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Hi friends,

I just accidentally found something interesting that I never knew existed within the settings for this blog - a way for readers to receive an email whenever a new post is published here on CandyceLand. If you'd like to get this notification, either comment here or call me on the phone or send me an email (candymagee@gmail.com) or text or tell me in person or message me on Facebook.  Phew!  That's a lot of options.  :)

I guess the benefit to this is that since I don't post every day, you won't have to keep clicking to see when I do.  haha

Blessings,
Candy

A Calf's Look at Life

"Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame."  Psalm 34:5

Joni Eareckson Tada: "On a particularly damp and windy day, hundreds of calves were huddled outside, shoulder to hindquarter, tucked between the fence and the barn. The rain had created a mess of mud and the calves looked dirty-brown instead of the usual black and white. They looked miserable.

All except one calf. Although he, too, faced the same windy rain and was covered with the same mud, he chose a different shelter - an open field of muck! In the face of the wind he skipped and jumped like a child. He was oblivious to the downpour. That calf literally looked happy.

Life is quite often like the farm scene of the calves, isn't it? We huddle with others of like misery in hopes that one day our lives will be happy again. Like the calf, however, David, the psalmist, chose an unusual moment in his life to declare the joy of being a child of God. Huddled around him in the cave of Adulam were four hundred smelly, dirty renegades fleeing from Saul. But David had the audacity to declare: "Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame" (Psalm 34:5).

David made a choice for himself. "We may be in a mess and we may be discouraged. But my God knows we are here and knows our need. I will dance and sing."

David was able to do so despite his fears. He submitted them to God and was enabled to declare a calflike joy. Are you gripped with a spirit of fear? Take each one by the horn and lead it to the face of God. Let your fears see the light of eternal day and you, too, will skip, laugh, dance, and sing."

Candy's thoughts. Hmmm. I can't say I've ever aspired to skip, laugh, dance, and sing like a calf, although other people may have observed me acting like that on certain occasions! But Joni's point, inspired by David's reaction to a fearful situation, is a good one. We must somehow resolve to respond to fear by looking to the One who is able to dissipate it. We've tried to deny, distract, and distance ourselves from anxious thoughts - but to no avail. Why not try to appeal to God's goodness and sovereignty instead? Why didn't I think of that?!?

Missionary or Taxicab Driver?

"Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called."  1 Cor 7:20

Spurgeon: "Some people have the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God is by becoming pastors, missionaries, or Bible teachers. How many would be excluded from any opportunity of spiritual usefulness if this were the case. Beloved, it is not office - it is sincerity; it is not position - it is grace that will enable us to serve and glorify God. God is definitely glorified at the workbench, where the godly worker fulfills his task singing of the Savior's love. In this humble setting God is glorified far more than in many a lofty pulpit where official religion performs its scanty duties. The name of Jesus is glorified by the taxicab driver as he blesses God and speaks to his passengers of the living hope. He will be more useful than the popular preacher who goes about peddling the Gospel for profit. God is glorified when we serve Him in our proper vocations. Take care, dear reader, that you do not neglect the path of duty by leaving your occupation, and take care you do not dishonor your profession while in it. Think little of yourselves, but do not think too little of your callings. Every lawful trade may be sanctified by the Gospel to noblest ends. Turn to the Bible, and you will find the most menial forms of labor connected either with most daring deeds of faith or with persons whose lives have been illustrations of holiness. Therefore do not be discontented with your calling. Whatever God has made your position or your work, remain in that, unless you are quite sure that He calls you to something else. Let your first concern be to glorify God to the best of your ability where you are. Fill your present sphere to His praise, and if He needs you in another, He will show it to you. This evening lay aside anxious ambition, and embrace peaceful content."

Candy's thoughts: Ecclesiastes states that there is "nothing new under the sun." Spurgeon (1834-1892) proves this point even back in the 19th Century because he felt it necessary to address the very real temptation of discontentment. A couple of Sundays ago a good friend of mine (Deb K) had the courage to state what was on many of our minds during our Sunday School conversation - and addressed by Spurgeon here! So many of us feel 'unimportant' relative to others who are serving God in their particular professions of missionary, pastor, or Bible teachers. Spurgeon's answer? "Think little of yourselves, but do not think too little of your callings. Every lawful trade may be sanctified by the Gospel to noblest ends." So let's take comfort in the encouragement of 1 Corinthians and of Spurgeon's words: "Lay aside anxious ambition, and embrace peaceful content." Amen to that.

Abba, Father

"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'"  Romans 8:15

Keddie's thoughts: "The glory of these verses is that God never leaves his believing people to their own resources. Prayer is too often looked upon not only as a last resort, but also as a human resource that we can always fall back on in a tight spot. Such notions turn God into someone we only need when we run out of options. Like the lifeguard you don't need until you're drowning, he is someone with whom you have no personal relationship. He is about as personal as a welfare check, in which all that matters is that your name is on it and it will clear the bank! Paul makes plain that the Christian's God is not a social service one may need someday. He must be our personal "Father in heaven" (Matt. 6:9). As he loves us and ministers his grace to us, we must love him back as those who have a saving relationship with him in and through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Candy's thoughts: One of the reasons I so appreciate Keddie's book is that it is so convicting. This particular devotional is no exception - especially the idea that prayer is something "we can always fall back on in a tight spot."  As soon as I read that line I remembered the birth of one of my babies. It was a tough one (aren't they all?) and I relied upon Steve for comfort, the doctors for the bit of meds they gave me, and the nurses to keep me comfortable. About half-way through the labor, I suddenly realized "Hey! I forgot to pray!"  It was a happy moment, knowing that I had not yet appealed to the greatest source of relief possible. Yet, it was a humbling and embarrassing time as well. How could I have forgotten God?  He was the creator of the life within me, and I did not even think of him at this precious moment. UGH. 

A Baking Lesson from Spurgeon

"Ephraim is a cake not turned." Hosea 7:8

"A cake not turned is uncooked on one side; and so Ephraim was, in many respects, untouched by divine grace: Though there was partial obedience, there was too much rebellion left. My soul, I charge you to see whether this is true of you. Are you thorough in the things of God? Has grace gone to the very center of your being so that its divine operation is felt in all your powers, your action, your words, and your thoughts? To be sanctified, spirit, soul, and body, should be your aim and prayer; and although sanctification might not be complete in you, still it must be at work in you. There must not be the appearance of holiness in one place and reigning sin in another; otherwise you will also be a cake not turned.

A cake not turned is soon burnt on the side nearest the fire, and although no man can have too much religion, there are some who seem burnt black with bigoted zeal for that part of truth that they overemphasize; others are charred to a cinder with a self-congratulatory pharisaic performance of those religious activities that suit their mood. The assumed appearance of superior sanctity frequently accompanies a total absence of all vital godliness, and the saint in public is a devil in private. He deals in flour by day and in soot by night. The cake that is burned on one side is dough on the other.

This is true of me, Lord Jesus; turn me! Turn my unsanctified nature to the fire of Your love, and let it feel the sacred glow, and let my burnt side cool a little while I learn my own weakness and lack of heat when I am removed from Your heavenly flame. Let me not be a double-minded man, but one who is entirely under the powerful influence of reigning grace. I know only too well that if I am left like a cake unturned, and am not on both sides the subject of Your grace, I will be consumed forever in everlasting burnings."

Candy's thoughts: I'm not sure which part of this devotional hurts the most: the very true observation that some of us are proud that we 'do' those religious activities that suit our mood, or our tendency to overemphasize one doctrine to the detriment of others. Either way, the ending prayer is perfect: "All this is true of me, Lord Jesus; turn me!"

The Story Behind the Song

From the archives, originally posted on 12/30/09: 

In 1983 Steve and I attended our very first Protestant church in Berkeley, CA. I believe (although I can't prove this) that the first Protestant hymn I ever heard was "The Church's One Foundation," and I was immediately smitten. When I think of First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, I think of this hymn. It has continued to be one of my favorites throughout the years.

It was written by a man named Samuel John Stone who was born in England in 1839. Apparently as a minister he was very tender-hearted, and particularly toward those who were struggling financially. As Lindsay Terry reports in his book Devotionals From Famous Hymn Stories, Stone was very much loved by his people:

"In his later years Stone enjoyed a remarkable ministry among the shop hands and office workers of London. As the early, cheaper trains began to stream into the city bringing the workers. Samuel Stone would open his church and have periods of singing and short messages for the people. He then would allow them to sit quietly and visit, sew, or read until it was time for them to begin their day's work.

He noted that many used the "Apostle's Creed" in their praying, but that few of them had any comprehension of its meaning. This ignorance, coupled with the blasphemy of the evolutionist and materialist of his day, prompted Stone to write one of the truly great hymns used in our churches today."

The church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord
She is His new creation
By water and the word
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died

Elect from every nation
Yet one o'er all the earth
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth
One holy name she blesses
Partakes one holy food
And to one hope she presses
With every grace endued

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed
By schisms rent asunder
By heresies distressed
Yet saints their watch are keeping
Their cry goes up, 'How long?'
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song

'Mid toil, and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forever more
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blessed
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly
On high may dwell with Thee

I would say that this is indeed a great summary of the Apostle's Creed. Rev. Stone's mission was accomplished!

A Prayer about a Well-Used Mouth

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Eph. 4:29-30)

Prayer: Glorious Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - I praise you for the incalculable riches of redemption you've lavished on us in the gospel. Father, for planning such a stunning salvation; Jesus, for accomplishing all things necessary for our complete Salvation; Holy Spirit, for faithfully applying the work of Jesus to us. I wish I had adequate words to express my gratitude, but me words fail me.

That being said, I don't want my words to fail you, gracious God. You spoke the Word that gave life to my dead spirit - giving me both the will and the wherewithal to believe the gospel. Forgive me when I speak words, or even think words, that have the opposite effect on others, bringing discouragement, decay, even death... train my heart and tongue in gospelspeak. Make me fluent in the vocabulary of heaven. Convict me quickly when my words are poorly chosen or intentionally hurtful or there are simply too many of them.

You've sealed me for the day of redemption, I don't want to sadden or grieve you by a foolish and hurtful misuse of words.  I'm called to build up, not tear down. You study my needs and speak only helpful words to my hearts. Educate me in the needs of my family and friends that I might likewise speak only words of encouragement and hope - even when that requires saying the hard things.

Lord Jesus, we praise you for taking the Father's word of final judgment on the cross, that we might hear him speak the words of complete welcome and acceptance in our hearts I pray in you holy and loving name. Amen.

Candy's thoughts: "Gospelspeak." This is my new favorite word that spell-check didn't like. I can only imagine how better all types of relationships would be if we adhered to gospelspeak whenever we entered into conversations with those we love.

I also liked Scotty Smith's addition of the phrase about words, "...or there are simply too many of them."  I immediately thought of Proverbs 10:19: "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent."

Oh dear God, make us all prudent children. Amen.

Invisible Scars

Tonight Steve and I went out to dinner and once again, as so often happens, I saw someone distressed. I certainly don't look around for people who are sad, but they still show up in front of me. This time it was our waitress. I observed another server rubbing her back and looking like she was talking to her in a kind way. Then came the tissues - and the dash into the bathroom for a moment. And the teary red eyes... Sigh.

This episode reminded me of the beginning of a new book I've started to read this week: The Scars that have Shaped Me: How God Meets Us in Suffering by Vaneetha Rendall Risner. (Thanks, Esther!) I was drawn to this book because Vaneetha is a contributor on the GriefShare videos that we watch every Wednesday evening. What credentials does this woman have to write on "scars?"  From the back cover:

Twenty-one surgeries by age thirteen (polio). Years in the hospital. Verbal and physical bullying from classmates. Multiple miscarriages as a young wife. The death of a child. A debilitating progressive disease. Riveting pain. Abandonment. Unwanted divorce."

Yep: I think she knows what she is talking about...

Vaneetha explains her decades-long discomfort with 'showing' the scars on her legs - and so she chose to hide them when in public. She believed that she was more valuable as a person if no one could see them. But then she reflected upon the passage in John 20 where Jesus presented His resurrected self to His disciples: "...he showed them His hands and His side."  How did that change her perspective?

"Jesus didn't need to have scars on His resurrected body. His body could have been perfect, unblemished, unscarred. But He chose to keep His scars so His disciples could validate His identity. And even more importantly, so they could be assured that He had conquered death... Rather than physical imperfections, Jesus's scars are breathtakingly beautiful. They represent His love and our salvation." 

Perhaps the lesson here is that we should accept and even in a counter-intuitive way, 'embrace' our own scars from wounds that hurt so badly last week or 20 years ago? Maybe in being willing to show our scars, God would use them to minister to others?  As I looked around the restaurant, I wondered how many hidden scars were in that room. Invisible scars that aren't as noticeable as damaged legs or burned faces - yet are still reminders to at least the carrier of the scars of intense suffering.

Back to our waitress: if we had not seen her desperate attempt to hide her tears, perhaps we would not have been able to be especially kind to her when she brought by our check. Perhaps God allows us to see the scars of others "...so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Underestimating Spiritual Resurrections

"... and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead... (Eph. 1:19b-20)

Keddie's thoughts: "We all realize that Jesus's resurrection was a miracle of God's supernatural power, but we routinely underestimate what it takes to save a sinner. Being saved is often reduced to little more than an intellectual, even emotional, decision on our part. We have a crisis, we "believe," God's hand is in it in some indistinct way, and we are "saved." God helped, but we do not think of it as a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit that changes the unchangeable and awakens the dead! But what is salvation but a spiritual resurrection requiring the same divine power necessary for a bodily resurrection?"

Candy's thoughts: Wow. Keddie is right that we don't think highly enough of the saving power of the Holy Spirit. We figure that it's all about "our decision" and so don't appreciate what had to be done to secure that salvation: The Father's electing love, the Son's perfect obedience and sacrifice on the cross, and the Holy Spirit applying all these truths to our hearts. The more we see the greatness of the Trinity's saving work, the greater should be our sincere expression of thanksgiving and praise.

Tech Help!

Dear friends,

I have heard from several people that they cannot seem to "comment" on blog posts - so I would like to help. It is very easy to do, so I hope this little 'tutorial' will help.

1. Picture #1. When you click on the "comment" link there will be a drop-down menu where you can choose from a, b, or c. 'A' is usually the first one - indicating that the user (you) already has a google account. If that's the case, then type your comment and then press "Publish."

2. Picture #2. If you do not have a google account, then click on the little arrows and you will see 2 more options: the first one is "Name." At this point, just enter your name, type your comment and then press "Publish."

3. Picture #3. If you prefer to be "anonymous," then click on that, type your comment, and then press "Publish."  If some reason Options 1 and 2 are still not working for you, but you want me to know who you are, just use "anonymous" and then type your name at the end of your comment.  :)








Feel free to test by trying again and I'll respond to let you know your comment was received. Thanks!

C.S. Lewis Quote

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."


*From Mere Christianity

Vows

From the archives, originally posted on 8/7/09

Sometime in the last year I found myself on board a plane, looking at the landscape below. In doing so, a very faint memory stirred within my soul, making me very uneasy. I was remembering an incident that occurred many years ago, when I was once again on board a plane, looking out at the landscape below…

Probably to the surprise of many, I used to be smart. Child bearing and creeping age have depleted me of those brain cells which are necessary for at least the impression of intelligence. I was certainly one of those people that peaked early and declined steadily thereafter. At age 15 I was taking flying lessons; at 16 I made my solo flight, at 17 I had my Pilot’s License. The joke in my family was that I could fly before I could drive; my parents had to chauffeur me to the plane I could fly by myself.

One of the requirements before actually obtaining a license is to do a certain number of cross-country trips, the definition of which merely means flying from one airport to another, landing, and returning to the home runway. I took off on one of these fun trips, flying from my home airport in western Massachusetts to one in the eastern part of the state. I landed, went through the routine of pre-flight inspection, hopped aboard, and took off again. Somewhere along the way, I looked carefully at the landscape below, and it was unfamiliar to me. The mountains and lakes that should have been there, according to my map, weren’t there. Perhaps I am misguided in my map-reading, I reasoned. So I checked again. And again. No mistake, I was lost. Panic gripped me and wouldn’t let go. “Where am I? What should I do? Where’s the nearest airport? How do I get down? Is this where my life will end?” In a moment, all the smug self-satisfaction in being a young girl able to fly a plane was gone. I was, without a doubt, in a personal crisis of epic proportions.

It was at this moment that I became spiritual. Having no known faith, I decided that this would be a good time to try one out. I was SO stereotypical in my request to this unknown deity. “God, if you are there, and if you get me down safely, then I will…”

Here is the crux of the matter: For the life of me, I cannot remember what my part of that vow entailed. I have no doubt what I asked God to do, and I have no doubt that He upheld his end of the bargain. The writing of this musing proves that He did indeed save me from disaster that day. But I am left with this realization: not only have I forgotten what I promised that day, I even suppressed the memory of that incident for years and years. How ungrateful was that?

Despite evidence thus far to the contrary, I did not set out to focus on “ME” in this article. As always, everything in life is really about God, including our failed memories and scary experiences. When I began to faintly remember this episode a few months ago, I also remembered Psalm 22, where Christ asks the Father for deliverance from death, and describes what He will give to the Father if this is accomplished – the praise of the nations. Astonishingly, WE are the payment of his vow; WE are the beneficiaries of this divine promise. Unlike a frightened girl lost in the air many years ago, neither God the Father nor God the Son forgot the details of THEIR arrangement. Oh where would we be if they did? In a crisis of epic proportions.