Heartstrings by Doris Lakey

It hurts when we sacrifice to give loved ones something they need only to have them disregard and disrespect the effort it cost us, accepting it as their due.  It hurts even more when they distance themselves from us after promising their undying gratitude and prompt repayment of a loan or assurance they will use our gift wisely and get their lives into better shape. 

No matter how we try, it’s difficult to avoid the unseen strings connected to a major gift, knowing the recipients will resent any wisdom or advice we feel entitled to give, since we now have a financial stake in their well-being. Somehow from their viewpoint, however casually they manage their problem, ineptly letting our gift slip through their fingers and then getting into deeper trouble, they are always absolutely sure we have no right to offer an opinion about their lifestyle and attitudes.

Probably almost everybody knows someone like this, family member or friend; the parable of the ant and grasshopper has been around for ages. How do we keep the relationship alive when resentment burns our hearts? And yet, because of their total inability to cope with life through insanity or addictions, many of us seem destined to relive this situation again and again because refusal hurts even more.

I wonder though; is this how God feels when we ask Him for just one more thing we want instead of what we need?

How do we avoid sinning in this situation? If we respond with anger and resentment after our gifts go unappreciated, given from an unselfish heart, we're behaving no better than the ungrateful wretch we're complaining about. Either we're giving freely and unselfishly or we're giving to get gratitude and gold stars in heaven.  Surprise! If we can't give with an open hand, no strings attached, we're giving away the gold stars we thought we earned. 


Jesus sais, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'                 Matthew24:25

Maybe the answer is to think of it as a gift to the One who gave all for us.

My GPS by Doris Lakey

I don’t have a GPS AP on my phone, but that’s not a problem. I have one that is infallible;

not dependent on a satellite in the sky. It’s called the Bible.

It knows where I am going and as long as I pay attention I'm sure to arrive at my true

destination,  neither too early nor too late. Sometimes when I take my eye off it, I get blown

off course. When skies are cloudy, I may have to take a second look to get my bearings,

but my System never goes down, and it offers virus protection against unholy interference.

Its voice never gets drowned out by raucous noises around me.

I never have to worry about where I am going go as long as I trust it and follow its lead.

And it has a lifetime warranty, is never out of service, will never break down, just when I

need it desperately, and there will be no trips to the repair shop, no repair costs, ever. 

Like the American Express television commercial says, never leave home without it.

Perfecy Gift

 The

                 Perfect

                               GIFT

                                                     Keep            God’s

                                                Christmas            Wisdom

                                            In your heart            Can answer

                                        Each day, all year           Any questions,

                                      Everywhere  you  go,           His eternal love

                                   To  everyone  you meet,           Can fulfill any need,

                           Spread the spirit of Christmas--          God's  unlimited  power

                     Perfect love,peace,joy and good will--          Has created and keeps all things

                  Freely    given,   without    measuring;           All good gifts come from His loving hand;

             The more you give, the more you will receive.           His  eternal  presence  rewards  true faith.    

                                    THE PERFECT GIFT

IN OTHER WORDS--- by Doris Lakey

A line from a famous poet says "A rose by any other name smells as sweet".

I recalled that line when Dr. David Jeremiah spoke about Christmas this morning.  Some folks jump through hoops to avoid calling it what it is: a reference to Christ, Savior of the world.

If they say holiday, I would remind them it's a modern reference to Holy Day.

If they say yuletide, it was once referred to as 12 Days of Christmas or Feast of the Nativity.

If seasonal holiday, I know Jesus came in His season, in the fullness of God's time.

If Santa Claus, I remember Saint Nicholas in Myra, Turkey in the 4th century, famous for giving.

If gift-giving is mentioned,, I remember the Magi from the East who gave Jesus His first gifts

If they write Xmas, I know "X" in Greek is "CHI", first letter of the alphabet and symbol for Christ.

Singing seasonal songs remind me of the great heavenly choir of angels over Bethlehem.

If they refer to Hanukkah, the Bible calls Jesus the Light of the World, come to seek and save the lost, as the personification an fulfillment of the Jewish menorah in the ancient temple..

Jesus has been called Emannuel, Savior, Counsellor, Creator, Healer. Deliverer, Lord, and He is all of these and more.

THIS IS LOVE

With the sun for a footstool and wearing

A crown studded with a thousand stars,

Midst adoring legions of celestial beings,  

The LORD OF ALL THERE IS

Sat on His throne in Heaven and

Looked down to ponder my fate.

When He thought of the only way

To alter my well-earned destiny,

He left clouds of angels at Heaven’s gate.

For me, He became a child, born in a stable;

To Heaven's dismay, He paid the price Justice

Required to win my pardon.

And I wonder at the trade He made;

All grandeur exchanged for the debt He paid, for me,

When He allowed His Glory to fade,

Deserted His majesty for a bed of straw;

I'm humbled and filled with awe

That my heart is the manger He chose, that

Because I make room for Him inside,

It's where He now chooses to reside.

MERRY CHRIST.MAS!

Under no circumstances do I wish you a happy holiday.
You can try that if you prefer,but YULE be missing the
point of the occasion

                 (see above)

Where Are You Going?

 Say you want to go to California. You don’t need no stinking map—you fill the car with gas and head out, but the highway is boring. So, a sign ahead says exit here for a tourist attraction and that sounds like fun, and your hand reaches for that turn signal. You’re still going to Hollywood, but not right now.

Wow, that stop took longer than you expected. It was fun though, but not worth the delay.  On the road again, as the country-western singer croons it. Wait, you skipped breakfast for an early start this morning. If you have an early lunch, you can really make up for lost time by driving straight thru until you’ve put in eight hours behind the wheel.

Oops! Just passed an IHOP. A U-turn won’t take long. Back on the road, again, that sunshine streaming in feels good, but soon you’re getting drowsy. Need some caffeine; better safe than sorry. Back behind the wheel. And just ahead there’s a guy on a tractor. Outa the way, Jerk. Finally, he turns off and you hit the gas to make up a little time—and you pass a Highway Patrol car, and--of course he’s holding a radar gun. He doesn’t care how important your trip is. He says he only cares about your safety. You could have bought an airline ticket for what that stop cost.

Well, this day was a total loss. Disappointed and depressed, you begin looking for a motel, promising you will get back on track tomorrow. Right off the bat you face a detour. Oh-oh! Rough road ahead, single lane only. Another long day.

Eventually the road opens up and you sigh in relief. Just ahead is a car beside the road, its hood raised in surrender and a woman pacing along the road, wringing her hands. Somebody should really stop and help her, but not you—you can’t keep having these delays. She should have planned her trip better, had her car serviced before she set out.

Okay, you can probably fill in the rest of this story. You can guess what excuses you might give for your failures to accomplish your goal. Finally you smell an ocean breeze! But the roadway sign says Miami. And no matter how sincerely you believed you were headed toward California, you now realize you were headed east, not west. What you believe does matter.

If this tale sounds vaguely familiar, perhaps in childhood years you encountered the classic story from pioneer days, PILGRIM’S PROGRESS. If the age-old legend were updated, it might sound similar to your trip. Desire doesn’t get you to your destination. Only the hated words discipline and preparation gets you there.

.

Giving Thanks

As we approach the one day per year, we are reminded to count our blessings, my mind goes back over years of inadequately expressed gratitude for kindnesses and loving grace received from so many sources. In taking inventory, I realize anew how wealthy I am, and it’s not taxable!

Broad strokes considered first, I am thankful for the Christian community which helped form me. Many nations offer no right to vote or express discontent (although I think we often go overboard in exercising this right). I give thanks to the moral and Christian creators of our constitution, and for the many charitable foundations they passed to us: hospitals, libraries, schools, care for the poor and needy and for children, born or unborn. Thank God for providing Christian parents and grandparents and good churches.

I am thankful that my last employer was the best ever. Abbott Labs gave me a sense of respect and appreciation unequaled in my history, and many friends I value greatly. Pat Pool encouraged and taught me; he gave me a sense of close partnership and great desire for us to excel together. The Abbott Extras allowed me to become better acquainted with many more good people, enriching my life.

A community of writers broadened my horizon; NTPWA brought me a group of like-minded friends and two especially became life-long companions. Mell Morris has moved on to create even more perfect poetry I look forward to reading when I see her again in heaven. Betty Kurecka, my heart reaches out to you, my encourager, my supporter, there in time of need. Maybe we can learn together to Skype and shrink the miles between us since I moved away.

My family has shown me great love always, and Sandy and Keith Pipkin have made room for me in their hearts and home when my living alone became difficult. They each have made myriads of silent daily sacrifices for my comfort. I’m sure there are many times I have been unaware, or only later realized the extent of their efforts to incorporate my needs and desires into their busy lives. And they do these things not because I deserve it, but from the depth of love they so graciously show me.

In two months I’ll be 84; I thank God that I’m not approaching the end, but coming nearer to the glorious day I will see my Savior face to face.