Category: thoughts

Strength

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles: they shall run, and not be weary: and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

I recently read a quote, “If it weren’t for stress, I’d have no energy at all.” Some days I wake up and I’m weary. I start the day tired, wondering where that tired came from. One thing I’ve started doing is to begin the day reading scripture. This is hard to do on a daily basis. Some days I just open the Bible, some days a scripture comes to mind. Some days I revisit a scripture I heard the previous week in worship or in my Sunday school class.

The scripture above is one I read on my devotional calendar. It was so right for me today, even in this hour. It’s 2 in the afternoon as I write this. You know that time in the afternoon when you’re ready for a break. I just finished off some thin mint Girl Scout cookies. If you’re gonna eat cookies, they might as well be thin mint Girl Scout cookies. . . . They Rock!

A friend of mine turned 8 this week. I can remember being 8 and especially in the summer being able to run for hours. I could play outside forever and never get tired. The scripture says they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength. Waiting on the Lord . . . at no time can I think of waiting for something and renewing my strength. Waiting is not generally a renewing exercise for me, in fact it makes me tired. So this waiting is going to look different and I’m gonna feel different. Maybe this waiting is like starting the day reading scripture and listening to God, not doing my thing alone, but really being engaged with God during the day and realizing that my strength today is going be be a gift from God. When I think about it, it all comes from God anyway, whether I am aware of it or not. So I should give God all my weariness, my impatience, my whole day, my whole life.

peace to you friends, . . . Celia

Fear

1John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.

Imagine that you were not afraid. Last week, my son Max came running into the kitchen saying a snake was on his TV show. He was right–I checked–a cartoon snake was on the screen. We sat and I told him it was ok–it was just pretend. We talked about what else made him afraid. He covered his mouth and talked out of the side of it. He said, “dark places.” He stayed in my lap and we discussed a plan for him for those times when he was afraid. We talked about what could he do. Our list went something like this… take a deep breath, sing a song, get his dinosaur flashlight, get his blue soft blanket, get his stuffed dog, come get me, think happy thoughts, say a prayer to Jesus. Soon the snake was forgotten and together we set the table for dinner.

What makes you afraid? Years ago I hear a sermon from one of my favorite pastors–I won’t mention his name, because many of you reading this are also my favorite pastors:) The pastor said–what if something like this happens . . . you go to heaven and God says, “I want to show you something” and God pulls down a big screen and shows you a movie. As you watch, it appears very familiar to you, but you don’t quite recognize it. You ask God, “whose life is that?” and God says, “wait until the end of the film.” After the film, God says, “that’s what your life could’ve been, if you hadn’t been afraid.” Now that’s scary. Soon after hearing that sermon, I quit teaching and began this wonderful, wild, scary, life giving journey into music.

What would happen… if we lived our lives without fear… if we really trusted God 100%… if we gave all of our lives to Christ… if we gave more than we took… if we were fiercely loyal… if we weren’t afraid of what others thought of us… if we loved ourselves all the time… if we loved with reckless abandon… if we weren’t afraid to be ourselves?

Thinking of my life I can name several times and things that have scared me and in reality have been very difficult to walk through… job changes, moves, eating disorder, self-doubt, a miscarriage, coming to grips with painful memories and most recently the death of loved ones. This past year I read Henry Nouwen’s “A Letter of Consolation.” He proposes that it is a myth that time heals wounds. Nouwen says it doesn’t–time actually makes most things harder… you miss that loved one more.. you wondered when you’ll ever let go of that hurt. He says that it is love that heals and that sees us through hard times–God’s perfect love.

I know that to be true. I have lived it time and time again and I know that whatever dark places I experience in the future, God’s love will see me through. Sometimes it is crystal clear that God’s perfect love is the only thing that makes sense.

So this week, consider our list. Maybe you need a dinosaur flashlight; but remember to take a deep breath, find a friend, think a happy thought, sing a song, say a prayer to Jesus.. and know that God’s love will see you through, no matter what.

Blessings friends, Celia

Thankfulness

During the week of Thanksgiving, Celia sang at a community thanksgiving service. The sermon topic was, of course, thankfulness.

One illustration has stuck with me. The preaching pastor, Alan Clark, had chaperoned a high school youth choir trip to England. One of the stops on the trip was the Tower of London. If you’ve been to the Tower of London, you know there are several very valuable artifacts on display. One of the big displays is jewelry that has belonged to the royal family through the years. Alan said the place was full of visitors who were awestruck at the jewels they saw. There was another group of people there. There were a number of security guards doing their jobs. The guards were not in awe–they were at work. From the outside looking in, they seemed unimpressed by the jewels. This was stuff they saw everyday.

As human beings we quickly take things for granted. I think that’s particularly evident this time of year. With the to do lists and the commercialism that the holidays bring, it’s easy to skip over the incredible gift that is ours in Christmas.

Maybe that is one reason children are great to be around at Christmas. They are seeing it anew. Our three year old, Max, is practicing his songs for the children’s choir program at church. He walks around the house singing about the camels going to Bethlehem to see where Christ was born. Two days ago he and I listened to Linus re-tell the story from Luke on the Peanuts Christmas special.

This year, we invite you to hear the story anew and to celebrate with awe–like you’re celebrating for the first time! Merry Christmas

Living in the moment

There have been several weekends when I have come home from singing on the road and told my husband Ron about someone I met along the way. It has almost become a joke–he’ll say, “who’s your new best friend?” This past weekend is no exception.

I had the joy of being at Trinity UMC in Grand Island, NE… You betcha we had fun! While there I met a wonderful young lady who is so full of life and full of love to share. She is showing everyone she meets how to live life with a positive outlook. Within the first five minutes of our meeting, she was hugging me and telling me how much she loved Nashville and country music and Christian music. She hugged me like we grew up on the same block. Her smile comes from somewhere deep inside her, from a place most of us have forgotten about. I experienced a contagious joy while talking to her that was as genuine as any I have ever encountered. Sunday evening before the concert, she and I laughed so hard… I believe people wondered what we were up to. What got it started was that I commented as I looked over the banquet hall, “you know what I’d be doing if I were sitting at those tables? She asked, “what?” Quickly I said, “eating my dessert!” For some reason that got the ball rolling.

One of the reasons she and her husband are a vital part of their congregation is that they simply love people. When they hug you, there’s no doubt that you’ve been hugged. When they say they love you, they look you straight in your eyes and really mean it. When they share a compliment, it is so sincere that you know they are blessed by it more than you are.

Jesus spoke a word or two about living in the moment. Check out Matthew 6:33-34 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own today’s trouble is enough for today.

How long has it been since you lost yourself in the moment, whether it was laughter or a hug or telling someone how you fell about them or a compliment? What’s really funny is that I see my truest self in those moments — when I let go and find myself swept away in the moment. I think what way special about these folks is that they lived in the moment. Do you know someone like that? Are you someone like that? I ran into that kind of life in Nebraska and I hope that I can love others around me with a portion of the passion and enthusiasm I received… to my new best friends.

On Readiness, by Ron

Celia’s last newsletter was sent out in June. We have some catching up to do. It’s been a busy, incredible summer and the traveling has been great.

Saturday night we saw the movie “Second Hand Lions.” I recommend it. It is the story of a teenage boy who is literally dropped off in the front yard of his great uncles. His uncles are a couple of retired gentlemen who have lived full lives, and are far from calling it quits. One line that surfaces several times during the movie is “he died with his boots on.” In the movie, having your boots on means staying active.

Though the movie is talking about activity in general, my thoughts turned toward my faith journey. I am reminded of the parable of the sheep and the goats, (It is in Matthew 25 if you want to have a look.) Jesus commends the sheep for their treatment of those in need and ultimately of him. The sheep say, when did we do that? The story continues with the goats answering for their actions. Their best excuse is (I’m paraphrasing). . . if we’d have known it was you, we’d have had our boots on.

The only way to insure that you die with your boots on, is to LIVE with your boots on. It’s not about living in the significant moment, it’s about living in the average moment.

Sunday at our church, we consecrated a new building. During Sunday School, our class spent some time on the word “consecrate.” We talked about definitions. Two meanings we settled on were “to set aside as holy” or “to set aside for religious use.” We also talked about things we consecrate beyond the church. The one that stuck with me is consecrating our lives and our days. I think that’s what morning prayers are for me. A time to recognize the day before me as a gift and to set it aside as holy. Remember the words of the hymn Take my life, and let it be. It was written by Frances Ridley Havergal in 1873. (To read a two minute version of her life, follow this link: )

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Consecrate your day and live with your boots on!

On Loss, by Ron

The valley of the shadow of death . . . we’ve been walking through that valley. Celia’s father, Rev. William Vincent Sirman, whose 80th birthday was devotional subject in our last e-mail newsletter, passed away on May 24th. He had come to Tennessee for a visit (with our apple trees, primarily) and suffered a heart attack. He spent about 2 and 1/2 weeks in the hospital. Then with the help of hospice, we brought him home, knowing his days were numbered. After 1 and 1/2 weeks, he died in our home–the old fashioned way with family surrounding him. It was an incredibly peaceful transition and if I could type faster, I’d tell you the whole story, It was an honor to be there to help him with that part of his journey. This loss follows the death of Celia’s sister last July and her mother in January. I think the effects of grief are cumulative.

All of that said, God IS good and considering the circumstances, Celia is doing well, herself. We have known the support of the community. Our church has a casserole ministry–EVERY church should have a casserole ministry. With one phone call, you’ve got meals delivered to your home roughly once a day, until you say stop. I’m going to call them back after Thanksgiving and tell them we don’t need anymore meals–just kidding–they’ve stopped already. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of support we’ve felt from the community, friends and family. People we’d never met drove into our driveway with groceries, because they’d heard about our situation. We were taken care of.

Two brief stories about Max (the 3 year old). Story number 1: The morning Brother Bill died, we’d all said our good mornings to Bill. Max has a special way of saying good morning. His line is, “it’s a beautiful day.” This literally translates it’s not dark anymore. The opposite of this line isn’t, “it’s not a beautiful day,” but “it’s still dark and I should get back in bed” (an unpopular notion). All of that interpretation gets lost when you hear Max’s three year old voice proclaim, “it’s a beautiful day”–and that’s what Brother Bill heard on his last morning among us. Not a bad way to start your final day here. Story number 2: Immediately after Brother Bill died, a friend took both boys out of the house for a couple of hours. When they returned, we delivered the “adult to child death talk” that we’d prepared and rehearsed. It was a brief talk that ended with “Pawpaw is in heaven.” After listening to the talk, Max thought for a very brief moment and then said, “Can we go swimming?”–The boys are doing fine.

Following the cleaning out of Celia’s parents’ home in Louisiana, we had a wonderful memorial service for Brother Bill. After that, we led some music for a youth group on the beach in Florida. We love the beach. Show me a better place to contemplate the eternal than that place where all of the water meets all of the land–I want to go there!!

We’re ready to move forward, hoping that we’ve filled our loss quota for the next while. We’re excited about our upcoming work. July is a slamming month: we’ll be in Virginia for a week and then with a band, spend 3 weeks at national youth gatherings. If you see us at an event, check in and say howdy!

Lent

I’ve never been big on editing. I usually say what I mean, so why toil over it? Will it really get better? As I work on songwriting I have worked with some co-writers who have the gift of editing–whittling down a message to a solid core–saying what needs to be said in the fewest words possible. They make it look easy. You know someone like this. They drive me nuts. I wish that came more naturally for me and my life. As I think of Lent, I am thinking about whittling away at some things in my life.

My father has been visiting us for the 6 weeks since my mother death. Last week he began pruning some apple trees in our front yard. Day after day he’d work a little on them–there are four of them. In the two years we have lived in this house they have produced very little fruit. Dad and I went to our local hardware store to pick up some fungicide. I love the hardware store near us. They have live chicks in a pen inside the store. There’s always a dog roaming around inside the store and they used to have a rooster who never could quite finish his cock-a-doodle-doo–it was worth the trip to the store to hear him attempt it. He always left you hanging. Back to the house and back to the apple trees. Max, Zach and I would help as best a 1 yr old and 3 yr old could to pick up the branches as dad and Ron would clip them off. Then the spraying began. Little by little the trees are pruned and sprayed. Today Dad is going to water them. He says he’s coming back in the fall to help pick apples and make applesauce–he’s got vision. They haven’t produced many apples so far. It’s hard to believe that they really will and after all the hard work that has gone into them. I’m really counting on them and looking forward to the day when they will.

Back to Lent… barren… stripped away… now’s the time for us to do the work and trust that we will bare some fruit after this time. I feel it’s time to look inside.. to look at my life.. to edit a little… even though I don’t want to… it takes time… it’s tedious, day after day letting go of some things to make room for new life. I could share with you what I’m working on letting go of, but it is so personal for each of us that I feel like I have to go this one alone. I’ve got to be the one day after day working… pruning… sharing my work with a few fellow editers in my life, as I guess you do. It’s funny–it’s easy to think that the yuck stuff we are working on in our own lives–no one else could relate to. The truth is we ALL have work to do. We all could do a little pruning and editing. It’s nice to know God is with us in this time, working with us, nudging us to let go and to celebrate the new life that awaits each of us.

2 Corinthians 5: 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

On Support

Many of you sent a word of condolence and support to Celia following the loss of her mom, Carolyn, on January 22. Our devotional thoughts this month are thoughts of thankfulness for the support of The Community in our lives. Celia’s mom’s passing was unexpected, Celia will tell the story someday in the newsletter. The outpouring of support has been more helpful than you’ll know–thank you.

I will tell some of my story here. On Tuesday evening January 21, (not knowing it was Carolyn’s last night–we thought things were on track) as we were leaving hospital room, I asked her if she wanted me to leave the window blinds up so she could watch the sunset–it was a beautiful sunset. She said yes, and I’ll forever remember walking away from her with the picture of her taking it in. I hope I take the time to marvel at the sunset on all my days on the planet–including my last. The folks in Key West do that sunset thing right.

Celia did end up canceling a weekend date, but we’re so thankful for the flexibility in our lives (and the understanding of the folks at Lake Junaluska) to do what we felt we needed to do. We were able to spend some extended time with Celia’s family. Her dad, Bill, even came home with us to TN for a few weeks and joined us at the Extravaganza in Atlanta with 600ish Lutheran Youthworkers from across the nation. He said it was good to be with young folks (they were all adults who love kids). I’ll add that it’s good to be with The Church. Bill will go with us to Lake Junaluska next weekend. We’ve had a rich time together and Max and Zach love having Pawpaw around.

People have asked Celia why and how she sings at times like this. I guess you do what comes naturally–and for Celia there’s nothing more natural than singing. So the song goes on.

Christmas

I got a daily devotional booklet this year from a dear friend. Most weeks I’m too busy to remember that I need a daily devotional, much less take the time to read it, but yesterday’s thought said, “We do not remember days, we remember moments. Make each moment worth remembering.”

There are so many moments I have from this season (most of them involve being with someone and feeling loved): singing carols, lighting candles, hearing bells, the re-telling of the story of the first Christmas by children in church dressed in bath robes–I love the kids who wave at their parents from the front of the church–I always wave back (this morning, the children of our church led worship), watching Christmas cartoons (Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, the Grinch, Peanuts Christmas, Frosty The Snowman), reading books (Polar Express–great book–if you don’t have it give it to yourself, the Night Before Christmas, Christmas Mouse), hot chocolate, warm fires and watching the lights from the tree–I have a live Christmas tree partly because I like the way it makes the house smell. Like my dad, I’ve always been a night owl. I love to sit alone in the living room with all the lights off, except the tiny lights on the tree blinking around in the room. I don’t know where your happy places are, but that’s one of mine. Memories of Christmas past come back as I watch that light show and everything else is still and peaceful.

Yesterday we got our tree–brought that baby home to decorate. Max–at 2 1/2 years old–asked me what is “decorate” the tree and all I could think of was making our tree pretty. Then I tried making it special, then I tried putting ornaments on it. Then I just said, “you’ll see”. We untangled the lights and tried to get them all working. I don’t know why I bother trying to figure out which bulb don’t work–I found a new string for only $1.64. We put up ornaments, trying to find the right place for them–well placement is a must. Together Max and I, with Ron’s help and Zach’s pointing, got our tree up and decorated, complete with star that was way to heavy for our initial tree top.

My prayers for this Christmas are that we soak up the moments of this season–
the moments we are together with friends and family
the moments Christ comes to us even in little ways
the moments God uses small things to give us a sense of peace and surround us with love like no other
…and that we will find time to be still (I guess that’s what I need this year)
that we enjoy the moments–the doing-together stuff, even more than the “we have to get and give stuff;”
that we’ll remember what Christmas is all about relationships–ours to God in Christ (both the baby and the adult) and ours to each other.

Okay one last story, tonight before bed I was straightening the living room after decorating the tree. You know putting away boxes, extra lights and tidying up. We have a new nativity scene this year thanks to a friend. This nativity is a cloth one for a child. All of the foam figures were thrown around the floor. As I started to put them together I couldn’t find the baby Jesus in the manger or anywhere else. I looked for a long time for that baby. I remember that Max and Zach had been putting the figures in this antique looking bird house I have near the table the nativity was on. The baby Jesus was safely caged in the bird house. I freed baby Jesus and put him back where he belonged. If you are looking for the Christ child this season, remember to look in unlikely places, like a stable. There’s a song or a sermon in that idea. Have a Merry Christmas! With love, Celia

Mountains Or Beach, by Ron

This has been a unique two weeks for the Whitler family. Rarely do we get to the mountains AND the beach in one month. Our event calendar had us at both with only 36 hours in between. I’m not crazy about the forced choice question–I love both! Our mountain event was a youth leadership event in Estes Park, CO. Snow was falling and in that winter wonderland we listened to Christmas music. At the event, we explored the theme “Christians Under Construction.” We talked about God’s role in that endeavor and our individual and corporate roles in our growth. At the beach event in Fort Walton Beach, FL, we’re taking a look at encountering God. One of the things I love about the beach is the shore line. It’s that dynamic line where all of the ocean meets all of the land–2 different substances encountering one another. Max and I have explored that line–we sneak up on it and run from it. The line has a lot in common with the place where God meets us. During the event we’re taking a look at some waterfront encounters with God. Celia will be in St. Paul, MN on Sunday and we’ve got a year end visit to Houston to wind up our travels. It’s been an incredible year!! So how ’bout you . . . beach, mountains or both?