The miracle of life

Today’s Reading: John 10:37-38 (NIV)

[Jesus said,] 37 Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. 38 But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”

Good morning!

Have you ever experienced a miracle? Webster’s dictionary defines miracle as an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. The mere fact that I woke up today is a miracle. If you are breathing air right now, you too are experiencing God’s great miracle of new life!

I am alive today because of His divine intervention. The gift of life is extraordinary, especially when we think about all the close calls we’ve experienced along the way. I remember riding in the back seat of my family’s 1958 Chevrolet, as we traveled home from Mississippi, after visiting my grandparents one summer. Interstate 55 did not exist then. It was Highway 55, a narrow, two-lane roadway, surrounded by cotton fields and farms. If you were unfortunate enough to get behind a slow-moving pickup truck or farming implement, your trip home would take a whole lot longer. Our average journey lasted approximately fourteen hours from Mississippi to Missouri, and my father was longing to get home. He was tired of sitting behind the steering wheel and totally frustrated with the slow-moving traffic. Dad decided to play leap frog with seven vehicles crawling behind a large tractor, who had no place to pull off the road, allowing other cars to pass. My father always drove with a lead foot and it was no surprise when he pushed the “pedal to the metal” and began the hop, skip and jump around the long line of vehicles. We could see the large freight truck coming toward our vehicle, but my dad really believed he could beat it. Suddenly, we found ourselves playing chicken on the highway of life. I remember watching my short-lived life float across my mind’s eye like a slow-motion film. My mother was screaming in the front seat; my sister and I grabbed hands and prayed. We needed a major intervention right then and there. Daddy laid on the car horn and tried to weave his way back into the right lane, but there was seemingly no place to go. Somehow, God opened a small space in the line of traffic and he managed to avoid what would have been a fatal head-on collision within seconds. We were so close that the freight truck took the ditch and ended up in the cotton field.

When we choose to live our lives in the fast lane, always in such a rush to get to our next destination, we may miss the miracles happening right in front of us. The people didn’t really know what to make of this teacher from Nazareth. Jesus knew they might not believe in Him, but if they could just believe in the miracles, they might begin to know and understand His Father and the love He has for us all.

We experience amazing miracles every day. Take time to count yours. Can you see just how much your Heavenly Father loves you?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Talk back

Today’s Reading: John 10:36 (NIV)

[Jesus said,] 36 what about the One whom the Father set apart as His very own and sent into the world?”

Good morning!

You may find this very hard to believe, but occasionally my children talked back to me! Do you find this to be a peculiar anomaly of parenthood? Out of the mouths of our babies, the first talk back word I heard from my pretty princess Rachel was “NO!” Now, when we shake our heads and say the word YES to our eighteen-month old granddaughter Madison, she will grin from ear to ear and shake her head NO just as fast as she can. There is something very intriguing about our innate predisposition to express wholehearted disagreement and do things our own way. I actually believe there is a genetic chromosome yet to be discovered by modern science and when it is finally identified, it should be labeled TK-BK, also known as the talk-back gene.

Now that I am parent of adult children, recognizing that one day, they may very well be parenting me, I appreciate the TK-BK gene much more now than I did twenty years ago. There are maddening moments in parenthood when we can see the dangerous drop off just over the hill; yet, our children are bent on riding their skateboards along the edge of disaster. We instruct them, mostly from the hard knocks we encountered while choosing to hang ten on our very own skateboards. There is something endearing about wanting to protect your child from taking harm’s path, but they do not listen, or they listen, but refuse to hear. TK-BK is alive and thriving in every human heart today.

Jesus is speaking truth but there are many who will not listen or accept His Word. What about the One whom the Father sets apart as His very own and sent into the world? Will you talk back to the God who saves you by grace? Can you, in good conscience, shake your head NO and walk away from the Lord who loves you more than life itself?

Genetic predispositions will bring us great pain in the end, if we remain unwilling to lay down our will for His. Help me Jesus, to place my faith and trust in You alone. I relinquish the TK-BK gene in my life and place it into your healing hand today. Thank you, Lord, for saving me. Amen.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Kicking the acorns

Today’s Reading: John 10:31-32 (NIV)

31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them: “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

Good morning!

I spent many a warm Sunday evening watching our church elders outside, kicking acorns underneath the magnificent Texas oak trees. When Jeff attended seminary, he was given a student appointment at a pretty little country church about forty miles east of Dallas, Texas. We lived in their beautiful parsonage, just down the road from the church. Once a month, the administrative board would meet to conduct its business, and sometimes the conversations would get a little heated. Someone would suggest a new idea, or someone had a bee in their bonnet about something that was making them very unhappy. After a spirited discussion, the men would step outside with a glass of lime tea in one hand and kick the acorns along the sidewalk between the educational building and the church sanctuary. The women stayed inside where the temperature was definitely cooler. They quickly found other things to talk about, like their kids and grandchildren, and upcoming community events. I often stood by the window and watched the men. They would stand outside together, shuffling the nuts that had fallen from the trees lining the sidewalk with their boots.

It’s amazing what a little acorn kicking can do. We see or hear something that we don’t understand or agree with. It distresses us and we immediately react. We ask the questions and when they are not answered to our satisfaction, we begin to kick it around with our neighbors and friends. Watching the boys kick the acorns around outside our church made a lasting visual impression in my mind. I don’t know what they said to each other. Their looks of disgust and frustration spoke volumes about what they may have been thinking. Sometimes they lingered a little bit longer than we would have liked. One by one, they would wander back into the fellowship hall, where they would take their places at the table and the meeting would begin again. In many instances, taking time to think it through made all the difference in whether a unified decision could be reached.

The people were angry with Jesus. They decided it was high time to pummel this teacher for blasphemy. When Jesus asked them which miracle He was being stoned for, it made the people stop and think. Our initial reactions are not always right. Sometimes we need to take a step back and think it through. A little acorn kicking may be in order. If you are struggling with some disconcerting issue today, I’d invite you to step outside the box, take a moment, and let God speak to your heart. We may miss the miracle if we don’t take time to kick the acorns.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Cover charge

Today’s Reading: John 10:27-30 (NIV)

27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Good morning!

One of the many anticipated moments of summer was our family’s annual pilgrimage to the city amusement park. Rachel, Benjamin and David couldn’t wait for the big excursion each year. We counted the days until it was warm enough to ride the water rides in the hot summer sun. Jeff and I would pick a perfect Saturday and make the long-awaited announcement at our family breakfast table. For children who had to be prodded to get dressed and out the door each day, we never had a problem getting ready for this excursion. Rachel and David loved to ride the roller coaster. You couldn’t bribe Ben, Jeff or I to get on those rides – we were just as happy watching them wail from the park bench below. Our mouths watered all spring for the sugary cotton candy that melted in your mouth and the thick chewy pretzels that were awaiting us at the snack stand. It was an exhilarating, exhausting, and precious time spent together; a moment I will cherish forever.

At the entrance to the park, we would pay a cover charge just to get inside the gate. Each new season would bring exciting new rides to explore, and subsequently, the cost of admission would significantly increase. There were times when Jeff and I wondered if this might be our last year to return together as a family to the park. We continued to save our pennies every winter, hoping we would have enough to go just one more time. Even though the cost was steep, the sacrifice was worth it just to see the joy on the faces of our children. They laughed and played together, experiencing the wonder of the unique and the thrill of surprise.

The people were wondering about the teacher from Nazareth. Was He the gatekeeper, the promised Messiah to come? When they asked Jesus to tell them plainly, He said, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Christ came to pay the cover charge for our sin, so that every believer might one day receive admission into the Father’s house. He paid an incredible price, making the ultimate sacrifice of love, so that we could journey through the gate, experiencing the joy and wonder of God’s indescribable love. We are all His children, and He delights in our eternal happiness. There is nothing Jesus wouldn’t do to bring you into relationship with Him. Your cover charge has been paid in full. Will you accept Christ’s gift of new life? Ask Him to be your Lord and Savior today.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Have you washed?

Today’s Reading: John 13:8-9 (NIV)

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Good morning!

It is like a scene in an old black and white film, playing over and over again in slow motion. Yesterday I served as liturgist for one of our worship services at Faith Church. When it came time to serve communion, it is our practice for all communion servers to use disinfectant prior to serving the elements. Jeff washed and then served himself, and moved to the front of the altar. He then invited those who were to assist him to come forward. I quickly walked behind the altar and used the disinfectant on my hands, but he had his back to me and did not see me wash. Two additional communion servers came forward and washed their hands. As I began to reach for the plate holding the bread of life, Jeff pulled the tray back and whispered, “Have you washed?” “Yes,” I replied, and he handed me the tray. This brief encounter lasted no longer than two to three seconds, but it will remain etched in my heart for the rest of my life.

When we offer the bread of life to the world, we take Christ’s incomparable gift of grace in our own hands and extend it to another human heart. We dip our hands daily into the stuff of life. We eat, work, and play with our hands. Microscopic residues remain from the things we touch and are hidden in tiny crevices on our palms and fingertips. Have I washed? Am I really clean enough to serve another human heart Christ’s perfect sacrifice for sin? Are my hands free from the residue of the wrongs I've committed in word and action? Will I contaminate Christ’s perfect love with my own human imperfections?

Simon Peter really did not want Jesus to wash his feet. They were cracked and dirty from walking in sandals all day long. It was time to wash up for supper, and he knew if the Lord washed his filthy feet, He would quickly lose his appetite. Christ insisted, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

It takes more than a simple disinfectant to wash my hands. Jesus Christ Himself must wash me in His precious healing blood. It is only in Christ that I will ever be clean enough to extend His love to others. If I am not willing to the Lord wash me from the inside out, I have no part with Him.

When Peter realized what Jesus had said, he decided a full-body bath was in order. I realized the disinfectant we use prior to serving communion is not nearly enough to remove the residue of my sin. I must allow Jesus Christ to wash me from head to toe. It is only through His cleansing blood that I am made sin-free; germ free. And when the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!

Have you been washed by the only One who has ultimate authority to clean up your life? No amount of disinfectant can make you clean enough. Have you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Believing is not seeing

Today’s Reading: John 10:24 (NIV)

24 The Jews gathered around Him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Good morning!

Of all the gifts I’ve ever received, it is the gift of faith I cherish the most. Faith is a verb – alive and active in the hearts and minds of those who believe. We hold fast to the faith that took root in our lives when we first heard Christ’s testimony and believed. It is that same faith that brings us through some of the toughest things in life. Faith gives us a strong fighting spirit, and births hope for a better day tomorrow. Let me tell you about faith in action.

Last night, I sat with Rachel and our dear friend Meredith at the hospital. Meredith has been battling melanoma for several years now. What started as a skin cancer has now moved to her lungs and brain. She is finishing a series of radiation treatments in-patient, after suffering some paralysis while undergoing treatment. She is a resilient woman, who has certainly dealt with a lot of physical adversity in the last few years. When I want to see faith in motion, I only have to look at Meredith’s uncompromising determination and her uncanny ability to laugh in extreme situations. We laughed a lot last night. She has the gift of faith.

We choose to put our faith into action each day, no matter what our circumstances may be. I have faith that I will tackle today’s work. I pray without ceasing as I read and work through the requirements of a school syllabus runneth amuck. I have faith I will graduate from college in 2009. I know my faith maker intimately; He is my Savior and Lord, and in Him, all things are possible. I’ve learned to count on Jesus Christ for every need. Who gives you faith for each new day?

The people who gathered around the Lord wanted proof positive that Jesus is God’s Messiah. Even though Christ had performed many miracles right in front of them, there were many who doubted. It takes great faith to step apart from the comfort of the crowd, and take your stand. When we trust Christ enough to give Him our hearts, His Holy Spirit gives us His gift of faith. It is a faith we can count on in sunshine and rain. We face adversity knowing there is someone who holds us close every step of the way. With faith, we do not have to see to believe.

Meredith’s faith in Christ gives me great hope for this day and every tomorrow. Believing is not seeing! What will it take for you to trust Jesus Christ with your life today?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.