"Memory Monday" - Memories of a Purple Dinosaur

Memories are cool things aren’t they?  Things that make you smile when you think about them…things that make you warm and fuzzy inside…and things that can cause you to burst out laughing for seemingly no apparent reason.  I’ve definitely had a lot of those kinds of memories J  I would love to be able to share some of those with you.  So…I’ve decided to institute “Memory Monday.”  Not that this will happen EVERY single Monday…but on Mondays once and a while I will do my best to share a special memory with all of you my dear blog readers.

Today on our first installment of “Memory Monday,” I want to share a special memory I have about a purple dinosaur and a young boy’s lifelong dream to meet said dinosaur.  Ok, you know in your mind who this purple dino is, right?  Yup, good ‘ole Barney.  I grew up as a kid watching the TV show Barney because it was both of my younger sisters’ favorite TV show.  I knew all the songs and dances, and could recite them by memory because frankly when you have two sisters who are four years apart, you pretty much go through about 6-7 years of Barney non-stop.  Not complaining at all…just stating a fact.

Who knew that all this Barney knowledge would come in handy as a teenager?!  Yes…I said a teenager.  Now don’t go thinking I had a mid-teen crisis and suddenly became an avid Barney watcher…I didn’t.  Here’s the story…

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My junior year of high school, while living in Birmingham, Alabama, the pastor’s wife of my church, Traci, told me about a very sick boy whose life-long wish was to meet Barney the Dinosaur.  This boy had severe cystic fibrosis, mental challenges (which made him talk and act like a young child), and he had recently had surgery.  It was going to be his fourteenth birthday and his family didn’t think that he would make it to his next birthday so they asked Traci if she could help them fulfill his wish.

Traci was able to get one of the real-life Barney costumes donated for this special surprise.  The costume was very similar to the one on the actual television show...not the cheap Halloween-looking ones.  All she needed was someone to bring Barney to life.  She asked me if I would be interested and of course after I heard his story, I most definitely was!

I was so excited, I went out and bought a Barney CD that I could play for him.  I also planned to do the motions to many of the songs I knew from those days of watching the show as a loving and dear sister in those early childhood years J

So one day after school, Traci and I made our way to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.  When we got to the parking garage, she unloaded the costume and began putting it on me.  We figured it was best to do it this way so as not to traumatize other kids we would pass if we had walked through the hospital with the costume in our hands.

Do I make a convincing Barney? :)

I will never forget walking through the hospital in the Barney costume to get to this boy’s room.  The gasps and happy screams of so many kids filled the hallways and there were times that parents had to pry their kids off my tail so I could walk J  There were literally 5 children on me at one point...two around my legs, two on my tail and one by the hand!  “Barney!  I love you” was a sweet phrase I heard as I passed many of the kids, most especially the preschool aged ones.

We were soon ushered by one of the hospital staff into the area where this precious boy was staying.  There was a small, black-mesh partition in the costume which allowed me to see everything around me.  As I entered the room, the boy’s mother said, “Sweetheart, look who is here to see you!”  I watched the boy turn his head and when he realized who was at the door, his fragile body began to tremble uncontrollably.  “Baney!” he said, his alert eyes glowing.  Traci turned on the Barney CD I brought, and as I danced along to the words of the songs, his face began to light up.  I ended my performance with the popular song “I Love You” and when the song ended, this sweet boy reached out for my hand. 

Holding the sweet boy's hand

As I held his weak hand, he said to me “Baney, I can’t believe you came all this way to see me.  Tank you Baney.”  Those thirty, joyous minutes went by so fast.  I wished I could've stayed longer.  We said goodbye and as I turned and left the room; I knew his family felt blessed, just as I was, to see him smile and laugh because he had not done these things in a long time.  I went home that night so humbled and thankful for the opportunity to be a part of making this sweet boy’s dream come true.

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What a sweet, sweet memory I have of that experience!  You never know what kind of opportunities will come your way for you to brighten up someone’s day.  The Bible says to “encourage one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and that encouragement could come in the form of ANYTHING!  It could be something simple like speaking encouraging words or a giving someone a vase of flowers.  I could be something you do like an act of service.  It could even be through dressing up as a purple dinosaur!  You never know! J God works in mysterious ways!!! J

...But Joy Comes in the Morning

"Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” – Psalm 30:5

The day after Jesus’ death had to have been an intensely difficult day for the followers of Jesus.  The day before, they had just witnessed their Good Shepherd/Teacher/friend be killed by crucifixion and placed in Joseph’s tomb.  Sorrow, hopelessness, and a deep depression more than likely began to settle into many of the followers.  Questions filled their minds and the One who could bring the answers was no longer there.  Heartache.  Weeping.  Mourning. 

Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”  Never would those words ring so true than on the day following this intense day of sadness.  But how on earth could things get better to the point of “rejoicing?”  Miraculously enough, however...everything did.

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen!  (Luke 24:1-6)

Rejoicing had come in the morning!  Jesus is risen!  The women immediately ran to the other disciples to share this news.  Skeptical, the disciples ran to the tomb and discovered that Jesus was indeed no longer there.  Over the course of days and weeks, as Jesus began appearing to His followers, they came to realize that the news they had heard about His resurrection was indeed true…He had defeated the grave.  He had risen from the dead.  He is ALIVE!

This week my church lost a dear encourager, prayer warrior, and friend.  Her sweet family lost their precious wife and mother.  So many of us, including myself, can attest to the fact that our sweet friend Shirl was always one to offer her prayers and support during our time of need.  Her loss was unexpected and is so incredibly heartbreaking to so many of us.  When I found out yesterday that she had entered the throne-room of heaven, I immediately thought of Psalm 30:5.  The logic-part of my mind thinks the same thing the followers of Jesus thought on the day after the crucifixion – “how on earth can rejoicing come in the morning?”  I’m sad.  I’m heartbroken.  I miss my friend. 

Then there’s my faith.  My faith in the very One who rose from the dead.  My faith in the One my dear friend is with today because she knew Jesus as her Savior.  Because of Jesus I know that although our sadness and loss of our dear friend (and loss of so many other friends and loved ones) may endure for a while, as believers in Him, our joy will come when He comes again! 

In Revelation 22:7, Jesus says, “Look, I am coming soon!”  Someday in the not so distant future, Christ will return to take His followers to heaven with Him.  We will rejoice in heaven with our loved ones and friends at the feet of Jesus.  We will be in a place where there is “no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.  All of these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4).  Our rejoicing will continue for eternity!

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen” (Matthew 24:36).  Are you ready?  Is your faith in Christ?  Have you accepted Him as your Savior?  Do you believe with all your heart that He is the Son of God?  Have you confessed Him publically as Savior of your life?  If you haven’t, He’s ready with open arms to accept you as His child.  I can’t think of anything better this Easter than to surrender your life to the One who gave His life for you.

“ALIVE!  ALIVE!  Look what mercy’s overcome!  Death has lost and Love has WON!  ALIVE!  ALIVE!  Hallelujah, risen Lord, the only One I fall before, I am His because He is ALIVE!”

"Resurrection Eggs" - An Easter Tradition

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."  - Proverbs 22:6

One of my favorite childhood memories from the Easter season are "Resurrection Eggs."  No, they aren't eggs that resurrect from the refrigerator...rather they are plastic eggs with some object inside that relates to the Easter story.  It's kind of like advent calendars for the Easter season.  So many days before Easter, you open up the plastic egg, look at the object and read the scripture that corresponds with that object.  It's basically a mini object lesson for the day, taking no more than 10 minutes.

I've seen many types of "Resurrection Eggs," but my favorite are the ones my parents created.  Many of the ones you can buy in the store today are like 10-12 days long.  My parents took that idea and expanded on it.  Instead of a 12-day "Resurrection Egg" lesson plan, my parents developed a 40-day lesson plan using these simple plastic eggs.  They searched the scriptures and found 40 different objects that relate from everything beginning with the Triumphal Entry all the way to Pentecost.  We would begin it way before Easter and end a few days after Easter Sunday. 

As a child, I remember being so excited each year as we opened each egg.  Every year the objects were the same and of course the story never changed, but I learned something new about the Easter story every year we did the "Resurrection Egg" lessons.  I can still remember some of the objects that would be in those eggs...one that comes immediately to my mind was a nasty fig (I say nasty because it never got replaced from year to year and that plastic egg stunk after a while J).  The fig represented the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree (Mark 11:12-25).  Another was a wet Kleenex representing when Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44).  Of course there were plastic eggs with nails in them, a stone, an angel, and so on...and you can figure what those represented.

I am so thankful for parents who valued teaching me about the Bible at home.  This can NOT be underestimated!  When I was in college, our education professors drove this home - learning can begin at school (or in this case church), but it MUST continue in the home!  I'm not a parent, but I know the value of having parents who taught me the God's truth at home.  My parents were the ones who helped me memorize Scripture, answer my questions about Christ, teach me Christian praise songs, and use object lessons to teach me about the Bible...not my teachers, not my friends, and not myself.  My teachers definitely were God-sends and helped me learn, but my parents reinforced my learning at home.  Kids are pretty awesome people, but they need the influence of godly, Christian parents (or guardians) to grow into even more awesome teenagers and adults!  Remember Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

If you've never done "Resurrection Eggs" before, I SO encourage you to do it with your children!  Kids are visual and love to be able to "see" how something relates to a story or concept...doesn't matter the age.  I'm a firm believer in using object lessons with kids and "Resurrection Eggs" are a great help in teaching kids about the Easter story. 

You can buy these in stores...but honestly you can make it yourself using common things at home too.  If you're interested in the 40-day one my parents developed, comment below and I would love to send you the plan.  I've included below an awesome DIY (do-it-yourself) below...this is one of the easiest I've seen in a while.

Parents...teachers...children's leaders....we are responsible for teaching the Truth to the next generation.  In order to impact future generations for Christ, our children have to be ready and knowledgeable about Him and their knowledge begins with us. 

Here's the DIY "Resurrection Egg" tutorial I was telling you about:

(C) Tasha Sawyer, 2013 - http://www.commissionstories.com/asia/interactives/view/resurrection-eggs-share-christ 

You've Got a Friend in Me!

 “A friend loves at all times” - Proverbs 17:17

Lucy and Ethel.  Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.  Woody and Buzz Lightyear.  These are just a few of the many examples of friendships that we see on television/movies or read about in books.  Here are friends that laugh together, work together, and yes, even get in trouble together; if these friendships were real, I think they would most definitely be friendships that last a lifetime.

I am SO thankful for my friends.  They offer encouragement, advice, a listening ear, and a huge hug.  Some I’ve known for a long time and others I’ve only known for a few years.  Some are older than me (no…I didn’t say they were old… J) and others are my age.  Some I get to see often and others not as often as we both wish.  No matter who they are or where in the world they are, my friends are individuals who are a text/call/Facebook message away and I know they will be there to rejoice, laugh, cry, and/or pray with me about whatever is going on in my life.  My dear friends are individuals who truly take Proverbs 17:17 to heart and “love [me] at all times” and I pray I can be as good a friend to them as they are to me.

Did you know that as believers we all have a mutual friend who is one that “loves at all times?”  This person is my friend and your friend and even the friend of people we don’t even know!  The awesome thing about this friend is that He is with you no matter where you are or what you’re going through.  If you’re by yourself, He’s there.  If you’re with other friends, He’s there.  He never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!  No matter what is going on in our lives, He promises to never leave us or forsake us.  All we need to do is to stay in constant communication with Him (through prayer and Bible study) and He will direct and help us.  His name?  Jesus.  “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.  What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”  Thank you Jesus for being our everlasting friend.

Do you have someone who has been with you through thick and thin?  Offered advice in a time of need?  Laughed at your not-so-funny joke?  Rejoiced with you in the good times?  If so, these are people who have “loved you at all times.”  Take a minute to pull out your phone or write them a message letting them know how much they mean to you…it doesn’t have to be long or wordy.  Let your message come from the heart.  Be the friend to them that they are to you.

A Note from Nelly Nama

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” – Luke 6:38

When we show the Operation Christmas Child videos in church, there’s always one or two that talk about someone who included a letter in their shoebox and heard back from the child that received it.  I’ve always thought how cool that would be, but I also knew that it wasn’t likely to happen to everyone, especially with the number of shoeboxes OCC sends out each year.  Nonetheless, each year I have packed a shoebox, I have also included a short letter inside about myself.  When I’ve talked to the kids about packing shoeboxes, I’ve encouraged them to include a letter too.  I know that many of the children that receive these boxes more than likely don’t have access to or funds to send mail overseas, but at least a letter shows them that someone cares about and is praying for them.  Like I said, I’ve always heard stories about people that got letters, but never have gotten one in return.  Until today.

This afternoon, a special envelope came in the mail addressed to “Miss Allison.”  I looked at the stamps and immediately knew it was an international piece of mail, but thought it was from a missionary that the church kids had written during missions time.  When I turned to the back and saw “Cameroon,” I knew immediately that it was from the child who had received my shoebox.  Thanks to OCC’s EZ-Give online, I received an email back in December that told me where in the world my shoebox went.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever hear back from her.

I opened the folded up letter and read the precious words of a child from the other side of the world.  I share sweet Nelly Nama’s letter with you (translated from French into English):

Dear friend,

Merry Christmas!  It has been a pleasure for me to read your letter, I really and a great honor in knowing you.  It was with a lot of care and attention that I have listened to your advices, because the Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

I am 11 years of age, speaking in French language. I live in Cameroon, I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers and my mom.  My dad is deceased. I'd like to be a teacher later as you.

The Lord bless you!

HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!  

Jesus was right when he said, “Give and it will be given to you...”  I love how The Message puts it, “Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” (Luke 6:38 MSG).  This sweet note is definitely a huge “bonus and blessing!” :)

I urge you that if you haven’t ever put a note in your shoebox…do so!  Who knows, maybe you’ll hear back from them!?  Let that precious child know that they are loved, prayed for, and valued by someone half a world away.  Your gift inspires them to be interested in and learn more about Jesus because the Gospel is shared with them right before they receive their shoebox.

Also, I ask that you join me in praying for sweet Nelly Nama…that she comes to know Jesus if she hasn’t already, that she is able to serve and trust Him, and that she grows to become a beautiful woman of God.

To find out more about OCC work in Cameroon, check out this link: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/cameroon/

I Serve At the Pleasure of....

I haven’t done a post in a while that lives up the original premise of this blog…meaning the phrase “living with a servant’s heart”…but I was inspired the other day to write this, so here it goes! :)

When I was in high school, I took AP Government.  Looking back, that seems so NOT me, but nevertheless, I took the course.  I remember that one of our assignments was to watch an episode of the TV show “The West Wing” and report on how it related to what we were studying.  I don’t remember anything about the episode, but I do remember thinking, “This is the most boring-ist show ever.  Why would I want to waste my time watching this?  I don’t understand politics.  Where’s the remote?  I want to change the channel!”

You know what’s funny about growing up?  You come to find out that things you didn’t like/appreciate as a kid, you begin to pick up/enjoy as an adult.  Think about it…vegetables, exercise, politics, etc… Well, now that the show is on Netflix, I now find myself watching episodes of “The West Wing.”  My…how time changes things :)

I am not a political junkie by any means and a bunch of stuff on that show still doesn’t make sense to me, but I was struck the other day with a phrase that I hear quite often on the show - “I serve at the pleasure of the president.”  All of the president’s staff and cabinet are found quoting that phrase when they are asked by the president to do something.  What an interesting phrase that I think we could most definitely relate to our service to Christ.

As believers, isn’t Christ our commander in chief?  Yes.  As believers, shouldn’t we live our lives in service to Him?  Yes.  In fact, God created us to serve Him – Ephesians 2:10, “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  God, through Christ, has given us more than we ever deserve – the best of which is eternal life through Christ – and so living our lives in service to Him is the very least we can do as believers.

In fact, God has gifted His children in many different ways so that they can serve Him through many different avenues.  Romans 12 speaks of the different gifts that God has given His children and says “even if we do have different gifts, use ‘em!” (that was APV – Allison Paraphrased Version).  Maybe you’re good at singing, computers, teaching, sports, driving…the list could go on and on.  GOD HAS A PLACE OF SERVICE JUST FOR YOU!  Christian ministries upon ministries exist in churches and communities today that could most definitely use the gifts and talents that God has given you.  Don’t waste them!  Use them to serve your commander in chief – your Creator – your Sustainer – your Redeemer!

Serving Him may take us out of our comfort zone, it may require sacrifice, and it may require more-than-normal trust in God.  No matter what the cost, He will bless you for your service to Him.  The binder that I use for all of our screen media information has a verse clearly displayed on the front cover that I pray is an inspiration to the volunteers for that ministry and I pray will be an encouragement to you.  It’s from John 12:26, where Jesus says, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.  If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

So…next time God asks you to do something just for Him, what will your response be?  May our hearts cry out – “I serve at the pleasure...of the King of Kings.”

It's Noisy in Here!

In the noise and confusion of day-to-day living, do we really stop and listen to what God is trying to tell us?  This noise and confusion doesn’t necessarily have to be audible commotion; it can be continuous thinking or even uncontrollable worrying.  I know for me personally, my mind is constantly wrapped up in thoughts of the day or thoughts about my future.  What words from the Lord have I missed out on because my mind was wrapped up in the noise and confusion of the hour?

This thought recalls to my mind the story of how God spoke to Samuel.  1 Samuel 3:4 says that one night before he had gone to sleep, the “Lord called Samuel.”  Thinking it was his teacher, Eli, Samuel ran to him and said, “You called.  I’m here.”  Eli must’ve said, “Um, sorry Sammy, but it wasn’t me.  Go back to bed.”  So Samuel went back to bed, but he heard his name again!  So again he goes to Eli, thinking it was him.  Eli says, “Sam, I didn’t call you.  You sure your hearing is okay?  Go back to bed.”  Samuel goes back to bed and again hears his name.  He goes to Eli once more, and by this time, Eli realizes that Samuel isn’t crazy and that God is the one who is calling Samuel’s name.  Eli says to Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if He [God] calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).  Samuel followed Eli’s instructions and when he heard God call his name for the fourth time he said, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).  God then proceeded to tell Samuel some important news.  We find out later that as Samuel grew, God “revealed Himself to Samuel through His word” (1 Samuel 3:21).

Most times, I feel like Samuel, in that I can’t hear beyond the noise of the day.  So many thoughts consume me that I don’t take time to truly stop and listen to what God wants to tell me.  I’m so thankful God is a patient and forgiving God who waits for me to shut off all the commotion so that I can focus on Him.  In His presence is knowledge, wisdom, understanding, life, peace, joy, love, strength, and the list goes on and on.  I love Psalm 16:11 that says if I go into His presence, He “will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of His presence and the pleasures of living with [Him] forever.”  In this season of my life, I am learning patience and “waiting upon the Lord.”  How can I “wait upon Him” if I don’t stop and listen?  Hmm…makes ‘ya think, doesn’t it!?!

Turning off the noise depends on me.  When that happens, like Samuel, I can truly say “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”