God Continues to Teach Me Archives - Page 13 of 15

“This is Us” — Steve and Connie Pearson-style

03/31/2017 By: CCPearson5 Comments

“This is Us” is a new, wildly-popular television series featuring the Pearson family — parents Jack and Rebecca along with their three children, Kevin, Kate and Randall. Kevin and Kate are the two surviving members of a set of triplets born to Jack and Rebecca. The third child died during childbirth, but that very same day an African American baby was left at the fire station and brought to the same hospital where Rebecca had just given birth. Jack and Rebecca felt that they were supposed to have three children, so they adopted and brought home the black baby along with the other two. The series goes back and forth between the stories of the children growing up and the children as the adults they have become. An overarching theme is the profound influence parents have on their children through their words and actions, both intentional and unintentional.

We, along with millions of viewers, have watched the first two seasons of “This is Us” with keen interest. The writing is incredible. The actors are well-chosen. And the story lines are gripping and believable. For us, it is also compelling that this is another family of 5 named “THE PEARSONS.” How random is that??

With that idea in mind, coupled with the fact that Steve and I celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary last week, I thought it might be interesting to share just a bit about what a Steve and Connie style of marriage looks like from the inside.

Six years ago, on the occasion of our 40th anniversary, I attempted to share our love story in this post on a past blog. Feel free to stop and read it before continuing, especially if you’d like to see some wedding photos from 1971.

Anniversary dinner for our 46th.

I have REALLY been reminded recently of how vital it is for the two of us to find ways to laugh, love and enjoy every day we are given to be together. So many of our friends’ marriages have been cut short because of cancer, heart attacks, accidents or divorce. We are not guaranteed another moment. I have teased the children about what Momma does and does NOT want when it comes to a 50th anniversary celebration, but, in truth, we have no way of knowing whether we’ll be given the privilege of reaching that milestone. But, for now, what factors have contributed to the longevity and utter satisfaction of our marriage? What are the characteristics of “This is Us — Steve and Connie Pearson-style?” I thought of 4 words and being the piano teacher I am, they just happen to spell F-A-C-E, just like the space notes of the treble clef. And, by the way, these are not necessarily in order of importance.

F = FAITH. That’s been our core from the beginning. Our deep and abiding faith in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It has helped tremendously that we were both brought up in the same Southern Baptist denomination with our shared belief in the inerrancy of the Bible. Prayer and the wisdom found in God’s Word have given us our marching orders and the answers we needed for running a business, following our careers, parenting our children and relating to friends and other family members.

A = ADVENTURE. No one can accuse us of being boring. We took the kids camping a lot when they were young, then later we made trips with them to Sanibel Island, FL, Minnesota, Illinois, Washington, D.C., Hawaii, and (they would add) Helen, GA. Ha! Just to name a few places. We wanted them to know there was a great big world out there. Then, Steve and I started going on mission trips and visited Brazil, Guatemala, South Korea, Kenya, and Venezuela before selling everything and moving to Ecuador for 4 years. Now, in my role as a travel writer, we are continuing to travel the country learning about every region’s nuances and specialties. Trips to Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alaska and Ecuador are already on the calendar for 2017. As long as our health holds out, we hope to keep seeing the world for another 10 years. Woohoo!

C = COMMITMENT. We have had opportunities to flesh out our commitment to each other in recent months. Steve has stood right beside me as I helped with the care of my dad in his final months, and he took meticulous care of me during a recent surgery. I hope I’ve shown him the same level of commitment as he has had success with his writing, taken on roles in our church and in our neighborhood and gone back to work part-time. We try so hard to provide stability and balance for each other.

E = EXCLUSIVITY. COMMITMENT AND EXCLUSIVITY really go hand in hand. When we said “I Do” shortly after 8 p.m. on March 20, 1971, we fully committed our hearts to each other. There has been NO ROOM and no place for any flirting or other romantic relationship in our marriage. I’m talking here about other women for Steve or men for me. With God’s help, there has been an impenetrable fort around our marriage giving no chance for temptation and infidelity to enter. Candidly, let me add that I think one factor in particular contributes to our impenetrable fort. We absolutely prefer each other’s company to that of anyone else. We laugh a lot. We hug a lot. And when we’ve been apart for a few hours, we can’t wait to share what happened when we’re back together. Steve Pearson is God’s tremendous gift to me, and I love the “US” that we are.

Here are a few of my favorite verses on marriage in the Bible:

Proverbs 5:18-19 (Contemporary English Version) — “Be happy with the wife you married when you were young. She is beautiful and graceful, just like a deer; you should be attracted to her and stay deeply in love.”

Proverbs 18:22 “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” I believe this is equally true for finding a husband.

Ephesians 5:22-33 “22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

Our Tiny Surprise Turns 40. . . . and Continues to Surprise Us

03/17/2017 By: CCPearson14 Comments

From the night of his birth until this very day, our middle child and only son, Matt, has continually surprised us.

1. Matt was due to arrive on May 19, 1977, but decided instead to burst into the world at 12:13 a.m. on March 22. In the first few moments, everything appeared to be okay. He was small (4 lbs. 13 oz.) but healthy. However, within a few hours, the doctors realized that he had aspirated during birth, so he had to fight pneumonia in addition to his prematurity. I have thought so many times that we didn’t know he’d survive for 40 days, much less 40 years. But God had a plan.

Tiny Baby Matt.

2. Matt seemed to be sick constantly in his first two years. We were ALWAYS seeing his pediatrician, Dr. Walker, and he must have consumed gallons of “the pink stuff” (a.k.a. amoxicillin) to cure his ear infections. However, after his SECOND set of eartubes (inserted on his 2nd birthday), he suddenly got better, and he’s never looked back. He’s now 6′ 4″ tall and weighs 200 pounds. God had a plan.

Matt, age 16 months.

3. As a toddler, Matt roamed the house with both his thumb AND his blanket in his mouth and said repeatedly, “I love you. Do you love me?” Who would have thought this insecure little bundle would become such an influencer?? I was a teacher at Hartselle Junior High School during the years Matt was in Junior High. I loved hearing “Hi, Mom” as we passed in the halls. The surprise came when I would walk from the chorus classroom to the office every morning and be greeted by a dozen of his friends also saying, “Hi, Mom!” Then, in the summertime when our family would go into housing projects to conduct Backyard Bible Clubs, Matt was the one we counted on to draw a crowd. He would start shooting hoops, and within minutes, there was a court full of players who then stayed for our Bible stories and refreshments. He was a pied piper. God made him that way.

I can’t quite count all the candles. 18 or 19, maybe?

4. Matt’s sisters, Laura and Julie, — while rolling their eyes and calling him “The Golden Boy” — clearly adore him. He can have them laughing within seconds with only a quick text or phone call. He can say one word or phrase and a whole family memory is recalled. Julie’s daughter Maggie recently remarked that she’d never seen Matt say anything that didn’t make people laugh. I agreed but then told her that there were certainly times when her Uncle Matt was dead serious, and that’s when he’s preaching the Word. She seemed to like that and thought it would be nice to hear him sometime. And while I’m talking about Matt’s preaching, I have to say this. I am 66 years old. I’ve been in church all of my life. I’ve heard thousands of sermons and participated in dozens of Bible studies. Yet, Matt never fails to teach me something new when I hear him preach. Yes, I know I sound like a prejudiced Momma, but it’s true. Matt LOVES God’s Word, and he mines it for nuggets of truth every week. His stated goal is to help those who grew up in church really know the God of the Bible.

Matt with Laura and Julie, circa 1981.

1st day of school, mid-1980’s, with Laura and Julie

5. Both sisters scored high enough to be in gifted classes through school, while Matt missed the cut-off by a couple of points. It took some tall convincing that he was “plenty smart” when they were going on cool field trips and dissecting sharks in the 2nd grade. Both girls have bachelor’s and master’s degrees, but Matt showed us all when he went a giant leap further and got his Ph. D. Let me quickly add a huge shout-out here to his wife Katie who was with him all along that particular journey. Thank you, Katie.

6. Matt did NOT enjoy reading when he was in grade school — he was much too social and energetic to be still long enough. He even bragged that he finished high school having read only two books from start to finish: The Moose Goes to School and Bo Knows Bo. But, when God called him to preach, he also turned him into a prolific reader. An undeniable transformation. He CONSUMES books now and absolutely LOVES reading. God’s power, no doubt, is at work because not only does Matt benefit from the reading, now a whole congregation benefits as well.

7. Matt dated some precious girls during his teenage and college years. But, God had the perfect one picked out for him. Matt’s cousin Jenny was also at Auburn when he was and had a sorority sister she thought would be a great match. Jenny arranged a meeting between Matt and Katie Bellows, and “the rest is history.” December 18, 1999, their wedding day, was a blessed occasion for our whole family. Katie is a wonderful mother to their children and an exemplary pastor’s wife. Katie is SUCH an evidence of God’s plan at work.

December 18, 1999 — oh, happy day!

Matt and beautiful Katie.

8. People may not know that besides being an avid Auburn fan, during basketball season, Matt is a big Duke fan. It all stemmed from a summer basketball camp at David Lipscomb University in Nashville when Matt was between 6th and 7th grades. Christian Laettner and some other Duke players came to the camp as guest coaches that summer, and Matt was hooked. Ever since, he has loved the fact that his birthday coincides with March Madness — which almost inevitably includes plenty of Duke match-ups. He recently shared that his dream birthday scenario would be to have a great day at work, come home, order a pizza and watch basketball. Is it “Christian” for a preacher to pull for the Blue Devils?? My guess is that it ONLY applies to basketball games.

The remarkable resemblance between Matt’s son Luke and Matt when he was Luke’s age.

Matt and his dad posing by Junior High School Matt.

I could go on forever about my boy. Mothers and Sons do have special bonds, don’t they? But, let me leave you with a few pics from last night’s surprise party given by his church — The Church at West Franklin in Franklin, TN. They did such a thoughtful job of planning and implementing this great party. Even in the middle of Vandy and Vol country, they had Auburn colors and even Auburn music playing. The folks shared lots of laughs, hugs and great food. I’m so glad Steve and I got to be a part of it.

Some of the great party decorations.

More thoughtful decorations. War Eagle!

Cupcakes adorned with Matt heads.

Matt’s daughter Birti happily serving drinks at the orange and blue table.

This great family — actually Alabama fans — went all out to dress for the occasion.

Matt accepting a gift from the church.

Matt, Birti and Grandmomma in another selfie.

A selfie with Grandmomma, Luke and Seth.

Matt thanking the people for the great party.

I suspect that Matt will continue to surprise us in the remaining years of our lives. I am so very grateful to God for allowing me to be his Mom and to have a front row seat to watch in awe as God uses him to advance His kingdom.

3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

My Plans vs. God’s Plans

03/10/2017 By: CCPearson4 Comments

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

“Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.” Proverbs 19:21

Yesterday morning I had some great-sounding plans. I was going to kiss my Silver Fox good-bye as he headed out to doctor some dogs and cats. Then I was going to have a leisurely breakfast with a friend, run some errands, and take supper to a Sunday School class member who has been in the hospital. But, that’s not what happened at all.

First, I got an early message from my friend saying that she needed to postpone. Okay. No problem. We’d find another time. I got dressed and started to head out on my errands, BUT the phone rang. It was our real estate agent saying that our house would be shown at noon the next day. (That’s TODAY if you’re keeping up). Maybe you remember that we had 3 grandchildren for 8 days last week. Maybe you can imagine that just getting all of the sheets and towels washed was a mere fraction of the reestablishing-of-order process. Other serious decluttering needed to happen.

I called another class member to please pick up my contribution to the dinner for our friends, hurried out the door to “gather supplies” and came back to try to make the house showable.

Have you ever had your days rearranged like that? Trust me. I’ve had MUCH MORE TRAUMATIC phone calls and reordering of my days — my mom’s sudden brain aneurysm in 1986, 30 years later my stepmother’s sudden brain bleed, just to name a couple.

Yesterday’s disruption was extremely minor in the grand scheme of things.

It remains to be seen whether THESE house lookers are the ones who will buy our house. The Lord knows we’d like to move back to Hartselle to be closer to over half of our grandchildren, but HE has the best plan. HE knows IF that will happen and WHEN it will happen. HE knows where we will live if/when that time comes. I certainly don’t.

It gives me peace to be reminded of the words: “the Lord establishes their steps” and “the counsel of the LORD will stand.”

My job is to trust.

A Southern Baptist Thinks about Lent

03/03/2017 By: CCPearsoncomment

Why don’t Baptists observe the practice of Lent? The days between Ash Wednesday and Easter weekend focus on the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, who gave His life on the cross to atone for the sins of the world. Doesn’t it seem right that we should make some kind of sacrifice ourselves as a symbolic gesture during these days?

There are plenty of Biblical examples for engaging in an activity for 40 days. 1) The flood during the time of Noah was caused by rain that fell for 40 days and 40 nights. (Genesis 7) 2) Moses went up on Mt. Sinai for 40 days TWICE, once to get the original tablets of the Ten Commandments and the second time to get all of the other laws and regulations found in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. Exodus 24:18 “Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” 3) In the 19th chapter of 1 Kings, we find the account of Elijah running from Jezebel’s threatening words. He was fed by an angel, and after “being strengthened by that food, he traveled for 40 days and 40 nights until he reached Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God.” (verse 8) 4) After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, he went to the wilderness to prepare himself for his coming ministry. He fasted, He prayed and He encountered Satan. Luke 4:1-2 “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.”

I asked several of my fellow Baptists how they planned to observe Lent. Some mentioned giving up Mexican food. One said she’d be giving up golf — not just for Lent but because of a shoulder injury. Another friend shared that she and her daughter were going to find objects everyday for 40 days to give away. Yet another mentioned that her children would be giving up pizza, and she hoped to give up negative thoughts for those 40 days. In a response that no doubt pleased my daughter Laura Baggett who wrote a book called Making Room for Jesus, one friend told of her plan to gather 40 bags from her home to help with the decluttering process.

I have pondered all of this and agree with the idea of ridding myself of internal problems — hopefully for MORE than just 40 days. I would LOVE to get GREED, BITTERNESS, and REGRETS out of my life.

I have already begun the process of detoxing my body in terms of sweets, fried foods, carbonated beverages and the like. So, it won’t be a Lenten activity, but I plan to continue that exercise.

I do think that the course of action involved in purging my home, my closets, cabinets and drawers of clutter will be a great lift spiritually, mentally and physically. Steve and I have a goal of cleansing 20 bags each from our “areas.” Some will go straight to the trash, but maybe some of it can be put to good use by others. I’m looking forward to the peace of mind both the actions and the results will bring to us. And it seems very beneficial to me to think through various aspects of my life for the purpose of simplifying and focusing.

There is SO MUCH more involved in the concept and practice of Lent, but, as a Baptist, I have nothing in my background to explain it all. However, if I can become a better version of myself between now and Easter, I believe my celebration will be lifted to a new level.

Think about it. It’s not too late to make some changes of your own before Easter.

Lessons from Mr. Greenhill

02/24/2017 By: CCPearson6 Comments

Mr. Loy Greenhill died last week at the age of 86. You can read his obituary here. He was the principal for many years of Crestline Elementary School in Hartselle, Alabama, where all three of my children attended.

Mr. Greenhill created a structured and safe environment for all of the children under his care. My children were blessed to go through elementary school in a much simpler time. Oh, they had occasional fire drills and tornado drills, but their early years passed before the days of carefully locked doors and “Intruder Drills.” Mr. Greenhill was present for all of their chorus programs, science fair displays and spelling bees. He was front and center working at the big fundraisers, especially the Crestline Halloween Carnival every fall.

As far as my oldest daughter could tell, Mr. Greenhill knew the name of every child who walked through the doors of Crestline each morning. That was no easy task, because in the early 1980’s, Crestline had one of the largest elementary student populations in North Alabama. Today the school only goes through 4th grade, but my children attended all the way through 5th grade.

Mr. Greenhill treated my husband and me with respect, whether we had school-related business in the office or just saw him around town. Whether Laura, Matt and Julie were making good grades, flipping peas in the cafeteria, winning awards or being sent home for head lice, Mr. Greenhill was fair and involved.

As you can tell by reading his obituary, Mr. Greenhill, in addition to being an excellent principal, also made time to be an integral part of his church by serving as a deacon, of his community by maintaining the landscaping at a fire station and of his local Kiwanis Club and all its activities. I’m sure his wife, children and grandchildren can testify that he made time to give them love and attention, too.

One of the most interesting things I heard about Mr. Greenhill came via some words of praise offered by his own daughter. She shared that her daddy’s motto was: “And then some.” What powerful marching orders for his life!! Not only did he give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay in the Hartselle City Schools, he went beyond — “And then some.” He didn’t just attend Hartselle Church of Christ on a regular basis, he took on the responsibilities of a deacon — “And then some.” He didn’t merely fulfill the role of elementary school principal, he took the time to learn each child’s name — “And then some.”

In many ways, Mr. Greenhill’s motto runs counter to the entitlement mentality of many Americans in this day and age. His mindset differed from those who barely give a full day’s work before skipping out as soon as the whistle blows in the factory or corporate setting, or those who “get by” with doing the minimum rather than caring enough to exceed expectations, or those who are always wanting more benefits without doing anything to make a company or work setting more productive or profitable.

Imagine a world with MORE MR. GREENHILLS in it!!

When you stop and consider it, Mr. Greenhill’s motto is a perfect illustration of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:38-41 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil, but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two.”

Jesus clearly told His followers to obey commands but to go beyond mere obedience. AND THEN SOME.

Practicing Peace with a Big Dose of Thanksgiving

02/17/2017 By: CCPearson3 Comments

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Those of us who are “in Christ Jesus” have the assurance of our salvation and the accompanying peace (the kind that those “in the world” marvel at) ready to be claimed at any moment and in every situation. Are we claiming it daily or are we holding out for a crisis? Are we activating the power of that peace with continual thanksgiving? Thanksgiving. Hmmmm. I confess that I don’t practice “counting my blessings” or just being grateful nearly enough. Could that possibly be the reason that I come across as frantic or worried rather than confident that God is able to handle all of the challenges of my life?

Today I visited two people who are going through tough times. Both of them inspired me with their attitudes.

My aunt is recovering from knee replacement surgery. Her door was unlocked, so I knocked and stuck my head in to hear her welcoming voice coming from the next room. We ate lunch, chatted and laughed together. She showed me her impressive scar and demonstrated her techniques for getting from place to place. She expressed her gratitude for her doctor, for the care of her husband, daughter and friends, for the sweet gestures from loved ones and for her pain medicine. I didn’t detect self-pity or bitterness. Just a determination to do what was going to be necessary to make a full recovery.

Then I made a short visit to the hospital to see a friend who sings in the choir with me and is in my Sunday School class. She is battling lung cancer, recently complicated by a harsh bout of pneumonia. She was wearing a wide smile and a cute hat when I arrived. Chemo treatments are beginning to cause her hair to fall out, but she’s preparing with hats and wraps — confident that it will all grow back in the not-too-distant future. This friend expressed thankfulness for the hospital staff, for her attentive husband, for ice cream, for her boss who has assured her that her job will still be waiting when she regains her strength, and for her daughter who is making plans to come and help when she gets home.

In both cases, gratitude was allowing “peace that transcends all understanding” to be realized. Both are believers. Both are being tested. Both are being great witnesses of their faith.

When my next crisis comes, I hope I will remember the visual and verbal testimonies of these two ladies. My prayer is that I will also be a witness to others of my own faith and of the peace that comes from knowing Jesus.

The Amazing Gift of a Godly Husband

02/10/2017 By: CCPearson4 Comments

Ephesians 5:25 — “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

1 Peter 3:7 — “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”

The last night of Cousins Camp 2016 was also Steve’s birthday. He couldn’t have imagined a better way to celebrate.

Here are a few things I’ve never heard Steve Pearson say:

“I will not change a diaper.”

“Cooking is your job. Don’t expect me to do it.”

“We’re going to do this my way. It doesn’t matter what you think or how you feel about it.”

“You need to work. Don’t expect me to support this family by myself.”

“Spend whatever you want. The sky is the limit.”

“You look pathetic. I’m ashamed to be seen with you.”

Never. Not once. Not even a HINT of any such words or thoughts have been communicated by my husband of almost 46 years.

Regarding diapers –The very first night we were home with our firstborn child, we took turns getting up with her, changing her diaper and rocking her back to sleep. Were there nights when I did most of the late-night feedings? Sure. But I can say unequivocally that Steve was a very involved co-parent, never shirking his responsibility. And I might add that he’s also great with the diapers of grandchildren, too.

Regarding cooking . . . or housework of any kind — Steve actually ENJOYS cooking, and he’s much better at washing dishes by hand than I am. We work together on the house when it is necessary. Generally speaking, he takes care of the yard, and I do the inside, but he knows how to do laundry, vacuum, dust and all the rest and is generous with his help.

Regarding decisions affecting both of us or all 5 of us when the kids were still home — Steve has always listened to and respected my thoughts and opinions. Does he have the deciding vote? Yes. But, I have never doubted that I was heard and considered.

Regarding me working outside our home — Steve has always recognized my NEED to use my education and talents. He has encouraged me to be fulfilled professionally. As a matter of fact, when I went back for a second college degree when our children were young, he did the lion’s share of child care and meal preparation while I was attending classes and student teaching. I had his unqualified backing and support.

Regarding financial spending — I would know he was sick with a high fever if he ever told me to spend to my heart’s content. Ha! Our biggest tugs-of-war have come from his overarching desire to save and mine to spend. Yet, we’ve BOTH found ways to be happy. We have a very comfortable standard of living AND a secure future — thanks 100% to his wisdom.

Regarding my physical appearance — The scales have varied vastly during the years we’ve been married, and my hairstyles have varied almost as much. He has always made me feel attractive and self-confident. Fluffy or skinny, very pregnant or recovering from surgery, no make-up or dressed “fit to kill,” he looks at me with love and adoration, and I bask in that feeling.

I love Steve Pearson with my whole heart. He is a treasure to me. The older we get, the more I value every day that we have together. He has LIVED the verses at the beginning of this post, and I have been the blessed recipient.

Yes, Valentine’s Day is next week, but I want him to know how I feel whether it’s Valentine’s Day or Chinese New Year, the 4th of July or Halloween. To my girlfriends out there — have you stopped lately to thank God for your husbands? Have you made a list of his special traits? This might be a good time to do it.

Being Southern vs. Telling the Truth

02/03/2017 By: CCPearson5 Comments

Can a carefully-trained Southern woman from a long line of carefully-trained Southern women really wear the “Belt of Truth?”

As Paul begins to summarize the apparel and the defensive and offensive weapons available to Christians engaged in spiritual warfare, the first piece named is the Belt of Truth.

Ephesians 6:14 — “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist . . .”

I am currently in a Monday morning Bible study at First Baptist Athens facilitated by Dr. Betty Dean Newman as we work through Priscilla Shirer’s study of “The Armor of God.” Check it out here. You might remember Priscilla as the leading character in the movie “War Room,” but you need to also know her as a powerful teacher of the Bible. She researches deeply, and her verbal and visual illustrations are enlightening and provocative. Our study this week focused on the belt of truth in the well-known and much-preached-about passage of Ephesians 6:13-20.

In the video we saw, Priscilla went into great depth about the importance of the belt to facilitate the other pieces of the armor, the size and weight of the belt. Then, she began to remind us about falsehoods and myths surrounding each of us that need to be recognized and replaced with the truth of God’s Word.

This has set my mind swirling on the whole concept of truth and its importance.

Is it okay to tell a friend — “I love your hair.” “That outfit looks great on you.” “Have you lost weight?” “Your casserole/cake/meatloaf/fried chicken is the best I’ve ever eaten.” “Your solo was beautiful.” etc. etc. etc. when maybe those statements would be stretching the truth? Is it especially okay if we follow our compliment with “Bless your heart?” My Southern upbringing certainly applauds and encourages such talk.

What about when we tell OURSELVES — “Just one more bite of pie won’t hurt anything,” or “I deserve this (expensive) dress,” or “I’m an adult. I can watch an R-rated movie without it having any effect. After all, I’m here alone,” or “I need to check my Facebook and emails. I’ll get to my Bible reading in a minute.” There may be GRAINS of truth in each of those statements, but are they healthy, wise, edifying words of truth?

I have always been a big believer in transparency. I once heard — “If you always tell the truth, you don’t have to have such a good memory.” When someone asks me a direct question, I do my very best to give a totally truthful answer. But, does that mean that I have to spew out truth when, in fact, it is someone else’s truth, someone else’s story to share? Just because something is TRUE doesn’t give me permission to ever divulge the confidence of my husband and those who trust me.

But, rather than dwell on these potential rabbit trails, I am quite certain that the Apostle Paul was referring to biblical truth — of which there is NO END. By staying constantly in the Word, we have a limitless supply of truth to “buckle around our (own) waists” and to share with those within our sphere of influence.

My personal challenges this week?

Spend more time immersing myself in the TRUTH in God’s Word.
Apply the truth of the Bible to the plague of untruth, innuendo, anger and distortion swirling in the media during these days. Hebrews 12:1-2, Isaiah 26:3. I should fix my eyes on Jesus, and rest on the promise that God will “keep in perfect peace those whose minds are set on Him,”

Pain

01/27/2017 By: CCPearson2 Comments

Last week I had a surgical procedure that resulted in a great deal of pain. And, for the four days after the procedure, I was oh, so grateful for medicines to relieve pain. Happily, the need for pain medicine has subsided, and I feel that I am back on the upswing once again.

But, as I’ve thought about my own pain, numerous faces have come to my mind who endure pain constantly. My pain was acute — at least according to the definition — in that “it came on quickly and is expected to go away in a matter of weeks or months if treated properly.” Acute pain is temporary and results from something specific such as an injury, cut, infection, or in my case, surgery. Chronic pain, on the other hand, lasts much longer and even continues past the time when the original problem has healed. People with chronic pain are likely to include those with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, migraines, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), back, neck, pelvis and head pain. I have several friends who have battled migraine headaches for YEARS. I can’t imagine that kind of suffering and the toll it takes on a person’s body and psyche over time.

What about all of my friends battling cancer? Not only do they have physical pain from chemo, radiation and all other kinds of treatments, they also have emotional pain springing from the many unknowns in their lives during and after the treatments end. Each twinge is a reminder that The Big C could come back to strike again.

It’s hard to think about anything other than the pain itself when we experience it. We just want somebody to “make it go away.” In all likelihood, we are not the best versions of ourselves when we’re in pain. I’ve known very few people who were consistent witnesses for Christ during such times. An instance I will never forget involves my dear friend Ruth Cost who died in 2000. I had the honor of playing for her funeral. But, several years before she died, she had to have a large portion of one of her lungs removed. Steve and I went to visit her in the hospital in Birmingham after her surgery. Even though she was in obvious pain, she used a soft, kind voice and greeted everyone (nurses, doctors, family members and friends) who came through her door graciously. I was in awe of her display of Christ-likeness.

No one WANTS to be in pain, with the possible exception of a woman ready to deliver her long-anticipated baby. And even then, in my case, I was HAPPY to have a saddle block (epidurals didn’t come along until after my children were born).

My conclusions this week?

I am a chicken about pain.

I am not as compassionate as I should be toward those who are in pain. My children would step up first to testify to that fact. When they woke up on school mornings complaining of stomach aches, sore throats, headaches, etc., my standard first response was “Just get up and stir around a little bit and you’ll feel better.” Sometimes that did indeed solve the problem, but other times I ended up with vomit on the carpet because I didn’t take their complaints seriously. And, no, I’m not proud to admit this.

The good news is that there is coming a day when there will be NO MORE PAIN. Hallelujah!

Revelation 21:4 “And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or PAIN; the first things have passed away.”

What a day that will be!

Inauguration Day Prayer, January 20, 2017

01/20/2017 By: CCPearson3 Comments

Dear Father,

This very morning the United States of America will watch as a new President and Vice President take the oath of office and become the leaders of our country. I pray earnestly for Donald Trump and Mike Pence. God, grant them wisdom in all the decisions they will be called upon to make. Surround them with wise, godly people to advise them and challenge them to be the best they can be.

Give them fresh ideas and insights into what can be done to guide our country onto solid ground — morally, militarily, economically and in any of the areas where they will have an influence to make a positive difference. Show them ways to unify our country and put a spirit of cooperation into the members of Congress so that all of these leaders will have the best interests of Americans as their goal.

Please grant them safety today and preserve their health during this term of office. Keep them from harm. Put a hedge of protection around them. Please cause any protests to be peaceful and non-violent.

“Let the words of their mouths and the meditations of their hearts be acceptable in Your sight.” Psalm 19:14 If they start to go down a bad path, intervene to turn them around.

Dear Father, bless their families today and in the next four years. Give Melania Trump and Karen Pence the patience, the stamina and the ability to keep the confidence of their husbands and be completely supportive of their duties which will certainly create times of separation and stress. Help them to realize the tremendous potential they have to be good role models for so many. Bless the children of Donald Trump and Mike Pence: Charlotte, Audrey and Michael Pence and Ivanka, Tiffany, Eric, Donald, Jr. and Baron Trump. Be especially near to young Baron who likely faces the most unsettling changes in his life. Protect them all from cruel media and from people who might want to cause them pain. Help all members of both families to be strong and to seek Your will in their lives.

Prick my heart to continue to intercede for them in the days, weeks, months and years ahead, knowing that my responsibility is to pray for them and to be a good citizen of the United States.

Thank you, Father, for this country. Please draw us back to You. Remind us again and again of Your promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Let us see Your power at work during these next four years.

Continue to bless Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama and protect them as they begin another chapter in their lives.

I ask all of these things in the Name of Jesus, my Savior. Amen.

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