"What would you do with a brain if you had one?"

The wind began to swish / The house, to pitch / And suddenly the hinges started to unhitch / Just then the Witch / To satisfy an itch / Was flying on her broomstick, thumbing for a hitch.

Tornado news is a hot topic these days. I shutter to think of the number of lives lost recently.
Even close to home there has been damage from these powerful storms. The thought of tornadoes took my mind back to the Classic tale "The Wizard of Oz"

Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking.”



I was in a teacher store in Kingsport today, browsing around looking for Kindergarten supplies for the fall. The kids were being semi-obedient ( yes, I know partial obedience is disobedience) but teacher store are no fun for kids mostly! As I was waiting on my die-cut shapes that I ordered to be finished I overheard a employee talking to a another teacher, a former employee. I didn't catch the whole conversation but something about " drinking", gambling, and and feeling bad for doing it on the Lord's day. If that didn't catch my attention what the clerk said in response did . "Oh well, " she said . "Everyday should be the Lord's day and you are a good christian girl..it will be OK". The gospel according to the school supply folks I guess. It doesn't take much of a brain to know that God is not interested in our goodness..and our goodness does not erase the sinful things we do. True "conviction" will lead to repentance in the truest sense I do believe. That scene left me a little heartbroken.

Dorothy: Now which way do we go?

Scarecrow: Pardon me, this way is a very nice way.

Dorothy: Who said that? [Toto barks at scarecrow]

Dorothy: Don't be silly, Toto. Scarecrows don't talk.

Scarecrow: [points other way] It's pleasant down that way, too.

Dorothy: That's funny. Wasn't he pointing the other way?

Scarecrow: [points both ways] Of course, some people do go both ways.

Don't we try to go "both ways" in our Christian walk sometimes? One foot in the world and one foot with the Lord??? hmmmm

Wicked Witch of the West: And now, my beauties, something with poison in it, I think. Something with poison in it, but attractive to the eye, and soothing to the smell. Poppies... Poppies. Poppies will put them to sleep. Sleep. Now they'll sleep!

I thought about the scene form the Wizard of Oz where Dorthy sees the field of "poison poppies". She was so caught up in the seeming "beauty" of those poppies that she failed to investigate further to see that they were a trap laid out by the sinister Witch of the West.Isn't that just like the Devil ...he rarely comes as apparent "Evil", but quite the opposite...he appears in a beautiful way, like and angel of light. The serpent in the Garden spoke with a silver tongue, laying out the "upside" of eating the food with elegant speech I believe and not playing up the consequences of the act. Like this girl in the teacher store, I think we sometimes think we can "play around" with our sins and not get burned. It may seem so for a while but eventually our "sins do find us out".

I'm so glad we have a Saviour that is so much more powerful than the Great Oz. We can go to him anytime, much unlike what Dorothy could do. He not a genie in a bottle to grant our every wish, but I do know he cares about every thing that concerns us. His answer is not always yes. As I look back over my life I'm ever so grateful he said "no" several times. I thought yes was the best way, but He knew different. He knows our cares...ever had a sleepless nights over something?

Cowardly Lion: Look at the circles under my eyes. I haven't slept in weeks.

I often turn to worry before I do the Lord. What a shame.

Cowardly Lion: Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got?

Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman: Courage!

Cowardly Lion: You can say that again! Huh?

I also think about the Cowardly line. I always thought he was so adorable. I'm glad that we can have courage even in the midst of hard times or uncomfortable circumstances.

Dorothy: Don't you know the Wizard's going to give you some courage?

Cowardly Lion: I'd be too scared to ask him for it.

Jesus delights when his children ask things of him and turn to him for guidance. No fear needed there!!!

Philippians 4:13 " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount
up with wings as eagles. They will run and not be weary , they will walk and not faint.

That lion did a lot of fainting and swooning if I remember well! Come to think of it, so I have at times.

Satan loves nothing better than to get our eyes off the Lord. I think worry is one of his greatest tools along with discouragement of the believer.

Dorothy: I'm frightened, Auntie Em! I'm frightened!


He knows he can't have your soul, so he does all he can to "get you off track" , I believe so you won't be an effective Christian bringing other to a saving knowledge of the Lord.

My friend Bethanne says " I hate the Devil". I think that's one time it's just fine to hate. I don't make light of him. But I do know that "Greater is He that is in me that he that it in the world. He reminds me of Ms. Gulch from Dorothy's little town in Kansas.

Zeke: Listen, kid. ( talking to Dorothy) Are you gonna try and let that old Gulch heifer try and buffalo ya'. She ain't nothing to be afraid of. Have a little courage, that's all.

Dorothy: I'm not afraid of her.

Zeke: Then the next time she squawks, walk right up to her and spit in her eye. That's what I'd do.

Not sure you can physically "spit" in Satan's eye, but remind him next time of the "whole story" . Take him to the back of THE BOOK, and show him the part where "we win".

And when we arrive at our "home" much more grand than OZ we'll know there is

"No Place like Home! ( Heaven)


I think of the scene with the Munchkin Mayor appears, after the Witch is dead and says:

Mayor of Munchkin City: Then this is a day of independence for all the Munchkins and their descendants.

When Jesus died on the cross Satan was defeated, he knows it, and that was the true Independence Day. When we come to him in believing faith, we have our freedom....and when we sin we have Jesus who offer forgiveness.

Can I get an "AMEN?"