TerryLema

One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 92. It speaks of God’s love and faithfulness. It has become much more to me as I have gotten older, especially verses 12 to 15.

“The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the LORD, they thrive in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and green, to declare: ‘The LORD is just; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.’” [HCSB]

I love that part about bearing healthy and green fruit in “old age.”

When I stepped down from active ministry at the end of 2021, I thought I would just retire, spend my time maybe writing a little, but not doing much. After all, I have two auto-immune diseases, which combined with the medications, leave me often fatigued and hurting. I have every excuse to just rock away my “old age.”

But know what? I’m bored. I am not made to sit and rock away my “old age.”

Now suddenly, I am eager again to be in the “house of the LORD,” I am looking to once again “thrive in the courts of our God.”  And that excitement has brought a renewed energy to my soul (and hopefully even my body!).

Psalm 92:4: “For You have made me rejoice, LORD, by what you have done; I will shout for joy because of the works of Your hands.” [HCSB]

I have been thinking a lot about last Sunday. In the morning many of us from The Way Middleton went to CFC services, some in Caldwell and a few at the main campus in Nampa. That is where we will be spending our Sunday mornings while the building in Middleton is being refurbished. It will hopefully be completed late summer or early fall.

Last Sunday night, some of us gathered at Pastor Laura’s home. We shared our experiences. I shared a bit of my excitement about seeing so many young people that were so happy to be in the house of the LORD that morning at the CFC Caldwell campus.

I could not share all my excitement, because I could not yet put it into words. I have for so many years wanted to see our church in Middleton packed with young people praising God. I guess I just never knew how to accomplish that … or perhaps it just wasn’t God’s timing (or my mission to fulfill?).

But now, with just a taste of what it might be like, I can hardly wait for the property renewal to be done. I want to be on the CFC Middleton campus and watch what God is going to do. I want to see that building full of people, young and old, this generation and the next, praising and serving God.

I want to see the dream fulfilled. I want to see what I have hoped for and desired for at that Middleton campus come to life. I guess I will need some patience while they work on the property … but oh, I sure hope they work fast!

Proverbs 13:12: “Delayed hope makes the heart sick, but fulfilled desire is a tree of life.” [HCSB]

On April 15, 1967, Bob and I were married in Citrus Heights, California. I was 20, he was 27. Today marks our 56^th Wedding Anniversary. We have three children, a daughter and two sons, who have wonderful loving partners. We have three grandsons who are the delight of our lives.

Bob is a native of Wisconsin and I am a native of Pennsylvania. My family moved to California for work and Bob stayed there after his stint in the Marine Corp. That’s where we met and that’s where we raised our family.

We moved to Idaho in 1993 when a recession was still plaguing the construction industry in California. We left our youngest child with dear friends so he could finish his senior year in high school (that still breaks my heart), and I left a ministry in Hospice that I dearly loved.

Yet, God wanted us in Idaho and as I said recently, I didn’t want to be found “fighting God.”

We have had many ups and downs, as well as financial highs and lows. We’ve lived our vows, “for better or worse,” many times, and frequently had to handle the “for richer or poorer” times. Now we seem to be abiding in the “sickness and health” stage of life.

Those were the vows we took before God on that day that seems so long ago. And while it has not always been easy, we have kept those vows. (Why make a vow if you have no intention of keeping it?)

We have also taken vows before God, surrendering our lives to His grace and mercy, serving Him with what we have and what we are. We have kept those vows also, by the same grace of God indwelling our lives. To Him be the Glory!

Deuteronomy 23:21: “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to keep it, because He will require it of you.” [HCSB]

We will be going to Christian Faith Center (CFC) Caldwell campus Sunday morning. The Way’s property is in the process of being refurbished and we need to attend services in a different location for a few months. We have decided to go to the Caldwell campus since that may closely resemble what the Middleton services will look like.

I am full of anticipation, eager to see and experience the excitement that may be ours one day. Today I feel like a child waiting for school to let out and vacation time to begin. I want to see what God has done for CFC Caldwell.  All the while I will be praying that He will do a like work at CFC Middleton soon.

One of my greatest delights is to praise and thank God. I do it when I am alone. I praise when I walk around my neighborhood. I praise when I read through the psalms and hear those old ‘songs’ ringing out from the pages of my Bible. But the time I love best is when I gather with others who are singing and shouting their praises to God.

Tomorrow it will be in a different location with many people I do not know, and, perhaps with new songs and a new style. But the God I praise and worship tomorrow is the same God I have praised and worshipped at The Way for many years. He never changes.

“Shout joyfully to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. Say to God, ‘How awe-inspiring are Your works! Your enemies will cringe before You because of Your great strength. All the earth will worship You and sing praise to You. They will sing praise to Your name.’ Come and see the wonders of God.” [vs1-5a HCSB]

Oh, and I can hardly wait to stand at the door of the old “The Way,” and shout to the world, “Come and see the wonders of God!”

Amen & Amen

A couple weeks ago a lovely couple from Christian Faith Center (CFC) Caldwell campus came to The Way Middleton. They came to share their experiences with joining CFC, hoping to make our path easier. It was thought that hearing from someone who was on the other side of the transition would be helpful.

What I heard from them was such delight and enthusiasm for touching the lost, for salvations, for people bound by addictions being set free. They were thrilled at the number of commitments and baptisms they were experiencing. As I listened, I realized that I needed to repent. While I anticipated hearing something about the transition, what I heard was, “It’s not about us!”

It’s not about the changes that will be made to the log cabin building.

It’s not about the changes that will be made to the kitchen or the children’s church or the office or the music or the media.

It’s not about my comfort level.

It’s about the lost souls in Middleton.

It’s about people bound in addictions being set free.

It’s about the people who have never known Christ Jesus as anything but profanity finding a loving Savior.

Insisting on remaining in any comfortable church, among just the people we have been with for so long, would eliminate any opportunity for others to come to Christ.

Father, if that viewpoint ever excluded a lost soul from our midst, forgive me. Amen.