The China Cup Lesson

Years ago, a pastor friend of mine, Reuggy, taught me these lessons about how ladies should choose a husband and how men should treat ladies. I taught this to my own son and daughter.

Ladies, there are 3 ways a man can treat you:

(1) Awful -- like a paper cup, use you up and throw you out.

(2) Average -- like a coffee cup in the floor board of the car that is washed every once and a while. You can be treated like nothing special. 

(3) Awesome -- You should be cherished and treasured like a fine china tea cup. Every occasion of your life is sacred.  A china cup is gently hand-washed and always kept securely in a clean and safe location (e.g. a china cabinet). 

Daughters, please CHOOSE to be BELOVED, not broken. 

Sons, always treat ladies like daughters of The Living God -- Awesome.

- - Written down by a father of a daughter and a son

Grateful

Live in the Light

Recently, during my sacred private time in the secret prayer chamber, I was seeking the Lord's help with The Good Book open in my hands. These twelve words recorded in 1st John inspired me deep within to live always and forever among those who are called The Keepers of the Light:

Nothing will destroy the faith of those who live in the light.
-- 1 John 2:10b (GWT)

Click here: Dc Talk - In the light - YouTube

Let's Live in the Light, brothers and sisters!
Grateful

A Sacredness in Tears

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.
-- Washington Irving

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

Grateful

I Hope To See My Pilot

The Willis family celebrates Christmas together each year a few days before Christmas. It allows us to come together without the pressures of rushing through our immediate family time so everyone can hit the road to be present at other extended family gatherings. This year was no different. On December 20, 2010, Mom and Dad along with my brothers and their families were present at our home for about seven sacred hours together.

There was one touching highlight of the evening that crested above all the others. It was when Dad stood in front of the Christmas tree and read his favorite poem from a seven-dollar book I gave to him as sort of an extra "little personal gift" of Christmas.

When Dad reached the last two lines of the poem he began to cry. So did the rest of us. It was a good cry. A cry of Hope for the future to our Faithful God of the past and the present.

The poem is a piece of English literature that my sea-captain-fisherman Dad has quoted aloud from memory throughout all the years of my life. Here it is:

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.

The poem is Alfred Lord Tennyson's Crossing the Bar.

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow!
Grateful

A Beautiful Opportunity

Let us not forget the sacred preseason that leads us to the Glorious Main Event of our Lord's Resurrection year-after-year. Yes, as Henri Nouwen said, The Lenten Season offers a beautiful opportunity to discover the mystery of Christ within us.

So let's sacredly soak in the seven-word, secret message written in Colossians 1:27 -- Christ in you, the hope of glory. And let's get the secret message out during the Lenten Season and every season.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

"Help My Unbelief!"

It was just before midnight. Because of snowy roads, I was driving my 22-year-old son to his night shift at the local radio station in my four-wheel-drive. We had a sacred and soul-searching talk about the Lord as we rode. Just before I dropped him off, and in light of our conversation about faith, my son asked: Dad, why do we tend to struggle trusting God concerning the future when He's always been so faithful in the past?

Mark 9:24 (NKJV) -- Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

This is my prayer and desire for me and my family, Lord:

For Your present and future favor, we ask!
In Your past and present faithfulness, we bask!

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Every Moment of Your Life is Sacred

These precious thoughts came to my mind yesterday during a quiet time -- true gifts of inspiration from God's Holy perspective to my human thinking. I bless you with the same precious thoughts today:

Your life is a sacrament -- a sacred moment before your Eternal God. Yes, every moment of your entire life is sacred to Him! Every breath you breathe is beautiful before your Holy God.

Don't compartmentalize your life between what's sacred and what you might consider to be something other than sacred -- your whole life is sacred. -- a James Spruill paraphrase

Psalm 139:3, 16-18 (NLT) -- (3) You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. (16) You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (17) How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! (18) I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up in the morning, you are still with me!

Nehemiah 8:10b (NLT) -- This is a sacred day before our LORD. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Right? Wrong! Words from a Wise Man...

My nearly 70-year-old, shrimp-boat-captain Daddy and I were taking a walk near our native, island home last week and let me just say, it was a sacred stroll for his not-too-far-from-50-year-old son. My Daddy is proof to me that Wise Men still seek the Lord. Anyway, just before our walk ended my Daddy made a simple but profound statement. I've been soaking in his wise words for nearly a week now. So, here are a Daddy's loving words to his ears-wide-open, listening son just in case you'd like to eavesdrop:

A man who thinks he's never wrong, is never right. -- Capt. Billy

Proverbs 3:7 (NLT) -- Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn your back on evil.

ALL... JOY TO YOUR WORLD!
Grateful