A Norvell Note                                                           Vol. 20 No. 39 | October 1, 2018

“To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.__

How much time do we spend every day either trying to please people, being afraid we aren’t pleasing them, or being told we didn’t?

Some of us will spend our entire lives trying to gain approval- from our parents, employer, spouse, or friend. We work long hours, give elaborate gifts, and often ignore our own needs in this never-ending battle for recognition.

It becomes exhausting, jumping through hoop after frustrating hoop, hungering to hear the magic words: “I’m proud of you, son”, “You look beautiful, sweetheart”, or “Great work today”.

Unfortunately, similar longings reside in the hearts of many regarding our relationship with God.

Many of us have been taught from the beginning that pleasing God is only possible by working harder, doing more… making sure we’ve jumped through all the hoops. So, like the parent we’ve tried so hard to please, we do everything possible to prove our worth.

As we see in the Old Testament, this quest to please God is nothing new.

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Then, comes the wonderful news of what the Lord wants of us.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:7-9, NIV)

There is no long list of rules to follow and no expectations to be perfect. See, as it turns out, God never intended for us to live in fear of not doing enough to make it to heaven.

He just asks that we act justly, love mercifully, and to walk humbly…no hoops required.

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A Norvell Note                                                Vol. 20 No. 38 | September 24, 2018

On a daily basis, I try to remind myself that there are many things I simply cannot do…

I cannot rid the world of evil, for example, or undo the wrongs done to innocent people

I cannot prevent hurricanes, massive flooding, or mass shootings.

I cannot stop the ugly rhetoric of government leaders and political parties.

I cannot take away the aching hearts of parents who lose a child or those of children who lose their parents.

I cannot make people act or think the way I think they should act or think.

And on a daily basis, I also try to remind myself of the things I can do.

I can focus on the things and people who are true, admirable, and lovely…those worthy of praise.

I can be an example of love and peace, patience and kindness, faithfulness and gentleness.

I can let gentleness be evident to all people because I know God is near.

I can stop complaining and arguing and do my best to live so that I shine like a star in the universe.

I can be a better me. On a daily basis, I can do my best to be a better me. 

And that is enough.

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A Norvell Note                                                          

Vol. 20 No. 38 | September 17, 2018

The elderly woman I sat beside seemed distressed as she pointed to her Bible. I handed it to her and watched as she thumbed through the pages. She said it always brought tears to her eyes when she thought of the first part of Genesis.

I later realized this was because the first ten chapters of the book of Genesis were missing.

I always loved going to church, since I was a little girl, although we really weren’t given a choice. We just knew, if something was going on at church, we would be there.

The conversation went on for a bit, ending with the 23rd Psalm and a prayer.

Our conversation stayed with me and made me realize how long it had been since I’d seen someone have that much respect for her personal copy of the Word of God.

At the risk of sounding like an ‘old fogy’ who has lost touch with the modern world, I’m going to share a few thoughts that have been lingering ever since.

There was a day when our personal copy of the Bible was considered just that, personal…almost sacred. We kept it clean, maybe even with a protective cover on it, and stored in a special place when we weren’t reading it.

Gradually, we began to collect different versions so we could read and compare. Then, we started leaving our personal copy in the car from one Sunday to the next. Eventually, technology introduced us to the electronic Bible. Now, we have access to literally hundreds of copies stored in our phones.

My intention isn’t to judge this transition as good or bad. It’s just something I’ve been observing.

I’ve noticed a similar phenomenon happening with our physical place of worship. I don’t hear many people these days grieve over the fact that they’ve gone weeks without going to church or connecting with their spiritual community.

The reasons are varied- business travel, the children’s sport leagues, illness, or simply a lack of interest. I’ve heard things like, “I can worship just as well on the water with just me and the Lord as I can in a church building.” Or, “That’s the only free day I have to rest, relax and do nothing.” 

We really were not given a choice…we just knew if something was going on at the church we would be there…

Again, no judgment implied, just reflections on how things have changed and thoughts that probe my heart.

So some questions to think about this week:

Do we truly value the Word of God and the Community He has blessed us with?

Whether leather bound, red-letter-edition, on the big screen, or in our pockets, do we truly appreciate that God loves us so much He has given us unlimited ways to read His words? Do we truly appreciate the spiritual community God has provided us through the countless ways and places we have to cultivate our relationship with Jesus?

I hope these words inspire you to absorb the words of God in a space you love surrounded by people you love.

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Vol. 20 No. 37 | September 10, 2018

Sometimes people get on my nerves, and sometimes they surprise me, both in good and bad ways. Sometimes they remind me of things I aspire to do, and sometimes of things I never want to. Sometimes people do amazingly kind things, and sometimes unbelievably hurtful ones.

Sometimes I am one of those people.

Some days I say to myself, “people are people”, sometimes, “people are amazing”, and …sometimes, “you can’t fix stupid”. Occasionally, I’ll quote the late Jim Morrison, “People are strange.” But in reality, after these profoundly astute observations, I simply move on with life.

One thing I’ve observed that makes moving on the most difficult is when we disappoint.

I said I would never act like that, and then I did. She said she’d keep what I told her between us. She didn’t. I made a commitment and didn’t follow through. He told me the car was fixed, and it wasn’t…on and on.

Being disappointed can be devastating. But one of the most destructive responses to being disappointed is anger.

Anger in itself is not bad. It’s how we deal with it that’s important.

So, when I disappoint myself or someone disappoints me, I remind myself of these words:

“Neither do I condemn you. Go on your way. From now on do not sin.”

“Forgive us our sins as we forgive others.”

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love others.”

“First, get the beam out of your own eye.”

Dallas Willard shared these words:

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus starts his discussion of life with a picture of the kingdom of God and the blessed life within that. And then he turns to street level and begins to look at where harm comes from in individual lives. The first thing he puts his finger on is anger and contempt (Matt. 5:21-26). If you could pull anger and contempt out of the world, you wouldn’t have an attack on the Twin Towers, or a Holocaust, or an Inquisition. Without anger and contempt, there simply isn’t the motivation to hurt people.

It’s important to remember this as we look at evil in the world and ask, “What am I going to do about it?” We each have to start with ourselves and our range of influence. We need to help others come to grips with the place of anger and desire in their lives. Anger comes from crossing someone’s will—interfering with someone’s desires. The general path of changing this, of getting rid of anger and contempt and keeping desire under control, is to surrender our will to God. That is to say, we have to turn our future, our present, and everything in our lives over to God’s care. This is the answer to the problem of evil. Even for those who have to go through cancer, losing loved ones, war, whatever it may be—the answer is surrender to the will of God.
[The Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus. Copyright @ 2015 by Dallas Willard. HarperCollins Publishers]

When people disappoint me, I do my best to remind myself that my best approach is to be a better version of me. Of course, there will still be times when I disappoint people and they will disappoint me. But I am trying to learn not to assume motive, immediately judge or condemn. Instead, I’m doing my best to lead with kindness and mercy.

So, if after reading these words, your initial response is, “I’m really disappointed with Tom”, I hope you will apply these thoughts of kindness and mercy toward me.

Have a blessed week.

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Would you like to feel useful, productive, and know at the end of the day that your time wasn’t wasted?

Vol. 20 No. 36 | September 3, 2018

Encourage Someone

Would you like to feel useful, productive, and know at the end of the day that your time wasn’t wasted?

Here’s something that might help:

We should think about each other to see how we can encourage each other to show love and do good works. (Hebrews 10:24, Easy-to-Read Version)

First, think about each other.

Think about other people- your friends, family, and coworkers. Put your needs aside for a few minutes and think about what is going on in their world and obstacles they might be facing. Pray for them.

Paul said it like this:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4, NIV)

Second, think about ways you can encourage them.

If you have a friend who is going through a hard time, call them and remind them you are thinking about and praying for them. Be specific.

If you know someone who is expecting a baby, invite them over for a meal and listen to their dreams, fears, and concerns. Listen, then pray for them.

If you know someone who recently had or adopted a baby, call or visit them and ask how they are really doing. Listen to them, then pray for them.

If you know a couple who is recently married or about to get married? Arrange a time to be with them, listen to their excitement or challenges. Pray with them.

Do you have friends whose child is about to graduate from high school? Send them a note and let them know you’ve been there. Encourage them to enjoy every moment…and to cry when they need to.

Send your preacher a note reminding him or her that you appreciate all they do for you and the church.

Make a special effort to let your child’s teacher know you appreciate all they do.

Make a list of things your spouse does that you appreciate and share it with them when they are having a tough day.

Pay attention to your child and acknowledge something they do that makes you proud. Make a big deal out of it. Also notice when they are struggling and learn how to help them work through it.

Think about others. Be creative in encouraging them. They will be glad you did. You will be too.

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