What are you hanging on to?

I walked in to my 8 year old's room and I could swear I had missed an emergency alert.  I must have since only a hurricane or a tornado could possibly explain the state of her room!  She had been in it most of the day playing with a neighborhood friend.  The friend had recently gone home dinner and I had gone back to announce that our own food was finished.

If you have ever seen the movie Labyrinth then I am sure you recollect the scene in which the garbage lady attempts to entice Sarah to stop her quest and stay in her room with all of her most "loved" possessions.  Got it?  Now picture the room when her friends break down the wall to save her and all the junk came tumbling in.....yep.  That is what I walked into.

She can't throw anything away.  And I mean anything.  For her it all holds some value and/or reminds her of something of value.  The idea of parting with it literally brings her to tears.  And yes, I DO know how unhealthy that is and we are working on it.  Stick with me though, I have a point and it is...

We all have things we need to let go of

Hear me out here.  You may not be hanging on to literal, physical things. (Although I bet a few of you are.)  You may be hanging on to a painful experience that has skewed your view of those around you.  You may be hanging on to childishness because it is easier to allow others to do the hard things, physically and spiritually.  You could be hanging on to your idea of how this life was supposed to be, or what being a Christain was supposed to be.  Or you could be hangng on to something else.

My point is, our enemy is much like that junk lady in Labyrinth.  If he can get us to focus on the things rather than on God, we don't realize that we have missed our calling and are instead wallowing in a dump.  

God never intended for us to live in a dump.  He has a plan for each of us.  Some, like Sarah, are on a mission to rescue others.  Some are like Ludo, who's purpose is to stand with and love those around us.  Perhaps you are more like Sir Didymus and his trusty steed/dog Ambrosia and you are the defender of those around you.  Or maybe you are Hoggle, and your purpose is to see yourself differently and to step out of your comfort zone.  Or maybe your purpose in life is to be the mission of someone else so that they may grow.  I don't know what your mission is, but I do know that it isn't to stay locked in a room only concerned with YOUR THINGS.

Remember the rich young ruler?  I wonder if he had worked hard for all that he had or if it had all come easy?  Either way, Jesus told him that despite all the things he did, his heart was still focused on his things rather than the will of God.  

So I leave you with a question as I leave the keyboard to assist my 8 year old with reevaluating what is most important.  What things are holding you back from what God has for you?  Take some time to pray about it and really let Him show you.  
Once He has, start purging.  I promise you will feel better once you lighten your load and continue your journey towards God.

Not Alone

There is no cute picture to grab your attention today.  No funny or pithy story to pique your interest.  I just don't have it in me.  All I can give you is a truth: life is hard.  Some weeks are harder than others and some live lives that are perpetually more difficult than others.

I will be the first to say that I am blessed.  I have a house to live in, I am able to stay at home and care for my husband and children, we have more than we need and God had provided for us over and over again.  I KNOW this, but today I am just not feeling it.  Ever have day(s) like that?

My AC on our family van went out.  No biggie as we have been without it before and will probably be without it again.  Then a bearing on the AC unit froze up rendering our primary transportation down for the count....at least until parts come in and the weather cooperates so that my mechanic (aka my husband) can fix it.  Still, not a huge problem, as it means I can focus on lesson plans for the upcoming year and relaxing with the kids.

Then, my computer up and died in the middle of working on a project.  Out of nowhere the motherboard fried and a few of the things I was working on had not yet been backed up.  One of those files was a necessity for a training I was to lead this week.  So, I had to postpone it, order a hard drive case and hope that I could pull my files from it.  Again, not the end of the world, but my stress level increased.

Next, a family member that I dearly love who is battling addiction relapsed.  She was in a treatment program and while out on a day pass made the wrong choice.  I spoke to her the night that it happened (I had suspicions but she denied them) and was heartbroken at the pain I heard in her voice, the desperation and the loneliness.  I was helpless to do more than pray and offer encouragement to her.  The next day she admitted what she had done and confessed to staff in the program.  Her consequences are a major setback and while justified, I am concerned for her, both mentally and spiritually.  (Please pray for her!)

And finally I received some unsettling news about a spiritual battle that another family member is facing.  And when this person needed me(for an unrelated matter), I was unable to assist due to our lack of transportation.   I was helpless to help and now, I have reached the end of me.  All of these are beyond my control.  I can not change the situations.  I can not make things better. And that is difficult for me.

And yet, perhaps this is exactly where God wants me.  At the end of my rope unable to see where the bottom is.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness...
~2 Corinthians 12:9

 This verse was written by Paul, the man who wrote 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament.  He is a man that understands trials.  He was beaten, imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked, and persecuted after he gave up his life as a respected pharisee.  (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)  Paul speaks of his own difficulties in life, and in the verse preceding this he admits that he requested three times that God remove "a thorn" from him. We are never told what this thorn is, but it is obviously something that Paul found very difficult.  And yet God tells him no. 

God's grace is sufficient for us; His power made perfect in our weakness.  One of the commentaries I read states that, "troubles are sent to us to teach us to pray."  They are used to draw us closer to Him.  I have no control over what is going on right now, but He does.  That doesn't mean that He will swoop down and instantly affect the changes I would love to see.  Sometimes, out of His love for us, His answer must be, "no." 

No, He will not force my loved ones to turn to Him for help, for strength.  He may not relieve the stress I am currently feeling in my life right now.  But that is okay.  You see, I can pour out my heart to Him, tell Him that I am struggling, that I am worried, that I am concerned, that I am uncomfortable.  I can talk with Him....and He can comfort me.  He can remind me that I am not the one in control.  He can remind me that I must rely on Him for everything from the breath in my lungs to the care of my loved ones.  And while I may never understand why these things are happening, I can trust that He has a plan; I can trust Him.  And that is what I choose to do. 

It isn't an easy choice, and some days it can be the hardest thing in the world to do.  But I KNOW that it is the right choice.  I know that His heart breaks with mine to see my loved ones struggle and hurt.  I know that while He desires a happy ending as much as I do, He loves us to much to force us into submission.  I trust that He continues to organize situations to help us find the good path, His path and that like a GPS, He can recalibrate when we go off course.  So I choose to trust in the One who CAN do something.

So maybe there is a picture in this for us, for me.  A reminder that we (I) do not walk this path alone and that it is absolutely okay to be weak, because He truly is strong enough for us to lean on!

In THIS is love...

 

It was an errand day for us.  That means several stops and more time in the car than we usually spend on any given day.  So my grand-daughter and my 7 year old were buckled in the back seat and my teen was in the navigator position for the trip.  Every time we came to a stoplight the 20 month old grand-daughter yelled out, "GO!  GO! GO NOW!" and the 7 year old began to giggle.  What in the world?

As we exited the interstate and came to the light I watched it turn yellow with one car ahead of me.  The baby was grouchy and hungry by this time and the 7 year old needed a bathroom break and we were SOOO close to our destination.... until the car in front hit their breaks and chose to stop for the yellow light rather than proceed through.  "Seriously?!  Go!" I called out.  And a light bulb went off!

Oh my gosh!  It was me, my grand-daughter was imitating me, and my daughter not only recognized it but thought it was funny.  What kind of example was I setting?  This certainly wasn't behavior I wanted them displaying, nor was it behavior I wanted to be displaying.  It wasn't love.

1 John 4 tells us that we ought to love one another.  Sounds like a wonderful suggestion doesn't it?  One we should all strive to follow.  But when you read this in context, it becomes so much more than a suggestion....

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ~1 John 4:7

First John makes a point of reminding us where love comes from-God.  It is impossible to truly love without first knowing and surrendering to Him.  The love that is talked about in this verse is the same love that God feels for Jesus and that Jesus feels for us.  It is the love that caused Jesus to sacrifice Himself to pay for all of our wrongs.  It is a full, all-consuming complete love.  

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ~1 John 4:8

Love is a symptom of knowing God.  If someone doesn't love, John says he doesn't know God.  Cut and dry, can't put it any plainer than that.  Now before you start questioning your relationship with God, remember that we all fall short.  It doesn't say, "anyone who does not love EVERYONE doesn't know God," or "anyone who does not love ALL THE TIME does not know God."  We are still being perfected.  But if you find that you are less loving and more grumpy, hateful, and unloving then maybe you should take a few minutes and re-evaluate your relationship with Him.  

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ~1 John 4:9

 God sets the example for us in what love really is - a willingness to sacrifice self for someone else.   He doesn't ask us to do more than He has done already.  And for most of us, He won't even ask for that much.  Few are ever called to sacrifice their own life for another.  We are more likely to be asked to sacrifice some personal time (like waiting at a yellow light rather than pushing on through!), perhaps some money (and what would it hurt to make a cup of coffee at home rather than stop at Starbucks this week so that we can give a little more), or maybe to open our eyes a little wider so that we recognize the opportunities to love those around us.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ~1 John 4:10

See what I mean about God setting the example for us?

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ~1 John 4:11

This is a statement of both trust and truth.  If God loves us enough to send Jesus to die as propitiation for all we have done wrong (and He did - Jesus' life and His death are historical facts) then we ought to love one another.  Do you trust that Jesus' purpose in His life and death was an atoning sacrifice (that is what propitiation means)?  If you do, then the truth of the matter is that you ought to love one another.  Kind of changes they way you view that word, ought, doesn't it?

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. ~1 John 4:12

 Here is where it gets real.  We can't see God, no one ever has, but we can show Him to others through our actions.  We can love one another for Him.  And over time we display more and more godly, true love and less of the shadow of love that the world is accustomed to.  Not only will this help us personally to see Him in our own lives, but it helps others to see Him as well.  And isn't that what we want, to see and feel Him in our own lives and to share Him with others?

All I can say is that I have a way to go in having God's love perfected in me, but fortunately I have a patient Father who is carefully shaping and molding me.  He isn't done with me yet, and He isn't done with you either.  So keep pressing forward to the goal (Philippians 3:14) and start loving one another in both word and deed.  You never know who is watching, but I know the message I want them to see:  Jesus loves you!  How about you?

An interesting side note - the word love appears in 1 John twenty-three (23) times.  Only two other books of the Bible talk about love this much and they are Psalms (which was written to focus our thoughts on praise and adoration towards God) and Song of Solomon (which is about love-Solomon for his wife and God's love for us). 

Here I am...

Have you ever played Marco Polo?  My children love to play it while we are at the pool every year (even the teenagers!).  It is a simple game in which one person closes their eyes -the seeker- while everyone else scatters.  After the seeker waits a set period of time he/she begins looking for everyone else while keeping his/her eyes closed.  Every so often the seeker can call out, "Marco."  At that time everyone else must respond, "Polo."  There are no rules as to how loud you have to respond, only that you DO respond.  The game continues until the seeker locates someone, and that person becomes the new seeker.  Admittedly this has lead to some funny family stories when the seeker, in their self-induced blindness, mistakenly grabs other people at the pool that aren't playing.

Sometimes I wonder if God ever feels like He is playing a game of Marco Polo.  Now, I know He isn't blindfolded, that He sees all of us, (after all El Roi, the name that Hagar gave God, means "the God who sees me") and we can't exactly hide from Him.  (Genesis 16:13, Jeremiah 23:24)  I wonder though, how many of us whisper, "Here I am" as quietly as possible when we hear Him call us for fear that He will require more of us than we are willing to give.

The Bible has several stories of individuals that stepped up and responded, "Here I am," when they heard His voice.  Abraham in Genesis 22 when God called upon him to sacrifice his only son, the son God had promised to give him for years; the son that God had declared would carry His blessing to the world.  Abraham didn't questions, didn't whisper his response.  He didn't hide.  Instead he listened to God's voice, did as he was directed, and as a result we have all been blessed as a result.

Jacob was a man who stole his brother's birthright and blessing.  He was forced to leave his home for fear of his brother's retaliation.  And yet, God still saw him.  God watched as he served another for many years after being tricked into marrying a woman he didn't love.  He served faithfully and honestly and as a result, God called to him....and Jacob answered, "Here I am." (Genesis 31:11)  God used Jacob to father a nation that would be set apart for Him. 

Raised as an Egyptian prince, Moses had been sheltered from the horrible life that most Jews had been forced to lead.  When he discovered his heritage, he jumped to defend one of his own and ended up murdering an Egyptian soldier.  His people turned their back on him and Moses fled in fear.  Years later, God called this speech impaired outsider to return to Egypt, confront the pharaoh, and demand the release of His people.  Moses response?  "Here I am."  Not only were the Israelites freed, but they were led to the promised land.

A young boy who had been greatly desired by his mother was raised to serve in the temple, his name was Samuel.  During his training he heard a strange voice call his name in the night.  After he repeatedly went to his master, Eli, upon being summoned only to be told he had not been summoned it dawned upon Eli what was happening:  God was calling to Samuel.  Once the call was recognized, Samuel replied, "Here I am," and went on to turn the nation back to the one, true God.  (Samuel 4)

I could go on and on with examples from the Bible, but I want to assure you that God's call didn't stop at Revelation 22:21.  He still calls out to us today - each of us.  Your task may not have a world wide effect, but remember that none of those I have shared with you knew the result of their acceptance when they accepted His call.  Neither will we.  What we do know is that God's plan is best.  (Psalm 147:5, Proverbs 19:24, and of course Jeremiah 29:11)  And if we believe that, then we shouldn't be the ones hiding and whispering, "Polo," when He calls.  Instead we should be standing up and loudly proclaiming, "Here I am!" 

What are the things that are keeping you from answering, "here I am," when you hear God calling you?  Share them in the comments and Stacie and I will pray for God's strength for each and every one of you.

Sing a New Song...

Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has performed wonders...

Psalm 98:1

I grew up in the 80's listening to power ballads as I skated around the local roller rink pining over "that" boy.  One of my favorites was Broken Wings by Mr. Mister.  I belted the lyrics at the top of my voice while the disco lights illuminated all of the couple skaters.  

Fast forward 20+ years to my house and a vaguely familiar tune coming from my teen son's room.  I couldn't quite place it because, although the lyrics sounded familiar, the music was all wrong.  Imagine my surprise when my son informed me that the song was Broken Wings!  It seems that another band had remade the song and rather than  a power ballad, it now had a rock/metal feel to it.  I found it funny that while my son would never listen to my "oldies", he was rocking out to this song.

The words hadn't changed, the meaning hadn't changed, but the tune had; it was now a new song.  Honestly, that was the last I thought about it for some time.  It wasn't the last time that I found my children listening to a familiar song with a new twist.  It wasn't until I sat down one day, in the middle of a rut, that God brought it back to me.

You see, God doesn't change. (Malachi 3:6)  His word doesn't change. (Revelation 22:18-19, Isaiah 40:8) His character doesn't change (James 1:17).  But sometimes, just sometimes, our tune needs to change, we need to sing a new song to the Lord.

Sometimes we need a change of tune to shake things up, to open our eyes and help us to refocus on the beauty of our Father.  I had gotten so used to doing the same thing every day: wake up, drink coffee, open my Bible and read, school the kids, take care of the baby, fix lunch, do the household chores, fix dinner, clean up, tuck the little kids in bed, spend time with the hubby, go to bed and start again the next day.  It was the same old song over and over and over again and I lost the beauty, the truth, the excitement of the lyrics.  I had allowed myself to let my song, my unique calling from God, my joy in serving, to fade into the background.  

Psalm 91:1 reminds us that He has performed wonders in our world.  Many of them in our lives and just for us.  And yet they slip into obscurity as we go about our daily living.  I found that I had stopped looking for them, recognizing them.  THIS is why we are told to sing a new song.  The words don't have to change, our calling may stay the same and we may spend the rest of our lives doing exactly what we are doing now.   But change the tune, just a little bit, open ourselves up to really SEE what is going on around us, and what had been ho-hum becomes new and invigorating again!

How do we change the tune?  Find our new song?  First, ask God to renew you.  Get in His word and pray for Him to speak to your heart, to encourage you.  Second, open your eyes and really look for the wonders He is doing around you.  It can be as simple as recognizing the gift of a parking space close to the door in a downpour, or the beautiful sunset outside your window.  When you see one, stop and thank Him.  And third, look for opportunities to give back.  He has placed you where you are for a purpose.  In your church, in your neighborhood, in your job, you have been placed there to glorify God.  Are you looking for ways to do that?  

Do these things and your song will change.  Your life will change, even if nothing you do in your life changes. Are you ready to find your new song? 

Sometimes you have to dig...

If you have known me for any length of time, you know that some of my favorite verses are about controlling my tongue.  My father was a sailor and had the mouth to match.  I grew up on naval military bases, which translates to a lot of sailor's children.  I can remember being in 5th grade on the playground with some of my friends who endeavored to "teach" me the proper way to swear.  Having come to know Jesus much later in life, overcoming my mouth has been an ongoing task. 

Recently I was studying Psalm 19.  Last year, Psalm 19:14 was my verse: Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.  I said a prayer before studying for the Spirit to speak to me as I read and I totally expected another message on my mouth.  But God is good and gives us what we need.

But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. ~Psalm 19:12-13

 You see, life has been throwing some pretty big curve balls at me.  And some of those curve balls revealed some long buried forgiveness issues.  Issues that I thought had been dealt with and that I had moved on from.  The Spirit, however, made sure to show me that I was mistaken, which caused me to examine myself and start addressing my heart condition....again.

Now I am not saying that every one of you reading this has some hidden sin buried way down deep.  But I do want you to ask yourself, when is the last time you asked God to reveal any hidden faults to you?  Honestly, it isn't something that I often do.  It hurts.  It reveals an ugliness that I would rather not see.  It reminds me that I still have a lot of areas that God needs to reform in my life.  But if we don't take the time to examine ourselves, we miss the blessing of blamelessness.

Noah was blameless (Genesis 6:9) in the midst of a world that had turned against God.  That doesn't mean he lived a perfect life, only that he made every effort to follow God.  David, who wrote this particular Psalm, was a favorite of God.  That is astonishing when you remember that he committed adultery and murder.  God isn't asking for perfection.  Instead, He requires us to be honest, both with ourselves and with Him, so that we can be shaped, molded and perfected.  This is why we must address our hidden faults, and doing so leads to living a blameless life innocent of great transgressions.  And that is what I want, even if it means facing the buried ugliness in my heart.   Sometimes, you just have to dig....

Are you living the Dollar Store life?

I ran in a dollar store to pick up a few items for my daughter's scout troop meeting, my 7-year-old in tow.  I don't know if you have ever taken a child who has money in her pocket into the Dollar Tree before, but just let me tell you THAT it is an experience! 

The toy aisle was unavoidable.  It might as well have had bright, flashing neon arrows above it with the Pied Piper playing his tune within it.  My children have always been drawn by the lure of inexpensive play things that they could purchase for themselves.  I, however, despise that aisle.  All I could see was what lay ahead - broken toys, pieces that didn't quite go together correctly, and ultimately tears and disappointment.  I try to avoid bringing my children to that tempting aisle of dismay.

And yet, how often do we choose the metaphorical dollar store toy?   Our world is full of these tempting opportunities to satisfy ourselves with the quick thing that appears to bring pleasure and costs us the least amount of effort.  But the truth is, things that last - things of value - are rarely the things that cost us little. 

Think about it, Satan offered Jesus the world, literally.  (Matthew 4:8-9) And in a sense, that is what Jesus came for.  Accepting the offer meant He didn't have to face the cross and the excruciating pain it would entail.  Not only physical pain, but the pain of separation from His Father as well.  And it was Satan's to give.  (2 Corinthians 4:4)  But Jesus declines, choosing the hard path, the one that led to His ultimate victory, and ours.  Jesus turned down the dollar store toy.

And like a good parent, God's desire is that we avoid those tempting, inexpensive choices as well.  The choice to tell a little white lie rather than face the consequences of our actions.  The choice to sacrifice time with our family in order to have a larger bank account than we truly need.  The choice to turn a blind eye to our neighbor in need rather than give of ourselves to help him or her.  The choice to sleep in on Sunday morning because we are tired rather than join with our brothers and sisters to worship our Creator.  And so many more choices that appear to do little harm, that cost us (seemingly) nothing. That appear to do no harm, while bringing immediate pleasure or relief.

And like many dollar store toys, our choice is pleasurable...for a time.  Inevitably, though, what we thought was going to be an inexpensive joy becomes a lackluster, disappointing or even painful experience.  Trust that your Father knows what is best, (Jeremiah 29:11)  listen to His counsel, (Psalm 32:8) and let Him lead. (Proverbs 3:5-6)  I promise His reward is better than you can imagine!

Are You Anchored?

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard,

so that we do not drift away.  ~Hebrews 2:1

 Some day it is easier than others to have faith.  Some days everything is coming up roses, you get all the green lights, and you get an unexpected check in the mail.  Others, it's a little harder.  You find out that doctors still haven't found an answer to a medical problem, discover that you need to replace a porch due to rotting support beams and the money isn't in the budget, and due to circumstances beyond your control your grand-daughter is coming to live with you while her mother deals with an addiction.  Those days it can be hard to hold on to faith and trust God is in control.

And then God prompts you to resume your chronological Bible study and you just happen to read Hebrews 2:1.  I love that we serve such a personal God; one that reaches out and reminds you that you are not alone.  You see, the Hebrews were wavering in their faith, wondering if their choice to follow Jesus was the right one.  And then God crafted a letter to them to encourage them, to strengthen them.

The author of Hebrews (possibly Paul) spent all of chapter 1 remind us who Jesus is - the heir of all things, the creator of the world, the radience of God's glory, the exact imprint of God's nature, the upholder of the universe, superior to angels, God's Son, God's firstborn who sits at His right hand.  What a mighty God we serve!  Yet we still forget.  

We let the drudgery of this life overshadow the Truth.  We let our momentary hardships rule our thoughts rather than the knowledge that the battle has already been won.  We forget the love Jesus has for us, the sacrifice He made for us.  And instead we focus on the lie of the world - we are unloved, we are unwanted, we are alone.

When we forget the truth of Jesus it causes us to drift away, we are in effect cutting our anchor, setting ourselves adrift to be tossed about by the world.  This leads to wavering, a loss of faith, and a divided loyalty.  That leads to destruction.  

And this, my friends, is why we are called to encourage each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11), to gather together with fellow believers (Hebrews 10:24-25), to spend time with Jesus (Matthew 12:30) and to renew our mind daily (Romans 12:2).  Doing these things cause us to pay careful attention to the works of, and our relationship with, Jesus.  And when we are focused on Him, we can't drift away into confusion and despair.

What verse(s) brings you the most comfort when you find yourself wavering?

Abba, I thank you for the wisdom and forethought of including encouragement for every aspect of our lives in Your word.  I ask that you forgive me for my waverings, for weakening my bond to You, my anchor.  Help me to pay careful attention to Your word in the future so that I may stand strong.  Amen.

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

Quiet Time

Photographer: Katie Tegtmeyer,  Creative Commons 2.0 license

It is ironic that at this moment while I am attempting to write about the importance of quiet time with God, my 18-month-old granddaughter is having a fit because she can not exercise her newly acquired skill of climbing on chairs all by herself to reach the dining room table.  At the same time, my 7-year-old is serenading the entire house at the top of her lungs from her room.  While my teenager calmly slips her headphones over her ears and sinks into a music-induced coma.....sigh.  Some days quiet time is a bit hard to come by.

We all have "noise" in our lives.  Some may have children underfoot, while others have the chatter of co-workers.  You may encounter days where you are frazzled and hang from a string rather than a rope, but it is those days, especially, that it is all the more necessary to find some quiet time with God.

You see, quiet time equips us to face those moments of stress that life seems to throw at us.  It allows us to reconnect with our Creator, to renew our minds (Ephesians 4:23) and ensures that our will lines up with His (Psalm 143:10).  Quiet time is the sip of thirst quenching water given to a parched soul. (Revelation 21:6)  And yet so many of us (yep, me too at times!)are content to squeeze time with God into our lives, rather than make quiet time a priority. 

Today I challenge you to change this.  Stop trying to fit Him in, and instead, put Him at the center and fit everything else in.  We have a limited lifespan and every moment counts.  It may mean that you lose an hour of sleep as you get up earlier to start your day with God rather than rushing out the door.  It could mean that you schedule an appointment with Him on your calendar daily and don't break it.  Perhaps it means you set aside a place in your home just to meet with Him.  However, you chose to make time with God a priority the important thing is that you just do it.  And when you do, the rest will fall into place. 

For those of you that benefit from visual demonstrations, here is a short object lesson that illustrates the point:

How do you find quiet time with God?


* originally published on Coffee with Christ

Life lessons from a bulb of garlic

A few years ago my father gave me several cloves of garlic from his garden to plant in mine.  I am not one of those people that are able to plant a lush vegetable garden with success.  Honestly, I am pleased when I can gather a few heads of oddly formed broccoli, my tomato plants produce enough to make a few pots of spaghetti sauce, and my lettuce is in good enough shape to make it to my salad bowl.  I am sure my little garden looks pitiful to the experienced gardener.

That being said I was excited at the prospect of growing some garlic.  It is one of my favorite seasonings and I add it to almost everything I cook.  I placed those little bulbs in the garden and watched as they sent up their green stalks.  I came across some green onions and planted those as well.  Before long I was happily clipping shoots of both and adding them to my cooking.  My garlic sent up a thick stalk (which I later found out is called a scape) and eventually flowered.

Autumn arrived and I eagerly began digging in search of the perfect garlic bulbs that had grown and matured underground.  Only they weren't there.  I had roots, but not tasty bulbs.  So I hit the internet and made an interesting discovery. 

When left to its own devices, a garlic plant will put much of its energy into the production of the flower.  While this yields a beautiful flower to look at, it causes the bulb to be stunted.  And I wondered, how many of us are focused on the flower when we should be focused on the bulb.

Admittedly we (or, at least, I) long to feel beautiful, to be "seen" by others around us, to stand out.  We want to be THE flower in the garden.  As a result, we may spend our energy on the things that get us noticed:  organizing the church picnic, singing in the choir, teaching children's church, proclaiming our love for Jesus everywhere we go LOUDLY.  We long to serve.....and be recognized for that service.  And honestly, if done for the right reasons there is nothing wrong with serving in those highly visible positions.  There is nothing wrong with declaring our love for our Savior. But sometimes you have to stop and ask yourself if you are diverting energy that should be spent growing those parts that are unseen. 

You may be the very best Sunday School teacher the church has ever had, but if you are devoting everything to creating the perfect lesson and neglecting your own studies and relationship with God then perhaps you need to reevaluate.  You might have a long list of people that have chosen to give their life to God as a result of your actions in public.  But if your actions behind closed doors are less desirable or holy, maybe you need to reconsider what you focus on. 

I am not saying that you can't, or shouldn't, make the effort to be a beautiful flower.  What I am saying is that, perhaps, we need to be watchful that those efforts aren't costing us a huge price.  We are called to grow. (1 Peter 2:2, 2 Peter 3:18)  A flower blooms and is appreciated for a short time, but the part that remains unseen matures and is the true harvest.

Now if anyone builds on the foundation (of Jesus) with gold, silver, 

precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become 

manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be 

revealed by fire, and the fire will test what 

sort of work each one has done.  

~1 Corinthians 3:12-13

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

Rise

Alyssa Miller, photographer.  Some rights reserved

I had had it!  I was done being mom.  I didn't want to be the one that was the grown up anymore.  I was tired of saying the same thing over and over and over again, of feeling like no one was listening.  I lost it - and rather than respond as I would want to be responded to when my 7 year old came up to ask a question that I had just answered.  Yes, the 18 month old was screaming at the top of her lungs at the same time, and yes, my teenager had his headphones on so he was completely oblivious to everything as I tried to balance the phone on my shoulder as I pulled dinner out of the oven.  And yes, I was exhausted.  But that doesn't excuse the tone or volume that I chose to use when I responded to my daughter, and I knew that I had crushed her when her normally cheerful face fell and the tears began to form in her eyes.  In that moment I knew that I had failed.

We all have moments like this.  Yours may have occurred with a co-worker who just doesn't seem to have the same work ethic you do.  Or it may have been with your spouse who can't seem to get their dirty clothes IN the laundry hamper.  Or the neighbor that insists on turning the music up too loud, again.  Face it, we live in a world that is full of people that don't always recognize how their actions affect others.    A world that doesn't stop because we are having a bad day. And we make the wrong choice....

It isn't something unique to us.  Jesus was facing the most difficult, and agonizing time of His life.  He knew it was coming and sought His Father's counsel.  Like us, He didn't want to face the hardship alone so He asked his friends to go with Him, to pray with Him.  They went, they sat near Him, they began praying....and as the night went on and their bodies got tired, they made a choice - they went to sleep.  Not just once, but three times!  And it was a direct, face to face Jesus request!  I can only imagine how they felt when they recognized how disappointed Jesus was at the way they had let Him down. 

If they were anything like me they felt like failures.  After all, it isn't that hard to (fill in the blank), and I messed it up.....again.  And yet, the Bible doesn't say that Jesus condemned them.  Instead, He recognized that, "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak". (Matthew 26:41)  I have to say that I am ever so thankful that God looks at our heart rather than our outward appearances (including our actions sometimes).  Now, don't get me wrong.  I am not saying that there isn't a need to make the effort to do what is right.  Quite the contrary, as there are numerous verses that tell us to make every effort to choose what is right. (Psalm 1:1, Ephesians 5:11, Ephesians 4:26 to name a few)

But when we mess up, what do we do?  Jesus says, "Rise, let us be going".  (Matthew 26:46)  Don't wallow in what has been done wrong.  Go to the person you have wronged and ask forgiveness.  (Matthew 5:23)  Talk to God about it and ask His forgiveness. (1 John 1:9)  And then rise, and leave it behind.  Once we have confessed, God doesn't see the sin any more. (Psalm 103:12) 

You still have to deal with the consequences here though.  Don't think that a confession of wrong doing makes everything better.  I will never be able to remove the pain I inflicted when I chose to react out of frustration rather than love with my daughter.  But I can show her that we all make mistakes.  I can show her how to handle them in a Godly manner.  And I can show her how to move past them. 

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

Regrets

 I had a few free moments and was scanning my Facebook feed when this video popped up:



And it really made me stop and think...we all have at least one regret in our life.  One thing we wish we had done, or had done sooner, that might have changed the whole course of our life.  Or that thing that we did that we wish we hadn't, that we bury in a deep dark place and pray no one ever finds out.

For years I had a long list of the latter.  Choices I made with high school boyfriends, choices I made to fit in with my group of friends, choices I made in what I worshiped.  When I finally made the choice to become a follower of Jesus I was ashamed of them, especially since my first church was full of older people that seemed to have been living the "right" life all of their life. (I am sure that they didn't see it that way and that this was more due to my perception than reality!) So I put on the "good girl" mask, jumped in to a servant position in the church and tried to earn that "right life" feeling.  I wanted to be "good enough" for God.

Unfortunately, I never accomplished it.  You see, we can't be "good enough" for Him.  The Bible says that ALL fall short of the glory of God, ALL have sinned.  (Romans 3:23)  That little 3 letter word includes you.....and me.  Even if you have been a Christian all your life.  And for a long time that verse was really difficult for me.  I wanted to be a perfect reflection of Jesus to the world, and instead my mirror was cracked and stained, and even missing pieces in some places.

The good news is that God extends grace to us, unmerited favor.  You don't earn it, you can't earn it, but He gives it to us anyway.  And His grace is enough.  His strength is made perfect in weakness, our weakness.  (2 Corinthians 12:9)  Now, that isn't to say we have a free license to run out and intentionally give Him opportunities to display His strength because we selfishly want to wallow in our weaknesses.  But when we go to Him and lay our weaknesses at His feet, He can turn them around.  He can use them for good.  (Romans 8:28)

And as for our past, when we give it to God, when we stop hiding it in those deep dark places and pull it out into the light, He isn't going to shake His head in disappointment and turn His back on us.  Instead our God says this:

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

~Psalm 103:10-13 

 Those past regrets, He has already erased them from the blackboard.  Isn't it about time that you did too?  No, you may never be a perfect, sinless reflection of Jesus.  But you can let go of the past and look to the present.  How can you reach out to those around you that are still struggling with their regrets?  What can you do to show them that they are loved and valued just as they are?  So many are hurting, won't you share the all encompassing love of Jesus with someone this Valentine's day?

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

Praying for the "O" word

Obedience isn't something we usually talk about, unless referring to children or pets.  It seems to be cast into that "no longer necessary" pile once we cross that invisible line between childhood and adulthood.  Sure, we might "listen" to our boss, or "follow" instructions....but obey someone?  Nope.  I'm a grown up now and I don't have to!

We are dropping the word from marriage vows (remember when we promised to love, honor and obey?), dropping it from our parenting responsibilities (how many children have you seen in the store deliberately disobeying their parent(s)?) and even dropping it from our relationship with God.  The "O" word is becoming one of those dirty little words that nobody wants to talk about, much less do.

Why is obedience so important?  Without a chain of command there is chaos. The parent, who is supposed to be in authority, places their child in a position of uncertainty and even danger by not expecting obedience from the child.  An employee that refuses to obey the employer does nothing to strengthen the business, rather their actions bring harm to the whole.  And a servant of Christ that doesn't obey Him demonstrates his or her lack of love for Him.  Don't believe me?  Read John 14:15.

It goes against our flesh nature to put ourselves under the authority of another.  It is the aspect of ourselves that Satan has exploited since the garden when he enticed Eve to disobey God. (Genesis 3:1-4)  And yet obedience is one of the ways God tells us demonstrate our love for Him (John 14:15).  The Bible is full of stories revolving around obedience and disobedience.  (Jonah, Samuel, Saul (both Old and New Testament))  Paul instructed Titus to, "Remind (the people of Crete) to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work..." (Titus 3:1)  Obedience is an important aspect of a real, true relationship with Christ.

I encourage you to take the time to study God's word.  It is impossible to obey if you don't know the instructions.  Ask God to reveal the area of your life that you most need to submit to His authority.  Then pray for the Spirit to guide you in your obedience.  I promise you that He has your best interest at heart and while it may at times be hard to deny yourself the reward will be worth it once all is said and done.*originally published on Coffee with Christ

The Good Shepherd

 

I am not a country girl.  My father was a Navy man and I spent my younger years moving from city to city, always near an east coast port, and never anywhere near the country.  I never saw animals roaming in a field and the closest I have ever come to seeing a shepherd lead was during an exhibition at Bob Evans Farms.  To say that the comparison of God to a shepherd was lost on me is an understatement.  And yet David gave the name Jehovah Rohi to Him (Psalm 23), Isaiah tells us that the Jesus will care for us like shepherd (Isaiah 40:11), and even Jesus gives Himself the title of shepherd (John 10:11).  So what's so great about a shepherd?

In the first century, it wasn't.  Plain and simple -to be a shepherd was the lowest of the low.  They spent their lives in the fields with the sole purpose of tending their flocks.  They spent their days in the dirt, hot and sweaty and their nights either sleeping in the field or in a tent.  Their testimony was not admissible in a court, Pharisees considered them unclean, and they were often thought to be thieves (even if there was no proof).  Seriously?  Jesus called Himself one of these?

And then you delve a little deeper....and you see the beauty in the title.  A shepherd devoted his life to his flock.  He didn't abandon them, he never left them, he was there from the moment a lamb was conceived until their death.  He ate with his herd.  He slept among his heard.  He protected his herd.   Isn't that just like our God?  To take as His name what so many look down upon and turn it around and show the beauty in it?

You see, Jesus isn't about the crown.  He never set Himself up as better than anyone else.  Instead he devoted His ministry on earth to reaching out to those who needed Him most - the broken, the lost, the sinners, the lowest of the low.  He emphasized that they way to greatness was to live as the least.  (Luke 9:48,  Matthew 23:11)  His entire ministry was about service to others.  Isn't that what a shepherd does?  Serve his flock?

When we begin to understand the love and sacrifice involved in the title of Good Shepherd we lose the cute and cuddly image of a young boy standing in the field with a staff watching a peaceful flock of sheep.  Instead we see the scratched, bleeding man standing between the lion that seeks to devour his beloved flock and us.  We see the strength needed to put the needs of others, the safety of others, before His own.  We better understand the man on his knees in Gethsemene beseeching his Father to reveal another way to accomplish the task of salvation and then humbling submitting.  (Luke 22:41-44)  The One who stands before our enemy to protect us is the same that comforts, guides and loves us.  The Good Shepherd is a strong warrior with a gentle heart.  He is the one unwilling to let even one perish without every effort.(Matthew 18:12)

Am I a sheep?  You bet I am!  I seek to know His voice and I will follow Him where he leads, trusting Him all the way.  How about you?

*originally published on Coffee with Christ