If you know me well, or at least if you read my blog post from Dec. 31st last year, you know I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Eve. I haven’t actually figured out a good way to either explain or justify my disdain for the turn of the calendar except to say that I am just that sentimental. It doesn’t make sense, given that I am a really forward-looking, future-planning person. I’m complicated that way.
Yesterday I was telling my friend Lisa how my head was about to explode because I had spent the day being excessively introspective and analytical about 2009 and was trying to be much too detailed in my planning and laying down a strategy for success in 2010. Lisa laughed as she said she’s too laid back and doesn’t do that enough, and she suggested that she needed to learn more about that. But I actually think I have a lot to learn from her!
One of my goals for 2010 is to spend more time doing some things that I love and miss like being crafty. In searching for some clever ideas, I came across Stephanie Ackerman’s blog, http://www.homegrownhospitality.typepad.com/ . If you are a crafter, you’ll love it! Stephanie has a great idea: word of the year.
I want my word to be significant to the journey I anticipate in 2010 and significant to me as a person. Even better, I want it to be significant to my walk with Christ…A word that I’ll look at, think about, and study continually.
My word for 2010 is surrender.
If you’ve only thought about the secular meaning of it, and haven’t thought much about it in the context of The Kingdom of God, the word surrender can have a negative connotation. However, our surrendering is not only a demonstration of our faith, it also pleases God. It just happens to be really, really hard for us highly type-A chicks who like to take charge of everything and everyone! But in the Kingdom Context surrender doesn’t mean give UP and throw in the towel. In this case it means to give IN and follow Christ, trusting that He is fully in control.
God’s been teaching me a lot about surrender for what seems like years. Apparently I am in the remedial surrender course, & I don’t make the progress He’d like – still trying to control things myself- or I’d have this lesson down by now! But I realize this about myself, and am ready to take it on…I need to take it on.
Matthew 10:39: He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.
I’ll have to contemplate the word surrender daily and meditate on it to remind myself that I am waving the white flag and allowing God to take total control.
So, I surrender 2009 and my fear of the unknown in 2010.
I surrender my need to do it all. (I believe God calls us to be excellent in all we do…so I’ll do less, but do it excellently and for Him.)
I surrender my need to control.
I surrender my angst about the car (post coming about this).
I surrender the 529, 403B, and all the others (2009 was not kind to our investments!).
I surrender trying to achieve balance.
I surrender school.
I surrender my business.
I surrender my time, my money, my talent.
I surrender my desire to serve where I see the need in order to follow Him where He connects me to the need that only He can see.
I surrender to following His nudges.
I surrender to Him…
I…surrender…
And so here I am, waving that white flag to signal the crossing of the finish line for 2009 and the ushering in of 2010, and I’m giving it all over to God. Every last bit. For when we are willing to become powerless in His name is the exact moment that we gain the ability to accomplish His goals, by His power, for His glory.
And that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
Question: What will your word for 2010 be? Why is that word significant to you?
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
When You Least Expect It
As my boys get older it is becoming harder and harder to make magical Christmas moments – the kind where they scream in delight, pixie dust and glitter is swirling, and time stands still.
This year we accomplished it – it just happened to be 2 weeks before Christmas! Last Sunday the boys were lounging around, trying to talk us into doing something fun. I was complaining about them watching too much football and embellishing a little about all I had to do that day. Then we asked if they’d like an early Christmas present…and what kid would say no to that?
But we did it! We pulled it off! They DID scream in delight - loudly! The pixie dust and glitter DID swirl! Time DID stand still, but just for a minute as the boys realized they were unwrapping tickets to that day’s Colts game! They sprinted upstairs to put on their Colt’s jerseys, we loaded up the car, and we hit the road!
The game was awesome, the experience all we’d hoped for, and the family bonding full-on.
The game ended and we left, having loved every minute of it.
That's when God showed up…
Let me set the scene: We are walking out of Lucas Oil Stadium with the rest of the 65,000 that were there – 65,000. It is chaotic. It is loud, really, really loud. Just outside the door you have to walk through a dark, echoing tunnel. In that tunnel are several guys playing drums, loudly. We are trying to talk about the game, not lose the boys, and hurry since it is cold. I can’t emphasize the noise & chaos enough.
I notice someone I know ahead of me to my left. I watch her. Then I turn my head to the right, make eye contact with the drumming guys and smile while thinking I should throw some money in the bucket by their feet.
Then I look straight ahead and stop dead in my tracks.
Straight in front of me and only a couple of feet from my face is a lady, older than I am. She looks me dead in the eye and here’s what happens next:
She says: Ma’am, do you have $25 so I can feed my kids?
I say: Yes, I do. I carry an envelope for this very purpose.
I lean in close and say: Tell me what you need.
She says: If I had $40 I could get enough food for the week.
I start to fumble in my messy purse, reaching for the envelope that I carry just for this very thing. It is so dark in the tunnel that I can barely see. My family is getting too far ahead of me…the tunnel is too loud – too many people rushing by us, yet time for this lady and me is irrelevant. I’m afraid I’m scaring her as I repeatedly yell to my family to “wait!”
Finally they stop, but are far ahead of me and really have no idea of what is going on.
She helps me hold my purse up so I can see.
I am completely calm and feel no fear.
I pull out a $50 bill.
Before handing it to her I ask: Do you know who this is from?
She answers: Jesus
I reply: Yes, it is and He wants you to know that He loves you.
I hand her the money and I start to cry.
She hugs me tight and says: Don’t cry. He blessed you so you could bless me. I love you.
I say: I love you, too, and I know you’ll be OK. I’ll be praying for you.
We part, I catch up with my family, and that was that.
A miracle right there in that tunnel.
She picked me out of 65,000 people because God nudged her that I was willing and prepared to meet her need. I responded because I was ready and am looking for those miracle encounters every single place I go.
You may think I’ve lost my mind. That’s OK with me.
You may think I'm looking for credit. I'm not. I share this with you, not for credit – for the only credit belongs to God. I share it to illustrate that God is alive and working and wants to do miraculous things at every turn, but we need to be willing to be his hands and feet. If you don’t believe me read, “You Were Born for This” by Bruce Wilkinson. It will change your life and the lives of those around you.
What’s funny is that I’d been hoping to be a miracle delivery agent for days, and every person whom I’d come across had caused me to question, “It is her?” “Is he the one?”, yet nothing - no nudges from God to act. And then on that day, when I was totally focused on my boys’ Christmas joy and pulling off that great Christmas surprise, God had an even bigger Christmas surprise in store for me.
I’ll never forget last Sunday’s events. It was a perfect day from start to finish – every last bit of it. God is crazy like that…just like we used to say in middle school, “When you least expect it...expect it!” It’s a craziness that is hard to explain, but I adore being part of it. My friend Philippe says, “It shouldn’t seem crazy…that’s just how The Kingdom works!” And Philippe is right!
So this Christmas I challenge you to embrace the craziness of an active, living Kingdom of God and be ready to be part of miracles wherever you go!
Question: Do you believe that God delivers miracles today and wants our help in making them happen?
This year we accomplished it – it just happened to be 2 weeks before Christmas! Last Sunday the boys were lounging around, trying to talk us into doing something fun. I was complaining about them watching too much football and embellishing a little about all I had to do that day. Then we asked if they’d like an early Christmas present…and what kid would say no to that?
But we did it! We pulled it off! They DID scream in delight - loudly! The pixie dust and glitter DID swirl! Time DID stand still, but just for a minute as the boys realized they were unwrapping tickets to that day’s Colts game! They sprinted upstairs to put on their Colt’s jerseys, we loaded up the car, and we hit the road!
The game was awesome, the experience all we’d hoped for, and the family bonding full-on.
The game ended and we left, having loved every minute of it.
That's when God showed up…
Let me set the scene: We are walking out of Lucas Oil Stadium with the rest of the 65,000 that were there – 65,000. It is chaotic. It is loud, really, really loud. Just outside the door you have to walk through a dark, echoing tunnel. In that tunnel are several guys playing drums, loudly. We are trying to talk about the game, not lose the boys, and hurry since it is cold. I can’t emphasize the noise & chaos enough.
I notice someone I know ahead of me to my left. I watch her. Then I turn my head to the right, make eye contact with the drumming guys and smile while thinking I should throw some money in the bucket by their feet.
Then I look straight ahead and stop dead in my tracks.
Straight in front of me and only a couple of feet from my face is a lady, older than I am. She looks me dead in the eye and here’s what happens next:
She says: Ma’am, do you have $25 so I can feed my kids?
I say: Yes, I do. I carry an envelope for this very purpose.
I lean in close and say: Tell me what you need.
She says: If I had $40 I could get enough food for the week.
I start to fumble in my messy purse, reaching for the envelope that I carry just for this very thing. It is so dark in the tunnel that I can barely see. My family is getting too far ahead of me…the tunnel is too loud – too many people rushing by us, yet time for this lady and me is irrelevant. I’m afraid I’m scaring her as I repeatedly yell to my family to “wait!”
Finally they stop, but are far ahead of me and really have no idea of what is going on.
She helps me hold my purse up so I can see.
I am completely calm and feel no fear.
I pull out a $50 bill.
Before handing it to her I ask: Do you know who this is from?
She answers: Jesus
I reply: Yes, it is and He wants you to know that He loves you.
I hand her the money and I start to cry.
She hugs me tight and says: Don’t cry. He blessed you so you could bless me. I love you.
I say: I love you, too, and I know you’ll be OK. I’ll be praying for you.
We part, I catch up with my family, and that was that.
A miracle right there in that tunnel.
She picked me out of 65,000 people because God nudged her that I was willing and prepared to meet her need. I responded because I was ready and am looking for those miracle encounters every single place I go.
You may think I’ve lost my mind. That’s OK with me.
You may think I'm looking for credit. I'm not. I share this with you, not for credit – for the only credit belongs to God. I share it to illustrate that God is alive and working and wants to do miraculous things at every turn, but we need to be willing to be his hands and feet. If you don’t believe me read, “You Were Born for This” by Bruce Wilkinson. It will change your life and the lives of those around you.
What’s funny is that I’d been hoping to be a miracle delivery agent for days, and every person whom I’d come across had caused me to question, “It is her?” “Is he the one?”, yet nothing - no nudges from God to act. And then on that day, when I was totally focused on my boys’ Christmas joy and pulling off that great Christmas surprise, God had an even bigger Christmas surprise in store for me.
I’ll never forget last Sunday’s events. It was a perfect day from start to finish – every last bit of it. God is crazy like that…just like we used to say in middle school, “When you least expect it...expect it!” It’s a craziness that is hard to explain, but I adore being part of it. My friend Philippe says, “It shouldn’t seem crazy…that’s just how The Kingdom works!” And Philippe is right!
So this Christmas I challenge you to embrace the craziness of an active, living Kingdom of God and be ready to be part of miracles wherever you go!
Question: Do you believe that God delivers miracles today and wants our help in making them happen?
Hold Tight
Christmas can bring out some intense emotions in people, ranging from the very best to the very worst. It can conjure up memories both dear and horrid, cause both elation and depression, and can make you see people in a whole new light. It can bring out the most giving, caring parts of our souls. And, as stated in Four Christmases (one of my favorite movies of all time), “You can’t spell families without lies”.
We see the very best demonstrated through people’s unselfish giving, through their coming together, through their thinking of others at this time of year unlike any other time.
We see their worst through fighting for deals, cutting other drivers off, stealing the closest parking places from little old ladies that have been waiting with their turn signals on for minutes by flooring it in before they even knew what happened! We see their worst through families bickering over time slots and visitation and who has to travel and even dredging up old hurts for revenge.
We see the extremes in those we know well and dearly love and in those we’ve never even met, but can observe or even feel the ripple effect.
On Thanksgiving I was talking to a family friend who was about to embark on her first-ever “Day After Thanksgiving Sale”. I listed for her the pros and cons and then told her about the first (and last) time I ever shopped on that day. I hate crowds, like sleep waaaay to much to be in the line outside of Target freezing at 4:30 a.m., and then fighting mean spirited people just to save a buck….cause nothin’ says the Birth of the Baby Jesus like being elbowed and trampled to save $20 on a PlayStation Game!!! No thanks!
Then I had to talk my own self off the ledge when I became seriously overwhelmed while trying to make my house look like it was about to be the subject of an HGTV Holiday Special. It was 8:00 on a Sunday night with a big soirée set to happen at my house in a few days. Lights for the tree from last year seemed to have lost their little twinkle…no problem…just run to Target.
But Behold! There were no lights in Target.
Off to Wal-Mart and getting irritated. Behold! No lights there either! Where’s the innkeeper when I need him? As I was scanning the aisle for white lights with a green cord (a combination that is apparently quite in demand yet unbeknownst to most retailers) another lady appeared who was looking for the same thing. I could tell she felt competitive about it, too, as I sensed her growing hostility. (Well, that and the lunges as she prepared to sprint…) I was tired. I was getting crabby. I could not fathom why the corporate buyers couldn’t understand my holiday needs.
I began the self talk: “I will not cry. I will not cry. Birth of the Baby Jesus. Birth of the Baby Jesus.”
Almost 2 hours later I was home finishing the tree, having spent about 3 hours, two trips to CVS, and laying down several more dollars than I should have needed to!
The soirée went off without a hitch and all the little details ended up being put in perspective where they belonged. What’s really funny is yesterday all of the lights on the tree just went out. All of them. I have no idea why…and get this: I don’t even care!
In the last two weeks I’ve had countless reminders about the important little things. I don’t even want anything for Christmas but to spend uninterrupted time with my family, snuggled up watching movies, talking, and having fun.
I just want to hold tight.
I want to remember how lucky I am that they are alive, that no one is in Iraq, that we are healthy, that while we could always have more, we sure have enough. I want to remember how lucky I am to live in this country, to worship freely, and to have opportunities. I want to remember how lucky I am to have someone to hold tight to.
And I want that for you.
This Christmas hold tight to those you love, feel blessed that you can, and let go of all the rest. Hold tight to the promise of that baby in the manger that was born and that died for you and me. And hold tight to the promise of a glorious eternity in Heaven.
Merry Christmas!
Question: What do you most want for Christmas? Why?
We see the very best demonstrated through people’s unselfish giving, through their coming together, through their thinking of others at this time of year unlike any other time.
We see their worst through fighting for deals, cutting other drivers off, stealing the closest parking places from little old ladies that have been waiting with their turn signals on for minutes by flooring it in before they even knew what happened! We see their worst through families bickering over time slots and visitation and who has to travel and even dredging up old hurts for revenge.
We see the extremes in those we know well and dearly love and in those we’ve never even met, but can observe or even feel the ripple effect.
On Thanksgiving I was talking to a family friend who was about to embark on her first-ever “Day After Thanksgiving Sale”. I listed for her the pros and cons and then told her about the first (and last) time I ever shopped on that day. I hate crowds, like sleep waaaay to much to be in the line outside of Target freezing at 4:30 a.m., and then fighting mean spirited people just to save a buck….cause nothin’ says the Birth of the Baby Jesus like being elbowed and trampled to save $20 on a PlayStation Game!!! No thanks!
Then I had to talk my own self off the ledge when I became seriously overwhelmed while trying to make my house look like it was about to be the subject of an HGTV Holiday Special. It was 8:00 on a Sunday night with a big soirée set to happen at my house in a few days. Lights for the tree from last year seemed to have lost their little twinkle…no problem…just run to Target.
But Behold! There were no lights in Target.
Off to Wal-Mart and getting irritated. Behold! No lights there either! Where’s the innkeeper when I need him? As I was scanning the aisle for white lights with a green cord (a combination that is apparently quite in demand yet unbeknownst to most retailers) another lady appeared who was looking for the same thing. I could tell she felt competitive about it, too, as I sensed her growing hostility. (Well, that and the lunges as she prepared to sprint…) I was tired. I was getting crabby. I could not fathom why the corporate buyers couldn’t understand my holiday needs.
I began the self talk: “I will not cry. I will not cry. Birth of the Baby Jesus. Birth of the Baby Jesus.”
Almost 2 hours later I was home finishing the tree, having spent about 3 hours, two trips to CVS, and laying down several more dollars than I should have needed to!
The soirée went off without a hitch and all the little details ended up being put in perspective where they belonged. What’s really funny is yesterday all of the lights on the tree just went out. All of them. I have no idea why…and get this: I don’t even care!
In the last two weeks I’ve had countless reminders about the important little things. I don’t even want anything for Christmas but to spend uninterrupted time with my family, snuggled up watching movies, talking, and having fun.
I just want to hold tight.
I want to remember how lucky I am that they are alive, that no one is in Iraq, that we are healthy, that while we could always have more, we sure have enough. I want to remember how lucky I am to live in this country, to worship freely, and to have opportunities. I want to remember how lucky I am to have someone to hold tight to.
And I want that for you.
This Christmas hold tight to those you love, feel blessed that you can, and let go of all the rest. Hold tight to the promise of that baby in the manger that was born and that died for you and me. And hold tight to the promise of a glorious eternity in Heaven.
Merry Christmas!
Question: What do you most want for Christmas? Why?
Saturday, December 12, 2009
“Your Little Lights Aren’t Twinkling…”
If you know me at all, you know that 50% of what I say is movie quotes that have been woven into my normal conversations. My husband does the very same thing, which makes us almost have a language of our own at times (unless you’ve seen the movies enough times to recognize the quotes).
There are six movies in my top five movies of all time (I know…) and most of the quotes come from those. Especially Christmas Vacation. In fact, quotes from Christmas Vacation are so over-used in our family that it’s really kind of ridiculous…embarrassing even! I love that movie! This year alone I’ve already watched it 5 times and it’s not even the middle of December yet.
One of my favorite parts is when Clark can’t get the exterior illumination to light…all 25,000 bulbs. Clark’s father-in-law points out the obvious, “Your little lights aren’t twinkling…” and Clark answers, “I know, Art, and thanks for noticing.”
I love exterior illumination!! At our house we are much more subtle with the outside lighting, but I’m 100% in favor of other people being completely out of control with it!
I love to notice people’s decorations when I’m driving, especially at night.
It always makes me feel happy…
It even makes me feel connected…
In fact, it makes me feel like I can identify all the other Christians in the world that way.
I want to believe that every single bit of exterior illumination marks the houses of those who believe that Jesus is Lord and that this is the season that we proclaim His power and then we set about living it out loud for the whole rest of the year.
I want to believe this: “Oooo! Pretty lights! They’re celebrating the birth of Jesus.” “Oh, look! They are believers, too!”
Yes, I know that there are a high percentage of non-Christians who are celebrating the secular side of Christmas and that they do in fact have exterior holiday lighting.
Yes, I know that I sometimes live in “Alyssa Land”: a world where all is good, everyone knows Jesus, and everyone loves Christmas as much as Buddy the Elf – but for all the right reasons. Deep down somewhere in me, I know that isn’t real life. But I love to pretend.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if that were true?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if all the lights shouted to the world that the people in those houses loved Jesus…and if you needed help or encouragement or a miracle that those were the doors upon which you should knock?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if the people in every one of those houses went on to live as Christians every single day till it was time to put those lights up again?
Can you imagine?
As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always." -T. S. Monson
Can you imagine if we all really lived out this quote every single one of the 364 remaining days of the year? Every year?
What if we left those lights on all the time, year round, to mark our houses so that other believers could find community and non-believers could seek solace and compassion there?
I know everyone will take them down. I guess we will, too, so as not to be the basis for that line in Redneck Woman. But you can bet that I’m going to make an effort to live a life where my lights are twinkling “the whole year through”…where my lights twinkle as much for the Cousin Eddies & Ruby Sues of the world as they do for my family…where I extend grace equally when trees go up in flames, dogs and squirrels destroy the house, or crazy cousins park worn down RVs in my driveway (maybe not as much for emptying the tank into the storm sewer…) as I do when all is well with the world.
It’ll be hard, but I’ll try.
How about you? Will your little lights be twinkling?
Question: How will you live Christmas “the whole year through”?
There are six movies in my top five movies of all time (I know…) and most of the quotes come from those. Especially Christmas Vacation. In fact, quotes from Christmas Vacation are so over-used in our family that it’s really kind of ridiculous…embarrassing even! I love that movie! This year alone I’ve already watched it 5 times and it’s not even the middle of December yet.
One of my favorite parts is when Clark can’t get the exterior illumination to light…all 25,000 bulbs. Clark’s father-in-law points out the obvious, “Your little lights aren’t twinkling…” and Clark answers, “I know, Art, and thanks for noticing.”
I love exterior illumination!! At our house we are much more subtle with the outside lighting, but I’m 100% in favor of other people being completely out of control with it!
I love to notice people’s decorations when I’m driving, especially at night.
It always makes me feel happy…
It even makes me feel connected…
In fact, it makes me feel like I can identify all the other Christians in the world that way.
I want to believe that every single bit of exterior illumination marks the houses of those who believe that Jesus is Lord and that this is the season that we proclaim His power and then we set about living it out loud for the whole rest of the year.
I want to believe this: “Oooo! Pretty lights! They’re celebrating the birth of Jesus.” “Oh, look! They are believers, too!”
Yes, I know that there are a high percentage of non-Christians who are celebrating the secular side of Christmas and that they do in fact have exterior holiday lighting.
Yes, I know that I sometimes live in “Alyssa Land”: a world where all is good, everyone knows Jesus, and everyone loves Christmas as much as Buddy the Elf – but for all the right reasons. Deep down somewhere in me, I know that isn’t real life. But I love to pretend.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if that were true?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if all the lights shouted to the world that the people in those houses loved Jesus…and if you needed help or encouragement or a miracle that those were the doors upon which you should knock?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if the people in every one of those houses went on to live as Christians every single day till it was time to put those lights up again?
Can you imagine?
As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always." -T. S. Monson
Can you imagine if we all really lived out this quote every single one of the 364 remaining days of the year? Every year?
What if we left those lights on all the time, year round, to mark our houses so that other believers could find community and non-believers could seek solace and compassion there?
I know everyone will take them down. I guess we will, too, so as not to be the basis for that line in Redneck Woman. But you can bet that I’m going to make an effort to live a life where my lights are twinkling “the whole year through”…where my lights twinkle as much for the Cousin Eddies & Ruby Sues of the world as they do for my family…where I extend grace equally when trees go up in flames, dogs and squirrels destroy the house, or crazy cousins park worn down RVs in my driveway (maybe not as much for emptying the tank into the storm sewer…) as I do when all is well with the world.
It’ll be hard, but I’ll try.
How about you? Will your little lights be twinkling?
Question: How will you live Christmas “the whole year through”?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
So Very Thankful
So very thankful for friends and family
For my precious twins and my soul-mate husband
For healthy parents who live nearby
For Diet Coke
For Charmin Ultra
For the Sunday Star read on the velvet chaise lounge in my kitchen
For deodorant and Always
For throaty V-8 engines with killer stereos that blare Van Halen 1984
For rag tops thrown back on sunny summer days
For this great country
So thankful for bosses who do not micromanage
For indoor plumbing and steamy hot showers
For electric blankets and toasty fires
For peptides and hyaluronic filling spheres
For skilled hair stylists and Kenra 25
For cameras
For great shoes
For the trailblazing women who’ve gone before me
For strong men
For Carol Anderson and Ann Taylor
So thankful for El Jaripeo
For electricity
For mascara and lipstick
For Glee and The Office
For Cousin Eddie and Clark and Ruby Sue
For cards mailed with stamps
For photos and scrapbooks and memories that grip your soul
For time spent and tears shed
For howling laughter and deep mourning
So very thankful for opportunities not missed
For lessons learned
For mountains climbed and valleys survived
For knowing the value of a hard day’s work
For loving well and being well loved
For baseball and pianos and songs sung with your whole heart
For trumpets and jokes and paintings and stories
For prayers and goodnight kisses
For fresh cookies and warm bread with real butter
For foot massages and snugly boys
So thankful for passion that burns deep
For hurts and healing and fear and nudges
For life lived and not missed
And for Christ’s blood shed for both you and me
Happy Thanksgiving
For my precious twins and my soul-mate husband
For healthy parents who live nearby
For Diet Coke
For Charmin Ultra
For the Sunday Star read on the velvet chaise lounge in my kitchen
For deodorant and Always
For throaty V-8 engines with killer stereos that blare Van Halen 1984
For rag tops thrown back on sunny summer days
For this great country
So thankful for bosses who do not micromanage
For indoor plumbing and steamy hot showers
For electric blankets and toasty fires
For peptides and hyaluronic filling spheres
For skilled hair stylists and Kenra 25
For cameras
For great shoes
For the trailblazing women who’ve gone before me
For strong men
For Carol Anderson and Ann Taylor
So thankful for El Jaripeo
For electricity
For mascara and lipstick
For Glee and The Office
For Cousin Eddie and Clark and Ruby Sue
For cards mailed with stamps
For photos and scrapbooks and memories that grip your soul
For time spent and tears shed
For howling laughter and deep mourning
So very thankful for opportunities not missed
For lessons learned
For mountains climbed and valleys survived
For knowing the value of a hard day’s work
For loving well and being well loved
For baseball and pianos and songs sung with your whole heart
For trumpets and jokes and paintings and stories
For prayers and goodnight kisses
For fresh cookies and warm bread with real butter
For foot massages and snugly boys
So thankful for passion that burns deep
For hurts and healing and fear and nudges
For life lived and not missed
And for Christ’s blood shed for both you and me
Happy Thanksgiving
Question: What are you thankful for?
Monday, November 9, 2009
35 Minutes Anywhere, Frankly
I really love Rascal Flatts!...I mean luuuuv them…Have seen ‘em several times live & have even been back stage (super cool). I love so many of their songs… (I interrupt this blog to suggest a really great Christmas present for anyone looking to buy me something life-changing: I want them to come over for dinner, I’ll make whatever Gary wants, and then we will all sit around my living room and I get to sing with them…every single song! Heaven.) …Anyway, one of their songs that really makes me think is Mayberry.
What they sing? I agree.
The world spins way too fast.
We need to slow down.
Take some time.
Connect.
I’d like to add another verse, too. Something about turning off the technology and actually looking each other in the eye, talking – deeply. Embracing. Sitting. Abiding…
I recently attended a leadership conference at my church that was filled with outstanding points. One of them was that we have to connect with God. I agree.
Daily. I agree.
The next point was new…and freeing:
Some of us love to read the bible and journal, in the morning, for the oft-proposed 35 minute block of uninterrupted time, and if you love it, absolutely do it. But this point was also made:
That’s not how all of us connect to God.
That’s not how all of us connect and it’s OK.
And in scripture, Jesus connected with His own Father in all kinds of ways, at all kinds of times. Jesus was not boxed into 35 minutes of journal writing every morning. And we are certainly not meant to close that journal after 35 minutes and say, “OK, God…great talk! See you tomorrow!”
WOW!
In fact, some people have been made to feel guilty and inadequate because they find journaling to be a chore…and they’re not morning people…and if they’ve got 7 kids under the age of 5, they don’t have 35 minutes in a row. Ever.
The speaker asked us to concentrate on our times of most powerful connection with God.
Mine?
I do love to read and ponder scripture.
Journaling…not so much.
In the morning…rarely.
But 35 minutes, when I gotta get out the door…That’s a laugh.
(I know some of you are thinking, “Just set your alarm for earlier, sister!”…Apparently, you don’t know me well enough. Night owl…God wired me like that…Hmmmm…)
Maybe it’s just that I can’t be that boxed in.
Maybe it’s because I don’t like other people telling me the best way for me to connect with God.
Maybe it’s because this life-long goody-two-shoes has a rebellious streak when someone wants me to do it like everyone else.
But this much I know to be true:
God wants us to connect with Him. Daily.
He wants a deep, abiding, rich, personal relationship with us.
He cares about every little detail of our lives.
And how about this radical thought? He wants us jotting down the insights he sends to us, running to look up a verse in scripture, sending up prayers right and left, talking and joking (yes, I really did say that!) all day long.
All. Day. Long.
I really doubt that He is concerned with all of the other stuff surrounding how we get there…just as long as we do get there.
Some of my most powerful moments and deepest connections have been late, late at night. Some have been while witnessing some spectacular aesthetic in nature. Some have been while witnessing to another person. Some have been while serving another person. Some have been while realizing how small and insignificant I really am. Some have been in the shower, where streams of tears join a river of steamy water. Many have occurred in the car. Many more have involved music.
Were those any less significant because they were not from 6:00 to 6:35am with a pen and a journal? Of course not.
So be free to experience God in your way. In your time. Throughout the day. All day. But every day. With no guilt about how. At least 35 minutes total, anywhere, frankly…just me and the power of God…just you and the power of God.
The point about connecting with Him is this: Just find a way to do it!
What they sing? I agree.
The world spins way too fast.
We need to slow down.
Take some time.
Connect.
I’d like to add another verse, too. Something about turning off the technology and actually looking each other in the eye, talking – deeply. Embracing. Sitting. Abiding…
I recently attended a leadership conference at my church that was filled with outstanding points. One of them was that we have to connect with God. I agree.
Daily. I agree.
The next point was new…and freeing:
Some of us love to read the bible and journal, in the morning, for the oft-proposed 35 minute block of uninterrupted time, and if you love it, absolutely do it. But this point was also made:
That’s not how all of us connect to God.
That’s not how all of us connect and it’s OK.
And in scripture, Jesus connected with His own Father in all kinds of ways, at all kinds of times. Jesus was not boxed into 35 minutes of journal writing every morning. And we are certainly not meant to close that journal after 35 minutes and say, “OK, God…great talk! See you tomorrow!”
WOW!
In fact, some people have been made to feel guilty and inadequate because they find journaling to be a chore…and they’re not morning people…and if they’ve got 7 kids under the age of 5, they don’t have 35 minutes in a row. Ever.
The speaker asked us to concentrate on our times of most powerful connection with God.
Mine?
I do love to read and ponder scripture.
Journaling…not so much.
In the morning…rarely.
But 35 minutes, when I gotta get out the door…That’s a laugh.
(I know some of you are thinking, “Just set your alarm for earlier, sister!”…Apparently, you don’t know me well enough. Night owl…God wired me like that…Hmmmm…)
Maybe it’s just that I can’t be that boxed in.
Maybe it’s because I don’t like other people telling me the best way for me to connect with God.
Maybe it’s because this life-long goody-two-shoes has a rebellious streak when someone wants me to do it like everyone else.
But this much I know to be true:
God wants us to connect with Him. Daily.
He wants a deep, abiding, rich, personal relationship with us.
He cares about every little detail of our lives.
And how about this radical thought? He wants us jotting down the insights he sends to us, running to look up a verse in scripture, sending up prayers right and left, talking and joking (yes, I really did say that!) all day long.
All. Day. Long.
I really doubt that He is concerned with all of the other stuff surrounding how we get there…just as long as we do get there.
Some of my most powerful moments and deepest connections have been late, late at night. Some have been while witnessing some spectacular aesthetic in nature. Some have been while witnessing to another person. Some have been while serving another person. Some have been while realizing how small and insignificant I really am. Some have been in the shower, where streams of tears join a river of steamy water. Many have occurred in the car. Many more have involved music.
Were those any less significant because they were not from 6:00 to 6:35am with a pen and a journal? Of course not.
So be free to experience God in your way. In your time. Throughout the day. All day. But every day. With no guilt about how. At least 35 minutes total, anywhere, frankly…just me and the power of God…just you and the power of God.
The point about connecting with Him is this: Just find a way to do it!
Monday, October 12, 2009
This Old House
A few days ago I had to run an errand that caused me to drive past the house we moved out of almost 3 years ago.
It looked nice…well cared for… But it was mine for seven years and yet it didn’t look like me at all. I’m glad I didn’t see the inside. I’m sure it’s clean. I’m sure they’re taking good care of it. But I’m sure it would be even less recognizable to me than the outside is.
We built that house. We poured our hearts and souls into it, we nurtured every bit of it, and we painstakingly chose every interior and exterior detail from finishing the basement to adding molding in every last spot, from the landscaping to the back porch we added on.
It’s strange to drive by a house you once lived in…like you know it like the back of your hand and find it completely unrecognizable all at the same time. It creates this strange disconnected connection that I can barely explain.
I drove away feeling grateful for that house…it was perfect for us at the time…but grateful to not live there now since it doesn’t seem to fit me anymore. I felt even more grateful, though, for our current house…it is perfect for us right here, right now…and I think it looks like me & it certainly feels like me.
It made me think about our lives as we grow in relationship with Jesus. As we move from “unbeliever” to “believer” we change in some big ways. Our old selves are as unrecognizable as the house I describe. We can look back on our time before having a personal relationship with Jesus and not even relate to that person we were before. It’s still the same “house”, but what inhabits it – or WHO inhabits it - has changed significantly!
Because of Jesus we are changed.
Because of Him we are made new.
And when we pursue Him daily, we continually grow and evolve into the people that He created us to be.
And just like I felt about our old house, we can be grateful for who we were, where we were at the time, but even more grateful for what we’ve become in Christ, having grown to fit His image of us.
May Christ forever dwell within you!
Question: How have you changed as you’ve grown in relationship with Christ? Do you even recognize your previous self?
It looked nice…well cared for… But it was mine for seven years and yet it didn’t look like me at all. I’m glad I didn’t see the inside. I’m sure it’s clean. I’m sure they’re taking good care of it. But I’m sure it would be even less recognizable to me than the outside is.
We built that house. We poured our hearts and souls into it, we nurtured every bit of it, and we painstakingly chose every interior and exterior detail from finishing the basement to adding molding in every last spot, from the landscaping to the back porch we added on.
It’s strange to drive by a house you once lived in…like you know it like the back of your hand and find it completely unrecognizable all at the same time. It creates this strange disconnected connection that I can barely explain.
I drove away feeling grateful for that house…it was perfect for us at the time…but grateful to not live there now since it doesn’t seem to fit me anymore. I felt even more grateful, though, for our current house…it is perfect for us right here, right now…and I think it looks like me & it certainly feels like me.
It made me think about our lives as we grow in relationship with Jesus. As we move from “unbeliever” to “believer” we change in some big ways. Our old selves are as unrecognizable as the house I describe. We can look back on our time before having a personal relationship with Jesus and not even relate to that person we were before. It’s still the same “house”, but what inhabits it – or WHO inhabits it - has changed significantly!
Because of Jesus we are changed.
Because of Him we are made new.
And when we pursue Him daily, we continually grow and evolve into the people that He created us to be.
And just like I felt about our old house, we can be grateful for who we were, where we were at the time, but even more grateful for what we’ve become in Christ, having grown to fit His image of us.
May Christ forever dwell within you!
Question: How have you changed as you’ve grown in relationship with Christ? Do you even recognize your previous self?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
To 6th Grade Boys Everywhere…
Dear 6th Grade Boys,
We, your mothers, want to remind you of a few very important life lessons. These are lessons that you just have to accept, so don’t argue with us (you won’t win anyway). This is just how it is, and the sooner you learn and accept the following, the easier your lives will be.
1.) Deodorant DOES NOT help stink that you already have! It’s as simple as right & wrong, up & down:
Soap is for stink you already have.
Deod is for stink you don’t want to get.
We simply can’t explain this anymore! So, every time you take a shower and rid yourself of your previous stink, you MUST reapply new deod as a stink-preventing measure! End of story!
2.) Wrinkly shirts make you look like you don’t care. And maybe you don’t. But like it or not, you’re now at the age when it will serve you well to at least act like you do!
3.) You have to wash your face! We don’t care if you don’t want to or you don’t like it. When you don’t, you get pimples. Yes, we mothers do love you enough to pop them…for 12 years now we’ve run the gamut of blood, puke, snot, & urine. Trust us, a little pimple poppin’ ain’t gonna scare us away! So you have a choice to make: us chasin’ you down with toner-laden cotton balls or you can take care of it yourselves.
4.) We’re not expecting you to be like some of those adorable, charming, melt-a-mother’s heart 12-year olds that we see on TV sometimes, but we do expect you to master and use 3 or 4 social phrases such as “nice to meet you”, “great to see you again”, “I _______ (play baseball, play the trumpet, am interested in U.S. History…) – thanks for asking.”, and “I’m fine, thank you. How are you?”
5.) Think something and know why you think it. Even if you don’t agree with your brilliant mothers on everything, take a stand and be able to defend it! We want you to be leaders, not followers.
6.) We’ve taught you manners. Could you at least use them sometimes so we know you “got it”? Whether you’re the President or simply invited to the White House someday (as we know you will be – you’re just that fabulous!), you’ll need to know which fork is for salad, which spoon is for dessert, and to chew with your mouths closed!
7.) We know you love bathroom words…words that describe bodily functions…words that gross a mother out. We know it, even though we don’t like or understand it. But there IS a time and place, for the love of Pete…and the dining room table at Grandma’s is not it!
8.) You are now at the age when you must take personal responsibility for your own faith, your relationship with Jesus Christ. We’ve tried our best. We’ve taught you right. We’ve told you how it is. We’ve taken you to church. We hope you understand now that your actions and beliefs have consequences…eternal ones. Now it’s time for you to take the reigns. We want you to long outlive us, have decades of happy and productive lives. But if you die tomorrow, you’ll have to stand at the feet of Jesus and answer for yourselves. Be clear about what you believe…and if you’re not, talk to someone who knows biblical truth. We say this not to be harsh, but because we love you more than life itself. We know this is some heavy stuff, but our first and most important job is to love you. Our second is to tell it to you straight. We want you to spend your eternity in Heaven with Jesus…nothing matters more.
No matter how tall you grow, how much armpit hair you get, and how deep your voices become, you’ll always be our babies. Nothing you could ever do would change how much we love you…unconditionally…and for all time.
Love,
Your Mothers
We, your mothers, want to remind you of a few very important life lessons. These are lessons that you just have to accept, so don’t argue with us (you won’t win anyway). This is just how it is, and the sooner you learn and accept the following, the easier your lives will be.
1.) Deodorant DOES NOT help stink that you already have! It’s as simple as right & wrong, up & down:
Soap is for stink you already have.
Deod is for stink you don’t want to get.
We simply can’t explain this anymore! So, every time you take a shower and rid yourself of your previous stink, you MUST reapply new deod as a stink-preventing measure! End of story!
2.) Wrinkly shirts make you look like you don’t care. And maybe you don’t. But like it or not, you’re now at the age when it will serve you well to at least act like you do!
3.) You have to wash your face! We don’t care if you don’t want to or you don’t like it. When you don’t, you get pimples. Yes, we mothers do love you enough to pop them…for 12 years now we’ve run the gamut of blood, puke, snot, & urine. Trust us, a little pimple poppin’ ain’t gonna scare us away! So you have a choice to make: us chasin’ you down with toner-laden cotton balls or you can take care of it yourselves.
4.) We’re not expecting you to be like some of those adorable, charming, melt-a-mother’s heart 12-year olds that we see on TV sometimes, but we do expect you to master and use 3 or 4 social phrases such as “nice to meet you”, “great to see you again”, “I _______ (play baseball, play the trumpet, am interested in U.S. History…) – thanks for asking.”, and “I’m fine, thank you. How are you?”
5.) Think something and know why you think it. Even if you don’t agree with your brilliant mothers on everything, take a stand and be able to defend it! We want you to be leaders, not followers.
6.) We’ve taught you manners. Could you at least use them sometimes so we know you “got it”? Whether you’re the President or simply invited to the White House someday (as we know you will be – you’re just that fabulous!), you’ll need to know which fork is for salad, which spoon is for dessert, and to chew with your mouths closed!
7.) We know you love bathroom words…words that describe bodily functions…words that gross a mother out. We know it, even though we don’t like or understand it. But there IS a time and place, for the love of Pete…and the dining room table at Grandma’s is not it!
8.) You are now at the age when you must take personal responsibility for your own faith, your relationship with Jesus Christ. We’ve tried our best. We’ve taught you right. We’ve told you how it is. We’ve taken you to church. We hope you understand now that your actions and beliefs have consequences…eternal ones. Now it’s time for you to take the reigns. We want you to long outlive us, have decades of happy and productive lives. But if you die tomorrow, you’ll have to stand at the feet of Jesus and answer for yourselves. Be clear about what you believe…and if you’re not, talk to someone who knows biblical truth. We say this not to be harsh, but because we love you more than life itself. We know this is some heavy stuff, but our first and most important job is to love you. Our second is to tell it to you straight. We want you to spend your eternity in Heaven with Jesus…nothing matters more.
No matter how tall you grow, how much armpit hair you get, and how deep your voices become, you’ll always be our babies. Nothing you could ever do would change how much we love you…unconditionally…and for all time.
Love,
Your Mothers
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Hungry…Starving, Actually
Do you know that feeling when you’re craving salt, so you eat some chips then think, “Nope. That wasn’t it”? So you eat some chocolate, thinking you must satisfy the need for sweet. “Nope. Not it, either.” …Back to the chips…
…You’re hungry, and you keep eating, but you sure can’t quite get full, you're never satisfied, cravings never cease, pangs don’t go away…
That’s how I am for God.
Starved. Famished. Ravenous.
Never enough.
My hunger is never satisfied, my thirst never quenched.
I seek Him daily in many places, in many ways. I nourish my soul with Christian books, Christian music, scripture, prayer, meditation…everything about Him that I can get my hands on to better know Him and to experience Him more, but it’s never enough.
These two unbelievably wonderful quotes are from Tozer:
“To have found God and still pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy existence by the children of the burning heart.”
“We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.”
Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
The more I feed on the things of God, the hungrier I am. In seeking Him, He fills me daily, yet I’m starved for Him. And that is the same wish that I hold for each of you, my friends:
May you seek Him with all of your heart. May you be starving, famished, ravenous for God and never satisfied!
Question: How hungry are you for God? What difference do you think it makes?
…You’re hungry, and you keep eating, but you sure can’t quite get full, you're never satisfied, cravings never cease, pangs don’t go away…
That’s how I am for God.
Starved. Famished. Ravenous.
Never enough.
My hunger is never satisfied, my thirst never quenched.
I seek Him daily in many places, in many ways. I nourish my soul with Christian books, Christian music, scripture, prayer, meditation…everything about Him that I can get my hands on to better know Him and to experience Him more, but it’s never enough.
These two unbelievably wonderful quotes are from Tozer:
“To have found God and still pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy existence by the children of the burning heart.”
“We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.”
Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
The more I feed on the things of God, the hungrier I am. In seeking Him, He fills me daily, yet I’m starved for Him. And that is the same wish that I hold for each of you, my friends:
May you seek Him with all of your heart. May you be starving, famished, ravenous for God and never satisfied!
Question: How hungry are you for God? What difference do you think it makes?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
40 and ????
Well, I’m almost a week in. The big 4-0 came and went last Sunday and the world did not stop turning. It’s not like I’m depressed or stressed or on the verge of a mid-life crises (though I can’t be sure…).
These questions loom for me:
40 and fabulous…or frumpy?
40 and fearless…or frightened?
40 and have it all figured out…or full of it (!) ?
Maybe I’ll never know. And maybe I’m a little of each of those, depending on the moment, depending on the day.
I really hope that at age 40 I am not at the half-way point, but that is not for me to know, and I think this is the underlying reality check that causes people to stop in their tracks at these milestone birthdays and contemplate:
What did I do in the first 40 years that really matters, and what had I better get moving on starting today, right now?
In some ways I think I’ve done OK.
Yet in some ways I think I have not begun to scratch the surface of becoming who God intends for me to be.
And I wonder…is that my fault, did I stunt my own progress? Or did God not only plot my path, but also my days in which to land at each marker?
I realize the introspective nature of these questions, even the heaviness at times, but if we don’t ask, evaluate, and analyze how will we have any sense of the continuum on which we travel?
In the first 40 years I know that I have done some important things.
I also did some stupid stuff.
And I literally thank God that it’s not too late to have some great big plans for the next 40 years…to make sure that the answers ARE fabulous, fearless, and figured out, to teach some more kids to read, bring some people to Jesus, change some lives, give away thousands (let’s get crazy and say millions here, God!), raise faithful boys who live out their passions and dreams, grow old with my soul mate, embrace my friends, inspire others, shake the system & rock the boat, leave a legacy, …and change the world.
Age has no relevance for God.
Look at Abraham and Sarah and Noah.
(Side bar: Hey God, by the way, it is A-OK if we skip the childbearing at 90 business! I can NOT imagine the stretch marks from that! Whew!)
Amazing things were done to further the Kingdom of God, things that we still very much feel the ripple effect of today, by them and many more.
I just want to make sure that in the next 40 years (and beyond), everyone I come in contact with is better for having known me, and that I am the hands and feet of Jesus in my community, the face of Jesus in the crowd every single chance I get.
Gotta go! The clock is ticking, and I have to do nothing short of changing the world for the Kingdom of God!
Question: What will YOU do in the next 40 years to change the world for the Kingdom of God?
These questions loom for me:
40 and fabulous…or frumpy?
40 and fearless…or frightened?
40 and have it all figured out…or full of it (!) ?
Maybe I’ll never know. And maybe I’m a little of each of those, depending on the moment, depending on the day.
I really hope that at age 40 I am not at the half-way point, but that is not for me to know, and I think this is the underlying reality check that causes people to stop in their tracks at these milestone birthdays and contemplate:
What did I do in the first 40 years that really matters, and what had I better get moving on starting today, right now?
In some ways I think I’ve done OK.
Yet in some ways I think I have not begun to scratch the surface of becoming who God intends for me to be.
And I wonder…is that my fault, did I stunt my own progress? Or did God not only plot my path, but also my days in which to land at each marker?
I realize the introspective nature of these questions, even the heaviness at times, but if we don’t ask, evaluate, and analyze how will we have any sense of the continuum on which we travel?
In the first 40 years I know that I have done some important things.
I also did some stupid stuff.
And I literally thank God that it’s not too late to have some great big plans for the next 40 years…to make sure that the answers ARE fabulous, fearless, and figured out, to teach some more kids to read, bring some people to Jesus, change some lives, give away thousands (let’s get crazy and say millions here, God!), raise faithful boys who live out their passions and dreams, grow old with my soul mate, embrace my friends, inspire others, shake the system & rock the boat, leave a legacy, …and change the world.
Age has no relevance for God.
Look at Abraham and Sarah and Noah.
(Side bar: Hey God, by the way, it is A-OK if we skip the childbearing at 90 business! I can NOT imagine the stretch marks from that! Whew!)
Amazing things were done to further the Kingdom of God, things that we still very much feel the ripple effect of today, by them and many more.
I just want to make sure that in the next 40 years (and beyond), everyone I come in contact with is better for having known me, and that I am the hands and feet of Jesus in my community, the face of Jesus in the crowd every single chance I get.
Gotta go! The clock is ticking, and I have to do nothing short of changing the world for the Kingdom of God!
Question: What will YOU do in the next 40 years to change the world for the Kingdom of God?
Friday, September 11, 2009
Shock & Awe
I love to shock people.
Not in the “I just went and had my body completely pierced and sleeved” kind of way…
More in the “you think you have me totally figured out and you so do not, mister” kind of way.
I’ve been told I am a little high maintenance. A little complicated. A tough nut to crack.
Fine by me.
How boring would life be if we were each a Myers-Briggs ESFP? I enjoy being a complex INTJ. It is, after all, who God made me to be…for a reason. And if you know anything about Myers-Briggs and those 16 personality types, you know that my personality isn’t one known for enjoying shock value.
I am absolutely too straight-laced. Therefore, people don’t think I’m funny, so I love to surprise with an off-the-cuff funny remark.
I am extremely opinionated. I keep those opinions to myself a lot of the time so as not to cause too much eyebrow raising, but sometimes I love to listen long and hard, saying nothing, as though I might not care…or know…only to interject my opinion at the perfect moment backed by cold, hard fact.
I love to be an original and despise being copied. Just when someone thinks they have me figured out, I love to do something completely to the contrary just to keep them guessing. (For this I probably do need counseling, referrals welcome…)
But here’s my favorite: I love to shock people with the truth of Jesus, with the love of Jesus, with the heart of Jesus, and when they least expect it.
I love to shock people by doing things that are so far outside the lines of the secular world in which we live that the non-believer, or even the believer, on the receiving end is so stunned they don’t know how to respond.
Just today I had to call a company about a problem and speak to the customer service rep. I was really concerned about a breech of confidential information and the woman took care of it quickly and put my mind at ease. As we hung up I said, “You have no idea how you have helped me today. I hope God blesses you in return for how you have blessed me.”
Ya cudda heard a pin drop….
“Um, wow…thank you so much, ma’am!” was her response. Clearly she doesn’t get much of that blessing stuff at her job.
Jesus meets customer service…
A few days ago I had to call a credit card company that was trying to send me a card & all I had to do was activate it, except that I didn’t want it. I realized that they had us listed as a pending application, which “Mr. Chad McCool Envelope System” did not want on his credit. Good little Discover Card worker that she was just really wanted me to go ahead and open that account in case I ever needed it…even though I was telling her I didn’t need or want it.
I had no choice but to pull out the shock and awe!
Oh, to have seen her reaction would have been priceless when I said, “Well, we are trying hard to live by the rules of Kingdom Finance and part of that for us is following the methods of Dave Ramsey. We’re working hard to pay off all of our credit card debt and cut up our cards (!), and any other debt, so we can even start to work on the overwhelming task of paying off our mortgage in short order. It’s really going to take a lot of hard work and discipline to do all of that and continue to give like we want to. I know that your job is to extend credit, but I just really feel God laying it on my heart to be strict in this.” She laughed at me. (Hey, it ain’t the first time…and it won’t be the last!) Then she told me that she’s watched Dave Ramsey on TV a couple of times. I thanked her for helping me make sure that card didn’t become active and told her that God would bless her for helping me stay on track. I could feel the shock and awe reverberating through the phone line!
Jesus meets 1-800-discover.
Recently I made a call to a utility company. I explained that I bypassed all of the automated choices because none applied. I had to talk to a real person. I explained that I was calling so that I could pay both the current bill and the overdue bill of a family whom I knew could not pay their own. At first the man on the other end could not even understand what I was trying to do. He kept asking me who I was with, what company I was from. I kept responding with varying versions of “I’m not with any company. I’m one of a really small group of people who likes to go around paying other people’s bills.”
When he still seemed to have a bad case of shock and awe, I finally said, “I’m with Jesus.”
He very slowly answered, “We don’t get a lot of that.”
Jesus meets the utility company guy.
I hope that day that I was the vehicle for God to move for that family. I also hope I was a witness to Jesus being alive and active in this world to the guy on the other end of the phone. Very powerful stuff if I was able to do both.
Now these are some of those stories that I’ve mentioned I hesitate to share, but my dear friend Julie has convinced me that sharing it is where the real leadership is.
But here’s what you absolutely must know:
This is not about me! This is about God. Focus on God. Shock and Awe for God, by God, because of God. And it has nothing to do with me other than the fact that I am daily trying to be His hands and feet out there in my very own community, directly impacting one life at a time.
Jesus will show up anywhere that you take Him.
Oh, I know He can get there on His own, but He’s waiting to see how we’ll pack him up and carry Him with us everywhere we go.
For years I’ve been praying the prayer of Jabez. My territory IS being enlarged. But the world is full of noise and distraction and sometimes it takes more than a whisper to get people’s attention.
Sometimes it takes full-scale warfare.
Sometimes it takes shock and awe to shake the system, to sufficiently rock the boat…
…but WOW, the stories…the power of God in it…the legacy…the eternal significance…
WOW!
Question: Where have you taken Jesus today? How have you shocked and awed in His name?
Not in the “I just went and had my body completely pierced and sleeved” kind of way…
More in the “you think you have me totally figured out and you so do not, mister” kind of way.
I’ve been told I am a little high maintenance. A little complicated. A tough nut to crack.
Fine by me.
How boring would life be if we were each a Myers-Briggs ESFP? I enjoy being a complex INTJ. It is, after all, who God made me to be…for a reason. And if you know anything about Myers-Briggs and those 16 personality types, you know that my personality isn’t one known for enjoying shock value.
I am absolutely too straight-laced. Therefore, people don’t think I’m funny, so I love to surprise with an off-the-cuff funny remark.
I am extremely opinionated. I keep those opinions to myself a lot of the time so as not to cause too much eyebrow raising, but sometimes I love to listen long and hard, saying nothing, as though I might not care…or know…only to interject my opinion at the perfect moment backed by cold, hard fact.
I love to be an original and despise being copied. Just when someone thinks they have me figured out, I love to do something completely to the contrary just to keep them guessing. (For this I probably do need counseling, referrals welcome…)
But here’s my favorite: I love to shock people with the truth of Jesus, with the love of Jesus, with the heart of Jesus, and when they least expect it.
I love to shock people by doing things that are so far outside the lines of the secular world in which we live that the non-believer, or even the believer, on the receiving end is so stunned they don’t know how to respond.
Just today I had to call a company about a problem and speak to the customer service rep. I was really concerned about a breech of confidential information and the woman took care of it quickly and put my mind at ease. As we hung up I said, “You have no idea how you have helped me today. I hope God blesses you in return for how you have blessed me.”
Ya cudda heard a pin drop….
“Um, wow…thank you so much, ma’am!” was her response. Clearly she doesn’t get much of that blessing stuff at her job.
Jesus meets customer service…
A few days ago I had to call a credit card company that was trying to send me a card & all I had to do was activate it, except that I didn’t want it. I realized that they had us listed as a pending application, which “Mr. Chad McCool Envelope System” did not want on his credit. Good little Discover Card worker that she was just really wanted me to go ahead and open that account in case I ever needed it…even though I was telling her I didn’t need or want it.
I had no choice but to pull out the shock and awe!
Oh, to have seen her reaction would have been priceless when I said, “Well, we are trying hard to live by the rules of Kingdom Finance and part of that for us is following the methods of Dave Ramsey. We’re working hard to pay off all of our credit card debt and cut up our cards (!), and any other debt, so we can even start to work on the overwhelming task of paying off our mortgage in short order. It’s really going to take a lot of hard work and discipline to do all of that and continue to give like we want to. I know that your job is to extend credit, but I just really feel God laying it on my heart to be strict in this.” She laughed at me. (Hey, it ain’t the first time…and it won’t be the last!) Then she told me that she’s watched Dave Ramsey on TV a couple of times. I thanked her for helping me make sure that card didn’t become active and told her that God would bless her for helping me stay on track. I could feel the shock and awe reverberating through the phone line!
Jesus meets 1-800-discover.
Recently I made a call to a utility company. I explained that I bypassed all of the automated choices because none applied. I had to talk to a real person. I explained that I was calling so that I could pay both the current bill and the overdue bill of a family whom I knew could not pay their own. At first the man on the other end could not even understand what I was trying to do. He kept asking me who I was with, what company I was from. I kept responding with varying versions of “I’m not with any company. I’m one of a really small group of people who likes to go around paying other people’s bills.”
When he still seemed to have a bad case of shock and awe, I finally said, “I’m with Jesus.”
He very slowly answered, “We don’t get a lot of that.”
Jesus meets the utility company guy.
I hope that day that I was the vehicle for God to move for that family. I also hope I was a witness to Jesus being alive and active in this world to the guy on the other end of the phone. Very powerful stuff if I was able to do both.
Now these are some of those stories that I’ve mentioned I hesitate to share, but my dear friend Julie has convinced me that sharing it is where the real leadership is.
But here’s what you absolutely must know:
This is not about me! This is about God. Focus on God. Shock and Awe for God, by God, because of God. And it has nothing to do with me other than the fact that I am daily trying to be His hands and feet out there in my very own community, directly impacting one life at a time.
Jesus will show up anywhere that you take Him.
Oh, I know He can get there on His own, but He’s waiting to see how we’ll pack him up and carry Him with us everywhere we go.
For years I’ve been praying the prayer of Jabez. My territory IS being enlarged. But the world is full of noise and distraction and sometimes it takes more than a whisper to get people’s attention.
Sometimes it takes full-scale warfare.
Sometimes it takes shock and awe to shake the system, to sufficiently rock the boat…
…but WOW, the stories…the power of God in it…the legacy…the eternal significance…
WOW!
Question: Where have you taken Jesus today? How have you shocked and awed in His name?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
In A Fog
A heavy fog hangs in the early morning air as I write this.
It's the kind that we often see on September mornings in central Indiana, except maybe heavier than normal. You can almost see the droplets of precipitation that hover within it, and the air is thick with its presence.
Driving is difficult in fog like this. Every few feet is a new wall of obstruction, and only when you arrive at that wall are the next few feet unveiled.
And then the next.
And then the next.
Fog seems like such an obvious metaphor for faith in life.
Many times things seem foggy. Many times answers are so very far from clear. Many times the path is completely veiled and nothing is revealed in advance.
When we step out in faith sometimes we expect that more will be revealed to us than actually is, but it is like that foggy road with just a few feet exposed at a time. God doesn't promise to show us the whole road of our journey. He asks us to travel with Him...Him leading the way....us relying wholly on Him through His clear sight since our own vision is clouded not only by all of the distractions of life, but also by the sheer and simple fact that it is not to be known by us.
I hope you'll begin to look at fog in a whole new way: as a beautiful reminder of how God calls us to be completely dependent on Him, so much so that without Him we are unable to even order our steps for more than a few feet.
I love what Martin Luther King, Jr. says: "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
Just take the first step...travel those first few feet...go that first little distance...
That is what faith is...traveling on the road we can not see and trusting that God is guiding us every step of the way.
Question: How do you allow God to guide you on your daily path?
It's the kind that we often see on September mornings in central Indiana, except maybe heavier than normal. You can almost see the droplets of precipitation that hover within it, and the air is thick with its presence.
Driving is difficult in fog like this. Every few feet is a new wall of obstruction, and only when you arrive at that wall are the next few feet unveiled.
And then the next.
And then the next.
Fog seems like such an obvious metaphor for faith in life.
Many times things seem foggy. Many times answers are so very far from clear. Many times the path is completely veiled and nothing is revealed in advance.
When we step out in faith sometimes we expect that more will be revealed to us than actually is, but it is like that foggy road with just a few feet exposed at a time. God doesn't promise to show us the whole road of our journey. He asks us to travel with Him...Him leading the way....us relying wholly on Him through His clear sight since our own vision is clouded not only by all of the distractions of life, but also by the sheer and simple fact that it is not to be known by us.
I hope you'll begin to look at fog in a whole new way: as a beautiful reminder of how God calls us to be completely dependent on Him, so much so that without Him we are unable to even order our steps for more than a few feet.
I love what Martin Luther King, Jr. says: "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
Just take the first step...travel those first few feet...go that first little distance...
That is what faith is...traveling on the road we can not see and trusting that God is guiding us every step of the way.
Question: How do you allow God to guide you on your daily path?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Vera
I had to go to the Wal-Mart Vision Center today. I was already not thrilled to be going there because a.) I had a mile-long list of other stuff I needed to do today, and b.) I’d already been there twice and couldn’t get someone to understand what I needed/wanted (or I couldn’t articulate it so that they could).
Already not excited to be going there, my less than stellar attitude collided with complete impatience when my friend and partner in rescuing the poor and down-trodden called to say we should meet for lunch. “I can’t…I’m at the Wal-Mart Vision Center”, I explained. Her response was “that’s a pretty darn good thing, cause I’m on my way to Wal-Mart to buy shampoo right now!”
She’s a spontaneous sort of gal…I have a lot to learn about that…so out the window went the to-do list for today, but based on a sermon a few weeks ago, I thought that God would be proud if I could be a little less rigid in the name of authentic relationships.
Little did either of us know what He had planned for us today…
With no one really understanding my needs yet in the vision center I was forced to wait for no reason, but just listen to what God did during that wait time:
**My friend paid for her stuff and came and sat with me.
**We watched a lady, who maybe wasn’t the most fashion-forward, try on some super-cool and ultra-funky glasses…her whole face lit up. Her confidence grew. She knew her cool factor rose about 50 million points in that moment. We both told her she HAD to get them. Then we eavesdropped while the worker told her the price and we prayed (yes, I do mean literally) that she’d be able to buy them. I was prepared to step in if need be. Every person deserves to feel good about herself.
**Everyone in the whole joint looked grumpy…now I wasn’t too thrilled about being there myself at first, but once you’re there you have a choice to make: suck it up and make the best of it, or wallow in it. I choose the first one…AND I’m pretty much going to make you go to that happy place with me…Your light (or darkness) can absolutely change an entire room. (Google “Fish” by Lundin, Paul, & Christensen if you need a little help with that!!) So….friend and I started talking to the people around us, talking a little louder, talking with a little more animation, talking with a little more laughter. And the whole room changed. (This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine…)
**As they called me back I thought, “that wait wasn’t so long”…(because I changed!)
**The doctor, a different one than last time, not only listened, but solved my issue quickly (LOVE that!). Upon leaving, smiling broadly, I said, “Thanks so much for really listening to me! I truly felt heard…and that was the kind of customer service I was looking for.” …Compliments are meant to be spoken…
AND here’s the real kicker:
**My friend struck up a conversation with the “Have A Nice Day” lady on the way out (I don’t think you can call her a greeter when she’s at the exit saying goodbye…). Her name is Vera. We've never met this woman, mind you. She was a sweet, darling, little old thing…maybe in her late 70’s. As we spoke with her, really listening…so she would feel heard…we learned that she loved her job at Wal-Mart. She never wanted to quit, but she might have to quit because she can no longer see to drive. She told us that she loved working, and she had just put her dog of fourteen years down and she cried every day about it (talk about speaking straight to my very own heart!). She told us that if she couldn’t come there to work she’d be so lonely and would probably “sit down and die”.
WOW!
You can argue with me six ways from Sunday on whether or not God hangs out at Wal-Mart, but you can never convince me that the two of us were not supposed to talk to this woman.
In the course of our short conversation with her, we’d arranged transportation to and from work starting next week if it turned out that she really did need it. We’d proved someone cares. We’d validated her work ethic. We’d shown her friendship. We’d let her know that age is just a number and that no one has to “sit down and die” if he or she still has the desire to make a difference & spread a little joy! And we’d witnessed about Jesus in Wal-Mart.
Jesus. In Wal-Mart.
WOW!
And we left with tears in our eye, knowing that He orchestrated the whole darn thing for the good of those that love Him, for the opportunity to be presented, to see what we’d do in response, to make available to Vera His hands and feet.
I have many stories like this. I’ve hesitated to share many, believing that my works should be anonymous. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe if we all talked a little more, supported each other a little more in these kinds of efforts, challenged each other a little more, the world would be a different place.
Keep your eyes and ears open…the Veras are everywhere and God is just waiting to see what we'll do!
Question: What can you do today to witness, to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to an unlikely person in an unlikely place?
Already not excited to be going there, my less than stellar attitude collided with complete impatience when my friend and partner in rescuing the poor and down-trodden called to say we should meet for lunch. “I can’t…I’m at the Wal-Mart Vision Center”, I explained. Her response was “that’s a pretty darn good thing, cause I’m on my way to Wal-Mart to buy shampoo right now!”
She’s a spontaneous sort of gal…I have a lot to learn about that…so out the window went the to-do list for today, but based on a sermon a few weeks ago, I thought that God would be proud if I could be a little less rigid in the name of authentic relationships.
Little did either of us know what He had planned for us today…
With no one really understanding my needs yet in the vision center I was forced to wait for no reason, but just listen to what God did during that wait time:
**My friend paid for her stuff and came and sat with me.
**We watched a lady, who maybe wasn’t the most fashion-forward, try on some super-cool and ultra-funky glasses…her whole face lit up. Her confidence grew. She knew her cool factor rose about 50 million points in that moment. We both told her she HAD to get them. Then we eavesdropped while the worker told her the price and we prayed (yes, I do mean literally) that she’d be able to buy them. I was prepared to step in if need be. Every person deserves to feel good about herself.
**Everyone in the whole joint looked grumpy…now I wasn’t too thrilled about being there myself at first, but once you’re there you have a choice to make: suck it up and make the best of it, or wallow in it. I choose the first one…AND I’m pretty much going to make you go to that happy place with me…Your light (or darkness) can absolutely change an entire room. (Google “Fish” by Lundin, Paul, & Christensen if you need a little help with that!!) So….friend and I started talking to the people around us, talking a little louder, talking with a little more animation, talking with a little more laughter. And the whole room changed. (This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine…)
**As they called me back I thought, “that wait wasn’t so long”…(because I changed!)
**The doctor, a different one than last time, not only listened, but solved my issue quickly (LOVE that!). Upon leaving, smiling broadly, I said, “Thanks so much for really listening to me! I truly felt heard…and that was the kind of customer service I was looking for.” …Compliments are meant to be spoken…
AND here’s the real kicker:
**My friend struck up a conversation with the “Have A Nice Day” lady on the way out (I don’t think you can call her a greeter when she’s at the exit saying goodbye…). Her name is Vera. We've never met this woman, mind you. She was a sweet, darling, little old thing…maybe in her late 70’s. As we spoke with her, really listening…so she would feel heard…we learned that she loved her job at Wal-Mart. She never wanted to quit, but she might have to quit because she can no longer see to drive. She told us that she loved working, and she had just put her dog of fourteen years down and she cried every day about it (talk about speaking straight to my very own heart!). She told us that if she couldn’t come there to work she’d be so lonely and would probably “sit down and die”.
WOW!
You can argue with me six ways from Sunday on whether or not God hangs out at Wal-Mart, but you can never convince me that the two of us were not supposed to talk to this woman.
In the course of our short conversation with her, we’d arranged transportation to and from work starting next week if it turned out that she really did need it. We’d proved someone cares. We’d validated her work ethic. We’d shown her friendship. We’d let her know that age is just a number and that no one has to “sit down and die” if he or she still has the desire to make a difference & spread a little joy! And we’d witnessed about Jesus in Wal-Mart.
Jesus. In Wal-Mart.
WOW!
And we left with tears in our eye, knowing that He orchestrated the whole darn thing for the good of those that love Him, for the opportunity to be presented, to see what we’d do in response, to make available to Vera His hands and feet.
I have many stories like this. I’ve hesitated to share many, believing that my works should be anonymous. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe if we all talked a little more, supported each other a little more in these kinds of efforts, challenged each other a little more, the world would be a different place.
Keep your eyes and ears open…the Veras are everywhere and God is just waiting to see what we'll do!
Question: What can you do today to witness, to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to an unlikely person in an unlikely place?
Monday, August 24, 2009
If You'd Quit Buying Shoes...
I really do believe that God speaks to people.
And I believe that His words can take on many forms.
His words can be in the form of a message through another person, like a friend giving you the advice or answer you've been searching for when you hadn't even discussed it with that person. His words can be in the form of a verse of scripture that just jumps off the page at you and nearly knocks you out. Or they can come in the form of a voice that you hear in your head that you know is not your own, telling you something important. And His speaking to you can come in the form of a thought, idea, or solution that just pops into your head (and "sounds" like your own voice or however all of your other thoughts sound to your own self), but is something clearly not of your own thinking.
Now, in my saying that you may be thinking, “This chick is crazy!” But guess what? I don’t really care…I’ve heard His unmistakable voice enough times to have any sort of “proof” I might need, and I use that term loosely since the very essence of faith is operating without hard-core evidence that would stand up in court. All I know is this: countless times in my life when I have had a problem, question, dilemma, etc., if I wait long enough and am quiet enough, at some point the answer shows up in one of those ways I spoke of above.
God also speaks to us when we need a little correction.
We all have vices. We all have callings. And sometimes our vices are the very things that stand in the way of us living out our callings.
Coincidence? I think not.
Hmmm. Interesting that maybe God would make it difficult to overcome the very thing that stands in the way of our living out the purpose that He set for us.
Why? I don’t know.
Maybe it’s our way to prove to Him how serious we are about heeding His call.
Maybe it’s so that we can be just that much more dependent on Him.
Maybe it’s so that our own stories of triumph are that much richer.
Maybe it’s to develop our creativity and perseverance as the obstacles that surely will come begin to surface.
The point is that we’ll have to use some serious resolve if we are to give in to God and not to temptation.
The temptations can be many. For you it may unbelief, substance abuse, unfaithfulness in your marriage, taking what isn’t yours (time, money, attention, resources, etc.), but I encourage you to take a long, hard look at what your temptations might be and what God might be trying to communicate to you in regard to them.
My greatest struggle, my recurring sin, is materialism. And when I ease up on the willpower even one tiny bit, my materialism does get in the way of me living out the very purpose He created me for. Now the Bible speaks not of money as evil, but of the LOVE of money as evil. I don’t love money…I just really, really, really like the stuff it buys (some of it actual tangible stuff, some of it conveniences or services)! And I sometimes get caught up in the material world around me – for it constantly rears its ugly head by way of other people, the media, that shmancy mall around the corner…
Luckily, God speaks our language and when I do hear His still, small voice (even though I know it has the capacity to boom like thunder, it seldom does!), He speaks in a way that’s undeniably clear…no King James version, thank goodness!
Out of all of the messages I’ve gotten over the years, this one that came in the form of a clear thought popping into my head, was one of the most timely and compelling:
“If you’d quit buying shoes, you could feed the poor!”
Dang, He’s good! Cut to the chase, man! Bottom-line it! Wow! Cause how do you argue with that?
So, I am working on it. I am making progress. When I fail, I feel the disciplining, but loving hand of God upon me and Him whispering in my ear ever so softly saying, “Someone needs those shoes so much more than you do, girlfriend!” “Who else needs clothing or food today in your community?” “I know you’ve given, but could you sacrifice and give just a little more instead of buying those?” “Aren’t leopard flats and leopard heels enough?? Do you really need leopard wedges, too? Seriously, put that cash in the plate, sister, or the lightning strikes are coming!” “Your legacy is too important…”
Oh, there are all kinds of ways that I justify my materialism, especially my tendency to be a clothes horse. I rationalize it by the fact that I’ve never loved my body, so good clothes take the attention off of me and put it onto the items I’m wearing. I defend it by saying that good clothes make a good first impression. These and the other ways I excuse it are valid…the point is that while looking our best IS taking care of the temple and while we do have to wear clothes, they do not have to be expensive. God is laying it on my heart to find ways to be savvy in my shopping so that I honor him through my finances and by doing the very best I can with what he gave me in looking the best that I can.
So I try not to even go to DSW anymore…therefore eliminating the temptation altogether. I try to buy nothing on impulse, saving cash for it, and only purchasing after having donated to my church and the other things I love to give to first. But daily it is a struggle. Daily I need help. Daily I need prayer. Daily I have to trade instant gratification for the assurance of “Well done, my good and faithful servant”. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I blow it. But sometimes I get it right, too, and have God to thank and God to praise.
Even though I love to buy stuff, I love to please God even more.
But you can bet your sweet bippy that I’ll be buried in those leopard heels that I already own and paid cash for!
Question: What is God speaking to you about today? What is He trying to tell you?
And I believe that His words can take on many forms.
His words can be in the form of a message through another person, like a friend giving you the advice or answer you've been searching for when you hadn't even discussed it with that person. His words can be in the form of a verse of scripture that just jumps off the page at you and nearly knocks you out. Or they can come in the form of a voice that you hear in your head that you know is not your own, telling you something important. And His speaking to you can come in the form of a thought, idea, or solution that just pops into your head (and "sounds" like your own voice or however all of your other thoughts sound to your own self), but is something clearly not of your own thinking.
Now, in my saying that you may be thinking, “This chick is crazy!” But guess what? I don’t really care…I’ve heard His unmistakable voice enough times to have any sort of “proof” I might need, and I use that term loosely since the very essence of faith is operating without hard-core evidence that would stand up in court. All I know is this: countless times in my life when I have had a problem, question, dilemma, etc., if I wait long enough and am quiet enough, at some point the answer shows up in one of those ways I spoke of above.
God also speaks to us when we need a little correction.
We all have vices. We all have callings. And sometimes our vices are the very things that stand in the way of us living out our callings.
Coincidence? I think not.
Hmmm. Interesting that maybe God would make it difficult to overcome the very thing that stands in the way of our living out the purpose that He set for us.
Why? I don’t know.
Maybe it’s our way to prove to Him how serious we are about heeding His call.
Maybe it’s so that we can be just that much more dependent on Him.
Maybe it’s so that our own stories of triumph are that much richer.
Maybe it’s to develop our creativity and perseverance as the obstacles that surely will come begin to surface.
The point is that we’ll have to use some serious resolve if we are to give in to God and not to temptation.
The temptations can be many. For you it may unbelief, substance abuse, unfaithfulness in your marriage, taking what isn’t yours (time, money, attention, resources, etc.), but I encourage you to take a long, hard look at what your temptations might be and what God might be trying to communicate to you in regard to them.
My greatest struggle, my recurring sin, is materialism. And when I ease up on the willpower even one tiny bit, my materialism does get in the way of me living out the very purpose He created me for. Now the Bible speaks not of money as evil, but of the LOVE of money as evil. I don’t love money…I just really, really, really like the stuff it buys (some of it actual tangible stuff, some of it conveniences or services)! And I sometimes get caught up in the material world around me – for it constantly rears its ugly head by way of other people, the media, that shmancy mall around the corner…
Luckily, God speaks our language and when I do hear His still, small voice (even though I know it has the capacity to boom like thunder, it seldom does!), He speaks in a way that’s undeniably clear…no King James version, thank goodness!
Out of all of the messages I’ve gotten over the years, this one that came in the form of a clear thought popping into my head, was one of the most timely and compelling:
“If you’d quit buying shoes, you could feed the poor!”
Dang, He’s good! Cut to the chase, man! Bottom-line it! Wow! Cause how do you argue with that?
So, I am working on it. I am making progress. When I fail, I feel the disciplining, but loving hand of God upon me and Him whispering in my ear ever so softly saying, “Someone needs those shoes so much more than you do, girlfriend!” “Who else needs clothing or food today in your community?” “I know you’ve given, but could you sacrifice and give just a little more instead of buying those?” “Aren’t leopard flats and leopard heels enough?? Do you really need leopard wedges, too? Seriously, put that cash in the plate, sister, or the lightning strikes are coming!” “Your legacy is too important…”
Oh, there are all kinds of ways that I justify my materialism, especially my tendency to be a clothes horse. I rationalize it by the fact that I’ve never loved my body, so good clothes take the attention off of me and put it onto the items I’m wearing. I defend it by saying that good clothes make a good first impression. These and the other ways I excuse it are valid…the point is that while looking our best IS taking care of the temple and while we do have to wear clothes, they do not have to be expensive. God is laying it on my heart to find ways to be savvy in my shopping so that I honor him through my finances and by doing the very best I can with what he gave me in looking the best that I can.
So I try not to even go to DSW anymore…therefore eliminating the temptation altogether. I try to buy nothing on impulse, saving cash for it, and only purchasing after having donated to my church and the other things I love to give to first. But daily it is a struggle. Daily I need help. Daily I need prayer. Daily I have to trade instant gratification for the assurance of “Well done, my good and faithful servant”. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I blow it. But sometimes I get it right, too, and have God to thank and God to praise.
Even though I love to buy stuff, I love to please God even more.
But you can bet your sweet bippy that I’ll be buried in those leopard heels that I already own and paid cash for!
Question: What is God speaking to you about today? What is He trying to tell you?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Insights
When I began this blog I made one important promise to myself: I will not write/post just to hear myself talk. I will only put something here that I think is important to say. Even if I think only one person on earth will gain something from it, I will only post things that uplift, challenge, comfort people…even make them squirm a little in the name of defining their beliefs about God…but the point of this blog is to help others deepen their faith and tighten their walk with Christ. (…Well, and some funny stuff, too…like hooks and grocery store manners and stuff!)
It’s been a month since I posted anything. If you read my previous post, you are aware that I was struggling that week. Thing is, that was just one week in a roller coaster of what’s really turned out to be a year of some hard lessons, sadness, and disappointment. I kept waiting to get some insights, wanting to come back to put some real “answers” in print. But I kept thinking, “I’ve got nothing to say…”
I certainly don’t have everything figured out, but it’s a few weeks down the road and God has provided me with at least enough calm in the storm to keep me going and a few insights to share.
Just since the last week of April (and MOST of this just during the month of July for Pete’s sake!), all 4 of our parents have had surgeries/health issues, all very concerning and some very involved. After having to put our dog to sleep, I continue to grieve and miss her every minute. Someone dear to us experienced their own loss. We moved my grandmother from her home of 35 years to Assisted Living. I experienced some very difficult things with a couple of work associates, one of which is on-going, has nothing to do with me, but greatly affects me. All of this coupled with several additional smaller disappointments and surprise difficulties during the same time made some days hard to face. And this was just a summer within year of it.
No Debbie Downer here…only illustrating that things haven’t been that great. This way you see that my insights are born out of true suffering and searching… either taught for the first time through all of this junk or I was reminded of them through the experiences.
Here’s what I know to be true:
1. It’s when we’re broken that God is most at work in us.
2. Job did not suffer because he was forgotten. He suffered because he was chosen.
3. Go to the Bible every single time you feel like you need to breathe in a paper bag.
4. I hate cancer! HATE it! God doesn’t “give” it to people, I do know that much. Why some are healed and some are not, I don’t know. What is clear is that we have the opportunity to witness through it, no matter what the outcome is.
5. You have to be still and quiet to hear God’s voice. But when you expect Him to speak to you, wait for Him to, listen for Him to, and eventually He will! If you’re never quiet, you’ll miss it.
6. Worry shows a lack of faith. It takes a lot of self-discipline to re-direct your thinking, but it is a must in living faithfully and God wants to see us do it. You do it by filling your mind with good things like inspirational, spiritual, and motivational books, tapes, etc. I’m not much of a worrier anymore, but during all of our parents’ health issues I found myself slipping back to that. I filled my head with only good things and every time I felt panic coming on, I went straight to the Bible to replace the negative thoughts with the language of faith. Think of it as a meal replacement bar for your head!
7. When people treat you poorly it is often about them, not you. They are acting on years of not trusting others, being hurt, etc. so they have come to expect that from people. The best reaction is to pray for them.
8. I don’t believe that “turn the other cheek” means keep going back for more. This is, in my opinion, a sorely misunderstood Christian concept. I think “turn the other cheek” means to turn away from a toxic person or situation…turning your eyes toward Jesus and His truth. God does not call us to continue to “take it” from those toxic people. Instead he commands that we simply love and forgive.
9. God rewards our faith.
10. We do reap what we sow. But keep in mind that while we plant it, really only God can make it grow. (It's God that provides the sunshine and the rain!)
11. The bible is a living, timely, modern collection of practical advice and commands on how to live well. It is non-fiction at its best! Every answer you need is right there! If you find it hard to read, do two things: 1.) ask God to help you understand it, 2.) buy the version called The Message.
12. There is nothing as satisfying as sacrificial giving.
13. God loves to hear us pray for others. When someone you love is struggling and you pray for them without their knowledge of it, and then they tell you, “Wow! You are not going to believe this but…” and you are able to answer with, “But I prayed for you about that very thing…” there is no purer moment of God at work!
14. Even the Ultimate Type-A Girl can learn to fully surrender to God…and do it with joy!
15. It’s more than just a nice thing to show appreciation. It is a must for the survival of the human heart.
16. Listen to and follow through on it every time you feel God nudging you.
17. When you sacrificially serve through your exhaustion or difficulty or heartache, and “pour out” in the name of God, He will pour back into you and restore you 100-fold.
18. God will gift you to handle whatever challenges and opportunities He places in front of you according to His plan. However, you have to be open to receiving these gifts.
19. God disciplines. This makes you uncomfortable or causes pain in order to get you to stop doing something.
20. God prunes. This is where he cuts away things (or people or activities) in our lives that are no longer needed to make room for things that are bigger, better, and for His Kingdom. Though the process is painful, it is to prepare you for something great.
21. God will reveal secrets to you when you ask Him to.
22. Trust your gut.
23. God promises: “If you seek me, you will find me.” Hold fast to that promise.
24. Prayer absolutely changes things.
25. Trusting God in the hard times, when things are bad, when you are deep in the pit of Hell, is the deepest kind of faith there is! And when He hears you crying out, He will meet you there and scoop you up.
26. Unforgiveness creates bondage.
27. One of the most important things you can do is work on your personal growth – who you are as a person (more than skills, more than knowledge, more than anything). You can only have relationships, finances, opportunities that are worthy of who you are. Life will rise up to meet you where you are every time. If you want more, you must become more. It’s just that simple.
28. Use what you’ve been given and it will grow. Ignore what you’ve been given and it will die.
29. You must find a way to be grateful in every situation. Praising through the worst circumstance is the ultimate sacrifice.
30. God loves to hear from us…when we are praising, singing, happy, confused, questioning, just sitting with him, reflecting, and even crying out in anger! It doesn’t make Him upset when we question and show negative emotion toward Him. He can see that in us anyway, so when we show it outright, but it’s in the context of a deep and loving relationship with Him, it’s us being authentic with Him in that moment, which is what true relationships are built on.
And that’s what He most wants with each of us: true, deep, loving, authentic relationship in which we are dependent on Him to meet our every need, and we believe with every ounce of who we are that He will.
Question: What insights do you have or what insights are you looking for?
It’s been a month since I posted anything. If you read my previous post, you are aware that I was struggling that week. Thing is, that was just one week in a roller coaster of what’s really turned out to be a year of some hard lessons, sadness, and disappointment. I kept waiting to get some insights, wanting to come back to put some real “answers” in print. But I kept thinking, “I’ve got nothing to say…”
I certainly don’t have everything figured out, but it’s a few weeks down the road and God has provided me with at least enough calm in the storm to keep me going and a few insights to share.
Just since the last week of April (and MOST of this just during the month of July for Pete’s sake!), all 4 of our parents have had surgeries/health issues, all very concerning and some very involved. After having to put our dog to sleep, I continue to grieve and miss her every minute. Someone dear to us experienced their own loss. We moved my grandmother from her home of 35 years to Assisted Living. I experienced some very difficult things with a couple of work associates, one of which is on-going, has nothing to do with me, but greatly affects me. All of this coupled with several additional smaller disappointments and surprise difficulties during the same time made some days hard to face. And this was just a summer within year of it.
No Debbie Downer here…only illustrating that things haven’t been that great. This way you see that my insights are born out of true suffering and searching… either taught for the first time through all of this junk or I was reminded of them through the experiences.
Here’s what I know to be true:
1. It’s when we’re broken that God is most at work in us.
2. Job did not suffer because he was forgotten. He suffered because he was chosen.
3. Go to the Bible every single time you feel like you need to breathe in a paper bag.
4. I hate cancer! HATE it! God doesn’t “give” it to people, I do know that much. Why some are healed and some are not, I don’t know. What is clear is that we have the opportunity to witness through it, no matter what the outcome is.
5. You have to be still and quiet to hear God’s voice. But when you expect Him to speak to you, wait for Him to, listen for Him to, and eventually He will! If you’re never quiet, you’ll miss it.
6. Worry shows a lack of faith. It takes a lot of self-discipline to re-direct your thinking, but it is a must in living faithfully and God wants to see us do it. You do it by filling your mind with good things like inspirational, spiritual, and motivational books, tapes, etc. I’m not much of a worrier anymore, but during all of our parents’ health issues I found myself slipping back to that. I filled my head with only good things and every time I felt panic coming on, I went straight to the Bible to replace the negative thoughts with the language of faith. Think of it as a meal replacement bar for your head!
7. When people treat you poorly it is often about them, not you. They are acting on years of not trusting others, being hurt, etc. so they have come to expect that from people. The best reaction is to pray for them.
8. I don’t believe that “turn the other cheek” means keep going back for more. This is, in my opinion, a sorely misunderstood Christian concept. I think “turn the other cheek” means to turn away from a toxic person or situation…turning your eyes toward Jesus and His truth. God does not call us to continue to “take it” from those toxic people. Instead he commands that we simply love and forgive.
9. God rewards our faith.
10. We do reap what we sow. But keep in mind that while we plant it, really only God can make it grow. (It's God that provides the sunshine and the rain!)
11. The bible is a living, timely, modern collection of practical advice and commands on how to live well. It is non-fiction at its best! Every answer you need is right there! If you find it hard to read, do two things: 1.) ask God to help you understand it, 2.) buy the version called The Message.
12. There is nothing as satisfying as sacrificial giving.
13. God loves to hear us pray for others. When someone you love is struggling and you pray for them without their knowledge of it, and then they tell you, “Wow! You are not going to believe this but…” and you are able to answer with, “But I prayed for you about that very thing…” there is no purer moment of God at work!
14. Even the Ultimate Type-A Girl can learn to fully surrender to God…and do it with joy!
15. It’s more than just a nice thing to show appreciation. It is a must for the survival of the human heart.
16. Listen to and follow through on it every time you feel God nudging you.
17. When you sacrificially serve through your exhaustion or difficulty or heartache, and “pour out” in the name of God, He will pour back into you and restore you 100-fold.
18. God will gift you to handle whatever challenges and opportunities He places in front of you according to His plan. However, you have to be open to receiving these gifts.
19. God disciplines. This makes you uncomfortable or causes pain in order to get you to stop doing something.
20. God prunes. This is where he cuts away things (or people or activities) in our lives that are no longer needed to make room for things that are bigger, better, and for His Kingdom. Though the process is painful, it is to prepare you for something great.
21. God will reveal secrets to you when you ask Him to.
22. Trust your gut.
23. God promises: “If you seek me, you will find me.” Hold fast to that promise.
24. Prayer absolutely changes things.
25. Trusting God in the hard times, when things are bad, when you are deep in the pit of Hell, is the deepest kind of faith there is! And when He hears you crying out, He will meet you there and scoop you up.
26. Unforgiveness creates bondage.
27. One of the most important things you can do is work on your personal growth – who you are as a person (more than skills, more than knowledge, more than anything). You can only have relationships, finances, opportunities that are worthy of who you are. Life will rise up to meet you where you are every time. If you want more, you must become more. It’s just that simple.
28. Use what you’ve been given and it will grow. Ignore what you’ve been given and it will die.
29. You must find a way to be grateful in every situation. Praising through the worst circumstance is the ultimate sacrifice.
30. God loves to hear from us…when we are praising, singing, happy, confused, questioning, just sitting with him, reflecting, and even crying out in anger! It doesn’t make Him upset when we question and show negative emotion toward Him. He can see that in us anyway, so when we show it outright, but it’s in the context of a deep and loving relationship with Him, it’s us being authentic with Him in that moment, which is what true relationships are built on.
And that’s what He most wants with each of us: true, deep, loving, authentic relationship in which we are dependent on Him to meet our every need, and we believe with every ounce of who we are that He will.
Question: What insights do you have or what insights are you looking for?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
What’s the plan here, Dude?
Dear God,
Since you know the inner-most corners of my heart, I know that you realize that when I ask, “What’s the plan here, Dude?” that I don’t mean it to sound rude. Or flippant. Or mean. Or any of that stuff…it’s just that if I don’t interject a little sarcasm here, I’m gonna fall in a heap and cry. And I realize you know that.
This has been quite the stinky week, Lord, & I just need to vent for a minute. And I love that you’ll let me. Monday was one of the hardest days of my life as we put our beloved dog, my constant companion, to sleep. I know that you felt my sadness, Lord. I felt you grieving right along with me. And we knew we had no other choice if we were to do the selfless, best thing for her. But even though I knew both of those things, it didn’t make my hurt any less.
Later in the week, after having tried my absolute best in a situation, with the purest of intentions to help someone, that person misunderstood my intent and was filled with anger at me and spoke of that anger to me fervently. I forgive her…I realize that she has had a lifetime of hurt, of not being able to trust people, of apparently having to deal with people who had ulterior motives of malice. However, that’s not me, and what an awful experience it was to be on the receiving end of that! Lord, you know my heart, and you know what I was trying to do. Please forgive me for causing that person anguish, but you know the truth in that situation even if no one else does. Thank you for remembering the details some day when I stand before you.
So maybe the week was gonna take a turn for the best…or at least it was gonna end (since it is Saturday & all)…so why did I go check email? Darn it! Why did I? Only to find that something I’ve long been praying about is seemingly turning out with the exact opposite result of my prayers!! Gotta be honest, Lord…I’m angry, frustrated, and disappointed. I am really questioning the people in charge who made this decision…and since you can see the inner-most corners of my heart, you already know that I am questioning why You let this happen, so I might as well admit it. I will try to have an open mind. I will try to believe the best. I will try. But I feel defeated and deflated.
I kinda wanna yell at someone.
I kinda wanna yell at You.
But, I won’t…
I have a lot of questions about this. For starters, “What’s the plan here, Dude”? I know there is one…and I know you’ll reveal it when you’re good & ready. I know that You are always working for the good of those who love you, but I am going on serious blind trust here, Man, cause I am NOT seein’ it!
Somehow I will search for truth in this. Somehow I will emerge from this stinkpot stuff a better, stronger, more tenacious person. Somehow my character will become more defined, my values even stronger. Somehow, even though I don’t want to, I will trust that You have a plan and that it is good, really good. Even if I have to recite the Prayer of Jabez and Jeremiah 29:11 every single day, I will somehow learn to find the good in all of this.
So…
Here I start:
Thank you, God, for teaching me so much this week about how to trust you and your plans for me. Thank you for giving me so many opportunities to lean on you and to grow as a Christian and as a person. Thank you for providing me with many insights about others through the experiences that I have endured this week. You must be preparing me for something important, and I am grateful. Thank you for softening my heart to those who are cruel to me, for they only act out of their previous experience, and I forgive them for that. And finally, thank you for allowing me to question and to be real with you (after all, you see it in me anyway!). Lord, I am yours and you refine me well.
Amen.
(See, even as I type this I am feeling better, more compassionate…and the more I read that, the more I really, really feel it in my heart!)
Ok, I’m gonna be alright, but it’s possible that curling up to an evening of HGTV followed by a little shopping tomorrow would really seal the deal…
Question: Have you ever wondered what the heck the plan was?
Since you know the inner-most corners of my heart, I know that you realize that when I ask, “What’s the plan here, Dude?” that I don’t mean it to sound rude. Or flippant. Or mean. Or any of that stuff…it’s just that if I don’t interject a little sarcasm here, I’m gonna fall in a heap and cry. And I realize you know that.
This has been quite the stinky week, Lord, & I just need to vent for a minute. And I love that you’ll let me. Monday was one of the hardest days of my life as we put our beloved dog, my constant companion, to sleep. I know that you felt my sadness, Lord. I felt you grieving right along with me. And we knew we had no other choice if we were to do the selfless, best thing for her. But even though I knew both of those things, it didn’t make my hurt any less.
Later in the week, after having tried my absolute best in a situation, with the purest of intentions to help someone, that person misunderstood my intent and was filled with anger at me and spoke of that anger to me fervently. I forgive her…I realize that she has had a lifetime of hurt, of not being able to trust people, of apparently having to deal with people who had ulterior motives of malice. However, that’s not me, and what an awful experience it was to be on the receiving end of that! Lord, you know my heart, and you know what I was trying to do. Please forgive me for causing that person anguish, but you know the truth in that situation even if no one else does. Thank you for remembering the details some day when I stand before you.
So maybe the week was gonna take a turn for the best…or at least it was gonna end (since it is Saturday & all)…so why did I go check email? Darn it! Why did I? Only to find that something I’ve long been praying about is seemingly turning out with the exact opposite result of my prayers!! Gotta be honest, Lord…I’m angry, frustrated, and disappointed. I am really questioning the people in charge who made this decision…and since you can see the inner-most corners of my heart, you already know that I am questioning why You let this happen, so I might as well admit it. I will try to have an open mind. I will try to believe the best. I will try. But I feel defeated and deflated.
I kinda wanna yell at someone.
I kinda wanna yell at You.
But, I won’t…
I have a lot of questions about this. For starters, “What’s the plan here, Dude”? I know there is one…and I know you’ll reveal it when you’re good & ready. I know that You are always working for the good of those who love you, but I am going on serious blind trust here, Man, cause I am NOT seein’ it!
Somehow I will search for truth in this. Somehow I will emerge from this stinkpot stuff a better, stronger, more tenacious person. Somehow my character will become more defined, my values even stronger. Somehow, even though I don’t want to, I will trust that You have a plan and that it is good, really good. Even if I have to recite the Prayer of Jabez and Jeremiah 29:11 every single day, I will somehow learn to find the good in all of this.
So…
Here I start:
Thank you, God, for teaching me so much this week about how to trust you and your plans for me. Thank you for giving me so many opportunities to lean on you and to grow as a Christian and as a person. Thank you for providing me with many insights about others through the experiences that I have endured this week. You must be preparing me for something important, and I am grateful. Thank you for softening my heart to those who are cruel to me, for they only act out of their previous experience, and I forgive them for that. And finally, thank you for allowing me to question and to be real with you (after all, you see it in me anyway!). Lord, I am yours and you refine me well.
Amen.
(See, even as I type this I am feeling better, more compassionate…and the more I read that, the more I really, really feel it in my heart!)
Ok, I’m gonna be alright, but it’s possible that curling up to an evening of HGTV followed by a little shopping tomorrow would really seal the deal…
Question: Have you ever wondered what the heck the plan was?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Our Reward Is Not On Earth
It’s almost freaky how over the last several months I’ve had this recurring conversation with people. Each exchange has been due to its own special set of circumstances, and each has involved different people, but the overall theme remains the same.
The over-riding question that has prevailed is this:
Why do things always work out for people who stink? Cheat? Lie? Steal (company time & resources)? Do the wrong thing? Take the shortcuts? Take advantage? Are lazy? Why…yet it always seems to work out so well for them…why?
Why? WHY??? And why then especially when there are those of us out there bustin’ our hineys every day, doing the right thing, working our fingers to the bone, telling the truth, playing by the rules, paying our taxes, helping others, trying to make a real difference, giving to church, going to church, living right and yet we can’t seem to catch a break?
WHY?
The flippant, easy answer is this: Life ain’t fair, sister! So suck it up and deal with it.
But I think we do ourselves, our friends and colleagues, and especially our children, a real disservice when we reduce it to that.
I think the answer lies much deeper than that…I’m willing to bet my every worldly possession that it is because our reward is not on earth. It’s not like I’ve known this or been as sure as I am today about this for my whole life. In fact, it has taken lots of reading of scripture and praying and thinking over the last 39.999999 years to fully grow into it, but I am really, really sure now.
There are plenty of instances in which to contemplate the concept:
(And I don’t mean for these examples to sound judgmental…I’m just sure we’ve all witnessed at least one of these where it wasn’t based on judgment, but on cold, hard fact that this is what was happening.)
Why does the person at work seem to get rewarded over and over even though she doesn’t play by the rules?
Why am I working so hard with such little gain, while I watch her get ahead by cheating and lying?
Why did I do the work, but she got the credit?
Why is she favored when she so blatantly lacks integrity by cheating the company?
…and of course there are the obvious ones…
Why did he die young when he was such a good person?
Why does one neighbor’s family struggle financially when they always do the right thing, but another neighbor’s family has everything they need and more, yet they are so nasty to others?
Why does she, of all people, have to suffer with cancer?
From being passed up for things I worked hard for in school all the way to a very specific instance with a co-worker a couple of weeks ago, this question has come up in my life over and over again. So maybe I write this now as much to remind myself as anyone else…
The only answer I’ve got is that our reward is not on earth. Our reward will be in Heaven. And while the here and now sometimes FEELS like an eternity, it is merely a blip on the screen. But what we do now, during that “blip”, determines where we get to live…with whom we get to live…for what really will be eternity.
I wish I had more…but these are my insights and totally my personal takes on it:
**The phrase “we reap what we sow” has eternal implications!
**Satan likes people who don’t live right, who don’t play by the “rules”, so he makes sure that he sets them up well to live the following lie: there are no negative consequences for your actions. (This helps lure more people to him.)
**God doesn’t actually promise that life will be sweet and rosy because we believe in Him. He promises that with a new life in Christ we will have eternal life and will never be without Him. He promises that eternal life with Him will be paradise and it is worth waiting for.
**God is hoping to see that we’ll hang in there, that we’ll stick with Him, that we’ll believe His promises, no matter what. He wants to see if we are easily dissuaded or if our words (claiming we follow Him) and our actions (actually following Him) match. He wants to see how easily we give up and throw in the towel.
**God is testing our integrity and our worldliness…testing us to see if we’ll “sell out” to instant gratification at some point.
**Adversity can, if we choose to let it, cause us to become better, stronger people. God also hopes we’ll use what we learn from our experiences to help others, especially our children who are looking to us to see why they should remain on the straight and narrow.
**God will reward us greatly in eternity when time after time he sees us choosing the right actions and the right attitudes when we know there is no earthly gain.
**He is keeping a record, a “report card” of sorts, and He will have a student-teacher conference with us about it someday. On that day all justice will be served for the many things we did right…and the many times we fell short of His glory.
**Every single thing…yes, every last little thing, no matter how small it may seem…that you do in His name is adding to YOUR cache of treasure in Heaven.
**God sees all of the works that you do, the true intent behind each one, and the depth of the core of your belief in Him and love for Him.
Luke 6:23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in
heaven.”
Matthew 16:27 “He will reward each according to his works.”
Matthew 19:21 “You will have treasure in heaven.”
Luke 14:14 “You will be blessed…for you shall be repaid at the resurrection.”
I can often be found saying the following two statements aloud to myself (apparently I need a lot of reminders):
1. The high road is a lonely road, but it is the one I choose to take.
2. My reward is not on earth.
That’s all I’ve got…no other answers…but I’m really sure that I’m right. And I’m really sure that it’ll be worth it.
If you only read one more book in your lifetime, read A Life God Rewards by Bruce Wilkinson. One of the most poignant things he says (and there are many) is this, “Our eternal destination is the consequence of what we believe on earth. Our eternal compensation is the consequence of how we behave on earth.”
Personally, I’d rather “suck it up and deal with it” even though “life ain’t fair”, trusting in God’s every move, choosing the lonely high road over and over again, believing in a wonderful loving Savior, so that I can secure my rightful place at the Feet of the Throne.
Of course when I get there, one of my very first questions to Jesus will be, “Remember X at work (can’t type the names or the situation here…)? What the heck was up with that? Cause, man, did I get the short end of the stick on that one!!”
I sincerely hope He’ll explain and follow up with, “Hey, girl…how you handled that…well done, my good and faithful servant! I knew your heart then and I remember it now, and it contributed to your storehouse of treasure.”
My prayer for all of us:
Dear God, help us stay on the straight and narrow even when it seems like the tougher path. Help us hold fast to Biblical truths, and help us find strength in Christian friends who will encourage us to keep running toward you even when that’s not the easiest or most convenient thing. Give us the stamina we need to cling to you instead of being wooed by the instant gratification of this world. Help us to be patient now so that we may spend a beautiful eternity with you in Heaven. And most importantly, give us the insight and the honesty to use our life experiences to teach our children to do the same. Amen.
Question: Do you believe your reward is in Heaven…I mean really believe?
The over-riding question that has prevailed is this:
Why do things always work out for people who stink? Cheat? Lie? Steal (company time & resources)? Do the wrong thing? Take the shortcuts? Take advantage? Are lazy? Why…yet it always seems to work out so well for them…why?
Why? WHY??? And why then especially when there are those of us out there bustin’ our hineys every day, doing the right thing, working our fingers to the bone, telling the truth, playing by the rules, paying our taxes, helping others, trying to make a real difference, giving to church, going to church, living right and yet we can’t seem to catch a break?
WHY?
The flippant, easy answer is this: Life ain’t fair, sister! So suck it up and deal with it.
But I think we do ourselves, our friends and colleagues, and especially our children, a real disservice when we reduce it to that.
I think the answer lies much deeper than that…I’m willing to bet my every worldly possession that it is because our reward is not on earth. It’s not like I’ve known this or been as sure as I am today about this for my whole life. In fact, it has taken lots of reading of scripture and praying and thinking over the last 39.999999 years to fully grow into it, but I am really, really sure now.
There are plenty of instances in which to contemplate the concept:
(And I don’t mean for these examples to sound judgmental…I’m just sure we’ve all witnessed at least one of these where it wasn’t based on judgment, but on cold, hard fact that this is what was happening.)
Why does the person at work seem to get rewarded over and over even though she doesn’t play by the rules?
Why am I working so hard with such little gain, while I watch her get ahead by cheating and lying?
Why did I do the work, but she got the credit?
Why is she favored when she so blatantly lacks integrity by cheating the company?
…and of course there are the obvious ones…
Why did he die young when he was such a good person?
Why does one neighbor’s family struggle financially when they always do the right thing, but another neighbor’s family has everything they need and more, yet they are so nasty to others?
Why does she, of all people, have to suffer with cancer?
From being passed up for things I worked hard for in school all the way to a very specific instance with a co-worker a couple of weeks ago, this question has come up in my life over and over again. So maybe I write this now as much to remind myself as anyone else…
The only answer I’ve got is that our reward is not on earth. Our reward will be in Heaven. And while the here and now sometimes FEELS like an eternity, it is merely a blip on the screen. But what we do now, during that “blip”, determines where we get to live…with whom we get to live…for what really will be eternity.
I wish I had more…but these are my insights and totally my personal takes on it:
**The phrase “we reap what we sow” has eternal implications!
**Satan likes people who don’t live right, who don’t play by the “rules”, so he makes sure that he sets them up well to live the following lie: there are no negative consequences for your actions. (This helps lure more people to him.)
**God doesn’t actually promise that life will be sweet and rosy because we believe in Him. He promises that with a new life in Christ we will have eternal life and will never be without Him. He promises that eternal life with Him will be paradise and it is worth waiting for.
**God is hoping to see that we’ll hang in there, that we’ll stick with Him, that we’ll believe His promises, no matter what. He wants to see if we are easily dissuaded or if our words (claiming we follow Him) and our actions (actually following Him) match. He wants to see how easily we give up and throw in the towel.
**God is testing our integrity and our worldliness…testing us to see if we’ll “sell out” to instant gratification at some point.
**Adversity can, if we choose to let it, cause us to become better, stronger people. God also hopes we’ll use what we learn from our experiences to help others, especially our children who are looking to us to see why they should remain on the straight and narrow.
**God will reward us greatly in eternity when time after time he sees us choosing the right actions and the right attitudes when we know there is no earthly gain.
**He is keeping a record, a “report card” of sorts, and He will have a student-teacher conference with us about it someday. On that day all justice will be served for the many things we did right…and the many times we fell short of His glory.
**Every single thing…yes, every last little thing, no matter how small it may seem…that you do in His name is adding to YOUR cache of treasure in Heaven.
**God sees all of the works that you do, the true intent behind each one, and the depth of the core of your belief in Him and love for Him.
Luke 6:23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in
heaven.”
Matthew 16:27 “He will reward each according to his works.”
Matthew 19:21 “You will have treasure in heaven.”
Luke 14:14 “You will be blessed…for you shall be repaid at the resurrection.”
I can often be found saying the following two statements aloud to myself (apparently I need a lot of reminders):
1. The high road is a lonely road, but it is the one I choose to take.
2. My reward is not on earth.
That’s all I’ve got…no other answers…but I’m really sure that I’m right. And I’m really sure that it’ll be worth it.
If you only read one more book in your lifetime, read A Life God Rewards by Bruce Wilkinson. One of the most poignant things he says (and there are many) is this, “Our eternal destination is the consequence of what we believe on earth. Our eternal compensation is the consequence of how we behave on earth.”
Personally, I’d rather “suck it up and deal with it” even though “life ain’t fair”, trusting in God’s every move, choosing the lonely high road over and over again, believing in a wonderful loving Savior, so that I can secure my rightful place at the Feet of the Throne.
Of course when I get there, one of my very first questions to Jesus will be, “Remember X at work (can’t type the names or the situation here…)? What the heck was up with that? Cause, man, did I get the short end of the stick on that one!!”
I sincerely hope He’ll explain and follow up with, “Hey, girl…how you handled that…well done, my good and faithful servant! I knew your heart then and I remember it now, and it contributed to your storehouse of treasure.”
My prayer for all of us:
Dear God, help us stay on the straight and narrow even when it seems like the tougher path. Help us hold fast to Biblical truths, and help us find strength in Christian friends who will encourage us to keep running toward you even when that’s not the easiest or most convenient thing. Give us the stamina we need to cling to you instead of being wooed by the instant gratification of this world. Help us to be patient now so that we may spend a beautiful eternity with you in Heaven. And most importantly, give us the insight and the honesty to use our life experiences to teach our children to do the same. Amen.
Question: Do you believe your reward is in Heaven…I mean really believe?
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Alyssa’s Guide to Summer Success
The following is Alyssa’s list of 15 rules for living a non-embarrassing (yes, I know that’s not a word!) summer so that you still have family who loves you, friends that want to be with you…and yes, your dignity, when it’s over and fall rolls around again!
1. Don't light your grill if you think a raccoon has made it his winter home and is still in there...I'm just sayin'....
2. If your heels look like crumbling concrete, you owe it to society to get a pedicure. Do not wear sandals until you do!
3. Self-tanner can be a delicate thing, so proceed with extreme caution! If your legs come out the color of an orange Crayola, that is the signal that you've gone too far!
4. When choosing between Off and Channel No.5, one must go with the latter.
5. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! It is the cheapest, easiest, and most effective key to being a hot chick in the nursing home instead of looking like that lady in There's Something About Mary. Seriously.
6. If you've birthed twins, a one-piece might be a better option than a bikini... (I, of all people, can say this!)
7. Nair doesn’t actually work that well.
8. We no longer call “flip-flops” “thongs”. If you’re not sure why, you’ll have to call me. Not printing it here! Just promise me you won't refer to them that way...
9. When attending a summer soiree, it’s best to sip the umbrella-clad drink slowly and to avoid the potato salad unless it has been on ice.
10. I beg of thee not to wear flesh-colored hose with shorts. N.o.t. g.o.o.d.!!!
11. If you have giant tattoos of past boyfriends’ names, you may want to think twice before wearing that cute little dress with spaghetti straps from Loft!
12. Really only Daisy Duke was born to wear “Daisy Dukes”! (Help me out here, people…)
13. It’s time to get outside and get active when the Lifetime Television movie schedule is cycling back through for a second run.
14. Pluck early and often! Whether they’re jet black or shiny white, chin hairs show up plain as day in the glistening sunlight of baseball games or girlfriend time around the pool!
15. To the list of “Things to Shave”, please do add “the big toes”. Come on now, someone has to say it!
Happy Summer, Friends!
Question: What other rules can YOU think of? Please feel free to leave them as comments!
1. Don't light your grill if you think a raccoon has made it his winter home and is still in there...I'm just sayin'....
2. If your heels look like crumbling concrete, you owe it to society to get a pedicure. Do not wear sandals until you do!
3. Self-tanner can be a delicate thing, so proceed with extreme caution! If your legs come out the color of an orange Crayola, that is the signal that you've gone too far!
4. When choosing between Off and Channel No.5, one must go with the latter.
5. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! It is the cheapest, easiest, and most effective key to being a hot chick in the nursing home instead of looking like that lady in There's Something About Mary. Seriously.
6. If you've birthed twins, a one-piece might be a better option than a bikini... (I, of all people, can say this!)
7. Nair doesn’t actually work that well.
8. We no longer call “flip-flops” “thongs”. If you’re not sure why, you’ll have to call me. Not printing it here! Just promise me you won't refer to them that way...
9. When attending a summer soiree, it’s best to sip the umbrella-clad drink slowly and to avoid the potato salad unless it has been on ice.
10. I beg of thee not to wear flesh-colored hose with shorts. N.o.t. g.o.o.d.!!!
11. If you have giant tattoos of past boyfriends’ names, you may want to think twice before wearing that cute little dress with spaghetti straps from Loft!
12. Really only Daisy Duke was born to wear “Daisy Dukes”! (Help me out here, people…)
13. It’s time to get outside and get active when the Lifetime Television movie schedule is cycling back through for a second run.
14. Pluck early and often! Whether they’re jet black or shiny white, chin hairs show up plain as day in the glistening sunlight of baseball games or girlfriend time around the pool!
15. To the list of “Things to Shave”, please do add “the big toes”. Come on now, someone has to say it!
Happy Summer, Friends!
Question: What other rules can YOU think of? Please feel free to leave them as comments!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Reminders of Hope and Promise
I've been fascinated by rainbows my whole life… From Kermit the Frog singing about the Rainbow Connection, which, I might add, I did a stunning rendition of (OK, maybe not so much!) in the Jefferson School Elementary talent show as a duet with Angie Overdorf & Dee Stahly on keyboard, to my love of Mork’s suspenders. My love of color runs deep.
On the way to school this morning I saw a gorgeous rainbow. Close to my house I could see the left side of it, but as I drove it disappeared for a few minutes. Once I was closer to school, I could see the arch and right side of it. Beautiful! It made me smile and gave me an enormous sense of peace.
Oh, I get the science behind it, and though that's not the point, I love that God thought up that when the sun's rays are refracted through raindrops the white light is separated into Roy G. Biv. How God delights me when He places that little gift in the sky!
And I also love that hundreds and hundreds of years later, God still sends us reminders of His covenant with us through that same way He did Noah:
Genesis 9:16 “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
This morning as I drove (trying to keep my eyes on the road instead of in the sky) I wondered how many people missed it. I'm sure the people heading east couldn't see it. Older guy getting his Indy Star surely missed it...the line of pine trees by his mailbox blocked his view, but would he have seen it even if they hadn't? When I got to school I wondered how many people had grabbed their bags and their lattes and had not even looked up. How many people hurried on their way without looking? How many people were too engrossed in their own stuff to see the reminder?
Kind of a metaphor for life in a few ways, I guess:
1.) God wants us to be positive about life and to see all of the beauty in it! So stop looking down all the time. Keep your chin up, literally and figuratively and look around...it'll be worth it!
2.) There is plenty of evidence that God is alive and working in this world if we will open our eyes and look for Him. He can only do so much to show us...we have to meet Him half way by looking and accepting what He gives as that evidence, but the evidence is everywhere.
3.) Sometimes life feels hard, like trudging through mud, but God had not forgotten us. The politics of the world are scary, but God is watching and holding us close. Cancer, death, divorce…plenty of heavy things happen to people we know and love, but God is there to pick up the pieces. You are not forgotten.
My prayer for all of us: Dear God, help us see the multiple ways you show us evidence of your existence and your power each and every day. Let that evidence stamp out even the smallest doubts that you are working on our behalf. Amen.
When it feels like your own life is the modern-day version of exactly what happened in Genesis 8, “For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth” and “the waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days” I encourage you to look up. When you feel like your “rain” will never end, know that it will. Just hang on a little longer.
God keeps his promises. Will you believe that He does whether or not you see the reminder?
Question: Do you believe that God keeps His promises? Do you believe that rainbows are still a relevant reminder of God’s covenant?
On the way to school this morning I saw a gorgeous rainbow. Close to my house I could see the left side of it, but as I drove it disappeared for a few minutes. Once I was closer to school, I could see the arch and right side of it. Beautiful! It made me smile and gave me an enormous sense of peace.
Oh, I get the science behind it, and though that's not the point, I love that God thought up that when the sun's rays are refracted through raindrops the white light is separated into Roy G. Biv. How God delights me when He places that little gift in the sky!
And I also love that hundreds and hundreds of years later, God still sends us reminders of His covenant with us through that same way He did Noah:
Genesis 9:16 “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
This morning as I drove (trying to keep my eyes on the road instead of in the sky) I wondered how many people missed it. I'm sure the people heading east couldn't see it. Older guy getting his Indy Star surely missed it...the line of pine trees by his mailbox blocked his view, but would he have seen it even if they hadn't? When I got to school I wondered how many people had grabbed their bags and their lattes and had not even looked up. How many people hurried on their way without looking? How many people were too engrossed in their own stuff to see the reminder?
Kind of a metaphor for life in a few ways, I guess:
1.) God wants us to be positive about life and to see all of the beauty in it! So stop looking down all the time. Keep your chin up, literally and figuratively and look around...it'll be worth it!
2.) There is plenty of evidence that God is alive and working in this world if we will open our eyes and look for Him. He can only do so much to show us...we have to meet Him half way by looking and accepting what He gives as that evidence, but the evidence is everywhere.
3.) Sometimes life feels hard, like trudging through mud, but God had not forgotten us. The politics of the world are scary, but God is watching and holding us close. Cancer, death, divorce…plenty of heavy things happen to people we know and love, but God is there to pick up the pieces. You are not forgotten.
My prayer for all of us: Dear God, help us see the multiple ways you show us evidence of your existence and your power each and every day. Let that evidence stamp out even the smallest doubts that you are working on our behalf. Amen.
When it feels like your own life is the modern-day version of exactly what happened in Genesis 8, “For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth” and “the waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days” I encourage you to look up. When you feel like your “rain” will never end, know that it will. Just hang on a little longer.
God keeps his promises. Will you believe that He does whether or not you see the reminder?
Question: Do you believe that God keeps His promises? Do you believe that rainbows are still a relevant reminder of God’s covenant?
Monday, April 13, 2009
Are We There Yet?
"Are we there yet?", "Are we there yet?"
It surprised me that the question kept coming despite the fact that my twins are 11 and knew full well that while driving through Alabama on our way home from Florida, we were still states, and hours, away. We had been vacationing in the Florida pan handle, and had gotten to experience that wonderful, white, sugary sand, and sunsets even more beautiful than I remember seeing in Maui.
Living in Indiana, I'm reminded often of how life-giving the crops are that farmers grow here, how we produce materials such as limestone and coal. But living in the non-coastal, flat Midwest, I forget the power of the tide, the roar of the waves, the pull of the undercurrent, how spooky-yet-soothing it sounds at night. Every last bit of it is so gorgeous, so awe-inspiring and it all reminds me of the sheer force of nature.
Some call it Mother Nature.
I call it God, revealing himself through nature.
It’s a tangible way that God makes himself visible and available to us.
It’s a tangible way that He gives us some of His beauty, His creativity, His love for us, His force, His tenacity, His brilliance, if even just a glimpse.
While making the drive home to Indiana, we experienced some severe weather: wind, rain, lightning, hail. We listened anxiously to the radio as we approached the area just south of Nashville and the announcer told of tornadoes having touched down around Murfreesboro, TN. Those tornadoes were the cause of at least three deaths and multiple injuries ranging from minor to severe.
But when we drove through Murfreesboro, just about 2 hours after those tornadoes hit, everything was calm, the sky was blue, and the sun was shining.
It seemed so sad to me that people had just died a little while earlier due to the dramatic power of nature, their families maybe just all being notified by now and certainly still feeling that initial shock and pain, but nature had "moved on" to something so calm and beautiful having left them in its wake.
As Chad drove, I looked at every detail, noticing the signs of the dichotomy we were witnessing. I asked him out loud, "Don't you think it seems ironic, strange, that people just died, died, as a tornado literally tore through here just a little while ago, tore dreams and lives apart, but what we see now is just all of this gorgeous new spring life?" I was pointing to all of the blooms and blossoms.
Chad answered in the poignant way he always does, "I guess it's because life and death are so closely related."
You are so very right, my dear...so very right.
The power of God, displayed in those examples we were seeing in the force of nature, is just a mere drop in the bucket of what God can do. And it struck me as we heard about the lives that ended, that we also saw new life: fresh spring-green grass, new green leaves, calm spa-blue sky with wispy white clouds, gorgeous purple buds on trees ~ all of this beautiful new spring life that we are barely beginning to see farther north in Indiana.
For those of us who believe in Christ Jesus, death is not the end.
Luke 24:The Resurrection
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Life and death are so closely related. From death springs forth new and abundant life.
We can experience, while being alive in flesh and soul, the death of our old lives, old habits, old ways, old sins, and be born into a new, fresh, free way of existing in close relationship with Jesus here on earth.
And at some point we will die a physical death through old age, disease, an accident… yet our souls will await new bodies, perfected, made whole again, and we will have the joy of living forever on an earth made new with our Lord when He comes again.
1 Corinthians 15:51: Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.
Luke 20:36: And they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.
Revelation 21:4: He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Romans 6:2-11: We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
1 John 5:13: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
2 Corinthians 4: 13-18: It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
This is what God offers us in His amazing power displayed in the birth, death, resurrection, and ascent of Christ.
Because of Christ's resurrection, our death...yours and mine...is so very closely related to life.
Because of Christ's resurrection, our own personal winter will turn to eternal spring paradise.
Because of Christ's resurrection, our ultimate destination is to dwell with our Lord. It's just that we'll need to wait a little longer till we get the answer to the question, "Are we there yet?"
Just rest in the assurance that one day we will be.
And for all of eternity.
It surprised me that the question kept coming despite the fact that my twins are 11 and knew full well that while driving through Alabama on our way home from Florida, we were still states, and hours, away. We had been vacationing in the Florida pan handle, and had gotten to experience that wonderful, white, sugary sand, and sunsets even more beautiful than I remember seeing in Maui.
Living in Indiana, I'm reminded often of how life-giving the crops are that farmers grow here, how we produce materials such as limestone and coal. But living in the non-coastal, flat Midwest, I forget the power of the tide, the roar of the waves, the pull of the undercurrent, how spooky-yet-soothing it sounds at night. Every last bit of it is so gorgeous, so awe-inspiring and it all reminds me of the sheer force of nature.
Some call it Mother Nature.
I call it God, revealing himself through nature.
It’s a tangible way that God makes himself visible and available to us.
It’s a tangible way that He gives us some of His beauty, His creativity, His love for us, His force, His tenacity, His brilliance, if even just a glimpse.
While making the drive home to Indiana, we experienced some severe weather: wind, rain, lightning, hail. We listened anxiously to the radio as we approached the area just south of Nashville and the announcer told of tornadoes having touched down around Murfreesboro, TN. Those tornadoes were the cause of at least three deaths and multiple injuries ranging from minor to severe.
But when we drove through Murfreesboro, just about 2 hours after those tornadoes hit, everything was calm, the sky was blue, and the sun was shining.
It seemed so sad to me that people had just died a little while earlier due to the dramatic power of nature, their families maybe just all being notified by now and certainly still feeling that initial shock and pain, but nature had "moved on" to something so calm and beautiful having left them in its wake.
As Chad drove, I looked at every detail, noticing the signs of the dichotomy we were witnessing. I asked him out loud, "Don't you think it seems ironic, strange, that people just died, died, as a tornado literally tore through here just a little while ago, tore dreams and lives apart, but what we see now is just all of this gorgeous new spring life?" I was pointing to all of the blooms and blossoms.
Chad answered in the poignant way he always does, "I guess it's because life and death are so closely related."
You are so very right, my dear...so very right.
The power of God, displayed in those examples we were seeing in the force of nature, is just a mere drop in the bucket of what God can do. And it struck me as we heard about the lives that ended, that we also saw new life: fresh spring-green grass, new green leaves, calm spa-blue sky with wispy white clouds, gorgeous purple buds on trees ~ all of this beautiful new spring life that we are barely beginning to see farther north in Indiana.
For those of us who believe in Christ Jesus, death is not the end.
Luke 24:The Resurrection
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Life and death are so closely related. From death springs forth new and abundant life.
We can experience, while being alive in flesh and soul, the death of our old lives, old habits, old ways, old sins, and be born into a new, fresh, free way of existing in close relationship with Jesus here on earth.
And at some point we will die a physical death through old age, disease, an accident… yet our souls will await new bodies, perfected, made whole again, and we will have the joy of living forever on an earth made new with our Lord when He comes again.
1 Corinthians 15:51: Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.
Luke 20:36: And they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.
Revelation 21:4: He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Romans 6:2-11: We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
1 John 5:13: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
2 Corinthians 4: 13-18: It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
This is what God offers us in His amazing power displayed in the birth, death, resurrection, and ascent of Christ.
Because of Christ's resurrection, our death...yours and mine...is so very closely related to life.
Because of Christ's resurrection, our own personal winter will turn to eternal spring paradise.
Because of Christ's resurrection, our ultimate destination is to dwell with our Lord. It's just that we'll need to wait a little longer till we get the answer to the question, "Are we there yet?"
Just rest in the assurance that one day we will be.
And for all of eternity.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Signals & Signs
Today while driving on a street near my house, the driver in the car coming toward me was motioning wildly at me. He seemed to be yelling at me when I was doing nothing but minding my own business, enjoying the drive home and singing at the top of my lungs as I am often found doing in the car.
I was taken aback by his actions…almost offended…
Why? I’m not sure.
Maybe it made me think of all of the times that drivers are nasty to each other. And I’ll admit that I’m probably the least like Jesus when driving. Other people’s driving always bothers me. They never do it right. And it tends to bring out the not-so-pleasant side of me. They go too fast, too slow, don’t know the rules for certain situations (not that I do it perfectly, but being a rule-follower, I do know those).
I tell my very spunky, young-acting (and looking) 67 year-old mother that she drives like an old lady (of course, that is simply the truth and sometimes the truth hurts, people!). I tell my beloved and nearly-perfect husband how to drive, and even though I try to keep my mouth shut, I simply can’t (please pray for him!). In fact, we agree that the older we get, the more I’ll need to drive most places that we go together. I think that little arrangement will be the key to keeping our great marriage intact for the long-haul. Sometimes I get so mad when driving that I do talk out loud to other drivers…maybe even yell...just a little... And, yes, I am fully aware of my control-freak tendencies!
I even spoke out loud yesterday as if to answer the guy driving the other car, “What, dude? WHAT? Why are you yelling at me? I’m not doing anything wrong! There is nothing wrong with my car! I didn’t do anything wrong!” And as I remembered that yesterday in that exact same spot on that exact same road another guy did the same thing to me, I said it even louder and with a huge sigh, “WHAT?!?!?!?”
Then a huge smile started to creep across my face.
A warm feeling started to penetrate my heart.
And a little prayer of forgiveness was raised as I told God I was sorry for acting like a fool.
It dawned on me at that moment what was going on:
The driver yesterday and the driver today were both trying to warn me. To warn me. To signal me. To save me. To help me avoid something ahead.
Both days a police car was lurking in a very wooded driveway on that road…waiting to catch someone speeding.
What a nice gesture! How kind! While I wasn’t speeding, being the rule-follower that I am I was glad for the heads-up so that I could be “extra good” at the moment I passed that driveway. (Not that we should try to dodge the police when we are doing something that’s not quite the right thing and are rightfully caught.) It was interesting to me that 2 people, only 24 hours apart in my meeting them on the road, both signaled to me. They didn’t have to do that…if they thought I was going too fast, they might have thought I was about to get my due, but both really wanted to get the message across, to get my attention.
When seeing those gestures, those signals, that communication, I had jumped to the wrong conclusion both times, only later realizing their true intent. What’s even worse is that jumping to conclusions is not my natural tendency. They were trying to help, but I “read” them wrong…
How many times do we do that to God?
How many times does He try in earnest to get our attention, communicate with us, speak to us, yet we misinterpreted it? How often do we jump to the wrong conclusion?
How often do we miss His voice altogether?
There are plenty of Biblical references to asking God for a sign. Gideon, King Ahaz, The servant of Abraham, King Hezekiah, and even Satan ask God for signs. But asking for signs is an act of unbelief that shows God our lack of faith.
I’ll admit that especially in trying to make the bigger life decisions, it’s tempting to ask God to show us a sign that boldly announces which way to go. It’s something that I have to remind myself not to do sometimes, too, as it’s easy to want that reassurance ahead of time.
But here’s the thing: God wants us to step out into faith and TRUST that He will meet us there. The sign that we’ve done the right thing will be His undeniable stamp of approval after we’ve demonstrated that we believe in our heart of hearts that He is real and that we are His. And because we’ve demonstrated it.
He will show us the signs, but not because in a faithless plea we begged Him to. He will show us because with everything that is in us we knew that He would. We don’t need to ask God for signs because when we believe in Him wholly, he will just give them to us as gifts.
He will, just like the drivers I passed, motion wildly if we are on the wrong path. He will speak to us…He HAS spoken to us. It’s just that sometimes we misinterpret it by twisting it into what we want it to be. Sometimes we miss it because we have an attitude. Sometimes we miss it due to something as simple as just not listening, not paying attention.
As much as we might want to ask for a sign, God calls us to walk by faith, not by sight.
And I promise you this: God will show up, and He’ll show up big, if and when we believe that He will.
Question: Are you walking by faith or are you waiting for signs?
I was taken aback by his actions…almost offended…
Why? I’m not sure.
Maybe it made me think of all of the times that drivers are nasty to each other. And I’ll admit that I’m probably the least like Jesus when driving. Other people’s driving always bothers me. They never do it right. And it tends to bring out the not-so-pleasant side of me. They go too fast, too slow, don’t know the rules for certain situations (not that I do it perfectly, but being a rule-follower, I do know those).
I tell my very spunky, young-acting (and looking) 67 year-old mother that she drives like an old lady (of course, that is simply the truth and sometimes the truth hurts, people!). I tell my beloved and nearly-perfect husband how to drive, and even though I try to keep my mouth shut, I simply can’t (please pray for him!). In fact, we agree that the older we get, the more I’ll need to drive most places that we go together. I think that little arrangement will be the key to keeping our great marriage intact for the long-haul. Sometimes I get so mad when driving that I do talk out loud to other drivers…maybe even yell...just a little... And, yes, I am fully aware of my control-freak tendencies!
I even spoke out loud yesterday as if to answer the guy driving the other car, “What, dude? WHAT? Why are you yelling at me? I’m not doing anything wrong! There is nothing wrong with my car! I didn’t do anything wrong!” And as I remembered that yesterday in that exact same spot on that exact same road another guy did the same thing to me, I said it even louder and with a huge sigh, “WHAT?!?!?!?”
Then a huge smile started to creep across my face.
A warm feeling started to penetrate my heart.
And a little prayer of forgiveness was raised as I told God I was sorry for acting like a fool.
It dawned on me at that moment what was going on:
The driver yesterday and the driver today were both trying to warn me. To warn me. To signal me. To save me. To help me avoid something ahead.
Both days a police car was lurking in a very wooded driveway on that road…waiting to catch someone speeding.
What a nice gesture! How kind! While I wasn’t speeding, being the rule-follower that I am I was glad for the heads-up so that I could be “extra good” at the moment I passed that driveway. (Not that we should try to dodge the police when we are doing something that’s not quite the right thing and are rightfully caught.) It was interesting to me that 2 people, only 24 hours apart in my meeting them on the road, both signaled to me. They didn’t have to do that…if they thought I was going too fast, they might have thought I was about to get my due, but both really wanted to get the message across, to get my attention.
When seeing those gestures, those signals, that communication, I had jumped to the wrong conclusion both times, only later realizing their true intent. What’s even worse is that jumping to conclusions is not my natural tendency. They were trying to help, but I “read” them wrong…
How many times do we do that to God?
How many times does He try in earnest to get our attention, communicate with us, speak to us, yet we misinterpreted it? How often do we jump to the wrong conclusion?
How often do we miss His voice altogether?
There are plenty of Biblical references to asking God for a sign. Gideon, King Ahaz, The servant of Abraham, King Hezekiah, and even Satan ask God for signs. But asking for signs is an act of unbelief that shows God our lack of faith.
I’ll admit that especially in trying to make the bigger life decisions, it’s tempting to ask God to show us a sign that boldly announces which way to go. It’s something that I have to remind myself not to do sometimes, too, as it’s easy to want that reassurance ahead of time.
But here’s the thing: God wants us to step out into faith and TRUST that He will meet us there. The sign that we’ve done the right thing will be His undeniable stamp of approval after we’ve demonstrated that we believe in our heart of hearts that He is real and that we are His. And because we’ve demonstrated it.
He will show us the signs, but not because in a faithless plea we begged Him to. He will show us because with everything that is in us we knew that He would. We don’t need to ask God for signs because when we believe in Him wholly, he will just give them to us as gifts.
He will, just like the drivers I passed, motion wildly if we are on the wrong path. He will speak to us…He HAS spoken to us. It’s just that sometimes we misinterpret it by twisting it into what we want it to be. Sometimes we miss it because we have an attitude. Sometimes we miss it due to something as simple as just not listening, not paying attention.
As much as we might want to ask for a sign, God calls us to walk by faith, not by sight.
And I promise you this: God will show up, and He’ll show up big, if and when we believe that He will.
Question: Are you walking by faith or are you waiting for signs?
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