Thought of the Day—Taking the high road in life might expend more time, more energy, perhaps even more sacrifice, but at the end of the day, God will reveal to you a different perspective in life that others can’t even comprehend…
Category Archives: new life
Thought of the Day–11/12/17
Thought of the Day—Do you want to know a secret? There are no secrets with God; He knows everything we’ve done and said anyway…it’s just a matter of being real with Him and confessing what He already knows. Don’t you think our human relationships would go a little smoother if we were more open and honest with others? I’m not talking about brute force honesty but speaking out truth in love…
Thought of the Day–11/8/17
Thought of the Day—When you live the life of a grateful heart, every day is a day of Thanksgiving…
Thought of the Day–9/5/17
Thought of the Day— Do you ever feel like one of the broken, one of the walking wounded, perhaps one of the not so perfect inhabitants on the Island of misfit toys? If you do, don’t feel so isolated for there are many of us walking around this earth. But guess what? Jesus preferred to run around with the out crowd, the outcasts, the least of these probably because the need was so great and so much grace was able to be given. Even on this day, this hour, this moment, Jesus wants to meet you just where you are…to apply much grace, more mercy, and most of all full forgiveness. But just remember one thing, He WILL meet you where you are but has no intention for you to remain the way you are…
The God of Second Chances
Have you ever had the opportunity for a second chance in life? The old saying goes, “you never have a second chance to give a good first impression”; but we are also taught to go that extra mile and give others an opportunity to prove themselves. Many times in a young child’s life, perception IS reality; and part of that perception involves a type of judgment. Isn’t it interesting how we judge people at times? Instantly, perhaps harshly, and without merit, we analyze someone’s physical attributes, mannerisms, and verbal signatures; after which we mentally determine whether we want another encounter with the subject of observation. I guess we grandkids were no different in that respect…for we all agreed that our grandpa was mean!
Grandpa Phillips was an intimidating looking old man with skeletal like facial features and a shock of snow white hair on top of that skeleton head. Earlier in life, perhaps at a low point, our grandpa attempted to take his own life. Some would call it a twist of fate and others, a brush of an angel’s wing, but our grandpa missed his mark and blew his left arm off instead. That absence of an arm in an empty sleeve, tucked into his trousers completed the total ”evil scarecrow” appearance.
Grandma and Grandpa Phillips lived in a small hamlet called Doanville, just outside of our hometown of Nelsonville in Ohio. Driving up to their house, I always got butterflies in my stomach and a sense of dread enveloped me. Their small, white house was nestled behind two gigantic pines, standing tall and majestic like two forest green soldiers standing at attention. The walkway led beyond the gate and between the two towering trees. The wind, whistling through the massive evergreens, gave an even more ominous feeling as we approached the dark, dank abode.
Grandpa Phillips was the “watcher” of their front porch when family came to visit. He seemed to delight in brandishing his belt or razor strap, threatening the visiting little yard apes from climbing the expansive banisters, which made the temptation to mount the white, wooden steed just a little more appealing.
Mom would tell us from time to time that grandpa wasn’t always like that. She had fond memories of her dad reading her bedtime stories at night. The only stories I could envision were grotesque fairy tales where wart laden witches devoured innocent little children, lost in the wood…
However, somewhere along the line in grandpa’s life, something had definitely changed. I didn’t know the details, only that grandpa had accepted Jesus into his life. He asked my dad if he could pick up grandma and him for church sometimes at the Church of the Nazarene on Adams St. They both sat toward the front of the sanctuary and I remember a bright smile on grandpa’s face during the service. My perception of grandpa certainly changed as he himself was changing from week to week. John Edward Phillips had been given a second chance at life after his botched attempt at taking his own and now, his entire life had eternally changed as he fully embraced his new life in Christ. I remember going Christmas caroling with our church in 1970 at their house. Both of my grandparent’s faces were just beaming as they listened to our less than perfect voices belting out carol after carol. Grandpa passed away on the same day we celebrate Christ’s birth each year, December 25th of 1970.
There are many examples of God giving second chances in the bible. Jonah’s disobedience to God resulted in Jonah being swallowed by a huge fish where he literally spent three days and nights in the stench of his own poor decision. But God gave him an out, being thrown up by the fish so he could be submissive to God and preach to the people of Nineveh, giving them a chance to turn from their evil ways. God agreed with Abraham to spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah from total destruction if only ten righteous men could be found in the cities. Saul, the great persecutor of the Christians in the New Testament was literally stopped in his tracks by God using a bright light that temporarily blinded him and got his attention to the point of conversion. Saul of Tarsus became the Apostle Paul, the great evangelist.
We’ve all been given second chances in life, regardless of circumstance. I guess we could say we’ve been given many chances in our lifetime! They may not have been as dramatic as a near fatal accident and it could have been something as simple as the act of forgiving someone or perhaps the restoration of trust. Regardless of the situation in life, God does not give up on us. He went as far as sending His son to the cross for our sins, so we could indeed be reconciled back to Him and not have to face eternal separation from God. Talk about going the extra mile! That’s the ultimate love in action, pure and simple…
I have always heard that somewhere buried along the fence line of the Greenlawn cemetery, lays my grandpa’s left arm. But I am very confident that his soul is rejoicing right this moment as he worships our God of second chances.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
The Grateful Dead
When I was growing up, our family would sometimes take a Sunday drive in the afternoon, either to visit relatives or just for fun. The two older siblings would share the back seat and I, being the youngest, would sit on the floor board on either side of “the hump”. While driving around, we would pass several familiar sites including cemeteries. Invariably, one of us would smugly state, “people are just dying to get in there!” followed by an instant head turn from mom, a disapproving glare followed by a chiding comment of how we shouldn’t disrespect the dead. All the while, we siblings would respond with satisfied smiles and quiet giggles.
As I look back, that comment seemed so funny at the time but certainly less so as I get older. For in youth, a day seems like an eternity but as the stark reality of midlife adulthood creeps in, you begin to experience the sting of death as you lose loved ones and soon acknowledge that your own life is but a mere vapor in the wind. Sounds pretty morbid, huh? Well, it depends on your perspective.
You see, there are many differing views about death and if there is “life on the other side”. Some believe there is simply nothing after death, the light switch is merely set to the “off” position and you become a buffet for all sorts of creepy crawlers. If that was the case, I guess I would have an epitaph that reads, “I was serious about life but now I’m just a fungi”…Others believe that you are reincarnated as another creature or human depending on how good or bad you were in your previous life. I guess if you came back as a dung beetle, you could easily figure out why…Still others believe they will be rewarded in paradise by what they did on earth; their reward being measured by the number of virgins they receive in paradise based on how much they pleased their God. I wonder if their hell was also based on something similar but they quickly ran out of virgins and would have to support all of them for eternity…
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not trying to make light of death as much as bring a different perspective to light. Death is part of life; “From ashes to ashes, dust to dust; we came from the earth and to return we must”. We mourn those we have lost because we miss them terribly; there is a huge gaping hole left in our heart that only God can heal. But for the followers of Christ, there is a hope that extends beyond the grave. John 3:16 (NIV) states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 14:2-3 (NIV) reflects, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” If I truly trust God’s word in its’ entirety, then there really is a concrete hope that we can hold on to, not only that we will see our loved ones again that trusted in Jesus, but we will live eternally with Christ!
And so we hold on to that very hope and truth as we go about our day to day lives; knowing that it is not about when or how we die but actually how we live and Who we live for in this life that makes an eternal difference in the next. That’s why it is so vitally important that we know the One who created us, who loves us more than we could ever imagine; being a living testimony of Christ in us until the day comes when we take our last breath. I will then be in peace and at peace, one of the grateful dead. For having lived and being loved in life, I must then await my final judgment but knowing I have an advocate with my Father.
My only hesitancy in death is leaving my loved ones in pain and grief. For as I know from pain filled experience, there is a peace to know your loved one is with the Lord but we humans have to deal with the emotional fall out of their passing and the huge void left in their place. But be comforted in the fact that we can be united once again. I Thessalonians 4:16-17 reads, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” When Christ returns, I can’t wait to be caught up with everyone else for that great reunion. I bet I won’t even have that fear of heights anymore. I’ll just be eternally grateful for the grace given to a wretch like me.
It’s Not About The Bunny
By Stephen R. Wilson
It’s not about the bunny or the patent leather shoes
It is not about the colored eggs or mama’s brand new do,
It is not about the spectacle of baskets with candy heaping full
It is about the selfless love God has for me and you.
***
For God so loved the world that He gave his only son
To take our place, to take our shame, to die for everyone,
And on that first Easter morn when God raised Christ from his tomb
Hope also arose for all mankind, that our destiny would not be doomed.
***
So as you celebrate Easter, celebrate also the empty cross
And praise the name of Jesus Christ without whom we would all be lost,
For it’s not about the bunny but yet a sense of life renewed
Eternal life for us is possible because of the empty tomb.
Frozen
A few weeks ago, the beautiful rolling hills of the North Carolina foothills were blessed with snow. Not the two to four inches predicted by our spot on Meteorologists, but eight wonderfully fluffy fun filled inches of the white stuff. And while some folks probably spit from utter frustration, the fact that it was a Saturday and we hadn’t seen the frozen crystals in a while made for some authentic excitement.
So what did we do in response to our icy gift? I had always been taught work before play so we got out the snow shovels and went about carving paths through the driveway until we had the pavement cleared enough for the sun to take over. Next was fun time!
Our daughter and son-in-law had taken our granddaughter to “reintroduce” her to the frozen fun. None of us had sleds so I pulled out a boogie board from the garage as a makeshift sled. We proceeded to pull little Crystal up and down their driveway. Meanwhile, Grandma got momentarily blessed with a spark of childhood and fell backwards into the snow, making inanimate snow angels in the yard. During this flurry of activity, the cell phones were out in number, recording these events. I had my phone camera at the ready as well and was capturing different snow scenes when I snapped the one reflected above.
The snow laden statue in its’ current state seemed too familiar. Of course this WAS our statue, named after our daughter, Alison, in our own yard, but there was something else. I’ve seen people throughout the years look exactly like this and I have experienced it myself. But it wasn’t snow weighing heavy upon their shoulders; it was layers of burdens. For just like that statue, sometimes we get so “snowed under” with the very burdens of life, we are frozen in place from fear, grief, pain, worry, doubt, addictions, sin and/or despair. And just like that statue, sometimes we allow the burdens to become so great and we get buried under to the point of not being about to see clearly or hear distinctly.
Of course our mouth is still unhindered and we find ourselves uttering all kinds of cursing and exclamations as we furiously shake our fists at the sky and declare, “I didn’t deserve this!” “Why me Lord?” “Why am I being tested like this?” “Why did God allow this to happen to such a nice person?” I’m afraid I am short on answers but here’s a question for you…why not? If you are human (and I bet every one of you reading this actually is), you WILL have a mixed nut variety of good times and bad times that stirred together, add up to…well…life.
God didn’t promise anyone an easy life or even another hour; He only promised that He would be there with us in the midst of the good times AND the bad times. I think the following may sound familiar to most of you: The 23rd Psalm (NIV) says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Somewhere along the lines, I think we may have forgotten that God truly is our heavenly Father and we need to lean on Him totally, giving all of our burdens to Him and trusting that He is ALWAYS looking out for our good, not for our wants necessarily but our needs. Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) reflects, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
When we truly give our burdens to God, you can practically feel the weight lifted from your shoulders. Relief melts away the fear and dread of our burdens as we allow Him 
to put life back into its’ proper perspective. There’s an old hymn chorus that reads, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” (Trust and Obey by John H. Sammis, 1887) One of the verses says, “Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, but His smile quickly drives it away; not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, can abide while we trust and obey. Such truth in this refrain! For even when the storm clouds of life seem to linger, we know the sun is still shining and burns away the doubt clouds of our hearts.
So the next time you get hit alongside of your head with a snowstorm of worries and you find your joints beginning to cease up from fear, just remember that God is as close as your next heartbeat and the whispered plea from a sincere soul. He can melt your doubts and give you direction as long as you trust…and obey…
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. Ephesians 3:16-18 (NLT)
“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 20:20 (NLT)
Little Hands and Tiny Feet—Two Years Later
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Happy birthday once again little Crystal! I can’t believe another year has flown by and you are now in the terrific twos! This past year has been so much fun watching you grow and change, transitioning into a full-fledged independent toddler, developing words and learning your likes and dislikes.
You have been able to count up to eight and learn some of your colors already! The color purple has been a favorite of yours for some time followed by the color green or “geen” as you call it.
You have renamed your grandma and me to “Pop” or “Pop Pop” and “Maw Maw” or “Gum” which suits us just fine. You don’t know how much it thrills our hearts to hear those words as you gently take our finger with your hand and exclaim “more, more!”
You just love the cartoon “Paw Patrol” and know the names of all the puppies in the show. You love to play with the Little People princesses and cook but you also like to play with the tool box you got for Christmas. I think you will be a person with many varied interests and ideas and I can’t wait to see these come out in the next several years.
We cherish every single moment we get to spend with you…for one thing is crystal clear…you are loved…even more as the years go by!!
Reflected below is the original post from last year…enjoy!!
Little Hands and Tiny Feet–One Year Later
Happy birthday little Crystal! I can’t believe it has been a year since you arrived into our adult little world, changing us all and breathing in new life. How the time has flown as you have grown from newborn, to infant and now toddler.
We call you the chameleon child for you have so many facial expressions that change in an instance, making you appear as different little girls; sometimes you look just like your mommy did at your age and sometimes more like your daddy in the eyes but you are always your unique self. I cannot believe you still have your beautiful dark blue eyes while both of your parents have brown. God truly made you special.
It is such a joy to see your little personality come forth, like a tightly wrapped rose bud beginning to open. Your mischievous smile and those twinkling eyes betray your gentle persona.
Your grandma and I both count it a privilege to be able to live so close now and enjoy all the special little AND big moments in your life. We will try hard not to spoil you too much but smother you with love and kisses…for one thing is crystal clear…you are loved…even more as the days go by!!
Reflected below is the original post from two years ago…enjoy!!
On January 31st of 2015, I added another hat to life’s hat rack; that of being a new grandfather. And as I ponder on what has transpired this past month, it has been nothing short of amazing how one small life can change the lives of so many others.
As this new twig has formed on our generational family tree and as this beautiful fragile bloom has blossomed in the dead of winter of our ordinary lives, so blossoms the hopes and prayers we all have for little Crystal Nicole. For in the miracle of birth, all things are new, a blank slate presents itself to be scribed by the hilarity of life’s experiences. And as a side benefit, we adult humans get to relive our childhood through the eyes of the child, to be rejuvenated by a simple giggle or an innocent goo.
The following lyrics were inspired by this beautiful imp who has completely imprinted upon my heart.
Little Hands and Tiny Feet
Written by Stephen R. Wilson
You came a little early but just in time for you
With reddish brown hair — eyes of deep blue,
From your small safe world to one filled with love
In your mama’s warm embrace and your daddy’s gentle hugs.
Chorus:
Little hands and tiny feet
What will your future be,
For God has so much for you
His promises He brings,
For your journey has just begun
And your life is full of hope,
This one thing is crystal clear
You are loved.
Maybe you will follow your mommy
And try to fill her big shoes,
Influencing young lives and growing minds too
A teacher with grace and so much love to give,
Knowing we only have one life to live.
Perhaps like your daddy you will be
Inquisitive about life and all that it brings,
Embracing the riches of life’s simple things
Whether it is fishing, shooting or digging for treasure
His devotion to you cannot be measured.
Chorus:
Little hands and tiny feet
What will your future be,
For God has so much for you
His promises He brings,
For your journey has just begun
And your life is full of hope,
This one thing is crystal clear
You are loved.
You see it really does not matter who you turn out to be
As long as you follow in the steps of the One,
For He will direct your paths and lead the way
To make you the woman you are destined to become.
So enjoy your little life with all its’ pleasures
Run and play, giggle and laugh, be a kid inside forever,
Love with all your heart, your loved ones around you
For with wrinkle-wrapped eyes we are watching you too,
With broad smiles, love-filled hearts and high hopes for your future
It has become crystal clear—you are loved!
Chorus:
Little hands and tiny feet
What will your future be,
For God has so much for you
His promises He brings,
For your journey has just begun
And your life is full of hope,
This one thing is crystal clear
You are loved.
Photograph by Joy Davis Photography
A Little Bummed in Bethlehem
As Christmas once again approaches, you can almost feel the anticipation in the air along with perhaps panic, dread and impending doom on the part of those last minute procrastinators. It is the time of year when the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the holiday beckon you once again to experience Christmases past. For lying dormant in the souls of adults is their inner child anxious to burst forth and once more relive the Christmas magic of their childhood, even if some of the memories were less than memorable.
When I was very young, my family lived in an old clapboard house, the back of which faced the massive black railroad trestle that spanned the Hocking River which we lovingly called the “Black Bridge”. The house was small for a family of seven and had no running water. One coal stove sat in the middle of the living room and served as the heating source for the entire structure, even though it more than fell short to heat the “boy’s room”. Every year a few weeks before Christmas, our mom would ask her kids to write a letter to Santa and list what we would like for Christmas. Being the youngest of six children, I would need assistance in drafting this “special” letter. After our letters were complete, we would put the “messages of hope” into the coal stove so that the smoke and sparks would lift the special delivery upwards and straight to the North Pole…at least that’s what our Mom and older siblings would tell us. We knew the true meaning of Christmas was the birth of the Christ child but Santa had to be real too…right?
One year, my sister Jennifer and I had finished making our lists and had just tossed them in our version of Santa’s mailbox when Jennifer exclaimed, “They’re just burning up!! They aren’t going to Santa! There’s no such thing as Santa Claus!!” I sheepishly looked around the room as the others tried to assure my bratty bigger sister that there really WAS a Santa Claus; meanwhile, a sinking feeling hit the pit of my stomach as the possible realization set in…bummer. I found out later that Santa indeed had a distribution center in town at Maurer’s Five and Dime; Mom would go there every week to give them a little money to secure our gifts and make sure Santa still brought our toys…sounded like extortion but I played along…
Fast forward just a few years and we had really moved up in the world. When I was around eight, my parents bought a house that actually had running water and flushable toilets! There were three of us kids left at home and our Christmas traditions continued. Glitter dusted pine cones suspended by red satin ribbons adorned the front door. The pungent aroma of pine filled the air as pine sprigs decorated the mantle of our oversized fireplace. The Christmas tree was decked out in fine garland, multicolored lights and ornaments before being embellished with thin strands of silvery icicles which clung to everything but the tree.
It was during this time that I got a little savvier about the gifts under the tree. I knew surprises would eventually show up on Christmas Eve but I just KNEW what some of those presents already nestled under the tree were. The dreaded socks and underwear…bummer! Our family had Christmas on Christmas Eve each year and we would gather in the living room and turn the overhead lights on which were only to be used for special occasions. When it came my turn to open gifts, I would try my best to find and open the lowliest of gifts; socks, underwear and a fresh pair of flannel pajamas first to get them out of the way. The pajamas would last until early spring when there would be holes worn in the knees and the legs would then be cut off to make “spring” pajamas. Don’t get me wrong, I did appreciate my parents’ efforts but I wanted the FUN stuff and besides, I could pull the end of my socks out and tuck them under my feet to avoid the toe holes and to make them last a little longer, right?
Let’s go back a couple thousand years to a little town called Bethlehem where the Christ child was born. Sure, there were shepherds wowed by angels and later, wise men mesmerized by a star, and of course Mary experiencing not only the miracle of birth but bringing forth the savior of the world?! That would surely be something to celebrate but yet there were others milling around that just didn’t have the same mind set and enthusiasm. You see the Jews were awaiting their promised Messiah, the one that would bring an army of angels and completely annihilate their enemies. They wanted a super action figure that would raise his mighty sword and smite their opponents but instead, what they received was a tiny little swaddler that couldn’t raise his own head, let alone an impressive rapier. They wanted the latest and greatest toy and ended up with their version of…well…socks and underwear…bummer. And so they systematically tossed their hope and salvation aside like some unwanted gift and walked away. They rejected the perfect gift of God, what they really needed and had prayed for; instead of embracing this priceless gift of Love, they nailed it to a rough hewn wooden cross…
As I have gotten older, hopefully I’ve gotten a little wiser. Sure, I’m still like a kid at Christmas time. And we all want something cool, exciting, different and stimulating in life as well. We want to ignore the mundane and go straight for the latest and greatest, the flashiest and finest. But life isn’t as much about the flash as it is about the gift of the everyday and ordinary moments, the trials and the learning times that God puts in our lives to make us stronger and better for Him. Here’s an example of what I am talking about. Earlier in the year, I somehow injured my lower back which really compromised my day to day activities. I finally sought out and found a good chiropractor who began my treatments back to eventual health. I had been deaf in my right ear for approximately fifteen years prior to this treatment from Meniere’s disease. Through the neck manipulations as part of his treatment protocols, the nerves going to my ears were stimulated to the point of causing a sixty-seven percent restoration of my hearing in my right ear. With the use of a hearing aid, I now have complete use of my “deaf” ear once again. Some may call this a “happy accident” but I call it God working in our everyday to bring good from a bad situation; my “socks and underwear” moment became a gift of restoration and thanksgiving.
Just something to think about as we head into Christmas week. So what do you say? Isn’t it time we appreciate the gift of life, love, family and memories this Christmas? How about giving the gift of time to spend with a loved one, you know the gift of your presence? Oh, and by the way…I’m sure we have kept the tradition alive and well in our family for I know for a fact that our granddaughter has some pretty pairs of Paw Patrol panties and sport socks in her stocking…
James 1:17–Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
lifesimplyspoken 