Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

I’m Jemima L. Yeggs, a.k.a. Stinker.  Pink Lady Apple Yeggs, my landlady and my auntie wants to read about how younger people, especially couples respond to what the Bible says.  And she wants to know how God is at work at Lily the Pink.

The Turtle Team was back on duty with a strange schedule.  There was enough weather to travel Monday through Friday with a new crew for the Turtle each week.  We were getting the heavy storm action out of the other storm chasing team, and we were becoming a teaching team.  That did not mean that we avoided storms, but some weeks all we would get was predictable changes in the weather and teaching the students how that might lead to storms.  The great thing is that the entire team was there in the class for Sunday school.  Then again, this was Groundhog Day.  Dr. Ben, Dr. Ellie, and Michael Rowe Casey had flown to Punxsutawney, PA to video the spectacle and report about it on the storm chasing channel, just no Turtle.

No Michael, and Arabella was blue.  Michael had promised to get her something very ground hoggish, but all she wanted was Michael and a real groundhog.

Menzie and B.B. were both in the restroom working on my hair.  B.B. promised to teach Menzie some quick techniques and I became the guinea pig.  I don’t know if Menzie was learning anything, but from all of their giggling, I was expecting to enter the classroom with a sign saying ‘Kick Me’ on the back of my head.

As we emerged, Arabella was holding court.  Arabella said, “For all who are wondering where my big hunk is, he is in Punky Tunky, Panana Land, watching a groundhog come out of a hole.”

I chided, “Arabella, that is Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.  I do not think that the residents of that town would like it when you call them, umm, whatever it was that you called them.”

Arabella repeated, “Punky Tunky, Panana Land.  The letters are PA, what else would it be?”

I said, “The first and last letters of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, PA.”

Arabella asked, What’s a commonwealth?”

I groaned, “Did you not take Civics in school?”

Arabella moaned, “Please, don’t try to answer Aunt Jemima.  Mr. Dictionary is back home.  He can tell me.”

Easy, my husband, who seems to have a classroom code name of Mr. Dictionary, said, “A Commonwealth is a government established to look out for the common, meaning all the people, wealth, meaning prosperity and happiness.  It is like a state, but it specifically states ‘Commonwealth’ in their constitution.  There are four states with that official designation: Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Virginia.”

Arabella’s eyes got larger.  “Panana Land isn’t even a state?!?!”

“Please, Fireball!” I said, “We might have people in here that have relatives in Panana Land!  Look!  You have me saying it!”

Darrell said, “My grandparents moved from Pennsylvania to Florida to get away from the snow.  But since we’ve been in Tracy, Sally Mae and I like the snow.  We have to be careful though.  I don’t want Sally Mae falling down.  We have about two months to go before the baby arrives.  Maybe just this year, Punxsutawney Phil can not see his shadow and welcome an early Spring.”

Arabella huffed, “And that’s another thing.  Why does this stupid groundhog have the name Phil?  Who ever heard of a groundhog named Phil?”

Angus asked, “Well, Lassie, what would you name a groundhog, that is if you had a meteorological prognosticating beast such as Phil?”

Arabella asked, “Meaty Prock what?”

Missy said, “What would you name your groundhog, dear?”

Arabella blinked, “Granderson.  What else?”

Joseph asked, “Can we get started?  If this puppy love meltdown keeps up, the buses will get here before we get started.”  He then led us in prayer, even praying for travel mercies for the Caseys.

Note: Phil saw his shadow this morning (2/2/25), so expect six more weeks of winter. Okay, Phil has only been right 3 of the last 10 years.

Emmett then led us, with his selected singers in a new song, Lord of Eternity.  He was back playing the keyboard.

Then, Samuel asked, “What attribute of God are we studying today, Aunt Jemima?”

I smiled, “We are covering God’s Eternalness.”

Arabella’s huffed.  “Sure!  Now we get a word that I might halfway know, and Mr. Dictionary is here.  But wait.  We have been studying the attributes of God.  What is an attribute anyway?”

“God’s attributes are the qualities of God that are inherent to Him.  We might develop certain traits, like an extrovert that asks a lot of questions, but God is eternal.  He does not change.  He has always had these attributes.” Easy explained.

Arabella asked, “Why not say ‘trait’?  Why the three syllable word?”

I replied, “Because if you say traits of God, it does not sound so regal, and traits of humans tend to change.  Deal with it, Fireball.  And now, before we get more interruptions…”

B.B. (Isaiah 57:15): “For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Arabella asked, “Mr. Dictionary.  What is contrite?’”

Easy said, “Arabella, have you ever thought you might have asked one too many questions?”

Emmett answered, “Never!  She has, but she would never realize it.”

Easy sighed, “Arabella, have you ever thought of a question, but you did not ask it?”  She nodded.  “And you felt hopelessly guilty for not getting the answer you wished to get?”

Emmett said, “Now, you are encouraging her?”

Easy said, “Arabella, having a contrite heart is having that feeling of guilt.  So, you add that to lowly, and you get a humble person that knows that they are separated from God in so many ways, yet God looks out for just such people.”

Arabella said, “Oh!”

B.B. said, “Now that I have had time to think of a comment, and thank you, Arabella… God lives in a high and exalted place.  Really, He lives outside of time and space.  You cannot get more high and exalted than that.  But, since we have studied omnipresence, God is everywhere, and immanence, God is throughout all things, then God is in the lowly and contrite places.  So, with this God who lives forever, He lowers Himself to those lowly and contrite places so that we can relate to Him.  He is relatable.  Right?”

I snickered, “Yes, bestie, God is relatable.  He can relate to us, even in His holy state, and we can relate to Him because He dwells among us and in us.”

Sally Mae (Psalms 90:1-2): “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

Sally Mae sighed, “I get part of this.  Throughout all generations goes over the span of all living things on earth, I suppose.  Everlasting to everlasting kind of says from before the beginning of time to after the end of time.  Before the mountains were formed and even the whole world, goes back to the beginning again, but how does our dwelling place fit into all that?  We have a beginning.”

I smiled, “I think you covered it.  Through all generations, that meaning the timespan from Adam to the last person on earth, God has been our dwelling place, our place of refuge, safety, comfort.  We are not eternal, for we have a beginning.”

Blaise asked, “But what about God telling Jeremiah that he knew him before the dawn of time?”

I smiled, “Blaise, you are partly correct.  Jeremiah 1:5 says, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’  Are you playing stump the teacher?”

Blaise shrugged, “No, but if I was, you won that round.  But what does Jeremiah 1:5 mean?”

I smiled, “It may mean that God knew Jeremiah would become the man who God would use as His prophet.  There are some who think that there is a big nursery in Heaven, but I do not see much evidence of that in Scripture.  In Isaiah 49:1 and Jeremiah 1:5, He chose those two prophets before birth.  We will talk about omniscience some other day.”

Darrell (Genesis 1:1): ^“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’”

Darrell asked, “So, God was not only before the beginning of time, He was as powerful then as ever since He created everything.  Is that what that verse is really saying?”

I smiled, “That is a good summary.  Now, next time, we will discuss Jesus in this context of eternalness.”

Sally Mae smiled, “I’m glad.  That kind of bothers me.”

I smiled, “If God can leave Heaven to come to earth, He can come in any form, but that is for next week.  I see our bus alarm approaching.”

Lauren came over from the play area and patted Menzie on the knee, “Mommie!  The buses!”

I smiled, “As we have been doing, let’s end with our benediction.  Everyone bow your heads in prayer.  ‘“‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’”’” (Numbers 6:24-26)

And everyone said, “Amen.”

Credits

I am using suggested Bible verses from The Attributes of God, A Journey into the Father’s Heart by A.W. Tozer, in two volumes. My two volumes have a Study Guide by David E. Fessenden, which is designed for each chapter of Tozer’s book. I may review those chapters to keep Stinker from straying too much, but the nature of her class is that the class tends to stray anyway. I am not using Rev. Tozer’s comments directly.

My apologies for those in Punxsutawney, PA, and all Pennsylvania, the commonwealth that I have called home for over twenty years.  Please show Arabella some mercy; it was her first separation from Michael, and she had a little meltdown.  And don’t worry about the goats, Arabella is spending as much time with them as she can to compensate for her “hunk” of a thirteen-year-old boy not being there.

And here is Lord of Eternity sung by Fernando Ortega.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.