JeannetteCliftGeorge.com

Little Bits of Sweetness

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:26:28 +0000

My husband was a gentleman of clear priorities. Within the pattern of our history together I had come to respect, admire and find comfort in that which he prioritized as of primary significance; God and church and country are clearly set. I was assured of my place in first rate attention closely followed by his friends, his work assignments and Baylor University. But there was a wandering priority that challenged all but the top listing – the matter of chocolate. My husband believed chocolate needs were similar to the need for breathing. I had seen him in the grocery store; him standing, hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the display of chocolate with concentration similar to that of a new daddy gazing at his newly-born through the window of the hospital nursery. And then I would often find carefully tinfoiled pieces of chocolate hidden in various places in our house like a desk drawer or even a small Russell Stover’s Candy box under the upper layer of his socks, and one boxed, large sized, almond Hershey bar in a file marked “current”. He would say, “You never can tell when you might need a little chocolate.” I enjoyed his enjoyment in chocolate and often found life had special surprise pleasures tucked away in unusual places: a friend who includes you in a spur-of-the-moment lunch time visit just when you need it the most, a scripture that pops off the page being studied for an entirely different application, a note in my mailbox thanking me for something so trivial I didn’t even know it had value, three friends who dropped by not even knowing they were the answer to a prayer; little bits of sweetness God tucks away in our day. I hope you find such a joy today. Oh, how sweet it is – one never knows when one might need a little chocolate.

A Lesson from a Runaway

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:12:56 +0000

I love the story of Jonah. It’s true and relevant. Most of what we remember about Jonah is his stay in the belly of a whale and the praise he gave to the God Who put him there. But there are other principles appropriate for Believers on the run or for heathen captains of ships to be converted by the manner in which Jehovah God handles His runaways. To review the details, Jonah did not want to obey God and go to Nineveh to preach the Gospel so he booked the first ship going in the other direction. Well there was this humongous storm and the ship’s captain went down into the ship to see just who this new traveler was. They had to wake Jonah to ask him. I love the answer; it makes me laugh whenever I read it. Jonah said, “I am a prophet of the Lord God Jehovah, Who sees everything, knows everything and remembers everything.” And so, the Captain cried, “What are you doing?” Jonah, somewhat discomfited answered, “I, sir, am running away from Him.” Running away from the One God Who sees and knows everything?! What a futile exercise! You can’t run away from God. You can run for Him, with Him, against Him, but you can’t run away from Him. The principle that newly impresses me is Jonah’s condition during the turbulence of the storm. He was asleep, the picture of peace, but a false picture! Don’t mistake the weariness of disobedience for the Peace of God. They who have gone down to the sea in ships have seen the works of the Lord then – oh, awesome then – they cried to the Lord in their trouble and He brought them out of their distresses. In that there is peace, the deliverance of God, not in the fainting of exhausted human measure, but in the relieving of God fully recognized. They who go down to the sea in ships learn the Jonah lesson: delayed obedience is better than no obedience at all, but the best obedience is immediate.

An Interview with Jeannette

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:23:06 +0000

Click The Crossover to listen to an interview with Jeannette by Mitch Jerome where she talks about her theater ministry.

LAUGHABLE BLOOPERS

An article shared with me by a friend, stays on my cluttered desk with a daily purpose. It makes me smile, laugh out loud and occasionally use it for a radio spot. It’s a collection of announcements taken from church bulletins. For instance, this one: “Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and our community.” Another one I enjoy: “This afternoon there will be a meeting in the South and North ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.” Frequently I find those snippets of error laughable blessings. I find a principle of God’s grace in them. What to do with errors addressed, confessed, and still there locked into the embarrassment of recall? We all make mistakes; some major blunders, some grievous sins, some that have tragic consequences, some twist the world out of shape, but most of them are innocent errors that mar the landscape of our memory. I am sure that whoever made those mistakes in the article has no idea that a woman in Houston found joy in their discovery. I do not think we can laugh our problems away, but there is a slight hope that in some errors of innocence and ignorance there is the easing of laughter. Maybe…maybe…God, Who loves His children, laughs in the blundering of our innocent mistakes. Maybe – just maybe – we should, too. Try it today for that error confessed, regretted and never dismissed. Maybe it’s good for laughter. “Don’t let worry kill you. Let the church help!” There it was in print in a church bulletin and God used it to delight me in the reading of it.

PROVISIONAL GIFTS

Clearing out an ancient closet I found a small box of what I thought must be very small picture frames. Remembering that in my previous clearing out fever I had also found that small box of what must be small picture frames and decided to break the pattern by returning the small box to a different closet. The next attack of clearing out fever led me again to the small box of what must be small picture frames and I returned it to the shelf in the closet that had previously held them. One night, returning late from a rehearsal, I stumbled through a dark hall, groped for the light switch and was reminded that my flashlight needed a change of battery. Batteries are kept in the first mentioned closet and, as I gathered them from their carton, I saw, again, the small box of what must be small picture frames and idly opened it to find that what I thought were small picture frames were, instead, amazing little nightlights, perfect for lighting my foot steps in the dark hall within which I usually stumbled.

God’s Word is, indeed, a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path when properly placed within the perimeters of daily lives and not left in some cluttered closet or book shelf wherein it gathers dust. However, God, Himself is very persistent about His children availing themselves of His provision and when clearing out our closets doesn’t reveal His provisional gifts He, God will direct us through our admitted need for batteries to open small boxes and find that which He provides to give us light in the darkness. Isn’t that kind of God to be so determined to bless us? Wouldn’t it be the wisdom of logic to take them out of the box in the first place?

The Pathways of Life

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:07:37 +0000

Some questions are best forgotten and some need be looked squarely in the face and answered. I found an envelope full of old, faded and curly pictures. I thumbed through them only for a quick decision as to keeping or toss away. In the collection were a dozen pictures of me taken in various shows I had done. I transferred a few to a better storing place and glanced through the others pausing only to recognize the plays they represented. Theater memories are wonderful visitations from history and I lingered over each picture – in – most of them was me. Me, young, slender, pretty in make up and costume, a youthful leading lady able to stretch to a few character parts, comedienne and classical actress – me – a me that once was. And the thorn of a question interrupted the roses of reverie. Whatever happened to that me? The question held serious portent comparing the me that was with the me that I am and I hastily dismissed it, but the question popped up again. What happened to that me? To silence the question I dared to answer – hesitant at first, but then turning the question mark into an exclamation point!

Life verse: Proverbs 3:6: In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

That’s what happened to that me. Not bad, not bad at all! I recommend the adventure; In all your ways acknowledge Him and celebrate the paths He will direct.

‘Musterd’ Out the Old Year

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:12:26 +0000

I remember the morning had started before I was ready for it. I was fixing my husband’s lunch and had turkey slices waiting on the bread upon which I was spreading mustard. The jar of mustard was all but empty. With an ice tea spoon I retrieved from the corners of the jar a scant spoonful. With a knife I slid slivers from the sides of the jar, then a small dollop from the jar’s lid and finally with the bread, scooped up remaining mustard stains from the empty container – and all the while a full jar of mustard was waiting on the shelf! I knew it was there. It was in reach. And yet, I ignored it to fuss over the empty one. Two principles seemed appropriate to me as I fussed at myself for wasting time. One: Don’t struggle with depleted supply. God has quality quantity waiting for you. No kitchen tool can get mustard from an empty jar. What is over is over and, in the Grace of God, what is ready is ready! And second, because it was an early date in the new year, I thought of how we pamper New Year’s Eve; trying to use up every timed second. The streets are filled with frantic watching of the old year out and the new year in. At our theater we ushered out the old year with prayer as celebrants shared a special, but not frantic evening, and there, as simple as clover, was the new year waiting for us; a new jar full of days, given by the God Who holds all time in His Hand. Happy New Year!

Be Thankful

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:14:29 +0000

A brightly illustrated exercise book came to me in the mail. The book was advertising a series of efforts that would restore and establish the lithe loveliness of form and fashion I had known in my youth. I was not particularly drawn to the program, because I had not been particularly lithe or lovely in my youth, but the exercises interested me. There was something about them that seemed familiar: that reaching to the floor bit looked a lot like the way I maneuver my body in picking up the shreds of trash which spill from waste basket into garbage sack and that stretching to the heights was similar to my awkward exercise in changing closet light bulbs and that knee-to-chest gymnastics was nothing more that the normal exercise of putting on panty hose! The roll-over-on-the stomach was exactly the same as my efforts to retrieve the pencil and pillow that slip with a degree of regularity under my bed. Now, I know that the series of exercise require far more systematic expression, but I found a reminder that much of what we look for outside our lives is already in them. The blue bird in our back yard is still an affirming principle, the neighbors green grass is really not a critique of ours, frequently being unhappy in our system of living is not a critique of our lifestyle so much as a critique of our eyesight. For a day, just for one day, try finding a cue for thankfulness in the humming drum of life as it is. It is not a discouragement to growth, but an encouragement to the thankful heart. My neighbor’s garage may be in better shape than mine, but I thank the Lord for the remote in my kitchen cabinet that, with a flick of my fingers, closes my garage door so no neighbor can see what’s in it.

Celebrate!

Live each day ready to celebrate! It might be small, like finding the lipstick that had rolled under the dressing table and still had its top on it! Or it might be large, like learning the scale is wrong and you really haven’t gained ten pounds! It might be trivial like those illustrations or it might be significant and life-changing. All celebrations gain in value when they are shared, but it is possible to celebrate all by yourself because even in the loneliness there is you to celebrate and God counted you worthy for joy! Live each day ready to celebrate. I knew a gallant lady who had been one of the early custodians of the little town that became Dallas. She said that as a young person, she always wore her riding boots when she went to the grocery store just in case someone had a horse! I laughed at the absurdity, and decided to adopt its practice. Never discard your party clothes, live ready to celebrate – or you might miss the party! Hope is a gift from God and is to be celebrated daily, with or without horses.

Surprise!

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:04:50 +0000

Today is the birthday of a friend and as I wrapped her present, I thought of a significant celebration of one of my birthdays. I was living in New York City, it was a Sunday morning. I had thought I might be awakened by a birthday call, but no such greeting started my day. I walked to church half expecting the friends who regularly worshiped with me to pop out from the corner of Broadway and 79^th Street. None did. Usually a group of us ate together after Sunday services, but this day each one had some other engagement. I saw through their ruse to the surprise awaiting me at a nearby restaurant where we often gathered. I spruced up my appearance and set my face to register surprise as I entered, but there were no grinning faces grouped around the table. I ate alone. Aha, I thought, they’re waiting for me at my apartment, but no one was there but me! All day I waited. No call. No surprise visitor. I got older and older. I decided this lost birthday was not going to get me down. Tearfully I dressed in my youngish, cutest clothes, made up my face for a party, served myself a cup of coffee, sang myself a sad birthday greeting and picked up the paper to settle for the friendship of comics. Glancing at the headline I saw the date – it was not my birthday! I was two days early! Always check the facts before you suffer! Frequently “things” aren’t so bad as they seem and be surprised by the humor of error. It can be its own party.

My Treat!

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:42:21 +0000

All the way down the serving line of the cafeteria, my friend and I argued over the check. I preceded her and hastened to snatch both tabs from their trays and made a splendid show of claiming the honor of being hostess. “No,” I said clearly, “this is my turn. I asked you!” She suggested we each pay our own, but I insisted it was to be my treat. We sat at a table by the window and as we finished, my friend again offered to pay, but I insisted the opportunity was mine. Finally, I said to her, “Please don’t say anything more about it,” and I moved to the checkout counter and opened my purse and found I had not brought any money! For some reason my wallet and credit card were safe at home and I didn’t even have enough change for my bill much less my friend’s! I turned and said coyly, “however, if you will mention it one more time I will let you pay for both of us.” It’s a funny memory between friends, but it also carries a principle. No matter how much fuss you make about it, you can’t give what you don’t have. The answers of God must be received before they’re shared. Oh, God can use our uncertain beginnings and stammerings and even work His wonders through us whatever state of equipping we’re in, but when it comes to giving to others the truth of His Grace, we need first to have that truth securely settled in our own pocket books.

Change Happens

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:32:59 +0000

One of the few things you can count on in life is the dependability of its changes. Just when I get adjusted to the time, it changes. Just when I get settled into a schedule, it changes. Even change changes. Appearance changes, weight changes, schedules change, neighborhoods change, policies change, prices change, television programs change, sport events change, values change. Caesar claimed to be constant as the morning star and he changed, and, if I’m correct, the stars are no longer so constant as we once thought them to be. Patterns, principles and politics change! And then there is God – Who remains constant and sovereign and eternally dependable – and we keep expecting Him to change. This very God is exactly Who He was when I accepted Him as a child. My view of Him changed, but He did not. The fact that He chooses different actions and approaches is part of His Sovereign Changelessness. He is Who He was and always will be. We can’t quite grasp that because we change while activating the grasping. I am not the same as I was when I accepted Christ, but He has not changed. I do not appropriate grace today the same way as I appropriated it in yesterday’s need, but grace has not changed. This Yahweh is the God Who was and is and ever will be. And this very God can be trusted today in your need today, in your joy of fellowship today and your adjustment to today. He is – was – and ever will be. Claim that truth in joy or sorrow or in the soul shaking trembling of circumstances. God changes not, and He, even in these times that flutter like bird’s wings, this very God – loves you!

Listen Closely

admin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:51:07 +0000

When God chose to comfort Elijah, He gave Elijah a view of Himself in full power! He evidenced Himself in the wind, in an earthquake and in fire. But there was no word from the Lord unto Elijah in them.

We can become insensitive to dramatic display. How many starving faces does it take to make us understand hunger? How many specific bloody pictures are needed to make us move against murder? And does the excitement of God’s miracles render us dependent on their on-going acceleration? Is last week’s wind and earthquake sufficient for today’s questions? And what about the fire? That was certainly Elijah’s dearest drama. He knew fire! He saw it come down from Heaven at his request on Mt. Carmel, but as he waited now, the fire spoke to him no word of God. Has that ever happened to you? Has the area of your greatest exhilaration lost its voice unto your soul?

Elijah went back to his cave. He thought the drama was over. No more frills. No more chills. No more thrills. And God spoke to him in a silent whisper.

God speaks to us in wind and earthquake and fire, but often, when we turn down the volume of our human expectations, He speaks to us in the silence. No sentence is clear without the punctuation of its pauses. Celebrate the pause, hear Him in the silence. Elijah did.