The Chief of Staff at Nashville Rescue Mission has challenged many of us to send a note of gratitude to someone who has influenced our life and to do this daily for the next thirty days.  Here’s mine for today: I would like to thank each of you here at Nashville Rescue Mission who has been courageous and transparent enough to share your story.

I say courageous because I come from a tradition where everyone puts on a show of having it all together, which in retrospect seems rather cowardly. It reminds me of Garrison Keillor who would say as he welcomed listeners to Lake Wobegon, “Welcome to Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Yeah, right!

I can remember from my youth that my mom and grandmother didn’t especially like my uncle (by marriage). I would ask why, but they never let on until much later that it was because they thought he was an alcoholic. That would never have been admitted in my family. I didn’t know until she was in her later stages of life that my mom herself was on antidepressants. It just wasn’t discussed. I remember a teenage friend from church who went to “live for a year with her aunt in California.”  It never occurred to me why until much later when it was acknowledged that she had a child. And I can remember how inferior I felt when it seemed that all my acquaintances had such perfect families and all the kids were getting college scholarships to the schools of their choice, etc. etc. etc.  It was only later that I heard (and not from my friends) about drug problems, eating disorders, jail time, etc. in the lives of these same acquaintances.  However, when I did hear about it years later, it was in the form of gossip, though, and not real confrontation or edifying, transformative discussion/interaction.

How and where do you go for help when it seems that yours is the only family that is struggling?  How do you learn to help others when you have never witnessed help in action?

So just in case you are wondering because I know how compassionate you are, I am really okay now.  But I suffered depression for way too many years of my life because I refused to acknowledge it and seek help.  I had no example, no precedent.  It just wasn’t done.  And in that depression I made lots of serious mistakes.  I have learned lots of lessons from my experience.  I have learned to forgive myself; I have learned to forgive others.  I am more compassionate because I know that no one is immune from similar struggles, no matter how put-together they look and act.

The Bible tells us that a hypocrite is someone who puts on a mask and pretends to be something he is not.  “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves” (Galatians 6:3). Ephesians 4:25 reminds us that as members of one body, we believers should be honest with ourselves and with each other.

So circling back to the beginning—I cannot begin to express how transformative it has been for me to work alongside you who have been so open about your own life struggles. Your honesty and your life story have encouraged me.  You are strong, you are courageous, you are loving, you are my heroes of the faith.

I thank you.  I hope you know what you mean to me.

Blessings,

Judy

Many of us have been impacted by the loss of a loved one in the recent past.  Losing someone important to us changes our lives.  It’s not something that we get over quickly, if ever.  I’ve been on a mission to learn more about grief because of my own journey and because so many of my friends and colleagues are dealing with grief.  Below are some things I have learned, or have had confirmed from the GriefShare website:

• Grief is not an enemy or a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being human. Grief is the cost of loving someone.
• “Some people think that going through the losses or crises of life are the exceptional times,” says Dr. H. Norman Wright. “I see it differently. I see the times of calm as the exceptions. Life really is going through one loss after another, one crisis after another.”
• Joseph Stowell says, “Even though your heart is breaking and tears are clouding your eyes and staining your cheeks, God does give us something worth trusting in tough times. And that’s Him, and Him alone.”
• When your heart is breaking, you can place your hope and trust in the Lord. “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” (Psalm 31:24).
• Anne Graham Lotz defines hope: “Biblical hope is absolute confidence in something you haven’t seen or received yet, but you’re absolutely confident that whatever God has said is going to come to pass.” She also declares that “Jesus is your hope for the future. One day Jesus Christ will come back, and He will set all of the wrong right. Good will triumph over the bad. Love will triumph over hate. Righteousness will triumph over evil. He’s going to make it all right, and you can have absolute confidence that that’s going to take place. That’s your hope.”

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).

 Lord God, teach me to embrace my grief and not fight it, so that I may experience the true healing that comes from You.  Amen.

Blessings,

Judy

Death puts the final period on one’s life story.  For sure, a person’s influence can extend beyond the grave, but once death occurs there is no further opportunity for a person to change one’s life story.

Mark Twain gave us a unique perspective on this in his book, Tom Sawyer.  After one of his adventures, Tom is believed to be dead so the town has a funeral for him.  Tom sneaks back in to the church to attend his own funeral.  Can you imagine yourself at your own funeral?

Better yet, imagine how you would like for your funeral to be.  What do you hope that your family and friends and coworkers would say about you, or at least think about you after you are gone?

You know you don’t have to leave this to chance.  You can be intentional about the life you live and the impact that you have on those around you.  Stephen Covey tells us to “begin with the end in mind.”  He even recommends that we write a personal mission statement now to help us to focus on the legacy we want to leave for our family, church, friends, neighborhood, and workplace.

Don’t put this off.  God has numbered our days, but it is not for us to know so that we will focus on being ready NOW.  “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:13)

How do you want to be remembered?  What will you do with your life right now to allow those you leave behind to genuinely say of you, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21)

Blessings,

Judy

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”  2 Corinthians 5:1

We have all lost a friend and ally on this earth.  Janet was a payroll expert, a loyal Mission employee, a UK (and really all sports) fan, and she was our friend.  Those who knew her realized that her body, her earthly tent, was in the process of being destroyed.  In some respects, that is no different from all of us, but her situation seemed to be on a more speedy track to destruction.

While her body was wasting, her spirit was only getting stronger.  She had such a love, such a passion, for each of us.  More importantly, she had a passion for the work of Nashville Rescue Mission, and a love for her LORD.  Janet has been such a rock for us, and such a rock for her family.  She will be missed.

At times like this when I seek understanding, it is helpful for me to turn to those wiser than I, and so in my reading I came upon this article by John Piper that I want to share with you.  Here is the reference for those of you who would like to read it in its entirety.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/plunge-your-mind-into-the-ocean-of-god-s-sovereignty

Below are some excerpts:

• “Sometimes we need to plunge our minds into the ocean of God’s sovereignty. We need to feel the weight of it, like deep and heavy water pressing in against every pore, the deeper we go. A billion rivers of providence pour into this ocean. And God himself gathers up all his countless deeds — from eternity to eternity — and pours them into the currents of his infallible revelation. He speaks, and explains, and promises, and makes his awesome, sovereign providence the place we feel most reverent, most secure, most free.”
• “Sometimes we need to be reminded by God himself that there are no limits to his rule. We need to hear from him that he is sovereign over the whole world, and everything that happens in it. We need his own reminder that he is never helpless, never frustrated, never at a loss.”
• “Sometimes we need to hear specific statements from God himself about his own authority. We need God’s own words. It is the very words of God that have unusual power to settle our nerves, and make us stable, wise, and courageous.”
  • “Whatever I please, I do, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” (Psalm 135:6)
  • “I work all things according to the counsel of my will.” (Ephesians 1:11)
  • “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” (Isaiah 46:9-10)
  • “My times are in your hands.” (Psalm 31:15)

• “And as we listen, let us praise him. There is no other fitting way to listen to God’s exaltation of God. This is what happens to the human soul when we plunge into the ocean of God’s sovereignty.”

God surely blessed us by allowing Janet to be a part of each of our lives, and for that I know I will be forever grateful.

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm 59:16)

Blessings,

Judy

Sometimes when I am feeling really low, the feeling is like being under a dark cloud.  It feels like shadows are all around, almost suffocating me.  Some important people in the Bible spoke in similar terms.

• Job said “My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow.” (Job 17:7) He was suffering terribly because of all the terrible things that had happened to him, including the sudden death of his children.
• David said “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4).  Even though God had anointed David as King, and Saul had taken David under his wing, David was a hunted man. Saul turned on him and tried to hunt David down. And then later on in life, David’s own beloved son Absalom turned against him and he was on the run again.  David felt as though he was walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
• Isaiah said “So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.” (Isaiah 59:9).  This is how it felt to the Israelites in Isaiah’s day when they were far from God.

Did you ever think about the fact that you can’t have a shadow without light?  So one way to put it is that behind every shadow is a source of light.

• Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
• “….the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16)

My Daddy used to say that the sun was always shining.  Sometimes we could not see it for the clouds, but the sun was still there, above the clouds.  He’s right, you know.  If you are feeling like you are living under a dark cloud, that you are being suffocated by dark shadows, look for the Light.  He is always there.

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? (Psalm 27)

Blessings,

Judy

You know the stereotype about men that they are too stubborn to ask for directions?  In my family it’s just the opposite, sad to say.  My husband will stop to ask for directions whenever he is lost, which rarely happens because he has a great sense of direction.  I, on the other hand, even though I am without any innate sense of direction, am very reluctant to ask for help.  I’m embarrassed to admit it; I know that it’s pride that prevents me from asking for directions or help. And if I do ask, it’s after I’ve gotten so flustered that I can’t even comprehend the information I receive.  I know, you are surprised to hear this about me, and I’m surprised that I’m admitting it to you.

I guess this is why I like my GPS so much.  But did you realize that if you input the address inaccurately, you will not get where you intended to go? Another tip, don’t make assumptions.  Before my younger son was old enough to drive, he was invited to a birthday party on Shute Lane.  I drove him up and down Shute Lane looking for the right house number — in Hermitage.  The party was in Gallatin.  Who knew there were two Shute Lanes?  And just one more piece of helpful advice:  a map of Nashville will do you no good in Atlanta, just saying.

As believers, we sometimes get lost on our spiritual journey.  And sometimes we forget until it’s almost too late that we have an excellent set of directions in the Bible, which contains instructions and directions for everything that we need to know in life. The Bible is so much more than a nice book for our bookshelf or something to carry to church.  The Bible is the perfect resource when we need advice or encouragement.   It can be so much more helpful to intentionally study it to know what it contains so that we know where to look when we have specific questions.  Besides prayer, it’s the most important thing we can do to grow spiritually.  Don’t be too proud to rely on God’s word as the map for your life.

 “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation …” (Psalm 25:4)

Blessings,

Judy

In previous Chaplain’s Corner emails, I have emphasized reading the Bible as the most important thing we can do to grow spiritually besides prayer.  This is because the Bible is God’s Word revealed to us.  You may say, rightly so, that God can speak to us in other ways.  In a recent Daily Hope devotional, Rick Warren wrote that God also speaks to us through teachers and through circumstances.

He writes:  “Have you ever been in a church service and felt like the teacher was delivering a direct message from God to you? There’s no way I or any other teacher could figure out exactly what to say to meet every need. But God knows. So before every service I pray, ‘God, you know the people and the needs out there. Give me the right things to say.’ Somehow, in the way only he can, God uses my teaching and the teaching of other pastors to meet the needs of people who are listening.”  And regarding circumstances, Rick says, “If you’re going to live a life of significance, God has to make constant course corrections, and one way he does that is through the circumstances that come into your life.”

While I agree that God speaks to us through teachers and circumstances, I believe we should always examine the teaching from these resources and circumstances to be sure they align with the Scriptures.  In short, the Bible is the benchmark, the standard by which all other teaching is compared.  Even when we believe that the Holy Spirit it speaking to us, know that the Holy Spirit will never contradict what is in the Bible.  As a disciple committed to spiritual growth and living the abundant life, it is essential to be in the Word, regularly and intentionally, so that we can recognize the truth when we hear it, and the false teachers when we hear them.

• Read your Bible according to a plan
• Participate in Bible Studies
• Meditate on the Scriptures

So, in summary be like the Berean Jews that Luke writes about in the book of Acts, and test everything through God’s Word as written in the Bible.  I am confident that  you will be blessed beyond measure if you do.

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalms 119:105)

“Do not conform 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)

Blessings,

Judy

“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Last week in Chaplain’s Corner I listed ways that we show our love for God.  This is the first and greatest commandment, after all, so as believers we want to get this right, right? The first step to loving God is to really realize how much He loves us.  To paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett Browning, how much does he love you?  Let us count the ways:

1. God created you and has ordained every day of your life (Psalm 139):

“¹³For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. “

God has an intimate knowledge of you.  He lovingly created you in his image, breathed life into you, and cares about your future.

2. God actively seeks a relationship with you and me (Revelation 3:20):

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

God is always there.  He is available and taking the first step to be with you.  The only thing you have to do is to hear him and open the door to let Him in.

3. God knows about our sin nature and slavery to sin, but because he loves us so much, he has already paid the price to purchase our freedom, and it was a costly sacrifice.  (John 15:13)

“Greater love has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friends.”

God could have left us in our sin. Instead, he came up with the perfect plan to demonstrate his justice and his mercy.  All He needed was the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. Can you even imagine what it would take to put your child through a crucifixion? But he did that for you and for me.

4. God forgives us our sins when we confess and ask for forgiveness.  And better yet, he chooses not to hold our sins against us. (Hebrews 8:12)

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

What a relief, right?  Because we have committed some doozies, some shameful deeds.  We all have.  We’ve said and done things we shouldn’t have said or done, failed to do things we should have, and on and on.  And every sin we commit against someone here on earth is also a sin against God.  We hurt him so when we sin.  But repenting and praying for forgiveness is all God requires of us, and because of his great love for us he generously forgives us and chooses not to remember our sins against us.

5. God wants us to have a good life.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

 It might do us all some good to meditate on this scripture:  “We love because He first loved us.”

Blessings,

Judy

I must say that I don’t usually get my inspiration from a luxury hotel, but I have recently been struck by a quotation on the window at the Westin Hotel just up from the Men’s Campus at the roundabout, which reads, “Because to serve is first to love.” This was written by Giuseppe Cipriani, a famous restaurateur.  In researching this quote, I found that the entire quote reads like this “We call on man to display his splendid capabilities.  And we observe with undivided attention, because the little nuances in the quality of his service give a flawless measure of his mind, they tell us frankly what his soul is worth, because, to serve is first to love.”

Even though that is a secular quote about the restaurant business, I believe it to be very true of Christians in our daily service, in whatever we are called to do.  If our minds have truly been transformed by the love of God, then we will naturally exude love.  “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” John 4:8

When we love God, we are obedient:

“But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him…” 1 John 2:5

When we love God, we do right:

“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.” 1 John 3:10

When we love God, we love others:

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” 1 John 4:20

When we love God, we serve others:

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10

 When we love God, we lay down our life for another:

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16

 However, if we are in a serving role without having the love of God, then that service can have some negative impacts. If we are serving from any other motive than the love of God, then it is a self-serving service.  (If we are not serving God, we are ultimately serving self).  One big problem resulting from this kind of service is burnout because we don’t have the Holy Spirit to sustain us.  Another big problem is pride, and we can even become resentful in our service because we don’t feel appreciated for what or how we have given.

So, if our minds have truly been transformed by the love of God, then we will naturally exude love when we serve.  Just as God is love, we who know God and what He has done for us also love—it is who we are and what we do.  “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” John 4:8

 If you do not know God like you want to, then invite Him into your heart. If you do not know how to do that, then let me know and I will walk you through it.  He is there waiting for you to transform your life.

Blessings,

Judy

Back in January I went on an “audio binge.” I downloaded books and listened to them almost any time that I was not at work, church, or asleep. I listened to books while driving, walking, cooking, eating, working around the house, etc. When I was not listening to books, I was reading them. Sometimes I would listen to the radio or to CD’s, but the bottom line is that I was feeding something into my brain continuously. Although I did do my regular Bible reading and study, the audio and other books I’m referring to were not necessarily religious in nature. I must admit I was also kind of proud to be intentionally stimulating my mind and accumulating knowledge.

I love to read, so books are kind of my thing.  Maybe they are your thing, too. Or maybe you are one of those people who tend to wear headphones or earbuds so you can listen to music or talk radio all the time. Many of us will turn on the television whether there is anything on of value or not, just to get the stimulation or have something to do.

When I finally ran through my backlog of books, I took a break from the audio and began to realize what I had been missing.  I had been missing out on the sounds of life all around me. And I had been missing out on the voice of God. I began to realize that the devil was probably behind my binge “reading.” The devil took something perfectly good—books—and made them into a compulsion that separated me from God. I still had my relationship with God; however, just like my husband was having trouble getting my attention when I was absorbed in my books, so was God having trouble getting my attention.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a (NIV)

I used to think this verse meant to slow down, to take time to pray and listen to God. However, I now know that it also means to quiet my mind, to refrain from the constant input of external words, music, and sounds so as to give myself space and time to hear, to think, to meditate on God’s Word. I am enjoying this quiet time with God. I’m thankful that He rescued me from the constant input of audio books because they had actually been wearing on me. Now that I’m taking this time away from audio books, I feel such refreshment in my soul because I am allowing myself to be renewed by the Holy Spirit.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism contains this dialog:

• Question: “What is the chief end of Man?”
• Answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

St. Augustine said, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

I pray that you will take time and make space to enjoy God, find rest in Him, and hear what He wants to tell you.

Blessings,

Judy