Proverbs 8:17 says, “I love them that love Me, and those that seek Me shall find me early.” This was the message embroidered on canvas and given to me on Christmas Eve by neighbor and Sister In Christ, Mae Starr. Her given name is something entirely different. Mae Starr of Texas is her inner talent name that she uses for art and especially embroidery. She drew this and then embroidered it. These are the kind of gifts that mean so much to me.
Find Mae Starr’s Boutique with embroidery, vintage fabric, patterns and surprises at:
How perfect was the timing because as you know my sister did leave early and she did seek Him and I know that she found Him. What a comfort to know that! Thank you, Mae, for reminding me of that and giving such a beautiful and comforting gift.
Elementary school was where I acquired my knowledge of Christmas Carols from the music teacher, Mrs. Shirley Wiggins, who was graceful, elegant and had a sixth sense for kids who needed her. I was one of those kids and she allowed me to perform in her choir of which there were tryouts. It took two or three tries for me and I know she helped me along. In her wisdom, she didn’t just choose the popular, well dressed or smart kids. She chose the under dogs. I love her for that and remember her to this day.
Immense talent, vision and patience is an understatement to describe Mrs. Wiggins. Somehow she could take a band of rag tag elementary kids, a piano, a cafegymatorium (that’s a cafeteria used as gym turned into a theatrical emporium) and shape it into a theatrical production with costumes, music and a musical score. We had lines that would render a present day elementary schooler dumbfounded. She demanded the best and we willingly gave it. Choir we were not. According to her, we were the Durkee Performing Chorus complete with initialed robes in green and white. Perform we did, in shopping malls and nursing homes, all across Houston. That would never happen today, and I am so grateful it happened to me. Today, Mrs. Wiggins would not tolerate the new tolerance that is slowly eradicating songs that give the true meaning of Christmas. Wherever you are Mrs. Wiggins, it is to your credit that these songs are engraved on my heart and brain and I sing them now.
Silent Night
Silent Night, Holy Night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent Night, Holy Night
O Christmas Tree!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
Thou bidst us true and faithful be,
And trust in God unchangingly.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
O Christmas Tree
My favorite and originally intended to be sung year round as an hymn, “O Come All Ye Faithful”, is the truest form of worship to be sung.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 109:4-5
I am thankful for the next generation. My sons are a lot older now, but I still treasure their childhood endeavors to celebrate Thanksgiving. We bring these out every year to their dismay. God is so good!
Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5
Brett's Pumpkin and Story of Pumpkin the Skate Boarder
At a crossroad in my life, I picked up a small wooden plaque with these words: “Neglect NOT the gift that is in you!” ( I- Timothy 4:14). The word ‘not’ was capitalized and it was the perfect message for me or so I thought. I had a small interior design business and two small boys. We were stressed and frustrated all the time with the schedule of it all. I persevered with this scripture. After all, I was to “Neglect NOT” the gift that was my God-given capacity to see and implement a room fully decorated, before it was done, from floor to ceiling in color with texture and pattern. Right?
Wrong! Dead wrong, I was, and it sent us on a downward spiral. Then; one day, in one of those moments when you are crying out to the Lord and asking why or why not, I decided to look that scripture up. Lo, and Behold, the meaning of the gift was not me — it was The Word. Here it is in full context:
I Timothy 4:11 – 16
These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in the Word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things: give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
Since I had not had the eldership lay hands on me to receive my gift, nor was I a prophet, I felt ashamed at how incredibly self-centered of me to think automatically that the scripture was completely about me. “The gift” was The Word. I allowed myself to be deceived through my own lack of knowledge. These verses were packed full of what I was to be doing with “the gift”. I started to pursue The Word, not without letting my own gift die, and on that journey my sons and my husband have come to know God with me. To God Be The Glory!!!
Many times since then I have heard scriptures given out of context to mean what that person wants it to mean. One in particular is: “Money is the root of all evil”. Implying, we are to get rid of money as fast as we can; or, at the very least, treat it like evil. Read the scripture:
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
It is the LOVE of and not the money itself that is evil. Big difference from what is so freely quoted today. Pray and start reading the whole chapter or better yet the whole book and find what The Word has to say. I will close with the verse that Paul has written to admonish Timothy.
1 Timothy 6:20-21
O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called — knowledge. By professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.
Then you shall call and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, “Here I AM”.
“If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness. If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall shine in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Those from among you shall Build the old waste places; you shall Raise Up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. Isaiah 58:9-12
Praise God!
“Springs of Water — Without Fail” Blanchard Springs, Arkansas
