Framing Tragedy

I'm sure, as with most of you, waking up to horrific news remains devastating.  As a friend said, "I know this stuff happens, but it is awful every.single.time."  As it indeed should be, and I pray our hearts never get callous to the shock and dismay.  When you have children, I think these situations add another dimension.  How, when and what do you tell your children in these situations?

The media has the information along every front and it is hard to avoid it.  Personally, our family has decided that it is best for our children to hear it from us, first.  So this morning I said to my kids, "I'm sorry that I have to tell you this.  I'm sorry that you live in a world where these things are becoming commonplace."  I then proceeded to tell them the events with tears.

I also told them about my walk this morning.  I try to go for a walk every morning and while I go I listen to Pray As You Go app.  It opened with a song that was derived from Psalm 91:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you

    from the fowler’s snare

    and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,

    nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

    nor the plague that destroys at midday.

I ended up sharing the words from today.  While these words aren't meant to be an "escape" from the reality of the tragedy, it does show that the story does not end in the midst of terror. 

My heart has remained very heavy throughout today and I know that I am far removed from the events that took place.  I appreciated being led in a prayer for this situation by the presiding Bishop Michael Curry:

https://youtu.be/zYACfi9nBOs

I pray that some of these thoughts and ideas my bring peace to your own hearts, prayers and conversations as you move forward from today.

May you go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In Christ,



P.S. Another post I have written on similar topics is called, In the Light of Terror.

13 Thoughts for 2013: Part 6 Walking in Practicality

The Lord has a sense of humor and He is so true to His word.  When I selected these 13 inspirational Thoughts for 2013, it was a spur of the moment thing and the verses truly just struck my heart as I was reading through them.  Little did I know that He was actually going to ask me to walk these things out in the reality of life in the days, weeks and months ahead!  So these verses and any thoughts that follow are being written from the trenches of life and are not being shared from any high and lofty seat:

Romans 12:6b-8

If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; 

if you help, just help, don’t take over; 

if you teach, stick to your teaching; 

if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; 

if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate;

if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond;

if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. 

Keep a smile on your face.

As I read through these verses, pretty much every single one of them I have found myself doing the opposite of them.  So as I sit in the reality of my actions and I've asked the Lord for wisdom, clarity and HELP these are some of the places that He has taken me:

Hebrews 12: 1b-7

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a]

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?

Consider Him

As I work through these struggles in my heart and mind this is the only place where I have been able to land in a place of peace.  I am thankful for this season of Lent, which has kept the reality of the cross forefront in my mind.  The list of Paul's from Romans 12 are all good things, things that we can do with God's help but what becomes evident is that even in doing "good things" over-enthusiasm can soon blind us from the way of love.  So as my sister sweetly reminded me yesterday, "Maybe, I should read my own blog,"  I've settled down to consider Him:

Through our first 6 inspirations He has clearly shown that He is up to something beautiful and life-changing.  He has invited us to walk alongside Him in this venture.  But the foundational ground-work has to be and always remain LOVE.  And in this walk of LOVE we have to allow individuals to remain individuals - to see them with Christ's love and compassion, otherwise we can quickly become blinded.

In Christ,

A Story to Embody: Sunday, October 7

This week's verses invade into a territory that many in America don't like to talk about - how faith shapes the actions and choices of our lives.  Instead, many would like to have a religion without it effecting their everyday lives.  But as you read through these verses, remember that we are walking out the story of God.  As you read through the "story" of Genesis, David in the Psalms, Jesus talking to His disciples and Paul talking to the church in Ephesus remember that these too were real people learning how to walk out a God designed life.

I love that this week's verses starts out with Genesis, reminding us that God created us with purpose, blessing, and with gifts for us to enjoy.  Let these truths shape your perspective and understanding as you read the other verses:

Genesis 2:18-24

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called ‘woman,’

for she was taken out of man.”

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Psalm 26

Vindicate me, Lord,

for I have led a blameless life;

I have trusted in the Lord

and have not faltered.

2 Test me, Lord, and try me,

examine my heart and my mind;

3 for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love

and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.

4 I do not sit with the deceitful,

nor do I associate with hypocrites.

5 I abhor the assembly of evildoers

and refuse to sit with the wicked.

6 I wash my hands in innocence,

and go about your altar, Lord,

7 proclaiming aloud your praise

and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

8 Lord, I love the house where you live,

the place where your glory dwells.

9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners,

my life with those who are bloodthirsty,

10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,

whose right hands are full of bribes.

11 I lead a blameless life;

deliver me and be merciful to me.

12 My feet stand on level ground;

in the great congregation I will praise the Lord.

Remember how in Genesis we saw that God created us with purpose?  In the verses below, we will see that this purpose continues and grows for the Church.  Our purpose is that we are lights and because of that our lives should be walked out in the Righteousness of Christ.

Mt. 5:13-20

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Euguene Peterson's book Practice Ressurection is about the entire book of Ephesians.  I have just gotten to the part where he is looking at these verses.  He points out how the book of Ephesians is written to Gentiles - Gentiles whose cultures were full of gods, such as Zeus.  The worship of these God's did not affect morality, in fact it celebrated immorality and that was a way to show your devotion to your god.  But the difference between Christianity and these other religions is that Christianity did affect morality.  Eugene pointed out how that because of their cultural upbringing these Gentiles had no context to shape their faith.  No context for allowing God into every area of their lives.  Whereas the Jewish Christians of that time, already had a strong foundation laid from their childhood: that God's Way does provide a distinction in our lifestyle.  So as you read these verses, keep the historical context in mind and also recognize that our culture is not so much different than what the Ephesians were dealing with: how to be a light,  how to live as children of light in a world of darkness.

 

Eph. 5:3-14

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,

rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

As I exit these verses I am once again excited about the practicalities of God's Word.  We are the light of the world, we are children of the light!  We've been invited to live out a story, God's Story.  Does it require choices that are different from the world's?  Yes, but the beauty is that we understand that we serve a Living, Loving God, who designed us with purpose and intent and He desires for us to bring life, light, freedom and truth to this world.

In Christ,

 

For more on why I include these weekly verses read my post: A Story to Embody

Photo courtesy Melanie Guest Photography

Being released from the fear of men

I like to be liked.
I'm a people-pleaser.

So the Lord has started putting me in situations where I sometimes have hard things to say to people - the result being they don't like me very much (for the moment, I hope:).  It drives me crazy.  I've been asking God to give me a new perspective on things and He has:

Isaiah 51:12-15 (NCV)

The Lord says, "I am the one who comforts you.

So why should you be afraid of people, who die?

Why should you fear people who die like the grass?

13 Have you forgotten the Lord who made you,

who stretched out the skies

and made the earth?

Why are you always afraid

of those angry people who trouble you

and who want to destroy?

But where are those angry people now?

14 People in prison will soon be set free;

they will not die in prison,

and they will have enough food.

15 I am the Lord your God,

who stirs the sea and makes the waves roar.

My name is the Lord All-Powerful.

This Scripture brought my perspective back into alignment with His perspective.

As I read it I saw the following things:

• We don't need to be afraid of men
• Because we worship the Creator of the universe 
• God's ultimate plan is to bring freedom to the captives
• Because of this we can put our trust in the All-Powerful God

I love how His ultimate plan is sandwiched between His Almighty character.  As I step away from fear, to trusting Him, He gently reminds me of what He is up to and gives me another reason why I can trust His ways.

This verse reminded me of a mental picture I've used the past couple of years as I have dealt with difficult people and situations:

My perspective has been:

                 ME --negative thoughts-- A person --judgement--The Cross

It should be:

                  ME --negative thoughts-- The Cross --love-- A person

What's the difference?

In the first scenario, I am trying to deal with the person first.  I see the Cross in the background and "the freedom" God has in store for the person, but I'd like to walk alongside that person and lead pull them with judgement to the Cross.  When we arrive, we can kneel down together and I can show them the right way:). 

In the second scenario, all my thoughts and attitudes towards the person is having to pass through the Cross first.  The end result is my perspective has been tailored into love for that person.  And I'll take love over fear any day. 

I'm thankful for God's Word reminding me that walking in His perspective towards others leads to mine and their ultimate freedom.

In Christ,

The story of mess

You are about to get a glimpse of my kitchen, in a mess!  For those of you who know me personally and I allow into my home on a regular basis, will know that my house doesn't usually look like this when you come to visit.  I like a nice clean house when I have company.  However, if you live with me, this is how our house normally looks.  Why?  Because people actually live in the house and amazingly so, life with people ends up being messy.

But within the mess is a story and as I reflected on the story of my messy kitchen this morning, I decided I'd much rather have the story and the people who make the story than to have a nice clean house.

Story 1: The coffee pot.  The coffee pot is out because my husband surprised us and took Friday off of work.  He bought hot chocolate, peppermint creamer and cinnamon buns as a treat for breakfast.
 

Story two: The messy counter.  This counter is notorious for all the junk.   Glasses, mail, a book that I am reading, bills to pay, tape, a whoopee cushion, you know all the important things of life.

Story 3: My mother-in-law pile.  I have a pile of things I need to take to my mother-in-law's house of stuff that belongs to her.  So yes, this pile of stuff from Christmas, will soon be moving to another's home.

Story 4: The crumby floor.  These crumbs are from the zucchini, banana flaxseed muffins that I made my kids.  They thought they were fantastic and thanked me profusely for making them.  However, they left a mess on the floor.  I don't like to sweep but my husband will do the job.  I asked him to sweep it up a couple of days ago and he said he would.  The fact that the mess was still there made me smile.  I was glad that we were at the point in our marriage where I didn't have to be a nag and yell that he didn't sweep when I asked him too. I have learned to trust his heart and know that he hadn't forgotten.  Then this morning before our Sunday gathering he noticed the mess and said, "I didn't sweep that up yet."   The first thing he did when we came home was sweep up the mess (and almost wrecked my chance to take pictures for my post).

Story 6:  We celebrated my son's 8th birthday yesterday.  That is the box that hold the crumbs of what is left, along with the camera that captured the pictures.  We have an amazing son who brings us life and delight over the last 8 years.

So as you see, our mess tells a story.  The story that it tells is that life, fellowship, laughter, love and fun live in this house.  I wish that life could operate without the included mess, but it doesn't.  All this got me thinking about my last post, Sin's power is broken, and especially about Romans 6:10-12:

10For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it]

once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him].

11Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin

and your relation to it broken,

but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.

You see Jesus willing choose to enter the mess of our world and take care of the problem of sin so that we could remain in unbroken fellowship with Him.  He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, in fact Isaiah 53:3 says that

He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.

Now He now sits at the right hand of God, as our high priest who sympathizes with our weakness (Hebrew 4:18).  He has opened the way so that we can live this life in unbroken fellowship with Him.  Because He has walked this earth in flesh, He understands that life is messy and offers us mercy and grace as we walk through this life.  He is not sitting in heaven waiting for us to live perfectly, holy and clean lives so that then we can live in fellowship with Him.  No, instead He has made it possible for us to live our life in relation with Him.

If you want to live a mess-free life you will have to do it by sitting still and doing nothing.  However, when you begin interacting with others, seeing their lives and sharing with them then mess will develop.  The greatest commandment Jesus said is "To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and then to love others as yourself."  Jesus understands that if you live out this command, there will be messes along the way.  He wants you to live, move and have your being in Him as you walk through this life.  Your mess will get cleaned up, straightened and put away, but to live life in love, fellowship, laughter and friendship with Him and those we share life with is what He offers.

 

In Christ,

Cranky Christmas Love

I checked my e-mail when I woke up this morning and found that an order I had placed last week was canceled because the items were no longer in stock.  I then had to hop on the phone and after 25 minutes of placing a new order was told they were not going to give me some of the "cash" they owed me because the coupon had expired.  I explained it was not my fault because they had canceled the order I had placed while the coupon was active.  By this time frustration had begun to mount inside me - it is early morning, the person on the other end of the line barely speaks English, this is not what I wanted to do with my morning I wanted to blog and spend time with God, it was only $3.60 but it is the principle of the thing - all these thoughts added together and resulted in crankiness towards the person on the other side of the phone.

While I was on hold waiting to speak to a manager, the Holy Spirit was quietly conversing with me.  He reminded me that even while I was on the phone I was spending time with Him and He also reminded me of some of the things I read in The Greatest Thing in the World, things about the development of character.   God works and moves in the dailyness of life and not just when I am in "worship and quiet time" with Him:

Why should God have provided

that so many hours of every

day should be occupied with work? 

It is because work makes men. 

 Character is the music of the soul, and is developed by exercise. 

Active use of the power entrusted

to us is one of the chief

means which God employs

for producing the Christian graces.

In the end, it all worked out, I got my $3.60 back, and I didn't even have to talk to the manager about it. But through it all, I was also reminded of the opportunities God has given me to show His love to other people and not be so American about my rights to good service but to care more about the person serving me and remembering that they have 8 hours to work with cranky housewives who are trying to share the "Christmas spirit" by purchasing items on-line.  Perhaps, I can and should pause and spread the fragrance of Christ through love by being patient, kind and understanding...

Do we carry about with us the thought of

God wherever we go?  If not,

we have missed the greatest part of life.

I realized that being on the phone wasn't just a waste of time (which is what I thought) but rather a chance to feel God's refining fire at work in my heart, teaching me how to love when it was the very last thing I wanted to do.  So once again I am reminded, challenged, encouraged that "in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28)."

Which end of the continuum do I want those that interact with me to associate with Christmas - crankiness or love? 

In Christ,

PS The quotes in italics are from The Greatest Thing in the World.

Have you found something worth dying for?

My husband and I were listening to a sermon the other day by Todd Hunter and he was talking about how polls show that the majority of Americans claim they are Christians, however many "lifestyles" do not reflect this as true.  He then made the statement, "Many people have found something to live for, but have you found something worth dying for?"  Todd Hunter stated how people are willing to invite Christian morals into their lives, but they often are not willing to die to themselves to follow Christ.

What is Jesus' Call?

As we look at the call of Christ and throughout Christian history we can see that death, both spiritual and at times physical is a part of following the Lord.  Below are several examples of individuals whose understanding of who Jesus Christ is, was something worth physically dying for:

• When Jesus presented Himself to Paul on the road to Damascus, He also presented Paul with the kind of life he would soon be living:
• Acts 9:16, "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
• When Paul accepted the invitation to follow Jesus as Lord of His life, Paul understood what he was getting himself into.  His understanding of Jesus Christ convinced Paul that Jesus was someone worth dying for. 
• In John 21:18, Jesus informs Peter of the cost following Jesus would entail:
• "Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”  Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, chose to return to Germany, knowing very well that his decision could lead to his death, and he ended up walking to his death saying, "This is the end - for me the beginning of life."

But as we also see in John 21 (which Erwin McManus discusses in Unleashed), not every follower's life, will lead to a physical martyrdom:

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved

was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against

 Jesus at the supper and had said,

“Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 

 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return,

what is that to you?

You must follow me.”

Because of the country we currently live in, our faith rarely requires us to give up our physical life for the sake of Christ.  However, if we hear the words of Jesus, His invitation to us still requires a death:

Luke 9:23

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves

and take up their cross daily

and follow me.

Have you encountered Jesus in such a way that you are willing to die to follow Him?

How Deep is the Love of Christ?

God has been opening my eyes to the depths of His love for others. He has been showing me that if we as His people, want to meet people in their depths then we need to be willing to go to the depths to meet them there.  Entering into those depths may at times very well feel like a type of death, but Jesus is willing to encounter us in a way that we can willing follow Him wherever He leads.

Marriage is one practical area where we have to die to ourselves in order to follow Jesus' path.  As I think about my marriage, I realize that there has been phases where I have not wanted to follow Jesus' leading, particularly, in the area of submission.  I'd love to say, that I've been a great Christian wife always ready to follow my husband's lead.  But there have been many times where I was cringing inside, or defiant to his lead.  I wanted him to prove beforehand that he was worthy of being followed before I would follow.  As a result, frustration and disappointment began to dominate my marriage.  Thankfully, the Lord stepped in to change me.  In my process, the Lord began to ask me to trust Him first and that part of that trust would at times entail dying to my "rights" to have my own way and to instead submit to my husband's leadership.  It was not an easy process and at times it was quite painful.  But in the midst of that "death" God has brought about such life.  I emerged from my spiritual death and awoke to find a husband, who is an incredible man of God and leader.

Another place in my own life where I have experienced a type of "death" in order to follow Christ has been in ministry to others.  One particular time of ministry, was extremely difficult for me and in the process, I thought to myself, "I am going to have to die to myself in order for this thing to work."  I felt like the Lord smiled and said, "Exactly."  I then asked Him, "Is this really how deep your love goes - that a death is needed in order to bring life?"  And He said, "Yes."  You see sometimes for us to be able to serve others in a life-giving way, we are going to have to die to ourselves as we follow Jesus: 

Hebrew 12:1b-2

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 

 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

For the joy set before him he endured the cross,

 scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners,

so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The primary way we walk out our Christianity is through love.  In order to love and serve others well we may very well need to die to ourselves to follow Christ's lead.  The good news is that He has gone that way before us and He has overcome it with a new and better life.  So my question remains, "Have you found something worth dying for?"

I pray your answer is, "Yes."

I haven't encountered Christ in a way that I am willing to die.

However, if your answer to this question is no, I would like to share some thoughts.  I know that it would be very easy to read this post and come up with 10 different ways you haven't died to yourself and then begin to come up with strategies on "how to do better tomorrow."  You could beat yourself up and say, "I don't really love Jesus."  If that is your reaction, then you've missed the point.  The "key" to this is to FOLLOW Jesus' lead, and He knows how to speak to you.  However, so many of us have never been taught to listen for His voice because we have been taught to be on a mission of self-improvement.

If your immediate reaction is self-improvement, I believe it is due to one of the greatest misunderstandings of the church today - the idea that a Holy God cannot be in the presence of sin.  In my series entitled, Journey to Understand Grace: Part 3, I address this misunderstanding in depth.  But very simply, Jesus Christ could not have been fully God here on earth if that concept is true.  Because of our obsession with the "problem of our sin" we end up total ignoring the beauty of the cross and what Jesus did.  God states in Psalm 103:12 that He has removed our sin as far as the east is from the west.  So what does this have to do with trusting Jesus?  If you still think your sin is an issue between the two of you, then you will not come to Him to listen nor trust His leading and guidance.  Instead, you will be spending all your time, trying to figure out how to get yourself better in order to spend time with Him.  However, it will be a fruitless cycle of despair and desperation because apart from Christ you cannot be righteous.  So if you don't feel like you can come to Him because of your failures and you try to get better in order to come to Him, you will fail over and over and over again.  Or Beloved, you can embrace the truth.  Jesus Christ came to set you free from the curse of sin and death and you have full access to Him 24/7 no matter what you have done.  This kind of love is profound and can be found in no other place. 

Jesus invitation to Peter provides a perfect scenario of the difference between self-improvement and following Jesus' lead.  Peter had declared that He would follow Jesus to the death but ended up denying Him 3 times!  Then, Jesus came to Peter and asked Peter 3 times if Peter loved Him.  After the third time, Peter finally said, "Lord you know all things..."  Jesus replied, "Follow me."  And that is where the truth lies.  Jesus knew Peter's heart the whole time, but before Peter understood this, Peter thought it was his duty to prove his love to Jesus by the things he did.  Jesus instead showed His great love for Peter that NOTHING could get in the way of Jesus' love for him, including failure, and that Jesus is the One that will lead us the way we should go.  We just have to follow Him.

So I don't know what lies have gotten in the way to prevent you from a desire to follow Jesus with all your heart even unto death.  However, I do know that He is a faithful, True and loving God and He will meet you right where you are at.  In addition, I hope that you understand this "death" to yourself is not so that you can live a miserable existence.  Rather Jesus says, "he who gives up his life for me, will find it (Matthew  10:39)."  This death, is an exchanging of the lies and the masks that we carry around and hide behind.  The result of this "death" is life and life abundant.


In Christ,

Not enough time?

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"We are running out of time!"

"We don't have enough time to do that right now!"

As I've been listening to myself talk to my kids the last several weeks, those would be among the top statements that have been coming out of my mouth.  I began realizing that time, or rather the lack of enough time were dominating my thoughts about and my reactions to most situations.  The future and what "needed to be done next" were becoming more important to me than the present. 

The Lord, has hit my pause button and has invited me to live in TODAY instead of always the next moment.  First off, He has shown me that I already live in eternal life.  According to

John 17:3

"this is eternal life: that they know you,

the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." 

Eternal life has started NOW and so the truth is - I am NOT running out of time.  I am already living in eternal life.  I've been learning more and more each day that He really IS there in every situation and time, wanting to love on us and help us through each moment.

Acts 17:28

"For in Him we live and move and have our being."



I do not need to be afraid of the future because He has promised to never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). The fact that I'm walking in eternity now has helped me to invest in the things that have eternal significance - relationships.  I can enjoy today with my husband, my kids and my friends.  My relationships with them and with God are the only things that hold eternal weight.

In Christ,

Waiting on the Lord

What does it mean to wait on the Lord?  Personally, I believe it means to trust that the Lord is moving even though we can't see what He is doing; it is an element of faith.  In order for us to trust Him, we need to rest in His character, that He is who He says He is even when we don't see it. 

Years ago, I read a commentary on Exodus 33:18-22:

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you,

and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence.

I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom

 I will have compassion. 20 But,”

he said,

“you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.

 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23

Then I will remove my hand and you

will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

The commentary stated that Jewish tradition teaches the following based on this story: "You cannot see God in the moment, you can only see where He has been."  I have found this to be so true in my life.  There have been many moments when I have called out to the Lord in the desperation of the moment and got up discouraged because I didn't get "an answer" in that moment.  However, there are so many more times when I have emerged from a season of hardship and looked back and I can see God's hand EVERYWHERE!  Why?  I think that this Jewish commentary sheds some light on the why.  God is always present and working but we do not have the ability to see Him in the moment.  However, just because we can't presently see Him, does not mean that He is not at work.  Because of this truth, I have been taking the time to learn how to wait on the Lord.

As I said in the beginning, waiting on the Lord means to rest in His character in the midst of situations; instead, of being in despair, I choose to rest in the faithfulness of the Lord and wait in eager expectation of the day when I can look back and say, "There you were."

The Psalms provide us with plenty examples of doing this, here are a few:

Psalm 5:3

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before you

and wait expectantly.

Psalm 37:7

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 130:5

I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,

and in his word I put my hope.

I am learning that it is so worth waiting on the Lord.  There comes a time in our lives when what we believe should begin to affect the reality of how we live our daily lives.  One way to do this is by learning how the Lord operates so when hard times come we are not confused.  The Lord has promised that He will always be faithful, even if we are not faithful; that He will never leave us or abandon us.  If and when you are in a situation where you can't see His face, learn to wait on the Lord.  Don't let the smallness of our minds, cloud out the greatness of our God.  Instead, wait in eager expectation that He has placed you in the cleft of the rock (Jesus) and know that there will be a day when you can look back and say, "There you were."

In Christ,

Grace IS Dangerous!

In this last year, I've come to a greater understanding and acceptance that I truly am a child of God (thanks to resources such as Birthright and discussions with my father-in-law).  Sometimes, when a light bulb turns on you are able to see things so much clearer.  It has been exciting to re-enter the living Word of God being secure in my identity as a child of God.  I've been trying to read the Gospel of John, but I can barely stand it because it is so overwhelmingly beautiful.  I can now see why this book is usually recommended for new believers to start with when they begin reading the Bible.

John 1:1-18 are such beautiful verses and as I glanced at them to write this post, I was again overwhelmed by all the angles I could discuss.  However, I am going to grab only one small nugget from there but it is oh, so worth sitting in and reflecting upon that whole passage.

John 1

vs 14

The Word became a human and lived

among us.  We saw His glory-the glory that

belongs to the only Son of the Father-

and He was full of grace and truth.

vs 16

Because He was full of grace and truth,

from Him we all received

one gift after another.

vs 17

The law was given through Moses,

but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ!

As I read this, the two words that jumped out at me continually were the words GRACE and TRUTH.  When Jesus walked on this earth, the two things that He was full of were GRACE and TRUTH.  That is how He revealed Himself to us and we have the privilege of living in that beauty.  It is cleary different then living according to the Old Covenant.*
The one thing the American body of Christ seems well-versed in is the law; how to live a moral life, what it looks like and doesn't look like.  However, according to John, the two things that defined the life of Jesus as he walked upon this earth, grace and truth, are the two things that seem so far from our grip and understanding.  Throughout my journey in Christianity, I have heard so many Christians shy away from grace.  I've even had a reader stop reading my blog because of my emphasis on grace.  "If you just teach grace," they say, "it's dangerous."  They are absolutely right!  Jesus is dangerous, and grace is radical. It is only by grace that we can freely walk out our faith.  The problem is that instead of embracing the dangerous beauty of grace, we try to tame it and have people focus on the law and the do's and don'ts of the law.

If grace is scary to you, I would encourage you to go on a journey to discover and understand it.  Don't try to tame it, but learn to walk in it.  If you do, you will be walking in the reality of who Jesus Christ is.

_______________________________________

(So that was all a tangent!)  Over the last 3 months, I've had 4 people ask me how to hear the voice of God.  Wow, that is a tough question, when I had to put words around it.  If you are a Christian, you already do hear the voice of God, but you may not be recognizing it as such.  Understanding, who Jesus is, will help you recognize His voice. 

Perhaps, it is a female thing, but I have lots of "voices" influencing my day, everyday. Am I measuring up to what so and so thinks or asked of me..., if I do such and such is that okay? Frankly, it is tiring to listen and try to measure up to so many voices!  After reading these verses in John 1, I have been challenged to listen ONLY to the voice of Jesus.  What a concept!  How do I recognize it?  It is the One and only voice full of Grace and Truth; and in that voice and that voice alone do I find rest. (Read John 10:1-14 for verses supporting the concept that our Good Shepherd does talk to us and that we need to recognize and follow only His voice).

In Christ,



P.S. Are you following my blog on Facebook yet?  If not, you can find me under pages: For His Glory Alone.  I currently have a link there for a great sermon about the *New Covenant.  Check it out!

How to please the Lord

Did you know that we are able to please the Lord?

Psalm 147:11 says,

The Lord is pleased with those who respect him, with those who trust His love.

This post will concentrate on the ending of the verse:  "God is pleased with those who trust in His love."  I find this verse to be quite beautiful, profound and freeing.  What does this love that He asks us to trust in look like?  For starters:

• Christ died for us because He first Loved US (I John 4:19)
• For God so LOVED the world that he gave His one and only Son (John 3:16)
• HIS LOVE is patient, kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrong, it always hopes, trust and perseveres. (I Corinthians 13:4-7)
• God is slow to anger and abounding in LOVE (Exodus 34:6)

So to please the Lord we have to trust in His incredible love.  Here are verses, just from the Psalms, which share the blessings that God has for us when we trust in Him:

Psalm 9:10

Those who know the Lord trust him, because He will not leave those who come to Him.

Psalm 18:30

He is a shield to those who trust Him.

Psalm 28:7

 I trust Him, and He helps me.

Psalm 32:10

The Lord's love surrounds those who trust Him.

Psalm 34:22

No one who trusts Him will be judged guilty.

Psalm 37:5

Depend on the Lord; trust Him, and He will take care of you.

Psalm 37:9

Those who trust the Lord will inherit the land.

Psalm 112:7

They won't be afraid of bad news; their hearts are steady because they trust the Lord.

Psalm 125:1

Those who trust the Lord are like Mount Zion, which sits unmoved forever.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.  In order to please Him, we get to trust in His incredible LOVE.  And then as an added bonus, God throws in an abundance of blessings when we trust in Him: we will not be moved, we can stand confident, He will be our shield, protector and helper.

Beloved, whether we acknowledge it or not we do place our trust in something everyday. May this be what we choose to say everyday:

Psalm 20:7

Some trust in chariots, others in horses, but we trust the Lord our God.

In Christ,

Your thoughts

I read Proverbs 4:23 the other day and I have been stuck thinking about it ever since.

Proverbs 4:23
Be careful what you think. Your thoughts run your life.

As I have been reflecting on this I've realized that my thoughts are a relatively uncontrolled area in my life. Perhaps it is a female thing but I spend a majority of my thought life in the what ifs. What if this happens, what if that. I have whole scenarios that play out and by the end my mood can be effected, usually negatively. My husband does a good job of bringing me back to reality when I do choose to share my thoughts with him. He will say, "You don't even know what will happen so why are you getting wound about it?" Well, yes I do know what will happen because I played it out in my mind:)

I have learned in female relationships not to go there with my mind because I think that is the number one way the enemy destroys relationships. We play out in our mind exactly what "she meant" by saying that and the next thing we know we will never be talking to her ever again meanwhile she doesn't even remember what she said.

So anyway, the last year has contained many days where I struggle to find the joy that used to be pretty automatic for me. God has opened my eyes this week to my thought life and has shown me that there are many areas there where I am not submitting the lies in my mind to His truth. Instead of taking my thoughts to Him I let them run and run until I end up feeling discouraged.

2 Corinthians 10:4&5
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty IN God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Our thoughts do run our lives and we can let our thoughts run us our way or God's way. He has given us a better way to live. God cares about our lives and hearts and desires that we live an abundant life. Check to see if your thought life is an area under His control.

Finally, if you also struggle with your thought life check out today's free download at Amazon for more:Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman's Guide to Finding Contentment

Lessons from my children: 2 Why we have relationship

You would think after my last talk with my children, they would stop picking on each other, right?:)   Not so. 

Lesson 2: Why do we have relationship?

I heard my son, James, yelling at his sister, Mercea the other day.  For the first time, it didn't seem like my daughter was actively participating in annoying him.  I asked him if he was being cranky with his sister or if they were just pretending (sometimes it is hard to tell) and he said he was cranky so I sent him to his room for a time out.  Then I called my daughter in to see if she was being an instigator and she said she wasn't.  After his timeout I had him come to me so we could talk.  I asked him what was wrong.  James said his sister was being silly.  Was she interfering with what you were building?  No.  Was she touching your stuff or getting in your way?  No, she was just being silly. 

I had to chuckle to myself when James said this.  In order for the rest of this post to make sense you need to know that  my son and daughter have 2 very different personalities.  James is the oldest and has a serious streak to his personality.  He pays great attention to detail and needs to do things the "right way."  Mercea, on the other hand, is very carefree.  We call her "Messy Missy" because she cannot make it through a meal without creating something, and it usually is a mess.  She is very artistic.  And silly, well that is one of her main character qualities.  Of course, it is obvious to see why these 2 different personalities could cause constant conflict, but it is also easy to see why these 2 personalities need each other.

So back to our conversation.

"So your sister was being herself, and that was bothering you?"  "Yes."

So we called Mercea in and we had a chat about the purpose of relationship.

If there was only seriousness and order everyday how would the colors of life shine through?  However, if there was only a carefree, messy life, how would anything productive be done?  We talked about how often my son enjoys his sister's silliness and how often it makes him laugh.  We also talked about the need to not always be silly all the time and how to be sensitive to what the other person is feeling.

We need relationships with others because they bring beauty and color to our life.  If we choose to let the times their personalities challenge ours and annoy us define who they are to us we will soon view them as  "annoying" and disassociate ourselves with them.  Then we are the ones who will lose.  So instead of cutting people out of our lives or trying to change their personalities we need to look at the many ways they enhance our lives.  And those few times (which we tend to exaggerate to be all the time) their personalities rub us the wrong way, we need to give them the grace to be themselves.

Relationships are challenging but they are worth fighting for.  Sometimes we need to evaluate what lies are beginning to dominate our relationships with others and challenge those lies.  As adults, we don't have our parents to sit us down and help us talk it through, but that doesn't mean that sometimes we don't need to give ourselves a timeout and work through why this relationship is becoming a problem.  If you have a relationship that is being defined more by conflict than peace I would encourage you to step aside with the Lord and allow Him to speak His truth over it. 

In Christ,

Working Out: The Spiritual Parallels

You will be glad to know that even after finishing Get Healthy for Hope I am still exercising.  I realized in the process of getting healthy that I have come to the age that the only way to maintain my weight, and hopefully still get it down a few pounds is through exercise. 

My age + No exercise = an ever expanding pant size.  

But I have also realized that through exercise I actually get the results I'm looking for!  There was a time I didn't think it was making any difference, but slowly and surely I am beginning to see the differences.  On my physical journey to weight loss there has been the ever faithful, kick your butt companion Jillian Michaels. 

I need to workout with someone.  If I'm left to myself, I get tired after 5 minutes and think I've done  enough.  When you have Jillian Michaels telling you, "You can do more" well you have to do more because she'll "come through the TV and grab you" if you don't (and with her personality you believe she really could).  She provides the encouragement I need to take it many steps further and to go for it.  She has a lot of catch phrases throughout her workouts that I not only apply to my physical working out but also to my spiritual walk.

For instance, today she said,

"You can do it.  I won't give you more than you can handle."  

Her comment also came to me  like a kick in the butt from God.  It reminded me of God's very own words; that He has promised in times of temptation not to give us more than we can handle.  He will bring us through.  I'm in a frustrating season right now and today those words rang clear to me that I can keep going and He will help me through.

"If you want to see a difference you've got to put in the effort.  Everyone wants to see a six-pack but no one wants to put in the effort to get one." 

I used to look at Jillian and think, "It must be nature not effort that she looks like that."  Well after 1 year of doing her workouts, I still have trouble breathing and talking through her workouts.  She is able to do the workouts and she is able to talk during them without huffing and puffing.  It is clear to me that she does put in a lot of time and effort.  Some may be nature but some of it is just plain old hard work. 

If we want to see a difference in our Christian lives it does take effort and discipline. We often admire the spiritually strong and think God must have gifted them to be that way, but I think a lot has to do with discipline.  As you know, I have admired Bonhoeffer's faith but after studying his life it is very clear that spiritual discipline was important to him.  One of the main reasons I believe he was able to walk the path to death with such great faith is that during his life he had poured himself daily over God's Word and let those Words be Words that he lived by.  Sometimes we cower from the word discipline because it sounds like a lot of work; but it is very clear to me that spiritual discipline has many rewards that follow it.  Just like in the physical world exercise produces very predictable physical results so in the spiritual world God has set it up that spiritual discipline will result in a healthy spiritual life.  Here are some verses that show that spiritual discipline produces benefits in the spiritual life:

• Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
• James 4:8-10 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
• Psalm 25:14 14 The Lord tells his secrets to those who respect him; he tells them about his agreement.
• I Timothy 6:11-13 But you, man of God, run away from all those things. Instead, live in the right way, serve God, have faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, grabbing hold of the life that continues forever.
• Galatians 6:8-9 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Finally, I've learned through my working out that I need the encouragement of others.  As I said in the beginning, I would never push myself as far as I do if I didn't have Jillian's encouragement and my sister as a workout companion.  If you don't have a "Jillian Michaels" in your life I encourage you to find one.  I am blessed to have several special ladies in my life who encourage me when the going gets tough and vice-versa.  To have someone by your side who can say, "Get up, keep going, you can do this," is priceless.


In Christ,

His Eyes Never Close

I want to share the lyrics with you to a song that I love. The song is called His Eyes Never Close by Sherri Youngward. If you click on the link you can hear a snippet of the song; it's song 10.

When your race is reduced to a crawl
And your hands are weak from holding on
Keep your eyes fixed straight ahead
To the one who walked this way before you

Child stop weeping
God already knows
Even while you are sleeping
His eyes never close
Though the clouds may hide
The stars at night
Still I know, they haven’t lost their shine
Though the rains will come
So will the sun, God’s faithfulness
Is sure as the dawn

(Chorus)

So close you eyes
And rest a while
Don’t be afraid
Jesus has walked this way
Before you

My favorite part of the song is the line "though the clouds may hide the stars at night, still I know they haven't lost their shine." I think this line paints a beautiful picture. Life definitely brings dark times and in those times of suffering it is easy to forget that God is there and that He cares. This song reminds me to keep leaning into Him, for He is Faithful and True.

I read the following verses today and I think that they go along well with the lyrics from the song.

Since Jesus went through everything you're going through

and more, learn to think like Him. Think of you sufferings

as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting

to get your own way. Then you'll be able to live out your days

free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by

what you want.

I Peter 4:1-2 The Message

I pray these words meet you where you are at in this moment in time. That you will be able to fall into His arms even during the hard moments. And know that He walked this way before you and He invites you to continue to walk with Him.

Undercover Boss

Did you happen to catch CBS' newest show, Undercover Boss, after the Superbowl? The premise of the show is that CEO's from multi-million dollar corporations go "undercover" and do the low end jobs along side of their employees. This particular episode had Waste Management's COO go undercover and he ended up leaving his corporate office and exchanging his suit and tie, for work boots, work clothes in order to sort trash, ride garbage trucks and clean outhouses (which involves sucking up poop). After doing the dirty work for a week, he returned to his corporate office, with greater understanding and knowledge of how his company works and how his everyday decisions as a boss effects his employees.

As I watched the show, I couldn't help but think of Jesus. His life on earth was the epitome of an undercover boss. He left the glory of heaven, His robes of splendor, all of His rights as the Son of God to come to earth:

Philippians 2:5-7

Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

The boss on the show, didn't take on the "easy jobs;" he did hard work. He wasn't very good at any of the jobs and he was exhausted every night. But he received some valuable information while he was in the trenches. When he returned to the corporate office he implemented changes from what he had learned which made life better for those in the "lower level" jobs. When Jesus went "undercover" he too didn't take the easy road. He chose to be born to a poor family, he chose to invest His life in Judas, even though He knew Judas would later betray Him. He allowed Himself to be beaten, spit upon and humiliated by men. Why did He do this? The Bible states that because of what Jesus endured in His human form it does make a difference for us here on earth:

Hebrews 4:14-16

Therefore, since we have a great high priest

who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,

let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize

with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted

in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,

so that we may receive mercy and find grace

to help us in our time of need.

Jesus provided the ultimate sacrifice for us and He didn't return to Heaven and say, "That humanity thing is a breeze; those people should be able to figure it out all on their own." Rather, the Bible says, "He sympathizes with our weakness." He didn't succumb to the weaknesses, like we so often do, but rather He overcame them. As a result, He has invited us to come into His presence with confidence; He will help us in our time of need.

In Christ,

Obtaining Freedom: Part 2 Relinquishing Control

Here is part 2 of 4 from my series: Obtaining Freedom. Enjoy:)

The premise of this series, is that God wants us to experience complete freedom in Him in our everyday lives. Last time, I discussed how God wants us completely freed from guilt and shame. Today I want to talk about the illusion of being in control and the need to release control to Him.

How often do you worry? Every minute, every hour, once a day,once a week? (Take time to answer this question).

Worry is the method we use to try and control things. We believe that if we think things over and over enough in our mind we will be able to work things out. God wants to pull us back and really show us who really is in the driver's seat. When we realize who is really driving we will be able to set worry aside and enjoy the ride.

I think pregnancy provides a wonderful example of what I am trying to say. Pregnancy to me is an awesome thing. The only participation that I really contributed towards the growth of my children was to eat, drink and sleep. I didn't have to tell my body to do anything. I didn't have to tell it when to start growing which part, how to divide cells, how to develop the eye or the nervous system, etc (Thank God!). A miracle took place inside of me and I barely had to participate. Even though I didn't have to develop my babies my participation was completely necessary. For example, if I had chosen not to eat, my babies would have been harmed.

This example brings me back to my point about understanding the significance of our role versus God's role. In our everyday lives there truly is not a lot that we can control. When we sleep our bodies are doing a million and one things that we are not a part of. Our friends and family are living their lives and events are happening which we do not have any control over. Yet so often we spend a large portion of our day obsessing over stuff and it truly has no effect on the real events. The only effect it probably does have is a negative effect on our mental health. The Bible says,

"Do not worry. Which of you can add even an hour to your life by worrying?

Your Father in heaven knows what you need.

But seek first His kingdom."

(paraphrases from Luke 12:22-32)

We do have a role to play in our lives but we need to relinquish the control of our lives to our Heavenly Father because He really is the only one who can orchestrate things out for us and He does a beautiful job when we let Him. So what does God require of us:

that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind

and strength and that we love others.

This sums up the law and the prophets.

It sounds simple and I think it really was meant to be that simple. Just like in my pregnancies all I had to do was rest, eat and drink so in our everyday life all we need to do is rest in God, love Him well and love others. I guess the Lord's prayer really does sum it up well:

Our Father, which are it heaven, hollowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth

as it is in heaven (relinquishing control),

give us this day our daily bread

(provide our needs and let us not worry)

and forgive us our trespasses as we

forgive those who trespass against us (loving others well)

and deliver us from the evil one.

Do you know how Jesus summed up the section on worry? Luke 12:32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom!" So beloved of the Lord's ~ enjoy life, He has given us the kingdom. Let Him who truly is in control be in control of our lives.

PS I am 3 weeks into Get Healthy for Hope. So far I have lost 4 pounds. I should be excited but I'm at the weight I've plateaued at the last 8 years. So I'm not excited yet but I'm ready to get over the hump and I'm thankful for your support in the process. My sponsorship is up to $20 a pound. You are welcome to jump on board in anyway you choose and remember you have the chance to win a $50 Gap Gift Card.