange a wide-eyed glance. "It was green, right?" He nods. We pray: Thank you, Jesus! The episode is over before it began. As we continue safely on our way we realize, this is our second near miss in traffic, in a span of about ten months.

This morning I wake in darkness. A storm has knocked out the power. As the sun rises, we see the extent of the debris: downed trees block roads; a neighbor's new Beemer is crushed by an ancient live oak. (Bad luck, that.) I slept peacefully through the whole thing, blissfully unaware.

The umbrella of God's protection is like a solid house: it keeps us so safe that, at times, we're not even aware of the storm raging all around. At other times, it's like an invisible force-field through which we can see the battle unfolding. Of course, for his own good reasons, God lifts the shield now and then. Bad things do happen to good people. Today, however, I am overwhelmed, wondering how often God prevents that stuff from happening. Thank you, God, for protecting us... from the dangers we see, and those we don't.

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. ~ Psalm 32:7




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pray big

A
Years ago I was asked to speak to a ladies' church group—my testimony was sort of the opening act for our excellent keynote speaker, the founder of a popular local bible study. She and I chatted, after. I had just published a book for children; she was intrigued, confiding that she had a story idea as well. "I prayed that a publisher would at least read the manuscript, and, what do you know, that's exactly what happened! It ended there, but still, it was exciting." A new believer at the time, I stood before this lovely, mature Christian saint and thought, "You should have prayed for a best-seller!"

Why pray timidly, apologetically? If the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective—which they are, according to the Bible—we may as well pray big! After all, it's God who puts dreams in our hearts.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. ~ Psalm 37:4

Zipporah the Bird

Hello, my name is Catherine, and I am a recovering self-abaser. I've only been able to accept and/or love myself for about a year now; it's been a gradual trudge over bumpy terrain. Over time I allowed Satan to drag me down—he pounded my Achille's heel until I was barely able to function. God used his Word and his people to resurrect my battered psyche. He taught me how to employ his armor. Recently, he sealed the deal, using a most unexpected tactic: birds.

Although I am mostly healed from my former self-destructive thought life, a few crumbs remain to be swept up by God's broom. In my NIV, I read Jesus' words, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father... So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows," (Matt 10:29-31).

My brain, still addled by old habits, interprets this negatively. So, what then, I'm worth fifty or sixty cents? A couple of bucks, at the most? Great. A few days later my daily reading plan leads me to the same chapter, in The Message. Eugene Peterson's interpretation leaps off the page: "You're worth more than a million canaries." I laugh. Well played, Jesus. I get it.

The next day as I'm leaving the gym, approaching my car, I am greeted by a rather bold little bird. He meets my gaze from his perch atop our old white Volvo, allowing me to get close enough for a good look. What an exquisite creation—delicate, precise, absolutely lovely. As he flutters away, my eyes well up. Astounding, how much Jesus loves me.

This morning I read in Exodus, the name Zipporah translates as "bird" — a new sign to me of God's immeasurable love.

The Ten Club

Years ago I stumbled on a bible reading plan called The Ten Club. Joel Osteen's late father John outlined the method in his book, Rivers of Living Water: Every day, read ten chapters—two in the Old Testament, five Psalms, one Proverbs chapter, and two chapters in the New Testament. Employing this method for a year, you will read through the OT once, the NT twice, Psalms and Proverbs several times over.

After a few years as a member of The Ten Club, I laid it aside for other studies, picking it up again recently. This time, I'm using The Message, by Eugene Peterson. I am thoroughly engaged, loving every minute. It's a cool method because the OT is fresh on your mind as you read the NT; and, let's face it, Psalms and Proverbs apply, daily! Once I've made it through The Message, I plan to apply the same method to the New Living Translation; thanks to Kimberly for the suggestion! ☺


You're my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your word to renew me. ~ Psalm 119:114, The Message


~ c