To Whom It May Concern

My daily Bible reading has taken me well into The Epistles, letters from faithful evangelists and servants of God to other followers of Christ, including followers in the 21st century.  That's the part that grips me.  Have you ever felt as though you were in on the ground floor of something really big?  Have you ever thought to yourself, "You know, this could really be something?"  Do you think these authors ever got that "Whoa!" kind of feeling?  These authors, after all, wound up in the Bible!  Hand selected by God to be the voice -- His Voice -- to the masses.  I'm sure they were awestruck, but not by their own actions.

These were letters, simple words of encouragement, admonition in some cases, to fellow believers.  They were written from prison, during times of persecution, with the passion one has for faithful loved ones or those with whom we have experienced great disappointment.  Did these authors, for a minute, think to themselves, "Gee, when folks read this, and I really make it big..." or, "I wonder whether I'll be before or after that wordy Paul when they put these all together?"  No, these men had a heart for God, a love for Jesus Christ and their fellow men; God spoke through them, and down it went, onto the page, and into history; here we are centuries later, drawn to Christ, inspired, convicted and comforted by the words of a few simple "letter writers."

Are my words to others so sweet, so divinely inspired that I want them preserved for all humanity?  When I speak to others about My Lord, am I saying what I want to say, or what I am led to say?  When I back away from my desk to survey my work, is it pride or faith that guides my hand to the "Publish" icon?  When, day after day, my mailbox is void of complimentary letters from the Sulzbergers (NYT) or Harlan Cobens or Francine Rivers, am I mindful of God's plan and purpose or my own self-serving agenda?

God has moved mountains with mustard seeds, felled giants with stones; God has used simple letters to reach through time and space to bring others to His throne.  God can use each of us, daily -- driving to our jobs, washing our children's socks, filling our shopping carts, mowing our lawns, phoning our mothers -- to sow a legacy of Christlike behavior that will serve generations to come if, in all things, we are obedient and surrendered to Him.  When was the last time you really believed saying 'hello' was the start of something big?

Remember

My mom was the youngest of seven children.  Her stories of life as a little girl are like fairy tales to me.  I dream of being surrounded by so much family and so little technology, able to run freely with little thought of predators, drug addiction or MRSA.  Who hasn't, at least at one time, longed for "the simple life."  However, when my mother speaks of her youth, she can never just "gloss over" my uncles' service in World War II -- a difficult and nervous time for anyone who endured it.  All but one of her brothers served, and thankfully, each one returned.

I never had the opportunity to really ask any of them about their experiences; my last remaining uncle in fact, has never and my mother says, would never speak of it.  Their stories are told through the few pictures my mother has, and some of the trinkets they brought back for her.  I can't help but get goose bumps when I go through those things; I handle them as if they were the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Declaration of Independence.  They are so much of who I am as a daughter and woman -- that spirit of courage, loyalty and love.  They seem to have a life of their own, and as I hold them I can almost feel my roots reaching deeper into the soil of this country.  My uncles made a difference.  My uncles' service, and the service of all those other uncles, grandfathers, neighbors and friends gave something to us all.

This Memorial Day be sure to thank a vet.

"All gave some; some gave all."

"The Devil Can't Make Me Do It" or "It's All On You!"

I just spent the last fifteen minutes reading the latest "newsworthy" headlines on AOL.com.  That's fifteen minutes of my life I am never getting back!  Admittedly, AOL's idea of news is anything that is sensational, popular, or scandalous; HOLLYWOOD TRASH = hits, but I normally just browse through for human interest pieces, or bizarre stories.  Today, however, the temptation just proved to be too much -- or did it?

Just the other day I was listening to a radio sermon on 1 Corinthians 10:13.  The pastor was speaking of God's faithfulness, that if we were to call on Him, He will always help us through our temptations.  As he was speaking, the thought that struck me was, "If God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability, as this verse promises, then the reverse must be true -- if we succumb to temptation we must have had the ability to fight it but...

...didn't?  Because it was just so much easier to give in?"

...wouldn't?  Because we were willfully demanding to have or do what we wanted?"

...couldn't?"  Nope!  While it is true we are only human, we have the resource of a most powerful, loving, faithful God who is longing for us to call His name and ask His help.  This verse assures us of that: "...He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape..."  Whatever abilities have been given to us by God are exactly what we need to fight the "fiery darts of Satan.", and whatever we are lacking, we can ask it of God; He certainly does not want us to fall to temptation. (1 John 5:14-15)

Whether it is fifteen minutes of wasted time, or fifteen years of drug abuse, God wants to keep us from temptation; He won't allow Satan to set us up for failure, but will not make us resist doing what we shouldn't.  We can only fail ourselves.

James 4:7 (ECV) "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Special Report: Crossing Guards Uncovered

Who made the decision that if one crossing guard at an  intersection is good, three crossing guards must be better?  Is it so they have someone to high-five each time they get one across the street?  "Hey, Frank, good job!  Not like that last one!  Now that was close!  Belly bumps all around!"

Maybe it's so they have some protection on the mean streets of Mayberry.  "Cover me, Doris, I'm goin' across!"  Do people steer clear of neighborhoods where the crossing guards work in pairs or more? 

Or are they really crossing guards?  Perhaps it's a violent gang of car jackers disguised as senior citizens in polyester pants and day-glow vests?  Do they have stop signs tattooed on their forearms?  Is there a family riding through town, the mother yelling, "Oh My Gosh, Kids, roll up the windows!  Did you see those three crossing guards over there?!  Rolling stops, Ed, rolling stops!" just like my mother used to scream in West Philly?

Or perhaps a fifth grader was nabbed jaywalking.  "Your Honor, as counsel for the defense, it is our position an additional crossing guard could have prevented this."

I'll bet it was pretty lonely when crossing guards were working solo.  No one to run for coffee while the other ones "held down the fort." (That's something all old guys say when someone is left to do the job alone.)  How can one guard possibly execute the Three Stooges eyepoke without at least one other stooge to do the eyepoke block?  And the Thursday morning book discussion?  Very boring with just one.  "So, Gladys what did you think of this week's selection?"  "Well, Gladys, I thought it was a trifling piece of refuse."  "Gladys!  How dare you?!  My grandson is a world renowned author and teacher."  "Gladys, I hate to say this, but your grandson is a world renowned nincompoop!"

Maybe through the years it really has become necessary to have multiple guards.  You know, in case one breaks a hip.  "Man down, man down!  I'll get Bill; you go on without us, Al!"  Or maybe the field is so flooded with "Pedestrian Facilitators," we just don't have enough intersections at which to place them.  Maybe we should be thinking in terms of more crosswalks for these dedicated men and women.

And to the crossing guard at the end of my street:  Kudos to you for being "Best Accessorized."  If the reflective vest, the fluorescent flags, the Thermos and camping chair weren't enough, those headphones really make the ensemble.  I just wonder how many times low flying aircraft have mistaken you for ground control at PHL.