WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU?
Most of my business career was office clerk and then secretary. I enjoyed filing, typing, writing letters and keeping my boss organized. My brother Lee and his son Lance bought a dry cleaner and found they needed office help, primarily a bookkeeper. I wasn’t a bookkeeper! I had to take general math over in my senior year in highschool, how could I possibly keep books. After much insistence on their part and because it was always hard for me to say no to my brothers, I agreed to leave Goodwill and run their office.

With the help of their accountant who was located down the street, I learned to keep books and to keep them out of trouble. I did what was required as far as reporting to SAIF, and the IRS. I learned how to do payroll and the record keeping that was required. Quarterly reports were filed on time and their business prospered.

Even though I was able to change my profession and found I could do it, my main objective was to help Lee and Lance out. Today, I appreciate the start they gave me and for the ten years I worked for them because it gave me the edge I needed to become a bookkeeper. My next employment was for a Title Company where I was able to use these skills for another ten years, until I retired. I know I was not skilled in this profession but I was able to do what was required for that position.

Reading God’s word helps us to know what is required of us as a follower of Christ. Understanding God’s word gives us the edge to become the person God has created us to be. Following His commandments enables us to learn His ways. Obtaining this knowledge helps us to read a passage and to discern what God is saying to us. Who it is speaking about; what is going on at the time; and to know if this passage applies to us, the Apostles, or to someone else.

"He has showed you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8. This passage has been put to music and we have sung it many times in our churches. What does it mean? Does it mean that all God requires of us is to be honest in our dealings, to be kind to all peoples and to be humble, not arrogant before the Lord?

Some have thought this passage teaches that God’s only requirement for salvation is to live a good life, that a religious background is not necessary. However, that idea completely overlooks what it is all about. This passage is addressed to that portion of mankind that has a relationship with God. Not the heathen or mankind in general! In Micah’s time the most prominent issue was having a dead faith which did not culminate into a holy life. God lays a foundation here upon the fruits of a sincere belief and trust in Him which is contradictory to an empty profession of faith.

"But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?" James 2:20. Reading God’s word and filling our heads with knowledge is not enough unless we put to use our knowledge. Showing God’s love and kindness is important! Showing our faith in action is required of us! "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead!" James 2:26

Let us be circumspect in our knowledge. Let us use our knowledge to lift up others. Let us be knowledgeable in God’s word so that we can give an answer but let us not use our knowledge to pander to those who want their ears tickled. I believe I am familiar with God’s word but I lack the ability to tell you chapter and verse most of the time. I trust the Holy Spirit to complete my thoughts and for Jim to finish my sentence. Lets walk in faith daily! Jane Ann

ONE AND ONE IS TWO!
Proverbs 30:10-33 is called the numerical proverbs. Beginning in verse 18; "Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden." Now what is that all about? Chapter 24 makes a little sense; "Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; the badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the rocks; the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in Kings’ palaces". Can you find the logic there? The logic is that one can be mighty when there are two or more pulling together bringing strength and/or a balance to the equation.

Remember when ‘the new math’ came upon the scene? My children were in grade school. They would bring their work home and of course it was expected that the parent would help them. Now just a minute! My children were learning under a handicap! Their mother! She was of the old school and knew only what she had learned. She wasn’t even good at that! What she learned was permanent, not perfect. Their Dad on the other hand who’s math far exceeded their mothers, had difficulty understanding the new math because he was more familiar with X’s, Y’s and Z’s. Well, my children did survive with one working in a finance department of a large corporation and the other balances our check book and pays our bills. They must have grasped something in the learning process.

Let me impress you with all the things we have learned in the department of arithmetic. Addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, analytic geometry and many others I can’t even pronounce. We have learned to find each other by giving an address that consists of numbers so we can easily locate your house on a street. We have numbers to measure minutes, hours and days. We have come a long way!

I love dictionary searches. Knowledge has many direct definitions. 1) Clear perception of a truth, fact, or subject. 2) That which is known. 3) Information gained and preserved. 4) Learning. To break it down further; knowledge is information gained from books or instruction. Wisdom is using your knowledge in good/sound judgement! Wisdom is also understanding and insight that comes from experience.

God loves numbers, like 10%. He uses three, seven, twelve, forty and combinations of these numbers. We often wonder why! However, if God says it; it must be. "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

We shouldn’t let the numbers get in the way of sound judgement. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money!" In speaking about church discipline, Jesus gives instructions regarding sinning against one another and how you should handle such things. "Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:19-20.

God doesn’t ask us to be mathematicians, He just asks us to be faithful! God doesn’t ask us to be smarter than anyone else, He just asks us to love one another! God doesn’t ask us to be better than others in our service, He just asks us to serve one another! God doesn’t ask us to be good, He just asks us to accept His son and be obedient to His word. Jane Ann

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!
Practice makes perfect is one of those cliche’s I grew up with. I never had piano lessons per se, but I practiced a lot. However, it never made me perfect at the piano or otherwise. I remember my friend Iona Kay, practiced and practiced twirling the baton and eventually she became the head majorette in her Junior or Senior year in Highschool. Taking voice lessons or even singing in a choir can help your voice develop all the muscles not to mention the vocal cords. Practice or exercising your vocal cords can give you unbelievable musical sounds not to mention an increase in range.

Penmanship is another thing that needs practice. Remember the lined paper that we would draw circle after circle; lines above the lines and lines below the lines. A loop here and a loop there and walla, we are writing. I always wished I had beautiful penmanship. My mother did! Beautiful penmanship takes lots of practice!

My son Dan is a proficient pianist through practice, experience and through the perfection of his skill. Most pianists can sight read a musical score and after playing it many times is ready for a performance. Dan can sight read a musical score and has already performed it. I know what you are saying; "You’re his mother, you would say that!" Perhaps, but I have heard it many times from others who did not even know I was his mother.

Anything that we do repeatedly is referred to as having been practiced. Cooking is a repetitive skill. You may never become a great cook but you know how to do itl A profession is referred to as a practice, such as law, medicine or a beautician. Betty, a dear friend of mine says; "practice makes permanent, not necessarily perfect.

When Dan's three sons began Little League, Dan would encourage them. However, as a musician his terminology was a little different. He would tell the boys it was time for rehearsal and that they needed to get their costumes ready. You can imagine how that went over with his three strapping boys who knew they needed to put their uniforms on and head out to the practice field. I suppose as a musician you have already practiced and for a performance it is time to rehearse what you have practiced. In playing ball you are always practicing to get better and better.

Today, you can take medicines or put on a patch to help you to quit smoking. Today, you are encouraged to eat certain foods fixed certain ways and it will help curb your desire for alcohol. Today, there are many diets and diet pills to help you lose weight. In other words, we change one practice for another to take control of bad habits.

"I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1-2 We can get really good at sin when we practice it. The transformation of our mind is the only way to begin new habits, habits that are good and acceptable and perfect.

"Give instructions to a wise man, and he will still be wise; teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning." Proverbs 9:9 Jane Ann

CAN YOU MEMORIZE?
One of the things I remember from early school days were all the things we had to remember. A test would be given on just about every subject. Spelling bee’s would be held every Friday. The teacher would separate us into two lines and we would stand against the wall on each side of the room. All the words for that week would be in the Bee. If we spelled it right we would remain standing, but if we misspelled the word we had to sit down. How embarrassing was that? I never was the last one standing!

As Sunday School Superintendent, I would encourage the teachers to have memorization of scriptures a regular part of their curriculum. We would have a club for the whole Sunday School called "The Books of the Bible Club". Jim bought a book called; "Ready-Set-Believe" by Jerry Lucas. It had a picture formula that he traced on large poster boards so that you could bring these images up in our heads and it would help us to remember the books of the Bible. This was fun not only for children but for the adults. Everyone, would memorize the books of the Bible and would recite them to the listener. If you could say them correctly your name was put on the roster for the club and you would receive a lapel pin that was shaped as an open Bible. I still have my pin! We would also have a club for reading through the Bible!

Jim memorized the book of James. He dressed up in costume and became James and brought the book alive as the audience sat and listened. Jack, a deacon, memorized the first chapter of James and when he was to have an MRI, he was able to keep his mind off of the feeling of claustrophobia by reciting this passage over and over until he was done.

Mr. Morris, a missionary in China before WWII, became captive and was put into prison. While many lost their minds and some died, Mr. Morris was able to survive by remembering all the scriptures he had memorized.

All learning is a process that is accomplished by remembering what we are taught. If you can remember your way to the grocery store you can remember that God loves you. If you can remember the flag salute, you can remember that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth". If you can remember the names of your siblings, your children and your spouse you can remember that Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the lost.

The book of Proverbs is a series of short, pithy sayings centering in comparisons. There is no real order in which these are given. These sayings are for daily living, subjects of knowledge, morality, chastity, the tongue, laziness and justice. The sayings are of the wise, warning against sin and the promise of punishment. "Wise men lay up knowledge, but the babbling of a fool brings ruin near!" Proverbs 10:14

Teaching a child is through repetition. Doing it over and over again! When a child begins to learn we think it is so cute. Jesus said: "Let the little children come unto me, for such is the Kingdom of Heaven!" Matthew 19:13-15 Children are willing to listen and to learn. They accept the things they are taught, easily. They may get some things backwards but eventually it takes hold and they become a product of what they are taught.

Teaching the knowledge of Jesus Christ is the greatest gift we can share. Memorization is good but knowing Jesus Christ bring us all that much closer to the Father. Jane Ann

SO WHO IS MAGELLAN ANYWAY? 5/18/09

When I was young, probably in my teens, I wanted to be smart but didn’t want to apply
myself enough to become smart. I talked too much to be successful in learning head knowledge. My family would often sit around the dinner table, long after dinner discussing mundane things. I don’t remember who all were still at the table except for Layton and Jean. Whatever the discussion was it became a little heated on my side. I blurted out, as though I really knew what I was saying; "Well, if you think your so smart, then who is Magillan?" Layton burst out laughing. So did Jean! I was so embarrassed! Why were they laughing at me! Apparently I mispronounced Magellan as Magillan. I am sure that had to be a common mistake! If you asked me to pronounce it today, I bet I’d get it right! You would have thought I would have learned a lesson when I wanted to show just how smart I was.

Being smart sometimes is knowing when to keep your mouth shut. For some reason I never seemed to be able to do that. I have had a habit of butting in! Why couldn’t I wait until it was my turn? When someone is talking to me, instead of giving them my full attention, I was already formulating in my mind what I wanted to say. More times than not I was impatient for them to finish. During my grade school years, Mrs Ellett, the Pastors wife was the director of the Primary and Junior Sunday School Dept. She and a couple of other ladies would lead our opening exercises. This is where announcements, instructions and singing were done. She often had to say my name in order to shut me up and get my attention. One Sunday, she said; "Janie, be still or you won’t hear what I am saying!" I am sure I was a little surly, when I replied; "I don’t hear with my mouth!" I never would have put up with me like they did. I probably would have sent me from the room and locked the door.

During my growing older years and especially when Jim came into my life, I have loved learning. Why couldn’t I have been like that in school? I always seem to ponder what I could have done if I had applied myself! However, we can’t go back and pick up the pieces but instead we start now. Right where we are! You read about so many going on to college long after their children are grown. I read about one lady who was a freshman at the age of 80. I’m not so sure that would be me. But it can happen to someone!

Proverbs talks a lot about the wise and how man should use his wisdom. Looking at Proverbs 10:8 sounds like the old me; "The wise of heart will heed commandments, but a prating fool will come to ruin". As I learned more about God’s word, Proverbs 22:17 comes to sound more like me; "Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge".

The more I read God’s word, the more I realize that having knowledge of God is not the same as knowing God. Even when Paul is talking about knowing what is in the scriptures and how important all of that was and is, 1 Corinthians 8:1b-3 he states; "all of us possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If any one imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by Him".

God knows me and He gently puts me in my place again and again. He is patient with me, just as the pastor of my youth and all those who dwelt among his flock. To a child, love and acceptance is all that it takes to guide their footsteps. To a child, a family that cares makes all the difference in the world. I praise the Lord for those who took the time to be patient and understanding with me. Especially those, who would say, although a little exasperated; "Oh Janie"! And then explain it to me again! Romans 10:17 says; "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ". By Jane Ann Crenshaw 2/28/08

WHO IS YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT?
When Jim and I first went house hunting back in the early 60's, houses were plentiful and prices were amazing compared to today. When we finally settled on our first home, our excitement was overshadowed by the loss of our first baby. I miscarried during my first trimester! Through the years we have wondered who this child was and what contribution to our lives would this child have brought. However, later the same year I became pregnant again. Nine months later we had Danny and 13 months later we had Jennifer. God is so Good! Even though we wonder about our first, we know that one day we will meet that child face to face. God took away our sorrow and blessed us with two children that have been a joy and delight not only to our souls but to our whole existence.

We lived in the big city of Torrance, Ca. for eight years and then moved to Oregon. We rented an old house in an area that I refer to as Peyton Place. You need to be old enough to remember that book/movie! This was not a desirable neighborhood but it was the only house we could rent, as everything listed in the paper was already rented before the paper hit the streets. We bought a piece of property in the country and had plans to build. We bought a two bedroom 12 x 60 mobile home. We put in a driveway, well, Septic tank w/drain field and a power pole. We called it home for about 4 years. Needless to say we never did get started building our home. Work, Gospel Quartet and life just seem to get in the way so we bought a beautiful double wide home and placed it on a pad a little further from our first house.

After 17 years we sold the property and moved about 13 miles closer to the big city and bought a home that needed some remodeling and TLC. When we retired we sold that home and bought a home where my grandchildren were living and growing up so fast we needed to be closer to watch that happen. Real Estate investments were not our forte’, nor location, location a priority. We either sold just before or we bought just after the housing boom. Go figure!

John 3:16 is the most beloved scripture in the Bible. We had a family who started coming to church because they saw John 3:16 written across a football field on national TV. God loved the world so much, because He considered the world worthy! That is why Christ went to the cross. It was to make a place for us in His kingdom. Therefore, all the world can have a place in His kingdom, if they submit to Him. Many believe that God is in the process of building us a mansion. I believe the mansions are already prepared for us! John 14:1-3 Jesus says; "In my Fathers house are many rooms. I am going to prepare a place for you". I believe when He went to the cross, that was His preparation for us! His blood on the cross gives us a promise of a room in heaven; but of course it comes to us through a process. The world only has to hear, believe, repent, confess and be baptized into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and then they will have the power that comes from the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Although we were unworthy, God considered us worthy and now He has made us worthy and significant in His kingdom. Because, Jesus said that in His Father’s house are many mansions, He is saying that Heaven has plenty of room for everyone. This mansion is ours for the asking! The price has already been paid! Life eternally with the Father is at hand! Nothing comes easy, but this is a gift! You know neither the hour or the day! I would like to recommend Jesus as your Real Estate Agent. When He adds your name to the list, your old house has been sold and your new house is purchased. Moving day is just ahead, so get packing! Get all excited! God is already there and is waiting to welcome you to your new home. By Jane Ann Crenshaw 5/22/08

CAN WE AFFORD IT?
Those who do not pay attention to their Real Estate Agent are those who pay no attention to the chief inspector when he says, the windows are bad, the roof needs replacing, the inner structure is not stable and the neighborhood is in transition which causes the schools to be not adequate.

Each time we bought and sold we always seemed to be fixing things for the buyer of the current home and moving into the next without an inspection. Down the road we discover many things that have to be taken care of and I always say; "We should have had an inspection, we can’t afford this!"

Our first home we bought, the drapes were always opened when we looked at it. A retaining wall surrounded the back yard which was wonderful, but lacked a fence separating the back from the front. The owner was to put up a fence! It was a wire fence only. Jim eventually built a fence that was closer to the front of the house. Our Veteran’s loan would only cover a certain amount so if we wanted the house, we had to put a clause in the contract that said we would purchase the drapes for $500.00. All was agreed upon, the seller was getting their price and we signed on the dotted line. Our first home! Our first lovely home!

With key in hand we walked into our first home and I closed the drapes. The front drapes closed easily. The side drapes only had one panel on each side and only covered 1/4th of the window on each side. $500.00 drapes that didn’t even fit! Within 6 months, we had new drapes!

Matthew 6:19-21 reminds us that "we shouldn’t store up treasures here on earth where moths can eat them and rust can destroy them and where thieves can break in and steal. We are to store up our treasures in heaven where none of these things can happen. Because wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be." Ask yourselves; "what do I treasure most!" Is it things I possess; those I love; or the gifts that only God can give?

We live in a world where possessions are the name of the game. You have heard; "Those with the most toy’s win!" Can we afford to have that kind of attitude? God has never said to us; "Love me, and I will give you the biggest house on the block!" God has said; "Delight yourselves in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart!" Psalms 37:4

Remember the Inspector? The one who says; the windows are bad, the roof needs replacing, the inner structure is not stable and the neighborhood is in transition. Our Inspector has looked at us and has seen all our faults. He has promised He would take our inadequacies when we accept His gift. We have looked and looked for just the right place to live and have ignored the perfect home offered to us.

We can’t afford to live in the grand house with all the finest furnishings, unless God lives there with us. We can’t afford to live in comfort unless we allow the Lord to put our name and address in His directory. We can’t afford to take a chance on the neighborhood we have chosen, unless it is on the street where God lives. Unless we accept the house that has already been paid for, we will never be able to afford what is best for us. The mansion has already been built. The rooms have already been reserved. We need to stop looking for a dream and accept the reality of God’s gift. Who is your Real Estate Agent? Jane Ann