The LIGHT (from Cup of Cold Water)

The LIGHT

  "Light" What does that word make you think of when you hear it? Daylight. The sun. A lamp inside your home. The headlights on your car. A  light by which to read. A candle to light your way. So many ways in which light plays an integral part in all our lives.

   As this new year, 2020, rapidly approaches, I want to share a few Scripture verses with you, and a few questions with which to stimulate our thinking.   You see, God has so much to say about the importance of light in the world, especially as it affects our lives as Christians. And if we miss these basic truths we will miss some of the greatest blessings our Father has for us.

Early in His ministry Jesus said, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8.12) If we believe (rightly) that Jesus’ Spirit dwells in us (aka the Holy Spirit), are we to be lights to the world?

 A related question: Would you want someone following your light?   Hmmm.

  In another place, Jesus said this: “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” (John 12.46)    

"To shine!”  What a calling!  

   OK, just who’s calling is this? The local pastor’s?  How about the elders: is it their calling? How about the ladies who help in the nursery every Sunday morning? Does that include the barber down the street who loves Jesus? Is he/she called to shine as a light?

 Jesus provides the answer. Speaking to a crowd of people on a mountainside, He said, “You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5.14)  

  

Hmmm.

Does that “you” mean me?  How about my brother?  My sister?  How about you?  What about the church pianist? And does that you include the person working at the local lunchroom who also believes in Jesus?

  Jesus was speaking to a huge, mixed group of people that day. Some estimates are as high as 5,000! Can you imagine? If only 1% responded positively to Jesus’ message and went on to be “a light to the world…” –that’s 50 souls! 

 Then, when you multiply that by the millions over the past 2 millennia who have heard—repeatedly—the life-changing message of Christ… can you imagine?  Could I?

   But, here’s another word from Jesus. As He was teaching  his disciples, Jesus said, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.” (Mark 4.21)  

  Let’s be honest here. About the only reason someone would do this with a lamp would be to start a fire!  Yet, what do we do?  When it comes to letting our light shine, do we cover or reveal?

  Why is it our natural tendency—at least speaking for myself—to “hide our light,” rather than allowing it to shine?

  A better question: When people see us, or talk with us, who do they see? Our spirit or the Spirit of Christ?  Or is it the same?  Is our lamp burning brightly for all to see, or do we have our light cloaked or covered?

  So many questions!

  

 I don’t know about you, but personally, I am challenged. Am I being the “grumpy bear”  I can so easily be, or is Jesus’ Spirit being displayed?  Am I responding to others as I would wish to be treated, or is my old nature reacting to their words or behavior? 

  Jesus’ standards are always high, yet He always makes it possible for our light to shine brightly!

 submitted by Terry & Patricia Lampel,    

Cup of Cold Water

Thanksgiving... an attitude

(Note: this was supposed to have been posted Thanksgiving 2012... obviously didn't quite make it!)
it’s impossible to be thankful, and at the same time, be grumpy, cantankerous, critical, or ill-tempered… This was  the thought that motivated Johnson Oatman Jr. to write the song, “Count Your Blessings,”  the focus of our CoCW last Thanksgiving, in 2011.

If we were grateful last year, which we were, words are inadequate to tell how much more thankful we are this year!  If all goes according to plan, Patricia will be returning home this Wednesday, enabling us to celebrate Thanksgiving together and at home—praise the Lord!

And yet, as I reflect on this, why is it that we feel our gratitude must be determined by our circumstances? As the psalmist writes on this subject, notice what motivates him:

“I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness

    and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.”  Psalm 7.17

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
  Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.
  For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.”  Psalm 95.1-3 

“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
  his love endures forever.”  Psalm 106.1

 
Ultimately our gratitude, our sense of thankfulness and praise to God, is rooted in who He is, not so much in what’s happening to us. Yet, having said that, there is a place for recognizing and thanking God for what He has done for us as well. In Psalm 30, David writes:

“You turned my wailing into dancing;

    You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
  that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”  Psalm 30.11-12

And so, doesn’t it come down to this simple truth:

If we are alive and belong to the Savior, we have all the reason we need to shout our gratitude to the heavens every day… and, if we are not living—well, it just doesn’t get any better! Praising and thanking our God morning, noon and night! 

Won’t that be the most glorious Thanksgiving ever

Thankful For A Scar

Thankful for a scar?   Yes, thankful for a scar!

At this season we frequently are challenged to think of things for which we give thanks. For some, "family"; others "life," "a home," "food" and on the list goes. Many are even willing to give thanks for the salvation so freely given by our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. 

My list would indeed be long this year, however at the very top of my list would be the not-so-beautiful scar that I received this past summer during my brain surgery: ear-to-ear over my forehead! Healing very nicely, thank you; nevertheless quite noticeable.

Watching people react to seeing it is fun. Most, unless they know me well, are discreet, looking at "It" when they hope no one will catch them, especially the bearer. If I let them off the hook and bring it up, they will comment, "Yeah, I noticed." And on the conversation develops.

For me it is sort of a badge of honor, something I never expected but a mark I proudly wear. Why? Because of what it signifies to me.

My new scar is a constant symbol of God's mercy… His personal, unconditional, unfailing love for ME. Can you imagine such a gift?

You see, when I lay essentially dying in that ICU, He looked, saw my condition and reached down and touched me. In so many words He said,  "Terry (and because we are one He included my beloved, my Patricia), I have more for you to yet accomplish for Me. There are yet more people for you to reach, to encourage, to share My Word with.

This scar, this very distinct trough across my head is my keepsake, my souvenir of a difficult time in my life when once again the Father rescued this erring, fallible man. Instinct tells us to hide our scars, to consider them as signs of weakness or problems.

The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 3.20, "Now to Him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think" When we recognize His ever-present working within us for His purposes, it refocuses our thinking.

A question. What was the one infallible proof the disciples used when identifying Jesus following his resurrection? His scars. On His hands, his feet, even his side. Why did Jesus suffer, eventually to bear the scars? To demonstrate the Father's love. John 10.17, "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again"

Do scars actually provide evidence of love? Most definitely! As I reflected on what had transpired while I lay non-responsive all those days, I was overwhelmed with the magnitude of God's love, His unfailing mercy toward me.

Any questions regarding the future? Again, the apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5.24, "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." For me, this answers the questions.

Don't hide your scars; bear them as evidence that God heals.

God, Who Loves to Answer Prayers

6 months ago…
        Bloated, exhausted, severe pain head-to-foot, unable to breathe, unable to stop coughing, no sleep, unable to dress without help, and worst: unable to pray… diagnosis: Congestive Heart Failure as a result of heart disease…

4 months ago…

        Able to control the pain, eliminated much of the bloating & fluid retention, coughing gone, able to walk & sleep, and best, again able to pray… however, a major cardiac issue still looms…

6 days ago… 5:30 am!

        Open-heart surgery to replace the Aortic valve—an extremely invasive procedure that would take 4 ½ hours.

5 days ago…

        Awake, breathing on her own!  Up walking!  Able to kiss her husband—yeah!  Eating real food—totally unexpected so soon!  Several walks during the day, and feeling extremely grateful…

3 days ago…

        ALL tubes, drains, major IV’s etc. gone! Pain under control, eating full Cardiac diet, free to walk as desired/able (wt spotter, of course)…

2 day ago…

        RELEASED! Ready to move to Transitional Care facility for a week to 10 days, in preparation to return home…

        Even the devout, the believers who strive for a daily walk with the Lord, are subject to the weakness of seeing in order to believe…and even tho’ Jesus repeatedly cautioned us against this, he lovingly grants us the true pleasure of being able to see His hand at work from time to time.

        During these past 5 days, we have received just such a sign—clear evidence of His active working on our behalf—and we are awed and humbled.

        If the first month or so of this journey left us amazed and grateful, words simply are not adequate to describe the wonder of the past 5 days!

        After so many months of wondering, questioning, praying, seeking God’s peace and sense of direction, we found ourselves at that place where, even tho’ we had His peace, yet we were also filled with apprehension, and let’s face it, not a little scared!  We’re not talking about setting a broken leg here… just the idea of someone deliberately cutting into & cracking open our chest (sternum, breastbone), moving things around to access and surgically replace a vital part of one of the most vital organs in our body—that’s overwhelming!

        We live in a day of incredible breakthroughs in medicine & surgical techniques, often making possible in a few days what formerly would have required weeks. Added to that, however, is the sovereign hand that years ago foresaw this need and settled us in the same community as one of the top 10 Cardiac hospitals (best on the West coast!) in the nation. Having readily available such marvelous facilities, surgeons, nurses & support personnel made such a serious step slightly less daunting, yet scary nonetheless.

        Much can be attributed to the fine surgeon, the supporting nurses and the various auxiliary personnel, and rightly so. Much can also be attributed to the hard work that Patricia, my bride of 45 years, put into preparing her body for such a demanding procedure, as well as working with the post-op requirements. Yet, when all is said & done, it is the unseen Physician who ultimately deserves our gratitude & highest praise.

        The author of 1 John writes, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” [I Jn 5.14-15, niv, emph. mine]

        We have been privileged to not only have many people here in the States praying for us; God has been good to provide brothers & sisters lifting us to the Father from England, Ireland, China, Africa, Canada, Indonesia and New Zealand. It is one thing to know people are praying and to be grateful for their willingness. A new level of appreciation is reached, tho’, when we see the God of heaven so obviously hearing those prayers and granting the requests! 

        In and of ourselves, we are so frail, prone to lean on our own resources and abilities, in spite of such obvious inadequacies. How foolish!  The heavenly Father makes it clear that he anxiously awaits our pleas…

        King David writes, “Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice.” [Ps. 55.17, nlt]

        The prophet Jeremiah writes, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” [Jer. 29.12, niv]

        Are we grateful to have such excellent facilities for this surgery? Absolutely!

        Are we thankful for such skilled personnel to carry out such demanding care? Without a doubt!

        And yet, even the best facilities and medical professionals are no guarantee of success.

        Ultimately where does it all rest? The writer of one of the marvelous ‘Songs of Ascent,’ Psalm 121, puts it this way:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—

    where does my help come from?
  My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
  He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
  indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep…”

        As we look to many more weeks of recuperation, of regaining strength & healing, we are humbly grateful: for doctors and nurses… for technicians and therapists… for praying saints… but most of all for a God who loves to answer the prayers of His saints!

 

Terry & Patricia Lampel | Cup of Cold Water | Everett, WA, USA

Be a "Star"

Isn’t it amazing how easily we allow the little things in life to fade unknowingly into history?

Today we seem to live in a service & support society where attention is only given to those items for which we ask help. For someone to voluntarily offer to do the unrequired, to act over and above that which is requested or scheduled is often rare.

Recently we spent 2 weeks in a hospital and witnessed this sad truth in action. We were supported by many wonderful nurses, doctors, and aides all trained to provide excellent care and treatment; the majority performed their roles with skill and care. We become used to having both the scheduled routines, as well the requested tasks, carried out as expected. What came as an unexpected blessing was an aide named Star.

After almost 2 weeks of a merry-go-round of nurses, aides, doctors etc., Star entered our little universe as a breath of fresh air. Star’s presence did not rely on her physical or mental attributes. Instead, it was her spirit, her happy willingness to go out of her way, which brought us such delight.

Remember the days when, if you had to be hospitalized, nurses would always bathe you, remake your bed, help you with personal needs, and include such simple things as applying lotion to your back, or performing other comforting, relaxing actions?  In our enlightened 21^st century, however, we quickly found that such acts of kindness were rare—not missing, simply not seen very often.

Star walked into our room one evening and asked Pat, “Would you like me to wash your back for you? Then, how about a back rub with some lotion?”  Is there any answer to that other than a grateful “Yes!”? And that was to be Star’s MO… always looking for those little acts of kindness. What an incredible blessing she was. Whenever Star entered our room, we always knew it was for our good, not for her scheduled routine.

As we go about our day, doing the things we know we must, or the things requested by others, how often do we look for those opportunities to do the unrequired? The little things no one even thought to ask of us? I’d urge you to take time each day to look for ways in which you can be a “Star,” to be the answer to someone’s unasked point of need… to be a blessing.

Terry & Patricia Lampel | Cup of Cold Water, Everett, WA

Gray Power or Prayer Power?

What the world needs now...

   There is much talk about "Gray Power" in the world today. People want to claim this power when it comes to their political, financial & physical (health) matters of life. I'm not going to speak of these; too much has already been said or written about them. No, my concern is not about the lack of respect for,  and value of the older generation. My concern is for the millions of "aged" sitting at home, due to various infirmities, feeling feeble… powerless.. yes, useless.

   The untapped "power" I speak of is found in recognizing God's wondrous creation of each human being… in recognizing that power is PRAYER.

   Just think… you are here not by chance, but by God's choosing. His hand formed you and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else—you are one of a kind.  You lack nothing that His grace can't give you. He has allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfill His special purpose for this generation.

  

   "For You created my inmost being;

       You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

    I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

       your works are wonderful, I know that full well."  Psalm 139.13-14, niv84

    We are all God's children, no matter our age, our physical condition, or the circumstances in which we live.

   I want to share my heart with you about this insidious attitude that has become rampant in our society over the years. It has been programmed into us that if you can't be "doing" or be "involved" in some way, you are not worth any value in this life. Every child of God who can think can also lift their voice, whether silently or vocally, in PRAYER to the Father.

   My prayer is that Light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious {power} blessings that will be yours, together with all God's people.

   May you always be:

A MIND through which Christ thinks,

A HEART through which Christ lives,

A VOICE through which Christ speaks,

A HAND through which Christ helps.

   Remember to "Trust & Obey" —God is in control...

        "He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.

         He keeps every promise forever.

         He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.

         The LORD frees the prisoners.

         The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.

         The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down.

         The LORD loves the godly."    Psalm 146.6-8, nlt

Our limited potential accents God's limitless power.

Terry & Patricia Lampel, Everett, WA | Cup of Cold Water ministry

"Blown by the Spirit"

thoughts from Patricia...

Because the light in early lighthouses was an open fire, exposed to the elements, wind direction was critical to the success of these guiding lights.

If the wind came from the direction of the land, the light became more visible to the sailor.
If the wind was blowing inland, however, the flame was more difficult to see.
Like those early lighthouses, our lives, too, are exposed to the rough elements.
Is our light blown backward, made nearly invisible by the world's harsh blast?
Or, does the gentle breeze of the Spirit blow our flame outward, so everyone can see?

Paul writes to the believers at Ephesus, "You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light." Eph. 5.8, cev

The Holy Spirit has been more than a gentle breeze in our lives… Today, we are faced with "breezes" coming at us from many directions.

God continues to be our anchor, our foundation, and our center-point.

Terry & Patricia Lampel, Everett, WA | Cup of Cold Water ministry