Fall Changes

 

The leaves on the trees are changing colors now, and they are gorgeous!  I hate to see summer end, but I must say God decorates the autumn season quite nicely. 

When we were in Hobby Lobby Saturday, I saw a sign that said “Fall is proof that change can be beautiful.”  That is true, but it also stepped on my toes a little bit. 

Normally I don’t like change that much.  I accept it reluctantly.  I’m not talking about the changes in the seasons.  I am talking about changes in life. 

I don’t know why I am like this.  Some people thrive on change.  I’ve heard people say change helps you grow.  Maybe.  I guess it depends on what the change is. 

OK, let me back up a little bit.  Life events such as marriage, buying a new home, or having a new baby are all good changes.  They usually lead to many happy times. 

Other life altering changes are not so good.  Living with the loss of someone we love can be quite difficult.  It changes everything!  It even changes how holidays are celebrated. 

Losing our job, the loss of our own health, and losing our home are examples of other changes which can cause heartache.  And yet, God’s word says we are to be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18). 

James goes so far as to say we are to “count it all joy” when we “meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). 

I once met an older lady who lost her teenage daughter years before I met her.  She said she was angry about her loss for a long time; but she finally learned how to be thankful for the time she had with her daughter.  She was grateful for the joy her daughter brought when she was alive. 

I think this is what it means to be thankful in all circumstances.  It is not always easy to adopt this attitude, especially at first.  We will always miss those who’ve gone one before us. 

But with God’s help, it can be done.  He will give us the strength to do what we need to do.  Having our loved one with us for a while is far better than never having known them at all. 

When I used to say I was thankful for some good thing that happened, Dad would ask me – what would you do if it didn’t work out that way?  Now, I think I know why. 

Thanks Dad, for always reminding me God loves me more!

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful" (Colossians 3:15).  

Christ above all things - Robin

My Poppa Loves Me

He was a delight every week.  I loved having him in our Wednesday night Bible class.  This little boy has such a great imagination.  Of course this was several years ago.  He is in middle school now, but he was only three years old when he was in my class. 

Both of my students came from close-knit families and I was so thankful for that!  We were talking about their day before we started class.  Even at three, the children enjoyed visiting with one another. 

He talked about being with “Nana” and “Poppa” that afternoon.  He was the youngest grandchild and he was close to his grandfather.  At the end of his story, he looked straight at me and said, “My poppa loves me!” 

He said it with such assurance.  There was no doubt in his mind that Poppa loved him.  It is a sweet memory for me.  I highly respected his grandfather who was a faithful Christian. 

I am always thankful for children who have such close families.  It does my heart good.  We know not every family is like this – even sometimes the ones who put their best foot forward and attend worship and Bible classes with a bright smile on their faces.  Sadly, those bright smiles may not show up very often at home. 

The faith my young Bible student had in his grandfather was for me a literal example of what true, solid faith is.  We should all be confident in our Heavenly Father’s love.  He is the perfect parent and we are His children.

God is our maker.  He created us.  Without Him we are nothing – but even knowing there is no way we can compare to the One and Only True, Living God we can be assured of His love for us. 

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, John wrote “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).

What a magnificent feeling it is to know our God loves us! 

Another passage from Psalm 103:13-14 gives us a beautiful description of a loving father.  “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.  For He knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust."   

We can be as sure of God’s love for us as my Bible class student was of the love his grandfather had for him.  

With rock solid faith we can say, “My Heavenly Father loves me!”

Christ above all things - Robin

"Soose Me"

 

Little children can teach us so much if we are only willing to open our eyes and hearts. They constantly remind me to be better than I am.

A few weeks ago I spent a week at Maywood Christian Camp. I was about to walk up the steps to the cabin when I saw two little ones coming down the same steps. They were sister and brother. She is about five and he is probably somewhere between two and three years old.

They held hands as they came down the steps toward me. She watched each step, intent on keeping her little brother from falling. He did not pull away from her. They walked down in sync with each other. 

He was content to hold her hand. It seemed as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He trusted her lead.

They got almost to the bottom step and he looked up at me.  “Soose me” he said as he passed by. No one prompted him - he wasn’t being coached; but he had been taught. His parents were obviously wonderful teachers!

Even at this young age he had learned the importance of courtesy. His older sister had learned the importance of keeping her brother safe and she did a great job!

Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if grown people understood what these two little children already knew?  Wouldn’t our church families be stronger if we all took the time to look out for one another?

Shouldn’t we do what the big sister did for her brother? She held his hand to keep him from falling. I was reminded of James 3:20 which says “that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

Her brother did not pull away from her or tell her she was being bossy or nosy. He accepted her help – in fact, he seemed to welcome it!

It is often difficult to ask for help when we are struggling, but this is why Jesus built the church. He knew we would need help on our life’s journey. It is also why we are told to bear one another’s burdens.

There is no shame in asking for help and it can actually bring great comfort and relief. In James 5:16 we are instructed to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another so that we may be healed. This is all part of loving each other as Christ loved us.

What about the good manners this little fella had? Christians should show the same thoughtfulness toward others. In Philippians 2:3, Paul wrote “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

 We probably should all say “soose me” a little more often.

Christ above all things - Robin

Mama Gay

 

A little over a week ago I lost a sweet friend and sister in Christ.  Everyone called her Mama Gay and that suited her well, for she seemed to love everyone as a mother would. 

I wouldn’t begin to guess how many people she encouraged and influenced during her lifetime.  I only know I was one of them.  So was my husband and so was my son Alex. 

I remember one Sunday afternoon after worship Robert told me some funny something Gay had said to him.  At that time, we had not been attending Hillcrest for very long.  I was really surprised that the two of them had a conversation. 

Robert laughed when I said that.  He informed me that he had known her a lot longer than he had known me.  As it turned out, they worked at some of the same places.  They really did know each other. 

If we ever had a fellowship meal and Robert didn’t come, Mama Gay would hand me a take-out container and tell me to ‘fix her boyfriend a plate to take home.’  She wanted to make sure he would have something to eat. 

The first time I did that, Robert thanked me.  I told him it was from his ‘girlfriend.’  He knew immediately who I meant.  It did Robert a world of good to know she had thought of him. 

Gay always encouraged me.  She and her sister, Joy helped me build up my confidence.  This gave me a desire to grow spiritually.  It led me to participate in more and more activities at Hillcrest. 

She often called to check on her church family when one of us were sick.  She helped us all keep up with one another and that was a blessing to many of us.  I think Mama Gay helped us all feel connected. 

She was a great cook and many folks benefitted from her talent.  I remember after Aaron was born, she brought Robert and me supper one night.  I can’t tell you how much it was appreciated!  But then again, some of you may know.  You may have a ‘Mama Gay’ in your church family too! 

My middle son, Alex loved Mama Gay.  She was so good to him.  The two of them were close. She had a very special way with young people. 

I think sometimes we forget to tell people how much they mean to us.  We forget to let them know what a delight it is to know them.  I wish I’d told  Gay more often. 

Mama Gay loved her family so much.  She loved her church family too.  But more than anything she loved God.  She has won her reward.  She is with our loving Heavenly Father now. 

Thank you, Mama Gay for all your work in God’s kingdom.

Psalm 118:20- This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.

 Christ above all things - Robin

 

 

 

 

Sleeping Makes Kisses

When my youngest brother was very small, he was Mama’s boy. 😊  Oh how he loved her!  There is nothing wrong with that.  I pray that every little boy has a loving relationship with their mother. 

John would climb up on Mom’s lap and kiss her cheek, all the while hugging her tightly.  Mom’s face would beam with love and happiness.  There was one day though, when Mom asked John for a hug and kiss. 

John said, “I can’t.  I am all out of kisses.” 

“What?”  Mom asked, You’re out of kisses?”   Mom was both surprised and amused by his answer.  “How does that happen?"

“I used them all up,”  John replied. 

Of course, Mom couldn’t resist.  She asked him when he would get some more. 

“I will make some more when I sleep tonight.”   In his young mind, this made perfect sense. 

Occasionally when it was bedtime Mom would tell John he better make plenty of kisses that night, so she could have lots of kisses the next day. 

Sometimes our days are so full … we’ve been so busy and by the end of the day we are exhausted.  As women we play many roles.  We take part in so many different lives and they depend on us to call or text them, to cook supper, help with homework or any number of various things that usually become our job to do. 

And when we turn off the light at night, we’ve given all we had to give that day.  We are “used up.”  Then we pillow our heads and pray for God to give us energy for the next day.

It may not be kisses we make in our sleep, but it might be love - our acts of love.

 When we wake up the next morning, our routine begins all over again.  Each day has its own challenges.  And each day we wake up refreshed and ready to go – to be the best we can be – for the sake of our Savior. 

 It is God who renews our strength.  May we be thankful He allows us to ‘make more.’

“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”  Jeremiah 31:25

Christ above all things – Robin

 

An Old Dead Chicken

When we were children we lived in Jackson, Mississippi.  We often came to visit our grandparents who lived on a farm in the northeast part of the state.  Whenever we got there, Grandma almost always sent Grandpa to the store for one thing or another. 

 One time, my youngest brother went with Grandpa to the store.  It was just a little old country store but the owner somehow managed to stock plenty of items.  He and Grandpa were good friends and they joked around a lot. 

 When Grandpa and John got home, Grandpa was still smiling.  He told me the owner asked John  what he liked to eat.  My brother was pretty young at the time – maybe about four.  John told the man he liked chicken. 

 “Chicken?” the owner asked.  “Why, you wouldn’t eat an old dead chicken would you?”  Grossed out by the thought of it John shook his head and said, “No!  I wouldn’t do that!”  The owner chuckled, but didn’t ask him any more questions.  My little brother never knew he was the source of entertainment that day. 

 This is a lighthearted incident; but remembering it prompted me to think about something much more serious.  I thought about sin … my sin.  So many times we say Jesus died for our sins, but do we really think about what we are saying? 

 Our Savior did not want to die on the cross.  He did not want to go through that pain.  In Gethsemane, He asked God to “let this cup pass from me.”  Christ prayed that same prayer three times.  Each time He told the Father, “not as I will, but as you will.” 

 Jesus was then betrayed, arrested, interrogated, slapped, spit on, mocked, scourged, and crucified.  It was ugly.  It was painful.   And it was my sin that put Him there.  Unfortunately, sometimes I try to distance myself  from that ugly, painful realization. 

 When Aaron was about 8 years old, he was with us at a youth meeting.  During the devotional, the youth minister said our sins put Jesus on the cross.  Tears came to Aaron’s eyes.  He looked up and said, “What?  I didn’t hurt Jesus!”  Aaron was visibly upset.  He was too young to understand that the youth minister was talking about our sin. 

Our hearts should be tender and compassionate when we think of what the Lord went through for us.  We shouldn’t think about the cross in generic terms.  The death of Christ should be personal to each one of us.  After all, that is the way Jesus feels about it.  

Christ died for me and you because He knew we needed Him.  

Our Savior is above all things.  

Robin Whitley

More Than A Wedding

I attended my niece’s wedding on Sunday.  Weddings are a celebration of love – and a commitment between a man and a woman forever.  This one was no exception.  My niece and her husband were ready to make that commitment in front of friends and family.   I pray for God’s blessings on their lives together as husband and wife. 

 A wedding ceremony is not only about love between the two who are getting married.  So much time and effort goes into that wedding for years before it ever takes place!  It is much more subtle than what’s going on with the couple – but it is there if only one cares to pay attention. 

A wedding represents the lifetime of devotion from the parents of the bride and groom.  So much love, attention, and teaching goes into the raising of a child to become the person someone falls in love with. 

From the day the child is born countless prayers go up to our Heavenly Father.  Parents pray for their children’s marriages well in advance.  They pray for their future spouses too. 

The festivities that come with a wedding are reflections of love.  It is not the amount of money spent that is important.  We all know money does not buy the love a family creates.  Instead, it is all the personal touches that show how much we truly care.

So much work went on behind the scenes yesterday – acts of service from the kindest people.   I am thankful that my brother, sister-in-law and niece  are so well-loved.  I am also grateful for the groom’s family and friends who are so special to him.  His parents put so much love into raising him! 

It is God who created marriages.  In Genesis 2:18, God said “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”   None of the birds or livestock God made was right for Adam.  Then God made woman from Adam’s own rib. 

She was just right.  Notice Adam said, “At last this is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.”   Notice Adam said, ‘At last.’  Finally – after all those animals that were not right – at last here is the perfect helper for me. 

The family unit was instituted by God Himself.  Genesis 2:24 reads, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”   

 Whether we are daughters, sons, spouses, or parents, let us be thankful for the love and wisdom of God who gave us our families!

 Christ above all things – Robin

The Ides of March

I usually don’t mention days on the calendar, but sometimes it just seems appropriate.  March 15^th is known as the Ides of March.   Many of you are probably familiar with Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar.  I read it when I was in high school. 

The play includes a rather famous line – “Beware the Ides of March,”  Although Shakespeare’s tragedy isn’t completely factual,  Caesar was assassinated on the ides of March.  He was betrayed by men he thought were his friends. 

I don’t know that much about Julius Caesar, but I did read a couple of articles about him.  He had appointed himself ‘Dictator for Life’ and the senators of Rome did not like that.  They did not want to lose their positions of power.  It was jealousy and greed that led to his assassination. 

Our Savior was also killed because of jealousy and greed.  I mean no disrespect to Christ in any way whatsoever.  Caesar was a pagan who did not believe in the One True God.  Jesus Christ was the Son of God.  So there is absolutely no comparison. 

Jesus was betrayed by one of His own apostles.  Judas was one of the twelve men closest to our Savior.  Although He knew it was going to happen, I cannot imagine what that must have felt like to Jesus.  How hurt He must have been! 

We know Jesus prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane to “let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39).  He did not want to go through what He was about to go through.  Jesus did not want to die in such a horrible way.  Still, He submitted to His Father’s will. 

One can almost hear the words of our Savior as He prayed.  One can almost see Judas greet Jesus and kiss Him.  We can hear the sword being drawn and the cry of Malchus as his ear is sliced off.  Can you imagine the look of wonder on the servant’s face when Jesus touched his ear and healed him? 

Jesus paid an incredible price for the souls of the world.  His death and betrayal redeemed us from the evil one.  But this redemption is only for those who choose to acknowledge and obey Him. 

Jesus made an extremely important statement in John 15:14.  He said, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” 

“Which commands Jesus?”

“All of them.” 

“Yes, but what about …”

“All of them.”

“Surely, You don’t mean …”

“Robin, I mean all of them.  If you love me you will keep my commandments.”

Jesus will not force us.  It is all up to us. 

Christ above all things – Robin

 

Giggles at the Grocery Store

Hello everyone.  I apologize that it has been so long since my last post on this page.  A few days ago, I remembered a funny little incident from my childhood, so I thought I would share.  

When we were growing up, Todd and I seemed to get the giggles at the most inappropriate times.  That alone caused Mom and Dad a lot of frustration. 

One time when the whole family as at the grocery store together, Dad put some little dessert cakes in the cart.  John was only a few years old, maybe four or five.  He asked Dad what was in the box and Dad told him. 

For the next several minutes, John followed Dad and said over and over again, “Those are dessert cakes, huh Dad?  Yep, them sure are cakes alright.” 

Ordinarily that wouldn’t be so funny.  But John repeated the same thing every few seconds and he was speaking so loudly everyone in the store could hear him.  Well, if that wasn’t embarrassing enough for my parents, Todd and I thought the whole thing was funny.  We got our giggle box turned over and could not stop laughing. 

Finally Dad turned around and told all three of us we better be quiet.  He told John not to say anything else about the cakes and he scolded me and Todd for all our giggling.  Even knowing we were in trouble, it took a lot of restraint to settle down. 

The incident became one of our funny family stories. 

Sometimes we just need a good laugh, don’t we?  It is good to find humor in simple things.  I think the ability to laugh is one of God’s gifts to us. 

In Luke’s recording of the Beatitudes Jesus said, “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled.  Blessed are you who weep now for you shall laugh.”  Luke 6:21

In Proverbs we find  “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  Proverbs 17:22 

Another great verse on joy is Proverbs 15:13 which reads “A glad heart makes a cheerful face,  but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.”

Here is one more:  “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25

I like this last verse because it tells us we can give someone “a good word” and make them glad.  Isn’t it wonderful to think we can serve the Lord this way? 

Kids can say and do funny things that make us laugh.  Children love to play and laugh together.  It is totally natural.  It is the way God made them and us too. 

It still when I remember that night at the grocery store so long ago. 

Let us treasure the time we have with our families.  Today’s laughs become tomorrow’s precious memories!

Christ above all things - Robin

The Marine and His Bride

He was a young Marine from Mississippi stationed in Miami, Florida.  He fell in love almost instantly one  fateful day at a drive-in restaurant with some of his Marine buddies.  She went to the skating rink with her sister and some  friends and stopped at the same place.    

The Marine was 20, but the young lady was only 16.  When asked for her phone number, she declined.  She thought he was too old for her.  It could have all ended right then.  The story would be over before it ever began. 

The love story still going strong nearly 65 years later would never have happened.  It would have only been a dream in the young Marine’s mind.  Except it wasn’t just a dream because the young skater’s older sister gave him the number.  

I’m not sure what changed the young lady’s mind about him.  Maybe it was because he was so persistent – but she agreed to go out on a date with him. They soon became a couple and about ten months later decided to elope. 

Thus began a loving, faithful marriage.  Their love for each other could easily be seen by all those around them.  They found joy in being together.  He always took care of her and provided for her and the children when they came along. 

She was his faithful bride who loved and trusted him to the fullest extent.  She had every confidence in his faithfulness to her.  She was his helpmeet and her support only made him stronger and better. 

The Marine passed from this world, but he loved her until the very end.  He showed it in so many ways all his life.  She loves him still.  The marriage vows say ‘till death do us part.’  But the vows are wrong, because the love goes on. 

Love and trust create a strong bond that is not easily broken.  It is that way with earthly relationships true enough; it is also true for our spiritual relationship with God. 

Through all of our trials and heartaches we must remember that God is faithful.  Our heavenly Father will never leave us or forsake us.  We can read about His faithfulness in 1 Corinthians 10:13.  It is a verse quoted regularly, but that does not decrease the importance of it. 

 ^“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Sometimes we think our trials are so hard to bear up under.  Sometimes we want to give up our faith and just walk away from it all. 

The devil wants us to give up.  God wants us to look up!  Look up, friends.  Trust Him!  Look for HIS way out.  He will give us an escape route – because He loves those who love Him. 

Just as the Marine and his bride had faith in each other, so we can have complete confidence in our God.  He will never let us down!

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.  

                                                                                                                2 Thessalonians 3:3 

Christ above all things - Robin

Love in Teamwork

Love in teamwork? I can imagine many folks don't really think about love when they think of teamwork. That may be because we usually only think of teams in the context of sports. And sports is all about competition and winning, right? If you’ve watched football lately it isn’t.

Last week when Damar Hamlin had a heart attack on the field and CPR was administered to him, we saw love at work. I think everyone on the field was in prayer that night. Through those prayers, the sports world saw love in action. I am extremely grateful for Damar’s steady improvement.

I watched ‘You Tube’ with Robert yesterday. There were a group of guys who all specialize in different areas of automobile work. Each one had their own you tube channels. One guy asked the others to join him in taking a junk heap of a car and get it running in three days.

More went on than just working on that car. Before this project, the men didn’t know each other very well. By the end of three long days of work one could see the close bond they developed.

I don’t necessarily like watching shows about fixing cars, but I liked seeing these guys become close friends. One reason it probably went so well is that they were efficient, confident, and successful in their own area of expertise, so they respected one another.

This is not always so in a regular work situation. For various reasons, circumstances are seldom as ideal as the show I watched. People have their own ambitions and may end up jockeying for position. Some may take credit for all the work when they barely did any.

Still as Christians, we must remember who we represent. The Bible tells us everything we do must be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him” Colossians 3:17.

Notice some important words: everything. Not just one thing, one time – but everything, all the time.

In the name of the Lord Jesus. Not in our name, for our glory – in His name, for His glory.

And thirdly, giving thanks to God. Keep a good attitude. Don’t complain or whine about your work, instead thank Him for the opportunity.

We are commanded to do our work well and to work well with others. Many times, this is not an easy task, but that is where the love comes in.

With God’s help we remember to treat others as Christ would. We learn to see others through His eyes, not our own. In doing so, we set a great example for others.

Vince Lombardi once said: "Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."

We must be individually committed to do our best work – both with others and on our own.

Christ above all things - Robin

Annie Over!

When we were younger kids, we lived in a great neighborhood in Jackson, MS.  We always had plenty of friends to play with.  But it wasn’t like that when we came to visit Dad’s parents in northeast Mississippi. 

They lived on a farm out in the country and there were no other kids around.  We had to find other ways to entertain ourselves.  That was OK though, because we had good imaginations and just liked to play outside anyway. 

Besides that, Grandma taught us a couple of games that were fun to play.  One of them was Annie Over.  Have you ever heard of it?  I always thought it was something Grandma just made up, but I checked it out on the internet and according to some sources, this game dates all the way back to the mid 1800’s. 

It was an easy game, but it kept Todd and I busy for a little while.  Grandpa and Grandma had a well house that brought water from the ground and up to a faucet outside.  They didn’t have running water in the house.  Anyway, the wellhouse was small enough that we could throw a ball over it to the other side. 

In the game, the one who had the ball would yell out “Annie Over” and throw the ball over the house.  The person on the other side would catch the ball and run around the house to try to catch the one who threw it.  Oh wow!  I don’t remember all the rules exactly.  I just remember throwing the ball and running around chasing each other. 

The laughter too.  I remember the laughter.  We laughed chasing each other, but my Grandmother always laughed when we played.  Oh how she loved to see us have a good time!  It always made me feel good to see her laugh. 

I think God likes to see his children have a good time too, don’t you?  Our life is so full of work and taking care of our families and paying bills and.. and .. and.  The list goes on, but the point is made.  Sometimes we forget to relax and enjoy ourselves. 

When I think about this topic, I often think of what Christ said in John 10:10.  “ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” 

I absolutely love that passage!  It shows us God does want us to have a full, rich life here on earth.  An abundant life means taking pleasure in all the things God gives us to enjoy.   

He created the family unit, when he created Adam and Eve.  A husband and wife are to love and cherish one another.  The children God gives are truly a gift!  Our little ones giggle at the simplest of pleasures.  There is no greater joy for a mother than to hear her child laugh. 

Knowing all this, how could we ever think God doesn’t want us to have fun from time to time?

Proverbs 17:22 – “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  Please don’t let anyone steal your joy. 

I love you, but God loves you more!

Christ above all things - Robin