Leaping into God

Here it is. That extra day we have all been looking for. That extra 24 hours we are always saying we wish we had. But, it is just another day stuck right in the middle of the week with all the normal stuff that has to be done. It doesn't feel like anything extra. But it could be...


As I took my dog out yesterday morning, I was standing in my back yard just listening. I could hear the cars and a lawn mower. I heard a siren in the distance. But then in the middle of the noise I heard a faint chime. As I listened closer I realized it was the bells from a church a few miles away. Beautiful chimes that play several times a day. As I strained to hear the melody, I intentionally blocked out the other noises. As I concentrated on the bells, I heard them much clearer. The melody began to form and I just stood there for a few minutes and listened.


It was just a few minutes because the dog started demanding my attention and then the other noises crashed back in and then before I knew it the bells stopped. But for those few minutes, everything was clear. I listened. I heard. And I was blessed.


We have the choice to stop. To listen. To hear. To renew our minds and focus on what really matters. Even in the middle of the everyday. Of the stuff. Of the pain and the busyness and the things that demand our attention. We can stop and listen. In faith.


God's still small voice is there. Always. He doesn't scream over the noise or fight the world for our attention. He just waits. When we intentionally listen. Focus in. Tune out the distractions. He has something to say. To us personally. A melody of blessing with our name on it.


So listen today. We won't have this extra time for another four years. So don't let it slip by. Stop. Listen. Hear. And be blessed.

Do not be conformed any longer 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 and perfect will. 

Romans 12:2

Doing the next thing...

I am feeling a bit beat up lately. Not physically. Just emotionally. Every where I turn there seems to be a need. A want. A request. I am not complaining. I am just tired.


As I struggled through the day yesterday, I begin to realize that I was making the choice to feel that way. I was looking way too far in the future and putting expectations on those around me for things that may or may not happen. Because of my thought process and my fears and my emotions, I was beating myself up. I was selling God short. I was using my own understanding instead of seeking His.


I think we do that a lot. Especially if we are moms. We are so used to nurturing and fixing that we forget sometimes to seek first. Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. That is what we need to move forward. His wisdom. His strength. His answers. Not our own.


I was reading a devotion written by Elisabeth Elliot yesterday. She is the wife of one of the missionary men who were killed in the jungles of Ecuador in the 1950's. If you do not know who she is, google her. Amazing story. Amazing woman of God. Very straight forward in her writing. She wrote the following:


“Does it make sense to pray for guidance about the future if we are not obeying in the thing that lies before us today? How many momentous events in Scripture depended on one person's seemingly small act of obedience! Rest assured: Do what God tells you to do now, and, depend upon it, you will be shown what to do next.”


Do what He tells you right now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not in a few years. Right now. Without the knowledge of the future. Without knowing all the answers. Without understanding His ways. Just do what He tells you right now.


There is something very freeing about that. It is the walking by faith thing. The not having natural sight but trusting in supernatural sight. The truth that we don't need to have an answer or a great word of wisdom or even the capacity to grasp the overwhelming feelings that come with the everyday junk of this world. We just need the One who does.


And we need to live each moment like we know that. Of course I am overwhelmed. I live in a fallen world of brokenness and hurt and pain. It is big and it is real. But my God is bigger. I need to live each day like I believe that. Walk in what He has given me right now. Depend on Him. Love like He does. Put one foot in front of the other and move in a direction. With Him.


So today I am moving forward. In faith. Living the day He has blessed me with. Seeking first. Doing what He has called me to do. In my own obedience, the other things will be added. Only in my own obedience will He work through me to exhort and to encourage and to point towards Him. He is the answer. He is the way. He is the truth.


As I keep moving forward in His ways, the path will become straight. And I will find myself doing the next thing. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; 

do not depend on your own understanding. 

Seek His will in all you do, 

and He will show you which path to take." 

proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

On the downhill slide....

One of my dearest friends in the world sent this picture to Katie. She put it with a sweet note of love and encouragement. I cannot seem to quit looking at it. It is the embodiment of my emotions right now. It screams all of my thoughts and feelings and dreams and excitement and bitter sweet joy.


She is my first born. My joy. My companion. My sweet spirit. She was never one to take too many risks. She always stuck close by my side. She needed that look of approval. That squeeze of the hand. That smile that said you are ok. She was a late bloomer. But she blossomed at just the right time. She knows who she is. She knows to Whom she belongs. She is strong and solid. She is smart and driven. She is beautiful and sweet. And she is ready.


She is so ready to move into the next phase of her life. To tackle life beside her new husband. To pray and plan and dream right along beside him. I could not have hand picked a more suitable spouse for her. God made them for each other. She is strong where he will need it. She is weak in the areas that he will carry her. She is open and honest. She is opinionated like her mother. She is still learning and she is so excited to discover the plans that will unfold around her.


We are on the downhill slide, sweet girl. The plans are made. The day is speeding towards us. The emotions are rising. But know this, I will always have your back! I will hold tight to the memories of the hills we climbed together and the ones we slid down. Some backwards. Some fast. Some slow. Some head first. But we made it down. Stronger. Wiser. More prepared.


I can see the bottom of this hill. It is getting closer. You still have that same look of awe and excitement as you do in the picture. Thrilled by life. Genuinely loving every minute. I won't slide down the next hill with you. But, oh how I pray that you enjoy the ride! Blessings my sweet girl.

"That is why a man leaves his father and mother 

and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."

Genesis 2:24

My Desert Times

As I begin these weeks of reflection, I have a Lent prayer journey that I am reading each morning. This morning was about seeing God in the darkness. In the desert times of our lives. It was about recognizing and remembering His voice and His presence in those times.


I can remember several very distinct times in my life when I felt His presence so real in my circumstance that it almost startled me. I was thinking about those times and trying to remember what was going on in my life. I remember one time when I was a young teenager. I was very shy and had very little self confidence. I was extremely self conscious to the point that I could work myself up into a frenzy in my mind over some of the silliest things. But to me those feelings were very real. I remember so clearly being in a situation with some friends that I felt so scared and alone. It was nothing bad or wrong or even dangerous. But I was paralyzed with feelings of fear and anxiety. I can remember silently calling out for God to intervene. To change the circumstances. To alter the event. To save me from my own fears. And you know, He did. I don't know if the situation actually changed or if He changed my heart toward the fear, but I know that the feeling of overwhelming Peace and safety that I felt that day is still so real in my soul.


I remember another time in college when I had made some decisions that were not good. Again, the circumstances might not be those of a great novel but to me they were overwhelming. As any good Southern girl is taught, the longer I did not acknowledge it the longer it did not exist. I literally remember not praying for weeks because then I would have to confess. Or at the very least acknowledge the feelings of fear and guilt and confusion that were building up inside of me. I can look back now and see how God allowed me to wrestle with Him. To run and to hide and to think that I could just fix everything on my own. I probably did give it my best college try to fix it. To justify it. To convince myself that it was no big deal. But, again I remember so vividly when I finally had a heart to heart chat with God about it. I can remember that feeling of release and Peace that truly passes all understanding or words flow over me when I finally faced Him and asked for forgiveness.


I remember times in my marriage or as a young parent when I felt so alone or scared. Those times when I lived in rebellion or stubbornness or just plain fear. Those times when I wrestled with God. When I wandered aimlessly. When I flat out ran away. When I fought instead of waiting. When I spoke out of anger. When I did not speak up out of fear. Those painful times of loss and of death and of disappointment. Those were my desert times.


Lent is about spending these next few weeks reflecting on our need for Jesus as we remove the distractions and the stumbling blocks from our lives. It is about looking intently at ourselves for who we truly are. Recognizing the truth of what we are capable of. Agreeing with Him that left on our own we can and will make a big huge mess of things. Lent is a good time to actually preach the gospel to ourselves. To look expectantly toward Easter because we live on this side of the cross. We know why Good Friday is good for us. And we have the opportunity to live in Resurrection power every day.


Reflect on your desert times. Remember how He met you there. Know that He will meet you there again if you need Him. Remind yourself of His promises. Speak boldly His Truth into your situation. And then rest in the knowledge that He made the ultimate sacrifice. Allow your heart to feel the excitement and the anticipation of Easter. We were given the Gift to be Easter people. Live like it.

"Energize the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees. 

Tell fearful souls, 'Courage! Take heart! 

God is here, right here, on His way to put things right 

and redress all wrongs. He's on His way! He'll save you!'

 Isaiah 35:3-4 the message

The Beauty of Ashes

I have been thinking a lot about the meaning of Ash Wednesday. For those of you that don't know what today represents, the basic answer is that our sin results in death and we need to repent and understand our need for a Savior. From dust we came. To dust we will return. Sounds kind of depressing.


Death is a reality. We all are going to physically die one day. But death comes in different ways. Today is a day to acknowledge our sins. To stare at our humanness. To repent. To accept. If possible out loud. To God. To someone else. Ask for forgiveness. Or forgive. Face the truth of our actions. Our participation in the things contrary to God's way. The part we have played in the death of a friendship. The death of a marriage. The death of a relationship. Repent and hear the good news.


The good news is Jesus. He offers us something beyond death. A chance to change directions. To surrender our way and live in His way. To choose Life. Not to ignore the past or to forget it but to move beyond it. Learning from our mistakes and our hurts and our messes. Owning our stuff. Admitting our part. Accepting the fact that we need a Way out. 


That kind of repentance is freedom not death. In that realization we get a new perspective of life. Life lived to its fullest. Here and now. Not just later. Today we look at the ashes of our past and acknowledge our part in it. But we look forward to the beauty of our future in gratitude. The realization that God is faithful beyond our desperation gives us a passion to live each day in thanksgiving. To see each day as a gift and a blessing. To live each day to its fullest so that those around us can see that our Hope is an outward sign of an inward faith. From our desperate needs and past mistakes represented in the ashes, we can look forward to the Life we were meant to live. Starting today.

I came so that they may have real and eternal life; 

more and better life than they ever dreamed of. 

John 10:10 the message

Sacrifice or Surrender... revisiting a post that changed me.

This week marks the beginning of Lent which is traditionally the 40 days before Easter. In the modern version of Lent, the 40 days begin tomorrow with Ash Wednesday and culminate on Easter Sunday. I grew up in a protestant denomination that celebrated Lent. I knew what people meant when they asked what you were giving up for Lent. The answers would range from soft drinks to chocolate to eating out. As I begin to teach my girls about Lent and sacrifice, we started giving things up as a family. One year we gave up television. One year we gave up eating out. As the girls got older and began to make their own decisions and learn for themselves, we enjoyed hearing what they would give up. One year a daughter gave up all sweets. One year another daughter gave up her hair straightener. These things were a sacrifice in their little world.

Sacrifice is good to understand. It is a sign of healthy penance and a willingness to let go of worldly things that distract us from our relationship with the Lord. But in the last few years, I have really struggled with the word sacrifice. In my mind I picture sacrifice as a giving up with a price attached. It feels more like my hand being pried open rather than just simply letting go. Giving up something that I am going to take right back after the 40 days.

But I really like the word surrender. I picture that word as a raising of the hands. Not just giving up but giving in. Giving in to the Gift of the ultimate sacrifice. The gift of eternal life given by Jesus' sacrifice. We cannot give up more than was given for us. But we can surrender all so that we can receive all that was meant for us. We can surrender the fears, the guilt, the pain and the hurt. We can surrender the  chains that bind us to the person or the place or the circumstances. When we raise our hands in surrender everything is let go. Not just the things we choose to sacrifice.

Lent is a time of preparation and of reflection. It is a time to remember what was sacrificed for us. As I pray and ask God what He wants me to know about that ultimate sacrifice, I am preparing to surrender some more fears and hurts. Some of those are a sacrifice to give up. But the freedom that will come is worth it. I want to receive all that He has for me here in this life. To be Kingdom oriented not just heaven focused. Somehow the word sacrifice puts the focus on me. Surrender puts the focus on Him.

Either way, Lent is beginning. A preparation process is starting. We can choose to remember and repent and reflect. Surrender yourself to His presence. Rest in His promises. Listen for His voice. Receive the freedom that His sacrifice gives you. Prepare for the celebration of New Life.

All to Jesus I surrender; All to Him I freely give; 

I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.

 I surrender all. I surrender all. 

All to Him, my blessed Savior, 

I surrender all.

Love Wins...

My future son-in-law took this picture. He is an early bird. He gets it from his father. They get up and start their days at what I term as an unnatural hour of the morning. But I must say that God's amazing beauty is never more evident than first thing in the morning. That is what my husband has told me for years. I think he loves the early morning views when he hunts more than the hunting itself.


When I saw this picture this morning, I was reading a text from a dear friend asking for prayer. The Lord had actually woken me up last night with this same friend on my heart. I looked at the picture and I was instantly reminded that God's mercies are new every morning. He is faithful. He is aware. He is awake. He is in control. He is holding us in the palm of His hand.


This week has been full of thoughts of love. Full of memories of the past and reminders of how love will be such a part of our future. Love is one of those words that changes in its meaning throughout our lives. Love holds us. Love breaks us. Love hurts. Love heals. Love can be the highlight of our life and the loss of love can bring devastating results. But God's Love wins. Always.


When the fog of our little world engulfs us, we can't see anything but what is right in front of us. The problem or the person or the situation seems so close with no end in sight. But as the fog lifts and the view expands we begin to see more clearly. The beauty that surrounds us was right there we just could not see it. But God waits patiently for us to see what He knew was there all along. His Love is patient. It is kind. His Love waits for us to catch up. It never leaves us or forsakes us.


And as we continue to walk through this crazy world looking for the good, He is there. Every step of the way. Every minute of every day. He never sleeps. He never slumbers. He never gets tired of us. He just Loves us through it all. Check out the end of the story. Read it for yourself. His Word says that He is the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. He is seated on His throne and His eyes have not left us. He is Worthy. He is Holy. He is able. His view is perfect. He can see the end result. And it is good.


Hold on to those promises this weekend. Hold on to this picture of His amazing creation. Of the truth of beauty for ashes. He is not going to just give us something beautiful to make it all better. He is actually going to take the ashes and the messes and the mistakes and the devastation's of our lives and turn those into beauty. The very thing that seems so big and ugly right now. When the fog lifts we will see. His Love wins. Always.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, 

and there will be no more death 

or sorrow or crying or pain.

 All these things are gone forever. 

Revelation 21:4

Love stays...

I remember one day as a young girl being so excited about a family vacation. We were all going. Our family along with aunts and uncles and cousins. I remember being so anxious to leave. And then I remember the trip being cancelled. That morning before we left. Something had happened to my grandmother. I don't remember the specifics. But just like that our trip did not happen. We all stayed home for my mom and aunt to take care of her. It was a lesson that resonated with me years later as my own children learned the same lesson at a very young age. They learned early that Love stays.


My girls were very young when my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. In fact, Madelyn was born after the official diagnosis. I began planning our spring break schedule around taking mom and dad with me on a mini vacation. I remember the first time we ventured out just the six of us. We had rented a condo in Myrtle Beach. We did fine on the drive there even though we had an infant with us. We got to our condo and I sent my  mom upstairs with Maddie. Dad and I were going to unload the van. I sent the girls with their little loads because they wanted to help too. I began unloading the bags and cleaning out the front of the van. When I returned to the back of the van, all of the bags were loaded back inside. Poor Daddy. He was trying to help. I explained we were taking the bags inside with us. We repeated the process two more times. I remember so vividly thinking that at that moment I could laugh or I could cry. But this was our new reality. That trip was in year four. We had nine more years to go. Love stays.


My dad was 55 at the time of his diagnosis. I had two grandmothers whose health was beginning to fail too. I began driving to mom and dad's house every other weekend to help my mother when it was her turn to care for my grandmother. I remember having them all at my childhood home one day. My grandmother, my dad and my children. Each one asking the same questions over and over again. My girls thought it was funny. My nerves did not. So the girls decided to play school. They made signs with the day of the week. A clock with the time. And other signs that answered the repeated questions. We taped them to the mantle over the fireplace. They had a captive classroom that day. Again, the choice was to laugh or cry or scream. But Love stays.


My sweet husband gave up a lot during those years. He would keep one or two of the girls and I would take the rest with me. Weekend after weekend. Until the time came that dad moved into a nursing home and mom moved in with us. We spent many holidays standing around his bed. Our plans got shifted to include a trip to see him for birthdays and Thanksgiving and Christmas. My girls were little but they knew well what the inside of a hospital and an emergency room and a nursing home looked like. I could have sheltered them from the reality of the disease. I was told that they were too young to experience some of the reality of those 13 long years. But I chose to teach them that Love stays.


I watched my mother drive everyday back and forth from home to the nursing home. For almost five years. I watched my beloved daddy forget who I was. Forget how to walk. Forget how to eat. I watched my girls read to him and love him. I watched my husband shave his father-in-law on many occasions. They watched me feed him. Not once did he call us by name or talk to us. Not one time in those last years. But Love stays.


On that day thousands of years ago, He hung on a tree. At the end He looked up and asked why His Father had forsaken Him. At that point, He could have come down off that cross. He could have called on a legion of angels to help Him. But He chose instead to say that it is finished. For our sakes. Love stays.

Love bears all things, 

believes all things, 

hopes all things, 

endures all things. 

1 Corinthians 13:7

Love is

Love is patient and love is kind. Those wise words are so true. This is my 26th Valentine's Day with my sweet husband. My first was when I was 18 years old. Such a long time ago. So much has happened in those years. We have grown and changed and learned and cried. But love is patient.


At 18 years old, I met a boy that I knew fairly quickly was the "one". At least in my mind. We were not the typical opposites attract kind. We were more alike than we were different. Both headstrong. Both opinionated. Both outgoing. Both active on our campus. We had the same friends. The same interests. All of which was great until we disagreed.


By the Grace of God we are stronger and more in love today than we ever were back then. Love is patient. And faithful. And kind. And forgives. And lets go of the hurt. And does not hold grudges even though it takes a few years to get that one down. Love, with a whole lot of perseverance and forgiveness, never fails.


I was thinking this morning about what has been the one thing that has been constant throughout our marriage. I think that it is the oneness. We have always cared about what the other one is thinking and feeling. I cannot remember a decision I have made in the last 26 years that has been made without thinking about him. I know what he thinks. I know how he feels about things. I know if what I say or what I do will make him mad or happy. Sometimes I do it anyway. Sometimes I change my mind. Sometimes I submit. Sometimes I rebel.


But Love is patient. And through all of these years we have become stronger. Together. The two becoming one. Clinging to each other but finding our strength in Him. It is not perfect. But it is fun.


Happy Valentine's my sweet husband. You are my rock. You are my protector. You are my provider. You are my friend. You are a blessing to me and our girls. You still make my heart race. You are faithful. And I am thankful for you. For how you love me well. For the man that you are. For the pure fact that you seek Him first.


Love is patient. We still have so much to learn. So much to do. Looking forward to another 26 years together. I love you.

For this reason a man will leave 

his father and mother and 

be united to his wife, 

and they will become one flesh. 

Genesis 2:24

Love Well

I have been thinking a lot about love and marriage. Possibly because tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Possibly because my church is getting ready to have a Pursuing Passion weekend with our youth. Possibly because my daughter is getting married in four months. And possibly because after twenty four years I still am hopelessly in love with my sweet husband.


I think it is so imperative that we teach our young people what love really is. God's kind of love. Danny and I were talking with some friends this weekend about what one of the overriding reasons we see as causing so much hurt in relationships. The only thing we could come up with was selfishness. We live in such a "me" driven culture. The overriding theme of life seems to be what is in it for me. How is this going to affect me or my life or my comfort level.


I was thinking about what love really means. What does it look like? How do we model it? How do we teach our children to love well? The only thing I could come up with was to look at Jesus. So, this morning I read 1 Corinthians 13. I was struck by the fact that in the translation of The Message the writer translates the words into more of what love is not instead of what love is. I started thinking about my own children and how I relate to their understanding and culture. They see so much dysfunction and hurt. They live in a world that has been distorted and a world that has tried to teach them that there is no absolute truth. I actually like the way The Message translates these verses. It shows us how much the world around us has skewed our view. It takes what is so prevalent today and reminds us that God's ways are unique and different than the world's ways. When we love like Jesus we stand out.

Love never gives up. 

Love cares more for others than for self. 

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.    

Love doesn't strut,    

Doesn't have a swelled head,    

Doesn't force itself on others,   

 Isn't always "me first,"    

Doesn't fly off the handle,    

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,    

Doesn't revel when others grovel,    

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,    

Puts up with anything,    

Trusts God always,   

Always looks for the best,    

Never looks back,    

But keeps going to the end.

I want to stand out this week. In a week that is focused on the world's view of love, I want to love like Jesus. I want to live in such a way that the world around me sees a difference. Oh, how I want to love well.

The Lord will Provide

I have been praying scripture over and for my girls most of their lives. But in the last two years, I have learned to be more intentional about intercession on their behalf. As I have learned what it truly means to stand in the gap for my children, the Lord has been so gracious and so loving.


There is nothing that I can think of that can cause more joy or more pain for the heart of a mother than the thoughts of her children. I have friends who are grieving the loss of their child. Who are desperately trying to help their child. Who are at the end of their options and having to let go of a child. But the one thing we all have in common is that we are continuing to seek God for answers.


I read the story of Abraham and Isaac this morning in my devotion. But it was written from the perspective of Sarah. I have never thought about Sarah's emotions in the story. We don't know if she knew what was happening that day that Abraham left with her beloved Isaac. We don't know if he confided in her about what God had told him to do. But I would guess that she had a mom's intuition that something was going on. Moms just know these things. Even when we struggle to figure out what Dad is thinking we usually know when it is something concerning one of our children.


So many times in my girl's lives I have gotten that feeling. That feeling that something was not quite right. That feeling that they were not telling me the whole story. That feeling that something was hurting them or bothering them. Sometimes I could pull it out of them. Sometimes I could not. But I still just know when things don't feel whole. When they feel a bit off. When their hearts seem troubled or heavy.


Last year I asked the Lord to give me a verse from His Word that represented each of my girls. That represented what my groanings were that I could not put my own words to. A promise that would remind me that He is faithful in their lives too. A tangible reminder that He loves them more than I ever could. I wrote them down on cards. Several cards that I have in different places.


It took a little while but I feel like I was given a word for each of my children. A promise. Like the promise that God gave to Abraham. He had promised that He would make him into a great nation. That his descendants would number greater than the stars. In Abraham's mind I am sure that he rationalized the fact that God would need Isaac to fulfill that promise. That surely he would not take him from them. But he also knew his God. He knew He was faithful. He knew that His plan for Isaac would ultimately bring Glory to Himself. Whatever the outcome.


I wonder if Sarah knew that too. If she believed it as strongly as Abraham. If she held on to her husband's strength to get through those days after they left. Did she hit her knees immediately? Did she cry out and remind God of what He had promised her? Did she have the longest intercessory prayer imaginable?


I read a friend's words yesterday that put a tangible thought to my heart. She said that she could trust God for her own needs but that she struggled to trust Him with her children's needs. Me too! He created us to be moms. To nurture. To fix. To mend. To kiss the boo-boo. To hold tight. To understand when no one else does. To listen to the whining. To hear the heart. It is a love that mimics His for us. And it comes with a cord that wraps us into their lives so tightly that we have a hard time letting someone else do those things. But He says trust Me.


So today I pulled one of the cards out. I reminded myself what He told me concerning that daughter. What He promises concerning her. I am standing in the gap for her. Trusting the One who created her and holds her future. Knowing that even when I cry out for a change of plan or for the hurt to stop or for Him to get her attention, He has promised that He will never leave her or forsake her. That no matter what the outcome, He will make all things beautiful in His time. According to His plan. And I am learning to trust Him with my mom's heart. He has the better plan.

So Abraham called that place 

The Lord Will Provide. 

And to this day is said, 

"On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."  

Genesis 22:14

Keep moving...

I was once again looking back through my journals this morning. As I read through the months of January and February over the last five years, I realized that this is a really strange time of year. The frenzy of the holidays is over. Spring fever is just on the verge of creeping in. The days are darker and usually colder. It is a reflective, calm time. 


I think that is why a lot of people struggle in the winter months. Everything stops. And we are not used to being still. Being quiet. Stopping long enough to think. When things slow down and the noise level is reduced, we can hear our own thoughts. Our own fears. Our own groanings.


But we must move forward. One foot in front of the other. Moving in a direction. That is what I always tell my girls. Keep going. Stay calm. Go forward. Not looking back. But keeping your eyes straight ahead. Do not look to the right or to the left but look up toward your Help.


I have had a pep talk with each of my girls in the last few days. Each one for different reasons. But each daughter has needed to be reminded of moving forward. Reminded what the goal is. Reminded that God has a plan especially for them. Custom made.


But while we are waiting on direction, wisdom and clarity, life is still happening. We must live each day and each moment even when things aren't clear. I read something I wrote on this day in 2008. It still applies today. So this is my advice to myself and my girls.

Keep your guard up!  

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead., fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil." Proverbs 4:23-27

Keep your mouth shut!  

"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself  set on fire by hell." James 3:5-6

Keep your eyes open!  

"I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes for the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2

Keep your knees down! 

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Moving forward today with my eyes looking up. Move in a direction my friends!

Spoken blessings

Bless your children. Out loud. Every day.


Tell them how you love them. Tell them why. Tell them what makes them special. Why they are good at something. How very proud you are of them. How much you love them. How much God loves them. How fearfully and wonderfully they are made. By the Creator of the Universe. Made just the way He wants them. For a purpose. For a plan. For a future. 


I have a friend who recites the same blessing over her son every night. He loves it and knows if she leaves anything out. I told her how I used to do that with my girls when they were little. And how when they got a little older we used to write to each other in journals that we would pass back and forth. But now that they are teenagers and one is an adult preparing to get married, I have to be intentional with my blessings.


It is so important though that we bless our children. Verbally. That we speak a future of love and success and kindness and serving and giving over them. Those words of blessing will shape and mold them more than any discipline or teaching. The words of blessing to them sink deep into their souls. Deep into that part of them that God alone can reach. That part that they tap into when it is time for them to be the adult. To be the responsible one. To be the spouse. To be the parent. 


We usually bless out of blessing. We either do it very naturally because we were blessed or we struggle with blessing others because the blessings were withheld from us. But God can fill those empty places with his blessings so that they still flow out of us. We don't have to let the cycle of negativity and cursing continue through our own family. We can choose to stop the pain and turn it to blessing. Today.


It is never too late to bless a child. Or to bless our spouse. Or to bless a friend. Just say the words. You are a blessing to me because....


Let someone know how they bless you. How you see God in their lives. Send them an email or write them a note. Or even just text them a sentence of blessing. It will make their day. It will bless their heart. It could even change the course of their lives. Blessings are that powerful. Use them often!

The Lord bless you and keep you; 

the Lord make His face shine upon you, 

the Lord turn His face toward you and give you Peace.  

Numbers 6:24-26

Dear Jesus,

Lord, I don't understand. I don't know what to say.

I don't get the point. Show me the way.

There are no words that adequately describe grief.

The enemy is a liar. A destroyer. A thief.

Awaken our soul. Give answers and peace.

You sent Your Son to reach the least.

He bore our pain. He took all the lashes.

So that we might have beauty for ashes.

Our children are hurting. Our families seem lost.

Remind us that You think we are worth the cost.

The Hope that we seek cannot be seen.

In order to feel it we must press in. Must lean.

Into Your shelter. You are our Rock.

Into Your promises our thoughts we must lock.

Bound the broken hearted. The ones who weep.

Hold them close. The Shepherd with His sheep.

Guard our hearts. Open our eyes.

Break the chains. Stop the lies.

You sent Your Son. Our sins He's taken.

We hold on tight. We will not be shaken.

Awaken our souls. Lift our eyes.

Pierce our hearts. Give words to our sighs.

Prayers for our children

The last few days have been filled with phone calls and emails and messages from friends who have asked for prayer for their children. Seriously, it has been a large number of friends who have reached out to us. For different reasons and different concerns, but all with the same heart. A heart that is hurting for a child. A heart that cannot offer the answers right this second. A heart that knows where the answers are.


Danny and I have been praying specifically for one of our children the last few days too. Isn't that just like God? We do not have answers but we are holding on to the One who does. And while we are trying to figure it out, He is giving us the privilege of lifting our friends children to Him too. What a humbling reminder that He alone is our Hope.


As I pray for these precious children, my own included, I am reminded that He is able to do for us so much more than we can think or imagine. I was looking back at my journals and realized that on this day two years ago I was praying for one of my daughters whose heart was breaking. She had received news that she thought was devastating. A decision that none of us saw coming. A blow that she felt defined her.


As I read my words and my heart pouring out on the page, I could feel all of the emotions all over again. But this time I had the hindsight to see the Hope. I read what I had prayed for and what I had asked for my daughter. I was struck by my limited understanding. What God did with all of that is far more abundant than what I had prayed for. He worked it all out for every one's good. All of it. Even the stuff that hurt. Even the things that didn't turn out the way she had planned. Even the decisions that she still doesn't understand. It is all good. And she is blessed because of it all.


So today my prayers for my sweet friends and for myself are prayers of expectation. I have been praying Ephesians 3:20. I looked up lots of different translations of that verse. They all say that God is able. He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Immeasurably more than we imagine. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask. He is able to do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think - infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams. He is able to do more than we could request in our wildest dreams.


I think I will hold on to that Hope. His Word says so. He promises. I am choosing to believe Him.

For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro 

throughout the earth that He may 

strongly support those whose 

heart is completely His.

 2 Chronicles 16:9

The Gift of Community

Tonight my front door will open with the excitement of a dozen or so women ready to dig into God's Word. We are going to be studying the book of James. We will gather each week to laugh and to pray and to study and to learn. I have learned over the years that the blessings that will come from each study cannot be fathomed on the first night. We meet with anticipation. Waiting to see what God will do.


I began doing Bible Study on a regular basis when my oldest was a baby. We had a group that met at our church every week. We began to do inductive, in-depth studies. The Bible became living and real to me. We learned and study and prayed together for years. 


About 8 years ago, the Lord began to prompt me to open my home for Bible Study. I had met several women that really needed that time of accountability and fellowship. So we began to meet on Wednesday nights while our children were at church. It was the perfect time frame. My house is about 3 minutes from our church. Except for the fact that my poor neighbors have to endure all of the cars every week, the timing has been a blessing.


There is something about meeting in a home. It brings about a feeling of belonging and safety. As we squeeze into my den each week, no one complains about being crowded. We huddle together. Bonded by a common belief. Warmed by a common Love. Held captive by a Word that never returns void.


I have been blessed beyond measure by these women over the years. Their faith has challenged me. Their stories have pierced me. Their resolve has strengthened me. Their transparency has humbled me. Their hearts have warmed me. And their love for Jesus has made my heart smile.


I encourage you to find community. We were created to be in relationship. We sharpen each other when we gather together. We are better spouses and better parents and better friends when we open our hearts and our minds to others. And if you need a place to gather on Wednesday nights, my front door is always open!

Let us consider how to stimulate one another 

to love and good deeds, 

not forsaking our own assembling together, 

as is the habit of some, 

but encouraging one another. 

Hebrews 10: 24-25