Narnia

I began reading the Chronicles of Narnia when I was in high school. My first set was loaned by a friend of Lisa's who was a psychology major and had used them as the subject of many papers. She had written in the margins notes on the spiritual significance of the characters and stories. It was a beautiful way to fall in love with Aslan and Narnia. As the baby of the family, I believed that I related to Lucy. I love her heart and spirit as well as her connection with Aslan. Up until a few years ago, I believed that I was like Lucy.

The last time I read the books, and I do read them every few years, I realized that I was much more like Susan. Susan, the skeptic. Susan who doesn't always see or hear Aslan. Susan, the voice of doubt and, in her mind, reason. It was a rude awakening for me, to say the least, and somewhat painful. Isn't it interesting how God must bring us to a painful place to heal us? Or wake us up? Just take Eustace in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. His experience with Aslan's healing proved that he could never dig deep enough to trade his own dragon's scales for healing. It took the pain of Aslan's claws to clean those scales off of him. Okay, if you're thoroughly confused, just read the books. Or you can wait for the movie. But I digress...

If you haven't seen the movie, you might not want to read any further. Spoiler Alert. My favorite part of the movie, isn't actually in the book. It's toward the end. The mighty army is on the run since Aslan awoke the trees and they come to the bridge that they have been building the entire movie. Let us be clear that there are hundreds of soldiers in this army and as they approach the bridge a small girl appears at the opposite end. It's Lucy. The army stops and looks at her. She is smiling. She knows that they have reached the end of their retreat. There is no way they will get past her. The leader of the army is confused, surly she knows that he can overtake her. But that leader doesn't see Who has Lucy's back. She knows Who is behind her. She pulls out a small dagger from her belt and laughs. Then He appears. The Great Lion. Aslan. At His roar, the army falls.

Her complete confidence confused the enemies of Narnia. Her trust was not in herself or even in her brothers and sister. Her trust was in Aslan, the Lord of Narnia. The Lion Who is not tame. There has never been, nor will there ever be, an army that can stand against Him. Sound like Someone else we might know? If you have seen the movie, go again. If you haven't, GO! If you've read the books, read them again. If you haven't, read them. Pray before you do. See if there's something He is trying to tell you through them. I have learned more and more of His deep love for me each time I read them. Aslan calls Lucy 'Dear One'. Know that He calls you 'Dear One', because you are dear to Him.

Be blessed Dear Ones,

Lara

Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall...

What do you see in your mirror? And is it truth or just perception? I have a nightshirt that is almost twenty years old. Yes, I am a pack rat, why do you ask? I still remember when my friend, Tonya, gave it to me and I began to unfold it. Do you know the first thing I thought of, other than gratitude? I was worried that it wouldn't fit. Even though the tag read 'one size fits all', I believed that I was too fat to fit into it. Now, I won't specify just how much more I weigh now, let's just say that I am quite a bit larger than I was that day. And two or more of me would still fit in this thing.

So, I guess my question is this... Why, when I was in my 20's, did I think that I was so overweight that I would not fit into an over sized shirt? Why was I constantly worried about being fat? At that time I believed I was the size I actually am now. Why couldn't I see that in the mirror? Pictures from then show the truth, but back then I only saw the flaws. Why is it, that my sister sees her own flaws in the mirror, whereas I, looking in that same mirror, see only her and her beauty? Do mirrors lie? Is it the wiring in our brains that deceive us? Or is it the enemy of our souls whispering? Or is it a combination of all three?

Just yesterday, looking a mirror at my office, I saw messy hair, acne healing skin and ill-fitting clothes. Not the way I wanted to look meeting friends at Jason's Deli. But in the Jason's restroom mirror, the skin looked a little better & the hair was okay. Through my drama experience, I know that lighting makes or breaks. But was I insecure before and later feeling more healthy through conversation with Godly peers? This is not one of those posts where I have any answers. I just don't know. Maybe one of us will rise above the power of the mirror and will teach us all how to do that. Until then, I'll try to avoid judging myself by what I see in reflective glass.

Lara

A Day

Ever had one of those days? Stupid question, I know. We ALL have days like that. And we're never prepared for them! Speaking of... How do we prepare? How do you know when one day's going to be worse than the others? When you reach for the snooze button, coffee or your Bible, why can't we have a neon sign flashing "TROUBLE AHEAD, PREPARE ACCORDINGLY!" Am I the only one who thinks this is a good idea?

Here are some ideas I have for signs:

• Your hot water heater will run out of hot water at precisely 5:30am today!
• There will be a train stopped across your commute today.
• The woman in the car next to you in morning traffic will be putting on her mascara as she drifts into your lane.
• Your first call of the morning will be an angry husband who is upset over something you can't control.
• Your computer will crash in the middle of important business that is unsaved.
• The elastic in your underwear will give out under severe duress as you walk into an important meeting.
• All of the above things will happen to you today, be prepared!

It's easier to take when only one of these things happen, but when they all happen before lunch...

Sometimes His gracious Holy Spirit warns me of things to come. Sometimes I'm ready for the dents and dings of life. Sometimes I'm not. Ok, so not all of these things happened to me. Guess I shouldn't complain. Do we really have any ground for complaints when the next person we meet is trying to control the grief that death brings?

I started this post as a funny, 'haven't you been there?' post. But just now, the Holy Spirit asked me if I had prayed for the patient who came in this morning. Her daughter in law lost both of her parents yesterday. Of course, He's God, so He knows the answer to His own questions. And I'm sure that you can guess that my answer is no, I haven't prayed for this lady... That's about to change.

Here's to all of us going through this day. And keep your eyes (and ears) open for those who need us in the midst.

Lara

C. Paul Perry, M.D.

In 1997, I met a spiritual giant. I was interviewing for a job in his medical office. His name was Dr. Paul Perry, he's big on ignoring the C that stands for Clarence. He was soft spoken and tended to mumble. I wasn't smart enough to be intimidated then. Once I learned more about him, it was too late, he was just Dr. Perry to me. My sister says that he has an understanding about women's pain that men just don't have. He started as an Ob/Gyn then began to have a passion for helping women in chronic pain. He studied, researched and eventually 'wrote the book' (literally) on pelvic pain. He dropped the Ob part of his practice, so that he could become a pain specialist. He built an Ob/Gyn practice staffed by Godly men and women. He is world renowned for his studies in pain management and founded the International Pelvic Pain Society. Women have come from all over the US and Europe just to see Dr. Perry in Birmingham, AL. And this is just the medical part of his life.

He became an advocate for the sanctity of life that begins at conception. He put his medical reputation on the line to be one of the first doctors in Birmingham to take a stand against abortion. When I mention his name in the medical community, people recognize him as a Christian and ask if I'm referencing the doctor with scripture on the wall of his waiting room. He began to study the book of Romans and taught in his home church of Briarwood Presbyterian as well as his own staff. He had multiple four inch binders filled with this study as he led us not just verse by verse but also word by word.

He became a grandfather when I worked for him. He wore a large round pin with Stone's (his first grandchild) picture. When Davis (the second) came, he printed off pictures and taped them to the cabinets in his exam rooms. Surely his patients wanted to see those beautiful patients. They know him as 'Poppy'.

He is a RABID 'Bama fan. His favorite color is crimson and even had his car special ordered to match. He proudly wears his crimson blazer to church every Sunday during college football season. At a Christmas party game, he believed his epitaph would read, "Roll Tide!"

This picture is a great one of him, but doesn't look like him to me. To me, Dr. Perry is wearing green scrubs with a white jacket over it. A gold cross is always around his neck. In a portrait of 'Poppy', by one of his grandchildren, Dr. Perry has red lips and a gold cross around his neck. He tap danced at the one Christmas party I missed. He signed my paychecks for almost six years and still signed my mother's. He fussed when we couldn't read his writing, because he surly couldn't. That's what he paid us for. We teased him mercilessly, and it was rare that we could pull a practical joke on him. He, along with the other doctor's, made me so mad and hurt at times. Then, he would lift me up and encourage me. He cared for me and assisted in two of my surgeries. There is no one else I would want in my O.R. than he and his partners. I always knew that he was praying for me as he cared for me. He has witnessed to everyone he came in contact with, from world renowned physicians to the housekeeping staff.

And I'm going to his memorial service this afternoon. At the beginning of this year, they found metastatic, germ cell lung cancer. This mighty man was immediately ready to go home. Through prayer and fasting, he decided to fight. But after two rounds of treatment the cancer had not diminished, but grown. At that point, he left the hospital to sit on his back porch surrounded by his family. We all wondered why he had believed God's will was to fight, but learned that the day before he left the hospital, he witnessed to one more person. One more soul.

C. Paul Perry went home Saturday, May 3, 2008 at 7:30 am CST. He is rejoicing with the Lord and Savior that he so loved. And we are trying to figure out how to live in a world with out Dr. Perry. I'm not ashamed to say that I don't know how. I can say that Heaven now has one more person that I just can't wait to see. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Perry, you can visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/paulperry .

And just for you, Dr. Perry, this Mississippi State fan will say, "Roll Tide!"

Lara

Color -- Forwarded from Head Coach @ Home

I just read my brother's blog for today. Those of you who know me know that I am a fanatic about my niece and nephews! I LOVE those kids and mourn every day that I don't get to spend with them. Poughkeepsie, NY is a LONG way from Birmingham, AL. Besides this being a sweet picture of my Derrick, Richard's point just lifted my heart. If you've read my last few posts, you can see how our Lord is reaching out to me over and over lifting my heart. Don't we serve a great God!!!!

When I tell people that my son Derrick's favorite baseball team is the Pittsburgh Pirates, most people ask, "How'd that happen?" Kind of like you would ask a person who comes in a room on crutches. You feel sorry for them, but you want to hear the story of what happened. Well, Derrick's is a good story...
Now, once you look into Pittsburgh baseball, you see the Pirates have alot to offer. Sure, they've been abysmal lately, but they've got a great ballpark and a sparkling history. Still, why does the son of a Braves fan lock into a team that hasn't been competitive for a decade and a half?
For Derrick the answer is simply 'color'. When he was five (he's now 10) I introduced him to baseball card collecting. I bought him some new packs, but also crawled down from the attic with a handful of my old cards from the 70s & 80s to round out his start up collection. A 1980 Willie Stargell card quickly became his favorite ... because he loved the uniform color. The bright yellow trimmed in black. He asked for more of my old Pirates cards and before long he learned about Roberto Clemente, We Are Family, and even the early years of a curiously skinny kid named Barry Bonds. Now he has an autograph from current Bucs short stop Jack Wilson, has seen them play in person, checks the scores every day, and still hopes out loud every spring - 'Maybe the Pirates will make the playoffs this year!'
He still loves the uniform, insisting the team's catcher's gear has the coolest color scheme in the Majors. The color still matters to him. And I think that's a fine reason for a kid to like a team!
This relates to some thoughts about my relationship with the Lord. It might sound silly, but when I think about what draws people toward God, I think about Derrick & the Pirates. For many of us, something catches our eye - so to speak - and becomes a catalyst for some faith searching. Romans 2:4 tells us that the goodness or kindness of the Lord leads us toward repentance. Like a vibrant color on a piece of cardboard, His love captures our attention. Its not normal love, its unique - Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This is the love that draws us in.
I've been listening to a worship song by 'Desperation Band' called 'The Beauty of the Lord'. There's a line in the song that says, "Jesus your love has won me over". That's it - His love catches my eye and wins my heart. Over time I learn the back story, the realities of what it means and the big picture perspectives. But it started with Him simply showing me some of the 'color' of His love.
So, we should occasionally return to that simple truth that 'we love Him because he first loved us' - he caught our attention - he won us over. Take some time to think about the goodness, the kindness, the love of God that first mattered and still matters to you. Because its at the heart of your story.
Richard

Here's another way to search God out, look back. Not on our pasts, but on what captured our attention. On the ways He showed Himself when we were just spiritual kids. Enjoy your baseball card.

Lara

GMA Awards

I'm going to be honest here and let y'all know that I've been struggling recently. No particular problem that's bigger than the others. Don't really know why, either. But that changed this week. Through the reading of Bobby Lepinay's blog and then one that he frequents, Robert Pooley, I was encouraged. I have signed up to receive a weekly devotional from Max Lucado's web site. I LOVE the way that man writes! And then...

Last night I sat down to watch the GMA Awards, or Dove's as I grew up knowing them. Throughout my youth, I lived for the Dove Awards. Watched to see if my favorite musicians were honored. And I loved to hear them perform live. I was always disappointed when Sandi Patty beat out Amy Grant. To which my father, the musician, would tell me the hard truth about musical talent. He was right, I just didn't want to hear it. Anyway, to hear the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, proclaimed was incredible for me. And then, they would venture into worship. I sat in my recliner and raised my hands and 'had church'! I know, from working in Christian retail, that the music industry is just that... Industry. If it doesn't sell, they won't put it on the shelves whether it's good or not, God or not. But after watching the Dove's I can honestly say that there is some anointed stuff out there. I could feel it, even through my satellite.

The Word of God truly does 'lift us up' out of our day to day messes. Sometimes our scheduled things; church, quiet times, fellowship, don't quite cut it. That's when we need to search Him out. Dig deeper. Find Him. He WILL be found by us! Do something different. Turn on the Gospel Music Channel. Find Him at the botanical gardens. Find Him. He's just waiting for us to pursue Him.

'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart

.Jeremiah 29:13 NAS

Brothers

You may have noticed that one of the blogs I visit is HeadCoach@Home. You may think that's strange, since it's geared toward encouraging husbands & fathers. But it's actually become a cool way for me to check up on my brother. He's a pastor in Poughkeepsie, NY and it's his blog. I love reading about his perspectives on family, sports, and life in general. I'm feeling quite nostalgic today (shocker), so let me tell you about my brother...

Growing up, I thought he was the most incredible boy in the world. I envied his relationship with our sister, Lisa, and longed for that friendship with him. Before he became a 'cool' teenager, we would play backyard football and he always let me win. When he started to have a life and friends of his own, I became quite the nuisance. I've tried to comfort Richard's oldest, Carlie, when she complains about her youngest sibling, Bryce. All Bryce is doing, and all that I did to Richard, is trying to insinuate himself into her life. And if that can only be done through irritants, so be it. When you see your older sibling growing up and, in your perception, out of your life, you do everything you can to hold onto them. Unfortunately, that usually means making their life, and the lives of the rest of the family, pretty miserable. Mother still says that she wondered if we would hate each other for the rest of our lives.

But then, you begin to grow up and those irritating ways fade as you build your own life. I've always adored my big brother, even when I haven't agreed with him. I still adore him. He has given me a sister-in-law who is just as much my sister as Lisa is. He made me an aunt to three of the most incredible kids. I am amazed at how wonderful he is at being a husband and father. Though I shouldn't be, considering the role model he has in our father. He has made me happier than I could imagine. He has hurt me more than I could imagine. Isn't that the way with family? They bring you the best AND the worst. Only the worse is far outweighed by the best! I hope you enjoy getting to know him through his blog. He's one of the most incredible men in the world.