An Assemblage of Graces

To cradle a newborn infant,

To hear a song for the first time and it brings me to tears,

To drive toward the shore and smell the first hint of the salty air

To witness one person come along side another with comfort and compassion

O to be comforted!

The first bite of a meal prepared for you, the aroma prepared your glands.

A story told with passion;

words meant only for you;

Commitment reaffirmed.

Swimming in a sea of hope,

Helpless!

Sipping the first hot cup,

Cool breezes after the heat,

Sun catching and settings glorious.

Your smiling and dancing eyes,

The curve of your face and light of your countenance,

The sound of your voice.

Beholding!

Laughter contagious,

Kindness in trouble

Love in the midst of war

At the center of the storm - peace

Joy not denying the pain,

Thoughtful!

© Catherine Mullaney 2011

WARNING: SHARPER THAN ANY DOUBLE EDGE SWORD

John 5 verse 39

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life”

Over the last year many changes have happened in the lives of the Mullaney Pilgrims. (Makes me think that it is time for an update perhaps) For today I want to just stick with one of the changes in my own pilgrimage in a return to scripture memory. There are many scriptures that encourage us to hide the Word in our heart (Psalm 119;11), sharpen our Sword (Ephesians 6;17) understand that these words of the Lord are alive, active and sharper than any two edged sword (Heb 4;12), meditate on the Law day and night(Josh 1;8 Ps 1;2) and then the oral tradition that was more common in the days when the New Testament was being written. Even in John 5 Jesus himself is saying that the Scriptures bear witness about me and to grow in our knowledge of Him urges me on even more to have the Words written on my heart and my mind because I want to know this dear Savior and Lord of mine more fully. Growing in knowledge is deepening my love for Him and for those around me.

But I also take John 5;39 as a warning: the Scriptures themselves will not give me eternal life. Jesus is the One who gives Eternal Life and even so it is through the Word spoken, the preaching of the Good News (Romans 10) that we come to believe in the One whom God has sent. When I alluded to growing in the knowledge of Him (Jesus Christ), I was not talking about head knowledge and the ability to quote chapter and verse, but getting to know the LORD through His Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. His WORDS are the very words of eternal life said Peter. John the beloved described Jesus as the WORD who became flesh. The Holy Bible is not an ordinary book, nor a book of magic but The Testimony of God concerning His Son, testifying about this world, life, death and truth. Jesus is the Truth and these Words are the Truth but we must not fall into the way of the Pharisees.

It is a dangerous pursuit to memorize the Scripture. We must not use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters in Christ who are not students of the Scriptures or take pride in our knowledge of the Word or to alienate those who need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. We must handle it with care and through prayer. There is great responsibility in owning something as deadly and life giving as the very WORDS of God. The One who has the power of life and death in His grasp will guide us, if we will humble ourselves before Him and be discerning about how we will deliver the Words He will use the Words and us for His purposes.

Once we start making progress and start owning the Word the way some own lines from a movie or youtube clip one cannot help but let it roll off your tongue. How terrifying and delightful it is to be the possessor of such an instrument!! James warns us about our tongues, that with them we praise God and curse our fellow man! Is there any hope for us? Yes! When our motivation is driven by LOVE and guided by the Holy Spirit, there is hope for us who are in Christ! To not only walk in the Spirit but to talk in the Spirit. Personally, my goal for memorizing Scripture is two-fold, first to grow in my knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ and second that the Lord may use it in the lives of those I touch.

Memorize with great enthusiasm and use with tremendous discernment.

Pax, CM

The Power of Words

Young people who can communicate WILL serve and lead

When writing is sterile it holds no power. The words in essence are empty. When “these words” comes in the hand delivered mail we can still simply toss it in the trash, shred or crump it up. Here in the digital world simple hit the delete button. If you are going to remove it from “the trash” you might have 30 days in which to do so, otherwise it is gone.

My last blog post was pretty clean. Just the billboard, the tag line, less than catchy. Not a tag line that would cause one to ponder or comment or even like. It wasn’t bad, it was truthful but held not one ounce of power.

This morning I turned to a book that sits on my bedside nightstand, one that I am reading just a bit at a time and it is written in such a way that I can do that. One that caused me to put it down and go to my computer to write this blog post.

“wherever God uses human agents, he gives them his power, pours into them his life and illuminates them with his light. If men only realized what it means to be used as God’s instrument, what supreme joy came from the least touch of his hand, there would be no lack of volunteers for his service.”

….it is exhilarating and energizing to be an instrument in the hands of such a supreme wordsmith as our Lord and Savior. And this is as true for those whose “pulpit” is a table at Starbucks, the boardroom, the commuting car, or a child’s bedroom as it is for those who earn a living by speaking in church.

In a world bursting with communication, transformed speech proclaims God’s empowering life.”

The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas

“Transformed speech” is something we want for ourselves as well as for each of our children. I submit to you that if we do indeed believe that words have the power of life and death, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Word who became flesh, that God spoke the world into existence, and that by a response to the Word preached is the vehicle used to give us New and Everlasting life in Christ then we who are raising children for the Glory of God ought to be purposeful and deliberate in the training of speech. I am not simply talking about taking the public platform, but about greeting one another, asking for assistance, being an attentive listener and then responding appropriately and of course, being prepared to give an answer for the Hope that lies within us.

Training takes time, effort and preparation. Dan and I got our children involved in a number of activities to develop their skills. And people know that if you want to become proficient or dare I say excellent at skills you need to practice and one of the best ways to practice is through competition. Our family has been affiliated with NCFCA, National Christian Forensics & Communications Association since 2004. And yes, my children have achieved some measure of success in competition but more importantly, their skills are being put to use to serve others, to share the love of Christ, to have meaningful conversations just about anyone they meet and to encourage and train others to do the same.

Next Blog…..the IMPACT…….