Pastor McQuown, Norman V, Peale, and Anne Graham Lotz .... and Me

  Pastor Dennis, when teaching or preaching, often states, "Now, this is the McQuown version."  It seems to me that in his mind's eye he goes back and joins the scripture incident, observing each facet, and deepening his understanding. I like this!

   Years ago, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale taught us to do this in our study..... He called it "Visioning."  Some criticized it, but many of us found it helped see truths we may have missed otherwise.

   More recently, Billy Graham's daughter, Anne Graham Lotz,  gave an excellent example of this when writing on Carrying the Cross (Luke 14:27). She started it "Imagine."

    "Imagine what it would have been like to be Simon, and to have carred the cross of Christ while following Him up Calvary.
    What would it have been like to have shared in the humiliation of rejection as He was cast out of the city?
   What would it have been like to have felt the sticky warmth of His blood from the cross on your skin?
   What would it have been like to have felt the encroaching horror as the place of execution neared?
   What would it have been like to have seen the executioners who stood waiting impassively with hammers in hand?
   What would it have been like to have the burden of the cross lifted from your back as someone said, "This is His cross; you're free to go now." and He was nailed to it, not you?"

  Whether it is called "The McQuown version"; or Peale's "Visioning"; Or Lotz's "Imagining." ......
or my "Pondering"..... we are all calling the same thing by different names. TRY IT...YOU'LL LIKE IT!

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Pondering On Year Eighty-Six......

"I cry out to God, pleading that I may, as a person of ripe character and clear conviction ... will stand firm and mature in spiritual growth ... convinced and fully assured in everything willed by God." (My own version of Colossians 4:12.) On my 86th birthday: Age, illness and loss has taken away much physically, mentally, gifts for service, but not spiritually! I'm trying, with my Lord's assistance, to be more self-reliant; to organize my days; to write a list of priorities; balance my duties of time where and when I have the most energy. It takes intentional discipline, and passionate prayer, plus patience with slow progress. My Lord will enable me to succeed according to my passion and commitment. He asks me to trust Him and yet think for myself.... when I ask Him to help me find balance according to His Will and timing. Praise His Holy Name!

William P. Seibert's Heritage.....

My beloved husband of sixty years went home with his Lord four years ago, Christmas morning. How I long to hear his voice and share each day's blessings with him. It is a special blessing when my children and grandchildren now express, with love, their time with him ... I realize that they absorbed his God-given, radiant energy of love for them and for our Lord. His heritage is truly a bridge of love for generations to come. During his time here, like Jesus, he tried to guard them so not one of them would be lost. He told them many thing so they would be filled with joy. He gave to them God's Word of truth in his life-style, speaking, writing. And he prayed and believed they would be one with God. What a heritage! ...... His love for them ... and his love for the generations to come... reaching out to Our two children and their mates; six grandchildren and their mates; and, we now have had fifteen great-grand-children. Continuing my Pilgrimage, Virgene

A Game of "Hide and Seek. . . .

Conditional Love begins with the conjunction "if", followed by the conditions that must be met if you are to be loved. Christian love demands no conditions; it is free!

Unconditional love, brings to mind an image of the game of "Hide and Seek." Like Adam and Eve, we try to hide from the Searcher . . . sometimes hiding so successfully we forget what the game is all about. The object is to be so hidden that we force the searcher to yell out, "Ally, Ally, all in free!"

One time my Father was "it"; but by deliberately not looking in that place, he was forced to call out "Ally, Ally, all in free".

By painful contrast, I remember the time I thought I had hidden so well that no one could find me, only to discover ... long after dark, that they had forgotten me and even that I was playing .. . so no one was looking for me.

Luke tells of the prodigal son: "While he was yet at a distance, his Father saw him" (Luke 15:20).

The Christian Miracle is that in Jesus Christ, God declares unconditional love for us.

Still on my Pilgrimage,
Virgene