God Continues to Teach Me Archives - Page 12 of 15

Charleston, SC — The HOLY City?

06/09/2017 By: CCPearsoncomment

I was surprised to learn that Charleston is often referred to as “the Holy City.” So, I’ve been trying to find the reasons for that reverent nickname.

St. John the Baptist steeple at sunset.

Unitarian Church built in 1772.

St. Philips Church.

Here are a few of the possible justifications that I have found:

Originally called Charles Towne when it was established as a colony in 1670, it was based on principles of religious tolerance.
In its early days, church steeples were useful landmarks guiding ships into Charleston harbor.
The sea level topography of the area makes church steeples very prominent.
Charleston (Charles Towne) was one of a few original colonies to tolerate ALL Christian Protestant denominations.
There are over 400 churches in Charleston.
And this quote written by Charleston Harbor Tours in Ahoy Charleston: “Throughout the years, after building and re-building, after fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, and wars, Charleston has remained an open-minded city, incorporating all thoughts, beliefs, and cultures with open arms.”

Cemetery across from St. Philips Church.

Sign refers to the Ghost Tours that are popular in Charleston.

But, are THOSE the reasons why a city is holy? Furthermore, is that the kind of thing that makes US holy?

Let’s look at what God’s Word says.

Revelation 21:1-2, 10 “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. . . .And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”
Let me just say that Charleston is a beautiful, fascinating city, but there is no comparison to the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. We who are children of God have been promised that we will see THE Holy City on that Great Day. Hallelujah!

And, then, of course, the Bible tells us that WE are to be holy. A tall order indeed!

1 Peter 1:15-16 “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”

I’m glad that Charleston is known for its many churches, but I believe it is far more important for God’s people to be known for their inner holiness. I’d love to read your thoughts on this subject.

View of St. John the Baptist Cathedral from the balcony of John Rutledge House Inn in Charleston.

Lining Up the Dominoes

06/02/2017 By: CCPearson4 Comments

It’s been a heavy thinking kind of week. Can you relate?

Have any of you sold a house and/or bought one lately? Attracting a buyer is just a tiny first step, it seems. The buyer has to look AT LEAST TWICE at your house and choose your house out of all the other possibilities AND provide proof that he/she is financially qualified to buy your house. Then, the buyer looks at your list price and all of the “extras” inside your home (drapes, certain furniture pieces, equipment specific to your home’s maintenance, etc.) and decides how much to offer, which of the extras he hopes to keep AND when he wants to take possession of your home. And, in the best case scenario, this buyer has the money in his pocket or a buyer lined up to buy HIS house. If not, the process of getting a mortgage begins.

In the meantime, you have to decide where you want to move when the deal on your present house has been completed. You find one, and the negotiations begin on the future house. You make an offer. The owner makes a counter-offer. You make a counter offer, etc. etc.

If all the dominoes line up, you have a wonderful process of buying, selling and everyone getting what they want. If the dominoes DON’T line up, you get a big ol’ mess. When one deal falls through, there are others down the line falling through as well.

What one person decides ultimately has an effect on a lot of other people, and the realtors are caught trying to make everybody happy. If only all the “players” were playing by the Golden Rule: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12 New Living Translation Wouldn’t it be amazing if everyone involved in a real estate transaction, OR ANY TRANSACTION for that matter, was committed to fairness, transparency, honesty and truthfulness?

As of this morning, my dominoes are not lined up as they should be. Is this when a “leap of faith” is in order? Should I assume that the buyer is a gift from God and a sign of some kind that it’s okay to move forward even when the unknowns outnumber the knowns? Or, is this one of those times when I’m supposed to “watch and pray” or “wait patiently on the Lord for He cares for you.”

That last paragraph sounded mighty “churchy” even to my own ears. Sometimes the next step just isn’t illuminated clearly. Sometimes the decisions we make have unintended, uncomfortable consequences. Sometimes WE SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW.

Reverend Junior Hill, popular evangelist from Hartselle, AL used to say, “When you don’t know what to do, just keep doing what you KNOW to do until you know what to do.”

I know I’m supposed to ask God to guide me.

I know I’m supposed to search God’s Word for biblical principles that apply.

I know I’m supposed to be fair, transparent, honest and truthful.

I know I’m supposed to treat my fellow humans (and those involved in any business deal with me) as I would have them to treat me.

Oh for a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night!! Exodus 13:21-22 “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.”

Big Bob Gibson’s Pie Lady: Delicious Consistency

05/26/2017 By: CCPearson6 Comments

It is a well-documented fact that Big Bob Gibson’s pork, ribs and chicken have won major awards for excellence. You can read through a list here and be very impressed. When you walk into the 6th Avenue Decatur location, the trophies and plaques are EVERYWHERE! And, a display of prize-winning sauces is on sale for customers to take home or ship to former Decaturites who are scattered around the world, longing for some of their favorite tastes. My Silver Fox salivates at the very mention of a pork sandwich from Big Bob’s, and I love the stuffed potatoes and Brunswick stew. But, one menu item deserves trophies, too, in my opinion — THE PIES!!!! Oh my, the pies!!

Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jo Ann Gunner, chief pie lady at Big Bob’s, and hearing more about her very important work.

Jo Ann Gunner holds one of the popular coconut pies she just finished making.

How long have you been making pies at Big Bob’s?

43 years. My mother worked at the old location next door, and I started out by coming in to help her with the pies. I used to be the youngest. Now I’m the oldest.

When you arrive in the morning, how do you begin?

We get started at 6:00 a.m. EVERY morning — 7 days a week. And the first thing we have to do is decide how many to make. The least amount we make every day is 25 each of coconut, chocolate and lemon and 10 each of pecan and peanut butter. But, we also look at orders that have already been made and make sure we have enough to cover those, too.

Who created the recipes?

I’m not sure where the recipes came from, but I assume that Big Bob’s wife chose them.

Do you use local products?

Purity Milk makes regular deliveries, and we get our eggs from Woodruff Produce.

I have always been in awe of the meringues. How many egg whites do those meringues take?

Probably 3, but we use a product that isn’t available for household cooks. It’s a meringue stabilizer called 7-11, which is actually a sugar substitute. (At this point, I felt a great sense of relief because I had tried so many times to duplicate that meringue with NO success. Of COURSE, they would have a great product in order to consistently have those mile-high meringues.)

Look at the meringue on this slice of chocolate pie!

A granddaddy and granddaughter get ready to share a piece of pie. I wonder who ate the most?

When are the biggest times for pies?

On a weekly basis, the Friday and Saturday night crowds probably order the most slices of pie, but the day before Thanksgiving is BY FAR our biggest pie-making time. I remember one year that we made 725 pies!! We started the night before and worked through the night until about noon the next day. We had pies on top of all the tables in this restaurant and on every available surface. Christmas is also a very busy time, but Thanksgiving is the biggest.

Have you ever had a pie failure?

A few years ago, we could NOT get the filling to thicken. We tried adding flour, but when we poured it into the shells, it just liquefied. We finally concluded (after almost a month) that it was a defective batch of cornstarch. In my opinion cornstarch is probably the most critical ingredient.

What special equipment do you have in the kitchen that helps with the pies?

We can put 12 pies at a time in the oven, so that’s good. But, my favorite is the big Hobart mixer on a stand. It’s a very important part of our process every day.

Which is the best-selling pie?

Probably coconut, but chocolate and lemon are pretty close.

A whole pie made just a few hours ago ready to be enjoyed.

Have the pies ever been entered in any competitions?

No, but they are served at many of the big competitions.

Are you thinking about retiring? It must be hard to be at work seven days a week at 6:00 a.m.

No, I don’t have any plans to stop. I’m 62 now, and I plan to keep going. (I thought to myself — Jo Ann obviously enjoys her job and is very good at it. That’s a blessing for her AND for Bob Gibson’s owners and customers).

During my few minutes with Jo Ann, I was struck by an overarching aspect of her life — her consistency. 43 years. 7 days a week. That’s a lot.

So, in today’s category of “God Continues to Teach Me,” I was reminded of the importance of staying consistent. After all, God Himself, His nature, His plans, His purpose, and His plan of salvation are consistent and unchanging. He sets an example for believers to live lives that are consistent with the faith we profess.

God blessed and protected Daniel because he continued being obedient even when an ominous decree by the king was made.

Daniel 6:10 — “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

And Paul admonished the Corinthians to “give themselves fully” to their work.

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Jo Ann Gunner’s consistency provides delicious desserts for hundreds, even thousands, of people during the course of a year. Let’s pray that our lives will be consistent blessings to those in our own sphere of influence.

The Blessing of Turning 67

05/19/2017 By: CCPearson9 Comments

By the time you read this post, I will have celebrated my 67th birthday quite in style in Charleston, South Carolina with my Silver Fox, who is my forever favorite travel companion and husband of 46 years. I must say that we are enjoying this stage of our lives to the fullest and try hard to remember to appreciate and be thankful for every minute we are given.

On my birthday, one of the first thoughts I always have is how much longer I have been allowed to live on this earth, to enjoy my family and friends and (hopefully) to make a difference to people I come in contact with than my own mother was given. She died suddenly at the age of 55. Truthfully, anyone who knew her would have to say that she lived every one of those 55 years fully and with joy. She woke up that fateful Saturday morning and got out all of her ingredients to start making cookies for a bridal shower she was to co-host. Then, she suddenly had a blinding headache and soon lost consciousness as a result of a brain aneurysm. My dad, my siblings, her siblings and I were all devastated. She, however, was immediately ushered into heaven. Of this, I have no doubt “for the Bible tells me so.” Mom had accepted Christ at an early age and was a faithful follower to the end. She taught us that “life was too short to sweat the small stuff,” and that was how she went about her days. She was blessed.

Another thought I have is about the generous number of years my dad was given on earth. He died just about six weeks shy of his 89th birthday, and for the vast majority of those years, he enjoyed good health, a host of friends and the devoted love of first my mother and then our sweet stepmother June. He had a very productive and successful career, he managed his money wisely, and he was able to live very comfortably. He was blessed.

I am now into my FOURTH career — through all of which I have found tremendous fulfillment. I have 12 grandchildren with #13 due in October. I used to quip that I wanted to “live long enough to dance at all of the grandchildren’s weddings.” But, if Julie keeps having babies, that might get more and more challenging, wouldn’t you say? Steve and I are so proud of the adults our children have become, and we praise God for their lives and the influence and impact they are making on the world. I am blessed. There’s no doubt about it. I am blessed.

I am not guaranteed another hour or day on this earth. I believe that God absolutely knows the exact “number of my days,” and that I will die when He has ordained that my time is over . . . and not one minute before. He is still giving me assignments. He is still putting me in the path of people who need a touch, a word, a laugh, a hug or a challenge that He wants me to supply. And my job is to be sensitive to know who those people are and how I’m supposed to respond.

I learned from my mother the fun and wonder of making any and every occasion into something to celebrate, and for several years now, I’ve declared that the entire month of May is my Birth MONTH. I highly recommend that you find the joy around you, that you celebrate often and well, that you laugh loudly and with abandon, that you forgive others quickly and thoroughly, and that you “praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow!”

Psalm 90:12-17

12 Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

¹³Relent, Lord! How long will it be?
    Have compassion on your servants.
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
    that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
¹⁵Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen trouble.
¹⁶May your deeds be shown to your servants,
    your splendor to their children.

¹⁷May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.

The Shakers — So Much Good, but . . . .

05/12/2017 By: CCPearson2 Comments

There is so much to admire about the Shakers and the way they conducted their lives, but they went off track in some very important areas.

Shaker furniture, implements and baskets.

Shakers were the first to package seeds in paper envelopes.

Shaker brooms of all kinds.

I love reading about their amazing work ethic. Their leader Mother Ann believed that every member of the Shaker community had an obligation to work, and each person was trained to do a specific job — whether it was cooking, gardening, building, farming or doing the laundry. She taught that every person should “live as if you had 1000 years to live and as if you were going to die tomorrow.” Such a mindset developed a culture of excellence.
I love their emphasis on music and writing songs. Through the years, members composed thousands of songs, primarily used in their worship services. The most famous one is “Simple Gifts.”
I love their determination to live peacefully and the fact that they fed and cared for both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
I admire all of their helpful inventions: the circular saw, clothespins, the flat broom, a rotating oven that could bake 60 pies at one time, ball-and-socket tilters for chairs, and a new type of fire engine, to name a few. They shared these with outsiders without worrying about obtaining a patent.
They lived separate lives from the world, but when they saw something that would make their lives better, they readily implemented it in their community. So, their homes had electricity and running water before many around them.
I appreciate the fact that they viewed the sexes as equals and that women had equal food, accommodations and opportunities to produce goods as the men did. The symmetry inside the buildings reflects that perfectly with the side for the men and the side for the women being the same size.
Buildings at Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, were obviously built to last. The Central Meeting House was finished in 1820, for example, and the East Family Dwelling (which now houses overnight guests) was built in 1817. Two hundred years of durability.
What they produced was known for its quality and excellence — baskets, brushes, bonnets, brooms, homespun fabric, furniture, garden seeds, medicinal herbs, and even applesauce!
The workplaces and the houses of Shakers were clean and orderly. More of Mother Ann’s admonitions include: “Clean your room well, for good spirits will not live where there is dirt.” And, “A place for everything and everything in its place.”
Shakers believed that they must confess their sins regularly, and I certainly agree with that. Nothing good comes from letting unconfessed sins mount up in our lives.

BUT, once you look beyond these very good things, the more disturbing beliefs and practices emerge.

The Central Meeting House at Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, built in 1820.

Ann Lee founded the Shakers (first referred to as the “Shaking Quakers”) in England in 1770, as a result of her discontent with the Anglican Church. She married in 1762 at the age of 26 and had four children, but all four of them died in infancy. Shortly after the last child died, she claimed to have had a vision from God that sexual intimacy was the root of all evil and that a person had to be celibate in order to truly serve God. She persuaded her husband and seven followers to leave England and relocate in America. Within two years of coming to America, her husband left her for another woman. Clearly, Ann Lee had a very unfortunate experience with marriage and with child-bearing, but God created the sexual union AND the ability to conceive and bear children. And, the Bible has a lot of say about marriage, husbands, wives and being parents.

As the doctrine of Shakerism and celibacy spread, there would often be 40 or more men and women living under the same roof but in opposite parts of the house. They took vows to live together as brothers and sisters, rather than as husbands and wives. So, of course, my question was HOW did these communities grow without any children? I learned that the Shakers adopted many orphans and reared them in their communities, giving each one the option to stay or to leave at the age of 21. The Shaker membership was at its highest between 1820-1860 with 6000 believers, so many of those adopted orphans must have chosen to stay.

Probably the most troubling belief of the Shakers was this — the formal name for the Shakers was the United Society of Believers in the Second Appearing of Christ, and they believed that Ann Lee, who came to be known as Mother Ann, was the embodiment of that Second Appearing of Christ. She came to believe that God was bisexual, that Christ was the male portion of God and she was the female portion. Ann died at the age of 48, but by then there were plenty of believers to take up her missionary zeal for making converts to Shakerism.

So much good was done by the Shakers, but they were oh-so-wrong about some very important teachings in God’s Word.

Genesis 2:23-24 “The man said, “This is now bone of my bones,And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman,because she was taken out of Man. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

I Found a Treasure!

05/05/2017 By: CCPearson4 Comments

I thought it was lost forever. I searched online over and over, but none of the recipes I found had the “secret” middle layer using an egg that my Momma’s recipe had. She served her unique Orange Congealed Salad many times, and it always got rave reviews. She died 31 years ago, and somehow the recipe seemed to have disappeared. But, a few days ago, while I was searching for something else entirely in a place I rarely look, THERE IT WAS. The coveted recipe. And in my Momma’s own handwriting. I was thrilled. In my heart and from my perspective, it was like finding a Lost Treasure.

The very top of the recipe I found. For the time being, I believe I’ll keep the entire recipe “in the family.” Hope you don’t mind.

I quickly made a photo of the recipe and sent it to my siblings and daughters — much to their delight. I will be diligent to be sure this treasure never gets lost again. And, to add to my joy, tomorrow I will take this salad to a luncheon at my church where several ladies will be attending who actually knew my Momma. That makes me smile, and I believe Momma would be pleased.

The first layer of Momma’s orange congealed salad.

The final stage of Momma’s orange congealed salad. It’s that secret middle layer that makes it extra special.

Jesus shared several parables about finding something that was lost and rejoicing when it was found. One, in Luke 15, involves a woman with similar feelings to my own.

Luke 15:8-10 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

What a beautiful picture for those of us who have “repented.” Our repentance brought joy in the presence of God’s angels. And, doesn’t that motivate us to share the gospel with those who are lost, so that the angels can experience joy over and over and over?

Can 2 Baptists Go to the Horse Races Without Sinning?

04/28/2017 By: CCPearsoncomment

I hope the answer is “Yes,” because Steve and I enjoyed a fun afternoon during the Spring Race Meet Season at Keeneland in Lexington, KY just last week. We both have our share of addictions and temptations. Don’t get me wrong. I, for instance, need to spend as little time as possible in a bakery. But, gambling and alcohol don’t tempt us. For those who struggle with those addictions, I would suggest staying far away. The Bible does address this in no uncertain terms.

James 1: 13-16 “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.”

1 Timothy 6:9 “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

The weather was perfect. Mild temperatures, a gentle breeze. Parking was free, and a complimentary shuttle ran regularly to help navigate the uphill trek to the Racing Pavilion/Grandstand. Tickets to get in were less than $10 each, and that included admission and a seat in the grandstand — which meant seats with backs and armrests and being out of the bright sun. Here was the view from our seats — right in front of the finish line.

Oh my, those thoroughbreds are such gorgeous animals!! And just driving to Keeneland, we passed miles and miles of picture-perfect horse farms, fenced grounds and palatial barns. The horse-racing culture has obviously generated millions upon millions of dollars worth of revenue for Kentucky, its cities and its citizens. The owners, trainers and jockeys benefit directly, but also those who grow the hay the horses eat, those who muck out the stalls, and still others who teach riding lessons are helped by this industry, too.

There were OPPORTUNITIES to place bets everywhere, but the only money we spent during the races went for a program, 2 soft pretzels and some lemonade. Instead of betting money, we looked over the names of the horses in each race and picked our favorites. My goodness, who has the job of coming up with the names for these horses? They range “from the ridiculous to the sublime,” as the saying goes. I remember Race 5, in particular. Steve liked “Johnny Obvious,” and I was torn between “Keep Talking” and “Kiss the Toad.” In the final seconds, “Bound for Nowhere” came streaking from the middle of the pack and won by several lengths. There’s got to be a sermon in that, don’t you think? “Bound for Nowhere” running as fast as he could and winning the race . . . but why, if he has no destination in mind. Hmmmm.

But, anyway, we laughed and cheered and had a grand ol’ time. And we enjoyed chatting with the family sitting next to us. We observed the pageantry and the traditions. My favorite, of course, was the role of the bugler and the precision with which he did his job.

Now for a confession. I WAS tempted by the hats!! Or maybe I should say that I was lured by them?? We weren’t at the Kentucky Derby, mind you, and only a small percentage of the ladies were wearing great hats. But, there was a large display of gorgeous hats for sale near the entrance to the racetrack, and ladies were ENCOURAGED to try them on. The large pink one in the photo had a hefty price tag of over $500, so, nope, that was not going to go home with me. But, on the way out, with some nudging from Steve, I did buy one that makes me happy, and it was only 1/10 of the cost of the pink one. Whew. Our budget is still intact, and I have a memorable souvenir of an afternoon I never imagined experiencing before I became a travel writer.

Do you see the blue hat right in the center of this photo? It may or may not have come home with me.

And then there’s the whole subject of Christians being IN the world, but not OF the world. Something we’ll talk about on another day. Oh, and as we were walking back to our car, we saw a First Baptist Church bus parked among the dozens of tour buses. ?????

Auburn B & B Owners Exhibit Christian Hospitality

04/21/2017 By: CCPearson6 Comments

In a recent visit to “The Loveliest Village on the Plains,” I had the delightful privilege of touring the Crenshaw Guest House and sitting down with its very warm and personable owner, Sarah Jenkins. Crenshaw Guest House is a B & B located at 371 N. College Street, near the railroad tracks running through downtown Auburn. It is within easy walking distance of the shops and eateries frequented by students and all manner of university folks and is within a REASONABLE walking distance of Jordan-Hare Stadium and Auburn Arena for football games, basketball games, concerts and the like. Not only is it conveniently located, it is also packed with Auburn University history.

Front exterior of Crenshaw Guest House on N. College St. in Auburn, AL

It was built in 1890 by Bolling Hall Crenshaw who was a professor at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (which later became Auburn University) and authored several mathematics textbooks. A later owner was Frances Speight Sugg Verma, granddaughter of Cliff Hare (see the reference to Jordan-Hare Stadium above). And, more than 20 trees on the property were planted by former Auburn football coach, Pat Dye, who drops by every year to “check on his trees.” This place screams “A-U-B-U-R-N!”

But, it was a quote on the Crenshaw Guest House website, that really drew me in and made me want to take a closer look. Speaking of owners Steven and Sarah Jenkins: “Their main reason for purchasing the Crenshaw House is to share Christian hospitality and provide a comfortable, clean home away from home for current and future friends visiting Auburn.” I absolutely loved that statement, so my first question to Sarah when I visited was this, “Tell me what Christian hospitality looks like to you.”

Steven and Sarah Jenkins, owners of Crenshaw Guest House in Auburn, AL

Without missing a beat, Sarah said that to her it meant “making sure people feel welcomed, loved and accepted.” She said that their guests come from all different backgrounds — parents of university students, young couples/families, alumni, people interviewing for jobs — and she wants to “invest in them as people, talk to them, visit with them, see what’s going on in their lives.” She said that it could appear that time for such investing would be short, but that actually when guests come in for breakfast, there IS time to talk. She mentioned a couple from India who stayed recently. The husband was interviewing for a job, and they had only been married for a few months. The new wife proudly shared wedding pictures she had on her phone.

Scripture is strategically placed throughout the house, and both Steven and Sarah readily and naturally work into their conversations how God brought them to Auburn and how they became owners of Crenshaw. Sarah said, “We had never had owning a B & B on our radar, yet God kept opening doors, and we walked through them. Even in decorating the rooms, God provided. Guests will remark about various items, and we share how God provided exactly what we needed for that spot. One time I found a vintage suitcase, and it made me smile. God cares about the big things, but He also cares about the little things.” I loved the way Sarah so easily and gratefully acknowledged God in everything she said during our time together.

She said that they don’t blatantly try to evangelize. They just welcome people, and share what God is doing in their lives. She mentioned how important relationship-building is, and that they have a LOT of repeat/returning guests as a result of the relationships that have formed.

As a side note, Sarah said that they don’t ban alcohol on the property (guests may buy their own and bring it in), but they also don’t SERVE alcohol.

I asked her about inspections and health ratings, etc. She said that she was her own personal CLEAN POLICE. I believe it. The place was spotless! In addition to washing all the sheets and towels after every guest leaves, she even washes the bedspreads and shower curtains!! What a way to “go the extra mile!” She’s also a big Chlorox user and goes over every surface that a guest might have touched. This habit comes directly from her previous years as a pre-school teacher at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. She was also well-taught by her mother, who comes for a visit and says, “What can we clean today?” The oft-used phrase “cleanliness is next to godliness” is actually nowhere to be found in the Bible, but I’d say that Sarah’s approach to the atmosphere she has created at Crenshaw Guest House is a perfect example of how that saying can be modeled. It is a very clean place to stay, and Sarah is obviously a Spirit-filled woman. Just as a word of explanation, Steven is definitely involved in owning this B & B and often fills in with entertaining guests and serving breakfast, but he’s also a full-time software engineer with a cottage in the back of the property that serves as his office.

Sarah mentioned that in addition to the joy of meeting people through the B & B, she also appreciates the university students they are able to employ during busy times. These strong, able-bodied young people help with cleaning, serving breakfast and yardwork and are a great blessing to the Jenkins family.

As for the future, Sarah says, “We’re here until God tells us to move.” I hope they will be there for a long time to come, touching the lives of all their guests with excellent examples of Christian hospitality.

1 Peter 4:9 “Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.”

Romans 12:10-13 “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹²rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.”

Even the back entrance is welcoming.

Caring Enough to Confront

04/14/2017 By: CCPearson4 Comments

She thought I had laughed at her mistake and was geared up to change her whole opinion of me and start resenting me. How grateful I am that she cared enough to call me on it.

Last Monday as I was leaving my weekly Bible study, a sweet friend stopped me on the sidewalk and said, “You WERE laughing WITH me and not AT me, weren’t you?” My puzzled look and awkward laugh must have led her to say more. “This morning as I was sharing about my friend,” she went on, “I unintentionally mispronounced her name. When I did that, I looked up and you were laughing. It seemed to me that you were laughing at my mistake.”

Wow. What a sobering reminder of how quickly our actions can be misconstrued and cause damaged relationships!!

In fact, before our Bible study got fully underway that morning, the room was abuzz with women chattering. Are Baptist women the only ones who chatter? Ha! I was sitting near the back of the room beside my friend Dianne. We share several common traits — about the same age, both retired with retired husbands, both love travel, both are grandmothers, both have sons in the ministry, etc. etc. So, we were spending a few minutes getting caught up and laughing at our almost-constant Family Circus-type moments. In my peripheral vision, I noticed that a conversation was going on in the front of the room, but I confess that I wasn’t paying attention and had no idea what that conversation was about. You guessed it. My offended friend was in the front of the room involved in that “peripheral” conversation.

I sincerely hope my offended friend accepted my explanation and believed me. She has always been very dear to me and has consistently said and written such encouraging words to me when we’ve passed in church or in response to Facebook posts, etc. It would break my heart to know that she might harbor anger or ill feelings toward me, especially because of something as innocent as a laugh completely out of context.

I’ve thought a lot about the encounter this week.

How many times have I mistaken a frown, a non-answer, a time of feeling ignored or even a laugh as being aimed in my direction maliciously or with hurtful motives? When have I jumped to the wrong conclusions and not had the courage to dig deeper to find out what REALLY happened and why?

Have any of you experienced a broken relationship over an innocent word/gesture that was misinterpreted?

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

Ephesians 4:2-3 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.“

Luke 6:31 “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Colossians 3:12-14 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

FRET NOT!!!

04/07/2017 By: CCPearson1 Comment

As I write today’s post, many in North Alabama are fretting about the weather. Storms are brewing. A tornado watch has been posted. Schools are closed. The Governor has declared a state of emergency. I am all for being weather aware and prepared to seek shelter if the situation warrants it. I know where my Silver Fox and I will go if the weather alert app on my phone tells us to go to our safe place. And, furthermore, I am praying for protection for our children, grandchildren and loved ones within the threat areas. But, I am making a conscious effort to trust God and FRET NOT!!

In addition to weather predictions, many people in the United States and even the world have been fretting mightily over political issues in recent months. I refuse to jump into the fray. I see unfortunate words and regrettable actions swirling from both major parties in Congress. I have cringed during the evening news and tried changing channels, only to find more despicable rhetoric with an opposite spin. I confess to having my own opinions on many of the issues, and I will continue to make my statements by voting in every election. But, from now on, I will try extremely hard to FRET NOT. And, then yesterday the U.S. attacked Syria. Oh my. Fret not . . . fret not . . . .

What IS fretting anyway? According to Dictionary.com, to fret is 1) “to feel or express worry, annoyance, discontent” 2) “to cause corrosion or to gnaw into something” 3) “to become eaten, worn or corroded” and 4) “to move in agitation or commotion.” God tells us to refrain from fretting, DO NOT FRET.

I must credit long-time friend and God-anointed evangelist Junior Hill from Hartselle for putting this admonition in my heart. Recently, our First Baptist Athens choir was asked to sing at Greenbriar Baptist in Madison County, and Brother Junior (as he has been called for many years) was the preacher. His text was Psalm 37:1-4, and I have been pondering it ever since that night. Here is the passage in the English Standard Version:

1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
²For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.

³Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
⁴Delight yourself in the Lord,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.

According to God’s Word in verse 2, what will happen to the evildoers and wrongdoers we might be fretting about? Soon, they will “fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.” And, while we’re waiting for that fading and withering to take place, what are the positive imperatives in verses 3 and 4? Trust in the Lord, do good, dwell in the land, befriend faithfulness and delight yourself in the Lord. It seems to me that if we’re carrying out those positive marching orders, we will have much less time to fret.

Brother Junior told us that there are 3 negative effects when Christians fret. First, our own inner spirit is agitated and disturbed. The joy we find in ministry is diminished, and our worship becomes distracted and self-focused, rather than God-focused. Second, our fretting effects our fellow brothers and sisters within the Body of Christ. Like a bad apple in a basket, it subtly causes corrosion within the church. Instead of having an influence for good, we are causing fellow believers to find the bad, when maybe they had not wanted or needed to see it in the past. And third, when a Christian frets, it is confusing to unbelievers and those outside the church. After all, aren’t we the ones who possess “peace that passes all understanding?” (Philippians 4:7) Haven’t we been clearly directed to “be anxious for nothing?” (Philippians 4:6) Do we truly believe that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble?” (Psalm 46:1) Does the unbelieving world watch as we “cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for us?” (1 Peter 5:7)

I don’t want my inner spirit to be troubled. I don’t want to stir up negativity among my fellow believers, but most of all, I WANT unbelievers to watch as I claim the promises in God’s Word and put my faith into action. I want them to desire the peace, the lack of anxiety and the total trust in God that followers of Christ have within their possession. Who’s with me?

A few verses further down in Psalm 37:

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

⁸Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

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