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Posted on March 7, 2019

I was sitting outside one beautiful Sunday afternoon about two years ago. It was that type of day that kept tugging at me to linger instead of returning inside to start dinner. My Bible was my companion, along with the sunshine and birds, as I relished the early spring weather.

Upon completing my homework for the week, I turned to the Psalms. I was reading Psalm 25:14 and just had to stop and ponder. Read it with me, and see if you’re as awestruck by it as I was.

Psalm 25:14 New International Version (NIV)

14 The Lord confides in those who fear him;
    he makes his covenant known to them.

The Lord confides. Wow. How had I overlooked this all these years? The verse below it is all marked up in my Bible, but this particular verse had not impressed me. I just love how God reveals to us new truth every time we read his word!

Other Bible translations have different words for “confides.” The ESV speaks of friendship. The NKJV offers us his secret. But I like to read that God confides in those who fear him. It’s a reverent fear that fully understands his complete holiness yet rests in that same power. As we fear him, we are privileged to hear him.

Our scripture reading for today is Psalm 25:8-15. This selection is a lovely passage for Lent. We lean into the attributes of God, and we see our response. In this spring, this season of renewal, ask the Lord to open your eyes to his gift of his presence as you read below.

Psalm 25:8-15 New International Version (NIV)

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
    and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
    forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
    He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.[a]
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
    and their descendants will inherit the land.
14 The Lord confides in those who fear him;
    he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,
    for only he will release my feet from the snare.

What touched your heart as you read this with fresh eyes? Did you see anything new today, or did the Lord reveal a concealed area of sin you need to ask him to forgive? Verse 15 was the portion that struck me this morning. We tend to look at our problems and the snares. God directs our attention to him, not our traps. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus who conquered the grave and covered our sin with his blood. He is our victory. Only he can free us from the snare of sin.

It may take some practice to listen to God instead of just saying what we think he needs to hear. But I don’t want to miss out on his secret confidences. Do you?

I was seeking a devotional for Lent last week, and nothing caught my eye. This year I will write my own, and you can join me as we relentlessly pursue the Lord during Lent.

Lent may bring to mind a fantastic fish fry or giving up a favorite snack. I obviously did not get the point of Lent when I gave up candy bars as a kid and enjoyed a Reese’s Cup. They are round, not bars, so they not off limits, right?

A few years ago I was struck by Samuel’s words to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22. Instead of giving up something, maybe I needed to add more praise and obedience in my day. Which brings me to today’s thoughts. “Lent” comes from the Old English word “lencten,” meaning spring.

Spring. Ahhhh. Flowers. Buds. Rebirth. Re-energized. No heavy burdens of coats. Sneezes. Watery, itchy eyes. Spring! I love this word for a season of the church where we intentionally revitalize our relationship with the Lord. We know that he is never far from us. Our hearts are prone to wander, not his!

Early Spring. Our life in Jesus withstands the unsuspected, making our story more beautiful than what we would write.

Looking up “Lent” in various internet searches, we often find the words reflection and self examination. For the next 40 days we are going to read scripture that brings us closer to the Lord, relentless pursuing reflection, repentance, and a renewed call to live in his love.

We start our Lenten reflection with a psalm of praise. Speak these words aloud with a sacrifice of praise to almighty God, and let his power renew your day. Amen.

Psalm 95:1-7 ESV

LET US SING SONGS OF PRAISE

95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.

Awaiting the Already - 3 and 4

Rejoice, it's Christmas! Our King has been born!

I love Christmas music. It just makes me happy. The new songs that praise the king and focus on Jesus, each with a different focus or melodious creation, force me to keep my eyes on Emmanuel.

Week 3 had us look at the songs of the nativity story. Luke records many. We discussed the fear of the shepherds, the faith of Mary and Zechariah even though they both questioned and received different responses. We pondered the shepherds and why they were chosen to receive the splendid serenade. They were humble and lowly. They were also out in the fields. They didn't have other distractions. Maybe we need to be available, humble and attentive to receive the splendor?

Which song resonates with you?

Week 4 brought us to John's illuminating words that mirror Genesis. Jesus is light. Period. He is here for a broken world, filled with hurting people. He is enough. In the festive season many of us feel left out because there isn't much to celebrate - family issues, illness, financial struggles, job loss.  As Christians we are called share the light of Christ with others. We are to tell the world about the redeemer who understands, comforts, loves and forgives. The one who spoke the cosmos into being is  here, for each of us because he loves us and wants to take us home.

Does the call to be light have the proper place in our lives? How do we share this with a hurting world that looks to worldly solutions?  Choose one or two Christmas songs that will be played throughout the year because of their message that speaks to you and keeps you focused on living for him.

May Christmas be a blessed day, celebrating the awesome glory and goodness of the triune God. May we sing his praises and listen for his song that calls us to be light with our families and neighbors.

Communion - more depth

Hi, ladies.  I ran across this article this morning and had to share! It's not really related to the overall study, but certainly adds an element to the communion discourse in lesson one.

http://gentlereformation.com/2016/12/03/he-didnt-choose-the-lamb/

In summary for this week, let's go forward each day with two goals -

• Look at people, really look at them, and love them in tangible ways
• Respond to God in faith like Joseph instead of Herod

Ok, I'm adding a third.  Enjoy the Christmas season preparing to be a vessel, and with that as your goal, enjoy the season as it works for you.

So glad we are doing this study together!

Here's a song that relates to this week's lesson.  I first heard it one night when it was God's perfect timing.  May it bless your heart, or be the perfect song to share with someone who needs the message of his love and hope, not the twinkling lights and shopping lists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTHE9c9qXV0

Steven Curtis Chapman - Christmas Card

Awaiting the Already - week 1

I've got my coffee and my cough.  Yuck. I may just sip Dayquil and Delsym all day.  I'll be on Governor's Parkway a few times, so you may want to avoid it.  Do you have a beverage and your book?

Awaiting the Already, although a light read, is definitely filled with great information that encourages us to explore how we view Advent. Four of us gathered on Monday to discuss it. So let's start!

P. 16 starts with bullet points about our hurried and impatient lives. The gospel of Mark doesn't mention the baby; Mark starts with John the Baptist. Don't you love learning about the different words used for our English words? Prepare.

We see two words for prepare - prepare something to be used. (p.18)  We are to make ourselves "ready to be the vessel through which God's love can enter into humanity."  And we are to prepare in anticipation for a big event.  P. 19 summarizes these  - change our lives and hearts to be ready for Jesus, and have a willingness to suffer fir hum and have a hope for the future. 

We hadn't thought about Advent in that way.  It has been a time to consider the power and majesty of God's love and crazy redemption plan, but certainly not this type of preparation. Mark then moves in to Communion. The words he uses are powerful. It's not an act of just remembering, but an act of almost feeling like we are there with Jesus at that last supper. It's a reminder to vividly recall that moment, but to also live in the blessed hope of his return.  He links advent, communion and baptism on p. 23.

Mark then gets to walking straight.  We all enjoyed this part and agreed that we cannot walk straight, and we hope we're never pulled over for DUI suspicion because we will fail.  Epic fails.  No backwards ABCs or walking straight lines.  But it's ok - we are self-controlled and don't have to worry about that! (see Corinthians lesson 5, day 5)  We are to keep our eyes on Jesus because we are prone to wander and cannot walk straight without our eyes on him.

We are to be double prepared.  Wow. We often associate repentance and introspection with Lent, not Advent. "It means setting our hearts straight and asking God to reveal to us everything that is wayward in our lives."

Whoa. Stop the decorations and gift-buying lists.  It's time to pray and get our paths straight. 



What else did you see in this lesson on Mark's perspective of the coming of the Christ child?

• P. 28, question 2 on top - How do you need to slow down? What are items on your to-do list that might get in the way of spiritual preparations?
• question 2, bottom - What other things that communion and baptism do you remember with such clarity that you feel like you're there again?
• question 3 - what paths need to be made straight in your heart today?
• Here's a group question, in addition to those above.  Read p. 26 3rd full paragraph. 

"It means living a sacrificial and sacramental life, in which we become the very bread that Jesus takes, blesses, breaks and gives out for the world, so that we can become the very incarnation of the Incarnate One among us."

Read this a few times and really think about what it's saying.  What do is this saying to you? I think this is the whole of advent, and really, how we are to live every day. Being like Jesus, but not just for our own salvation, but for the world. How do we make this a reality this Advent season? Let's talk about this and use it as a prayer focus for the upcoming week.

Awaiting the Already, an Advent study

It's that time of year. Well, almost. Christmas movies. Christmas parties. Christmas cookies. Christmas music. Christmas lights.

And Christmas studies. It's a delightfully busy time of year, so they say. I've found that taking deliberate time away from the activities of Christmas and spending time focusing on the activity of Christmas makes the season even more special.

The activity. God coming to Earth as a baby to rescue us. God sending angels to deliver messages to us. God setting the star in the sky to proclaim his big move. That's activity! I want to savor the unimaginable gift of the season.

This year, in addition to my daily devotions, some friends and I will be walking through this new study, Awaiting the Already  by Magrey deVega. Here's the publisher's summary:

The Christmas story we know so well is really a compilation of accounts found in each of the Gospels. Although the four books present the event somewhat differently, each of them leads us on the Advent journey of preparation for Christ’s coming. Awaiting the Already takes us on a tour through the Gospel narratives, showing us what parts of the Christmas story come from which Gospel, and helps us to recognize that each Gospel writer invites us to encounter a fresh experience of the birth of Christ. This thematic Bible study is designed to be used by individuals and small groups during Advent. Each chapter offers questions for reflection and discussion, a brief prayer, and a focus for the week.

We are going to try something new this year - we will take this journey in person and online.  You are welcome at my house on Mondays  - Nov. 28, Dec. 5, 12 and 19 - at 9:30 for hot drinks and something delicious to eat.  If you can't make that, follow this blog for the weekly update and we'll discuss the lessons through the comments section. We can trade insights, answer the questions and share how God is speaking to us this season. Here are two links for you to order your book.

https://www.amazon.com/Awaiting-Already-Journey-Through-Gospels/dp/1501800892

https://www.christianbook.com/awaiting-already-advent-journey-through-gospels/magrey-devega/9781501800894/pd/800894

Thank you for your pioneer spirit in trying this online discussion group. Now go order your book and get back to Thanksgiving prep. Remember, cleaning, cooking, playing games and enjoying Thanksgiving are all part of living for the Lord. (day four of lesson 5 in the 1 Corinthians study)

Have a cheerful heart, friends, and keep your eye on the timers!

A season for everything

I had just walked in the door after a lovely coffee visit with a friend.  Kids and Bible talk, along with fabulous pastries on a lovely spring morning.  Just what I needed after a rough couple of days.  I dropped my bag in the kitchen and glanced outside and noticed our trees.

Trees.  The amazing color of what I call spring green.  You know, that fresh, bright green of leaves that are starting to burst forth with the sunshine and warmer days. I scanned the yard and was struck by the various stages of the trees.

My eyes were drawn to the river birch tree.  We had just picked up under it the other day, and it was still fairly naked.  But today it is suddenly alive with leaves! It's the tree to the left, behind the grasses that need to be cut. Look how full it is!


But just up the hill is a maple. The maple has yet to gather its spring glory. My glance then darted to the dogwood that is spectacular with its white flowers.  I was thinking how pretty it would have been to have the white dogwood, the flowering cherry tree and the red bud all in their peak at the same time.  What a vision that would have been!

The reality is different. I get to enjoy the dogwood today. The red buds were regal in their purple splendor for a few weeks. And my flowering cherry was a fleeting blast of pink before that.

So why did this capture my heart today? After all, they are common visions. Trees. Where we live. Where we drive. Where we play.

God used today's trees to remind me of his timing.  We bloom in his timing, not our own or the timing that someone else thinks we should have.

By God's wonderful grace we keep watering and nurturing those around us.  God has a wonderful plan for their lives, even though we wish we could see it in bloom now.  His timing. We keep feeding our mind and soul with the word of the Lord, for we don't know how much he is planning for us to grow and spread our love and teaching to others. His timing.

The flowerless cherry behind the redbud

The world is filled with plants that bloom at different times of the year and in different conditions, just as each of us has our time of blooming for the Lord.

Let us not forget that the buds and flowers aren't the end game - they are the beginning of a new season that will end with a time of quiet growth so that the trees can bloom again.

It's an incredible cycle that God has created. Let us pray for the humility to trust his timing, the obedience to create conditions that will help people bloom even when we feel hopeless, and the joy of his peace in all circumstances.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 New International Version (NIV)

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

   a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
   a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
   a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
   a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
   a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
  a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
  a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 English Standard Version (ESV)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Should I or shouldn't I have?

It was a letter.  Words on paper.  Signed by families who love the Lord.

But it had sweeping, strong repercussions.  See, this letter asked the church to consider standing for God's truth.  The purpose was to bring to the forefront an issue that was divisive and hard, with generations of families who saw this as a challenge to their status quo.


Months later, the letter is still stirring up hearts and making people examine their hearts and their beliefs about Jesus, the authority of scripture and how to best be a church that proclaims to be rooted in the gospel.  Many feeling have been hurt by unkind words. Others are hurt by truth that can heal, but they see only the pain. Actions that were brought in love, for Christ Jesus and for each other, are perceived to be power plays.  Instead of talking to the "instigators," those with questions talk behind them.

It is with all of this on my mind that I flipped my Bible to Esther and started a Bible study on virtues, with prudence being the first one of the four we will examine.  The Time Warp Wife was starting an online study, and I was drawn to it. (Love her beautiful study pages, by the way!)


When she bravely approached her husband the king with her presence, Queen Esther was offered up to half of his kingdom twice, and she declined both times.  Esther did not get distracted from her purpose, which was to save her people.  She didn't run scared at the potential loss of her life by going to the king as an uninvited audience.  She didn't balk at the task and take fabulous wealth instead of posing the humble, yet audacious request to save God's people.  Esther stayed focused and did the job at hand.



Mordecai, Esther's cousin who raised her, alerted her to the scheme to kill God's people. He said to her, " For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 NIV


How many of us are in our current positions for such a time as this? We are to be a light, a city on a hill. We must speak truth in love, for that is our purpose. To save people from certain death and bring them into the loving arms of Jesus Christ, the savior and redeemer. We bear our cross and risk everything - comfort, status quo, friendships - when God calls us to a time as this.


With fasting and prayer, we move prudently yet boldly as we trust that nothing we hold on to is more valuable that the one who holds us.

Refresher needed

I'd look outside and feel distressed. The cushions on the deck furniture were faded, and I hadn't replaced them last year. Each morning their faded presence greeted me.

Should we buy new furniture, or would replacing the cushions suffice? The furniture has given us many years of service, but the faux wicker was starting to fray in a few places. And goodness, cushions aren't cheap!

So this debate went on, and nothing changed. My indecision was a decision for faded glory. This Easter came around and I was joyful. Just joyful, I tell ya, 'cause Jesus is risen! The whole weekend was a party in my heart. My joy carried onto the deck, and I ordered new cushions. We determined that we can get a few more years out of the furniture. That whole being a good steward is tricky - need v want. Need v. really a need. Ever feel  that tension?

My cushions arrived and I have no more faded joy! It's a small thing. Really a thing that doesn't feed anyone or tell of Jesus. But I relate this to faded joy in Jesus. Life comes along and takes away the brilliance of his power and glory. I must be intentional and make decisions to keep my joy in him beautiful and fresh, unfaded by the storms of life. 

Ta da!

So now I can smile at the fresh color on the deck that will soon be even a more colorful retreat when flowers bloom and family and friends are seated with me. And I smile at my reminder to intentionally focus on His love that never fades!

Scripture and the cross

On Good Friday we contemplate Jesus' suffering.  His dying for us.  The brutal beatings he endured, and the insults and disrespect he gracefully accepted break our hearts as we see that he did this for us.

For you.  For me.  And it makes me wonder, how can I best honor Jesus today? How do I respond to God's plan of redemption when it is so hard for me to understand? I would never have created a plan of salvation like this.

But after reading some devotionals and studying the scriptures, I found my offering. We are to become more Christlike as we mature in our relationship with the Lord, and Jesus models this for us on the cross.  

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? - Matthew 27:46
Jesus cries out to God from the cross, feeling the weight of the world's sin. But it's not just a cry. It's from Psalm 22:1. Jesus quotes scripture in his time of trial. He is crying out as a man who has had God's countenance temporarily removed as he pays the price for mankind.


Father, into your hands I commit my spirit - Luke 23:46
After being beaten and hanging on a cross for hours, Jesus finds the strength to loudly voice his last words. Jesus quotes Psalm 31:5 - I commit my spirit; deliver me, LORD, my faithful God. Jesus words are slightly different, but we see the same relationship with the Father and a trust as he gives his eternal life to God.

On this Good Friday, these words of Jesus echo through the thin pages of the Bible.  Jesus quoted scripture when the devil tried to tempt him.  Throughout his ministry he referred to the Bible.  So why should we be surprised that his final words are those from the inspired word of God? After all, Jesus is the word. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Studying and memorizing scripture is studying and taking in my Lord.  When we pray scripture in good times and in hard times, we are in the Lord as our center.  May this offering of time and effort bring him all glory and honor.

Trail blazer needed

Something's got to change.  God has been working on my heart, and I am overwhelmed.  Pure and simple.  Overwhelmed.  Because the path I'm looking at it lonely and rocky.  See, it hasn't been forged and I'm struggling with if God is calling me to be a trailblazer in the church or if he wanting me to create a new path in my heart.

Quite the conundrum, isn't it? This means I need to spend more time in quiet prayer so I can hear God.  I need to look at opportunities through this lens. But my soul is restless and tired at the same time.  I'm being sparked to go hard, yet at the same time to be.

The American church isn't cutting it for me.  I need more. My soul needs more than Sunday morning busyness and committee meetings during the week.  I want a church that prays real, heartfelt prayers that we share in together in love. I want a church family that eats and plays together.  I need a church that longs to hear the word of the Lord and take it out to our neighbors here and yonder because it is the truth that changes lives.

Can you hear my desperation? I don't want to show up one more Sunday morning and sing a song, shake hands, listen to announcements, find the point of a sermon and then leave.  No.  I just don't want to do it any more.  No more up/down/up/down for an hour with my back to my family. No more formality. Just genuine words.  Passion. Excitement.  Fear.  Awe.  Overwhelmed.  I love my church family.  I just think we are missing the boat.  We are to take the message out to people.  We aren't to welcome Christ into our lives, making room for him in our schedules.  We are to become his and let him take over our lives.

Think about it.  What does the Bible say about gathering? What are God's plans for worship?  Read.  Study.  Pray. Maybe you'll be invited to be a trailblazer, too.

Thessalonians 5:16 - 18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I am an awesome wife

I just wanted to tell you what an awesome wife I am.  It's not often I can brag about this, but today is confirmation that I am super thoughtful.

I was folding laundry, and I saw that one of my husband's sweaters looked a little small.  But I got to tell him that I KNOW it wasn't a wool sweater. That I was so on his clothing that I didn't wash something I shouldn't.

You know how I know that?  Because all the wool sweaters he had have already been ruined! I don't ever buy wool because I'm super allergic to it, and he rarely buys it, and I have forgotten to read the labels before.  He begrudgingly forgave me for creating baby clothes out of his favorites.

But now, you see,  I didn't ruin any of his current sweaters.  Take that, dear husband. No wool. No worries!

(This was an old post I forgot to publish. Want to be friends?!)

Swing, batter batter. Swing.

I came home from the ball game and grabbed a fuzzy blanket as I plopped on the couch.  It was one of those games that fans wore winter coats, and clapping was muzzled by gloves and hot drinks in our hands!

But the tears came flooding after I had thawed out. My son hadn’t had a great day at the plate.  The pitcher was great, and my son was eager to hit.  Coach had said some things that weren’t what I consider to be productive, so my kid was feeling the pressure to perform.  He had been hitting well, but it wasn’t enough for the coach.

So why did I care so much?  My boy has chronic migraine.  He lives every day with incredible pain, and he perseveres.  I was overwhelmed with just wanting him to have something feel good.  Something that would remove the focus from his brokenness and make him feel whole for a bit.  I was just sad for him.

The tears were quickly wiped away as I heard the door open.  I knew better than to talk about the game, so I asked about his Jimmy John’s sandwich.  “Yeah, it was fine.  Please stay out of your room for a while.” He wanted to soak in a hot bath.  Alone.  Like the mom of three teens doesn’t get that!

When he was nice and pink, he came out to chat.  He told us how he stayed after the game to hit in the cages.  He wanted to practice. He wasn’t satisfied with the day, even though it was cold.  Coach went over to him in the cages and stayed with him.  He didn’t have to; after all, his son was having a birthday party right then after the game, and it was cold!  But he stayed with my boy and worked beside him. His swing had been fine, he just needed to relax at the plate. But he still worked and worked, drilling the mechanics of being a hitter.

Two nights earlier we had been at church.  This was right after coach had harsh words that weren’t appropriate.  My son entered the sanctuary and opened the Bible, looking for what he needed. James 1:4.  “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Tonight he went to the cages and practiced.  Why do you need to hear this?

You need to hear this because I need to hear this. God uses everything for his glory.  He doesn’t let anything enter our lives that he can’t use to shape us into the person he wants us to be. He drives us to him and his word. He nudges us to practice our spiritual swing because we don’t what pitch is coming.  He never leaves us, like coach stayed with my boy.  We don’t need to get our heads down.  We keep our heads up, relying on our true source of strength and get back up to the plate. Again and again.  Then we go back to the word and practice. 

I am so proud of my son.  I see character and strength, maturity in tough situations that can only be from the Lord.  My eyes leak again, but not because I want something good for my boy, but because he already has it.

Amen. 

 

Spoonful of sugar

It's Saturday!  It's a different day every week - sometimes busy, sometimes slower. Today the boys are at a bowling tournament, and my daughter and I will be heading to a huge craft show. Love to support the high school band and see all the pretties!

But while my daughter gets her beauty sleep, I have to get a few things done. The "to do" list that really is a list of the signs of life.  Dirty socks on the floor that need to get into the laundry room.  Clean clothes to be folded and put away.  How about the bathrooms and dirty dishes?

All signs that five people live here. And because we live here, there's a pot in the sink that had some burned nastiness on the bottom.  It just didn't want to come off!  I soaked it and scrubbed.  Still not good.  I remembered a handy tip from Facebook that showed all the uses of a dryer sheet, and one of those was getting the ick off dishes.  So I put it in the pot and let it sit for days with no luck.  Yes, I said days.  All the other dishes were clean and put away several times over.  The pot remained.

It was a Saturday morning project.  Out came the steel scrubby.  Big cleaning gun, ya know?  Guess what - in seconds it was clean!  Another lesson in my signs of life morning.  Anything worth doing well takes work. It took the right tool and elbow grease to clean the pot.  The easy shortcuts of soaking and dryer sheet immersing didn't cut it.  I had to find the scrubby and use it.  Just like life, we need to apply ourselves to get the most from it.

That beautiful Thanksgiving dinner won't get done if I wait until the last minute to plan, shop and prepare.  My kids won't achieve their dreams if they passively wait for the dreams to text them.  My relationship with Jesus won't grow if I don't spend time with him. The path of least resistance isn't the path to most fulfillment.  Not to say working smart is better than working hard, but it is work that gets us there! And when I focus the blessings  involved with my work, it sure is much more enjoyable.

I'd like to change the lyrics to one of my favorite show tunes.  Now sing along with me - Just a spoonful of gratitude helps the work all get done, the work all get done, the work all get done.  Just a spoonful of gratitude helps the work all get done, in a most delightful way.


There. Happy Saturday!

How do I really thank God?

It has been a rambling thought... How do I thank God?

I mean there are times when my heart just overflows with gratitude and I look around for amazing ways to show him how thankful I am. Ever feel that way? The sweet baby? A miraculous healing? An answered prayer? Maybe it's a sunset that blows your mind - and all you want to do is thank him.

I've not come up with the answer to my question. Nothing seems adequate.

In today's Bible time, I read Psalm 116, and David asks this same question. What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?, David ponders in verse 12.  Indeed, what shall I return, for I have nothing. Everything in my life is God's. He allows me to love my children and husband, but they are his.  He allows me to use his money, but it's his. He graciously lets me see a peek of the splendor he created in the heavens, but it's not mine.  Humbling, isn't it? Homelesss, penniless, yet proud.  Not words I would choose if you asked me to describe myself.

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. In verses 13 and 14 David raises his cup in acknowledgment and thanksgiving, and he continues to call on the Lord.  He doesn't stop asking God for blessings - he wants all that God has in store for him.  He then states that he will obey God and continue to serve him. I'm in awe by this point because I finally have an answer!


It's so simple, isn't it?  It all goes back to God. I've once again tried to make it about me, but it's about God.  All he wants is for me to thank him, to obey him and to rely on him as my constant provider.  He is the giver of all good things and , I mean nothing, I do or say can even come close to being enough. In his grace, he just asks for a humble whisper from the depths of my soul.  "'Thank you, my Lord."

Listening to what I hear

It's a typical day in the new reality of having a start-up business.  Trying to keep focused on the tasks at hand like paying bills, taking care of HR, and correct journal entries, while doing laundry, preparing dinner, cleaning the house, honoring church commitments and spending time with the Lord.

And it's there, at the bottom of my list, that I find solace every day. God designed us to need to refuel with him every day. Satan tries to distract us with fatigue, over-sheduling and being task-oriented so that we ignore God. We set him aside for those things that are seemingly more important. Re-read that.  Yep, we do it, and it grieves our gracioius Father.

I'm taking a break to go over what I heard on the radio, read on my email devotionals, and glanced over as I skimmed a completed study. Here it goes: God wants us to cry out to him like David did.  It's how we put him first and give ourselves up to his mercy and grace.  When we remove God from our life, like at school, we fall away from him and into the devil's plan. God has an incredible plan for each of us, even when we can't see the whole picture. We must worship him, and we do this by doing everything for his glory and letting his light shine through us so that others see him.

So what am I to do with the daily messages that blow through my brain?  I finally realized that I will never be a perfect Christian. But when I study the Bible every day and spend quiet time with him, God is my focus and my reason for living.  I will have moments of revelation and moments of remembering.  It's about God working in my life and my honoring him.

Let us not feel guilty about not being productive when we spend time with God, alone in prayer and study.  Reframe it and think of how incredibly blessed we are to have a personal appearance with the King of Creation any time we want it.

Amen

Faithfulness

I don't know how to thank God.  There aren't enough words to express my immense gratitude for what he has done for me, and for what he does for me daily. I search the scriptures, looking for answers. And I find that it's me.  He wants me, everything I am, everything I have.  Every thought, every action, every word.

With this I write about his faithfulness. We read stories about God's faithfulness, from Genesis to Revelation. We often forget to take the time to reflect on our lives to see that nothing has changed. Why would it?!

We finally have a buyer for our house!  It has been two and a half years, and it looks like it will be sold.  We prayed about moving for a year. We finally decided to take a leap of faith and buy the house without selling ours first.  Three months went by, then six, nine. Wow!  At one year, God brought us a family to rent the house. They took care of it and loved it like their own.  What a blessing!

The year was up,  and we relisted the house. Six months later, it will be sold.  The buyers are so excited about it, and I am thrilled that they will be building a life in the house that holds so many precious memories for us.

This waiting represents so much for me.  I fasted and prayed for three and a half years to get to this point.  Sounds silly, doesn't it? For a house?  But it was about seeking God's will in my life.  It was about trusting him with everything I have.  I didn't stress about this because I knew God would provide and that I needed to trust in his plan. It taught me to pray in his timing, not mine.  It reinforced that praying and reading the Bible lead to taking the stories of his past faithfulness as truth in my life today.

So I am thankful for the house selling, but it's the rich blessing of knowing without a doubt that God is with me and caring for me that is the best. It is seeing that he is making me into more than I was before.Take time to see the Lord's faithfulness throughout your life and rejoice in his favor.

Fasting

It's the beginning of the year, and it's time to fast. What a joy it is to give up food for 21 days and focus on my relationship with God. This sounds so "out there" to many, but I know God calls me to fast through Scripture.


And during this time everything is accentuated - the lyrics floating from the radio pop are felt even more than usual. "You lead, I follow." "My hope is in You." "Sing until the whole world hears." "My deliverer, you rescued me from all that held me captive."


Of course, the fast food signs seem bigger, too!! But I know that my desire to obey God is stronger than my desire for fresh, hot, salty french fries. Really.

I saw how God answered my prayers during last year's fast. It wasn't how I had envisioned them being answered, but he provided in his time and in his way. He truly is an awesome God - he sustained me for 21 days without food, and he feeds my spirit every minute of the day

And so I think him with tears of gratitude because the words just aren't there. I am so overwhelmed when I look back through the years, and days, and his blessed provision in my life. Hands lifted up and a heart for him are all I can offer. And because he is God, it's enough. So I offer my fast to him - may these next couple of weeks please Jesus as I model his teaching and leading. Amen.

Family celebrations

This past week has been a quick one as we begin to wind down the summer. The higlight has been the time we had my cousin's daughter with us. Hannah is 10, and she and Maren are two peas in a pod! When we first reconnected two years ago at Disneyland, we were amazed at their immediate bond and how much alike they are. The girls have emailed and talked across the miles between Edwardsville, Illinois, and Tustin, California, to maintain their relationship. I'm sure it helps that we spent a week together last summer!





We have been so blessed to have spend this time with Hannah, building memories at the water park, movies, City Museum, and just playing with the kitten. All of us will remember this time together. We'll remember Bongo clothes from the trailer at the movie theater because Hannah thought they were awesome and she thought it would be cool to have a photo with Maren in new Bongo outfits. (Thanks to their grandmas, her wish came true!)





Our time with Hannah at our house culminated with a party - a 60th Anniversary party in Springfield, IL, for my great aunt and uncle. Many relatives who I really don't know where there. I see them every few years, but I don't have a relationship with them. My husband and kids were great - they ate and talked to the people they knew, but they didn't mingle with those outside the circle. We heard the usual strains of, "Those boys are getting so tall!" and "You have grown so much since I last saw you!" They engaged when necessary then retreated to the comfort of their seats and full plates.





The anniversary party was special because the kids were with their cousins and family. They saw their grandma have a great time mingling with her cousins. They saw their cousin scoop icing off the decorated anniversary cake with a toy ice cream scoop - not Hannah! But I hope they remember that sometimes life isn't about us. We could have had time with the more immediate family going to the lake or the pool, but this day was about celebrating 60 years of marriage!





60 years is a long time, and Aunt Marie and Uncle Keith were the stars. My uncle commented that he didn't think he'd make it to the party since he had two heart attacks in the week before the party! It was truly a celebration, and they had a great time with their family and friends.





Relationships take time and energy to keep them alive. I pray that my kids will take the time to talk with their cousins and get together so they continue the bond they have started. And I pray that they will remember that life isn't always about them, that it is good for them to rejoice with others, to help others, to play a supporting role from time to time. There is always something to be learned or enjoyed when we look for it. Being a friend or family member isn't about having everyone look at us. It's about enjoying life together and considering the feelings of those we love.





It will be interesting to see what they each remember from this weekend when we bring it up at a cousin's wedding 15 years from now. I am confident that it will be that they were with their family, at a 60th anniversary party - from there, it's anyone's guess!

Summer days - finding time for the right food

Summer days are... Different for each of us! I couldn't wait for summer so our schedule would relax and our evenings wouldn't be so rushed. We could lounge at the pool, then head off to ballgames. Well, this summer hasn't been so peaceful. The kids are older, which means we have more to fill our days. And they really don't care about my schedule, so I've got to be disciplined.

But holding a schedule is difficult for me during the summer. Sure the bills are paid and the house is relatively clean, but I'm not on my game. There is a hole in my life, and it's time with God. Or as the kids learned at camp, it's TAWG. (Time Alone With God)

I have found TAWG to be critical in getting through my day - Bible study and prayer are the foundations of keeping my life together. Summer changes that because the kids are home and I feel guilty taking time from them. But I shouldn't. Summer changes that because we are still busy and there is more laundry, more meals, and more mess. But it shouldn't take away my time with God. Summer changes that because my husband and I are busy, passing by each other and maybe sitting in the car on the way to a ball game, and he takes a phone call and I lower the volume of the radio. But this shouldn't be.

So I am asking God to forgive me for my wrong priorities. I need him to be my portion everyday, not just when it's convenient to my schedule. It's fun how God works in our hearts every time we open the Bible. Today when I read about "working for food that doesn't spoil," I knew he was speaking to me. My work is to be glorifying God through my prayers and actions. Sure, I am to take care of my children and our material items, but God is to be number one. And my husband #2. Oh, that doesn't sound good! My husband is to be my second priority, not the person I give my leftovers to because he'll take them. :)

So let's work together and find our time with God every day and work for food that doesn't spoil, for water that will forever quench our thirst. But I do need an iced tea - it's nearly 100 degrees today!