God Continues to Teach Me Archives - Page 3 of 15

Christians, Are We MEAN?

06/14/2019 By: CCPearson8 Comments

Last weekend Steve and I attended the Southern Christian Writers Conference in Tuscaloosa. Yes, gasp, Tuscaloosa — Bryant-Denny Stadium glimpsed from the road, the Houndstooth Condominiums and a Paul W. Bryant street sign to boot. We were in enemy territory from a football rival sense, but we were among like-minded, similarly-motivated people inside First Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa.

We sat through meals, keynote speeches and breakout session with editors, publishers, authors, bloggers, representatives of The Alabama Baptist and lots of wannabes, from at least a dozen states, such as ourselves. We were there to learn, get fresh insights, a renewed motivation and a focused purpose.

During Saturday lunch, we purposely sat at the table where we knew Javacia Harris Bowser would be. By all means, check out her website: seejanewritebham.com. Javacia (pronounced “juh-VAY-see-uh”) is a sharp, attractive, highly-accomplished, Christian, African-American woman who lives in Birmingham. She has been recognized by several different organizations for her business savvy and ability to influence others. She led two different sessions on blogging. Steve attended one, and I attended the other. She gave us so much to think about regarding our writing, but she also gave us a lot to chew on regarding the impact of Christians in non-Christian settings.

Javacia got her master’s degree in journalism at University of California-Berkley. Over lunch, she was asked what it was like to live in California and be a Christian. Was it difficult? How did other people treat her, etc.? What she shared surprised us. She said that while she was in school at Berkley, she found a church where she could worship and make friends. She carried on her life the same way she had always done. She didn’t wear any signs on her forehead proclaiming she was a Christian. She merely treated people with kindness and respect, attempting to know who they were, what their concerns were, what they enjoyed and what motivated them. AFTER building a relationship, she would reveal that she was a Christian, and their initial reaction was shock. They couldn’t believe she was a Christian, because, to them, Christians were MEAN, and she was not.

Mean. Us? Could we possibly come across as narrow-minded, bigoted, self-righteous, judgmental, unforgiving, unable to hear another’s viewpoint? Us? Mean?

I’ve been pondering that. If those traits are how we’re perceived, then NO WONDER those outside the Christian faith have no interest in coming in and learning more. Where is our Christlikeness? Do we say words He would say, do deeds He would do, interact with people HE interacted with?

What if every Christian made it their goal to imitate the Savior?

Think about it.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 the Apostle Paul says, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” That seems to sound pretty arrogant on Paul’s part, but I like the way Matthew Henry helps to unpack that verse. His understanding is: “Follow me as far as I follow Christ. Come up as close as you can to my example in those instances wherein I endeavour (Henry’s spelling) to copy after his pattern. Be my disciples, as far as I manifest myself to be a faithful minister and disciple of Christ, and no further. I would not have you be my disciples, but his.” I believe Henry is right in his interpretation.

Paul also wrote Ephesians 5:1-2 which the Living Bible paraphrases like this: “Follow God’s example in everything you do just as a much loved child imitates his father. ²Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him.”

Love. Sacrifice. Sweet perfume.

Pretty much the opposite of mean.

FAMILY — Kinfolks and Kindred Spirits

06/07/2019 By: CCPearsoncomment

Steve and I absolutely love times when ALL of our children, their spouses and the grandchildren can be in one place at the same time. We invariably retell the same stories that have made us laugh for decades, and we assume old familiar roles — one is the clown, one has the quick wit and unexpected zinger lines, one is sweet and compassionate, one waits to speak and then has the perfect words for the moment, and all of them enjoy “cracking on Mom.” (As I’ve told you before, my funeral will be a roast. You won’t want to miss it). 🙂

Matt and Julie — brother and sister — at Allie’s graduation.

Granddaddy hugs Allie after her high school graduation.

The grandkids, in LARGE part because of the years they’ve come to Cousins Camp, also take up where they’ve left off from their last time together with bonds, familiarity, inside jokes and connections. In other words, we “get” each other. Some of it, to be sure, can be attributed to shared DNA. But most, I believe, is because of time spent together and relationships that have ever-deepening layers. We are all very different, but we love each other and have a shared history.

Nathan celebrating his 13th birthday with cousin Sam looking on.

Oldest granddaughter Allie with her siblings and cousin Luke.

A few weeks ago, I spent several days in Clarksville, Tennessee. I met three ladies — Michelle, Cindy and Karyl — who felt like family members almost immediately. I got to spend an afternoon with one, two whole days with another and only about 30 minutes with the third, but we had a bond. Why? We were/are spiritual sisters. We share faith in Jesus, a love for His Word and for His church. We each try to live our lives in ways that would be pleasing to Him. Two are public relations and tourism representatives. They do an amazing job of showcasing the businesses and attractions of Clarksville to outsiders WHILE they maintain strong marriages and train their children. Their families aren’t perfect, but they trust in God to give them wisdom and guidance. The third lady owns a popular catfish restaurant. She took over when her parents decided it was time to step aside. She oversees 50 employees and hundreds of customers who frequent her place of business. Yet, she doesn’t use that as an excuse to miss church. She just goes to the early service on Sunday mornings. Her parents decided long ago that they would never serve alcohol in their restaurant and believe that God has blessed them as a result of that commitment. One is a Southern Baptist, as I am, but the other two are in different denominations. That’s not important. What IS important is that we share a “heart language.” We have the same foundation and the same motivation for living each day and doing what we do. Clarksville, Tennessee is a great town, but meeting those three women was THE highlight for me.

How blessed we are when we are members of a loving family (the Bible often calls it a “body”) full of blood relatives AND brothers and sisters in Christ!

“So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” – Romans 12:5

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” – Colossians 3:15

Ephesians 2:19-22 – “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

Galatians 6:10 — “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

When Churches and Pastors Don’t Act Like Jesus

05/31/2019 By: CCPearson2 Comments

I write this morning with a deep heavy sigh. If a church is the Bride of Christ, then why, please tell me why, do some churches bear no resemblance to the Savior?

I have a friend who is in a horrible situation. From her earliest days, she has attended church with unwavering faithfulness. She has followed the teachings about dress, behavior and “Thou shalt nots” strictly. She has sincerely believed that since she’s saved, she doesn’t sin — because that’s what her denomination teaches. She has scrimped and saved in order to attend Camp Meeting every summer. It was actually her family’s yearly vacation. From my perspective, hers has been a very restricted and legalistic life, but in her circle, she has epitomized the role of “a good church member.”

Several months ago, she confessed to her pastor that she was struggling with some issues. These were not overt sins, certainly nothing like adultery, abuse, lying, murder, theft or the like. Hers was a matter of the heart, of feelings. Something I can certainly relate to, can’t you? The kind of thing I find myself confessing and asking forgiveness for again and again.

Her pastor’s response was shocking. He told her that she needed to get out of the church, that she wasn’t welcome there, and worst of all, he told her that God was through with her. GOD WAS THROUGH WITH HER??? How could anyone who calls himself a pastor utter such words?? Suddenly, the whole focus of each day and week was stripped away from her. With that one pronouncement, she also lost all of her friends, because she had surrounded herself with the people who attend that church.

I have been both baffled, troubled and disgusted by this friend’s situation. It is so far removed from what Scripture reveals about the nature and character of Christ, of Who He is, of how He behaved, of how He treated others, of what He taught. What did He say about the ones who were dividing His clothes while He hung on the cross? “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34. What did He say to the woman caught in adultery? “Go and sin no more.” Read the whole amazing account in John 8:1-11.

Jesus taught us to forgive.

Jesus gave of Himself and was humble. Read Philippians 2:1-11 and James 4:6.

Jesus taught us to pray. He prayed FOR others, WITH others and ALONE. Read Matthew 19:13, Luke 9:28, Luke 5:16

Jesus was compassionate. Matthew 9:36 says He “was moved with compassion.”

Jesus was FULL of the fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23.

It seems to me that being able to quote reams of Bible verses and being zealous for following church rules become meaningless acts, even harmful, if those acts are done with cruelty, a heavy-handedness and a demeanor that is the opposite of what Jesus exhibited.

Would you please pray with me for my friend? Would you please pray for her to be delivered from this bondage and to find forgiveness, light, love and freedom in Christ? I believe there is tremendous power in prayer and even MORE power in MORE prayer.

Thank you.

Right House. Wrong Key.

05/24/2019 By: CCPearson2 Comments

I drove down my driveway smiling because of all the colorful flowers abloom around the front of the house and grateful to have a garage so I wouldn’t get soaked while I unloaded my groceries. With my arms full of shopping bags from my morning’s errands, I got out to unlock the door into the house. (Let me pause here to say that because we have an alarm system we don’t generally need to lock this door, but because we were expecting a repairman, we had locked it on this particular day). The key I had been faithfully carrying around on my key ring for almost a year would go into the opening, but no matter how I twisted and turned it, it wouldn’t unlock the door. Oh well. I’d try one of the other SIX doors going into my house that supposedly used the same key. Maybe this particular door had just gotten jammed somehow, I thought. So, with umbrella in hand and shoes getting rapidly wetter, I tried all the doors. I learned two things in the process: 1) Steve and I are very good at keeping the house locked securely. 2) And, the key I had been carrying didn’t work on any of the doors.

My smile faded while my frozen items started to thaw. Steve was working in another town, but I called him hoping just maybe he had hidden a key somewhere. No luck. His words? “Just yesterday I was thinking I needed to do that.” Bummer.

There was nothing left to do but call a locksmith and wait. Very fortunately, he lived nearby and was able to come immediately. As an added plus, he wore an Auburn lanyard around his neck — a sure sign that I was in good hands. 🙂 About 8 or 9 tricks-of-the-trade later and $60 poorer, I entered my back door and finally got to bring the groceries in before they ruined. I was in the right house — MY house — but I’d been carrying around the wrong key.

This key would go into the opening but would NOT open the door. It was the WRONG key.

Now, if that doesn’t have spiritual parallels, then I haven’t been listening to sermons for 69 years. 🙂

We’re all heading toward the “right house” of heaven. No one would intentionally PLAN to go to hell, wouldn’t you agree? We long for the peace of God in our lives, the assurance of our salvation, the comfort of knowing where we will spend eternity. But, how many of us are carrying around the wrong key to get in?

Some are banking on the “keys” of regular church attendance . . . or being a good person . . . or singing the best praise songs and hymns . . . or memorizing enough Bible verses . . . or praying long enough every day . . . or giving money to the church . . . or doing good deeds . . . or teaching Sunday School and serving on a committee. . . or keeping the Ten Commandments, etc. etc. Those are all admirable activities. They might even cause the key to fit in the keyhole, but they will NOT make the key turn and open the door.

Here’s what the Bible says about the KEY to being saved:

Romans 10:9-10 — ” If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Remember this incredible account in the New Testament in Acts 15:25-31.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. ²⁷The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Do you have the right key on your key ring?

Today is My Birthday

05/17/2019 By: CCPearson2 Comments

That’s right. Today is my birthday. My 69th birthday, as a matter of fact. To celebrate, my Silver Fox and I are headed out shortly to Greenwood, Mississippi. We’ll check into the Alluvian Hotel and enjoy a gourmet couples cooking class tonight at The Viking Cooking School. The class is called “That’s Amore,” and the menu sounds fabulous. Don’t worry. You will be reading all about it and seeing lots of photos, I’m sure.

Then, tomorrow we’ll drive to Troy, Alabama, where my good ol’ Charles Henderson High School classmates from 1968 will try AGAIN to have a 50-year reunion. (The one attempted last summer turned out to be poorly attended, so we demanded a do-over). In particular, I’m looking forward to visiting with a friend I haven’t seen since our 10-year reunion. We were great friends in those long-ago days. She was even a bridesmaid in my wedding. Should be fun.

So, the plans for the weekend sound good and hopefully they will lift my normally bright, sunny disposition out of the doldrums I’ve been mired in lately. Do you ever have times like that? Do you have days when your mortality looms heavily? When you realize that if “the natural order of life” comes about, then you are “one of the next to die?” (I told you I’d been wallowing). Maybe it’s that number — 69. Oh, so close to 70. Maybe it’s watching our oldest grandchild graduate from high school and being reminded of the rapid passing of the years. Maybe it’s reading bad health reports on good friends who are very near my age. Maybe my own health scare from back in March is still weighing heavily on my mind. Whatever the reason, I have GOT to get a grip. As the saying goes, “I’m too blessed to be stressed!”

I may be 69 today, but maybe 69 is the new 49. 🙂

Right this moment, I am NOT facing a medical crisis.

My Silver Fox is healthy — healthy enough to keep our yard looking great, to work as a veterinarian several days a week (diagnosing astutely and performing surgeries), to teach a great lesson to our Life Group on Sundays and write thought-provoking blog posts for the church website, and to keep me laughing.

With my Silver Fox at The Plaza in NYC last Christmas

Our 3 children are doing exactly what God wired them to do — parenting, sharing God’s Word, teaching.

With my 2 beautiful daughters, Laura and Julie

Our almost 14 grandchildren are happy and healthy. (Baby Beatrix is due in July).

I have a fulfilling 4th career as a travel writer and blogger.

I have some very good friends.

I am constantly learning new things, and I have this blog as a platform for sharing what I learn.

I know that God loves me unconditionally and continues to have a plan for my life.

So, Happy Birthday to me. God willing I’ll be here for my next, and next, and next. But, if not, then YOU can know that I’ll be celebrating better than I could have ever asked or imagined.

Psalm 90:12 – “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Ephesians 5:15-17 – “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Proverbs 15:15 — “When a man is gloomy, everything seems to go wrong; when he is cheerful, everything seems right!” Well, I want everything to seem right. Off with the gloom. On with the celebration!

And one more thing. Andy Rooney once said, “Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.” So, so true.

Not Exactly Norman Rockwell

05/10/2019 By: CCPearsoncomment

We’ve all seen the famous painting by Norman Rockwell. It’s called “Freedom from Want,” and it features a large extended family gathered at the Thanksgiving table with a perfectly-cooked turkey being set in the middle of the table by the grandmother with granddaddy and all the hungry relatives ready to dig in. It’s easy to imagine an ideal family scenario with everyone getting along lovingly and no “impossible” relatives spoiling the occasion. I don’t know about you, but such a scene is seldom achieved in the Pearson house. We somehow tend to have more chaos and drama.

Take last week for example. On Tuesday afternoon, daughter Julie called to say she wanted to leave the next day for a 3-day conference in Atlanta with her husband Brian, but previous child care arrangements had just fallen through. She needed her momma to come to the rescue. Even though I knew Steve would be working for the next two days, I made some adjustments to my own previous plans and was able to welcome 7 eager children (ages 18 months to almost 12 years) into the house the next morning. Day 1 and the first night went smoothly. Everyone slept well and woke up raring to go the following morning. We played a new game and worked on some Mother’s Day projects. However, within a few hours, FOUR of them had developed a nasty stomach virus. FOUR. The 18-month-old was miserable and just wanted to be held, yet I had to put him down often to clean up the “effects” of sickness throughout the day. By the time Steve got home from work at suppertime, we were a MESS, a certified disaster zone, a hair’s breadth away from calling in the National Guard!!!

I got up with various sick people through the second night, but by the morning of Day 3, I had the virus myself. I could not lift my head off the pillow. Poor Steve, then, had 7 kids to care for who were (gratefully) feeling better. To make matters worse, Julie, the mother of these children who had looked forward to a well-earned break, was herself horribly sick in Atlanta!

The children were back with their parents by the end of Day 3, and I began the process of washing and disinfecting every germ-ridden towel, pillowcase, blanket, sheet, dish and surface in the house. In the middle of the following night, Steve was “down for the count.”

Get the picture? We were NOT the family you’d want to feature in a Hallmark movie, or on the front of a smiling greeting card or certainly not as the subject of a Norman Rockwell painting. Our flaws had been put on full display.

And, those of you who have been affected by divorce can relate to this — tomorrow our oldest granddaughter will graduate from high school. Her parents divorced when she was two. Those parents have both remarried. We all love Allie very much and are so proud of her, but people with an unpleasant history will be thrown into the same environment for several hours. We all claim to be followers of Christ. Will we behave in ways that will reflect our identities in Christ or will Satan get to claim the victory?

Somehow as this Mother’s Day weekend approaches, I felt the need to be completely transparent with all of you. Here’s the deal. This side of heaven we won’t achieve perfection in our families. We are NOT a perfect family. Blessed? Absolutely! But far, FAR from perfect. There will be challenges and many times when our resolve to display love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control will be tested. Our family members won’t always smell, sound, look or act pleasant in our eyes — nor will we in theirs.

Galatians 5:22-23 — “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law.”

I made a new friend who is a Sister in Christ this past week. She has encouraged me to “pass the test.” Even without defining it verbally, I know the kind of test she’s talking about. I don’t want to disappoint her, but even more, I don’t want to disappoint Jesus.

So, we keep on keeping on. We keep putting on the whole armor. We keep asking God to help us live in understanding with one another. We pray for His will to be done in US and to change our bad attitudes.

Romans 12:18 – “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

We Were Meant to Fly

05/03/2019 By: CCPearson2 Comments

Lori Allen, Director of Great Escape Publishing, recently shared this motivational article with travel writers/bloggers/photographers in mind.

When I was studying to get my pilot’s license (a goal I never achieved because I eventually moved to Paris and started Great Escape Publishing), my instructor always used to say: ‘Now remember, these planes aren’t made to crash, they’re made to fly.’ On one day’s lesson, we climbed to 10,000 feet, he cut off the engines to simulate an engine failure, and then he tilted the nose of our small Cessna down toward the ground as if we were going to do a nose-dive. He let go of the yoke, and I watched in amazement (and somewhat horror) as the plane righted itself back up. ‘See, they’re meant to fly,’ he said. And it’s not just these small planes that are built to fly. All planes are built this way.

Malcolm Gladwell wrote about crashes in his book, The Outliers. He says it takes, on average, seven mistakes to crash a plane. It’s not enough that the weather is bad, the engine fails, and the pilot went out drinking the night before. It typically takes four more things to go wrong for a crash to happen. The co-pilot must also be tired and stressed, the head engineer must have missed the check-engine briefing, air traffic control is overwhelmed, AND, on the way down, the landing gear gets stuck. Seven mistakes total. Not just one . . . because planes are meant to fly. And the same is true about you.

Just as airplanes are meant to fly, you and I are meant to function as God designed us to function.

A few weeks ago, I spent several days near Orlando, Florida, in my role as a travel and food writer and blogger. The tourism representatives and
other writers were millennials, meaning I was their “senior” by close to
40 years. I am light years behind them in their social media skills and
most certainly in their energy levels. But, I could make a contribution by doing what I know how to do — ask good questions, look away
from my phone to observe the surroundings, take photos of them in
all of their various athletic pursuits, listen astutely, be independent and
resourceful in unfamiliar places. I can’t be a travel writer in the
ways that THEY accomplish the task, but I can “fly” as a travel writer
being Connie.

I believe that God wants me to “do me” and each of you to “do you.” He
was very creative when He wired each of us with specific personalities
and skills. If we function as we were designed to function, it is highly
unlikely that we will have seven catastrophes to happen simultaneously
leading us to crash. Instead, we will FLY!!!

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 Ecclesiastes 9:10 — “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with
thy might; “

Photo from Google Images by Kevin Blanzy, marked “free to use.”

“What Do You Fear?”

04/26/2019 By: CCPearsoncomment

Granddaughters Maggie and Allie created these paintings back in 2013, just in time for Halloween. As you can tell by their faces, this was “fake fear.”

“What do you fear?” That was the question Steve posed to all of us in our life group on Easter Sunday morning. It was a prelude to the discussion about the Bible passage in Matthew 28, specifically verses 1-10. Look at all the times fear or being afraid are mentioned —

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

²There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.⁴The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The soldiers were afraid. The women were afraid. The disciples were afraid. Yet, the angel and Jesus said, “Do not be afraid.”

The answers in our life group ranged from “spiders,” “heights,” “mascots or clowns in costumes,” “the water,” to “I’m afraid of something happening to one of my children,” “I’m afraid of losing my job,” or “I’m afraid of losing my wife because she is the glue that holds our family together.”

I’m the one who mentioned water, because I can’t swim. And yes, I’ve now had 3 different swimming pools in backyards where we’ve lived. The things we do for those we love. 🙂 But, while I’m being transparent, I, too, fear losing one of the children or grandchildren, but as Steve and I get older, the more often we have conversations such as: “If something happens to you, what do you want me to do about ________?” or “At my funeral, please _________” or even “Let’s do _____ before our health deteriorates, and we can’t do that anymore.”

Morbid? Yes. Unsettling? Very much so. A reality? Sure. But paralyzing? No. If I let the fear of dying or of Steve dying consume me, then I miss out on the blessing of each day with him. If I spend hours planning my funeral, those are hours I could have spent laughing, loving, encouraging or EATING. Ha! Right?

One of the very first Bible verses I learned as a child was Psalm 56:3 — “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

And another passage I have loved — maybe because it was beautifully set to music is Psalm 27:1 — ” The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” When you have a few minutes, read the whole chapter of Psalm 27 and maybe go a step further. Go to YouTube and watch a wonderful gospel choir sing these words.

There are times when all of us will feel fearful, but let’s cling to the promise that God is holding us in His “righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 — “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

My Easter Thank-You List

04/19/2019 By: CCPearsoncomment

A few days ago, I opened up these treasures found in my mailbox — thank you notes from my grandchildren who are taking piano lessons from me. How precious it is when children express gratitude. Their mother is teaching them well.

It felt so good to read words of thanks from people I love, it led me to think about how God the Father must feel when we express our thanks to Him. Easter is a good time to do that, don’t you think?

Dear Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross, taking the blame for my sin. It was a cruel death on an ugly cross, and that’s the reason I stay away from crosses as decorations or in jewelry. At the same time, the sight of the EMPTY cross is beautiful and deeply meaningful.
Thank you, Jesus, for enduring the crown of thorns, the whip and the nails. When Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire on Monday, some brave firefighters rushed in to save what is believed to be the actual crown of thorns You wore. It doesn’t matter so much whether that is the actual crown. What matters is that You willingly wore it.
Thank you for expressing forgiveness even while enduring excruciating pain. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” What an example that is for me.
Thank you for accepting the faith of the thief who was crucified beside You, proving that salvation can happen at ANY moment — even at the LAST moment of life.
Thank you, Jesus, for coming out of that tomb on the third day. Thank you for conquering death and ascending to the Father.
Thank you for appearing to so many people after Your resurrection so it could be a thoroughly-witnessed, undisputed fact for generations to follow.
Even though You COULD HAVE come down from the cross, avoided the suffering and been ministered to by legions of angels, You willingly followed the pattern and path already set forth in the Bible allowing me to receive salvation and eternal life.

If I had to choose just one favorite Easter hymn, I believe it would be “Low In the Grave He Lay” by Robert Lowry. Such powerful words.

1	Low in the grave He lay— Jesus my Savior! Waiting the coming day— Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o’er His foes He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever with His saints to reign He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
2	Vainly they watch His bed— Jesus, my Savior! Vainly they seal the dead— Jesus my Lord!
3	Death cannot keep his prey— Jesus, my Savior! He tore the bars away— Jesus my Lord!

I really hope we’ll sing it Sunday morning, and I hope you’ll worship with fellow believers in your own church this Easter.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Unplugged and Out of Reach

04/12/2019 By: CCPearsoncomment

The night before I was to drive alone to Cincinnati for a travel writers’ conference, my phone quit working. No internet. No ability to make or receive calls. No GPS. Nothing.

I thought, “Maybe it’s just a temporary glitch that will somehow ‘fix itself’ by morning.” But that didn’t happen. It was a new phone. I’d never had to do a hard reset before and didn’t know how. It was time to head out of the driveway in order to reach my destination for the first session. I knew I had to go straight up I-65 for several hours, so I guess I figured I’d find a Verizon store when they opened and somehow get the phone to work. I had some printed directions — on actual paper. But, it made me uneasy to not be able to call Steve or to call for help if I had trouble on the road. And I really needed/wanted that lady’s GPS voice telling me exactly which exit to take and where to turn. Somehow, I WAS able to text — when I could find a place with free Wi-Fi (a.k.a. McDonald’s).

It was obvious that I had become WAY too dependent on my phone, but for three hours, I was virtually unreachable. Eerie. Unnerving. A control freak with no control.

But, it occurred to me that I was not out of reach of God. He knew exactly where I was, and He could hear me with no static or dropped calls or dead spaces. The quietness was perfect for praying. And, it was a Sunday morning.

I started praying through my family. Oldest child, her husband and children. Youngest child, her husband and children. Son, in the pulpit preaching at that time, his wife and children. Lots of time on Steve, and I prayed for myself. I prayed for people I knew of who were struggling, in pain or sad. I asked God to keep me safe and to help me figure out what to do about that phone.

Then, I turned the car radio to a Christian station and heard a great sermon and some uplifting music. For almost three hours, it was just God and me. No dings or pings from the outside world. And I realized how much I needed that time.

When I was almost to Kentucky, I pulled into a McDonald’s and realized I had texts from Steve and from a knowledgeable techno guy in our life group. He sent me the instructions for a hard reset on my phone. I followed the instructions, and “Boom!” I was back in business. I called Steve. I got my GPS lady talking to me. I could proceed ahead fully connected.

But, I haven’t been able to forget the feelings I had during those three unplugged hours when I was alone with God in my car. He was there. He’s ALWAYS there. Hallelujah.

Isaiah 41:10 — “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 — “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Psalm 139:7-10 — “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

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