Patricia's Principles for Living

We sit laughingly around the huge mound of presents under the tree in the big living at my parent’s home on High Street in Philadelphia. The doorbell rings. In bounds the ones for whom we’re waiting, my sister and her husband and children from Virginia. . Here we all are, all of us together. My own husband, sons and I have flown in from the West Coast to spend the holidays on the East Coast. Tons of presents together with squiggly grandchildren and aunts, uncles and grandparents make for a memorable scene. For me it’s a golden moment in time. All is right in the world. Christmas tree lights twinkle. Someone takes up the task to start calling names. Will we ever get through all of these presents? As the presents are picked up for distribution they seem to uncover another dozen hiding underneath. Well, there are eight brothers and sisters who have produced 12 grandchildren at this point. Such delight from squealing boys and girls and agreeing oohs and aahs from parents aunts and uncles

“These ultra modern candle holders will fit right in with our decor,” I thought. I eagerly bought a pair of them at a fantastic sale price. A few nights later when we had company I put a votive candle on each candle holder’s base. Just as I thought I beamed proudly. They do fit in our house. They added just the right ambiance for a festive occasion with friends. When I finished putting out the desserts I sat down at the table. I touched the holder of the candle’s concentric candle base. Wow, I said those holders sure retain a lot of heat. I touched them about fifteen minutes later. They seemed to be hotter. I wonder if this is why they were on sale, I mused. The base of these holders seem as if they could burn a hole in the table. But, if this is defective merchandise I wonder why the store would assume liability by selling these things. Fearing that the table cloth might catch on fire I blew the candles out. For a long time afterwards the holders felt warm. Later that week before I t

Football star 26 years old dies as a result of a domestic dispute. Major golf star marriage is mot likely on the rocks as extramarital affairs are revealed. Football player killed and his mistress is dead in a murder suicide. These tragic stories serve to illustrate that fame and money cannot protect anyone from the awful cost of going against God’s Word. These are very public tragedies being played out on the world stage. I wonder if anyone is paying attention. The book of Proverbs gives clear directions on marriage and staying away from extra marital affairs. It states that one cannot take fire into one’s bosom and not get burnt. The way to stay safe is to not play with the fire of illicit passions. Stopping before one starts is the only 100% way to be protected.

I took the dead looking browned seedling out of its pot. “It’s a shame that I couldn’t save the poor thing,” I thought . I’ll toss the soil back into the garden. As I lifted the 4 inch seedling I noticed something spiraled around in the pot. I tugged on what looked like a rope. Unraveling it I discovered it was the root. “My, my”, I thought as I stretched it out. “Look at this thing,” I exclaimed to my husband! “Come measure it,” I continued. Inside the 3 inch pot attached to a 4inch seedling was four and a half feet of root. “ This doesn’t even seem possible,” I exclaimed incredulously. Immediately I recalled the scripture to not let a root of bitterness spring up in your heart. The root filled the pot. In no way could it get the nutrients it needed to sustain a green plant. No matter how much water I gave it the plant was destined to die scrunched up in the pot with its root choking it. Isn’t this like life I thought? Do I have any root of bitterness in my heart. Wrapped like

Proverbs tells us not to look on the wine while it is red in the cup and sparkling. What it enjoins us to do is consider the effects of deciding to drink. It states that some who drink become like a staggering man on a wind tossed ship. It also states that there is a place for strong drink. If someone is in physical pain and is going to die Proverbs advises giving that person strong drink to forget their misery. This implies there is something in alcohol that makes a person not remember. Therefore before a person decides to take the first drink he or she must be aware that drinking can put them in an altered state that might lead to some life changing moments not just for them, but for others. A twenty-seven year old young man recently did just that because of his drinking. Drunkenly he got behind the wheel of a car and killed four people instantly. They were two happily long time married couples. I ‘m sure he wasn’t thinking when he took that first drink that he would wreak devastatio

Many product makers aspire to receive the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It gives consumers the assurance that someone has rigorously tested the product and found it safe to use. This is a thorough process to make sure the item lives up to its claims. In Romans 16 we have the name Apelles mentioned once in the Bible. Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Romans 16:10 This one mention tells us a whole lot. Apelles went through some type of test and came out victorious. This is something to which I aspire. I want Christ’s seal of approval. I can have it if I follow the word of God and not faint under pressure.

Some women have achieved today’s’ fashionable pouty look by receiving silicone injections in their lips. They pay and endure the pain to keep up with the Hollywood trend setters. Isn’t it amazing that Proverbs enjoins us to also enhance the look of our mouths. Listen to Solomon’s words written thousands of years ago, “The lips of knowledge are a precious thing.” In order to have truly beautiful lips we should speak with the knowledge of God in or hearts and minds. Now that type of lip operation would have God’s stamp of approval.

When I was a child my father told me that police officers were ministers of God. Indeed this was not just his opinion. This is verified by the Scriptures: The police aren't there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order and he uses them to do it. (Message Bible) Therefore it was very hard a few minutes ago to read that on this peaceful Sunday morning south of Seattle, four policemen were shot execution style. Not a month ago a police officer was killed in Seattle under similar circumstances. These killings are troubling. They point to a fundamental breakdown in respect towards authority in our country. We are seeing this disrespect towards authority on a daily basis. When we have a news commentator, under the guise of free speech, implying that it would be alright to kill the president we have a new level of contempt towards those in authority. The same Scripture that tells us police are ministers of God tells us that our rulers are ordained,

Yesterday, my son and I went to the big box store determined to be one of the winners in the quest for a bargain.I wanted a reduced priced television. He was looking for a deal on a laptop. We were doomed to failure before we even started shopping. Outside of the store an employee informed the entering crowd that all of the big tickets items were gone. Among other items there were no more specials on televisions or laptops. We decided we would brave the hundreds of shoppers and take a look around anyway. The sign in front of the television display reminded the shoppers to not forget to buy the accessory package for the LCD television. I turned to my son and said, “Costco is selling the whole package, tv and accessories for less than this supposed deal.” My missed sale tv really was not a bargain at all. Reflecting on this experience made me wonder how many times I’ve decided to do something that looked like I would be saving something only to find out that in the long run I’ve pa

Sitting in the class for elementary school principals the directions were to predict which of the items in front of us was the heaviest. We took the picture cut outs of the objects and ranked them from lightest to heaviest. Finally we glued our choices to the yellow construction paper.In the next part of the science investigation we had to check our predictions. Each object was weighed and compared with the other items until a final outcome was determined. How like our lives and choices. We are asked every day to look at what we say or do. God, in so many words, has asked us to look at eternity and to decide does this choice weigh more than my soul. Am I willing to go on my own predictions? Have I taken this choice and weighed or checked it against the Word of God? What I found out that day was just by using my eyes to examine the difference I was fooled. It took an unbiased definite measure to determine the true weight. Let’s use the true measure of God’s word when making choices that

During the “terrible twos” phase, my little boy resolutely refused to say thank you for a small cookie. “Say thank you, “I said over and over again. He clenched his jaws even tighter. The obdurate nature of this tiny tyke amazed me. For a full twenty minutes he tenaciously stood his ground. However I’d decided to deny him the victory of his little rebellion. Finally a cascade of thank yous poured from his quivering lips. As I began this Thanksgiving Holiday I asked myself,"Have I been just as willful in my actions towards God as my little two years old child.” God told us to enter His gates with thanksgiving. How many times have I entered with complaint after complaint? God told us to sing praise in our hearts. How many times has my heart been a place of muttering? This Thanksgiving I am renouncing my stubborn will of not saying thanks. I want my lips to voluntarily and joyfully say thank you for all of God's many blessings given to me.

I plugged in the mixer and pushed the button to turn it on. The shiny beaters did not move. That’s odd I thought I just used this a little while ago and everything was okay. I looked down at the outlet and then at the countertop. I saw that while there was an appliance plugged in it was the blender, not the mixer. Isn’t that like our spiritual life I thought. I must be plugged into the power source, God. Just because I am near people who are “on” and operating in God’s spirit will not benefit me at all if I do not have a relationship with God for myself. Therefore when I’m feeling a loss of power I’m going to check to make sure that I am connected to the Power.

It was the last lap of the meet. The winners had won. Gasping , and stroking, the lone swimmer looked ready to climb out of the pool. She already lost the race a long time ago. Why bother? I looked at the fatigued competitor. She didn’t look like she could lift her hand one more time. The concerned coach got up walked to the edge of the pool and started to yell, "You can do it Amanda!" "Go, you can do it,"he yelled. The teams on both sides cheered her on, “You can do it, go.” At the pool’s edge the coach accompanied Amanda step by step, yelling encouragement. Amanda’s tired strokes looked like she was pushing against pudding, not water. I didn’t think she could make it. Amanda couldn’t see or feel my doubt; she was tuned into the coach. Finally, exhausted and totally spent she touched the edge of the pool. She had to rest a bit before dragging her body out of the pool. With the encouragement of the coach who walked her through, she made it. I started to cry. I

“On Turkey Day some stores will be open,” screamed the headlines! It wasn’t that the stores were going to be open that offended me. I was offended by the reporter calling Thanksgiving, Turkey Day. Although Thanksgiving is not a sacred name it does imply that someone must give thanks and that there must be someone to receive that thanks. Could this be another way to try and separate God from the equation? The secularization of our culture is now at full tilt. For my part personal part Thanksgiving will never be turkey day. Christmas will never be Xmas. Let’s make sure our children know that there are some beliefs and traditions that are worth having and over which to make a fuss.

As I pulled into the parking lot I noticed dozens of late model sharp looking cars. I entered the building to see it was overflowing with stylish looking young adults. People greeted each other with familiar hugs and kisses. Artfully arranged yellow long stem roses bespoke the care of the florist. The soft pink lights and softly draped curtains shielded the room from the brightness of the outside. I was directed to a long hallway which led to another seating area as the main room was standing room only. The center of all this pomp and attention was not there to witness the proceedings. At only thirty nine years old his body lay in the burnished brass casket. I listened carefully to what people said about him: “He loved cars,” said one friend. “He loved barbeque,” chuckled a relative “ He loved keeping the yard looking nice,” said his long time neighbor. I sat and hoped to hear of another love, but I never heard it. I never heard that he loved God. Maybe he thought he would have time

This morning for some reason I’m reminded of an experiment I tried when I was teaching 4th grade at M.L. King Elementary School. We were planting seeds and documenting how long they took to sprout etc. I decided that I would put one of the planted seeds in a dark closet. I was going to show the students that the seed would not grow because no one was watering it and there was no light. To my surprise one day I opened the closet. That stubborn little, neglected seed devoid of my watering it had not only sprouted it had grown. In fact it was stretching its way to the closet opening. I was incredulous. I almost couldn’t understand it. I pulled out the little survivor. What was amazing was that the plant was totally white. Not a dot of green on the whole thing. Photosynthesis was not a part of its process because of the lack of light. However the plant survived. Its gangly appearance spoke life at any cost. It had absorbed whatever moisture it could find from the soil. It heroically sought

Unbelievable is what I thought when I heard the sad news yesterday that the superintendent of the Chicago Schools was found dead. The coroner ruled his death a suicide. My heart went out to his wife and family. What could drive a man to take his own life? He had a plum job, a good education and a family. Yet he felt so pressured by concerns that he might be indicted that he couldn’t see beyond his present troubles to a more hopeful future. He had climbed the ladder of success. However at the top he saw that his ladder was leaning on the wrong wall. He may have made a mistake. He may have gotten in some trouble. However to end his life in such a way is tragic. I am going to assume that he really did not understand the forgiveness that God gives. No matter how we mess up, bungle our lives, make mistakes or are outright defiant there is a God who forgives. I’m not saying there are not consequences for our actions. I am saying that we can turn to God when there seems to be no way out. Go

In Sunday’s paper I read an article that positively fascinated me. It talked about the European Union picking a president to represent the 27 nation coalition. I don’t think I could have envisioned this in my lifetime. Has Europe ever been represented by one talking head? I don’t think so. If I know my history at all, the closest that it ever came to one voice was when the Roman Catholic pope had influence over most of the reigning monarchies. However that little movement called the Reformation caused a separation of European nations. In 1993 with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty the European Union was formally formed. Since that time the number of members has increased and a number of agreements have been reached. This week I believe we are seeing an event of great proportions I make no claims to be a prophet or anything close to one. However as a student of history and the Bible I for one will be watching what is happening in Europe this week. I’m going to be rereading the book

Prayer in School Yesterday I was talking to a coworker about an e-mail I received. The e-mail sender asked that I sign a petition to bring prayer back into the schools. I refused to sign it. In fact I'm against bringing prayer back into the classroom in 2009. Are you incredulous that I would be against this? Well as one sign I saw stated, " As long as there are tests there will be prayer in schools." All joking aside, I'm against this for several reasons. The premise of bringing prayer back into the school seems to rest on an idea that we are going to recreate the 1950's and 60's and 70's. During those school prayer times little voices were heard reciting the Lord's Prayer or even the twenty third Psalm. No one seemed to be offended because most people could subscribe to similar prayers. Anyone who was offended basically kept quiet. They were in the minority, and people did not take too kindly to the God is irrelevant or dead talk. Now we are living in

Pundits from long ago said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Nevertheless we continue to disregard this caveat. Therefore we are continually amazed when some seemingly ordinary looking person commits a heinous crime. The soft spoken student turns the gun on classmates and professors. The sweet looking mother does the unspeakable to her child. The sane looking psychiatrist turns out to be more deadly and suicidal than those he should be helping. The judging also goes on not just with criminals either. Isn’t this why Susan Boyle stunned a nation and the world with possessing a spectacular voice? She didn’t look like a Beyonce or a Celine therefore people assumed she must be a dud. This leads me to ask if in this day and age we are more than likely than other generations to take the measure of a person by the way a person looks. Just a few minutes ago I watched Tyra Banks do an experiment. She put on a fat body suit and went out on blind dates with three different men. The men I saw w

Junk Drawer Opening the bread bag I simultaneously pulled opened the junk drawer. Unthinkingly I tossed the bag twist in it. One of these days I’m going to clean out that drawer. That drawer the home of things I can’t categorize, but when I need odds and ends I go to it. It’s filled with items of dubious worth. As I worked I started to wonder. Does my heart have a junk drawer or maybe even a junk room? Have I put miscellaneous hurts and grievances in it? I keep it closed around friends and family. However, privately, I rummage through it from time to time. Am I keeping scraps of resentments, jealousies, roots of bitterness or little insults I received in it? I’m careful to not let it be on show, nevertheless the “stuff’ is in there. Right then and there I gave up the right to keep my junk drawer. Dear God, please clean out this area of my life. Let me instantly forgive and keep my heart clean from secret sins and grievances.

One of Marvin Gaye's songs asked, What's going on?" Part of the lyrics state that ,"They'are too many people dying." The news from this week is causing me to ask what's going on in our country? Seattle Washington:Last Saturday night a police was murdered in cold blood sitting in his car debriefing a traffic stop with a trainee. Fort Hood, Texas:Thursday an army psychiatrist turned the gun on fellow soldiers killing thirteen. Orlando, Florida:Fri day a person opened fire in a high rise building shooting eight and killing one person. I'm reaching sensory overload. I can hardly process one tragedy when the next one pops up in the news. What's going on? We are living in an age of unparalleled violence in this country. I'm convinced the farther we moved from God the closer we've come to unraveling our republic. Did we ask for this when the courts ruled that we could not even post "You should not kill" in schools and governmental b