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.

Cast the net one more time!

I AM a woman often of little faith and lousy disposition. So when things go wrong, I not only get discouraged, but I am prone to howl long and loud at the moon, the stars and God Himself.

I was lying in bed the other night, deeply discouraged and frustrated by setbacks that made life look dark and hopeless. But then my mind, for whatever reason, heard and fixed on the sound of a boat, a small boat - the old wooden type that groan and creak with rigging that snaps in the wind and sway with the water - yeah, the type that would have been back in Bible days. And I thought of my favorite disciple, Peter. Yep, the rambunctious and spontaneous one. I could almost audibly hear the words - "Cast your net one more time." I groaned and sighed and muttered, weary, tired, but back in the game of life again. I don't know where God is leading me, but I guess I must follow...and be patient.

My point? Trust in the Lord. He does not abandon us or leave us without guidance. He answers prayers and listens when we talk, even when it is in the form of howling at the moon. Enjoy this day. Every one is a special gift from God.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Luke 5:4-5 (NIV)

Quit Picking on God

I for one love to have it both ways. (Don't we all?) When things go great, I want the credit, and any "Thank you, God" I might utter is pretty knee-jerk, sort of like a "God bless you" after a sneeze. But when things go wrong ... watch out, God! "Oh God, why are you doing this to me? What do you want from me?"

My challenge is to remember that it's ALL a blessing - from the glorious sunrise to the dark and wild storm; from the sweet smile from a dear one to the broken promise from a trusted friend; from the joy that bubles up from a hard-fought victory to the heart-wrenching pain from a blind-sided setback.

My point? Quit picking on God. If He's good, He's good (all the time)! A little trust. A little faith. Enjoy the day...and ALL its blessings!

"Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the Lord." Prov 19:3 (GNT)