Brenda’s Blog – April 1, 2014

“Hmmmm, wonder what that sound is…” The distinct sound of running water intrigued me as I emptied my suitcases from two weeks on the road. Putting on my grown-up self, I followed the sound to the front porch where I found a glorious new water feature. But wait, I didn’t have a water fall added to my house!

Yes, a broken pipe was allowing water to flow abundantly down to the ground creating a pool…
So, what did I learn?

1) The kindness of neighbors brings immeasurable relief, especially when they can manage the main water cutoff;

2) Plumbers who call at 6:30 am are received with great appreciation.

3) Life is much like frozen pipes. What?

When our circumstances get difficult we seem to handle them well. We don’t show the strain or the stress… we look good. We adopt the “don’t ever let them see you sweat.” We push through.

Then, the pressure is off and we crater. A good friend had a particularly rigorous schedule for the last month. When he finished the last activity, an unmerciful virus felled him. He said he felt like it just caught up to him. When he was running hard he couldn’t stop to be sick, but the minute he let up – wham!

The same is true for my pipe. The break occurred during the subzero weather, but the frozen water held it together. Only when the temperature rose, and the melting began, did the pipe let go and release the water. It looked so promising as I checked it during the arctic weather, but only when the sun came out did I realize the damage.

“I am concerned about you when your parents are both gone.” My doctor’s words alerted me to the frequency of illness after a long caregiving period. “Make sure you keep your immune system in shape and prepare for the decompression time.” I made plans to navigate those post-caregiving waters to avoid the crash, knowing the seven years of living in the red zone might threaten my health.

Could I have prevented the break? I encased it in -30 wrap and spoke words of encouragement after each storm. “Way to go, pipes, you are doing a GREAT job!” But the builder of this house left them exposed and no amount of TLC could ensure their safety. We are the same way. Our environment plays a large part in the way we handle pressure. When we put ourselves into no win situations, we are usually left with damage control, hoping a “life plumber” will come quickly.

Plumber is gone; water is running; and, I am thankful for broken pipes which teach me the truths of everyday living.

Brenda’s Blog – March 18¸2014

“Bourbon Trail” said the sign along the Kentucky highway. Famous distilleries (known even to non-imbibers) graced the landscape. 

The exit notifications told me the distillery for Maker’s Mark® was ahead.  No, I wasn’t tempted to visit their tasting room, but it set my mind whirring.  The Maker’s Mark — what a wonderful phrase for Christians.  Don’t we bear the mark of our Maker?

One of my cousins raised her family in Bardstown, Kentucky, home of the Jim Beam Distillery.  Her daughter said everything in their house smelled like bourbon, including their clothes and their furniture.  This beautiful little town is the home of the “Bourbon Festival” each year, welcoming guests from all over the country to relish their products.  You cannot miss the sweet smell of success in this quaint community.

What is the mark we carry?  What is the aroma emanating from our lives?  I think Jesus gave us a hint when He said, “They will know you are mine by your love for one another.”  Love is our mark.  What is the aroma?  As we lift our voices and dedicate our lives to Him we present ourselves as living sacrifices.  We become precious offerings of praise to our God. We are to be aroma therapy for a world sinking into a stinking morass.

I love collecting pottery.  The ones produced by the hands of artisans are marked as evidence of craftsmanship and pride of ownership.  Mass produced items never have a personal signature.  Who has signed you?  Who says, “They are mine.”

In Ephesians 2, Paul tells us we are God’s workmanship.  He has created us for a specific purpose and has designed us with work to do which will show His mark to the world.  We are the work of His hands and we wear His mark with dignity because we are created in His image.

We are the distillation of His grace and in ALL ways wearer of The Maker’s Mark.

Brenda’s Blog – March 4, 2014

“Just don’t take your jacket off – you’ll be fine!” 

As college student newly-weds, our schedules were chaotic.  Good friends invited us to their apartment for dinner, and this was one of our first married couple outings.  Only problem – I was behind on my ironing.  In those days, shirts were button-down oxford cloth which definitely weren’t “wash and wear.”  They required starch, much elbow grease… and time.  On that Saturday night, I was fresh out of all three!

“I will iron the collar and the front of the shirt – they will never know and you will look fine.”  Famous last words.  Out he went in his faux-ironed shirt under a wool sport coat, even though it was a balmy fall evening.

They kept urging him to “make yourself comfortable and take off your jacket .”  To his credit, my husband braved the hot, un-air-conditioned apartment with a smile, while wiping the perspiration from his forehead, and ignoring their offers.

I don’t remember if we ever told Ted and Kathy what lay behind the crisp shirt front.

For years I was in a sales world which espoused the “fake it ‘til you make it” philosophy.  “Don’t ever let them see you sweat” was taken as reasonable truth.  How foolish!  We need to be willing to let others see that beneath the wool sport coat are lots of wrinkles.  We need to acknowledge we don’t have all the answers.

A female associate of mine years ago was known for her painstaking efforts on her hair – at least the front of it.  One day the comment was made, “Doesn’t she know she has to eventually leave the room?  Why doesn’t she brush the back?”  All of us have to leave the room, don’t we?  When we are tempted to put up a front, let’s remember that.

Life is messy; life is wrinkled.  Authenticity has a high price tag… but it pays high dividends, as well. 

Brenda’s Blog – February 18, 2014

“Splash Kingdom – Family Waterpark”

          SEEK THE KINGDOM

                            Matthew 6:33

The interstate billboard caught my attention. I understand the intersection of faith and work.  But, is it possible we sometimes transpose the emphasis?  Is this perhaps making faith a marketing tool, instead of making the market a place for our faith?

Certainly, the owners are believers who connect their company with the community of faith. I have taken my grandchildren to their fine establishment, throwing themselves mercilessly down slides and traversing watery canals.  I hold no ill will, but wonder about the ad campaign.

Just as the early Christians drew the symbol of the fish in the dust to notify others of their secret meeting places, we have our own Christianese. We speak in lingo, don’t we?  We draw ichthus symbols, we wear crosses, we say “bless you,” and communicate in Christian code among ourselves.  We think this will add a plus to our business among the faithful.

But do we take the significance of these symbols too lightly?  John Peterson, a noted Christian musician once said, “in composing I cannot approach the cross with flippancy.  I cannot take this subject lightly.”  Perhaps we should think carefully about the way we handle these icons.

There are Christians in business, but there are no Christian businesses.  Christ died in obedience to the Father for individuals, not for corporations (or even partnerships or sole proprietorships!)  Our faith should be evident, indeed, but should we reconsider the way we market our membership in the most holy of all associations?

Ours is a sacred privilege – to bear the name of Christ and to have access to His Word, and His throne room.  Let’s hold this with awe, not aw-shucks!

Brenda’s Blog – February 4, 2014

“Kennett, Missouri – home of Sheryl C_OW.”  Clearly a mischief maker found great humor in removing the “R.”  It made me think about the power of letters.

Think about the power of an “e” when you decide to be better, rather than bitter.

During my years of care giving I experienced many difficult and challenging moments.  There were times when I felt truly overwhelmed.  One night I sat at the computer, typing out my emotions.  At the end, I realized Mom and Dad gave me the opportunity to see the Lord change “scared into sacred.”  Holy transposition!

An old game gives you a word, requires you to shift one letter at a time, and then arrive at a completely new word.  There is a great leadership principle embedded in this exercise.  Cultural transitions aren’t made by jumping from A to Z.  Making incremental steps allows the organization to stabilize before making the next move.  They are shifting a letter at a time to complete the change.

Sometimes the word game gets off track because the moves weren’t the right ones.  Isn’t this true of organizational morphing, as well?  With each step, reassessment and review is necessary to see if the ultimate goal will be reached.

When we play the Scrabble® game of life we want to make sure it doesn’t turn into a Scramble!