Linda Brooks Davis's Blog, page 3

Linda Brooks Davis | A Little Perspective

Welcome, everyone.

Perspective. I stumbled over an  illustration of perspective on a recent visit to my hometown in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

I was born into a church-going family in Raymondville, Texas, a small farming community, in the 1940s. We were that “Ozzie and Harriet” family who shared meals around the table and actually TALKED to one another. We went to the Corral drive-in as a family, which was forbidden in dating years; joined into seasonal parades; and filled the ranks of school sports, arts, service, and academic organizations.

Childhood Perspective

We studied (not just read) the Bible and were at church every time the doors opened (Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and every other gathering, including those days-long Gospel meetings in the summer). My father (and brothers) led the singing, and Daddy taught Bible classes from age 21 to his death in 1971. We invited the preacher (permanent or visiting) for Sunday dinner. Our best friends were members of the church, and we even vacationed together a time or two.

Each church service was followed by “visiting” in pairs and small groups on the building’s front steps or grounds. We kids played chase on the lawn where the whole church shared ice cream socials, “dinner on the ground” pot-lucks, and watermelon feasts. In short, that church family—and the building itself—were the heartbeat of our family. Everything else in life revolved around it, so my memories of the building and life under that roof run deep and very strong. That building was HUGE.

Adulthood Perspective

Until, that is, my husband and I stopped in front of the church on the visit home that I mentioned earlier. It was as if I had stepped through the back of a wardrobe and entered a land as strange as Narnia. Where had the building I remembered run off to? It was so small it seemed stooped. The front steps weren’t the large, spacious structure I remembered. They were low and narrow and completely unsuitable for conversation groupings. And the cemented area that ran from the steps to the street? No longer the parking lot-sized space I remembered, it had shrunken to downright measly. 

What had come over my old church home? Even now, I recall the surreality of facing that unfamiliar, yet ever-so familiar place. Maybe I’d entered the Twilight Zone. With our world having gone through 2020 (and, admittedly, 2021), when I saw the following post on Facebook, I just had to share it. I don’t know Jonathan Blaze Harker, don’t know what it’s about or whether I’d want to follow his posts, but I do know his insight on perspective is spot-on. Leave your comments, reactions, and maybe memories below.

Perspective from Jonathan Blaze Harker  on a June 28, 2020, Facebook post: For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1900. When you are 14, World War I starts, and ends on your 18th birthday with 22 million people killed. Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until you are 20. Fifty million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million. When you’re 29, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, global GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy. When you turn 39, World War II starts. You aren’t even over the hill yet. When you’re 41, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war and the Holocaust kills six million. At 52, the Korean War starts and five million perish. At 64 the Vietnam War begins, and it doesn’t end for many years. Four million people die in that conflict. Approaching your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, could well have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening. As you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How do you survive all of that? A kid in 1985 didn’t think their 85 year old grandparent understood how hard school was. Yet those grandparents (and now great grandparents) survived through everything listed above. Perspective is an amazing art. Let’s try and keep things in perspective. Let’s be smart, help each other out, and we will get through this. In the history of the world, there has never been a storm that lasted. This too, shall pass. God-centered Perspective in Our Messed-up World

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
James 1:17 NKJV

I don’t understand “no variation” or “no shadow of turning”. Don’t know about you, but I can change my mind—and emotions—quicker than you can say “I changed my mind.” Those of us who claim the name of Jesus are supposed to view the world in all its messiness through faith-tinted eyeglasses. It’s not always easy, but without Jesus, what do you DO with a world turned upside down? A universe where right is wrong, and wrong is right? Where the infallible Word of God is merely fables? And where the government, not parents, determine what our children believe and how they act? The mess is endless.

Which, I’m reminded is one characteristic of God’s very nature, so foreign to us fickle creatures. His immutability. Endlessness. Always has been; always will be. Unchangeable. Eternal. God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1 NIV

I don’t understand this world. But I don’t have to. God does, and that’s enough for me. I’ll take God’s perspective any ol’ day. How about you?

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, give us eyes, ears, and hearts for Your perspective in this messy world.
~ For Jesus’ sake

 

 

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Linda Brooks Davis | Embarrassment & Me | Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone

Embarrassment. Ever felt it? Can you recall an instance of embarrassment and feel yourself reddening? Oh my. I can. Many.

Some happened when I was a schoolgirl. Others, as a teen. And many as an adult. One as a teen stands out.

Zip back to 1959 with me.

Thirteen and a newly tagged teenager (emphasis teen), I was ever so proud. My older brothers didn’t have a thing on me. I was one of them at last.

Behind my bedroom door I dreamed of Paul Anka. Elvis Presley. Bobbie Darin. And those cute-as-pie teen stars like Sandra Dee and Annette Funicello. Oh, to look like Sandra Dee. Sigh.

Problem was, my mother still saw me as an eight year old. Signs of maturation? Naw. “Linda’s too young,” she would insist. And so she ignored what I kept pointing out—ladies’ razors in the drug store. Lipstick. Hosiery. Heels. And—(throat clearing)—the lingerie department at Addington’s Department Store. 

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens …
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

Mother’s oft-repeated response: “You’re too young for that. You’ll be grown soon enough.”

Picture, if you will, a budding teenage girl standing 5′ 6″ tall with Size 8 feet, gorilla legs and underarms, and arms perpetually crossed over her chest. Did I experience embarrassment because of my mother’s iron-clad insistence that I not grow up? Horrors, yes!

Take one instance of embarrassment as an example.

Alta Mae, the mother of one of my church friends, a woman whose friendship with Mother extended back decades, lost no time outfitting her daughter Claudia with all the latest essentials. From the drug store. The department store and its lingerie department. And the make-up counter.

Mother, however, looked elsewhere. If she didn’t acknowledge those departments, perhaps they wouldn’t exist.

As God would have it, Goldie’s little girl indeed was growing into a young lady. Alta Mae knew it, and she just couldn’t keep her mouth shut. I overhead a conversation between the two of them. “Linda needs a razor, Goldie. And bras, for heaven’s sakes. She must be embarrassed.” 

“Naw,” Mother said. “She’s too young for that. She’ll be grown soon enough.”

“She IS all but grown, Goldie. Have you even looked?”

Truthfully, Mother had kept her eyes trained straight ahead. If Linda remained in her peripheral vision, maybe she wouldn’t grow up.

But Mother’s friend wouldn’t take no for an answer.

One Sunday night after church, Alta Mae invited our family to their house for supper. With their three children and our three, the house buzzed with conversation, music, and laughter. Soon Alta Mae whispered in my ear, “Want to see Claudia’s new school clothes?”

Of course. Claudia always sported the latest fashion. Including lingerie. I scooted upstairs with Alta Mae and Claudia. Sitting on the bed with eyes wide, I watched as Claudia brought out her new purchases. Dresses with frills. Petticoats. Socks. Shoes. Hair ribbons. Make-up. And—wow—several new bras. 

I lifted one and felt the softness, the trim, the latch in back. Sigh. Would I ever don one of those?

Alta Mae to the rescue.

She opened a chest drawer and pulled out two handfuls of bras. “Here, Linda. These are Claudia’s old bras. They’re in perfectly good condition.” She held one up for size. “I do believe they’ll fit. And they’re padded.” She pointed to the bathroom. “Go on. Try them.”

I thought of Mother downstairs, of course, and took them hesitantly. Sure enough, they fit. Hmm. But wouldn’t Mother notice? And how about everyone else downstairs, especially the boys? Egads. 

Alta Mae stuffed them into a shopping bag, but as she and Claudia left the room, I visualized the unavoidable, inevitable scene that would greet me: me coming down the stairs and everyone else looking at me, and Mother asking, “What’s in the bag?”

Embarrassment flooded over me.

No. I couldn’t bear it. So I rushed back to the bathroom, stuffed the bag in the trash, and moments later traipsed out of Claudia’s room and down the stairs.

Wearing all 5 bras!

What in the world was I thinking? How could I think 5 bras ON me would be less noticeable than 5 in a bag? Needless to say, Mother followed me from the car into my bedroom. She poked a finger against a bulge. “What’s that?”

“Claudia’s old bras. Alta Mae gave me five.”

“And you wore them all at once?”

Embarrassment reared its ugly head. Good grief. What must everyone have thought? How could I be so stupid?

Fortunately, Mother gave me a one-arm hug. “Try wearing just one next time.”

And that was that. Suddenly, Linda was like all the other girls. Not quite a Sandra Dee, mind you, but close enough to Claudia. At last.

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please walk alongside us, point the way, and give us a nudge when we need it.
~ For Jesus’ sake

 

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Linda Brooks Davis | Other Hands | Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone!

Hands. Creator God knew what He was doing when He fashioned hands, didn’t He? By this time in life, mine are marred with dark spots, wrinkles, crooks, and lumps, and they’re marked with squiggly lines that resemble fat, blue worms. Certainly not suitable for a hand lotion ad. Still, I can’t imagine how I’d manage without them. 

Bravo to amputees who have lost one or both hands—or other limbs—but have learned to function in spite of it. These brave souls put the rest of us to shame.

Several years ago, my granddaughter Ella and I put our heads and hands together as my mother and I did for sewing projects decades ago, albeit over a different sort of project.

Ella’s mother, my daughter, was turning 45, and we wanted to create something special for the event.

A wooden cross inlaid by my husband with the dove of peace caught my eye. It would make the perfect centerpiece for a string of beads, a necklace for a daughter who loves jewelry. 

Ella and I jumped into the car and buzzed to Michael’s. No need to ask for assistance. We knew the way to the “make-your-own” jewelry aisle. 

“There, Mama D,” Ella said, pointing.

“Wooden beads. Perfect.”

“Look. They come in different colors.”

“Which ones match the cross?”

“I think the brown and beige. How ’bout you?”

I nodded.

“And there’s a package of bronze beads.”

“For contrast. Perfect.”

And off we hurried toward home.

Gifted in “put-together” skills, Ella was assembling complicated puzzles before she started to school. She’s the “go-to girl” for whatever falls apart. So stringing her mom’s birthday necklace was easy as pie. 

As my aged hands worked beside Ella’s, the contrast was extreme. Tendons and bulging veins, age spots and lines marked the backs of my hands while hers were soft and smooth. This took me back to 1958 when I completed my first sewing project at age 12.

As a 4-H farm girl, my learning to sew was a given.

Mother’s Singer hummed in its on-again/off-again manner long into many a night. I learned to cut out a pattern and manipulate the foot pedal and presser foot with Mother standing over me and guiding me with her experienced hands. Her mother had done the same with her.

Mother’s hands set alongside mine provided an extreme contrast in those days, as they did more than twenty-five years ago (left). And as mine contrasted to Ella’s.

One generation teaching another, passing on the skills former generations had passed to them, is a tradition in our family, as it was with the McFarlands in The Calling of Ella McFarland.

It struck me that our hands didn’t work alone. Another pair worked alongside ours—my mother’s—to produce a lovely necklace.

Those  thoughts brought to mind a much more significant time long ago and in another place. Other hands created a project with far greater results: 

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 
Genesis 2:7 NIV

Three pairs of hands. Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.

The Lord created Adam and Eve to live in community with Him, not to leave them alone. Nor did He abandon their descendants. God taught His people to pass on their knowledge of Him to their children: 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
Impress them on your children.
Talk about them when you sit at home
and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down
and when you get up.
Tie them as symbols on your hands
and bind them on your foreheads.
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
 Deuteronomy 6:5-9 NIV

When parents of faith teach their children, other hands—in triplicate form—join them. When invited.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:9-11 NIV

Have you invited the Lord to join you in your daily life? Have you asked Him to lead you as you lead your children? Or set His hands alongside yours to guide them? He will. Just ask.

Dear Lord, when You entered our world through Jesus, You changed the course of all history. More importantly, You spanned the great gulf between us and eternity and set peace in our hearts. We invite you to enter our homes today. Our families. Our hearts. Set Your hands alongside ours and guide us unto all generations.
For Jesus’ sake.

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Linda Brooks Davis | Let’s Chat | Other Hands

Welcome, everyone!

Hands. Creator God knew what He was doing when He fashioned them, didn’t He? By this time in life, mine are marred with dark spots, wrinkles, crooks, and lumps, and they’re marked with squiggly lines that resemble fat, blue worms. Certainly not suitable for a hand lotion ad. Still, I can’t imagine how I’d manage without them. 

Bravo to amputees who have lost one or both hands—or other limbs—but have learned to function in spite of it. These brave souls put the rest of us to shame.

Several years ago, my granddaughter Ella and I put our heads and hands together as my mother and I did for sewing projects decades ago, albeit over a different sort of project.

Ella’s mother, my daughter, was turning 45, and we wanted to create something special for the event.

A wooden cross inlaid by my husband with the dove of peace caught my eye. It would make the perfect centerpiece for a string of beads, a necklace for a daughter who loves jewelry. 

Ella and I jumped into the car and buzzed to Michael’s. No need to ask for assistance. We knew the way to the “make-your-own” jewelry aisle. 

“There, Mama D,” Ella said, pointing.

“Wooden beads. Perfect.”

“Look. They come in different colors.”

“Which ones match the cross?”

“I think the brown and beige. How ’bout you?”

I nodded.

“And there’s a package of bronze beads.”

“For contrast. Perfect.”

And off we hurried toward home.

Gifted in “put-together” skills, Ella was assembling complicated puzzles before she started to school. She’s the “go-to girl” for whatever falls apart. So stringing her mom’s birthday necklace was easy as pie. 

As my aged hands worked beside Ella’s, the contrast was extreme. Tendons and bulging veins, age spots and lines marked the backs of my hands while hers were soft and smooth. This took me back to 1958 when I completed my first sewing project at age 12.

As a 4-H farm girl, my learning to sew was a given.

Mother’s Singer hummed in its on-again/off-again manner long into many a night. I learned to cut out a pattern and manipulate the foot pedal and presser foot with Mother standing over me and guiding me with her experienced hands. Her mother had done the same with her.

Mother’s hands set alongside mine provided an extreme contrast in those days, as they did more than twenty-five years ago (see photo). And as mine contrasted to Ella’s.

One generation teaching another, passing on the skills former generations had passed to them, is a tradition in our family, as it was with the McFarlands in The Calling of Ella McFarland.

It struck me that our hands didn’t work alone. Another pair worked alongside ours—my mother’s—to produce a lovely necklace.

Those  thoughts brought to mind a much more significant time long ago and in another place. Other hands created a project with far greater results: 

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 
Genesis 2:7 NIV

Three pairs of hands. Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.

The Lord created Adam and Eve to live in community with Him, not to leave them alone. Nor did He abandon their descendants. God taught His people to pass on their knowledge of Him to their children: 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
Impress them on your children.
Talk about them when you sit at home
and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down
and when you get up.
Tie them as symbols on your hands
and bind them on your foreheads.
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
 Deuteronomy 6:5-9 NIV

When parents of faith teach their children, other hands—in triplicate form—join them. When invited.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:9-11 NIV

Have you invited the Lord to join you in your daily life? Have you asked Him to lead you as you lead your children? Or set His hands alongside yours to guide them? He will. Just ask.

Dear Lord, when You entered our world through Jesus, You changed the course of all history. More importantly, You spanned the great gulf between us and eternity and set peace in our hearts. We invite you to enter our homes today. Our families. Our hearts. Set Your hands alongside ours and guide us unto all generations.
For Jesus’ sake.

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Linda Brooks Davis | Worth Weary | Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!
Revelation 5:12 NIV

Worth weary, anyone?

I confess to wearing myself out at times, clawing my way through one more task, one more chore, one more word. Although I’m not aware of it at the time, when I look back, I realize often it has been to earn my worth.

Have I done enough? 

Written enough? 

Spoken enough? 

Conveyed enough?

Enough for what? Another pat on the back or a smile? An award? To be tagged deserving?

Worth Weary: For years I sewed, sometimes until 3:00 a.m. (That’s what Super Mom does, right?)

I grabbed a couple hours of sleep and trotted off to work by 7:00 a.m. Trouble is, at times I had little left for my students, and by 6:00 p.m. I possessed not a shred of energy for my family. 

I’ve been known to write for twelve hours straight. But by bedtime my back aches, my eyes are crossed, and I can’t think straight. It’s all I can do to stumble past my husband and into bed. At those times, I’ve closed my ears to God’s voice echoing through His divine megaphone: “Enough, already!”

It’s easier to express my thoughts and emotions in writing than with the spoken word. As a result, at times I regret not speaking up. But then, I have yet to figure out what’s enough. Can the Word of God enlighten me?

And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 
Galatians 6:9 (ASV)

The Apostle Paul encourages the Galatian church not to be weary in well-doing. In the past, I thought that meant to concentrate on the well-doing and push aside the weary. Just work, work, work and ignore your weariness, I’d tell myself.

I have a different take today. As a result of the fall in Eden, our physical bodies grow weary. No way around it. But, like pain (a la C.S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain), weariness can serve as God’s megaphone. 

How’s that?

The world’s Summer Olympics recently concluded. Those athletes had fine-tuned their training and recuperation. Take the rowing competition for an example.

Coxswains have tossed aside the megaphones of old. Instead, they use a headset, which is hooked up to speakers along the inside of the shell. They call out in a language their teammates understand and in tones they recognize. Coxswains direct, focus, and encourage their teammates. Why? Because the rowers grow weary, off track, and even discouraged in their task. And in order to work successfully as a team, all rowers must work together in harmony.

Worth weary, off track, and discouraged? Sounds a lot like me at times. How about you?

Olympic rowers build more than muscle strength. They hone their listening skills, response time, and output. They respond to the coxswain in ways that achieve the goal without collapsing before the race is complete. Otherwise, they would fail completely.

But who is my coxswain? To whose words am I to listen? Whose tone am I to recognize? Jesus himself answers that question.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28 NIV

I’m immensely honored to have received the Jerry Jenkins Operation First Novel award and ACFW’s Carol for The Calling of Ella McFarland. 

As I look back on the years of mulling over the idea for the book and researching the subject matter, I relive the weariness, discouragement, and faulty focus. But unlike in my younger days, I’ve learned to stop the press, if you will, and rest. My goal isn’t to win an award. Or to earn my worth. It’s to shine a light on the worthiness of Jesus Christ and leave a legacy of faith in writing.

That mindset takes a load off my shoulders. It relieves the weariness. And gives me rest.

My spine is crooked from years of bending over a desk, sewing machine, or computer. Had I heeded God’s voice in my weariness, no doubt I would sit straighter and experience less pain at the end of a day of writing. I can’t undo the past, but I can adjust my behavior in the present and consider the future without anxiety. 

Neither you nor I can earn our worth. Only He is worthy. We can cling only to Jesus’ worth. Trust Him with our labor. And when He shouts, “You’re weary. Rest!” … obey.

P.S. Please excuse me while I take a holy nap.

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Annette Price | Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone.

Annette Price joins our chat circle this week. A lifelong lover of reading and writing, Annette is also an observer. After a church seminar on utilizing your gifts, talents and abilities, Annette wrote 9 Steps to Overcoming Jealousy & Envy. This nonfiction book shines the light on the diabolical enemy of man: jealousy and envy.

One endorsement: “With extensive knowledge on the gifts of the spirit, discernment, and visions and dreams, her ability to simplify the Word of God for others continues to make her a highly sought-after speaker. Seeking to draw people closer to God in all that she does, Annette authentically and unapologetically expresses her thoughts and creativity through the written and expressed word. Anointed as a vessel of God to serve in multiple capacities for a time such as this, Annette is a force to be reckoned with both in and out of the church—rendering her unstoppable.”

To connect with Annette, email nettprice@gmail.com. Follow her on Facebook at Annette Price and on Twitter at Twitter.com/nettprice

Take it away, Annette.

My journey from idea to publication

I have a love affair with books. Paperbacks and ebooks. Magazines, how-to books, westerns, romance, mysteries, sci-fi and inspirational. Growing up, a book’s genre was irrelevant to me. If it was book, I would read it at least one time. If I didn’t like it, I would not read it again. A neighborhood elementary school opened its library to the public during the summer. I spent many a day at that library. The librarian became so familiar with me that she would call my mother whenever new books came in, particularly romance and westerns!

After my aunt came to live with us, she introduced me to local and national newspapers. From there, I began to write. I wrote on notebook paper, taped it to my bedroom walls, and made corrections from there. I went through many a #2 pencil!

Over the years, I became a watcher of people. I would write down my observations. 9 Steps to Overcoming Jealousy & Envy comes from watching people throughout the years. I have seen that ugly spirit of jealousy destroy many relationships and break up many homes. It can cause sibling to turn against sibling, spouse against spouse, and friends against friends. I have witnessed church people turn against church people, and church people against pastors. All because of jealousy.

9 Steps to Overcoming Jealousy and Envy by Annette Price

 Many people find their greatest value in material things and lavish accomplishments. However, the world’s most valuable commodity may often be overlooked and underrated: people. As a confidant, minister and mentor, my goal is to equip this generation and the next with spiritual and biblical knowledge. And also with educational, emotional and mental wisdom. Utilizing life experiences, coupled with book knowledge and revelation from God, I seek to offer hope, encouragement and direction to every person I encounter. I hope to thus position them on the path to healing and wholeness in all areas.

I am known by various titles – Elder Price and Prophetess Price being two of them. However, the legacy I want to leave is that I was a lover of God and a lover of people. Every title conferred on anyone offers that individual another avenue to serve people – both the church and the unchurched.

About 9 Steps to Overcoming Jealously & Envy

Rooted in low self-esteem, lack of identity and constant comparison, jealousy and envy are thorns that will rear their ugly heads when one least expects it. And while one may offer congratulations, accolades and awards publicly, many of the same people privately feel the opposite. Sarcasm, blunt humor or snide comments can reveal the very state of their heart.

In 9 Steps to Overcoming Jealousy & Envy, author and speaker Annette Price uncovers how jealousy can lead to envy. And how envy, if not dealt with properly, can lead a person down a road of deadly spiritual and natural consequences. Prompting readers to take a candid look at their negative emotions toward others, this book will position them to overcome jealousy before it grows into envy. And before envy blocks them from the abundant life God predestined for them.

In this book, you will learn the following:Identifying jealousy and envy at the onsetOvercoming jealousy and envy as Jesus did when He walked the earthControlling malicious thoughts before they lead to destructive actionsAcknowledging the dark emotions and defeat them once and for allHow jealousy can negatively impact everyone and everything connected to youAnd more!

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless each word Annette writes for You.
~ for Jesus’ sake ~

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Linda Brooks Davis | Words | Let’s Chat

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Welcome, everyone. And welcome, September!

Ever struggled to remember a word and couldn’t? I’ve closed my eyes, shook my head, and said, “What’s that word? Don’t tell me. Uh …” I’ve fumbled around and insisted it’s just on the tip of my tongue. And finally, given up. “Forget it. I’ll think of it in a minute.” (Regrettably, this happens more and more often as the years whiz by.) Even worse are the words I DO remember and spout at all the wrong times. How about you?

Back when I was a school girl learning to type, a bottle of Wite Out sat beside my Smith-Corona, and I replaced it often. Couldn’t seem to type a full page without a typo. Oh! Those pesky words. (Today the editor’s Wite Out is Track Changes in Word.)  

Many times I’ve spoken words that embarrassed and shamed me. Foolish words. Untrue words. Misused words. Worst of all, I’ve shouted angry words. Hurtful. Wounding. Shameful words I regret. If only I could “wite” them out.

Speaking of recalling words …

The funniest such incident I’ve witnessed was shortly after my husband Al suffered a mild stroke and would mix up words for a brief time. One instance was hilarious and is a favorite family anecdote:

Al, to our grandson Davis:
“You see, in the Old Testament there were two groups of people—the Jews, God’s chosen people, and the Genitals.”

I thought I’d split a side! Even still, I can’t help myself. Each time I tell this, the family relives the hilarity. And Al just grins. (He gave me permission to tell this, by the way.) If you missed his mistake in the quotation above, look again.

As a writer, I roam around fields of words, searching for just the right one at the right time. Often, they’re as elusive as falling leaves.

But I keep trying. Which is why the words below, most of which I’ve never heard, are fascinating. Try your hand at matching them. Choose from the list of descriptors that follow the first list. (Answers are at the end of this blog. But don’t peek. I knew 3 and guessed 3 correctly. Grade: F):

Do you recognize these weird words?glabella petrichor wamblevagitus tinesphosphenes box tent over morrow minimusagraffe aglet vocables interrobang columella nasiarmscye dysaniagriffonagetittle crapulenceBannock device

Vocabulary like this can trip us up. Confuse us. Lead us astray. Even discourage us. We human beings are good at making messes like misspellings, broken relationships, and weird words.

God, on the other hand …

“Every word of God is flawless …”
Proverbs 30:5 NIV

Wow. Every. Single. Word. Without flaw. Perfect. That’s beyond imagining, isn’t it? It’s impossible to grasp. Mind bending, especially in light of my wicked thoughts and poor choices of words. Thank God He’s flawless. Not an iota of imperfection. My perfect plumb line. I’d be lost without the eternal Point of Reference.

Perfect Words for Life

The words I type onto a page are flawed. That’s where the editor comes in. So are the words I speak. Matter of fact, my whole life is one big typo. How about you? Thankfully, Jesus Christ wites out every imperfection. He took care of Track Changes long ago.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3: 16-17 NIV

So long for another week, friends. Let’s revel in the joy of flawlessness through Jesus Christ. 

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, thank you for providing the perfect plumb line, Jesus Christ. We’re forever grateful for your grace that covers every flaw. And for your perfect Word that equips us for every good work.
~ For Jesus’ sake

P.S. And the answer is …

Here are the correct answers. Pat yourself on the back if you got even one. (Who in the world uses them, anyway? And to think God knows every word devised by man.)

1. glabella

space between eyebrows

5. tines

the prongs of a fork

9. minimus

little toe or finger

13. interrobang

combination question & exclamation marks (?!)

17. griffonage

 illegible handwriting

2. petrichor

the smell after it rains

6. phosphenes

sheen of light when you close your eyes & press hands on them

10. agraffe

the wired cage that holds the cork on a bottle of champagne

14. columella nasi

the space between  your nostrils

18. tittle

the dot over an “i” or a “j”

3. wamble

when your stomach rumbles

7. box tent

plastic thing in middle of pizza box

11. aglet

plastic or metallic coating at end of shoelaces

15.  armscye

the armhole in clothes; where the sleeves are sewn

19. crapulence

sick feeling after eating or drinking too much

4. vagitus

cry of newborn baby

8. overmorrow

the day after tomorrow

12. vocables

he meaningless “na na na” and “la la la” in lyrics of song

16. dysania

difficulty getting out of  bed in the morning

20. Bannock device

metal gadget to measure your feet at the shoe store

 

 

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Sydney Tooman Betts | Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone!

Sydney Tooman Betts resides with her husband near the extensive cavern system that inspired the setting for several chapters in her series The People of the Book. 

While single, Ms. Betts (B.S. Bible/Missiology, M.Ed.) took part in a variety of cross-cultural adventures in North and Central America. After marrying, she and her husband lived in Europe and the Middle East where he served in various mission-support capacities. Her teaching experiences span preschool to guest lecturing at the graduate level.

Before penning her first novel, A River too Deep, she ghost-wrote several stories for an adult literacy program.

Please welcome Sydney, everyone!

Sydney Tooman Betts: Her Story

Hi! I am Sydney Tooman Betts. Linda has kindly invited me to talk about why I wrote the first of my six novels, A River Too Deep. As is typical of Jesus, He used a symphony of circumstances to inspire me. The first was a desire to share the gospel. At the time, I was home schooling my two children, and though I was heavily involved with my church, the supermarket was the only place I reliably rubbed shoulders with people who were not already following Jesus. The produce section is not an optimal venue for deep conversations, so I began to ask God for another means, and God answered immediately. Although I had never aspired to write a book, I felt as if He opened the lid to my brain and dropped that ambition inside.

The content of our history lessons activated the second section of this symphony. We were reading a book by a Native American gentleman who decried the expectations of missionaries in the 1800s. They centered around imitations of American society: tilling the land, wearing clothing made of cloth rather than animal skins, and cutting hair to conform to current norms. When this broke my heart, an idea began to form.

A confluence of my daughter reaching her teens and tension I created with my husband formed the last element.

While I was wondering where she learned certain less-than-respectful patterns of speech, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. She had learned them from me. I began to realize my submission to my husband most often played out like this: “I will follow you wherever you lead as long as you run your plan by me first for my approval.”

During the duration of this novel’s composition, God revealed to me a series of truths about not only my attitude toward my husband but also toward Him. They were eye opening and have produced a deeper happiness in my marriage. By embedding them in a compelling story, I hope to offer those same insights to readers. You can discover them by reading A River Too Deep, but I am happy to give you two samples.

Although our 21st century view of submission is grim, God’s instructions are clear; and He never tells us to do anything that is not beneficial. How can this be? Doesn’t a wife’s submission leave her vulnerable to bullying and oppression? On the contrary, it is the most facile way to open a well-intentioned man’s heart. Think of people under your authority. If they are conscientious, intentionally following your lead and treating you with respect, you will grant them latitude in the form of privilege and likely consider their proposals.

We all, as mothers, have specific goals for our families and appreciate a child who willingly helps us achieve them. Now consider the opposite: a child or employee who bucks your authority and thwarts your well-considered goals by insisting on their own way. You will become more restrictive, implementing rules to keep them from damaging either themselves, others, or in the case of an employer, the company goals. Likely you will regard suggestions they proffer with skepticism or downright suspicion. 

A second revelation concerned trust.

I used to think the amount of trust I invested in a person was commensurate with their performance history. Why then, did I feel I had to point out all the potential flaws in my husband’s proposals? Why, too, did I doubt his love for me if he veered from demonstrating it in the ways I prefer? Much to my chagrin—and gratitude for God’s kindness—the Holy Spirit showed me I do the exact same thing with Him. If I don’t feel His love for whatever reason, I am prone to doubt it exists; or if circumstances are not pleasant, I interpret them as evidence His care is lacking. This ought not be so! Both He and my husband deserve my trust without needing to re-earn it at every turn.  

If after reading the above, you care to explore my books further, you can find them on Amazon. The link to A River Too Deep, below, will lead you to its sequels.

A River Too Deep by Sydney Tooman Betts

In the Spring of 1817, Alcy Callen and her father visit a step-uncle they have long presumed dead. Instead of enjoying a loving reunion, they are plunged into treachery and deceit. Even the man who helps Alcy escape is not the reliable suitor he appears. She is caught between gratitude and fear, unable to avoid her rescuer’s attentions or understand the responses they stir. Of One person only is she certain, but will He save her before it is too late?

Links

Website

Facebook

Bookbub

Amazon Author

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless each word Sydney writes for You.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~

 

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David Todd | Let’s Chat

Welcome, Everyone.

David Todd honors us with some thoughts this week. Welcome, David.

David Todd is a civil engineer by profession, and a writer by passion. His interests include history (especially American history), politics, and genealogy. He writes novels in multiple genres, non-fiction books in USA history, poetry, and Bible studies. A native Rhode Islander, he has lived since 1991 in Kansas City, Saudi Arabia, North Carolina, Kuwait, and Arkansas.

After a 45-year career as a civil engineer, David retired in 2019 and published the fourth novel in his Church History Novels series earlier this year.

David is giving away one paperback copy of any of the four volumes in this Church History Novels series, reader’s choice. So, please join the chat below.

A Word From David

The writing adventure continues. I self-published my first items ten years ago, a short story and a non-fiction book on US history. My genre focus disorder (GFD) is not in remission. In fact, I think it has grown. My 34 items available on Amazon include 12 short stories (11 of those in two series), four church history novels, two baseball novels, two engineering workplace humor novels four U.S. history books, a book of poetry, a Bible study, and a few other things.

While retirement has given me more time to write, it has also made my GFD worse. I’d tell you what my current writing projects are, but you would think I have no ability to focus at all. I’ll simply say I’m wrapping up my main current project, a history of my church, Bentonville Community Church of the Nazarene, for our 100th anniversary.

David Todd: You’d think I’d be writing more in retirement.

You’d be right, other than health challenges hitting the family, a little for me and a lot for my wife. Then, there’ those long drives from Northwest Arkansas to West Texas to see our daughter, son-in-law, and four grandchildren, and long drives to Chicago to see our son tend to cut into writing time. Still, writing continues at an accelerated pace.

The Teachings presents a fictional account of the writing of the Didache, a church manual thought to have been written in the mid- to late-first century, incorporating the teachings of the twelve apostles.

No one knows the author of the Didache. Augustus ben Adam wrote it in the novel. Recently married, without employment, his wife pregnant, he takes on the lucrative commission from church leaders to write this manual. In pursuit of that, he travels to Egypt to conduct research just as the first Jewish War breaks out. Augustus’s family is trapped in a small city in Galilee that comes under Roman siege. Augustus returns to Israel but is detained in Caesarea and can’t go rescue his pregnant wife.

Augustus’s father, Adam ben Zechariah, a Romanized Jew who does a thriving business with the Romans, is also trapped in that city. He and Augustus are estranged from each other because Augustus has become a Christian. In addition, describing the writing and research methods, The Teachings includes Augustus’s attempts to rescue his wife and reconcile with his father.

David Todd: In chronological order, the series to date covers three generations of a family involved with document creatio.: Adam of Jerusalem , about the writing of the source document for the gospelsDoctor Luke’s Assistant, about the writing of the gospel of Luke The Teachings , about the writing of the Didache

Preserve the Revelation , about the writing of the gospel of John and the Revelation.

I wrote and published these in a 2-4-1-3 order. I don’t recommend that method for other writers. However, the whole series seems to hang together well, and each novel stands alone.

I programmed more novels in this series, up to as many as eleven. When I finish our church history, I plan to shift all attention to a novel I’m writing with my oldest grandson. After that? I have about 20 novels queued up. And a poetry book started. A new short story started. And another Bible study started.

Ah, retirement!

David Todd links

The Teachings at Amazon: The Teachings – Kindle edition by Todd, David A.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Amazon author page: Amazon.com: David A. Todd: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

Website: http://davidatodd.com

Blog: http://davidatodd.com/updates

E-mail: norman_d_gutter@yahoo.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.todd.125

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless each word David writes for You.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~

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13 Reasons to Laugh 2.0 | Let’s Chat

Welcome, Everyone!

Cheerfulness, as we learned last week, is the best medicine. Let’s laugh a la kids again this week.

A cheerful heart [a good laugh] is a good medicine;
But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

Art Linkletter got it right. Kids do say the darnedest things.

Take, for instance, the next 13 jewels of wisdom by first grade kids who were asked to complete some well-known proverbs. Hold onto your hats, friends. If these don’t fill us with cheerfulness, we’re hopeless. 

Love all, trust . . . me.

Happy the bride who . . . gets all the presents.

A penny saved is  . . . not much.

Two’s company; three’s  . . . the Musketeers.

Don’t put off until tomorrow what . . . you put on to go to bed.

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you; cry and  . . . you have to blow your nose.

There are none so blind as  . . . Stevie Wonder.

Children should be seen and not  . . . spanked or grounded.

If at first you don’t succeed  . . . get new batteries.

You get out of something only what you  . . . . see in the picture on the box.

When the blind lead the blind  . . . get out of the way.

A bird in the hand  . . . is going to poop on you.

Better late than  . . . pregnant.

Again, these kids tell the unvarnished truth and give some good advice. They’ve learned the art of cheerfulness. And they make us laugh really hard.Art Linkletter was right. Kids do say the darnedest things. Do you have any quotes that’ll raise our cheerfulness quotient?

Lord, remind us that You want us to be joyful, even in suffering. And to laugh. Give us the innocent hearts of children. And bring restoration and reconciliation to our great land. Bring us back to You.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~

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