Following...

It's been a while!  Let's see...finished the school year, had a daughter graduate from high school, threw a party, sent the family off the Bible camp (straight from the graduation party), went to Washington, DC with my daughter and mother to advocate for pancreatic cancer research funding, went to Bible camp with the family (their second week, my first)...all of that in the month of June!  Whew!  I'm now resting up for a vacation at the end of this month.

But, I've missed you and thought I'd share a thought or two.  Preachman (aka Rob Albright) delivered a wonderful lesson this morning about being a follower of Christ.  He started by asking if we could think of anyone better to follow.  Of course, we could not!  He described the perfect attributes of Christ and the reasons He is the only One to follow and then talked about different kinds of followers.  I wonder if my following pleases God.  Am I following closely enough?  Probably not.  Do I stray too often?  Probably so.  Do I ever follow for the wrong reasons?  Certainly.  My heart bubbles over with thanks that the One I follow is long-suffering and loving!  I know I am not nearly as patient with my children.  I am so thankful He is a perfect parent!

Following Perfection

Perfect footprints on a perfect road.

Perfect friend to help me bear my load.

Perfect light for guiding my dark way.

Perfect shelter through the stormy days.

Perfect promise of eternal life.

Perfect sweet peace in times of great strife.

Perfect sacrifice for my lost soul.

Perfect rest from our labor and toil.

Hold my hand as we walk

Guiding my clumsy steps.

Lift my head with Your light.

Hide my heart in the cleft.

My words, my steps, my ways

Let them glorify You!

May I follow closely.

Keep my heart ever true!

Melissa B. King

July 7, 2013

"SAFE" is a Place

“SAFE” is a Place

He is the peaceful pasture that I seek

When the chaos of life makes me weak.

He is where I find shelter from the storm.

He is where I don’t need to worry anymore.

Jesus is the rock where I hide in the cleft

When the winds blow and there’s nothing left.

When I fall, He is where I want to land…

The place where I can sing even when I cannot stand.

Through His blood and by His grace,

I can be confident that “safe” is a place.

I pray I can live so others will know

He is THE refuge where I always go!

Melissa B. King

1/20/13

Matters of Life and Death

Got your attention?  Good.  Have you ever been in a "life and death" situation?  You may be in one right now and not realize it.  No, I don't mean there is an out of control car headed your way or a meteorite about to crush you into the ground.  Allow me to back up and explain where I'm coming from.  In the last three days, I have attended a funeral, gotten some unsettling health news about a dear friend, and witnessed a baptism into Christ.  But, none of these are "life and death" situations.  What?  A funeral?  Bad health news?  Nope.  In each case, the person involved was and is a Christian.  Both young men gave their lives to Christ and in turn, claimed eternal life and the hope of Heaven.  So, I like to think of them as being in a "life and life" situation.  Life here or life there.  No death.  Not really.  Suffering, pain, troubles?  Yes.  But, not death.  Death was defeated.  God fought that battle and won.  Now to the baptism.  This young woman was obedient to Christ and showed her faithfulness to His plan by submitting to baptism.  By being buried with Christ in the waters of baptism, she was raised to be a new person.  Through that act and a faithful life, she puts her gift of eternal life on layaway.  It's there waiting on her.  Does that mean her life here will be trouble-free and easy?  Not at all.  I am sure Satan is already preparing darts with her name on them.  But, God has her back!  He will walk with her through this life right into the next...life and life!

Now, back to you.  Do you enjoy this life and life...well, life?  Or, are you in a life and death situation because you have not exchanged your submission to His will for that eternal prize?  Will your physical death be, well, the death of you?  That word eternal means forever.  No do-overs, no second chances.  You are living your second chance now.  Take advantage of it.  Take God up on His offer to save you from your sins and set you free!  Become part of the family of God that knows death can be a "life and life" situation!

Romans 8:1-2  "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Romans 8:18  "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Mark 16:16  "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Tears and Prayers for Newtown

'Twas a week before Christmas and all through the school
the children were restless, their wish lists full.
The teachers were teaching up at the board
but the thoughts of the kids to gifts and Santa soared.

The office staff was busy keeping things running
while parents were doing last-minute gift-hunting.
A quiet little town doing quiet little things
preparing for the festivities a holiday brings.

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter.
Teachers peeked out to see what was the matter.
In fear, they gathered in the corner with their kids.
Praying they didn't hear what they were sure they did.

Then there was a silence like never before.
None dared to go near or even crack the door.
Until brave first responders answered the cries
guiding the kids out, telling them to close their eyes.

They told them to run to the firehouse quick.
The kids now knowing that this was no trick.
More rapid than eagles, the parents, they came.
Frantically shouting, calling their children's names.

Falling on their knees and hugging them tight
some parents took their children home for the night.
While others, sadly, will go home with just tears
to begin to heal and recover from their worst fears.

Stockings will be taken down and packed away with care
gifts left unopened, the recipients no longer there.
The nation mourns with those suffering this loss
holding each other in prayer, love, and thought.

MBK

12/14/12

Singing By Heart

Once a month, various people from our congregation descend upon an area nursing home/rehabilitation facility.  We roam up and down the halls inviting the residents to join us for a period of singing.  Some accept while others decline.  We gather in a common area and pass out songbooks.  Age and time shadow the eyes of many of the residents making it difficult for them to see the pages.  Prayer opens our time together and then the singing starts.  I love to watch the residents as we sing.  On newer, unfamiliar songs, most sway along to the music and move their lips a little.  But when we begin a familiar song from the past, they come alive.  No books needed!  They sing out with heads tilted back, some tapping their hands on the arm of a wheelchair, all with a pleasant, peaceful look on their faces.  Something about a familiar tune seems to take them to another place and time.  Are they imagining they are on hard, wooden pews in a church building from childhood?  Are they picturing a scene from their youth when the family came together after supper and sang spirituals together?  Are they dreaming of a future home where they will sing praises around the feet of Jesus?  We may never know.  But I do know that at these times, they are singing by heart!

“Send Someone to Sing me Home”

When my eyes are cloudy and my hair is gray

And I can’t remember the right words to say

When time is confusing and days seem like years

And I don’t know the meaning of my own tears

When youth is a distant memory so far away

And death feels closer with each passing day

When glimpses of Heaven and glory I see

And my heart’s prayers are silent pleas

God, send someone to sing to me

Of Heaven and hope and of Your glory

For it will be precious songs that spark

Sweet memories and restore my heart

Songs have a way of soothing my fears

Bringing me to Your feet where You dry my tears.

When confusion sets in and the darkness has come

It will be a song that leads me home.

Sing me home when life gets hard.

Sing me home when days are dark.

Sing me home when life is short.

Sing me home to Heaven’s door.

MBK5/18/2010

A Lesson from the Kitchen

Some of you may have read my post on Facebook about my most recent kitchen disaster.  If so, bear with me while I give everybody else a recap of what happened.  My husband, Andy, is organizing Friday night supper for a men's retreat this weekend.  He has prepared chili...his famous "Andy's Disgustingly Hot Chili."  Trying to be helpful, I offered to make cornbread muffins for the hungry men to enjoy.  (Really, I was thinking they are going to need something to soak up all that heat!)  I love Jiffy Mix cornbread!  It's sweet-tasting and easy to make.  So, I bought 12 boxes of the mix (each box only makes six muffins), a dozen egg, and a bottle of oil.  I know, I know (now)...just hang with me here.  In order to speed things along, I quadrupled each recipe and mixed four batches at a time.  This is mainly because I have two muffin pans that each hold 12 muffins.  I stirred up four boxes of mix, four eggs, and 1 1/3 cups of oil.  You know, because each box called for one egg and 1/3 cup of oil.  While the first quadruple batch was baking, I mixed up the second quadruple batch.  I knew immediately when I pulled that first batch out of the oven that we had a problem.  The paper liners were shiny with oil and the tops of the muffins were caved in slightly.  Bravely, Andy sampled one and boldly told me what I already knew...they were nasty.  So, in the trash they went.  But, I already had the second batch mixed, so I stuck it in the oven as if something different would magically happen.  While it was baking, I decided that mixing four batches at a time must have messed up the chemistry of the process.  Determined to succeed, I mixed one box at a time and filled the muffin pans again.  Anxiously I awaited the beeping of the oven timer.  And once again the contents of the pans were dumped directly into the trash.  Distraught, I turned to my Facebook friends with a picture and this story.  I received lots of comfort and encouragement and then a dear friend pointed out the error of my ways.  She said that HER box of Jiffy Mix calls for MILK, not oil!!!!  Really?
Now for the lesson.  Why did I mess up?  Duh!!  I thought I knew what I was doing and that I didn't need to read the directions.  I put the wrong ingredients in my muffins because I thought I remembered from previous makings what they required.  Don't we do that with God's directions?  I do.  Getting up in the morning and charging into the day without refreshing my memory by spending time in God's direction book, I stumble and fumble and mess things up.  When I look back on the day, am I actually surprised that things didn't go well?  Again, duh!!  I always end up filling my day with better ingredients when I stop to read His directions for me first.  But, just like the muffin mess, often I make the same mistakes day after day after day as if trying it one more time the same way will eventually get different results.  Reading directions is not overrated...especially when the directions are God's.  

My Husband, My Friend

 How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways...

1.  I love to see you laugh.  Like, really laugh, when you are sitting in the recliner watching something funny and you hold your head in your hand and tears come to your eyes, and you hold your side and make the choking noise like you can't even catch your breath kind of laugh!
2.  I love to see you walking and talking with our girls.
3.  I love how you help others...someone with computer problems, a family needing moving help, a young man needing help preparing a lesson, a stranger with a flat tire on a bike ride...they can all count on you!
4.  I love that you start my van on cold mornings!
5.  I love that you do dishes!
6.  I love how the left side of your face wrinkles up when you are teasing!
7.  I love that you turn off talk radio when I get in your truck!
8.  I love walking on the beach with you!
9.  I love hiking a trail with you!
10.  I love the way you encourage me!
11.  I love that our daughters can count on you!
12.  I love that the kids at church have you on speed dial...they know they can count on you!
13.  I love how you got me hooked on Face Book and Duck Dynasty!
14.  I love how you love God!
15.  I love your shiny bald head!
16.  I love how excited you get when you see green in spring!
17.  I love watching you play in the ocean with our kids!
18.  I love that you understand that I don't like playing in the ocean!
19.  I love that you reserve a canopy at the beach so I can spend all day listening to the ocean and reading if that's what I want to do!
20.  I love that you gave my daddy doughnuts at our wedding!
21.  I love that you are friendly!
22.  I love the way you sing goofy songs  (usually because you can't remember the real words)!
23.  I love that you are giving!
24.  I love you until the Spring of Forever!











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