THIS WEEK I think I grew up. Did you know I graduated from the twelveth grade 57 years ago? Well, I did! Maybe, not almost every year, but often during that space of time, I was in my senior notebook retrieving something or other, so I could remember something. Jim and I are in the process of switching a small bedroom with our office. It will make a tiny bedroom bigger. As always I have to look through things and low and behold, there was my senior notebook. I couldn’t resist going back in time and flipping through each coveted page.
BACK in the day we carried a notebook and took it to all our classes and would keep in it our notes, graded homework papers, and stuff. In my senior year I only had two classes that required very much from me and they were lovingly kept, and reviewed, one more time. But this time, boy were my eyes opened. That girl many years ago, didn’t have a clue, nor did she know how to write, spell, understand how to punctuate and to follow a train of thought.
THERE WERE a couple of good papers that I had already turned into proper form and had filed elsewhere. I read and reread some of the book reports and short stories and thought; “did my teacher even read these things before giving me a grade. That’s another issue; the grades on these papers were not even consistent. How could he give me a final grade and I graduated. Believe me when I say; “I never noticed just how inept I was and how dumb, at the age of 18!
WELL, I took out the term paper (which was a copy) because my Teacher asked if he could keep the one I turned in. He gave me an A+ smiled at me and said; “good job!” Then I threw away my dirty, written all over the front and back covers with pencil and ink, notebook! All the names of my friends, quotations and etc etc etc are now just a faded memory! Important? Of course! Relevant today? Not really!
AS I THOUGHT about throwing this memory book away, I thought about Paul talking about us babes in Christ being nurtured with milk. Through the years I needed to look back and think of my self as having accomplished much even at a young age, but since I have become mature in stature and mind, I realized I have outgrown the milk. Especially the milk of my youth!
IN HEBREWS Paul talks about being nurtured upon the milk and then the meat. “For every one who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil. ” Hebrews 5:13-14 I have been living on the meat for quite a few years now, and have lost my desire to be called simply Christian. I have become mature in the word enough, that I know, what I know is what keeps me on this road that will ultimately lead me home. I belong to Jesus!
PAUL concludes by saying; “But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid foods; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready. For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like ordinary men?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
FUNNY the things that go through your mind! As I looked through my old notebook for the last time I really didn’t want anyone to peruse it and I knew I never wanted to see again, just how foolish, silly, and immature I was at 18 and besides that, I knew I couldn’t write a lick.
MY SUCCESSES all come through Jesus Christ. I write today only because the Holy Spirit has a hold of me. When I met Jim, we discovered that together we were nothing until Christ laid a firm foundation under our feet. Building upon Him has established within us pleasures beyond our imagination. Don’t think me of being puffed up or that I exaggerate my condition. God has humbled me enough times for me to know the difference. Turn a corner and see if there are any hang ups in your life and ask the Lord to renew a right spirit within you. By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/31/13
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
ARE YOU A MIMIC? 8/25/13
RECENTLY I saw something on TV regarding why yawn’s are infectious. They are, you know! We have all heard that yawning for the most is because of a lack of oxygen (air). But it has also been said that yawning could be from boredom and even from illness; but breathing is something we all do and when we fall below what we need, we yawn as an attempt to make it up. We human’s think we are the only ones who fall into the power of suggestion but some animals do to. Have you seen a dog yawn when a person near by yawns. It happens!
A WOMAN sees someone eating a piece of chocolate and right away, she has a desire for a piece of chocolate. How do I know that? I fall into that trap every time! Fear is also infectious. If everyone around us is laughing and happy, we begin to laugh and to feel happy also. If they are sad, we are sad too. So then, when we see someone yawning, we automatically yawn! We usually think it is because we are sleepy; maybe so, but for the most part we are lacking either oxygen or the power of suggestion is upon that yawn we just witnessed
I HAVE HEARD that within a few minutes after a baby is newly born, if you hold that baby within inches of your own face, that baby will mimic everything you do. If you smile, it will smile; if you frown, it will frown; if you stick your tongue out, it will stick out it’s tongue. This window is for only a few seconds. If you are not paying close attention you will miss it!
SCIENTIFICALLY speaking; the power of suggestion is more powerful, when the suggested thing is to the needs of our life. Fear is so powerful, as we see a herd of animals become afraid and stampede. People do that also! Yawning is more powerfully conveyed by suggestion, than almost anything else we know of, because it happens to deal with the most urgent and constant need of all life, breathing!
“THEN THE LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life; and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 We take life for granted, don’t we! Breathing is the most important eliminate of our being alive. My Mother told me that my youngest brother, Larry was a "blue baby"; not breathing. The Doctor gave him a swat on the back side and then there was a cough and then he was breathing! Do you think we turn blue when we stop breathing?
“Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalms 150:6 God gave us breath so that we could live and breath for Him! At least that is how I see it! All six verses in Chapter 150 suggests how we should praise the Lord. God’s faithful can praise Him in the church and in the streets. We must use every instrument from the trumpet and saxophone to the harp and all the stringed instruments, even the piano and the drums that thunder along with the clang of the cymbals. “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!” How simple is that!
DISCOVERING great principles about how our bodies function is amazing to us, but learning about how God brought it altogether so that we might be brought into unison with Him, is the revealing evidence that God is. “In the beginning God”......Genesis 1:1a For us to know Him and to love Him we must first accept the first four words in the Bible. When we admit to ourselves and to the world that God is, we are saying; “I believe God is.....” That sets us apart and places us in the realm of Godliness even while we are here in the flesh! Mind boggling huh!
THIS IS THE KEY to the scriptures. We must first believe and have faith that God is! If we do not have faith that God is, then there is no way that we can believe the scriptures. “The fool says in his heart, “there is no God!” Psalms 14:1 The truth is that you decide, “there is no God.” You are not born that way regardless of what the Atheist says. Don’t mimic the world; let us live and breath Jesus Christ and become just as He is! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/24/13
A WOMAN sees someone eating a piece of chocolate and right away, she has a desire for a piece of chocolate. How do I know that? I fall into that trap every time! Fear is also infectious. If everyone around us is laughing and happy, we begin to laugh and to feel happy also. If they are sad, we are sad too. So then, when we see someone yawning, we automatically yawn! We usually think it is because we are sleepy; maybe so, but for the most part we are lacking either oxygen or the power of suggestion is upon that yawn we just witnessed
I HAVE HEARD that within a few minutes after a baby is newly born, if you hold that baby within inches of your own face, that baby will mimic everything you do. If you smile, it will smile; if you frown, it will frown; if you stick your tongue out, it will stick out it’s tongue. This window is for only a few seconds. If you are not paying close attention you will miss it!
SCIENTIFICALLY speaking; the power of suggestion is more powerful, when the suggested thing is to the needs of our life. Fear is so powerful, as we see a herd of animals become afraid and stampede. People do that also! Yawning is more powerfully conveyed by suggestion, than almost anything else we know of, because it happens to deal with the most urgent and constant need of all life, breathing!
“THEN THE LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life; and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 We take life for granted, don’t we! Breathing is the most important eliminate of our being alive. My Mother told me that my youngest brother, Larry was a "blue baby"; not breathing. The Doctor gave him a swat on the back side and then there was a cough and then he was breathing! Do you think we turn blue when we stop breathing?
“Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalms 150:6 God gave us breath so that we could live and breath for Him! At least that is how I see it! All six verses in Chapter 150 suggests how we should praise the Lord. God’s faithful can praise Him in the church and in the streets. We must use every instrument from the trumpet and saxophone to the harp and all the stringed instruments, even the piano and the drums that thunder along with the clang of the cymbals. “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!” How simple is that!
DISCOVERING great principles about how our bodies function is amazing to us, but learning about how God brought it altogether so that we might be brought into unison with Him, is the revealing evidence that God is. “In the beginning God”......Genesis 1:1a For us to know Him and to love Him we must first accept the first four words in the Bible. When we admit to ourselves and to the world that God is, we are saying; “I believe God is.....” That sets us apart and places us in the realm of Godliness even while we are here in the flesh! Mind boggling huh!
THIS IS THE KEY to the scriptures. We must first believe and have faith that God is! If we do not have faith that God is, then there is no way that we can believe the scriptures. “The fool says in his heart, “there is no God!” Psalms 14:1 The truth is that you decide, “there is no God.” You are not born that way regardless of what the Atheist says. Don’t mimic the world; let us live and breath Jesus Christ and become just as He is! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/24/13
Saturday, August 17, 2013
LOOK MOM, NO HANDLES! 8/18/13
WHEN I was a girl and first learned to ride a bicycle I was pretty pleased with myself. Even though I learned on a boys bike, which meant I had to start running along side the bike, putting my left foot on the peddle and swinging my right leg over the back to the other side and put my right foot on that peddle, it was an achievement! No easy task for a little short girl! Most boys took to riding the bicycle with ease and it wasn’t long before they were yelling out; “look Mom, no hands!”
WHEN I think about ‘no hands’ I become more than thankful to God for my two hands, because some have lost their hands and some have even been born without their hands. To learn to ride a bike and to set back on the seat, with your arms folded across your chest only proves that you have balance and can guide your bike with your mind and body. Albeit, an achievement!
WHEN we placed our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have learned that our hands, our mind and body plays a big part in our new way of life. Satan jumps up and down with anger when a soul is saved. He doesn’t care who the soul belongs too, he just wants to own it! With Jesus He cares about the individual and their soul. Such a big difference! Especially when we decide to give our lives to one or the other.
WITH Satan we carry handles. Remember the story of Rahab? Even though she is in the lineage of Jesus, she has a handle! She has gone down in history being called Rahab, the Harlot! “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given friendly welcome to the spies.” Hebrew 11:31 As I looked in my concordance for Rahab, she wasn’t there, but when I look under harlot; there she was! “And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?” James 2:25 In the Old Testament sins were not forgiven as we understand forgiveness in the New Testament. Jesus has made the difference!
HANDLES are our sins that others can get a hold of, and bring us down further than our sin. As Christians we know that God has forgiven our sins from our past, and that He will continue to forgive our sin as we confess them and will remember them no more! But our family and friends never forget and have attached handles to our names. Perhaps you were caught in a lie; they will always remember that you were a liar! Maybe you stole something and so you become Johnny the thief in the minds of many.
STORIES are handed down of things that we have done before we became a Christian, but most Christians know that we are now forgiven. We learn to look beyond each others faults because God does! However, the world is not as circumspect! When a congregation is looking for elders they search the scriptures and read; “ For an elder, as God’s steward, must be blameless, he must not be arrogant, or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy and self-controlled, he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it.” Titus 1:7-9
I AM INCLINED to look at the requirements for an Elder and say that they should apply to all Christians. A teacher should fall under the same scrutiny, as should deacon’s! God gave us the Holy Spirit who gave us the Fruit of His Spirit. “Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
WHEN we continue to develop the fruit within us, we should be able to look around ourselves and proclaim for all to hear; “look Mom, no handles!” Better still, we should be anxious to hear our Father say; “My child, you have no handles!” By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/17/13
WHEN I think about ‘no hands’ I become more than thankful to God for my two hands, because some have lost their hands and some have even been born without their hands. To learn to ride a bike and to set back on the seat, with your arms folded across your chest only proves that you have balance and can guide your bike with your mind and body. Albeit, an achievement!
WHEN we placed our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have learned that our hands, our mind and body plays a big part in our new way of life. Satan jumps up and down with anger when a soul is saved. He doesn’t care who the soul belongs too, he just wants to own it! With Jesus He cares about the individual and their soul. Such a big difference! Especially when we decide to give our lives to one or the other.
WITH Satan we carry handles. Remember the story of Rahab? Even though she is in the lineage of Jesus, she has a handle! She has gone down in history being called Rahab, the Harlot! “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given friendly welcome to the spies.” Hebrew 11:31 As I looked in my concordance for Rahab, she wasn’t there, but when I look under harlot; there she was! “And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?” James 2:25 In the Old Testament sins were not forgiven as we understand forgiveness in the New Testament. Jesus has made the difference!
HANDLES are our sins that others can get a hold of, and bring us down further than our sin. As Christians we know that God has forgiven our sins from our past, and that He will continue to forgive our sin as we confess them and will remember them no more! But our family and friends never forget and have attached handles to our names. Perhaps you were caught in a lie; they will always remember that you were a liar! Maybe you stole something and so you become Johnny the thief in the minds of many.
STORIES are handed down of things that we have done before we became a Christian, but most Christians know that we are now forgiven. We learn to look beyond each others faults because God does! However, the world is not as circumspect! When a congregation is looking for elders they search the scriptures and read; “ For an elder, as God’s steward, must be blameless, he must not be arrogant, or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy and self-controlled, he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it.” Titus 1:7-9
I AM INCLINED to look at the requirements for an Elder and say that they should apply to all Christians. A teacher should fall under the same scrutiny, as should deacon’s! God gave us the Holy Spirit who gave us the Fruit of His Spirit. “Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
WHEN we continue to develop the fruit within us, we should be able to look around ourselves and proclaim for all to hear; “look Mom, no handles!” Better still, we should be anxious to hear our Father say; “My child, you have no handles!” By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/17/13
Saturday, August 10, 2013
CAN YOU DARE TO BE BOLD? 8/11/13
WHEN I was a little girl I was shy but wanted attention. That kind of combination can only lead to trouble. Needless to say, I have always butted in where I wasn’t needed or wanted, and always had questions. I always wanted to know more and needed clear explanations so that I could understand. Today, I have answers and because I know what I know, I want others to know also.
YOU CAN laugh if you want to, but I am really an introvert. If I am not in a safe place or with those who I feel comfortable with, and I am not in charge, I want to be the wall flower and stand alone. Jim says; that is not true; because I do things that only an extrovert would do. I try to explain that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but for me, I am still that shy little girl!
IN THE 60's there was a radio program called BOLD LIVING
(I think). Living bold means to let your light shine and let the world around you, know what you know, because Christ is in you! I have always felt that the little song I learned as a child should be taken seriously and personally. “This little light of mine; I’m going to let it shine!” This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, Let it shine!” One verse said; “Hide it under a bushel, NO!”
"JESUS SPOKE boldly (openly)”! John 7:26 We know that Jesus was filled with confidence, courage; He was fearless and daring. We wouldn’t have expected it, in any other way, because Jesus knew who He was! He knew where He came from and He knew where He was going! He was fearless when facing His adversaries and He dared to make known who He really was; His true identity. Jesus was not afraid to shock the Jewish people when He declared “Before Abraham was, I am!” John 8:58
AGAIN and again, Jesus declared Himself to be the Great I AM! “I am the messiah!” John 4:26 “I am the bread of life!” John 6:35 “I am from above” John 8:23 “I am the light of the world!” John 9:5 “I am the door!” John 10:7 “I am the Son of God!” John 10:36 “I am the resurrection and the life!” John 11:35 “I am the Lord and Master!” John 13:13 “I am the way, the truth and the life!” John 14:6 “I am the true vine!” John 15:1 He emphasizes this glorious truth with; “I am the Alpha and Omega!” Rev 1:8 and, “I am the First and the Last!”
Rev 1:17
SHOULDN’T Jesus’ followers be as bold? When we know who we are in Christ, shouldn’t we speak words of confidence as He did. Shouldn’t we become fearless when we understand we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength? When we know and understand what we have in Christ, we ought to speak it boldly! “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son!” 1 John 5:11. “He that has the Son has life!” 1 John 5:12 “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty! 2 Corinthians 3:17 WOW! The Spirit of the Lord dwells not in temples made with man’s hands, but in our bodies! We never again need to speak of bondage, when you know that God has not called us to bondage, but into liberty!
IN JESUS CHRIST we have Joy, Peace, Power, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption. However, we will never realize the full reality of our riches in Christ until we speak boldly about them. Jesus did it and so should we! Remember David didn’t look like a conqueror, but He talked like one in 1 Samuel 17! The boldness that flows throughout the vine, flows into the branches and gives all that we need to stand and shout it!
“THEREFORE, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 We are more than conquerors through Christ; we are the righteousness of God in Christ and we are the redeemed of the Lord. To be a real Christian is far more than simply being forgiven! Be sure you know who you are in Jesus Christ, then when you take your stand, the Holy Spirit will give you all the boldness you need. By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/9/13
YOU CAN laugh if you want to, but I am really an introvert. If I am not in a safe place or with those who I feel comfortable with, and I am not in charge, I want to be the wall flower and stand alone. Jim says; that is not true; because I do things that only an extrovert would do. I try to explain that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but for me, I am still that shy little girl!
IN THE 60's there was a radio program called BOLD LIVING
(I think). Living bold means to let your light shine and let the world around you, know what you know, because Christ is in you! I have always felt that the little song I learned as a child should be taken seriously and personally. “This little light of mine; I’m going to let it shine!” This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, Let it shine!” One verse said; “Hide it under a bushel, NO!”
"JESUS SPOKE boldly (openly)”! John 7:26 We know that Jesus was filled with confidence, courage; He was fearless and daring. We wouldn’t have expected it, in any other way, because Jesus knew who He was! He knew where He came from and He knew where He was going! He was fearless when facing His adversaries and He dared to make known who He really was; His true identity. Jesus was not afraid to shock the Jewish people when He declared “Before Abraham was, I am!” John 8:58
AGAIN and again, Jesus declared Himself to be the Great I AM! “I am the messiah!” John 4:26 “I am the bread of life!” John 6:35 “I am from above” John 8:23 “I am the light of the world!” John 9:5 “I am the door!” John 10:7 “I am the Son of God!” John 10:36 “I am the resurrection and the life!” John 11:35 “I am the Lord and Master!” John 13:13 “I am the way, the truth and the life!” John 14:6 “I am the true vine!” John 15:1 He emphasizes this glorious truth with; “I am the Alpha and Omega!” Rev 1:8 and, “I am the First and the Last!”
Rev 1:17
SHOULDN’T Jesus’ followers be as bold? When we know who we are in Christ, shouldn’t we speak words of confidence as He did. Shouldn’t we become fearless when we understand we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength? When we know and understand what we have in Christ, we ought to speak it boldly! “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son!” 1 John 5:11. “He that has the Son has life!” 1 John 5:12 “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty! 2 Corinthians 3:17 WOW! The Spirit of the Lord dwells not in temples made with man’s hands, but in our bodies! We never again need to speak of bondage, when you know that God has not called us to bondage, but into liberty!
IN JESUS CHRIST we have Joy, Peace, Power, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption. However, we will never realize the full reality of our riches in Christ until we speak boldly about them. Jesus did it and so should we! Remember David didn’t look like a conqueror, but He talked like one in 1 Samuel 17! The boldness that flows throughout the vine, flows into the branches and gives all that we need to stand and shout it!
“THEREFORE, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 We are more than conquerors through Christ; we are the righteousness of God in Christ and we are the redeemed of the Lord. To be a real Christian is far more than simply being forgiven! Be sure you know who you are in Jesus Christ, then when you take your stand, the Holy Spirit will give you all the boldness you need. By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/9/13
Saturday, August 3, 2013
HAPPY JUBILEE! 8/4/13
IN OCTOBER 1962 Jim and I had moved into our first house. A small 3 bedroom with 1 ½ baths. Good size walled back yard, plus a double garage. Shortly thereafter I became pregnant! It was our plan to get pregnant again as soon as we could. I had a mis-carriage in early September! I was excited about being pregnant but the excitement was short lived! Throughout this experience, I never had morning sickness nor any discomfort at all, except I didn’t want to gain very much weight. My weight had always fluctuated and I thought I could control it during pregnancy. I was wrong! I craved bread and peanut butter so much, that I had Jim take the bread and peanut butter to work with him every morning. I also craved ice! However, God’s blessings come in all kinds of packages!
50 YEARS AGO, our amazing son was born! Yesterday was his happy Jubilee! The 25th or 50th anniversary of any event is a joyousness occasion and God called it the year of the jubilee. Today silver or gold appears to differentiate between the 25th and 50th. Last year Danny celebrated his silver wedding anniversary and this year his arrival into the golden years. Who ever said; “My how time flies when you are having a good time,” said a mouth full!
LOTS of times we want to reflect on our lives passed, and count all the failures. Granted, we all have had failures galore but successes are what makes our lives amazing! Did you know that a newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas?” I am sure that newspaper editor was eating his words the first time he saw “Snow White!” Animation may have been in progress but what Disney did to it was mind boggling!
DID YOU KNOW that when Thomas Edison was a youngster, his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything. He was counseled to go into a field where he might succeed by virtue of his pleasant personality. Come on now; where would we be without all of Edison’s creative juices and how could we watch TV and play on the computer, as much as we do, without all that electricity.
ONE MORE did you know; okay? Interestingly enough Sir Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school and was considered “unpromising.” WOW! Perhaps someone else could have come along and discovered all that stuff about gravity, but they didn’t have to because, Mr. Newton did it first.
DO SUCCESSES happen because we are in the right place at the right time? Perhaps, but then that would be leaving your life in the hands of chance! I believe that true success comes when you put your hands in the hands of the man who stills the waters. Giving your life to Jesus Christ does not mean that you will become rich in material things, but it does mean you will have peace, joy and satisfaction, that only comes from knowing the Lord!
“YOU ARE THE salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.” Matthew 5:13
If we find ourselves living in the pit of remorse or embarrassment because of our failures we are causing our sweat and tears to water down the effectiveness of being the salt of the earth.
“YOU ARE THE light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 Considering who we are in Christ, our age doesn’t matter one bit. We can be the old person who gave their lives to the Lord somewhere along the way or a new born; we are all his children!
WHO ARE YOU in Christ? Are you so tasty that those you meet want to have what you have? Are they willing to seek you out and ask why you are the way you are? Aren’t you more apt to eat a dish that has flavor than something that has no taste at all? You are the light that is to lead others to Christ. Don’t pretend you are someone you are not; if you truly belong to Christ you won’t be able to keep your light from shining. You will be seen, and that’s the way God likes it! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/3/13
50 YEARS AGO, our amazing son was born! Yesterday was his happy Jubilee! The 25th or 50th anniversary of any event is a joyousness occasion and God called it the year of the jubilee. Today silver or gold appears to differentiate between the 25th and 50th. Last year Danny celebrated his silver wedding anniversary and this year his arrival into the golden years. Who ever said; “My how time flies when you are having a good time,” said a mouth full!
LOTS of times we want to reflect on our lives passed, and count all the failures. Granted, we all have had failures galore but successes are what makes our lives amazing! Did you know that a newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas?” I am sure that newspaper editor was eating his words the first time he saw “Snow White!” Animation may have been in progress but what Disney did to it was mind boggling!
DID YOU KNOW that when Thomas Edison was a youngster, his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything. He was counseled to go into a field where he might succeed by virtue of his pleasant personality. Come on now; where would we be without all of Edison’s creative juices and how could we watch TV and play on the computer, as much as we do, without all that electricity.
ONE MORE did you know; okay? Interestingly enough Sir Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school and was considered “unpromising.” WOW! Perhaps someone else could have come along and discovered all that stuff about gravity, but they didn’t have to because, Mr. Newton did it first.
DO SUCCESSES happen because we are in the right place at the right time? Perhaps, but then that would be leaving your life in the hands of chance! I believe that true success comes when you put your hands in the hands of the man who stills the waters. Giving your life to Jesus Christ does not mean that you will become rich in material things, but it does mean you will have peace, joy and satisfaction, that only comes from knowing the Lord!
“YOU ARE THE salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.” Matthew 5:13
If we find ourselves living in the pit of remorse or embarrassment because of our failures we are causing our sweat and tears to water down the effectiveness of being the salt of the earth.
“YOU ARE THE light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 Considering who we are in Christ, our age doesn’t matter one bit. We can be the old person who gave their lives to the Lord somewhere along the way or a new born; we are all his children!
WHO ARE YOU in Christ? Are you so tasty that those you meet want to have what you have? Are they willing to seek you out and ask why you are the way you are? Aren’t you more apt to eat a dish that has flavor than something that has no taste at all? You are the light that is to lead others to Christ. Don’t pretend you are someone you are not; if you truly belong to Christ you won’t be able to keep your light from shining. You will be seen, and that’s the way God likes it! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/3/13
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