Michele Huey's Blog: God, Me, and a Cup of Tea, page 56

Remembering Mom

Dad & Mom, June 1971Her children rise up and call her blessed. – Proverbs 31:28 (ESV) 
     
     
My mother wasn’t the cuddly, “warm fuzzy” type. She was a strict disciplinarian who found joy in family, faith, hard work, and music.
     
She didn’t need an alarm clock to awaken her at 5 a.m. Her biological clock did it for her. She woke up wound up, kept wound up with pots of coffee, and finally wound down after the dinner dishes were done.
     
Back then, there were no dishwashers, automatic washers, and clothes dryers. Dishes, pots, and pans were washed and dried by hand, then put away as soon as the meal was done. Clothes were washed in a wringer washer and hung on a line to dry. When the weather was cooperative, they sashayed in the outside breeze (after a finger-wagging to heaven from my mom—“Now don’t You let it rain!”). When it wasn’t clothes-drying weather, they hung from wire lines strung through the basement.
     
Mom never left a job for the next day, unless it was a major project, like knocking old plaster off a wall with a crowbar to prepare it for new plaster. She could snore away on the sofa in peace every evening because her work for the day was done.
     
Paydays meant trips to the bank, the grocery store, the utility company, and wherever else money was owed or something needed — and she walked because she didn’t drive. Dad tried to teach her, but she ran the car into a telephone pole and refused to get behind the wheel again. We used no credit cards. If the store extended credit, the bill was paid on payday.
     
She was the family accountant and, because of her childhood poverty, knew how to stretch a dollar. So when Dad was laid off, she knew how to tightening our belts, with using toilet paper for facial tissues and serving meatless meals, such as bowties and cottage cheese or tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches — still two of my favorite meals today.
     
Technology was on the distant horizon. No one was tethered to an electronic device 24/7, so I had time to learn to play the piano, visit with Baba (our grandmother) across the street, go to the library, and read to my heart’s content.
     
Life was simpler. We were taught to obey and respect our parents and teachers. If we didn’t, there was a leather strap in a kitchen drawer that was to be avoided at all costs.
     
“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1) was one of the Maddock family mottos, as well as “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12).
     
I never realized how much my mother modeled the Proverbs 31 woman until I sat down to write this column.
     
I only wish Mom were alive today so I could tell her, “Many women do noble things, Mom, but you surpassed them all. I love you. Thank you for teaching me, by example, how to be a wife, a mother, and a woman of character. ”
     
     
Help me, Lord, to be a Proverbs 31 woman. Amen. 

More tea: Read Proverbs 31:1–31

The grocery list

     
“Lord, teach us to pray.” – Luke 11:1 (NIV)
     
     
I grew up at a time when small, family-owned grocery stores perched on just about every corner in every neighborhood. My mother would call in her list, and they’d gather the items, pack them up in boxes, and deliver them by the end of the day. The stores extended credit, so when Dad got paid, they got paid.
     
I’m reminiscing those old grocery store days because I’ve been pondering prayer and our perspective of it.
     
Too often we approach prayer like writing up a grocery list and phoning it in to God, expecting Him to box up what we need and deliver it pronto.
     
It doesn’t work that way.
     
Like the disciples, we need to ask the Lord to teach us to pray.
     
So let’s look at Jesus’ response. “The Lord’s Prayer” is simple, but it contains all we need on our grocery list to the Heavenly storehouse.
     
First on the list is HONOR. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Sometimes we’re so focused on the family relationship that we forget our Father’s holiness. We’re so busy crawling into Daddy’s lap that we neglect to bow down in worship to El Shaddai. Honor Him as your heavenly Father and honor Him as your God.
     
Second on the list is SUBMISSION. “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Submit to His will for you and surrender what you think you want. Father does know best. Too often we want what we want and nothing else, and get mad at God when we don’t get it.  “This wasn’t on my list,” we complain. “This isn’t the brand I ordered.” Submit to His best for you.
     
Third on the list is TRUST. “Give us this day our daily bread.” This isn’t a request only for food to sustain us physically. We also need bread for our minds, hearts, and spirits. And notice the words “this day.” Too often our lists contain more than what we need for one day. We feel better when we see caches stashed away for tomorrow (and tomorrow and tomorrow)—it’s much easier than trusting God (whom we can’t see) for today’s needs.
     
Fourth on the list is FORGIVENESS. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” I prefer the word “trespasses” rather than “debts,” but both convey the same meaning: If you want to be forgiven, you’ve got to forgive others who have hurt you. And we all need to forgive and be forgiven.
     
The final item on the list is DELIVERANCE. “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” God, being holy, will never lead us to do wrong. That’s our choice. I like the way the NIV Study Bible explains this verse: “Do not lead us into trials so deep that they would tempt us to be unfaithful to you. God does not tempt (in the sense of enticing us to sin).” Rather, we ask God to deliver us from the evil that surrounds us, so it won’t it affect us, inside or out.
     
Honor. Submission. Trust. Forgiveness. Deliverance.
     
And, remember, you have all the credit you need—Jesus' signature, written in His blood, is already on the check.
     
What’s on your grocery list?
     
Father, remind me to keep my prayers simple.  Amen.

More tea: Read Matthew 6:5–13

Getting in shape

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)
     
     
Me and Wilbur Dean Hiking season has officially begun for hubby and me.
     
We took our first hike of the season on Easter Sunday afternoon, and, according to Dean’s GPS, trekked 2.25 miles over the trails here on the Huey homestead.
     
“No steep hills or thrashing through dense underbrush,” I warned DH as I laced up my hiking boots.
     
Off we went, Dean with his weighted backpack (he’s getting in shape for a fall hunting trip to Colorado) and me with a water-bottle-stuffed fanny pack and my walking stick named “Wilbur Dean” for the man who made it for me. (Note: “Wilbur Dean” refers to my walking stick; “Dean” or “DH” refers to my Dear Husband.)
     
The second week we hiked 2.5 miles with some climbing, and last week we put on 3 miles—and me with a bigger fanny pack (to hold more water bottles).
     
Oh, I felt that third hike—for two days.
     
But if I’m to enjoy hiking and the scenic views of God’s beautiful creation while doing so, I must discipline myself to get in shape so I won’t be huffing and puffing and stopping every 25 steps to catch my breath (like I did on our hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains last year) and won’t hurt so much at the end of a hike.
     
Great Smoky Mountains National ParkSo in January I began a training program to get myself in shape—walking indoors, working out on the elliptical trainer which I talked DH into getting me for Christmas (he uses it more than I do), and water aerobics and swimming several times a week. My goal is to hike 5 miles without feeling like I’m dead or nearly so by the end of May.
     
Building up my stamina—training myself to endure more and more—can be grueling and painful. It takes time out of an already too-busy schedule. But it’s vital if I’m to grow stronger and build up my endurance.
     
The same goes for our spiritual life.
     
If we are to grow and become stronger in our faith, we must do more than endure the hard times and the difficult circumstances that appear on the trail of life. We must allow them to stretch us and make us stronger and better. We must embrace them and cooperate with them.
     
And when you get to the point when it seems impossible to put one foot in front of the other, you say, “I can do this. I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength” (Philippians 4:13).
     
So keep stepping, Pilgrim. Your faith, which is more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7), is in training.
     
     
Thank you, Lord, for the faith-building exercises You send my way. Give me the strength to endure them and remind me to stop frequently and enjoy the view. Amen.

More tea: Read 1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Hebrews 12:5–13
So, I'm thinking, how can I use this in my next book?
What's coming down the pike . . . 
Getaway MountainReclusive romance novelist Melody Harmon, her career on the skids, flees to her writing retreat in the Pennsylvania mountains rather than team up with Don Bridges, an ex-cop turned suspense writer.  When she discovers caches of cash - to the tune of a million dollars - she assumes it's her late husband's gambling winnings. Then dead bodies start popping up. Don wants to help her solve the mystery, but trust isn't one of her strong points. Can she overcome the pain of betrayal and learn to trust and love again? 
I'm currently working on the edits on this one, the first in a romantic suspense series featuring Melody and Don. I'll keep you posted. 
Enjoy your week. 
Blessings,Michele

The joy stealers

Image courtesy of Tina Phillips at FreeDigitalPhotos.Net
     
What has happened to all your joy? – Galatians 4:15 (NIV)
     
     
When we moved to the country 35 years ago, we planted three kinds of fruit trees. I had visions of homegrown apples in bowls on the counter and sparkling jars of fresh canned peaches and pears.
     
For the most part, though, the vision remained just a dream. The apple trees never bore fruit, never grew more than three feet high, thanks to the deer. The peach tree produced luscious peaches for a few years then shriveled up and died.
     
The only fruit trees remaining are two pear trees. One is dwarfed—I think because my son shot an arrow through it when it was still quite young. The other is leafy and laden with fruit come late summer, but the pears are small, misshapen, and marked with black dimples.
     
To produce more and better fruit, the trees need cultivated and nurtured. The problem is we don’t have a clue. Or maybe it’s because we haven’t made the trees a priority. Until we get serious about those trees, until we take the time to learn how to care for them and then do it, the trees will struggle along, producing little usable fruit.
     
I tell you this story because, like fruit trees, the fruit of the Spirit also needs to be cultivated and nurtured.
     
Take joy, for example.
     
If there is anything missing from society today, it’s joy. Just look at the faces of people you see every day. Even believers, who should be oozing joy, are not. Joy should set us apart right off the bat.
     
Do you remember the joy you had at salvation? Overflowing, spilling out, you couldn’t contain it. Then little by little, life robbed you of that joy.
     
Life is going to happen. Although we can’t control it, we can control our reaction to it. We can choose joy. We can make it a priority and nurture it.
     
How?
     
First, be aware of the joy stealers that chomp away at it or shoot it right in the heart. “If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into” (Luke 12:39 NLT). Know the burglars will come. Don’t let them in.
     
Forgetfulness is one of those burglars. Stuck in the mire of this earthly life, we forget our past and our future: from what we’ve been saved and what awaits us in heaven.
     
Legalism is another joy stealer. Religion—all that we do to try and earn heaven (which can’t be earned—see Ephesians 2:8–9) binds us. Relationship—our personal relationship with God through His Son—frees us.
     
Unconfessed sin, disobedience, worry, anger, people, and life are other joy stealers.
     
Being aware of these thieves will make you more alert when they try to rob you. And when they do, don’t let them in.
     
How can you replace the joy you’ve lost?
     
Simple: Ask the joy-giver—God Himself—to fill you with His joy and help you to sustain it. Seek His presence (“In your presence is fullness of joy.” – Psalm 16:10).
     
Choose joy. Nurture and cultivate it. Then spread it around, letting it overflow, spilling over onto those around you.
     
     
Remind me, Father, that “the joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Amen.

More tea: Read Galatians 5:22–23

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Thank you, dear readers, for all your encouragement and support. I love you all. Philippians 1:3-4
Have a great week.Michele

Cleaning the closet

 
Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, forgiving one another…. But above all these things put on love. – Colossians 3:12–13, 14 (NKJV)
   
   
I’ve got closet full of clothes I hesitate to throw away. There are my “fat” clothes and my “skinny” clothes, outdated clothes and classic clothes that never go out of style, casual clothes and dressy clothes, comfy clothes and those that aren’t so comfortable, clothes with missing buttons, broken zippers, and holes in the fabric with some use left in them.
   
Every spring and fall I go through my closet, sorting and organizing, weeding out those I don’t fit into anymore and will probably never fit into again, those that just aren’t my style any longer, and those I’ve grown tired of.
   
I make four piles: pitch, give away, keep, and I don’t know. Clothes that are threadbare or torn (I don’t sew) go on the pitch pile, destined for the rag bin or garbage. The giveaway pile is for clothes I haven’t worn in a year and probably won’t wear even if I slimmed down enough to fit into them, yet they still have enough wear in them for someone else.

The clothes I keep are the ones I wear frequently, the ones I’ll need for special occasions, and the ones that don’t go out of style. Clothes that I can’t decide whether to keep or to toss go on the I-don’t-know-pile.
   
I confess: More goes back into the closet than out the door, but I figure if I could get rid of at least one item that has lost its usefulness, I’m ahead.
   
I need to have a regular cleaning session with my spiritual closet, too. But for those items I need only two piles: pitch and keep.
   
Onto the pitch pile go resentment, anger, gossip, envy, deceit, lies, greed, pride, selfishness—all those things that came with my sinful nature. Like old clothes that no longer fit, we must put off that old nature—a nature we were slaves to before we received Jesus as Savior and Lord—a nature that no longer has power over us because it is no longer in us.
   
“If anyone is in Christ,” Scripture says, “he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
   
“Put off the old self, which is corrupted by its deceitful desires,” wrote St. Paul to the Ephesians. “Instead put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22–24).
   
Too often I push those old attitudes and emotions back in the closet where I can’t see them, but still they take up room, crowding and wrinkling the ones I need to put on often.
   
And what are the clothes I should put on?
   
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness. And over all, the one item I must not be without, the one that, like a jacket, coat, or shawl, covers all the others, is love.
   
Cleaning out the closet is never a fun thing to do, but when it’s done—and done right—we have all the wardrobe we’ll ever need. A wardrobe that will never wear out or go out of style. A wardrobe that fits better and becomes more comfortable the more we put it on.
   
   
Help me, Lord, to clean out my closet regularly. Give me the wisdom to see those items that I must put off and those I must put on. Amen.

More tea: Read Colossians 3:1–17
_____________________________________________________
PUBLISHING NEWS


Have you been wondering what Gracie and Jim have been up to? 

Wonder no more. Fifth Wheel Vol. 4, "Tucson Two-Step" by Roberta Updegraff was just released!

After a holiday visit to Pennsylvania, the roving retirees set out for Tucson, Arizona, to visit an old Air Force buddy of Jim’s he’d never mentioned. Believing she’s needed at home to help settle the hornet’s nest of problems plaguing her children, Gracie nurses a grudge against Jim for dragging her away and animosity toward her wayward daughter-in-law. As Gracie and Jim sort through the fallout, they encounter deeper dimensions of themselves and their marriage that will either break their bond or bring them closer to each other and God. 

Click here to download "Tucson Two-Step" for only $.99.

For the entire series to date, click here.

To browse Michele's books, click here.

Embracing the seasons

   
See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come. –Song of Songs 2:11–12
     
     
As I write this—Friday morning—the day is overcast, rainy, cool, dreary. Patches of snow linger about the hillsides, in crevices—wherever the ground is in more shadow than sun. Where there isn’t snow, there’s mud or spongy, marshy terrain.
     
On days like this I’d rather strap on my CPAP mask, pull a pillow over my head, snuggle beneath a quilt, and succumb to slumber. Or bury my nose in a good book. Anything but look outside.
     
As I glance out the back patio door, though, I see clusters of green and white snowdrops pushing up through the rotting leaves of the forest floor behind my house. And I know the daffodils will soon emerge below the stone wall in the front yard.
     
I’m so ready for spring.
     
But not this wet, muddy, mushy mess that’s spring in these parts. Which is why spring is my least favorite season.
     
But it is what it is.
     
Not all good and not all bad.
     
Just like winter, which really isn’t as bad as we make it out to be.
     
Winter is a time for growing things to rest, for animals to hibernate. It’s a time when I spend long evenings crocheting, reading, or doing something I’d feel guilty doing when the weather’s nice and I can get outside without falling and breaking something.
     
Every season has its good aspects and not-so-good aspects. What we choose to focus on determines whether or not we find the joy in the season.
     
Just like life.
     
I’m not just referring to the seasons of life as we tend to think of them—childhood, youth, adulthood, middle age, and finally our sunset years.
     
I’m talking about the seasons of life-change—when our lives change in ways we don’t plan or want. A financial setback. Illness. Disability. A wayward child. A broken relationship. Betrayal. Death. Divorce. Anything that leads to brokenness—a broken heart, a broken spirit, broken dreams. Seasons of pain and drought and floods of tears. Seasons when the roads are impassable and we can go no further. Or, as the old timers say, when we get the stuffing knocked out of us.

As I write this, I'm thinking of a dear writing colleague and friend who recently lost her husband of 35 years to cancer. I'm thinking of one of my little flock who is the caregiver for her mother, who has suffered a series of strokes, each one leaving her more debilitated than the last one.
     
These times, like seasons, are not here to stay. They, too, will pass.

We can spend the season bemoaning our fate, questioning God, and making ourselves more miserable.
     
Or we can embrace it for what it is, remembering that if we have chosen to believe in a sovereign, loving God, we know whatever He allows in our lives has a purpose we may not understand or see this side of eternity.
     
Child of God, push on in faith, trust that all things WILL work out for your good (Romans 8:28), and remind yourself that nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 31–39).
     
Only when we choose to embrace each season for what it is do we find the daffodils of hope and the snowdrops of joy sprinkled in the places only the SON can reach.
     
     
Thank you, God, that You are the One in control of the seasons of my life. Help me to embrace whatever season You send, knowing Your plan and purpose is for my ultimate good. Amen.

More tea: Read Ecclesiastes 3:1–8

Looking for a speaker for your event? I have a slew of topics listed on my SPEAKER PAGE. If you don't find one you're interested in, I can develop one especially for you. Email me at michelehueybooks@yahoo.com. I'd love to connect with you.
CURL UP AND READ: How about a love story of an Army nurse and a Dustoff pilot who meet, fall in love, and get married while on their tour of duty during the Vietnam War, only to have him go MIA and show up 40 years later with amnesia? ( The Heart Remembers ) 
Or the story of a 50-something woman with a lackluster marriage who wants to fall head over heels in love just one more time before she dies? ( Before I Die ) 
Or the story of a retired couple who up and sell everything to travel the country in a fifth wheel? ( Fifth Wheel series of short stories available for download)
Or maybe you'd prefer something inspirational for your devotional reading. ( God, Me & a Cup of Tea for download and in print)

The Eyes of Faith

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. – Luke 24:31 (NIV)
He was hanging there, dying now, for all the world to see—A sinner caught, condemned to die, never again to be free;When another man was nailed and raised beside his cross of shame—With a crown a thorns, a robe of blood, and a crowd that mocked His name.
Wasn’t this that preacher man—he’d seen Him once before—And eaten of the bread He’d made beside the Galilean shore;And wasn’t it just the other day He rode into the town—To a cheering crowd who laid their robes before Him on the ground.
Now they shouted, “Save yourself—and us if indeed You are who You claim to be—We’ll believe if You come down off that accursed tree.”Suddenly he understood and cried, “Can’t you see?Lord Jesus, will You remember me?”
He was hanging there, dying now, for all the world to see—A sinner caught, forgiven now, and finally set free.Through the eyes of faith he saw the King of all eternity—Who said, “Today you’ll be in Paradise with Me.”
Grant me, dear Lord, the eyes of faith that I may see You in every aspect of my life. Amen. 
Read Luke 23:32-43

If you're in the area . . .

I'll have a book table at the Craft Fair at the Purchase Line United Methodist Church on Rte. 286 (Commodore, Pa.) on Saturday, March 28, from noon until 3 p.m.

If you've been wanting an autographed copy of any of my books and are in the area, please stop by. I'd love to connect with you!

Books available:

The Heart RemembersBefore I DieGod, Me & a Cup of Tea devotionalsMinute Meditations: Meeting God in Everyday ExperiencesI Lift Up My Eyes: Minute Meditations Vol. 2

Wonderful surprise

Brent and me 
I received a wonderful surprise in last week's mail - an autographed copy of Jerry B. Jenkins's latest book, The Matheny Manifesto, written with Mike Matheny, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, autographed to my grandson Brent. I sent Jerry the link to last week's blog, "To Risk It All." The autographed book was Jerry's response. Thank you, Jerry, for your kindness and thoughtfulness. You made our day!

Need a speaker?

Are you looking for an inspirational speaker for your event?

I'm firming up my speaking schedule for 2015 and would love to talk to you.

I've spoken at retreats, revivals, ladies' events (teas, luncheons, mother-daughter dinners), banquets, conferences, and monthly meetings (such as DAR). Please check out my speaker page on my website for a list of suggested topics.

These are just a few of my speech topics. I’ll be happy to develop a speech or retreat around the theme for your event. All of the topics can be expanded for a retreat.“I can’t thank you enough for all the time you put into teaching and preparing to minister to us. You are extremely talented and gifted, and your ministry to us was exactly what we needed. We love you.”– The Summit United Methodist Church Women (Erie, Pa.) Let me help you make your event meaningful, insightful, and fun.…so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. (Philippians 1:25 )
Use the contact form on the website or email me. I'd love to hear from you!