WONDERMENT — THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD

14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14)

Children have the amazing gift of innocent wonder. It is a gift that we, as adults, try to grasp again through the eyes of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We borrow their vision temporarily before returning to the view of the world through our own eyes that are less innocent, less awestruck. Yet, if we could capture that wonderment and hold onto it through every age of our lives, we could daily see how God wants us to behold the world He made– just for you and me.

How our children see God’s world:

W= WOW!               Everything is awesome: A bullfrog croaking.

O= Observant.        Down to every detail: “What’s that? How? Why?”

N= New.                 Treasures!  A dandelion puff. Blow! Catch the wind.

D= Delight!             Chasing a rabbit. Running hard with little legs.

E= Excitement!       “Look!” Pointing. “Look!” A bird flies overhead.

R= Reverence.       Falling leaves. Trying to put them back up, each one.

M= Marvel!             Running barefoot in warm sand. Splashing into a wave.

E= Ever.                 Always ready. “Let’s go!” Tugging mom’s hand.

N= Novice.             First-time look, touch, smell, sound, taste of creation.

T= Take in.            The world and all of nature, overwhelming wonder.

Let the little children come unto us.
If we could only see what you behold,
Our eyes would not seem so very old.
Unfold the world, refresh our view;
Help us become God’s children anew.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/31/15)  teacherforjesus.com    Meditations on God’s Word

S:  Soldiers, when committed to a task, can’t compromise. It’s unrelenting devotion to standards of duty and courage, absolute loyalty to others, not letting the task go until it’s been done. (John Keegan)

A: A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. (Joseph Campbell)

C: Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often affected. (Billy Graham)

R: Remember fallen heroes. Remember fallen angels. “My father used to call all soldiers angel warriors…Because usually they get boys to fight wars.” (Lt. Carroll, pg. 44, Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers)

I: I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. (Nathan Hale)

F: For love of country, they accepted death. (James A. Garfield)

I: I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism. (Bob Riley)

C: Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared. (Eddie Rickenbacker, World War I hero)

E: Each man is a hero or an oracle to somebody. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

IN MEMORY AND HONOR OF VETERANS WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR FREEDOM. IN HONOR OF THOSE SOLDIERS WHO CONTINUE PROTECTING OUR COUNTRY AND THE FREEDOMS ESTABLISHED UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

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Going to War as a Christian
(Deuteronomy 20:1-4) 1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

Some of us may actually engage the enemy in another country, while others watch as sons and daughters depart to a foreign place in preparation for battle. Although most of us will not physically go to a war front in another land to face an enemy, there are many battlefields we confront as Christians. The manner of battle is different, being more spiritual than physical, although we may have physical confrontations with those who do not support or defend the Word of God. The Lord may require sacrifices of us in these battles against the Father of Lies, including the ultimate one–the giving of our own lives–as Christ did before us. God’s promise is that we are not alone. He is with us and goes before us. The victory is His.

Each quote cited applies to our personal Christian duty and responsibility. We must each have the commitment, courage, love, and devotion of a dutiful soldier to further the cause of Christ in a world that is moving away from Him, either through passive/aggressive unbelief or confrontational verbal and/or physical acts. We are soldiers for Christ, and we have a solemn duty to fulfill. Our courage comes from God’s promise to us. We know Who wins.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/24/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:10)

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The author stared at an empty page, pen in hand, poised to write. How should he fill this page- and the next page- and the one after that—and . . . There were so many possibilities, so many results from the possibilities, so many effects from the results. It took contemplation. “You are the Author of your own life story,” he thought. And he began to write. . .

That quote was displayed in two posters in my classroom, above and below my Little Free Library, which consisted of an open cabinet with shelves of books written by many different authors. I wanted each of my students to realize that, like the authors of these books, they also had their own life stories to write—and, in fact, were doing so every day and every moment. It should take contemplation.

Each writer of the books in my classroom library once faced the blank page and had to fill it—and continue filling the blank sheets until the story concluded on the last page. Sometimes, though, there was an added postscript revealed in an epilogue—“a section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to what has happened” (www.googlesearch.com). This additional end portion of the book could also be referenced as the “Afterword.” What happened “after” was the end result and effect of the possibilities chosen by the author to fill the pages of his story.

We each have a pen in our hand and blank pages before us. The Creator God has given His creation mankind the ability and freedom of choice to write its own story—with every man and woman in creation a personal author. How we each fill the blank pages of our life story with “the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” will determine our “Afterword” as we face the judgment seat of Christ.

What will Your Afterword be?

DEPART—I never knew you. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:22-23)
—-OR—-
ENTER—Good and faithful servant. His lord said unto him, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:21)

It takes prayer, before filling the pages of our life stories. The epilogue must be contemplated in each page as we earnestly direct our lives toward that desired Afterword— to ENTER an eternal beginning with the Lord.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/17/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
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Teacher, nurse, doctor, lawyer, judge, chef, hygienist, interior decorator, mechanic, psychologist, hairdresser, librarian, negotiator, cheerleader, financial advisor, role model, and so much more.
MOTHER: Multi-Occupational, Talented HER.

HER role is pivotal in the life of her children. HER influence emanates through the life of her child from birth to death—and throughout eternity. When a God-fearing mother is that influential presence, Proverbs 22:6 can be fulfilled. Father and mother are both the responsible trainers in their children’s lives, but the mother has the initial bond internally in child-bearing and continues to be the child-bearer in many ways throughout the life of her daughter or son.

“Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your  children do.”     (Author Unknown)

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”  (Washington Irving)

A praying mother is a powerful presence, moving through time with her sons and daughters.
“I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”  (Abraham Lincoln)
A praying mother has no boundaries of space, traveling ahead of her children with protective prayer.
“If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been.” (Robert Brault)

God gave mothers a special place in His plan. A human mother bore the Savior of us all. Mothers bear the children who have the potential to become the followers of Jesus and carry on His work here in His church and throughout the world—if properly trained, if earnestly prayed for, if devoutly reared by a Godly mother.

May we be mothers who carry forth the plan God designed for us. God, help us faithfully nurture and raise children who will know the Way to go and never depart from it. Amen.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/10/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

³⁵ Jesus wept.                                                              ( John 11: 32-35)

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The day after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, where twenty young children and six adult staff members were fatally shot, I faced my senior English class students and asked them one very important question: “Did you cry?”

It wasn’t an academic question related to grammar, literature, or writing. It wasn’t a question that would fit the rating scale for evaluation by an administrator. But it was one of the most significant questions I asked that class the entire trimester, because it was a human question. Some nodded directly looking at me, tears welling up in their eyes. Others lowered their eyes, using their shirtsleeves to wipe away tears. Some sat silently. In the room, there was a unity of emotion– sadness, sorrow, loss. Yes, some had cried and some were still crying, more than were showing it.

The human experience involves a sharing of sadness and joy. Jesus understood this and wept at the grief He witnessed from Mary, who had just lost her brother Lazarus to the end we humans face—death. Jesus wept at the great sorrow expressed by those Jews who were also mourning. Even though Jesus knew joy would follow as He raised Lazarus from the dead back to life, He still wept with those who mourned, empathizing with their sorrow and their loss. It was a human reaction, a human experience; He was a human Savior.

Jesus taught us how to be human in this short verse of the Bible. “Jesus wept.”

Let us not forget His example of humanity in the midst of suffering in our world today. Did you cry for those grieving the deaths of thousands in Nepal? Did you cry for those mourning the loss of the refugees drowned in the seas? Did you cry with those lamenting the loss of family and friends from the plane crash in the French Alps? Did you cry with your brother or sister in Christ today?
1 Corinthians 12:26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.                  

                                                              DID YOU CRY?
The response reveals our humanity. The answer has been given to us in a very real demonstration of love: “Jesus wept.” So must we. But He didn’t stop there; He took action to help relieve the loss. And so must we.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/03/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for.” (1)
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Have you ever wanted some “thing” so much that you pursued it with persistence and perseverance, expended a great deal of time and energy and, perhaps, money into seeking a way to have it– only to discover that when you finally obtained it, you lost that feeling of really needing or even wanting it? In a short time, the item might be stuffed away in a closet, unused and forgotten, eventually ending up in a garage sale. “I have it now, so what’s the next ‘thing’ that gives me the same feeling of want and desire because I don’t have it yet?”

What we desire and want say a lot about us. How we pursue those things also speaks volumes. These are physical, observable wants, but what is really special to us and what we truly “ache for” may be hidden in a solitary quest of the heart and soul, only seen by God, El Roi, Who sees all.

“What makes something special is not just what you have to gain but what you feel there is to lose.”(2) Something that is very special goes beyond the “gain” of merely having it– to the “ache” of loss without it.

What do we truly “ache for?” Do we have an “ache” inside for Christ that is such a special desire and a want that we would do anything to never lose Him? Would we pursue a relationship with God at a greater degree of persistence and perseverance, giving our time in abundance, for such a yearning in our hearts and souls for Him?

The scriptures speak to this ache and yearning for the Lord, our God:

Isaiah 26:9 My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. . .

Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

Psalm 42:2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Psalm 63:1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Psalm 143:6 I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.

John 6:27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

John 7:37-38 ³⁷ On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, ³⁸ and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”

What we earnestly seek, we will find, if it is in God. What we find, we will hold dear in the God-given soul that aches for Him and longs to be with Him eternally.

Thank you, Lord, for this God-ache within us that yearns for You. Only in You can we fulfill all our wants, our desires, and our needs. Only in You, can we find true satisfaction and peace.  Amen.

(1) Oriah Mountain Dream, poet
(2) Andre Agassi, tennis pro

(Sharon G. Tate blog 04/26/15)  teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

                     

What’s in a name? I told my high school students that their characters would be revealed and recalled through their names. Thus, each one needed to make sure that his or her name was not associated with the Public Record or behaviors like dishonesty and immoral actions. I confronted a senior about seeing her name in the Public Record and told her the next time I saw her name in print, it had better be for something good. It was—employee of the month, where she worked. She got a letter from me, congratulating her. She came to see me before I retired and told me she would keep her name clean, and I would only hear and see good things regarding her name and, thus, her character.

In distinct contrast to man who struggles daily in an attempt to maintain a good character, God’s character is  defined by goodness. The various aspects of God’s character are revealed through the many names He has been given that designate the multiplicity  of His being. The name “El Shaddai, Lord God Almighty,” shows us that God is powerful and sufficient for ALL our needs. We cannot meet our needs on Amazon, Google, Wikipedia, Craigslist, Wal-Mart, or Facebook. Someone added this third entry into the time frame of the historical calendar as seemingly significant in rank and importance: BC (before Christ), AD (Anno Domini–In the Year of our Lord Jesus Christ), and then BG (Before Google). Although Google can anticipate aspects of our interests ahead of our fingers fully typing in the words from cache records of our prior searches, IT does not KNOW us, neither can it be ever-present with us, nor can it fulfill our needs- and it certainly cannot control the elements.

Only God, the Almighty, can truly know us: Psalm 139:1-2 (1) You have searched me, LORD, and you know me (2) You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
Only God, the Almighty, is everywhere at all times: Psalm 139:7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
Only God, the Almighty, can meet our every need, even those we do not express: Matthew 6:7-8 (7) And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (8) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Only God, the Almighty, can control the elements–earth, water, air (wind), fire: Psalm 148:8 . . . lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding . . . Jeremiah 10:13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

EL SHADDAI, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, is all-knowing, ever-present, ever-sufficient, and all-powerful. When we recognize our own insufficiencies, concede the deficiencies of any man-made creations and, then, fully acknowledge that He is all we need, we begin our journey toward knowing EL SHADDAI.

                                                We worship an awesome, Almighty God!
(Sharon G. Tate blog 04/12/15) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

 

                                            

⁶⁹ Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

⁷¹ And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

⁷³ And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”

⁷⁴ Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” (Matthew 26: 69-74)

 Denial of Jesus? Earlier, Peter had boldly professed that he would never do this: “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will . . . Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Matthew 26:33, 35).

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When Christ had previously asked this disciple who He was, Peter declared: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). A bold stance, a firm assertion, a proclamation of belief. Why, then, did Peter deny knowing His Lord publicly and loudly, his language degraded to cursing and swearing?

Peter confessed, by his own words, that Christ was the Son of God. Yet, he denied knowing “the Man”–the Jesus of Galilee. The reference switched from the Messiah sent by the Living God to the Man coming from a physical location in a known region of their world. The Man would be beaten, abused, spat upon, tortured, and crucified. The Man would die. “I do not know the Man!” Peter loudly exclaimed, cursing and swearing with an oath, denying the Man, who would leave him behind, alone. Was Peter’s admission true—that he didn’t really know the Man? With human perspective and limited vision, human emotion and personal feelings clouding his belief, Peter didn’t really understand the Man Jesus and how, seemingly, all the teaching, miracles, promise, goodness—could just end this way.

Put to the test. When a strong leader dies, a cause can lack the same momentum, fervor, and following. The cause can perish with that person. This leader, who called Peter to follow Him, was now willing to be led away, allowing His own demise to occur without even a fight. Peter had been told this before when Jesus foretold what was to come, but Peter could not accept it then and confronted Jesus: ²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” ²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16: 22-23). Peter’s concerns were still those of men in denying Jesus of Galilee, the Man who knew His purpose and fulfilled it on the cross.

What happens to our faith when we deal with “human concerns” that might cause us personal harm, loss, social status, friendships, jobs, or even our lives? What limits do we put on our faith, depending on the cost? Peter’s earlier declaration to Christ– “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God”– was the solid foundation to build upon. Peter had to continue from that first rock of faith and confront much opposition to continue building without the Master Builder physically by his side. He went from denial to sacrifice, taking up the cross for Christ. To know the Man is to deny self, take up the cross, and follow Him.

DO WE, HIS CHURCH, KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO FULLY “KNOW THE MAN?”

ARE WE WILLING TO ACT ON THAT KNOWLEDGE?

WE ARE THE MOMENTUM, THE FERVOR, THE FOLLOWING.

(Sharon G. Tate blog 03/27/15) teacherforjesus.com