Grati-Tuesday

I give thanks today for my grand nephew, Julian Paul Camp.  His sense of humor, his artistic ability, his imagination, his unique perspective, his loving spirit...all bring much joy into our family.  We are blessed to have him in our lives.

Grati-Tuesday

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of The Lord.  The Lord has chastened  and corrected me, but he has not given me over to death.

I will thank you, Lord, for you have heard me and have become my salvation. 

(From Psalm 118, Coverdale Translation)

Grati-Tuesday

I give thanks to God today for my oldest son, Grant, who graced us with his presence 18 years ago.

I had no idea where this path of motherhood would take me.  I knew I wanted to walk that path more than anything, but I could not have imagined the joys and sorrows it would bring, nor the ways in which this Little One's existence would expose and change me.  I thought it was my job to form and shape HIM, not the other way around!   I didn't realize just how little I knew about life and the human spirit...

I thank God for this child - yes, Son, you're still a child - for his sense of humor, his forgiving spirit, his strong mind, his repentant heart, his leadership, his compassionate attitude, his service to those in need, his wise choice of friends (at least as far as I know! :-)...

I don't wish to imply that he's perfect...of course, he's not.  But that's another thing I appreciate about him.  He is mature enough to recognize, admit and talk openly about his shortcomings, weaknesses, and sins, both past and present.  That is a huge blessing!!

I must also return thanks to God for His faithfulness to my son, manifested by a recent fireside conversation in which Grant assured me of his absolute trust in Jesus Christ, and his desire to frame his life accordingly.  What more could a mother ask for?

Thank you, Lord, for the birth and life of Grant Ford Shaffer.

Grati-Tuesday

Perhaps I repeat myself, but that's OK, right?

I return thanks to God for faithful women friends.  In particular, I am thankful for 8 special gal pals with whom I have taken an annual trek for 14 years now.  Each of our lives has changed dramatically through this passage of time.  We have experienced a variety of joys and triumphs, failures and heartaches, and we have rejoiced and mourned together in ways that have created inseparable bonds. 

Don't imagine that we are unusual or that we have sailed smoothly along in flawless relationship for all these years.  The truth is, we have stepped on each other's toes...hurt each other's feelings...been insensitive to one another...dismissed significant events or emotions that we didn't understand...spoken harsh words that we regret.  We are all so very different - a rather varied, and sometimes motley, crew to be sure.  But, we have served one another...cried on each other's shoulders...laughed ourselves silly...repented, apologized, loved and prayed together...and, most importantly, we have FED each other!!  

Seriously.  Though we have diverse personalities, interests and opinions, one of our great bonding rituals is to cook for each other on our trips.  Besides our love for Christ, good food and wine are a common bond, and we delight in the joy we know we've shared when our careful selection,  investment, and preparation elicit genuine appreciation - best expressed in "Mmmmms," "Ooohs," and "Ahhhs" - around the table.   

I need these women in my life and am thankful that God placed them here long ago to shape, encourage, help, rebuke and love me.

Thanks be to God for faithful Christian friendships 

Grati-Tuesday

Today, I am giving thanks for an elderly lady that has become a regular part of my life, and for the lessons that I am learning from her.  As her mental faculties decrease, it has become increasingly obvious to me that she established habits of thinking and living that continue to guide her thoughts and behavior.  It is second nature for her to give thanks to God for simple things in life...things we normally take for granted.

It might be as simple as thanking him, aloud, that she has not always struggled with pain as she does now.  Or thanking him for the joy she finds in a story from childhood...or for a husband who is good to her...or for a father who read to her.  Because her ability to reason is decreased, it is incredibly clear that these thoughts and words come from a pattern she set long ago...a pattern of giving thanks daily for the simple gifts in life.  I am often rebuked by her attitude and reminded how important it is for me to form those habits of mind and heart now.

I thank God for the older saints he places in our path to teach us wisdom.

Grati-Tuesday

Today I am returning thanks for men and women who understand and create new technologies.  I am particularly thankful today for the help and convenience afforded by Global Positioning Satellites.

Grati-Tuesday

Giving thanks today that little Ruby Mae LeCroy is still in utero and that her Momma's blood pressure is holding relatively steady.

Grati-Tuesday

"Well, I am NOT becoming a Presbyterian, that's for sure!"  

Such was the feisty retort I received when I first met Gertrude and asked what she was going to do after her century-and-a-half-old Lutheran church closes its doors.  Their congregation has aged and diminished in size, so they will soon hand over the reins to our recent (Presbyterian) church plant, with whom they have been sharing space for a couple years now.

Since that first encounter with Gert, there have been many more, all confirming that spunky spirit as an indelible feature of her personality. Each Monday morning I head into south city to help harvest any ripe produce from the church's garden, and to assist with their neighborhood food pantry.   And 90-year-old Gert is there...every time...without  fail...as she has been for decades now.    People, years, and methodologies have come and gone, but she remains steadfast.

When I grow up, I want to be like Gert.  She isn't stunning.  Or well-dressed.  Or eloquent.  In fact, she's a bit of a tough old bird who leaves the impression that she can still endure anything and tackle anything...including YOU!  But she is also a strong-hearted, able-bodied, faithful servant who spends 5 days a week at the church serving in one capacity or another...simple service that will probably remain largely unnoticed until she is no longer there to do it.

I give thanks to God for Gertrude's life and example.

Grati-Tuesday

Today I am giving thanks to God for a mother who is willing to continue parenting me at age 45!  She is always at the ready with a listening ear, an open mind, a compassionate heart and, when appropriate, with wise counsel. 

I really don't know what I'd do without her.

Grati-Tuesday

I am thankful for men who have devoted their lives to teaching.  

This school year, my boys' lives have been enriched by their male teachers, who have not only inspired and challenged them academically, but who have also taken the time to build relationships that helped keep them grounded and secure.

However tough and independent they may appear, teenage boys need to know that they are cared for, especially by the men in their lives.  The teaching profession demands much and offers little in return (in terms of both money and gratitude), so I give thanks to God for those who have extended themselves beyond the duty of teaching to the grace of loving and relating to my sons.

Grati-Tuesday

 I suspect it requires a special "gift" to turn your 14-year-old son's orthodontist appointment into an emotional experience.  Apparently, I have that gift.

Before she laid out the plan for Eric, this poor lady made the mistake of asking some rather simple questions. 

"So, you have 2 sons?  Are they good friends?"

Easy enough: "They haven't always been, but yes...they are now!"

She probably wished she had stopped right there.  Instead, she inquired further:

"Are they good to you?"

As I began to answer, I found myself tearing up and hardly able to speak.  It wasn't because I never realized until that moment that my boys ARE good to me.  But being asked the question and speaking it aloud, forced me to recognize what  a blessing it is!

My boys are playful and teasing with me.  They talk to me about their lives and beliefs.  They even treat me with more than the obligatory respect (usually...).  As they have matured over the past 2 years, and as they have watched me struggle, they have become sensitive, gentle, tender and affectionate.  And I can say with certainty that they would defend me to the point of death.

Now, that's enough to bring tears to the eyes of anyone with a beating heart, right?  Even if it IS in the orthodontist's office!!

I thank God for my 2 sons...who are good to me.

Grati-Tuesday

Today I return thanks for the privilege of daily showers.  I'm actually quite serious.  As I peruse the websites of several ministries who labor for The Gospel in areas of extreme poverty (including those I have linked to at left), I am struck over and over again with the absence of water in these places and our own easy access to it.

Though I can imagine living without many of my luxuries - and yes, I admit that imagining is a relatively cushy exercise in comparison to actually making those sacrifices - but I can not even conceive of living for weeks on end without a shower and freshly laundered clothes.

Thank you, Lord, for the abundance of hot, running water. 

Grati-Tuesday

Today I am giving thanks for the abundant, visible promises of Resurrection that surround us!

  

Grati-Tuesday

Open rebuke is better than secret love.(Pr. 27:5)

The wounds of a faithful friend are more to be desired than the kisses of an enemy. (Pr. 27:6)

Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost man. (Pr. 20:30)

Whoever rebukes a man will find more favor than whoever flatters with his tongue. (Pr. 28:23)

Today I am giving thanks to God for faithful friends who speak truthfully into my life.

Grati-Tuesday

I skipped last week's gratitude post.  Not because I had nothing for which to give thanks, but because I simply couldn't write.  Occasionally I lose my ability to focus, which means writing becomes arduous...or impossible.  Last week was one of those weeks.  I suspect this week might be different, if for no other reason than I expect to get some much needed time out of doors!

And that brings me to my thanksgiving for today.  I am sincerely thankful for a break in the cold weather.  I really don't mind the low temperatures so much.  In fact, I find the cold rather exhilarating...but the icy sidewalks prevent  me from walking outside and when that luxury is taken away, my spirit suffers.  I'm good for a few days, but it has been nearly 3 weeks since I've exercised in the fresh air.   The monotony of indoor treadmills and bikes just doesn't provide the same sense of sanity.

Forecasters are predicting several warm days in a row...and I will certainly take advantage of any sunshine.  But as of tonight, the sidewalks are free from ice and that's all I needed!  I feel better already. 

Grati-Tuesday

Today I give thanks for another of life's simple luxuries:  flannel sheets! 

No matter how cold the air is outdoors or inside my bedroom, these babies INSTANTLY absorb and retain body heat!   Although I like the room to be cold for sleeping, I hate to crawl in bed and shiver for 10 minutes!  I need that instantaneous and pervasive warmth that sateen cotton sheets can never provide.

Besides providing instant warmth, I love all the beautiful designs available.   Every functional possession should also be aesthetically pleasing!

Grati-Tuesday

Because my first couple of gratitude posts have been rather serious, this one may seem silly...like I'm grasping for an idea or making fun of being thankful.  But that's not the case.  For me, one of the ideas behind intentionally giving thanks is to pay attention to the seemingly simple things in life...things easily overlooked, not only because I take them for granted but because they are "small."

Today, as I sat with an elderly friend eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with caramel and chocolate, I had to chuckle at our conversation.  We sat there with big grins, both of us verbally effusive about how absolutely delicious it was and how much we LOVE ice cream...and it occurred to me: this is one of those simple gifts that I never stop and give thanks for.  It's just ice cream, afterall! 

BUT...several "someones" in history took the time to figure out the right combination of cream, sugar and eggs to make the perfect frozen concoction!  And then they shared the result with the rest of us!  Not life-changing...not world-altering...but a gift nonetheless for which I return thanks!

Grati-Tuesday

Today I give thanks to God for the men in the Missouri Presbytery who sacrificed their time to thoroughly investigate the accusations against my pastor, Jeff Meyers. I am especially thankful for their conclusion that he remains within the bounds of orthodoxy in his teaching and ministry.  Several men worked tirelessly to ferret out the truth and the Lord heard and answered our prayers in bringing about his exoneration.

I also give thanks for Pastor Meyers, who endured close scrutiny, answering very tedious points of theology with precision and detail.  This too required an additional sacrifice of time and energy on top of his routine pastoral duties.  I thank God for the endurance, patience and maturity granted to him throughout this process. 

ADDENDUM:  Almost as soon as I posted this, I became aware that the Presbytery's rule is being challenged.  Nevertheless, I am STILL thankful for their work and pray that God will confirm their faithfulness by granting them the same vindication they granted Pastor Meyers. 

Grati-Tuesday

At age 23, I returned to St. Louis from Chattanooga for a year to help out one of my sisters.  I decided not to attend my parents' church while I was here but to strike out on my own.  I was particularly interested in finding a Presbyterian church, so I did what everyone did back in those technologically prehistoric times.  I opened that bulky PRINTED-ON-PAPER volume we once knew as The Yellow Pages.  

My fingers did the walking and for the subsequent month of Sundays, I landed myself in a different flavor of Presbyterianism, looking for the one that best suited my tastebuds.  I can't reconstruct exactly what I was seeking back then, but I knew I would recognize it when I found it.  I do know that it included a combination of theology, congregational size, music, and other distinctives that comprise the "personality" of a church.  Whether or not that was the best approach, God knew the desires of my heart and was faithful in leading me to the place He wanted me to be.  

On the fourth Sunday, I walked into the Masonic Lodge at the intersection of Eddie & Park and Sappington Roads.  Let me tell you, there was nothing appealing about the building!  It was small, without windows, and the "sanctuary" set-up was more than a little odd.  In spite of that, this place struck a chord in my heart.  I can't even say why, but I knew I belonged here.  It wasn't a feeling...back then I never allowed myself feelings...so it must have been a rational evaluation of...well, everything.  

22 years later, I am blessed to be in this same place.  Much has changed.  We have our very own church building...with windows to boot.  We lost our beloved founding pastor to a tragic climbing accident and had to find someone to fill his shoes.  Children who were just being born are in college or married.   Several pillars of maturity have gone to be with the Lord.  We have sent-out dozens of seminarians to minister around the world, and we've "lost" nearly a hundred of our own dear ones to 2 church plants.

But through all the changes, God has been faithful, and His people have continually blessed my life in ways innumerable and immeasurable.  I have learned a vital lesson: the church belongs to Jesus Christ and He loves and guards her through many dangers, rough waters, unsettling changes, unexpected loss and grief.  He will make His bride beautiful and He will keep her till the end.

I have been blessed by faithful teaching, by the perseverance of my sisters and brothers, by steady and faithful friendships, by wise leadership, by an abundance of physical, intellectual and Spiritual blessings that have been mine through this fallible and fallen gathering of saints. 

Today I return thanks to God for His faithfulness as demonstrated to and through this local body of believers.

Grati-Tuesday

I am thankful for this group of Christian sisters whom I came to know during my 10 years at Providence Classical Christian Academy:

The accumulation of grit and stubborn will of the 12 women gathered around this table probably exceeds that of The Dirty Dozen!  And what an incredibly diverse group of ladies!

Some are married, some divorced and remarried, some widowed.

Our ages span 4 decades.

Between the 12 of us, we cover every digit from 0-6 in the # of children we have.  These children range in age from 1 year to 40+ years, and a couple of us even have grandchildren!

Our level of education ranges from High School diplomas to Masters degrees.

We attend churches from nearly every tradition: Non-denominational, Charismatic, Reformed Baptist, Free Church of Scotland Continuing (really!), Evangelical Free, and Presbyterian. 

Our personalities are even more varied than our churches!  Some are sweet, some harsh.  Some docile, some confrontational.  Some subtle, some not-so-subtle.  Some soft-spoken, some loud.  Some peacemakers, some troublemakers.  Every one of us, though, is opinionated.

The roles we filled at PCCA ran the gamut: moms of students; directors of development; headmasters; fundraisers; Adminstrative assitants;, teachers of music, Kindergarten, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, Latin, History, Composition; curriculum writers; auction chairmen, etc.

And right now, only 3 of us remain employed at PCCA, while the other 9 are involved elsewhere.  So what is it that brought together and has held together such an unlikely sisterhood?

Quite simply, it is our common bond in Christ and our love for our own and one another's children.  Each of these women loves the Lord, His Word and His people.  Each one desires to serve and build up the Body of Christ.  Each one pours herself out for the sake of others. 

So, in spite of our vast differences, we recognize in one another a kindred spirit that transcends those things that could have (and sometimes nearly did!) tear us apart.  We have, at times, hurt one another.  We have arrogantly dismissed one another's opinions.  But we have also smoothed each other's rough edges.  We have built one another up in love and good works.  We have refined and strengthened each other's strong points and we have covered for each other's weaknesses.   We have challenged one another.  And we are all better for having known one another and having lived side by side, sharing a passion for Christian education and for the glory of Christ.

So, on this first Grati-Tuesday of the year, I give thanks to God for enriching my life through the faithful lives of these 11 women.