Betty Whitaker Jackson

Every Christmas Eve brings me new reasons to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Last night was no exception. Allie and Brian Lum Shue Chan’s story from the perspective of Hark, the angel, was a new iteration of the old story. I wrote a similar one several years ago called “And God Chose Joseph.” Then, this Grandma’s heart was overwhelmed by the beautiful voice of my granddaughter, Emily and her Covenant Church friends in their beautiful song to Jesus. It…..

Read more

Note: Because I cannot obtain copyright permission to use these lyrics, I could not publish this, I think my best short story. It is a tribute to Steven Sondheim and Paul Simon.

MIND MISCHIEF

Lifeless life at Ringling Bros Rest Home.

Too little mayonnaise, never a lick of Sriracha. Boring as lumpy, gooey oatmeal.

Beige walls. Beige blanket, Beige life. Even the bed curtains, one around me and one circling Henry—mind-numbing beige.

I whisper. There ought to be clowns. (Steven…..

Read more

Day 8

I confess I am closer to God’s guidance sometimes rather than others. One of my sinful nature traits is to try to handle things on my own. I tell myself, mistakenly, that I can face life’s challenges on my own. After all, I learned it early. Isn’t every parent’s task to raise independent, self-sufficient children, capable and equipped to accomplish great things? From applause for first steps to brag centers at graduation parties, we rightly or wrongly preach…..

Read more

As you prepare to worship this weekend, either livestream or in person, approach God with an air of expectancy.

Whatever the D’s today: despair, detachment, death, disappointment, dread, depression, or dependency, God can break through those barriers to bring joy, peace, freedom, excitement, and expectancy that He can handle any problem, correct any wrong, deliver us from grudges and self-centered hurts, and provide hope.

Psalm 84: 10-12 says: “A single day in Your courts i better than a thousand anywhere…..

Read more

Sorry I haven’t posted lately. Too much going on right now, but I must comment on yesterday’s election. While we don’t know New Jersey’s final outcome, Virginia’s is clearly a win for common sense and a rejection of WOKE and CRT and hopefully the huge inflationary expense of Biden’s social infrastructuing of our country. Yes, we’ll build roads, but we will NOT allow cradle to grave federal government takeover of everyone’s lives. At least, that’s what I think these elections…..

Read more

Sometimes it helps to read another version, another translation of scripture to gain a new insight. That happened to me today.

Yesterday our group read a passage from 1 John, the “love” passage.  The new Christians were known by their love for each other. Apparently, this was a new phenomenon at the time, and this group noticeably cared about and for each other, and as John puts it, the Holy Spirit was responsible for this transformation of their character.

This…..

Read more

Has it occurred to anyone besides me that we are being not only subjects of the government, but manipulated as well? The media mouthpiece blares inconsistencies, and we are force-fed arguments, policies, and one-sided arguments which insult our intelligence and create confusion, angst, anger, and frustration. Case in point: public servants who have healed our sick, enforced our laws, taught our children,  cared for the dying, and protected our nation are the very ones serving as sacrificial lambs and scapegoats…..

Read more

It’s been a busy week. Zoom calls to missionaries in many nations, the memorial service of a dear friend, time with grandchildren, and intermittent moments of reflection. I’m in the planning stages of another book to be written during November as part of National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known as NaNoWriMo.  I’ve completed draft forms of two other books in previous years and hope to write a sequel to “Seashell Saga” next month.

I’m reviewing hymns, looking into the struggles…..

Read more

I have been on two zoom calls with missionaries from Covenant Church this morning. What a blessing.

The first is ministry to primarily Muslims in the heart of London and throughout England, and we are pleased that through relational ministry, they are reaching many. It is interesting that God is using visions and dreams to reach people. I had heard this was occurring in Iran and Iraq and other Muslim nations, but it is occurring among Muslims in England as…..

Read more

What an exciting week. This is Missions Week at Covenant Church in Palm Bay, FL. Through guest speakers and the miracle of Zoom, I can travel to churches we have planted all over the world and locally. We are a church-planting congregation. We have planted fifty churches in twenty countries, and our goal is to plant fifty more in the next ten years. Not only do we plant new congregations, we train local pastors to then go out and multiply…..

Read more