Rainey Days

One of my favorite praise songs is "Better is One Day." I love to sing that song, always cranking up the sound when it comes on my radio or ipod. I like that it is based on Scripture, specifically Psalm 84:10, "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." While we may not sing the second half of the verse, it still has a great image attached to it. When I was first studying French (and barely knew anything), I heard a devotional study given by one of the advanced students in my language program. Part of our language study included these devotional studies presented in the mornings, and the young missionary that taught on this verse was a medical doctor heading to Niger, West Africa. He had prepared rudimentary drawings to illustrate his presentation, which greatly helped me to follow along, since I didn't understand the French words he was using. ...

The theme of Family Camp this year was "Passing the Baton" to the next generation of ministers. To make the theme all the more effective, the sermon time was split between two ministers: fathers and sons (and one daughter in the faith). I heard some great messages on variations of that theme, and I enjoyed the inter-generational dynamic of the ministers, as well. I chose not to write about the sermons last week, because I wanted more time to digest them. My favorite night was the Tuesday service on "passing the mantle of the Holy Spirit" to the next generation. Sullivan McGraw preached an "old school" message on Elisha picking up the Elijah's mantle that was powerful; everyone got fired up when he preached on the need to use what God provides. The first thing Elisha did with the mantle was to strike the river and dry up the water. Pastor McGraw challenged us that the gift of the Holy Spirit we've been given is not something merely to carry a...

My niece, Ellie Rainey, turned one year old on Wednesday! We had the party last night, and as you can see, a good time was had by all!

I hear water running. That's odd , I think. I'm in the bedroom of a little cottage on the district campground, getting ready to go run some errands. I didn't leave the sink running, did I ? I step out to check the kitchen faucet, which does leak, but its firmly shut off now. I can still hear the steady stream, so I glance at the bathroom. Nope, not there, either . On my second trip to the kitchen, I discover the source. Outside the window, I'm literally inches from another cottage, and a gushing stream of water is coming over the roof. It's raining. It's been gray all morning, but it figures that just as I'm ready to go out with a list of stores to go to, it will pour. My "emergency" sweatshirt and my umbrella are in the trunk of my car, so I make a quick stop there on the way to the driver's side. UGGGHH! My window was down an inch, and I feel the wet seat of the car become the wet seat of my jeans. As I reach for the seatbelt, I ...

In the soaring temperatures of a Baltimore summer, the locals complain, "It's not the heat; it's the humidity!" The haze that settles over coastal Maryland is only broken by the occasional storm, and those are all too short. The locals found a better way to beat the heat: the snowball. Some people call this concoction "shave ice" or "snowcone" but in Maryland, it's always a "snowball." In May, snowball stands start popping up like dandelions all over the state. You have your choice of flavors, and toppings like marshmallow creme or chocolate sauce. They are a favorite among the young and old alike. For myself, I confess that I love the idea of snowballs more than the iced treat itself. I almost never finish one. In fact, if I get two snowballs in a summer, I'm satisfied. This summer has been unique, though. One day I got a hankering, and I came home eating my watermelon flavored snowball. My dad got inspired to start e...

Now that my home church has a beautiful multi-purpose building, we try to use it for everything. A die-hard flea marketer suggested hosting periodic flea markets in the gymnasium; today was the fourth such event, and with each one, everyone gets a little shrewder about how to buy and sell effectively. I like to people watch. I find it intriguing to see what people buy, but even more so, what they reject. For example, the first thing that caught me eye was a set of Ronald McDonald resin plates from the early 80’s. It was a “collect all four” deal from when I was a child, and just seeing those cartoon plates brought back so many memories of family meals around our old cramped kitchen table; I wanted to buy them instantly. I told myself no, but of all the nice home décor, furniture, clothing, and jewelry that was on display today, those plates were the most desirable thing to me. What motivates everyone else? I watch people shuffle past my table, their eyes darting by in a quick on...

Next week, I'm going away to a tropical paradise! Well, in a manner of speaking . . . I've been asked to come up to the district campground for Family Camp and "host" one of the missionary cabins for an "open house" afternoon. I'm going to be in the "tropical" cabin, which is decorated with a palm tree theme, pictures of sandy beaches, and silk birds-of-paradise flowers. I'm looking forward to the rest and relaxation of being on the quiet campground; I hope to get a lot of work done while I'm there. I've been told that I'm even allowed to use the camp pool, which will be an unexpected treat. Even though the open house is only on Tuesday, I'll be up at the camp most of the week to hear the speakers at Family Camp. Who knows, I may be even be able to make some good contacts with pastors there, too!

As I drove through Lancaster County, PA yesterday after church, I passed cornfields and cows in the countryside, and I appreciated the beauty of that area. Rounding a turn, I came up on a little one lane bridge (not the one pictured here), and I noticed the large yellow "Yield" sign as I entered. The thought came to me, "I bet there is another yield sign on the other side." I glanced back in my rear-view mirror, and sure enough, there it was! Both sides of the road were expected to yield to the other. It reminded me of a little blind alley in France that I used to cut through from a grocery store parking lot to the major road that ran behind it. Everyone used that little alley to avoid the overcrowded intersection nearby. Eventually, the transportation authorities had to put up signs at both ends. In French, they don't say "yield," nor does "right of way" really translate. Their signs have double arrows (exactly like the picture abo...

Can you believe we are already at the middle of July? Months ago, I made a booking with an old friend from college, Sam, who is now a pastor in southern Pennsylvania. At the time, the 13th of July seemed like it was very far away. Now all the sudden, this is the weekend to visit a friend that I haven't seen since I graduated from college. Sam played point guard for the men's basketball team, and I kept stats for the team, so I guess over a few years of traveling to away games we got to be friends. One time, he made a half-court buzzer shot that won us a game in Lanham, MD; my family had come to the game to see me, and Dad says that every time he sees someone heave up a basketball from mid-court, he remembers Sam's miracle shot. I remember Sam for lots of things, and I have pictures of him hugging me at my college graduation. Now he has a wife, four kids, and a growing ministry east of Lancaster. I'm really looking forward to this weekend.

I just finished a great book, Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? In that typical fashion we all have of sharing what we liked, I would love to tell you about this book. Unfortunately, it's a subject that only interests me. I don't want to subject you to my own particular interests, like annoying people with their slide show of their Grand Canyon trip ad nauseum . Suffice it to say that this book, written for women over 30, addresses the idea of what happens when you realize that you may never get married. While not ruling out hope that God will still answer your prayer, the book deals with many practical issues like finding a "place" in churches, investment and retirement issues, responsibilities to parents and siblings, choosing the right attitude toward God and man, and more. I thought that this book was honest and encouraging, and I was glad that I'd found it (by accident on a clearance table). I would recommend it to many of my single girlfriends. This book ...

I have lived with a pack-rat for most of my life, so I try to avoid the tendency myself. However, I do tend to put away little things that are meaningful to me. As I was moving some stuff around my room today, I was ready to stack some stuff on top of an old plastic filing container. On a whim, I figured I'd better check what was inside before I blocked it off. Inside I found a treasure trove of things I had saved: sentimental greeting cards, photos from college, and some artwork from my students in Israel from 1995. I was teaching first grade that year, and I saved some of their Christmas projects, as well as their drawings of their favorite Bible stories. They are very precious memories for me, and I take encouragement from them, as well. I hope that the Word I taught to the children then still has an effect on their hearts.

I hope my American readers all enjoyed a nice holiday weekend. On the Fourth, I kept hearing people say that they were glad to have Saturday off as well to catch up after exhausting themselves cooking, hosting parties, and all the playing we do on the holiday itself. I know I needed it myself, because I was pretty tired on Friday. This year was a unique holiday for me. My mother's parents have always hosted our entire family at their pool and screened-in patio for an all-day cookout and pool party. We eat, talk, play games, sometimes pick crabs, and generally catch up on each other's lives, since we only gather like that twice a year. This summer, however, my grandmother's house is in limbo; my brother is trying to sell his home and buy hers. My father's health this year has been a stress on the whole family, and we decided that none of us had the energy or resources it would take to host an event like that. Instead we were invited to Marilyn and Dave Stevens...

If you are like me, you can't resist reading the comments left at the end of these blog posts; you may have noticed in the past few months, only one person comments. (I know that there are many people who actually read the blog, so I'm not complaining--although by all means, I would love to hear from more of you :) "MomaBeam," or Janice in real life, is a good friend of mine. She grew up with my mother, and they have a lot in common. Over the years, life's experiences have forged in Janice a backbone of steel, so when she encourages me on this blog, I know it comes from someone who has been through way worse situations than I've ever had to face. And yet, if you are like me reading those comments, you can see that she is still full of victory, still full of determination. She is a "survivor." Recently Janice was diagnosed with breast cancer, and today is her surgery. I've promised to pray for her today (even survivors get nervous), for he...

I'm going to "get 'er done" today. I've got notes stashed in with receipts and bills here in my filing system; as I read through some this morning, I realized that I still had some thoughts on Galatians I never posted. Here goes: We left off in Gal. 5, with the theme of freedom in the Spirit. Rather than being weighted down with difficult and unnecessary Judaic law, the Galatian believers were set free in Christ. They were redeemed from their sin by His sacrifice, and Paul warned them against being dragged into a "slavery" to law when freedom in Christ was available. Of course, there will always be people looking for a loophole! My niece Olivia is not quite two years old, and she has cleverly discovered a few tricks: she is not supposed to feed her lunch to the dogs, but if she "drops" her sandwich--whoops!--and then the dogs get it, she doesn't have to eat her sandwich anymore. If she is put down for her nap, but doesn't want to g...

I was away in West Virginia and Pennsylvania this weekend for services. I had heard of both churches often before, but wasn't familiar with their locations, so I was very surprised to find out how far away I would have to travel. I made a quick reservation at the district campground for Saturday and Sunday nights, hoping to break my journey into more manageable travel. I have friends who live on the campground, Bobi and Nancy Arsenovic, who are retired missionaries now filling a role as the missionary representatives/liasons to the district. It's a long job title that is even more puzzling when you add their job description: they pick us up at the airport, host going-away parties, organize the housing of missionaries on the campground, listen to our complaints and fight for our rights when we need an advocate. They're doing a marvelous job! I'd been invited to visit their cabin on the campground months ago, without ever really having a chance. This weekend, we fin...