A night of 10,000 Smiles

A funny thing happened to me in our first year serving in St.Petersburg, Russia. It happened a year before I was able to butcher the Russian language with some form of fluency. I had just left my language lesson with Vera. Sandra Ryan who also took Russian language lessons from this woman once told me “Jeff and I think she is KGB”!
Now, Vera was known for making her students cry and asked so many personal questions it often caused me to rethink my initial thought that Sandra may have been joking.
I was driving home in our LADA, a little white car with a big red Army shield on both the drivers side door and the passenger’s door that said in Russian “Armeeya Spaceenia” ( The Salvation Army). I approached the red traffic light and was drilling myself on some of the vocabulary words that Vera insisted I should already know. When at the red light I looked to my left and saw a man in his little blue LADA waving to me and signaling me to roll down my window. I think it was instinct because logically it was already stupid of me to roll down a window when I could hardly say , “Hello my name is..” However it was already too late. I rolled the window down and he asked me in Russian “ Sto Eta takoi Armeeya Spaceenia?” Excited that THIS question was the very lesson Vera had just drilled me on and that I actually understood, I attempted to answer quickly before the light would turn green.
“What is the Salvation Army?”
“ETA Cirk!” I shouted clearly!
As soon as I said it I knew what I had said. I tried to signal that my answer was wrong but the light turned green and the man just looked pathetically at me and nodded saying… “Don’t worry, I understand.”
As I drove away my heart sank. I failed Vera once again.
Eta Cirk! No…..wrong answer.
I should have said “eta Cirkoff” (it’s a church)
But instead I said, “It’s a circus!”

All this to say, yesterday evening was the GNY night of 10,000 smiles with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. It was at Madison Square Gardens and the New Jersey Division was invited to join the celebration.

It was a fun night with the kids at the circus…..hmmm!

* for those of you who noticed one of my girls is missing.... she went to LION KING on Broadway for a school trip. ;)

The ministry of being is never inactive.

“I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

“You did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you to go bear fruit-fruit that will last.” John 15:16

My beloved is mine, and I am His.

This pendant says in Hebrew

" I am to my beloved as my beloved is to me."

He pours out His mercy
-all around me
He lavishes me with His love
-abundantly
He overwhelms me with His grace
–unconditional
I can never out give my Lord.

He is magnificent,
He is wonderful
He is compassionate,
He is kind
He is creator,
He is counselor
I am His and He is mine

cjb

" My beloved is mine, and I am his."

Song of Solomon 2:16a

Luke 19:1-9

In my study for my sermon on Zacchaeus, I looked up his name in Hebrew and found out that it means: PURE. I never knew this before and I was so excited to learn something new about such a familiar passage.
I kept thinking of how Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so badly that he climbed into a tree just to see Jesus pass by.
Jesus not only noticed Zacchaeus but called him by name and went into his home to fellowship with him. Everyone in Jericho knew Zacchaeus and called him a sinner….Jesus knew Zacchaeus and called him PURE! For it was the name his parents gave him as a child. Zacchaeus come down for I’m going to your house today!
Matt. 5:8 says “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”
Zacchaeus desired to see God and he did, but much more was given to him.
He climbed that tree to get a glimpse of Jesus and God called him by name, came into his home and broke bread with him.
On that day, when Jesus called him PURE he was made pure. His response was to give back all he had taken. Jesus said “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what is lost.”
Salvation, acceptance into the family of God….a life found that was once lost!
Zacchaeus received more than he could ever imagine.
Now he could now live up to his name.

One of the songs we sang in the meeting today from the songbook was song #506
by John Copley Winslow (1882-1974)

This verse really stood out to me:

2.Lord of all power, I give you my will,
In joyful obedience your tasks to fulfill.
Your bondage is freedom, your service is song,
And, held in your keeping, my weakness is strong.

I’ve highlighted the part that caught my attention the most.
I love the poetry and the truth of: “Your bondage is freedom.”

Starbucks- "The way I see it"

You can sometimes find me in Starbucks.

( I can hear you laughing Caryn and Mhairi!)

Anyway, I don't always read my cup. But yesterday I did and I found it interesting. Maybe it was interesting because of what I am studying for my sermon this Sunday. We are in a series called " Holding on and Letting go" from Luke. My husband spoke on the rich young ruler last week and this week I am speaking on Zacchaeus. I love trying to find a new angle to a story that is so familiar. But I digress...

Back to my Starbucks cup.
This is what I read yesterday:

"It's tragic that extremist co-opt the notion of God, and that hipsters and artist reject spirituality out of hand. I don't have a fixed idea of God. But I feel that it's us- the messed-up, the half-crazy, the burning, the questing- that need God, a lot more than the goody- two shoes do."
Mike Doughty - Musician


How do you see it?

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

How fun is this?!

Turning 40!

I had the best Birthday ever! My husband really went all out and just showered me with love. He had a party for me at our house. We had close to 80 people at one point!
He made all the food himself and was cooking all weekend. ( It was all delicious!!)
He set up, cooked and cleaned up the whole house before and after the party was over. (The girls helped too! )
There was a 1967 quiz and a WHO WANTS TO BE CAROLE"S FRIEND game set up with questions and pictures of me that was played like WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE.
My daughter Lydia also put together a slide show ....some pictures were very embarrassing!
She had the Van Morrison song: "Brown Eyed Girl" playing in the back ground and the Martina song: " She's a butterfly". She did a great job!
Everyone was kind....well, some were kind others had a lot of fun at my expense. :)
I am truly blessed!
40 is going to be a good decade!


Opening presents and sharing memories.

Just one of the rooms with all the food!

The living room crowd

The cake.

If you could read my buttons the red one would say:

I would rather be 40 than pregnant! ( so TRUE!!)

and the little black one: 40 is not old if you are a tree!

Birthday girl....up close! too close!!

Alastair's gift to me...for those who may not know the butterfly is actually my initials.

CjB with the "v" for my maiden name Voisey. I could not have thought of a better gift from the man I love! Does he know me or what!??

God has blessed me with so many gifts.

Family, friends, a great corps, a wonderful ministry in the Army and a life full of experiences both wonderful and challenging that have drawn me closer to HIM.

To all my friends and family who live across this country or the other side of the world....I miss you and love you very much.

I wish you ALL could have been with us!!

Money in a fish's mouth

Isaiah 45:3 “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

Isaiah 60:5 " Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you....."


When I was young we used to play
We looked for treasures on the way
We checked for change in old pay phones
But now I’m older and my faith has grown

You’ve heard the story of Apostle Peter?
Before he became a great church leader.
His problem? Taxes as the story goes ...
In a fish mouth he found some gold

I've often wondered when hearing this
From that point on, did he check each fish?
Just like I checked those old pay phones?
‘Cause Peter’s faith must have grown

I found it once,It can be done!
Growing faith is the best income.
So try to hear all our Lord might say.
Look for treasures hidden in each day.

cjb


I wrote this poem and then recently read the following:

FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE – BY JOHN LEHTI
MONEY IN A FISH’S MOUTH!

Aramaic, the language which Jesus spoke, is still used in parts of Syria today in its original form with the same idiomatic phrases and slang.
One old expression is “you can find a shekel in the mouth of a fish.” Meaning: If you catch a good fish you can always sell it easily at the market.......
.......When Jesus was in Capernaum and the Roman tax-collector asked for the head tax everyone paid to Rome (two silver coins, worth a shekel), Jesus told Peter, who was a fisherman, to go- catch a fish which would have a piece of money in it’s mouth (Matt.17:27) Many authorities are agreed he was using the slang of the day- in other words, to catch a fish good enough to sell on the market for a shekel and thus pay their tax. During the 1st century A.D., when the Greeks were translating the Gospels into their own language, they had no understanding of the true meaning of these Aramaic expressions and so the story came out as though Peter actually caught a fish swimming around with a piece of money in its mouth- which doesn’t mean Jesus COULDN’T work a miracle in this case, for he raised the dead and healed many who were blind and lame, but it is interesting to note he never performed miracles for his own comfort and benefit!


I found this article interesting. I don’t like when people explain away the miracles of God but this one is different for me. I like the fact that he says, “it doesn’t mean Jesus couldn’t work a miracle in this case.”
This explanation makes sense to me especially after learning another language and a different culture’s slang. Since Peter was a fisherman that makes sense too. I think Jesus was practical as well as miraculous!
What do you think?

More of You!

More of you Lord

More of you Lord
More of your Spirit
More of your Son
More of your will
in me be done.

Less of me Lord
Less of self
Less of pride
Remain in me
As, I in you abide

All I have and all I know of you
Is just a drop in oceans vast.
You are all consuming fire and
Every thought, each desire
Burns quickly like a match
I offer dross, you give me gold
I offer clay, longing Glory to behold.


More of you Lord
More of your Spirit
More of your Son
More of your will
in me be done.

Less of me Lord
Less of self
Less of pride
Remain in me
As, I in you abide

If I drink the waters of this earth
Could they quench my thirst for you?
Let your light shine through my earthly rags?
Clothe me in your righteousness
Drink until I thirst no more.
Let your light shine through.
Give me more!

More of you Lord
More of Your Spirit
More of your Son
More of your will
in me be done.

Less of me Lord
Less of self
Less of pride
Remain in me
May, I in you abide

I’ve heard I can have all of you that I desire.
Yet, how can this be true?
Who can contain all there is of you?
Can I breathe the entire atmosphere?
Hold a galaxy in these human lungs?
If yes! Then let me breathe you in!
Give me more of you!

More of you Lord
More of your Spirit
More of your son
More of your will
in me be done.

Less of me Lord
Less of self
Less of pride
Remain in me
As, I in you abide

cjb

“We are able to have as much of God as we want”
Alexander MacLaren

Last week my wise husband gave me a day of solitude. On this day I rested, worshiped, painted, wrote this poem and studied the Word. It was a great day. I hadn't painted in 7 years. I enjoyed the process and tried not to worry about the end result. I love the fact that we have worked this day of solitude into our marriage and ministry plan. It's a gift we try to give each other at least twice a year. Good for the marriage, good for the ministry and good for the soul!

When things are left undone

Yesterday, I went to visit a retired officer at her new assisted living apartment. I saw the sign in the lobby that read: Sunday Service 3:30 Baptist minister.
Since it was 3:00 on my arrival I thought I would walk her down and we could attend the service together. She greeted me warmly, seemed pleased for the company and the idea of going to the service together. So at 3:20 we walked down to the Grande room. It was beautiful! The building is only two years old. We found our seats near the piano and waited. We waited until 3:50 when the director came into the room to announce she had called the Baptist minister and he was unaware of the scheduling.
She came over to me and said, “It is too bad your husband wasn’t here, maybe he could have done the service for us.”
Wanting to be helpful I replied, “I’ve done this before maybe I can help?”
Next thing I know I am leading a worship service for around 40 people. We sang hymns, prayed and someone found a Bible for me from the library. I read and even shared a devotional thought.
When we were done Mrs. Churchill and I had a good giggle that I came to visit and ended up as the guest speaker. Everyone greeted us both in the hallway as I later walked her to the dinning room. In the dinning room one man took my hand and said a kind thank you. I asked him if he was a retired minister. Something about him, his face, and his eyes told me he knew the Lord well.
His reply, “No, but I read through the Bible 4 times every year. I wish my memory was better so I could recite the verses that I love. My only fear is that I will get to heaven and Christ will say I did not do enough.”
I said to him, “it is quite possible Jesus will say, well done, my good and faithful servant.” He just laughed as if that was a nice thought from a young girl.
I drove home thinking of his words….
“That Christ would say I did not do enough.”
I wondered is it possible to ever do enough for one who has given us everything.
I pray that gentleman receives the grace of our Lord and hears the words well done! I plan on doing all I can and yet still needing the same grace for all that’s left undone.
Keep us faithful Lord but when we fail, may we fall into your grace.

Monday was a SNOW DAY!

Monday was a snow day. The girls went out to play in the snow and I watched them from the window. I am sure it was the Spirit of God who said to my heart " They are only young once! Get out there and play with them in the snow!"

So, I did.

We had a snowball fight and there isn't one of us who has a "good" aim! LOL!

Words that have caused me to stop and ponder this week

The following may or may not have anything to do with each other.

“We are able to have as much of God as we want” Alexander MacLaren

Song 523, verse 3

SA songbook

“Give me more power, that sinners around
May feel that thou in me dost live;
Let my light shine that souls who are bound
May say: To thee Lord now myself I give.”

Chorus:
Lord with my all I part
Closer to thee I’ll cling
All earthly things that bind my heart
Dear Lord to thy feet I bring

John 10:40-42
“Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true.” And in that place many believed in Jesus.”

How awesome is this?! John the Baptist never performed a miraculous sign. Yet, the testimony about him was that all he had said about Jesus was true and the result??? Many believed in Jesus!! May I always speak the truth about Jesus. If I can do nothing else, may it be said about me that I have done this!

Matt. 17:20 “ Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Thomas Merton “New Seeds of Contemplation”
Pg. 123 “Hell is where no one has anything in common with anybody else except the fact that they all hate one another and cannot get away from another and from themselves.”

Pg. 112
“ It is not only our hatred of others that is dangerous but also and above all our hatred of ourselves: particularly that hatred of ourselves which is too deep and too powerful to be consciously faced for it is this which makes us see our own evil in others and unable to see it in ourselves.”

Poem - found it in my old Bible this week. I have no idea when I wrote it.

Sacred moments

Nothing is by chance
Every life has a dance
There is a rhythm
There is a rhyme
People come
People go
All of them
precious souls
God desires everyone
Are we open to the call?
Take his hand
Let Him lead
Dance with me
Dance with me
Your Providential God.

-cjb

God is always speaking. How do you hear him?

an angry head cold

I have had a head cold
It’s been ‘bout seven days
It ruined my disposition
Taken all my energy away

The things I like to do
I struggled even to care
Coughing and sneezing
I resembled a grizzly bear

“Approach with caution!”
That’s what my family said
I guess I need a bit more work
On holiness while sick in bed!

cjb

Romance in the Scriptures from the King Of Kings

“Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.”
Song of Solomon 8:6-7 (NIV)

“Hang my locket around your neck,
wear my ring on your finger.
Love is invincible facing danger and death.
Passion laughs at the terrors of hell.
The fire of love stops at nothing—
it sweeps everything before it.
Flood waters can't drown love,
torrents of rain can't put it out.
Love can't be bought, love can't be sold—
it's not to be found in the marketplace.”
Song of Solomon 8:6-7 (MSG)

“Wear me as a signet ring on your heart,
as a ring on your hand.
Love is as overpowering as death.
Devotion is as unyielding as the grave.
Love's flames are flames of fire,
flames that come from the Lord.
Raging water cannot extinguish love,
and rivers will never wash it away.
If a man exchanged all his family's wealth for love,
people would utterly despise him.”
Song of Solomon 8:6-7 (GW)

________________________________________

"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse,
whose rider is called Faithful and True.
With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire,
and on his head are many crowns.
He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,
and his name is the Word of God.
The armies of heaven were following him,
riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.
"He will rule them with an iron scepter."
He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."
Revelation 19 :11-16 (NIV)

There is only ONE in scripture who is atributed with everlasting love. Our acts of love and devotion to Him and to others are but a poor reflection. His love can never be quenched. He is called Faithful and True. Are you in love with the One who has eyes "like a blazing fire"? His passion and love for you is "as strong as death"....even death on a cross.

Gone Skiing!

Corps Ski Trip 2007

Heather's poem

Photo by Caryn Scheibner

My oldest daughter Heather wrote a poem in her creative writing class.

She gave me permission to put it up on my site.

I think it is wonderful....but hey I'm her Mom! :)

The Yellow Rose

I am a yellow rose in a red poppy field
for I do not feel I fit in.
I can not talk to other people
unless they have accepted me as one of their own.

I am a little caterpillar compared to a beautiful butterfly.
I will bloom someday but when that day comes will I be accepted?

You cannot change me though because I am happy with who I am.
So do you see me as a friend or do you see me as that
yellow rose in that red poppy field.

by Heather Bate
2/2007- age 14

I guess the Bate women are thinking about poppy fields recently!

My husband is WAY smarter than the cable guy!

We had a visit from Les the cable guy. I had very little to do with his visit. Alastair was home so he met Les at the door and stayed next to him during the whole visit. Les started getting on Alastair’s good side by walking across our cream colored carpet with muddy wet boots. Les was promptly sent out to his van to find shoe coverings before he could enter again. From that point on I imagined as I was cooking that everything was going well. However, when I heard the cable guy getting ready to leave I went to the door. I had one question to ask the man who was meant to have the intellect to fix our phones, internet and television.
As I approached the two men at the door, I missed the warning look from my husband’s eyes. Later, I realized Al was actually yelling at me frantically through his eyes to warn me. I asked my little question and Les…..well, Les couldn’t have given less of an answer. A lot of hand motions, rolling of eyes, thoughts of what it could be, all within a matter of seconds and all from Les. Alastair looked at me with eyes that said, “Curse you woman! You have prolonged his visit!” When the door shut behind Les….I laughed. I thought, he annoyed me and I could tell he had no idea what he was doing within seconds of our meeting. Then it dawned on me…..poor Alastair! It was once said about Alastair that all he had to do was walk by something electronic and it would immediately begin working! So, not only is Alastair very good with all electronic things but he just spent at least 45 minutes with this guy!!
Lucky for Al, Les comes back for one more visit but unfortunately, it will be scheduled on a day when Alastair won’t be around.

Exalted Opinions

Exalted Opinions
Our personal views
Our own estimations
Of how I see you.

A general assessment
A judgment or two
All drawn together
By our “expert” view

A second opinion
If you dare disagree
But most of the body
Agrees with me.

Look for yourself
Add up the facts!
Our opinions matters
Try denying that!

Exalted opinions
Have they become gods?
Is it all about me?
Our thoughts the cogs?

Wonder what God thinks?
Does He have a thought?
What is His will?
Is it all for naught?

Our world and our culture
Exalt many things.
But lately our opinions
Are Rulers and Kings.


cjb

Transparency

Transparency seems to be a hot topic lately. Check out Larry Ashcraft’s blog and Doug Burr.
The peom below, I wrote and posted awhile ago but thought I would stick it up again.
I understand transparency when it comes to how I choose to live. I have always seen God honor transparency in my life and in the lives of others.
What does corporate transparency look like?? A body of believers who together are intentional about being transparent?
Transparency to me is just letting TRUTH out in all I do and say. (Easier said than done sometimes.)

There are risk but no one whose hope is in God will be put to shame!
Just some thoughts…. cjb

He sees right through me,

I’m transparent.

There is nothingI can hide.

Do not mistake

My transparency,

For lack of substance.

Or lack of depth.

Emptiness …

Gives us space

To be filled.

Clarity …

Gives us confidence

And vision.

Look on through!

There is nothing

To hide.

This is His plan

For me,and

For you,

Transparency.

To be transparent

In all we say

And all we do.

To see though

Or look past,

To catch a glimpse

Of something…

Something other

Than me.

To catch a glimpse

Of Him.

He sees right,

He sees right through.

Transparency.

cjb

A Valley

A valley covered
In a blanket of red.
Come lie with me here
And lose all your cares.
As the wind gently caresses.
Watch with me as the poppies
Dance above our heads.
Feel the cool ground on your back.
Taste the grass between your teeth.
Get lost under the crimson canopy.
Fall asleep next to me and pull the blanket over
Rest, laugh, roll, love in the sublime.
High on the opium of life not yet
Destroyed or extracted by the hand of man.
A valley on fire, a valley of blood
A valley of forgiveness, a valley of love
A valley created by the brush strokes of a Master Artist.
Lie with me here in this Monet-like painting
Lose all your cares as the wind gently caresses.
Watch with me as the poppies
Dance above our heads.

cjb