What it Means to Work Behind the Scenes

Let’s see how many of the following questions you can answer or at least attempt to answer. Ready? Who found the Dead Sea Scrolls? Who refreshed the apostle Paul in that Roman dungeon as he wrote his last letter to Timothy? Who were the parents of the prophet Daniel? Surely parents who raised such an outstanding young man must have had names! How are you doing so far? OK let’s try a couple more… Who was the wife of Charles Haddon Spurgeon? Who was Martin Luther‘s teacher of theology and inspiration of his New Testament translation? Do you give?  All right I will tell you who they are. they were a bunch of nobodies. That’s right. They were nobodies who worked behind the scenes and ultimately contributed huge chunks of church history; thus the not so noticed not being mistaken for the unnecessary. Although you and I may not know … Read more

The Purpose of the Titus 2:3 Woman

“The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to live their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word if God be not blasphemed.”  – Titus 2:3-5 The Purpose is given in scripture; God’s Word instructs the older generation to teach the younger generation the principles in God’s Word and to impart the wisdom they have attained in their years. This generation has weathered storms not yet seen by younger generations. The Lord has given them victory through the storm. Faith building testimonies and stories of victory are of utmost importance to be passed to the next generation. These victories testify of God’s faithfulness and miracle-working power.  The plan of God … Read more

What are you going to be?

“But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” – Isaiah 64:8 “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”   – Jeremiah 18:3-4 Have you ever seen a building being erected and wondered, “What is that going to be?” Every time my mother passed a construction site, she would say, “I wonder what that is going to be.” The funny thing is, she was not just curious about new buildings going up, but she would even inquire out loud about the future of demolition sites. She would say, “Oh, [this place or that … Read more

Don’t Spoil Your Appetite

When I was a kid, my mom had this thing about us eating anything while she was preparing a meal. She would not let us snack while she was cooking. We could not have dessert before dinner. This applied to both us kids and Dad. She would say, “You’re going to spoil your appetite.” She did not want us to get full off of junk when she would soon put a wholesome meal on the table. As a kid, this really seemed unfair, but as an adult, I understand it more clearly. In retrospect, I understand that my mom wanted to fill me with food that would give me energy and sustenance. When I feast on snack food rather than a meal, I start to feel sluggish and even dirty.   I think sometimes along this life journey, we get a hankering for something and we want it right then and … Read more

It’s no Joke

This post is going to be more vulnerable than a lot of the blogs I’ve published lately. I usually post every two weeks, but yesterday marked four years since I lost my best friend/mother to sudden death. This year I have experienced flashbacks of that day and all of the horror that it brought. It is really interesting how the brain works. Sometimes these things seem to come from out of nowhere. My family lost the most valuable person in our lives on March 31, 2016. We waited until the next day to put anything about it on social media and thankfully nobody beat us to it. Unfortunately, the next day was April 1st and a lot of people thought it was a bad April Fool’s joke. That would have made a terrible prank, but it would have been better than the reality of the loss.  Death is mean. The … Read more

Treasures in Snow

I missed my post last week because, like most other people, I was caught in the whirlwind of change set in motion by a pandemic. The classes that I teach at UA Little Rock suddenly had to go one-hundred-percent online. Online instruction is not the best way for some classes to be taught successfully and American Sign Language is one of those courses. Plans that I had for my own research projects went awry because my observations were set to take place in the community. That means that I have to rethink both of my projects and I’m more than halfway through the spring semester. If I dwell on it too much, I really start feeling sorry for myself.  While I can complain about the stress that I have been experiencing over the past two weeks, what I am going through pales in comparison when I consider what other people … Read more

Promises

You never said it would be easyYou never said I wouldn’t fallYou never told me that trials wouldn’t comeOr that my back would never be against the wall But you said run this race with patienceYou said endure until the endYou said no weapon formed against me would ever prosperYou even called me your dearest friend You didn’t say that pain would never happenYou didn’t say that storms would never rageBut you said you would never leave me lonelyAnd You’ll always come through and make a way Your word is “Yea and Amen”What you said will come to passYou’re not slack concerning Your promisesYour every word is meant to last So I’m gonna stand up on your promise I’m gonna claim the work is doneI’ll declare that it is i settled And the battle is already won

Rest in the Storm

I grew up in south Louisiana and I always said there are four seasons: Gumbo, Crawfish, Summer, and Hurricane. I only ever remember leaving for one hurricane when I was a kid and that was Hurricane Andrew. It seems that Andrew took a turn and headed toward the place where we took refuge. After that, I do not remember ever evacuating again.  Last year, my friend and I took a trip to Louisiana to visit my family and friends. On our way home, we took a detour and went through New Orleans to have a look around. During our stay there, the sun was shining and it was HOT, but the day that we were leaving, clouds started to roll in. We decided to head out a few hours early and the rain started pouring down. Driving in Louisiana rain is not an easy task. Sometimes it comes down so … Read more

The Masquerade

“She had blue skin and so did he He kept it hid and so did she They searched for blue their whole lives through Then passed right by and never knew.” Shel Silverstein This is one of my favorite poems by Shel Silverstein because it speaks volumes to the masquerade where so many of us find ourselves. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, one definition of masquerade is “an action or appearance that is mere disguise or show.” It is easy to hide hurt behind a smile and physical appearance behind social media. Instead of allowing people to see who we really are, we wear a mask of idealism. “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” – Proverbs 31:30 Humans have an innate desire to be “normal” that causes them to go to great lengths to hide their natural self. … Read more

Surrender

When my heart is overwhelmed And my mind can find no restWhen fear overcomes me And my heart pounds in my chestI look to YouTo You I yield my heart, my mind, my soulI surrender allI’m letting go for You to take control When it seems loneliness overtakes me And my spirit feels disconnectedWhen sorrow has overstayed its welcomeAnd grief lasts longer than expectedI look to YouTo You I yield my heart, my mind, my soulI surrender allI’m letting go for You to take control When I am lost in the whirlwindsAnd I’ve reached a place called hopelessWhen the load I carry is too cumbersomeAnd I find no relief or solaceI look to YouTo You I yield my heart, my mind, my soulI surrender allI’m letting go for You to take control I look to YouThat’s where I find rest, I find hope, I find peaceI relinquish all and look to youYou’re all … Read more