“Onyx” is the name of a black tea cup poodle puppy who lives next door to us. When he arrived, he was small enough to sit on the palm of my hand. I asked his owner, Susan, if he would get much bigger, and she answered, “They told me that he will grow a little bit, but not much.” Onyx is the hit of the neighborhood among both children adults.

Recently Jack found a curly haired black poodle racing across our front yard, and after a moment of surprise, he recognized Onyx. The back yard gate had been left open, and Onyx had escaped. It was the first time either of us had seen him since he could fit into a tea cup. He has long legs and is the largest of the three small dogs that live next door.

In spite of his long legs and his boundless energy, Onyx is well loved. He is still the hit of the neighborhood; and, though he seldom makes an appearance in the front yard, my grandchildren ask, “How’s Onyx?” hoping to get to see him.

Just before God created mankind, “God created. . . all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds, and God saw that it was good.” (Genesis1:24-25)

“ ‘ It’s Dan in trouble this time,’ said Helen, ‘He’s our sheepdog but we’re so fond of him that he’s more like one of the family.’” (“Early Days in Darrowby” by James Herriot)

In His order of Creation God knew that some of His people would draw near to animals for their loyalty and nonjudgmental affection. The Bible has some very poignant pictures of animals in relationship with human beings. Balaam’s donkey opens his mouth and speaks the only wisdom Balaam hears until the angel speaks. (Numbers 22:24-31) Jesus’ very birth was announced to shepherds “abiding in the midst of their flocks of sheep at night.” (Luke 2:8) On Palm Sunday Jesus rode securely on “a colt that no one has ever ridden.” (Luke 19:30)

Animals and humans have been bonded since creation. The irresistible appeal of a small dog, of a kitten, of a magnificent horse or a powerful elephant, touches the imagination and even gives us a kindred feeling.

It’s not hard to account for Onyx’s popularity when you envision the fascination with the animal world and remember that our Creator is also the maker of the other creatures on earth. Onyx conveys joy to virtually everyone who sees him. Praise God for His creation!

Love in Him,

Prue

Trust

It was late fall, and getting cooler almost every day. I was helping my violin teacher give violin lessons to a class of fifth graders when one ten year old girl was wearing gloves as she opened her case, removed her violin, looked at me and said, “I’ll be wearing gloves while I play today.” I almost laughed, but I knew it would complicate things, and so I said, “Those won’t work for you while you’re playing.” “You mean I can’t wear them in class?” “No,” I said, you wouldn’t b able to play with gloves on.” I was thankful that she didn’t give me any argument as she removed the gloves. I told her that the hat she was wearing was cute, and we ended up on friendly terms.

“ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5)

One of the most often quoted scriptures, this short message speaks to Christians everywhere. Discovering Christ brings certain perception of our own habits of self reliance to the partial or total exclusion of Christ reliance, and then begins the struggle to make the transition of trust in ourselves to trust in our God. The biggest help in this is found in the scriptures, but the gentle Friend, the promised Holy Spirit, makes the path clear, and gives us a compass: “When the Advocate comes, whom I (Jesus) will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth, who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.”(John 15:26)

The violin class was an introductory class, and at the end only a few of the students chose to continue with the instrument. I was surprised at many of the ones who chose not to persevere. Their reasons were many, but one boy, Tyler, surprised me when he opted to stay and take orchestra class the next year. Tyler had not been particularly proficient, and his attendance was erratic, but one day I had seen his face when the teacher said, as Tyler was leaving, “You did some good work today, Tyler,” and I knew that those words had been heard seldom if ever by Tyler. I wished him well.

The girl who wanted to play the violin wearing gloves chose not to continue. I felt that she could have done well, but I wasn’t surprised.

The Spirit of truth is the Spirit of God in Christ, who is our North Star. He it is who directs our feet onto solid ground and speaks words that show us the way.

Love in Him,

Prue

Three year old Rosie, my granddaughter, was taking swimming lessons at a community pool, and refusing to get into the water. Her instructor, a young man who was also a life guard, called her “Little One” as he tried to convince her to at least try to get used to the water. When I heard him call her “Little One,” I was pretty sure this was a lost cause, as,in fact, it prove to be.

One day when her mother and I were with her at the pool , and we were standing in the shallow end, her mother said, “Rosie, swim to my bellybutton.” Without a second thought or a single protest, Rosie put her head under water and swam like a frog to her mother. I was amazed, but her mother just smiled. It was only the beginning, and Rosie never looked back. She never had another formal lesson, but she became a reliable swimmer.

Before he went to the cross, Jesus said to his disciples, “I no longer call you ‘servants’. . . Instead, I have called you ‘friends.’ (John 20:17) After his resurrection, he called them ‘brothers’ to Mary Magdalene: “Go to my brothers and tell them. . . ‘ (John 20:17) From then on, the disciples never looked back. Their relationship to Christ fueled their actions for the rest of their lives. Their unbreakable bond with Jesus enabled amazing, even miraculous things in them. Jesus had said to them before, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23), and for the eleven (later twelve) every word was true as they went out to spread the Faith.

Rosie’s unshakable faith in her mother, and her customary obedience combined to over come all the hurdles to swimming that she couldn’t manage with the life guard.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and He helps me,” (Psalm 28:7) Both the Old and the New Testaments testify to God’s unfailing, loving help. He seeks the bond by which we can trust Him: “ Our Father” are the very words Jesus gives us to begin our trust and secure our relationship. “Because you are sons, , God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ (Galatians 4:6)

We cannot swim toward God’s bellybutton, because He has given us His very heart, and poured it out for us; but we can move more and more toward Him and even learn to swim in His Spirit by swimming in His Word. As Jesus says to us, “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Love in Him,

Prue

The very first trip home from college usually occurs in November at Thanksgiving, and that was true for me. At that time all your high school friends eagerly gather at one of the local “hang-outs”, often a pizza place, and everyone talks at once about his or her school. Each one waits for a chance to talk and they all ignore each other’s stories. Jeff, one of the popular boys in my class, was really excited. Jeff told me that he was taking a “pinpoint” class, and that he was surely going to make it his major. I asked him what that might be, and he answered, “You know, it’s a class where you learn everything you already know, but you never pinpointed it before.” I said, “Does it have a another name, maybe, in the the catalog?” “I think so, he answered, “I think it’s called ‘Sociology.’ I’m going to declare it for my major next year, but I call it the ‘Pinpoint Course’, because that’s what it really is.”

“The study of sociology gives you the skills 21^st century workers need: critical and analytical thinking, writing ability, cultural competence, and self-awareness.” (The Career Center, University of Michigan)

It seemed to me that Jeff was well on his way to finding “self awareness” in his pinpoint course. Pinpointing things you’ve always known, is a lot like recognizing your Creator for the first time, and even for subsequent times. It’s like God’s own description of discovering something He already knew: “When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the dessert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.” (Hosea 9:10)

When we “see” the resurrection of Jesus, it’s like Jesus saying, “Behold! I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5) Even though all things are new, they make sense to us, and it is a pinpoint through which we see both Jesus and God.

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children, and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us for a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2) God’s Book is the perfect textbook for the Pinpoint class. In it we can come to self-awareness as we gain God awareness in our walk with Christ. “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:11) “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I may not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

The Psalmist desires to be secure in his relationship to his holy God. He, like Jeff , is seeking pinpoints in order to find and appropriate the Truth. I believe that we all need the Pinpoint Course.

Love in Him,

Prue

In the course of teaching high school English, I sometimes met substitute teachers who lived interesting lives outside the classroom. Meryl, a substitute in a history class, was an aspiring writer who was substituting until she could make a living at her craft.

Meryl often spoke to me about having “writer’s block.” She said that she had developed a strong technique and style and could write very well. She was confident that it would never cause her to have writer’s block, but she was at a standstill because she had no actual material, no subject. She mentioned this to me a few times,and I had the uneasy feeling that she was somehow hoping I might supply her with material, or at least show her where to find it, and she could then embrace her career as a writer. As I had not considered any kind of writing as a career, I had no subjects to suggest to her, except to say, “Why don’t you write about something you know?” It didn’t help.

For a long time I puzzled over her dilemma. I couldn’t understand having skills that could find no subject. It seemed to me that everyone’s life is rich in subjects, but few have the skills to express them.

“Why would you run, my son, seeing you have no message?” (2 Samuel 18:22) Another man had already been sent with news of the battle against Absalom when he tried to usurp David, his own father’s throne. Even so, Ahimaaz insisted on running to bring the news to David that Absalom had been defeated. He didn’t dare tell David that his son was dead. Ahimaaz wanted the glory of reporting a great victory, but couldn’t face the sadness that David would feel.

Why do we run when we have no message? Why do we chatter and talk, but have no message? Where do we find a message?

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. . . Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.” (Proverbs 3:13-18)

I never knew if Meryl ever found her message, and became a writer; but I did think that she had had the cart before the horse, and that each of us must find the message of our life in the Book that our Creator has given us.

Love in Him,

Prue

A friend originally from Northern Ireland, had some family members visiting from there, and Jack and I invited them to a picnic in our back yard. I made “Shake and Bake” chicken and a marinated salad, rolls, and cake for dessert with ice cream.

They were lovely people, and I enjoyed their accents as we talked. Some time after the picnic, our friend’s wife told me that they had said, “You eat like kings!” I knew that they were not financially poor people, and so I was surprised to hear the remark. It seemed to me that I had been taking almost everything in my life for granted until a friendly window had opened and I couldn’t take it that way any more.

“ You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise; you perceive me from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” ( Psalm 139:1-3)

A completely fresh perspective on one’s lifestyle or even dinner style, brings introspection and wonder, and I began to feel both. The scripture supplied reassurance that regardless of my life situation, there is One who knows, and is steadfast in my life.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

Three times Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17)and Peter knew that Jesus was talking about the Bread of Life. Even in telling Peter this, Jesus was restoring Peter as his disciple. Jesus was feeding Peter as he ordered Peter to feed his sheep. Jesus’ food would sustain Peter for the rest of his life, and Jesus would add to it again and again, into eternity.

When we take communion, we all “eat like kings,” for we are given an immediate reminder into our own body, of the body of Christ himself. Peter had seen Jesus give literal bread to thousands of people, and he knew that the temporary nourishment it provided was only a picture of the supernatural life and health that Jesus would bring to his people. He knew that he, Peter, would be feeding Christ to the people.

“You eat like kings” when you seek Christ in scripture. “You eat like kings” when you listen to sermons or study Christian writers. “You eat like kings” when you teach children about Jesus, and especially when you seek him in prayer. I still marvel at my simple picnic, but I recall with joy that after our prayer, we were all eating like kings.

Love in Him,

Prue

The world famous soprano Beverly Sills once told this story about herself.

One day she received a phone call from a close friend, relating that the friend’s father had died; and Beverly had promised years earlier to sing at his funeral. “I’m sorry, she answered her friend, I am booked a year in advance. I have to have more than a year’s notice.” Her friend was gracious, and said, “I understand,” but when Beverly hung up she felt uncomfortable, and finally, reflecting on her friendship, she had a “eureka” moment, and realized what she had said. She quickly made some schedule changes and called her friend back to say that she would gladly sing at the funeral.

Later, Beverly Sills confessed that she had surprised herself that she could be so immersed in her career that she forgot her own humanity, even for a moment: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. . . so grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5: 8 &21)

The gracious spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, works in us to remind us of the One to whom we belong. He can do this when we have committed ourselves to that One: “When He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what he hears, and He will . . . glorify me (Jesus) because it is from me that He will receive what He will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what He will make known to you.” ( John 16:13-15)

The world of ordinary life, of keeping appointments, working, managing a household, and adjusting to technologies, does not wait on the Holy Spirit of God. When Beverly Sills first responded to her friend, she was thinking of all of the ordinary perameters of her life, but when she listened to the “inner voice” that reminded her of a different relationship, she knew exactly what to do.

Accessing the “different relationship” is made possible only through God, who has given us Jesus to make that access possible. The love of Beverly Sill’s friend, recalled by the Spirit of God to Beverly, was all she needed to make the second call. As one of Jesus’ closest friends wrote, from the same source that we can all tap, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” Jewish Beverly Sills was one of those.

Love in Him,

Prue

Just before we crossed Fifth Avenue in New York City, Jack was approached by a well dressed man who asked him where he had bought his hat. Jack was wearing a felt fedora (not a Stetson) which seemed quite ordinary to me and we were both surprised that in New York someone would ask about his hat. The man’s face fell when Jack said, “I bought it in Houston, Texas.” I still remember it because I believed that New York was probably one of the biggest market places in the world, and would surely have shops that would sell an exhaustive variety of men’s hats. In any case, the unknown man’s request left us feeling less awed by the city, and delighted that Jack was wearing something coveted by a New Yorker.

What does it take to make us feel accepted and belonging? The Prodigal Son had a father who rushed to meet him: He ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.” (Luke 15;20) He also clothed the boy in his best robe and put sandals on his feet and a ring on his finger. The son knew that he was not only accepted, but was admitted to the inmost center of the heart of the family.

The psalmist wrote, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (psalm 23:6) His joy in belonging to God spills into the most popular Psalm in the world. It resonates in the minds of all ages, even children. The wonderful pictures and the promise of the twenty-third psalm give us a glimpse of a world far from the competitive hustle that surrounds us. It’s the world of the returning prodigal, the world created for us by our creator God, the world of promise for a future of lasting joy: “ I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians: I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.” (Leviticus 26:12) That day in New York , Jack and I walked with heads held high. It was a good feeling in a big city.

God promises much, much more. ST. Paul wrote,”I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”(Romans 8:18)

To receive these promises, even to claim them, we have only to open His book and read. The extravagance of our Father’s love is displayed there in many facets. In some, we simply marvel, and other facets give witness in our lives. It’s all joy to hold your head high in the kingdom of God.

Love in Him,

Prue

The same day that Jack hung a birdhouse on our patio, a pair of wrens took up residence. They have provided entertainment for us ever since. Our back yard is treacherous for small birds, as there are vigilant hawks who are also trying to raise and feed their own broods. The birdhouse is the best protection for the wrens, and we have seen the young ones successfully make it out to our hedges.

Watching the birds, and knowing how fragile their lives are, I marvel at their species’ survival for so many centuries and even millennia. I marvel, too, at the hummingbirds, many of which fly alone across the Gulf of Mexico in their migration. This feat is repeated annually, and never ceases to be astounding. In addition to all this, the birds themselves are beautiful. They have tremendous eye-appeal, as testified by their ubiquitous portraits in magazines, cards, and fabrics of all kinds.

I can’t help thinking of the wonderful variety of birds as descendants of those in Eden, representatives of creation itself. They display some of the most appealing aspects of our God: beauty, focus, and perseverance.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it,”(Psalm 24:1) Almost anything in a garden can remind us of our God, but birds have instant appeal that delights and lifts our spirits, a movement that takes us half-way to remembering our savior God. For several years I have purposed to remember Christ whenever I saw a cardinal. I would take the sight as a signal to remember Jesus and his presence in my every day life. This year we had a cardinal nest outside our kitchen window and delighted in watching the progress of launching the one chick that arrived. Indeed, it was a blessing to be so close the the nest.

“And God said, ‘Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky’. . . and God saw that it was good.”( Genesis 1:20-21)

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” ( Romans 1:20-21)

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. In that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:16-17)

Love in Him,

Prue

“Camp Meeting” was a time when Nana, my grandmother, went to the woods with other Christians, and slept in a tent and ate at a picnic table and listened to a preacher and sang hymns with spirit and gusto. I sometimes accompanied my father when he went to drive her home at the end of the Camp Meeting.

“This is a neat cot, Nana,” I said. “ It must be fun to sleep in a tent in the woods.” “The cot isn’t very comfortable,” she answered. “Well, it must be nice to eat your meals outside in the woods.” I commented. “The food isn’t very good”, she replied. “Why do you come here, Nana?” I asked. Her reply was, “I come for the preaching and the singing.”

I knew that Nana had friends that she met at Camp Meeting, and that she looked forward to seeing them, but I didn’t ask any more questions. “The preaching and the singing” were the farthest things from any priority I could have had. I couldn’t imagine traveling to a place in the woods just for that. Surely there had to be more. Whatever it was, it had a real hold on Nana, for she loved to go to Camp Meeting each year. She never mentioned the Spirit of God that she might have experienced, or even the fellowship of friends.

“Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” (Philippians 2;1-2)

“ In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

I was very young when I visited the Camp Meeting site, but I remember being puzzled that there was something more than hard cots and unappetizing food that drew people to the woods. Nana called it “The preaching and the singing,” and that was certainly strong, but I believe that she and many others received the fellowship of the Holy Spirit there in the woods, in large and small measures. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ , and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Love in Him,

Prue