"There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza..."

I am always amazed when I face a seemingly huge problem, searching hard for the solution, and then the answer suddenly just occurs to me and, almost like magic, problem solved!  Such was the case with the “mystery of the flooding bathroom,” which plagued my home for several months. 

Unexplainably, the bathtub started leaking every time someone took a shower, and not just a little, A LOT!  The liner was in the correct place, and everything else seemed in order, but suddenly the water jetted in such a way that it leaked around the shower curtain and flooded the tile floor.  After wringing my hands and many water-filled towels, and almost calling in a professional for advice, it FINALLY occurred to me that a can of shaving gel now occupied the shower caddy just below the showerhead.  Removing the can and everything else that the water might reflect off immediately solved the problem…definitely one of those “duh” moments! 

The same is often true in life.  We sometimes have a huge problem that we repeatedly struggle with and the immediate way out lies right in front of us.  Sometimes we wrestle with procrastination, with the simple solution being JUST DO IT!  Alternatively, there are times we search endlessly in our minds for the correct answer in a dilemma, when talking it over and giving it to God would quickly give us the most beneficial results. 

This life holds enough truly difficult circumstances, so try simplifying and looking right under your nose or straight up to God for the answers. Take the solution staring you in the face before you replace the whole tub! 

Roberta Pledge

October 31, 2012

Musings from the Prayer Labyrinth...

Walking a prayer labyrinth is a lesson in reaching a center like no other. The labyrinth, upon first impression appearing to be a maze, is actually an intricate pathway.  While the bends and turns seem to lead nowhere, when followed, they will always lead to the very center.  There are points in the path where the center seems far away, but at those very points the center of the labyrinth can actually be the closest to you.  In these and other ways, the process of walking a labyrinth can be mindful of one’s personal relationship with God.

Life is often reminiscent of a maze.  The harder we try to get through, the more burdened and confused we become; we find we are constantly running into roadblocks. It is only when we comprehend that life is not a maze, but a complex pathway, that we begin to understand.  We can only start acknowledging our powerlessness when we realize that the roadblocks are often stepping stones meant to bend our will in the right direction.  Just as the labyrinth’s pathway always leads to the center, if we stay on the pathway with God it will always lead us to our perfect center with Him.

With twists and turns along the way, praying in a labyrinth is very different from praying in a seated or knelling position.   While walking the path your eyes must be open to avoid tripping; life is also very much like that.  We have to walk through it with our eyes wide open.  This means that no matter how hard we are walking towards God, there will always be distractions on our path that take our eyes off Him.  In a labyrinth it may be a stick, a bug, a weed, but in life the distractions are larger and more threatening…a sin, an addiction, a disappointment, the list is endless.  We must keep our eyes focused on our path rather than the distractions.  Distractions lead to desire, desire leads to addiction, addiction leads to sin, and sin ultimately leads to death.

Much like life, the path in a labyrinth, not a straight one, can be deceiving. Thinking you are the farthest away from the center, you find with a single turn that you are actually arriving there.  Similarly, the valleys of life that pull at our hearts and make God seem very distant are also often the very things that often turn our hearts towards Him.  Since God never moves, the illusion that He is far away is always a lie from Satan meant to deceive our hearts. 

The similarities of a prayer labyrinth and life are many, but the strongest one is that if we are focused on God, our earthly path will always lead us to Him.  Just as the intricate path of the labyrinth will always lead to its’ center, the confusion of a day, the obstacles along our path, and the distance of our hearts from Him can be overcome if we keep putting one foot in front of the others and walking towards Him.  While holding God’s Hand we can conquer whatever Satan throws our way and reach our ultimate center, Heaven.

Roberta Pledge

9/25/12

CHOOSING BLINDNESS...

Reading though the Bible we find ourselves caught up in the stories from the past.  We see God working in the lives of real people in sometimes very unreal ways.  We realize things were different during Bible times, with miracles performed through “touch Jesus” healing, knowing that those of long ago were able to walk with His physical form on this earth. 

All of these things sometimes make the looking back to the past full and real; the present moment is another thing all together.  In the present, we cannot see Jonah in a whale or Jesus in the flesh.  We cannot touch the healed leaper or hear Peter preach.  We definitely live in the present, but where do we find this Jesus from the past?

We do not have to look very far to see Him, but we do have to LOOK.  Satan wants us to see the separation of past and present and blind us to Jesus being alive and real in our daily eyes.  All Satan has to do to achieve this is to turn our eyes in another direction…simply distract us into looking and focusing on something else.  Jesus says, “I am with you ALWAYS,” meaning He is here, present, and ALWAYS with us.  Our God is not a God of the past, but One of the present always abiding with us and through us.  Anything else is a lie…straight from the father of lies (John 8:44)!

Roberta Pledge

9/20/12

FINGERPRINTS...



Frequently, a few days after my precious Harper’s visit, I notice her lingering fingerprints on a glass table or window.  These sweet prints always remind me of my precious blessing and that I miss her terribly.  The truth of the matter is her fingerprints were there all along, I had just failed to notice them.    

The same is true of God.  As we walk along with Him, He continuously touches our lives, leaving His Fingerprints all along the way.  When we are living close to Him, enjoying and aware of His presence in our lives, it is easy to see Him in everything we do.   Occasionally, however, we may move away from Him and fail to see Him working in our lives.  Although He never leaves us, we may feel distant from His presence.  Then abruptly something rocks our world, or we recognize the emptiness in our lives, and our search for Him ignites. 

Then we notice the Fingerprints, His Fingerprints, the ones that have been there all along.  We remember the peaceful times of walking close to Him and yearn to move back to that place of serenity.  Always remember, when blinded to God’s blessings, to search for His lingering Fingerprints.  They will always lead you back to His ever-abiding presence.  

Roberta Pledge
9/8/12

REAL VS. FAKE

 Psalms 32 gives us a quick synopsis of what is real vs. what is fake.  It begins by telling us that a happy person is a forgiven person, and that owning up and being real are what leads to forgiveness.  The opposite, hiding sin and being fake, we can assume will lead straight to the opposite, unhappiness.  This short chapter written by David outlines four basic results of each of these lifestyles. 

·         When we are fake:

1.       We are weak.  Verses 3 and 4 describe this weakness as coming from “deep inside” to the point of causing moaning.  The heat of a summer day can be stifling, leaving you exhausted.  This weakness caused by keeping things to ourselves and being outwardly fake is compared to the frailty caused by fatiguing heat.

2.       Guilt consumes us.  We have lives to live and work to do, but guilt can be paralyzing and leave us with little energy to accomplish anything.

3.       Happiness is fleeting.  We may experience happiness for a brief while, but guilt is always lurking in the shadows, making true happiness is impossible.

4.       Troubles overwhelm us.  Verse 10 states that “wicked people have many troubles.”  Any trouble is too much trouble, but “many troubles” are overpowering!

·         When we are real:

1.       Our guilt is forgiven and we are happy.  With the absence of guilt, true happiness is within our reach! 

2.       Troubles will not reach us or have their full brunt.  Verse 6b-7 states “…when troubles rise like a flood, they will not reach them.  You are my hiding place.  You protect me from my troubles and fill me with songs of salvation.”  This world will always have its trouble, but the knowledge that God is working always for our good keeps our troubles from being overwhelming.

3.       The Lord will give us wisdom and guide us.  Verse 8 and 9 tell this in the best possible way, “I will make you wise and show you where to go.  I will guide you and watch over you.  So don’t be like a horse or donkey, that doesn’t understand.  They must be led with bits and reins, or they will not come near you.”

4.       The Lord’s love surrounds us.  This chapter concludes with the promise that “the Lord’s love surrounds those who trust Him” (vs. 10).  

Confessing our sin, getting real with God and those we have hurt, will bring us to a life spent knowing God’s glory and love.  Growing and maintaining a relationship with our Creator will give earthly peace that cannot be accomplished any other way.  Fake is foolish in that no one will be fooled for long and God will never be fooled…He sees and know all.  Get REAL!

Roberta Pledge

8/2/12

The Assignment

There is an attraction to shining stars.  In the blackest sky, their brilliance is a remarkable sight.  

While the room filled up with teenage girls, the reason for our being there is explained, the assignment simple…sit silently in total darkness for several minutes and observe your feeling.  The ceiling, floor, and walls were all black and, as the lights were dimmed, blackness flooded the room.  As my eyes began to adjust, I started noticing tiny lights sprinkled among us.  The dial of an iridescent watch, the keys of a cell phone, and other minute lights, which would not even be noticed in a normally lit room, were seen all around.  As I tried to focus on the darkness, my mind and eyes kept returning to those small pockets of light scattered about that large room. 

Suddenly it dawned on me that we, as Christians, are to be those tiny strewn lights in this dark sin-filled world.  For those in the world who do not have Christ, our lights are to shine for them as indicators pointing the way to hope.  Because we sit so close to Christ, we may not notice the absolute darkness of our world or our own individual brightness, but those who are searching in the total darkness of this world should be attracted to the glimmer of our light. 

There is an attraction to shining stars.  In the blackest sky, their brilliance is a remarkable sight.  “You will be God’s children…but you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world.” Phil. 2:15

Bad From Good???

 “I will take the bad and make good…”  “There is no way to make good from bad,” I think “no way!”  “YOU CALL THAT FAITH?”  As always, I am looking through earthly eyes, and You are looking through Your Heavenly Eyes.  “Count it all JOY when you fall into trials” (James 1:2) and “In EVERYTHING give thanks” (I Thess. 5:18) can seem utterly impossible from a human standpoint, but through God’s eyes they are the easiest road to Him.  His Wisdom is infinite…no, no, no….His Wisdom is exceedingly, abundantly infinite, because He can give “exceedingly, abundantly more” than I can “ask or think” (Eph. 3:21). 

Life is much like a roller coaster ride, when you are climbing the hill all is quiet and calm, but then there is the moment when you realize the calmness is ending and you are so less than calm and quiet.  You know you are safe inside that little car, but it is no less a scary ride.  God is much like our little car and we are safe in Him.  He will protect us and guide us through every dip and turn.  He will bring us closer through the scary parts and show us His protection.  He will not leave us, and as long as we remain with Him, He will hold us in His protective Hands no matter what this earth puts in our path.

Roberta Pledge

7/10/12

Peace...It IS Perfect!

      Trying to get through a day without peace is a little like trying to eat a piece of pie without the sugar …you can definitely tell something has been left out!  The pie is bitter, rather than the sweet you were expecting, and you immediately know an important step was overlooked.  Most often, when a day is lacking peace, it is because an important step has been overlooked.  

Our chaotic lives can often leave us feeling out of control and fearful. No matter how turbulent our day may be going, remember the voice of our Savior on the stormy sea as He spoke the simple words, “Peace, be still.”  This is the same Savior we have in our lives.  If we think He is sleeping and not providing for us, it is simply because we have not taken the time to communicate with Him.

When you lose something and search for it, immediately upon finding it, you realize it was there all along.  The same is true with the Peace that God offers us.  It is always there, even when it is missing from our lives.  We may be searching for peace in many other places, but we will only find it in Him.  When we finally look in the right place, we realize it was there all along!

Roberta Pledge

5/8/2012

HERITAGE



Robbie Blankenship Gwinn



Genealogies and ancestries are a huge interest to many.  Searching back through old family photos and keepsakes give us a feeling of being grounded in the past and help us realize our own importance to the future.  We do many things to make a statement about our lives, and our past has a huge influence on own identities and the paths we take in life.  My personal heritage is grounded in faith…a faith I have chosen to hold dear in my life and to pass on to my children and hopefully their children.

In Psalms 61:5, David states, “You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.”  What a blessing it is to have a heritage that you are born into that fears and loves God and strives to be obedient to His Will!  Where would I, personally, be without that?  Would I have found my way to God?  Would I have married a Christian and had the goal of Heaven for both my family and me?  I, thankfully, will never know the answer to these questions.  One of my fondest memories of my Grandmother, other than sitting beside her in church, is hearing her tell me after I went off to college that she prayed for me every day.  I have never forgotten those words because, like David, they remind me that my own heritage was one that feared God’s name.  What a blessing to have a heritage in the Lord...if you don't have one, it is the perfect time to start creating one!

Roberta Pledge

4/18/12

I MISS...

I MISS…

I miss t-ball games, puzzles to work,

Long walks, and visits to the park.

I miss helping with baths in a tub full of toys,

After playing outside until dark.

I miss self-constructed lemonade stands,

And a house filled with friends to the brim.

I miss long summer days with nothing to do,

But watching the kids play and swim.

Others always said those years would fly by,

Although in the middle, it’s impossible to see,

I was always busy taking care of so much,

And doctoring at least one skinned knee!

When I look at photos of days gone by,

I remember many blessings of my past,

I wish I could walk backwards, revisit a few,

And make a few moments last.

I can’t read those books to those same little ears,

I can’t see the smiles on each face,

I know that those years will never return,

But sweet memories they cannot erase.

So cherish each moment, know they are few,

Don’t get bogged down with each chore,

For time will pass by and babies grow up,

Before you blink, they walk out the door.

For Mason,

the best son and dad anyone could ever have

12/11

Love, Mom

Roberta Pledge
3/19/12

BALANCING BROOMS!

·    Balancing brooms…haven’t you recently seen pictures of these all over Facebook?   I finally had to try it myself.  Having no luck at all I concluded that these people balancing their brooms must not be sweeping with them. My well-worn brooms simply did not have this talent!
   The object, obviously, is to balance the broom on its’ center and it will stand on its’ own for an undetermined length of time.  One person commented that theirs was even still standing the next morning!  In thinking about this, I realized that the same is true of me.  When I am standing on my center, which is Christ, I can always stand straight and firm, but when I get off-center, I always fall.  If, like my brooms, sin has worn me down, I may not be able to find that center and stand. 

Paul compares us to a building built on a solid foundation with Jesus being the most important stone (Eph. 2:20).  Without that Stone as the center of our lives, we will surely fall!  Stand daily thankful for a loving God who constantly holds you up when you make Him the true Center of you life. 
Roberta Pledge
3/9/12

Today's Thoughts...When You Walk With God...

·         When you walk with God, each day holds surprises you cannot even imagine.  Consider each day a precious, unrepeatable adventure that you alone will live.  Watch closely for His hand and follow where He leads.  Know He is close and watching your heart (Romans 8:39).  If you feel empty, fill each hole and crevice of your being up with Him, knowing the love you want to show others will reflect off His presence there.  Allow your weaknesses to become your strengths, but always be aware of the fact that:

Whatever you think you aren’t …watch closely for,

Whatever you “have under control”…wait for its’ return,

For whatever you have “mastered” is your personal area of weakness,

And whatever you would “never do” is the very thing Satan will lay in your path!

("Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor. 10:12)

CS Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, describes pride as the “great sin…through which the devil became the devil.”  He also states that, “there is no fault…which we are more unconscious of in ourselves” and describes it as a “spiritual cancer (that) eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense. “  He believes that “As long as you are proud you cannot know God… (for) as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”  We must each look daily on our hearts, realizing our areas of weakness for “If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.”  (Lewis, pages 121-128) We must all watch closely to stand guard each day, filling ourselves up with God, for this is a day to cherish that will never be repeated. (Ps. 118:24, "This is the day that the Lord has made...")

Roberta Pledge
1/24/12

As usual...more than an ear full!!

MALCHUS…where did he end up???

Often reading the Bible I run across passages that make me wonder, ‘just what happened next?’  Like, Malchus…exactly where did he end up?   What went through his mind, where were his loyalties, what were his actions following that heaven and earth changing day when Jesus was arrested in the gardens of Gethsemane?  I just have to wonder!

Maybe the name Malchus does not strike a bell, but you will surely remember him…he was a servant of the high priest, who on that day had but one mission…to find and arrest our Savior.  Many people were with him, bearing clubs and swords, including Judas Iscariot, bearing a kiss to identify, betray, and condemn Jesus.  As they moved forward to arrest Him, impulsive, protective Peter, friend to our Lord reacted.  He immediately drew his sword and swung it and Malchus’ ear was never quite the same again!   Peter’s sword landed on Malchus’ ear and Malchus’ ear landed on the ground!  Now we may see pictures or try to visualize this, but are we looking at the whole picture?  There is so much going on…many people shouting and upset, but definitely the loudest scream and the most physically violent picture at that particular point had to be Malchus! 

This event is recorded in all of our four Gospels, but only John (18:10, 11) identifies Peter and Malchus by name and only Luke assures us that all ended well with Malchus’ ear being healed by Jesus (Luke 22:51).  As we read these passages, we are most likely focused on something other than Malchus.  There is a huge crowd, an apostle betraying our Lord for thirty pieces of silver, our Lord waiting for His delivery to His impending death, and His followers, who just moments before could not even stay awake to provide companionship to our Lord in this dark hour. 

This one soldier in the midst of all of this carries little weight in our eyes.  We are focused and anxious for our Lord.  If it was a play we would probably cheer when Peter is bold enough to draw his sword and show some wrath.  Malchus and his ear are the least of our worries…but our Lord, who has just prayed and pleaded for His life, cares.  He cares, he cares, he cares…he doesn’t walk away from the pain filled screams of Malchus, but cares enough to stop and heal him.  And with that one gesture of love from the One who is the very definition of Love, Malchus, servant to the high priest, was changed forever. 

That brings me to my point of wonder.  Exactly what does it do to you when, just as you are coming to take hold and arrest Him, the very one who has created your world and everything in it touches your face and heals you?   How do you feel from that point forward in your life?  Did Malchus’ loyalties change?  Was he immediately aware of the fact that an ear on the ground one minute and back on your head the next had to be a miracle?  Or that the One who performed the miracle was, indeed, not an ordinary person?  Or that he was involved in apprehending someone who may, in fact, be exactly who He claimed to be; the living, breathing Son of God?  I wonder if he changed from that day forward, if he became a follower of Christ, if he lived out the rest of his life telling the story of the one who changed his course on that very day, or if he simply went back to living his life as he always had. 

As I wonder about Malchus, not knowing the answer, I have to realize that very likely it did not change his life.  I hope that it would, but just as Malchus was physically touched by our Lord, many are spiritually touched by Him through His Word daily without being changed.  God has given us this story along with thousands of others to change our lives, but yet we often just turn away and live our lives as though we deserve to have our ear healed, or our soul saved, and fail to do our part.  We get so caught up in being a “servant to the high priest,” that we fail to be a servant to our High Priest.  Look at Malchus’ ear, look into Christ’s healing heart, and make your choice, no matter what Malchus' choice was, to change YOUR life because it has been touched by the Hand of Love.

Roberta Pledge

1/11/12