In Focus

As we hang on the edge of a year gone by and look tomorrow to a new one....I sense this calling in my spirit to set my feet...to look around me and re-align anything that is out of focus....to voice the intention of my path to my husband and my children, my family and my sisters...that we may exhort one another and walk together...leading, carrying or following with our brothers and sisters as the Lord Himself guides.

The focus of my path hasn't changed....I have set my compass to point North....but as I sat with Jesus this morning, my spirit within me was moved several times to affirm to Him my heart as He was affirming His own heart to me...

I never plan to lose focus....it just happens sometimes with the busyness that comes from living in the world we live. Just like a camera loses its focal point when you are moving it around, we must constantly re-align with our subject, our Glorious Hope, in order to keep our focus.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you,

in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your

power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name

I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through

the watches of the night.

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63:1-8

Sisters...let us focus our hearts on Jesus, our One and Only, our Hope, our Joy, our Life.

God speaks very powerfully to me through my children. There have been many times he uses my love for my girls to reveal his love for me. One time in particular comes to mind.

I had come down with the flu - fever, aches and pains, no energy. I had gotten some chicken out of the freezer early in the day in order to make something for dinner, but when the time came to cook it, I just couldn't do it. As I lay on the couch, my daughter came into the room and asked what was for dinner (I have come to know that is a loaded question.) When I told that I was just going to do something with chicken but was too sick now to fix it, she said, "I'll do it." This from a girl who, at the age of 17, thought making toast was cooking.

From my vantage point on the couch, I could watch her in the kitchen. She proceeded to cut and chop and stir. I had no idea what she was cooking up, but she was in her own little world, singing as she worked, happily preparing a meal for the family. I watched her, and I didn't care what she fixed. I didn't care if she made a mess. I didn't care if it tasted terrible. I didn't care if she ruined all my pots and pans. My girl was serving me, and she was doing it gladly, because she loved me. Oh how I lay there loving her. Ocassionally she would look up and smile at me, and I would smile back. I told her that I loved her, and she said she loved me back.

And in that moment, God spoke to my heart. His heart is stirred with love for me as I gladly serve him, and he isn't concerned with the mistakes or the mess. He is loving me and I am loving him back.

Truth revealed and tears shed. (These things seem to go together!)

What do you have to do today?

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col 3:17

After 3 weeks of not being able to go to church and the craziness of Christmas it's easy to forget to give God all the glory for every day. We've had sick kids in the house and a busy week with Christmas dinners, etc. We don't make a huge deal about Christmas but keep things simple for our kids. Just being out and about each day with family or friends can be exhausting.

I'm feeling a little thirsty spiritually and long to fellowship in church again and just have everyone back to themselves. I needed to point my eyes back to Jesus and remind myself to accept things I cannot change, to ask God for courage to change the things I can, and for wisdom to know the difference. I had this poem go through my head quite a bit today and when I googled it I found the rest of the poem very interesting and enlightening. I had never read the rest of the poem before. What powerful words and my prayer is that they'll speak as loudly to you as they did to me.

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but the heartache crushes the spirit." ~ Proverbs 15:13

Hope deferred...

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

    but a longing fulfilled is a tree of  life.

                                         Proverbs 13:12

This verse reminds me so much of the events that spread across the United States and Canada this Christmas as people tried to get home for the holidays or even just get back home from an event that took them elsewhere.  Stranded... with little immediate hope of getting where you need to go... want to go... hope to go. "Lord, I just want to get there, can You help me out here?" Waiting is not our greatest asset... especially at a time like Christmas.  I heard stories of friends who had loved ones who had been waiting at the airport for several days hoping to get home by Christmas Day.  Did they make it?  I don't know. But I can imagine their hearts were sick. We have all been there.

Elated! That's how we all feel when the answer finally comes.  Jumping for joy!  Tears of happiness come!  We want to hug everyone we see and say, "I'm going home; I'm going home!" It is so true, when our longing is fulfilled, there is peace and contentment.  But often getting there is sometimes a process and a time of waiting.  Every Christmas I learn something new about God and myself.   Yet, there is one thing that remains constant, that does not change... and that is His love for me.  He doesn't always give me what I want when I want it... but He does show me His love through it all.

I'm hoping that this Christmas was a time of knowing and trusting the God who loves us beyond words... As you reflect on what Christmas brought for you this year; may you rejoice in His truth, His faithfulness and His incredible gift of love through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas dear ones...It is late in the day...but my prayer for all of you has been one of peace and joy and the blessings that come from knowing the love of your Saviour....Born to die for you and me.  

Expectations

Oh Sisters.....It is Christmas Eve morning...the snow is falling...my heart is unsettled....yet I trust Him.

I have been praying for the families I know and even the ones I don't know that are desperately wanting to be together for Christmas but are separated by thousands of miles waiting to come home...

Expectations....We don't expect things like this. A neighbor's wife passing away...a family grieving....It's not what we imagine, when we think of Christmas.

Our expectation is that things have to be a certain way for us to have a good Christmas....I struggle all the time with my own expectations of what I think things are supposed to look like or be like in order for them to be good or right. Many a birthday or holiday or celebration has been ruined by the tall order of expectations in our minds...

I am learning that the only thing in this world that is worthy of our expectation is Jesus Christ.

It is His gift to us.

The weather...the airlines...the post office...our husband, parents, children and friends....they're not going to meet our expectations...we can't even meet our own expectations...

But Jesus...He's different...

He is our Joy.

So...."I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you
with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us,
to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Ephesians 3:16-21

Precious sisters...May the Joy of Jesus be the Light of your Christmas and may He hold you tight in His arms as you trust your heart to His.

Yesterday was one of those days, because, I must confess, I am somewhat of a grinch when it comes to Christmas - don't really get in to all the hoopla. Life is too busy to add Christmas to it, especially when the weather is ridiculously cold. I am also a wimp when it comes to being cold. So anyway, there were many little frustrations yesterday as I did what I had to do. By the end of it, I was looking forward to going to bed. As I was getting ready to wash my face, I took my earrings off and laid them on the sink counter. I washed my face and let the hot water soak into my cold pores. As I was drying off, I noticed that one of my earrings was gone.

Great. Not these earrings. My husband bought these for me in a little shop in Amsterdam. I really like earrings, by the way. They're my favorite accessory. Trying to maintain my composure, I looked down the drain and could see it. I tried to pinch it out with my tweezers, but could not get a hold of it. I slowly lifted the stopper to try to get a better grip, and down it fell into the muck. *(%^$&^*# Then the tears. Full on little-girl-screwed-up-face tears. None of the dabbing with the hanky tears. These were full blown. (I feel a bit silly writing about it today, but hopefully you all can understand.) As the tears dripped off my face, I tried to get the earring out with a special plastic tool we have for removing hair clogs from drains, but with no luck. "Lord," I cried, "I know it's just an earring and is insignificant in the big picture, but will you please help me get it out?" I reached in again, and out it came, hanging off the end of the tool. What?! I was overwhelmed, and I mean overwhelmed, by his kindness to me. It was so very personal. Talk about tears. The tears that came then were from deep within. Words are not adequate. I'm so glad I asked him to help. It was an amazing moment.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly paces in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7

Amazing. Utterly amazing words. May God and his word become ever more personal for you. May you experience the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward YOU.

PS Merry Christmas!

My oldest daughter is one of the most unselfish people I have ever known. Each time she attends a birthday party and gets her goodie bag, she saves all the treats until she gets home to share and divvy up with her siblings and parents. Anytime I allow the children to pick a treat from our family “treat bag” she chooses my favourite and won’t eat it but will bring it to me for me to eat. I always thank her and explain that I want her to have it.

A couple weeks ago some friends of ours came to our church for the first time and she was allowed to choose a treat from the prize box for her memory verses. She took our friend’s daughter there to choose a treat instead of herself because she felt bad that her friend never gets that opportunity to choose the prizes herself because she doesn’t come to this church.

Some of the other examples involve her wanting to pay us back when we give or buy something for her. She knows that it costs money to do these things for her so she is always asking what she can do to pay us back. Each and every time we refuse and need to explain that we do these things for her because we love her. We don’t expect anything in return. We don’t want our children working to earn these gifts or necessities, we want them to enjoy them.

I, myself can learn from that as sometimes I find it hard to let go of things that I love. I know that I can do that and find it sometimes difficult to just say “thank you.” I feel I need to return that blessing back to the ones who blessed me by doing something special for them.

That’s not how God expects us to be. Just like my daughter doesn’t have to do anything to earn the gift from us as parents, you also don’t need to do anything to earn the blessings of God in your life. All you must do is stand in faith and claim the promises. God’s gifts are freely given.

Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
~ Mark 11:24

"Unclaimed Treasures"

Our grandson loves little "treasures". Anything that comes out of a junk drawer and fits into a little boys pocket is a treasure. I had one specific drawer like that in my house and he loved to take a stool and stand on it and dig through everything in the drawer. I was thinking of him that Sunday morning when my husband and I left home to go to church.

He loves long chains, rope, string: if you can wrap it around your finger and make something with it, it's in his hands. I saw a chain that I though he would really like so I slipped it in my pocket as we were leaving. On the way to church I kept thinking about how excited he would be when I gave it to him.

We arrived early and I kept waiting anxiously for him to come. Eventually, I saw him coming through the door and I could hardly wait for him to get to the row we were sitting on. As he approached our seating area, I tried to make eye contact with him. I had my hand in my pocket ready to give him the little chain that I had brought him. But...he brushed right by me without even looking up. I watched him hurry quickly to his Uncle who was at the end of the row and climb up on his lap. I waited for him to look at me but he never did...

I kept playing with the chain in my pocket and thinking, "Well, okay, he doesn't see his Uncle that often; I'll give it to him after church. But after church, he ran around and played with the other kids. He never did see me, but I was there...with his treasure in my pocket. Later, he came by my house, and I told him that I had brought a treasure for him to church but he didn't see me.

How many times have I rushed by God and He had a treasure for me in his pocket? There must be "zillions" of unclaimed treasures in heaven.

I am so thankful for the times that I do hear God's voice, and I know that because I have listened ...He has made a difference in my day. Isn't it awesome to recognize when He has done something to change the course of our day...even an attitude that was not good or to bring someone across our path that encourages us in His love. He knows our every need and I am so thankful for a faithful loving God that has an abundance of "treasures" in His pockets just waiting to bless us with.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord... Jeremiah 29:11-14

Christ - The Reason for our Hope

But even if you should suffer for what is right,
you are blessed.
“Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
1 Peter 3:14-15

I am currently studying the book of Daniel with my girlfriends. We are on chapter three where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s ninety foot gold image. They knew the grave consequences but they had determined to do what is right. They responded with, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not…we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” I’m sure their legs almost gave out as they were brought to that fiery furnace… but they did not give way to fear.

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.

I’ve given way to fear. I was in the Middle East when we were asked for the reason for the hope we have. We looked around our setting… a Shisha bar where we were meeting with our friend’s non-Christian co-workers. At that moment we were very aware that this was a Muslim country. We clammed up. Our Lebanese Christian friend came to the rescue and boldly proclaimed Christ, much to our relief. But I wish I hadn’t feared. I wish I hadn’t missed that opportunity to give an answer to the couple who asked us about our faith.

Recently, on a flight home, I had another opportunity to give an answer for the reason for the hope that we have. I was fighting it though. First, by being engrossed in the book I was reading, and then when I was too tired to read, by watching the “Get Smart” video with my headset covering my ears. I felt my seat-mates eyes on me though. By the time the movie was done, sleep was almost overcoming me… but God was gracious to me. This man was so direct in his questioning, that I had to respond to him. I ordered a coke to jolt me awake, and shared the hope that is found through Jesus Christ. I saw in his eyes that he so wanted to believe the words I was saying. He was profoundly touched.

I felt safe on that airplane flying home. I knew my life wouldn’t be at stake for sharing the good news of great joy that is for all people. I did, however, think about those around us that could overhear our conversation. But I pressed on.

Today I resolved in my heart to set apart Christ as Lord, and not to let fear keep me answering those who ask me for the reason for the hope that I have. What about you? Do you want to join me in this resolve? We wouldn't be the first... and God will be with us!

The Anxious Mind

I was so tired last night that when I tucked my daughter in to bed, I told her I would lay down with her a minute...close my eyes....just for a second....well, I crashed for about an hour. Then I had to get up and finish all of the things I was trying to finish before I tucked her into bed.

As I finally crawled into my own bed...I was thinking...."Wow...being the somewhat spontaneous and last minute girl that I am....I'm pretty close to having all my things prepared for Christmas..." That feeling of momentary satisfaction lasted only for a second, for a second later, I was frantically going over the list of things in my head that were only half done. After that, my mind took off from there and...I was wide awake, laying there worrying and planning and hoping that I could get all those half things done by my "personal deadline" so that then I could relax and enjoy our family celebrations with joy and not exhaustion. Then...I started thinking of all the things I wanted to do for people but couldn't....(because I'm partly crazy...spontaneous...and I love Christmas)...you know things like...bake cookies for the whole neighborhood instead of just my neighbors....make a billion homemade gifts and just give them away to everybody I see...like waitresses I don't even know and stuff like that....and then my mind starts trying to figure out how I might be able to fit one more little project in.....and then I start remembering again all of the half finished projects I have on the go....thank goodness I didn't actually get to the economy and finances...and who only knows what else....we can worry about everything.

God has given us His words to fight the anxious thoughts and worries that seem to overtake our minds. As I lay there in the dark....tired but awake...storming through all of the things I needed to take care of...

The Lord began to remind me of His Peace...

Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." NIV

Isaiah 26:3-4
You keep her in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because she trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. ESV

Matthew 6:31-35
"Therefore do not be anxious, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you." ESV

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ESV

It wouldn't be bragging to tell you that I know these verses all too well...and that I keep going back to them.

When you find yourself unable to focus or sleep because of your anxious thoughts....go to the Truth....don't let the evil one wear you out or distract you with all of your worries....

Write out God's words about the anxious mind....Put them up all over your house...Read them aloud....Cling to them...Pray them...and hold them close to your heart....

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Blessings of Peace and Rest to you, my sisters....

Reading the Old Testament can be challenging at times, but I have come to love it. When read with New Testament understanding, in the light of Jesus as its aim and fulfillment, it comes alive with the character of our God who really is the same today as he was all those very many years ago.

You have to admit that some of the Old Testament laws and regulations are a little weird. Some of them make you wonder what the Israelites were thinking in the first place if God had to tell them that such and such was a no-no. Really – don’t have sex with your father’s wife or your sister or your dog? I guess people, if left to themselves, and the influence of the ruler of this world, will do just about anything. In fact, that’s what the people of Canaan were known for – evil practices, abominations in the eyes of God, done in the name of worship to their pagan gods.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is like no other god. The God of Israel has a different way of doing life, different rules to make life work, different rules of worship so that his people would be like him and would not participate in the abominable practices of the surrounding nations.

I am the Lord your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statues. You shall follow my rules and my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 18:3-4

I am the Lord your God, who have separated you from the peoples. You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean…You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine. Leviticus 20:24-26

That you should be mine.

Listen to the heart of God in that statement. That you should be mine.

That same God says to you today, “I am the Lord your God. I want you. I want you to be mine. Your acceptance of the sacrifice of my Son makes you holy to me, separated out from the others, mine.”

Oh Lord, I am yours! I belong to you. May I walk in the joyful confidence of knowing that I am wanted by the Most High God.

Broken Dreams

As children bring their broken toys
with tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God,
because He was my friend.
But then instead of leaving Him
in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
with ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back and cried,
"How could you be so slow?"
"My child,” He said,
"What could I do? You never did let go."

I can be like that... hold onto things and think I'm giving them over to God completely but there's a part of me that wants to fix things along with him. Sometimes I think God needs the help. It's hard to do that and I struggle sometimes handing things completely to him and surrendering. It makes me feel more in control if I can hold onto things and just help God out.

I found this picture of this imperfect form with empty hands. That to me is what surrender looks like as we come with our broken dreams or heart to God. Holding nothing back and trusting Him with everything. We hold onto nothing. We have that assurance that God is taking care of it all.

Phil 4:6 says "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

God doesn't ask for help. He asks for everything... by prayer and petition.... WITH THANKSGIVING.... to present our requests to God. Do not be anxious. God will take care of you.

What does surrendering look like to you? What have the results been once you have gone to God and handed things over so your hands were empty? Share with us what your experience has been.

Love and Truth

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me. Ps 40:11

One Sunday morning, early in our family life, I was overwhelmed with frustration in the demanding role of being a mother and wife. In my anger I decided to stay home at the last minute when everyone was heading out the door to church. They left and I was home alone. I was sick and tired of serving my husband and children. And for what! Can’t I have a life? What about me! The longer I stayed in my funk, the more resentment and sentiments that were not very positive toward marriage, parenting, and even church, grew.

In my frustration I turned to God with my journal and Bible in lap. I sat there and felt God asking me, “Well, what about you? What energizes you?”

I knew in my heart right away. #1 Being outside in nature. #2 Worship music. #3 Serving people. Hey, wait a minute, what was that? Yes, that was the truth. What I’d always wanted was to be a wife and mother. It energized me.

And here I was resenting this very thing. Why? In my anger and frustration I walked right outside of the protective border of love and truth...walked right into enemy territory and bought into a lie.

When I realized this, I was mad once more. But this time I was mad at the enemy. He picked on one of the most precious things in my life that gave me life, and spoke lies into my heart so that I began to feel that this blessing was actually a curse in my life. O how cruel he is.

Dear sisters, we women need to guard our hearts and minds. We need to be aware of what we’re thinking and why we’re thinking it. And we need to be careful not to step outside of God’s love and truth. Is there any place in your heart and mind, where the enemy is robbing you? “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

I renounced the lies of the enemy and clung to the truth. The truth that God is good and has good in mind for me. By the time my family came home after church, I had my true heart back.

The Name of the Lord...

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

How many times have I held on to the name of the Lord, for dear life. Literally, not knowing what was going to happen next. I held on.... during a tornado in Minnesota; my body covering the body of my two year old son while my husband's body covered our ten year old daughter. The sound outside was frightening! We thought our tent was going to be ripped from the ground with us in it. We hovered and prayed as tree limbs, and dirt and debris of all nature, clashed against our tent. Our hearts and words cried out to the Lord to save us. "Oh, Father! Hear our prayers! Protect us! Save us!" I was also saying in my heart.... "God, I don't want to die, not here; not now!"

We were not just on a camping trip, we were traveling across the United States on a short term missions trip. We had stopped at a campsite and had bedded down for the night.

As the wind died down, and the rain became just a steady downpour, we crawled out of our tent to assess the situation. It was still dark and hard to see very much around us. We felt so blessed that we had made it through a storm of this magnitude and realized that it would be early dawn before we could see the real damage. As we crawled back into our tent and tried to settle down, we heard another rumbling... The tornado had turned and was coming back toward us. We could feel the wind and rain tearing at the tent again. Along with friends in another tent, we grabbed our children and ran to the car; the rain coming down as I had never seen it before. We could feel the wind swirling and moving around and under the car. We called again on the name of the Lord; and waited....

'The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

The wind blew, and the rain pelted; but our car did not move. We sat there until we could see the morning light. Having had little sleep, we packed up all of our soggy, wet camping gear and looked at our tent. Our bent and twisted tent poles had been forced deep into the ground and had become our anchor. As we loaded the car and headed out of the campsite, we saw a camper that had been lifted from a truck; we saw a barn that had no roof. We saw destruction everywhere. We stopped at a little cafe up the highway for breakfast. There were many stories told around a cup of coffee and bacon and eggs.

The name of the Lord was our strong tower in the middle of the night; a night long remembered....of calling on Him and answered prayer.

True Love

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
1 Timothy 1:5

Father God...this is my prayer today.....for I know that I have a desire to love...but I also see within me, a heart that is not pure, a heart set by my own judgements and desires.

Thank you Lord, for your forgiveness...wash me and purify my heart...fill me up to overflowing with your own deep love...that I may spill out a love so pure and holy and significant....that it would be unmistakably Yours.

Then I will gladly come into your presence with Joy, and the testimony of my faith will be True.

Why Didn't I Think of That?

A few days ago, I was in a lineup at the til in a store. The woman at the til was purchasing one item and was paying with cash. She needed to come up with seven dollars and some change. She pulled a five dollar bill out of her purse and was rummaging around for enough change to pay for her item. As she pulled coins out, the cashier counted. The woman kept asking, "How much more?" When she got to the point of only needing 40 more cents, it seemed that she had run out of lose change in her purse, because she kept shaking, turning and digging with no success. She had to have been embarrassed as we all waited for her. I would have been, and actually was, a little embarrassed for her. Eventually, a gentleman in the next lineup came over and paid the extra 40 cents. She was extremely grateful and said, "Well aren't you the nicest man in the whole world!?" Then it hit me, Wow, that was really kind of him. Why didn't I think of doing that? It didn't even cross my mind as I stood there watching her and waiting for my turn. Not even a blip.

Hmm. These are the things that went through my head as I thought about it.
Shall I feel guilty for just standing there? Am I so selfish that I wasn't concerned for her? But, is it even possible for me to make ideas pop into my head at the appropriate time? Isn't it God's job to produce good works in me - kindness as a fruit of the Spirit? If it was for me to do, wouldn't he have put the thought into my head? Isn't the sin knowing what I should do and not doing it, rather than not knowing or having the idea to do it in the first place? What was God's will for me in that situation?

My conclusion about the matter: It's all in the presentation.

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2) "...but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." Romans 6:13

It is God's job to give me faith.
It is God job to teach me his ways.
It is God's job to produce his fruit in me.
It is my job to present myself to him, that he may do these things in me. I will be transformed and my mind will be renewed and I will know the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.

No, I did not feel guilty, but I recognized my need to present myself to him daily, even minute by minute, submitting to transformation, renewal and his use of me as an instrument of righteousness. He will do his work in and through me.

And in this I will rest.

I don’t know if you’re anything like me but when I get a book I immerse myself in it and get so involved in all the character’s lives that I sometimes forget about my responsibilities around me. It usually takes me 2 days to read through a good book – breaking only for meals and attending to the kids’ needs. I take these days the odd time to treat myself to some down time.

I just finished reading Karen Kingsbury’s book “Just Beyond the Clouds.” It’s about 2 brothers – one with Down’s Syndrome – the other with a broken heart of a wife who died of CF. Both find their chance at love in their own way but the biggest part I took with me from this book is the Title: “Just beyond the clouds.” Carl Joseph, the brother with Down’s falls in love with a girl with Down’s named Daisy. Daisy’s afraid each time the rain comes that she’s going to melt like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz. What comforts her is when Carl Joseph shows her that just beyond the dark clouds there’s sunshine.

Isn’t that how it can be in our life here on earth? We can go through a rough spell and things can seem so dark. I had that this past week where for 3 days I cried non-stop. Anyone who asked me how I was doing watched me break down in tears and crumple to pieces. I had no explanation for the tears other than the fact that I was tired and overwhelmed with all the things that needed to get done in the week. I certainly felt the dark clouds around me. I found it hard to put one foot in front of the other. When I read this book I was glad for the words of encouragement that there was sunshine… just beyond the clouds.

Romans 12:12 says “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Affliction can be the clouds in our life. Anything that stops us from seeing past them to the beauty of the sunshine – the hope we are to be joyful for. Prayer is the bridge that will carry us through the clouds to see the rays of sunshine.

I don’t think I’ll look at clouds the same way again. I hope I’ll always know and be able to see the sunshine above them.

What clouds hinder you in your daily walk? Do you have days where you can’t see the sun and what do you do during these times? Let Romans 12:12 be a reminder of where to put your hope.

God came down

Listening to my six-CD stack of Christmas music while baking ginger cookies, I was struck by the same story repeated in the songs. The story was told from different perspectives - Mary’s, the angels, the shepherd’s, Joseph’s - but the main point was the same. God came down.

That’s the good news of Christmas. God came down. Creator God, Holy One, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Great I AM, Mighty God – yes, this very One came down… in human flesh.

I think we all agree that God is powerful and majestic and glorious and awesome (as much as any human can comprehend these characteristics of God). There is often, however, resistance in acknowledging that God comes down to us, and instead, we think we must first come up to His level. How... preposterous! Totally impossible, actually. God comes down to us…as He always has.

God came down in the beginning to the first man and woman. First he breathed His breath of life into the nostrils of the man he formed from the dust. Then, in the cool of the day, God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. Genesis 3

As Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent he saw three men under the tree. God came down in the form of a man along with two others. He ate the meal Abraham prepared for Him. Abraham walked with Him, listened to Him, stood with Him, and even negotiated with Him. Genesis 18

God also came down to Moses – many times. Moses asked God to show him His glory. God granted his request. “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him…” Exodus 33:12 - 34:10

And then for the whole world… how did He come? God came as a baby. Mary carried the God-child in her body. She nursed him. Think about that. God came down...and in a very intimate way.

Today, for me and you, God comes down by His Spirit and makes His home in those who believe. He lives in us. That’s close.

Our gracious and compassionate God came the entire distance that was between frail humanity and Great Deity. Through Christ’s life, death and resurrection there is now no distance or separation between us who believe and God.

Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Rev 3:20

O Lord Jesus, I open my door and welcome you! I want to live life - all of life - with you!

Can I Help You?

"May your hand be ready to help me,

For I have chosen your precepts."

Psalm 119:173

One morning I was resting in my bed, reading, writing, and having my devotions. My beautiful little two-year old granddaughter came in and tried to climb up on the bed with me. As she tried to climb up, my down comforter kept sliding down. Wanting to help, I reached over and gently lifted her up onto the bed with me.

"No," Grammy, "no", she said and slid herself back down. She tried again to climb up but she still slid downward. After several tries, she still could not get up. I saw the effort she was making; she was trying really hard but to no avail.

So...unnoticed by her, I reached forward and held the covers tightly in my hand. With the comforter firm, she was able to grab little handfuls of material and climb up to me. She was so proud of herself and had no idea that I had helped.

I thought about God and my relationship with Him and how many times I had said, "no, thank you", yet, He "gently held the covers for me."

What an awesome God we have!!!

"I lift up my eyes to the hills-

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip-

He who watches over you will not slumber."

"The Lord will watch over your coming and going

Both now and forevermore."

Psalm 121:1-3;8

My Jesus Coat

A few years ago I was invited to several "fancy" events that just so happened to be in the middle of winter.

I'm typically a jeans girl, but I must admit...I do get that nervous excitement of dressing up on the rare occasion that sends me back to that same girly sensation of getting ready for the senior prom.

The first event was an elegant evening wedding. I went shopping and bought an appropriate dress and shoes for the occasion. How fun. I had not, thought ahead, however, to what coat I might wear that would suit such pretty attire. I did not think of the coat at all, actually...until a couple of hours before we were supposed to leave for the wedding when I noticed it was freezing outside!

Out of time and not wanting to spend a lot of money on a coat that I would only wear a couple of times a year...I called my girlfriend and asked if she had anything I could borrow that would look okay with my elegant dress and shoes. She said she'd bring me something when her and her husband picked us up to go to the wedding. When she arrived...I tried on all of my coats, plus her coat that she had brought for me, to see what looked best. We decided that her coat was the best of the options and so I put it on and we went to the wedding. The only problem was that the sleeves were seriously about 5 inches too long and no matter how we tried to fix the sleeves...it just looked a little funny. I wasn't too worried though because I thought that I would just take the coat off as soon as we got there. It would be fine.

Well....something wasn't quite right with the heat and it was freezing in there. I tried to take the coat off, but every time, I was miserably cold. There I was...a woman...dressed like a princess...but feeling like a little girl...playing dress up in her Mama's coat. We laughed a lot that night and eventually I got warmer....and we had fun. But I told Jesus....that I had at least 2 more fancy events to go to and that it really would be nice if I had a nice dress coat to wear.

Sometime later....my sister and I were out "treasure hunting".....(browsing around in thrift stores)...not looking for anything in particular....when I saw it there on the rack....

A beautiful...chocolate brown, faux fur, vintage, full length coat in mint condition and it was just my size....I trembled with excitement as I took it off the rack...it was so heavy and beautiful...I couldn't believe it.....this time....I felt like Lucy from Narnia as I put it on....

I couldn't stop smiling as I found my sister to show her my treasure...."Jesus totally loves me," I told her, "this coat is from Him." And I knew it...with all my heart.

I hadn't grown up with a lot....and I had experienced Jesus providing huge needs in my life...but this wasn't one of those times....this was simply...My heavenly Daddy showing his little girl that He loved her....it wasn't a need....just a petty little desire....but I had shared my heart with Him and He had shared His with me.

I love that coat! I feel like a million dollars when I put it on....It is my Jesus coat.

What ever your needs are....share them with Jesus....give Him your heart and ask Him what His love looks like for you today....

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." Matthew 1:20

God knows how to get through to husbands.

And being warned in a dream not to return to herod, they (the wise men) departed to their own country by another way. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Matthew 2:12, 13

God is able to protect children.

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38

God will direct a woman who yields to him.

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Luke 1:45

Oh, may the Lord give you a deep knowing in your heart that his promises to you will be accomplished.

Today’s one of those days that I feel slightly disconnected with everyone around me and just want to be still. It’s one of those days that I really don’t feel like being around anyone but need to spend time with God to fill my heart once again. I get that sometimes where I just feel alone… I’m surrounded by my family and friends… I know who’s praying for me…. I know there’s someone a phone call away… yet I desire to be still.

I feel guilty when I get these moments. Isn’t my life as a Christian supposed to be filled with constant joy and praises? Am I always supposed to be feeling God’s nearness and embrace? Should I always be trusting in Him and never doubt?

Rest… rest in Jesus….

A friend told me once that there are times in our lives when we just need to rest in Jesus. I never knew what that meant because what had always been modeled to me was that I had to be thinking about Jesus every second of the day and have Him first and foremost in my mind. I was taught to incorporate Jesus into all my words, actions, songs. I wasn’t allowed to do anything without Jesus. I learned to “throw Jesus” into almost every sentence I said. It all sounded good but that’s not always how my heart felt. It became a routine for me.

Rest… rest in Jesus…

For me resting in Jesus is just exactly how I’m feeling today…. knowing He’s near me… He knows my heart… my thoughts… my prayers…. It’s okay for me to not vocalize them out loud but to be still and draw near to Him. To have quiet time with God… no conversation…just knowing He’s near… soaking in on who He is and how he’s blessed me.

Psalm 62:1 says “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.”

Psalm 91:1 & 2 says “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “he is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”

I think of an oak tree whose branches reach out providing shade. That to me is what I picture when I think about dwelling in the shelter of the Most High and resting in the shadow of the Almighty. This protective beautiful place where we are drawn in by its beauty and shade. A place you just want to stay near because of what it all offers.

God promises refuge. I trust this God and know this with all my heart… God knows my heart too.