When I was a brand new baby Christian I spent a lot of time in the home of Dale and Margaret Lantis.  Dale went to be with the Lord a few years ago.  This weekend I learned that Margaret has followed him home.  As I have thought about this dear sister over the past two days I don’t recall a single word spoken in anger.  Maybe time has erased things that I no longer remember, but what I can still see clearly in my mind’s eye and hear in my memory is her unique wonderful laughter.  It did not seem to take much to trigger this laughter.  Her smile assured you that her expression was genuine joy.  Her laughter will be missed on the earth but we anticipate with joy the sound of it again when we see her and Dale in Heaven.

Our joy and laughter have the power to cause even the unbeliever to see that the Lord has done great things for us. Perhaps through that testimony they will one day join us is saying that the Lord has done great things for us! 

Thank you Lord for sending Margaret into my life to teach me how to laugh.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.  The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.   Psalm 126:2-3

Sometimes the value of a word in Scrabble ® bears no resemblance to that which the word represents.  This is the case of today’s word, MOTHER.   When the Lord commanded us to “honor your … Mother”, He used the language of value or price.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.”  Exodus 20:12

On the second Sunday each May a day is set aside to celebrate mothers and to let them know how much they are valued by us.  The author of Proverbs 31 describes such a woman, also a mother.  We are told that her value is  “far above jewels”.  God assigns a high price for a good mom.  Have you told the mothers in your life how much you value them?

Many times while playing Scrabble ® you find yourself with all vowels or no vowels.  Sometimes you have “Q” but not the “U”.  How then can you form a word?  You play on the tiles supplied by another.  If you play aggressively and block your opponent from being able to play a word you may find that you leave yourself with no place to play either.

Ephesians 4:16  … from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

The purpose for the gifts to the church in Ephesians chapter four is for the “equipping of the saints” – for the building up the body (the church).  A local church that has all teachers and no evangelists will not grow numerically just as a church with all evangelists and no teachers will not grow spiritually.  Every individual must exercise their own gift and encourage others to do the same.  The pastor/teacher builds on the work of the evangelist.

Your gift may be from one of the other lists that include abilities like helping, giving, and administrating.  In my own experience I see many who preach and teach but are not good at business (administration).  We all need each other and the gift of God that each supplies.

Among the strategies to win at Scrabble (R)  are to know the two letter words, some “z” words, and “q” words.  This requires time with a dictionary memorizing combinations of letters that apart from the game have little use in everyday conversation.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  II Timothy 3:15 (KJV)

That same strategy is required of the believer who would be a servant of God.  The term translated “study” in the KJV is translated elsewhere as “diligence”, “labor” and “endeavoring”.  There is a sense of urgency (speed), work, and tenacity (not giving up quickly) in this beautiful word.

The goal of spending time in the Word of God is to equip ourselves to serve God effectively.  What skilled workman arrives at a job site without his tools?  Good professional tools are expensive and precious.  An electrician needs meters and wire-strippers, a plumber has his pipe wrenches, and a carpenter would be lost without his hammer.  In the toolbox of the servant of God should be a working knowledge of the Scriptures.  It takes time, energy, and perseverance to gain competence so that you can accurately handle God’s Word.  The goal is not to gain God’s approval, but the show it.  Let’s get to work!

One of my favorite scrabble tiles is the blank. It has no point value but it can be used in the place of any letter that I need to make a word. It is sad that so many Christians fail to see their true value. Like the blank tile, it is only when we allow the Lord to use us that we learn our true worth.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31