Bells Upon Horses--and Inside Churches--and In Our Hearts!

Now that we were given a horse, Rose has ideas up her sleeve for going Christmas caroling with her horse--

complete with jingle bells that she bought and sewed onto a bright red ribbon!

 So in the late afternoons after school and chores at the neighbor, Rose has been introducing the horse to the bells, and the horse has been doing really well!

Right about the time Rose was talking about getting bells for her horse, I read in Zech. 14:20,

"In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses."

I love how the Lord speaks His Word and His holiness and His joy into our common, ordinary routine of life! 

But Friday we had something more than ordinary!

Below, we are passing this tower of bells on our way to a bell concert at a church in town Friday night.

This has been such a happy Christmas season for us--complete with burdens and cares and disappointments, of course,

but happy in so many ways, as we just stay open to whatever opportunities the Lord brings along to us. 

(I hope to soon write about a Hindu family who wants to come spend Christmas with us!)

Friday evening, some of our family was able to attend this bell concert given by a quartet called Forte, whom a friend highly recommended.

 Just inside the second set of doors was this tree covered with hats and mittens and gloves

"for the less fortunate," the custodian explained to us when we asked where the hats and gloves were going. I loved it!

 The same custodian wondered if we'd like to see the enormous tree in the sanctuary, so we went ahead and followed him into the sanctuary.

But I'll have to admit that it was the organ pipes that I took a picture of.

Only the Lord knows how much I love music and how dreadfully I miss being involved in music.

And how good of Him to permit us to listen to the good music of others. 

 This Forte bell quartet played songs every bit as complicated as whole choirs play.

They switched places and played four bells in two hands, and were otherwise incredible!

 I never saw anything like it!

It so much reminded me, though of my own family so many years ago, playing in unconventional ways. 

In fact, this young man at the end on the right and below reminded me so much of my younger brother Gabriel.

Below, this young man is drawing violin bows across the tops of chimes to make a whole new sound.

 The lady in the group is playing the "bell tree."

They used parts of several sets of bells.

 At the end, they played an encore--"The Hallelujah Chorus." It was unbelievable, with them scurrying from end of the table to the other, switching places, standing in line, and otherwise having an outrageously fun time playing music!

 We visited a little with them afterwards, and especially with the parents of the young man in the light green shirt. The father had met us in the hospital room of Jonathan's friend Dale O'Maley three or four years ago before Dale passed away. Dale was a mutual friend, and his wife was here at the concert, too, as she is friends with both their family and ours.

Jonathan tried out the very biggest bell!

 Jesus, when our music is laid aside, and our lips are silent and our hands are still,

when it is others who play and sing and ring the bells 

at Christmas time,

still engrave upon our hearts "Holiness unto the Lord," even as Your Word says You will engrave those words upon the bells of the horses.

"Lord, glorify Yourself at my expense," I had prayed a few years ago after hearing a challenging message about being completely surrendered to the Lord's glory rather than our own.

I did not know what all that would mean--but it wasn't long before I began to understand that that was no idle or foolish prayer that God did not take seriously.

He took me at my word.

 Jesus, when we and our reputations have been poured out like pancake syrup,

when we become nothing

we just ask that You would become all things,

that whether by evil report or good report, whether by cursing or blessing, whether by life or death--

Jesus, be glorified--though it be at our expense.

Be glorified, Jesus, be glorified.

Do We Want to See Jesus--or Just Pet Donkeys?

I got a chuckle last week after the choir service when this little girl had toddled up to the platform and was so intrigued with the manger scene.

I had lifted her gently up so she could see the Baby Jesus--only to discover that she seemed to be more interested in petting the fuzzy animals!
So we petted fuzzy animals together--she and I.

And I smiled.

And I wondered.

How like us poor humans!

God sends His son to earth to die for us--and we're more interested in other things. 

There lies sweet little Baby Jesus--and we just want to pet the camels and cows and donkeys!

Are we really interested in Jesus, 

and spreading the gospel,

 

 and reaching the lost, and caring about the down and out, 

 

and helping where it is lonely and difficult, and where there might even be another language or culture,

and you have to come up with ways to decorate that don't cost a penny--because there aren't very many pennies--

Or do we just have our favorite fuzzy comfort zone that we like to snuggle up in?

Do we really want to see Jesus this Christmas season,

or do we just want to pet donkeys?

Never Despair--But If You Do...

There was a heartache this evening that I could not handle alone.

I don't know about you, but sometimes, it just seems that a short prayer is best--asking the Lord about the heartache, and turning it over to Him. And then I knew that the longer I stayed there bowed in prayer, the longer I would stew over it.

So I got busy.

Sam had earned his firefighter badge the other night, and now he needed someone to hand sew this firefighter patch on his new uniform's sleeve.

It was late but I needed something to do that would just keep my hands and mind busy--and calm.

Something to do to help me get my mind off it, and some kind of way that would let the Lord know that not only did I bring the heartache to Him,

but that I was leaving it there.

 So with scissors and thread and needle, I sewed.

And the words kept coming to me today that have been a solace and encouragement to me since I was a teenager and wrote them on an index card in my Bible:

"Never despair!

But if you do, work on in despair."

 So today I worked despite the heartache--sorting and cleaning up in the basement, sorting and cleaning up in the garage, making a snowman cheeseball for the Fireman's Christmas dinner this evening,

  and frying onions till they were golden for a topping for a green bean casserole (minus the French Fried onions which we'd run out of.

 Ordinary work can be good therapy for heartache--

 but it's not always effective. 

It needs to be combined with prayer and trust and coming to Jesus for healing of the heartache.

Some things are just too big for us to handle by ourselves.

 And so I sewed.

And so I write.

Jesus, when I despair, help me not to give up because of all the heartache.

 Help me to work on despite the tunnel and the heartache, till I come out on the other side..

 and the sunrise brightens the sky again!

Sam's Fireman Badge Pinning Ceremony

Yesterday our family was privileged to attend the firefighter badge pinning ceremony for our oldest son Sam, who has been a rookie in training for over 7 months. 

There were actually two firemen taken in during the same evening. When our family arrived, one firefighter had to open the door of the fire house and drive the ambulance out so that there would be room for everyone and all the chairs! :) 

Sam was asked to stand over by a table.

Lieutenant Ornez swore him in.

We had discussed ahead of time a little about swearing and how to obey Christ Who plainly said, "Swear not at all." Did He mean we may not use the word "swear" when a promise needs to be made in ceremonies? Or was He just meaning not to add swearing to our promises to show that we mean it to be the truth, because we cannot be trusted otherwise to be honest?

Christ wants His followers to be totally trustworthy and honest, and to speak the truth simply  because it is the right thing to do and not because we have sworn an oath.

 Sam would make up his own mind. I was touched when he chose to use "affirm" rather than "swear."

His promise went something like this:

"I, Samuel Lucas, do solemnly affirm to do my duty as a Firefighter for the Peyton Fire Protection District to the best of my ability; to serve my commanding officers with respect and dignity; to serve the citizens of the Peyton Fire District with compassion, courage and integrity; ...so help me God."

We were proud of our straight, tall son, and his clear voice and words. 

Then he went to get the brand new black uniformed shirt that he had purchased the day before for the pinning ceremony.

The lieutenant offered for one of us parents to do the pinning of the badge, and I asked Jonathan to do it.

 The shirt fabric was really stiff and thick, and it was hard to get that pin on!

Then it was hand-shaking and hugging and chest-bumping time.

Part of the line of firefighters that congratulated Sam.

Then it was the second guy's turn.

While we were waiting for the second guy to get on his new shirt, I got this picture of Sam's badge on his handsome, new shirt.

He's a full-fledged fireman now!

The second fireman gets his badge pinned on as well.

And then the families get photographed with the new firemen!

It's hard to believe that tall, handsome young fireman is our son!

Around the day that Sam had told us he was going to get his badge this week, I read this verse in my devotions:
"Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
and Samuel was among those who called upon His name."

 I remember dedicating my second-born child to the Lord just after discovering I was expecting him.
I remember naming him Samuel, meaning "asked of God," having asked for a son.
And I remember giving him to God as a baby.
Always--I would pray that he would just do God's will, whatever that was.
I had dreamed of him being a preacher or missionary, a worker in God's kingdom. I assumed he would go to Bible College.
And then all the dreams came crashing down around my head, and something special came up in their place.

Sam chose to become a fireman!

So Lord, as I place a congratulations card and gift on Sam's pillow,
this mother heart prays for Your protection on my son and on those he helps in crisis.

It's not nearly as important what we become in life 

as that we do our best with whatever we become.

I read this morning in my devotions in Zechariah 14:20, "Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts."
"The pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar." v. 20

I felt like the Lord was letting me know that we can't all be golden bowls of incense or ministers before the altar of the Lord. We can't all be preachers and pastors and ministers and chaplains and missionaries and Bible teachers and presidents and bigwigs or important people.

Some of us are just plain old pots!!!!!!

 Some of us are just plain old pots of soup or pumpkin!

A minister is a worthy calling, but an ordinary family man, an office worker, construction worker, carpenter, plumber, postal worker, firefighter, you name it--these are all worthy callings

if they can be labeled "Holiness unto the Lord."

When every ordinary task of life is surrendered to the Lord's calling, He makes it worthy.

So, Lord, I try not to focus on the fact that Sam is heading into an occupation that has the potential of great danger in the world that we are living in. As long as He is in Your hand, He is safe,

so this mother heart gladly places him there.

Bent Car Door--How Do We Fix It?

A few days ago, Crystal's poor little old car received a bit of damage.

We shall, ahem, respectfully not repeat who was responsible.

However, the other driver was backing up while this car door was open, and--ahem--hit the door and scrunched it open a bit too far. And now the door would not close. This is what it looked like.

Ahem, ahem, choke.

It's been one breakdown after another for our poor old vehicles. Jonathan's truck has been at the mechanic for over a week, racking up thousands of dollars of repairs, and just after that, our van was overheating! Carrie's car wouldn't start one morning and Crystal's car will hardly steer.

Dear Lord, we pray, please heal our vehicles!

The mechanic looked at the van and recommended a new radiator cap--which I bought and the shop clerk put on for me as I was afraid of the hot radiator. That did the trick for the van! Thank You, Lord! A couple angels were looking out for us, I think!

And then after I spend some time yesterday looking and looking at that bent car door, I looked up the problem on google, because it really didn't look like either the door or the hinges were bent or messed up. And we've learned to check out google for help.

We read that this bent car door phenomena is often just a "sprung" door, meaning the hinge has sprung.

Poor Crystal had to go to work the day before at the restaurant in this "fancy" car with the door held up and closed by a cargo ratchet strap. I should have gotten a picture of that!

Well, I found a site that said this was a simple fix, and it showed a diagram of the hinge, the door and  pressure points on the door. It said if you put something solid like a socket or a small chunk of wood there between the hinge and the door, you can push up on the door and the hinge will go back into place and the door will go back into place.

Now we had hope.

Could Sam understand this explanation and put the socket in the right place and get the door pushed up just right?

I went out with him to assist in whatever way was needed, and most of all to provide moral support since that is what moms are good at!!

Sam did what the picture said, pushed on the door, and voila!

You can see the result!

Crystal came out just in time to hear me praising the Lord and Sam being incredulous that it was such a simple fix. 

He had expected to have to take it to a body shop or buy a new door and try to fix it himself.

What a comfort that it was such a simple fix--thanks to Google!

And to the Lord!

It's such a comfort that the Lord looks after us and provides for us and shows us the answer when we are perplexed. He is so much better than Google. He often knows that really the answer to our terrible, embarrassing problem is very simple. 

We thought we might need to spend a long time and a lot of money and a lot of energy trying to fix something that required only a few seconds, once the socket was found and put in place.

And how often do we agonize in our minds and hearts about some problem in our heart or attitude or life, wondering how many struggles ir tryings or or apologies or penances it will take to "fix" it?

And all we really need to do is Google the Good Lord, Who lets us know that really all this problem needs is some small fix: a tweek of our attitude (sometimes just putting the situation into His hands or not taking responsibility that doesn't belong to us), a lift of our spirits, or a small decision that needs to be made and done that will change the dynamics and bring the needed change.

Thank You, Lord, that when life or we get bent out of shape, it is such a simple matter with You to fix it!