Devotion for August 31, 2016
24/08/16 09:17
Greetings!
Because I am a proud mother I have to routinely mention that my daughter was on the TV show Jeopardy! And even more exciting was the fact that she allowed me to go with her and her husband as they jetted out to California to be on the show. (While I can’t say anything about what happened on the show, be sure to watch Sept 13!) See, that proud momma thing can get a little irritating for other people, but that is what us proud momma’s do!
Our family has watched Jeopardy together for as long as I can remember. In fact, I remember summers when I was in Junior High and High School when Jeopardy was on at noon - Art Fleming was the host then (I can’t remember things like why I am in a room or where my keys are but I can remember 50 years ago that Art Fleming was the host of Jeopardy - that strange phenomenon of getting older!). My Dad would come home for lunch and we would watch Jeopardy together while he ate.
So it is a pretty long standing tradition that our family watches that particular show!
For those of you who may not be familiar with the TV show - Jeopardy is a quiz show. There are 2 rounds of 5 categories - and each category has 5 questions. Then at the end of the show there is ‘Final Jeopardy’ where the contestant bets whatever part of what money they have on one question. The one who ends up with the most money wins! The show is known for having questions that range from being fairly obvious to ridiculously difficult!
Back before the days of being able to record (or now-a-days DVR) shows that you were unable to watch, our family actually planned our evenings around gathering in front of the television and watching Jeopardy.
It was a family ritual that was seldom broken - and we were pretty competitive with one another. There were even a few times when we actually tried to keep score but that became way too complicated. However, it was pretty obvious who the champions of the family game would be each night. My son and oldest daughter were most often the contenders who came out ahead - but there were those nights where the rest of us shone pretty brightly.
And every night us losers would say - ‘it all depends upon the categories’ as we admitted defeat to the other family member - usually my older daughter or son. However the nights that one of the three of the rest of us comes out ahead it is really hard to be in the same house with us until the next airing of the show …….
But back to being the proud momma - so my oldest daughter is able to pass through the many steps it takes to make it to the actual TV show. And there I sat with her husband in the audience watching my daughter compete - and to fulfill a life long dream for her.
As awesome as that experience was and as proud as I was of her in that moment, I am also just as proud of her in her regular life of being an excellent mother and wife and pastor 0 as I am proud of all my other children. A son who has turned out to be a wonderful pastor, husband and father; a daughter who is a great wife, and mother and has achieved excellence in her field.
So don't ever think that God isn’t proud of who you are. Don’t ever think “Well, I haven’t memorized 500 bible verses like Mary or had perfect attendance like Bill or been able to give as much as Lucy or served as an officer like Andy’ or whomever you may compare yourself to - God is proud of who you are; just as you are.
After all God created you (Just as we created a family of Jeopardy addicts!); God made you just as you are; loud or quiet, bold or shy, reckless or careful, outgoing or timid, tall or short, big feet or small ones …. There isn’t one of those characteristics that is better than the other because they are all creations of God - and as that old cross stitch sampler said, “God made me and God don’t make no junk!”
Don’t ever feel like you are not as good as someone else in the eyes of God. God is proud of you just as you are.
Yes you know you have made mistakes… you know you have not always done exactly what you know you should have done.
And the great thing about our God, is that he loves you and is proud of you anyway!
Amen!
Because I am a proud mother I have to routinely mention that my daughter was on the TV show Jeopardy! And even more exciting was the fact that she allowed me to go with her and her husband as they jetted out to California to be on the show. (While I can’t say anything about what happened on the show, be sure to watch Sept 13!) See, that proud momma thing can get a little irritating for other people, but that is what us proud momma’s do!
Our family has watched Jeopardy together for as long as I can remember. In fact, I remember summers when I was in Junior High and High School when Jeopardy was on at noon - Art Fleming was the host then (I can’t remember things like why I am in a room or where my keys are but I can remember 50 years ago that Art Fleming was the host of Jeopardy - that strange phenomenon of getting older!). My Dad would come home for lunch and we would watch Jeopardy together while he ate.
So it is a pretty long standing tradition that our family watches that particular show!
For those of you who may not be familiar with the TV show - Jeopardy is a quiz show. There are 2 rounds of 5 categories - and each category has 5 questions. Then at the end of the show there is ‘Final Jeopardy’ where the contestant bets whatever part of what money they have on one question. The one who ends up with the most money wins! The show is known for having questions that range from being fairly obvious to ridiculously difficult!
Back before the days of being able to record (or now-a-days DVR) shows that you were unable to watch, our family actually planned our evenings around gathering in front of the television and watching Jeopardy.
It was a family ritual that was seldom broken - and we were pretty competitive with one another. There were even a few times when we actually tried to keep score but that became way too complicated. However, it was pretty obvious who the champions of the family game would be each night. My son and oldest daughter were most often the contenders who came out ahead - but there were those nights where the rest of us shone pretty brightly.
And every night us losers would say - ‘it all depends upon the categories’ as we admitted defeat to the other family member - usually my older daughter or son. However the nights that one of the three of the rest of us comes out ahead it is really hard to be in the same house with us until the next airing of the show …….
But back to being the proud momma - so my oldest daughter is able to pass through the many steps it takes to make it to the actual TV show. And there I sat with her husband in the audience watching my daughter compete - and to fulfill a life long dream for her.
As awesome as that experience was and as proud as I was of her in that moment, I am also just as proud of her in her regular life of being an excellent mother and wife and pastor 0 as I am proud of all my other children. A son who has turned out to be a wonderful pastor, husband and father; a daughter who is a great wife, and mother and has achieved excellence in her field.
So don't ever think that God isn’t proud of who you are. Don’t ever think “Well, I haven’t memorized 500 bible verses like Mary or had perfect attendance like Bill or been able to give as much as Lucy or served as an officer like Andy’ or whomever you may compare yourself to - God is proud of who you are; just as you are.
After all God created you (Just as we created a family of Jeopardy addicts!); God made you just as you are; loud or quiet, bold or shy, reckless or careful, outgoing or timid, tall or short, big feet or small ones …. There isn’t one of those characteristics that is better than the other because they are all creations of God - and as that old cross stitch sampler said, “God made me and God don’t make no junk!”
Don’t ever feel like you are not as good as someone else in the eyes of God. God is proud of you just as you are.
Yes you know you have made mistakes… you know you have not always done exactly what you know you should have done.
And the great thing about our God, is that he loves you and is proud of you anyway!
Amen!