It's not a great, big catastrophic deal or anything.... but....sometimes.....someone will call me "Maria".  Maria is a beautiful name.  One of my dearest friends is named Maria.    A lovely name.  Lovely.  But it isn't MY name.  

My name is Marie... with an "E" at the end.  For most of my life  I used to make a point of correcting people if they called me Maria.  (Well, honestly, for most of my life I used to make a point of correcting people - period.)   But concerning my name I'd say to someone who called me Maria - "Oh, my name is Marie, with an "e".. not Maria."   A guy named Todd, who consistently refused to call me by my actual name said, "OK.. So big deal.. I'm one letter off!! Maria, Marie.. What's one letter?"    I said,  "You know what? I see your point, Toad".   (Evidently, I still think that's funny.. or i wouldn't be putting it here.. huh?)

Anyway....it was sometime during "The Name Campaign" period of my life that my husband, Phil, received a call from a major concert promoter.   We used to make our living traveling, singing and Phil preaching and this was a MAJOR promoter calling. I'd seen his signs, billboards, posters all over the state and others.  It was a big deal for him to invite us to do a concert.

I could guess from the way Phil was talking on the phone that the guy was asking him about promotional materials.  Photos, etc. "PHIL... PHIL... PHIL.."  I whispered loudly as he spoke...He motioned with a look that said:  "Please, I'm trying to listen to him." 

OK.. but.. "PHIL.. tell him my name is Marie... with an E... with an E... Not Maria."  He told him.  "Oh.. my wife's name is Marie. People sometime call her Maria.  Don't forget the E."  Well, the posters came out.. the billboards too. 

The guy didn't forget the E.  He forgot the "I".  So... thousands and thousands of people were invited to come hear "Phil and MARE".   Phil and Mare.  Phil and his horse?  Phil and his NAG?  From that day on I realized that the ONLY NAME that matters isn't mine.  Seriously, I NEVER, EVER correct anyone who calls me "Maria".   Because if I had been more intent on lifting up HIS NAME.....then......I would have realized there are worse things than being called Maria.

"God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 
 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Philippians 2:9-11

So, did I think fifty people a day would be reading this?  NUH - UH.  No way. Who ARE you?  Why don't you just click on the  "click here to send me an email" link and send me an email and let me know??? Have mercy on a curious blogger? 

It's been said that people are divided in to one of two categories:  Givers and Takers. If you are a giver, you don't have to wait very long to be able to use your gift, because Takers have some kind of an inner radar that gives them a knack for finding people who are willing to give.

The Giver keeps giving and The Taker keeps taking...and taking...and taking.  Things run pretty smoothly until the Giver runs out of Give before the Taker runs out of Take. Sometimes, it's not because the Giver has nothing left to give - though this can sometimes be the case - but every now and then it would be nice if the Taker said "Thank you."  

When the Giver runs out of give before the Taker runs out of take, there is a problem.   The Taker becomes annoyed at the Giver because... well... because... they want to keep taking.   I always thought that the solution to the problem was for the Taker to stop taking.  Maybe, the real solution is for the Giver to keep giving and trust God to judge justly between the two.  What do you think? 

In the last three days, I've seen two TV shows dedicated to people who hold various Guinness Book WORLD RECORDS. Guess it's "Guinness Season".   It's kinda sad and kinda odd to watch.  I'm perplexed by it all. 

I mean no disrespect to the man who holds the world record for (I kid you not) "Slicing The Most Apples in One Minute With A Samurai Sword" - but who cares?  He could probably win another world record - "The Only Person On Earth Trying To Slice The Most Apples In One Minute With A Samurai Sword."  

To hold a world record in anything requires sacrifice.   Like the man who holds "The World Record For The Most Hand Claps In One Minute".   I mean, seriously, how do you train for something like that? Who holds the stopwatch while you're clapping your hands?  Why would you train for something like that?  Does he tell people who he is when he meets them.  "Hi, I'm Tom, Guinness World Record Holder for the Most Hand Claps In One Minute".  Seriously.. do you think he does?

One show had us waiting for that breathtaking moment when we could watch some guy on his motorcycle drive through a tunnel of fire so that he could win the Guinness World Record for "The Guy Who Drove A Motorcycle Through The Longest Tunnel of Fire".  We kept waiting and waiting. Teaser after teaser.   The show was timed impeccably so that it would be the last moments of the show.  It was LIVE TV!!!  Finally.... the moment arrived.  And he did it!!  It took about 5 seconds..  And the cameras were waiting at the end of the tunnel to interview the conquering hero.  The reporter was asking him questions... BUT..the motorcycle guy couldn't get his helmet off. We couldn't see his face or hear one word he was saying.  He stood there on camera, struggling with the strap but the helmet would not come off. Live TV.   It was embarrassing for him.  Finally with about 5 seconds left to the show, he got it off but they were out of time and his fifteen minutes of fame ended with him having about 3 seconds of airtime.  If his motive was the applause of men - then, what a waste of effort for him.  

God gives all of us the right to choose what we devote our lives to.   I  have decided to NOT try to get my name in the Guinness Book, although I'm sure I might qualify for many World Records - like "Most Words Spoken In One Minute", "Most French Fries Consumed In One Minute", or "World's Longest Daily Blog".   

I believe there is a book more important than the Guinness Book of World Record.  It's called the Book of Life and my name is written there.  I believe the Book exists and I believe that because of my faith in Jesus and what He did on the Cross, my name is written there.

My goal in life is a rather solitary one.  Lots of people around me think it's a ridiculous waste of time,effort and life.  It's my choice, however, to choose the prize to which I devote my life.  My goal - the thing that I'm devoting all I am to - is that moment when I look in to the face - the very face - of Jesus and hear Him say,  "Well done".   That's my goal.   I'm not trying to get to that day sooner than I should because He's got lots of people He wants to say "Well done" to that don't know Him yet.  But for me..........that's the goal.  The target.  The reason.

(Then again... there are some days that my thoughts are equally divided between Heaven and My Hair.......and how it looks. My goal is Heaven.. but.. until I get there, I want my hair to look great.  This is a great and dichotomous dilemma - caught between Heaven and My Hair.  We'll discuss that tomorrow... unless something more interesting pops in to my mind) 
 

Last night was a nice night. It had been a really rainy day... but by last night.. the weather was calm. Phil and I were watching TV.  The local TV news interrupted to warn us that a severe storm was fast approaching with winds approaching hurricane force. I looked outside.  The back yard, the deck, the deck furniture, the white wicker swing that is connected to the large tree that I love to sit in and read and swing.......   Perfectly calm. Everything was totally still. 

"What are they talking about?", I said to Phil,  "It's a perfect night."   How could there be such a violent storm approaching when everything is so calm and perfect at the moment?   Is there any reason that a TV weatherman...err.. meteorologist would lie?  Within fifteen minutes, I was fervently calling out to God to protect us because the storm had arrived - just like they said it would.    "Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ... so you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.'  - Jesus, Matthew 24:42 and 44.
 

Our friends, Don and Debi, have moved here from Colorado - and now live right in our very town... just a few miles away.  

We've known them for decades because we all lived near each other in Pennsylvania.  Debi was our son's first and second grade teacher.   We've attended church together.  The Lord just keeps putting us in to each other's lives. We love them, we love them,  we love them.  They're as close as family.   Their living here is just a great big GIFT from God.   

Last evening, Debi made a delicious cake......and she and Don brought it to my parent's house for a visit.  (My parents also live in the same town). Phil and I were there.   My parent's LOVED it.   They are 84 and 83. We laughed, told stories, looked at pictures, stood around the piano and sang songs.  How kind of the two of them to make time for my parents.   Oh, how my parent's loved it.   It was so kind of them to do that. 

Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit - the evidence that God is having His way in someone's life.  We talk a lot of talk about spirituality.  God's way of measuring spiritual greatness is much simpler and basic.  So, let's hear it for kindness!

I know someone who tells lies.  Lies about almost everything.  All the time.  About the silliest things.   Stuff that doesn't matter one way or the other. Why lie? I don't get it.  

This person is a fellow believer.  I have never taken the time to stop the conversation and say, "You just lied to me."  even though I could offer proof that would prove my point.   Because even if I can prove that I've just been lied to - the thing I've been lied to about is so small and insignificant that it isn't worth making a big deal about it.   But....why lie?  And what do you do about a liar?   Truth is, it hurts to be lied to.  Why lie? It hurts. 

It brings up lots of questions:  Why do you hide yourself from me?  What is it about me that causes you to lie to me?  Don't you want a real relationship with me?  Don't I love you enough?  What should I do about the way you lie to me all the time?   Lying creates a huge obstacle to true fellowship with another Christian.  

Lying creates a huge obstacle to true fellowship with God.  1 John 1 says that If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we say that we have not sinned , we make Him a liar , and His Word is not in us.   When I act like I don't have the sin that I'm seeing in someone else....it's lying to myself and God.

How many lies does a person have to tell in order to be classified a liar?  It just takes ONE LIE to make somebody a liar.  I've told many more that that in my lifetime - more than that today if I really think about it - therefore, the truth before God is that I'm a liar too.  How can I worry about the speck in that person's eye...when I have a log in my own?

Suddenly, the answer to the question - What do you do about a liar? - becomes crystal clear.  I pray that the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of Truth - will gently but firmly convict me about my lying and the root of pride from which it stems.  Because it's out of the abundance of the HEART that the mouth speaks.  A heart must be filled with truth in order for the person's mouth to speak it.   I stop lying to myself about myself before I can stop lying to others.  The change has to come from the inside out - through prayer - and prayer alone.  And that's what you do about liars... that's what you do about liars.    

Part Two - Make things right today because you have no guarantee of tomorrow.  Make things right with God.  Everything can be forgiven because of Jesus Blood.  And then make things right with others.  There are no guarantees in life except that it will end.  God is good.  God is faithful.  The End.