YEAR’S AGO Jim and I lived in a small house in Southern California; close to the beach. We had company once! A young girl who lived in Oregon and a friend of my brother Layton. He wanted her to know what a real home could be like. Of course, Jim and I had not arrived at perfection, but I loved having company.
DURING our life in Sam’s Valley, our summers were full of company, especially after Grandma Crenshaw came to stay. It was wonderful! Our car knew the way to Crater Lake without reservation. In Medford, while living closer to town, we would have company. Of course most of the time it was Dan, Faye and the boys who lived over the mountain, and some missionaries would come to spend the weekend. For the kids it was sort of getting out of town, kind of thing!
AFTER WE moved to Klamath Falls, we were going to use Jennifer’s little apartment as our guest rooms. Well, since that didn’t work out we eventually dressed up a teeny, tiny room and called it our “guest room!” It excites me when company is coming! We clean the bathrooms, the floors and go shopping! Danny use to say; “This cleaning the house takes all the fun out of having a party or having company!” Someone once said; “God created company so the house would get cleaned!” I think that works for me, how about you?
SO FAR this summer Marie, Jim’s sister came. This past week my sister-in-law Kathleen and her daughter and son-in-law were here. Having company is always something out of the ordinary, isn’t it? You change the sheets and your schedule. You do things that you normally wouldn’t plan for. You eat foods that usually aren’t on the menu and praise the Lord for the occasion. This bed and breakfast even had candies on the beds! Oh, My goodness!
IN TEACHING faith lesson’s for women; one of the questions that will come up once in a while is; “what if Jesus came to your house to visit.”? He would visit Martha and Mary’s quite often. I imagine when they knew He was on His way, there would be a lot of hustle and bustle; “Jesus is coming!” But what if He should just show up on their doorstep? How would they feel then? Would they be somewhat ready, or would they be embarrassed? Would their faces turn red with surprise or beam with joy? How would you feel?
MY THEORY has always been when we go to visit, that we are not there to critique the home but to see those who live there! Shouldn’t that be the case when someone comes to visit you? I know it is nice to have notice! You could at least throw everything on the kitchen counter into the dishwasher but, is that really necessary? Is it? Come on.....think about it!
YES, IT IS a good thing to keep your home in order! God has created in us to be good stewards, but we don’t always act like it. I am an avid watcher of “House Hunters” on HGTV. When the home is furnished, believe it or not, it helps to sell the home. When you walk into some homes, you immediately feel comfortable. Some homes, you sit on the edge of the chair because there usually is not enough room for the rest of you. For me it is not unusual to sit on the edge of the seat; my legs are short, so I feel more comfortable. I think you get the point!
“IF A MAN loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23 What kind of home does our body need so that the Father and His son can live in it? Is it to be a clean and orderly place; a place that is acceptable and pleasing to them? If our body is not acceptable, it means we do not love him, nor keep His word! Shouldn’t our house also be acceptable to them?
WE ARE to walk by faith and not by sight, so let’s be of good courage while we are here in our house and in our body! “Because, whether we are at home or away, we are to make it our aim to please Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:9 You got company? By Jane Ann Crenshaw 7/18/11
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
HAVING A HEAT WAVE? 7/24/11
ACCORDING to the national weather report our country is having a heat wave with record breaking temperatures mostly in the mid west and on the east coast. Here on the western front our weather is pretty much on target; except for the occasional storm clouds that bring a few buckets here and there and the threatening of thunder storms. For the most part having the four seasons, doesn’t assure us of having them, in the literal sense of the word.
IN MY OLD AGE, I have welcomed the warm weather. When the A/C comes on, I go out into the sun to get warm. For me that is a strange kettle of fish! When Jim turns the A/C on in the car, I freeze! I try to wear long sleeves and usually long for a blanket. Just give me a cool drink of water or turn the A/C off; that is until I get too hot! Meanwhile, where is my sweater?
THE PROBLEM with high temperatures is dehydration. For some, the very young and the elderly, this is a problem. With dehydration you perspire a lot! When the salt water leaves your body that shows your body is functioning as it should. If you stop perspiring you could be on the verge of a heat stroke. You must replenish the water by drinking lots of it and in some cases you must replenish the salt. Remember your salt tablets; when working outside!
MANY YEARS AGO, I heard a preacher tell the story of a man driving through the Mojave desert. He was the only driver on the road, and so his eyes were drawn, to the now extinct,"Burma Shave" road signs, that were popping up everywhere along the road. After a while he saw one that just said; “Cool Water!” He begin to think; “cool water sounds good!” After seeing that sign for a while, he noticed the sign now read; “Cool Water just ahead!” “Boy, cool water is beginning to sound very good;” He thought! Then the sign read; “Turn Left, go 3 miles for Water!”
WITHOUT THINKING, he turned left and drove 3 miles and found a little shack of a house at the end of the road. On the gate was a sign that read; “Cool Water.” As he got out of the car an old gent came out of the front door with a tall class of water. He handed him the glass and said; “Cool Water!” The man drank the cool water down without stopping, because by this time he was so thirsty just thinking about it, and indeed, it quenched his momentary thirst.
THE MAN asked the old guy; “Do you get many visitors stopping for a drink of water?” The old guy responded slowly, with; “Oh, on some days, more than others!” The visitor soon realize the old man must be lonely, because he didn’t stop there. He continued with; “It gets lonely out here so I decided to offer drivers a diversion and a gift. The diversion is reading the signs with anticipation and the gift of a cool drink of water.”
OF COURSE Jim and I remember this story differently. And of course, because I am old, I probably don’t remember it as well as Jim, whose memory is far better than mine ever was. But, this gets my point across. Many years ago, the Mojave was pretty barren without any places to stop and refuel your car or yourself. Many years ago it was just dust and more dust!
OUR BIBLE gives us many pictures of living water doesn’t it! In Jeremiah 2, God likens Himself to the springs of En Gedi as living water. In Jeremiah 17 water is compared to a person who trust in himself rather than in God. In Psalms 63 David compared water to his thirst for God. In Psalms 78, Isaiah 41 and 58 you find images of living water and an oasis that illustrate what God provides for His people. These are similar to the images of the springs of the En Gedi. But Jesus says; “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 We turn on our faucets and we drink the water that replenishes our bodies for physical life. But God gave us Jesus and His words, it is like a cool drink of water in a dry, parched land. The refreshment is beyond words! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 7/23/11
IN MY OLD AGE, I have welcomed the warm weather. When the A/C comes on, I go out into the sun to get warm. For me that is a strange kettle of fish! When Jim turns the A/C on in the car, I freeze! I try to wear long sleeves and usually long for a blanket. Just give me a cool drink of water or turn the A/C off; that is until I get too hot! Meanwhile, where is my sweater?
THE PROBLEM with high temperatures is dehydration. For some, the very young and the elderly, this is a problem. With dehydration you perspire a lot! When the salt water leaves your body that shows your body is functioning as it should. If you stop perspiring you could be on the verge of a heat stroke. You must replenish the water by drinking lots of it and in some cases you must replenish the salt. Remember your salt tablets; when working outside!
MANY YEARS AGO, I heard a preacher tell the story of a man driving through the Mojave desert. He was the only driver on the road, and so his eyes were drawn, to the now extinct,"Burma Shave" road signs, that were popping up everywhere along the road. After a while he saw one that just said; “Cool Water!” He begin to think; “cool water sounds good!” After seeing that sign for a while, he noticed the sign now read; “Cool Water just ahead!” “Boy, cool water is beginning to sound very good;” He thought! Then the sign read; “Turn Left, go 3 miles for Water!”
WITHOUT THINKING, he turned left and drove 3 miles and found a little shack of a house at the end of the road. On the gate was a sign that read; “Cool Water.” As he got out of the car an old gent came out of the front door with a tall class of water. He handed him the glass and said; “Cool Water!” The man drank the cool water down without stopping, because by this time he was so thirsty just thinking about it, and indeed, it quenched his momentary thirst.
THE MAN asked the old guy; “Do you get many visitors stopping for a drink of water?” The old guy responded slowly, with; “Oh, on some days, more than others!” The visitor soon realize the old man must be lonely, because he didn’t stop there. He continued with; “It gets lonely out here so I decided to offer drivers a diversion and a gift. The diversion is reading the signs with anticipation and the gift of a cool drink of water.”
OF COURSE Jim and I remember this story differently. And of course, because I am old, I probably don’t remember it as well as Jim, whose memory is far better than mine ever was. But, this gets my point across. Many years ago, the Mojave was pretty barren without any places to stop and refuel your car or yourself. Many years ago it was just dust and more dust!
OUR BIBLE gives us many pictures of living water doesn’t it! In Jeremiah 2, God likens Himself to the springs of En Gedi as living water. In Jeremiah 17 water is compared to a person who trust in himself rather than in God. In Psalms 63 David compared water to his thirst for God. In Psalms 78, Isaiah 41 and 58 you find images of living water and an oasis that illustrate what God provides for His people. These are similar to the images of the springs of the En Gedi. But Jesus says; “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 We turn on our faucets and we drink the water that replenishes our bodies for physical life. But God gave us Jesus and His words, it is like a cool drink of water in a dry, parched land. The refreshment is beyond words! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 7/23/11
Sunday, July 17, 2011
CHANCE! 7/17/11
A FEW YEARS ago we became acquainted with a young man named
Chance. We had heard about him through prayer requests for him and his family. When we began to worship within the same family of God, we were impressed at how God was working in him, his family and this church! We were told that the wreath of lights that surrounded the inside.upper circumference of the church building, were placed there as part of the Christmas decoration; but were left up, in honor of Chance.
AT CHRISTMAS time, as these lights shine, they remind me of the light of the world and when He was born. But every Sunday, as I have looked at these lights, I have thought of the light of a young man who was getting closer to joining the brilliancy of the Son of God; soon and very soon. That meeting took place early on July 9th! That meeting, I am sure, was a sight to behold! That meeting, takes the pain of this young man leaving our presence, and leaves us with a peace everlasting! That meeting can be mine someday; soon and very soon Lord!
MANY ASK; “Why?” Jesus says; “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” Hebrews 13:5b The first thought that comes to my mind is; “Why not?” We know that we all shall leave this place because we are just passing through. We know that our bodies begin to decay as soon as we hit the air we breath. We’ve been told that nothing lasts forever and yet we know that our spirit will live eternally. Where it lives is entirely up to us, isn’t it?
CHANCE was a fighter! He knew at the first sign of ‘cancer’, he would probably succumb to it. He knew that God loved him and would not give him anymore than he could handle. He knew that when it was all said and done, the soldier in him would continue the fight until he could fight no more. His was a win, win situation. If he fought the battle and won here on earth he would continue living for Jesus. He knew that if the enemy overtook him here, he would win anyway because to be away from this place, would mean that he was at home, in heaven; with the captain of his army; Jesus Christ!
OH TO have the faith of a child! Oh to be counted among your peers, as one of the great ones because you fought the good fight and won! I take a deep breath and sigh knowing that Chance will never be able to achieve all of his earthly dreams, but then I smile because in reality of living life, not all of it, is great! It is usually a race of endurance. A matter of sustaining ones self, in the race! Hoping to find a cool drink of water just around the next bend.
HAVING WALKED this road of sorrow many, many times; it is always fresh when I begin to walk it again. Something is always different! Something causes me to grieve all over again for those I had already traveled this road for. The process isn’t easy and it is one you shouldn’t try to avoid. I have come to believe that it is necessary for your well being! Don’t hide the tears; nor the moments of sadness. Don’t create a figure of joy when that is far from you. Live in peace, knowing this is part of living. Live in contentment, knowing that you will understand by and by!
GOD HAS created us to cry; to feel sad; to mourn; to grieve! Just do it and remember as you do, the Lord also wept at the tomb of his friend. Many ask the question “why” did Jesus cry? Was it sadness; was it because he hurt for the family and friends? Perhaps it was joy because he knew he could give him life here and or in eternity; heaven! Don’t leave Jesus out! He is your grieving companion! He wants to be included in all aspects of your life; even in the tears!
I IMAGINE, when Jesus was on the Cross and took our sins upon himself, he also felt the suffering of the sick body, that is racked with pain and decay. I imagine, as Chance entered the gates of heaven, tears of joy were in the eyes of Jesus; as he took him into his arms. Tears of joy because Chance came home! “Jesus;” don’t leave earth without Him! By JA Crenshaw 7/15/11
Chance. We had heard about him through prayer requests for him and his family. When we began to worship within the same family of God, we were impressed at how God was working in him, his family and this church! We were told that the wreath of lights that surrounded the inside.upper circumference of the church building, were placed there as part of the Christmas decoration; but were left up, in honor of Chance.
AT CHRISTMAS time, as these lights shine, they remind me of the light of the world and when He was born. But every Sunday, as I have looked at these lights, I have thought of the light of a young man who was getting closer to joining the brilliancy of the Son of God; soon and very soon. That meeting took place early on July 9th! That meeting, I am sure, was a sight to behold! That meeting, takes the pain of this young man leaving our presence, and leaves us with a peace everlasting! That meeting can be mine someday; soon and very soon Lord!
MANY ASK; “Why?” Jesus says; “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” Hebrews 13:5b The first thought that comes to my mind is; “Why not?” We know that we all shall leave this place because we are just passing through. We know that our bodies begin to decay as soon as we hit the air we breath. We’ve been told that nothing lasts forever and yet we know that our spirit will live eternally. Where it lives is entirely up to us, isn’t it?
CHANCE was a fighter! He knew at the first sign of ‘cancer’, he would probably succumb to it. He knew that God loved him and would not give him anymore than he could handle. He knew that when it was all said and done, the soldier in him would continue the fight until he could fight no more. His was a win, win situation. If he fought the battle and won here on earth he would continue living for Jesus. He knew that if the enemy overtook him here, he would win anyway because to be away from this place, would mean that he was at home, in heaven; with the captain of his army; Jesus Christ!
OH TO have the faith of a child! Oh to be counted among your peers, as one of the great ones because you fought the good fight and won! I take a deep breath and sigh knowing that Chance will never be able to achieve all of his earthly dreams, but then I smile because in reality of living life, not all of it, is great! It is usually a race of endurance. A matter of sustaining ones self, in the race! Hoping to find a cool drink of water just around the next bend.
HAVING WALKED this road of sorrow many, many times; it is always fresh when I begin to walk it again. Something is always different! Something causes me to grieve all over again for those I had already traveled this road for. The process isn’t easy and it is one you shouldn’t try to avoid. I have come to believe that it is necessary for your well being! Don’t hide the tears; nor the moments of sadness. Don’t create a figure of joy when that is far from you. Live in peace, knowing this is part of living. Live in contentment, knowing that you will understand by and by!
GOD HAS created us to cry; to feel sad; to mourn; to grieve! Just do it and remember as you do, the Lord also wept at the tomb of his friend. Many ask the question “why” did Jesus cry? Was it sadness; was it because he hurt for the family and friends? Perhaps it was joy because he knew he could give him life here and or in eternity; heaven! Don’t leave Jesus out! He is your grieving companion! He wants to be included in all aspects of your life; even in the tears!
I IMAGINE, when Jesus was on the Cross and took our sins upon himself, he also felt the suffering of the sick body, that is racked with pain and decay. I imagine, as Chance entered the gates of heaven, tears of joy were in the eyes of Jesus; as he took him into his arms. Tears of joy because Chance came home! “Jesus;” don’t leave earth without Him! By JA Crenshaw 7/15/11
Sunday, July 10, 2011
THE BIRTH OF A NATION! 7/10/11
4th OF JULY has come and gone but the celebration lives on. At least that is how I see it! When I was a child and through out my young adult life most of the National holidays were recognized in the pulpit. You would hear a sound sermon as to how God providentially made it possible for our forefathers to pave the road for freedom in a brand new country. How God made a way for successes and failures! How God allowed covenants to be made, and worked in the lives of those who made them. I speak of those who signed the “Declaration of Independence.
WHEN those men signed this paper of renown, they were willing to sacrifice their lives, fortunes and their sacred honor. They wanted this freedom not only for themselves but for their families and a legacy to their children. They wanted to establish a place of honor to worship their God and to form a unity within their worship. Freedom? You have heard that it is not free!
I COULD not help being disappointed in our downtown 4th of July parade. The theme was; “Our Hero’s” and the birth of our nation was forgotten. Oh, there were some flags and we stood up for the soldiers, the fire department etc, that passed by, but there was no honor guard. No National Anthem played. Only one band march by and the rest were about people and groups that represented a cause. Normally I would enjoy a parade for after all a parade is a parade. But when the ‘pride’ cause, walked by with their rainbow flag my celebration ended. I felt sad and lost in a maze of secularism without patriotism, nor God!
MY LITTLE family had gathered together before the parade. We asked God’s blessing upon our food, our family and our country. We ate under a tree with shiny green leaves and little white blossoms where we enjoyed the warmth and light breeze with no yellow jackets. No yellow jackets because I followed the instructions from an email that said to put out the little Bounce sheets upon your tree to keep them away. That’s right Bounce; the little sheet you stick in the dryer to cause your clothes to be cling “free” with a nice fragrance to boot.
WE SAT around the tables and talked about mundane things. We always have a lot to talk about. We always remember the boys when they were small. We remember family, wherever they are. We talk about our freedoms! I just can’t get enough of these kind of moments for reminiscing. I heard Danny softly say; “This has been nice, sitting under the Bounce tree!” We didn’t eat hamburgers and hot dogs; but we sat under a Bounce tree!
4th OF JULY is all about Freedoms! God has given us His son who has given His life to give us “freedom” from the bondage of sin! Our forefather’s and the soldiers, have fought and died for our countries liberties! These liberties give us the “freedom” to have a gay movement shout their cause in our 4th of July parade. We take our freedom’s for granted and don’t realize just how important they are. We are no longer bound by chains, nor do we hide in small rooms to protect ourselves from being caught, for one reason or another.
ARE you sitting under a Bounce tree? It gave us freedom to eat in peace without sharing our meat with the bee’s. We live in a Country where it was originally designed by men, who wanted to live and grow in Godly peace. When all new people began to run the country it became a “free” for all to come and worship. Worship what you believe and not the God who clearly, cleared the path in the beginning of America.
“NOW the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 America is not free unless it has the Spirit of the Lord! You and I are not free unless we have the Spirit of the Lord! Don’t delude yourself that sitting under the Bounce tree keeps you free from the Bee’s. They are still out there! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 7/8/11
WHEN those men signed this paper of renown, they were willing to sacrifice their lives, fortunes and their sacred honor. They wanted this freedom not only for themselves but for their families and a legacy to their children. They wanted to establish a place of honor to worship their God and to form a unity within their worship. Freedom? You have heard that it is not free!
I COULD not help being disappointed in our downtown 4th of July parade. The theme was; “Our Hero’s” and the birth of our nation was forgotten. Oh, there were some flags and we stood up for the soldiers, the fire department etc, that passed by, but there was no honor guard. No National Anthem played. Only one band march by and the rest were about people and groups that represented a cause. Normally I would enjoy a parade for after all a parade is a parade. But when the ‘pride’ cause, walked by with their rainbow flag my celebration ended. I felt sad and lost in a maze of secularism without patriotism, nor God!
MY LITTLE family had gathered together before the parade. We asked God’s blessing upon our food, our family and our country. We ate under a tree with shiny green leaves and little white blossoms where we enjoyed the warmth and light breeze with no yellow jackets. No yellow jackets because I followed the instructions from an email that said to put out the little Bounce sheets upon your tree to keep them away. That’s right Bounce; the little sheet you stick in the dryer to cause your clothes to be cling “free” with a nice fragrance to boot.
WE SAT around the tables and talked about mundane things. We always have a lot to talk about. We always remember the boys when they were small. We remember family, wherever they are. We talk about our freedoms! I just can’t get enough of these kind of moments for reminiscing. I heard Danny softly say; “This has been nice, sitting under the Bounce tree!” We didn’t eat hamburgers and hot dogs; but we sat under a Bounce tree!
4th OF JULY is all about Freedoms! God has given us His son who has given His life to give us “freedom” from the bondage of sin! Our forefather’s and the soldiers, have fought and died for our countries liberties! These liberties give us the “freedom” to have a gay movement shout their cause in our 4th of July parade. We take our freedom’s for granted and don’t realize just how important they are. We are no longer bound by chains, nor do we hide in small rooms to protect ourselves from being caught, for one reason or another.
ARE you sitting under a Bounce tree? It gave us freedom to eat in peace without sharing our meat with the bee’s. We live in a Country where it was originally designed by men, who wanted to live and grow in Godly peace. When all new people began to run the country it became a “free” for all to come and worship. Worship what you believe and not the God who clearly, cleared the path in the beginning of America.
“NOW the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 America is not free unless it has the Spirit of the Lord! You and I are not free unless we have the Spirit of the Lord! Don’t delude yourself that sitting under the Bounce tree keeps you free from the Bee’s. They are still out there! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 7/8/11
Sunday, July 3, 2011
CHOICES! 7/3/11
WHEN I am encouraging others in their Christian walk, I have discovered that many still carry around the feeling of guilt, because of the choices their loved ones make. “If I hadn’t been like that when they were young!” “If I had been stronger!” “If I hadn’t been so lenient and had disciplined them more!” “If I; If I!”
I DEAL in memory because I was instructed to use my brain and keep it active. Instead of crossword puzzles I decided to remember things. I don’t choose to remember bad things, nor do I choose to remember the primrose path of everything, was good. My memories have taken me to a place where I can see God working in me, to become who I am today. Choices our loved ones make, are their decisions not ours; no matter what kind of environment they came through.
MY CHOICES have kept me active in the church! I am thankful for my childhood; my siblings and for my mother and father. Was everything perfect? Was everything good? Was I ever bad? Did I do everything I was told to do and did I do everything well? One of the things I learned was that sin could take me farther than I ever wanted to go! I heard that in a line of a gospel song, sung by the Oakridge Boys! Think about it? When we play around within a circle of sin we end up with problems. Alcohol; drugs; promiscuity; lying; cheating; alone!
THINK ABOUT your choices. Were they simple? Were they difficult? Did they make you happy? Were you in tears? In jail? Alone? I discovered after Jim and I became an item, that when I was in a restaurant and Jim ordered for me, that I loved not having to make a decision of what I would eat. Now that we have been together for over 50 years, he has decided that I should order for myself. I hate having to make these decisions! I hate choosing things! I would rather wear the same style of shoe and lipstick than to make an effort to change. But sometimes change is good! Sometimes life warrants change!
I LOVE the commercial that says; “Choose milk!” You can see the tell, tale signs of choosing milk. The milk moustache! You become known by the choices you make! It may not be a moustache but those around you will know. God says in Numbers 32:23 “You have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.” Of course God is talking to the Israelites and once again He is telling them to do something and if they don’t; well, God always makes himself pretty clear. Any time we sin, we are sinning against God, and God wants us to be sure to understand that our sins will be made known. It’s like wearing a milk moustache, don’t you think?
I AM SORRY for the mistakes I have made in raising my children. I am sorry for the things I have done in the process of growing up. I am sorry for not condoning the life that some of my loved ones have chosen but I am not sorry for choosing Jesus Christ as my Savior! I have an addictive nature and know that in my heart, had I chosen some things, I would not be where I am. I am safely tucked away under the wings of my heavenly father and I love the place I am in.
AM I PERFECT? Do I do everything right? Am I better than others? What do you think? I recently read that we have a tendency to confuse the meaning of the words excellence and perfection. We can strive for excellence and many achieve that status, but perfection is God’s job! Our perfection rests in Jesus Christ! Our righteousness comes only from Jesus Christ! Our guilt is taken away because the Holy Spirit has convicted us from our sins and has given us a place where we can be called Christian.
“CREATE in me a clean heart; O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence O Lord, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10-12 Of course the song we sing is a little different than the one David sang so I just put them all together. The interesting fact here is that David didn’t have the holy Spirit within; But we do! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 6/29/11
I DEAL in memory because I was instructed to use my brain and keep it active. Instead of crossword puzzles I decided to remember things. I don’t choose to remember bad things, nor do I choose to remember the primrose path of everything, was good. My memories have taken me to a place where I can see God working in me, to become who I am today. Choices our loved ones make, are their decisions not ours; no matter what kind of environment they came through.
MY CHOICES have kept me active in the church! I am thankful for my childhood; my siblings and for my mother and father. Was everything perfect? Was everything good? Was I ever bad? Did I do everything I was told to do and did I do everything well? One of the things I learned was that sin could take me farther than I ever wanted to go! I heard that in a line of a gospel song, sung by the Oakridge Boys! Think about it? When we play around within a circle of sin we end up with problems. Alcohol; drugs; promiscuity; lying; cheating; alone!
THINK ABOUT your choices. Were they simple? Were they difficult? Did they make you happy? Were you in tears? In jail? Alone? I discovered after Jim and I became an item, that when I was in a restaurant and Jim ordered for me, that I loved not having to make a decision of what I would eat. Now that we have been together for over 50 years, he has decided that I should order for myself. I hate having to make these decisions! I hate choosing things! I would rather wear the same style of shoe and lipstick than to make an effort to change. But sometimes change is good! Sometimes life warrants change!
I LOVE the commercial that says; “Choose milk!” You can see the tell, tale signs of choosing milk. The milk moustache! You become known by the choices you make! It may not be a moustache but those around you will know. God says in Numbers 32:23 “You have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.” Of course God is talking to the Israelites and once again He is telling them to do something and if they don’t; well, God always makes himself pretty clear. Any time we sin, we are sinning against God, and God wants us to be sure to understand that our sins will be made known. It’s like wearing a milk moustache, don’t you think?
I AM SORRY for the mistakes I have made in raising my children. I am sorry for the things I have done in the process of growing up. I am sorry for not condoning the life that some of my loved ones have chosen but I am not sorry for choosing Jesus Christ as my Savior! I have an addictive nature and know that in my heart, had I chosen some things, I would not be where I am. I am safely tucked away under the wings of my heavenly father and I love the place I am in.
AM I PERFECT? Do I do everything right? Am I better than others? What do you think? I recently read that we have a tendency to confuse the meaning of the words excellence and perfection. We can strive for excellence and many achieve that status, but perfection is God’s job! Our perfection rests in Jesus Christ! Our righteousness comes only from Jesus Christ! Our guilt is taken away because the Holy Spirit has convicted us from our sins and has given us a place where we can be called Christian.
“CREATE in me a clean heart; O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence O Lord, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10-12 Of course the song we sing is a little different than the one David sang so I just put them all together. The interesting fact here is that David didn’t have the holy Spirit within; But we do! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 6/29/11
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