More about Mom

Many of you kindly sent me memories of mom. My portion of the memorial service was a reading of those comments, then a bit of a Mom’s great teaching followed by an abbreviated version of her testimony. What’s posted here is far longer than anything I’ve ever shared before, but I thought perhaps some of you, unable to join us for the service, might want to read what was said. If you’d also like to read my sister’s beautiful eulogy, just let me know in the comments and include the email address where you’d like to have it sent.

She was an amazing woman and a wonderful pattern of the diligence, wisdom, and joy of Christ.

Her home was filled with love, warmth, joy, and grace.  She shared the love of Jesus with whoever was there, modeling God’s love in all she did, without being preachy or judgmental.

She so obviously loved Jesus. When we would have youth group events over at her house, she and your dad made it such a warm place to be.

She would bring us food-But always with a comer cut out that she kept for your dad and her. She made sure your dad would have some of the delicious treats she had just made. Her smile upon delivery was just as special as the food.

She was a devoted wife to her husband Bert. And a wonderful Mom.

In 49 years of knowing her, I never heard her speak negatively toward anyone or about anyone behind their back. And she actually studied the Bible. Sometimes I would stop for a visit and find her at the kitchen table with three Bibles and a notepad, working on her upcoming Between Jobs devotional.

She reminded my kids to  “Enjoy every minute.” Words of wisdom, light and love. She cried at the airport every time we left..

Loving, joyful, wise, generous, warm, kind. She changed lives for the better.

I used to do her yard, and she was always more interested in David and me than the lawn. I would see her walking down Flickering Candle with a pep in her step and a smile on her face—sometimes I’d walk to the stop sign with her to catch up.

Wise.

There was a warmth and kindness in her voice that always stood out to me.

She was one of the sweetest people I have ever known. Her kindness and generosity were one of the saving graces of my childhood and will never be forgotten.

She was always happy, smiling, and laughing.  She loved a houseful.  She was so compassionate.

When I think of your mother, I think of us as children and our mothers being part of a group of young Christian wives and mothers. Of all the ladies in the group, your Mom was my favorite. She was so gentle and kind, and I was never intimidated by her. 

Beth was such a remarkable woman. I remember she exuded peace, strength and joy. She genuinely seemed to care about every person she encountered. Her calm demeanor was such a rare thing to me. I remember sleeping over at her home in Spring a few times with Elizabeth and having movie nights and treats. It was a privilege to be spoiled by her whenever in her home. When I had my first baby, she even brought me a meal, and I was just a neighbor and friend to her granddaughter.❤️hopefully I can be a grandmother like her one day! She clearly was fueled by the light of Jesus and was determined to be the hands and feet of Christ to those around her.

My parents made me eat what was served and if I did not like it, I just did not eat.  I did not like whatever your mom made.  She immediately said, “I will make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich”.  Of course my parents said not to do that, I had to eat what was served.  S. made me a PB&J anyway.  I was a really picky eater as a child and that was the 1st time anyone ever offered to make me something I liked.  I was so happy and have never forgotten it!  She also taught me how to make chicken cacciatore!!!

Meemee has been such a wonderful friend to me and John…so giving through the years with apple pies and prayers and showing hospitality to us for weeks while our home was being renovated. She fed us and housed us like we were her own. So many long talks in her kitchen and with Deedah at her dining room table. What a gift she is!

I will always remember you telling me when you and I were young mothers how you’d grown up in a happy home and when I asked you to describe that you said, “My mom was always singing.” I was able to picture and “hear” her doing that. And the proof was in the pudding—you. It made me want to be a mother who sings.

She was gentle sunshine.

Mom was always interested in what you were interested in. If it was important to you, it was important to her. She was the first to call if the Cubs or Bulls had a big win. She was the first to get on the ground with the kids and play Legos or do sticker books. She wore the Krispy Kreme hat on the doughnut adventure or the paper tiara at the birthday party.

I can imagine her eyes are so big with awe as she sees the Glory of God.

No doubt she’s singing with the choir and playing with the children.

There is a Beth Smith sized hole in the earth that only God’s love can fill.

I feel that hole, and I know you do too. We can help fill it by demonstrating the same Christlike qualities Mom did. Compassion. Joy. Love. Generosity. Encouragement. Mom sometimes called that “Punching holes in the darkness.” Let me read you what she wrote about that.

Put to bed quite early one evening, Robert Louis Stevenson looked out the window as the lamplighter lit the gas streetlamps. Robert’s mother came into his room and asked him what he was doing. He replied, “I’m watching the man punch holes in the darkness.”

The greatest hole ever punched in the darkness of our world was the birth of Jesus Christ. He’s even called the Light of the world. And he loves us! Isn’t that a wonderful truth? But don’t get too comfortable. Listen God’s plan for those of us who have accepted him as Savior and Lord.

“You are the light of the world Let your light so shine before men that they may praise and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

How can we be lights? What can we do to punch holes in the darkness? We should start in our own homes. This may sound strange, but a great deal of light would come upon our families if we would just stop, look and listen to them. We try to work on the computer, talk on the phone and answer our child’s or mate’s question all at the same time. Let’s look at our loved ones and let them see that they’re important to us, more important than a computer, telephone, super bowl game, clean house, or anything else.

People need our lights, they need for us to punch holes in our dark world. We have endless opportunities to do that. Here are a few suggestions.

• Give a frazzled clerk a smile, a compliment, a peppermint—especially if she makes a mistake or is oh, so slow.
• Bake or buy a gift for someone who would never expect it.
• Write a special note thanking a missionary for punching holes in the darkness where you cannot go.
• Hug a whole bunch of people. You never know who needs a hug.

Sometimes, we begin to feel “punched out” and think “I’d like to do these things, but I’m not shining very brightly right now. I’m tired and busy, and I’ve got problems of my own.  What then? We go to our Loving Lord, who gives us the ability to be encouragers, even as He encourages us.

• “The Lord will be your everlasting light” (Isaiah 60:19 NIV).
• “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV).

God punches holes in our own darkness so that we can share his love with others.

He’s the light of the world and has asked us to punch holes in the darkness for him.

Mom wrote a whole lot of other encouraging—and challenging—words. But Mom wouldn’t want us to leave until she was sure you knew a little more about her faith in Jesus Christ. So, one more time, allow me to share some of her own words with you.

I grew up very active in the church. That continued after I married Bert. But it wasn’t until several years after we married. I learned about my personal Savior, a Lord who loved me and offered forgiveness, grace, and new life. A whole new world opened up to me.

The Bible became easier to understand. Prayer became second nature to me.

In the world, we often try to earn our own way. That’s not how God works. Have you heard this saying? “There’s no such thing as free. If you get it for free, somebody else paid for it.” That’s true in the life of faith. Jesus paid for all that we get from God. He paid for it with his death on the cross. Because of our sin—and you know that we all sin—we deserve eternal death “ but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NIV).

We could never earn our own way into God’s kingdom by being completely good, but salvation and a daily relationship with God is free for the taking.

I vividly remember kneeling at the foot of my bed, alone in the house, surrendering my life to Jesus. Somehow, I had missed the message of the gospel in all my years as a busy churchgoer. But then Jesus became real to me and the center of my life. I belonged to him. The peace that passes all understanding surrounded me.

I pray that you are also able to say, “I belong to Jesus! I have surrendered my life to him.” He is my savior. And we serve a great God!

Mom is in Heaven

Hello, My Friends.

My mom passed away on the morning of December 26th. Dad was by her side. They both knew she was headed for heaven.

Her memorial service will be in Austin on February 3rd. The exact time and location have yet to be determined. It will be a time for us to honor and remember her.

May I ask a favor of you? If you knew my mom, would you kindly send me a memory or two that you have of her. Or, if this is simpler, you could send your answer to this question: What do you think of when you think of Beth/ Mom/ Meemee?

I will share more about my mom in the coming weeks, but for now, thank you for the prayers so many of you have offered. While we miss her, all of us, including my dad, are doing well.

I look forward to reading your comments.

Love, Brenda

Her Two Cents

My mom continues to decline. But here for you today is some of her wonderful writing from the past…

When I see a couple of pennies on the street, I pick them up. One study I read reported that about three-fourths of us do that, but nearly half of us think our mint should just stop making those nearly worthless coins. Today, you get my two cents on something. That’s supposed to mean it will be short, but, well, you know me. Our topic is that of giving in the right spirit. The best way to start is with a passage from Mark 12: 41-44 (NLT).

“Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.’”

Preachers sometimes like to use this scripture to encourage sacrificial giving when the church finances get low. That, however, is not what I want to emphasize today. I think we should look at what Jesus said shortly before the scene at the treasury. Just a few verses earlier, in Mark 12:29-30 (NIV), Jesus was asked to describe the most important commandments. He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” He went on to say, “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” So we might consider this: Jesus knew the widow gave more than all the others, because she gave out of the spirit and motive of love. Any time we give anything, it should be with love. Jesus was looking at how people were giving, not what they were giving.

In verse 38-40 (NIV) of this same chapter, Jesus warned is disciples to, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show (to cover up their deeds) they make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

In the very next scene of Chapter 12, we observe the rich people and the widow contributing to the treasury. Perhaps like lengthy, showy prayers, the rich make large contributions to cover what sort of people they really are and to draw attention away from their ungodly deeds. The Amplified Bible puts it this way, “Many rich people were throwing in large sums.” Can’t you imagine the grand physical movement of their giving, a show to draw attention? Maybe the throwing of coins even made a noise to get attention. But the Bible says the widow put her gift in with no show or attention, quietly, generously and (in my opinion) happily. She did not have to give her all out of some sort of obligation. She wanted to.

Finally, let’s consider this. What if the widow, seeing these wealthy givers and the large amounts being given, had thought, “Well, what am I doing? These two tiny coins won’t matter at all.  I want to give, I love God, but certainly what I am able to give won’t make any difference. I’ll be embarrassed to go up there with such a piddling sum. I just won’t bother to do this.” Does that attitude ring a bell for any of you? It does for me, because I’ve done that. In my mind, the words go like this:

• I’d offer to help, but I have only an hour a week to give. They’ll get somebody who has more time.
• I could plan that program or cook for that meeting. I know how, but I’m not a professional. They’ll get someone who can do it much better than I.   
• I’d be happy to lead that small Bible study, but I’m sure they can get someone much more knowledgeable than I.
• I love to sing, but I’m no soloist and I don’t read music too well. They’ll get someone with much more talent than I for the choir.
• I feel really sorry for the hard time that family has had. I’d call, but what could I say? Someone who has counseling skills should do it.

How many times have I’ve missed God’s best because I wouldn’t do or give the little things within my abilities? Just think. If the widow had left the synagogue without giving her two coins, we wouldn’t have this scene in the Bible or this teaching by Jesus in this chapter of Mark. Why, she’s famous! Two little coins—recorded for all the ages.

What little gifts do we have that we haven’t given to God’s kingdom? Remember that Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. Wow! What might he do with our little gifts and talents and time? Everything we give him out of love, he multiplies for his use and for our certain good.

This week, if you come across a penny, whether on the street or elsewhere, I hope it will cause you to remember two things:

• We are to give because we love God and others, not for show or reward.
• Nothing we give or do for his kingdom is too small for God to use. Don’t discount your “little things.” God will make them big.

And that’s my two cents on the subject.

For now…

Hello from a different life. I have no update on Mom today, and little time to write. Instead, I’ll share some favorite quotes about troubled times from a favorite author who had more than “her share” of troubles—Hannah W. Smith. May they give you plenty to think about when life isn’t as you expected it to be! Love, Brenda

There can be no trials in which God’s will has not a place somewhere.

What we are able to see is generally only a partial view, and no partial view can be depended on.

The ways of the infinite God must be mysterious to the finite creature.

He loves us with an unselfish and limitless love. He cannot fail to make the apparently hard, or cruel, or even wicked thing, work together for our best good.

Not a trial comes except by His permission, and for some wise and loving purpose, which, however perhaps, only eternity will disclose.

But you can always trust in the Lord, whether or not you understand His plans or the doctrines concerning Him.

I am sure, however, that our disappointments are God’s appointments.

Often, in order to give us what we need, the Lord is obliged to keep from us what we want.

The Lord is good, therefore all that He does (or allows) must be good, no matter how it looks, and I can wait for His explanations.

It is enough for me to say, “God is,” and I have the answer to every possible difficulty.

There is in every human heart a cry for rest. … The rest our Lord proposes is not a rest from the trial and struggle, but a rest in it. …  It is a rest, ‘in the Lord,’ not in circumstances, or things, or people, and therefore it takes the ‘fret’ out of life. ”Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass” (Psalm 37:7KJV).

An Update on Happiness

My mom is not doing well. I covet your continued prayers for her as she endures the mental, emotional, and physical challenges of post-surgery at an advanced age. Offered here are her words from the past about happiness. May you be happy and blessed as you read them!

I have a few puzzling questions for you today.

·       Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with the hope that something new will have materialized?

·       Is it true that the only difference between a yard sale and a trash pick-up is how close to the road the stuff is placed?

·       Why don’t we ever hear father-in-law jokes?

·       If you take NyQuil and NoDoz at the same time, will you dream you couldn’t sleep?

Life is full of questions, and today we’re going to explore a common one. How can we be happy? A good start is to be ready to laugh at life and at ourselves. We need to look for the humorous side of things. Laughter doesn’t solve our problems, but it can make them easier to bear for a while.

I used to hand out Laffy Taffy. I love that name. I could change it to Laffy Tuffy, because we need to laugh even when times are hard. Most of us think we can be happy only when things are going well, but the Bible tells us how to be a happy Christian no matter what.

The Amplified Bible uses the word “happy” as a synonym for the word “blessed.” Let me give you some of the words and phrases that go into the meaning of blessed in the Hebrew and the Greek.  Blessed: happy, spiritually prosperous, filled with joy or satisfied regardless of circumstances, happy because of the experience of God’s favor and grace.

So, in looking to be happy, we can look at how to be blessed. The book of Psalms tell us that blessed or happy is the man (or woman) who:

• is forgiven of sin (32:1). 
• trusts and takes refuge in the Lord (34:8).
• helps the poor and weak (41:1).
• continually singing praises to God (84:4).
• fears the Lord and delights in obeying him (112:1) .

Proverbs says those are blessed who

• keep God’s ways (8:32).
• listen to God (8:34).

And Matthew chapter five lists these qualities of a happy person:

• aware of a need for God.
• gentle and lowly.
• desiring righteousness.
• merciful.
• pure in heart.
• peacemaking.
• persecuted for following God.

Obviously, God has plenty of advice for us on how to be happy. I want to stress just two ways today. First, we need to be happy and thankful for a heavenly Father who loves us enough to discipline and correct us. Sometimes, when things are hard for me, when I am not getting my own way about things, I can almost hear God saying, “I’m allowing this situation only for your own good, because I love you. You need to change something in your life. I want you to be happy, and you will never be happy or have joy on the path you are following right now. Come on, follow me.”

Psalm 94:12 (AMP) says, “Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom God disciplines and instructs.” How could that be true?

The answer is in Hebrews 12:11, this time quoted from the New Living Translation, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening–it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So, as odd as it may sound, we need to be happy that God will discipline us.

Here’s a second way the Bible tells us we can be happy and blessed. “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours” (Psalm 128: 1-2).

What does this tell us we should do? Fear and follow. Acknowledge our Lord as the Almighty God. Worship him. Obey him. Emulate Jesus. Will that be hard? Yes, because our flesh is weak and rebellious, and because Satan does not want us to be happy. But Jesus wants us to be happy – to be blessed and full of joy.

How can we become happy Christians? A full answer to that question would surely fill at least one book. These principles do not cover everything, but they are a great place to start:

• Worship God.
• Obey his commands.
• Receive his discipline.
• Follow his instructions.
• And do it all with joy.

Why Trust? by Beth Smith

Before I begin, let me say that my mom, pictured above, has taken a bad fall and is hospitalized. I covet your prayers for her. As you will read below, she trusts the Lord and has helped teach her family to do the same. Nevertheless, this is a painful time. Thanks! Brenda

We have a lot to learn when it comes to trusting God. Let’s dive in and see what the Bible has to say.

Here’s where we shouldn’t put our trust:

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes” (Psalm 118: 8-9 NIV). No matter how powerful, or good, or kind, or personable another person is, that’s not where we place our deepest trust. We rely on God first and foremost. 

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7 NIV). I guess a new BMW or Jaguar, no matter the horsepower, won’t do much for us! Some versions of the Bible relate chariots and horses to weapons. So we can’t trust those either.

We can’t trust in ourselves, not even in our good deeds or what we do for God. Jesus “told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else” (Luke 18:9 NLT). It was the parable of the Pharisee, or religious man, and the tax collector. The Pharisee listed all his good religious words Jesus said this man, so proud of his goodness, would not be justified before God. The humble tax collector had it right. He knew that our core trust must be in God alone.

Advantages to trusting God alone:

• God promises to help those who trust him.
• He says those who trust him will never be abandoned or forsaken.
• He offers strength and joy and blessing to those who lean on him.
• We are even told that “unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord” (Psalm 32:10 NIV).

How to start trusting God (from Proverbs 3:5-7):

• Don’t base your trust on how you feel.
• Do trust the Lord completely and consistently, not as a last resort.
• Don’t depend on your own understanding or wisdom.
• Do seek God’s will for your path. Ask him for direction.
• Don’t mess around with evil.

Reading the Bible isn’t enough. We’re meant to investigate it, to try it for ourselves, to believe it and to act on the things the Lord says. The longer we trust Him, the more times we experience his faithfulness, the stronger our trust grows. We can trust God. We’ll never do it perfectly on this side of heaven, but we can do it. Let’s get started. Let’s ask him to help us trust him now and forever.