Sunday Morning Glory

By Jane Ann Crenshaw

I was seventy when I began Morning Glory, and now I am seventy-nine years old. I come from a family of fourteen children: seven boys and seven girls. The boys' name started with L and the girls with J. I was the tenth child, born in Council Bluffs, Iowa! I grew up in Lawndale, California, and presently live in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I am married to Jim and have a son, Dan, and a daughter, Jennifer. I also have three grandsons who are a gift from God in my old age. Teaching God's word is what I have loved to do since I was eighteen years old! I love being married, being a mom, and a grandma! God has rewarded me with sharing my memories of struggles and joys of a fleshly life, all the time aspiring to become the woman God wanted me to be. Morning Glory became an outlet to remember my past and became an instrument for my well-being in Jesus Christ. To God, I give the honor and the glory in all of heaven and in all the earth!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781641141178

Book preview

Acknowledgments

Iwish to thank the Holy Spirit for considering me as an ambassador to teach God’s Word, giving me recall so that I could tell the stories of my own along with some others that I felt needed to be told. I wish to express my appreciation to my husband, James R. Crenshaw, for his constructive criticism and wise counsel. Not only did he check each page for biblical and theological accuracy but also my use of grammar and continuity. Sometimes he even gave me an A.

Introduction

When I Was a Child

Isat at the feet of my nine older brothers and sisters and listened to their stories about their lives in the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. They seemed to have had so many adventures that it would bring The Dead End Kids, The Hardy Boys and Little House on the Prairie to tears. I would laugh and laugh, and as I got older I saw the hardships were more than the good times, but it didn’t matter; I wanted stories like that of my own to tell. Needless to say, I never did have them. I thought when I became thirty, I would then have a few under my belt; but in reality, I only had extra pounds from having two babies. When I was eighteen, I began teaching Sunday school. I taught Sunday school throughout my life, and it took me through all grades. In 1996, my final teaching experiences were with ladies. I found my place! I loved it, and I loved those ladies. Nothing can compare with the interaction of women sharing their love for the Lord and life experiences with one another. At least that was what I thought! After retirement in 2001, we moved closer to my son and his family so we could be more involved in our grandson’s lives. I discovered my teaching days were not over! I was asked to teach a ladies’ class at the church we became involved in. I was so excited! I used materials from my previous classes, but with a little updating. I began to use more and more of my own life stories, and I also began to write my own version of biblical stories to make it more upfront and personal. I had never done that before. I always would have a thought or idea and then I would ask Jim to help me out on how to present it. The ladies in my class seemed to enjoy my stories and began to tell me I should write a book because I had so many stories to tell. Me! I had so many stories! I wanted to tell them that it had always been a dream of mine to have stories to tell. Was my dream a possible reality? After teaching this class for fourteen-plus months, I decided to give up teaching so Jim and I could look at new directions in our lives. I knew I could teach again. so it was okay even though I loved every minute of that time spent in God’s Word and every minute with those women. I decided I would continue to create lesson plans, and then a plan began to formulate in my mind about a devotional. What came about is still unbelievable to me. I have seen the Holy Spirit work in others, especially in my Jim. A quiet man of few words but a profound thinker. He became a bass in a Gospel quartet, a part-time preacher, and teacher. A wonderful, Godly husband, a Godly father, and Godly elder.

Only the Holy Spirit could have done that to a quiet man called Jim. Today, the Holy Spirit has taken a woman who talked far too much but couldn’t write a lick. Her thoughts on paper were always a jumble of words with very little continuity. She wanted stories of her own. and in her old age, God opened the door to do what she loves best: to tell others about her Lord and Savior. He took a little freckle-faced girl with very little confidence and placed her in a world that needs the Lord. Morning Glory began on January 18, 2008, as though it had a mind of its own. In five days, I had written eight treasured thoughts. All different but with the same theme of putting Christ first in our lives. Each page I would take to Jim and have him read it. Believe me, he was just as amazed as I still am. I chose to call my treasures Morning Glory. It is a greeting from my childhood and makes me feel warm. The memories it conjures up fill me with pleasure. But we do see Him, who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely Jesus. Because of His suffering of death, He was crowned with glory, and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone (Hebrews 5:9) (NAS). Reading God’s word fills me with pleasure. Let me share mine, and especially His story, with you!

Morning Glory!

My Brother

My brother Lloyd, at the age of sixteen, suffered a stroke. At that time, the doctors did not know it was a stroke; they thought it was infantile paralysis or something like that. An MRI, in his ’50s, indicated that he had a stroke. His illness interrupted his school/sports and his life, which kept him at home during my youth. He took care of us kids, and we loved him. He became a creative cook long before the creative cooking network show on TV. Every morning he would greet me with Morning Glory! I loved that! When I married and eventually moved to Oregon, I didn’t hear that anymore, but I always longed to hear Lloyd say it just one more time. One Sunday morning, an old man in his eighties came to our church to visit. I went over to welcome him and to introduce myself. He greeted me with Morning Glory! I immediately loved this old man. I gave him a hug and told him what that greeting meant to me. It brought back floods of great memories of Lloyd and my early childhood. Dick was pleased, and we became fast friends.

The morning glory is a twining plant with white, purple, or pink flowers, which open its blossoms in the mornings and then closes them at night. I love morning glories! I really don’t remember them except they are a beautiful little flower with a lovely name. Later on we moved, and I was attending another church where I met Nikki, who greeted me with Morning Glory! Again, I become all warm and fuzzy. It’s a comfort greeting if I ever heard one.

I have often wondered about the word glory. I was listening to a radio preacher, and his congregation would yell out Glory! along with other exclamations of praise! Why? I see that word in many places of the scriptures, and each one indicates a different meaning.

Sometimes I think the word glory is used when God just needs a word to fill in until He can come up with the word He wants. I do that! I use the word gidgewopper. Others have used words like wachitmacallit or thingamajig. Most people say glory means honor or splendor. The dictionary includes those but goes further with renown, to rejoice or exult. I’ve heard it referred to heaven as in I’m on my way to glory. I love word searches, don’t you?

In Romans 2:8-11 (GN), Paul is telling us that God will render to every man according to his deeds. But God will give glory, honor and peace to all who do what is good! According to the scriptures, those who persevere in doing good will receive these accolades from God! These are rewards! Those who seek to do evil will find themselves enmeshed in trials and tribulations, because they seek unrighteousness. In Luke 2:9, (GN) it says, The glory of the Lord shone all around the Angel, when they appeared before the shepherds in the field. How magnificent to have the glory of the Lord shine round about you! The word glory is always used to define the total essence of God! Does the glory of the Lord shine all around us as we go?

I have never claimed to understand all that God says in His word, but I do find it exciting when he uses a word like glory to explain something completely out of the ordinary. To me it is like the Morning Glory! When I hear that greeting, it sets my old memories into motion. When I read it in God’s Word, I can feel the warmth of the Lord who desires our recognizing Him as all glory, honor, and power. He is the beginning and the end! He is full of light! The word glory in the Bible is just as beautiful and refreshing as any wildflower you can find. The word glory makes us feel special. I suppose that is why the greeting Morning Glory gives me such pleasure.

Greet each morning with Morning Glory and see how it makes you feel. He is the reason for our coming and going. Regardless of how we perceive the word glory, it is how God bestows it upon us that matters. God’s glory is revealed in Jesus. Take pleasure in your day and seek out the Lord and His glory and become radiant all over!

It Was Carved out of Marble!

As our tour guide led us past the shop selling its wares of pagan idols, which were mostly of the goddess Diana, I was surprised to see that Ephesus was totally corrupt. The path we were on was dirt. Somewhat disappointed and yet exhilarated, we began a most rewarding adventure reliving a time that, up until then, was only on the pages penned by Paul in God’s Word. At one time this was a plush and fertile valley. It was a seaport of renown with much activity of buying, selling, and trading of wares. Now the port had been filled in with silt, sand, and dirt, which brought trees and bushes and pushed the sea out so far it was no longer a port of renown, nor could it any longer support activity of any kind.

As we passed the only living thing in this city, I was reminded of the pleasures that God gives us in the most unexpected times and places. In the middle of a patch of unkempt green grass, laid out on hard ground filled with rock and stone, was a small daisy-like flower. Its stem was short, but the flower was bright and full of color. In the middle was deep red with a ring of yellow gold around it. The flower petals were painted with the same deep red that colored the inner circle. This beautiful flower was poking its little head up as though to say; Look here, I am beautiful, even here in the rubble. This flower was perfect and yet was placed in an imperfect and even more unlikely place. We had just entered into the area that began our visit to the ancient city of Ephesus. Ephesus, a bustling town full of color and splendor in its day, was now a barren town very much like a jigsaw puzzle that had not been fully put together.

However, its marbled streets rumored of days gone by filled us with great expectations of the journey we were about to take. As we walked, stopped, and looked, it was as though we had moved from the pages right into the middle of splendor.

When something is excavated, it never quite fits into place. Huge marble pillars were placed, but obviously not where they were originally. Even so, it was beautiful and caused us to speculate on its beauty that once was. We could almost feel and smell many generations before, going about their daily activities, even to the point of hearing the rustle of clothing as they passed by us, intent on their day. Our guide filled us in, from the scriptures, the place where they thought Mary’s house was. Pointed out the mosaic tiles outlining the marble paved roads that gave direction to a house of ill repute. We were fascinated with the library, with only the front portion completed, which was enough for us to get an idea of how grand it must’ve been. We sat in the theater were Paul spoke. Climbed to the top just to see if we really could hear as well from up there as we could in the front row. It was carved out of marble! Just sitting there gave us an idea how it might have been so many years ago when Paul pleaded with the people to change their ways.

At one point in time, Ephesus was a great metropolis; but this day, it was corrupt. And no matter how much they excavated and tried to piece it all back together, it will never be what it was. In Revelations 2:1-7, (NIV) we find that God removed their lamp stand because they did not repent. You see, they had left their first love. Yes, there were some things that God did like, but that was not enough. He who has an ear, let him hear! To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life! Sometimes, I wonder about my life. Am I whole, or part of a jigsaw puzzle? Are there some things that God likes about me, or am I still wanting? When I stood at the end of the journey and look back, Ephesus took my breath away. They call it the Oh my God hill because the view is spectacular. Ephesus, a once upon a time, could be you…Unless you overcome, you will not enter the paradise of God! Oh, I want to be there! I want to walk in my eternity with the Savior that says, Come unto me all you who labored and I will give rest! Oh yes, I want to be there, don’t you?

Whiter than Snow!

Today, there is lots of discussion as to which soap to use to keep your whites white. Years ago, it wasn’t the soap as much as it was time, muscle, and help. Growing up in a large family, you are given jobs. One of the first jobs my sister Joyce and I were given was the laundry. I was thirteen and Joyce was ten. I just know you are saying, Big deal!

Well, it was a big deal! My dad had built sort of a lean-to behind the garage. It had a dirt floor with old linoleum on it and not totally enclosed; it was called the laundry room. The washer was old but most of the time it worked. When it was broke, Crazy Johnnie was called to repair it. That’s another story!

One of my favorites was the one with the wringer we turned by hand. The other one had a small spin-dry hole, which I hated. To empty the washer, you had to lay the hose on the ground and let it empty into the yard. When it wasn’t working we would wash in the big tub next to the washer and the scrub board. It was also emptied by laying the hose on the ground. I suppose all of that was much better than pounding them on a rock in the lake, huh?

It gets better! We washed clothes on Saturday mornings only, which means we washed eight twin-size sheets, four standard bedsheets, enough towels that were hung double on seven clotheslines that were approximately seventeen feet long. We had a total of fourteen clotheslines. At this time, we had around sixteen people living at our house. Go ahead, you do the math! After Daddy died, we moved. My brother Lonnie bought Mom a new washer with a wringer and eventually a dryer. Our prayers for Mom going onto the TV show, Queen for a Day, was totally squashed. Well, by that time, my new job was ironing. Ugh!

When the sheets were dry, we made the beds. I didn’t get Lonnie’s bed made once, and around 1:00 a.m., he knocked on my bedroom door. I had to get up and make his bed. A job isn’t done until it is done! I don’t remember who folded the towels, but I know they got used again because we washed the same towels every weekend. Joyce and I talk and laugh about that time in our lives. We agree it was hard, but when our job was done, we were done until next Saturday. Life is like that, isn’t it.

My mother had a lot of obstacles to face in raising and caring for her family. When I look back on it I applaud her fortitude and resilience. She knew she had a job to do, and she did it with all her might. Her children may have grumbled and rebelled. Some silently complained and some were vocal, but she was the law! She fed us! She made sure we were clean inside and out. She made sure we attended school and even Sunday school. I believe her motto was, You do as you are told! I don’t know how it was with the older kids, but as one of the younger ones, I didn’t want to find out what would happen if I didn’t do as I was told. I may have argued a lot, but I did what I was told.

Isaiah 1:16-20 (RSV) tells us to wash ourselves, make ourselves clean by removing the evil from our lives. He further instructs us to do good and seek justice. God points out that our sins are scarlet, but He can make us ‘white as snow. However, all of that comes with conditions.

We are to say yes to God and obey Him. When we do, we are His, and He will care for us. If we refuse and rebel, we are lost. In Matthew 23:27-28 (RSV), Jesus talks about the hypocrites being as white washed tombs. Outwardly, they appear beautiful and righteous; but on the inside, they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Sometimes it is hard to follow the rules! Sometimes it is hard to toe the line! Sometimes we just don’t want to! I learned as a child to obey my parents. Wasn’t easy, but life was good when I did! In Joshua 24:15 (RSV) it says, As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. It’s as simple as that! Jim and I have found those words to be true! As for Jim and me, we will serve the Lord!

How Old Are You?

When I began writing, I was seventy! Unlike the last two decades, I was able to face that birthday without remorse. Why is that? One reason is when I look in the mirror, the woman looking back not only looked seventy but was seventy. I hope that makes sense! I didn’t really feel old, but I look the part!

When I turned sixty, my sister Jean told me that I was not old, unless I wanted to be old. She herself was not old! She was eighty-four, but she didn’t intend to live, that old! She was still teaching the sixth grade Sunday school class, and had been since she was in her thirties.

I heard recently that to reach eighty is a great milestone, because many do not live to be eighty. Age is a condition of life, but it should not be a determining factor as to how to live life. So when I turned sixty, that was when I learned I had become the youngest of the old folks and the oldest of the young folk. This was a metaphor that can be used for any age ending with a zero. So at seventy, it still applied!

You have heard You are as old as you feel. Some mornings I feel old! However, some mornings I feel great, and every bone in my body works. I love those mornings, and I am not a morning person. You have guessed by now that I am still growing older.

I love to hear stories by old people. You know, the kind where they tell you how they lived when they were children, the schools they went to, and people they had met. I am now one of them, and I wonder if others would really want to hear my stories. But what I do is teach God’s Word!

Did you know that the aged were revered in the Bible for their wisdom? In Job 5:26 (NIV), age was regarded as a token of God’s favor. In Leviticus 19:32 (NIV), the Mosaic law required the young to honor old people. Being old is like coming of age. With age comes honor, respect, and God’s favor. Not so bad when you put it all in perspective. With God, all things are possible, even becoming old!

You can almost count on the fact that with age comes health problems. But then, these kinds of problems can come at any age. What do we do with them when these issues rear their ugly heads? Paul instructs us in Philippians 4:11-13 (RSV), To be content in all circumstances and to be satisfied because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. I know that some weaknesses and illnesses cause us to become unable to participate in life as we want. My Jim likes to say that life is like a roller coaster. It has many ups and downs, but oh, what a ride. If we step up to the challenge in God’s word, we certainly can continue to enjoy the ride for as long as we live.

My question is, How old are you? God needs you at any age to teach the world to sing His praises. I heard about a little elderly lady who was known for passing out tracks at local businesses. Then there is Frances, with her smile of encouragement across the room, a trademark of hers. Harry, a man who could barely talk above a whisper, carried cards in his pocket so he could lift up and encourage those around him. The desire of his heart was to reach others for Christ! He would visit other congregations and attend men’s Bible studies besides those at his own church.

How about you? Are you ready for a rocking chair, or is the rocking chair ready for you? Are you prepared and ready to wait patiently, like Simeon at the temple serving the Lord, seeing the Christ child, and then going home to see the morning? Are you ready? Set your mind on the things above and not on the things of this earth, (Colossians 3:2) (RSV) my paraphrase). Don’t worry about how old you are, instead think about the fact that the Lord is near! We still have time to be His servant, so come on and get all excited!

Mothers Are Like That!

My mom was the most no-nonsense mother that I have ever met. That probably surprises you that I say it like that. Well, there have been other mothers in my life who have nurtured me as I grew to womanhood and have made imprints upon my life, but the footprints of my mother were the ones I was to follow. My mother was truth, but she was not perfect. My mother was busy because she realized her responsibilities. My mother was loved and respected by her children because of who she was, not because of what she was.

When I was a child, my mother would talk about how much she loved the Lord. She would send her younger children to Sunday school and church and encourage them to participate in all the church activities, but she never went or participated. When I was fifteen, my father died, and she began to attend church. She would say she didn’t go before because of my dad. I am sure that is true, and I know because of her schedule of working, caring for a growing family, and keeping all her fourteen children under control kept her from doing many things that she would have loved to do. However, none of that kept me from resenting her renewed faith in the Lord, and the fact that she seemed all of a sudden holier than thou. I became a Christian at the age of ten, and I knew so much more than she did. Why is it that now, she has become so wonderful"!

It seemed that I couldn’t let myself accept this change in her. I thought she was now trying to tell me how to be a Christian instead of seeing that she just wanted to be one with me. I couldn’t see that she was trying to understand me. I harbored mixed emotions regarding this situation for a couple of years. I held it deep inside where no one could see, except for God. I knew my feelings were wrong, and I was ashamed of how I felt. I had trouble understanding!

One evening service, the pastor was talking about how personal our relationship was with God. No one relationship was the same as another. When we come to the Lord, it is on a personal basis, and no one can say it is or isn’t real. I began to think about my feelings regarding Mom’s relationship with the Lord. wow! Was that an eye-opener! For years Mom kept her feelings to herself, and when she was free to express her love for the Lord, I wanted to pounce all over it. First Corinthians 13 (NAS) talks about love. Especially verse 4, where it says, Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant. Believe me, that put me in my place. I realized that my feelings were resentful! I should have been happy that she was now free. Free to live and love the way she wanted to!

Mothers love their children differently than husband and wives love each other. It is even different than how siblings love each other. A mother’s love is sort of like playing the waiting game. She teaches a child something and then waits to see if it is taking hold. Her love doesn’t falter when some things take longer to learn than others. She waits! I was the child that when she said to jump, I didn’t ask, How high? I was the child that asked, Why? Her only response to that was, Your middle name should have been, why!

Because she was not demonstrative, I became a mother who was. Because my mother was strict, I was not as strict. Because my mother was so busy, I made extra time for my children. Because she loved the Lord, I too love the Lord with all my heart.

Life is too short for us to take sides as to who is a better Christian.

Life is too short for us to criticize each other’s walk. Verses 5-7 says, Love does not act unbecomingly, seeking its own. It does not provoke nor keep records of being wronged. Rejoices in the truth! Bears, believes, hopes and endures all things. Growing up in Christ takes time; growing up takes time! When I finally grew up, my mother and I became free in Christ together. She was amazing in the way she raised her fourteen children. Considering all, my two aren’t so bad either.

So What Do You Want, a Medal?

Have you ever considered a New Year’s resolution? Many have, even to the point of writing them down, only to realize into the year that the resolutions had been forgotten. Have you ever set goals for yourself? How about losing twenty pounds in four months? Perhaps it is to eventually run in the Boston marathon or Hawaii. I have never done that except in my dreams. But I suppose you would have to work up to the marathon by beginning with running one mile, which I have never done before either. However, the goal is there, and you know with perseverance you can achieve it.

I have never wanted to compete for anything let alone a medal. I never really ran for an office unless I knew it was a sure thing. I suppose it comes from some insecurities I have about myself. Nevertheless, many reach for the baton and go on to win the ribbon, the gold or silver medal, or even perhaps the corner office. There is nothing wrong with winning, but in reality, it all comes down to the race, doesn’t it?

What if you lose? What if all your time and money was put on the line, and then you lost. It happens, you know! I’ve known some who lost the game but was so exhilarated playing the game; it didn’t matter that they lost. However, I’ve known some who won and were very poor winners. Again, in reality, it all comes down to how the game was played.

When I was a young girl, my brother Lloyd said to me one morning as I got ready for school, Are you ready for the race? My reply was, What race? He grinned and said, The human race, silly. Are any of us ever quite ready for the human race each morning? I don’t think I ever was or am I ready even now. There are so many bumps and turns that jump into our paths we are not prepared for. I think I discovered the remedy for that mode of preparation, however, and it still surprises me how it works. Give Jesus a try!

In the late fifties, there was a cliché or phrase, being bantered around, especially with TV comedians, What do you want, a medal? I think my nephew Lance was around four or five years old. He and his family were visiting Grandma’s house. Lance came running into the house pretty proud of himself and was anxious to tell his mom and dad. My brother Lloyd was there. Lance began to tell his story, and boy was he excited. After he quieted down, Uncle Lloyd said, Well, what do you want, a medal? And Lance sobered right up and said, No! I just want to go to heaven and see Jesus! How simple was that? Through the years my husband and I have used that answer many times to each other, especially when the question is asked, What do you want? or What should we do? Sometimes it is, Let’s go get an ice cream, but most of the time it is, I just want to go to heaven and see Jesus!

I read a story some years ago, which I want to paraphrase here because I can’t remember it word for word. When I get up in the morning, I go to the window and look out! No matter what the weather is or the condition of my body, I say, ‘This is just the kind of day I wanted!’ In 1992, I read a line out of a daily devotional. I have used this line for every new year, but it rhymed real good with 1992: ‘I have all the time to do what God wants to me to, in 1992!’ Through the years I have changed it a bit to rhyme with the new year.

Paul says it eloquently in Philippians 1:21-23: (RSV) To live is Christ and to die is gain. He goes on to say, Sometimes it is difficult as to what I want to do—stay here a little longer? Yet I have the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better. Writing resolutions, setting goals, setting out to be an achiever are all good things as long as we know what lies ahead. Keeping your eyes fixed on the Savior and knowing that God has given you time to do all that He wants you to do! How good is that!

Sunday Dinners!

My biological family used to gather together’ every Sunday after church! I don’t think invitations were issued; it was just something that happened. At Mom’s house, there was always plenty of food, and it was always fun being together. It would be no small gathering because with nine children still living in the area and at least four of them married with children, the number was big. The only real hardship was the cleaning up, which was left to us teenagers, who were still at home. I can’t say that we were always thrilled as we gathered together, but looking back, it was a great time of family fun and fellowship.

In 1963, we held a family reunion and took lots of pictures. Through the years following, the family was spread out to the point where we didn’t see each other except for short visits to this one or to that one, but never all together. In 1985, our family held another a reunion.

Families came from Iowa, Idaho, and Oregon to meet up with those still living in California. What a time that was! We spent several days together remembering, getting caught up, and just loving one another. Cameras were clicking and flashing as we tried to capture these wonderful moments. Not all were at the reunion, but their presence was felt as we remembered them and