TIKVAH!

Tikvah!  It's a word I learned from a woman I love--Tiffany Pate.  Tikvah is a Hebrew word that means "hope, waiting in expectation of," and God gave it to her during a special quiet time after her breast cancer diagnosis.

If you've followed my blog for a while you know about her journey, her faith, and her legacy--but if you are new to Cerebrations, you can catch up here.

Because of Tiffany Pate, my life will never be the same, so it's my privilege to share that her husband Brian has created bracelets in her memory to help raise funds for Cancer Services of Gaston County, an organization that has helped her family and the families of so many others touched by the disease. The bracelets are $2.50 each and include two scripture passages that define (in summary) her hope and her confidence.

Romans 12:12 says: Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. and she was. Psalm 91 (stamped on the inside of the bracelets) is a passage that strenghtened her unwavering faith, and finally, TIKVAH,is a message for us all--that our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

If you'd like to order a bracelet you can find out more by emailing TiffanysTikvah@hushmail.com.

Finally, please remember to pray for Brian and her boys, Landon and Ridge, who like so many of us carry on because of our confident TIKVAH that we will see her again soon!

Fat Cow? Wow!

I do not imagine that any woman of any era would  appreciate being called a "fat cow," but that's exactly what the prophet Amos called the indulgent women of Israel as he spoke for God within the first five chapters of the book named after him.

The pages of these scripture passages paint a portrait of a people who reeked with the odor of ungodly behavior, and this herdsman turned prophet, Mr. Amos, spoke clearly (and bluntly) in an attempt to warn them to wake up before it was too late.

So what were the transgressions of these fat cows?  They oppressed the poor and crushed the needy--either directly, or maybe scarier--indirectly.  Their incessant whining and pining for more "stuff" apparently drove their husbands to commit great injustices in order to satisfy them, and God was angry.

I ask myself, am I guilty of the same?  I loathe the idea of being a "fat cow," and yet I know I'm prone to plod the path that leads to that putrified pasture.

My husband and I recently discussed at length the fact that very few people--even Christians--seem to be satisfied with just having their needs met any more.  We are a consuming lot, always wanting better, newer, nicer, and while I will not suggest that this is 100% wrong all of the time, I will propose that what might be more in line with what is God pleasing and God honoring is establishing a "this much is enough" plan so that when and if we are blessed beyond the "enough" mark, the rest can be given to help those who need it.

Everything that Amos prophesied regarding the judgments awaiting those who ignored his warnings happened, some of it in as little as thirty years.  Merciful God gave them plenty of time to repent, but they didn't.

Today, I think the cow bell's alarm is sounding loud and clear--but will we listen?  Am I listening?  I hope I am not just listening but learning and heeding--because I never--EVER--want to be a fat cow in God's eyes.

Father, help me appreciate "enough" and be faithful to share the extra.  Please help Your economy be mine--and vice versa, in Jesus' Name, amen.

Fine Wine on My Mind...

Confusion.  What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear or say that word?  There is a legitimate difference between confusion and ignorance, and yet somehow the two can seem intricately intertwined when the confused person doesn't avail himself of the information that can remedy any contributing ignorance.

Such seems to have been the case in the day of Isaiah, most specifically as he penned chapters 5 through 8.  There can be little confusion upon reading his words however, about the state of affairs that dominated the culture in his era.  Most striking to me is the parallel that can be drawn between his day and ours.  Some of these passages read as if they could be snatched from today's headlines.

Take a look at just a few of the verses and see if you agree:

5: 11 What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning looking for a drink of alcohol and spend long evenings drinking wine to make themselves flaming drunk. 12 They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties...but they never think about the Lord or notice what he is doing.

20 What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. 21 What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.

Isaiah opened chapter 5 by giving us the picture of a beautiful vineyard beloved by its owner.  The vineyard, planted in fertile soil and supplied with the perfect amount of everything it needed to produce a lovely harvest, has produced bitter fruit and is overgrown with weeds.  Maybe most disturbing though is that in His frustration, the vineyard owner has decided to remove its protective hedge.

A people who reject and ignore the blessings and benefits of the loving vineyard owner (God) eventually reap the consequences of their rejection.  God will have a harvest and there will be fine wine.  I pray that the veils of confusion and the cloaks of ignorance that seem to be prevailing in our day will be removed so that the harvest will again be plentiful in the land I love.  If not, I plead for mercy and ask Him to continue to cultivate small vineyards that yield good fruit for His purposes in the places where you and I live.

Father-- please till the soil of my personal vineyard until the fruit I produce is lovely, fragrant, and good enough to yield the sweetest wine. 

God Bless America...

I am and always have been proud to be American.  Having said that, I am not always proud OF America.  There are times when as a culture/nation we have failed to live up to our potential and have made mistakes that are disheartening and disillusioning.  Even still, there is no place on earth like this land of the free and home of the brave.  A quick trip outside our borders to anywhere else confirms and affirms that we enjoy a level of benefit and blessing that is unparalleled. America is arguably the best idea ever--it's a place where individuals are free to choose to work hard to reach personal goals or be lazy and satisified with a mediocre or mundane life experience. For all her faults (perceived and real) I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been blessed enough to be born here.

Recently, I've read two books that I'd like to mention for those who are interested in thinking about the good, the bad, and the difficult related to where we are as a country and where we are going if things continue on the path we seem to be choosing.

The first, written by  Dinesh D'Souza, is titled: "What's So Great About America." You may have trouble finding it, but it's worth the search. 

The second, "The Late Great United States," is written by Mark Hitchcock. Be warned, this is not light summer reading.  It isn't even particularly enjoyable to tell you the truth. But if you are willing and ready to accept that there are statistics and facts that cannot be denied and should not be ignored if we care about our country's future, then it's a "must read".






I will conclude by saying again that I love my country.  I am forever indebted to my dad and every other brave man and woman who has served valiantly in the armed forces of this nation to defend freedom, and I am so thankful to God for allowing me to be the beneficiary by birth of the brilliant ideas of my forefathers.  I will never take for granted the privilege of growing up in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and as long as I have breath I will continue to say "thank you" to God for letting me enjoy the blessings of living here. 

Happy Birthday America!

The Main Thing...

Every day for the past several months I have prayed for dear friends and family members who are enduring serious trials, illnesses or burdens.  In each instance I've been reminded that taking my concerns to the Father is a precious privilege, and at the same time, these situations have served to remind me that this life boils down to one big main thing: Love. 

Words are not minced in Matthew 22...37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 

I want to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind--but do I?  Really?  And how does my life reflect it if I do?

And what about my neighbor? 

The truth is--I have a long way to go.  But with all my heart, soul, and mind, I don't want to miss the main thing.  And as best as I can tell, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

Help me Lord! I see--I know--I believe--that the main thing is love, and I don't want to miss it.