Linda Brooks Davis's Blog

Welcome, everyone.

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV

The longer my lifeline grows, the more I understand that there is, indeed, a time for everything. My writing journey began in 2015 and has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. I’m very thankful to God and everyone who has supported me.

Times and Seasons

After months of prayer and consideration, I’ve come to a difficult decision that I think is appropriate for me and my family. For a number of personal reasons, the time has come to back out of writing for publication and everything that goes with it. My eight books will remain on Amazon, but I won’t maintain a regular blog or newsletter or participate in promotional events. My website will remain active for the time being, so you can reach me through the Contact form if you’d like.

It’s time for other things now. I praise my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for leading, confirming, and blessing me through this. Thank you, readers and friends, for your support and encouragement. It’s been quite a ride. I love you all.

God bless you and yours,

Linda

The post Times and Seasons appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Welcome, everyone

As I age, my capacity for turmoil diminishes. As a result I check on national and world news in tiny segments of time. I want to remain informed, but about five minutes is all I can tolerate at a time. From the horrors of war to terrorism, homelessness, the economy, illegal immigration, politics, drugs, crime, human trafficking, and wayward youths, the turmoil increases. With each report, I imagine the devil’s ever-growing glee. He loves to wreak havoc amid God’s creation. Unfortunately, we let him.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8 NIV

As a matter of fact, we have let the devil inflict his chaos since the beginning of time. From Adam and Eve in the Garden, to Babel, Noah, and beyond, human beings have bought into the evil one’s lies. And ushered in turmoil.

Turmoil Then and Now

Political turmoil is a grim reality of more recent times, as well. Take for example the case of South Carolinian, U.S. Representative Preston S. Brooks, one of my very distant cousins, who attacked Senator Charles Sumner in the U.S. Congress on May 22, 1856. 

According to an account of the event at www.ushistory.org, Republican Senator Sumner of Massachusetts, an avowed abolitionist, gave a bitter speech in the Senate after the sack of Lawrence, Kansas on May 21, 1856. In his rant, he blasted the “murderous robbers from Missouri,” calling them “hirelings picked from the drunken spew and vomit of an uneasy civilization.”

Part of his speech was a bitter, personal tirade against South Carolina’s Senator Andrew Butler whom Sumner declared  an imbecile. “Senator Butler has chosen a mistress. I mean the harlot, slavery.” Stephen Douglas predicted that a fool like Sumner would likely get himself killed by another fool. The speech went on for two days and another two days passed before the prediction proved true.

A Prophecy Fulfilled

Two days later, U.S. Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina was a Southerner raised to live by an unwritten code of honor. Defending the reputation of one’s family was at the top of the list. As a distant cousin of Senator Butler, Brooks entered the Senate chamber where Sumner was working at his desk. “You’ve libeled my state and slandered my white-haired old relative, Senator Butler, and I’ve come to punish you for it.” Brooks struck Sumner over the head repeatedly with a gold-tipped cane. The cane shattered as Brooks administered blow after blow on Sumner, but Brooks could not be stopped. Only after being physically restrained did Brooks end the pummeling.

Northerners were incensed. When they were unable to garner the votes to expel him, the House levied Brooks a $300 fine for the assault. He resigned and returned home where South Carolina held events in his honor and reelected him to his House seat. Replacement canes were sent to Brooks from all over the south. This response outraged northern moderates even more than the caning itself. (Shades of politics today?)

The physical and psychological injuries from the caning event kept Charles Sumner away from the Senate for most of  the next several years. The voters of Massachusetts reelected him and let his seat sit vacant during his absence as a reminder of southern brutality. The violence from Kansas had spilled over into politics in the national legislature.

Turmoil Lives On

Which brings us back to today. Physical brawls have erupted in the legislative bodies of other countries around the world and in connection with peaceful political gatherings in the U.S. We’ve seen the extremes to which political and religious fanaticism has taken some. And we’ve turned off our TVs to find peace amid the turmoil. But so far we haven’t seen a physical attack among  U.S. legislators since the one perpetrated by my very distant Brooks relative. Thank God for that. May He keep the canes out of Congress. And give us the insight to elect men of wisdom and honor in our U.S. Congress.

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.
Proverbs 15:16 NIV

~ ~ ~

Lord, deliver us from the devil’s lies. 
~ For Jesus’ sake ~

The post Turmoil | Let’s Chat | Linda Brooks Davis appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Welcome, everyone 1962 livestock show

Last weekend my Forever Friend—Eloise Gillenwater Brown—and I enjoyed a mini-reunion of sorts. Just the 2 of us. Neither of us resembles our former selves in much of any way. Our shoulders are stooped. Toes and fingers are gnarled and bent. Once-blonde and -brunette hair is now gray. Our once-upon-a-time complexions have dimmed. And—oh—the lines, sags, and bulges.

Eloise and I were born two hours apart on the same day—September 5, 1946. Soon, we’ll celebrate 76 years of life together. That’s a lot of memories with a friend who has known me and loved me since we dressed in ruffles and petticoats.

Memories

When I claim Eloise and I are forever friends, I mean I can’t remember a time when Eloise wasn’t my friend. We’ve been friend forever. When I revisit old memories, invariably Eloise is a part of them, even those that involved only my family members. She and I enjoy the kind of friendship that extends as far back as our memories live and encompass all parts of our lives. Even now, I think about Eloise when my family gathers for various holidays, and she does the same. When I’ve traveled with family or alone to professional events, I’ve thought of Eloise. And she’s the first recipient of the photos I take.

A Forever Friend Makes Sweet Memories Sweeter

I can’t count the times when I’ve thought or spoken these words:

I wish Eloise were here. She’d be amazed.If Eloise were here, we’d have a  blast.Eloise would so enjoy this. We would laugh a lot.This experience would be richer if Eloise were with me.Oh. I can’t wait to tell Eloise.If only I could revisit Great Britain, Europe, and South America with Eloise at my side.A Forever Friend Makes Bitter Memories Bearable

Eloise more than understands. She empathizes.Weeps with me.Holds my hand. Lifts me.Absorbs my pain.A Forever Friend Lightens Present Loads Failure or heartache? I want to tell Eloise. She’ll understand.If only Eloise were here, I could bear this load. Eloise would hug me and tell me I’m everything I yearn to be.Eloise wouldn’t judge me. And she’d defend me.

 

​  

“If I could sit across the porch from God, I’d thank Him for lending me you.”One day …

On one occasion in third grade, Eloise and I argued over a nickel. We even scuffled. And one of us emerged with a deep bite mark at the base of our neck. Selfishness and anger got in the way, but soon we shooed them off. We were reunited as forever friends before the sun set. Even today, neither of us remembers who bit whom. That’s how deep our fellowship extends—to not remembering who did what to whom. Even to one another. 

My friendship with Eloise goes back forever, but it won’t last forever. One day one of us will pass into glory. If I’m the one left behind, I’ll grieve. A lot. No more knowing I have a friend who remembers as far back as I, even the emotions we experienced. Like when we made mud pies and actually tried them. Rode with our fathers in their pickup trucks and waved as we passed. Swam in the bay. Explored the fields. Told ghost stories under the bed covers. Celebrated at our joint Sweet Sixteen birthday party. Shared 4-H awards. Earned drivers’ licenses. Drove her red Volkswagen. Kept the other’s secrets. Stood as one another’s maids-of-honor. Changed our babies’ diapers.

Forever Friend Forever

My only Forever Friend whose friendship will last forever is Jesus. He’s proven his trustworthiness. His compassion and forgiveness. Best of all, He never forgets his promises. They are perfect. They will be forever. Hallelujah!

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Exodus 33:11 My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God.  Job 16:20 A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:3

Do you claim Jesus as your Forever Friend? If not, I pray you’ll seek Him while there is still time. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please continue to provide us with the assurance of your forever friendship. 
~ For Jesus’ sake ~

 

The post Linda Brooks Davis | Let’s Chat | Forever Friend appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Welcome, everyone Aunt Maureen at 105

Birthdays show up more often than I’d like. How about you? But I’ve decided to embrace them. I’m inspired by one very special lady, our family’s Aunt Maureen who celebrated her 105th birthday on 2/22/22. 

We so enjoyed Maureen’s celebration at her retirement home in Jourdanton, Texas. Other women veterans and the home’s staff honored her with balloons, cards, cake, and even KENS TV in San Antonio. Her cards came from all over the nation and world. Such milestones don’t come around often, so the local TV station in San Antonio showed up to feature this amazing woman.

Birthdays: Maureen Lamm Davis has celebrated 105 of them.

Maureen Lamb was born on February 22, 1917 and has led an amazing life. She attended Texas State College for Women (formerly College of Industrial Arts for women and at present, Texas Woman’s University) in Denton, Texas where she earned a teaching certificate. Maureen has been independent minded all her life, so when World War 2 broke out, she stepped right up. She joined the WAC and advanced to the rank of 1 Lieutenant. She attended church services wherever she went, at one time with a tiny group who met in one of the barracks on base. On Sundays, civilian church members outside the base passed communion elements (unleavened bread and grape juice) over the base fence to her, and she shared with the rest of the worshippers.

She continued to excel as a teacher until she met and married the love of her life, Bill Davis. At that point, Maureen devoted herself to her marriage and home—never ceasing to serve. She has been devoted to the Lord all her life, serving alongside her song leader husband, Bill Davis, and taught a first grade Bible class into her ’90s.

Birthdays: Maureen’s servant’s heart is ageless. Aunt Maureen at age 100 when “her” tree was planted outside her retirement home.

The first time I met Aunt Maureen, we arrived at her home in George West, Texas to find her not waiting for us in her living room but across the street … with a broom … sweeping a parking lot. Turned out, this was nothing unusual for Maureen. She has been community and church minded always. Can you imagine teaching a first grade Bible class until you’re 90? The governor of Texas recognized her achievements in beautifying George West some years ago.

Did Maureen curtail her activities when she entered the retirement home? Not a bit. First, she picked a room as far from the front desk and dining hall as possible because, in her words, “I need to walk as much as I can.” And she hasn’t sat around in a rocking chair either. Maureen has actually volunteered so often and well that she’s like an honorary staff member at the home. She has made PA announcements and led exercise classes for years—even now, at 105. She rises each morning and heads with her walker out the door for a spin around the building.

For her TV interview, she spoke of her time as a WAC, telling the other women veterans, “I’m

Aunt Maureen, age 105, with her care givers beside “her” tree. It was planted in her honor on her 100th birthday.

one of YOU.” She also spoke of her faith. When asked about her secret for long life, she pondered a moment and said, “I decided to live each day God gives me to serve Him and others. Be that one day or even years, I’ll use the time He gives me for Him.” The woman from the TV station squatted beside her, and Maureen told her, “God. Is. Good. He loves me. And He loves you. Oh, God is so good.”

Take a peek at Aunt Maureen’s 105th birthday celebration on KENS TV!

Birthdays: Celebrate them.

Lord, forgive me when I complain and let opportunities to serve You and others pass me by. Give me a heart like Aunt Maureen’s. ~ For Jesus’ sake

The post Linda Brooks Davis | Let’s Chat | Birthdays appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Welcome, everyone.

This week I break from the subjects of estrangement and reconciliation to honor a friend I and many others lost recently. How appropriate that cancer endurer Carol Hile’s memorial service was held in February, the month for love. If anyone knew love up close and personal, it was Carol. 

I first met Carol in 1992. As a shattered divorcee, I was looking for a church home where I could come to terms with the stark reality of a former husband who no longer wanted me and two teen-aged children battling their own brands of darkness. I was living with a version of PTS and didn’t understand what was happening to me. I only knew I needed the Lord and craved acceptance by other Christians.

A new friend named Carol

I grew up in the ’50s and ’60s when social mores were different from today’s. Marriages in the church rarely ended in divorce, so when I divorced in the ’80s, I knew I would be an anomaly in my current church as well as those I had attended over my lifetime. It’s not that anyone outwardly ostracized me or were unkind, but I no longer could claim the same footing. No more teaching Bible class, for sure. And I felt completely unworthy.

Until I entered Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio in 1992, thirty years ago. (The church is now Oak Hills Church.) I had moved to a new city. New job. A small, two-

This week I break from the subjects of estrangement and reconciliation to honor a friend I and many others lost recently. How appropriate that cancer endurer Carol Hile’s memorial service was held in February, the month for love. If anyone knew love up close and personal, it was Carol. 

I first met Carol in 1992. As a shattered divorcee, I was looking for a church home where I could come to terms with the stark reality of a former husband who no longer wanted me and two teen-aged children battling their own brands of darkness. I was living with a version of PTS and didn’t understand what was happening to me. I only knew I needed the Lord and craved acceptance by other Christians.

A new friend named Carol

I grew up in the ’50s and ’60s when social mores were different from today’s. Marriages in the church rarely ended in divorce, so when I divorced in the ’80s, I knew I would be an anomaly in my current church as well as those I had attended over my lifetime. It’s not that anyone outwardly ostracized me or were unkind, but I no longer could claim the same footing. No more teaching Bible class, for sure. And I felt completely unworthy.

Until I entered Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio in 1992, thirty years ago. (The church is now Oak Hills Church.) I had moved to a new city. New job. A small, one-bedroom apartment. A new church down the street. I hoped for a new lease on life. Still, driving into the parking lot and finding a spot, then walking toward the double front doors, not with my husband and children beside me but alone, the suppressed feelings of unworthiness and failure—reproach, to be honest—raised their ugly heads. I almost returned to my car and drove away.

Thankfully, I didn’t. People in the foyer were friendly, but in the auditorium itself I encountered “aloneness” again. In former days, I and my own little family would have sat on the fourth row from the front on the left side. But that was then. And this was now. I would sit at the back where no one would notice me, and I could slip out when the service concluded.

But Carol Hile had a different idea. Like her favorite flower, the sunflower, Carol always turned her face to the Son.

Carol greeted me in the center aisle and in her sweet, loving way led me closer to the front and invited me to sit with her. Her pastor husband Pat was busy during the service, and her two children were with their youth groups, so I took the place beside Carol. Right away, she made me feel welcome and introduced me to her lady friends. She also invited me to the Life Group she and Pat hosted in their home. I confess I was unable at that point to venture that far into relationships, so it took me months to walk through their door.

Meanwhile, I continued to struggle with my battling emotions, even gave reconciliation with my husband another try. But it wasn’t to be, and on the day he drove away, I entered the hospital for major, double surgery. I was alone in my hospital room. My two children were pursuing their educations elsewhere, and I had yet to develop a circle of friends. I called my brother and sister-in-law, and they insisted I go to their home when I was discharged so I wouldn’t be alone during my recuperation. But the five days I would be in the hospital seemed to be a dark, dank tunnel.

My ex-husband dropped me off at the hospital’s admitting door and drove away. After I checked in and entered my room, I realized how alone I was.

But then I remembered Carol.

She was stunned that I was facing two major surgeries completely alone. We prayed together, which took a bit of the edge off being wheeled into surgery with no family beside me. Waking up from surgery was crazy, as it always is, so I didn’t know the difference. But then they wheeled me into my room and transferred me to the bed. I was barely awake, going in and out, but remember noticing that no family member sat in the chair across the room. Only the pips and squeaks of machines down the hallway provided company. And I fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes, whose face smiled down on me? Carol’s, of course. There she stood beside my bed like an angel. But my eyelids were far too heavy to remain open, so off to la-la land I traipsed. Woke. Slept. And woke again, this time babbling about something or other and Carol laughing. Hard. Who knows what I said during those hours. (She never shared that secret, even with me.) It was either truly funny or so outrageous all she could do was laugh. Soon she had other women from the church visiting, and before I knew it, my room was filled with cards, flowers, and even homemade food. I spent six weeks recovering at my brother’s home in Houston, and when I returned, I moved into a new apartment and couldn’t wait to return to Oak Hills. 

Wednesday night Life Group in Carol’s living room was the highlight of my week.

Pat and Carol created a wonderfully warm and welcoming environment in their living room. I felt safe, accepted, and valued. I never shall forget the sound of Carol’s voice: “Come in, Linda. Put your dish here on the table. I’m bringing out the beans now.”

It’s no wonder I was hooked. Love lived under Carol’s roof. She was a masterful seamstress and homemaker, so her handprint was everywhere. But she was also the sweetest, warmest of hostesses. Being around Carol felt as if I’d come home. We became closer and closer friends over the months and years that followed. And when I told her I had had a date with Al Davis, a single man in the church, her face brightened into a giant smile. “Oh. Al is a wonderful man. I’m so glad you’ve connected. He writes the sweetest letters—Oh, come here. Here’s one on  my refrigerator.” 

That evening after Life Group, Pat, Carol, and I sat around their kitchen table and talked about this Al Davis I had found. Their—and other members’—assessments of Al convinced me I had found a most unusual, godly man. It was only a matter of time before Al and I were married. Carol helped out at the ceremony and reception, and we two couples continued to be friends for the next thirty years. In fact, we had an annual double-date for twenty years. We met at the same restaurant (and sat at the same table most of the time) on the joint occasion of their anniversary and my birthday until COVID restrictions made it impossible.

1997

2017

Then came Carol’s cancer diagnosis.

Hearing from Carol that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer came as more than a shock. It was a punch to the gut. She battled the horrid disease for over a year, each and every day praising the Lord and finding joy in His creation. Her smile never faded, and she left her kind and gentle handprint over every person who ever knew her.

Carol said as a girl that she wanted to marry a preacher, and that she did. One year after they married, Pat and Carol headed to the highlands of Guatemala where they worked with an indigenous group, the Quiche people. When she arrived, Carol knew not a word of Spanish, much less the highly unusual Quiche dialect. Her first home had a dirt floor, but that didn’t stop her from making a home where she and Pat welcomed two children—Nathan and Carmen. No flying back home to birth her children in a modern US hospital. To the contrary, Carol bore her babies the way other Guatemalan women did. Together she and Pat led thousands to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and they were instrumental in establishing several churches. In their retirement years, they traveled to Guatemala twice a year to help with home building projects. Now she’s enjoying a landscape where Jesus is preparing homes for His loved ones. Hallelujah!

Our world is better, brighter, kinder, gentler, more Christ-like because Carol Bonnell Hile lived. Earth has lost an angel, but she’s been added to Heaven’s roster. Carol’s love was true. I Corinthians 13 describes her love. I miss her today, and I’ll miss her tomorrow. Until Heaven …

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, Make me an instrument of Your peace, as Carol was.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~

The post Linda Brooks Davis | Let’s Chat | True Love appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Welcome, everyoneLet’s continue our chat about reconciliation.

Reconciliation is the noun form of the verb reconcile, which comes from the Latin reconciliāre, meaning “to make good again” or “to repair.”

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, reconciliation means to repair broken relationships. It can happen between two people, such as former friends who had a falling-out. Or it can happen between groups, such as warring factions in a country.

Furthermore, reconciliation creates more than just a truce. When true reconciliation occurs, the two formerly hostile sides become respectful of each other—and, ideally, friends [https://www.dictionary.com/browse/reconciliation] 

The first record of the English word reconciliation comes from the 13th Century. (It’s interesting to note that this is the same century that the words agreement, harmony, justification, repair, repentance, reverse, and unity came into common usage in the English language.) Three hundred years later, William Tyndall incorporated these words and the concepts they convey into his 1526 first English language translation of the New Testament and part of the Old from the original Hebrew and Greek texts.

What does Scripture say about reconciliation?

My theme verse for 2022 (paraphrased), is the 19th verse of the fifth chapter of the apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian Christians: 

God has committed to me the ministry of reconciliation:
that He reconciled the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.
2 Corinthians 5: 19 (paraphrased)

This comes from a longer passage in which Paul teaches the Corinthian Christians about the ministry of reconciliation: 

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
18 All this  is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5: 11-21

But how does reconciliation fit into a world such as ours?

Given the decline in the percentage of the country’s population who considers themselves believers (down 12% in the past decade), that discord extends all the way to relationships with God.

One-in-five U.S. adults (20%) now describe their religion as “nothing in particular,” up from 14% who said this 10 years ago.All the subgroups that together make up the religious “nones” have grown over time. In the 2021 NPORS, 4% of respondents describe themselves as atheists (up from 2% in 2011), and 5% describe themselves as agnostics (up from 3% a decade ago).Eight-in-ten self-described born-again/evangelical Protestants (79%) say they pray every day.Roughly three-in-ten adults in the new survey (31%, down 2% from 2020) say they attend religious services at least once or twice a month, including 25% who say they attend at least once a week and 7% who attend once or twice a month.

It’s no wonder reconciliation is my personal spiritual theme for 2022.

What does this mean for me?

Consequently, I’m committing 2022 to 

delving into the concept of reconciliationmeditating on reconciliation scripturespraying for a deeper grasp of reconciliation with God and peopleunderstanding the ways in which I have failed to reconcile with God and peoplereconciling with God and people as needed.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

(Second verse of “Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace”)

The post Let’s Chat | Reconciliation 3 appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Welcome, everyone

Reconciliation is the target subject for this week’s chat, as it was last week when we looked at discord and glanced at harmony. We continue this discussion this week.

Have you ever taken note of discord for a single day?

For me, discord begins first thing in the morning. On cold days like this one, I have to force myself from under the warm covers. It’s a wrestling match of sorts. It’s discord, if you will. But I can’t stay in bed all day. I must keep moving. Inactivity hurts. And pain, like frigid air on warm skin, is … Well, it’s discord. What settles my shivers? A warm robe and slippers, of course. 

I slog to the kitchen where the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee perks me up. As the ebony liquid rises in my mug, I remember my mother’s words: If you’ll learn to drink coffee black, you’ll enjoy it more. But I don’t. The taste sets my teeth on edge. That’s discord. What soothes my tongue? Additives like milk, cream, sugar, and flavors. They smooth out the rough edges and spark a smile and an ahhh. 

Then there’s the bed.

Why make it if I’ll mess it up again in a few hours? The answer for me: Tousled bedding is messy, and messy is … Well, it’s discordant. It’s conflict of sorts. So what do I do about it? I smooth out the wrinkles, of course. That’s tranquility.

The calendar and I often scuffle. On any given day it displays what I want least. Must I join that meeting? Make that appointment? Must I open the
editor’s latest message? And the rest of my email … Must I? Really?

And so it goes. From other drivers (especially in parking lots or beside HOV lanes or, worst of all, when the highway becomes a parking lot), to other shoppers (who don’t seem to look where they’re going or notice where the line ends), to unhelpful clerks (who seem to wish they were anywhere but helping me find who-knows-what), to the weather man (who announces horrid weather with a sunny-day smile), the latest news flash (What is the world coming to, for heaven’s sake?), to … You fill in the blank.

Take, for example, a recent visit to my hometown.

It was a getaway my husband and I had looked forward to and intended to enjoy. I would do some research in the local library and museums, and Al would be my ever-present support. All of that transpired as smooth as silk, as they say. But the hotel accommodations … Not so much.

No hot water. No telephone service to the front desk. No cable. Dead batteries in the TV remote. Outlets that wouldn’t accommodate plugs. A barking dog down the hall. 

Feel it? That’s discord. 

What would it take to reconcile this situation?  

Getting from discord to harmony through reconciliation.

To begin, let’s look at the composition of discord. The dictionary and thesaurus point us to some specifics: hatred injury doubt despair darkness sadness. Each rings a discordant bell in my mind. How about you?

Then there’s the composition of harmony. The thesaurus lists agreement conformity consensus consistency cooperation friendship goodwill peace tranquility unity  and others. In a nutshell, harmony is the quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole.

Right away,  my thoughts fly to the famous prayer commonly—and mistakenly—attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. Whoever wrote it, it’s ever-so-appropriate for a discussion of discord, harmony, and reconciliation:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred,

let me sow love;

where there is injury, 

 

pardon;

where there is doubt,

faith;

where there is despair,

hope;

where there is darkness, 

light;

where there is sadness,

joy.

This prayer makes it clear that to move beyond discord to harmony, love, pardon, faith, hope, light, and joy must be brought into the equation.

How and why is this true? Stay tuned for the second half of the prayer next week.

Can you point to specific occasions in your life when love, pardon, faith, hope, light, and/or joy brought discord into a pleasing and consistent whole best described as harmony?

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please grant your children the wisdom, humility, and strength to embark on ministries of reconciliation.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~

 

The post Let’s Chat | Reconciliation 2 appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Welcome, everyone.

Reconciliation. Let’s chat about it.

But first, let’s look at discord and harmony.

Discord. Ever experienced it? What images or emotions does it conjure up for you? Here are a few of mine.

I don’t know about you, but instances of disagreement, discord, disharmony, disrespect, disrepair, disunity, wrongheadedness, and unjustified acts in an unjustifiable record speckle my life history. And the world’s. Just turn on the news for a half hour, and it’s plain to see our world is at war both literally and figuratively.

It’s enough to make a person want to scream.

Discord hurts.

Elements of discord

Discord is composed of fairly equal parts: differences  disagreements strifes disputes, all of which results in dissonance, which is the opposite of harmony.

Harmony

How about the word harmony? What images or emotions does it conjure up? For me, it looks and feels something like this.​

 

Harmony soothes. It unites. It brings smiles to our faces.

Next week we’ll continue this discussion about reconciliation.

I hope you’ll join me. Meanwhile, be thinking about the concepts of discord and harmony through reconciliation. In particular, let’s identify for ourselves (no need to share with the world if you don’t want) the places in our lives where discord reigns. Or just stubbornly holds on in a small, easily ignored spot.

Especially meditate on Romans 5:10:

… while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son …

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless us with a fuller understanding of the discord
that mars our hearts, minds, souls, and world at large..

~ For Jesus’ sake ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Let’s Chat | Reconciliation 1 appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Welcome, everyone.

Reconciliation. Let’s chat about it.

But first, let’s look at discord and harmony.

Discord. Ever experienced it? What images or emotions does it conjure up for you? Here are a few of mine.

I don’t know about you, but instances of disagreement, discord, disharmony, disrespect, disrepair, disunity, wrongheadedness, and unjustified acts in an unjustifiable record speckle my life history. And the world’s. Just turn on the news for a half hour, and it’s plain to see our world is at war both literally and figuratively.

It’s enough to make a person want to scream.

Discord hurts.

Elements of discord

Discord is composed of fairly equal parts: differences  disagreements strifes disputes, all of which results in dissonance, which is the opposite of harmony.

Harmony

How about the word harmony? What images or emotions does it conjure up? For me, it looks and feels something like this.​

 

Harmony soothes. It unites. It brings smiles to our faces.

Next week we’ll continue this discussion.

I hope you’ll join me. Meanwhile, be thinking about the concepts of discord and harmony through reconciliation. In particular, let’s identify for ourselves (no need to share with the world if you don’t want) the places in our lives where discord reigns. Or just stubbornly holds on in a small, easily ignored spot.

Especially meditate on Romans 5:10:

… while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son …

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless us with a fuller understanding of the discord that mars our hearts, minds, souls,
and world at large..

~ For Jesus’ sake ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Linda Brooks Davis | Let’s Chat | Reconciliation appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Welcome, everyone!

I hope you enjoyed a Christmas filled with warmth and laughter. May the Lord bless your 2022 with love, grace, and peace beginning today.

What is Epiphany?

Since the 4th Century AD, January 6 has been the traditional date for Epiphany. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ on this feast day. In Western Christianity, it commemorates the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child, Jesus Christ’s physical manifestation to the Gentiles. The Protestant world doesn’t celebrate Epiphany widely. But some fellowships acknowledge and observe it. Because my roots extend deep into Southern Evangelical Protestant Christianity, other believers’ traditions and observances intrigue me.

Where and when did Epiphany originate?

The festival originated in the Eastern church. At first it included a commemoration of Christ’s birth. By 354 AD Christians celebrated Christ’s birth in Rome on December 25. In the 4th century the church in Rome celebrated Epiphany on January 6.

In the Western church the festival primarily commemorates the Magi’s visit to the infant Jesus. This visit provides evidence that the Jewish Messiah came also for the salvation of Gentiles. In the East it primarily commemorates the baptism of Jesus and celebrates the revelation that the incarnate Christ was both fully God and fully man.

How does the West observe Epiphany?

In the West, Twelfth Night arrives the evening before Epiphany. It tags the time between December 25 and January 6 as the Twelve Days of Christmas. Many countries celebrate Epiphany with special pastries. Children often receive small gifts in their shoes in honour of the Magi’s gifts to the infant Jesus. 

(Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Epiphany and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday))

What good can observing Epiphany accomplish?

 The Bible teaches that God breathes inspiration into Holy Scripture. Therefore, the Word provides everything needed to know God and to be thoroughly equipped to serve Him.

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

The New Testament makes no mention of Epiphany. Nor does it establish Epiphany as a special day for Christians to commemorate. Does that mean believers must avoid Epiphany completely? I’m a simple, Bible-loving Christian woman. I strive to “speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.” So I tremble at the thought of speaking where I find no such authority. Or venturing into subjects I know nothing about. Or going beyond what the Lord allows in any arena. Does God’s Word provide believers the freedom to observe special days with thanksgiving for the glory of God and the good of others?

1 Corinthians 10

30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience?

1 Corinthians 10: 30-33

Epiphany ReconsideredMight you start a family tradition for Epiphany? Perhaps fix a special meal where the family thanks God for their blessings. And where you offer gratitude for the freedom to set aside certain days and seasons to glorify Him in special ways. How about a unique day on which your family follows the example of the Wise Men? Make a special contribution to an evangelical or child welfare ministry. Or close out the Christmas season with a small January 6 event. Offering simple gifts to needy children, a “Thanksgiving in January” event, sets a cherry atop Christmas’s Red Velvet Cake. Something to think about. Share your thoughts about Epiphany. ~ ~ ~Dear Lord, please lead us onto paths of righteousness. Thank you for accepting our offerings of thanksgiving and praise at Epiphany and any time of the year.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~

 

 

 

 

The post Linda Brooks Davis | Let’s Chat | Epiphany appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.