Who was Basil O'Conner?

 I learned about Basil O'Conner just this morning as I listened to a PBS documentary entitled, “The Polio Crusade.” Basil O’Conner served as a friend and legal advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Roosevelt, as many people know, contracted polio at the age of 39, and he remained paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. Passionate about finding a cure and rehabilitation for polio victims, President Roosevelt founded the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation in 1927 and eventually made Basil O’Conner the President of it. 

Basil O’Conner did not really even have much of a heart for non-profits, but he was loyal to Roosevelt. He wanted to please Roosevelt, but he had received a tough assignment. Back then, charitable organizations were mostly funded by the wealthy and certainly not the government. And guess what? The Great Depression hit America hard, so no one was giving much to charitable organizations. Everyone was struggling financially. 

So, Mr. O’Conner developed an ingenious idea to raise money for Roosevelt’s foundation. Ads that featured celebrities were developed to encourage people to send just one dime to the White House for this project. Even the poorest of the poor could scrounge up just one dime. The campaign was a huge success. O’Conner raised millions of dollars. The dimes (and dollars) just poured into the White House. The project later became known as the March of Dimes. 

(As a side note: Polio was a serious problem, but some of the ads exaggerated the risks of contraction and others were quite dark and fear based.) 

This story reminds me of Jesus’ observation of the widow giving her last mite. She gave out of sacrifice and poverty, and Jesus praised her for it. Most of us would not struggle to give a dime – or even much more. 

Of course, financial needs for charitable organizations still exist today. I work at the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes in Chattanooga, a non-profit. We hope to renovate our entire campus, which will cost approximately 10 million dollars. (We have 2 other campuses in Tennessee that are doing the same.) Our facilities are in terrible shape on so many levels. The President of TBCH is having some conversations with some potential wealthy donors. As he told us about this in our staff meeting this morning, I could not help but think about the March of Dimes and how the small gifts of many made such a difference. (He also plans to visit some of our churches and explain the project to them.) 

Little things make such a difference! Do you feel little today? Well, if you pull together with other little people, just think about what you could accomplish! 

joyce hague

A Fearful Saint

 

A Fearful Saint

I love history. I’m fascinated by stories of the past, and I have spent the last few months reading biographies of those living in the 1700s. One shorter account I read was of William Cowper’s life. Cowper lived in England from 1731 to 1800. His childhood was a difficult one. His mother died when he was six, and his father sent him to a boarding school from ages ten to seventeen. His experience there was not a good one.

Cowper suffered major depressions throughout his life, and around age 32, he moved into an asylum. There he was led to faith through the witness of one of the doctors as well as through Scripture, specifically Romans 3:25 where it says of Christ, “whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” Cowper said of this experience, “Immediately I received the strength to believe it, and the full beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone upon me. I saw the sufficiency of the atonement He had made, my pardon sealed in His blood, and all the fullness and completeness of His justification... Unless the Almighty arm had been under me, I think I should have died with gratitude and joy.”

While we love happy endings, especially after someone’s salvation testimony, this was not the case for Cowper. Even as a believer, Cowper struggled with severe depression and intense melancholy off and on for the rest of his life. At times, he doubted his salvation and was afraid he was too far gone for God’s mercy and grace. Yet Cowper had a close friend and mentor, John Newton, who invested time in speaking truth to this hurting man. He was Cowper’s pastor for about thirteen years before he moved away to pastor elsewhere. Yet even then he wrote Cowper letters for the next twenty years until Cowper’s death, encouraging him in his faith.

William Cowper wrote poetry, and together with Newton published a hymnbook in which Newton wrote over 200 hymns and Cowper 68. You may know Cowper’s hymn, “There is a fountain filled with blood.” It is interesting that the one who at times wondered if he truly was forgiven wrote here the words, “And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”

Perhaps you, like Cowper, struggle with guilt and lies that bombard you. Perhaps you struggle with intense sadness and depression. Keep clinging to Christ. Keep rehearsing truth. Keep surrounding yourself with sound doctrine and your brothers and sisters in Christ. Keep going to church even when you don’t feel like getting out of bed. On the other hand, perhaps you know a Cowper. May you be like Newton, a loving friend who doesn’t give up on the hurting, even when the struggles persist for years, but who keeps on speaking truth and showing love and care.

I love the following poem by Cowper on the sovereignty of God. May you read it and be encouraged by these words written about 250 years ago by an imperfect, struggling man whom God still used mightily to build up the body.

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

 

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never-failing skill.

He treasures up his bright designs

And works his sovereign will.

 

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take.

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

 

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust him for his grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

 

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

 

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan his work in vain:

God is his own interpreter,

And he will make it plain.

 

(Information on Cowper’s life from The Hidden Smile of God, by John Piper)

 

--Amy O’Rear

Notes on a Business Meeting

 

On January 26 of this year, members of Grace Baptist Church met for a business meeting. At first, though, it felt more like a family reunion. Pots of chili on a long table were accompanied by bags of chips, bowls of sour cream, and piles of cheese. Then there were the fabulous desserts. (I tried two of the chilis—both delicious—and had nibbles of maybe three desserts, but who’s counting?[I’d love the recipe for that chili that included sweet potatoes, if anyone knows who made it.])

Standing in line for food, I got an opportunity to chat with several other members, and it was delightful to just be together in a safe, happy place. As I sat at the table enjoying excellent food, the screen before me displayed images of the year past: children in Sunday School smiling into the camera; the team in the sound box working their magic; nursery babies being loved during the service; various church members at a picnic; piles of chips, desserts lined up on a table; the AWANA Grand Prix with all its drama and excitement. Again, the event had the feel of a family reunion with the message “Look at all the fun we had last year!”

What really moved me, though, were the comments made by people giving their reports. I am a note-taker; it helps me pay attention. At some point I decided to write down a few comments to remember and reflect on. I do not have all the quotations word for word, but I am satisfied I captured the tone and intent of each speaker.

Paul Snyder, giving the report from the missions committee, talked about our “ongoing commitment to spreading the gospel and providing comfort around the world.” Isn’t this goal indicative of the heart of God, the command of Jesus when he left the disciples on that hill outside Jerusalem? Paul urged us to consider increasing our missions giving in order to reach more people. This goal is something to pray for and act on this year.

When Sandy gave her report on the children’s ministries, she said, “What great kids we have!” We are indeed blessed to have Sandy Gromacki and Jennifer Greve looking out for our little ones. They talked about helping children develop a personal relationship with God in order to “serve now—all around town in their own communities and schools.” As always, there is a need for more people to help with children’s ministries. Wouldn’t you love to be part of that effort?

Steve Gillmore took a few minutes to reveal his great love for our teens and his excitement at getting new students in the youth group. He spoke for many when he paused to remember the loss of Ryder Bigelow this last summer, but he rejoiced in that young man’s involvement in the Alaska Mission trip last June. Plans are in the works for more trips this coming summer. These are efforts we can pray for and help with our giving.

Fred Holcombe gave us a review of last year’s programs and a preview of more good things to come, including the Ministry Fair we all enjoyed last week. He encouraged all GBC members to “get involved,” and Kelly O’Rear talked about welcoming new members to “join the mission” of Grace. Kelly further emphasized “our calling to care for each other’s souls.” Yensi Pimental offered an excellent vision of the work of our Hispanic Ministry. He said, “I’m so grateful to this ministry” for “faithful people helping . . . equipping people to share their faith.” Pastor Love made the comment “I want to be a voice of hope." In his remarks on the budget, Mike Swanson noted, “We’ve got a fantastic staff.” He went on to say, “We have an extremely generous congregation.” Can you feel the love?

I want to posit the idea that all these lovely comments are due to our fantastic and generous God who brought us together to do his work in our area. Someone once claimed that he could tell what you love by looking at your checkbook. Not a lot of people use checks these days, but the point is clear. We spend money on what is important to us. I’d like to suggest that viewing our calendars could also offer insight to our priorities. My friends, where are we spending our resources? Are we pleasing God?

I am so thankful to have a church such as we have with people who love God and their neighbors. I am asking God how he wants me to serve. I trust you are doing the same.

--Sherry Poff

Forgive and Forget

 

Some of you have probably heard this story before. It’s one of my favorites to tell about the clear wonder-working power of God in my own life. It’s partially a story about forgiveness, but it’s mostly a story of what God did to wipe the slate (my heart) clean.

Not long after Gavin and I were married we moved to Dallas, Texas. He was attending Dallas Theological Seminary and I was working as a nanny while looking for a job as a teacher. We knew only a couple of people there, so it was a season of loneliness for me, but I started getting plugged into a seminary wives group. Gavin was getting connected to people at his job: working part-time as the junior high leader at Fellowship Church, Dallas. 

A few things to know from my background as we head further into this story are that my Dad suffered from Paranoid Personality Disorder. I am an only child and as I entered this new life, newly married in a new place, I was dealing with a lot of anger toward hurts I had faced from my dad growing up.

 This anger and bitterness was something I ruminated on. I could go through the list of things he had done or said that were unreasonable and confusing and painful and feel the anger justify itself. I avoided phone calls with him and brushed him off often if he and my mom visited. Dwelling on these things from my past was majorly shaping my present relationship and life.

So, God began putting the topic of forgiveness EVERYWHERE in front of me. I got together with a lady from my seminary wives group and out of the blue she began talking to me about a time she had to work through forgiveness toward someone. I remember thinking, “But this is different. She doesn’t understand. I don’t want to.” Our pastor at church began a series on forgiveness. I tried to casually apply it to my future life, while ignoring the current, deep need of it.

Then I read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. It is hard to ignore the power of forgiveness in that true story. In fact, forgiveness feels unfair and certainly undeserved after the abuse, horror and trauma Louis Zamperini went through in a Japanese POW camp and beyond.

But really, it isn’t until we realize the state of our own hearts and lives and their messy helpless need for rescue that forgiveness rings truest. God continued to gently but obviously put my need for peace in front of my face. He called me to the action of forgiving so that my own heart and life would find freedom. Over and over I said, “No! I don’t want to. It feels good to hold onto this. I like being angry.” Over and over he responded, “Forgive. This is right. This is good. This is powerful.”

So one random day, I finally listened. I decided to stay home one Sunday morning and spend time alone with my Father. I had a tiny walk-in closet that I took a journal and pen in with me. I set an alarm on my phone and left it outside the closet so that I wouldn’t be distracted, focusing on the time.

In that time alone, I walked through my whole list of hurts. Things that I would never be asked for forgiveness for. Things I had held on to for years. Things that felt seared into my mind. I handed each one separately to God and asked Him to carry them for me. To keep them from me and then asked Him to help me forgive as He has always forgiven me. 

The second I finished and said, “Amen” my phone alarm went off.

And it felt like God was saying, “You’re done. I’ve got it now.”

And He did. While reasons to forgive others will always come up in our lives and the act of forgiving is often cyclical, in that one morning, God had wiped clean the bitterness that had built up over a long time. Today I could not tell you what had been on my list of hurts. Those things that had felt so permanent in my mind, through the power of God, are now no longer taking up any brain cells. I can attest that in my own strength, none of that would have been possible. I can also attest that I am thankful God prompted me to do what felt hard because now I am able to live in the freedom and peace he promises.

I did not want to obey. I wanted to keep a tight fist around the anger that felt justified. That’s a realistic picture of my heart. But as Jesus rescues me from that fallen heart through his death, burial and resurrection, so too has He offered good things for our lives when we follow His example.

I felt that prompting and ignored it for a while. Maybe this is a prompting for you. Is there someone you need to forgive? They may never realize how they have hurt you. They might not ever ask you for forgiveness. But our God is big enough to carry that hurt for you and away from you if you’ll walk in obedience to Him. Forgive, friend.

--Sandy Gromacki

 

Puzzles

 

PUZZLES

One of my Christmas presents this year was a puzzle.  Not just any puzzle  however.  Stephen and Erin bought it for me at Norman Rockwell’s home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. That home now houses the Norman Rockwell Museum.  Rockwell’s paintings capture the moments of life that typically show a single moment with unusual significance  You know the ones that show the response of the neighborhood to the returning soldier (Homecoming G. I.) , Thanksgiving dinner (Freedom from Want), the parents looking at the sleeping child (entitled Freedom from Fear), the football tackle (Tackled), the boy who finds the Santa suit (Discovery), the young girl dreaming of the future (The Girl at the Mirror), the young boy checking his doctor’s credentials (Before the Shot).  I’m sure you have your favorites.  One of my favorites is the one that makes this puzzle, Saying Grace, the grandmother and grandson praying before their meal in a restaurant.  

I am very slowly putting pieces together, while wishing my son-in-law was here to help me.  But the puzzle pieces have left me thinking.  I have plenty of time for that since there are 1,000 pieces in the project.

Every puzzle has a creator.  Rockwell had a final picture in mind when he painted, though I am not sure he envisioned his painting being cut into a thousand pieces.  We, too, have a Creator who knows exactly what the final picture will be.

The first thing I do with a puzzle is sort the pieces to find the edges.  Once I have the edges put together the picture has an orientation.  It has parameters beyond which the  pieces cannot go.  God has set the boundaries of my life.

Each piece belongs in a specific place.  It will slip nicely into its place and it will contribute to the overall image.  Sometimes I try to force a piece into place, before realizing the picture doesn’t make sense if the piece lands there.  I sometimes try to force the pieces of my life to go where I want them to go, but it distorts the whole picture.

Puzzle making is slow going for me.  I leave it on the table for sometimes weeks, putting just a few pieces together at a time.  I wish my eyes saw the pieces quickly, as my son-in-law Bill does.  I want to rush ahead in my life.

It’s more fun to do a puzzle with someone else.  Working with someone else encourages me.  But life is sometimes lonely and there is no one else to do life with.  But there is a Saviour who says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

Eventually there are only a few pieces left, then only one.  What a sense of accomplishment.  Psalm 90:12 tells us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  I’m counting my days, desiring to please my Lord.

What is the take away, as our pastor says?  For me this is the take away:  Proverbs 3:5 & 6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”  He knows where the puzzle pieces go and I can trust Him to put the pieces in the right places.

~~Faith Himes Lamb

The Tension of Perfection and Grace

 

Last week at a work meeting, the following quote was shared as encouragement and motivation in our jobs: "We will not achieve perfection, but we will find excellence in our pursuit of perfection” (Vince Lombardi). As an Enneagram 1 and perfectionist, the quote immediately grabbed my attention. Striving for perfection is a regular part of my life. I have a strong inner critic, and I’m constantly evaluating what I’m doing and saying to see if it matches up to what I think is right. 

I have an eye for catching small errors or things out of place and a strong desire to fix said errors. This tendency can serve me well when editing for my job, but it can also be problematic when I struggle to turn off that part of my brain for things that don’t truly matter or when it leads to being overly judgmental. I can easily get caught up in the small imperfections and forget to show grace to myself and others. 

Sleeping at Last has a song for each Enneagram type, and I love the message of the Type 1 song:

 “The list goes on forever

Of all the ways I could be better, in my mind

As if I could earn God's favor given time

Or at least congratulations

Now, I have learned my lesson

The price of this so-called perfection is everything

I've spent my whole life searching desperately

To find out that grace requires nothing of me”

 Grace requires nothing of me. What an amazing statement! God’s grace is freely given, not earned by the things I achieve or the words I say. The many imperfections of this life are evidence of the world’s brokenness and God’s true perfection. I don’t have to have everything together or do things just right for God to love me. He loves me because I am His creation and made in His image. He knows all my flaws and failures and is making me new. I need this reminder regularly. 

Yet this does not mean I should stop seeking perfection altogether or that the pursuit of perfection is fruitless. As the Lombardi quote reminds us, we can find excellence even if we can’t achieve perfection. We have each been entrusted with knowledge, skills, and resources that we are called to steward faithfully. Faithful stewardship does not require perfection, but it does require an attempt at excellence. We are not to be wasteful or careless with what God has given us. 

There is a tension between my desire for perfection and resting in God’s grace. But it can be a healthy tension if I let it. I don’t want to let myself go to either extreme: hypercritical or apathetic. There is a balance to be found in stewarding what I have been given with excellence while also resting in God’s abundant grace. The end of the Sleeping at Last song says it well: “I'll hold it all more loosely and yet somehow much more dearly.”

  --Concetta Swann

The Power of the Mind

 

I am so grateful for the youth leaders I had in middle and high school and for the program they put together to help us grow spiritually. It was called the Scholarship Program, because once we completed it, we were able to go on a mission trip, sprinkled with fun, that was sponsored by our church. (I went on two trips, one to the Bahamas and one to New York City.) Our leaders provided us with a list of spiritual disciplines to be completed each week with a special binder to track our progress. We learned about daily Bible reading, prayer, Scripture memory, church attendance (with notetaking), and visitation – just basic disciplines to help us grow. Somedays I was literally just “checking the box,” but other days I heard the voice of God. The good habits and a love for Scripture I learned stuck to me for life.

These days I like to mix things up during my devotion time to keep things fresh. Sometimes I do the read-the-Bible-in-a-year. Sometimes I dig deep and study a book of the Bible – usually one of the Pauline letters. I sprinkle in some inspirational books and focus on those topics for a while or maybe do a Bible study (recognizing that this is the work of people and not Scripture).

As I have grown older, memorizing Scripture has gone by the wayside. I convinced myself that I am no longer able to memorize. The words just do not stick! But recently I read the book, “Memorizing Scripture” by Glenna Marshall. She has convinced me that the hard work of memorization is truly worth it. It’s a thin, easy to read book that is chock full of depth and wisdom. I encourage you to get a copy. She gives some wonderful tips for memorizing, and I am finding that yes, I still can memorize! It has been easier than I thought. (The “Verses” app that she recommends has been very helpful to me.) I now have laminated copies of portions of Philippians in my shower and in my car. Finally, I have found a purpose for the “wasted” time I spend sitting at traffic lights! Now I can spend that time being “transformed by the renewing of my mind.”

How I long for that sort of transformation! The kind that leads to the filling of God’s Spirit, to righteousness, discernment, and a greater love for God and people. One that leads to tremendous joy despite circumstances.

I am also reading a book about transforming the mind from a completely different angle entitled, “You are the Placebo” by Dr. Joe Dispenza. It describes how one can use the mind to change one’s health and life. Being written from a New Age worldview, I would not necessarily recommend it. I’m praying that God would give me discernment as I try to see if there’s any truth in this book that I might put into practice. The author claims his ideas are based in science, but he describes people as “divine creators.” I found it interesting that he calls emotions like gratitude, love, joy, inspiration, peace, etc. the “elevated emotions” and the “limited emotions” listed are doubt, fear, anger, shame, etc. He states that gratitude is the most important emotion. It’s almost like he consulted the Bible on this! (He has some other ideas that sound suspiciously Scriptural.) If I am memorizing and meditating on Scripture, those emotions will develop in me without me putting my mind into a place of consciousness, which could open my mind up to evil things I don’t want – which is of course what this man recommends that I do.

One thing I HAVE come to believe is that the mind/ heart is very powerful. And so are our words. There’s an old saying, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.” What is down in our hearts comes out in our words and actions. In Philippians 4, Paul tells us what to be thinking about, and they are all good, positive thoughts (I’m sure you are familiar with this passage). And how many times has God taught us in Scripture that He does not like a complaining, ungrateful heart? It is a fact that a more positive thought life leads to better health. He tells us that a cheerful heart is like a medicine.

I will leave you with one example that surprised me:

Not too long ago, I began to get sick. I pulled out all my usual herbs and supplements for the battle. I usually play some funny videos too, because I heard that laughter boosts the immune system, but this time I did something different, purely by accident. I like to journal our fun activities with family and friends, but I had gotten behind on that. So, since I could not get out, I decided to catch up by looking at brochures and pictures of the good times we had. I spent about 3 hours that day journaling, reminiscing, and smiling at pictures of my family and friends. I felt grateful and joyful. By the next morning, I was well. My husband, however, went on to be sick for several more days. Of course, I cannot say definitively that going down memory lane and thinking happy thoughts cured me, but it sure didn’t hurt!

So, what about you? Do you lean towards thinking positively or negatively? For many people, positive thoughts and gratitude must be cultivated. It was that way for me.

 

joyce hague