My Spiritual Heroine

Michelle DeRusha has  written a book about women heroines of the faith.  Women like Ruth Graham, Corrie ten Boon, and Harriet Tubman.  She has challenged her readers to write about their own Heroines of the Faith.  I met mine 46 years ago in a little village in South Carolina known as Providence.  God has a sense of humor for sure.....I just realized how "providential" this village was in my life.

When I met Reba Gillam Evans and her husband, P.C. Evans, they were living in two rooms of their once large farmhouse.  They were living on Social Security....maybe $500 a month.  Mr. P. C. had once owned one of the few stores in the area, farmed over hundred acres in vegetables which he sold up and down the East Coast, owned a barbershop, the first motel in Sumter, SC and been on Governor Olin B. Johnson's staff.  Now he had dementia all his assets were gone and no one was sure what happened to them.  We called Reba, MaMa.  She was my husband's grandmother.  She kept P.C. at home until he got violent and she had to put him a nursing home.  She stayed nearby and visited often.

When P.C., Grandaddy, died, MaMa came to live with her daughter, my mother-in-law, next door to my husband and I and our three young children.  She moved ninety miles from home and lived life as she always had... quiet, unassuming, cheerful, and uncomplaining.  She now lived on $200 a month most of which she contributed to her daughter to help with electricity and food.  She quietly read her Bible daily and prayed and went to church but she didn't preach to anyone.

My husband, a farmer, and I, a doctor's daughter from Washington, D.C., got into financial trouble in the early years of our marriage.  I was devastated.  What would happen?  Would be lose our new home?  Would we lose the farm? The sky was falling.  Everyone had advice for us.  All MaMa said was, "God will take care of you."  "What has God got to do with this?" I hissed back at her.  I was churched but unsaved.  Not connected to the vine.

Eventually both my husband and I formed a relationship with God and His Son, Jesus.  We had many We had trials and sorrows but through it all I knew MaMa was praying.  I have three godly children who are in church and serving God today thanks to MaMa's prayers and her godly example.  My children are raising their children in godly homes.  All have accepted the Lord and been baptized.  They are finding their way as teenagers in God's kingdom.  All because MaMa prayed.  She never worked outside the home, she had a mental breakdown and went to the State Hospital when she was menopausal, she lived with her in laws until they died.  MaMa lived dependent on her daughter until she went to be with the Lord in her nineties.  She went to the nursing home without complaint when her daughter felt she could no longer take care of her.

I am NOTHING like MaMa.  I am loud, I complain, loud and often, and I really do NOT have her servant's heart. (Did I mention she washed a million dishes at my mother-in-laws?) But when I think of a spiritual heroine her image comes to mind out of all the godly women I know.  Why?  Because I watched her up close for twenty-five years and I believe her prayers have born more fruit than all my works.

I am a Spiritual Misfit

I think I qualify for the category of "spiritual misfit" for a lot of reasons.

I actually like Sunday School better than church.
I think it's silly that our pastor changed the name from Sunday School to Bible Fellowship.
I think having services on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening is buzz kill.
Singing a praise chorus more than three time is repetitive.

Probably a clue to my rebellious nature comes from being raised Methodist.  This is the denomination that actually joined the black and white parts into one group.....here in South Carolina.

Clue number two: I recently went to a black Baptist church here in SC and enjoyed the service more than at my own church......even though I was not really welcomed there.

I think what we do (say) outside the church is more important than what we do and say inside the church.

But having said that I am sad to see the organized church changing from lovely brick and mortar buildings to meeting in civic centers and movie theaters.

When visiting in Washington, DC recently a friend told me about a nationwide movement where city people join "villages."  These for people who want a support system or community of people to do things with or take them to the doctor or airport etc....   Isn't that what the church use to be?

These are a few reasons I might fit under the title "spiritual misfit" even though I am a saved, baptized, Southern Baptist who reads her Bible and prays daily.  What about you?  Misfit or not?

I Doubt It

I haven't looked at this blog in almost a year.  What do I find?  The stats say six people looked at it today.  Really?  I seriously doubt that.  Something like 21,000 all time views since I started it in 2011.  Even less likely.  But. Since I am here.....

I talked to granddaughter Hannah today about her recent Mission Trip to Georgia.  The youth from her church joined youth from other churches to help work on poor peoples homes.  Think roofing inGeorgia in a very hot June.  Hannah loved the couple whose home they worked on.....an older black couple, very appreciative of everything the youth did.  Her team was smaller than most so they had to stay on the job later each day to get the work done before the week was over.  Dinner was gone by the time they got back to the base, church.

There was a skinny little boy who rode his bike around the neighborhood while they worked each day.  He wouldn't take a bottle of water from the teens but when they left it on his driveway he drank it eagerly.  These teen missionaries gave their extra lunches to the child's father who wept when he received the food for his family.

I am jealous......of my granddaughter.....I have never been on a mission trip and she has been on seven....at age fifteen.  Maybe next year we can go together.

I don't doubt it!

Team Chapman

Well, I took a break over the weekend.  Today we are back in Acts at Chapter 18. Paul is still in Corinth and he meets up with a Jewish couple who had been forced to leave Rome because the were Jewish.

Their names were Pricilla and Aquila and they were tentmakers.
Paul was also a tentmakers so he joined their tent making business. Paul worked at this trade where ever he went to support himself As he witnessed.

All of you are on teams so you know the value of being on one whether it is the band, cheerleading, acting, or soccer.  Being on God's team is the most important team to be on.  Only God can guide you, protect you and give you wisdom!

TGIF

TGIF.....do people your age even say that any more?

Today Paul and Silas enter Athens in Chapter 17 of Acts.  Athens, Greece was a big deal back in the day.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-191501752-athens_vacations-I
 Take a peek at the website to get an idea of what it looked like then and now.

Before Paul heads to the temple to talk to the Jews he takes a tour of the city just as we might if we arrived there today.  He notices there are a lot of statues and temples to gods and goddesses.  When he addresses his audience he mentions the fact that they have a monument to "the unknown god".  I guess the Greeks wanted to be sure to cover all their bases; that they hadn't missed a god and made it mad by ignoring it.

Paul very cleverly points out he knows who the unknown god is....He is Jehovah .....the ONLY God, maker of heaven and earth, creator of every living thing.

If you walk around a modern city in America today you won't see statues of gods like in Greece but you will see some things we Americans seem to worship.  Material things, fashion, entertainment, food, etc....  We need to make sure we are not putting our time and attention on these things.....they are not the one true God who loves us and deserves our love and worship.

For now, with love,

Nana

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Hospitality 101

Hi kiddos!
I have a prayer request for you.  Caitlin got her braces and she is in a lot of pain and unable to eat.  Please pray that your cousin will adjust to "metal mouth" and be able to eat.

Our Bible study today is in Acts 16.  In Acts 15 Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement and split up.  That shows us even great heroes of the Bible had their moments and didn't always get along.  If you read Acts 15 you will find out what their falling out was about.

Paul and his new sidekick, Timothy, arrive in Derby and as usual seek out the believers there.  They go to the river where some women are meeting and talk to them about God.  One of the women is a business woman named Lydia who is very interested in what Paul is saying and invites him to her home.

This passage is interesting to me because it shows the disciples were interested in evangelizing women.  It also shows women could own their own businesses back then.  Over and over in the Bible I see examples of hospitality important.  To me, hospitality, is inviting people into your home either for a meal or to share food.

Remember that as you invite friends into your homes.....you have an opportunity to share Jesus with them.

Have a good and godly day; I love you!

Nana

What Must You DO To Be Saved?

Good morning Grand Peeps!  
Hope y'all are enjoying your last days of summer vacation.
Today we are catching up with Paul and Barnabas in Acta 15.  They have traveled back to Antioch to see how the believers there are doing only to find some men calling themselves Christians  had come in and told the church at Antioch that all the men must be circumsized.  Google this word if you don't know what it means.

The real argument here is whether a non-Jew has to become a Jew before he can become a Christian.Hopefully you know that is not true.  To become a Christian All ANYONE has to do is

BELEIVE Jesus is God's Son
ACCEPT the fact you have sinned and need a Savior
Tell someone that you have done this
Be baptized

Still today people will try to add to those requirements.

that's it for today.....praying for each of you to have a good day and a godly day...for what good is a good day if it isn't a godly day  :).   nana