EYE CANDY

Even though I am not a little girl anymore just the mention of the word candy sets my digestive juices flowing. Throughout my life my love for sweets has been so well-known that my mother often stated she should have named me Candy. I have tried the explanation that having been born in September of 1939 meant I grew up with sugar being rationed during WW2 and I think perhaps I didn’t get my fair share! But that’s all about the stuff we take a piece or two and keep to ourselves. Today I want to talk about the kind of candy we don’t keep to ourselves, the kind that is referred to as eye-candy.
Through the use of the Internet I am often delighted with the artistic works that come into our home. In recent weeks I have been the recipient of a sidewalk chalk artist whose scenes are such that the viewer feels a part of the work, a PowerPoint presentation with scenic wonders such as not only the tip of the iceberg but the iceberg itself under the water that causes me to wonder about the photography equipment that captured the scene, interactive greeting cards that entertain, astound, and amuse with the creativity contained within, messages that uplift, inform, and share information…some personal, others generic, and through it all a collection of fantastic free fonts that catch my eye almost as often as do the fabulous photos, what is referred to as eye-candy.
One thing I have come to understand about fonts though is that my computer and your computer have to be compatible or we cannot share our fonts. That means I could send this message to you in a gorgeous handwritten font (as I’d enjoy being able to do) but unless you have that same font as part of your own collection you would not see the beauty I tried to send to you. Somehow in cyberspace everything will change and all you will see is one of the plain fonts already installed on your computer. The good thing is the message will still be there, just not the beauty I had intended, no eye-candy.
It is obvious that God intends for us to enjoy beautiful things; after all He has created things of such awesome beauty they often take our breath away and our automatic response is praise to Him for His creation! But how much of our life have we allowed to become fluff, kind of like cotton candy…pretty and pink, but when we bite into it, it mashes down and melts away into nothing in a hurry while leaving a sweet taste to linger momentarily then quickly gone? And how much of our life do we allow to be as the fantastic fonts clouding our vision with beauty we see and want to share? While we take time to add it to our lives we forget it has not necessarily yet been added to the lives of others. We see the lovely script we intend to send but what they receive may a plain missive on the other end. Are we too busy enjoying our own eye-candy?
This started me thinking about life. How much of my life is like that pretty font? My plan is to send a beautiful message about God but often I am sure it ends up being a plain font on the receiving end. What can I do? It was a friend who taught me where to find the free fonts I have added to my computer; perhaps there is a lesson in life right there. I can take my Bible and help a friend find true answers about God and life starting right in that very place. Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? In other words, the more time we spend adding God’s fonts to both your computer and mine, the more beauty we’ll be able to share as we send messages back and forth.
Is it time to stop using excuses as I did about sugar being rationed so I didn’t get my fair share and start looking beyond ourselves and into the lives of others? Maybe there is someone we each know who needs one of God’s gorgeous fonts added to his or her life today and we can be the person who tells him or her where to find that free gift…the eye-candy that can come only from God and that will last forever.
“…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23b (NASB)
© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 11-21-08

A PRAYER THAT APPEALS

There is a story that circulates the Internet from time to time about a little boy at a restaurant who tells God thank you for a meal and ends with saying something to the effect he’d be even more thankful if the meal included ice cream. The tale goes on to tell of the chiding comments of a woman nearby declaring that kids don’t even know how to pray. Ah, contraire! Jesus taught, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3 NIV) What is it about this child’s prayer that is so appealing?
The first thing we see in the story is he is the one who asks his mom if he could be the one to ask the blessing. As the story goes he starts with a simple children’s grace then expands it by adding his own words. We could all learn a lesson from his simplicity: start with what we have been taught and then venture into where our thankful hearts lead us.
The child injects a bit of humor with his request for ice cream…or was that mention of ice cream humorous only to the adult listeners, the exceptions being the speaker and the quick-to-judge woman? I can envision a serious six-year-old simply saying what is in his heart when it comes to matters of dessert. I can also picture a sour-faced older woman deciding she knows what is wrong with kids today. Just maybe that child was talking to God as he would to his daddy…another lesson we could learn from his plaintive prayer. I know not everyone has had a good earthly daddy with whom to relate but if we could try to envision the relationship as God would have it to be between a daddy and a little child, I Peter 5:7 (Amplified Bible) would become much more meaningful to each adult reading this: “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”
There’s more to the story about the boy at the restaurant and I hope each one of you has the opportunity to read and enjoy it but in the meantime remember this little guy believed God even cared about whether or not he liked ice cream! And you know what? God does! Please remember God is the Father, you are the child, and He cares to hear about anything you want to talk to Him about as well.
© Marilyn Sue Moore 11-15-08

LET ME HEAR THY VOICE

I often read the obituaries. It is not as many jokingly ask to see whether or not my name is there. I know my turn will come because one of my favorite Psalms (139) states in verse 16b, “And in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them”, but when I read the obituary column I am often astounded by the wide discrepancy of ages. In seeing the death of a 47-year-old woman this morning I wanted to read more carefully.
Her obituary states she came into this world in a mission home and was immediately adopted. Reading between the lines, she obviously knew the love of a mother because she chose to become a mother. The obituary states she became a “mom” to many and was looking forward to becoming a stepmother as well. In her mid-30s she had chosen to go to school to become a nurse and her mothering instinct carried over in her dedication to her patients. From the writing about her life it is obvious she came into this world one little girl alone but left it with a generation of family and friends that included pets as well as people.
What stood out to me amongst all the rest was the message that came close to the end of the obituary: it stated that she had “rededicated her life to Christ as her Lord and Savior” seven years ago. Is this what made her life stand out as being different when I looked at the paper this morning? At first it was her age but the more I read the more I liked this woman and felt a sense of loss even without having known her.
Her life has given me pause for thought. When she was born her days were numbered, of that I have no doubt. I like so much of what she chose to do with her life. I like her because of who she became in her life. Had I known her as a friend I have no doubt we would have been good friends and I would have loved her as a sister…or as a daughter, a niece, better co-workers in His Vineyard because of one another! I didn’t have that opportunity with her but, “Please God, help me to not miss the opportunities you put in my daily presence.”
“Let me hear Thy lovingkndness in the morning; for I trust in Thee; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to Thee I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 143:8 NASB)
© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 11-8-08

Sometimes God Says No

In light of the election results many people are questioning the outcome. Sometimes I think I must not be a realist, perhaps a bit too much of a Pollyanna, but I prefer to believe once I have done all I can to make a difference, in faith I am turning it over to God and letting Him take care of the upcoming change.
Trails of thoughts have traveled in and out of my mind this morning. One in particular has been about the little boy who seeing his mother in ill health decided the best way he could help was to offer to go to the store to get the loaf of bread she needed. Imagine along with our 4-year-old: “I’ll just run to the store really fast. You know I can run fast, Mommy! I know where the bread is and I’ll get only one loaf of bread. I know how many is one. Then I will pay the nice lady and I will hurry right back home. I won’t stop to play with Mrs. Henderson’s puppy on the way home either, honest, Mommy. I can do it and I will be your big boy helper.” But…Mommy said, “No.” In our scenario we will assume Mommy explains all the reasons why she says, “No,” but not all scenarios are that simple and not all situations are going to be explained in our lifetime.
Turning down another trail of thought sometimes we simply have to trust that God knows what is best for us even though all we see is hundreds of puzzle pieces. Imagine life as a gigantic puzzle (it is that, isn’t it?) of which all we have is the pieces, not even a picture of the completed work. As we start putting the pieces in place we begin to see the scene forming; God, on the other hand, knows exactly what the picture on the front of the box looks like because He is the artist who originated the scene. He is The Beginning and He is The End…and He is The-Ever-Present-In-Between! “…for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU…” (Hebrews 13:5b NASB)
The conclusion leads us to this: whatever the reasons for the election outcomes being as they are, as God’s children we have this admonition from 2 Timothy 2:1-4 (NASB): “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Is it possible that God said, “No,” so that all of us who were praying would continue that habit in as strong a manner that the real outcome of those elected would be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth?
Now that would be a change we all could live with!
© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 11-5-08

A LESSON OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

This morning I sat at my desk dissolved in tears as I heard the strains of “Through the Eyes of Love” being played in the background while I tried to rid the sorrow I had just finished reading of the death of a little Yorkie (dog) who died at age 3 from a previously undiagnosed problem until during surgery it became an unfixable problem. First of all the little doggie had been loved from the moment of his birth and in the way of little dogs he had given his whole heart to the people who so lovingly cared for him. He brought unbounded joy into their lives. They thought they were giving but as is so often the situation they learned that when trying to give, they gained so much more. They gave their time, energy, and effort to care for the little dog they named Dink and he in turn, gave them love that was never measured, never questioned, never given on the basis of, “I’ll love you if…” His love was unquestionably just given.
As I sat there, shoulders shaking, tears flowing, I started talking to God as I so often do when happy and sad emotions swirl. I spoke to Him about how thankful I am that He made these little dogs because they add so much to our lives. I told Him how sad it makes me that their lives are cut so short sometimes. And I sat. And I wondered why. And I thanked Him for our two little dogs named Max and Missy.
At that point I stopped talking and sat to listen to more of my thoughts and consider: perhaps He has made these little guys to teach us more about His kind of love. He doesn’t measure His love to us by saying, “If you do this, I’ll give you this much of Myself…” or, “I’ll only love you if…” No, the scripture teaches us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God is Love and He has given us the Greatest Gift: Himself….all of Himself.
I hope none will take offense in the comparison that my thoughts then turned to: then why don’t we practice God’s kind of love and while on this earth try to learn the lesson the little dogs have also set before us? They have been known to “turn the other cheek” by licking the hand that has beat them. Yet, they show an amazing ability to forgive wrongs by giving their love away lavishly, unquestionably, and in a no-strings-attached way? Could we try to do likewise? It’s called unconditional love.
© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 11-3-08

THE MISSING VOTE

There’s a vote that will be missing in the upcoming Presidential Election. Is it important? What’s the big deal anyway? Will it matter?
It’s important because when voter Helen Bartlett was born in 1897, she and those of her gender in the United States of America did not have The Right to Vote and once she had the privilege she never took it lightly.
The big deal is she knew women had been willing to die in order for her to have the freedom to make her choice not only known but also for it to count. Not only did she know of women who had suffered to give her the freedom but also she had inherited genes from one of the members of the original Continental Congress that may have stirred some held-back notion that the term “women” should have been included even at the time when her Great-Uncle Josiah Bartlett signed the Declaration of Independence that includes the phraseology, “these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” When she was 105 years old and asked by a reporter to name the most significant thing in her lifetime, her response was, "When women were given the right to vote in 1920.”
It will matter because the Nana I inherited when I married, voted in every Presidential Election beginning with her first opportunity until the current President was chosen. Whether she voted for President Bush or not, I do not know. We didn’t discuss it and now we cannot because our Nana, passed away, hard of hearing, dimming of sight, yet sharper than most of us in mind, at the amazing age of 107 years, 2 months and 25 days on January 18, 2005.
Her vote will be missed. Yet because of her I am more determined than ever that mine will be cast and mine will be counted. What about yours?

© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 10-27-08

I NEEDED A TREE!

At one point in our married life we had bought and sold three houses in four years, moved to England and back, lived in the country for a while, returned to city living, then finally after my late-bloomer husband finished college we moved to a small city in the far northern part of the state. By the time we were able to even think about buying a house I recall simply wanting "my own tree!”
During these in-between years we were raising our family of teenagers and the efforts required each time we were uprooted took something from each of us. It’s likely that my mother-heart felt the urgency to re-establish the semblance of “home” as quickly as possible with each move so when the opportunity came I desired a house of course but the need for my own tree was by then so firmly planted that the need for a tree seemed of utmost importance to me!
The house we bought turned out to be where we lived the longest in one place in our married life until our current home. An apple tree in the back yard was the answer to my unspoken prayer for a tree and fulfilled the desires of my heart just as God so long ago promised in His word: “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (NASB)
Who would have thought I needed a tree?
© Marilyn Sue Moore 9-29-08

HAVE YOU TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY LATELY?

Do we take advantage of every opportunity as soon as it is presented? If we wait too long the moment will pass along with the perfect present.
In John 9: 4 Jesus taught us, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” (NASB) and again Paul through the scriptures teaches, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10 NASB)
From the very sudden and early death of my daddy I learned and I continue to learn a little more all the time that we must never take anyone nor anything for granted, that we must always be aware and appreciative for everything whether it appears large or small in our own eyes or anyone else's.
A lesson on point was the morning I looked out our office window to see the yucca cactus that has grown so huge presently blossoming profusely. The sun was beginning to shine on portions of it and my thought was that it would make a really pretty picture so I immediately took my camera and went outside. I was bountifully rewarded.
You know, I have never liked that plant very much. Its sharp blades have poked deep into my flesh when I have tried working around it to get to the on/off nozzle of the only hose access in our front yard. Many times I have thought of asking for its removal and replacement with something less wieldy and not as likely to cause bodily harm, but just about the time I am ready to do so, out comes an additional stalk of blossoms and my resolve melts. When it was a new plant it had one attractive stalk that came out; a few months later, two appeared. Now the beauty of its flowers is winning me over with more stalks of glorious glamour every time it blooms!
This poking plant that I have wanted to banish from my yard has shown me a beautiful side that I need to remember when the blossoms have fallen. No, it won’t always be as pretty as it is today but I can choose to remember its beauty and look forward to the next time it blossoms. Maybe if I talk to it just right instead of threatening to rip it from its roots it will reward me with even more stalks of fluffy flowers in the future!
One of these days I may come up with a prize photo taken at just the right moment in time. I think I just did.
We must remember that the flowers in God’s Garden are human souls ~ far more beautiful than anything we find in the focus of the lenses of our cameras, yet also here today and gone tomorrow, so we must take advantage of every opportunity or the perfect moments will pass. And, like the times I have had with the yucca cactus, there will be times when we will want to banish these human souls from our lives because they will poke us with their sharpness and their forms of wielding will irritate us, but then out will come a stalk of beauty followed by another, and finally a whole photo will emerge that is a prize-winner. Let’s try to help this to be the prize of a soul won for the Lord! There is no greater picture.
© Marilyn Sue Moore 9-24-2008

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH LACK OF SERVICE ?

I recently heard a question posed regarding how we as Christians deal with poor service in public places. No one seemed to want to answer when asked if we should complain. I finally responded I felt we should but the manner in which we did should show we are Christians and that we stand out as far different than others who treat the same situation in a much different manner.
The impression I got was the questioner had worked with the public and tried to treat everyone as though they might be having a bad day. Due to time constraints and because others were now adding to the discussion what I didn't add was that the service person represents someone bigger than him/herself.
Because I don’t think fast on my feet, what I didn't think about at the time was the example of the regular mail delivery person who appears careless about our mail delivery. On several occasions mail that is not ours has been delivered to our locked box, an ordered and paid-for irreplaceable children's book mail addressed to and said to have been mailed to me never arrived, additional mail we know we should have had has never been in our mailbox, my husband’s prescription medication was brought to our door one day recently having been put in another's locked mailbox, etc. I am sure our mailman believes our neighborhood to be just that, a neighborhood in which neighbors will kindly take care of one another, but sadly he has misjudged a few. I don't think we should simply pat him on the back, smile and say, "Have another great day," ignoring his carelessness. Neither have we gone to his boss yet. It seems the right approach is to mention the mis-delivery to him again…as we have spoken to him about mis-delivered packages in the past...and give him a fair but firm warning because he is a friendly guy. He does seem harried and I believe he is put under a time constraint, and while medications are a bigger deal than a missing book, he still has an obligation to do his duty of accurately delivering the mail.
Should we complain? Instead of using the word “complain” perhaps to remember the definition “express dissatisfaction” would move us towards being less harsh and judgmental. Either way it seems the situation is similar to raising children: you learn to choose your battles. Is the argument over hairstyle worth it? Or is it primary to dwell on the importance of, in this situation, squarely facing the facts? In the above-described circumstance a pat on the back for a job not well done seems to me to be akin to a lie, yet as one of God’s Ambassadors, (2 Corinthians 5:20) I have a responsibility to remember to treat it as best I can as He would have me to do. A flat-out character assassination attack would benefit no one and bring great harm. My hope is the friendly yet firm and factual reproof will achieve the desired effect of correcting the situation. Therefore, my task is to look to my learning from God’s Word and follow the teachings I find there: “Conduct yourself with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let you speech always be with grace, seasoned as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.” (Colossians 4: 5-6 NASB) © Marilyn Sue Moore 9-16-08

GOD’S GIFT OF MORNING

When we lived in Maine I often looked out over the autumn-colored country fields; in Tucson I stood by my kitchen window and often mused “I look unto the hills from whence cometh my help,” (Psalm 121:1 KJV) while not so long ago on a West Texas morning I opened our office window blinds and studied the gray-blue sky to the east to see it tinged with brightening shades of lighter blue peeking through massive rose-colored ever-changing clouds scrolling across the horizon. As I stared into God’s gift of morning I contemplated the comparisons of the beauties of my life’s personal fields, hills, and ever-changing skies.
fields of color:
When I was a toddler I tended to see everything as a field ablaze with brilliant colors, something to be examined by touch, taste, smell, sat in, bounced on, walked on, looked at from a distance then with an up-close and in-person point of view! I saw beauty every way I turned and in every thing I saw. Life was exciting and nothing marred its beauty. Everything seemed to be perfect and there just for me.
hills of help:
Of course it didn’t take many youthful experiences of touching, tasting, smelling, etc., before I found myself in trouble that taught me everything was not totally perfect and that I needed to look up for help to someone bigger than I, usually my mother who was the one close by! There was that day that I climbed the shelves of a floor-to-ceiling of a side-by-side wooden cabinet in an attached shed with the intent of reaching the top to get that brown packet up there. I was sure it was a filled inner lining of a Kool-Aid® packet. (During those years they were double-packaged: decorative outside much like today but a brown paper-lining packet inside.) I loved anything that was sweet and I aimed to get it. I got it. I am not sure how my mother found out but before I got much more than a bitter taste and a bad stain in and around my mouth, I quickly learned the packet I had worked so hard to get was clothing dye! It’s a good thing my mother was on the alert and appeared in time to help but it’s also no wonder her hair turned white at an early age. My mother was a little lady but she was also a mountain of help that many looked up to with expectation of answers for many questions, myself included.
skies changing:
Life changes like the colors in the skies. Sometimes we love looking at the colors in our life changes; sometimes we dread the storm-clouds we see at a distance or up close. During my youth I clung to my mother and developed an unreasonable fear of her death I suppose because she had many ailments. The shock came when I was twenty-seven when my mother called with the news that at not quite fifty-seven, “Daddy’s gone.” A massive heart attack with no obvious warning had taken my daddy. My youthful fears about my mother’s untimely death were unfounded…she lived to be nearly ninety-two years of age. That was a good lesson to me that we should not worry about the troubles of tomorrow (Matthew 7:34). Daddy’s early death was a release from his worldly cares and concerns. He didn’t have to live on in an impaired body which could have been the alternative and he was ready to meet his Father. The years of my mother’s widowhood gave our family time to learn more about the needs of the aging, things we couldn’t learn from books no matter how hard we tried. Whether we find youthful anticipation or aging affliction in life’s changing skies we can learn to choose to rejoice in God’s Gift of Morning.
morning:
Morning…generally thought of as the start of a new day. There is a very special start of a new day coming: ”But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Jesus ~ Matthew 24:36 (NASB)
On That Morning the gifts from each of these past mornings - fields of color, hills of help, the changing skies – will have done their jobs and be in the past - and at that moment we will truly understand The Gift of Morning.© Marilyn Sue Moore September 15, 2008

A DAY TO REMEMBER

Yesterday, 9-11-2008, was a day to remember the fallen of 9-11-2001. How many times did you hear the message reverberate, “We don’t want to forget those who were lost”? The question that came to my mind leading up to that day of remembrance and throughout it is, do we as God’s Children remember the fallen simply as snuffed-out lives (which is certainly great loss) or do we recognize them as eternal-bound souls?
Years ago a Korean Air Liner went down and what I witnessed on TV has stayed with me as an example of what grief with no hope is. The television showed mourners bowed down to the ground wailing in the deepest sorrow I have ever seen or heard before or since. It was almost a physical force that struck me with the sad realization of their seeming to not know God nor the power of the resurrection! At that moment the souls of those on board the downed aircraft came to my mind and I realized those souls should have been my first thought!
The point is that we as Christians seem to let the world dictate that the emphasis lie on physical life which, while of great importance, is simply a means of transporting our souls to eternity. The sooner we get that image implanted in our minds the more likely we will be to realize the importance of remembering that there is a great day coming* and not only do we need our souls to be ready but we also need to be doing all we can to help our families, friends, and neighbors ready their souls as well!
Is it a day you will remember?
© Marilyn Sue Moore 9-12-2008
*I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Sarah Palin

I received a very interesting article about Sarah Palin, the choice John McCain has made for his Vice-Presidential running mate candidate. As a result I am left with even stronger feelings that we MUST PRAY for Sarah Palin and her family during this trying time in their lives. Much of the press seems determined to vilify Sarah Palin and her family but I wonder if she is a modern-day Esther.
That being in my thoughts, my thoughts as a mother came to the fore as well! With all the activities foisted upon her in sudden flurry, Sarah’s mother-heart must long for time...time to be with her 19-year-old son who is about to leave for Iraq...and time to simply hug away the hurts of her 17-year-old daughter as she faces and continues to face not only the results of her own choices but also those of Sarah's being chosen for this very public position. Mothers are like that and I don't doubt for one second that Sarah is a mother.
Sarah’s being the age of our youngest daughter with children in the age categories of our grandchildren perhaps brought these feelings more to light than otherwise would have occurred. My nature is that of a "fixer" and my desire for an "instant fix" was to wonder if Sarah's mom might help with the nurturing of the soon-to-be-married daughter who will need the welcoming hug of an older woman when Sarah will of necessity be unavailable during these hectic weeks while the press continues coming down hard on everyone in their whole family.
My thoughts continued to progress in this fashion: In regard to Sarah and her family if she is a modern-day Esther the press and those with political power would do well to be aware of and apply the following scripture from one far wiser than I, said to be respected by all the people…his name was Gamaliel:
“And he said to them, ‘Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men…So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.’”
(Gamaliel’s counsel found in Acts 5:33-40 NASB)
© Marilyn Sue Moore 9-3-2008

MORNING MUSINGS

I’ve been reading another book in a series by a favored author and during some sleepless early morning hours I lay musing over why I like her writing style so much. It was then the lightbulb turned on brighter than usual and I realized it’s partly because her characters have repetitious traits that remain constant. “Ah, ha!” to quote her main character! And I am a person who is extremely resistant to change!
As I thought a bit more deeply I realized those are the exact traits that made children’s stories so appealing to me…I always asked Mamma to read the same one or two stories every night, never wavering to the right or to the left.
In a world that changes daily those stories and characters were always constant, never changing, dependable. Today as I read and follow the antics of these particular people, the same holds true of their traits:
always constant, never changing, dependable.
Summed up in a word:
GODLIKE!
©Marilyn Sue (Libby)Moore July 30, 2008

A STORY

As the young man who comes by to maintain our yard edged our lawn yesterday, a rock flew up, hit a window in our van, and before he could look up, the window had shattered into a plethora of pieces of tinted tones of toasted tans that could be used for millions of mosaic tiles should he have been so inclined…which at the moment he was not! He was really distraught and with head and shoulders hung low he slowly walked to our front door to tell my husband what had happened. As the hours in between have come and gone time has brought the following tale to mind as a reminder that there are some things far more important than a broken window in a vehicle…
Grandmothers are supposed to be proud of their grandchildren, right? I am no exception to the rule and with several grandchildren I have a variety of stories I could tell but for the moment I have decided to zero in on only one that stretches back over a matter of a few years.
When our grandson was ten years old he was hit in the eye with a rock thrown from the hand of his good friend. One evening the children were waiting on the school playground while their parents were having a meeting in the cafeteria. The kids had all been throwing rocks “just for fun” when our grandson said he realized it was a game that could be dangerous so he had stopped, gone to the swings, and then it happened. Of course it was not intentional but the damage to his eye was permanent leaving our grandson with a blown pupil and a lens so badly damaged it had to be surgically removed a few weeks later. Because of his age a permanent lens implant was not feasible so a prescription contact lens is in use until he becomes an adult. Good news cheered us all when we learned that the retina remained intact and he slowly began to regain his vision even though at the beginning it was fuzzy and blurry. Since he loves sports the use of safety glasses is mandatory, but again we maintain thankfulness that he is able to take part in the things he loves to do. Now at sixteen he has earned the right and privilege to have his driver’s license and his plan for the summer is to attend a Drum Line Camp that I assume is run by the University of Oklahoma where he and his dad spend every possible opportunity on the sidelines observing the pre-home-game practice sessions in Norman. (One of the pictures at the OU site shows our grandson as an observer behind the drum line!) Yes, I am a proud Grandma!
…and so you can see why a broken window that can so easily be replaced means so little in the big picture. We have had many lessons in life as to what really matters and while the number of lessons may not yet add up to creating the full mosaic tile, we are well on our way.

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done...
The things you planned for us...too many to declare.”
Psalms 40:5

©Marilyn Sue Moore 5-22-08

THE LESSON OF THE IRIS

These pictures were taken from our yard as I aimed my camera into our neighbor's floral display yesterday! I missed the opportunity last year because the days of beauty are so brief and when I saw the blossoms appear a few days ago I determined it would not be so this year! I was busy around but all of a sudden yesterday I decided, "This is the day!" so I took the pictures, came in and played with my photo program, printed some copies and took to the neighbor who planted the iris. She was so appreciative and I was able to tell her she has given a gift to my husband since purple iris is his favorite flower! I added my thought that this way she could enjoy her flowers all year long!
The amazing thing about the iris is that in comparison the beauty was blighted today; the freshness of the "Look at me!" was replaced with limp petals still well formed as they hung on and blew in the wind. The change came swiftly just as I had known it would so I am thankful I paid heed to the lesson of last year's loss!
The beauty of the iris is a lesson for life: we need to take advantage of the God-given moments in appreciation of the now because all too soon these moments will be past. Say, “I love you,” now. Make the phone call today. See if you can beat the mailman to the box with your outgoing get-well card/note-of-encouragement before he puts the incoming junk mail in there! Don’t wait until tomorrow…

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” James 4:13-14 (NKJV)
© Marilyn Sue Moore 4-15-08

“IN THE WORLD YOU HAVE TRIBULATION, BUT TAKE COURAGE…”

It is always a concern when I learn of a young woman, particularly a young mother, who has developed breast cancer or some other devastating ailment. My mind rather swiftly goes back to how my major goal in life was to be THE ONE to raise my children and the feelings of empathy wash through me with the surge of an overflowing river.
However, I also know God had a plan for us before the beginning of the world because He knew our needs even before He created the world or us!!! (Ephesians 1:4) This truth along with Psalm 139:13-16 teaches us that He knew us and planned our days before He knit us together in the wombs of our mothers. Having had the experience of learning to knit I so appreciate that analogy, although in my knitting I have dropped some stitches and many of mine were uneven, definitely not an attribute of God's work since we are fearfully and wonderfully made! We can know that God is in control in all of life if we allow Him to be whether we perceive times as good or bad. While we often have a tendency to look at any disappointing news with discouragement so much that appears impossible can be overcome with God. (Luke 18:27)
Just as happened to my brand new red-orange sweater on the first day of school one year, we will develop snags in our lives that seem to mar its beauty; however, my mother used a crochet hook to pull the offending loose yarn inside, then she smoothed the tightened area around the snag fixing it so it didn’t look so bad anymore. While my mom did a neat job, God is a far better mender of all that is in disrepair in our lives spiritually and physically from the inside out! And just as with the sweater snag, the repair did not completely remove the reminder and sometimes in life there are tribulations that man cannot remove and God says, “No,” about doing so. That is the time we have choices to make; we can choose to be a child who throws a temper tantrum to try to get our own way or one who goes to Him to rest in His Word filled with so much hope and so many promises. We know that James 5:16b states that “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much,” so let us pursue righteousness (I Timothy 6:11b) like never before and pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17) while we remember and rest in Jesus’ words in John 16:33b (NASB):
“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world!”
©Marilyn Sue Moore 4-16-08

CAROUSEL HORSES AND MERRY-GO-ROUNDS

This morning I thought I was awake but I must have been in a state between awake and asleep because when I did wake I realized I had just had a vision of an absolutely beautiful carousel with lots of gold filigree. It wasn’t particularly large so I think it must have been an ornamental one and why I would have seen such I have no idea except I am partial to pastel carousel horses, particularly if they have pearly paint and prancing poses!
Once I was really up I wondered why that image was so clearly imprinted on my mind that it lingered in memory far longer than most dreams or visions of that kind. Most seem to be passing moments, brief then gone forever from my thoughts. I decided it might have something to consider in regard to life.
I led a pretty sheltered life as a little girl. I lived in a small village community and seldom traveled further than 15-20 miles from there. As I grew a bit older, there were times when our family went to the city of Bangor and the surrounding areas. By the time I was ten we had moved to Bangor and there was an amusement park outside the city where there was a merry-go-round. Ten years old in 1949 was not as mature for me as ten years old is for my grandson in 2008. I was still very much a child and when given the opportunity to ride the pretty carousel horses I was afraid! Instead, I rode the bench seats every time while wishing I were brave enough to get on the horses for the full enjoyment of the ride.
As these thoughts wandered through my memories this morning I decided this was a good lesson about life. We are given opportunities that some take as the joys of life as does my grandson with any ride he can get on at any amusement park he can get to! Others see fearsome challenges as I did the riding of those very simple carousel horses. I can look back now and see the senseless fear held by the little girl sitting on the bench not getting the full enjoyment of the ride when I had the opportunity, while at the same time I see my grandson giving life all he has to give and getting so much out of it!
If I had taken advantage of the opportunity to tell my parents of my fear and why, I am sure they would have helped me work through it; I would have gained confidence and maturity along with the enjoyment that would have served me well in many follow-on areas in my life. Coming right down to it, the lesson is that this is how we, God’s children, need to be with Him: to talk with Him about our fears, not hesitating because of some childish, immature embarrassment (He knows anyway!), and let Him help us work through the insecurities knowing that “I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NASB)
Try it and enjoy the ride. It will be the best of your life!
© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 3-5-08

ETERNAL SPRING!

Spring. A time of new beginnings. Lots of things have been written about it so this is not the first nor will it be the last but at least this should be different.
A few moments ago I spoke with a friend whose wife passed away last evening. I asked if he had been able to be with her. He had. I told him I knew how important that had to be as I relayed to him the many questions I didn’t have to ask because they were already answered by my being with my mother during the time of her passing.
Also as I had read the following scriptural assurance to her on March 1, 1996, I was able to remind him of the same, because God does not change (Malachi 3:6). Spring is a time for new beginnings and when we pass from this life we go on to the place Jesus promised that He has prepared for us. In John 14:1-6, He teaches, "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
Spring…a time for new beginnings…don’t you wonder exactly what He has planned for us besides those dwelling places? When we leave this earth we are rather like those wrinkly, ugly, dried, crumbly, drab brown daffodil, tulip, iris, and many other kinds of bulbs that are placed in the ground and left there for a season. As God’s children we do not grieve as those who have no hope! (I Thessalonians 4:13b) The storms of life have no bad effects on the bulbs that are now altogether out of the hands of the living; they have been placed in God’s care alone and He has been continuing His creative processes of Eternal Spring as He prepares our places for us. And in that Eternal Spring these old bulbs will become brilliant beauties of many variations, always fresh, never fading, forever reflecting the bright light of the Son! Oh! Can you even begin to imagine what He is preparing for us there?
Eternal Spring where death is swallowed up in victory!
“But thanks be to God,

who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I Corinthians 15:57 (NASB)
©Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 3-4-08

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

News coming into our home during the past weeks has not been that good. It’s not that we always expect everything to be nothing but good news but things seem to be a little skewed to the wrong side of the scales lately.
Young parents tend to think when the children have grown that the concerns for their well-being will lessen. I am here to tell you that is definitely not so! The parental responsibilities lessen but many of the concerns remain those of a mom and a dad. Flu bugs, job changes and/or needs, houses sold and bought, children/grandchildren born and adopted, breaking bones, developing life-threatening ailments…all these and more. Does it really matter if the children are 3, 30, or 40? We’re still parents no matter how old we are and they are still our kids no matter how old they are! And if the news is dire we want to do what we can to help. When there is good news we want to join the celebration!
Friends of our generation are developing severe health issues: some illnesses can be helped by rather severe surgical procedures, others require long-term treatments that are often worse than the ailment’s symptoms had so far produced, making the patient wonder which was the better choice to have made.
Other friends are losing several family members and longtime friends in death within a short period of time, leaving them feeling there is no one left to talk to who understands the time of life when patriotism was high on the agenda in everyone’s mind, freedom to roam the countryside without fear of molestation of any kind was true freedom, water was free of pollution, people were never too busy to be helpful to a neighbor. Sound like “pie in the sky” to you? Just talk with some of the folks who lived through the Depression Era and you might be surprised at what they can tell you.
World news that invades our homes through multiple sources is certainly not particularly encouraging nor is the current ongoing battle of mud-slinging on the homefront.
Have you ever wondered what you would do if you ruled the world? Thankfully I never even played with the idea knowing it is way beyond anything I could begin to imagine, but I do know Who is ultimately in control and I have always been thankful to be able to leave it in His hands. He is patient allowing us freedom to choose our various paths all the while desiring that no one perish. (“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 NASB) I wonder how He remains so patient but He is God. I am not.
More comfort is summed up in the few words that Jesus spoke to His disciples that can be applied directly to the state of the trials and tribulations in our lives today as well:
“…in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b NASB)
©Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 2-25-08

WHAT ABOUT THOSE POLITICAL CARTOONS AND STORIES?

Political stories and cartoons are always with us on any wavelength and in any print form imaginable. The question that has been on my mind lately is, “What are we going to do about them?” You may or may not have noticed but in the upper right hand corner of our site there has been a poll that needs a simple click answer…no signing in…just a click to show your preference…but only one person has answered it in the past two weeks. Yet, I still ask, “What are we going to do about them?”
You may question why it is so important to me. After all, aren’t they just funny things we share and aren’t some statements of true facts? And aren’t we supposed to be alerted to what is true and what is not regarding the people we put in office? Yet how do we know if the comments we are passing along are true or just things written to raise a ruckus? And aren’t the cartoons just plain funny, not really hurtful or believable, something that even the candidates would laugh at about themselves?
Recently an e-mail came into my box that had some factual information that had made news headlines in the past, along with some facts that I didn’t check out because I didn’t plan to pass the piece along. It wasn’t very long until another e-message came railing at the sender of that particular piece. Following almost immediately came an answering message stating that a relative of this sender always enjoyed a good joke. It seems that just that one piece prompted one person to see it as somewhat newsworthy while another found it very offensive yet another found the same thing humorous. All the same words, all written about the same politicians, and only the author knows for sure whether it was meant to inform or as a piece of political satire.
What are we going to do about these political commentaries? It seems to me we need to take a more serious approach than we sometimes do by seeking what God’s Word tells us about those in governmental authority. (I know the candidates are not necessarily those in authority but consider the reasoning…the WHY…behind God’s teachings as well as the WHAT…His Word.) One scripture that stands out is headlined in my Bible as: A Call to Prayer in I Timothy 2:1-4 (NASB): “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
What are we going to do about those political cartoons and stories? It seems we need to proceed with caution and remember that as the Children of God we are to be different, to make a difference, and with God’s guidance apply His wisdom to determine what’s trash, what’s newsworthy, what’s funny, and most of all to remember what “is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” This means even the politicians and those who write about them.
© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 2-19-08

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET OUR ATTENTION?

Yesterday morning we were studying about Jesus’ feeding of five-thousand men plus women and children from Matthew 14:13-21 in our Bible Study. The teacher said, “If that happened today it’d have to get your attention.” I wonder…
In 1964 when our three children were young we were blessed to live next door to an elderly couple who had never had children but loved little ones dearly. Their names were Alice and Jack but she was affectionately referred to as “Bunky” so our children were allowed to call them Bunky and Jack. It was like having built-in grandparents living right beside us and our discussions during our times together were much like that of family.
One memorable occasion that stands out among many was the day when discussion of space travel came up and Bunky declared, “Oh, those Hollywood movie men are just making those pictures to fool us, making up those pictures on a movie stage somewhere, not real at all!” What she had seen, she had not believed. Granted, she had not seen Freedom 7 in person but television coverage provided ample opportunity of believable footage. Would seeing Freedom 7 at the Space Museum in Washington, D.C. have convinced her? Perhaps. Perhaps not. She was not ready to believe what she saw.
There are times when we see things occur when we say, “I can’t believe my eyes!” although we know we really saw what we saw! Truly amazing things happen every day, some of which we ignore and take for granted. For example, have we noticed the newly opening leaves on the trees here in our city this past week or the fact that daylight comes to greet each morning and night closes each day? Do those things get our attention?
In order to get our attention do we actually have to see Jesus feed the five-thousand men plus the women and children or are we like Bunky when she truly believed the movie producers were making up things to fool us? What does it take to get our attention?
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
(Romans 10:17 NASB)

© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 2-18-08

TRANSIENTS AMBASSADORS

Transients: that’s what we are on this earth. I was reminded of it once again a few days ago when dear friends announced they’d be moving away. Their telling brought back memories of the many moves my family and I have made and an observation our then eighteen-year-old daughter made, “Why is life so full of so many goodbyes?” The only answer I had for her at that time was, “We just don’t notice the hellos as much.”
Why don’t we notice the “hellos” as much? Is it because as transients we don’t expect the relationships to last? Is it because we fear investing our hearts in relationships, knowing we’ll have to say goodbye and we don’t want to hurt? Developing long-term friendships can be viewed as something to be avoided or, as worth the pain of knowing we will eventually have to say “Goodbye.” Everyone knows goodbyes are pain-filled moments but to think of all the happiness we’ll miss if we choose to avoid the hellos seems unthinkable and perhaps just a bit selfish.
Back to “Why is life so full of so many goodbyes?” After the announcement of one of our sooner-than-expected transfers, I said to the wife of one of our elder’s, “I think I really understand quite well what it means to be a transient on this earth so I don’t understand why God keeps moving me around!” She responded, “Maybe He just wants you in lots of different places.” With those few softly spoken words and such assurance from her heart, I felt very special and the message was implanted in my heart with each additional move! If at that time I had been really listening to what I already knew was in His Word, the following particular personally marked scripture would have stood out as it clearly stated exactly why God had sent me here and there as my sister-in-Christ described using different words. 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NASB) says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Wow! Pay attention to the gems!
As I think back over the transience of my own life, it’s been quite a trip! The people I have met along the way have added so much richness to my soul and the real blessing is that the goodbyes of so many have not been permanent. Some have gone on to Glory. If we never see so many others on this earth again Heaven is where we will all meet one day. Yes, I miss the ones with whom I no longer have contact because of death or through some lost addresses but the ones I truly sorrow are the ones who have chosen to walk away from God, because those are the real goodbyes; yet I so look forward to meeting our loved ones in Heaven and being completely aware of each and every “Hello!”

© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 2-13-08

GRACE

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14 KJV)
This scripture quoted and the thoughts expressed as recently as eight days ago by a woman in our adult Bible Class on a Sunday morning not only brought a fond recollection of my mother’s frequently repeating the same passage, but presented it from a slightly different angle.
I’d always thought of it from the point of view as the beginning words state, “Let the words of my mouth…be acceptable in Thy sight...” conveniently casting aside the remainder of the verse. Even though I was fully aware of the words apparently I chose to not hear them until that day last week…
Our teacher asked, “What are your temptations?” Our oldest member, age one-hundred-and-one, raised her hand. The teacher approached where she sat so he could hear her more clearly and use the microphone to repeat her words. She answered, “My thoughts.” She then went on to quote the above verse with the explanation that the meditation of our heart means our thoughts.
Since I had used my selective hearing regarding that verse even with the knowledge of how many times I’d heard the quote from my own mother’s lips, I sat there in stunned amazement at what I had been missing for all of my sixty-eight years!
I had chosen my favorite verse regarding my thoughts, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7a KJV) and in doing so how many others had I tuned out? So many times I read passages I am thoroughly familiar with and realize I am seeing something for the first time. In this case, I really heard something for the first time from a completely familiar scripture. My lessons? I ought not hurry through my scripture reading. I must take time to consider each phrase with meaning. With this lesson in mind can there be any question as to why we are told to “Study…” as discussed in the first message on this site?
Also we can so easily see why we are to “appeal to the older women as mothers” (I Timothy 5:2 NASB) and no matter how old I get, I delight in benefiting from the wisdom, pure love, and hugs from Godly older women.
Let us celebrate all the older women who have enriched our lives and today join me in wishing a very Happy Birthday to our dear Sister Grace who is celebrating 102 years!
Written to honor our Lord
and to thank Him for you, Grace,
and for the years He is giving you!
© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 2-11-08

GENERATIONS OF SMILES

I don’t know how many years my husband’s grandparents were married but it brings a few smiles to recall some of the tales Nana told us when we were young and contemplating our marriage.
One of the stories that remains precious and almost unimaginable knowing Nana as the sedate wife of a minister, great student of the Bible, and wonderful gentle lady of distinction she came to be, was about how she, as a young woman actually purposely dropped her handkerchief as she traveled on a train in order to catch the attention of the gentleman who became her husband!
Another tale she told that stood out in my mind from the day she told it was about how shocked she was soon after their marriage when she realized it was up to her to use her own hands to wash out his soiled socks! No dozens of pairs of socks in those times or automatic washers, girls!
I suppose one story that many minister’s wives can relate to and the closest I ever heard as a faint murmur of complaint from Nana’s lips came when she told of an occasion when she had at least three little girls hanging around her skirts while being the one responsible for all the boiled potatoes for a church potluck. She said she wondered why it had to be her job just because she was the preacher’s wife! Couldn’t people see she had her hands full with those little girls? She smiled as she recalled spouting off (my words, I don’t recall hers) to her husband about it and I can imagine him giving her shoulders a bit of a squeeze as he answered, “You gotta love ‘em, Mama.” She had overcome the feelings of frustration a very long time before she told that story but she had never forgotten how it felt to be a young mother trying to do so many things because it was expected of her. She carried that understanding into her mature years and I believe she helped Grampie see through new eyes how difficult it was for young moms at times as well.
Our dear Nana was with us through her 107th year of life, past the 48th anniversary of our marriage. She loved to recall the part she and Grampie played in our marriage as well as the fact that it was in their home where he performed the ceremony and she played “Here Comes the Bride” on the piano as I descended the front stairs into their living room.
All of these memories brought smiles to her heart as she followed the admonition “to teach what is good” (Titus 2:3b) at every opportunity she had with me through word and deed in all those years.
Now my smiles are mingled with hers.
© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 2-7-08

DAILY DIAMONDS

Why do we as women of God allow the teachings of the world and/or the actions/reactions of other people permeate our deepest beings to the point of allowing ourselves to feel so invaluable as human beings? I have been pondering this question and what I can do about it since it came to light so obviously with reader responses to the article “I’M INVISIBLE”.
I cannot even begin to suggest that I have all the answers but one thought that comes to mind is that we MUST allow the LOVE and THE WORD of GOD be what permeates our very beings; we have to spend more time dwelling on HIS TRUTHS. That said I understand that time is in short supply but WHO gives us our time? THANK HIM! His Word tells us to, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) I do believe if we spent more time in HIS WORD we would better understand how valuable we are. If we allowed a few pertinent scriptures such as John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” and John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” to soak into our souls like water into a sponge, and kept refilling our spongy souls with the WATER OF LIFE, we would most likely feel a whole lot more valuable and visible, regardless of what we perceive and react to, from the world inside and outside our homes.

~
DAILY DIAMONDS
We are Daily Diamonds
Sometimes buried beneath the sod
But never so far under
That we’re not seen by God.
~
He is our Creator…
His hand is ever near
To help us and to hold us,
To wipe away a tear.
~
Sometimes our path seems weary
When the same old road we tread
And the dust of coal is lying
All over face and head.
~
But the Great Diamond Cutter
Knows just where to trim;
He sends the Living Water
And we’re no longer dim.
~
We shine with eternal beauty,
We sparkle in Living Light;
We are Daily Diamonds ~
We’ve passed through the dark night.
~
© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 2-5-08