Finding The Truth

Do you find it awesome how God leads us in the direction we should go? I do. Take reading & studying His Word, for example. In the year 2000, I decided to read the Bible through in a year. So I took a reading plan that our, then pastor, had made available. It was great. Using that plan, I read the Bible through each year for the next 7 years. Every year I would get new insight on Scriptures I'd read many, many times before. Each year I would see something that jumped out at me, almost like I'd never read it before. There was no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit was guiding me. I truly believe that God reveals His truths to us as we are ready to receive them. At the beginning of the next year, I just couldn't stay focused on the reading plan anymore. I knew it was time for more, and I began to start digging into His Word, to find a deeper meaning. Trust me, the Bible is deep. It is a fathomless ocean of knowledge, instruction, and love. As deep as you are willing to go, He is willing to show you. Never in my lifetime will I find everything God's Word offers. But I do love the search.
Recently a conversation with my young friend & pastor's wife rekindled my interest in Genesis. So I took my New Inductive Study Bible and started at the beginning - again. And I'm finding it absolutely fascinating. As I said before, I'm finding things that I have read, reread, & so on, but now I am actually seeing, understanding, and in some cases wondering about. Those that I wonder about are the ones that make me anxious to search for the meaning. You don't find it on the Internet. You don't find it in a commentary, although a good commentary can be very helpful sometimes in your studies. But the deeper truths are found only in Scripture itself. As Kay Arthur says, and the inductive study system teaches you to do, "Let Scripture interpret Scripture". It really does. You just have to be willing to look, not just with your eyes and your mind. It takes opening your heart to the Spirit's leading. Always start with the prayer that He will reveal to you what He wants you to know. I've been told that concerning Scripture, the Jews say, "Everything means something". I believe that is true. Be willing to look up the meaning of a word that stands out to you in an English/Hebrew/Greek dictionary of Bible words. I have found that to be the most helpful tool outside of the Bible itself. Something you previously thought to be insignificant, may prove to be the very thing that solves the puzzle.
When I was a freshman in high school, I fell in love with archaeology. Maybe that's why I enjoy 'digging' through Scripture. So if there is an armchair archaeologist or wanna-be detective in you, the Bible is the place to go, and why not start where it all began - Genesis 1:1.

The Birth of Yeshua Ha Mashiac

In a few more days it will be Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Yeshua ha Mashiac. I am so thankful for that babe in the manger, who became the man who died for my sins & yours. There are so many who have no clue what Christmas really is. They go through their daily lives without so much as a thought of the One who came to die. I, too, lived my life without Him. I went to church. I knew the Gospel. I even desired to be "good", but was never able to. Christ pursued me. He offered Himself for us all. It is our decision to continue running away from Him or to turn and run to Him. At the age of 15, I chose to run to Him. I wish I could say I never once faltered in my walk with Him, but I cannot, for that would be a lie. I stumbled so many times; I even strayed away for a while. I am so ashamed that I took my eyes off Him. The world will engulf you when you take your eyes off Him. He is a loving Father, and was willing to forgive me of my human weaknesses. When I fell, He picked me up. He still does, 46 years later.
I can tell you that my life is so different from what it would have been, had it not been for Christ. He has been the constant in a life of so many ups and downs. But His light has always been able to penetrate my darkest moments, and lead me out of the things that threatened to defeat me. So at this season, when we all want to kiss the face of the baby in the manger, my longing is to kneel at His feet. Yeshua ha Mashiac, Jesus the Messiah!

Reliving My Childhood Days

No, I don't mean the one that comes with senility. I'm not that old (although I am tapping on the door).



Saturday I took my granddaughter back to her home. We left early in the day, stopping by Bojangles for biscuits before leaving. When I was near the turnoff, I called my son-in-law. He was shopping & my daughter was at work. I told him not to worry, we were going sightseeing. I had been wanting to visit the 3 towns where I spent the first 11 1/2 years of my life. Now was my chance; they were only a short drive away.

First we went to the little town of Bethel (not to be confused with Oh Little Town of Bethlehem). Here I showed my granddaughter where the old garage use to be that my daddy owned & operated. There is a mobile home park there now. I pointed out the old service station, now boarded up, where I use to go for a Pepsi & Nab when I went to work with Daddy. I can still recall the smell of car grease & dirt, where the two had combined to form a hard surface for the garage floor. I love that smell to this day.



We took a picture of the Methodist church where my maternal grandfather was custodian in the 1950s. Granddaddy was a FWB minister, but was also custodian for the Methodist church. We found the tiny house my grandparents lived in until they moved,away, many years before we moved.



Bethel Methodist Church

Grandparents Old Home

Then it was on to the tiny town of Parmele, where my family lived. I  stopped first at the little Methodist church where we went. They no longer have services there, and I was unable to go inside. I still remember where my Sunday School class was. Our family moved during our school Christmas break, 1960. But I remember standing up front in that little church, singing What Child Is This with my cousin at my last Christmas program there. It broke my heart to see the church in such ill-repair. I asked two gentleman if they knew who was in charge of it, but they didn't know although they did say the grounds are kept up.

Parmele Methodist Church

Last Pastor & Times of Services Still There



I  told my granddaughter who lived in which houses when I was her age & where our house once was. It burned down after we moved. We were then off to Robersonville where I went to school, had piano lessons, and went to Saturday movies. She was amazed that I use to get a movie ticket, box of popcorn, & a Pepsi for 50 cents. The grammar school that I attended burned years ago and there is a ballfield there now. The old high school where my brother attended is still there. There was a gentleman outside & I asked what they plan to do with the old school. This man now owns all the buildings. I got to go inside the old lunchroom (tiny compared to todays' school cafeterias), & the gym where I watched many basketball games. The old lunchroom is now used for small private parties. There is a flea market inside the gym, although the basketball hoops are still up & the colors are still on the walls. The auditorium will be repaired & used for gospel sings. The old school itself will eventually be remodeled inside into efficiency apartments. I'm just glad someone is taking care of it.

Robersonville High School

In talking with the man that owned it, we learned that we actually knew each other. He was a few years older than my brother. So he was able to catch me up on some of the people I use to know.  



It was a great day! I told my granddaughter that if she hadn't wanted to go home early, I would not have had the chance to do all that & I would not have had the chance to share it with her. I told her God knew what he was doing when he made her homesick. She laughed. Before we got to her house, she said very seriously, "This has been a very interesting history lesson." She's 10 years old.





















Day Before Thanksgiving Day

Busy day cleaning & doing some baking. Thankful for a husband who loves to cook & will do the bulk of it.
I've been thinking a lot about those who are alone on this holiday. Last night I called a young man whose wife is away for military training. He's alone with 3 little boys. He was on his way to Ohio when I called. So glad he will be with family, but would loved to have shared ours with them. It was definitely a stressful trip. The littlest one was screaming & I could hear the stress in the young man's voice. Hopefully they are safely there & hope his trip back home will be better.
Then there are those who have recently lost a love one. I know this will be a difficult time for them. A dear friend, who lost her husband some months back. A church member, whose daughter died just a month or so ago. And there are others I don't even know. But God knows and the Holy Spirit will be there to comfort them and their families during this time.
I have seen God do some amazing things in peoples' lives this year. A friend came through her coronary artery bypass graft and is doing well. Another old friend went through 2 heart attacks, a coronary stenting & then a bypass graft, and now is doing well. A lady who also attends our churh is still recovering from a cerebral hemorrhage, but is back with us. Friends whose baby was born with 3 holes in her heart & an enlarged valve, but surgery would have to wait for her to gain weight. Last night her great grandmother told us that 2 of the holes have closed, the valve is down to normal size, and the doctor is hoping that the 3rd hole may also close on its own. God is AWESOME.
I know there have been times of struggle and trials for us all, too. Praises to our God, the only God, who is sufficient, faithful, merciful, loving, and has a plan for the lives of His children.  I think the greatest blessing is to be able to call Him my Father.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." I Corinthians 2:9

Memories Bring Funny & Grateful Reactions

Had a great discipleship class tonight. Learned that one of our new young ladies at church is actually part of a family I knew many years ago. Small world.
We had time at the end of class to share some things. The subject came up of children wearing hand-me-downs. Any of you with older sisters will relate to that, I'm sure. However, I had no sisters. I was explaining that back in my childhood days, grain for farm animals & dog food came in cloth feed bags & my mother would make my clothes out of the feed bags. Pastor's wife said, "Oh, Mrs. Shirley!" and when I looked at her I realized what she thought. I said, "No, no, not burlap!" It was so funny. I told them that the feed bags were actually made of printed cotton & people would open up the bags to make the kids' clothes. I forget that the younger generations today don't know anything about feed bags. They were always very pretty prints & my mother was a great seamstress.
Mama used a Singer pedal sewing machine till I was probably 12 or 13. (In fact, I have it here.) I know it's not Mother's Day. It's almost Thanksgiving, but tonight has really brought out the memories of Mama. She sacrificed so much for me. She made my clothes till I thought they weren't good enough. Mama's health was not good & she wasn't able to work outside the home very much. So she did babysitting to earn money to buy me pleated skirts & cardigan sweaters like my friends. I never appreciated it or even thought about what she sacrificed for me. My daddy made a fairly good salary, but it took that to pay the bills I'm sure. They shielded me from the hard times.
So at this Thanksgiving season, I am so thankful for both my parents, but especially Mama. And I am thankful that just before Mother's Day, 1990, I sent her a letter & told her how much I appreciated the sacrifices she made for me and how much I loved her. She said it was the best gift she ever received. In August, 1990, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She died 1 month before the next Mother's Day. No coincidence that I sent that letter when I did. God put that on my heart. He knew, as He always does.
So you young mothers enjoy those babies and if you still have your mom with you, thank her for all the little things she did for you. One day it will be your kids, hopefully, thanking you.