Known By Words

(by Lorie Codispoti)

January 18th is... 

     National Thesaurus Day
     National Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
     National Winnie the Pooh Day

What do these three, seemingly unrelated, “national days” have in common? Words! 

We all use words to express what’s in our hearts.  

There’s a lesser known commonality found among the three people represented by these national days. Each of their contributions were the result of enduring intense hardship.

Peter Mark Roget began collecting words & making lists as a young boy. Throughout his life they served as therapeutic solace for the mental illnesses that plagued his family life. It wasn’t until Roget was in his 70’s & retired from his medical career, however, that his great work, Roget’s Thesaurus, was published.

Most Americans are familiar with the life & work of Marin Luther King, Jr., born Michael King, Jr. Once again we see a man whose incredible contributions come to us on the heels of great suffering. From the time he was a young man it is noted that his voice & gift for persuasive speech were evident. His favorite hymn to sing was I Want To Be More & More Like Jesus, & he often used his words to stymie the physical altercations he encountered in his neighborhood.

Given our current state, this seems an appropriate MLK quote… I still believe that standing up for the truth of God is the greatest thing in the world. This is the end of life. The end of life is not to be happy. The end of life is not to achieve pleasure and avoid pain. The end of life is to do the will of God, come what may. (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Alan Alexander Milne miraculously survived WW1, but suffered severely with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This led to him relocating his family to a calm, countryside setting. It was there that he would take long, therapeutic walks through the surrounding woodland (Hundred Acre Wood) with his son, Christopher Robin. The stories that bonded father & son revolved around Robin’s favorite toys (Pooh, Piglet, Eyeore, Kanga, Roo, & Tigger) & became the inspiration for the words penned in one of the most beloved children’s series of all time. 

  ...even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude. (Winnie the Pooh)

May the hardships we endure in this life serve to fuel our words with the encouragement we need to share with others. Let’s make every word count!

Every Quagmire Needs A Guide

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Have you ever stepped into quicksand? I have.

We were not allowed to play in the marshes behind our grandparent’s house, but the curious explorer in me couldn’t help but wonder what kind of treasures lay hidden in the tall grass. My day of discovery came when curiosity got the best of me & I ventured into the quagmire. I was absolutely convinced that what I was about to discover would far outweigh the consequences of disobedience. I was wrong!

I knew the moment I stepped off the path I was in trouble. The mud was like a living creature who showed no mercy in grabbing my foot & sucking me into the dark, muddy abyss. With much effort I managed to escape, but not before the monster confiscated my shoes & claimed them for himself. To this very day they remain entombed in a watery grave. Legend has it that as the tide recedes you can hear the daily cry of empty shoes calling out for the feet that once filled them. I know, it’s pretty sad!

BEWARE THE TRAP

There’s something very energizing about an enthusiastic visionary, but without a Guide to help them traverse the maze of an uncharted mire, they will, at some point along the way, fall victim to the mud monster.

When someone assumes a position of authority (large or small) there are three critical things they need if they desire to lead well … (1) discernment (developed with experience), (2) self discipline (rooted in conviction), & (3) the integrity needed to stand firm in the face of adversity. Even the most sincere leader can be seduced by the promise of fame, fortune & power.

But it doesn’t have to be that way!

HOLY SPIRIT GUIDE

“When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will GUIDE you into all truth…” (Jn.16:13)

Like me, you may not have had the benefit of a godly mentor to help you navigate your way as a spouse or parent. You may have lacked the assistance you needed when you assumed a position of leadership… in your church, your volunteer work, or at your place of employment. You simply had a vision & enthusiastically set out into uncharted territory. No one warned you of the monster in the mud.

Quicksand is scary because, at first glance, it appears solid & safe. But if you step on it the ground immediately liquifies under your feet. To avoid contact, an experienced Guide will teach you how to… 1) eye the terrain & recognize the danger zones, & 2) use a walking stick to tap the ground & test before you step.

What a beautiful picture of how the Holy Spirit operates in our lives. He goes before us, both protecting & training us on how to avoid the traps set by our enemy.

King David prayed, “Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers.” (Psa.141:1)

THE WAY OF ESCAPE

Most of us are familiar with Holywood’s interpretations of quicksand. Think about that horrific scene in The Princess Bride, when our hero Wesley rescues Princess Buttercup from one of the three terrors of the Fire Swamp - quicksand! (Every time I watch that scene I hold my breath until they return to the surface safely.)

The interesting thing that most people don’t know about quicksand is that it won’t swallow you whole; you’ll only sink up to your waist. Nevertheless, one must take certain steps to escape its grip, steps that correlate nicely with those we need to escape Satan’s traps:

- Eliminate excess weight. (“…let us throw off everything that hinders & the sin that so easily entangles.” (Heb.12:1))

- Backstep to solid ground. (“He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, & set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” (Psa.40:2))

- Keep your head & arms above the surface. (“… he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’” (Mtt.14:30))

- Use your resources. (“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…” (2Pet.1:3))

- And, the one that requires the most faith - Relax, let go, lay on your back & breathe deep. (“…faith apart from works is useless.” (Jms.2:20))

“Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; & for your name's sake you lead me and GUIDE me.” (Psa.31:2-3)

Our enemy would have us believe there is no escape once we step into his territory, but he’s a liar! No one - even a fallen leader - is beyond God’s reach when they cry out for help.

“Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.” (Psa.119:133)

THE BEAUTY OF MUD

Can anything good come out of a mud pit? Yes, a thousand times yes! People pay big bucks for mud baths. Their benefits range from drawing out impurities to relaxing & relieving the body of pain.

Much of this life requires navigating your way through a quagmire of unknowns. While it’s important to avoid the quicksand, there are times we step in & begin to sink. The good news is that God doesn’t leave us there. Not only will He rescue us from what our enemy means for evil, but He uses the mud to draw out the impurities that weigh us down.

So the next time the mud monster has you in his grip, let him have your shoes. Jesus paid the price for you to have a beautiful, new wardrobe - & it’s stain resistant!

Trumpet List

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Because I am a natural goal setter, & find immense pleasure in compiling & working off a list, the concept of creating a “Bucket List” is appealing. However, the more I think about it the more superficial the idea becomes. It limits both the scope of the vision & the subsequent rewards.

In his book, Weight Of Glory, C.S. Lewis wrote,

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

If my bucket list is comprised of all the places I’d like to visit, all the things I’d like to do, & everything I’d like to acquire before I “kick the bucket” then it feels more like a race to make as many mud pies as I can before the rain comes & washes it all away.

In light of this, I propose a different kind of list - a list whose scope is broadened by each entry & whose rewards are endless. I call it my “Trumpet List.” (1Cor.15:51-53, 1Thess.4:16) The main objective is to “love God with all our heart, soul, mind & strength” so everything on the list reflects that goal.

God’s word houses most of the entries so it’s more like something you sign up for rather than something you compile. For example, I added Psalm 71:17-18 to my Trumpet List when I became a mother (& it remains as a grandmother) … “O God, You have taught me from my youth; & to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old & grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.”

Am I trying to discourage you from having a bucket list? No! (I still want to go to Alaska one day.) I want to encourage you to go beyond the superficial. Buckets are temporary containers that hold mud pies in comparison to the eternal rewards that await & follow long past the sound of the trumpet. Don’t let the fleeting pleasures you obtain in the “slum” keep you from enjoying the “holiday at the sea” God has planned.

LOVE (Thoughts on This Advent Pillar)

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Have you ever wondered why God’s LOVE was not something Adam & Eve had to learn about or be reminded of when they lived in the garden, yet God had to put it in writing for us? It wasn’t until His love was questioned & sin separated us from God that we needed to learn & be reminded of His love.

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." (Rms.1:20 NLT)

Though veiled by sin, our world contains enough external evidence to point us to a loving Creator. His fingerprint is everywhere.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays his handiwork." (Psa.19:1)

I’m not much of a star gazer & my knowledge of all things astronomy wouldn’t impress a moon rock, but I have, on occasion, stared up into the night sky in awe of the God who created such a magnificent display.

As I meditate on the Christmas story, I can’t help but wonder if that “star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright” was something God set in place the day He spoke the heavens into existence (day 4). Was it present before Adam was even created? I think it’s plausible that God fashioned it for a special purpose, long before the fruit even touched Eve’s lips. To think of Him creating this star & then waiting thousands of years to reveal its spectacular light speaks of an unfathomable love, a love that went before us to prepare the way for Salvation to light the darkness in our hearts.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…” (John 3:16)

Speaking of the magnitude of God’s love, theologian, Benjamin Warfield, notes that “world” in this verse is referring to intensity, not size. He said, it’s “… not to suggest that the world is so big that it takes a great deal of love to embrace it all, but that the world is so bad that it takes a great kind of love to love it at all, and much more to love it as God has loved it when he gave his Son for it.”

“For I am the Lord, I do not change…” (Mal.3:6)

From eternity past to eternity future nothing about God varies or changes. (Js.1:17) In our world things are constantly changing. As time marches on circumstances vary, relationships ebb & flow, and our bodies break down. Science confirms that our planet is showing signs of its age as well. Scripture tells us (Rms.8:18-25) that the natural world we live in is groaning under the bondage of corruption. (Sin continues to take its toll.) Believers are also groaning as we persevere through the consequences of a broken world. 

Simultaneously, though, we are eagerly waiting for God’s love to reveal another miraculous visitation. Before time began, God had a plan for both of His advents. The next visitation will be the one where the Son of God, the Creator Himself, will “make all things new.” (Rev.21:5)

Look up, church… our redemption is near!

Jesus said, “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Lk.21:25-28)

Because “God is love” (1Jn.4:8), there is a new day coming … An eternal day without doubts or questions. No more wondering, longing, & groaning. Once again, the earth & its inhabitants will bask in the unveiled beauty of His presence & enjoy the fullness of His LOVE forever.

PEACE (Thoughts on This Advent Pillar)

by Lorie Codispoti

“Don’t mess with my pillow!”

I don’t know about you, but my down-feathered cloud of wonder is a critical component to a peaceful nights sleep. To suggest the purchase of a new one conjures up visions of a revolt - feathers uniting & transforming into sword wielding ninjas. To ruffle these guys could be fatal.

Middle eastern shepherds of old were not only nomadic (following the food & water supply), but they were nocturnal, as they had to stay alert during the night watches. A peaceful night for a shepherd was a night when their flock was secured, safe from the prowling predators that lurked in the darkness.

“The announcement of Jesus’ birth comes to those who live out under the stars at night with rocks for pillows and hovels for homes.” (Mark Dunn)

Imagine what it must have been like the night all heaven broke loose. An invasion of encircling light & the voice of an unknown being filled the shepherds with fear. They must have wondered what kind of predator this was & how they would fight it with the weapons they had.

After the angel calms their fears & announces the incarnation of Christ, things get really loud. Luke 2:14 records the sky being filled with a “multitude of heavenly host praising God & saying, Glory to God in the highest, & on earth PEACE, goodwill to men.”

What’s unique about this “peace” is that it’s vastly different from every other kind. (exactly what Jesus said about it in Jn.14:27) A careful look at the peace these angels proclaimed tells us something important: God’s peace is selective. That’s right. The kind of peace announced to this singled-out group of shepherds is reserved for those who will receive Jesus as their Savior & surrender their lives to His Lordship. It is not available to unbelievers.

Christians have something in common with these shepherds. We are among the marginalized & many times persecuted by the world around us. Our circumstances are anything but peaceful, yet God has given us a peace that has the power to “guard our hearts & minds” (Phil.4:7), no matter what circumstance we find ourselves walking through.

And there’s more.

Jesus didn’t come promising world peace. The Prince of Peace, the One who came to reconcile us to Himself, came to pick a fight with the Prince of Darkness, the one whole stole humanity’s heart & mind through sin.

A cushy pillow may be a prerequisite for a restful night’s sleep, but that kind of peace is as temporary as the homes we live in.

(Jesus, like the shepherds, was basically homeless. He referenced his condition in Lk.9:58 when He said, “Foxes have holes & birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”)

God didn’t give us a pillow, kiss us goodnight & tell us to sweet dream our lives away. He gave us a pair of thick soled shoes for an arduous journey that will lead us to the forever home He’s preparing. (“…as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” Eph.6:15)

The peace shoes we’ve been given for this trek aren't for running after the absence-of-conflict kind of peace we waste time chasing. This is a "guard" - a sentinel commissioned as part of the armor given to us to take the “good news” of the Gospel to a lost & dying world. And, like the shepherds in the field that night, Peace is awake & alert, standing ready at a moments notice to charge any predator that attempts to breach His protective barrier. The great Shepherd assures us that, with His peace, no adversary is strong enough to sneak past His watchful eye & remove us from His presence.

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” (Heb.4:9-10)

Put your shoes on & follow the Shepherd of your soul all the way home. I hear that the pillows there provide a peaceful rest like nothing we’ve ever known.

JOY (Thoughts on This Advent Pillar)

by Lorie Codispoti

I cry every day! Sounds like a strange way to open an article about joy, but it makes perfect sense to me as I’ve learned a thing or two about how tears of sorrow mingle with tears of joy.

When talking about the marks of ministry, the apostle Paul said that one of the ways others recognize we are ministers of the Gospel is that we are “sorrowful yet rejoicing.” (2Cor.6:3-10) We have the ability to be joyful in the midst of incredible suffering.

How is that even possible when our natural inclination is to run when any kind of suffering knocks at the door? We sprint to the nearest inoculation center, where we hope to ease the effects, or better yet, prevent suffering's unwanted visitation altogether.

An inoculation may prevent you from catching a virus, but it won't keep suffering out of your life. In order to fight the devastating effects of suffering you have to have a daily infusion of God's Spirit. When God infuses our suffering with Himself we are filled with the capacity to produce things that we’d never be able to produce without Him. Like JOY!

At the incarnation of Christ an angel was dispatched to a bunch of shepherds tending their flocks. The angel's assignment was to announce “good tidings of great joy.” (Lk.2:10) Immediately following this announcement the sky is filled with a mighty host of angels and an eruption of praise lights up the heavens. (Imagine what that must have been like for those shepherds. A "silent night"? I don't think so.)

Now, do you think this illuminating joy-filled cacophony, as magnificent as it must have been, removed all the sorrow that was present in the world at that time? The answer is no, it didn’t. In fact, sorrow was not only present, but time would see it mutate & multiply as every attempt was made to choke out the Reason for this “great joy.” (Ex: Joseph & Mary were forced to flee in order to protect their son from an evil ruler who ordered his soldiers to hunt down & murder baby boys under the age of two. Can you hear the sound of sorrow as garments were soaked with tears?)

The beauty of the joy we experience this side of heaven is not that it erases sorrow from our lives. Rather, it is much like translucent velum, overlaying itself on to the picture of our suffering. Joy relegates our sorrow to the background & takes its rightful place up front. Because of Christ's incarnation & resurrection, joy overlays our suffering & enables us to press on in the mission of glorifying God with our lives.

Something we need to consider about the miraculous incarnation of Christ is that His suffering didn’t begin at the cross, it began at the cradle. Remember, He stepped “down” by taking on human flesh. The very embodiment of Joy, the God of all creation, entered into our suffering world so that He could rescue us from it.

We can sing “joy to the world” because our Savior not only came, but because He is coming. When my tears of sorrow mingle with tears of joy I am reminded of the One, who, from the cradle to the cross endured unbearable pain “for the joy set before Him.” 

Sorrow has an expiration date! There is a tearless day on the horizon, & on that day our Savior will come to take us to the place where sorrow never existed & where it is joy that mutates & multiplies.

“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isa.35:10)

HOPE (Thoughts on This Advent Pillar)

by Lorie Codispoti

What is it that causes a weary world to rejoice? According to O Holy Night, it’s the “thrill of hope.”

O Holy Night was penned in France in 1847. A parish priest asked a poet (who was an atheist) to write the lyrics. It was set to music by a Jewish composer. It was immediately embraced by the church, but when the church leaders found out it was written & composed by unbelievers it was banned from all worship services.

Ten years later an American abolitionist resurrected the song. He revised & translated it into English after being captivated by the lyrics in the third verse, “Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother, and in his name all oppression shall cease.” This version traces its history back to the dark decades of slavery in our country.

Imagine how weary their world was during that time.

Rewinding history to the centuries between the Old & New Testaments we find a gap of 400 years. During that time period, God appeared to be silent; there was no communication between Him & His people. Four hundred years is a long time to wait for the promise of a Savior to be fulfilled. Imagine the weary hearts.

Think about how long you have been waiting for an answer to your struggle. Have you noticed that the longer we have to wait for something the easier it is to grow weary? In Galatians 6:9 we are admonished not to “grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

So how do we prevent our souls from growing weary & losing heart? What gives us a cause to rejoice when we’ve exhausted our resources & still have no way of predicting the outcome of our suffering?

The answer is HOPE - A thrilling hope!

Hope, for a Christian, is vastly different than the short lived

wish-upon-a-star version that flickers & fizzles out quickly.

In Psalm 42 the psalmist is yearning for God in the midst of his distress. In verse five he asks & answers an important question, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” For us, like the psalmist, hope is something we struggle to maintain; it doesn’t come naturally. (Weariness comes naturally.)

Biblical Hope is, in short, a confident expectation.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Heb.10:33)

“For yonder breaks a new & glorious morn.”

What caused the weary world to rejoice during its 400 year wait to hear from God again? What caused those in bondage to slavery to rejoice as they prayed for emancipation? It was the “thrill of Hope” - a confidence in what they knew to be true, & the expectation that God would fulfill His promise & send a Savior.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rms.15:3)

Today, no matter your circumstance, there is cause for praise. The incarnation of Christ was the first advent & it was fulfilled by the God who promised it. As we wait for the second advent & the return of our King, may the thrill of that hope permeate our souls & fill us with rejoicing.