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‘Tis the Spring of Souls Today

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey
This is the third attempt at this piece. I’m still not happy with the italic lettering, but if I keep trying I’m sure I will be able to make a really good version someday.

 

 

Spring is the time of year that causes me to feel “burst-y” with enthusiasm, joy, exuberance and hope. The dawning days of spring are subtle but unmistakable. The snow piles recede before the relentless golden orb that warms the ground. Spring buds of crocus and daffodils push the moldy dirt aside with a fragile beauty that belies their sturdy and intense imperative to grow. Cold and nearly dark mornings are clamorous with raucous bird chatter. There is no doubt that spring is breaking. Winter’s solemn grip of icy silence is cracking before the pressure of resurgent life.

It seems so fitting that as spring elbows its way to ascendancy over the cold and dark of winter that we celebrate the glorious truth that Jesus, crucified, dead and buried for three days, rose to endless and powerful life. What magnificent work our God has accomplished!

Our God is not a dead god like Buddha or a solitary and remote god like Allah. He is not an imaginary man-made god of stone like Ashtoreth or Ra. Our God is the true and living God. In His mysterious three-in-one Personage, He came as a man to dwell among us. As the Man Jesus, He lived a perfect life. Jesus suffered an ignominious death at the hands of His own creation. He chose to die in the place of sinful man under the Father’s righteous wrath against sin.  He laid three days cold and dead in the tomb until that glorious morning when in His eternal power He broke the bonds of death and rose to triumphant eternal life. He has given that life to those who believe this. What a gift I have in Christ Jesus! Eternal life. Fellowship with Almighty God. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

 

I pray you will ask God to give you His rich mercy of eternal life in Jesus this Resurrection Day.

 

This is one of my favorite hymns. Can’t you just hear the happy people singing on Resurrection Sunday morning?!

 

QUESTION: As we celebrate Resurrection Day this Sunday won’t you join me in the praise of our wonderful Savior?

Your Life Matters: Lessons from Saint Patrick

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

I’m a fan of the wonderful spring holiday of St. Patrick’s Day. I’m not Irish, but having corned beef, cabbage and Irish soda bread is a great tradition.  And then there is the tradition a friend of mine and I started years ago of enjoying chocolate in the form of “Black Bottom Cupcakes” on the day.  (See the recipe at the end of this post.) I don’t remember how or why, but having the ritual of chocolate consumption is never a bad thing.  But all that aside, there is a much more serious reason I love this holiday.

St. Patrick—he’s technically not a “capital S” saint since the Roman Catholic Church has never elevated him to that status—wields an amazing influence on us today. Let me explain.

In the early 5th century, Patrick was a young teen living in Scotland northwest of present day Glasgow. He was captured and enslaved by a barbarian Celtic lord. During his six years of captivity he returned to the faith he had abandoned. After escaping, he went back to Scotland and became a cleric. When he was nearly 40, he returned to Ireland.  Palladius, the first missionary to Ireland, had gone in 451 AD. Palladius wasn’t terribly successful in his mission to the pagan Celts in Ireland. Patrick, following about 5 years later however, had strong influence and is largely responsible for establishing the Christian faith on the Emerald Isle and virtually preserving Christianity and the Bible throughout the Western world.

There are many legends surrounding Patrick, but what I think is most important is that because he was faithful in sharing the Gospel of Jesus and working to teach and nurture Christian faith among the Irish we have Bibles in our hands today.  I can hear you exclaim, “What?!” Hear me out.

Ireland became and still is the home of many medieval monasteries. There in many of them, the Scriptures were carefully copied by hand by monks laboring quietly in Scriptoriums. These isolated places were first established in the 5th century about the time Patrick was working to share the Gospel.  Hear what “Ask About Ireland”-  a website shares in explaining this to school children:

 

The first monasteries were usually built in isolated places like Glendalough in Co. Wicklow or on islands such as Skellig Michael off the coast of Co. Kerry.   Some monasteries were also built near the forts of important kings like the monastery of Clonard in Co. Meath. The monks chose these isolated places because it allowed them to pray and work without distraction.

As well as praying and fasting, some monks spent their lives making beautiful copies of the Bible. The Book of Kells, written in the ninth century, about 800 AD, is a famous example of this. It was named after a town called Kells in Co. Meath where it was once kept. This book can now be seen in Trinity College, Dublin. Another famous book which was written by monks in Ireland is the Book of Durrow.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/primary-students/subjects/history/history-the-full-story/early-christian-ireland/monasteries/

 

These manuscripts of the Bible were God’s way of preserving and extending the spread of His Word. There were no printing presses for nearly a thousand years yet and Europe was deep in what has been called the Dark Ages. While the rest of Europe was experiencing a time of illiteracy, superstition, cultural and intellectual darkness, these monks were laboriously and scrupulously copying God’s Word. Their work preserved the Scriptures which otherwise would have completely disappeared.

How amazing that the quiet life of Patrick and these unknown men faithfully following their calling have given us the unspeakable privilege of having the Bible in our hands today!

So, thinking of my life, my skills, my “calling” makes me reflect on our Faithful God who uses the most obscure and interesting ways of accomplishing His work. So I ask myself, “Have I been a faithful parent, teaching my children and grandchildren to love Jesus and His Word?  Have I used the opportunities that come because of my daily life to tell others of Jesus? Have I worked to build up and encourage others in their faith? How is God using me and my plain, obscure life to accomplish His Plan?”

Question:

What is your calling? Are you being faithful to it? Do you know that you will have an influence for generations to come if you are faithful?

And here is the promised recipe:

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Mix the following and set aside.

1 — 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1/3 C. sugar

1 egg

6 oz. (½ C.) chocolate chips

Make the cake batter as follows.

1 ½ C. flour

1 C. sugar

¼ C. baking cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 C. water

5 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir dry in ingredients together. Mix liquids and combine with dry gradually. Spoon into 18 paper-lined muffin cups (Be sure to make 18!!)  Top with cream cheese mixture. Bake for 25 minutes until toothpick put into cake comes out dry.

Craving Joy

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

What is the goal of my life? What am I seeking? I think I and all other human beings universally seek joy and happiness. We want something to make our lives meaningful and delightful. Our pursuit takes us to the mall or the auto dealer, to the casino or lottery machine, to the computer porn screens and sexual encounters of every description. Others of us turn to jobs, family, travel and “experiences” as sources of validation and “happiness.” There are those who constantly change homes, remodel or build bigger, better ones in the pursuit of ultimate satisfaction. But it is quite obvious that every one of the ways we try to grasp joy is a vapor that slips through our fingers. The Preacher, speaking in the book of Ecclesiastes says:

“All that my eyes desired did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.“ Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

In this season—very late winter— I have been tempted to grouse and complain about the snow and gloom that just seem to hang on and on. Most folks here in the Inland Northwest are feeling the same. This particular winter has been a rough one. Snow. Lots of snow. Gray skies. Lots of gray skies. To be fair, there have been some lovely breaks–when the world was freshly frosted with snow making a fairyland of an ordinary neighborhood. And when the drizzle of “precipitation” has broken to a wash of glorious blue sky. But mostly, it has been a “long, dark winter.” Definitely no obvious JOY in my attitude or heart.
During this glum time, I have been pondering my faith—where is the evidence that it is real? I’ve wondered about my worship and the reality of my life “in Christ.” What does it all mean? Is it real? Am I kidding myself and just living and believing what I was raised to believe and do? Why do I not experience joy and satisfaction that Scripture says are the lot of the believer in Christ?

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:9-11

Don’t get me wrong. I have a deeply settled conviction that God exists. He is real and knowable. He has spoken authoritatively to the creatures of His creation. What I am fussing about is my response to all this. I know that He in His sovereign might has reached down and transformed my “dead-in-sin” heart to a “new creation” heart that will live forever. But somehow, my love to this wonderful God seems so tepid. I keep loving my own interests and daily thoughts more than Him and His Word. Where is the joy Jesus says is mine? What does it feel like? What is it?
I’ve just begun listening to an audio version of John Piper’s book, Desiring God. In it he lays out a case for being a “Christian Hedonist”—one who craves and seeks the joys and delights of God Himself.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines hedonism as:
1: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life

That is an amazing thought that my spiritual life should be marked by the pursuit of pleasure and happiness in God as my overriding goal and passion. I want to be saying with the Psalmist

“All my springs of joy are in You.” Psalm 89: 7b

I’m eager to finish this book. I am being challenged and somehow, I think that as my gaze turns toward Jesus my questions will be answered more fully. Already, I know that my faith in Jesus is real. I know I am not kidding myself about the reality of God and His Heaven and His promises and His Word. Yes, I was raised to this, but all these have borne the scrutiny of skepticism and intellectual thought.
Now I am looking to wade into these waters of joyous hedonism. I am eager and excited to find delight in God alone. I have the sense that I am on the verge of a very amazing time in my life.

Question: What is your goal in life? Will you seek to know, love and enjoy God above all else? Will you experience the “joy of the LORD” today?

Mystic Quiet = Fresh Goals

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

Recently my now-retired spouse proposed a fishing trip to one of his favorite spots with “would you like to go along?” attached. Inwardly I sighed and thought of all the things I wanted to do at home. But immediately my deeper desire not to waste an opportunity to spend time with him kicks in and I say, “sure!”

I pack my “art stuff” and he loads his fishing gear. We fill the camper with food and folding chairs—because coffee out in the early morning sun is a ‘must.’ As soon as we pull on to the highway a sense of relief sweeps over me. The ordinary—laundry, grocery shopping, meal prep, computer work, TV, even garden veggies needing processing—drops away and is replaced with a nearly mystic calm. The next two days will be an oasis of peace. As the miles pass so does the tyranny of the urgent.

Coffeepot lake

Ahh, quiet happiness! The solitude, beauty and peace of the lake is an emotional and spiritual elixir. As the day draws to a close the wind swirls and ebbs around me. The swallows and blackbirds glide and sit by turns. What a time of peaceful renewal that makes my heart overflow with gladness for this beautiful place.

After a deep, refreshing sleep, out comes the little notebook I grabbed as I packed. I reread the only entry—just one page—made over 3 years ago.  It sets out an ambitious plan for my writing and art.  I am stunned, surprised and encouraged!  Those goals have largely been completed! There wasn’t a fancy list, just some simple things written down that I wanted to accomplish. I didn’t put in any deadlines (though some motivational experts would say that is a critical need) I just wrote down—“said out loud”—what I wanted to do with my life.

It made me realize how truly valuable it is to set goals. To “say them out loud” (so to speak) by writing them down.

So, I am determined to use this delicious slice of quiet to ponder and make a fresh set of goals. Who knows? Three years from now I may have another book or two in print? Wouldn’t that be nice?

my goals

Question: Have you written your goals recently? Are you brave enough to “say them out loud”?

 

Weighed Down

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

“That’s heavy, man!” I can just see a bedraggled hippie guy in embroidered bell-bottom Levis gazing at me with weed-blurred eyes, offering sympathy for my troubles. As a child of the 60’s and 70’s, that phrase comes to mind whenever I think of something that is serious, sad, or overwhelming. And back in the day, the culture offered its condolences with this phrase. Now, I am needing more than this vague expression of solidarity in my misery. So where do I look?

cast your burden

This promise of keeping comes in a Psalm that talks of the evil designs arrayed against God’s own children. I look around at the world situation—seeing every sort of trouble and turmoil—from life-threatening illness in the lives of people I love, to horrors of militant evil persecuting and beheading my fellow Christians. I look at the issues in my own daily situation and realize my long and tyrannous “to-do list” is also a heavy burden.

Oh, my. I am far more weighted down with earthly cares than I knew. I must stop here. I need to slow down. I need to turn my face to Jesus. I need to consciously give Him the things that burden me, the “heavy” things. They threaten to shake me, make me topple into fear. They undermine my trust in my God Who is powerful and able and Who will keep me.

I am helpless to deal with my troubles. But He is utterly capable. He is THE Almighty God. His power and love are everlasting. So why should I keep struggling to solve my problems and settle my anxieties with my own thoughts and ways?! I can turn to Him. I can give Him my troubles and anxieties. He will carry my load. He will keep me.

There is another Scripture that is quite similar to the promise here in chapter 55.

Psalm 37:23, 24. “The steps of a man are established by the LORD and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.”

Here the promise is “skin-to-skin”… the LORD is holding my hand! So, casting my burden on Him is the thing to do. But how?
Prayer and the constant discipline of my thought life- reminding myself of what I know is true of my God and His world. He is the Almighty. He loves me. He has promised to keep me. What comfort!

Question: What are your burdens? Will you give them to Jesus and receive the promise of God’s care and protection? Or would you rather sort out your troubles in your own strength?

Asking for a Pony

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

“What do you want?” I remember asking that with an exasperated sigh when being pestered by a whining child. Children’s requests are almost universally self-focused and addressed to parents who have many responses from silence to angry no’s to soft headed indulgence of foolish whims. The child often makes extravagant promises in the hope of a positive parental response. Our human parenting is so tainted by sin that we have difficulty getting a good picture of the amazing perfection of our Heavenly Father’s parenting of us.

I know that my prayers need to fall in line with God’s will. But my limited knowledge of God’s over-arching plan for the world makes it impossible for me to be absolutely sure that every request I arrow toward heaven is perfectly aligned with what God wants. So the temptation is to shrug my shoulders and sigh, “what’s the use?” and just not pray at all.

But that won’t do. We are commanded to pray. Jesus taught us to pray and we are supposed to pray with belief that we are heard. OK. So what DO I pray for? Isn’t some of what I pray for like a foolish whim that my child asks? “Mommy, I want a palomino pony for my birthday.” Really! What child asks for a plate of broccoli and a stack of books to study as a birthday gift? Isn’t it the same in the Christian walk?

Enter this amazing word from the Psalms.

Asking for a Pony

I have read this promise many times over the years and have made the assumption that surely God meant that if I was a really good girl and really doing lots of noble and good things that He would somehow be pleased enough to give me longings and desires that would please Him.

But this time, I decided to reexamine the passage. I went to my ESV Study Bible and read the notes.

“Some take “the desires” as referring to the feeling of desire, i.e. “God will shape your heart so that it desires the right things”, but the sense is rather, He will give you what your heart desires.” …as they delight themselves in the LORD, their hearts will desire the right things.”

Oh, no! That can’t be. That is TOO grand a promise. “What my heart desires?!” But there it is. Plain and simple. I am immediately reminded of the places in John’s Gospel that I have marked and read many times. Jesus Himself says six times in three chapters in John (14, 15, and 16) the exact same thing.

  • “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do…” (14:13)
  • “If you ask Me anything in my name, I will do it.” (14:14)
  • “…ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (15:8)
  • “…whatever you ask of the Father in My name He will give to you. (15:16)
  • “If you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. (16:23)
  • “As and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” (16:24)

These promises from Jesus’ lips must be read in context, but they have the same framework as the Psalmist lays out. The one who loves and obeys Jesus, the one who honors the Father has this amazing promise.

I am still pondering how big this promise is as I frame my prayers. I want help being organized today. I want the process of getting my book printed and published to go smoothly. I want to stay healthy so I can care for my family. I want to grow up spiritually. I want my family and friends to know and love Jesus, too. I want the world set right- the end of war and suffering. The list ranges from the mundane to the lofty, but all of it is part of what my heart desires. I am free to ask. I am assured He hears and will give what I request.

Jesus has commanded me to pray. He has promised to answer and so I get the privilege of entering into His wonderful plan for His world- by PRAYING.

Question: What are the desires of your heart? Have you taken them to Jesus?

Fear and Trembling

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

EVERYTHINGYOU'VE EVERWANTED ISON THEOTHER SIDEOF FEAR.

“The LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” So many things come to mind pondering this promise. The context of this promise is very specific direction from God to Joshua, at a very specific point in history so I must exercise caution and wisdom in applying this promise to my own life.
I begin by thinking of the fact that Scripture uses the whole story of the Exodus and the conquering of the Promised Land as a vast and deep picture of the triumph of Jesus in the work of the salvation He accomplished for His people. He delivered us from the power of darkness and delivered us into the kingdom of Light. (Colossians 1:13). We are made “more than conquerors who love us and gave himself for us.” (Romans 8:37).
This “saving” and this “conquering” beg the questions:
From who or what are we saved? And what or who do
we conquer? Do we really conquer anyone or anything?
There are four commands that precede this promise. God tells Joshua he is to “be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed.” Each of these words imply that there is some reason one might be weak or cowardly and fearful. One might tremble at something that inspires fear or be dismayed at a terrible, apparently “un-fixable” problem. So what it is that would require remembering that “the LORD your God is with you wherever you go?”
The life we live in this fallen world confronts us with the enemy of our souls, satan and his evil minions who hold sway over the world until Jesus returns. They stir up horrific evil and trouble for all earth’s inhabitants. But they particularly hate and desire the downfall of the ones Jesus has bought for Himself with His own blood. Satan is our mortal enemy who wants to see us devoured. He uses our own lusts (1 John 2:16) and puppets of evil (John 8:44) in his efforts to cause us to renounce Jesus or to make a shipwreck of our faith.
This battle is real. It is against “the powers of darkness” (Ephesians 6:12) and so you and I must take to heart the encouragement that God spoke to Joshua in much the same way Joshua must have had to do. He faced formidable foes in the wicked pagan people living in Canaan. He had to deal with complex problems in leading the people to the promised place. So we must look at our evil foe in all his roaring, frightening aspects and choose not to be afraid. We must tackle the tough situations with which we are presented with courage, not cowardice.
We need to remind ourselves of the amazing truth: “the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Before Jesus was born his parents were instructed to name Him “Immanuel”—which means “God with us.” Wonderful thought: even His name declares the glorious truth of His being with me! This promise does not say God WILL BE with you, but rather God IS with you. There is not and cannot be a time or place where God is not with me. What a wonderful promise!
Question: What causes you to be afraid? Will you cling to the promise that God is with you?

Promises, Promises! A New Year- A Fresh Start

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

Every autumn I begin thinking of how I want to structure my personal time with God in the coming year. One year I chose to use a devotional called Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms. ISBN 0-87552-458-3 (pbk) It was a very fruitful year for me spiritually. Other years have been other books, but for this year I decided to try a less “other person’s work” approach. I am planning to focus on God’s Promises.

He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature…

The scheme is this:

  1. Every Sunday I am going to spend some time reading the Word mining for a promise that bears more meditation.
  2. I will read the surrounding context, and choose the main promise as a verse I will work on memorizing during the week.
  3. I am going to make a 3×5 card for each week with the context passage noted, the verse written out

(to look back to for memorizing process) and then notes during the week of other passages that correspond…things I find in the margin notes, or that I stumble across and that play into the Word that the Spirit is speaking to me.

I’m excited about this project. As I was reflecting on how to share it with you, I thought I should tell you that one of the things I really want to do—have wanted and sought to do for years—is to KNOW God.

Years ago I read the book, Knowing God, by J.I. Packer. It is a Christian classic that really impacted my life. (I encourage you to find a copy and read it.) Packer emphasizes the fact that God is so vast that learning about Him is an eternity-long project. God reveals Himself in Scripture in so many ways that just draw you to Him and make you love Him more and more. His promise-making and promise-keeping are part of who He is in relation to us, His special creation. So, I want to think about what He has promised me. I want to make this year one that warms my heart with love, joy and faith in my wonderful, faithful, Promise-Keeping God and Savior.

I hope you will find a way to meet God regularly this year. I would love to have you tag along on this adventure with me. Each week I will post my passage and promise. OOPS! That is a big promise…so, I will add the word “try” to that-

Post a comment below if you like. I’d love to hear from you.

QUESTION: What will be your “New Year” resolution in your relation to Jesus?

Hello world!

Posted on by Karyn Jeffrey

This blog started when I began painting some pictures for my grandchildren. Now I am nearly done with the project of publishing those pictures in my book, Life in Letters: A Christian Young Person’s Guide to Virtue, Integrity and Peace. The evolution of the book has been amazing.

300_cover_01

As an artist, it has been a joy to make the pictures. As a calligrapher it has been a challenge to produce
“beautiful writing” page after page. As a writer, it has been a stretch to do the writing right. (Is that good grammar?) Now, as publication nears, I am excited to meet my readers and interact with you about living a life for God. So, I begin this blog as a tool toward that end.

My choice of title and tagline reflect Psalm 8. There, the Psalmist extols God’s splendor and majesty. And in an astonishing truth, verse 5 declares that He has crowned us with glory and majesty, too!

It is my prayer that all of my life and activity will glorify Him—reflect Him. I desire that my art, writing, cooking, cleaning, befriending, “wife-ing”, “daughter-ing,” indeed, every aspect of my life devoted to reflecting His splendor and majesty.

Won’t you come with me on the journey of reflecting the splendor and majesty of our great Creator and loving Father?