November 18, 2020
Your groom awaits!
It’s been over 27 years since I walked down the aisle at the Air Force Academy Chapel, looking up to see the most handsome groom waiting for me at the other end. I still remember how my heart fluttered in excitement as I envisioned what life spent with him by my side would be like. He was (and still is) my very best friend and the most handsome man I’d ever known. As years passed by I would have the opportunity to also know him as a faithful provider, protector, source of joy and laughter, father of our children, spiritual leader, soul mate for adventure, and truly the love of my life. I am blessed beyond measure to be married to this man who truly reflects God’s heart for me and my family.
That being said, I know an even more perfect groom awaits me in eternity! In fact, He walks beside me every moment of every day on earth as well. For those who aren’t familiar with the Bible lingo on this, God often refers to His Church as His bride and to Jesus as the Bridegroom. And the day is coming that the Bridegroom will return for His Bride! We see the signs all around us. In the midst of what feels like chaos, Biblical prophecy is being perfectly fulfilled. We need only to open our eyes and see it. Still we do not know how God’s timing will play out, and anyone who tells you they do….well, they may need to revisit Matthew 24:36 and check themselves. Nonetheless, we are clearly propelling forward. So what are we, as Christians, to do?
I truly believe that while our awareness of what’s going on may be increasing, our calling has not changed one single iota. The timing of world events simply serves as a reminder that there is an urgency to share the gospel, to get ready for our Groom, and to encourage others to do the same. Which brings me to this verse that God keeps highlighting to me lately.
Isaiah 62:10 “Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people;, build up, build up the highway! Take out the stones, lift up a banner for the peoples.”
I LOVE this verse!!!! By now, you all know that I love words and love to dig into the original meanings of the Hebrew and Greek texts. I am not, nor do I pretend to be, an expert on this, but I love to share what God is teaching me. Here’s how this verse breaks down:
Gates – often used in reference to heaven and the throne room of God (where we spend time in prayer hearing and surrendering to His will )
Prepare: panah – to turn toward or from (hmmm….sounds like repentance, right??)
Build – calal – to lift up, exalt
Highway – Jesus is the Highway! He is the way, the truth and the life and only by Him and through Him do we have access to the throne room of God
Remove – caqal – to put to death (usually by stoning)
***note that the call is to remove the stones (idols are often referred to as stones in the Bible)
Banner – nec – something lifted up, a signal, a banner, a rallying point/standard
Based on all this, my own re-wording of His instruction for us is this:
Go to the throne room ( through abiding with Jesus). Bring heaven to earth as we ask God to show us His will and pray that His will be done. Repent!!! Repent for ourselves and on behalf of others – but make sure you are making it personal – we all are in need of repentance. Exalt JESUS!! At every opportunity, exalt Him – this is not the time to be shy about who He is or what He has done for us…share the story God is writing on your life! Put all idols and everything that hinders your relationship with God to death. Give Him the rightful place on the throne of your life in all areas (and remember Isaiah 30:21-23…..as you abide, obey, love, repeat, the idols WILL FALL and others will see Christ!) Rally people around God’s standards/truth! Wake up Christians, your Groom awaits!!!
If you find yourself in a season of distraction or confusion, I cannot stress enough the need to sit at the Father’s feet and allow Him to speak wisdom and peace to you. Regardless of what is going on in the world, our calling remains the same. Press into John 15:1-5. Stay connected to the vine. Abide, obey, love, repeat. And teach others to do the same! Eternity with the most amazing Groom of all awaits those with hearts surrendered to Him!
As always, if you ever want to process any of this, I’m happy to chat online, on the phone, or in person over a cup of teaJ!
July 23, 2020
Hide and Seek
Hide and seek was always one of my favorite childhood games. But those who know me well know that I am absolutely HORRIBLE at it. Don’t get me wrong, I can find great hiding places and I’m really not bad at the seeking part. However, if someone wants to find me, they will have NO PROBLEM AT ALL!! All you have to do is call my name and the slightest giggle starts to build inside me. Call my name a second time and that little “snorty burst” begins, my cheeks fill with air, and I try desperately to hold back the laugh that will ultimately give me away. By the third call of my name, I’m in a full blown laughter attack and my wonderful hiding spot is completely revealed.
Maybe deep down, I actually want to be found! As silly as this example is, God reminded me of it this morning. You see, for a myriad of reasons we sometimes feel like God is hiding from us (which is not true!) However, often we are attempting to hide from Him. But nothing can be hidden from Him!
Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Oh how I love this! Do you believe this to be true? Our heavenly Father sees us completely and with absolute clarity. He knows every strength, every weakness; every thought, every action; every temptation, every victory over sin; every doubt, every moment of faith; every joy and every heart-break. He knows us by name and loves us unconditionally. He knows our propensity to be a “hot mess”, yet loves us enough not to leave us that way.
December 9, 2019
The Christmas Tree
If I were the least bit tech-savvy, this post would be accompanied by a very comical before and after picture. But I’m not, so you’ll just have to visualize what I’m describing!
As December rolls around every year, our house becomes “all things Christmas”! Dan works tirelessly to put up what seems like a gazillion lights outside (some years he even sets them to music.) Decorations that we have collected throughout the years are strategically placed, bringing a sense of anticipation and wonder at the season to come. Advent calendars, Santas, nutcrackers, and German smokers are EVERYWHERE. Aunt Joy painted a beautiful Nativity scene that hangs over our fireplace. I simply adore it all.
As much as I love all of these decorations, my favorite is ALWAYS the Christmas tree. We actually have a tree in nearly every room and I look forward to decorating each one with its own special theme. The majority of these trees are artificial, but not the family room tree!! Nope! That one has to be REAL. And it has to be the biggest, fattest tree I can fit in the space every year! This tree isn’t “themed” at all, rather, it is a collection of family ornaments, photos, homemade ornaments from the kids, ornaments that were gifted to us by grandparents or friends throughout the years, etc. This tree is the “sentimental tree.” And it is always my favorite! Well, ALMOST ALWAYS!!
This year, with Thanksgiving so close to Christmas, kids away at college, and me trying to fit in a “family tree decorating” before they had to leave and a big snow storm hit, I might have rushed the choosing of the tree just a little bit!! However, this year’s tree brings with it a beautiful illustration I will never forget.
I’m naming this tree GRACE because it perfectly illustrates the Father’s heart for us. You see, when we went to buy the tree, it was super cold and the tree had not “fallen out” yet so we couldn’t see exactly what it would turn out like. But the salesperson assured us that since it had a “blue tag”, it had received lots of attention and grooming. We would pay a high price for a “blue tag” tree, but the promised beauty and fullness would be worth it. We brought this tree home, excitedly set it up, put lights on it so that it would shine, and then we joyfully placed the ornaments. When we stepped back to look at the “finished product”, we saw possibly the ugliest tree in history. I mean, REALLY UGLY!! As the tree settled, there were gaping holes in it and no amount of ornaments could hide them. Branches stuck out in places that they never should have been, it looked completely lopsided, and all we could do was laugh at how bad this tree was.
As the week went on, we found ourselves more and more bothered by how ugly this tree was. It wasn’t at all what we had envisioned when we brought it home and now it was staring at us every time we walked into our family room, reminding us of its imperfections. Finally, Dan and I decided we had to simply replace it and start over. In our eyes, it was too ugly to redeem. (Anyone ever felt this way about themselves?? If so, you’ll like where this is going!)
We set out to find a new one that would be all that we had envisioned. Despite trying several different local places, all the trees had been picked over and we could not find a single one that was what we wanted.
However, we were not willing to leave the tree looking like the hot mess that it was. So, we stepped back and looked at it carefully. All the potential for a beautiful tree was there, maybe it just needed some “tending.” We pulled the tree out of the corner, took all the ornaments off, and began grooming the tree. The first step was to turn it around. Once it was turned around, we noticed a beautiful side we had not seen before, still needing grooming, but it was beautiful and without holes nonetheless. Then one by one, with a small pair of scissors, we patiently pruned branches, stepped back and then observed how each step of pruning impacted the rest of the tree. We trimmed some branches and cut others completely off. As we did, the tree started realizing its potential. We carefully placed each ornament back on the tree, paying special attention to which branches were strong enough to hold certain ornaments without weighing it down and changing its shape.
And then it struck me. This is our “redemption tree”, a perfect picture of God’s grace! Do you see it??? This tree was created with all the potential for beauty, for light, for bringing joy, and for serving its purpose. But it needed restoration. And that started with buying it at a high price. (See the parallel. Jesus paid the highest price for us.) Then came turning the tree around (like repentance….turning away from our sin and ugliness and turning toward God!) Lots of pruning and trimming was required (God patiently works to rid us of the things the keep us from realizing the beauty of the plans He has for us). And each ornament was strategically placed on the tree where it would display its beauty the best. These ornaments are special and specific to our family. They carry memories for each of us that others may admire, but they are only truly understood by those of us who experienced getting them. (Likewise, our life experiences and the things God uses in our lives to display His handiwork and accomplish His purpose are unique to each of us. Each one serves a different purpose. God, our Father and creator, perfectly knows which branches can handle the heavy loads and which cannot. He can make it all work together to be beautiful! We simply need to surrender to His pruning.)
The following passages are two of my favorites:
John 15:1-5 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
For me, these verses are inextricably tied together. Our God loves us so much and is soooooo very trustworthy. He is constantly, patiently, and lovingly working in us to remove the things that hold us back from the abundant life He has for us and to transform us into all the we were created to be.
So, here are a few questions to ask yourself today:
- Is there any area in my life that I need to turn around and repent? If so, do it. And find an accountability partner. Beauty is on the other side!
- What area of my life do I need to allow God to prune today? (remember pruning makes room for sunlight to meet the branch….pruning creates margin so that healthy fruit can be produced. Do you have margin in your life right now? If not, it may be time to ask God to show you what He desires to prune so that you can live a fruitful life!)
- Is there something (a sin pattern) that needs to be completely removed? God is perfectly capable to complete this work in you!!
- Is there any area I haven’t fully submitted to Him that needs to be rearranged in order to fully display His beauty?
Let this Christmas be the one where you too look at your tree and see God’s beauty, redemption, restoration, and GRACE! It’s why He sent Jesus so many years ago!
December 3, 2019
Snow storm Ezekiel!!!
Snow has been falling almost constantly for nearly 48 hours and New England is covered in a fresh white blanket. As I look outside I see stunningly beautiful, pure, white snow everywhere!! Nothing I am doing is making this beautiful snow fall, yet as it does I can see the beauty being created💖.
Ezekiel 36:25-28 says “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgements and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, you shall be my people and I will be your God.”
Notice the “l will” statements. These are from God. Nothing I am doing can make me clean or pure or bring the needed breakthrough in whatever circumstance….BUT surrender to the Only One who is worthy of being our stronghold brings that freedom, brings the necessary newness and purity, cleanses us and makes us white as snow before Him. He does it all out of His pure love for us! We need only to surrender. Oh what an amazingly loving Father and Savior we have!!
When you look in the mirror do you see your old self who is/was a slave to sin….or do you see the new self He has made you, free from the rule of sin and full of the power to walk in newness of life- the life HE has planned for you???
Let the imagery of the day remind you of the work God is doing in and through you in this season! He is making you new. See it. Believe it. Surrender to it. And live in the fullness He has for you💖
October 16, 2019
Puppies, Training, and Surrender
This little white puppy!! For those of you who don’t know, we got a new puppy a few months ago. It’s been awhile since we had a puppy in the house! I honestly forgot about the training part, lol. Kayci is a fluffy white Bolognese, weighs merely 6 and a half pounds, and every pound of her has stolen our hearts! She’s playful and full of joy. She brings love and laughter wherever she goes. But boy can she be stubborn! This morning as I was walking her, I realized that she and I are being trained on the same thing….SURRENDER!
For our family, having dogs that are able to walk off-leash and come when they are called is important to our lifestyle and mission. I typically work on this with her in the mornings by simply walking around the perimeter of our house. (I use this time to pray circles around our house too – multi-tasking at its best!) I carry a pocketful of her favorite treats to reward her for staying close and for listening when she’s called. Sometimes she does great; other times, well…not so much. This particular morning, I’m struck by her defiance.
Bear with me! This illustration is a little disgusting, but it gives a great picture of how we often respond to God. We were walking along, and she came to a pile of throw-up that really intrigued her…after all, it had chunks of puppy food in it. No matter how many times I called her away from this leftover icky food, she was so drawn to it that she wouldn’t come. She completely forgot that what I had in my pocket for her was so much better than what she was distracted by. If only she would come to me, she would have real food, satisfying food…heart food that is the very best for her! But she kept returning to the pile, distracted by what she thought it offered.
How often do we do this to God? We are walking along, enjoying His presence, obeying His commands, living in the fullness He has for us and then we get distracted by something WE think is satisfying but ultimately foregoing His very best for us because we won’t SURRENDER to what He is calling us to do.
I’ve been stuck on Romans 12:1-2 for the past couple of weeks and I am just in awe of the invitation to SURRENDER!
Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, perfect will.”
There’s so much meat in these two verses alone, that I think I might tackle it in a few different blogs. But the point I want to leave you with today is this: God is inviting each and every one of us to surrender and it’s a beautiful invitation!
Check out the wording of verse 1:
- Paul is “urging” us to “offer”.
God will not force us to surrender, rather He invites us to surrender. And He’s not asking us to do anything He hasn’t already done!
- “In view of God’s mercy”
His love and mercy towards us is crazy!!! He literally thinks we are so valuable that He paid the price for our sin with His perfect Son! That’s a ridiculously high price!! Do we really believe that we are that valuable??? HE DOES!
- “living sacrifice”
Sometimes making a sacrifice is giving up what we think is best and surrendering to what He KNOWS is best. Other times, being a living sacrifice is simply making ourselves available for His purposes (Remember when Abraham took Isaac to the mountain to be sacrificed and God provided a ram to be sacrificed instead??)
- “This is your true and proper worship”
The ONLY proper response to His crazy love for us is to surrender our whole selves – body, soul, mind and spirit. (Remember the command given in Mark 12:30.) And when we surrender, we get to step into the adventure He has planned for us, which is BEST- NONE BETTER!!
I’ll tackle verse two sometime in the next day or two. (I’m personally working on surrendering my schedule so that I have more time to write as He directs! That’s one of many things He’s teaching me to surrender.)
Application: Spend time reading Romans 12 this week. Ask God to reveal to you any areas that He is inviting you to surrender to Him. Spend time in the Word, worship and prayer allowing Him to direct your “next step” in surrender. And then do it!
Abide, Obey, Love, Repeat! It’s a beautiful training process.
October 17, 2018
Fully Restored!!
Restoration. Restoration is such a cool thing!! If you are anything like me, you love to see things restored. Admittedly, I am a Fixer Upper addict (and yes, I have been to the Magnolia store in Waco multiple times – one benefit of having a son at Baylor – Sic ‘Em Bears!) Anyway, I simply love watching old houses not only be fully restored but also be transformed into something even more beautiful than before! This is a perfect illustration of life with God.
I was at a retreat this past weekend and we looked at several passages on restoration. One of my favorites is found in Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 36:33-36 Thus says the Lord God, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. They will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it.”
Oh the beauty and the promise that lies in this scripture!! Take a minute and re-read it noticing the number of times the word “I” is used and the context of it. Do you see it??? Our God is a God of RESTORATION and is willing to do the work if we allow Him!! Yes, in order to be restored walls may need to be knocked down, new materials may need to be supplied, we may hit unexpected hurdles, and it may take longer than we hoped or anticipated. But if we stay with God and allow Him to lead the process and complete the work, we WILL experience full restoration.
Some of us need a major overhaul right now as we struggle with debilitating sin that we feel we can’t escape. Some may be sitting in a broken relationship that feels like it will never be restored. Some may be watching a child struggle and feel hopeless. Some may be walking alongside a parent or friend who is facing a daunting illness or breathing their final breaths. Some of us may simply be sitting in a pit of lies and hopelessness for a thousand other reasons. But there is good news! God is a God of restoration. He desires and is fully capable of restoring all that is lost and bringing new life! One of the most beautiful things about God as Restorer is that He works both side of the equation. He not only calls us unto Himself, but then as we lean in and abide with Him, He completes the restorative work in us. One thing to remember is that we do not get to define what restoration looks like….the Builder does!! We only need to abide with Him seeking His instruction, obey what He tells us the next step is (out of love for Him and for others), and then repeat the process as He leads every step of the way.
Wherever we are at, we are never too far from God to experience His full restoration! Although it is a process and will take time and leaning into Him, He is only one step of obedience away, waiting with open arms and simply asking “What about now?” His heart is for you and He’s waiting for you to step in, submit, and say “Let’s go!” The restoration and the adventure that await are truly beautiful!
Where do you need to experience God’s restoration today? Take time to ask Him to speak to you and begin the process. Abide, obey, love, repeat! Here are some more verses on restoration to get you started. Enjoy!
Isaiah 51:1-3
Psalms 40:1-3
Joel 2:21-27
Sept 13, 2018
My Shepherd
Some days the reality of living in a broken world simply leaves me heavy-hearted. Today was definitively one of those days….families (some of which we know) are evacuating ahead of Hurricane Florence, houses are spontaneously exploding in nearby towns in Massachusetts, close friends are in a relentless crisis, and the list goes on. As my head hit the pillow last night, my prayer was that God would remind me of His heartbeat for His people. Sometime in the night, He placed Psalm 23 on my heart, and when I awoke this was the first place I turned.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
The Lord is MY shepherd. Mine. He is for me. Sometimes we buy into Satan’s lie that He is for everyone else except us, that we are unworthy of His love, or that He simply is too big to be concerned with our daily struggles…..but this is a lie!! He is MY shepherd and He loves me dearly. He desires to lead me, guide me, discipline me as necessary, protect me, provide for me, speak to me, care for me, comfort me, and to tend to my heart as well as my physical needs. He is MY shepherd and He delights in this!
On days like this, I need the reminder of simply how good our God is!! And I’m betting someone else may need to be reminded of this today too.
I heard the most beautiful illustration the other day that I want to share with you. I may not get it exactly right, but I think you’ll get the idea. Remember when you brought your newborn baby home for the first time? (Or perhaps when you brought a new puppy home? Comically the illustration works either way!) There were times when that baby (or puppy) would cry incessantly and the only way to settle them was to put them on your chest. Close to your heart. Where they heard your heartbeat. You see, they had spent months inside the womb hearing their mother’s heartbeat and that had become their safe place. As soon as they heard the heartbeat again, they were able to settle down, feel secure, and rest. Oh what a perfect illustration of our need to connect to God and hear His heartbeat!! When we take the time to connect with our Heavenly Father and to be reminded of His heartbeat for us and for this lost and broken world, we are able to rest, feeling secure that He is in charge and can be trusted to take care of it all.
Psalm 23 is perhaps one of the most beautiful passages that demonstrates God’s heart for us and therefore a perfect place to reconnect with His heartbeat. For the next several days, I am going to take time to break this Psalm down and share some insights I have learned about this passage over the years. Hopefully, I will have the chance to post a little each day and you will find it as encouraging as I do.
I encourage you to read this Psalm in its entirety each day. Today, focus on the very first phrase and let it really sink in. What does it mean for God to be YOUR shepherd? What areas of your life do you need to let go of control and simply follow YOUR shepherd’s lead? How have you experienced the love, the provision, and/or the protection of YOUR shepherd in the past? Journal your thoughts and write Him a short love note thanking Him for being your shepherd!
Then rest well, knowing He is yours and He is for you!
September 8, 2018
The Obstacle Race
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
This morning, I was drawn to pick up an old journal and something in it caught my eye. I thought I’d share it with you all in case it speaks to someone else too! This particular journal entry recorded a dream that God gave me and the immediate illustration He spoke about it. In this dream, I was running an obstacle course race (which I used to love to do before aging knees set in, lol!) As I ran, every time an obstacle was completed I was given something for completing it – keys, a medal, a phone, a picture, etc. Rather than freeing me to run the race, I then had several cumbersome things in my way and it became more and more difficult to complete the race.
When I awoke, I immediately thought of Hebrews 12:1-2. How often do we hit an obstacle in life, make it through the obstacle, but carry something with us from it that ultimately slows us down?? Someone hurts us and we pick up bitterness, anger or unforgiveness. Things don’t go as planned or are so much harder than we imagined, and we pick up fear. We are ashamed of the truth, and we pick up deceit. We are afraid to trust, and we pick up control or manipulation. You get the idea – the list goes on and on.
But God has so much more for us!!! He has marked out a race for each of us and equips us for His plan every step of the way! When we face obstacles in life, we need to take a hard look at what we’ve learned or picked up at that obstacle. If it’s not a tool to help us with the next obstacle, then it is a hindrance to our race ahead.
Today, take some time to ask God if there’s anything you’ve picked up along the way that is slowing down what He desires to accomplish in and through you. And remember, He is the author and perfecter of our faith. That means we need only to abide with Him and obey what He says regarding the matter, surrendering our will to His. As we do, He will rid our hearts of the extra baggage. It’s a process that takes time and leaning into Him and His word, but He promises to keep refining us each step of the way if we allow Him. Our job is simply to abide, obey, love, and repeat….God will do the rest!
August 27, 2018
A mom’s prayer for the first day of school
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declare the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This verse is probably one of the most quoted scripture of all times. We see it on placards and pictures, it’s quoted in yearbooks, and rattled off easily in Christian circles as a word of encouragement. And it should be. There is beautiful hope and promise found in this verse. It reminds us of the goodness of God and His heart for us. I often find myself reminding my children of this…..and reminding them that God loves them even more than I do!!
This morning, as I watched my middle son (now a senior) drive off to school with my daughter (now a freshman), this verse played in my mind. But when it plays in my mind it doesn’t stop at verse 11 like most of the signs and pictures do. For me, verse 12-13 hold as much, if not more, value. Let’s keep reading:
Jeremiah 29:12-13 “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.”
Wow!! Oh how I need this reminder as a mom. It puts into perspective what is truly important! Sometimes we want to hold back time, to protect our children from every potential hurt, to do everything within our power to give them a life of ease, comfort, happiness, productivity, and impact.
But God, who loves them more than we do, has even better plans for them. Those plans often don’t look exactly like our plans though. Look at the word “then” in verse 12. There is a promised result of His plans!! His perfect plans will result in our children learning to trust Him, seeking Him with their whole heart, praying to him, hearing and obeying His voice, and knowing the He also hears their voice! Rest assured, His plans for them are for good – but sometimes in order to step into the “good”, they will face struggles and hardships, things will not go as planned, someone or something may cause them pain, etc. Our role as moms is not always to protect them from these things, but rather to teach them how to lean into God during these times.
So, my prayer for this school year, is simply this:
Lord, I know that you have blessed me with these children and entrusted them to my care. I know you love them dearly and I know that I can fully trust YOUR plans for them. Help me, as their mom, not to be tempted to jump in and rescue or to try to control circumstances and outcomes. Help me instead to walk alongside them through each struggle, teaching them to seek you, teaching them to love you, and teaching them most of all to TRUST you!! Help me to model this well in my own life. You are a faithful and loving God. Thank you for giving me a front row seat to your mercy and grace in my children’s lives as you continue to capture their hearts and grow them into the shining lights you created them to be. Help me to always humbly submit my plans for them to yours, and to stay at your feet asking you for direction on how to lead them. Let this be a year that we all learn to trust you even more and that we see your hand on each of our lives! Let this be a year that we reflect more and more of your heart to the world around us! I sit at your feet and wait expectantly for you to unfold beautiful plans that only you can accomplish in my children’s lives! Amen!
August 22, 2018
The Dancer
Psalm 37:7a “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him..”
Growing up with three sisters, one of my favorite memories is of listening to Captain & Tenille and Shawn Cassidy, dancing on the bed, singing at the top of our lungs into a hairbrush, and spinning incessantly to the music! Oh how we loved to dance, and especially to spin! (In fact, there’s a great story involving one of my sisters, the wonder woman “spin”, a wall, and the fire department…..but I’ll save that for another time!) For now, I want to focus on the dance!
Although I am not always the most patient person, here’s my favorite part of this verse: “wait patiently for Him.” The Hebrew word for “wait” here is “chuwl”, which means to dance! Waiting on God is actually dancing with God! Dancing with God!!!!
Dancing can be such a beautiful thing, although it wasn’t always that beautiful when my sisters and I did it! I don’t believe any of us ever took dance lessons. We simply did whatever movement we enjoyed and felt was best in the moment. Honestly, it was probably a mixture of fun and disastrous at all times! Sound familiar?? All too often this is how we function in life. When life sends us spinning, we too often rely on our own judgment and ideas, and do what “feels best” or “makes the most sense.” Sometimes this works out fine; sometimes it’s disastrous.
But dancing with God looks different!! According to my friends who did take lessons, one of the most important things you learn when dancing is to find a fixed point. Focusing on that fixed point is crucial to a successful spin!! What a perfect image this is for us. So often the things going on around us in life cause us to spin. But when we fix our eyes on God, even the spin becomes purposeful and beautiful. We become grounded and ready to take the next step He calls us to take. Ready to follow His lead and dance the beautiful dance He intended us to dance.
Today, I want to dance with God.
August 16, 2018
The Battle
Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS, the author and perfector of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Fix your eyes on Jesus. Many of us have heard this phrase at least a thousand times. But let’s face it…..it’s a battle every day to keep our eyes fixed on Him, to align our thoughts and hearts with His.
It’s NOT a battle to focus on what’s around us or on our difficult circumstances. It’s NOT a battle to focus on who’s doing (or not doing) something. It’s NOT a battle to focus on what or who the world says is important. There’s no real struggle involved in loving the loveable, or in responding how the world says we “have a right to” respond to different situations. It’s not a battle to focus on those things at all. Those thoughts and actions are our default mode – the thoughts and actions we go to when we are distracted, when we don’t feel like fighting, when we are weary, when we don’t keep our eyes on Him and when we are trying to do things on our own strength.
Let’s be honest. In this world, the real battle is keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus!
If only we could understand that He has so much more for us as His beloved children!! Oh, how much more purposeful it is to live in the sweet spot of seeing what He sees, loving how He loves, and obeying what He commands!! Fixing our eyes on Him may take effort, but the battle is sooooooo worth it!! So how do we do it?? Keeping our eyes fixed on Him begins one day at a time. It starts with learning to abide with Him, daily sitting at His feet, asking Him questions, allowing Him to respond, listening to His voice, obeying His commands….and trusting that His will is best, none better! It starts by simply spending time with our Father…..our eyes fixed on the truth of His words each and every day, allowing them to become a part of our heart and soul, and surrendering our hearts to the author and finisher of our faith. There’s POWER in His Word. Don’t forget that. And don’t go into battle without it.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Reflections of a Curly-haired Girl 