Above the Sun: Trials grow into blessings

by Barrett Vanlandingham
October 12, 2020 

            With several dozen blooms on Lisa’s miniature pumpkin vines, I assured her we would have at least 40 little gourds at harvest time. 

            In the end, we wound up with just 22 tiny orange pumpkins that were anywhere from 1 and ½ inches in diameter to 3 inches. The harvest was colorful but smaller than what I was hoping for. Still, they made quite an impression on her 20 second graders after Lisa read to them “The Littlest Pumpkin” and then gave each student a little pumpkin.

            The book was about a little pumpkin that was overlooked at the grocery store by every customer all day because it was too little for anyone to carve it into a jack-o-lantern. Funny thing is, until I read the book later, I did not realize that my harvest expectations were similar to those of the littlest pumpkin. I wanted 40 pumpkins to grow, not 22.  And the little pumpkin in the book wanted to be purchased like all the other pumpkins, not left by itself when the store closed at the end of the day.

            The silver lining in the book was that after the store closed, the mice in the store gathered around, decorated for a fall party, and carved the littlest pumpkin into a glorious centerpiece. For the mice, this pumpkin was the perfect size. It made the party extra special since the mice would not have had a centerpiece if the little pumpkin had been purchased by a customer.

            The silver lining for what I thought was a failure of a crop was that even though I had hoped for 40 little pumpkins, we really only needed 20.  We got 22. That’s one for each child, one for Mrs. Vanlandingham, and one extra to give away to Lisa’s friend Linda who just celebrated two years of life after a massive stroke affected her entire right side. Linda is gaining strength but has a long way to go. Her perseverance is a huge inspiration to her church family and others who watched her go from eloquent-speaking English professor, to not being able to walk, speak, or even know her colors and numbers, to now re-gaining her vocabulary, communication skills, and physical strength.

            God used those pumpkin vines to grow the perfect number of pumpkins for His purpose. God is using Lisa’s friend Linda to inspire and encourage others in ways that none of us saw coming. God will also use the times we are living in now to help carve each of us into the best version of ourselves to the glory of God and for the saving of lost souls.

            “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

            “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).

            Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Fall highlights God’s faithfulness

by Barrett Vanlandingham
October 5, 2020 

            Here we go with cooler weather, shorter days, sounds of marching bands, and trees already giving hints that a spectacular fall is headed our way.

            You may already have noticed signs of the autumn season beginning to take center stage here in northeastern Oklahoma. God is amazing like that. Even with so many issues our world is faced with these days, our Creator faithfully allows the sun to rise and set, and allows the seasons to come and go. He continues to provide us with air to breathe, food to eat, and clothes to wear. He continues to give each of us opportunities to show love and help those who are less fortunate.

            The fall season is just one more way God shows us that He has not turned His back on us, and that He is still with us and cares deeply for us. Sometimes God just seems so far away and uninterested in the things that are important to us at the moment. In reality, it is usually us who are uninterested in the things that are important to Him, and it is us who have wandered away from Him, not the other way around.

            My son, Britton, wrote a song just a few months ago that talks about this very thing. You can hear Britton and his girlfriend Kaitlyn sing “Lift Him Up” by going to my new website: www.barrettvanlandingham.com and click on the “featured videos” link.

            Here are the lyrics: (verse 1) Far and away from my Savior. No direction to carry me through. Bewildered and feeling abandoned. It was me who was distant from You.

            (Pre-Chorus): God You had the perfect plan. You made me new, now I stand. (Chorus): Just to... lift Him up… I want to break out in song. He reigns now from above, the love I’ve sought all along. And in the wilderness, I will be His. I know I’ll always belong. His holiness is, my oasis, and in the midst I’m made strong.

            (verse 2) Now my life is so different. It's a journey of purpose and grace. Darkness still tries to pursue me. But I walk in the light of your face.

            (Bridge): Holy Father of us all. At Your feet now we will fall.

            I hope you enjoy Britton’s song as it expresses the beauty of God’s perfect plan. Even during seasons of darkness, we can still walk in the light of our Savior.

            “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

            Let this fall season serve as a beautiful reminder of God’s presence and His desire to have a close relationship with you. Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Your neighbor’s nose knows

by Barrett Vanlandingham
September 27, 2020 

            You can learn a lot about your neighbors even if you are trying to not be nosy.  For instance, if mine and Lisa’s evening walks are any indication, the neighbors within a mile radius of our house are passing the sniff test with flying colors!

            One of the games Lisa and I like to play while out walking is to try and guess the smell which most of the time is more of an aroma than an odor. We smell fire pits, charcoal grills, and freshly mown lawns. But one of our favorite smells is laundry sheets. Lisa can actually tell the difference among the different brands: Bounce, Snuggle, or Gain. I, on the other hand, am not quite as sniff savvy. But I like the smells just the same.

            “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7).

            From the time God brought Adam to life by breathing into his nose, the sense of smell has been an important part of our existence. Words such as fragrant, foul, aroma, and stench have been used in the Bible to describe our attitude towards each other and towards God. The fact that God actually associates these kinds of words with each of us should knock some sense into our scents. He knows when our attitude stinks and when we are a breath of fresh air to all those around. Your neighbors know it, too.

            The apostle Paul said, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

            Parents understand what it is to burst with pride when we see our children exhibit selflessness or accomplish a noble task. Now imagine how God felt when He watched His son humble Himself even to the point of death (Philippians 2:8) for a bunch of people who didn’t even know they needed Jesus to save them. His humble attitude of love, compassion, determination, and grace under pressure was received by God as an offering that He recognized as fragrant and special, a perfect offering that nobody else could give. As Christians, this is how we are to be among our friends, co-workers, classmates, and anyone else we’re around. We are to be so wrapped up in Jesus that we smell like Him, Christlike, whether our example is accepted or rejected.        

            “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15).

            In a world that is full of messes, God wants us to be different, fragrant, the aroma of Christ. Have a great week!

Above the Sun: Catchy labels do not define good religion and ice-cream

by Barrett Vanlandingham
September 20, 2020 

            When I saw the words “peanut butter chocolate” through the glass door in the freezer section at the grocery store, that was all it took for me to grab two pints of ice-cream as I headed to the checkout line. I felt so smart because I didn’t even have to go off my low sugar, low carb diet!  This was special “keto” ice-cream I am actually allowed to eat.

This was going to be the perfect ending to my day since this was the first time I had found “legal” ice-cream since I started my diet a year and 4 months ago. I got home, ate supper, and rushed to grab my low carb, low sugar treat out of the freezer. But when I took the lid off and tried to spoon some out, it was hard as a rock! I finally managed to get a serving into a small bowl and begin what I hoped would be a marvelous experience. I took my first bite, letting the texture and taste sink in. My hopes were dashed. It was the worst tasting so-called ice-cream I have ever experienced. The consistency and taste reminded me of old ice-cream that had slightly melted and was stuck back in the fridge for about a year or two until it almost turned into powdery ice crystals. Once again, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

When it comes to matters of faith, there are so many things in life that mirror the scenario I just told you about. Just like with diets, it pays to ask credible sources and consult God’s word on any major life changes you are getting ready to dive into. The terms “Christian, Christian faith, Christian journey, Christian life, Christian music, Christian t-shirts” and so on bring to mind certain expectations that involve things Jesus taught about life, doctrine, morals, and salvation. Someone who is new in their faith may hear certain words linked to Christianity and automatically think he or she is headed in the right direction. But that is often not so.

The apostle Paul addressed this issue to Christians in Galatia, some of whom had begun to fall away from the truth they had been taught. “6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7).

Paul also wrote to Christians in Corinth, reminding them of the Israelites in Moses’ time who experienced God in some amazing ways, yet still chose to turn their backs on Him. This resulted in tragic consequences that Paul said we should learn from.

“Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did” (1 Corinthians 10:6).

“12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12).

As my good friend and family minister Steve Parker reminded me the other day, even though God’s love is unconditional, salvation is not. God will love people who wind up in hell just as much as those who go to heaven. 

Ice-cream may not have anything to do with my eternal destiny, but as is the case with ice-cream, there are some things in your faith journey you just can’t leave out.  Have a great week!

Above the Sun: We already have the answers to life’s problems

by Barrett Vanlandingham
September 13, 2020 

            Boy was I surprised last Thursday when I was informed I had shipped a 75 inch television, at a cost of nearly $2000, to someone with my same name in Pennsylvania!

            It was actually a fraudulent e-mail I received from someone pretending to be from “Amazon.com.”  It looked very official at first glance with a colorful “Amazon” logo and a fake “Shipping Confirmation Order # 402-3268049-8740387.”

The scam e-mail said:  “We thought you'd like to know that Your order has been dispatched. If you did not place this order please call us on (844)-903-2957 to report this to our fraud protection team. Your Orders on Amazon.com. We hope to see you again soon!”

Besides the fact that I immediately checked my Amazon account for some peace of mind, I also checked the wording of the e-mail, kind of bizarre. It did not take but a few seconds to spot several mistakes in grammar, punctuation, random capitalizations, and general misuse of the English language. I underlined a few of them.

Unfortunately, the devil is a much better liar than the con behind the e-mail. Still, the same principles apply when it comes to making any decision, large or small. As Christians, we are in a daily battle with the “Father of Lies.” And even though Satan has a lot more experience than we do at this game, our Heavenly Father is the greatest Warrior we could possibly have on our side (Exodus 15:3). He is patient with us and does not want any of us to perish (2 Peter 3:9).

God is many things the devil is not. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and always present. God has given us His holy word and His Holy Spirit to guide us through life in all matters of decision-making. We do not have to know every trick in the devil’s book of deception. The only answers we need to know are the time-tested ancient words God has already spoken. About 3000 years ago, Solomon spoke these God-inspired words:

“Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way” (Proverbs 4:14-15).

2000 years ago, the apostle Paul reminded young Timothy to teach this:

“Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness’” (2 Timothy 2:19).

If we know what God expects of us, anything outside of that is sin or at the very least dangerous territory. Christians are advised to avoid both. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).

We all know life is just hard sometimes. But when we fix our eyes on Jesus and model our lives after Him, we come to realize most of the problems we’re faced with do not seem near as difficult to solve.  Have a great week!