Oh How He Loves

Psst... hey you!  Yeah you.  Can we talk?

Do you need to feel loved today?
Do you need to hear somebody say they love you and that you are enough?

Will you allow me to say that to you today?

I know, I know, we may not be friends.  And the thought of accepting words of a stranger from a computer screen seems a bit frightening.  Odd maybe.  But what if I could share with you for a moment, not my own words, but the words straight from scripture.  Right from God's heart to your ears... or in this case eyes.

Because some days are hard.
Because some days are messy.
Because some days it hurts.
Because some days you are afraid to keep going.

And I know this too.

I know what it means to be lied to.
I know what it feels like to be all alone.
I know what it's like to feel defeated and weary and afraid.

But God's plan for our lives... as believers... is better. 

Oh how He loves!

Zephaniah 3:17 says,

"For the Lord your God is living among you.  He is a mighty savior.  He will take delight in you with gladness.  With His love, He will calm all your fears.  He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” {NLT}

He is living among us.  He is with us.  He is a mighty Savior, yes, but He is with us...which means He is a friend.  He will take great delight in you with gladness.  Gladness!  Delighting in you brings Him happiness.  He calms all of your fears and the end... the beautiful end of this verse.. He rejoices over you with joyful songs.

Oh how He loves!

Yes... that much.

There are six beautiful "I Wills" of restoration that appear in Zephaniah:

• I will gather, 3:18: "I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals."
• I will deal, 3:19: "I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you."
• I will save, 3:19: "I will save the weak and helpless ones."
• I will appoint, 3:19: "I will bring together those who were chased away."
• I will bring you back, 3:20: "I will gather you and bring you home again."
• I will give you, 3:20: "I will give you a good name of distinction."

Oh the promises of our God are so rich.  He will restore us.  He will deliver us.  He will bring us back.

Every.  Single.  Time.

Why?

Because we are His.

"My beloved is mine and I am his."  {Song of Solomon 2:16}

 Gods love just is.

We don't earn it and we don't even deserve it.

But we have it.

Because He is ours and we are His.

So for the hard and messy days... remember Who sings over you with joyful songs.
Remember Who is gathering and dealing and saving and appointing and giving and bringing back.

Our God... He fights for you because He loves you.

And I don't know another love quite like that one!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

When You're Not Sure Why

I didn't know how to respond to that question... "What's wrong?"  when he asked me at the end of a hard day.  It was a Tuesday.

I couldn't name it.

For some reason I couldn't define the thing that was holding me captive.

The tears flooded the eyes, the pain tightened in the chest and I couldn't for the life of me decide what to blame it on.

And some days are like that, aren't they?

Some days are just hard.

I wanted to run away.  That day.  In fact I had said so.  Out loud.  And even as the words were leaving my lips I wanted to take them back.  But something in me felt broken.  And as hard as I tried to find joy... I couldn't.

What had happened to the joy?

And some days joy is easy to find.  Some days we wake to this feeling of joy and of song and dance.  Some days are filled with glee and giddiness.

And other days the sadness sets in and makes itself at home within our soul.

And these are the days we have to keep fighting.  Keep pressing on.  Keep searching for joy.

Life can... and will knock us down.  And here's the thing... we were never promised a thorn-free life.

In fact... just the opposite is true...

"Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrow."  {John 16:33a}

So why am I then so surprised when the pain sets in?

Because the world can be so ugly.
This broken world with all of it's disappointments can become the very thing that blocks our view of Jesus.
Stare too long at the bitterness and selfishness and arrogance of the world and it can blind us to the goodness of God and the beauty of His gifts.

And was that it?

Had my eyes veered off temporarily to the gifts of God?  Had I allowed myself moments of unappreciation for the blessings that had never left?

Because joy is always a choice.

And choosing to see through the ugliness of the world is the first step into joy in Christ.

I had read it before in Mark, chapter 8.  The story of Jesus healing a blind man.
In a way only Jesus could make beautiful, he spit on the man's eyes and asked him...

"Can you see anything now?"

The man looked around and said,

"I see people, but I can't see them very clearly.  They look like trees walking around."  {NLT}

Then Jesus placed His hands on the man's eyes again, and his eyes were opened.  His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.

He could see everything clearly.

He had, indeed, found joy!

I had been that blind man whose sight was only temporarily restored.  I could see, but not very clearly.  But when I made the choice to come before Jesus and ask for His help... my vision was restored completely.

The joy is there for our eyes to see.  We just have to want to see.  We have to choose to see.

We can choose to see with eyes wide open the gifts... His graces... that have always been right in front of us.  Because Jesus is the restorer of sight and He is the gift-giver and we make the choice daily to fight for joy.  We can choose to see the broken world for all of it's faults and failures... or we can choose to see the world for all of it's beauty and wonder.

And I choose joy every time.

Jesus... I want to see!

Restore my sight so that I can see Your goodness... Your gifts.

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

 

Step Into The Water

I had read it in my quiet time about Stepping Into the Water:

"Be bold and willing to move when God directs - even it the "water" (your different circumstance) has not parted yet."

And here is my own, personal reflection...

Joshua was Moses' assistant who took over the leadership of Israel. Joshua was 90 years old when Moses died and passed his baton of leadership over to him.

First of all - imagine for a moment being Joshua. Moses was considered to be the greatest of all the Old Testament prophets, one in whom the Lord knew intimately. My Bible commentary says, "Not until John the Baptist was there another prophet greater than Moses." Can you even imagine being Moses' successor??? Can you even imagine for a second trying to fill THOSE shoes??? WOW!

To top it all off... Joshua's very first assignment as told in Joshua 1, was to lead God's people across the Jordan River to the land that was promised to them.

God was leading Joshua and the Israelites to overtake Jericho which was west of the Jordan River, a river which flowed heavily with water. And even though he was quite certainly scared, God promised him that "everywhere you go, you will be on the land I have given you" (1:3). Joshua, even though he MUST have been overwhelmed by the task put in front of him, had the promise of God to carry with him. Joshua 1:5 says, "No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you." I don't think it's a coincidence that the Lord says THREE times between verses 6 and 9 in chapter 1, "Be strong and courageous". THREE times. You think He was trying to get his attention about something?

And I don't know about you - but MANY times I need God to tell me something three times before it finally sinks in! Shamefully, sometimes more than that!

We go on to read about the success that Joshua had in leading the Israelites across the Jordan River. The priests were given instruction to, "Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river"(3:6). And so they started out. Joshua explained what was going to happen next, "The priests will be carrying the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. When their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will pile up there in one heap" (3:13).

I want to stop there for a minute and consider the fear that these priests must have had. A new leader, new territory and now you want us to have enough faith to risk our lives by getting into the water?! I can hear them now trying to make excuses for why staying home and watching a little football seemed like the safer choice! But - that was not God's plan and that's not what happened. We read on about the priests obedience and the sacrifice they made for the higher calling from God. We read about the fulfillment of God's promise to Joshua in chapter 3, verses 15-16, "Now it was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the River's edge, the water began piling upstream, and the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry." Then the people crossed over near the city of Jericho.

There are many lessons in this story of Joshua leading the people across the Jordan River. Lessons on faith, obedience and trust. But there is something else I think God wants me to learn here. It wasn't until the priests put their feet into the water that is parted. It wasn't until the priests took that first step of faith... stepping into a rapid flow of water... that the water finally stopped flowing and temporarily dried up allowing the people to cross and ultimately God's promise to be fulfilled.

I believe the same promise that was made to Joshua is the same promise God's making to us! He will be with us. He will not abandon us!

It got me thinking... What is it that God is calling me to do for Him that seems a bit frightening? What am I doing right now in my life that requires THIS kind of faith? Joshua faith? What am I so afraid of? Perhaps God is calling me to TAKE that first STEP of obedience so that He can part the waters in my life!

My lesson furthered my thinking on this...

"Is God asking you to do something beyond your abilities and comprehension? Maybe you see only the waters ahead. Step out in faith if He is leading you to move. He will part the waters to accomplish His assignments. Future generations will be blessed because of your faithfulness to trust in God's provision in your life." {Chris Adams}

I've been thinking about those first steps and what they might be in my own life...

Maybe God is asking me TRUST Him more with what is His anyway.
Maybe my first step is believing that He is who He says He is and He can do what He says He can do.
Maybe my first step is strengthening my prayer time.
Maybe my first step is saying no to some things so that I can say YES to the bigger things God has for me.
Maybe my first step is letting go of the things I hold so tightly to and allowing God full control of not just some of the areas of my life - but ALL of them.

There are so many first steps that we can take. If God is leading - then we have to be willing to move. The ball is in our court.

What step will we take toward the amazing things God has in store for each of us? How will we respond to His instruction to step out into the flowing waters and trust Him with the rest?

God is waiting on you... what's your first step of faith?

Incidentally... after Joshua fulfilled his assignment of leading the Israelites, Joshua's glory day came... Joshua 4:14, "That day the Lord made Joshua great in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they revered Moses." WOW! Being obedient to God is worth it! It may not always bring this type of glory and that's okay.. it's not man's approval we seek anyway - it's God's. After my race is run I pray that God will be so pleased by me that I might hear... "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matt. 25:23)

Press on friends,

Finding JOY Where You Are

 

You might be like me if you find yourself telling your child, "You can do anything you want!"

I've told Chloe that a time or two. And I have good intentions when I say it - but the bottom line is that perhaps she can't be anything she wants to be. But she can be anything God wants her to be. And I believe that with all my heart.

When she tells me that her dream is to become a famous singer I mean well when I say, "Then go for it! You can do anything you want to do!" But here's my honest translation:

"God has big plans for you Chloe! If you want to sing - make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Do the very best you can! If you don't make it famous - know one thing for sure... that you gave it your best for His glory. Find joy in doing what you love."

At the end of the day all I want for my child is to do the very best she can with whatever gifts she's been given. Maybe God didn't give her the best voice on the planet, but if she wants to sing and she has real passion that drives her to be the best she can be - I'm gonna be one proud mama! I want her to know that if God doesn't choose to use her musically, she can still find joy in doing whatever He's called her to do. My prayer for her daily is that she will fall in love with Jesus and find pure joy in her journey.

Isn't that then how our Heavenly Father is with us? He wants the best from us at whatever it is we're doing. Right now. In this moment. We have been called to do something in this season of life... He just asks that we do it unto the Lord, with all of our souls, with all of our minds and with all of our strength. I believe that's what makes Him proud.

Maybe God is calling us to do big things for Him. Perhaps He is asking us to go out and change the world. But maybe... just maybe... He's asking us to first find joy where He's placed us RIGHT NOW.

Here.

In this moment, JOY can be found.

Joy isn't ONLY found in this mission field, on a stage, or traveling across the country. Joy is also in those small, quiet places that nobody else sees but you. Take what God has given you... blessed you with... and find joy in that.

Maybe that's changing diapers.
Maybe that's working a drive-thru window at McDonald's.
Maybe that's cleaning toilets.
Maybe that's homeschooling.
Maybe that's volunteering in your local church.
Maybe that's mowing yards.

Joy CAN be found in those places too.

God is using you RIGHT where you are for this season in your life. And He's preparing you for greatness. You and I just have to learn how to be content with what's He's provided us with so that we're ready to accept the BIG challenges He's got in store for us later on.

And just maybe THIS is the big stuff.

I don't mean that we should stop dreaming bigger! Because what I know is that God has given us all the gifts and talents we need to do, precisely, the work He's called us to do. He has enabled us and if we are willing to GO, He will lead!

I love what John Wesley says, "Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can."

Go ahead... You might have to read that one again.  :)

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.

God wants our best. At whatever we do. Large or little. The significant things and those that seem insignificant. Luke 16:10 says,  

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much..."

Do the best you can, where you are, with what you have, now. Take the little. Make it much. And watch God grow you like you've never dreamed possible!

Your story isn't over.. it's just beginning!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

Being a Good Friend

I have been beyond blessed by some wonderful friendships in my life. I truly have. But I often wonder if I've been a blessing to them in return.

What makes a great friendship?

What's the secret to long-lasting relationships?

I think it's pretty simple, really. I think it's about being the kind of person whom the other cannot live without. The greatest friendships in my life consist of selfless people who are good listeners, love to laugh and who make me better just being around them.

Friends are honest with you... even if it's not what you want to hear.
Friends are supportive... they cheer you on to victory and success.
Friends are trustworthy... you can trust them with your secrets and dreams.
Friends have seen you at your worst... and choose to love you anyway.
Friends are drawn to WHO you are... not what you have.
Friends are loyal... they've always got your back.
Friends are filled with grace... they are slow to anger and quick to forgive.
Friends are compassionate... humbly offering their tender heart.
Friends are good listeners... they don't just hear, they listen with their eyes and hearts as well as with their ears.
Friends are selfless... sacrificing their desires for yours.
Friends are generous... giving much and expecting little.
Friends are inspirational... they inspire you to want to be a better person.

I am richly blessed by the friendships I've made along this life's journey. I've been challenged by them, encouraged by them and loved deeply by some of this planets greatest people!

I read recently about "refrigerator rights" friends. These are friends who can walk into your home and help themselves to anything in your refrigerator. Why? Because they are THAT comfortable in your home. THAT comfortable with just being themselves when they are with you. THAT comfortable in their relationship with you. Authentic friends with rights to your life.

Do you have friends like this?

In John 15:13, Jesus is teaching His disciples, His FRIENDS, about how to love each other. He said,  

"I command you to love each other in the same way I love you. And here is how to measure it - the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends."

Jesus was, indeed, the greatest example of a true friend.

Proverbs 27:17 says,

  "As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend."

We are called to make each other better; to build each other up.

Ecclesiasties 4:9-10 says,

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"

We were made to be in community with others. There is strength in numbers. We need each one another... we weren't meant to do this alone.

It's true - I have been blessed by great friendships, but I pray that I may never stop being the kind of person others long to be around. I pray that I would always seek for ways I can be the best friend possible to those God has entrusted me with.

One of life's greatest joys is being able to have and be a friend! Don't underestimate the value of these special relationships! We have this one life to get it right. Will we be the kind of friend Jesus would be proud of?

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

An Open Letter to Justin Bieber

Dear Justin,

I wish you could have seen the excitement on my daughter's face when she received tickets to your concert in Detroit, Michigan for Christmas in 2012.  Amid the boxes and torn wrapping paper were gifts... all things that she had asked for.  Things that had been on her "wish list" for months.  But nothing... nothing could have prepared her for the BIG REVEAL her dad and I had planned when we joyfully pulled out that "one more gift" that had been in hiding for nearly a month.

I wish you could have seen the joy in her smile and the tears in her eyes.  It was, indeed, a dream-come-true for her.

I remember when you had performed in concert once before in our great state.  Thanksgiving of 2011.  I remember the day well as she begged, "Mom, can we just drive to Detroit so that I can know what it feels like to be in the same CITY as Justin."

I laughed.

I remember what it felt like to be 11.  If the hundreds of Michael Jackson posters were any indication... I, too, had an idol.  I, too, had a dream of being in the very presence of greatness.  I remember.

We sat among the screaming fans when we watched your movie and we spent long hours looking at magazines, books and websites that promoted your work.  And to be honest, the attraction for us... to you... went beyond the good looks, sweet smile, good hair, and fashion sense. 

We saw something in you.
Something good.  Something pure.  Something innocent.
And that was equally attractive.

The way you prayed with your friends at a pizza joint in Canada.
The way you talked about your Christian beliefs and the God you served before anything else.
The way you genuinely respected your parents and grandparents.

We watched you grow up.

And maybe... just maybe... we expected something more.
Maybe we felt entitled somehow by the success you had created on your own.
Maybe we wanted more from you than you had to give.

Because you have had the "joy" of being in the limelight.

The "joy"?  Or is it?

Growing up is hard.
And I imagine that growing up in the public eye is harder.

And who are we to judge?

But can I say this one thing?

We miss you.
We miss the Justin that sang "Baby Baby Baby" on our radio stations on an hourly basis.
We miss the boy who grew up too fast but didn't have to.

Many of us feel your pain.
Many of us have been there.
But it doesn't have to end here.

Our sins are numerous too.  Fortunately for us they're not on display for all to see.
For us, they're not broadcasted for the world to judge first.

And hear my heart... I am not standing in judgement.

I am a woman who remembers what it's like to be 19 years old.
I am mama who's heart is torn for her 13-year-old daughter who desperately wants to continue to support you all the while feeling conflicted by the onslaught of negative media coverage.
I am a parent who prays daily that her child will make good decisions and wise choices.

You see, Justin, the world is full of people who are desperately searching for someone to follow.  Someone to look up to.  Someone who can be trusted and someone who is a world-changer.

But don't ever confuse that with what God wants for your life.

God created you on purpose... for a purpose.
And He loves you... radically loves you!

You don't have to be what you think everyone wants you to be.
You don't have to do what others expect you to do.

You only have to be concerned with being all that God has called you to be.

Justin... He loves you!
Romans 5:8: "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Justin... He forgives you!
2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

Justin... He accepts you!
Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."

You are 19.
And I pray that I am never judged on what I did at 19.
Or 25.
Or 40.

And make no mistake, I don't condone the things you are doing.
I'm not making an excuse for bad behavior.

But I am saying...
You are loved.
You are forgiven.
You are accepted.

And you are needed.

Needed by God to shine your light in a dark world.

And so as a mama of a teenage daughter who wrestles daily with her commitment to follow you I pray. 

I pray that God would show you His mercy.
I pray that God would radically capture your heart and return you to Him.
I pray that God would reveal Himself to you so that you can make the changes necessary to prove to the world that this... this did not kill you.  This did not destroy you.  Because you are the son of the King and you, who were created in His likeness, will not only recover, but will be strengthened because of His goodness and grace.

Don't give up.

Keep fighting.

It's gonna be worth it.  I promise.

May you find JOY in your JOurneY,

Anything, but...

We all have good intentions, don't we? I like to think that we all have good, clean hearts and decent motives.

In my opinion, a great example of communicating good intentions is during a crisis in one's life. Maybe it's a death of a loved one. Maybe it's a season of sickness someone is experiencing, a loss of a job, a fire in a home. An overwhelming situation... a difficult circumstance. We all have those people in our lives who say to us... "Let us know if there's anything we can do." Or, "Just say the word and we'll help you with that!"

Good intentions. Right motives. But has that become the "easy" or "predictable" thing to say? I'm not suggesting that we don't MEAN what we say. I think many of us truly desire to be of help to our friends and family in situations such as these. But offering to help... and doing something, are two totally different things. The talk is easier than the walk... would you agree?

I received an email from someone close to me a few months ago who was expressing their genuine, heart-felt desire to help my family as we were beginning a journey involving an uncertain health care issue with my husband. Oh I believe that the heart behind the offering was sincere, however, it was the words that followed that left me a bit confused. The email went something like this...  

"I'd like to help if I can with ANYTHING you need, but....."

Following was a list of conditions that would prohibit this person from a full commitment of assistance.

I have to admit that I was a little upset over this. I mean, after all, it's hard enough for me to accept help when I need it, and now this? I've done so much for this person myself. I've helped during their time of need... and now... what about me? Now your helping me is only if it's convenient for you?

You see - inside my heart I knew that the motives were right, but the action steps that followed didn't feel so good. And creeping into my flesh once again, came that ugly me-mentality! What about me? Why not me? Can't they do something for me? Me, Me, Me!

And then it hit me. Almost like a ton of bricks! Isn't that how we are with God? I know I'm guilty of doing this quite often...

God... I will do ANYTHING for you BUT not that!

God, I will do ANYTHING You want, but don't ask me to serve THAT person!
God, I will do ANYTHING You want, but don't ask me to forgive Him/Her!
God, I will do ANYTHING You want, but don't send me to Africa for a year!
God, I will do ANYTHING You want, as long as it doesn't cause me pain.

Anything God...
As long as it doesn't cost me anything.
As long as it's peaceful.
As long as it doesn't bring suffering.
As long as it makes me look good.

We offer God our lives, but we're holding on for dear life praying that by offering anything it will virtually cost us nothing. But that is not an image of true sacrifice. That's living with a me-mentality. It's selfish and it will only cause me to miss out on the fullness of life that God created me to have!

If He's calling us to surrender our EVERYTHING to Him... and I believe He is... than we have to be willing to let go and allow Him to lead. Even if the road is uncertain. Even if we're scared. Even if we experience pain for a little while.

Why? Because Joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5), that's why!

We may be a little uncomfortable, but God didn't die for us to live a cozy little life with no trials. He died for us to have life and to have life in fullness. John 10:10 says "My purpose is to give life in all it's fullness." And I believe that living life to the fullness means offering your life as a sacrifice for God and for others ESPECIALLY when it doesn't feel good. Because THAT is true obedience. It's easy to give when we're feeling good. It's easy to give when we have abundance. It's easy to care for others when it lines up with what we have scheduled out for ourselves... but it's much harder to offer our lives when it costs us something. But this is where the blessing of God lives. And it's during these times He wants to teach us more about what it means to look more like Jesus.

If we are going to SAY we'll do anything for God, then we must be willing to DO anything He asks us to do. Period. That means when it's hard, when it's painful, when it's uncomfortable, when it's scary, when it's uncertain, when it's unclear, when it's challenging, when it's risky and when it's unpopular. If it lines up with the word of God and it's clearly something He's asking us to do, then we have to be willingly give up our desires for His. Because dying to self and being filled with Him is the only way we're going to experience the life Christ died to give us.

We need to get to the point in our lives where we are asking God to let us be the vehicle He drives around. Use me, God, to be the thing You use to draw people closer to you. When you say GO, let my feet be as ready as my mouth is!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

Praise You Anyway

God... remind me today that YOU are in charge. Not me.

Help me to be satisfied with WHERE I am and with WHO you are.

Help me to realize the things that I NEED may not always line up with what I WANT and that's okay. Because You love me THAT much and You have great things planned for my life.

I have made the decision that I am going to PRAISE YOU anyway.

Through my tears... I'll praise You anyway.
Through the pain... I'll praise You anyway.
Through my doubt... I'll praise You anyway.
Through my fear... I'll praise You anyway.
Through the storms... I'll praise You anyway.
Through the sickness... I'll praise You anyway.
Through the rejection... I'll praise You anyway.
Through all my failures... I'll praise You anyway.
Through the suffering... I'll praise You anyway.
Through the persecution... I'll praise You anyway.

Even if that means standing ALONE.
Even when I don't FEEL like it.
Even when others don't AGREE.

You have never failed me.
You have never given me more to handle than strength to overcome.

You are FAITHFUL.
You are MERCIFUL.

You are GOOD. ALL the time.

And I will choose to praise You anyway.

Amen.

Sprinkles in a World Full of Vanilla

On Wednesday of this week, my sweet daughter Chloe came home from school to tell me that a teacher had paid her compliment. And this is what she told her...

“Chloe, you are sprinkles in a world full of vanilla.”

I have to say I quite agree with her on this one. SPOT on. And what a beautiful compliment. Few others could leave me filled with such joy. These are the great mama moments.  {Insert sappy music here.}

And that comment has so resonated with me this week.

What does it mean to BE sprinkles in a world full of vanilla?

It means to be set apart, unique, different, special.

We are set apart and made holy.

Leviticus 20:26 says, “You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.”

But here's the thing... it's going to take some intentionality.

This is going to be real work.

Because the world... our culture... screams just the opposite.
We live in a self-centered, me-focused society.

So to get different results... we need to start doing things differently.

Things that look less like the world and more like Jesus Christ.

Here are just a few ways we can BE sprinkles in a world full of vanilla:

• Say thank you
• Use first names as often as possible
• Let drivers cut in line in front of you
• Forgive before an apology is offered
• Smile at every person you pass – regardless if they offer you a smile first
• Use your phone to make personal phone calls instead of texting
• Invite others to dinner – just because
• Send hand-written cards
• Say hi to strangers in the grocery store
• Make eye contact
• Put your cell phone away during dinner with your family
• Share what God has been revealing to you with a close friend
• Pray for the needs of others
• Pray with others as often as possible
• Date your spouse
• Leave encouraging notes for strangers in public places
• Pay for the meal of the patron behind you in the drive-thru lane
• Sing and be silly with your children
• Thank a teacher for their commitment to teaching
• Overcome jealousy by verbally praising the opposition
• Refrain from using the words, “It's not fair”
• Don't expect kindness from others... be kind anyway
• Pray for your children's future spouses
• Hug tightly
• Keep your promises
• Remember birthdays
• Don't ignore the prompting to contact an old friend when they come to mind
• Choose a word to live by every year instead of a list of new year's resolutions
• Be an intense listener
• Be a radical giver
• Love difficult people
• Say “I'm sorry” as often as necessary
• Keep a prayer journal
• Be on time
• Obey immediately
• Give worry over to God
• Serve selflessly
• Refuse to gossip
• Be honest about your weaknesses
• Tell the truth
• Honor your parents
• Never let your children hear you talk negatively about your spouse
• Use your words to build others up
• Remind yourself of God's love for you often
• Learn how to fail well
• Accept constructive criticism with grace
• Pray with your family at meals in restaurants
• Wake up early as often as you can to see the sunrise
• Hold hands with your spouse
• Don't hold grudges
• Congratulate others often
• Read your Bible daily
• Let people off the hook for not being perfect
• Practice saying "no" sometimes
• Laugh out loud and often
• Hold doors for others
• Sit and visit with people
• Include others in your circle of friends

The list could literally go on and on.

YOU fill one in!

Go ahead. Get creative. We serve a pretty creative God, you know.

Craig Groeschel says in his book, “Weird”, that...

“Too often our desire to fit in, to belong, to conform and be considered normal eclipses our desire to follow God and do what's best. We choose popular standards instead of the habits that lead to holiness.”

God is calling us to holiness.

He is not calling us to be perfect or popular... but holy.

He is calling us to be sprinkles in a world full of vanilla.

The world doesn't need more vanilla.

It's so plain... so predictable... so “normal” and average.

We were called by God.

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

Together let's practice being sprinkles in a world full of vanilla.

Together we can change the world!

Praise Jesus?  Yes... praise Jesus!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

Press On!

I don't know what you're going through. I don't know the pain you feel. I don't know the battle you're facing. But if you're anything like me, perhaps you've felt defeated at times.

Maybe you've come to a point in your life where you find yourself asking God on a daily basis... "Is this really worth it?" Don't be ashamed to ask God this question. Oh friend, I've been there more times than I'd EVER care to admit. Life is hard. Life is challenging. Life is exhausting. Life is overwhelming. This road... this journey... it's filled with potholes. The pavement is broken. There are ditches and valleys and twists and turns. This road of life is complicated. And I know the pain and the disappointment and the weariness that comes from traveling too long on a stony path.

But for the Christ follower - God tells us in His word that we have hope! You see - satan would like for nothing more than for us to reside in this place of defeat. He came only to kill, steal and destroy. He has come to rob us from anything that God intended for good in our lives. And we need to recognize those attacks when we are faced with them. We need to familiarize ourselves with the thoughts satan tries to plant in our minds to destroy us.

Things like...

• you're not good enough
• you're not smart enough
• you're not pretty enough
• you'll never have enough money
• who could ever love you after what you've done?                                                                     

The reason this world feels so foreign to us is because it's not where we belong. We, as Christ followers, have a heavenly residence that awaits us after our journey on this earth comes to an end. I know first hand that these thoughts can hinder us from living in the fullness that Christ died for us to experience.

Just the other morning I was struggling with some personal issues that kept me feeling defeated and rejected. And it's amazing the ways God will speak to us if we tune our ears in closely to what He has to say.

I was an still am deeply encouraged as I turn to His Word in Luke, chapter 13. Jesus was busy. He was healing the sick, giving sight to the blind and resurrecting the dead. He was teaching and preaching and sharing the love of His Father with the Pharisees as He journeyed on His way. His ministry was alive. He was doing the will of God, and yet I imagine if truth be told He was getting a little tired. I imagine Jesus was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the very calling on His life. My guess is that He was even a little fed up with the rebellion and the disbelief that He encountered in His journey. But He never lost sight of why He came.

Did you get that?

He never lost sight of why He came.

He never gave in to defeat. He never let the world distract Him from God's master plan. He knew the way was rocky... and He went anyway. He knew the road was marked with circumstances that would threaten to jeopardize His entire existence and He pressed forward anyway. And then I came upon these words that lept off the pages of my Bible and straight into my heart...

Luke 13:22 says this...

"Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as He went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem."

Notice what it says there.. "ALWAYS PRESSING ON TOWARD..." If Jesus could press forward knowing what was in store for Him, we can certainly press forward knowing we have a Savior who stands beside us waiting to help us through. We serve a redeeming Savior who stands prepared and willing to battle with and for us. We just have to be willing to press forward. Good things wait for you dear one! Good things wait for me!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

Just... Do It

There's a section of scripture we could easily pass over unless we're looking.
Hebrews 13:16 says, "And don't forget to do good and share with others in need.  These are the sacrifices that please God."  {Emphasis mine.}

How many times have we heard people say things like this to others going through a difficult season in their lives...

"If you need anything - let me know."

or

"Call me if you need anything."

Sincere people wanting to help. Wanting to do something to aide another one through their time of grief, suffering and pain.

I believe the motives are right. We want to help, don't we? We desire to know that others can depend on us if they should need help in an area we can provide for them. And let's face it - we're pretty good at it. We help in all kinds of situations by doing all sorts of good things. We make meals, we provide child care, we give money, we pray for them. But sometimes, too often, we watch at a distance and wait for them to ask us for the help that they need.

And this seems backwards to me.

I am in no way suggesting that we don't have sincere motives behind offering our help to others. I think most of us desire to actually be taken up on our offer to help. But - what happens when they don't ask?

All too often I've been a witness to people needing help but not knowing how to ask for it. No matter what kind of situation it is - some people just won't ask for help period. Perhaps it's pride. Maybe it's guilt. Just maybe they are too deep in their suffering that they can't possibly think of anything someone else can do that will ease even a bit of their pain. And although we may know something about what they're going through - we don't know. This is THEIR journey, not ours.

A few years ago a guest speaker named Tim Butler spoke at our church. Tim is a wonderful man, husband, father and counselor, who lost his daughter when she was just a young pre-teen to a terrible illness. Tim knows a little something about grief and suffering, and the desire to be comforted and supported during the days that surrounded his sweet daughters death.

Tim suggests 4 guidelines for comforting those in grief:

1.) Make sure you have the right relationship for comforting close up and personal.
2.) Make plans to show personal support; include others if they are like-minded.
3.) Be prepared to find them in bad shape; be mentally prepared to allow them to be real.
4.) Sit with them and be silent; let them break for silence; do not let your anxiety control the conversation.

Tim went on to tell a story that I doubt I'll ever forget. It was a story of love and support during the most devastating time of his life. A neighbor, knowing a little bit about what he was going through, made a decision to NOT ask Tim what he could do for him - but instead, decided to help in one of the most practical ways possible. In a visit with Tim late one evening just a day or so before the funeral, this neighbor told Tim that he had arranged to have a dumpster arrive at his home the following day. He explained to Tim that he knew he'd be needing it with all the visitors they'd be having at the house for the meal following the funeral. He went on to explain, "This is going to be very helpful for you and one less thing you have to worry about. Once it's full, simply close the lid and that will indicate to me that you are finished and I'll just arrange to have it picked up."

Wow. This neighbor indeed knew how to be supportive and understood well that Tim would have never thought of this necessary item on his own as he was too knee-deep in his own suffering to even think about it. Or care. Thanks to this neighbor, the dumpster was the perfect way to support and comfort in time of need.

Tim suggests a number of things we should NOT do or say to someone grieving which includes things like:

"If you need anything call me." {They won't}
"I know how you feel." {You can't - this is their journey and everyone's pain is different}
"They are in a better place now." {They may know this to be true, but it doesn't help when all we want is that person to be back with us}

So what CAN we do?

Listen.
Be present.
Laugh with them; weep with them.
Bring up the deceased by name.
Share any relevant stories that you had of their loved one.
Do something they will need/want - without asking.
Stay with them.

Tim goes on to say that perhaps it's just sitting... in the dark with them. And being still. And quiet. He says, "Sit in the dark space with someone you care about until your eyes adjust to the darkness and you can see what they see... that's what a helper is."

Ahh, yes, this just might be what it means to BE Jesus to those in need?

Galatians 6:2 reminds us, "Share each other's burdens..."

Share them.

This can be a real challenge for me. I am CLASSIC at offering my help by saying those words, "Let me know if you need anything." But I PRAY that God will make me into the type of person who gives without being asked. Who serves because Jesus came to serve. Who supports and comforts in tangible, practical ways that demonstrates genuine love for others. May I be used by God to DO instead of SAY I'm going to.

Together let's stop placing the responsibility in the hands of the ones in need and begin being the hands and feet of Jesus even before the need is realized.

Because this... this is loving like Jesus loves.  This is using our hands and not just our mouths.  This is reaching out into the world that God so desperately loves to demonstrate human sacrifice because just saying we love is not enough.

Will you DO with me?

Being Available

"My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.'”
Luke 10:39-42

I am a serious planner and a hard-core scheduler. Always have been. I plan EVERYTHING. I plan birthday parties, Christmas celebrations, get-togethers, family outings and reunions. I plan dinners typically one week in advance, I plan out my morning time with God, I plan weekends by Tuesday nights and daily household chores. I consider it pure joy to sit down on a Sunday evening with a pen and pad of paper to map out the events for the upcoming week.

I suppose there's other words to describe this characteristic trait. Perhaps I'm a control freak?

I believe there is good in planning and organizing. I think God is honored when we take care of lives and find a good balance between all of our daily responsibilities. But I also think there's amazing peace and freedom to be found in allowing ourselves some wiggle room in our daily routines. I think it's as equally God-honoring when we allow ourselves flexibility in our schedules to make room for God to do His work in and through us. Let's call these... life interruptions.

It occurred to me the other morning when I was "busy" with my day. I had, literally, a laundry list of things I had to get accomplished. The usual stuff... do laundry, clean floors, make beds, run 306 errands and create a masterful dinner. I believe this was the same day I had also created a "back-up list" of things I wanted to get done if I found myself with some extra time. They consisted of the following: fix the light in the laundry room, sort through old photos, clean out old, dirty tubs in my basement, clean out my dogs treat cupboard, replace the light bulb on the front porch, return some items to the store, and send 2 thank you notes and 4 birthday cards (mind you these birthday's were still several weeks out. Don't judge me... I'm a planner!) :) I had mapped out each event and found myself quite joyous to be able to cross them off my to-do list with a permanent marker when I'd completed a task. (Oh the joy of a completed task! A planners dream come true!)

But then it occurred to me. In all of my busy-ness... in all of my hectic-ness... did I allow room for God to use me? Completely? Was I leaving room for Him to take me to the places HE had prepared for me that day? Was I yielding to God and His divine plan for me?

See - a scheduler... a planner... is a person who truly doesn't appreciate when they or their schedule is interrupted. I find it most difficult to stop doing what I had planned to do and "do" something else. For instance...

A storm's arrival after I've planned an outdoor event.
A sick child during a long-planned vacation.
A husband who has to work late after I've prepared a big meal... his favorite... with dessert.

Priscilla Shirer describes these interruptions in her book Life Interrupted like this...

"When the yellow-brick road of our lives veers off in some unexpected direction."

I don't like being interrupted. The feelings that it stirs within me include uneasiness, frustration, irritability and resentfulness. I don't "do" interruptions well. They are disturbing to my goals and plans and I don't like the loss of control I feel.

But I wonder how much my life would change... your life would change... if we began seeing these interruptions as opportunities. If we truly changed the way we looked at these irritating disturbances and started seeing them as Divine Interventions. I wonder how seeing through this lens would change our perspective. We just might be opening ourselves up to the greatness that God has for us. Priscilla Shirer goes on to say that,

"Believing that divine interruptions are a privilege not only will cause us to handle them differently but also to await them eagerly. Knowing that we have an opportunity to participate in God's purposes should cause us to sit on the edge of our seats in anticipation of divine interventions disguised as life's interruptions."

God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. And we have a choice to follow that plan and purpose or to be so wrapped up in and consumed by our own plan that we miss out on our calling completely. HIS calling.

God always has something better for us. Something far greater than we could ever hope or dream for.

Always.

You may have been late for that meeting, but you missed a car accident on the way that could have ended your life. A God appointed divine intervention.

You cringed when the phone rang from an unknown caller only to discover it was your best friend from college living out of state who desperately needed to hear your voice. You didn't have "time" to talk with her, but you soon discovered that she needed to hear your words of encouragement because after 20 years of marriage, her husband just told her he doesn't love her anymore and is filing for divorce. A God appointed divine intervention.

Your mother is ill. She was just diagnosed with Parkinson's and is going to require round-the-clock care for the end stages of her life. You instinctively want to offer your brothers home or your sisters home for her to stay. After all - you're busy. You have a life. You're too consumed by your own "things" to be disrupted. But after she moves in, you discover the blessing and joy of spending quality time with her every day... and consider these moments as some of the most precious times of your life. A gift. A God appointed divine intervention.
God does not exist for our comfort. He doesn't NEED us to complete His purposes, yet He still chooses us to partner with Him. As Priscilla eloquently writes in her book about a Life Interrupted,

"His calling you means that He has chosen YOU above anyone else to do what He is asking. YOU are the one He singled out and pinpointed as His partner for a particular project."

There's a country song that's lyrics come to mind, "I could have missed the pain, but I'd of had to miss the dance."

In this case, the pain (at least for me) is the rescheduling. The realignment of my day. The course derailment. But the truth is that if we choose not to yield to the Father, then we could miss the very thing that's intended to bring us the greatest joy.

Looking back on my journal from January 27, of last year, I found a prayer I wrote out. It says this...

"God - give me an open heart and an open mind to the things you are calling me to do for you. Prepare my heart to hear from you and prepare my feet to GO where you lead. Amen." In essence, I am asking God to change my desires to match His. I might have my plans... but God, teach me to want what you want!

Let's remember He still has the whole world in His hands... and He sees the bigger picture. We only see a small slice of the pie. Trust Him to lead. Trust Him to guide and direct. And He will do it!

Carol Kent says in her book, Becoming A Woman of Influence,

"If we waited for formal teaching moments to make a difference in the lives of others, most of us would miss the opportunities to 'be Jesus' to the people we have the privilege of influencing."

When we yield to His divine interventions and surrender to His will for our lives, we give Him permission to use us in powerful ways!

Like Joyce Meyer says,

"Don’t be so busy with your plan that you ignore God if He tries to change it."

Will you and I allow ourselves to be interrupted as God deems fit? Will we give up our tight grip of control so that He can use us for greater things? I pray we do! This world doesn't need Christians who are control freaks. This world needs Christians who have made their minds up to follow Christ with everything they have. And to surrender everything to Him, even their perfectly orchestrated schedules. We are telling His story... do others get to see His perfect power displayed in us?

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

Is God Calling You?

From the Archives...

Moses was 80 years old when God called him out of a foreign land as a lonely, rejected shepherd, and on to bigger and better things. God revealed to Moses that he was sending him back to Canaan, but only after Moses spear-headed the charge rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Odd story, I know, but God made a decision to appear to Moses in a burning bush.

Let me stop right there. A burning bush?

How scared do you think Moses was? There he was - tending his flock of sheep. Minding his own business. Satisfied with his life. Content. Perhaps even peaceful about where he was in his life. He was 80 years old. He was probably settled into his lifestyle. And then... one afternoon... everything changed. Everything changed.

The bible says that Moses was amazed (love that word) because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn't burn up.

I don't know about you - but if I went out to my backyard to tend to my dog and I witnessed a bush engulfed with flames but not burning up... I'd probably run for my life. I mean - I ask God for clarity and wisdom all the time... and to show me clearly His will for my life - but I've got to be honest with you here... I'm not sure I'd have stuck around long enough to discern if this sign was from God or not. I'd have been scared.

But thankfully Moses didn't run. Oh he might have been scared - but he didn't run. Instead the bible says in Exodus 3:4, "When the Lord saw that He had caught Moses' attention, God called to him from the bush, 'Moses, Moses!' 'Here I am!' Moses replied.'"

Here I am! Don't miss that!

God goes on to explain to Moses that He's called him to a big task. Perhaps this was the opportunity of a lifetime. God saw the misery of the Israelites in Egypt. He heard their cries and was going to rescue them from slavery in this foreign land. And He was calling on Moses to go to Pharaoh to release God's people from suffering.

A big job. Why? A little back story (the cliffs notes version)...

Israelites were trapped in Egypt and were created as slaves.
Pharaoh was the king of Egypt.
Pharaoh instructed that all Hebrew sons born in Egypt be thrown into the Nile - only allowing the girls to live.
Moses was born as a Hebrew, hidden by his mother for 3 months.
She put Moses into the Nile in a basket - attempting to spare his life.
A daughter of Pharaoh found him and raised him as her own.
Moses lived a life of privilege with the Egyptians.
When Moses grew up he had a real heart for the Israelites and their mistreatment.
He witnessed an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew slave and he killed the Egyptian, burying his body in the sand.
Feeling badly for what he had done, and being threatened by the Pharaoh to be killed, he fled to Midian, built a new life with a wife and son.

And now God was appearing to Moses from a burning bush to ask him to do what? Quite possibly - the unthinkable. Go back to the land he fled, to fight with a new Pharaoh to release God's people from slavery.

I can just hear the confusion in Moses' voice when he says in Exodus 3:11, "But who am I to appear before Pharaoh? How can you expect me to lead the Israelites out?"

I like how Max Lucado describes this in his book, Cast of Characters...

"Moses at 40 we like. But Moses at 80? No way. Too old. Too tired. Smells like a shepherd. Speaks like a foreigner. What impact could he have on Pharaoh? He's the wrong man for the job."

And I bet he thought so too.

As often times in the bible - the person God calls is first reluctant. But I like how God responds to Moses through Moses' uncertainty and doubt. He tells him, "I will be with you."

The story continues in Exodus, chapter 4, where we see Moses pleading with God, "Oh Lord, I'm not a good speaker. I never have been, and I'm not now. I'm clumsy with words." In verse 13 Moses begs, "Lord, please! Send someone else."

My commentary suggests that perhaps the reason Moses didn't want this particular assignment was because he had a speech impediment or that maybe all of his years in Midan made his Egyptian rusty. At any rate, he doubted his speaking ability - but God didn't. And as my commentary reads,

 "Perhaps what God desired was not eloquence or cleverness, but simplicity and directness - not the oily, false-compliment-dripping speech of a courtier, but the bluntness of a working man who hated oppression."

Have you ever been asked to do something that scares you to death? Takes you out (FAR out) of your comfort zone? Have you ever been asked to give your testimony or speak about something in front of a group of people and the idea of sitting in a dentist chair having your teeth drilled sounded far more enticing to you?

I've got to tell you that some of the BEST speeches I've heard in my life have come from unsuspecting speakers. Some of the most gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, life-altering stories have come from ordinary people filled with God's passion and purpose.

I was sitting in church a few Sunday's ago when a young man was invited to stand before the congregation to give his testimony. I could tell from the minute the boy arrived on the stage that he was nervous. Scared. Afraid. I can imagine the thoughts that were going through his mind when he began to tell his story, "Lord, why did I get up here to tell this story? I'm nobody special. I have no real gift in speaking." But as he left that podium that morning, there wasn't a dry-eye in the place. Was it his eloquence? No. Was it his well-crafted biography? No. Was it the music or the way the soft lighting hit the cross behind him on the stage or who his parents were or how much good he had done in his life? No, no, no and no. It was his sincerity. It was his authenticity. It was his willingness to step out of his comfort zone for the benefit of others who's lives might be touched by his transparency and openness.

I've heard a lot of speeches in my life. I've watched a lot of podcasts and I've been privy to a lot of rich talent, but I will NOT forget the audacity of a young man who didn't let fear of rejection, reputation or inadequacies stop him from answering the call of God.

When God called Moses to lead the people out of slavery in Egypt, He knew what He was doing. He called on Moses because He saw in Moses something Moses didn't even see! He saw a man who was faithful. Brave. Strong. Honest. He saw a man of integrity, who feared the Lord. Where Moses only saw PART of the picture (the HUGE request too big for one man to do alone), God saw the WHOLE picture.

I believe what Moses struggled with - we struggle with. Don't we?

It's that little voice inside our heads saying things like:

You'll never be good enough.
You're not smart enough.
They really could care less about you.
You don't have what it takes.

But I believe with all my heart that if God is calling you to do something - He's already equipped you with everything you need to make that something happen! Period. Our only job is to obey Him. Even if we don't understand it all. Even if we don't feel good. Even if we're scared. Even if we think someone else should go instead of us. Our only job is to obey. If (and when) He says to go, we must go.

The choice of obedience is up to us. Will our answer be, "Here I am Lord, send me."? I'm praying every day that I will continue to yield to Him and respond in obedience to His calling on my life.

Philippians 1:6 says, "God began a good work in you, and I am sure He will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes back again."

Here I am, send me!

You too?