by Sharon O | Mar 12, 2010 | Uncategorized
Psalms 81:1 (NAS)
“I will sing of the loving kindness of the Lord forever, to all generations I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.”
Throughout the years, I have been collecting pretty china and crystal pieces.
Along with special books, dolls and other assorted things, given to me by my grandmother and other significant people.
In the hopes that some day, I can pass them on to my children, and then their children.
Many hours spent planning and purchasing, and thinking of what would be special to hand down. For I wanted to leave something of value and significance to our children. We purchased Royal Doulton Old Country Rose china, a set of 12 with the intention of splitting in half a set of six for each child’s family.
My grandmother started me on this collection, by giving her dessert sets to me.
Rather than have a mix and matched china collection I kept on with this one.
I have beautiful crystal pieces. Even my parents and I think my grandmothers sterling silverware set, minus a few forks or knives. (Somehow I did manage to get them in spite of our sad growing up years)
All of these have value.
All of these are wonderful and thoughtful.
After I read this verse,
‘to all generations’ … I realized something.
Something profound, a soft reminder in my heart.
God is speaking, I silence my heart to listen.
Giving my children or grand children beautiful things to admire or show off in their homes is nice. Nothing wrong with the idea.
But….
The verse is saying, to all generations I will sing, of the loving kindness of the Lord. I will make known your faithfulness, with my mouth.
My most important ‘thing’ I can give to my children and grandchildren is the legacy of God’s love. In the hopes that as I would give china or crystal that they would value. God’s love and faithfulness would become far more valuable to their life than a china cup. I desire to hand to them something of purpose.
I don’t have to literally sing to them as the verse says, but our children remember the old southern gospel music playing every Saturday night.
As they fell into a deep peaceful sleep down the hall.
This means, to share God’s love and pass the ‘grandmother baton’, to all generations, so that they will know that God is faithful and kind and has endless love for them.
I will make known.
That means I talk, I share, I pray, I encourage the ways of the Lord to them.
Thank you God for showing me.
A different new legacy of love for all generations even after I am gone.
I pray that each one of them
will find value, purpose and meaning from your heart of love for them.
Passed down from a legacy of faith, from a mom and grandma who loved.
by Sharon O | Mar 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
The other day we were getting ready to take our twin 6 year old grand daughters home to their parents along with their sister who is 10. Pillows and backpacks were taken out to the car along with other items going home.
Hannah wanted her helium filled balloon too and as she was trying to put it in the trunk, it began to float away. Grandma tried to catch it, but the wind was faster than I was. Huge tears fell down her face, crying for her balloon, wanting it to ‘come back’. I tried to talk to her but it wasn’t working. As I helped her into her car seat, tears falling down her sad face.
I said to her, “do you know why that balloon was floating away ‘so fast’?” she was listening now, not crying (which was my goal). “No why, she answered me with her sad quivering voice and teary eyes”.
I began to talk in my grandma tone, “well way up in the sky, way way up in Heaven. There is an angel who is just waiting to reach for your balloon, and when she gets to touch it, she will say, “this is from Hannah, a very special little girl”. Now all three girls were listening with great anticipation of what was coming next. ” I said “she always catches balloons of little children that is her job.” {OK theology is not in this lesson}
She was now beginning to calm down, wiping tears off her cheeks… then Hannah said to me with questioning eyes.
“But grandma, how do you know? who told you this?” as she was still sort of crying only not as loud.
Without a moments passing I said ‘Oh grandma’s just know these things’…. as I looked at the face of Faith the ten year old. She was giving me the look back, as if to say ” where did you come up with this?”
Sometimes us grandma’s just have to come up with something very special and very unique for the moment. That is our job you know.
by Sharon O | Mar 8, 2010 | Uncategorized
Colossians 3:12 (NIV)
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
This verse has been a focus of mine for several days now.
The writer starts out with therefore. Most pastors say, whenever this word is written, it means ‘now listen’ it is important, it is not to be missed.
So we are not to miss the fact that we are God’s chosen people.
HOW awesome is that? HE chose us.
Not only did he choose us purposely, but we are set aside
as holy and dearly loved.
Doesn’t that just give you a warm wonderful feeling?
Then the writer says, as God’s chosen, holy and dearly loved people;
you are to clothe your selves in an appropriate way.
This is an action word, such as, putting on as a sweater over your shoulders when you are cold. Or a blanket on the couch when you are watching something.
I was thinking, so what does this mean for us?
As I get up in the morning and look into my closet and decide.
Do I want to wear the red sweater and the black pants,
OR do I put on compassion.
Do I want to wear the denim shirt with the denim pants,
OR do I put on kindness.
Do I want to wear the soft flannel shirt with the flannel pants,
OR do I put on humility.
Do I want to wear the frumpy pants with the frumpy shirt,
OR do I put on gentleness.
Do I want to wear something fancy and have a dress up day,
OR do I put on patience.
As we wrap the warmth of our Lord’s love around us.
We choose to wrap around his attributes also.
It is not natural for us to show compassion, be kind, be humble or gentle, and most of all to be patient.
So it must be a choice for us, an effort on our part.
Just as we get up in the morning and decide, what ‘look’ we are going to present for the day, for others to see. We also can get up and choose, what attribute we are going to present for others to be a part of.
I think it is an awesome thought.
One that I am going to work on, as I make a conscience choice of what I am going to wear.
by Sharon O | Mar 4, 2010 | Uncategorized
Psalm 101: 2 (English Standard Version)
I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;
What a statement, and what a test.
In our homes, we are private.
No one knows what we do but us and those who we live with.
Integrity;
Dictionary.com says:
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: preserve integrity
3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition:
The steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code a sense of “uncorrupted virtue”.
When the Psalmist says, I will walk with integrity in my home, it was a cry for a heart condition.
An ultimate personal test.
Where no one sees, no one observes, no one participates, but us.
As Christians we are accountable to ourselves and our God, for our integrity.
It is a choice.
What we read, what we watch on TV, what we subscribe to, what we view on the computer, even what we say to each other, it is all a part of the integrity process.
In our hearts..
yes in our hearts. It is a heart choice.
In our homes, in our families.
May we be true to the strict adherence of virtue and truth, so we may lead a life of integrity.
by Sharon O | Mar 3, 2010 | Uncategorized
I love the Psalms.
Psalm 90: vs 12
Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
vs. 14
Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
vs. 15
Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.
Isn’t it just awesome, that God delights in teaching us new awareness’s,
so we can worship Him.
I love the thought of rising in the morning with singing.
I love the idea that ‘HE’ can satisfy us the way nothing else can, and the verse says ‘every morning’ so it is continual.
Daily growing in wisdom and love.
Teaching us that life is precious.
I challenge us today.
To open up the Psalms and reach into them, for encouragement, answers, direction, hope and growth.
In that process may we all become more wise, as we realize every day is a gift.
Our choice is how we open it and respond.
