You're never too old

Seems recently (especially) I have to keep reminding myself that my useful days are really not over - that there's still something in me that may be influential for some poor soul out there. Yes, I've been reminded of Sarah over and over again - too many times for comfort. But then this morning I was reminded of Elizabeth. You remember her - the one Mary went to after the angel told her she would become pregnant with Jesus.

Yes, a sixty-something woman who's expecting a child today (God forbid!) would probably be on the fast track into The Guinness Book of Records, but there is also the reality that people are quick to minimize a woman "of advanced age" and assume that her best, most productive, most impactful years are behind her - that she couldn't possibly birth anything new. Here's the bigger travesty: women buy into those lies and believe them. So let me just jump up on my soapbox, clear my throat and say something really loudly: Elizabeth's life is a beautiful reminder that God continues to do new things in and through us no matter what our age happens to be.

Don't miss this either: the calling on Elizabeth's life (in what we might call her golden years) was no small thing (not that there are any small callings, but Elizabeth's was certainly a visible one). After all, she was going to be the mother of John the Baptist. She was going to be responsible for raising and teaching the forerunner of Jesus Christ.

And then when Mary showed up, Elizabeth confirmed her pregnancy. In fact, she confirmed that Mary was "the mother of my Lord," so Elizabeth was the first human in the New Testament to speak not only of Mary's calling--but Jesus', too!

Elizabeth had an enormous influence on her young cousin and the body of Christ. So when I read Luke 1:45-45 and am reminded of Elizabeth's strong words of encouragement to Mary, I can't help but wonder, What if Elizabeth had decided that her Kingdom usefulness was over? What if she had decided that she was fed up with whatever was going on at the temple, crossed her arms, and said "I'm over it. I'm out of here." What if she had looked at Mary and thought, "Well, I could bless her--but NAH"?

There are countless number of ways we can get burned out and worn down, right? And let me just be clear: if we're really worn down and worn out, then, by all means, we need to rest. We're not doing anybody any favors when we're trying to serve out of a reserve tank that's already empty. (Note to self-quit preaching to me.)

But if, like me, you're convinced yourself you aren't needed anymore, that your best days are behind you, that you're not "relevant" enough, not anointed enough to serve the body of Christ--or, heaven forbid, your family--let me just say this: Stop it. Right now. STOP IT RIGHT NOW. Don't you dare discount your importance, your influence or your calling.

And just to clarify, I am EXTREMELY aware that this kind of doubt can creep up on us at any age. It seems to fire up most often in my life when I'm in the middle of transition--moving from a comfortable place to one that is so not comfortable - like moving from one stage of motherhood to something new. But here's the thing - we have to stay in it. We can't just give up and hang it up because for whatever reason we are fed ALL THE WAY up or just scared to death. We can't forget there is somebody behind us and ahead of us who need us to stay in it.
There are those in your church that need you to stay in it.
There are those in your family who needs you to stay in it.
There are those you work with that need you to stay in it.
So you stay in it, do you hear me? Hey, you, yes you!
YOU. STAY. IN. IT.
You are uniquely built to impact others in ways you cannot even imagine. You are the only "you" there is. No one else on earth has your wisdom (don't make faces at me now), your experiences and your perspective. So when you're tempted to give up, back down or back off ... just remember this: Elizabeth was in her golden years--but she was about to birth a whole new thing! YOU stay IN it!

Thursday thinking...

Life was much, much easier during my carefree, pleasure-seeking heathen days. No, I can't say it was more satisfying ... just easier. This Christian stuff, this committing myself to follow God's path stuff ... well, it's a lot of work. It's a lock 'n load commitment, with a long battle ahead (longer for some than others). Sure, there's the joy of seeing the path to follow and believing in its rightness, as well as knowing (most....much...some of the time) that it's really the only path that makes sense. But it also sets us up to fail, to miss the mark and come up short. It strips away the delusion of our (okay, mine) arrogant self-image and makes it almost impossible to lie to ourselves. I'm stuck with not only being the clay-footed, stiff-necked Christian that I am but of also honestly recognizing that old gal when I look in the mirror. There are days when facing a ton of challenges, belief itself is the biggest challenge. My point is we all struggle to believe and to follow God's way. But failing or falling short, while inevitable, is not all bad. It's a growing process, and God understands our lack of perfection ... He created us after all.

So, celebrate and enjoy the gift that is today!

Quote worth posting and contemplating....

“The shift of putting ourselves on the throne isn't this cosmic, Avengers-style civil war. It's dangerously more subtle. For good Bible-believing, holiness chasing people like us, the temptation isn't to abandon what we believe and turn our backs on God. The temptation is to pursue loving God and looking like Christ in our own strength. The temptation is to do all those right things, for all the wrong reasons. The danger is to love Jesus but somehow, simultaneously, make it all about us. To make holiness look a lot like happiness.”  
― Whitney Capps

Pressing On

Before you throw darts or spit hairballs at me ... hear me out. I know you've heard this preached time and time again but maybe just maybe there's a different twist here. Don't you love it when you read something you've read 100+ times but see something new in it! I do, and that's what happened for me with this passage in Philippians.

I assumed that Philippians 3 referred to Paul's past struggling - his past sins when he said he was forsaking all of it (we all want to forget bad things) and pressing on. What if he wasn't just referring to past strugglings but to all the great things that had happened in his past. We know he had lots of accomplishments. How many of us take that tiara out of the closet and try it on again - for the umpteenth time - you know, the tiara that you got some bumpity bump years ago!? We keep reliving the good times - thinking if I can just get back to those times. Do you do that? I do it. I have found myself reliving times when I knew that I knew I was right where God wanted me - like teaching in Ukraine - and seeing so many amazing things happening ... and wanting so badly to relive those times. But it's not just about what happened in the past. Put that tiara away! God's ready to do a new thing in every one of us, but He can't work a new thing in us - lead us to new victories - if we're always facing backward!

It's time to embrace Him as Lord in all of His greatness (Phil 3:7b). Instead of pursuing His hand - pursue Him. Yes, it may mean we suffer some. Yes, it may be that we have to swallow some pride, some selfishness, some "me" time - but it will be worth it. Why are we stuck on what He did in the past when He's waiting on us to pursue the future and all that He has waiting on us?

He wants us to pursue Him and His full abundance. He said He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). And the awesome news ... I don't find an expiration date anywhere in the Bible!

I know that I know that He will continue the maturation process in us and finish the great work in us if we just press on! (Phil 1:6)

Have a great week!!

Phil 3:12-16 TPT I admit that I haven't yet acquired the absolute fullness that I'm pursuing, but I run with passion into His abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. I don't depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however, I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. And let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion.

When, God, when?

"0-60...Eventually." I actually saw that on the back of a car in front of me at a stop sign. And I laughed out loud. I know that 0-60 speed is a thing with cars--and car buyers. The smaller the number, the better the car's performance. But this car was making no promises - at least not promises meant to impress. "I'll get where I'm going eventually," it seemed to say. And as a subtext: "So if you're behind me, don't be in a rush."

I don't see too much enthusiasm for "eventually" anymore. Hardly anyone gets excited about "one day", and the fact is, neither do I. If I want something, I want it sooner, not later. If I long for a thing, I don't delight in waiting for it indefinitely. "In a little while" doesn't seem much better to me than "someday." Vagaries don't cut it for me... for most of us. We want to know when.

Through the years, however, I've come to know God doesn't always share my sense of urgency. And as far as I can tell, His promises to me do not come with a guaranteed delivery date or even a virtual tracking number to track their progress. (Don't you wish they did!) But with Him, "eventually" is implicitly certain. If He says a thing will happen, it absolutely will. "He is never late," a friend of mine used to say, "but He has certainly missed a number of opportunities to be early." Time to Him is not like time to us. He has all of eternity to make it all come out all right. And He will. Eventually.

Eventually, the lion will lie down with the lamb.
Eventually, there will be no more pain or tears.
Eventually, sickness and death will hardly be a memory.
Eventually, those who follow Him to the end will hear Him say "Well done."
Eventually, we will see Him face to face.

You and I will survive our "eventually" ... and be satisfied in Him forever.

"So, dear friends, don't let this one thing escape your notice: a single day counts like a thousand years to the Lord Yahweh, and a thousand years counts as one day. This means that, contrary to man's perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his "delay" simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9 TPT

Semicolons

I got my first (and last) tattoo this past summer. It's a semicolon. I did it in memory of my youngest son's good friend from high school who joined the Army right out of school and was deployed soon after. He was doing great, or so we thought. After returning to the US, he had demons he couldn't shake and memories that haunted him to the point of no return. So he interrupted his life and put a period where a semicolon should have, could have been. He ended the memories, the demons, and the nightmares. Little did he know he created so many more for the people he left behind.

I am constantly reminded to pray for his family by the tattoo on my wrist, but I am also reminded that God places semicolons in our lives in so many ways, on so many occasions and even through other people.

These days (because I'm older and about to retire) I often find myself thinking my ministry is over, my days of being a real blessing are over, the influence in my children's life is over ... and then I see the semicolon. God reminds me that He places semicolons in our lives every day. It doesn't matter if it's a ministry, marriage, relationships, careers - whatever it is - He is able to exchange a semicolon for the period we think is unavoidable. Sometimes it's in the strangest ways, the strangest places - the most extraordinary situations ... but He reminds us - if we're breathing - He's not finished with you/me yet.

Heads up! The maker of the universe - the one who hung the stars and planets in space - the one who knew you (and me) before we were even formed in our Mother's belly - He has a purpose and a plan for every one of us. It may not be the plan we have, but I guarantee you it's a plan that's so much better than any plan you and I can formulate!

Jeremiah 1:5 EXB "Before I made [formed] you in your mother's womb, I chose [knew] you. Before you were born [came out of the womg], I set you apart for a special work [consecrated you].

What are you waiting for?

Pastor Jentezen Franklin's message was wonderful yesterday! He brought out something from John 5 that I hadn't thought about before, but it resonated in my spirit so I thought I would share it with you.

Remember the story of the lame man who had sat beside the pool of Bethesda for 38 years? This pool was surrounded by five porches - so it was not small by any means. Each year the angel would come and "trouble" or stir the waters, and whoever got into the pool first after the angel stirred the water would be healed. There were a lot of (hundreds maybe) sick, paralyzed, blind, crippled people around this pool so it wasn't like you could take your time getting there. You had to be fast - you had to be the first responder!

I wonder if some of us are still sick, blind, crippled, stuck in our valley, still going around the same mountain because we wait too long once the waters are troubled! What are we waiting for? Be the first responder!

Maybe you're one of those waiting for billboard?! Maybe you're second-guessing God, and that's why you're still in that same place of lack. Has He stirred the water and you're still sitting there waiting ... waiting on what? Are you waiting for the answer you want rather than the answer He's giving you? Ewww, I know - that one hurts!

Yes, sometimes we have to be still and wait. However, when He does give an answer we need to learn to be a first responder! I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss out on my blessing, my healing or my miracle because I wasn't the first responder!

I hope your week is full of blessings, answers and amazing grace!

Can you handle His blessings?

Food for thought ...

Something gave me pause for thought this week after hearing a TV minister ask the question, "Can you be trusted with the blessings God has for you?"

That really got me to thinking, "can I be trusted with the blessing He has for me?" Do I believe His word is true and He will bless me? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Ouch! What did James say about wavering faith in chapter 1? I love the way The Passion Translation states it: Just make sure you ask empowered by confident faith without doubting that you will receive. For the ambivalent person believes one minute and doubts the next. Being undecided makes you become like the rough seas driven and tossed by the wind. You're up one minute and tossed down the next. When you are half-hearted and wavering it leaves you unstable. Can you really expect to receive anything from the Lord when you're in that condition?"

Yeah, that hurts ... but it's still good. I've learned that in order to receive the full effect of God's blessing for our lives, we have to be willing to totally surrender to HIS will ... not ours. We have to be willing to let go of our thought process and adapt to working and operating out of faith.

We have to be able to stand in the middle of a storm and know that we know that we know that everything will work out. When we can't see the blessing; when we can't feel the blessing; when we can't touch the blessing - we have to stand firm - not wavering - on the fact that God's got this.

When we ask and pray for our hearts desires, we have to understand that it is not in our time but in Father God's time, and we have to understand there is a price and a time and a season for all things. We have to be willing to go through so we can get through.

Are you wavering in your faith? Are you pursuing Him or just His hand? If God gives you what you're asking for can He trust you with it? Have your proven yourself faithful over little things so He can trust you with the big things? (ref. Luke 19)

Some people are just kind-hearted and giving. They will give their last. It's what they like to do; make others happy while putting themselves last.

Some give out of obedience.

Then there are those who are stingy and selfish; who only look out for themselves. Those who give with the expectation of something in return or some other ulterior motive.

Some people cry out for God to bless them, heal them, change them. But then when He does, it's as if they did it all on their own. No credit to God whatsoever.

Can God trust you to give Him credit for blessing you?

Sometimes when we're in desperate places we start to think we can make deals with God. Have you ever wanted something so badly that you pleaded with Him to rescue you? You start praying something like; "Please God, if you get me out of this situation, I promise I will never get myself back in this situation."  Did you keep your word to God?

Have you ever seen someone go from nothing to something? I mean you have watched God move miracles in this person's life to the point it is evident God's favor surrounds them like a shield? But as soon as they made, they changed ... and not in a good way. They become materialistic. A show off.

God can't trust a self-righteous person to be about His work.

I don't think there's a person on this earth that doesn't want to be financially stable. Not rich, just enough to take care of life's day to day responsibilities without stressing.

Can God trust you to pay your tithes instead of splurging on unnecessary things?

Can God trust you to give to others in need?

Can God trust you with the little before the lot?

Just thinking out loud ... Can you handle His blessings?

Hope

Have you ever been knocked unstable with news that left you reeling? Emotions high and hope seeming to take off running the opposite direction?

I've had so many times like this.
...news from a doctor
...a fight with a family member
..."no" to a long-awaited prayer
..."wait" when I need it right now

These moments happen often, and yet, for so long I have let my emotions rule my response.

As I sit here today and reflect on my response to yet another one of these moments, I am taking a minute to consider what takes me from misery to hope.

One of the biggest lies in these times of anguish is that you are wrong for feeling it. We are told over and over again to live in hope and victory, but that doesn't mean you cannot feel. It simply means that you bring those feelings to God and trust that He is with you.

When you get bad news, when you are hurt by a friend, when you are disappointed with an answer or the lack thereof, allow yourself the grace to feel it. Even Jesus experienced these emotions.

• He wept when Lazarus died.
• He threw tables in anger when the temple was misused.

Emotions are a natural response, and it is okay to feel them! Just don't allow yourself to get stuck in them. Don't dig a trench and move in. Have a good cry. Punch your pillow a few times. Have a meltdown withGod. But then it's time to move on. Give it to God and let it go.

It's easy to forget (even momentarily) where our strength comes from during these troublesome times. I often find my mind combing through all the ways I can "fix" the problem. I focus my energy and focus on my own strength. And time and time again, I don't find peace because true peace comes from surrendering our pain to God.

Even if it's a feeble prayer - maybe just a few words - God knows your heart and He knows your intention. In fact, Romans 8:26 tells us In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

When you can't think of the words to say, simply placing your heart before God is enough. The Holy Spirit will intercede for you. And sometimes, I just write my prayer out. I keep a prayer journal that has become a great help when I can't find the words or just can't get them out of my mouth because the emotions overwhelm my ability to speak.

God created us to be in fellowship with each other. He knew we would need the support of friends to help us maneuver through the jungles of life. Paul wrote in Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. We need each other - sometimes more than other times. Don't hesitate to ask a friend (or a few of them) to pray with you and for you. 

It's okay not to be okay, but it's better to give it to God and let it go. He's got this. He's got you, and He cannot fail.

He Fixed the Fight!

Why do we worry? Don't we trust God? Don't we know He fixed the fight???

This morning it resounds in my spirit that whatever we're fighting, whatever we're facing, whatever we're believing for - the enemy does NOT want us to be victorious over! Sometimes I think we need to realize that facing the enemy is a good thing. Maybe, just maybe you need to check yourself if you're not facing him every now and then - if everything is just smooth sailing it could mean you're going in the same direction he is! Jus' sayin'. Maybe you need to start doing some things that upset him a bit and not be intimidated by the enemy coming against you. I know ... that's easier said than done!

Have you ever just totally freaked out over what was going on in your life? I mean a time when everything seemed to be getting out of hand ... your daughter's dancing with the devil with her red dress on ... your son's riding with the bikers that look and act like Hell's angels ... your husband's not supporting you ... there's an epidemic of stupid going around at work ... and you just FREAK OUT! I've been there, done that, got a bag of t-shirts for it. It's easy to do. We just let ourselves get overwhelmed with all that's going on around us and we forget ... He's already fixed the fight.

Take a look at King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Sometimes God positions us in a place to take on the enemy, but it's our job to stand firm and BELIEVE. Jehoshaphat was told there was a great multitude" coming against him basically from every side. "And Jehoshaphat feared." BUT ... he didn't stop there and camp in his fear. He didn't get stuck in his rut (see yesterday's blog entry). Instead he "set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."

             SIDEBAR... maybe instead of running to all our friends, posting it on social media or throwing down at the local pub ... maybe if we remembered where our help comes from and begin to seek God - maybe we could get the yuck off our eyes and really see where we are and whose we are!

Have a throwdown with God! It's okay. He's a big God. He can handle it. He knows you're going to do it before you do it! Even Jehoshaphat did it. Look at v 6. He said (paraphrased), "Hey God. Aren't you the God in heaven? You rule all the kingdoms. You possess such power that nobody can oppose you. Didn't you evict all the people from this land for the children of Israel? In other words - I've seen what you can do! Now I'm reminding you! I've got enemies in front of me, enemies in back of me, enemies on both sides of me ... You're our God. Why don't you judge them? We don't have what it takes to face all these enemies. We don't have a clue what to do - so it's up to you, God!

My sweet friends here's OUR clue! Admit we're nothing! Admit we don't know what in the world to do! Remind Him who He is ... and ... wait. I know - you don't like that word. Me either.

But God appeared to Jahaziel and gave him a message for Jehoshaphat. And you know the rest of this story. God told them not to be afraid of the size of their enemy. He said (paraphrased) Hey, the battle isn't yours. It's God's. You won't fight this battle. Instead, take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord for you. Don't be afraid. Get up, and go out there. The Lord is with you.

In the words of my sweet friend, Ashley, "that'll preach!"

So here's the word for us today. God's already fixed the fight. We don't have to do battle. We just have to do what God's called us to do - take our position and stand there and watch God show up and show out! I'm convinced He loves to blow our minds! He does it so often. Even James told us in James 4:7 - resist, not do battle, not pick up your AR15 and fight ... resist. He fixed the fight! The battle is already won! How awesome is that!!

Getting Un-Stuck!

Do you ever feel stuck? Like in a rut? I seem to trip and fall into a rut fairly often ... a rut at work, a rut planning meals, a rut in my daily tasks, a rut in my marriage ... just a rut! The dictionary explains it like this: "a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change." Even my thinking gets stuck in a rut. Thinking the same old things. Thinking the same old way. In fact, I'll admit I don't just fall into this rut I pitch a tent and camp there! Anybody else? Just me?

Before we beat ourselves up too badly know that we are in good company. Even the apostle Paul got into a rut. Before God gave him the name Paul - he was Saul of Tarsus, and it was all about him! How many times do we fall into that narcissistic rut of thinking it's all about us? It's true - we all fall into that rut at some point or another (and some of us more frequently than others). We get stuck in the rut! Even if we are all that and a bag of chips ... we are only that through the grace of God. Paul had an extraordinary resume! He was educated to the nines. I wonder how many degrees would follow his name in today's society? Of the 27 books in the New Testament, he is credited with writing 13! But even he had to get un-stuck.

While he was in prison he wrote of being stuck. Look at Phil 3:7. All those things he used to count as valuable, all those impressive educational degrees he had, all his impressive highly thought of societal experiences ... he is now counting as worthless for Christ. He had to change his point of view ... his way of thinking.

Maybe, just maybe if we would follow suit get off our high horse and begin to realize where we are today is ONLY by the grace of God. Where we've been saved from ... how many times God has been there to intervene ... how many times He has sent someone to lift us up when we were at the bottom of the barrel ... how many times has He protected us from what could have ... what should have happened? Maybe if we begin to give Him credit (instead of thinking it's all about us) - we would realize it's our stinking thinking that is keeping us stuck in the rut! Maybe if we see ourselves - not just look at ourselves - but actually, see who we are we will realize without Him we are nothing. All those "things" (that a whole other entry) that we think are so important aren't important at all. What is important is WHO we believe and what we do with what we believe.

That thought immediately takes me back to one of my all-time favorite Bible studies by Beth Moore - Believing God. It's not enough to just believe in Him - we have to believe Him. We have to believe: God is who He says He is. God can do what He says He can do. We are who God says we are. We can do all things through Christ. God's word is alive and active in us. Then our point of view will change and we will get un-stuck!

No Filters Needed!

On the way to work one day last week, God just seemed to drop this is my spirit.

I am a frequent user of filters - snapchat filters, youcam filters, etc. etc. I don't like the way the wrinkles in my face wrinkle, the lines show up, the turkey skin on my neck wobbles ... you get the picture ... or hopefully, you don't. So I use filters. As soon as I find a new one that makes me look better, younger, smoother, less wrinkly, I install it. I'm all about filters. After having gotten frustrated with the latest photo of myself last week - even WITH filters. I looked myself in the mirror and said, "Girl, you gotta face it - you're looking old."

I was thinking about all the things we females do to try to look better for those we love (or is it for ourselves??), and Isa 44:2a popped in my head. The Lord formed you in the womb and will help you. Then my mind went to Psalm 139:14 I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.

Wowsa! So ... if I believe even just those two scriptures - who am I to complain about His creation? Really?! Does putting a filter on my picture really make me feel better about myself - about His creation. What's really amazing is the fact that He doesn't see all my faults and wrinkles - He sees me as His righteousness! 2 Cor 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I don't need to put a filter on this corruptible body - God created me the way He wanted me to be - to look - knowing that I would age, knowing that my body would decay - and He's good with that.

So why aren't we? Jus'sayin'

He's Excited to See Me

I am so excited!! For the first time in 140 days, I am going to see and hug and kiss my son! He's in the USAF and is in training in Florida. While that's not all that far away - six hours driving time is huge to someone like me who suffers from multiple autoimmune disorders. Sitting in a car for long periods of time is absolutely excruciating for me. All that being said ... I would do it in a heartbeat to see my son - if only for a few minutes/hours. I love him that much!!

I don't sleep well (ever) so when I got up to get ready for work this morning my body ached, my mind was fuzzy and I so wanted to roll over and try again to sleep ... but then I remembered ... James is coming home today. I don't know for sure what time he will be home (it doesn't matter), but he said he'll be here! My heart skipped a beat, and I got out of that bed (body snaps and cracks included) and began the morning routine. Put Tyson outside, make the coffee, fix Tyson's breakfast, drink my water, take meds, bring Tyson in, grab my coffee and get back upstairs to find something suitable to wear, see Tyson has come back upstairs, put him on the bed while I get in the shower ... etc. etc. Turn on YouTube to one of my favorite speakers to preach to me while I'm in the shower.

On my drive to the office this morning it hit me that James will be home tonight. What should I cook for him? What goodies will I bake? O my goodness! I'm so excited to see that sweet rugged face of his. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks!

O God ... is that how YOU feel about us? Are you excited about seeing us? Can it be that the maker of the universe is anticipating being reunited with us the way I am anticipating being reunited with my son? I think it must be so! As a parent, we give up many things to raise children but think about what God gave up for us! He gave up His only son to bring us - adopt us - into His family! Tears began to sneak down my cheeks as this settled into my mind and heart and as I admitted to Him I haven't been as excited about the return of Jesus as I should be.

My prayer today: O God renew that excitement over your love in me. My finite mind has trouble processing the depth of your love, but renew the excitement in me. I want to be as excited to see you as you are to see me. Renew my first love for you!

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

We can't always see what God is up to. But can't we assume He is up to something good?

Joseph faced disaster on a global scale. It had been two years since the last drop of rain. No rain meant no farming. No farming meant no food. Yet Joseph knew God was still God in the crisis. So he faced the crisis with a plan. The plan could fit on a post-it note. "Save for seven years. Distribute for seven years. Manage carefully." Could it have been any simpler? Could it have been more boring?

Some flamboyance would have been nice. A little bit of the Red Sea parting, Jericho's walls tumbling, or was dead Lazarus walking. A dramatic crisis requires a dramatic response, right? Hmmm...not always.

Seems we equate spirituality with high drama: Paul raising the dead, Peter healing the sick. Yet for every Paul and Peter, there are a dozen Josephs. Steady hands through whom God saves people. Joseph never raised the dead, but he kept people from dying. He never healed the sick, but he kept sickness from spreading. He planned his work and worked his plan. And because he did, the nation survived. He triumphed with a calm methodical plan.

In the end it's not the flashy and flamboyant who survive. It's those with steady hands and sober minds.

You prefer a miracle for your crisis? You'd rather see the bread multiplied or the raging sea turned calm with a finger snap? God might do that. Then again, He may tell you, "I'm with you. I can use this for your good. Now let's make a plan." Trust Him to help you.

Believe that Jesus is who He says He is; that He can do what He says He can do; that you are who He says you are. You can do all things through Him! 

What do you do with a "maybe"?

1 Samuel 14:6 (GWT)

It's kind of comforting to know prophets of old were sometimes as unsure of what steps to take as I am today! Don't you think? Joshua seemed to, and probably did, feel it was the right thing to do, but there is some uncertainty in his words. There seemed to be some doubt.

Sure, doubt is the opposite of faith, but the "sure thing" doesn't require any faith. In Hebrews 11:6, faith is identified as a prerequisite for pleasing God. The truth is, most of us face more "maybes" than we do certainties in our walk with God. There are times we have a sense of what's right, what God's will is, but we will still have doubts and uncertainties.

Sometimes you have to move out on a "maybe." I'm not talking about some senseless action and trusting God to empower our whims, but I do believe there are times you have to step out by faith, and that means YOU WILL NOT BE SURE. To wait until you're sure is NOT moving by faith. All you may have is a "maybe," but I believe there are times when God is waiting on us to see what we will do with a "maybe". I know God can open and shut doors that we, nor anyone else, can do anything about. However, I also believe there are doors that God unlocks, but leaves closed, seeing if we have the faith to try the doorknob! We often miss God's movement and direction, because we're waiting on a billboard. It just may be that God us wanting us to "push on the door" a little bit!

Which Chair Are You In?

My take away from Pastor Franklin's message yesterday...

Which chair are you sitting in with your walk with God?

• Committed? Sold out the whole route totally committed to God regardless of what you see or what happens in your life.
• Compromised? You love Him, you gave your heart to Him at some point, but you're not sold out the whole route totally committed. It's not all that important to you to be in church every week - you're kind of okay with watching the services online in your fuzzy slippers.
• Conflicted? You're not walking the walk - even if you sometimes sort of talk the talk. You're not committed. Your coworkers are okay with telling off-color jokes around you. You don't flinch anymore at their words that blaspheme God's name. You're just living in conflict to His word.

These "chairs" should definitely make us stop and think. If we're not committed - we're not sitting where we should be!

Valentines from Jesus

Jesus does not send perfume

to linger in the air

instead He sends salvation, sweet

to show how much He cares.

He doesn't bring us candy hearts

in boxes of delight.

instead He always lets us know

we're precious in His sight.

He doesn't send out pretty cards

trimmed in shades of red

instead He gave His life for us

His precious blood was shed.

He doesn't hand out fancy gifts

like we would send to another

instead He sends a message clear

to always love each other.

He doesn't send us roses, pink

for all the world to see

instead He gave eternal life

...and that's good enough for me!

Thankful Thursday Prayer

Dear God, in the busy-ness of my days I sometimes forget to stop and thank You for all that is good in my life. My blessings are so many, and my heart is filled with gratefulness for the gift of living, for the ability to love and to be loved, for the opportunities I have to see the wonders of your creation every day, for sleep and water, for a mind that thinks and a body that feels. I thank you, too, for those things that are less than I would hope them to be. Things that seem challenging, unfair and difficult.

When my heart feels stretched and oh so empty and pools of tears form in these weary eyes of mine, still I rejoice that you are as near to me as my next breath. I know in the midst of turbulence I am growing and learning. In the silence of my soul, I thank you most of all for your unconditional and never-ending love.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Are things out of order for you? They are for me! Just when I thought things were getting better I got slammed to the floor (figuratively speaking) last week! What a mess things are in our lives right now. I just want to throw a fit and scream and cry and, yeah, I even want to jump off the mountain at times. (Only my really close friends will understand that last part, but it's okay, you get the picture.) I know I will get through this. Sometimes I get afraid I won't. I guess you do too, right? I get afraid the situation won't get any better, the pain will never leave, the depression will get worse. Stuck here in the pits surrounded by high walls, clashes of thunder and bolts of lightning I wonder will things ever get any better? Will this load ever get lighter? Will we ever get out of this pit?

YES!

As Max Lucado said, "Out of the lions' den for Daniel, the prison for Peter, the whale's belly for Jonah, Goliath's shadow for David, the storm for the disciples, the disease for the lepers, doubt for Thomas, the grave for Lazarus, and the shackles for Paul. God gets us through stuff. Through the Red Sea onto dry ground (Ex. 14:22), through the wilderness (Deut. 29:5), through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps. 23:4), and through the deep sea (Ps. 77:19)."

Through seems to be a favorite word of God's. (Isa 43:2)

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you:
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor, shall the flame scorch you.

He doesn't say it will be painless. Have you wept your final tear or received your final round of chemo? Not necessarily. Will your unhappy marriage turn happy in a quick minute? Not likely. Are you exempt from any trip to the cemetery? God doesn't guarantee the absence of struggle. Not in this life. But He does pledge to reweave your pain for a higher purpose.

God will use your mess for good. We see a perfect mess; God sees the perfect chance to train, test, and teach the future. We see a prison; God sees a kiln. We see famine; God sees the relocation of His chosen lineage. We call it Egypt; God calls it protective custody, where the sons of Jacob can escape barbaric Canaan and multiply abundantly. We see Satan's tricks and ploys. God sees Satan tripped and foiled.

Life in the pit stinks. Yet for all its rottenness, it forces us to look upward. God's got this.

Keep calm and carry on!

Restoration from fatigue

Sharing my prayer this morning...

Dear God, at times my life seems to be too much. Too full. Too demanding. Too consuming. Everything feels necessary, even important, but weariness creeps across my body and soul like storm clouds gathering in a clear sky. As my body is depleted of energy, my mind loses interest in what normally enthuses me. My tired soul sags as if it were a balloon losing its air. Often - TOO often I feel so spent - so exhausted that even restorative sleep eludes me.

Help me sort the truly important from what only seems important. Give me the courage to say no to what drains rather than feeds me. Help me find brief moments to sit in perfect stillness while you massage my soul. And when I go to my sleeping place, wrap your darkness around me like the softest blanket, so that I might sleep peacefully in your embrace knowing you've already worked it all out - knowing it's not on my shoulders - but yours.

Remind me , Father

Today, God...

Help me remember that the jerk who cut me off in traffic last nights is a single mother who worked ten hours that day and was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Bring to my mind often that the pierced, tatooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly at McDonald's is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind me that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that I can only imagine in my worst nightmare.

Cause me to reflect that the old couple, walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report got back last week, this will be the last year they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind me each day that, of all the gifts you give me, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those I hold dear. Open my heart - not just to those who are close to me - but to all humanity. Teach me to love the way you love. Open my eyes to see people the way you see them. Let me be slow in judgment and quick with forgiveness and patience, empathy and love.