There's just something about that name

Stephen & I
Summer 1983

The summer of 1982 changed my life and it was not that I had just graduated from high school, it was a guy named, Stephen.  Stephen and I had known each other all of our lives, but that summer we found each other and never looked back. My notebooks from classes at Louisiana College that Fall are full of pages and pages of doodling his name and practicing writing the one I would change mine to, Mrs. Stephen Bailey.   Almost 30 years later, I don't often doodle his name and I do not ever remember actually signing my name, Mrs. Stephen Bailey. But I love the fact that our names are forever connected. I am the luckiest girl alive when it comes to finding the perfect mate. (I didn't say he was perfect, just the perfect match for me!) I married well.

Along the way I've learned over and over just how lucky I am.  So many of my friends and family have not been so fortunate.  Too many times I've met women who have been mistreated in bad relationships and others who live with the marks of failed ones.  Even more times I've listened to women who are simply disappointed with their choices.

One thing I have seen is that we as women too often, ask way too much of our husbands. We make the mistake of asking them to be the one who meets all of our needs, who brings us fulfillment in life and validates our self esteem. I've made this mistake.  And what I've learned is that only Jesus can satisfy my soul! He is the one and only! Incidentally, in my experience the relief it brings to our relationships when we learn this frees us and our spouses to love each other more honestly.

The last four weeks we've looked at four different women. One who had suffered illness and isolation, one who had experienced failed relationships, one who was caught in sin and one who believed, but felt disappointment and confusion. Today, let's look back at how Jesus responded to each of these.

To each one he offered words that brought life.

• Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you whole
• I know your whole story and I came to offer you life.
• Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more
• Believe and you will see

To each one he offered more than she asked or could imagine.

• One sought healing for her body, Jesus offered wholeness for her soul
• One knew a Messiah would come, she had no idea He would come personally to her
• One waited for punishment and found mercy
• One anticipated healing and received life from death

When we are desperate for a healer for our body and soul, when we go through the motions of life hoping for something more, when we are caught in sin, when we wonder where Jesus is in the middle of our need - we like these ladies can know that He came to offer to each of us personally, life, healing, wholeness, mercy and much more, more than we can image.

Sometimes I like to close my eyes and do a little mental doodling to this tune; Jesus, Jesus, Jesus there's just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus, there's just something about that name!  And I am eternally grateful that my name is forever connected to His!

Thanks for listening,

See you Next Sunday,

Ronda

"Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!"  Ephesians 3:19-20    (The Message)

Testimonies

Growing up in Sunday school, I heard the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead many times. It’s got to be on the top ten Sunday school lessons list. It’s up there with the crossing of the Red Sea, the Lion’s den, the fiery furnace and Peter walking on the water. It’s one of those my brother Michael could have told backwards. When he was in the beginner Sunday school class and was less than enthused to hear the same story again, he complained to his teacher that he could tell it backwards. To which she quickly replied, go right ahead! He did. 

Sister Williamson



Aunt Claudie

As a young lady, I heard many lessons and sermon’s about Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha. Most of them included a warning not be a Martha. Martha, the one who fussed too much over things and missed opportunities to sit at Jesus feet. I must admit I always felt Martha was cast a little unfairly. But then I always admired hard working women. Some of my favorite ladies growing up were sturdy women, women who worked hard and served the Lord with gladness. Women like Kitty Lee Williamson, Gerturde Brown and my dad’s aunt, Claudie Lewis. (You just have to love those names!) These were the ladies whose dishes emptied first at church dinners! My favorites were Aunt Claudie’s chicken and dumplings, Sis. Brown’s mexican cornbread and Sis. Williamson’s rich chocolate cake. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!

None of these ladies ever taught my Sunday school class, took my friends and I to church camp or sponsored my Missionette club, but they taught me life lessons. These women had lived. They had raised children and some grandchildren, cared for dying loved ones, and buried husbands and some siblings. Yet, on Sunday evening when it was time for testimonies, these ladies would stand and declare their belief in the goodness of God.


That’s the very thing I love most in Martha’s story is her unwavering faith. When her brother was sick, she sent for Jesus. And when he died, she still believed. She believed that Jesus could have prevented his death, she believed that He could raise him from the dead and that He would on the resurrection day. She testified to her belief, “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” (John 11:27 NLT) I admire a belief that doesn’t waver when one is disappointed or unsure of details. (Are you sure you want to roll away that stone? It’s going to smell, she said.)


I am blessed to have know some Martha’s in my life. I admire their service and their belief. Women who relate to the father who said “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!” Women who understood the truth spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “As the heavens are higher than earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9 NLT)


When I married, the ladies of First Assembly in Haynesville made me a patchwork quilt from fabric remnants. When I look at that quilt I see pieces of the double knit dresses worn by Sis. Williamson, Sis. Brown and Aunt Claudie. Women who showed me faith; mature, productive, sturdy faith. 

My favorite quilt!


Below is a first person script I wrote several years ago for Women’s Ministry Day service at First Assembly in Hugoton, Kansas. A place, by the way, where I became acquainted with some more Marthas.

Thanks for listening
See you next Sunday,

Ronda

Good Morning. My name is Martha. I am from Bethany, a community just outside of Jerusalem. Several years ago, my brother, Lazarus, my sister, Mary and I became acquainted with a man from Nazareth named Jesus. He became one of our dearest friends and often spent time in our home. My sister and I would often prepare meals and serve him - or should I say I would often serve him. Mary preferred to sit and visit. I recall one day when I got frustrated with Mary and asked Jesus to tell her to get up and help me. In response to my frustration, he said Mary had chosen a better way to spend her time, listening and learning from him. He said I should not fuss so much over meals and things. He said he would only be with us for a little while. Well, then someone had to do the work and fast, if he only planned to stay a little while. It bothered me a little the way he said that, after all I was doing these things for him.

Recently, my brother had become very ill and was near death. Mary and I had sent word to Jesus of the seriousness of his illness. But he did not come, until four days after we buried Lazarus. At first I was very hurt that he had not come. You see, we had come to understand that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the very Son of God. He had been traveling around our region, preaching and healing the sick. He had caused the lame to walk, cleansed lepers and even recently he had healed a blind beggar’s eyes! Why would he not have come and healed our brother, whom he loved. But he didn’t.

Four days after we had buried Lazarus some of the mourners came into the house and said Jesus was coming. I got up and went to meet him. I said, “Lord, if you had come my brother would not have died.” He said to me that my brother would live again. I assumed he was referring to the resurrection on the last day. But he said to me, “ I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Then he asked me if I believed this. I said, “Yes, I believe you are the Christ.” I did believe, but I didn’t understand.

I went to get Mary, because Jesus was asking for her. She went with me quickly to Jesus and the crowd of people who gathered at our house followed us. She said the same thing I had said, if only you had been here. Jesus began to cry. We took him to the tomb to show him where we had buried our brother.

And then the most extraordinary thing I ever witnessed happened. Jesus told the men that had come with us to take away the stone from the tomb. I tried to stop him; it had been four days, there would be a terrible odor by now. He turned to me and said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”. I stepped aside. They moved the stone. Jesus prayed and called my brother back to life. Lazarus walked out of the grave!

Then I knew why he had come at this time, rather than when I had asked for him. Many of the people who had come because of his death, saw this miracle and put their faith in Jesus.

Neither do I

Only once in elementary school do I remember getting my name on the board. I don’t remember what I did but I remember the embarrassment I felt. I thought that day would never end and my name would be erased. In high school, I hated reading Nathaniel Hawthrone’s “The Scarlett Letter”. The idea of a woman being branded and publicly shamed for life was more than I could stand.

Today my office is directly across from the county courthouse. It’s not uncommon to look out my window and see prisoners being led into the courthouse shackled and dressed in orange. It never fails to bring tears to my eyes. I cannot help but think that each one is someone’s brother, sister, son or daughter and it breaks my heart. I can hear my Dad say as he often has, there except for the grace of God go I. It’s true. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." (Romans 3:23 NLT) Fortunately, my sins have not brought me public shame but punishment is what we all deserve. I’m not suggesting that crime should go unpunished, I’m just saying it breaks my heart to see lives branded with their failures.

Every time I’ve read the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8, I think of reading the “The Scarlett Letter” . And every time, I’ve asked just like many of you, what about the man?! Just like the man in the “The Scarlett Letter” stayed in the shadows, the man seems conspicuously absent. I’ve heard many people suggest he was part of the plot. After all scripture does tell us this incident was part of a political scheme plotted by religious leaders who wanted to trip up Jesus. Indeed they may have taken advantage of this woman for their own political motives. Either way, it seems clear from Jesus’ words to her that she was guilty of something, “Go and sin no more” he says to her. As clear as was her guilt, clearer still was the mercy she found at the feet of Jesus. I can only imagine the fear and embarrassment she felt as she was thrown at his feet as He was teaching at the Temple. Not just anywhere in the temple, in the Court of the Women. (A place by the way that no other man would have stopped to teach.) As horrible as this moment must have been for her and the events that led her here might have been, she was right where she needed to be, at the feet of Jesus. A place where she received mercy. That same mercy is there for you and I.  "Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Romans 3:24 NLT)

There is also a lesson here for those times we reach for a stone to throw. Jesus, knowing that the men were correct that there was a prescribed punishment for the crime, stops the crowd in their tracks with his words. “Stone her, but let he that is without sin throw the first stone”, he says. And then, he waits. The only one who meets His criteria waits until they’ve dropped their rocks and walked away leaving her there at His feet. He asked her, didn’t any of them condemn you. Then she hears the words that brought life back to her, “Neither do I.” What relief she must have experienced. What a motivation to obey the balance of His words, “Go and sin no more”. 

One of the not so lovely things I’ve learned along the way is that life gets messy for everyone. People make mistakes and people misuse other people. But these two things I’ve also learned -

1. There is no escaping the reach of God.

“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” (Psalms 139:8 KJV)

2. There are no mistakes beyond His mercy.

The prophet Nehemiah described His mercy this way, “Yet whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times!” (Nehemiah 9:28 NLT)


If you find yourself in need of His mercy once again, don't wait to be thrown at His feet. Turn to Him and fall at His feet.  You are guaranteed to find mercy!

Thanks for listening,

See you next Sunday,

Ronda

The words below are from an old hymn, “Neither Do I Condemn Thee”. My mom and I sang this song together at my Grandpa’s church when I was child.

Neither do I condemn thee,
Precious words divine,
From the lips of mercy
Like the sweetest chime.
Wonderful words of Jesus,
Sing them o'er and o'er,
"Neither do I condemn thee,
Go and sin no more."


Greg Long is one my favorite Christian artist and one of my favorite songs is “Mercy said No”. Here’s a few lines and link to audio.
Mercy said no
Sin will never take control
Life and death stood face to face
Darkness tried to steal my heart away
Thank You Jesus, Mercy said no
When sin demanded justice for soul, Mercy said No


http://www.myspace.com/music/54867/songs/28336112/?ap=1&sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4cb27bb0fc6094a0,0

Insights to my soul



Must have been
Brady Bunch time!



Growing up in a family of four males and only two females, our TV time included mostly cartons, westerns, sports and Hee Haw! There were a few sitcoms, too, Gilligan’s Island, The Brady Bunch (not my brothers' favortie!) and I love Lucy.

On occasion somehow, my mother and I would get the opportunity to watch a Doris Day or Audrey Hepburn movie. Those were some of the best times! What girl doesn’t love a romantic comedy! There is just something we like about a light hearted story with a happy ending.

Continuing the tradition, my daughter and I loved to watch romantic comedies. We loved Sabrina, The Wedding Planner, Runaway Bride, You’ve got mail and anything with Doris Day or Audrey Hepburn. So much so that for Ginny’s graduation party we set up an old movie, Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn, in the park, just like in The Wedding Planner. (Well, as much as you can make a backyard in Hugoton, Kansas “just like” a park in New York. )

I think my favorite line in “You’ve got mail” is Kathleen’s response to Joe’s teasing about the possibilities of her secret correspondent’s, shall we say, traits. He proposed he had 152 felony indictments. She proposed he had 152 insights to her soul. Maybe that’s the attraction to romances! Isn’t that what we want, someone who knows our soul. Someone who offers a happy ending to our story.

Here’s the deal, you’ll only find that in one place. All the holes in our hearts will only be filled when we see Jesus. Nicole Johnson, one of my favorite speakers, says the holes in our hearts are what leave us longing for Him. They are supposed to be there, because as we all suspected we were made for something more! We were made for that perfect relationship.
John, chapter 4 records the story of a woman who I think had a lot of holes in heart and a Savior who went out of his way to fill them.

I can’t help but wonder what she was thinking about as she made the routine trip to the well. Was she hoping to avoid the whispers of the other women as I’ve often heard suggested? Or was she looking for any reason to steal a few minutes alone? Maybe she wasn’t thinking about the other women at all. Maybe she was thinking about the men in her life, the four whom had married her previously or the one she was living with now. Was she trying to sort out what had gone wrong? Was it an emergency that sent her for water at this unusual time? One thing I would venture to say she wasn’t likely thinking about was meeting the Messiah. Or maybe she was. She said she knew He would come and when He came He would explain all things. Perhaps she was longing for that someday when maybe everything would make sense. One thing I’m sure of, she had no idea she was about to encounter him in the middle of her daily task list. We’re not told what she was thinking or why she had failed marriages or how she got along with the other women. But this we do know, she was at that well on this day at this time to meet the Messiah. Not because of anything she had done or not done, but because He, tired as He was from his journey was waiting for her.

Jesus, knowing her whole story, intentionally went to the well to encounter her! Not to condemn her, but through her to reveal himself to her whole community. I think he saw her pain, understood her disillusionment and looked past it all to her soul. And said, she’s the one. The one I must go through Samaria to meet. The one to bring the entire city to me.

The Samaritan woman knew that when the Messiah came He would explain everything. We have the same promise to look forward to when we encounter Him face to face. In the meantime, we have this treasure - He knows us completely and is preparing a perfect place for us.

“Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” (I Cor. 13:12 NLT) That’s perfect insight into our souls! That’s what we long for. That’s what we were made for.

Thanks for listening,
See you next Sunday,
Ronda

The whole story!

My daughter "practicing" talking
on the phone.She learned early!

When my daughter was small she was puzzled when someone once commented that she talked a lot. She explained to her Papa that she always had something to say! When she started to school, every evening she would recount her day for me or her dad from beginning to end. Even in high school, our dinner conversation usually began with “in first hour … and in second hour …”. She came by this trait honestly. According to my mother, when I began talking at 9 months of age and never stopped my aunt was amused. She commented to my mother that we reap what we sow! Yes, my mother, my daughter and I are talkers!

My mother, my daughter and I
Graduation Day 2005.

I’ve been married for 26 years and not very many weeks have gone by that I have not called my mother at least once. Some of those conversations started with “on Monday …, on Tuesday, … and on Wednesday …” My daughter has been married 5 years and not many days have gone by that we have not talked at least once. (I love unlimited cell phone plans!) For us sharing our lives involves words, sometimes lots of them! The details of a daughter’s story are important and interesting to a mother.

 There is only one place in all of scripture where Jesus calls someone, daughter. And here’s a piece of that story that I love, she had just told Him everything!
 “The woman, … stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.” (Mark 5:33 The Message)

The whole story! I don’t think she started with the minutes just before of pushing her way through the crowd to reach Him. This woman had been ill for 12 years and a lot had happened! I think she started with 12 years ago I became ill I and went to one doctor and he said this, and then another and He did this and then I tried … then I ran out of money and then I heard about you and I thought if only … . I think Jesus smiled when He said to her “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed”. (Mark 5:34 NLT)

She was sick, weak, unclean and broke. She had done everything she knew to do and nothing had worked. She had heard about Jesus as the news about His miracles had spread far and wide. Faith, perhaps mingled with some old superstitions about power in a person’s clothing, led her to Jesus. Because of her condition, her community deemed her unclean. She was not supposed to be in a crowd of people. Driven by her need, she broke protocol and made her way to Jesus thinking only to touch Him and disappear back into the crowd.

How astounded she must have been when not only was she healed, but Jesus stopped drawing everyone’s attention to her. After all, if you remember He was on his way to an important man’s home to heal his daughter. Even his disciples tried to hurry Him on, but He stopped, He listened, He healed. No wonder she told him everything!

I love the fact that Jesus responded to her even when she was confused in her faith. He responded with more than she could even image. She was looking for wholeness for her body. He offered her wholeness for body, soul and mind. (I have a feeling her mind needed some peace! Twelve years of bleeding!)

Can you identify with this woman? Have you ever exhausted your resources seeking a solution to a problem? Have you ever felt isolated by your issues? Have ever felt weak from a load you’ve carried for years? Have you ever said, if only I could? If you like me, would have to say yes to one or all of these questions, let me ask you one more. Have you heard about Jesus?

When I was a child we sang this little chorus frequently. “Reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by, you will find He’s not to busy to hear your heart’s cry. He is passing by this moment your needs to supply. Reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by.”


As much as I loved to hear every detail of my daughter’s day, I must admit there were night’s when I fell asleep before she was through. There were times when I was too busy to really hear what she was saying. I’m thankful she has learned to talk to the One who is never too busy to really hear her heart. The conversations I love best are the ones where she tells me what He is talking to her about! I suspect those are my mom’s favorites, too. Trust me, what you read here - she’s heard the whole thing first!


Thanks for listening,
See you next Sunday,
Ronda