More from “Is There A Doctor In The House?” from my book…If 40 Is The New 20, I Must Be 10

(This portion of the chapter begins when I arrive at the pain center to be examined for the first time.  Eventually, I will have two injections in my back)

Finally, I arrived at the correct room, signed my name, filled out more forms, and sat down.  The waiting room was full.  You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know there are many butts in this world.

I had just found a seat when a lady called my name.  Excellent, I thought.  I’m going to get right in. But, it was the restroom where we were headed.

“We need a urine sample,” she said.  “Tinkle in the little cup, put your little cup in the little drawer by the little sink, and then go back to your room.  I’ll call you when it’s time for you to come out again.”

I had the strange sensation that I was being potty trained.  I did what “mommy” told me, and went back to the waiting room.  A few more minutes passed before I sat down in a real room. Two cute girls were in there.  I assumed them to be eleven or twelve. One of the girls began asking me a stream of questions:

“Have you ever taken illegal drugs?  Do you sleep on goose down, polyester, or cotton?  Is your husband a member of the Mafia?  Can you jump down, turn around, and pick a bale of cotton?  Do you prefer plaids or prints? Does your cat sleep on his back or side?  When was your last rabies shot?”

No doubt, these were important questions, but I wasn’t clear about their relevance to my problem.  I dared to ask them something outlandish.

“Is there anyone here who can help me with my back and hip pain?”

“Oh, of course, silly” the cute little technician replied.  “The doctor will be right in.  But first, we need to check your blood pressure, measure your shoe size, and get an inseam.”

I was concerned that this place was in cahoots with the infamous Rabid Cat Mafia, often seen wearing plaid suits, and napping on goose down pillows in the cotton patch. Then, the door opened.

“Hello, Mrs. Smith,” said the kindly voice coming in the door.  “I’m Dr. C.U. Hamn, and I will be shooting you in the butt.  Do you have any questions?”

“Well, yes I do.  I have a list here,” I told him, trying to pull a three paged, single-spaced note from my cluttered bag.

“Go ahead, shoot,” he said.

Portion of chapter, “Is There a Dr. in the House?” from my new book

I’ve been crowned, filled with lead, had a cadaver bone put in my spine, gone through back shots, knee shots, chiropractor visits, massages, had my boobs squeezed between hard metal, given birth twice, head examined more than once, limped, hopped, snapped, crackled and popped, stared at charts with fuzzy A’s, B’s, and C’s, fake eyes put in, blood pressure go up, sex drive go down, and knots come on me that made me look like a wart hog. And that’s not all.  I have a butt load of other issues.  Yes, my butt hurts, too.

But, don’t think for a minute that I’m a quitter. I soon began feeling nutty.  I was thumbing through some ladies’ magazines and saw a beautiful woman enjoying a bowl of granola loaded with nuts, cranberries, dates and figs.  The caption on the picture said, “If you could look like this, wouldn’t you go natural?”

Are you kidding me?  If I could look like her, I would go butt naked in the park.  But, never mind my fantasy life. I made the decision to befriend herb and his BFF’s, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.  I sprinkled flax seed and wheat germ on everything from toast to turnips.  I bought vitamins and fruit juice by the case, and ate so much Greek yogurt that I imagined myself to be the Temple Goddess Nutritiona.  I ate handfuls of walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds and anything that crunched. Then, I fell in love with Dr. Oz, and became neurotic about my blood pressure, waist circumference, kidney and liver function, and dead brain cells. I suppose you could call me a health nut, but most of my friends just call me a nut.

Sample Devotions from my published book, Soul Food for the Sandwich Generation

                                                   LETTUCE BEGIN

 

                                      Green Jellybeans are Good for You

 

 It is two in the morning, and the only living creature asleep in your house is the dog. Trudging to the baby’s room, you wonder how you can possibly be on duty for eighteen more years.

The years go by and that bouncing baby is now a loud teenager who still keeps you up at night!  You spend your days running errands, eating dinner late, attending parent meetings and rushing through life. One day, you turn around and this all-consuming human being is gone.  Time, once your enemy, is now your best friend. Eating out is a pleasure since you no longer have to run a child to the restroom or watch your teenager stare at you with a look that says, “Why am I eating out with my parents?”  Personal meetings and activities are a sweet indulgence. You feel energized and happy.

Then, the phone rings. Your parent is lying on a stretcher on their way to the hospital. Your body goes into overdrive.  In the days, weeks, months and years to come, there will be trips to visit the family member, decisions about proper treatment, supplies to buy, and prescriptions to fill.  You will make life and death decisions, maybe for the first time.

When you are a child, someone else gives up part of his life to nurture and sustain you.  As an adult, you wrestle with issues that range from diapering and first steps to graduations, weddings, and learning to let go.  And now, when it is time for you to care for your parents, you feel like a child again.

 

Going it alone on this journey is impossible.

You cannot do it.

But each day, with God as your guide, miracles can happen.

 

 

 

 

 

   
Smith/Soul Food

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household

and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I

will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.’”  Genesis 12: 1-2

 

Abraham was seventy-five years old when he was called to enter Canaan.  He was a young ninety-nine when God told him that he would be the father of many nations, and the promised land of Canaan would be an everlasting possession for him and his descendants.

I am fifty-six years old and I can barely take care of my home, a puppy and one long-suffering husband.  How a man in his seventies can travel 1500 miles on foot to a foreign land and start over is amazing to me.  But there is more to Abraham’s journey. His wife, Sarah, a pretty young thing in her nineties, bore Abraham a son named Isaac, and that child became a human sacrifice to God.  Talk about total commitment!  God sent a ram to be killed in Isaac’s place, but I can’t imagine the rubber legs that Abraham must have had when he took a knife to his child.

When God whispered, “Go,” Abraham went.  When God told Abraham to take his precious son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice, Abraham did as he was told.  Was it a mystery that this man was chosen by God to be the father of the nations?

 

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, says the hymn writer.

Begin your journey as a caregiver, like Abraham.

Say yes to God.

May I have the feet and spirit of Abraham, Lord.  Guide and lead me. Amen.

 

 

Smith/Soul Food

“Moses said to the Lord, ‘O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you

   have spoken to your servant.  I am slow of speech and tongue.’”  Exodus 4:10

 

  Poor Moses.  He would never have been voted ‘Most Likely To Succeed’ or elected to the student council.  How could someone who had a speech impediment go to the top of his class?

Ask God that question. He’ll tell you about Moses.  He’ll tell you that Moses is a natural- born leader.  He’ll brag about his courage and leadership abilities, not to mention his strong back and calloused hands.  Yes, sir, if the Good Lord could pick only a handful of men and women who were his best and brightest, Moses would make the cut.

When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses saw the glass half empty, but God knew it was half full. Sure enough, this guy who suffered with a speech impediment, led a nation out of bondage and into the Promised Land. A man with a lisp delivered the Ten Commandments and walked through the Red Sea like it was a day in the park.

Our name isn’t Moses, but we have been called, with or without the burning bush.  Listen for the call of God, and when it comes, let that fire burn within you until you are able to say…

 

I will go, Lord.

I will do what I can for someone else, Lord.

Send me.

I’m hiding in my insecurity, Father.  Light a fire within me.  Amen.

 

 

 

Smith/Soul Food

 

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”  Romans 15: 1-2

 

   In my life there have been times of weakness and times of strength. I find it interesting that when I am feeling weak there is always someone there to help me, and when I am strong, I feel a compulsion to reach out and help others.  Truly, this is the work of God, for on my own, I would be selfish and not selfless.

We had two cats, Otis and Nosey, who were perfect examples of this principle.  When Nosey wandered off and didn’t come up to eat, Otis would go in and out of the door searching for his friend.  When Otis had a bad bladder infection and ran fever, Nosey slept by him and groomed him like a mama cat.  If animals know how to love and care for each other, shouldn’t we?

Christ never tired of caring for others. Thinking nothing of his own needs, he spent his days and nights healing the sick, feeding the multitudes, and helping the helpless.

Helping others does not consist of making a few stops on our scenic route through life. It is a lifelong process, filled with rocky detours and unwanted surprises.

To love and care for those who are sick is a risk.

Choosing not to means losing our way.

Get off the main road and never look back.

 

You are the help of the helpless, Lord.  Come and abide in me.  Amen.

 

 

Article I Wrote About Caregiving for Circuit Rider Magazine

ARTICLE FOR CIRCUIT RIDER MAGAZINE:

 

MINISTERING TO THE SANDWICH GENERATION

By Myra F. Smith

 

     “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”  (Exodus 20:12, NIV Study Bible) 

 

     This is the fifth commandment, given by God to Moses, as one portion of His instructions to the Israelite nation.  This announcement was presented as an inscription on stone tablets.  The Bible tells us, “The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.”  (Exodus 32: 16, NIV Study Bible)

 

     I believe that the question for pastors of the Methodist Conference should be:

   

     How do God’s Words to the Israelites Impact Your Ministry Today?

 

    The answer, I believe, is that God’s word is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  His intention was then and now that children obey and honor their parents. When I was growing up in the fifties and sixties, caregiving was more of an extended family affair.  Both sets of my grandparents lived within twelve miles of my parents.  People visited each other frequently, and neighbors and friends were more involved in each other’s lives. I’m not suggesting that it was easy, but it involved, I believe, less physical, emotional, and financial stress than we experience today.  In most cases, less time was spent away from church and church activities, due to families living in more tightly knit communities.

     When my husband and I spent six years helping to care for his parents, we drove two and a half hours each way, during the week and on weekends. We bought supplies, medications that weren’t covered by Medicare, and other items they needed.  My husband spent time away from work, and both of us altered our schedules to include time away from home. Our burdens were the same as those of caregivers today.  And just who are these caregivers today, and what are their needs?

     Statistics show that thirty-four million people provide care to adults over the age of fifty today, and the cost to U.S. business due to lost productivity from caregiving ranges from seventeen to thirty-three billion dollars a year. Caregivers use more anti-depressant drugs than the normal population; their social lives are split between time with their children and their aging parents, and  they will experience more arthritis, heart problems, insomnia, depression, headaches and other maladies due to their caregiving responsibilities.

    

     Now, let’s address this question:

 

     How do I, a Methodist Pastor, Respond To The Needs of Caregivers?

 

 What should your personal response be to this group?

 How can you more effectively include them in the life of the church? 

 Which church committees might assist them with their needs?

 Finally, What Does God Have To Do With It?

 

THE PASTOR’S ROLE:

 

      What should your personal response be to this group? 

 

     As the leader of your church congregation, it is important for you to both identify and empathize with the caregivers in your church family.  Caregivers need a lot of love, and if they don’t obtain it from the right source, they may choose a dangerous alternative.  Remember that this group will experience negative behavior patterns, altered eating and sleeping patterns, increased use of prescription and non-prescription drugs, high levels of anxiety, overreaction to criticism, and withdrawal from normal activities.  (Area Agency on Aging 2005 Family Caregiver Education)  A pastor’s sensitivity can make the difference in a caregiver’s overall health.

     Allow them to vent their fears, frustrations, and concerns for their loved ones and themselves. Don’t hesitate to refer them to scripture readings, psalms or other Bible verses for comfort, but present these suggestions in a non-accusatory tone.  Never let a caregiver feel guilty about his or her emotions.  Assure them that their feelings are legitimate, and that God’s love and the love of their church family will always be available to them.

 

      How can you more effectively include them in the life of the church?

 

      Caregivers have less time for church activities, so long-standing committees with weekly meetings, choir rehearsals, teacher positions, or other jobs, will be on hold for now. Perhaps they can assist with the delivery of Christmas gifts for the prison or angel tree ministry; help out with limited amounts of baking, creative arts’ assistance, backstage dressing, or non-homemade treats needed for special events such as the Easter Egg hunt, festivals, spring brunch, Halloween dress-up party in the fellowship hall, or nativity scene on the church grounds. 

     Another idea is to ask caregivers to submit recipes for a cookbook.  When the book is finished, it could be sold at your church festival or other event. The money collected from the sale of the cookbooks could go to a special fund decided upon by the caregivers.  They might want to contribute to an existing church project or create a new “funds for fun” for themselves and other caregivers.

     If they have parents living with them, critical illness issues, or are participating in long distance caregiving, you might gently suggest that their normal church activities will wait for them while they use this time to care for loved ones.

 

      What church committees might assist them with their needs?

 

      Remember that it takes a Methodist village to respond to the needs of caregivers. The Education Committee, the United Methodist Women, or other groups in your church may want to sponsor a “Care for the Caregiver” night.  Caregivers can be sent a special invitation to attend a dinner in their honor.  Church members will be asked to bring a simple dish. It might be a coffee and dessert hour or soup and salad dinner. Remember to hire a babysitter, so the caregiver won’t have to care for their children!

     Another idea is for the Worship Committee, Sunday school classes, or other groups to set up a table at the front of the sanctuary, fellowship hall, or other location.  On that table, put pictures of your caregivers in action.  Along with the pictures, you could have a donation jar with a catchy slogan such as, “Adopt a Caregiver!” Ask members to donate to the jar, and at the end of that time period, the money can be used for a gas card to help with traveling expenses, a gift basket of “goodies for the road” with snacks and coupons from fast food places for a “pick me up” cup of coffee or mocha; a gift certificate for a massage, or a weekend of babysitting sponsored by members of the youth group.  This list is limited only by the imagination and generosity of your church members. Don’t forget that November is National Caregivers Month!

 

     What Does God Have To Do With It?

 

     God’s role is, as I said previously, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His words to care for the sick and honor our father and mother have the same meaning today that they had over two thousand years ago.  As leaders of the church, it should be both your duty and desire to share the good news of our Lord and His message of love, mercy, and grace, to the caregivers in your congregations.

     Encourage the members of your church to assist you in this endeavor, and, as God told Moses and the Israelites so many years ago, you and your congregation will experience a long and fruitful life of service.

 

     And now, I would like to conclude with a simple prayer of blessing I learned as a child in the Methodist Church and have repeated many times through the years:

 

     May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, be gracious unto you, and give you peace.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

Devotions From My Church Newsletter

 

IN THE BEGINNING

By Myra F. Smith

“Then God brought Abram outside beneath the nighttime sky and told him, ‘Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can.  Your descendants will be like that—too many to count!’ And Abram believed God; then God considered him righteous on account of his faith.”  (Genesis 15: 5-6, Life Application Bible)

After the creation account in the Bible, we are privy to the store of Adam and Eve, their fall from grace, their oldest son Cain’s murder of his brother Abel, and their expulsion from paradise.  We are only four chapters into Genesis at this point, and already, we’re frustrated and discouraged.  But, wait.  You don’t have to go far to become hopeful, because a few chapters later, we are introduced to Abraham.  At age seventy-five, God called this wealthy landowner to leave his home in Haran, and journey to Canaan.  To do this, Abraham had to give up his home, possessions, and ties to his people.  It would have been much simpler to stay put, remain wealthy, and live a life without challenges, but Abraham trusted God to give him a new and wondrous beginning.

And what did God give to Abraham, as a result of his trust and faith?  God made -him the father of Israel; his descendants were like the stars in the sky; at the ripe old age of 99, he and his 90 year old wife, Sarah, celebrated the- arrival of their first child, Isaac, and Abraham accomplished all that God asked him to do.

We, like Abraham, are called.  God has a purpose for each of us. And when we obey that call, He equips us with everything we need, and sends us on a journey of new and wondrous beginnings.

 

 

 

 

July Newsletter

The Christian Connection:  Walk The Walk

By Myra F. Smith

Scripture Reading:  “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”  (1 John 3:18, NIV Study Bible)

I am a planner.  I have more notepads in my house than the New York Times.  Every day, I make lists of “things to do”.   Recently, I have started another list.  This is my personal card ministry list, and I send cards to people every week.  This has been a tremendous blessing in my life.

I am also attempting, as of late, to “walk the walk” instead of merely “talking the talk”. With many saints in our church as my role models, I am trying to visit the sick; take flowers or food to people I love; do more phoning, and write more words of encouragement.  I want to be a doer, and not a hearer, only.

Jesus was the only Son of God.  He could have written out His heavenly plans on golden note pads, and let His angels do the walking.  But, He didn’t.  Jesus was a doer.  He preached, taught, healed, encouraged, visited, and walked among the people every day.  His healing hands restored sight to the blind, made the lame jump with joy, and gave hope to everyone.  When Jesus commissioned His disciples, He instructed them to GO from town to city, preaching, teaching, and healing in His name. And, at The Last Supper, He gave them the Holy sacraments, and instructed them to, “…DO this in remembrance of Me.”  (Luke 22:19, NIV) Jesus didn’t tell the disciples to make a list of “things to do”.  He told them, TO DO good works.

Strap on your sandals, and begin your personal walk.  The road ahead is hot and dusty, but Jesus has blazed the trail before us, and His footprints are right there in the sand, next to yours and mine.

 

 

August Newsletter:  The Christian Connection

What a Wonderful World

By Myra F. Smith

Scripture:  “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”   (Romans 12:2)

We write songs about it; create plays to demonstrate its workings; make up stories to illustrate all of the many variations of it, and talk incessantly about it.  And what is this popular subject?   It is the world in which we live, and we, understandably, love and cherish it our earthly home.  However, there is a dirty little suffix that adds another meaning to the word “world” and that is the “ly”. When we pay too much attention to our position, responsibilities, activities, passions, pleasures and priorities in this world, we become “worldly”, and this love of the world can remove us from the throne of God.

Paul, the writer of the gospel of Romans, knew all about the world’s agenda.  He was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, rebuked, and hungry, to name a few of the worldly injustices he endured.  But, Paul’s response to this worldly suffering was shocking.  He said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  (2 Cor. 12:9)  Paul was once a persecutor of Christians, but through God’ intervention in Paul’s life, the once worldly Saul became Paul, a leading spokesperson for God’s heavenly agenda.

When the daily stresses and issues of this world confound us, we can go to God in prayer, read His word, and be transformed by His will for us.  And what is God’s perfect will for us?  It can be found in the first commandment:  “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before me.”  (Exodus 20:2-3)  It’s that hard and that simple.  If God is our only object of worship, the things of the world will lose their importance, and we will find His perfect will for our lives.

 

The Christian Connection

September Newsletter

Jesus Knows Me, This I Love

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”  (John 15:12)

Each one of us has sung, many times, the sweet children’s song, “Jesus Loves Me”.  The first verse goes like this:  “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” The words are nearly a perfect statement.  What more can be said of our faith and trust in Jesus than this…that He loves us, and we know He loves us because the Bible tells us exactly that!

But, today, I want to present you with another, equally compelling and beautiful thought.  The first time I saw the reversal of the words from “Jesus loves me, this I know” into “Jesus knows me, this I love” was within the pages of a country magazine.  They had a cute little plaque with these words on it, and I was hooked.   Wow! I thought.  I love that!  And for some inexplicable reason, this statement gives more joy to my heart than the original, and I’ll tell you why.

It is easy for Jesus to love us.  He’s our heavenly father, and our God.  But, to say that even after Jesus really gets to “know” us, that He still loves us?  That’s a miracle of gigantic proportion.  Think about it.  God gave His only, perfect, blameless, sinless Son, to save us from ourselves.  God knew us…He knew that we would lie, cheat, steal, covet, boast, be puffed up with false pride, gossip, even kill and destroy.  And yet, even though He knew us, inside out and upside down, He loved us enough to give us a way to be forgiven, washed clean, and sent into the world with a traveling bag full of second chances.

So, next time you’re weary, faint of heart, confused, upset, misguided, hurting, angry, or sad, remember this:

Jesus Knows you, and He loves you…the real, unique and wonderfully individual, YOU!  Now, doesn’t that thought put a smile on your heart?

 

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER ARTICLE:

“THE HELP”

By Myra F. Smith

Bible Reading:  Psalms 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.”

I was delighted to see the movie, “The Help”.  Set in the 1960’s in Mississippi, the story is about a young white journalist, whose love for the black woman who raised her, gave her the courage to ask “the help” in her town to write a book about their experiences.  This book exposed the town’s prejudice, and changed many lives.

When I see these words, “the help”, I think of King David.  Born the runt of the family, he was chosen to be king of Israel; slay a giant; father the wisest man in earthly history, and be a talented poet and musician.  But David needed a lot of help from God.  His life was tinged with the blood of his enemies; he committed adultery; he was an indifferent father, and he sinned and sinned again.

And yet, the Bible tells us that David was one of God’s favorites.  Why?  David asked for God’s help.  He prayed, begged, pleaded, and cried out in anguish for God’s mercy.  Without God’s help, David was a loser.  With God’s help, he was a man after God’s own heart.

We can battle alone, or we can ask for God’s help.  Seek His will.  Pray for guidance.  Beg for His mercy.  He’s never far from you… only a stone’s throw away.

 

 

 

 

November Newsletter Article:

Same Kind of Different As Me

By Myra F. Smith

Bible Verse:  1 Corinthians 12: 4-6 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”

I spent the first thirty years of my life trying to be like everyone else.  When I was a teen, I wouldn’t dare be different!  And yet, each of us travels a unique path, and our life’s journey endows us with different strengths and weaknesses. God made each of us different for a reason…we are different because we form the body of Christ.  Just as our physical bodies have various parts for different functions, the body of Christ needs people with varying talents and personalities to carry on the work of the Kingdom.

Abraham was loyal and true; the person God needed to establish a nation. Moses was patient and long suffering; a perfect choice to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land.  David was a talented, temperamental warrior, and a perfect king. Paul was a fearless, fiery teacher and great writer.  He was God’s voice to saint and sinner alike.

To the world, you are only one person.  But, to one person, you may be the world.

And yes, you are the same kind of different as me, and together, our differences can make a big difference for God.

 

 

 

 

 

FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

CHRISTIAN CONNECTION

CONTAGION

By Myra F. Smith

 

Bible Verse:  “Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light to shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  (Matthew 15: 14-16)

There is a movie out now whose premise is that a highly contagious illness can be spread from one person to another, and destroy many lives. One of Webster’s definitions of the word “contagion” is:  “corrupting influence or contact.”  In the movie, the corrupting influence is a deadly virus, spread by human contact, resulting in massive mayhem and death.

The world today is full of deadly contagions.  Fear, hopelessness, loneliness, poverty, prejudice, hate, false pride, injustice, covetousness, idolatry, selfishness, and other negative thoughts and actions pass from one to another. We are infected, and consumed by its evil.  What is preventing us from infecting the world with hope, not despair; love, not hate; generosity, not greed, and promoting good, not evil?

How contagious is your faith?  If you’re infected with the love of God, you will pass it on, and your light will shine on someone’s dark days, and they will pass it on to another.  And, before long, the Power of God will be turned back on in the world.

 

 

 

MARCH NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

THE CHRISTIAN CONNECTION

By Myra F. Smith

“What’s The Password?”

Bible Verse:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  (John 14:6)

I was reading the Houston Chronicle one morning, and came upon this cartoon:  A man stands before the Pearly Gates.  St Peter is addressing him, and says, “Sorry–your user name and password don’t match.”  I laughed out loud.  I will be working on my laptop, trying to get into a site, and the first thing they ask for is your user name and password.  This sounds simple enough, right?  Wrong!  A password can be a combination of letters, numbers and symbols, letters and numbers, or letters only; six characters, more than six, and so on.  And, when you have to remember all of those passwords?  Forget it!

We are “Christians”, and our password is “Christ”.  We believe that Jesus is our intercessor to God; that the way to the Father is through the Son.  God sent His only Son to die for our sins on the cross of Calvary so that we might gain access to heaven.

But, what if our “user name” and password don’t match? Do you know your “user name?”  It may be “mother”, “father”, “friend”, “son”, “daughter”, “teacher”, “nurse”, “lawyer”, “doctor”, ‘homemaker” or any other title by which you are known.  In this world, we are known by our worldly titles and occupations.  We are, “what we do”.

But, to God, we are, “His children”, and that is the only user name we need.

And so, when we’re standing at the gate, we won’t need a password because Christ will stand there, waiting for us, and He knows each of us and calls us by name.  He never forgets His own.

 

APRIL NEWSLETTER

THE CHRISTIAN CONNECTION

APPS FOR LIFE

By Myra F. Smith

Bible Verse:  “And God spake all these words, saying, ‘I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’”  Exodus 20:1

There was another funny cartoon in the January 6^th edition of the Houston Chronicle.  Moses is standing in front of the burning bush, holding the Ten Commandments.  Moses says, “Neither of these tablets comes with apps?”

Truly, we live in a technological world.  I am writing on my new Mac 11.6 inch notebook computer that I did without for 61 years, but now seems indispensable to me.  I have become a slave to communication, and the faster, the better.

Communication in Moses’ day came in the form of two, ridiculously heavy tablets.  These tablets contained God’s instructions for the people of Israel, and later, the Christian world.

This cartoon struck me as both funny and false.  The funny part is obvious.  Moses is superimposed into the modern age, disappointed that the “tablets” unlike our modern ones, don’t come with apps.  Now, here’s the false part.  In only ten laws, God gave to Moses, the Israelites, and us…MANY applications for our daily lives.

Think about this:

1. What if no one put anything or anyone above God?
2. What if the people of the world never made any person, place, or thing their god?
3. What if no one ever took God’s name in vain?
4. What if all people attended church every Sunday and never missed a single service?
5. What if everyone honored their parents with their time, their presence, and their gifts of love and compassion?
6. What kind of world would we live in today if no one had ever killed another person…neither in war or peace?
7. How amazing if every marital partner remained faithful?
8. How cool would it be if there had never been one incident of theft.
9. And, there’s the issue of lying.  What if no one ever lied about anything?

10. Finally, what if no one was jealous of anyone’s wife, husband, house, car, children, or other possession?  What if we were perfectly content with our lives, no matter our circumstances?

Ten little rules could have changed the world if only we had applied them to our lives.

Do these tablets come with apps?

You bet your life they do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May Devotional

The Christian Connection

THE FIRST SELF-RIGHTEOUS CHURCH

By Myra F. Smith

Bible Verse:  “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!”  Isaiah 5:21

Many years ago, Ray Stevens wrote a song that captured our attention, perhaps for all the wrong reasons.  The name of the song was, “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” and it was about a squirrel getting loose in a small church in Mississippi.

Now, this young boy puts a squirrel in a shoebox and brings it to his grandmother’s church.  Well, that squirrel gets loose, starts running up and down the church pews, and scares the daylights out of everyone.  When it runs up Harv Newman’s coveralls, he stands up and shouts, “Hallelujah!”  People didn’t know whether Satan or the Lord had a hold on him.  Then, that squirrel darted up “Sister Bertha Better Than You’s” dress, and that woman confessed to sins that made the choir members blush!   By the time that service ended, they had collected $25,000 and witnessed 500 dedications at the altar.

It’s a wonderful thing to watch the spirit of God move in a church revival.  We hug more, sing louder, put more money in the collection plate, ask for forgiveness, and come closer to God because we feel His presence.

But, what about the times when we don’t feel God’s presence?  What about the long, depressing days; the sick and lonely times; the Sundays when we’re not moved by the sermon or anything else, and the moments when even a simple prayer is far from our lips?

Well, maybe that’s when we should stop attending the First Self Righteous Church and start going to God’s church.  No one has a special pew; the songs literally float on air; the sermon is divinely inspired, and no one leaves early, even though the service lasts forever.

Now, don’t think you have to die to attend God’s church.  His church exists wherever believers gather in His name to do His will.  I’d say that this is about as close to heaven as it gets here on earth.  And, you know what?  You’d have to be berserk to not know that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE CHRISTIAN CONNECTION

JUNE DEVOTIONAL

ARE YOU GRIMM OR SNOW WHITE?

BY MYRA F. SMITH

BIBLE VERSE:  “…and there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but only they that are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”  Revelation 21:27

I am amused at the number of fairy tale television series and movies available today.  On television, there is “Grimm” and “Once Upon a Time.”  Two new movies out now are “Mirror, Mirror” and “Snow White and the Huntsman”.  It makes me wonder what is real and what is merely a fairy tale?  And then, another question looms.  Are we grim or are we snow white?

What Is Grim Today?

1. Hatred of your brother or sister:  Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.”  (John 15:12)  Who is your brother?  Every person in God’s creation.  Not the answer we wanted, is it?
2. Dissention:  If your agenda in any way promotes conflict, stress, jealousy, mean spiritedness, and hatred, then your work is not of God. “But I say unto you, love our enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you.”  (Matthew 5:44)
3. Sins of the World:  Lying, stealing, adultery, killing, coveting, idolatry, and others.  Remember that there is a reason the Ten Laws of God are called “commandments” and not “options”.
4. A Lukewarm Faith:  Nothing seemed worse to God.  In Revelation, it says, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth.”

 

What is Snow White Today?

1. Following God.   When we follow God, our lives go from grim to snow white, and that’s not make-believe; that’s a miracle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE CHRISTIAN CONNECTION

JULY DEVOTIONAL

BEAT THE ODDS

BY MYRA F. SMITH

BIBLE VERSE:  “For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit

                           his life?”  (Mark 8:36)

Everyone loves to win.  But, how would you feel about winning if it meant losing?    What if you had to choose between God and your family and friends?

This was the choice given to the disciples.  They were called to abandon their earthly lives; walk away from their family, friends, home and possessions.  Remember, these were normal men with families, friends, jobs, homes, and “stuff”.  How did they know that Jesus was the real deal?

And, Jesus didn’t sugar coat the offer.  Here is some of what he told these men: “…behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves, carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes, and salute no man on the way.  (Luke 10:3-4)  Does this sound like an offer you couldn’t refuse?  Are you kidding me?  I would run in the opposite direction!

Following God is as difficult today as it was for the disciples. Divided time and emotions make for a weak ministry; skewed priorities causes spiritual weakness; love of “stuff” crowds out our love for others; more personal time means time away from God.

Could you walk away from a winning life and follow God?  Twelve men did, and the world will never be the same because they were willing to lose their lives to follow Jesus.

 

 

 

 

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The Camping Cat!

This will come as a shock, but I have done another stupid thing.  Chalk it up to my pet fetish.  When we had a dog, there was nothing I didn’t dofor that chihuahua.  There were cute coats, multiple treats, personalized stockings on the mantle, and soothing music when she was sick.  We bought medicine for her seizures, rushed her to the animal hospital in the middle of the night, and gave that dog more attention than we gave our boys… at least it seemed that way.  Our dog became very ill, and we had to put her to sleep, which nearly killed us.  It took months to stop hearing her little paws following us down the hall, or to quit looking for her on top of the sofa when we napped together, or see her outside running in the yard.  

I had nearly healed from that trauma when a good friend of mine died from cancer.  Shirley Blake was the dearest person on earth, and when she died of cancer, she had two cats, “Big Kitty” and “Little Kitty”…clever names, right?  Well, little kitty was adopted by one of Shirley’s caregivers, but for weeks, “Big Kitty” sat outside in that empty garage, and looked like a pet who had lost his best friend, and truly, he had. I went with my friend, Sally Taylor, several times to feed “Big Kitty”.  At first, he was skittish, barely letting anyone new pet him.  Gradually, he rubbed on me some, and then, he stole my heart.  Don’t be too impressed.  I’m easy prey.  Within a month, Sally’s daughter had captured “Big Kitty” and brought him to our house.  ”Big Kitty” became “Socks” and Socks became a member of our family.

Socks was an outside cat, rarely inside the Shirley’s house.  Well, we stopped that in a hurry.  Quickly, he began to use the chairs for his scratching posts, twirl on the rugs, sleep in the softest spots, and sit by his food dish until we gave him a treat.  An unspoiled cat became rotten in weeks.

And now, the second chapter arrives.  We weren’t able to capture Socks to take him to the vet.  He is a huge cat.  We couldn’t push him into the old dog carrier, so I got smart.  I found a pet tent with poles in it, just like the real thing!  We’ll put Socks in that, I told my husband.  Then, we can carry it by the poles to the vet!

Sounds like a plan, right?  Wrong.  Inside the box, on the instruction sheet, it reads, “Not to be carried by the poles with the animal inside.  It should only be used as a kennel.”

 It may be useless, but  it’s adorable.  It looks like the cutest people tent you’ve ever seen!  And now, I’m getting new ideas.  How about a cat canteen?  Perhaps I could find some camo gear, or a portable kitty grill for preparing salmon at the campsite?  

So, if you’re visiting  a cushy campsite one day and see a  little blue and black tent, please stop in and say hello to Mr. Socks.  But, don’t forget the treats.  He loves to bite people on their toes!