GUILTY

OK, so here's the thing. I was driving home from Paris on Tuesday and for the first half of the trip I had my praise music on. Got me in the mood to pray, so I turned it off and prayed for the next half of the trip. As I took my exit on Ridge Road, I whizzed off that interstate in full solo praise mode when I looked in my rear view mirror to see the flashing lights of Rockwall's finest - a motorcycle policeman!

I quickly (57 in a 45) moved off the access road to a parking lot and whipped into a parking place. I put down my window, grabbed my insurance card and had the biggest smile on my face - yes, a smile - and yes, I wasn't upset. I handed him that card as he showed me my SIN - right there on his little handheld radar contraption - bigger than Dallas - 57 in a 45. I laughed and said, "I had just exited off the freeway and was just happily singing to the Lord." He said, "Happy, huh?" "Singing to the Lord," I said. "And I guess He is telling me to slow down." He said, "You think you can." "Yes, sir!" says I. And then he thanks me for being courteous. I started laughing and said, "Thank you for being so nice because I deserved a ticket!"

I want to tell you....my heart never even sped up. I was tickled about the whole thing. I was GUILTY as sin. I knew it. He knew it. He had the evidence. I saw it on the dashboard. I deserved the ticket. Wasn't even upset about getting one. D E S E R V E D a ticket. For some reason, he left me off.

I don't think it was because he thought I was cute. He might have been 20 and he was darling. Could have been one of my boys. Truly wanted to pinch his cute little cheeks. Thought about my precious little Josh who is a policeman. I digress.

ANYWAY.....point is. It's Easter week. GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY. All of us. As sin. And for some reason - beyond the fact that He made us and thinks we're cute - God sent His Son to give us a pardon. Getting off made me happy. Made me grateful. Made me want to give that cute little guy a hug.

Getting saved makes me joy-filled. Makes me grateful. Makes me want to praise and worship Jesus as long as I have breath!!!

We got off!!!! He took the punishment. You and me - we're free to live. I could have taken advantage of the privilege and driven like - well, hell. But that would have been a huge disservice to my sweet and generous friend (he's my friend now - Officer Johnson is his name). No, not me. I will try my best to abide by the speed limit (unless I get lost in my praising again).

Same with the life of a believer. We are free to live like - well, hell. But that would be putting to shame the grace Jesus died to give us. Nope. Not going to do it. Oh, like the speed limit thing - I will mess up again. No doubt about it. I have a heavy foot and a penchant for sinning. But I sure don't want to.

Easter. What a wonderfully joyous time! Forgiven. Pardoned. Ransomed. Redeemed. A do-over. A fresh start. A rebirth. All because we are His.

Glory to His name!

BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW

Trees are budding, doves are cooing, daylight savings time has been initiated and there is a new warmth to the air - yes - it's almost spring! It seems like overnight brown and naked gives way to green and leafy. But it isn't overnight. It is a gradual process that takes attention to appreciate. I believe that is why Jesus said - "behold." It means to take the time to look. Don't just take for granted that spring is coming. Experience it!

So many of us were anxious for winter to end. Winter symbolizes death and barrenness. But it also signifies a time of rest. Winter is necessary. It takes lots of effort to be reborn. The trees and flowers must dig deep and pull up from their root systems. They have to push up through the dirt and toward the sun.

The same is true for believers. There is a time of rest that is good and necessary but there is a time to shake off the lethargy and push toward the Son. To pay attention. Where is God at work around you? What has He gifted you to do? Where is the need? How are you fitted to accommodate it?

In the last five years we have experienced the homegoing of our son, my dad, my mom and my stepdad. Just yesterday our daughter-in-law's father unexpectedly joined them. This has been a long winter. For us. I told Billy last night if I did not know without a doubt how much better heaven was I would say we were cursed. But that is vision-less thinking. Instead I choose to focus on rebirth. Those that I love so much are experiencing what you and I should be living for.

Colossians says to set your mind on things above where Christ is. That would be heaven. We are to live for heaven. It is our goal - our reward. C. S. Lewis says that those who live for heaven are the most useful to this earth. Our goal is not cars, jewels, wealth and material possessions. Nor is it to live forever. Our goal is to hear 'well done!' To live in such a way that lives are changed because of our lives touching theirs.

"Behold" - pay attention. Spring is a gift and a symbol of living! Bear fruit for Him. It is the sign that you are living. Push toward the Son. He wants to make you and me into something new! Not just reworked or upgraded - new! So let's begin today to see the budding of growth in ourselves and those around us and to nurture it. Let's be sensitive to the warmth of the Spirit's touch to ours and fan the flames. May this spring be the beginning of a new day for us. A life lived with eternity in mind.

Tribute to a Great Man

My parents divorced after 28 years of marriage and after two single years my mom married Shelby. He was 12 years her senior but had started a family late so marrying her made him an automatic Grandaddy! He never let her or us forget it! :)

We all called him Grandaddy. His first and last words to all us girls would be, "Sure do love you sweetheart!" Always.

He was the busiest man I've ever known. My mom was slow to make decisions, slow to change and he was exactly the opposite. You just had to speak the thought and he was out the door and at Lowe's. He was the best and fastest painter you've ever seen. He picked pecans for mother, my sister and me every single year for as long as I can remember and he always said, "Sherrie doesn't know that these come in shells." Truly I did not. :)

He was also a meticulous gardener. He could be found on the hottest Temple days trimming the edges of his grass with SCISSORS! No joke. He climbed trees well into his 80's with my mom screaming at him from the house. He got restless leg syndrome and when it bothered him he would just hop up and go sweep the driveway. Can't tell you how many mornings he woke me up at 4:30 am!

One day I was taking him to the dr at the VA Hospital and we drove around forever - and that is no exaggeration - until he told me we could use the valet parking for free! I hit him on the arm and then as we walked in I hit him again for good measure. He said, "I'm going to have to stop by the ER!" He was so funny.

He took care of my mom like nothing you've ever seen. Brought her coffee every morning and that last day he was by her side when she passed on to heaven. He said to her as they rolled her away for the last time, "I'll be right behind you darling."

So now he has gone on to his heavenly reward. Don't guess there will be any painting in heaven but I sure bet he is working the gardens! Perhaps he's just gathering bouquets for when "his girls" come. I know this - he isn't missing us! He's healthy and happy and dancing and singing and praising God and in his timing, we'll be there soon.

We sure do love you Grandaddy! And we sure will miss you......but we'll see you soon.