Category: Miscellaneous

Dec 17

You Can’t Really Celebrate Christmas without Easter

Shortly after we moved to this area in 2015, we heard Lee Magness, a guest preacher at our new church say that he and his wife Pat had recently retired and relocated here to be near their grandchildren. I ran up to him after the service, introduced myself and asked if they wanted to join my husband and me in our brand new club: “Retired People Who Moved to Pottstown to be Near Their Grandchildren.”  He said “yes” and our very exclusive club (only four members) has been meeting regularly ever since! 

At one of our December “meetings” (the one after visiting Longwood Gardens for the Christmas lights), Lee gifted us a copy of his beautiful, original poem–(much more impressive than the homemade oatmeal I gave them.) I’m sharing the poem here as my Christmas gift to all of you. (If you were hoping for oatmeal, you’ll have to stop by my house.)

I love how Lee’s poem wonderfully entwines Christmas and Easter. It reminds me of the Apostle John’s description of that first Christmas as the time God encamped, tabernacled, pitched a human tent to make His home among us (John 1:14). I recommend reading the poem slowly to let the power of Lee’s words truly sink in.

ENCAMPMENT
So God stopped time for thirty-three years
And He pitched a tent of flesh
Which He unfolded one night
And enfolded the next

And that moment in which God tread time
Lasting from the darkness to the darkness
From the sunrise to the sunrise
Was called Jesus Christ

In great pain Mary labored over God
And suddenly in merciful agony
A man burst forth from the courtroom
Into the yard filled with a vicious mob

The mother knelt down
To wrap the baby in swaddling clothes
And they ripped them from his body
And kneeling down gambled them away

And because there was no room in the inn
She gently laid him
On the wooden beams of the cross
Where they nailed his reaching hands

And the animals heard the baby
And drew near hoping to be fed
And they bleated and bawled
Crucify him, crucify him

And the shepherds on the hillside
Came to see this thing
Which they thought would soon be past
And asked, Are you the King of the Jews?

And the wise men came to see Jesus
One brought spices, another perfumes
And a third removed his golden crown
And jammed its thorns into his brow

And in that dark Judean night
The new-born baby cried out
Wanting protection from the cold wind
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

And as the star stopped over the manger
There was darkness over the whole land
And just before the baby fell asleep
He softly cried, It is finished

And in that moment of ghastly glory
When Mary lay exhausted with an empty tomb
He said, I am the resurrection and the life
And in the next moment He redeemed the time
 ©1975 by Dr. J. Lee Magness

The birth of Jesus becomes worth celebrating when we fast-forward to His death and resurrection and see how He redeems–saves our souls–when we choose to follow Him.

So MERRY CHRISTMAS and a BLESSED EASTER!
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Every Christmas season I listen to all 2.5 hours of Handel’s Messiah on my old LPs…but did you know that George Frideric Handel wrote the 53-song oratorio for Easter, not Christmas?  The premier performance of Messiah was during Lent in Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 1742, and at Handel’s request all performance proceeds were donated to prisoners, orphans and the sick.

The “Hallelujah Chorus” was performed for the first time in the U.S. on New Year’s Day 1863  at the Grand Jubilee Concert  in Boston, celebrating the news that Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Please open the link below in your browser to be inspired by the Hallelujah Chorus. (Standing is optional 🙂 )

 

 

Oct 14

You Need a “Karen” in Your Life

Photo credit: X@gracklebirder1

Last month a Phillies fan retrieved a home run ball and handed it to his young son, only to be immediately confronted by another Phillies fan, who demanded the ball, which had landed nearer her. The shocked dad took the ball from his kid and gave it to the woman, who marched back to her seat.

The incident was captured on video and of course, went viral. Social media immediately nicknamed her “Phillies Karen.”

In case you’re not familiar with “Karen” as a pejorative slang term, Wikipedia explains it is “typically used to refer to a middle class woman who is perceived as entitled or excessively demanding.”

Many women with the now-maligned name of Karen have started using the tagline “Not that Karen”–as evidenced by one of my fellow New York Times Spelling Bee game players.

Through the years I’ve had many women actually named Karen move in and out of my life. In fact at one point in the ’80s there were so many Karens in our church that they started a “Karen Choir” of six lovely voices.

I truly treasure all those Karen-memories, but three Karens have especially blessed my life.

All are younger than I am–spring chickens, only in their 60s–and my dear friends for four decades. They epitomize poet William Ward’s description:

“A friend is one who joyfully sings with you when you are on the mountaintop
and silently walks beside you through the valley.”

Friend. It’s a word not easily described, so we tend to stick adjectives in front of it: close friend, best friend, childhood friend, lifelong friend. Friends are special because–unlike our relatives–we get to pick them!

L. to R., Karen W., Karen M., Karen Y.

I’m so happy I picked Karen M. for a friend. Her wry humor still cracks me up and I’m inspired by her care for her husband, who had a massive stroke last year, paralyzing his left side. I especially appreciate her raw honesty as she struggles against the fear, anxiety and overwhelming daily tasks: “I’m clawing my way back–one prayer, one verse at a time.”

I’m so grateful I picked Karen W. as a friend. Together we’ve nursed our babies, served our Lord and ministered to cancer patients and grievers. Her incredible compassion for family, friends and the lost energizes me to press on and not give up.  And I’ll never forget that she “celebrated” her 30th birthday visiting me in the hospital after my cancer surgery.

And I’m so thankful I picked Karen Y. to be my friend. For 14 years we’ve celebrated a “Pamper Lynn & Karen Day” (sometimes multiple times!) Her wise insights feed my mind and her peaceful presence soothes my soul, as she reminds me to “Keep swimming, little eagle!” ( https://lynneib.com/2025/09/09/10892/ )

My weary friend, you need a Karen, too.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

And if you don’t feel like you have that kind of friend, ask God to bring someone into your life as He did for the Apostle Paul:

When we arrived at Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.  2 Corinthians 7:5-6

Ask God to send a “Titus” (or a Not-that-Karen) to bring you healing hope.

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Open in your browser to hear the contemporary Christian group Selah sing “You Raise Me Up” ©Universal Music Publications and Peermusic III Ltd . This is what true friends do for weary souls.

 

Apr 08

Should I “snooze Jesus”?

I don’t know if you’re on Facebook or not, but I have to be honest that much of the time lately I wish I wasn’t.

Don’t get me wrong. I love hearing from readers around the world who have been encouraged by one of my books and take time to let me know and share a little of their story. I love photos of old friends whom I don’t get to see in person often (or maybe ever!). And I love updates from cancer survivors and their families.

But I dislike intensely (that’s the phrase my mother made my brother and me use instead of “hate”) all the political posts, especially those which are not factual. And I really intensely dislike the lack of compassion I see, including from some of my Christian brothers and sisters.

So when a FB friend (not someone I know in “real” life) kept sharing posts which I felt fit both those categories, I decided I did not want to see these popping up in my feed any more. Easy enough, to remedy right?

Well, what I hadn’t really considered was the fact the first part of the “friend’s” online name was “Jesus.” Here are the choices I was given:

 

I’m sorry the photos are a little blurry, but I was laughing so hard when I read the options that I think I shook my phone.

“Snooze”Jesus for a month? Is that like hitting the alarm button, going back to sleep and ignoring Him?”

“Report the post” and they “won’t let Jesus know”? Pretty sure that’s not going to work.

And worst of all: “Unfollow Jesus” but “stay friends?’ Don’t we become friends because we are following Him?

When I finally stopped laughing, I starting seriously thinking about whether I unconsciously have chosen any of these options in my relationship with my Lord Jesus.

And the answer, I’m sorry to say, is yes.

I do “snooze” Him at times as I “ignore” His quiet whispers to spend more time with Him.

I do “see fewer posts” from Him when I skip reading my Bible and play word games instead.

And I always do want to be His friend, but I don’t always choose to follow the way I know He wants me to.

So these are the questions I’m asking myself in these turbulent days: Have I “snoozed”Jesus lately? Am I following Him or a political party? Is His Word prioritized in my day–both reading it and living it? Would the King of Kings give my FB posts a thumbs-up?

I’m finding that more than ever I need to guard what goes into my mind and heart so I can better control what comes out in my words and actions.

Proverbs 4:23-25 offers great wisdom:

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.
Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

Whatever struggles we face today, Hebrews 12:2 gives us the answer:

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion, who initiates and perfects our faith.

Please worship the Lord with this beautiful rendition of “Turn Your Eyes (Jesus We Lift Our Eyes to You) by Sovereign Grace Music. (Open in your browser to play the music video.)

 

 

Dec 31

Are you tired of all the bad news?

Interviewing Atty. F. Lee Bailey 1989

Sometimes I miss my days of being a newspaper reporter–reading three daily papers and chasing after big stories (like interviewing F. Lee Bailey, attorney for such notorious defendants as the Boston Strangler, O.J. Simpson, and Dr. Sam Sheppard, a.k.a. “The Fugitive.”).

But most of the time nowadays I don’t even want to hear much of the news.

Devastating wars, the constant threat of terrorism, political unrest,  severe weather disasters, so much hate, and too many friends and relatives battling illnesses.

Life is not only hard; it’s downright unfair, as some people seem to have more than their share of trouble. You or your loved one might even be one of those people.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we lived in a world where everything was fair, people didn’t get sick and sad things didn’t happen? That would be a great place to call “home.”

Did you ever wonder why there’s such a longing in each of us for just such a place? It’s a longing for home, you know.  A longing for our real home. You see, we weren’t created to live in Pennsylvania or New York or anywhere else on the face of this planet. We were created for our real home…Heaven.

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

The Bible describes Heaven as the place where God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.” (Revelation 21:14)

And why won’t there be any more tears or death or pain? Not because we’ll have all the money we ever wanted. Or all the success. Or all the beauty. Or any other tangible item.

It’s because we’ll have God Himself.

“Look! God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them and they will be his people.” (Revelation 21:13)

We’ll have what we always really needed to be whole—the constant presence of God Himself.

The great 17th-century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal wrote that we all have a “God-shaped vacuum” inside. There’s a hole, so to speak, in our souls that leaves us longing for something more than this world has to offer.

God has “planted eternity in the human heart” the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us.

God knows only He can fill that hole of longing even though we try to fill it ourselves. Some of us try to fill it by buying “stuff” or with relationships or with work or sports or with learning or religious rituals. Some even try things like food or sex or drugs or alcohol. But none of these can fill the God-shaped vacuum in us…instead they only make it bigger.

The only thing that fills that hole and makes us whole is when God fills it with Himself by putting His very Spirit inside us. And when God’s Spirit lives in us, we discover our purpose for living.

It’s really quite simple…Do you know what it is?

We were created to praise God.

That’s right. We find true joy, true fulfillment, when we realize there’s Someone bigger than us. Someone greater than us. Someone worthy of every bit of praise we can give.

If you’ve not really had praise for God well up in your heart lately (or ever!), I pray that you will today.

And if you’re still trying to fill that God-shaped vacuum with other things, I pray you’ll allow God to fill you with Himself and satisfy that longing for your real Home

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Open in your browser to hear “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin and please sing along–out loud or in your heart.

And here’s a bonus video of Chris singing about “Home.”

Sep 10

Wrapping People in God’s Love

Kelley & Rick with Connie’s quilt

When her best friend was diagnosed with cancer,  Kelley Carson stitched a lap quilt so Connie could be “wrapped in my love and the love of Jesus.”

But neither woman ever imagined that 20 years later nearly 9,000 more cancer patients also would be wrapped in that love.

“We started giving away a few quilts to people getting chemo with Connie,” Kelley recalls. “And then it just took off from there.”

Connie passed away in 2007, but in 2004 the two women formed Cozy Quilters Ministries https://www.facebook.com/cozyquilts2017/ at their small, country church in western New York state.

A few church ladies prayerfully stitched the quilts, which along with a note of encouragement and a copy of my first book, When GOD & Cancer Meet, were placed in a matching tote bag.

“Once word got out about what we were doing, the names starting streaming in,” Kelley says.  “And they still do. As long as we have a name and an address, we will send a quilt.”

The CQ volunteers even have sent quilts to celebrities facing cancer including former Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, singer Olivia Newton John, and actor Beau Bridges –all of whom responded with thank-you notes.

The quilters didn’t hear back from former Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Jim Kelly, but did see him in a TV interview sitting with his red, white and blue Cozy Quilt draped behind him on his recliner.

“We vowed that if we heard of a person with cancer and had a way to get a quilt to them, we would,” Kelley explains. “We want to wrap the arms of Christ around everyone that we can.”

Today there are seven CQ chapters in western New York and one in northern Pennsylvania. At the 20th anniversary celebration last month, the groups announced they had given away a total of 8,871 quilts! (No wonder When GOD & Cancer Meet just had its 20th printing!)

Quilts have gone out to all 50 states and 18 foreign countries. There is no charge to the recipient or the person requesting the quilt as all costs for fabric, postage and my books are covered by donations.

Earlier this year a quilt was called for, but Kelley didn’t need the recipient’s address.

Her husband of 38 years was diagnosed with colon cancer, so Kelley made 6′ 4′ Rick (whose nickname is “Animal”) a Sasquatch (Big Foot) patterned quilt. In May, the 63-year old retired union laborer had robotic surgery at Roswell Cancer Center in Buffalo to remove the tumor and resection his colon.

Rick with his Big Foot quilt!

“Doctors tell me that basically I’m cured,” says Rick, who especially is thankful to have been able to walk his only daughter down the aisle last month.

But even before he got word that the cancer was completely contained and removed, Rick says he “felt at peace.”

“I just felt there was no reason to worry about it because it was out of my control,” he explains.

Kelley describes Cozy Quilt Ministries “as an evangelism ministry that just happens to use quilts” and vows that “as long as God continues to provide what we need to do this, I will keep doing it.”

“None of us are in control of this ministry,” she adds. “The Holy Spirit goes with each of these quilts and touches people at just the right time. I never could have imagined what God would do.”

P.S. (For info on making a donation or starting a CQ group, email cozyquiltministries@gmail.com)
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Open in your browser to hear “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus” with Reawaken Hymns.