The Mulligrubs

I dedicate this story to my dad who celebrates his 89^th birthday today. He always searches for the good in all situations and does his best to keep others from the “mulligrubs”. Happy birthday and I love you dad.

 

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB). 

I was recently frustrated and struggling as to whether or not I was following God’s direction for my life.  I was praying for guidance, however I was still allowing worry to take control and finding myself in a state of what my dad refers to as “the mulligrubs.” *

Frequently, I take one step forward and two steps back. Instead of letting God guide and occupy my every thought, I allow fear and worry to lead. I know that the only way I will become everything God has created me to be is by eliminating worry from my life. I don’t always follow his advice, but I love what Rick Warren says about worry, “When you think about a problem over and over in your mind, that’s called worry. When you think about God’s Word over and over in your mind, that’s meditation. If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate!”

I had been listening to George Muller’s audio book called Answers to Prayers and as I completed the appendices, the podcast continued to revert back to chapter 3 part 3. So instead of correcting it for the third time, I decided I would listen to that section again while getting ready for church. In this section, Muller discusses how he identified God’s direction on a particular issue.  He found Proverbs 3:5-6 to be verses that offered assurance in his search. It reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB). 

Not having the good sense to realize that the verse might have been God’s direction regarding my struggles, I nonchalantly turned off the audio book. I drove to my sister’s church where I arrived a few minutes early through a side door that I had never entered. As I walked up to look for her, I practically bumped into a granite monument in the atrium that had the following verse inscribed on it; “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” Proverbs 3:6.  I encountered the same verse within a 30 minute period from two very different sources. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but I am pretty sure that was my answer from God.

 His direction now seemed obvious: memorize, meditate and apply this verse as a source to guide. It certainly beats hanging out with worry that most assuredly leads to “the mulligrubs!”  

*1. A griping of the intestines; colic.
   2. Hence, sullenness; the sulks.

Michele (Peachele)

 

 

Lord, I Love the Beauty of Your House

 "Lord, I love the beauty of your house and the place where your glory dwells Ps 26:8  (paraphrase)

It is interesting how habits begin.  As a teenager I fell in love with the book, The Cardinal. While I loved the main character, his father had a pious habit that I eventually adapted for myself.  The father was a motorman on a trolley line in Boston.  Every time he passed a Catholic church he would tip his hat and say, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph.”  For many years whenever I pass a Catholic church I silently pray a paraphrase of Psalm 26:8, “Lord I love the beauty of your house and the place where your glory dwells."  For the last several weeks while my husband and I have been traveling in Poland and Germany I have only been in one Catholic church, a beautiful Gothic cathedral in Wrolsaw, Poland. 

My parish church has recently started Eucharistic adoration on Wednesdays during the day.  Prior to my trip I signed up for a one hour morning shift before the Blessed Sacrament.  The church is not magnificent like the cathedrals of Europe or even the neo-Gothic churches of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries here in the US.  It is very plain, with very little decoration.  I really do not like the architectural style, the community is the reason I have not changed parishes, and community is an essential part of the meaning of Christianity.

This past Wednesday I went for my first hour of adoration.  It took me a little while to settle down and calm my mind.  In that hour I found beauty in my church.  Between me and the Blessed Sacrament on the altar a peace settled upon me I had not found in many months.  I was aware of others in the church but I was also alone with Him.  Again I could say, “Lord, I love the beauty of your house and the place where your glory dwells.”

Eileen

Worth More Than A Thousand Words

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:40 NIV).

My husband recently called on one of his long-time customers who had been out of work battling throat cancer. When this man described his struggles, he did not mention the pain, long days encountering chemo, loss of appetite or hair. Rather, what he said was, “What I found was that nobody in this world really cares about you. Others go on day by day concerned about themselves and their own.”

 I don’t know this man, yet this statement haunted me. I continued to contemplate how difficult it is to approach those who are deeply troubled. Ella Wheeler Wilcox writes in her famous poem, “Solitude”:

                        Rejoice, and men will seek you;

                        Grieve, and they turn and go.

                        They want full measure of all your pleasure,

                        But they do not need your woe.

 Because I can relate to the words in this poem, it caused me to search my own life. When people are hurting, such as struggling with an illness or suffering from the loss of a loved one, I often say, “I’ll pray for you.” But do I care enough to stay and offer my presence in their most desperate hour or do I leave as fast as possible because I don’t have the right words to say?

 A friend recently had to go to court to face an unpleasant situation and another friend accompanied her. She said that her friend never said a word, but his simple presence made all the difference in the world. In these times, isn’t the presence of a friend monumental and isn’t it just an illusion to assume that our words can fix everything anyway?  There is a famous saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  Sometimes, our mere presence is worth more than that!

Michele

 

 

A Restless Night's Sleep

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16b NIV).

My husband and I had been discussing a specific matter for some time. While I really felt the need for some guidance from a professional in the Christian financial world, he would agree but continued to put me off. One evening, my Bible study group had dismissed and I was sharing the story with one of the ladies in the group. She said, “Let’s just stop and pray right now.”  Now I have to say, this is a devoted and faith filled lady with the gift of prayer and a strong unmovable faith. I was in good company! Out of nowhere, we asked God to give my husband a restless night’s sleep so he would see the need to move forward with our long-delayed plan.

He travels a lot and to save money he often stays at our office in mid Alabama where we have a makeshift bedroom upstairs. He had stayed there that night and the next morning he called and said, “I am calling today to finalize the plans we discussed regarding our finances.” I was a bit taken aback because until now, I was always the one bringing up the subject.  I agreed and out of curiosity asked, “How was your night’s sleep?” He said, “It was terrible!  The two-month-old air mattress I was sleeping on, for no apparent reason, burst and I found myself wrestling on the hard floor all night with nothing but a blanket and pillow.” God must have known I needed a good laugh. More importantly, it increased my faith and appreciation for the power of prayer.

 Michele

Razzles, Whoppers, Jujyfruits and More

 

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up a bone.” (Proverbs 17:22 NIV)

There is always a basket next to the bed that stays full of: Gummy Bears, Whoppers, Jujyfruits, Raisinetes, Razzles and more. My husband loves candy.  In order to draw me into his candy party, each night he makes me close my eyes and guess what flavor Razzles I’m eating. He shares his Gummy Bears and often tries to convince me that the pineapple ones aren’t so bad. When the kids come to our room, he brings them into the candy festivities as well.  It is a small part of our day, but it is a fun time together.

There is only one thing my husband likes better than candy and it is a bargain. Last week, there was a sale on a variety of his favorite candies.  He bought so much candy that the basket on the side of the bed could hold no more; so he decided to utilize the book shelf for his extras. He lined the candy boxes perfectly in the bookcase. When I saw his display, I was quite amused because at a glance, it resembled a variety of academic texts. Right in front on me, was a visual presentation of both of our obsessions: mine, a row of books and his, a row of assorted candies.

I began to consider the possible end results of our two obsessions. My initial thought was that reading books can increase wisdom and knowledge; eating candy can increase the waistline. When I looked deeper into the consequences of how these obsessions affect each of us, I began to altar my initial conclusion. When I start reading, I often want to tune out the whole world. I don’t want to stop for anything or anyone. At times, I become so consumed in my readings that I fail to remember that I can be negatively affecting important relationships.  If left unmanaged, the aftermath of my obsession can be more dangerous than my husband’s weight-gaining candy craze.

While my husband’s candy get-togethers may seem frivolous, it is really a small means of building and expanding existing relationships.  Aren’t relationships built on the small and simple things in life anyway?  In Proverbs we are told that “A cheerful heart is good medicine…”  Isn’t it great to be lighthearted, to eat candy together and forget the drudgery of the day? Even if it is for a short time, it is enjoyable to overlook the seriousness of life, to be silly and spend time with each other.

In comparing and contrasting our two obsessions, I decided that while growth and development are obtainable through the books I continue to collect, there is a lot of fun in my husband’s fulfilled candy obsession. This is true, even considering the downside of a budding waistline!

Michele  

The Duckling Sandwich

 

 

A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes (Proverbs 13:1 NIV).

 

The Welch Terrier that we have thinks it’s his job to chase anything that moves: tires on a car, squirrels, cats, birds, and—in particular—balls. He is quite the athlete, and if it were legal for him to be on a soccer team, he’d be playing in the World Cup.

 

One Sunday, my husband was grilling and enjoying watching Sammy continuously roll his ball in the lake, jump in, and start the routine all over again.  My teen-aged daughter and a crew of her friends showed up after a trip to the Flea Market with two baby ducks. My husband warned them to keep the precious ducks away from Sammy because he feared that he would grab one for a “duckling sandwich.” The girls let the ducklings swim in the hot tub and because Sammy appeared to be of no threat they went onto the lawn to let them play.

 

Sammy continued to play and seemed to be preoccupied with his ball.  The girls soon forgot about the possible danger. Until, like a flash, he made his move and snatched one of the ducklings and ran. Several girls were screaming. My husband and a few of the other girls were chasing him around the house yelling, “Sammy, stop!”

 

This sequence of events reminds me of how often I’m warned to stay away from something, but for some reason, I let my guard down and the very thing I’m warned about happens! For years now, my mom has warned me that I may not have my priorities in order. Failing to heed her warning has caused me some major grief. In Proverbs we are told that, “Intelligent children listen to their parents: foolish children do their own thing.” (13:1 MSG).

 

The dog and duckling story doesn’t end as disastrous as it sounds. Sammy got tired of the duckling and eventually spit him onto a bush and ran back to find his ball. The duckling was traumatized but unhurt. I’m trying to follow my mother’s advice and reassess my priorities in hopes that my story will also have a happy ending!

Michele

Aimlessly Wandering

 

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13 NIV).

 

I recently took a trip with two of my sons to the New England area. In the process of obtaining a rental car, we were informed that there would be a substantial up-charge to include my twenty-one year old  as one of the drivers. This left me as the only driving option which posed a bit of a problem since I am easily distracted and don’t have the best sense of direction. (Actually, according to my seventeen year old at least, I have absolutely no sense of direction.)   

 

Fortunately, my twenty-one year old is a logical thinking physics major, who could probably navigate using the position of the sun, served as a superb guide during the trip. Without his assistance, my lack of navigational skills and ability to become easily sidetracked may otherwise have us detoured, diverted and aimlessly wandering the roads of New Hampshire in search of balsam firs that reminded me of Christmas trees each time we came upon one. 

 

It is easy to become distracted and get off course when traveling, especially if you leave me in charge. This can also be true in our Christian journey. As believers we are provided the Holy Spirit to serve as our earthly compass.  Unfortunately, I often believe I’ve got things under control and attempt a self-guided tour. You can only imagine how much trouble I find myself in without His counsel. Karl Barth says;

            When we are at our wits’ end for an answer, then the Holy Spirit can give us an answer.

But how can He give us an answer when we are still well supplied with all sorts of answers of our own?

 

The assistance of modern technology and my son’s guidance served as great aids in leading us in the right direction on our recent trip.  In my daily Christian journey, I have to remind myself that without the Holy Spirit’s guidance and counsel, I will find myself detoured, diverted and aimlessly wandering.

 

Michele