Over It

Sunday morning we were in Mt. Vernon, Texas and heard Dr. Scott Camp speak at First Baptist Church.  He preached a full-on salvation message – something I haven’t heard in a long time, and I realized how much I miss hearing about salvation and being in a service where people realize they need Jesus and come forward and accept Him into their lives.  I don't even know how many people came forward and accepted the gift of salvation yesterday, but there were a lot!  Being in that service reminded me of days long ago, sitting in my home church in Garland, Texas and listening to Bro. Gary (AKA Dr. Gary Coleman) preach, reading the Scriptures and telling how Jesus died for each of us, begging people to get saved before it’s too late.  In today’s modern society, which has somehow managed to make its way into our churches (which isn’t always a bad thing), sometimes I find myself really missing those days, and I often wish I’d paid more attention to my preacher.  The truth is, sometimes I really miss those hell-fire-damnation messages because, although they were confrontational  and assertive and made people uncomfortable, I know he was speaking the truth according to Scripture and because of such messages, I have absolutely no doubt about where I am going when I die.

Anyway, in his sermon on Sunday morning, Dr. Camp mentioned how there are those in the service who were raised in church and became a Christian early on in life and have “gotten over” their salvation - I guess it convicted me more than I thought because I'm still thinking about his message.  I’m guilty of this….if I weren’t, wouldn’t I be telling everyone I come into contact with about Jesus?  It’s easy for me to talk about praying for someone, and about how blessed I am, about how good God is…..all these generalities with people I see and meet every day…. but why is it so hard for me to stop what I’m doing and tell someone about the greatest gift ever given? 

So, I’ve thought about praying that God will give me the courage to “witness” to everyone I meet, and the knowledge of how to bring this personal, sometimes awkward, subject up in conversation with complete strangers, but what if He actually answers this prayer?  What will people think of me then?  Will I be labeled the Jesus freak?  Will people avoid talking to me at all?  How will it affect my friendships and relationships with family members?  All of these questions start running through my mind, and then finally, one question pops up and lingers….

Why do I care about what people think and what label people put on me and how my relationships will be affected, when what I should be caring about is where these people will go when they die?  What if no one ever tells them how they can have absolutely no doubt about where they will go when they die? 

Romans 10:14 says, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”

As of right now, 2 things are clear to me:  1) I do take my salvation for granted, I don’t think about what Jesus did for me on a daily basis and I’m incredibly ashamed of that and need to change that about myself, and 2) to keep this gift to myself and not share it with others that I meet on a day to day basis is incredibly selfish.

“How can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?”  I need to be that “someone”….I need to pray that God will give me courage to speak up and say, “I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it’s the power of God unto salvation”.

God help me to get a true burden for those who don’t know you, and help me to never “get over” my salvation.

Storm

I’ve avoided writing about this, simply because it’s just too difficult.  It’s not fun or pleasant to write about the tough situations we are going through in life.  I’d much rather write about fun, happy  things, but the reality is, even though we are Christ followers, and live daily in the knowledge that there is nothing we go through that is not first cleared with God Himself, the fact remains that life is hard.  The Nagle family has been going through some hard times for the last year or so. 

My husband’s father passed away early last year, my husband was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma last June and completed several weeks of radiation.  He is now in remission, for which we are so grateful, but we still have that looming thought, “When is it going to come back?” in our minds every day.  In February of this year, my husband’s brother, Bill, was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer.  The doctors said it was in Stage 4.  He has undergone massive amounts of chemotherapy and radiation, but the cancer has spread.  It has now taken over not only his throat, but his lungs, sternum, spine, and brain.  He had a stroke Friday. They performed surgery Saturday morning to drain fluid from behind his right eye, so that some of the pressure could be relieved and to allow him to move his eye again.  He made it through the surgery, and as soon as he is stable, they will send him home.  He is now on oxygen and there is talk of putting him on a ventilator.  Arrangements are being made for hospice to come in and help take care of him once he gets home.  They are giving him 6 months to live.  My brother in law is 64 year old.  His cancer, according to his doctors, is a direct result of being exposed to Agent Orange while he was serving our country in Vietnam.

From the left:  Bill Nagle, Jeremy Nagle, and Mike Nagle.  Sitting is Bill Nagle Sr, also known as “Pops” to Bill and Mike, “Pap” to Jeremy.

I will share parts of a letter that I sent to my family members this morning:

“Mike is leaving early tomorrow morning to go to Salisbury, Maryland, where Bill lives.  He has a connecting flight in Charlotte, NC, where he will meet his sister, Bonnie, who is flying in from Tampa.  Together they will fly to Maryland.  He is planning on staying until Sunday.  As he started packing last night, we talked about the possibility of Bill passing away while Mike is up there, at which point he will just stay for the funeral.  He had to pick out a suit, tie and shirt, and I will take those up there with me for the funeral if I have to go up alone.  That was very hard for Mike, but he knew he needed to do it, just in case.  I’ll take them to the cleaners to be pressed, so that everything will be ready.”

 To say that my husband is devastated is a huge understatement.  This latest report on Bill is overwhelming for him, and it has him wondering how much more he can take.  My letter to family ended with this:

“I feel totally helpless, and I worry about how much more he can take.  If I could just do something, anything, to ease his pain, just for a little while, I would gladly do it.  This man, who consistently gives to others, needs relief, needs comfort, needs strength, and there’s not a thing I can do to help him.  I can only pray, and ask others to pray with me.  This man I love needs prayer right now, he needs the saints to go to the Father and intercede on his behalf for peace and strength and comfort.  I need to know that the people I love most in this world will do this for me, and for Mike.”

I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to me that I have a family that I can freely go to and ask for prayer, knowing that immediately they will stop what they are doing and approach God the Father with our requests.  I know that I take this for granted, having been raised in a Christian environment, but I will always be eternally grateful for my brothers, sisters, children, nieces, nephews, and in-laws who pray for us, and with us. 

I'm also taking this opportunity to ask that if you read this, you will pray for my husband, Mike, and our family.  We are people who believe in the power of prayer, and right now, we need all the power of prayer we can get.  Thank you.  May God bless each of you.

Home

Moving into a new home is exciting!  In my mind, I’ve gone into each room and decided where I want to put each piece of furniture.  I also know where I’m going to hang some of my pictures.  We have booked movers for the big day, and have begun the awful, terrible chore of packing.  I’ll just say it right now, I hate packing.  The only good thing about packing up a household is that you get the opportunity to go through all the junk you have accumulated for years and throw some of it away.  Yesterday, I found myself taking pictures of different things with my cell phone and sending them to my kids, asking, “Do you want this?”.  I was thrilled when they said “No”, that meant one more box I can toss out and not have to move.

This past week, one of my friends from high school faced a terrible loss – her Daddy passed away.  I’ve known my friend and her family for over 30 years….her Momma already went to heaven several years ago, now her Daddy has made that journey as well, and she and her brothers are heartbroken, but he is Home.  As I was packing yesterday, I was thinking about my friend’s dad, and how he got to move right into his mansion that God the Father has prepared for him, and he didn’t have to pack a thing.  One thought led to another, and I got to thinking about my brother, Jeff, who passed away almost 15 years ago.  I miss him so much, but I am comforted by the fact that I know I will see him again someday, and that when I make my  own journey home and into my new mansion, I won’t have to pack a thing – I can just move right in and begin my eternity praising the One who died for me.

I dreamed of a city called Glory,
So bright and so fair.
When I entered the gates I cried, "Holy"
The angels all met me there:
They carried me from mansion to mansion,
And oh the sights I saw,
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
The One who died for all."

Chorus
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."
I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."

As I entered the gates of that city,
My loved ones all knew me well.
They took me down the streets of Heaven;
Such scenes were too many to tell;
I saw Abraham, Jacob and Isaac
Talked with Mark, and Timothy
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
'Cause He's the One who died for me."

Chorus
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory, Glory."
I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory"
I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory"
I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory"
"Glory to the Son of God"
I sang, "Glory to the Son of God."

I Want to Live Like That - In Memory of a Godly Man

We all think about it from time to time.....what will our funeral service be like?  What will people say about us when we are gone?  Will our loved ones remember more good than bad about us? 

 I'm thinking about this today because my husband's boss, Tim Benners, was tragically killed yesterday morning, on his way to work, in a motorcycle accident.  He was also my brother, Brad's boss, and very close friend, for 2 years.  I never got to meet Tim, but everything my husband and my brother has said about him has been good.....more than good, actually.  It's not only that he was a good guy, a nice guy, a funny guy, a good friend, a spiritual mentor.....he was a Godly man.  A Godly man.  Right now, I can't think of any higher compliment from someone on earth.  A Godly man....someone who is like God. 

One of my husband's favorite quotes is this: "We may be the only Bible some people will ever read". 

I'm reminded of this song:

Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I'm only just a memory
When I'm home where my soul belongs

Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of those
Was my worship more than just a song

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Am I proof
That You are who you say You are
That grace can really change a heart
Do I live like Your love is true

People pass
And even if they don't know my name
Is there evidence that I've been changed
When they see me, do they see You

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

I want to show the world the love You gave for me
I'm longing for the world to know the glory of the King I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Thank you, Tim, for the Godly example you set while you were here on this earth.  May you rest in peace.  For Tim's wife, Wendy, and the rest of your family, please know that Mike and I are praying for each of you.

Even though I never met Tim Benners, his life, and his death, has had an impact on me, simply because of what others have said about him when he passed away.  The testimony he left behind makes me want to strive harder to be Godly....not because I care so much about what people will say about me when God calls me home, but because I want to be an accurate account of the only Bible some people will ever read.

Word of God Speak

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God"......

Sometimes, we don't need to talk, we don't need to say anything at all, we just need to hear from God.  This is one of my favorite songs from Mercy Me.


"Word Of God Speak"

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noiseAll that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voiceWord of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this placePlease let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speakI'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay

This morning, I took a couple of minutes and just listened to this song, all the while praying that God would speak to me - just to me - it's amazing what a couple of minutes of silence on our part can do.

All that I need is to be with You, and in the quiet, hear Your voice.

Words

This morning on my way to work, I heard Matthew McConaughey doing a Reliant Energy commercial.  I have to admit, I do like hearing his voice!  He said, “Say what you will about Texans, but we sure can turn a phrase”.  It’s true.  Nobody speaks like a Texan.  Come to think of it, nobody thinks like a Texan.  We are a tad bit proud of our heritage, and rightfully so.  I've spent a good bit of time trying to explain the meaning behind some of the things I say to my husband.  I'm not sure if he will ever catch on, but he does try.  I've even caught him saying "y'all" a few times!  Being married to a Yankee, I’ve learned that we say things around here that no one else in our great country says, nor can they understand the meaning of some things we say without a translator. 

Things like:

Fixin’ to, as in “I’m fixin to do the laundry”.

I used to could, as in “I can’t run as fast as I used to could”.

Dadgummit, Dangit, Dadblameit: these are euphemisms that allow you to express your feelings without actually swearing.

Tank – what northerners call a pond.

Pallet – a pile of blankets and quilts placed on the floor for company to sleep on when all the beds are taken.

Yankee/DamnYankee – any person born north of the Red River.

We also say things like this when we want to be really descriptive:

She has the personality of a box of rocks.

Ugly as homemade sin.

Having a hissy fit.

Dumber than dirt.

This got me to thinking about words.  Words are powerful things.  It’s been said that “the pen is mightier than the sword”.  When my kids were growing up and were fussing at each other, I used to remind them to watch what they say to each other.  You can always come back later and apologize, but you can never truly take back the ugly things you say to someone.  It will always be in the back of their mind. 

How many times have we said things to people when we are angry or hurt that we wish we could take back?  Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are like honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones”.   We can destroy someone with a string of ugly things hurled at them in anger, but we can also heal someone with words said with love. 

No matter how we say it, no matter what euphemisms are used or what kind of accent we have, our words have power.

Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer”. 

To honor God with my life is truly my heart’s desire.  Today, I will concentrate on the words that come out of my mouth, and pray that they will, indeed, be acceptable to Him. 

Clean

I’m one of the weird people that actually like cleaning house.  There’s just something therapeutic about it – almost like gardening.  Not long ago my husband bought one of those Shark steam cleaner things for tile and wood/laminate floors.  At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or not, because you can only put water in it - no PineSol or LySol or Mr. Clean – when I clean I want my house to smell clean as well as look clean.  To my surprise I absolutely love this thing and will probably wear it out in no time. 

I spent all day this past Saturday cleaning house and doing laundry.  I had finished everything and only had to steam clean the tile floors.  I filled up the Shark steam cleaner container with water, plugged it in, selected “scrub” on the dial, and waited the 60 seconds it takes for the water to heat up.  While the water was heating up, preparing to turn into steam, I eyed my kitchen floor – it was filthy.  I couldn’t wait to run that steamer over that tile floor, cleaning and sanitizing it – just the anticipation of how clean my kitchen floor was going to be made me almost giddy.

Yes, I love cleaning, and yes, I realize I’m weird and there is probably a very technical, medical term for this ailment – don’t judge.

As I ran that steamer over the floor, up next to the baseboards, I hummed a little tune, watching as the steam and pressure cleaned and sanitized my grimy kitchen floor.  You can imagine my surprise when, as I was doing the floor in front of the pantry, a bug came wriggling out of somewhere between the baseboard and the floor.  There I stood, holding the Shark steam cleaner and staring at this bug that was crawling all over my newly cleaned floor, when another bug came out of the same place, then another.  I guess the power and the heat from the steam was too much for them.  I killed those 3 bugs and made a mental note to tell Mike that it is time to exterminate again, and went on to tackle the living room floor.

While cleaning the living room tiles, I got to thinking about those bugs, and how I never would have seen them if I hadn’t been steam cleaning that floor.  They were there all along, I just didn’t know it.

 The power and heat of that steam not only cleaned all the surface dirt on contact, but it also brought those nasty bugs that were hiding underneath the floor to the surface pretty quickly as well, and I was able to get my floor as clean as possible. 

It reminded me of the power of the blood of Jesus.  When we acknowledge and accept the fact that Jesus was the perfect Son of God, who actually chose to die for us so that we could live forever, and ask Him to come into our heart and take over our lives, His blood automatically covers our sins – all of them, not just some of them – not just the bad things on the outside that everyone can see, His blood reaches deep into our heart, into the secret places that only God Himself knows about, and He cleans it all up, bugs and all – every bit of it – we’re justified through Him.  The Bible says that He washes us white as snow.  There’s not a place in our heart that the blood of Jesus cannot reach – His blood has that much power. 

When the Father looks at me, He doesn't see all my wretchedness and sin, he only sees the blood of His Son, which has cleansed me and made me white as snow - Isaiah 1:18.

I can’t tell you how, just writing about this, makes me feel.  My eyes are filled with tears, I am so grateful that the Father would love me enough (who am I?) to send his perfect Son to die for me, and I’m humbled by the fact that even though I don’t deserve it, I’m going to live in heaven, in a mansion, that God Himself built especially for me.  I’m going to be able to see Jesus face to face, I’m going to be able to laugh and hug and visit with my family and my friends who are already in heaven.

I’m going to live forever, and it’s all because of one thing:

The blood of Jesus washes me……the blood, it is my victory.