Going Prepared

Last week on our little getaway, we found ourselves attending a ballgame. No little league or T-ball this time. No sirree. We made it to the big-time. Well, at least the minor league big time. Kristin and Shawn took us to see the Northwest Arkansas Naturals play the Tulsa Drillers. Talk about summer fun!

We had great seats. Third row behind the dugout on the third base side. And Shawn went prepared. If a foul ball came our way, he had his new ball glove ready to make the catch. That's our son-in-law for you. Prepared, organized, ready to tackle the situation at hand. And more importantly, ready to have fun :)

Sorry to say, Shawn didn't get to make his catch that night, but he did have fun. We all did. It's hard to beat the atmosphere -- traditional ballpark music and food, vocal die hard fans, the mascot's silly antics, between inning contests and events, and of course, the game. The plays that happened, or as in Shawn's case, the plays that didn't happen. But I don't think that dampened his enthusiasm. He'll go prepared next time, too. (By the way, Kristin tells me he may have been a boy scout -- isn't their motto "Be prepared"??)

We should all be so prepared in our spiritual lives as well. The apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to "...be prepared in season and out of season..." (2 Timothy 4:2). In other words, be ready all the time. Ready to share God's Word, ready to encourage or correct, ready to do what God calls us to do. The apostle Peter encouraged believers to "...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have..." (1 Peter 3:15). Again, be ready. Ready to witness for the Lord.

Look once more at Shawn's example. He went to the place where he might catch a foul ball, he took his glove, and he stayed alert. What do we need to do to be spiritually prepared? Are we going to the right places, arming ourselves with the necessary tools, and being alert to opportunities? Will we be ready for the foul balls that come our way? May the Father be able to say, "That's my son (or daughter) for you."

**FYI - I have changed the comment options for the blog. You don't have to be "registered" with a password now (unless you want to) in order to leave a comment. Under the "choose an identity" section, you can simply click "Name/Url" and just leave your name. This should make it easier for those of you who don't want to set up an account. So go ahead -- comment away! :)

Prayer that Permeates

Since I'm just getting back from a few days away from home, I thought I would share some thoughts from Oswald Chambers and C.S. Lewis on talking with and listening to the Lord. I pray they will be just the words you need to hear today. Be blessed!

“Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but…pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.” --Oswald Chambers

“…all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; listening to that other Voice, taking in that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind. We can only do it for moments at first. But from those moments the new sort of life will be spreading through our system; because now we are letting Him work at the right part of us. It is the difference between paint, which is merely laid on the surface, and a dye or stain which soaks right through…” --C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

What are our lives stamped with? Have we allowed the Lord's life, love, and words to permeate our lives -- to soak through us?

“...they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13b

*Flickr photo by kelsey_lovefusionphoto

Getaway

It's time for the Barkers to get out of town for a few days so I need to keep this short today. To be honest, I just wasted a lot of time looking for a picture for this post. Didn't have any luck. Don't you hate it when things like that happen? Forgive me for this pictureless post :)

We're not traveling far. Just going to spend some time with family. No regular vacation for us this year since we already had one little getaway for our family reunion in May. Even though it won't be for long and we're not going anywhere exotic, it will be good to get out of town for a bit.

Everyone enjoys a change of pace and scenery every now and then. Jesus knew it was good to get away from time to time. At one point He said to his disciples, "'Come away with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'" (Mark 6:31b) Sometimes our vacations may not seem very restful, but I think there's rest for our spirits in just getting away from our regular routines.

Do you have a getaway planned? Have you already had one? Leave a comment and let's see where everyone has been this summer! We're headed to Arkansas and then Missouri (good old Silver Dollar City!). How about you?

From Prison to Pleasure

Canyon Man (see May 21st post) has turned into Paint Man -- and he's not thrilled about the new persona. You see, Don hates to paint. But since he knows he needs to take advantage of the
break between summer school and fall semester, he's doing what needs to be done.

To make the task a little more bearable, he split it up. Last summer he did the trim work so this summer the rest of the task awaited him. I'm not sure why he dislikes painting so much. I think maybe it just bores him. The other day he told me, "I hate to paint. A slug can paint." Maybe he thinks a guy like him -- a Canyon Man -- shouldn't have to trade in his pack and hiking boots for a can of paint :)

Yesterday as he started his fourth day of painting, his complaints got a little more dramatic. "I feel like I'm in prison... I ought to be wearing black and white..." he grumbled. Sticking with the prison analogy, later in the day he told me he was a "lifer". Said he'd probably be painting in heaven one day -- painting the pearly gates. Of course, I've been responding with "good griefs" to most of his silliness, but with this last one, I told him if he ends up painting in heaven, somehow he will like it there :)

We all have certain things we don't like to do, don't we? Sometimes it's just a routine task we grow weary of doing all the time, but other times it's an out of the ordinary thing -- like Don's painting. It might not even be work related. It might just be attending a social function or an event of some sort. And how about those dreaded dentist and doctor appointments? I don't know if anyone likes those.

People in Bible times also had to do tasks they didn't want to do. Slavery was a fact of life then, and the apostle Paul actually addressed some of his exhortations in Colossians to slaves -- a group of people who must have been continually faced with this problem. Paul told them "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Col. 3:23). Excellent advice for anyone, isn't it?

So here's the challenge to us all. Next time we dread doing something -- and it can be something as simple as grocery shopping or as difficult as being kind to an enemy -- let's remember Paul's words and decide to do it as if we're doing it for the Lord. Puts a whole new spin on it, doesn't it? It might even transform Don's painting from prison to pleasure :) Anything need a new spin in your life?

Following in the Footsteps

Brothers, ball, and bunny ears. Don't know if you can see it real well in this shot, but both Cody and Gavin, our nephews, gave each other bunny ears at the same moment last night when I wanted a picture of them after Gavin's game. Totally their own idea, totally spur of the moment. Brothers being brothers. I just happened to snap a picture at the right time. Or the wrong time, depending how you look at it :)

From putting up bunny ears to playing ball, Gavin is busy following in big brother's footsteps. Up until now, Gavin has been the spectator (or the guy playing in the dirt) at Cody's games, but this summer he made his own foray into the world of sports.

We, of course, had to travel to T-town to cheer him on, just like we do for Cody. It's been a few years since we've seen kids play T-ball, and we'd forgotten all the silly things that can happen. One little shortstop got tired at one point and decided to lie down in the infield. Another boy fought with one of his own teammates over the ball -- actually wrestled with him, pushed his head into the ground, and then cried tears of remorse after the coach had a little talk with him. And then instead of trying to throw runners out at the bases, those fielding the balls just tried to chase the runners down and tag them out. My sister Carolyn said they actually have a better chance of getting someone out that way since no one can catch a ball yet :)

Gavin, however, seemed to be one of the better players. Now, I'm not bragging. Just stating the facts. He hit well, threw well, and ran the bases like he knew what he was doing -- well, except for that one time when he overran second and then couldn't seem to stay on the base :) Dave and Carolyn tell me that he seems to have a better understanding of the game than most of the other boys. The reason? He's been watching big brother's games. In between playing in the dirt and eating candy, he's absorbed many of the rules and basics of the game.

Simply put, Gavin's following in his big brother's footsteps. He's picking up a love for baseball and who knows what else. As a matter of fact, someone had to teach him to flash bunny ears, and I'm guessing it was Cody :) I'm sure Gavin will be watching Cody for many years to come, trying to imitate his behavior -- just like every other little brother (or sister) out there. That kind of puts some responsibility on Cody's shoulders, doesn't it?

Who do you suppose is following in our footsteps? Some of the answers are obvious, but I wonder how many follow our example when we're not even aware of it? Both of those questions should make us stop and think. Kind of puts some responsibility on our shoulders, doesn't it?

Several times in the New Testament, Paul urged fellow believers to imitate him. How could he be so bold? The answer is found in his words recorded in 1 Corinthians 11:1. "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." And there it is. The key to being a good example. Let's be careful whose footsteps we follow. Remember -- someone will be following ours.

Caretaking

The wheels have been set in motion. I got myself scheduled for the procedure everyone dreads -- a colonoscopy. I actually went to the doctor of my own free will and asked for one, even though there's nothing wrong with me. Good grief. What was I thinking?

Truth is, I was thinking "it's about time". And when I say I went of my own free will, what I really did was succumb to the arm twisting. No, nobody's been harassing me, but you know what it's like. All the medical information I read keeps telling me I should get one of these fun little procedures now that I've turned 50 (okay, so that was almost three years ago). Also, when I went in for my regular check-up last fall, my doctor wanted to set one up. I told her I needed to wait for a time that would be more convenient in my husband's schedule since I knew I'd need him to come with me.

Now that may sound like an excuse, but it's true. And since Christmas and spring breaks are always so crammed with other things, those wouldn't work. Also holding me back from wanting to schedule medical stuff for myself is the fact that I accompany my mother-in-law to four different doctors on a regular basis. Do I hear an "I understand" out there? Can I get a witness? :)

Well, it's now summer. No more excuses. Okay, so I tried one other excuse :) That one didn't work out either so here I am, set up for the first week in August. I've gotta tell you -- I'm not looking foward to this new experience. And something tells me that having it done once won't help me look forward to it the next time either. Kind of like the good ole mammograms, I suppose. And yes, I was tardy getting started with those on a regular basis, too. I'll spare you the excuses for that one :)

I'm sure I'll feel good about getting the colonoscopy after it's over, knowing I've done the prudent thing. With the medical advances and preventative health measures we now enjoy, I know I need to act responsibly in taking care of my health. How can I, in good conscience, keep asking God to protect my health when I'm neglecting to do the things I can do to protect it? (Ouch, huh?)

There'a a lot of talk right now about going green. God has made us caretakers of this earth (remember the creation story?), and we have a responsibility to fill. God has also given us our bodies, amazing as they are and intricately made. As believers, the Word of God tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). I would say that makes us caretakers of them as well. If you're like me, you may need to work on your caretaking skills in one or both of these areas. Let's do it together. Any caretaking tips, health or environment, you'd like to share?

*Flickr photo by .reid.

**Wanted to tell you some good news concerning my writing -- Blue Mountain Arts has bought another piece of mine to use on an upcoming greeting card! Yippee!! Thank You, Lord!

The In Between

The meantime. The interim. Something has ended, but the new has not yet arrived. Our church is experiencing this right now. We are in between pastors and have been for eight months. That's not long, though, considering my parents' church. They are looking for a new pastor, too, and their meantime has lasted over a year and a half now.

Our church has been very fortunate. We had someone ready to step in and serve as interim pastor within a couple of weeks. What a blessing it has been to have the same man standing before us week after week instead of always wondering who might be preaching next. Things have flowed smoothly, and we have carried on the church's ministries for the most part. We have not been in limbo.

But we are waiting. Waiting goes hand in hand with the in between. You can't get around it. The test becomes how we wait. Will we trust God to bring the right pastor to us at the right time, or will we grow impatient and demanding and start criticizing our search committee or complaining to God? Will we be supportive and continue to serve in our respective roles, or will we decide to "go on vacation" and just wait for the new pastor to arrive? (By the way, our search committee is doing an awesome job -- truly seeking the Lord's will for our church).

Any of you faced with an interim period in your life right now? Are you playing the waiting game? Change hits us in a variety of ways. Maybe you're in between relationships or possibly in between jobs. Some of you may have been temporarily sidelined by physical problems, and others may not be able to move forward with a project until certain other things fall into place. Or if you're a writer like me, you are undoubtedly waiting to see the fruit of your labor, waiting to hear from an editor.

How will we wait? What will we do with our "in between"? Let's follow the admonition found in the Psalms: "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Ps. 27:14)

*Anyone learned any "waiting" lessons that you'd like to share with the rest of us? We're all ears -- just jump in with a comment.

**FYI - check out Nancy's Olive Leaf Ministries blog for her Summer Bible Study Giveaway (the link is to the right).

Together Again

Mission "Together Again" accomplished! Our kids, along with Dennis and Teri's kids, made it into town as planned for our 4th of July reunion, and let me tell you, it was sweet -- and I'm not just talking chocolate sheet cake and homemade ice cream sweet :) Hugs, catch-up conversation, laughter, sugar highs, and fireworks abounded. (Thanks, Doug [aka Punk Boy] and Shawn for working your magic again!) We even went inside and capped the evening off with a ridiculously hilarious game of Catch Phrase. I'm sure one particular player set a record for the longest, most round-about clues ever given while playing this game. I wasn't going to mention names, but what the heck -- Doug, you are one crazy clue-giver! :)

I know the photo above makes us look like a rather sedate group, but don't be fooled. That was our "normal" pose. We also took a shot where we showed our true colors, but I foolishly promised not to use that one on the blog. Believe me, you would have gotten a kick out of it, but since I cherish my friends and family, I am restraining myself. After all, I don't want to ruin my chances of enjoying another "together again" reunion with this gang in the future :)

On a more serious note, we experienced another reunion today that was not at all in our plans. Mom called on the 4th with the news that Dena, a dear friend of our family for 45 years now, had passed away. When I was growing up, Dena and her family were to me what Dennis and Teri and their family have been to our girls. We joined Mom and Dad in going to the family visitation this afternoon so we could say "good-bye" to Dena and minister in some small way to her husband and kids -- our long-time friends Paul, Diane, Paula, and Robert.

So there we were, together again...though bittersweet this time. As I walked into the chapel, the full scope of this reunion unfolded before me. Not only did I see Dena's family, but also friend after friend from my growing up years. Since she and her family attended the same church we attended so long ago, we had many of the same friends. And there they were today, to say good-bye and honor her memory. Everyone together again... everyone comforted in knowing that a grand reunion awaits us in heaven.

Friends are treasures beyond measure, whether celebrating and having fun together or comforting each other in sad times. Yes, I am rich. I thank God for my treasures. I pray that you are rich as well.

"I thank my God every time I remember you." (Philippians 1:3)

Go 4th and Celebrate!

Yippee! It's here! I've been waiting for a long time for the 4th of July to fall on a weekend. Why? For one thing, it makes it possible for our kids to come home and celebrate with us, but more than that, we'll get to renew our family's annual tradition with good friends Dennis and Teri and their kids Doug and Stephanie.

All during our kids' growing up years, our two families celebrated New Year's Eve and the 4th of July together. Homemade ice cream, chocolate sheet cake, and our own unpredictable and often hilarious fireworks displays quickly became tradition for our summer night of fun. Now that the kids all live away from home, these joint celebrations are few and far between -- though I'm proud to say that Dennis, Teri, Don, and I still manage to party without them :)

But finally everything is falling into place for all the kids to be with us again. I'm not sure when Doug and Steph will join their parents, but Kristin and Shawn will pull into our place Thursday night while Kelli arrives Friday morning -- with a new boyfriend in tow, by the way :) She has given strict orders for the fireworks contingency to wait on her before going to purchase our contribution to our reunion spectacular. For me, the truly spectacular part of the night will just be having everyone together again.

How about you? How will you be celebrating the 4th? I hope you get to enjoy the company of family or friends -- or if you're lucky like us, even have the best of both worlds. As we all kick back and take a break from our regular routines, let's not forget the reason our nation has a celebration on the 4th of July. Let's thank God for our freedom and for those who have paid a high price so that we can enjoy it. And as we remember, let's join in the joy. Let's freely go 4th and celebrate!

"Then all the people went away to eat and drink...to celebrate with great joy..." Nehemiah 8:12

*Flickr photo by Mar10o