Loving my freedom
Living my life
All because of US soldiers and Jesus Christ
Laying down their lives
I honor and thank them this Memorial Day.
May God bless you today as you remember those who gave their lives for us to live ours.
My One Thousand Gifts List
591-600
Perfecting my gluten-free pancake recipe
Family Fun Day at Joshua’s school
The kids in bed before 9 p.m.
Folding laundry
God speaking to me to cuddle with my husband when I didn’t want to
A devotional time where God challenged me and to share with others to think about the joy set before us from the crosses we must bear
Shopping at Forman Mills where I got two handbags, two skirts and shoes for Nate
Designer boots at a resale shop for $11
Buying items to create a new idea
Tabitha available to watch the boys
I’ve only bought one Christmas gift and we don’t even have up a tree. Yep, it’s four days until Christmas and we only have stockings and lights on the mantle, occasional Christmas music wafting and much talk from my 9 year old about wanting a gaming system. Praise God that my husband did some shopping online and picked up a stocking stuffer, but I have done almost nothing. This is not the Christmas season I planned, though it looks closer to the one that I’ve wanted for years. I have wanted to do away with a tree, most of the fattening foods we eat, and gifts that I still can’t figure out what have to do with celebrating someone else’s birthday. I wanted to give up the feverish frenzy of planning, shopping, plotting and hiding, trying to perfect a day whose traditions I question greatly. I wanted to focus on Jesus, celebrating His life that came to earth as human to save all of our lives.
My first major step toward this was writing the blog series “The 39 Days of Christmas,” where for 39 days I examined one Old Testament book each day for Jesus’ presence. Revisiting the posts this year has kept me centered on the One who gives life to this season. Tending to my mom, who has been hospitalized five and a half weeks and has had at least three near-death experiences, has kept me centered on the giver of life this season. Knowing that it was humanly impossible for my best friend’s 91-year-old grandma and her elderly aunts to escape the fire that consumed their home but not them this morning keeps me focused on the giver of life this season. Knowing that I have met insanity, depression, weariness, and frustration this season, but they have not become my friends, helps me rejoice this season about Jesus! Jesus must be the main focus. If not we will succumb to the ones whose job is to kill our joy, frown our smile, drown our spirit and muffle our praise. But Jesus gives life, preserves life and balances life. He is life (John 14:6). So the Christian has the special obligation to have Jesus as the central focus at Christmas time. No other way will do.
What are some ways that you have focused on Jesus this Christmas? What do you need to change in order to make Jesus the focus of Christmas? Please, tell me what you think.
Every day without fail when he can’t see me Nathaniel is going to ask “Mama, where are you?” Though our house isn’t that big and he may have seen me five minutes ago, he makes it his business to keep constant tabs on me. I just couldn’t wrap my mind on how this three year old could think that I could just disappear. Once, I didn’t answer Nate when I was trying to put one-year-old Justus to sleep. After calling for me throughout the house, Nate finally asked Joshua where I was. “She’s in Justus’ room.” “No she isn’t. I looked,” said Nate, who didn’t come all the way in the room to see me holding Justus in the corner chair. Joshua, my oldest, then told Nate something that we all need to know about those we should be able to count on: “Mama is here. She wouldn’t leave us.”
This is what children everywhere should know about fathers and mothers, what spouses should know about the other, and what true friends should count on in each other. But parents, spouses and friends leave—they walk away; they die—and leave us wondering who we can count on. I don’t know if I had separation anxiety like Nathaniel has, but after a big fight between my parents and my daddy leaving for the night I knew parent separation could be my reality. So what do we do, tell our children too, that will give us the everlasting security we need?
You know the answer is Jesus who will never leave or forget about us (Hebrews 13:5). This I tell my children while I am sane, so they don’t look to me to be their everything when I can give them nothing. I want them to know that Jesus’ words are true, that He heals, protects, guides, comforts, and provides for me too. Jesus uses me to give to them my time, talent, treasure—my full soul, my full self. No matter how many times I try to carry my strong black woman mantle, I know I can do nothing without Jesus. I can do anything with Him. I am secure and need no one else to make me sure about anything. Stability with Jesus is what I am thankful for. Even though I can’t see Him, I know He is here because He would never leave me.
Listen to how singer-songwriter Aaron Shust puts it:
I have assurance of salvation (1 John 2:21-25). I know Jesus saves me from hell on earth and saves me from hell after I leave this earth (John 3:16-21). I will spend an eternity with Him. This He promises. He is not a man that He would lie (Numbers 23:19). What He says will come to pass, whether I have seen it or not. Whether you believe it or not, it’s true. Seek Him for salvation all who have not put their trust in Him (Romans 10:9-10). Now is the appointed hour. Tomorrow may be too late. Don’t wait. Seek him now.
My One Thousand Gifts List
#311-320
Justus sleeping through the night, giving me two full nights of sleep in a row
Quiet time with God
A decent outfit for Joshua to wear to church
Joshua getting up in time to go to Sunday school and his doing so for the last month
A husband who prioritizes family above all else (except God)
Justus’ gurgling milk giggle
Joshua and Nathaniel having a conversation after Nate asked “What is it?” when he saw Joshua expressing surprise about something
Nathaniel rallying Joshua and me to dance with him
Being able to cook dinner after a busy Sunday
Being able to help Flynn edit a eulogy
“Never forget” were the words that stood strong and rang loud this weekend as the world observed the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Most of us will never forget that tragic day when terrorist suicide bombers crashed planes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon and attempted to fly into another building in Washington, D.C. We remember where we were, what we were doing and how we felt. My husband and I had a late work day so we slept in and were then going out to breakfast. I woke up first and decided to turn on the television, something I rarely do. It was about 10 a.m. There on the TV screen was silence and a view of one of the Twin Towers smoking. A few seconds later I saw a plane crash into the second tower. I hollered Flynn awake to see if he could shake me out of my disbelief. I wanted to believe that I was watching the making of a movie, but upon hearing the panic of the news commentator I knew I was seeing footage of real time attacks. I saw objects ejected from the first tower like they were thrown out. We all eventually learned that was exploding debris and people plunging to their deaths, probably panicked, not knowing how else to escape the impending ruins. We know more than 3,000 lives were lost, thousands more affected directly, and we all were changed from the 9/11 tragedy.
We must never forget the day folks woke up but not to do so again on this side of life. We must never forget that their deaths caused us all to have new lives most evident in the way we travel and interact with folks we think may be terrorists. Folks died but many of us still struggle to live thankful and fear-free lives; we are well aware that another 9/11 could happen and we could be among the casualties.
“Do this in remembrance of me.”—Luke 22:19
Jesus said this, the one who died a cruel, tortuous death so that all humankind might live. “Do this in remembrance of me,” he said so we never forget his being flogged and dogged to death—crucified—so that we might have new life, that we might survive—thrive—never to wallow in death but to rejoice in the new life that He brings. When we die in Christ we wake up to a new life of yes to Him, being our best for and through Him, putting down our angst for and through Him, shutting down the attitude for and through Him. When we say yes to Christ’s death we make it possible for Him to live in us, to forsake our strong black woman ways and stave the part that makes us want to forget that we have died to our old self. And we must never forget death for from it always springs new life, and, sometimes ironically, we are the better for it.
My One Thousand Gifts List
#221-230
Being in pajamas all day
Cuddling with Nate
My husband being able to relax
Joshua and I writing letters to Daniel
Joshua’s thoughtful letter to Daniel
Joshua’s excitement about writing to Daniel (after first hesitating about doing it)
A civil meeting
Hearing a great sermon
Dinner with the Beelers
Andrina and Floyd babysitting
Happy Labor Day!
This is the day we celebrate workers and their contributions to the economy with parades, picnics, barbecues and doing a bunch of nothing if we choose to. This is the day we rest from our labors, and I’m doing that well! But even as we rest let us not forget that we never rest giving our time to God.
It’s Time to Take Time (AKA Commitment to God)
I give a charge to you
One to drive you toward a coup
A feat to beat the devil
at a game where he’s maimed for years.
He’s slashed our senses
cut our cord connecting us to the master,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
We feel his fire
right here on earth
and seek escape from his flames
but we play the game just how he wants.
Had a rough week at work
So we seek support.
We go to church and hear a word
though we haven’t been in two months
won’t return for two months
because things have been going really well.
We’ve been busy
completing reports and such
not leaving much time for lunch or the Lord.
But then it happens again:
Satan rocks our world
spins us in a twirl
and we remember how we felt two months ago.
So to church we go
to bible study we go
and we keep this flow for a few weeks.
But we’re still weak
can’t seem to keep
God where He needs to be
to provide that relief
that stability we need
to have and live a healthy life.
So I give a charge to you
one to drive you toward a coup
a feat to beat the devil
at a game where he’s maimed for years.
I ask you to tithe to God
10 percent of your time
show Him that you mean “He’s mine.”
Jesus took the time
died on a cruel cross
so I could say “He’s mine.”
So I ask you to make the time
for Jesus.
Let us please Him
show Him that you mean “He’s mine.”
Give 10 percent of your time
to study and pray and praise the Word,
God’s Word.
It’s His Word,
not work
or another word or work
that will help us to be where He wants us to be.
So this is a charge to you,
one to drive you toward a coup.
You will beat the devil at a game where he’s maimed for years
if you commit your time to God.
By Rhonda J. Smith
Copyright March 19, 2001
My One Thousand Gifts List
#211-220
God giving me several angles to write about my dad
Becoming more free in my expression of love to God
Pouring in to Bobbi
Being a “blessing” to Tabitha by “being there” for her
Joshua and Nathaniel being able to play outside
Seeing Nathaniel discover in the outdoors
Eating popcorn
Having family devotions
Joshua finally understanding how to give praise reports
Joshua being excited about keeping a gratitude journal
