It's Time to Be on Time

 

Recently I was invited to a bridal shower for one of my daughter's friends.  It was a Saturday and I was excited to be going with my daughter.  Mother's don't want to embarrass their daughters in front of their friends so I wanted to look my best.  So did you ever get up out of bed and things go down hill from the moment your feet hit the floor?  This was the day.

I had plenty of time.  I wrapped the present.  Steamed the dress I was going to wear -- a little clearance number I had saved for just such an occasion.  A glance of the clock before I jumped into the shower assured me I had plenty of time.  While in the shower, I was going over in my head what I still needed to do.  What shoes would I wear?  Sandals.  Sandals!  My toe nails!  They were half painted, half not.  So add to the to-do list:  Paint toe nails.  As soon as I got out of the shower, I got out my Sally Hansen's Leg make-up.  A wonderful product.  Only problem was, the tube was nearly empty.  I knew I had purchased another tube so the frantic search was on for the new tube.  Luckily I found it pretty quickly only to notice that the shade was medium--not light as my first tube.  "How different can it be?", I thought to myself.  Squeezing out a grape-sized amount into my hand and rubbing it onto my first leg, I realized it was a LOT different!  But I kept going thinking maybe it would be alright.

So I dried my hair and headed to the kitchen for nail polish.  (You know if you keep nail polish in the refrigerator, it lasts a lot longer!)  I grabbed a paper towel and headed back into the bedroom to paint my toenails.  Why I didn't stay in the kitchen where there was more light, I'll never know.  It would prove itself to be a mistake later.

So time is just ticking away.  I slapped on some makeup and headed for my tan colored dress.  I held it up to my legs which were clearly a lovely shade of orange...that clashed horribly with my dress.  There was no time to scrub off the orange, so it's time for Plan B.  Black slacks.  The bridal shower had a fiesta theme, so I found a top that would fit the occasion.  And of course, it had to be steamed.  Hurriedly, I filled up my little travel steamer, steamed the top, slapped on my clothes, grabbed the gift, kissed my husband and out the door I flew without a minute to spare.

Now every time I think I've got plenty of time and end up being late, I think about the ten virgins (or bridesmaids)...five wise, five foolish in Matthew 25.  Because the groom and his entourage would normally arrive after dark, the bridesmaids were responsible for their own lamps and the oil to fill them.  For whatever reason, the groom was late -- really late and the bridesmaids fell asleep.  At midnight, a call came out that the groom had finally arrived.  Can't you just see those young girls startled awake -- hair tousled, wiping away drool, hurriedly straightening their clothes and trying to regain their composure.  So the five foolish bridesmaids say to the wise, "Hey, share some of your oil with us!  Our lamps are going out!"  "Nope...go buy it for yourselves, we don't want to run out."  So the five foolish frantically run out for more oil.  They return only to find that the wedding party has already arrived at the ceremony location and the door is bolted shut.  Because they were late and not prepared, they were not allowed to enter.  It was considered an insult to the families and they were shunned by the whole community.

This was a parable Jesus told his disciples the week of his death.  It was in response to their questions about something Jesus had said earlier.  "Do You see these things?  Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another;  every one will be thrown down."  Jesus was speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem which was to take place in 70 AD.  But the disciples asked two questions,  "When will this happen and what will be the sign of the end of the age?" First Jesus talks about the destruction of Jerusalem and then he speaks to the end of the world as we know it...a time that only God knows.  Matt 24:36.  He told the parable to teach that we should always be prepared.

Who knew as the year 2020 began that it would be so tumultuous?  For the past many months, if you turn on the news, you hear just like a drum beat...hate, hate, hate, hate. 

You should hate.

Don't you hate?

Why don't you hate?

You're stupid if you don't hate.

And if it's not hate, you should be afraid, be afraid, be very afraid.

It's the same mantra day after day, after day until you believe all the hatred and fear.  It's just like the abused child or woman who's been told over and over that they're no good...worthless.  It's not true, but if they hear it long enough and loud enough they believe it. 

There are evil instigators who stoke the flame and then back out to let the mob take over just like when Jesus was tried and crucified.  I hope that I wouldn't have been a part of the mob.

Many people have said these are signs of end times...especially with peace accords brokered with Israel and United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.  If it is the end times then awesome!  Lord come now!  But you know what?  It really doesn't matter!  For this very day your soul may be required of you.  We are not assured tomorrow.  Every day is a gift.  Do we really live it that way?  How do we treat others?  Think about how Jesus treated others.  He saw souls...the sick, the hurting, the young, the old, the lost.  He saw them where they were and treated them with compassion and grace so that they might be saved.  

A wise young woman told me, "I wish people could see with spiritual eyes...it's not parties against parties or race against race but heaven against hell fighting for souls."  I want to see people as Jesus saw them...with spiritual eyes.  If we don't have our stuff together now, then we need to get that way.

Time is of the essence and I want to be ready.

So my daughter and I made it to the bridal shower.  My feet were orange and my toe nails looked like they were painted by a three year old who couldn't color in the lines.  We were four minutes fashionably late.  Thank goodness they didn't lock us out.

Love till next time, Lanna

For your consideration:  Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 24, Ephesians 6:10-18

It's Harvest Time!

My husband loves trees...any type of tree...fruit trees, oak trees, pine trees, the great sequoias -- you name it -- he loves them.  He has a special love for pecan trees.  Years ago he planted three pecan trees in the front yard.  They were nothing more than a stick when he planted them but now they are quite large. 

Since they began to produce pecans, he's had an ongoing war with the squirrels.  They were the bane of his existence every fall. If it was a good year and there was a crop, the little devils would do all the harvesting before they fell -- which kept us from reaping any of the bounty! There would be a pile of pecan shells encompassing the base of each tree several inches deep!  BAH!  

So one year, he decided that one way or the other, he was going to keep them out of his trees.  He bought sheet metal roof flashing and wrapped it around the trunk of each tree so it would be impossible for them to climb!  And let me tell you, it isn't attractive!  Any passerbys would be certain that the Clampetts of the Beverly Hillbillies got tired of the California life and moved to Texas!  I can just hear Elly May saying, "Paw...what'd ya do that fer?" 

So we had great spring rains and it's pecan harvesting time at our house!  I love it...it's like an adult Easter egg hunt every day!  It's best to go slow and shuffle your feet through the grass and fallen leaves...otherwise you might miss them.  I feel like the woman in the parable of the lost coin...searching and scanning the ground for each little golden nugget and then rejoicing when one is found.  I keep looking and find another and another.  It's a bountiful harvest!

The harvesting makes me think of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:1-42.  I love this passage of scripture.  There are so many lessons here.)  Jesus and His disciples were heading for Galilee and took the quickest, shortest route through Samaria -- a route that Jewish people didn't take.  After the woman's amazing visit with the Savior, she hurried back into town to tell others that she thinks she has encountered the true Messiah!  Verse 30 says that the town's people came to see for themselves.  And Jesus tells His disciples, "Open you eyes and look at the fields!  They are ripe for harvest."  I believe that they were seeing a crowd of Samaritans on their way to see Jesus!  After the urging of the town's people, Jesus stayed with them two more days.   Many came to know that this man Jesus really was the Savior of the world.

It was a bountiful harvest!

There was purpose in every action of Jesus.  Going through Samaria to get to Galilee more quickly wasn't His mission.  He was deliberate.  Harvesting was the mission. 

So this pecan harvesting is a Spirit lesson for me...to slow down, to pay attention, to be the Lord's servant and see -- really see others who might be in need of a Savior. 

Lord, help us to live deliberately for you every day.  Help us to know that you surround us with your presence and protection so that we may fearlessly face whatever comes our way.  We want to sow seeds for your Kingdom so there will be a bountiful harvest.

Love till next time,
Lanna

For your consideration:
Luke 15:8-10
John 4:1-42
Ephesians 6:10-18

PS -- For those of you too young to remember the Beverly Hillbillies -- catch an episode on Hulu or Youtube.  It might be good for a laugh or two -- at least I remember it being pretty funny at the time!)

What's in a Name?

My parents named me Lanna -- not Lana with one "N" like most others.  As it turns out, they were right in giving me a name  with a spelling a little out of the ordinary.  Not that I consider myself out of the ordinary but I am a little quirky.  And I'm okay with quirky. As I was growing up, I didn't like that my name was different.  Occasionally the stores would sell things like pencils and key chains that were already personalized.  I could never find anything with my name spelled correctly. Oh well...

When my son got married, I started considering the thought of grandchildren and what they might call me someday.  My dad's mother passed away before I was born so I only had one grandmother -- Grammie and she was wonderful.  She was a Christian woman, so sweet and kind -- a great cook too.  I could never consider myself a Grammie...although my sister wears it nicely.  I didn't want to be called Grandma or Granny -- that sounded way too old. 

So what would I be called...
I wanted a quirky name that seemed to fit me -- one that I'd never heard before.  So I thought I'll take off the "L" in Lanna and add "GR" to make it Granna!  I thought I was so clever...
After my son and daughter-in-law told us they were expecting, I was so excited to finally be Granna Lanna!"

My bubble was burst one day while driving into town.  I saw a car with an Oklahoma vanity license plate that read, "GRANNA" in big read letters!  What!  That's my name! The very idea! Then I thought, "Oh well, she'll be going back to where she came from."  Then not long after that I saw a friend in Walmart that I hadn't seen in some time.  While catching up, she asked me, "So what do your grandchildren call you?"  I smiled and said proudly, "Granna".  To which she excitedly responded, "That's what my grandchildren call me!"  Somehow I continued smiling but inside I was yelling, "What!  Your name doesn't even rhyme with Granna!"  So since then, I've heard of a few more Grannas.  It happened again last Sunday while at a baby shower.  And in my mind, I ate another piece of humble pie. 

In Matthew 16, Mark 8 and Luke 9, we see a time when Jesus asked his disciples an important question.  It's important to note where they were when he asked -- as our Lord never did or said anything that wasn't without purpose. They were in Caesarea Philippi. It's not to be confused with Caesarea -- Caesarea is located on the Mediterranean coast.  Caesarea Philippi is just less than 40 miles due north of the Sea of Galilee.  The city was first named Panias, dedicated to the Greek god, Pan -- half goat and half man -- the so-called deity of herdsmen, music and wild nature -- among other things.  Herod the Great built a temple there to worship Caesar.  Then when Philip, Herod the Great's son inherited the city, he renamed it Caesarea Philippi -- to honor Caesar and himself.

So it's in this place of pagan worship, with statues abounding to other gods, Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"  Answers of John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets were heard in response.  But then Jesus asks, "But what about you?  Who do you say that I am?"  And Peter's answer is the very foundation of our faith -- "You are the Messiah, the son of the living God."

WOW!  Doesn't it just make you shiver!

So what's in a name?  EVERYTHING!

THEREFORE GOD EXALTED HIM TO THE HIGHEST PLACE AND GAVE HIM THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, THAT AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH, AND EVERY TONGUE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER.   Philippians 2

There is no other name like that of our Savior's!

Now I think I'm better with others being called Granna like me...I'm just glad the Lord knows my name...Lanna or Granna...I'll answer to either one. 

Love till next time,
Lanna

For your consideration:  Matthew 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30, Luke 9:18:20,
Philippians 2:6-11, Matthew 28:18.

Lamps

Lamps

Right before Easter, my daughter and I went shopping.  I didn't need a thing but there were a few things for which she was looking and I sure wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to shop -- and more importantly -- spend time with one of my children.  I always have a good time when I'm with my children.

So my daughter was looking for a lamp for the living room of their home.  She pointed out a few that she sorta liked -- but nothing was exactly right.  After looking at a couple of stores, I thought I had an idea of what she wanted.  She still hasn't found a lamp.  So a couple of weeks ago, we received a lighting catalog in the mail.  Knowing she was still looking, I perused the pages for lamps.  I found a lamp that might be just what she was looking for -- right color, right size and for a great price!  I snapped a picture with my cell phone and sent it to her with a caption..."These are cool!"  A little later in the evening, she answered, "Thanks for thinking of us mom but they're really not my style." 

Oh...

Now she didn't mean a thing by it...she was just telling me that it wasn't what she was looking for and I certainly didn't want her to spend money on something that she didn't like.  I've taught her to be a smart shopper.  I just didn't have a good feel for what she wanted after all.....She might have liked it...and boom...I would have been super mom once again!

Well the whole thing made me think of some lamps my dad gave my husband and I not long after we married.  My husband was working on his master's degree and I was working.  We lived in student housing -- a furnished three room duplex.  It wasn't much but it was enough.  Well my dad bought us these lamps -- I'm sure they had to have been on sale -- probably clearanced -- because they were the ugliest glass, harvest gold lamps you have ever seen!!  They were definitely not my style!  He was so proud of his purchase and proud to be able to give us something we needed.  We accepted the lamps in the spirit they were given and they filled our house with light for many years all because of the love of a father. 

Today is Father's Day.  I have thought of my dad most of the day.  I miss him.  He was a mess.  He was funny.  He adored our mother and I never doubted for one minute his love for me and my siblings.  Even in death, he still has an impact on my life. 

That makes me think of the other Father in my life.  He impacts my life every day and I have never doubted His love for me.  He also gave us the gift of Light...the Perfect gift of Light...the Light that gives life everlasting!

Love till next time,
Lanna

For your consideration:  John 1, John 3:16-17, Romans 5

What Season Is It Anyway?!

     Don't you just love the smell of a freshly mowed lawn in the spring?
I do...but it's October and it's still mowing season in Texas!
Don't get me wrong...I love to mow but I'm ready for that season to end. 
It's time for pumpkins, fresh mums on the porch and scents of the season like
cinnamon and cloves.

     Since I love to mow, it's been one of my happy household chores for years --
that is until my little accident.

     There's always been a method to my mowing.  It starts on the north side of the house -- then I move to the front -- then the south side and lastly the back yard.  I'm always careful to mow away from the flowerbeds to keep the weed and grass pulling down.  Oh and there's always a song going in my head as I go.  Because of the rocks that seem to grow in the yard, the first song that normally comes to mind is a children's bible class song --
    
          "If I had a rock, tell me will it grow?
           Oh no, no...oh no, no.
           A rock is not a living thing, it won't grow.
           God didn't plan for rocks to grow."
    
The next song is normally a favorite from The Message or a song from the previous Sunday's worship service.  I love music and I love to sing.  It's just best to sing in my head while mowing.

     On the day of the accident, I got off work, ran an errand and ran home to mow a few patches of blue stem grass in the yard.  now in a large pasture, there are few things more beautiful than a field full of tall, silvery blue-green grass blowing in the wind like waves on the ocean.  But in our yard, a few sparse patches of the tall grass among the Bermuda made the whole yard look bad.  My usual method was out today as a full lawn job wasn't needed. 
I ran in, changed my clothes and went out to jump on my little old faithful riding mower.  To start the mower, you put your foot on the brake and turn the key.  Once it's started, you keep your foot on the brake, move the gear shift to put it in gear, take your foot off the brake and you're off -- the higher the gear, the faster you go.  Well I was in a hurry right -- gotta get supper going.  So I had that little mower in high gear and I was moving!

     I was in mid-turn between the house and the drive way when the steering wheel came off!!  AHHHHH!!!  I was headed for the truck in the driveway when I managed to get the steering wheel back on.  Although I was feeling some relief, I was going too fast to calm down.  I continued mowing the pesky blue stem only to have the steering wheel come back off again in the next turn!   AHHHH!!!  Try as I might, I could not get it back on and I was out of control and heading straight for the house!  I went through the flower bed and WHAM!! I hit the house and came to an abrupt stop with a useless steering wheel in my hands.  Embarrassed and hurting, I looked over only to see my new neighbors.  I don't think they saw the impact...but they heard it.  I waved "I'm okay" and with my tail between my legs, went into the house.  I didn't want to call my husband yet -- this wasn't something to tell him over the phone.  I had messed up the mower and I felt badly.  So looking for a little sympathy, I got my cell phone and snapped a picture of my little mower against the house and sent it to my two kids.  In response, my daughter instantly responded with..."BAA HAA HAAAAA!!"  She was laughing so hysterically that her co-workers had to know what was so funny.  My ever level headed, straight-thinking son answered back..."Mom, if the steering wheel came off -- did the brakes not work either?"
THE BRAKES!! Why didn't I think of simply hitting the brakes?! I panicked! 
It was the steering wheel's fault. 

     After calming down a bit, my leg still smarting from the collision with the house -- guess what song came into my head?  Carrie Underwood's recording of "JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL"!  Now wouldn't that be great...Here Lord, you take it -- I know you would do so much better -- I can't do this on my own -- You do the driving.  The more I thought about it, I could just see myself in the passenger seat and Jesus behind the wheel...my feet up on the dash and hands raised high...WOOHOO!!!  This is great.  No responsibilities -- just sit back and enjoy the ride!  But the Lord doesn't drive us anywhere.  He gives us choices.  He wants us to make a willful decision to follow Him.

     Throughout the gospels, Jesus simply says, "Follow Me" -- not scoot over, I'll do the driving.  He leads and we follow. It's that simple. You know sometimes we get so wrapped up in this fast paced worldly life and forget to simply follow.  Things get so crazy that before you know it, we're out of control with no steering device.  We're going so fast that we forget the brakes and it ends in a disastrous crash!  After we've crashed, then we remember the Lord.  HELP ME LORD!  I could have avoided the crash and life's crashes if I had just remembered the brakes!  It would be a whole lot less painful.

     I need to remember with the start of every day that I am a child of God.  I need to willfully follow where He leads me and trust that He will protect me every step of the way.   When I do, I'll be reflecting His light -- and that light may guide someone else to follow Him too.  You know, someone is always watching...no matter the season. 

For your consideration:  John 10:27-28, Psalms 23, Psalms 25:4-5.

Love till next time,
Lanna

Do I know you?

Do I Know You?

Can you remember a time when something totally unexpected happened to you?

Almost exactly 4 years ago, while babysitting my grandson, we made a trip to our favorite fast food chicken restaurant.  Of course the chicken wasn't the only draw...it has an indoor playground!
After eating, we headed to the play area as promised.  Because he was only 2 years old at the time, I went inside the glassed area with him.  We hadn't been there long when three children and what looked to be a teenaged babysitter came and sat down at a table on the other side of the glass.  The youngest of the three children was the cutest red headed, freckle faced boy -- I guessed him to be about five or six years old.  Catching my eye, I returned his gaze with a smile.  He was such a cutie! 
With my attention focused on my toddling grandson, I didn't notice that the red headed boy from the other side of the glass was now sitting at my feet.  He caught my attention and asked, "Are you my nana?"  Awww!  My heart just melted.  "No honey, I'm not", I told him.  And with that, he was off to play.  Immediately thoughts started swirling through my head...

My first thought was, "Why did he think I might be his nana?"
Why didn't he KNOW I wasn't his nana?  Did I look like his nana?  Did he want a nana and thought I might look like a good one?

My second thought was, "WHY DID HE THINK I MIGHT BE HIS NANA?!"
If he thinks I might be his nana, I must LOOK old enough to be his nana!  RATS!!!
I still feel younger than the age posted on my birth certificate!
Oh well...guess I needed a frank discussion with Mister Mirror Mirror! 

In the book of John chapter 4, we read about an encounter Jesus had with a woman who had come to draw water from the area well.  Jesus had traveled through Samaria and had stopped at the well to rest.  Now traveling through Samaria was something Jewish people did not do.  Samaritans were considered half breeds to the Jews -- so when traveling, they would go around Samaria to avoid those living there.  Not Jesus.  When the woman arrived at the well, Jesus asked her for a drink.  Because she was a Samaritan and he a Jewish man, she was surprised at his request.  This leads into a discussion of living water and how HE could provide it to her.  Up to this point, the woman thinks that she is just talking to a crazy, misguided Jewish man -- that is until he starts telling her everything about her life.... that she had been through five husbands and was now living with a sixth man.  He knew her!  She knows that a Messiah is coming but she supposes him to be a prophet.  Jesus revealed to her that he was in fact -- the Messiah.  At that, she left her water jar and went back into town and told the people there about meeting the man at the well.  She asked them, "Do you think he might be the Christ?"  Well they all came to see for themselves.  Scripture says that at their begging, he stayed an additional two days.  Many believed not only because of what Jesus taught but also because of what the woman had told them. 

So to me, the best part of this is -- Jesus knew the woman and saw her value.  And better still -- He knows you and He knows me and sees value in all of us -- no matter what.  Isn't that awesome?!

Read Romans 3: 22 and 23 with me.
"God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people are the same:  Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard, and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift.  They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ."   (New Century Version)

The woman at the well and her entire town experienced the grace of Jesus that day...and we  experience that same grace today. 

Now back to the red headed cutie who haunts my memory bank...
He needs a good nana...everyone needs a good nana.  But more importantly, we need a savior...every one needs a savior!

Love till next time,
Lanna

Wow... that hurt!

We are fearfully and wonderfully made -- aren't we? 
Did you know that drinking water -- 16 ounces or more -- before going to bed will most assuredly wake you up before the sun rises? 
With a 50 something year old bladder and that much water, who needs an alarm clock?

A couple of weeks ago, my body's alarm clock went off around 4 a.m.  Not wanting to be awake yet, I rolled out of bed and shuffled off toward the bathroom.  Cutting through the darkness of the room is a night light that shines whether there's electricity or not.  I refused to open my eyes thinking that the least bit of light would really wake me up.  I was hoping to get at least one more hour of sleep before the real alarm announced the start of another day.  Why open my eyes?
I've been walking this same path for many, many years.  I know the way.  I can do this and go back to sleep.
Urgently closing in on the doorway to the toilet -- I was unaware that the door had been closed.

WHAM!!! 

My bowed head hit the door! Instinctively my hands flew up toward my head and I slammed my hand into the knob of the closed door.  I hit my head so hard against the door that the clock on the wall fell from the nail on which it hung.  As it fell, it knocked the night light out of the socket and then hit the faucet handle on the sink below causing it to turn on at full force!  The commotion of the room made my husband jump out of the bed as if he had been hit with an electric cattle prod!

I'm awake now.

Now I realize that I'm not the brightest crayon in the box but I could have avoided the knot on my hard head and the bruise to my hand if only I had opened my eyes to the light that would have guided my way. 

So this little night time trip made me think of a few spiritual things...
     1.  Why walk in the dark if you don't have to!  We have Jesus!  He said, "I am the light of the world.  The person who follows me will never live in darkness but will have the light that gives life."
(John 8:12)
     2.  Without the Lord's light, I don't know the way.  In John 14, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  The only way to the Father is through me."  It should be the goal of every soul to seek His way, glorifying him as we walk through this life and into the next.
     3.  Even though this world can at times seem very dark and scary, the Lord's light is always there.  Light shines through the darkness -- but never can the darkness overcome the light.  "The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear?"  Psalm 27:1
     4.  Thankfully, his blood covers our daily sins as we ever strive to walk in His light.  "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin"  I John 1:7. 
Awesome, right?

Uh, one more thing... Just in case you were wondering...no, I didn't have to change my pajamas! ;)
Love till next time,
Lanna