When Pressing On Is Hard Work

May I speak with you today... heart to heart?  Soul to soul?

And can we pretend we're sitting together in my living room?  Drinking hot liquid from our floral cups?

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?"

And can I encourage you today... 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!   

Oh the enemy would like 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 that the he 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.  It is not our home.  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 negative thoughts can hinder us from living in the fullness that Christ died for us to experience.  Just yesterday 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.

And His Word will change us... transform us... if we are willing to enter into the story and engage with the wisdom offered to us in the pages of scripture.

I was encouraged this morning as I turned in His word to 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 on His way.  But 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 see the words there... words that leaped off the pages of my Bible and straight into my heart.

"Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as He went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem."  {Luke 13:22} NLT

"ALWAYS PRESSING ON TOWARD."

If Jesus could press forward knowing what was in store for Him (rejection, mockery, beating, death), we can certainly press forward knowing we have a Savior who stands beside us waiting to help us through.

And He is waiting to bless us.  The Lord LONGS to be gracious to us.  Maybe you need reminding of that too?

"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"  {Isaiah 30:18} NIV

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.

Because this life... and all of it's trials... is only temporary and pales in comparison to the joy that awaits us when we are finally home.

We have hope.  We have Jesus.

With a hand stretched out He calls, "Let's walk this weary road together.  Trust Me."

And we can trust because He knows.  He's been there.  He knows the pain.  He knows the discouragement and the discontent.

He's been there.

Good things wait for you dear one! Good things wait for me... if we will just keep walking.  He's never farther away than an outstretched arms reach.

Oh how He loves you!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

When You Need to Read What They Have to Say

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."  Proverbs 16:24 {NLT}

I see them there... neatly tucked away in boxes on my bedroom closet shelf.  And on a Monday afternoon I am drawn towards them.  For some reason I need to read what they have to say.

I know that the art of handwriting is a long lost tradition, yet I am old fashioned.  And on this day I thank God for those precious people He has placed in my life who are as well.

Because I need to read what they have to say.

And sometimes we just need to be reminded that we're okay.  That we matter.  That we've made some sort of impact.  That we are valued.  That we are cherished.  That we're not alone.

And looking through the boxes of personal sentiments sent by those brave enough to put pen to paper, I am reminded how truly significant our words can be.

Here's one from a friend that reads,

"Just a note to let you know I was thinking of you.  Take care of yourself and if you need something, I'd love to help."

A gift of grace through the kind words of a dear friend.  Words I will treasure for a lifetime.

Because the world only wants to hurl insults at you.  The world and those wounded by the world will tell you you're not enough.  You don't matter.  You're not worthy. 

And when a husband asks why I keep all of this "stuff" I tell him gently, "Because I need to be reminded."  I need to be reminded that there are others battling the same demons.  I need to be reminded that there are others who sympathize and who have compassionately offered their words of hope to speak life into my messiness.

Because I need to read what they have to say.

And here lies another one from a friend,

"I am so thankful that part of God's plan for me and my life's journey was to have you be a part of it."

And I can barely put that one down.  And tears well up in the eyes.

Because words matter.

Every single one of them matters.

They matter to me!  And I'm guessing they matter to you too.

They bring healing.  They bring relief.  And I adore looking back over the ones scribed in blue and black ink.  Because those are the mini sacrifices from sweet souls surrendered to this idea of loving past themselves.  These gift givers carrying out the command to radically love, are changing our world.  They are writing better stories.

Because we only get this one life to make a difference.  One chance to get it right.  One opportunity to be the voice of Jesus to a broken world.  We have this one life to make Him known to those who need to hear.

And we all need to hear.

And I am so desperately grateful for those who took the time to remind me on the days I needed it the most.  Grace words spoken as a gift straight to the heart of this weary woman.

We cannot miss the chance to change the lives of those we love by speaking love and grace.

Words matter.

And I can write a better story.  I can begin today to change the landscape of my world.  I can be one who loves and inspires with words of grace.

"...an encouraging word cheers a person up."  Proverbs 12:25 {NLT}

Because I have been blessed...  I will bless. 

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

But He Did

I suppose I should've been upset when he dropped the luggage in the bedroom.  And then proceeded to leave it there.

A 2-day business trip.  And he's been doing this for years, but I don't know that a wife ever gets used to her husband being gone away from the nest for even one night.

And then he returns on a Thursday afternoon and drops it all... in your space... for you to take care of.

And yet all I can do is... rejoice.

Because I am so glad he's home!

And because even as I stare down at that piece of luggage I know that his being here... is a gift.  Because God didn't have to return him to us safely.

But He did.

God didn't have to grace me with a man who radically loves his family the way Trevor does.

But He did.

God didn't have to entrust me with the heart of a man who is the most considerate and compassionate person I know.

But He did.

And I am so grateful!

So I will lovingly put away the luggage and the dress shirts and the toiletries.  And I will do so with a smile a mile wide.

Because I am enormously loved and blessed beyond measure!

 "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."  {Ephesians 5:21} 

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

When Jesus Has to be Enough

There is absolutely no doubt about it... we are living in the "me-ist" society this world has ever seen.

Everything this side of eternity screams, "ME!"

Just take a look around and in no time you will see what I mean...
There's Facebook and Instagram and Snapchat.  All doing what?  Screaming, "Look at me!"  "Look at what I'm doing!"  "Look where I am!" and "Look who I'm with!"

In this selfie-crazed era, we have redefined our definition of acceptance.  And it's scaring me to death.

Why?

Because in this maddening self-centered world, I am raising a daughter who needs to know that there is more to life than how many "likes" she get on Instagram or how many "friends" are snapchatting with her on the weekend.  I desperately need her to know there is a God who lovingly pursues her and waits patiently for her to realize HE IS ALL SHE NEEDS.

Jesus is enough.

And aren't I preaching also to myself when I say this too?

Because I need to know and BELIEVE with every fiber of my being that HE IS ENOUGH.

There is a beautiful example of this kind of "enough" love in John, chapter 21.  Here Jesus appears to His disciples beside the Sea of Galilee following His death and subsequent resurrection.  It had been a long night of fishing for Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathaneal, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples, and coming up empty-handed at dawn, Jesus appears to them standing on the beach.  He encourages them to to throw out their net on the right side of the boat and immediately the net becomes so full they can't even haul it in to shore.

"'Bring some of the fish you've just caught,' Jesus said." {John 21:10}

So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore.  There were 153 large fish in the net, and still it hadn't torn.

"... None of the disciples dared to ask Him, 'Who are you?'  They knew it was the Lord."  {John 21:12b}

They didn't have to ask... they knew it was Jesus.  They knew it could ONLY be Jesus.

And then after sharing a meal with them Jesus asked Simon Peter three questions, beginning with this one...

"Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"  {John 21:15a}

To which Peter replied,

"Yes, Lord, you know I love you."  {John 21:15b}

Here we see a beautiful thing happening as Jesus reminds Peter to examine his heart following Peter's denial prior to Christ's crucifixion.

Jesus was asking Peter and He asks me the same thing today... "Am I enough?"

When the world is unfair and I lose all hope in humanity... is Jesus enough?
When I come in second place after I tried so hard... is Jesus enough?
When the recognition doesn't come that I deserved... is Jesus enough?
When the job interview was a flop and they didn't call me back... is Jesus enough?

Is Jesus enough?

And He asks me again today... "Am I enough?"

Because I know all too well that this world disappoints.  And every day it's a battle between wanting to stay in the game and wanting to give it all up.

The world can be a painful place.

And a lonely place.

And in this "all about me" world we live it... it can be the loneliest.

Even when the "friends" list appears long and well-intentioned Christians try to say the right words, it is lonely.

And I know the lonely well.

I have done lonely days and I have ached deeply for more.
And weariness has set in and taken up residence in my mind and I wonder how I will ever make it through.

Because what I have learned in my years on this earth is that it will never be enough.

It will never be enough until HE is enough!

And Jesus was in the world, but He was not of the world...

"... just as I do not belong to the world."  {John 17:14}

And I could too... be in the world but not of the world.

Because Jesus could be enough.

And I read it again, but it's louder this time...

"Do not love this world not the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you."  {1 John 2:15}

Could I... could we... live in this self-promoting planet and be okay with never gracing the center stage or winning the lottery or coming in first place or receiving fame and glory for another meaningless accomplishment?

Could we live different?  Could we BE different?

Because it will never be enough until He is enough.

 

And I continue my gratitude list on a Wednesday night.

129.) Making dinners for my loving family.

132.) Wind whistling thru the fall day - green leaves bending and dancing.

134.) Jesus is enough.

Even when it's hard.  Even when it's boring.  Even when it's not fair.  Even when I wanted more.

He is enough.

And I repeat it loud until this stubborn soul believes it.

He is enough!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

Being Available?

It was a word that God had laid on my heart at the tail end of last year.  And although it didn't make much sense to me at the time, I made the decision that it would be my "word to live by" for 2014.

The word?

Available.

And God has a way of getting to the root of a problem, doesn't He?  Getting right down... in our business... to the very marrow.  An external change doesn't happen without a heart transplant.  And mine needed transforming.

Available by definition reads as this... "suitable or ready for use; of use or service; at hand; readily obtainable; accessible."

Available.

And I wrestle with the word because I wonder... have I been?

Have I been available to God?  Really available?

And we talked about this before... I remember it quite well.  This idea of "limitless readiness".  This idea comes from a book my Bible Study girls and I had read and studied intently for 9 weeks together called, Unconditional... The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness.  In the book, author Brian Zahnd explains about this, "limitless readiness" that Christ calls us to when we forgive those who have wounded us.  And I believe the same applies to how we, as believers, are to make ourselves available to Jesus.

With limitless readiness.
A willing spirit.
A yielded life.
A surrendered heart.

And it doesn't always feel good.  It's not always easy.
Because being available... this idea of "limitless readiness"... can look like:

• giving money that you hadn't budgeted to someone with an enormous financial need
• adjusting your schedule to talk with a friend who needs some loving advice or council
• being kind to the neighbor everyone has rejected
• moving to another part of the world because you hear the still, small voice of the Savior telling you to "go"
• forgiving the person who's hurt you... again
• sharing a meal with someone who needs to see Jesus just as much as they need nourishment
• staying up way past your bedtime because your husband needs to talk after he's had a hard day at work and needs to be reassured of your love for him

Available.

And I see it there... in my own handwriting... from January when I made the decision to live by this word for one year.

Available.  Availability.

Being willing to adjust your own schedule, agenda, and plans to fit the right desires of God and others.  It makes personal priorities secondary to the needs of God and others.  It is to reflect God's priorities so we are always available to Him and others.

And we can see this availability in scripture.

In Mark, chapter 1, we read about Jesus calling his first disciples... Simon and Andrew.

"Jesus called out to them, 'Come, follow Me and I will show you how to fish for people!'  And they left their nets at once and followed Him."  Mark 1:17-18 {NLT}

They left their nets AT ONCE and followed Him.

Simon and Andrew were AVAILABLE to the call of Jesus.

Setting aside their personal agendas, they left at once to follow Jesus.

I want to be like Simon and Andrew!

And we see it again on the pages of scripture.  Availability.

In Acts, chapter 16, Paul and Silas were traveling through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.  Following a vision from God that there was a man desperate for their help from Macedonia, Paul adjusted His priorities...

"So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there."  Acts 16:10 {NLT} 

I want to be like Paul and Silas!

Being available.

And so I ask myself the hard questions.

Am I making myself available to God?
Available for His use?
Ready for His service?
Accessible?

When He calls am I standing with an endless... or limitless readiness to Him and doing what He has asked me to do?

Because that is the only way God can use me.
When I come into His presence... arms out, palms up, with a limitless readiness to all He is asking me to do.
And He is a patient God.  Oh so patient to have dealt with this reluctant soul for so long.

I am enormously grateful!
And I am ready!
Are you?

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

When The Fog Settles In

I saw it this morning.  And on a morning when things weren't going as planned.

And this mama doesn't get it right so much of the time.  I fail.  Every single day I fail.

I can sit in a theatre surrounded by 11,000 other God-fearing women and still get it wrong.  Because even though we praise on the weekend... Monday comes.  And the hard work is still required of us.  Even then.  Especially then.  And I still get it wrong.

Some mornings the alarm clock sounds and it's a struggle to open my eyes.  To muster the courage to begin again.  Because it really does take courage, doesn't it? 

And on this morning it's all going wrong.

I am up later than I want to be.
I don't have time for scripture.
I dismiss the idea of praying.

Oh and I need to pray.  Especially today.  I need to pray!
But I don't.

And the living room lamp needs a new light bulb.
Wasn't I going to do that yesterday?
And when my eyes adjust and can focus I see it there.  In a pile on the living room rug.  A dog who has apparently gotten sick in the night.
And why again?  Why THAT spot?  Again?

And the lunches need packed.
And the water from dog dishes spills over from the sink.
And that shirt didn't get washed that I had wanted to wear.

And the clock is still ticking.
Only at warp speed now.
And we're late getting to school.
And the trash still needs to be taken out.
And the new shoes don't fit right.

And I feel my heart rushing.  Panic mode. 
And like a rush of hot lava I let the overwhelmingness of the morning trump my faithfulness and gratitude for another day I don't even deserve.

And pulling away from our home I see it.
There in the distance like a veil of confusion.

 

The fog. 

Some days the fog settles in and blinds us to the greatness of God.  And on this morning it was.  And the enemy was working hard to distract me from the grace gifts.

And I read it there in print... Fog is defined as, 

"A state of mental confusion or unawareness; to confuse or obscure. To dim, blur, darken, or muddle." 

And the fog blocks our view.  It disables us from seeing the miracles and the wonder.  And how easily we forget.

So that's when the real work is required. To keep fighting to see even in midst of uncertainty. That's when we must hold tight to His promise that, "The Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one."  {2 Thess 3:3}

The fog.

When the fog threatens to envelop and confuse, we must stand firm and be encouraged that God is working still and that the fog only lasts for a short time. And, "...joy comes in the morning." {Ps 30:5}

And so on this day I decide that I am going to keep fighting to see the goodness and grace.  God's goodness and God's unmerited grace.  Because the fog will lift and clarity will come, but we must keep fighting for joy.

Because I have read the end of the story.  And friends... the fog doesn't win.  And although the enemy comes only to "kill and steal and destroy", our God of mercy comes so, "that we may have life and have it abundantly."  {John 10:10}

And I want the abundant life!

And I realize that an abundant life is still the life that isn't perfect.  It's still the life that messes up and fails daily.  It's a life of alarm clocks on the third snooze, the life of spilled water and burnt toast.  It's a life of dirty piles of clothes and worn out mamas just trying to keep it all together.  An abundant life is the life that yields to a God who is greater than any obstacle we will ever face.  A life that accepts His grace for another day and acknowledges that by His strength we are made complete.

The fog is only temporary.  But His love... His love is forever and ever and ever.

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

When JOY Finds You

And I wasn't really sure how it happened, really.  It snuck up on me when I wasn't looking.  

And that's how sadness happens sometimes, doesn't it?

It just sneaks up on us when we're not looking.  When we're least expecting it.

It was a Wednesday and I remember it well.  An ordinary day.  Or was it?  A day filled with ordinary tasks at least.  Laundry.  Dishes.  Meals.  And yet not a single thing going right.

Some days we try hard to create the life we want.  We make lists and we rush and we race to get it all done.  We spin in circles trying to accomplish it all.  We compare our lives to those we suspect have it better.  We long for more time.  We complain because the gifts aren't good enough.  The house is too small.  The kids are too young.  The vacation was too short.  The winter is coming.  The car is out of gas.  I'm too busy.  I'm too tired.  They didn't call.  He was late again.

And in the rush we lose our joy.  In the madness, we become someone we dislike.

We say things we don't mean.  We lose focus on the things that really matter.

And we, too, become the grumbling Israelites who were defined not by the grace and goodness of a merciful Father, but by their dreaded circumstances.

Because joy... real joy... has never been circumstantial.  Never.  And how we chose to SEE the gifts He gives is the true definition of spiritual maturity.

I can choose to focus my days on that which threatens to kill me, or I can choose with every fiber in my being to zero in on the gifts He gives me even when my circumstances tell a different story.

Because the dishwasher will break.

And the kids will fight.

And the cold dead of winter will come.

And bills will pile high.

And the driver will cut me off.

And basements will flood.

And the enemy will laugh only when we give him reason to believe his schemes are working.

Because this side of eternity is begging, no... hurting for joy.  Our weary souls hunger for the fullness of life that Jesus died for us to experience.  

And so the fight becomes real.  But it's worth it.

Because the JOY of the Lord is my Strength.

I read it.  Out loud so that my heart can take it all in.

"This is a sacred day before our Lord.  Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!"  {Nehemiah 8:10b}

Because the garbage disposal could stop working and my knees could still hurt... worse than ever before... but I could still praise God.  I will still praise God.  Because these, too, are gifts.  Everything is a gift!  

And it's about perspective.  What will I choose to see? 

Because when we choose to see the good even in the midst of hard circumstances, we're telling the enemy that he's a liar.  We're choosing to write a better, more beautiful story.

And I document the moment so I won't forget...

"... the sky fills with gold and puffy white. And it feels close enough to touch. I smile wide as I fill with joy and in a moment I forget everything else. The noise of the world disappears. The debating and the disagreeing and the ugly that districts happiness fades away. And all I feel is joy. A glimpse of heaven. And I don't want to miss the joy this side of eternity. All life can be a hunt for this kind of beauty."

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

Dear Student

Dear Student,

Here's to a new school year! And as you hit the ground running may I remind you of some things.

YOU are important. YOU matter. YOU are beautiful and smart and YOU have what it takes to be successful in all things. 

As you embark on this new journey, may you remember that you only have to be who God created you to be. Nothing more. Nothing less. And He has created a one-of-a-kind masterpiece in you! 

Can I also ask of you this… Be kind to others. Everyone is facing some sort of battle. And we get to choose every day to make positive deposits into the world. 

Avoid drama and gossip at all costs. If it's not true, helpful, inspiring, necessarily, or kind, perhaps it shouldn't be said. 

Forgive others quickly for their mess-ups and remember God's amazing grace given so freely to us when we mess up. 

Listen to each other. Really listen. Learn about each other and invest in relationships that can last a lifetime! 

Protect your individuality and pay zero attention to those who think poorly of you. Turn rejection and failure into fuel that will only make you better. 

When you're wrong, apologize. When you're joyful, spread it like wildfire. And in all circumstances, look for ways to be good, do good, and serve others. 

You have the ability within you to be the best version of yourself you can be. Don't waste it. Life is fleeting! 

YOU can make a difference in this world and YOU are amazing! Here's to an awesome school year!

<3