Kathy Schwanke

Beware and Be Wary

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:30:51 GMT

There are wolves . . .

Some days these days are hard days . . . not because life is hard—but because it’s hard living among humans that see things so differently.

Growing up in the late 60’s through the early 80’s in the public education system left me with great deficits in understanding most essential things for being an adult in America. While I received A’s and B’s, I did not acquire an adequate understanding or interest in politics, history, finance or philosophy.

My home life as a dairy farmer’s daughter didn’t foster conversations of a bigger picture of the world I inhabit either. We were bent on getting by. We aimed at making ends meet. We labored over food for life.

I don’t think I voted in the first election I as an eligible voter—for that reason.

How I Came Awake

I became a disciple of Jesus when I was 24–both of us, five years married, pregnant with the first, traded in the Tavern for the Tabernacle.

The Light came on in my soul. Reading the Bible became like a treasure hunt. Themes and new thoughts lept off the pages. Seeing God in His story was like the first time Dale and I drove through Glacier National Park. Blazing glory!

I couldn’t get enough. I didn’t realize until a long time later that this is not everyone’s experience. I didn’t realize my spiritual gifts of teaching, discernment, wisdom and prophetic understanding were seeds needing watering, gifts requiring nurturing.

I was given the book, The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Reading about Nazi Germany blew my mind—the fact that so many minds were darkened so as to go along with the atrocities of Hitler. This woke me up to reality and sobered me greatly toward holding firmly to God and guarding against the horror of deception.

The Way We See

Jesus makes it clear—the Bible states that when we are “born again” or “in Christ” and He in us, we are new creations. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We’ve been brought from death (the sin that separates us from God) to New Eternal Life in His name.

I see it this way: Adam sinned and his pilot light went out—his ability to commune with God died. We are all born with this problem—one which is only solved by repenting of our sin and trusting Jesus for His mercy in reconciling us to God.

Then, the Light of Life is lit in our heart again. The Holy Spirit comes into our souls and begins to illumine truth to us as we read God’s word.

Now, by His Light we see!

Psalm 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

Here we see the fountain of the water of life and light together. The same provisions of God from the Eden story. His aim is toward getting for Himself a Faithful Family.

It should go without saying but because so many aren’t seeing I’m going to say it: without LIGHT we cannot see.

Another way to say it is without Jesus, we are blind to truth and in the dark about reality.

The Mess We Are In

Humanism and Socialism have invaded the mind of many Americans. It’s been a slow fade, but has ramped up steadily at the speed of technology.

Ideas spread at warp speed. Ideas that seem as logical to the unregenerate mind as the serpent’s suggestion in Eden.

He is using the same tactic today: “Did God really say . . . ?” And just like Eve, humans take the bait, agree that God is holding out on them, and the hook is set in the mind that does not believe that God is God and He is good and true and pure and that all His ways are true and right and just.

Did God really say —?

What I Witnessed Last Night

I somehow landed on the service at a local church from here in WI last night on Facebook. (From 3/8/26)

At first I saw wonderful singing, people giving God praise as they were invited to share what God was doing in their life. Then a woman asked for anyone who needed prayer to raise a hand, and for people to encircle them in prayer.

One girl gave praise for God healing her and her boyfriend’s relationship (through the recovery program) and that they’re happily living together. (No one seemed to be startled by this).

Then the preacher “preached” —clearly distressed by the fact (in his mind) that Christians get Jesus wrong and actually believe that some people go to hell. (they “don’t believe in universal love,” were his words)

He clarified for his audience that the English translations of the Bible are not accurate—and that Bible study is not what we should center our lives on. (He mocked that this is the practice of the “inferior Christians” (implied)).

Evidently he doesn’t believe the God who inspired it could also keep it as He willed through translators. This pleases the serpent, no doubt.

The verse he preached on was John 3:16(!!) (using the English translation, no less) and giving his presumably less-studied congregation the “the truth of it” according to the preacher—truth that can only be known by studying the Greek, apparently. ��‍��

His description of living the abundant life is in the enjoyment of it: football games and family time. This, to the preacher, is faith.

He went on invoking confusion as he explained (well) that “believing on” is leaning your whole self upon Jesus—and then he butchered the text by explaining away “whoever believes in him will not perish”—because he is most definitely a Universalist who believes no one will perish in hell.

It’s startling to see—and painful when I consider him facing the Lord Jesus one day to give an account for his false teaching. And also, all who are sitting under his teaching becoming dull to the razor sharp clarity of the Living Word. (Irony, the name of the church!)

I’m praying for God to confront him and to set him free—and that God will move a man to intervene on behalf of this congregation.

I know there are many congregations being led astray like this—and I pray I will always have compassion for them, pray diligently, and confront if God gives me the “go”—

How Well Do You Discern Between Tôb and Rą?

GOOD (tôb in Hebrew) and EVIL (rą in Hebrew) are the actual fruit of the forbidden tree in Eden—

And all through scripture the loud and oft-repeated exhortation is to be diligent in training our senses of discernment.

Proverbs cries out to distinguish between fools and wise ones, wicked and righteous, our own understanding and God’s revealed way.

Jude turns from encouraging his audience to warning them of false teachers.

The Gospel of John, his epistles and Revelation make it clear that only those who hold fast to the Word of God will be in eternity with Him whose word is true.

All to say, beware of false teachers who come to you as wolves in sheep’s clothing. Make sure you know the Living word and walk in His light.

If you need a place to start, start here.

This is the Literal Word study app where you can find the Hebrew and Greek for the English Bible.

It's Time To Write Again

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 02:33:23 GMT

Life can contract, and then exhale . . .

Does it seem like the past six years is a blur to you too?

We moved here one year before the pandemic shut down life as we knew it. Do you think of that season very often, I wonder? It still seems unreal to me.

Here, it's been six years of a LOT. Some good, some hard.

There have been job changes (now retirement for my guy), kid moves, new babies, working through challenges at church in the aftermath of 2020, being back in my former roles there as women's ministry director and decorating coordinator . . . before losing a sister , having an incarcerated brother (another story that you might read of one day) , and having served the rapidly growing homeschool community in our area by mentoring and praying with the moms at the co-op.

On top of those big events, I continue to have hard conversations over controversial topics-- worth having, but sometimes emotionally strenuous . All of these are my excuses for not writing much over the past few years. But things are shifting. I've stepped down from mentoring at the co-op, and I'm sensing the need to write another Bible study. And so I'm dusting off the keys . . .

Where We Are Now:

Even though we are on the other side of 2020, we are not on the other side of the effects of it.

We know that even before the first Trump run, the heart of our nation had become divided and combative. Grown adults have become more like kids on a middle school playground having word-wars than attending respectful town hall meetings with healthy debate. Think of the campaigning season; instead of the candidates showing the nation what they intend to do to build us up, they pointed fingers at one another with blame and shame.

It's a sorry state we are in. Fear is everywhere, as is fraud, and lies, and perversion.

I could go on but I wont.

But . . . those of us who are "in the world, not of it" (John 17:16) need not be swept away into the vortex of horizontal thinking. We remember the finger-pointing adult-middle-schoolers are not the enemy, Satan is. And we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who really and truly is in control of all things. (There's the exhale! Did you feel it?)

Yes, He is in control--He even has a tight reign on Satan. (Big sigh!)

The Question Might Be Asked:

Why doesn't God corral the devil in? Why does God allow evil to continue? Besides the fact that He is God and we should trust He knows what He is doing, when digging in deeper by reading the prophets, more light blazes on the reason for the political, financial and relational chaos in a nation--the reason is (not at all startling to us) sin. All the pain people are enduring around us is the effect of sin. And God wants people everywhere to know this eternally important fact: the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) And "death" means both devastation here and eternal separation from God (Light and Beauty and Freedom and Glory).

When our country is embracing and even legislating sin, we can be sure God's blessings are being withheld from our country. I told my Bible study class on Sunday that I believe the reason we are not under full judgment for the innocent blood that is polluting our land and for the desecration of what God has consecrated and for not acting justly is that we live here. We, the disciples of Jesus, the people who are blessed to be a blessing. (Genesis 12:2-3) The presence of the faithful blessses the land and stays the Hand.

Our presence on this land stays the hand of God from pouring out wrath. Our prayers and our influence are the greatest hope for the nation. Politics and politicians will continue to fail to repent and reform unless the saints of God see who we are meant to be and live into it. We need to proclaim the gospel with our lives and when given opportunity, our lips. We need to get together to pray like we believe God is God and can turn things around. We need to gather together in His presence and worship Him more . . . to linger longer in His presence.

What We Don't Need To Do:

We don't need to complain or argue. Respectful debate is good, arguing is bad. (Phillipians 2:4)
Fear. We do not need to fear because the Holy Spirit resides in us and will do in us and through us what we cannot do ourselves.
Fight fire with fire. The devil wants us to tarnish the name of our Lord by acting in the flesh. Resist him and he will flee.
Despair. It's a temptation for me when I see the way people are thinking to feel hopeless about the state of their souls. So, I remind myself what Jesus said, "Nothing is impossible for God!"

And so, wherever you are . . . whatever you're facing . . . however you're feeling . . . LOOK UP. Remember what is true. Believe God can do anything . . . and gather with outher believers to pray. Please pray that God will pour out His Spirit on our land and renew the face of the earth.

For more encouragement on this topic, listen to this sermon about the last vision of Daniel.

And our latest sermon on who Jesus is .

The Greatest Story

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 20:56:16 GMT

Everyone Needs To Know And Be Able To Defend God's Good News

With so many words everywhere, where do we go to find the truth?

Answer: The Bible.

Because of debate taking place everywhere online over the truth of the Bible, I felt led to share the big picture in a blog post. Then I will share a statement that triggered a controversy in my local area and will counter it line by line with truth.

One might wonder what qualifies me to do so, and I encourage you to read on and then read the Bible for yourself. This is important as it has to do with where one will spend eternity: Heaven or Hell.

In order to understand the overarching picture of the Bible, one must be a student of the Bible and ask God for revelation.

Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 3:33

In a nutshell–God created our planet so He could create us in His image. Just as we find fulfillment in our families (ideally) He who is love wanted a family to love on.

Like those of us who are parents, God wants His children to reflect Him in character, to honor Him in representation, and to respond to Him in humility, love, devotion, and loyalty. His goal was a family who would steward His creation under His leadership.

The Test:

Like us, as His image bearers, God wants to be loved for who He is. He wants to be honored by trust and obedience. Obedience is an outflow of trusting that God is good and He is love. When we disobey, we are making a statement.

God made Adam and Eve. He placed them in a lush garden. Prior to creating Eve, He told Adam that he could eat from any tree in the garden, but he was not to eat the fruit from one certain tree or he would die. (See Genesis 2:15-17)

God’s enemy showed up in the form of a serpent and reasoned with Eve that God was holding out on her by forbidding her from knowing good and evil. (When He actually was PROTECTING her from evil) Satan opposed God’s word saying to Eve, “Surely you will not die.”

Eve bit the apple and then gave the fruit to Adam. He who had heard directly from God, did not seek to prevent Eve from biting, and he bit too. Adam is credited for this sin because His was the responsibility to obey.

Both disobeyed God’s one “do not” commandment that forbade them to eat the fruit of one tree. (See the story in Genesis 3:1-7)

God’s consequence was not physical death. It appeared they did not die. Did God lie then? No, God cannot lie. It was their relationship with Him that died–their union was severed. They lost their position as son and daughter because they’d aligned with Satan. In doing so, they came under a dark force called sin. Sin’s force made them feel their nakedness. Nakedness is a metaphor for unholiness and shame. They felt the horrible feeling of shame for the first time and so they hid from God.

God could have annihilated them for their rebellion, but instead came to them and made a way for them to remain living. He cast them from the garden so they wouldn’t eat from the Tree of Life and live forever as slaves to sin. Then He sacrificed the first animal. This was the first blood that was shed on their behalf, in order to clothe their nakedness, indicating the costliness of sin.

God told them that the result of their sin was curses for humanity. Our life on earth would be hard. Childbirth and rearing would be hard. Cultivating the earth to feed our families would be hard. But, then He issued a promise. He would send a Savior one day from the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the enemy and redeem us from the curse of Sin. (See the story in Genesis 3:8-24)

The Old Testament

The Old Testament stories are shadows of the battle of this life and of the coming (now here) promised Savior. They show how God loves us despite our sin, and how we most often (naturally) do not love Him back. There were times when His people loved Him, but most often they rebelled. He never gave up on them. When they fell into idolatry and rebellion, He disciplined them in order to humble them. He continually disciplined in order to reestablish them to bless them.

To understand God’s great love and desire to be with His Family, a close look at The Day Of Atonement (Leviticus 16) as the foreshadowing of the wonderful GIFT of God, our Messiah-Savior, Jesus Christ, illuminates the blood-cost and intense labor of the High Priest once a year to atone for sin.

All of the processes and rules of Levitical law were meant to serve God’s Family in discerning and despising sin and understanding the cost it was to God to bring them near..

The Old Testament closes with the book of Malachi, and then God was silent for 400 years.

Christ, the Savior is Born!

Jesus was born in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago–our Christmas Light and Joy. He lived among us for 33 years to show us what God is really like in healing and delivering and loving and saving many.

His earthly life also displayed the horrors of sin in the human heart (as seen in His opposers and murderers). Like the Pharaoh in the book of Exodus, the religious leaders in Jerusalem displayed hard and hardening hearts that refused to submit to the Son of God.

They preferred to submit to the sin-force they were born under, resulting in betrayal and murder of God’s Way and Truth and Life and Light.

Jesus was crucified by His own chosen people who preferred darkness to light, pride to humility, and self-reliance to trusting God.

Jesus’s great mercy resounded from the cross when He cried out, “Forgive them Father, they do not know what they do.”

He’d spent three years showing and telling them they were spiritually blind. (The “death” of Adam and Eve is a spiritual death.)

They Refused To Seek To See By Listening To Him.

One day Jesus took three of his disciples up on a mountain where he was transfigured into glory and was joined by Moses and Elijah. In Mark 9:7 God comes: Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud:

“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Mark 9:7

The group of people who opposed and ultimately killed Jesus were called Scribes and Pharisees. They could never see the miracles Jesus was doing because they wanted to keep their way as the way. Jesus, in gaining followers, was disrupting and threatening the power-system they held in place. Jesus warned His disciples about them, stating, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees.” They were too proud to listen to Him and therefore they were blind to truth.

Here is a short story from Mark 7 demonstrating what He meant (emphasis, mine):

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed. Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially. And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.

So the Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with defiled hands.”

Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘These people honor Me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from Me.

They worship Me in vain;

they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’

You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.”

He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain your own tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.” Mark 7:1-13

So, we can see that their sin was not listening to God. They were disobedient because they had their own agenda and it wasn’t to love and obey God.

After Jesus rose from the dead, He poured out His Spirit upon and into those disciples He’d prepared to begin His church. The Spirit was the gift of the LIFE and LIGHT of God that fills in the cavernous hole in our souls—the life and light that rebellion had snuffed out in the garden.

Then Jesus sent His Spirit-filled disciples out to bring His gospel message to the world promising that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church. And here we are! All these years later, enduring by His Spirit.

Since His ascension into Heaven, His born again sons and daughters filled with the LIGHT and LIFE of Jesus have been on mission to share the gospel wherever He sends them.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek. Romans 1:16

False Teaching On The Homefront:

Recently, a pastor from a Universalist church in our area made a bold statement against the true gospel on his Facebook page. Because their church is in our area, the implications of the heresy being spread is a direct attack on my church family and my ministry. Therefore, I was compelled by Jesus to engage in defending the true gospel by refuting the lies. (I have also had many private messages thanking me for doing so, as well as wanting to understand more deeply.)

*Below is the statement in italics.

*Below the statement, I break the statement down line by line and counter it with truth.

“There is a kind of universalism that has infiltrated the American church—not the universal hope that God’s love is truly for all, but the universal damnation that claims every soul is born stamped for destruction unless they somehow manage to find and submit to Jesus.

What kind of Father creates His children with the default destiny of eternal torment, only offering rescue if they can solve the riddle of salvation in time? Would any loving parent conceive a child with the intent of casting them away unless they proved themselves worthy? And yet, we are told this is “good news.”

Don't tell me God is good, merciful, and loves unconditionally while simultaneously painting Him as the cosmic architect of a sick survival game, watching to see who makes it out alive. The world is waking up. It sees the contradiction. And maybe—just maybe—it’s not rejecting God, but rejecting a distorted version of Him that was never real to begin with.”

Countering the false or twisted claims:

every soul is born stamped for destruction unless they somehow manage to find and submit to Jesus

TRUTH: Every soul is born with a void that needs to be filled, a wick that needs to be lit, a hunger and thirst for God that needs Jesus. The gospel answers this need by the infilling of the Spirit of God at the new birth. (See John 3:3 and Acts 2:38)

What kind of Father creates His children with the default destiny of eternal torment

TRUTH: Romans 9:22-25 states that God, foreknowing that some people would choose to reject Him, preferring evil to loving Him, chose to create us all so that those who would choose Him had the opportunity to become His Family and live with Him forever in His eternal kingdom.

He did this [bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction] to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory— including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles. Romans 9:22-24

only offering rescue if they can solve the riddle of salvation in time?

TRUTH: The implication of this statement is actually an accusation against God. It may be that the author of it is offended by God because he doesn’t understand God’s holiness or the gospel of love. There is no riddle. There is a gospel (good news of salvation for everyone who believes) built on the story of God that I summarized above, and a very open display of love on the cross of Christ–His arms are open for all who want Him. “Come to Me” and “Open to Me” are the choices He gives to all. (See Matthew 11:28 and Revelation 3:20)

Would any loving parent conceive a child with the intent of casting them away unless they proved themselves worthy?

TRUTH: Though we are created in the image of God, we are not God. The parental relationship is metaphorical only as it shows the relational aspect. The mind of God is above us. We cannot assume He thinks like us, and are told to conform to His mind and will in Romans 12:1-2. This human-reasoning fails to take into account that God is HOLY and we cannot be in His presence without the atoning sacrifice of blood. Jesus’ blood is available to all, but it costs us our life.

Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:3-26

Don't tell me God is good, merciful, and loves unconditionally while simultaneously painting Him as the cosmic architect of a sick survival game, watching to see who makes it out alive.

TRUTH: Again, the language used here indicates bitterness in the heart of the author toward those who hold to the historic gospel of Jesus Christ. God indeed loves unconditionally, but because of His holiness, in order to have a relationship with us, we must repent and come to Him for salvation. He wants us to want Him. He tells us that our love is proven by our obedience.

Concluding Truth:

If one has been born again by the Spirit of God and is a serious student of the Bible, God reveals Himself to that one. Though it is good to listen to preaching and teaching from others, if you were a missionary in a foreign land with limited fellowship, God has promised you can know His heart and mind through the scriptures by the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught. John 2:27

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:26

If one is not born again, they do not have the Revealer (Holy Spirit) within, and the scriptures cannot fully be understood.

But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them , because spiritually they are discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

Having an intimate knowledge of God requires both the Spirit of God and the Truth of God (Jesus is the Truth) abiding in the believer. With the Holy Spirit living inside of us, we can have fellowship with Him because He is in us and we are in Him. The result of our relationship with Him is that we become like Jesus and lay down our lives for Him.

Go here to read my statement of faith: Cherished Beliefs

Christmas 2024

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:20 GMT

A Hard Year Past

Maybe many of you would say it too: It’s been a hard year.

And though I don’t like opening my “have a holly jolly Christmas letter” by telling you about the hard things—like finding out on New Years Day that my sister Janie died—that is the exact thing Christmas is for— God sent His Son through a tiny embryo in the womb of a virgin to earth to conquer death.

This is Christmas.

And, though we try our darndest, it’s often anything but holly and jolly.

God, who in the beginning of creation, hovered over the dark chaos and birthed light when He spoke it: “Let there be light.” hovered over Mary’s womb to birth His Son—Light of the world—to dawn on our darkness and death.

Old Zachariah declared it over his miracle son, the final Old Testament prophet, John the Baptizer, who was to clear the ground to make a highway for God:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

in the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God ,

whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace. ” — Luke 1:76-79

God tells us in Paul’s letter to the Romans that the wages of sin is death—and yet our earthly life goes on until our own fateful day—and then where will you go?

Graveside

Only a handful of people stood graveside to lower Janie’s vacant body into the earth. Five minutes on a snowy day to say goodbye, drop a carnation on the casket, hug and cry . . . and walk away—leaving her-but-not-her—there—among tree roots in dirt.

Trees live longer than we do, unless we kill them to serve us comfort and joy and shelter. And don’t we tend to kill anything to serve us? We even kill our closest relations—not with swords, but by building walls— when we believe their thoughts might kill us.

Why do we fear people’s thoughts?

We might put on a false front, but we really all know it deep down: we are vulnerable. We fear exposure. We fear thoughts about us, thoughts about politics. (and Covid and masks and vaccines and Trump and Trans and tolerance) And we fear thoughts about God.

Our fears reveal what we believe. Who and what we fear indicates who and what we worship. Or, to state it more plainly: who we hope will save us— who will rescue us from this body of death?

We feel it, don’t we? The inevitability of being lost in our sin. Death is coming for us all.

But instead of turning to the God who loved us so much that He gave us His Sunshine, we run from the Light of the World by immersing ourselves in vanity; we turn to Southern Comfort or fake boobs or steroids … and when those don’t do it, there’s the latest “fad” of trans.

“Maybe that will save me from this body of death,” we think. “Maybe people will love me then.”

Or how about I One-Up-the-Joneses? If people’s thoughts of me are “Wow! Look at him!” I will not feel death so much.

Maybe for you it’s not booze or boobs or bling. Maybe it’s being a good person. You’re sweet and kind and generous. But in that, is there an underlying self-centered motive? “I will be good in order to make myself feel good.”? Yeah, that was me.

Jesus, when he was Son of Man on earth in-the-flesh, stated to a man who called him a good teacher: “Why do you call me good? Only God is good”

Every good and perfect gift is from above,coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. –James 1:17

Ah! Someone who doesn’t change like the shifting shadow . . . like people’s opinions?

Light is always Light with Him—even in the shadow of death? One whose steadfast love actually endures forever!?! Give me THAT!

Give that to the one who wants and he will want no more.

The LORD answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. –Joel 2:19

A generous giving-God whose goodness and mercy never change? Whether I’ve worshipped the false gods of human thought, booze, boobs or bling—or my self, He is always chasing me with His goodness and mercy and everlasting light.

Come to Me all who are weary and I will give you rest from all your silly striving to be comfortable and at peace without Me! I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. –Matthew 11:28-29

Eternal Hope and Joy

Ah, I know Janie’s eternal soul is at rest, dwelling high up in Heaven’s eternal light. She is not below, in death, eternal gloom and darkness—because she had received the Gift of Christmas many good and hard years before she died on New Years Day. She was only 53, but she had surrendered her life to Jesus—had admitted that she needed God to save her.

She received the Gift, borne in a trough, Bread from Heaven. And she became a gift.

“I will go to Jesus, and He will give me His peace”

She reconciled with the holy God of love who is Almighty and can do all things—

“Save me from this body of death and raise me up in Him”— the One who is seated at the right hand of God — the sign of His victory over sin, death and the grave.

Yes, because of Christmas, I left the gravesite last January with an unquenchable peace—a certain hope of seeing my sister when I depart from my own aging body on the day of my death.

Because of Jesus, the GIFT of God that came DOWN to rescue us from death. Will you receive Him too? He came for YOU!

And this Advent, as we wait for the arrival of Christmas, the message of John the Baptist is still the same message that clears the road in our hearts to make a highway for our God to come hover over our hearts and bring His light HOME in us:

“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

Repent, turn around and move toward the Light. Your Father is waiting for you.

Jesus will return again soon to judge the living and the dead unto glory or unto condemnation. The glory-gift of God is eternal life IN Christ Jesus. Believe! Receive! When we receive Him we receive His mercy forever!!

Sin, death, and the grave no longer have a hold on me! I can be free from fearing your thoughts and so I can free you from the burden of saving me—not that you could, even if you cared to.

The silent night brought heavenly peace! The Sun of righteousness has risen with healing in his wings! Emmanuel is here! And THAT, my friend, is greater than any holly-jolly, even in the face of death, it is eternal HOLY GLORY!!

Merry Christmas to you, my friends, and even if it’s hard, eternal JOY is yours if you want Him!

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. –John 1:12-13

Arise And Shine

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 20:55:01 GMT

. . . for though the righteous fall seven times, they will rise again . . . (Proverbs 24:16)

I started titling this post "When The Devil Plays Whack-A-Mole" but thought a brighter title would be better. In my last post, I was vulnerable about my then-current state of discouragement. Many of you encouraged me greatly by interacting with me and affirming me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I write often about the need to live loved by God and how that is the foundation of our stability. Along with believing we are the beloved for our stability, it fuels our true, unselfish love for others. Even for those who don't like us much.

How do we love those who hate us? How do we consider it pure joy when we face trials? How do we rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for Jesus's name as the Apostles did?

Go Low

I'm afraid the answer to all of the above questions is "go low".

Or rather, God orchestrates our circumstances to enable us to go low . . . because it's only the lowly that can give themselves fully to the One who went lowest to love us. It's not usually we who are bowing down low--it's not natural. It's the pressing and the crushing of the Winemaker, the whirling and cutting of the Potter, the pruning and cutting of the Vinedresser, and the fire and flame of the Refiner. It's God's hands upon His chosen ones that shape us into His image and impart His life to us as we yield ours .

I remember I am a grape cluster. I am a clay pot. I am a green vine. I am tarnished gold.

We like to think we would go low freely. We volunteer ourselves, but the work is His alone.

Galatians 2:20 is the verse that set me free from striving to please God (and others) in my own strength (and continues to serve me there). My own crucifixion set(s) me free from trying to love my enemies from something within me--and failing. The truth of it is that I am crucified with Christ (I'm dead) it is now Christ who lives in me. What a relief! This life that I live in this aging body, I live by faith in the One who loves me--He died to set me free from striving.

Did you know striving is opposite of faith? It is. We often think fear is, but fear is a feeling that steers us toward God or toward striving.

Striving is akin to sin. Striving is me being my own god. It's what landed me in the pit of anxiety and it's what I default to under pressure when The Winemaker is making new wine and triggers the pressing and crushing of the ripe grapes.

Anxiety alerts me I am not trusting the One who loves me. Anxiety alerts me that it's time to return to His rest.

The Devil Doesn't Stop Assaulting Us

We don't like to give too much credit to the devil, but he is a busy enemy. God counts on Satan's evil to train us in this life of war. It is a consolation for the suffering one to know that nothing is allowed into our lives without God's permission. Satan sought to prove Job half-hearted, and asked God's permission to try him. God granted it, not to prove Job unfaithful, but to prove to Job that his God is faithful and will show up and bring beauty from ashes.

I don't think God needs to prove anything to Satan.

God is our Keeper. He kept Job. He keeps His born again children. Remember Jesus's words to Peter: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." (See Luke 22:31-32)

Jesus prays for us and God always gives Jesus what He asks for. There was purpose in Peter's sifting--to train him. Peter learned who he was not and how faithful Jesus was in His pursuit of Peter.

My (emotional) Life In The Past Six Months

Can you say "rollercoaster"?

I doubt I've ever had such a stretch of intensely hard and wonderful things in such a short time. If you know me or have followed me the past decade, you know we've moved a lot, our kids both moved a lot and they had a lotta babies. We lost a home that was my dream on a lake. We lost my dad in 2014 and we lost our grandson Theodore in 2015. Dale switched jobs numerous times from either stress, joining our son when he began self-employment, or other various reasons.

It. Was. A. Lot.

It was a lot and I've experienced some intense anxiety.

I won't bore you with all the details of this year--but losing a 53 y/0 sister on New Year's Day--I'm not sure why the day itself made it more shocking. Maybe because it is such a dark time of the calendar year and a supposed day of celebration.

Since then, my siblings and I and Mom gathered for the typical photo gathering. Along with my sister's family, we had a small visitation and a very quick funeral with the intention of doing a memorial on Memorial Day where more family could come in from out of state. The memorial was a wonderful reuniting and so very sad in gathering around our loss.

In February Dale and I went to Cuernavaca which was both wonderful and emotionally difficult for me in serving, speaking to the women with an interpreter, and being unable to communicate myself with the women, heart to heart.

After landing home, I hit the ground running in a new year of ministry in our church as we hosted several gatherings.

In my family of origin, after the shocking loss of our sister we have had many happy occasions. A wedding shower and a wedding, a baby shower and a new baby with tears of joy and sorrow (my sister, Janie's first grandson).

Both Dale and I have experienced health issues. Mine was a virus that seemed to last for a whole month off and on, weakening me. His is body pain from being a manly man--he deals with random pain in his feet, shoulders, knees, back. Fortunately not all at the same time. But, it is taxing and slowing him down and that hurts.

Within the experiences of the past six months, I have enjoyed sweet joy and I have endured deep emotional pain.

I have been tempted to feel defeated, discouraged, and downright neglected by God. But by now, I know Him, and in contrast to the awful time over 20 yers ago that became a hell hole, this time, I remembered the truth: He is with me and He loves me and if He is letting me go through intense trials, He has something for me in them.

Jesus Is The (Free) Wonderful Counselor And You Never Need An Appointment!

Every morning I meet with Him, pen in hand. I have had to have His help in understanding my own heart. I feel my feelings with Him. It's a consolation that He feels with me. Truth emerges on the page in our meetings.

One day, I felt on the verge of panic while traveling on the freeway. In the past, that is where panic manifested most--due to my hyper sensitivity to motion and people's expectations and emotions. When it happens, I strongly feel the need to pull off the highway and just breathe. It's a flight response to rogue thoughts. Knowing this, as I finished my shopping and got in the Jeep to head for home, I began to speak Psalm 23 over my life with boldness. As I drove and let the Holy Spirit minister the truth of it to my heart, the panic subsided and I got victory. The weapons of our warfare are indeed mighty. (See 2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Thankful I'd memorized Psalm 23 thirty five years ago, I got to experience the power of the living Word of God in my Jeep. The truth really does set us free.

Every time I've headed out to an event when I felt like I'd rather stay home hiding under the covers--if I have felt the fear rise up, I go despite (to spite!) my feelings in the strength of the One who lives in me. I know He is training me to depend more on Him and less on me. When I am weak, then I am strong. His power is perfected in my weakness. (See 2 Corinthians 12:10)

As I look back over the past six months, what I see is not defeat. I see victory.

Though the devil tries to whack me down with sickness, panic, doubt, fear, loss, rejection, or doom, I will arise again because of the One Winemaker, Potter, Vinedresser, Refiner who never takes His hand off of me. And I will count it all joy.

Sucker Punched By Life

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 20:50:36 GMT

When God Is Making New Wine

It's been a long while since I blogged. Even my daily instas have tapered off, though I hardly think anyone notices. This isn't to say I want to guilt anyone into interacting with my words--but what's true is I haven't kept up with the speed of change in the influencer-world in which we find ourselves. It actually has come to feel overwhelming. How about you?

Readers and reactions definitely serve more motivation for writers. But my writing has mostly come from my desire to sow insight into the world. To spark thinking beyond what is common. To sow seeds of truth and grace and pray over them for even a tiny harvest.

I still write a lot in my journal.

My journal is actually saving my sanity this year. I mean, the recipient of my journaling is. Jesus, my Savior--and I've never been more grateful for His Friendship or for His constant availability. So many mornings I write my heart out to Him and He helps me l-e-t * g-o. He reminds me of what is true. The clouds of dark diminish in the light of His glory and grace. I'm so grateful.

Since my sister died on New Year's Day, 2024, there have been other deaths, funerals, surfacing painful family dynamics, sickness, age-related issues with my hubby-who-hurts . . . and finally my sister's memorial service on Memorial Day.

I feel sucker-punched by life.

It's not that there are not really wonderful things happening along with the painful-hard. It's that the hard underlies all the happy. It seems the waves continue rolling in . . . and my heart feels buffeted. I admit, I'm a bit of a melancholy naturally, and so in seasons like this I must fight the heaviness that wants to hover. I mostly do, being well-practiced in resisting the dark.

I remind myself of what I keep saying to others, "We are the hope-bringers!" We are those who look beyond what we can see with our natural eyes to what our God can do--what He WANTS to do in this old dusty world: REDEEM . . . RESTORE . . . REBUILD . . . REVIVE . . . RESURRECT.

And so I preach to myself.

"Keep your heart hoping, Kathy." Those are my words to myself. "Keep hoping in the light breaking in, the goodness of God chasing you and your people. Remember the promises. Walk by faith, not by sight."

And so I do. I do when I wipe the rainwater off of the picnic table from Menards that matched my sister's. Janie worked at Menards and we happened to buy the same one the same year. I remember her sitting at that table on my deck, and her laugh. And I am mad I can't talk to her whenever I want. Mad that I can't congratulate her today.

This morning I got the text that Janie's first grandson was born last night. She was so thrilled that she was going to have another grand baby. I remember her on Christmas Eve sharing the marvelous news--like it was yesterday and I can't believe she's gone. My first thought, "I hope she can see." My second thought, "One day she will and all will be as God meant for it to be. None of this death or loss in the midst of blessings and joy."

Count your blessings, dear.

God is here. God is in control. God is good. God will bring good. God is good at being God. This is not the end, it's only a blip on the radar of eternity. Get up higher. Get up again into the faith zone. Climb up in God's lap and look down on it all with Him and surely He is with you till the end of the age which is only the beginning for us who look to Him and trust Him as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death here.

And so I write today to remind someone. Maybe you: Hope. Keep on fighting the good fight of faith. Never let the cloud of dark linger long. Remember to remember that Heaven is up ahead and One Day all will be forever paradise--the place we all crave. Thank Jesus for opening the Way. Thank you for new babies, birthdays, new beginnings, weddings, wonders, healings, health, happiness, sunshine and picnic tables to gather family around and build memories and sow seeds into eternity.

Grace upon Grace.

Graves And Trees

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 18:10:27 GMT

Our Human Story

“We are humans made of humus,” I told my nine year old grandson, Oliver.

“What’s humus, Grandma?”

“It’s dirt. God made us from dirt. This reality, Oliver–remembering our humus beginnings–is one of the most important reckonings for us,” “The Bible says God remembers that we are dust. When we remember this, we keep our hearts humble and humble hearts are soft. And soft hearts trust Jesus.”

Ashes to Ashes. Dust to Dust.

Two days later, I was standing in fresh snow at the graveside of my sister. We don’t yet know for sure what took Janie’s beautiful life after just 53 years. We’ve been told we have to wait for the death certificate to show up. This is hard for me. I want to know what stole my sister too early. What stole her from her husband and her family and from my siblings and our families and from our mom.

I’m standing near the foot of the coffin after the two casket-deliverymen set it on the platform and started to lower it till it paused like a flag at half-staff toward its final resting place. A pause. The lid, slightly below ground level, halfway to the basement. Maybe no more than a minute. In sixty seconds we dropped our tokens of love on the casket. Carnations and roses and daisies–cut from their life source–to bring a bit of beauty to our bleak gray day.

For the first time ever, I saw into the hole below the casket. Behind gnarly roots—roots pointed toward the casket—I saw a background of dark brown humus. So many roots had been revealed by the unseen grave digger’s disruption of the earth.

The two men along with my nephews carried my sister’s boxed body to the shrouded hole. They set the casket on a platform which would lower her down like an elevator. In my heart, I swear I heard the screech and reverberation of a vault slam close as I watched the big man who came with an in-real-time– in our time of mourning – an unnamed man –bent-over-the-casket with his butt crack in our view.

I kid you not.

I cannot describe my emotion at the sight, but I turned away quickly with a prayer for help as we watched him straighten the casket that had fallen a bit off its support on one side. The man leveled the casket back into place and commenced cranking the elevator handle to lower my sister down.

Janie’s family had chosen this particular plot due to the fact that it was near a tiny birch tree. “My mom loved birch trees,” her daughter Vanessa told me.

The coffin was Janie’s favorite color. The color of sky and river. She never told us her favorite color, but we made the call. One of my siblings noted a few days before as we mounted her photos on remembrance boards, ”Janie favored blue.” We saw blue in her clothing choices . . . in the photos of her in her swimming pool with her grandgirlies . . . and of her in her kayak on the lake . . . blue skies behind sunny smiles.

Janie’s family warmed at the idea that her casket would be sheltered by the growing birch.

And I remember the roots. I picture them slowly meandering, intertwining and winding their way around whatever they meet as they do their job of drinking in grace. The casket placed lovingly below the growing baby birch. And I remember the way things that go into the ground are never really dead but only broken to bring more life.

Janie is not there. It’s only her unoccupied body. Her soul is with our marvelous Messiah.

And I remember this fact: the things in the earth and the things of the earth are all awaiting resurrection.

In the case of the birch tree in winter, Miss Birch is awaiting growth toward Heaven and her new spring foliage. A gift given to give us summer shade.

In Janie’s case, because she received Jesus as her Savior, the resurrection of her body comes when Jesus returns. ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 )

I was filling in my daughter with the details of our short time, graveside. It was—truly—all of five minutes. I told her how my downcast eyes beheld the inside of the broken ground. I described the tenacious roots that were revealed as the dirt had fallen away due to the unseen gravedigger.

And we talked about the significance of trees.

One forbidden tree was pleasing to the ego and the eye of Eve in a garden . . . which led to One being crucified on a tree on a hill . . . and one day we who believe in His love and gift of Salvation will be raised up. We will eat fruit together from the Tree of Life in the New Jerusalem ( Revelation 22:2 )

I shared with my daughter how I’d just seen my friend Portia randomly ask the exact question on Facebook that I had opened my Christmas message with in 2019 : “If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?”

It was fun reading people’s answers (“I’d be a Palm, stately and in a warm climate.” … “I’d be a Willow, wispy and attractive.”) And then I looked up the beginning of my message to read what I’d written:

THE GIFT OF HIS PRESENCE

If you were a tree, what kind would you be? Which tree would most resemble your husband, your mother, your children? Would you be a poplar, leaves flitting silver and white? Would they be blue spruce, short needles, all prickly? Or maybe a birch, slender, tall and papery white?

I decided that the tree that would best represent my husband would be an oak, sturdy, rugged, relentless.

And if I were a tree, and you might be inclined to pick the same one, I’d be a maple. Beautiful in form and array, and . . . Of course, full of sweet sap. Although getting at it might be a touch painful …

My ideal friend would definitely be the evergreen, fragrant, flexible and faithful.

Kayla said immediately she would be a pear tree or an apple tree. “I can see that,” I said, thinking of her five boys and all the young ladies she sows life into. Fruitful.

After our phone call ended, I got back to my morning Bible reading. There in Genesis 21, I read of Father Abraham digging a well in Gerar and making a covenant with the king, Abimelech. A covenant ensuring that the well he’d dug in Beersheba would belong to him.

After he secured the well, he planted a tamarisk tree . ( Genesis 21:33 ) “and there called on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.”

It was after putting roots in the ground there at the well of the oath , in the hot desert land– Abraham planted a tree that would take 400 years to grow to full height. A tree whose sap would be turned into a sweet treat by insects transforming its juice.

It was near that tree God came to Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. “Give me the one branch of your family Tree,” God said.

Hmm, Isaac was not Abraham’s only son. He’d had Ishmael 13 years prior to Isaac.

But Ishmael was a result of the reasoning of humans made from humus, while Isaac was a child of the promise received by faith . ( Proverbs 3:5-6 )

The two sons represent the two covenants:

1. The old, broken-by-humans, striving-unsuccessfully covenant.

And

2. The new, kept-by-Jesus, trust-the-promise covenant.

The “only” son of Abraham was the son of the promise. The first, Ishmael, was son of the flesh.

Just as Jesus, the only Son of the Father, is the Son of the Promise. The first, Adam, acted by his human reason.

As I wrote the following words in my journal: “The well . . . Beersheba (well of the oath) . . . the tamarisk tree planted as an emblem of faith in the promise . . . the worship . . . the test . . . the offering of the one son—a display of trust that the Promise of God would never fail . . . ( Hebrews 11:19 )

Here by this well, by this Tamarisk Tree, is the BIRTH of God’s Heavenly Family on earth –the sun, which had not broken through clouds at all for the first two weeks of walking through the valley of the shadow, suddenly landed on the words on my journal page.

Right there, Light shone: “The birth of God’s Heavenly Family”

. . . and then the sun left as quickly as it came . . . it left for the day, leaving me, again, in the valley of the shadow.

Look at this Promise . . . this . . . birth of the Family of God:

Genesis 22:15-18

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Abraham got his son back. And along with him, descendants as numerous as the stars. And, I weep as I write this. My sister Janie is one of these descendents. She had surrendered her life to Jesus, so I know she is with Him–forever free! I also note that whatever is surrendered to the Lord (As in Abraham with Isaac, and as Jacob with Benjamin.) we get back. And not only that, but promises of multiplication of descendants as our gift.

A Tree Of Hope . . . Planted In A Desert . . . For Future Shade For His Descendants . . .

What is it about trees?

We find our story taking turns at the site of graves and trees. Eve took the bait of Satan, doubting God’s goodness, sharing her doubt with Adam, and forsook our peace with God.

Jesus, a shoot coming from the stump of Jesse, took the curse caused by Satan and Adam and Eve on a dead tree.

He became one with the cross-shaped dead tree through the wrath of man against God. And His was the first grave to release a man to Heaven. ( Colossians 1:18 )

When He went into the ground, He broke the chains of the grave! And now, we have access to The Tree of Life in the Garden of God.

And there at Oak Grove cemetery lies the body of my sister Janie, near the trunk of a little birch.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, her body returned to the earth. She’s entered her rest already, but her body will One Day rise again—dead bones will resurrect and her teeth will bite the fruit of the Tree of Life in the Heavenly Kingdom and she and I and all who’ve tasted Jesus and found Him to be good here will live forever there. Never to be humus … or even human … ever again.

Do You Conceive Christmas?

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 19:09:43 GMT

To conceive means "to seize; to take hold of"

We read that teenage Mary, the blessed virgin, conceived God’s Son.

A woman named Loretta Ross-Gotta wrote thought provoking words about her. Pondering the girl, Mary, who seized in her heart and in her womb the Word of God . . . that one startling promise that came to her through the angel, Gabriel . . . the word which was fulfilled as God’s Spirit hovered over her . . . as He hovered over the dark in creation and with a word, brought forth Light.

Loretta writes,

“The angel summoned Mary, betrothed to Joseph, from the rather safe place of conventional wisdom to a realm where few of the old rules would make much sense. She entered that unknown called “virgin territory.” She was on her own there. No one else could judge for her the validity of her experience.

She can measure her reality against Scripture, the teachings of her tradition, her reason and intellect, and the counsel of wise friends. But finally it is up to her. The redemption of the creation is resting on the consent–the choice of this mortal woman to believe fearlessly that what she is experiencing is true. And to claim and live out that truth by conceiving the fruit of salvation.”

Our salvation, yours and mine, hinges on Mary’s “yes” to God. “Yes, I will be a room for You.”

Salvation from what, we ask? And you might only hear it at Christmas, or maybe from your facebook friend on Easter—salvation from the darkness of the death surrounding us, and from the soul-cancer called sin! God, through Jesus, washes our filth, and restores us to Himself.

He always only wanted a Family.

Like perpetual toddlers, we always only wanted what we wanted when we wanted it. Let’s just name it right here, what we really want: glory.

We want to be admired and affluent and adored. And we spend ourselves finagling and fowling and fraternizing to get it. But we don’t realize–like Adam and Eve didn’t realize–that without God there is no glory. Without God there is only a dead-end story. Without God, we can’t even smile, much less live forever beautiful and glorious. I read it somewhere, “from the time we are born, we start dying.” How’s that for a Christmas greeting? ( Read on! )

Oh, but Christmas is GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY FOR ALL PEOPLE!! FOR TO YOU THIS DAY IS BORN A SAVIOR, CHRIST THE LORD!! He came humble to be a different kind of King—the kind that man has never conceived. A good and perfect King with a heart of compassion. If you want proof of His heart, just look at Him—innocent, falsely accused, beaten and tortured on the cross crying out to His Father, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!”

Do you forgive your false accusers? Do you forgive those who stole from you? Do you forgive those who strike you and prick you and slash you and mock you? No. No. No. No, we do not do that. We want justice.

He wants us.

And that is what this whole story of God is about and that is the point of the story of Christmas.

Ann Voskamp writes,

Big and glossy and loud and fast–that’s how this bent-up world turns.

But God, when He comes–He shows up in this fetal ball.

He who carved the edges of the cosmos curves Himself into a fetal ball in the dark, tethered Himself to the uterine wall of a virgin, and lets His cells divide, light splitting all white.

He gave up the heavens that were not even large enough to contain Him and lets Himself be held in a hand. The mystery so large becomes the Baby so small, and infinite God becomes infant. The Giver becomes the Gift, this quiet offering.”

(Intro to The Greatest Gift)

The Light of the world came down into darkness. This darkness would have been much more tangible to the townspeople in Bethlehem with no electricity in their day, no street lights, headlamps, flashlights, runway lights, traffic lights, night lights.

We are getting a bit of an inkling of the darkness of their political reality as they were under the rule of cruel Rome–though we ourselves, here, have little understanding of political darkness, we need only look at Hitler’s Germany and other horrific evils as well as the current wars across the ocean from us. Dark, dreary, dank, and downright horrifying.

Who needs LIGHT? My favorite rendition of Noel , by Lauren Daigle, sings,

Love incarnate, love divine, star and angels gave the sign. Bow to babe on bended knee, the Savior of humanity. Unto us a child is born, He shall reign forevermore.

Chorus: Noel, Noel, come and see what God has done Noel, Noel, the story of amazing love. The light of the world, given for us. Noel.

And this is the GIFT of Christmas. Accept Jesus as your Light, your good King, your Savior and live in eternal Light. Like Mary, you are on your own here. You alone can know the validity of your experience. It’s up to you.

And whether you do or you don’t … one day you will stand and face God and He will ask you, “Did you make room for My Son?” Did you make yourself move over so I could have space in you? That I could have you for My own? Did you take my gift to be in My Family Forever?

Oh, I hope you say yes. He wants you. Say yes. As it was with Mary, salvation–yours and others– hinges on your response.

Light In Darkness

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 18:50:26 GMT

When the lights go out, we hear better and we grow closer.

Sunday morning, after we sing the songs, we turn to greet one another. Sounds of glad greeting surrounded us as usual, but suddenly the lights went out. Since a missionary was visiting from the Middle East and was going to be the one giving the message, I thought it was part of the plan at first. But soon realized we'd lost electricity.

Phone's lights came on. The emergency door to outside was propped open for what little light we might receive on a rainy day. And Mr. Missionary proceeded to give us God's message.

It was delightful, actually. He was preaching from Revelation, and announced the Hebrew value of numbers in the book. He pointed to the number seven and its meaning in Hebrew: completeness or perfection. (I love that!) Then he began to ask questions of the congregation, "Do you know how many times _______ is mentioned in Revelation?" To which the answer three times was, "Seven!" Of Jesus, fourteen. And of the Lamb, 28. All multiples of seven.

Breathtaking!

I noticed the small children were eager to answer the questions. Namely, Ida, my four year old granddaughter who is usually coloring pictures next to me. I was kind of in awe at the level of engagement. And how still the children sat in the dark with us.

When the message was over, our pianist walked up to the piano, her husband with his phone light behind her so she could play Amazing Grace.

My grandson, Oliver and I scooted closer together with my phone light in order to sing the hymn. I looked around and noticed all of the congregation had scooted together and the whole loss of light moved me to wonder in the power it had to move us to be more in tune with our ears and closer together in song.

And I think God took much joy in our attentiveness and our unity in bearing up in the dark together.

Jesus Is Coming Soon

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 16:16:26 GMT

Can We Say That?

My tiny packed-to-the-max office is a former second bedroom in our home. for the past four years, looking for a certain book has been like looking for the one error on your document that spell check hasn't found.

I finally decided it would help me immensely (read: save my sanity) if I could find a shallow bookshelf for the small space available along one wall . My books are on shelves in the former clothing closet. Its shelves are deep, which makes using the space in front of the books . . . convenient.

After weeks of searching Marketplace, I found the perfect size for my space. Only ten inches deep and too wide for my Jeep.

After Dale returned from his mission trip to Mexico, I talked him into driving over an hour to purchase my saving grace. I'm exaggerating of course on the saving part, but it has been wildly helpful. And it looks pretty good too!

A Book Caught My Eye

It must be one I got at a thrift store or a library sale. I don't remember acquiring it. After I ripped apart my office and rearranged my books, I pulled The Merciful God of Prophecy by Tim LaHaye off the shelf. You might recognize the author as one of the authors of the Left Behind Series. I know, after being wildly popular for years, the series currently elicits eye-rolls by some more superiorly educated people of our day. Or more kindly stated, it's called into question and painted in a light similar to the low-budget Christian films that bring shame to the name.

Let's just say, I've heard people warn us that not everyone agrees with the theology of the books. Which isn't a bad warning, but it seems to come across sometimes as a warning that the views of the authors might be inferior to other views or even the inferior view. Which has, I admit, caused me to avoid the authors before the day I spied this book on my bookshelf. There are plenty of authors, right?

I've personally never read any of the Left Behind series, but when I looked up the author, this is what wikipedia said , "The books have been very popular, with total sales surpassing 65 million copies as of July 2016"

With that stated, seeing his name and the title of the book on my shelf made me curious. Who is the author and what does he believe about the pre-tribulaton rapture? Just a month or so ago, Lee Downy came to our church and gave a fiery message that called us into the deep. One of the things he stressed was our need to know prophecy.

So, curiosity and Lee's exhortation moved me to start reading. And it's a really GOOD read. A clarifying read. I'm only a little over midway through, but I told Dale that I think the negativity about Left Behind has closed some doors to insight that we really need in this hour of the global story.

The Church Needs This

Not only did the crown virus shake us from our slumber in discipleship and intimacy with the Lord and with each other, the need to know prophecy has emerged.

This one fact, alone, spoke volumes about the shroud I believe the enemy has imposed upon the church, unaware, between the dating of this book—2001 and 2020.

"the Bible devotes more space to the seven-year Tribulation than it does to any other historical period. Most of the Book of Revelation describes the Tribulation, and the Old Testament contains scores of references to it. The question is —why?"

~Tim LaHaye

This little epiphany was followed by a plethora of said prophecies about the return of Jesus!

Now, I know all Christians believe Jesus is returning. And most of us know that He said "No one knows the day or the hour, not even Jesus, but only the Father." But, He also said we would know the season by the signs. Like a storm forming on the horizon, or the signs of spring, we will know His return is on the horizon. (See: M att hew 24:6-13 , 36-41 )

If you have been reading here, you may remember my mention of Max Lucado's words I read at some time in 2020, "Earth is in her third trimester." Knowing Jesus describes the signs (wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, people hating one another, etc) as disruptions of peace, and 2020 with all it brought upon the earth, I have aptly named 2020 "The First Global Contraction" because it seemed earth's water broke and she is in labor.

I'm watching to see.

The things that have emerged in the last two years also seem to point to a pinnacle of ungodliness with transhumanism, and the potential of the AI apps to be used to advance dark agendas. I'm not saying AI can't be used for good, but like everything, have the potential for both. And the more advanced technology becomes as the world moves farther from God, the more potent evil will become. It doesn't take a prophet to see that if we are watching.

Even the M&M package touts *contains bioengineered food ingredients. Knowing this will help me cut calories on my long drives.

Jesus Is Coming Soon

How soon, we don't know. But, like Jennie Allen said at IF:Gathering , I want to be living like Jesus is coming back tomorrow every day! Part of doing so includes studying prophecy. One more quote from the book:

"Did you know the Bible contains almost three times as many promises of Jesus' second coming as of his first coming? Scripture boasts 129 prophecies regarding Jesus' first coming, but 329 predictions regarding his second coming. Since his first coming occurred just as prophesied, we can anticipate that the second coming is three times as certain as his first." ~Tim LaHaye

You can read a list of those HERE .

Truth To Be Bold

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 17:56:58 GMT

You can walk in authority without fearing being seen as prideful.

I was listening to pastor Brian Dainsberg talk about the Bride preparing herself for Christ’s return and this quote came up:

“The bride can prepare herself only when God provides the wedding gown for her because this garment is beautiful and pure. H er own clothes are but filthy rags but C hrist cleanses and presents her to H imself without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish”

~Simon Kistemaker

And my thoughts were about us as believers, always afraid that we're going to come across prideful or be prideful–and that fear is warranted to a degree–but on the other hand, if we land too heavily there, we're going to keep ourselves from being productive in the authority Jesus has given us because we're going to be living under fear instead of faith.

Fearing becoming prideful also diminishes the power of Jesus’s active involvement in our lives to keep us from the heart attitudes that we don't want–like, the fact that we don't want to be prideful is Jesus–it's not in ourselves. And the point that I really want to make is if we are abiding in the Vine, if we are staying close to Jesus, if we are planted by the Water as it says in Psalm 1:1-3 , we will bear fruit and everything we do will succeed–because it's not us living! It’s Him living through us! ( Galatians 2:20 )

I think we fail to live the life we're meant to live because of these subtle fears of: A. coming across as being prideful, which is only fear of man and disobedience to Jesus. Or B. afraid that we will be prideful or we will become prideful–and what does that say to Jesus? “I don't think you can keep me. I don't think your blood is powerful enough to keep me, I need to keep myself.”

I mean, that fear is rooted in pride and unbelief.

So, I just think Jesus wants to set us free from these worldly thoughts that sound good but are really detracting from us using our Kingdom authority. Jesus said he's given the church the keys to the Kingdom. He said, “All authority has been given to Me therefore go and make disciples and I am with you always to the end of the age.”

The only thing we need to fear, brothers and sisters, is falling away from Jesus. The only thing that we need to keep after is staying close to Jesus and connected to him and trained to discern his voice. You know his voice is uplifting, rebuilding, rejuvenating, refreshing, it's corrective, yes, but always with love, not with condemnation. And so we have got to discern where we are fearing man, where we are not fearing Jesus, where we are not trusting him and that means we're not obeying him.

The same thing goes for dealing with offenses. We would prefer to walk away than obey Jesus because it's costly and scary and it takes courage to obey him, to go to that person. And when you do, it’s an act of love. Loving your brother enough to want to keep the relationship, number one, loving them enough to want correction–whether it's in them or you–and sometimes it's both, but sometimes it's just . . . it's a misunderstanding and a failure to see!

And we have guards up. We, instead of having the breastplate of righteousness that protects us, we set up this human guard and try to hide behind it–and then we keep people away from us that way.

So, we just need to discern these things. We have been given authority and Jesus can keep us humble–his blood purifies us. His mercies are new every morning! So we're gonna slip up, yeah, but in the morning when we're sitting with him and we acknowledge where we slipped up, then we grow, because we don't want to slip up! We hate the fact that we offend Him and that we need that mercy every day. But we love the fact that it's free! It's given to us and He is bringing us from glory to glory, he's continually maturing us.

And frankly when you're at a point of maturity, you might find that people will look down on you. They might think you're being superior, when in fact, you're just staying true to the Lord!

But, that's the price we pay. That's the price He paid! They didn't want to believe him–the Pharisees wanted to trip him up and knock him down and kick him in the head—but He just stood there and he let them eventually kill him, because he knew who he was and what He was called to do. He knew his identity. He knew the authority the Father had given him. He trusted in it, and he just stood His ground, and that's what we have to do—in Jesus' name!

Freedom From The Control Of Human Opinion

schwankekathy@gmail.com (Kathy Schwanke) — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 22:34:02 GMT

Living as God's Beloved

Would I be free of the idol of human opinion that wars against my peace so powerfully, I must know that I am the BELOVED of the Lord and all my blessings are simply God's grace.

To err is human they say, and to forgive divine. I’ve got a lotta human . . . and that acknowledged, thankfully, I've got a lotta divine friends and family in my life. :)

It seems the word God gave me for 2022, “deny” was given for a series of deaths to myself. I was thinking it was so, and I didn’t really want the word. (You wouldn’t either, I know!) But I also know that whatever God gives is good, and who can change His plans?

Fasting

I did do a couple of fasts this year, b ut I still struggle to give my food up for a day or three. (Or even a meal or three!)

It was a year of waiting for God to move mountains. It was a year of watching Him “perfect that which concerns me.” (See Psalm 138:8 KJV) He answered prayers I hadn’t specifically prayed—in surprising ways. (This was a wonderful watching !)

And it was a year of many mistakes which brought the familiar feelings of inferiority along with the desire to flee—which I resisted with the help of His grace—while fighting back feelings of shame for my humanity which I know I cannot help and is simply a prideful reality:

Expecting more of myself than I am created and fashioned to be means I am not trusting God but putting the burden of me on me. It’s painfully heavy, and I’m not talking about my body weight. Though I could stand to lose a few.

Performance Anxiety?

And people who might be disappointed in my inferior performance? They would also be expecting more from me than God.

To the credit of the people in my life, I did not receive such high expectations, though I do not escape fearing them. Expectations of perfection, I mean. I just note that they are usually in my imagination save for a few.

Taking on a half-day a week barista job was quite the stretch for my 57 year old self. I hadn’t considered that as an empty-nester for a decade or so, my brain had … er, slowed. It took me a good bit to become familiar with the cash register and the crafting of all different kinds of drinks. I was down for the coffee, but refreshers? And smoothies? And Lotus drinks? Oh, my!

Then they added breakfast paninis . . . And then lunch! Needless to say, I’m grateful for gradual change. And the GOOD God gave was in the forced exercising of my slow brain. I’ve become so much more familiar with everything and I enjoy being a barista very much! I even kind of enjoy the challenges of having an order of five different drinks on one ticket!

Back to my blunders:

There was the one time when I accidentally used a medium sized cup for a large iced drink. When the woman, sitting across the room blurted out, “Is this a 20 oz cup?” I affirmed my service by explaining to her that sometimes the cups are deceiving.

She stepped into the shop an hour later, and with an authoritative voice, stated, “You try fitting 20 oz in this cup!”

When I took it back to the iced drink prep area, I realized I had actually mixed her drink in a medium cup. (Die, die, die) I told her I’d make her a new one, but she declined with a huff, and told me she just wanted her money back from the difference. When I looked it up, I owed her a quarter which came out of my tip bucket.

There have been spills . . . and forgetting what’s what and whose is whose and did they order whip? And there was the day I served a panini cold in the center . (I knew that woman too, who was very g racious !)

On the day I spilled the smoothie (yes, that was fun!) when I handed a re-made smoothie through the drive through window, I told the woman that every time I make a mistake, I learn what not to do. She affirmed me in m y thinking and I smiled the rest of the day . I saw His goodness again.

My latest blunder happened two days ago. The owner (praise God it was her and not a customer!) texted me her order for a Log Cabin Latte. This is a Christmas special drink with two shots of espresso, maple syrup and a pump of cinnamon. A bit after she drove off to the Christmas party, she texted me. “Which drink did you make?” After a bit of back-and-forth texting, I realized I’d pumped apple cider mix into her cup rather than maple syrup. (If you could see my face right now, I’m recoiling—still!)

My friends who own the coffee shop are very forgiving. But even so, I felt like fleeing my Tuesday morning job a time or three in the course of the last four months.

I can tell you, I will never put apple cider mix in for maple syrup again! And if I mess up your drink, I will be happy to buy you a new one . . . By grace.

I guess the main lesson from the year is learning to embrace being human, learning to keep going when I want to flee, and learning that no matter my performance, I am God’s project . . . Not my own.

So, if someone has a problem with me, they can (and should) approach me with grace and I pray I will respond humbly. Or if I'm too scary, you can go to God on my behalf and pray this: “Fix her!”

Because I trust His goodness in the midst of all my badness. Because I know by now that with Him, all is grace. And it is good to learn to be humble and it is good to embrace being human. And it is good to have a love-covering where the criticism cannot settle in for harm and belittling. Because I am loved, I am free.

Thank you very much!

Humanism's Subtle and Sinister Impact on the Modern Mind

schwankekathy@gmail.com (Kathy Schwanke) — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 12:30:00 GMT

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12

I learned early in my life that if I could figure out what made people happy, they'd be happy with me . . . and then I'd feel loved. We have a name for such dysfunctional thinking today. We call it people-pleasing.

It wasn't until my mid thirties that I'd come to terms with reality. Living my life as a people-pleaser meant that I lived my life running circles around people so that I wouldn't disappoint them--because when I felt rejected, I felt like a reject.

And who wants to be a reject?

The way I came to understand my dysfunctional functionality was by falling into the inevitable trap of such thinking. I'd given people power to validate me (or invalidate me) and I'd given myself the assignment to be a perfect performer. On the days when I wasn't feeling loved (goodness, I can't even believe how many days that was when I look back . . . insecurity plagued me, intense insecurity !)

I so often felt like melting into the background, running away forever to a place where I would not be seen or need to perform.

Being in bondage to such striving landed me in anxiety and panic attack mode in my mid thirties. The intense affliction required me to seek the truth which eventually set me free.

What was true about the dysfunctional way I'd been living my life?

You can read more about my experience in other posts on my blog , but for the point of this post about the modern mind being poisoned by humanism, suffice it to say that in the fire of my adversity, God revealed the truth: I gave people power to validate me and I assigned myself to help them validate me--to become pleasing to people--and this is idolatry. The same idolatry the Humanist website touts as its tagline: "good without God" . . . yes, I was always trying to get what is good (love) without trusting God. I wanted love from humans.

I expected human love would prove me lovable.

But, think about it: Can any human ever love perfectly? Can a human see into a soul? Does a human have the power or authority to tell another person what is true about the soul? NO!

The Benefit Of The Sufferable Pit Is The Power And Insight Gained In The Rescue (Proverbs 15:32)

Enduring the season of anxiety and panic was akin to being hung by my armpits over a fiery pit, dangling on a crane, with my feet nearly touching the flames. It was a burning of my flesh (as the Bible describes our old sin nature).

Anxiety was a prison I could not escape by my old methods of helping myself. I could not perform my way off of the proverbial arm of the crane. I was bound, alone, dangling above the fire; I needed a rescuer. And that is precisely the reason the Lord let me fall so near the flames. He had every intention of rescuing me. And it was in the fire that I was given spiritual warfare intelligence. I learned to discern the way of the flesh and learned to walk in the Spirit. (See Galatians 5). I've drawn from this intel numerous times in the past twenty plus years.

God showed me by experience that I am powerless to save myself; I cannot make myself anythin g. (See John 15:5 ) He had to demonstrate to me that human help is really no help at all. (See Psalm 108:12 )

Human Help Is No Help At All

How does that phrase strike you? You get sick and go to a doctor. You need learning, so you go to school. You need advice and consult your parents or a trusted friend. But think about it; where does a doctor or an educator or parents or friends acquire their wisdom along with the ability to apply it to the situation you are seeking help for? --Yes, it all originates with God!-- (See Proverbs 1:7 )

God is the source of ALL THINGS which is the truth that Humanists want to make untrue. But, newsflash, they can't erase God. He's still and always will have the whole world in His hands. Amen.

In telling you my backstory, I hope to give myself credibility in what I want to share with you. In the crucible of suffering the fire of my false worship of humans, I learned the subtle and sinister power of anti-God thinking. Humanism is anti-God and has infiltrated every institution in our land. What was once trustworthy due to being built upon the desire for human freedom and flourishing (such as the fields of government, health care, and education to name a few) are now often suspect. The reason is we've lost our fear of God. Instead, we approach (rely on, and often demand)humans for our help. Not that there aren't good and well-intentioned humans in these institutions, but the bones or structure of the humanist-infected institutions is for selfish gain . Namely MONEY. Jesus Himself said that we cannot worship (serve) both God and mammon. (See Luke 16:13 ) If humanists are wishing to erase God, they default to worshiping money and man.

For Decades, Satan Has Been Hovering Overhead, Fishing In Mostly Calm Waters. He Set The Proverbial Hook In 2020. His Intention Is To Reel The Faithful Into His Net, To Bind Us Apart From God And Each Other, And To Render Christ's Bride Impotent.

Humanist's desire to get good without God is, on the flip side, stating that humans are God. But we are not. We cannot rescue ourselves let alone one another. Humanists want to hijack God. Humanists want to topple His Kingdom (they can't, but they are working hard at it.) Humanists want to deify the institutions (but they are actually creating death-traps for the vulnerable) Humanists oppose life and human flourishing by promoting anti-God ideologies.

God's first instruction to Adam in the Garden of Eden was, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue or rule over it." This is God, the Lord's mandate for man; it is His charge for all humans for all time. The first Great Commission was, marry, have babies and take authority in the earth.

Al Mohler, on his daily Briefing , calls what we are experiencing in our current moment "the sexual revolution," as he addresses headlines and issues and helps us see the through a "Christian worldview". I would go a bit deeper and say that the humanist agenda to oppose God requires and promotes the sexual revolution. Think about it. Humanism is foundational to the sexual revolution.

Homosexuality cannot reproduce. Abortion kills reproduction. Transitioning genders aborts the power to reproduce. Everything that the humanist idea promotes is anti-life. Because humanists hate God. They hate Jesus. They hate the Holy Spirit.

Humanistic Ideas Infiltrate The Church

How is Satan setting the hook? Through the church's adoption of humanistic ideas. Even the Christian education system has failed to discern the humanistic ideologies penetrating our system . We have a model which was held in high esteem in the book of Acts but is perhaps forgotten in our modern day(?)( Acts 17:11 ) The Bereans were of more noble character than those in Thesssalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true .

Does what is being touted as truth really align with Scripture? Is it of the Holy Spirit? Or, is it fleshly, worldly, fluffy stuff?

Are the things we grab hold of because they sound good and true and reasonable . . . actually Satan's bait?

I know the topic of wearing masks during 2020 has become taboo for peace-loving people who are just glad to be done with the arguments, but I want to expose one of the subtle and sinister ways that Satan pushed a "fine sounding argument" into the world which came out from the church. (The same mantra that I first heard in the world was what was stated from many pulpits.)

"As an act of love for your neighbor, wear a mask."

Why is that statement a humanistic one? Before I explain that, let me first show that it is a legalistic statement. Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus or Paul or any of the other authors state that what we wear on our face is an indication of our love. So it is a man-thought-up idea to say that it is an act of love to wear a mask. That statement assumes many things that have not been considered. I won't go into that here because I want to point out the humanism. (Remember, humanism is trusting humans as saviors and as validators in opposition to trusting God.)

Wearing a mask as an act of loving your neighbor declares that my choice to wear a mask somehow shows love to you and insinuates that if I don't wear one, I am not loving. The idea, of course, was that I might be contaminated with the crown virus, and by wearing a mask I would not spit the virus on others. The biblical problem with that idea is it is based on two false assumptions. First, the assumption that masks prevent my spit from infecting another human. That has never been proven. Second, it insinuates I have responsibility and power that is not mine to protect another from the suffering God might allow for His purposes.

The insinuation that my daily choices and behavior are directly responsible for another human being's experience sets the stage for false accusation. It was actually told me in the beginning of Covid that if I didn't wear a mask, I'd be guilty of manslaughter. If that statement doesn't reek of the Adversary, I don't know what does!

Either God is God and Sovereign . . . or He is Not Either

If we who say we believe every word of God really "offer our bodies as living sacrifices" to God (See Romans 12:2 ) and if we truly believe that "all of our days were ordained for us before one of them came to be" (See Psalm 139:16 ) then we will not fear sickness and death nor seek people to be our saviors. As believers in Jesus, common courtesy calls us to stay home when we are sick with something that could cause harm. And common sense should serve us to be wary of considering ourselves as contaminated when we have no symptoms.

I think God is pleased when we take risks in faith that He is not going to let anything happen outside His will when our intentions are to please Him and bear fruit for the Kingdom. That desire is the vehicle that launches many a missionary into hostile lands with the glorious gospel of freedom from fear of death.

Oswald Chambers has been a significant influence in my life. The way he sees "in the spirit" beyond what is easy to see has stirred deeper thinking and secured greater understanding of spiritual truth for me. Here is what he wrote in the May 3rd entry in My Utmost For His Highest: (emphasis, mine)

As we continue on in our intercession for others, we may find that our obedience to God in interceding is going to cost those for whom we intercede more than we ever thought. The danger in this is that we begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting up to a totally different level in direct answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back from our close identification with God’s interest and concern for others and step into having emotional sympathy with them, the vital connection with God is gone. We have then put our sympathy and concern for them in the way, and this is a deliberate rebuke to God.

It is impossible for us to have living and vital intercession unless we are perfectly and completely sure of God. And the greatest destroyer of that confident relationship to God, so necessary for intercession, is our own personal sympathy and preconceived bias. Identification with God is the key to intercession, and whenever we stop being identified with Him it is because of our sympathy with others, not because of sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our intercessory relationship with God, but sympathy will. It is sympathy with ourselves or with others that makes us say, “I will not allow that thing to happen.” And instantly we are out of that vital connection with God.

Vital intercession leaves you with neither the time nor the inclination to pray for your own “sad and pitiful self.” You do not have to struggle to keep thoughts of yourself out, because they are not even there to be kept out of your thinking. You are completely and entirely identified with God’s interests and concerns in other lives. God gives us discernment in the lives of others to call us to intercession for them, never so that we may find fault with them.

I wrote more about what God says about how we are called to steward suffering here and h ere .

I wrote more about my convictions on wearing masks here .

How have you seen humanism's subtle and sinister deception impact your life?

Have you joined in the humanist choir by demanding people obey you or prevent your suffering or save you? Or do you trust God is God and He is your savior?

Luke 18:7-9

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

The Flame of Love

schwankekathy@gmail.com (Kathy Schwanke) — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 22:03:43 GMT

Enduring The Cost Of Love

Thank you, Lord, for new mercies in the morning;

for the flame of love - Your love

Burning in me. It hurts a bit.

Sometimes . . . This yielding -

dying to self (failing to deny myself also.)

But Your grace -

Coats! Covers! Empowers!

Makes ALIVE

Grants HOPE

we all in You are

More than conquerors

through You who love us!

To point out sin is love

but it is also death.

A call to death

that true life may come.

That we can be FREE

to love sincerely

without fear -

for perfect love gives mercy

and grace

and heaven's favor.

This liberty in Christ

is mine.

Thank You, Emmanuel!

Pour out Your Spirit this Christmas -

in all the dark places

and bring light.

Drive Or Lead

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 20:02:00 GMT

I recently chatted with one of our Church leaders about the difficulty in filling ministry roles. When I got home, I mentioned to my husband that their task seemed a bit like when we'd drive the cows to the barn. Trying to get people to do stuff is a chore.

Dale grew up with sheep, and I grew up on a dairy farm. He mentioned the difference between herding sheep and herding cattle. The comparison had never occurred to me.

During summer, my sisters and I took a stick with us to gather the cows for milking. We surrounded the herd and moved them toward each other. Then we walked behind them once they were in line . If they strayed to the right or the left, or if they stalled on the path, we'd crack them with the stick on the butt (if one could say cows actually have butts) and holler " hiyah! ".

I don’t know much about shepherding except what I’ve read or heard about Jesus leading His sheep. Dale’s sheep were in a boarded fence around the barn, so it wasn’t like biblical days where David and Moses lived in the fields among the sheep. What struck me in our conversation was when I heard in my heart: “My sheep hear my voice and follow Me.” John 10:27

Suddenly, Dale and I looked at each other and I wondered aloud. "As leaders in the American church, have we maybe gone about our mission the wrong way? Maybe we've been trying to herd cattle (prod people to move them where they should go and get them to do stuff) rather than shepherd sheep (lead people to the River to abide in Jesus)."

What Does The Word Say?

Psalm 1:1-2, 3 promises us that “fruit happens” when we are planted near the River of God’s word. “Your leaf will not wither, you will bear fruit in season. Whatever you do prospers.”

Also, in John's gospel we read Jesus's words, “Abide in Me and you WILL bear much fruit. Apart from Me, you can do no thing (of eternal value). John 15:1, 4-5

And an all-time favorite from Zechariah 4:6 ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Whose Power?

I love listening to Christy Nockel’s podcast . She talks about living from a place of rest and that rest comes from living our lives from the bullseye of God’s love. What she means is the hub or center of our days should be abiding in God’s love. Rest is not laziness, mind you, but ceasing from striving, refraining from fretting, walling our hearts off from worry.

Just after our conversation, still pondering this idea, I stood at the counter chopping tomatoes and onions for tomato sauce and listened to this episode of The Glorious In The Mundane Podcast —And Christy just so happened to read a quote by Dallas Willard, from his book, Renovation of the Heart .

It stirred my heart further:

This has me processing the mission and ministry of the church and the reason positions remain vacant. At our new birth, God put His Spirit in each of us. He places us where He wants us to live, and He calls us a body. He gives us gifts in order to build one another up. ( 1 Corinthians 14:3-6 , 12 , 17 )

I can think of a couple reasons for the gaps, then: One, we need to pray about and rethink the vacant position, or, and maybe more likely, the people God means to fill them are not close enough to Jesus to hear His voice calling them, or maybe they hear, but don’t have the courage or conviction to step out in faith.

Don't Serve Under Compulsion

Perhaps we have all done it—said yes when we wanted to say no. The reasons we do this are because we feel obligated, or as if it is our duty to just fill gaps. More likely, it is because we are prone to people-pleasing or striving. You know that you have taken on a position that wasn’t for you if it’s entirely miserable. It overtaxes you, your heart is not in it, and you dread doing it. In that case, you should either graciously step back, or pray that Jesus will give you a heart to complete the task in His strength.

It seems, in my processing, that the most effective way to get positions filled in the church is to lead the people to intimacy with Jesus. No wonder the topic of hearing God has become increasingly important!

Hearing our King is the heart or the hub or the center of the bullseye! How can we be the beloved if we don’t spend time hearing from our Lover?

You can pick up Christy's Nockel's book, The Life You Long For , if you are interested in a deeper dive into living from the bullseye. Or go check out her podcast linked above.

And do everyone a favor, spend much time listening to Jesus! You might just be moved to step out in faith and bear much spiritual fruit!

Hearing God

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 10:56:00 GMT

I'M READING A REALLY GOOD BOOK ABOUT HEARING GOD

The topic of hearing God has become increasingly important to me because my own hearing was called into question. (And I'm really glad because I love the topic!)

I was told I should say, “I think I heard the Lord say ….” instead of, “The Lord said …”

The reason given was due to the fact that my confidence in hearing God bothered people who disagreed with my worldview. The well-meaning person wanted to keep-the-peace.

I was startled by the accusation; though it wasn't meant as one.

What I heard that day was if I say God told me something, I might be lying.

Most people know I wouldn’t flippantly say God told me something if I didn’t know it was Him. Also, I've never claimed to get a word for someone else . God typically drops phrases into my heart, and I know it is Him because it has proven to be Him. One time He said, "Pray." Another time, "Kathy, she wants them there." and another time, "Kathy, she just hasn't had the right people in her life." Each of those messages have been extremely significant in my life and have served me relief, clarity, and confidence.

This accusation did not surprise me though, because the enemy used that tactic on my mother at one point in her journey.

An accusation came to Mom's pastor from, what I discerned to be, jealous women. She really was in tune with the Lord's voice. I had benefitted dramatically from her hotline to His heart. Unfortunately, her pastor didn’t discern which spirit was behind the women's complaint, so he removed Mom from her ministry. I think to alleviate friction from his own life.

It kind of knocked the wind out of Mom's sails.

THE VALUE OF SPIRITUAL (IN)SIGHT

Over twenty years ago, when I was desperate for Mom’s spiritual insight, she couldn’t see in the Spirit clearly as she once had, due to the blow from the enemy.

Time and biblical clarity revealed to her and to her pastor that the accusation on her was from the enemy. Often we forget that our battle isn’t against flesh and blood but against the invisible rulers of darkness.

Forgetting who our adversary is proves to be a costly mistake.

I was in the midst of spiritual attack myself, in which I failed to discern the lies I was believing.

Where I could formerly see in the Spirit, I had become blind. Yes, Jesus makes the blind see and Satan can make those with spiritual sight temporarily blind. Satan knew what he was doing in taking my mom down.

Some of you have read a bit about my journey through Anxiety Valley and how it seemed no one could help me. The counselor failed me. My pastor, my husband, my mom, and my friends … were at a loss.

But every time I hit a dead end, I sat with my Bible, a journal, a pen, and sometimes a book. I poured out my heart to God. I looked deeply at His word. I cried with Him. He spoke to me. I wrote poetry. And I sometimes wrote what He was saying to me.

One significant help was Dr. Dobson’s book, Hide or Seek. It's a parenting book that I read to parent myself. (God was re-parenting me.)

HELP GIVEN

God eventually gave me a mentor who served me with her ear, her knowledge of scripture, her encouragement and her prayers.

As I look back over my life and see the often lonely seasons of darkness, seasons of betrayal, loss of home, income, my ministry position, and friends, I see that God was developing my friendship with Him. Though it doesn't always feel like it when I look back at the darkness; I say to you that knowing the Lord is absolutely a worthy tradeoff. I'd suffer my heartaches and losses all over again to know Him the way I do now.

I'm reading How to Hear God , a book by Pete Greig. So far, it is revealing with more clarity How intimate God really was with me. I see that He taught me to hear His voice in those dark times when it was just me and my Bible and the Holy Spirit. My confidence in God's affection is increasing too.

MANY MORE ARE TALKING ABOUT HEARING GOD

It does seem that the topic is everywhere. I'm not sure if I am seeing it because it is important to me . . . or if I am seeing it because God is bringing it to the forefront for all of us. And yesterday at church, our message was about how Jesus left the crowds and met God "in desolate places" so that He knew and did God's will. Nothing about Jesus' life was random.

This is the reason Satan wants to thwart our hearing and cause us to doubt. He knows the power of one life lived by faith in the hearing the direction of the voice of God.

I just love that so much. It has proven true in my life.

How confident are you in hearing God ?

You can get the book here

What's New, New, New?! & How YOU Can Help . . .

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 19:33:00 GMT

Hello, dear friends!

I was scrolling through my photos in order to delete, delete, delete—at least a few of my 36,000 photos. Yes, the cloud wants me to pay more to keep my photos stored.

In my scrolling, my heart filled with “wonder”! I realized how FULL and BLESSED the summer of 2022 has been. (And it’s still JULY!) Full of family gatherings and beauty and blessings.

I decided, now, after all these digital photo years, that I’d get a book printed of our latest trip. Camping in Grand Marais, MN, 2022. If you follow me on the socials, you’ve seen some of our sweet family photos.

But if you don’t, I can’t help sharing:

Aren’t they the cutest!?!!

But, as new as that is (that I’d get a photo book ordered right away!) it’s not the new news.

Psst. I’ve been blogging here for a good number of years. Nine to be exact. And the new news is that I am MOVING to a new host. A Christian company called Maisey. They’ve been working on my website for a few weeks with a few to go. No worries, my site address will be the same. But I’ll be what they call, re-branded! Woo Hooo!!

More New(?)

Could there be more? (No, it’s not a grandbaby announcement. Wink* Wink*)

The more new news is I am going to be starting a podcast. I’m still researching and gathering intel for the trip. But you can look for it in the coming weeks.

Here is where you come in. I’m decision-challenged. I mean, really bad. This is one reason I am having someone outside my family “BUILD” me a website. I’m afraid I frustrated my daughter to death at times with my indecision. (Though she never let on, I’m only thinking how I’d feel with my indecision …)

Knowing she could change it at my whim made my indecision more indecisive.

Back to you. Will you help me pick a name?

Chicken Scratch

At the moment, my title is “Whole & Free” … Here is my working artwork:

That is where I landed. But then some other ideas flowed into this indecisive head and landed in ink sprawled across my notebook: Names like “Wholly Free” and “Wholly Soul!” (You see where I was going with this …) And … as I thought about my core message of stewarding your story on your journey with God, anticipating beauty to emerge from the ashes, “A Beautiful Surrender” … and “Blessed Messy Journey” and “Friends of God” …

So, you see my dilemma.

I realize that I might get five people who each like a different one, and the decision will ultimately be up to me anyway. But, I thought it would be fun to get you in on it. I’ll await your answers. ��

That is as far as I went with the graphics. HELP!

Don't Sympathize With The Pretty Little Weeds

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 10:53:00 GMT

When we moved to our current home in 2019, I inherited weeds. The perennial beds were not as terrible as some I’ve inherited in the past, but required a good and thorough cleaning. As thorough as I could get without digging everything out and replanting it.

Typical of inheriting gardens, it takes time to discover what is a plant and what is a weed. My past garden-cleaning experience has given me confidence. I’m familiar with most common perennials and the local weeds. There was one unrecognizable plant (and this was before the wonderful plant-identification apps that really do work) so I let her grow. Her foliage was pretty, and she produced very pretty little pink, cluster flowers . . . but I soon learned she was a weed.

AN ATTEMPTED TAKEOVER

Over the past three gardening seasons, I’ve discovered what a relentless little plant she is, choking out and entwining herself around and over and through wherever her little heart takes her. And her roots are relentless. I’m constantly battling her.

She literally “grows like a weed” because she is one!

As I pull and dig, I recall posting photos of her on Facebook when I discovered she was a weed. One sympathizer commanded me, “She’s pretty, let her grow.”

Each time I notice her imposing on my flower beds, I remember the weed-sympathizer’s words distinctly, and how it grated on me at the time. I thought, “She has no idea.”

And I’m now very certain that her sympathy of the pretty little weed is what has landed our country and our churches and families in the state we are in today.

Have you ever heard, “As long as it doesn’t affect me . . .” ? It does.

It all does!

PRETTY LITTLE WEEDS

Our hearts, our families and homes, our churches, our towns and nation and our world are like gardens. We drink and we eliminate daily—physically, mentally, and emotionally. I love that God has given us metaphors all around us for flourishing in our daily life. The trouble with our world is we’re prone to wander and we fail to pay attention, because the trouble is with our hearts. We are naturally, if we don’t fear God, self-destructive, because we love what is not good for us and we tolerate and sympathize with pretty little weeds.

It’s easier to let weeds grow than diligently tend our gardens.

My heart grieves deeply, as I watch professing believers promote abortion rights as Roe V Wade was overturned. One of the posts that was shared came from a woman with such bitter words , I cried.

Do they realize they are promoting murder? How can they not? We now have such visible evidence that babies are alive and human through technology, that there is no excuse. None.

I fear for their souls. But they do not. And that is the problem.

When we do not fear God, when we fail to deal with pretty little weeds, when we don’t deal with them relentlessly . . . we become weeds . Overtaken by our self-destructive ways. They blame Trump. They blame evangelicals. They blame, blame, blame and become bitter, bitter, bitter. Fear ramps up and so does a fighting, hateful spirit. And hate, Jesus said, is akin to murder. ( Matthew 5:21-22 )

HERE WE ARE, IN A WORLD AT WAR BECAUSE WE’VE SEEDED WEEDS

Accurate identification of weeds needs to come from a reliable source. Unfortunately, I just read a headline stating “The Number of Americans Who Believe in God Has Dropped to Lowest Number Ever” ( Here )

Those who don’t fear God, who don’t take Him at His word, have dismissed the Bible. God’s word, the holy Bible, is the world’s gift of rock-solid, never-changing truth. It is the only sure foundation. Ideas born on any other foundation end in devastation. ( Matthew 7:24 ; 1 Corinthians 3:14 ; Luke 6:46-49 )

The Bible is a timeless book because God, the Creator, is God the Author. God Himself has kept it. But His book can only be understood by humble hearts receiving revelation from the Spirit of the Author.

The real problem with the Bible isn’t the God of the Bible, but people who don’t come to Him to receive (listen; hear) the truth of it.

It is in the Bible where we properly identify the weeds that are choking our hearts, suffocating faith, hope, and what God reveals as true love . A love that is self-denying. A love that obeys God and chooses to refrain from sex outside of marriage, and then gifts us with babies within His beautiful parameters. ( Psalm 127:3-5 )

The simple answer for weed-identification is the truth of the Bible. Knowing what God says enables lie-detection. Lies are the weeds that choke life. Lies are seeds derived from fear of the truth and of self-exaltation. Jesus said He is the truth and that the truth will set us free. Therefore, lies are in opposition to Jesus and to our freedom and flourishing.

The Holy Bible

The Holy Bible is the most read book in the world. In the past 50 years, the Bible has sold over 3.9 billion copies . It is the most recognizable and famous book that has ever been published. … After His resurrection in the New Testament, Jesus goes on to teach the world about the Christian religion. There are prayers, hymns, historical accounts, parables, prophecies, and many more stories in the Bible. SOURCE

HOW TO CLEAN THE GARDEN

This is the million dollar question. Weeds are choking truth; the garden is overgrown; the world is calling good evil and evil good, and God says, “WOE”. ( Isaiah 5:20 ) When God says “woe”, then he pulls back the reigns in the way only He can. Because He only ever lets evil have its way for a certain amount of time . . . then He acts out of love to bring us to know our ways don’t work. Pride comes before a fall. ( Proverbs 16:18 )

Our failure and pain will cause us to cry out to Him again if we let it humble us. Believers know that in the last days, humbling will be hard. ( 2 Timothy 3:1-5 ) But when we see the people failing to see, then we should LOOK UP for our redemption draws near! ( Luke 21:28 ; Ecclesiastes 5:1 , 12:1 ; Isaiah 49:9 ; Hosea 10:12 ; 1 Corinthians 15:34 ; Isaiah 51:6 ; Psalm 13:5 ; Psalm 40:38 )

It’s in the Bible, recorded over and over: The nations contract in rhythms. God’s blessing is given. We take His blessing for granted. We become passive, evil rises, and the result is oppression. I heard Jason Gray in concert a couple of years ago. His new-at-the-time song, Order, Disorder, Reorder seemed to be prophetic.

Only God knows how to clean the messy garden that is our hearts and families and cities and nation and what is becoming global .

WHAT DO WE DO?

For the believer, we watch and listen and trust and obey and speak the truth in love with our lives and our lips. We keep ourselves planted by the water of His word and in fellowship with other believers and we pray. Pray and wait on the Lord. Together. We keep having children and planting gardens and blessing our neighbors.

He promised to come when we call. And He is the God who sees and hears and rewards every act prompted by our faith. Stay faithful. Be a sturdy plant among the weeds.

And we will watch God do what only He can do.

Jeremiah 29:4-9 ~ 4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Buildhouses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.

In Christ, You Have An Anointing

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 19:34:00 GMT

Anointing

In 1 John 2:20-21 John tells us (brothers and sisters in faith) that we have been anointed by the Holy One and have knowledge of the Truth (John 14:6) . When we turn to Jesus with our whole heart, He takes up residence in us by His Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s anointing gives us knowledge of the truth and the ability to discern between true and not so true.

Anointing (or unction) is defined as: shedding of Divine influence upon a person; manifestation of Spiritual inspiration.

Oil is representative of the Holy Spirit, which is our seal of salvation. (2 Corinthians 1:22)

In the Old Testament, anointing was a sign of consecration (being set apart as holy) to God; it was done by pouring oil on the head. Moses anointed Aaron and his sons as Priests in Exodus 29:7-9 . 1 Samuel 16:13 tells us that David was anointed and set apart as King. God divinely anointed both Aaron and David to do the work that God had appointed them to do. God was with them and His grace and favor (the power of His Spirit) was upon them.

Oil

In conclusion

When You're Waiting For A Breakthrough

Wed, 25 May 2022 21:03:00 GMT

Hey, Mr. Moses, Deliverer-man, what’s up with that? You said, “Let my people go,” and look at us, slavin’ away tryin’ to make bricks with no straw!!! Y’all are liars! We are bein’ whipped and you promised deliverance???

Has that ever happened to you?

When God sent Moses to deliver Israel from slavery, he told Moses what to expect. That there would be severe resistance on Pharaoh’s part in order for God to show His power. But the Israelites weren’t “let in” on that part of the plan. So when their oppression got worse, they hurled accusations at Moses and Aaron.

Isn't That Just Like Us?

Isn’t that just like us? We try to put pressure on someone we can see in order to somehow relieve our own pressure.

I love how Moses responds (especially after so many times of telling God, “I just can’t speak!”) He turns to the Lord (God is smiling here!), and puts the burden on Him where it belongs.

There are times when I have responded to pressure or discomfort like the Israelites. I wanted to pass it on to someone else. Cast blame, or invoke a response. And at other times, I have been like Moses, and turned it over to the Lord.

The former brings division and disention. The latter brings peace and encouragement.

When Will The Breakthrough Come?

So often when we are on the brink of a breakthrough, it seems like God has stepped out. But in fact He is very present and working in our circumstances. He orchestrates the times of intensified trial in order to give us a greater awareness of our need, a greater faith for endurance in trials and to transform us into brighter reflection of Him. Whatever we go through is always for His glory, our good and His purposes.

It is at the point of “things getting worse” that we find ourselves in the place of decision: will I trust in Him with all my heart, or try to fix it on my own, or cast blame?

In this place of decision, where we focus will determine our reaction. Do we look to God and His promises? Or will we look at the circumstances and the seemingly impossible situation.

One brings peace, the other discouragement.

How Can We Be Confident In God's Leading If We Cannot Hear His Voice?

Wed, 04 May 2022 18:37:00 GMT

Our enemy is insidious. One of his most sinister schemes is to incite God’s children to doubt our ability to hear God. That, or he distracts us from the place where we are quiet enough to listen.

There are many well-meaning Christians who say that God only speaks through Scripture. While I absolutely agree with sola Scriptura , I also know that the Spirit speaks to us in our hearts and thoughts, as well as through dreams and visions. In my experience, a phrase drops into my heart. Or the Holy Spirit will bring stories or experiences to mind to confirm His will. The most powerful way He guides me is through reading His word or by “a word” that crosses my path through a book I’m reading, a conversation with a friend or family member, or an article.

Certainly hearing His voice will always align with Scripture. The caution many express is due to fear that people might believe God is telling them to do sinful things. For instance, if someone says they hear God tell them to cheat on their spouse, that would be outside of God’s will as revealed in Scripture. To those who love God, it is obvious that the person who “hears” something like that gives evidence he does not love God and does not know His word at all. For those of us who desire to do God’s will and please Him—we need to be confident in our hearing.

The following quote will clarify what I mean by s ola Scriptura :

“The Reformation principle of sola Scriptura has to do with the sufficiency of Scripture as our supreme authority in all spiritual matters. Sola Scriptura simply means that all truth necessary for our salvation and spiritual life is taught either explicitly or implicitly in Scripture.”

“But there are many important questions on which Scripture is silent. Sola Scriptura makes no claim to the contrary. Nor does sola Scriptura claim that everything Jesus or the Apostles ever taught is preserved in Scripture. It only means that everything necessary, everything binding on our consciences, and everything God requires of us is given to us in Scripture ( 2 Peter 1:3 ). ~John MacArthur ( Article Here )

Personal Painful Accusation

Someone very important to me recently sought to cast doubt on my own confidence in hearing God. When I left our conversation, I was bewildered. I dug into scripture to find clarity. I spent time remembering my many conversations and experiences with the Lord and rested again in my confidence.

Since that day, I’ve noticed the spirit of the age ( Ephesians 6:12 ) casting doubt in hearing God on the socials. He is even using trusted pastors.

My rebuttal to the accusation was to consider my relationship with my husband. What if Dale and I only wrote letters to one another, but never spoke in person. Or … what if I left our conversations and doubted I’d really heard what he said?

Then I dug into scripture. Clearly Jesus wants us to be confident that we can hear Him!

What Scripture Says

In John 10:3-6 and 27 , Jesus said,

To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice , and he calls his own sheep by name (to me, this suggests individuals) and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me . It seems to me that Jesus leaves no doubt that we can hear His voice.

Isn’t hearing Him a matter of walking with Him, learning how He speaks to us, having Him confirm it, and then trusting that in our deepening relationship, that we will recognize His voice crying out in the wilderness?

We Can Know

The last definition made me think of Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ( 1 John 1:3 )

And Isaiah 43:10 “ You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

John 6:45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God .’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.

My Conclusion

He has given me dreams and he has given me pictures to help explain things and encourage His people. He speaks to me through promptings, through His word, through circumstances and confirmations from others, and occasionally a stark phrase or a word like “PRAY”.

The Christmas story demonstrates the way to learn to hear God. When the angels told the shepherds there was a sign; a baby was wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger, they “went and saw” and upon seeing, the “went and told what they had seen.”

This is what God wants us to do. Listen to Him, and act on what we hear. He will confirm His word to us, and then our confidence in hearing Him grows. We become acquainted with His voice much like we become acquainted with anyone’s voice. By listening, and by experiencing intimacy with Him.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. Hebrews 10:35

Toppling Tables, Turning Trials, Making Way For Joy

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 14:59:00 GMT

I’m writing a message series entitled, “Consider It Pure Joy” for this upcoming weekend’s retreat. The passage is from James, and reads, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness (perseverance). And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4

Trials Have Come

About a month ago, my son-in-law lost his job. The job I’d prayed for for so many years; the one that fit their family well. Every time I passed the business on the way to town, I’d pray blessings on them, and thank God for blessing my girl’s family.

A gift from God was suddenly snatched away. When Kayla texted the news, I called to pray with her right away.

I heard the Lord whisper, “Count it all joy.”

I was a bit stunned at first. How often have we shared that passage with one another while experiencing a trial, and it encouraged us? But to hear the command in the moment of grief was a challenge. One I have come to love over the past four weeks.

Another opportunity came when our son and his wife moved into their newest home. A few days in, they lost water pressure. He called the local water-pump repair man and learned there’s trouble in their area due to the rock below the surface.

“Count it all joy,” I whispered.

Ethan had to wrestle a bit into trust and peace as he continued to research and investigate.

Trials Produce Perseverance

I’m happy to report that even though Andrew was without a job for three weeks, and Ethan lost water pressure a few times, all has been resolved. In the case of Andrew’s job, after a long pursuit, he has landed a much better job than the one he left, which is much closer to his home with a higher salary.

I remember “the immeasurably more and far more abundantly” of Ephesians 3:20 , and I smile at God. Thank you, Giver of good gifts and joy!

While my heart swells at the joy of answered prayer, a deeper joy came in watching my family cast their cares on the Lord. And in watching the Lord care for them.

Trials come in order to produce perseverance. We gain perseverance when we experience God’s faithfulness. Trials and testing leads to testimonies of God’s faithfulness, those building blocks of faith for the future.

Kayla reasoned that God had just miraculously given them the home they are in, He wouldn’t leave them to lose it now. Ethan investigated, and made adjustments and plans for their outdoor watering needs in the summer.

What's Joy Got To Do With It?

I asked the question on Facebook, “What gives you the MOST JOY?”

I found the common denominator to every single answer: relationships. One friend answered, “teaching” and the rest had to do with connection. Connection to family . . . connection of family to God . . . connection to friends who’ve held up your arms in a battle . . .

Wholeness and oneness in our relationships is the essence of true joy.

It stands to reason then, that God’s call for us to consider it pure joy when we endure trials—is due to the fact that our trials tether us more tightly to Him. Our trust in His power, love, and provision grows. What we know in our head goes into our heart. We get deposits in the bank of His faithfulness to draw from later . . . and to encourage others.

Who You Gonna Call?

When I was in my twenties, the first thing I did when I was under duress was call my Mom(my). I trusted her love, and knew she would do whatever she could to encourage or help me. It’s good to call mom; she is a gift from God. But moms are limited in power and provision.

There is One who has no limits who allows trials in our lives that even mom can’t fix, in order that we will grow in trust and be prepared and empowered for the future.

The Crossing From Despair To Joy

On the other side of Easter, we’ve seen the cross cross our social media feeds repeatedly. Many of us have spent much time walking the road with Jesus through the Lenten journey. Experiencing more deeply the suffering of our Savior.

What perseverance He had! How did He do it? What enabled Him to stay when He had declared He could have, at any moment, called the hosts of Heaven and they’d have rescued Him?

The writer of Hebrews tells us, even as we are instructed on how to endure our trials:

“looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY that was set before him endured the cross, despising (looking past) the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

Jesus’s endurance was in His joy. His joy was in His upcoming VICTORY. He is seated as King. He secured our emancipation from sin, that we could connect to Him. The cross made us unholy, holy. Without holiness, none will see the Lord. ( Hebrews 12:14 )

Look Past The Pain To The Joy

Because of the cross of Christ, we who’ve been reconciled to God through Christ, are seated with Him already. ( Ephesians 2:4-7 ) This means our JOY when we face trials is from knowing we already HAVE the victory. We will get through THIS. You WILL get through THIS.

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:7 NLT

“Dear friends, we are already God’s children (reconciled connection, oneness, withness), but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we shall see him as he really is.” 1 John 3:2 NLT

Being Reconciled To God Means Intimate Relationship

People often refer to the time before the cross when Jesus flipped tables as justification for righteous anger. This is part of the story of course, but not the whole of it. I believe the essence of the scene is twofold: First, the people who are selling in the Temple are standing in the way of intimacy with God. Jesus said, “My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.” ( Matthew 21:12-13 ) Jesus is zealous for prayer.

Prayer is communication. Prayer is our union with God. Jesus’s passion—His cross—is bringing people to God; reconcilliation is His mission.

The second thing I believe He is displaying in the scene is a turning of the system. The Old Covenant required sacrifices of animals. Since Jesus is the Lamb of God, the system of animal sacrifice would cease. He is the once-for-all sacrifice, uniting us, covenanting us, tethering us to God.

Love's Essence Is Joy

“Joy,” John Piper said, “is something we don’t really have language for. We cannot describe it adequately.” He continued by saying, “That is what poetry is for, that is what music is for, that is what dancing and hugging and kissing are for.” (I paraphrased)

Jesus prayed for us before He went to the cross. If you read John 17:1-26 , you will notice that central in the passage of Him praying for our oneness, in verse 13, is the tiny word JOY.

“… that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.” John 17:13

Words from Ann again:

“And I’m the scandalous woman who’s touched Him, the sinner who loosed her hair and kneeled and let all of her cascade, and my wet cheeks have leaked all over His feet, and I have kissed His soles, and I am Doubting Thomas, touching, tracing, interrogating His tender wounds with stinging questions, and He hasn’t flinched back, not even once, and I’m the woman who hasn’t just touched the frayed edge of His hem, but I’ve yanked on His whole long cloak, dragged him down into the sand, and He’s scratched out a love note for me in the dirtiest parts of me with His very finger, then lifted my chin with His finger . . . and whispered,

“Dont be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.” Isaiah 43:1-2 MSG ” ~Ann Voskamp, Waymaker book . (excerpts from chapter 4)

I highly recommend purchasing Ann’s book. God showed her a SACRED way to still and to enable our joy on our journey with Jesus.

Our Recent Unholy Severing

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 00:13:00 GMT

Count It All Joy

The Blessing In Suffering

Dispelling Assumptions and Misunderstanding: Explaining My Convictions On Masks

Sun, 20 Feb 2022 23:11:00 GMT

It’s been nearly two years since the Crown Virus came seeking to rule humanity. Her majesty has done a fine job of dismantling our former reality.

Nearly two years ago, I boarded a plane with my friend Julie. We visited our friend in her lovely home in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona, surrounded by towering palms and citrus trees. I was estatic to be leaving the snow-crusted Land of Frost for the Land of Summer I’d never seen.

Of course, we’d all been hearing and some had been fearing the ‘rona for several months. We’d heard a report of one case . . . if I recall, in Madison, WI.

After our week of fun-in-the-sun, eating oranges from the backyard, and talking well into the night (we even did a little dancing on the patio!), Julie headed for a business trip in California, and I boarded the plane back to Minneapolis.

At one point on the day of my departure, Dale texted me: “Just to let you know, I’m at the hospital being tested for pneumonia.”

Sickness Striking

“Well,” I thought, “I’ve just loaded up on the heavenly vitamins by eating fresh oranges in Sunny Arizona. I should be good.”

Just two months earlier I’d fought off a sickness I thought might be the death of me. I’d never been so sick in my life. At the time, I’d self-diagnosed bronchitis. But looking back, and having read that the virus was upon us as early as the fall of 2019 (proven by tested blood donations) I believe I may have been an early victim.

Corona Before Arizona

I’ll never forget struggling to breathe in the middle of the night and asking God, “Am I dying?”

I heard Him reply, “I’m giving you immunities.”

We’d all been sick off and on that fall, and I’d already fought off one dastardly worse-than-normal bug just before Thanksgiving.

Dale’s test for pneumonia came back negative. They sent him home with an inhaler; he’d never needed to use one before. His sickness lasted a good week, and the horrid cough continued for two more. We are pretty certain it was “it”.

Prayer Against The Plague

The Sunday after I came home, I went to church. My whole family was home sick. It was the first Sunday of March and that meant communion Sunday with healing-prayer after. I often joined the leaders in prayer prior to moving away. That morning we encircled three cancer-patients. I’m happy to report that two are still among us. Praise God.

When we finished praying for Jolene, Heidi, and Gary (who was in the hospital that day and has since gone to be with the Lord) Pastor Eric looked at me and said, “It’s good to have you back.” (We’d moved away and three years later, God moved us back.)

I agreed. It was good to be back; I had so missed my church family! I expressed, then, what I’d had on my heart all morning, “I think we need to pray that God’s favor will be upon His people for health. That we would be distinct . Just as Israel was distinct and set apart when the plagues came upon Egypt.”

And we prayed. We asked God to cover His people with His feathers and keep us healthy. I left believing He would. And in my experience, He has.

The Shifting And Sifting Began

The following Sunday, the church and much of our life closed.

Like everyone, I watched . . . processed . . . held my breath . . . had conversations . . . sought to discern. What is this Lord? Is this the devil? Judgement? What is actually happening in the invisible realm? Behind those questions was awareness of our call to watch, to understand the times in which we live, and to have God’s perspective on what was going on. 1 Chronicles 12:32 ; 2 Corinthians 4:18 ; Ephesians 6:12 ; 2 Corinthians 11:14 ; Matthew 16:17

Social Media Havoc & Impact

There’s no use denying it. We’ve all been impacted by the reality of the resurrected Tower of Babble. I’d seen it coming from the onset of online journaling. If God disrupted the speech of humans who wanted to play God to keep them from playing God, then, when they discover the capability of uninhibited communication, the sky is literally the limit. ( And now they're thinking of living on Mars )

When I was invited to join Facebook by a friend in 2008, I was cautious. She encouraged me to be a light. When I created my account, I sensed the Lord telling me, “I’m callling you here. Use it for Me.” And I have maintained that foundational thought in all my years of posting.

Not that I haven’t blundered. One time I posted a sermon by Mars Hill Pastor, Mark Driscoll. In his message, he called Mormons “morons” . . . I’d overlooked it because the main point of the message resonated with me . . . but after church that day, I opened Facebook to receive a sharp rebuke from my sister. I immediately took it down and took note with the Lord that I need to consider all the content.

The lesson stung. But I was grateful for it.

Back to 2020

The messages came:
Close your church. Cover your face. Wash your hands. Stay home. Stay away.

I questioned it all with a friend who’d been a missionary for 14 years in Kazakhstan, “Could this be the enemy against the church?” Her and her family’s spiritual antenna were fine-tuned from their years across the ocean.

Soon after our conversation, my husband’s cousin posted an article by Vantiy Fair Magazine. Its essential message, which sounded quite proud and manipulative, was sumarized with the stark words, “Anyone who wont wear a mask is selfish.”

Wait, what?

I’d always had a funny feeling about masks . . . all the way back to seeing images of masses of them in China years ago. As I engaged in a discussion about the value of them on Facebook, another woman told me point-blank: “If you don’t wear a mask, you’ll be guilty of manslaughter.”

Sheesh. That’s quite an accusation based on conjecture. I smelled something fishy.

I brought up the subject (this was well before any mandates) with my daughter-in-law one day. “I’m not exactly sure what it is, but I don’t feel right about the masks.” She replied, “Same here. It seems like they are idols.”

“Yes. That’s what I think it is . . .

I Remembered A Sermon

Dale was living in Montana for work the summer of 2012. I would board my flight to Great Falls and stay with him in the camper for ten day stretches. While he was at work, I headed for the hills with my iPod, often listening to sermons. There was one particular sermon I listened to half a dozen times: The Spirit Against The Idols.

I had not yet personally met Pr. Porter, but had stumbled across his sermons when looking at the website. He was preaching through the book of Acts, talking about the Holy Spirit’s work through the church. The text was the story in Acts 19:11-32 , in which God did extraordinary miracles through Paul. The healing and delivering power of Jesus was freeing people via handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul.

As a result, many were turning to Jesus by repenting and burning their idols and scrolls. It was a costly sacrifice, one which made those who sold idols very angry. ( Acts 19:28 )

As I considered the spirit I detected in the article in Vanity Fair as well as the venomous accusation of the woman on Facebook, the idea that masks were becoming idols for some people became indisputable.

Not All Who Wear Them Are Idolators

In saying that I believe masks are idols, I’m well aware that that statement can feel like an accusation toward those who wear masks. In fact, I believe some who’ve watched me form and express my convictions may have felt I was accusing them.

Nothing could be further from the truth.
I’m writing today to dispel that assumption.

While we have seen many act out in anger against those who don’t wear masks (idolatry), I also believe many have sincerely worn them as a result of their own conviction based on what they have experienced, read, and come to understand. Or as a requirement of their employer.

I have worn a mask when the Lord has led me to . . . as an act of honoring business owners. My conviction to never mask was only within the context of worship. I couldn’t wear what I believed was an idol and a lie on my face in the house of God. (More on that below.)

Disagreement Does Not Equal Condemnation

Counter to what our current cancel-cuture believes, humans are meant to be free. ( Luke 1:74-75 ) Freedom is from God, and no one has the insight to judge another heart.

Fruit, words, and actions, yes. Hearts, no. ( Matthew 7:16 ; 1 Corinthians 4:5 )

Praise God He knows and sees all, and each of us will stand or fall before Him. ( Romans 14:4 )

Judge nothing before the appointed time . . . because we are all on different journeys. We are all at different levels of spiritual maturity. We are all surrounded by different neighbors which need different things from our experiences. We are all accountable to God for stewarding our stories. He is the revealer of light and it comes on His time clock. It behooves us to let Him be the One to make His will known to us individually . . . and when we come together, corporately.

We get to be free and we get to free others!

When The Church's Words Reflect The World's

The first Wisconsin mask mandate elicited an email from our church stating a similar message as Vanity Fair’s. I’d seen it touted all around the internet already, most people accepted the idea without reservation. But having arrived at my convictions, upon reading in the email, “As an act of love for your neighbor, we encourage you to wear a mask,” my heart sunk.

The insinuation, without them meaning to or considering another view, was that those who didn’t wear a mask were not loving their neighbor. (ie: selfish) I’d already discerned the subtle (and not so subtle) fume of manipulation by those of the world who were preaching the message. Within a short time, it had permeated nearly every major secular institution.

As a result of enduring the ongoing pain of the cultural narrative, I praised the Lord when the illegally extended mask mandate was struck down in our state . . . not as much about freedom from masks as about freedom from accusation and manipulation and that our court upheld the law.

And then our governor did a thing. He underhandedly reinstituted the mask mandate on a Saturday night just before a new liberal judge was stepping into the WI supreme court. And I knew I had to write a letter to the elders of my church who would be sending anther email to the congregation. I prayed for them to see that the resistance some have to masks is not resisting an inconvenience, but from holding a conviction.

I Was Heard

I received a reply that part of my letter was read at the elder’s meeting. The wording was changed in the forthcoming email to include freedom to have a different conviction. This relieved me much in my desire to honor those in authority over us, while staying true to my convictions before God.

Further Understanding & Depth Of Insight

Then came the killing of George Flloyd and the uprising of even greater division in our world. And more questions: What is CRT? Who is BLM? How has Marxism come to permeate much of the mind of America?

Daily, people sent me videos in my private messages looking for clarity themselves. I researched. I bought and read books like this and this and this. (Former from my church library)

It was in Marx and Satan where I first learned that the greek word for worship is proskyneö

Prosco means to bow low.

Kyneö means to kiss.

The author, Richard Wurmbrand, a man persecuted by Communists in Romania had a vested interest in understanding the spirit of the age and the satanic religion of Karl Marx. He shared one story revealing that communists targeted believers as they exited the house of worship where they’d fellowhshipped with God.

I suddenly understood the intimacy of our worship gathering on a whole new level. And how the devil hates it.

Additionally, I knew that upon salvation the veil is lifted from our face. ( 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ) And our faces are meant to reflect God’s glory.

God’s very name in Hebrew, YHWH, sounds like breath. Worshipping the One who breathed life into us is a sacred union. I’m not sure we understand just how holy the assembly of believers is to God.

After the prayer God led me to pray in March of 2020, the processing of what I understood masks to be, and then reading about worship being a place where we “kiss” God, my convictions became more deeply rooted.

God's Heavy Use Of Signs & Symbols

It’s not popular in an age of “believe the science” to look at current events to discern what message God might be conveying. But I am continually on the lookout for what He might be saying to His Bride.

If you are even remotely acquainted with the Bible, you know God spoke not only through the prophet’s mouth, but through signs and symbolic acts. Jeremiah had specific instructions about underwear. ( Jeremiah 13:1-11 ) Hosea married a prostitute. Ezekiel had to draw Jerusalem on a clay tablet and lay siege to it, then lay on his sides, each for 390 days. ( Ezekiel 4:1-13 )

God often speaks through the meaning of names. He speaks through dreams and visions. He speaks in so many ways, saying what He will say to those He speaks to . . . and to those who incline their ear to His voice.

Here are my notes in Nehemiah in August of 2020: Notice the names of the governors seeking to oppose God’s work: Sanballat’s name means “sin (moon god) is life” and Tobiah’s name means “The Lord is good” . . . clearly their partnership was anti-God in nature. I also noted the importance of the King having opportunity to see Nehemiah’s face and how it was part of moving God’s plan into place.

I believe that watching for His message and watching to see what He is doing is what He meant in His exhortations to “watch and pray”. ( Matthew 24:42 ; Acts 20:31 ; 1 Corinthians 16:13 ; Colossians 4:2 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:6 ; 1 Peter 5:8 )

I also have come to believe largely that masks are a sign of subordination to the spirit of the age which seeks to diminish God’s glory through His image-bearers, to suffocate YHWH, and to shut the mouths of the prophets (see John 10:10 ; 1 Peter 5:8 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 ), to bind people in fear, and to divide us through stifling our communication which is the core of Christian unity and oneness. This graphic I found on the internet explains a bit more:

Come Near, Do Not Fear, You Are Dear

What God is always ultimately after . . . in whatever ways we are being tested and tried . . . is our worship and our trust and our devotion. Scripture is loaded with stories of pressure and testing which caused the hearts of the people to reveal where they placed their trust. Not to condemn, but to reconcile through repentance and faith.

God is always asking the question of every soul: “Are you here putting your confidence in man or in Me?”

God is constantly speaking through His word, His creation, His people, and through signs and symbols . . . “Come to Me. Come closer. Listen. Watch and pray. Seek Me. I came for you, died for you, and everything is meant to draw you Me. I want you to put your trust in Me. I love you.” This is the reason we must know Him and be known by Him, that we can know His voice and discern His will. (See Romans 12:2 )

How To Check Our Hearts For Idolatry

I’ve found these questions to be beneficial:

So, Be Free & Free Others to Be

All who follow Jesus are free to follow Him wherever He leads and to serve Him without fear. We are ministers of reconciliation. It all starts with God and culminates with Him. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last.

Are you watching? Are you praying? What is He saying to YOU today? Do you trust Him alone?

He wants you and He wants you to want Him.

Shaken Awake

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 21:54:00 GMT

My farm-girl life didn’t afford discovery of my interests through school. Or maybe it was because my schooling never sparked in me an interest for prose. I recall enjoying a bit of learning about stanzas and rhythm and rhyme, but I think it started and ended in middle school.

There is definitely a bent in my family for rhyming jingles. My great uncle Bill taught us several little tunes we’d sing together while we tossed hay to the cows. They often erupt from memory during times of silliness with my grandchildren. Therefore, I’m not surprised by my love of rhyme. Though I might be surprised a little by my growing interest in penning words that require more than reading.

Never have I considered myself a poet. But I love to write things that seem like poems to me.

A Few Things I Noticed About Poetry

Poetry requires lingering and thinking and imagining.

Poetry appeals to the heart. There is rich complexity in the depths of a poet’s observations. The use of fewer words to convey larger ideas intrigues me.

A poem is like a song with no music, I think. Or perhaps a painting without brushstrokes . . . or color.

The Gift Of Time And Going Deep

Some say I am a deep thinker. Last time we had lunch, I was a bit startled when my friend Carol said, “I love to hear how you think.”

My life as an a stay-at-home-empty-nester allows me ample time to read and pray and process. It’s rare that I take less than four hours as the sun brings in the day. The fact that I have that privilege compels me to share what I get time to see.

I recently told you of the devotionals that have captivated me and spurred me to think more deeply. The Lenten one Bread and Wine , and Advent’s Watch For The Light have stirred my heart.

How I long to have a conversation with the late Fr. Alfred Delp. He was the Jesuit priest who wrote “The Shaking Reality of Advent” while in a Nazi prison shortly before he was hanged in 1945. I’ve read his entry no less than eight times. More, maybe. In fact, as I began to read it again today, there came a poem, Kathy-style. What I mean is, it may not fit any rules of being an ode or sonnet or haiku but I’m here to share it with you.

Fr. Alfred Delp is telling us from his prison cell that we need to think more deeply about things. That if we saw and acknowledged the reality of our humanity—and our arrogance, we’d suffer less horrors.

Have We Been Sleeping?

Another Sermon Recommendation:

If you want to be a part of the shaking awakening, and I pray you do, then please pray. Pray for the Holy Spirit to spark a prayer movement in His church.

This sermon might be “Revival 101” for anyone interested in seeing the Spirit MOVE in our day. I leave you with a few quotes to whet your appetite:

“Throughout [the book of] Acts, prayer seems to be the reflex to almost any circumstances Christians encounter.”

“A revival-sparking church is a praying church.”

“Let prayer be our reflex.”

“The church on the move is a church of prayer.”

“When your belief in [God’s] sovereignty is on fumes, so will your courage be. When our belief in the sovereignty of God is enflamed, so will our courage be.”

To Suffer Or To Sin: The Choice Before Us

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 11:30:00 GMT

The “big boys” (7 & 9) were telling me about the way the little boy (4.5) pitches a fit at times when he doesn’t get what he wants. They are annoyed. It was a complaint of “us against him”. My thoughts went to the little man in the back seat; I was driving them from their house to mine. Granny seized the teaching moment, “Boys, your brother is little, and often probably feels his size. When he has three big brothers (the 11 year old was coming later with his mom) who dominate him and boss him around, he’s going to use whatever he’s got to get a word in edgewise or feel seen. Put yourself in his shoes. Think if you were him . . .”

I continued my granny-sermon, “Jesus wants you to practice loving one another. You should try to outdo one another in being sweet, and in giving things instead of trying to get your own way. This requires a lot of practice.”

I’m still practicing letting go of my will. And I’m a granny! Grampa wants me to stop what I’m doing and go outside to help him. I don’t want to. I want to stay in my warm cozy house. But I remember I need to practice doing for others what I’d like them to do for me. So I go!

Jesus Was A Boy Once

Jesus Was Equally God And Man.

I wondered if this meant there was a 50/50 chance that He would accomplish what He was sent to do? Since we know that His journey on our planet, in our skin, proved no sin, did that mean half of his life . . . his days . . . his moments were suffering moments?

Did He, like me, ache inside when people didn’t believe He was who He was?
Did He fight frustration that his people were so slow to learn?
Did He bite back lifeless words when He was confronted and harassed?
Did He fight back tears at night after people lunged toward Him with venomous accusations?
Did He want to rest when He was needed the most, but instead fought the urge to grumble and complain?
Did He wrestle with wanting to quit?

While I can’t know the answers to those questions; my friendship with Him just grew, exponentially.

There Came A Sermon

Choosing To Embrace Suffering

I’m listening to a recent sermon series through the book of 1 Peter on how to be the church in a secular age. My understanding expanded when I heard:

Pastor Brian quotes from a sermon series on Hebrews 11 by Puritan, Thomas Mansen (from the 1600’s). Mr Mansen gives sixteen reasons that the greatest suffering is better than the smallest sin. The pastor quotes three.

The Suffering Of The Savior And His Servant

Your Call

When you are “Mary” in this war, when you say yes to carry and bear the Spirit and Word of Jesus . . . many will gossip about you and complain against you . . . and betray you and steal from you . . . and reject you and lie to you . . . they will insult you and mischaracterize you and seek to manipulate you . . . because they only see what they want and they fear not getting it—then you have a cross.

A choice to suffer with Jesus . . . or not.

If Anyone Would Come After Me . . .

The visual is of a beaten-bloody Man, shaky arms wrapped around the beam, willingly dragging its weight all the way to deepest pain. Our Savior embraced the cost of resisting sin. He chose suffering.

He learned obedience, that which is said to be evidence of our love for God. ( John 14:15 )

Jesus loved God most. More than He loved His life on earth, more than He loved comfort, more than He loved safety, more than He loved anything we are tempted to love. He even gave his mother to His friend, severing all earthly ties.

And you and I know what happened. It all turned to glory. And our suffering also will turn to glory. This call to endure suffering when it comes, is a call to glory. ( Romans 8:18-21 )

Fix Your Eyes On Jesus

Are you experiencing suffering? Remember Jesus went before you. Having difficulty forgiving or being kind or willing? Jesus is with you to help you.

Do you feel alone in your suffering? Remember Jesus is with you in it; He promises to get you through and reveal His glory in you.

Click over to Hebrews 12:1-3 and find strength and consolation for suffering. Grab and send the verses to someone who is also struggling.

My One Word 2022 and a Prayer

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 11:30:00 GMT

It’s a bit past time, but Happy New Year! (Does it seem like an old year already?)

I don’t think I shared my word for 2021.

It was “ready” . . . I didn’t really know what it meant until the close of the year. Though I knew God was telling me I was ready for what He planned for me, I thought my speaking ministry was going to increase. It turned out that every one of my events were more powerful than prior years, but the amount of events didn’t increase. I’m glad God is in control of that because with two moves and two new babies, more events would have been challenging.

What God showed me at the end of 2021 was I’d been prepared to go through the fire and to carry the firey torch of His truth wherever He sent me.

The word that came this year was not appealing. But, like prior years , it persisted. You know how it happens? It shows up everywhere when you’re not really looking. Though maybe you are . . .

The Word

The word first lighted on a page from my friend Jodie’s advent devotional: Deny.

While I’ve been praying for my practice of fasting to increase (I won’t lie, it’s been rough for me to deny myself of food for 24 hours!) I wasn’t sure a whole year of “deny” would be pleasant.

The first thing I did was look at the definition.

After writing those things in my journal, I began to pray.

A Prayer

Father, I pray for much spiritual fruit in 2022. I pray I will stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured that I stand in You and so does my family. ( Colossians 4:12 ). I pray you will break through the darkness which is blinding so many people to your glory and goodness. Take your people deeper so they can go higher with You, gaining Your vision.

Thank you that you train my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. That’s seriously what came to mind! ( Psalm 18:34 ) I wanted to dig further, so I consulted the commentaries:

Matthew Henry writes of Psalm 18:32
“…they are gifts of God to the spiritual warrior, whereby he is prepared (ready!) for the contest, after the example of his victorious leader.” (Then came Psalm 144:1 ; Psalm 16:7 ; Job 20:24 )

Gill’s comentary said, “Satan’s strong bow is said to be broken by arms of faith, when his temptations, under the influence of divine grace, are repelled and rendered ineffectual; and especially his bow was broken by Christ not only in the wilderness when he was vanquished by him; but in the garden and on the cross. When Satan could find nothing on Him, and get no other advantage over him, but to bruise his heel; when he himself had his HEAD broke (lost authority) his works ruined and he himself destroyed.” ~Gill’s exposition of the Bible (emphasis and parenthesis, mine)

As I dug deeper that morning, I landed on Psalm 144 and wrote the entire 15 verses in my journal:

Psalm 144

Verses 12-15 revealed a promise to me:

My Conversation With God

Oh wow, Lord! This is going to be a year of both warfare ( Ephesians 6:17 ) and victory! Lies will be exposed; truth is going to win! You’re pouring out blessings on Your people! Consecrate Your people, Lord! I hear. I see what You are saying–and the battle belongs to You.

I do not have to defend myself . . . but I have to stand; I have to pray; I have to speak; I have to trust that You always lead us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spread the fragrance of Truth’s VICTORY.

Then I heard Him,

Kathy, take your position as Daughter. The devil has been disarmed, his authority crushed. Raise up your scepter, be clothed in holy array. Rule in the midst of your enemies! (This is from a verse I read in my message series: Trusting Jesus On The Journey: Psalm 110:2-3 )

Prophetic Words

Several people have sent me videos with prophetic words for this year. When I listen, I do so with an ear for the Spirit, and then watch to see what He does. I noticed the recurring theme has been that lies will be exposed. I loved hearing that. Because the prayer I prayed most in 2021 was “Bring TRUTH to LIGHT.” Amen.

I’d love to hear what your word is this year and/or what you’ve been hearing God say lately. Drop a note in the comments!

When Generosity Is Detrimental

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 12:00:00 GMT

It’s no secret that we live in a different world than a decade ago. The speed of everything has ramped up. Everything except perhaps integrity and quality of life.

The rate of technological advancements multiplies daily. Ray Kurzweil, author of The Law of Accelerating Returns says,

Loss Of Integrity

While our ability to microchip brains and help the mute speak, our character seems to be steadily sliding south. I might sound like negative Nelly, but perhaps some of the following things will resonate with you:

No doubt you can think of your own experiences in the recent decade.

Not to mention “fake news” . . . contrary reports from the same source . . . people believing one thing but doing the opposite . . .

Loss Of Motivation

A friend owns a grocery store. He expressed the lack of motive for kids to show up for work. “They just don’t care.”

Another friend is a high school teacher. He wants to quit due to the fact that he can’t seem to motivate his students to do their work.
“They just don’t care.”

My husband is a construction superintendent. His job has been increasingly painful due to the above bullet points. “They just don’t care.”

Why Don't They Care?

Of course I’ve pondered this question as I’ve heard the frustrations and considered the problem. A story from a young woman who came into my shop one day comes to mind. She’d just finished college and took her first job in early childhood education. When I heard, I smiled big and asked if she was just loving working with the little people. Her reply surprised me. “Actually, it’s really hard. When the parents drop off their children, the children leverage the parents. This makes for much tension and great challenges.” I’m not sure if she stayed the course or not.

My grocery store friend said often the parents pay for what the kids want and they simply don’t need to work.

The construction industry, though rocky for my husband, somehow progresses and comes to completion, but not without exceedingly frustrating labor and communication for the superintendents.

What God Showed Me Last Week

I went LIVE for the first time on YouTube . I can’t tell you how much I had to push through giving up. The technology was challenging for me. I started using Zoom as my host site because I have a paid subscription, but the training I was receiving was using Streamyard. After much frustration in trying to figure out Zoom, I decided to look into Streamyard. It was much more user-friendly, and I already had signed up for the free version. I was able to use it, but not without HOURS of practice, trial and error and wanting to quit.

It’s good to do the things that intimidate us. I’m glad I pushed through. No pain, no gain, right? But of course my performance wasn’t up to my standards. I didn’t plan on talking to those who might not have a personal relationship with Jesus. It just kind of came up. So, since I wasn’t ready, I said, “If you don’t know Him, ask someone.” And then I went on with my message.

The next morning I was apologizing to Jesus for not giving the gospel invitation. It just so happened that I read Matthew 11:25 in my One Year Bible reading plan . I read that Jesus “hid things from the wise and learned.” And suddenly I remembered His reason for telling parables. He wants people to put some effort into chasing Him. I’ve said it often since I realized it, “He wants us to want Him.”

“Let them ask,” I thought. It’s good to seek Him since He promises that He will be found! (Jeremiah 29:13)

And I was instantly relieved from my guilt.

It occurred to me then, that when we spoon-feed people we do them no favor. What we think is generosity might actually be coddling. And coddling prevents effort and lack of effort produces lazy people. And lazy people simply . . . don’t care.

Loss Of Quality Of Life

I don’t have to convince anyone of this. We’ve had two years of majorly reorienting ourselves to “a new world”. What we formerly took for granted has been shaken. And the pieces aren’t going to just fall back into place. We’ve got to do some reordering of priorities. We need to see where the cracks in the foundations are and seek to firm it up. If we don’t take a good look at the character development that needs to happen in our own lives, and if we don’t rethink our parenting strategies (for those who have a difficult time letting their kids experience pain in life) our quality of life will continue to decline.

One more thing I think might benefit our society is getting neighborly. We’ve spent so long being busy doing our thing (I am as guilty of this as anyone) that we don’t get to share what we know of life with one another. It’s robbing us of, well, . . . many things . . . of friendship, of wisdom from other’s experiences, and of leaning on one another. Perhaps the act of knocking on doors to meet the neighbors (which I intend to do after watching Godspeed ) might dissipate some of the tension our changed world has created.

Perhaps we should slow our use of technology and start walking our neighborhoods and knocking on doors. For more on this topic, I recommend Andrew Peterson’s The God of the Garden . (He tipped me off to Godspeed and he has much to say about slowing and walking and seeing trees. It’s beautiful. You’re welcome!)

Do You Not Perceive?

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 22:12:00 GMT

Being overly cautious by nature; risk for me required an experienced guide. One who could see beyond what appeared real to me. Looking in the rear-view mirror that is my life, I notice the places I took risks:

When my childhood occupation required me to drive the tractor parallel to the ground along the side of a steep hill, my perception told me I would most definitely roll down and die. I’d never have taken such a risk if I hadn’t had Dad instructing and reassuring me. How I cherish the memories of his careful teaching. He had cut the hay and chopped the corn and harvested the oats a million times driving across that hillside.

When Dale and I took our two teens to the U.P. of Michigan to go fourwheeling in the mountains. My natural perception told me I’d likely hit a tree and die. I needed the same kind of reassurance to successfully navigate the narrow, rutted path between giant killer-trees.

I started a business in my late thirties only because I’d already been forced to face my fear of financial lack.

I married a risk-taker. In the mid-nineties, Dale had jumped headfirst into self-employment in the midst of our mountain of medical expenses. The early birth of our boy coupled with his surgery at six weeks old left us with thirty thousand dollars of debt hanging over our heads. It’s a long story, but suffice it to say, we experienced God’s supernatual care for us in that season. We survived many months of what my husband titled, “more-month-than-money”.

Had we never suffered want, we’d never have known provision . My fear of flushing our finances down the drain would’ve prevented me from taking the leap into small business ownership. (Not saying some flushing didn’t happen when the tides of 2008 turned . . . but I survived to tell about it!)

Depth Perception

In an article from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Kierstan Boyd writes:

Depth perception is the ability to see things in three dimensions (including length, width and depth), and to judge how far away an object is.

For accurate depth perception, you generally need to have binocular (two-eyed) vision. In a process called convergence, our two eyes see an object from slightly different angles and our brain compares and processes the two sets of information to form a single image. When both eyes see clearly and the brain processes a single image effectively, it is called stereopsis.

People who rely on vision primarily in one eye (called monocular vision) may struggle with depth perception. However, some people who have had good vision in one eye for a long period of time may find they have acceptable depth perception. This is because their brain has adjusted in various ways to make up for the limited visual input from one eye. ( link here)

Have you ever grabbed a pair of binoculars? You get to see beyond what your natural eyes see. It’s so amazing to see the owl or fox or elk close up!

Perceiving What We Cannot See

My Dad and Dale were essentially my second eye. They enabled me to do some things that I’d not have done because they expanded my sight. I had faith in their love, knowledge, and experience . I still prayed alot as I drove the tractor on the hill and through the ruts of the trail as they threw me a little too close to big trees. But had I not trusted what they offered, I’d have forsaken the joy of having conquered my fear and the confidence that came through experiencing the thrill of adventure. Over time, I believe I gained the second eye.

If you’ve been reading here awhile, you know I’m going toward the spiritual application of depth perception. Because I noticed something important in Matthew 16 this morning . . .

Jesus was approached by his agitators, the Pharisees and Sadducees. They came to test him and asked him for a sign from Heaven. I love his response! (He’s the coolest!)

He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!
Matthew 16:2-3

He is talking to spiritual leaders who have no spiritual sight! He actually called them “blind guides”! ( Matthew 15:14 ; Matthew 23:16 )

Immediately following that story, he and his disciples set sail across the lake. Upon arriving, they realized they forgot to bring bread. Jesus warns them to watch out for “the yeast” of the blind guides.

I just smile at his patience, because they thought he was warning them about the yeast in bread. Responding to their lack of connection, He replied:

But Jesus, aware of this, said, “ O you of little faith , why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive?
Matthew 16:8-9 (emphasis, mine)

Faith and Perception Connection

We are so prone, like the disciples, to living and thinking on the surface of things. Jesus wants us to think spiritually, but all too often, our thinking is earthly.

Grasping the signs of the times requires seeing through Heaven’s 3D lens.

Spiritual perception requires an experienced Guide. Walking by faith always requires courage or risk, because faith requires us doing what we cannot do . . . and perceiving what we cannot see in the natural.

Having the courage to walk by faith also requires paying attention. Had I been a risk-taker by nature, I might not have paid attention to the instructions the men gave me. Launching into those experiences without having guidance might’ve produced a different outcome. People have rolled tractors and have been thrown into trees by ATVs.

As the disciples walked and rowed and doled out bread with Jesus, they often missed the message. We should consider that we are prone to miss it too.

It seems so often that Jesus was wooing people to think. And when they did think, he continued imploring them to think . . . deeper. It’s as if he was so often saying to his disciples, “Put your binoculars on! I’m here to show you what you cannot see! And its so amazing!” I don’t think it’s a stretch to think he would say, “Get yourself a second Eye!”

Spiritual Eyes

What does it take to see with spiritual eyes?

We are exhorted over and over . . . be alert, watch and pray.

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.
1 Peter 4:7

Paying attention. Praying. Considering, pondering, meditating on what God says. But also, being near. We must be near Him to hear Him. It’s important to be in communion and continual conversation with Him as we go about our days. It’s really no different from our relationships with our earthly fathers or spouse. The longer we go on together, the more familiar we become with their voice and the more readily we trust what they say.

A few more verses to ponder: 1 Peter 5:8 ; Mark 13:33 ; Luke 21:36 ; Matthew 26:41 ; Colossians 4:2 ; Ephesians 6:18

So, are you seeing with both eyes?

What Seeds In The Heart

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 21:02:00 GMT

Romano Guardini, (1885-1968) whom I’d never heard of , had such a thought provoking message about Mary that I dog-eared it and have returned to it again and again. The Advent readings in Watch For The Light were so rich and deep, I mourned finishing. Several authors impacted me deeply. Much clarity came, surprisingly, in understanding our current cultural moment. I felt at times I’d discovered a unique lens of God.

Those men and women of old who’ve been with Jesus long . . . who’ve studied, meditated, and expounded for us their findings are a gift for the modern reader. I’m learning much also about the roots of modern thought which lend to the divisive atmosphere we live in and our lack of understanding the times . . . that may be another post.

Impact Of Words

Jesus publicly told a parable about seeds and weeds. When alone with His disciples, He explained the parable: The seed of fruit-bearing plants is the word of God. The seed of weeds is the planting of Satan. ( Matthew 13:1-23 )

Jesus also said “I am the truth.” ( John 14:6 ) Jesus called the devil “the father of lies”. ( John 8:44 ) So, what we see is that seeds are truth or seeds are lies.

And the soil is the heart.

This means that every heart has seeds for trees or seeds for weeds. If you think of the impact of words and consider the reality that our lives are moved and lived by them … homes might also be soil. And schools. And churches. And businesses. And conversations over coffee. What potential comes from what we take into our eyes and ears? What will it produce?

In the parable, Jesus talks about the seeing and the hearing and the understanding (understanding would be the heart receiving). You either see, hear, and understand His word. Or … you don’t. But also, seeing spiritually is a process. When once Jesus opens our eyes, they need adjusting. We need to grow in our knowledge and understanding.

Mary and Me

Mr Guardini’s words about Jesus’ mother resonated with me. He writes of the incident of twelve-year-old Jesus lingering with the Rabbis. When his worried mother found him after days of searching, Jesus was surprised she didn’t know he’d be there in His Father’s house. (Which no doubt surprised her!) Guardini writes:

“”And [Jesus’] mother kept all these things in her heart.” Not understanding, she buries the words like precious seed within her. The incident is typical: the mother’s vision is unequal to that of her son, but her heart, like chosen ground, is deep enough to sustain the highest tree.”

Mary’s heart is deep enough to sustain the highest tree. As she journeyed in the story God was writing, she received, held, cherished, surrendered, endured, and brought forth gold through the sharp edge of her obedience.

I’d written to my son when he got married of the heart cord, and the necessary cutting. The old prophet, Simeon told Mary that her son would cause the rise and fall of many and that a sword would pierce her heart. ( Luke 2:34-35 ) Simeon’s words read like fire even today. My heart also feels the sword of Mary, carrier of the Word.

The Sword

Every heart must endure the sharp edge in order to follow God. When we choose to suffer rather than seek our own way . . . when we choose to surrender and obey . . . we feel the piercing.

Typically, in the Christmas story, we see Mary’s journey but we don’t feel it. We don’t feel the pain of the misunderstanding of Joseph before his visit from the angel. Nor do we feel the sorrow of leaving her home to birth a babe among animals, then fleeing as an exile to Egypt. At the age of twelve, her firstborn son demonstrated that His family loyalty was to the Father of another Land.

The cutting had begun.

Mary pondered all the things spoken and felt and experienced in her heart. Like us, she had mundane days of meal prep, bathing babes, and refereeing squabbles mixed in with the restless nights, the unanswered questions and long waiting.

“From the first hour to the last, Jesus’ life is enfolded in the nearness of his mother.” (and) “More was demanded of Mary than Abraham.” writes Guradini.

Faith Proven Genuine

God asked both Abraham and Mary to surrender their most precious blessing: a son. Abraham was stayed from wielding the sword, for his was not THE SON, but Mary . . . was pierced in the tree of her heart.

Abraham is our earthly father . . . and Mary is the heavenly mother of all who will respond to God as she did.

Luke 1:38 “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

May our hearts too, be deep enough to sustain the highest Tree.

Tomorrow

I’ll be going live tomorrow talking a bit more about weeds in the heart and how to uproot them. The online summit: Best You 2022 is FREE. My message is titled, “Faith Over Inferiority”. You can grab a ticket HERE. If you miss it live, you can watch it anytime after.

Perspective Makes All The Difference

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 01:42:00 GMT

The Danger Of The Unacknowledged Deep

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 21:10:00 GMT

Sea ~

Is there really an abyss in the bottom of the sea? What horrors might lurk in the depths of the ocean?

When I consulted google about this question, I learned that there are people putting in the time and effort and money to find out what is in the depths.

Why does it matter to us what the bottom holds? The answer is that the foundations of everything matter. The beginnings and the underbellies of our souls and families and cities and seas effect our lives.

Heart ~

Since the start of the crown-virus-shaking in March of 2020, God has held and sheltered our immediately family. We’ve all been in agreement about the controversial things. (hallelujah!) We’ve never been unemployed. (praise God!) And when we got sick, grace healed us, kept us, and boosted our immune systems. We’ve had three babies(!!) and three job-changes. Dale and I have refinanced our home twice(!!) We knocked our mortgage down by 15 years and our interest rate is below 2% (hallelujah!)—Good stuff!

But, if I’m honest, my heart hurts.

It’s all the other things that have my soul snarled. It’s the revelation of the state of our world, the calling of good evil and evil good, and the seeming shallowness of our soul that rubs my heart raw. You know what I’m talking about.

And it brings back a question that emerged long ago when I pondered the realities of Naziism in The Cost Of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The queries that resounded in the depths of me:

Words Revealing ~

The crushing weight of pandemic fears, even if we weren’t fearful of the crown virus, crashed into our personal world. Censorship of anything that went against the narrative increased over time. Being cancelled by people you once did life with became common. The need to sever relationships due to manipulative behaviors increased. Disagreements continue as we painfully work toward understanding where the other is coming from.

And then there’s the time factor in communications, in research and learning.

People have shared videos with me almost every day on Messenger or via text. I’ve ordered books. I’ve listened to podcasts on Revelation and Critical Theory. I’ve adopted several pastors and gathered intel from their years of study.

I’ve sought to learn “What the what?!!”

Not that we didn’t see this coming. We just never imagined how it would come. I remember reading somewhere around 2006, there would come a crisis, and the crisis would be capitalized upon, and martial law would be implemented, and the government would seize power from the people. We aren’t quite there yet. But those with eyes to see are seeing the signs. Loss of liberty is looming. What is ahead for our children?

I’ve heard the name Wendell Berry numerous times. I don’t even recall what I read recently that made me finally look for a book by him. The one I found turned out to be a collaboration of writers including C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Frederich Buechner, Madeleine L’Engle, and others. Through the writings of these men and women in BREAD AND WINE, Readings for Lent and Easter, I’m learning that the slashing my soul feels is an identification with our suffering Savior.

I’m learning to embrace the heartache and tension as my personal cross-carrying assignment. After all, Jesus is the one who has given me the heart to care. Since He gave me Himself, I’ve cast my whole soul upon Him, and so we hurt together.

Our Heart Is A Sea ~

What is in the depths of our hearts?

Yesterday I read an excerpt from BREAD AND WINE. It was written by Morton T. Kelsey entitled, “The Cross and the Cellar”—after contemplating my question again of how humans could be so inhumane, I read this:

There’s so much more to read about the evil lurking below the surface of human hearts if the heart is unregenerate.

Kelsey continues by weighing the hearts of the men most responsible for Jesus crucifixion: Pilate, Ciaphas, and Judas. His assessment of their fruit was “cowardice” for Pilate. He didn’t want to crucify Jesus, but to save his own skin and position; he sacrificed what he knew for what he wanted most. Then Ciaphas, the high priest, was credited with religious rigidity. Thinking he had to protect God from Jesus and protect his religion from grace, he passed a prophetic sentence. And finally Judas, the betrayer with an earthbound mindset. He wanted Jesus only for what He might do in the now of their history. He sought to accomplish noble ends by human means.

Questions For Our Hearts ~

Have you faced your cellar?

I found myself thinking of standing in the crowd as Jesus was crucified. And I knew, I did it. It was me there yelling, “Crucify!” Because I relate to Pilate. I’ve wanted to please people and look good more than I’ve been willing to stand up for or shield an innocent one.

But then Jesus gave me eyes to see. When His word came in, He gave me ears to hear. Like so many others, I fell in the dust ( Mark 5:32-34 ) at His feet, desperate for His mercy . I let His blood flow down on my head and cleanse my desperate heart as He spoke, “Forgive her Father, she knows not what she does.”

And now I go daily for the cleansing—since I once faced the cellar of my soul—and I cried out for mercy and He gave it.

What have you learned and what are you doing with what you know?

What is happening in your heart in this current cultural moment? Fear? Stoicism? Cynicism? Or do you have faith in the love of God and hope in His power of resurrection?

Some thoughts to ponder from another book I read can be found on my Instagram post.

Where To Go From Here ~

You may have heard that the way up is down. And it’s true. Why would I write such a bleak-feeling post? The answer is I believe in resurrection. I believe the first thing every heart needs is Jesus, and after falling at His feet, He lifts us up above every bleak and heart-ripping experience with this joyful hope. He gives us patience in our affliction. He hears and answers our ongoing prayers. And even more than that, He moves Himself in to do it all for us!

I’d written earlier this year that we are on the brink.

What I offer is the hope of the good news of Jesus, the hope for deliverance from the abyss that is the dark cellar of our hearts.

You see, I read the other day in Amos 4:6-11 that every hardship that God sends is for the purpose of turning our broken, unsatisfied hearts to Him, that we can be delivered. He sent the storm that is upon us, the rocking boat and the wild waves to wake us up to our need for Jesus. His call is as it has always been, “Come to Me! Return to Your God. Have faith. Believe.”

Jesus saves. That is what this life is all about. Surrender your heart, trust and obey, and you will be free—forever.

Building Bridges In Fractured Relationships

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 11:20:00 GMT

What I See

Some observations born from the pain of relational fractures.

Clarity

To make a judgement about a belief or mindset or worldview that does not align with my own does not equal making a judgement about the person who holds the opposing belief.

I think many people assume judgement when a statement made about a belief collides with the opposite held-belief.

As humans with hearts, generally what we know propels us to action. Often it’s from a desire for self-preservation. But it’s also from a more noble desire to bless the world, because we know that we are all affected by the choices and actions of others.

We are all persons who’ve arrived at our beliefs through our journey’s experiences and through our learning and through our passions.

If we understood this—that disagreement doesn’t need to cancel relationships—perhaps our differences in belief would not cause us to cut ties or run away. Instead, we could be curious and caring and even confident that as human beings, we might find bridges of common ground and gateways to deeper friendships. Together then, we might forge new pathways to bring goodness into our fractured world.

When Is It Good To Break Away?

In saying this, I acknowledge that there are certain situations when cutting ties is healthy and necessary. If there is bullying or badgering or manipulation, then make some space. Break away to let both of you get clarity.

Honor freedom, and don’t become a slave.

In such situations, severing ties creates more peace than building bridges on brittle foundations.

Find Common Ground

The key in building bridges is in seeking to understand another soul’s journey. Find the common ground of desiring what is good and right and true and best for us all.

Our beliefs might collide, but our souls can merge if we love enough to vulnerably share our own stories and be willing to hear from another.

Also, never put people on pedestals and never look down from one. Both are a grievous sin.

The ground is level at the foot of the cross. And that’s where truth and freedom are found.

Finally, building bridges requires both courage and trust, both time and attention. If we would mend our fractures, it will cost us. But it will be so worth it.

A Voice That Cries Out Seeks Ears That Hear

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 16:46:00 GMT

Do We Hear With Our Ears?

Have you noticed in conversations about controversial topics, that some people fail to actually read your words before responding ?

I admit, I’ve done it too. But the Holy Spirit checks me. Sometimes not on the front end of my response. Ahem.

“Kathy, read with your ears.”

If we find ourselves responding without reading with our ears, likely we are aiming to prove a point rather than find common ground.

It’s the nature of the social media beast, isn’t it?

If there’s anything that has come to light in the past 18 months, and there are many, it’s that. We often respond with our mouths before hearing with our ears.

I do this with my husband. I cut in. Or, I assume I know what he is saying. To be fair, he does it occasionally too.

Communication Is An Art

Communication is an art. It is also a school of humility.

Our inherent pride prevents us from hearing with our ears. And when I say “hearing with our ears”, I mean to imply we actually take to heart or ponder a person’s words with the intent of hearing their heart.

" Hearing with our ears is seeking to know the speaker’s heart."

You likely know I am a major fan of the Bible. God’s word gets me up in the morning and walks me through my days. I’m extremely grateful that God has orchestrated my life to center on His word. I get to encourage other hearts with His heart.

Our Words Reveal Our Hearts

I never knew I was a word girl. I barely read three books by the time I graduated high school that were not required reading.

Then I met God in His word, and my library has grown immensely. I want to know Him more.

When I read Jesus’ words in Luke 6:45 : “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” I realized the Bible, which I’ve always known to be God’s word, is actually God’s heart.

All through the Bible, God pleads with His people to hear Him. Throughout Proverbs we read such pleas as “Incline your ear” and “listen” repeatedly.

In Revelation, Jesus addresses the seven churches with affirmations and rebukes. He ends most letters with, “ Let anyone who has ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:7 , 11 , 17 , 29 ; Revelation 3:6 , 13 , 22

God’s Voice Is Crying Out

In the gospel of Mark, chapter one, he begins by telling us about “The Messiah’s Herald”.

Mark ties John the Baptist to the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3 .

It was John’s voice crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!”

Apparently many heard with their ears, because Mark 1:5 tells us that “The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.”

Isaiah 40:3b-5 expands on the ministry of John the Baptist,

. . . make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain. and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground with become smooth and the rough places, a plain. And the glory of the Lord will appear and all humanity together will see it, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Inclining Our Ear To Hear This Message With Our Hearts

In ancient times, when a King went out on a journey, he would send an entourage ahead of him to clear the way. If I were king, I’d do that too. Who likes a bumpy highway?

We should ask the question then, what was the wilderness that needed a highway for Jesus?

Was it the Judean countryside and Jerusalem only? Did he mean the whole world is a wilderness? (yes) But thinking even more deeply, I want to suggest that our hearts are the wilderness God wants His voice to reach.

The King wants to come in to our hearts. ( Revelation 3:20 ; 1 Corinthians 6:19 )

If our hearts are the wilderness, what are the mountains and valleys?

As I considered this, it became clear that the mountains are pride and the valleys are unbelief. They are actually two sides of the same coin. Pride and unbelief are the roadblocks to faith in Jesus.

When I picture pride-mountain, I think superiority.
And hollow unbelief looks like inferiority.

Superiority thinks she doesn’t need God.
Inferiority believes she could never be loved by God.
Both are based on a view of self without God.

God sent Jesus so we could be reunited with Him. That is the glory that appears mentioned in Isaiah 40:5 . God and you joined together. God and me. United. Forever.

I know that is what I want for my family. All united together forever in Heaven.

God Is Love And We All Want God

We all know we want to be loved. We hunger for affirmation and affection, approval and acceptance, and the knowledge that we are valuable and precious.

The truth is the God who made us loves us. Regardless of what we think or believe about ourselves, He wants us.

God made us, God loves us, and God made a way for us to be restored to Him through faith in Jesus.

Leveling Mountains of Pride and Raising Valleys of Unbelief

How does this happen? What can level the mountains? Can the valleys be filled in? What did John the Baptist SAY to the people who HEARD?

Mark 1:4 tells us that he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Evidently, many hearts heard the call to repentance, resulting in their baptism.

Throughout the Old Testament, God sent prophets to call His people to repent. Like us, Israel had a nasty habit of doing things their own way.

It didn’t always go so well for God’s prophets because people didn’t incline their ears. They failed to take God’s word to heart.

Jeremiah’s words were met with both anger and apathy. Many prophets were slain for calling people to repent and turn back to God.

God’s message through the prophets could either prick or pierce pride; it could either bounce off or penetrate unbelief. If pierced, there was repentance (See the book of Jonah). If pricked, the pride in men’s hearts sought to shut the mouths of the prophets. Jesus ended up being crucified for His message of repentance. His perfection was a mirror to men’s hearts and it made them mad.

It really boils down to the way the heart hears. Or not.

John the Baptist was the last Old Testament prophet. King Herod had John arrested and killed for confronting Herod’s sin.

The First Words Of Jesus After John Was Arrested

After John was arrested, the door slammed on the Old Covenant.

Jesus picked up the baton. Mark 1:15 records His words, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

A voice cries out today. The most loving words that could ever be said, “I’m here to get you back Home! Repent and believe the good news!”

Do you have ears that hear? Or are your love-receptors clogged with pride and unbelief?

Love Thy . . . God

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 19:56:00 GMT

You, an Idol?

Have you ever had a friend who required more of you than you had to give? When I remember my own experiences with other’s unrealistic expectations, I bristle.

Another way of describing this; a word you might be more familiar with, is “doormat”.

Think about a doormat.

A doormat is a thing to be used. A doormat has no freedom.

I have a compliant personality and I like to help people. In the past, those things have made me a good candidate to be taken advantage of by those who have dominant personalities. Compliant helpers can be subject to people who seek others to prop them up; to be at their beck and call.

Who doesn’t want a personal servant?

Years ago, I was building a friendship with a neighbor. I prayed with and encouraged her on the phone many times. Several months into our friendship, I gave her a Bible study and showed her how to dig in. The day we met to go over the study, she told me she was too lazy to look up verses. She’d been depending on me to pray for her, to encourage her, and to help her. But she wasn’t willing to make faith her own. One day something I said offended her. She ended our relationship.

I discovered too slowly that another friend expected me to be perfect. When I didn’t do what she wanted or when I failed to say what she expected to hear—whenever I disappointed her—she blew up at me. One day, after one too many outbursts, I realized I had no freedom to be human. It occurred to me that having me in her life was actually detrimental to her spiritual well-being. After much prayer and counsel from others, I ended the relationship.

Opposing Beliefs In A Tumultuous Year

Did you notice the debates of the past year were . . . lopsided? The stronger wave of ideologies escalated to the point of largely silencing dissenters. Its force caused business owners to compromise convictions in order to appease complainers. The louder ones reminded me of the friends who’d demanded more of me than God expected me to give.

Since before masks were mandated, I believed them to offer a false sense of hope and security. In the context of requiring healthy people to act as if they are contaminated, I view masks as manipulative tools . Requiring masks on healthy people is akin to declaring someone guilty without being tried. It’s just wrong.

My Face Belongs To God Not Man

Many people have used Mark 12:17 to support obedience to the mask mandates. Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s (the coin bears his image). . . but I noticed very few stated or exposited the second half of Jesus’ words, that of rendering to God what is God’s. What is God’s? Who’s image is on you and me?

When God created us as His image-bearers, He meant for our faces to reflect Him. By covering them broadly in public, we diminish His glory.

Wear One Or You're A Killer (Manipulation Much?)

Yes, that is what I was told. I also heard a story last week of a pregnant teacher telling a student who wasn’t properly wearing a mask that he was going to “kill her baby”—for real. A teacher bullied a student. It makes me weep thinking of what the kids are enduring.

To help you understand better where I’m coming from, please consider this:
When Karen requires me to wear a mask for her protection or to protect her aunt Marge, she is assuming I am contaminated, and she is making me and my mask her hope for health. She thinks I am her potential savior.

Did you know? All of our days are ordained ( Psalm 139:16 ) and God is in charge of when we die. ( Psalm 49:15 ; Psalm 56:13 ; Psalm 68:20 ) Do you know that God allows suffering for His purposes? ( James 1:2-3 ; 1 Peter 5:10 )

It seems many are seeking people to play God.

What Human Can Prevent God's will?

On the flip side, God calls us to heal the sick. We must pray for them and minister as God leads. This might be part of the reason God allows illness—to show His love through caregivers and to show His power in sustaining and healing lives.

On the other hand, if Karen wears a mask to protect her own health, that is her conviction to take care of her body, which God has declared His temple. ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 ) As a steward of her temple, she should wear one, guilt-free.

Additionally, the now-famous Dr. Faucci’s words state that viruses are not typically spread through asymptomatic people.

Add to all that, the common idea that “I might be contaminated” creates a culture of suspicion and caters to fear-of-man . The Bible talks about the futility of fearing people in Proverbs 29:25 and Matthew 23:5 and Jeremiah 17:5 .

Seat Belts, Shoes, and Shirts

Many people have used the argument that we wear seatbelts in the car . . . we wear shoes and shirts in the store. But, will you think about those arguments with me for a sec? Seat belts are to protect the person strapped in. I honestly don’t think it should be a law, but since it is, and since I’m putting it on my own body for protection, it is not a valid comparison. Me putting my seat belt on isn’t believed to protect Karen.

Shoes and shirts in a grocery store are to keep a sense of respectability, while face-covering is symbolic of shame. ( Psalm 44:15 ; Jeremiah 51:51 )

So, you can see that neither one of those are valid comparisons to require healthy people to cover their smiles and hinder their oxygen airways.

Love Thy Neighbor

I find it fascinating—secular people who fail to ever cite scripture suddenly became experts with one convenient verse. How many who cite “love thy neighbor”, I wonder, have quoted the commandment that comes just before? Love the Lord thy God. How many are seeking to influence culture to love God with all their heart by obeying Him?

Since he took the time to create this, here is a pastor I value highly talking about loving thy neighbor as it relates to vaccines. (Same application would apply to masks.)

My love of my neighbor comes from loving God first. Loving God first means I trust He is sovereign over every detail of my life and of every detail of yours.

Jesus is protector, provider, sustainer, healer, and keeper of every single life. Even the sparrows.

Here then, is the better commandment: Love Thy Jesus, live free in His love, then pray for and minister to the sick. ( Mark 12:30-31 ; Galatians 5:1 ; John 15:5 ; Matthew 10:1 )

Who Can Correct Her Course?

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 22:52:00 GMT

America and God’s Church

If America is a ship carrying her population, where is she right now? What is her condition this minute?

If our country has sailed the tumultuous seas of life on planet earth with freedom her pinnacle and bondage her demise, we might wonder about her current position. Are we at the precipice of the falls , or . . . are we already over the edge, sinking ?

If God’s church in America is a rudder of the ship, how is she helping or hindering?

Who Corrects A Ship’s Course?

Of course it is the Skipper who would have the authority (and responsibility) to direct the correction of a ship. When consulting my friend, Google, I learned “The skipper of a floating vessel can be described as the heart of the vessel. He is responsible for the boat and takes care of everything related to it. … He is ultimately responsible not only for the safety of the boat, but also the safety, comfort and welfare of all those on board his boat.”

It’s not difficult to understand the reason for the challenges of 2020.

The skipper of a ship is a big deal. He’s taking us somewhere. And if you caught it above, I believe one of two places : freedom or bondage. Aren’t those the only two ways people on this planet live?

Division In The Church

I had no idea I’d get myself in a bit of hot water for boat-rocking last year. I wasn’t setting out to rock the boat, but from my vantage point, I aimed to help steady it.

Due to my understanding of where “the leaders” (and the potential leaders) of our country were directing our ship, and my public expressions of concern (I expressed my appreciation and new understanding for New Hampshire’s state logo: live free or die ) and of praise (I praised the Lord when the WI Supreme Court struck down Governor Ever’s illegal mask mandate last summer) some people complained about me to my pastor.

In disagreement with my views, outcries emerged because I was seen as a leader in the church. Even though I did not currently hold a leadership position.

The pain my pastor was enduring from the grievances required several meetings. I met with my pastor(s) about things like social media use, convictions, and political views.

Stand Your Ground

As I drove to one of the meetings, I was experiencing some anxiety. I began to pray. God reminded me that my convictions were from Him. I didn’t need to defend them, but to stand firm on the ground where He’d planted me.

I count the challenges as the great blessings of 2020—because they caused me to dig deep. Having disagreement with brothers and sisters in Christ brought me closer to Jesus because I wanted to make sure my full allegiance was to God.

He held me fast and encouraged me greatly along the way.

As the summer rolled on, God directed me to certain books to educate me on the condition of the ship and the rudder. I learned about what influences impact the current state of both.

In speaking of the church as the rudder, I’m aware that there are other influences on the direction of the Ship. But since I am “of the church” I am mainly interested in her condition and in God’s will and direction for Her.

There is Only One True-North

In my ache over the disagreements that frankly shocked me, I continued to search for understanding. Many sermons became available online, and many people shared sermons with me. 2020 might be the richest learning year of my life so far. And the Lord met me through the wisdom of many. Clarity came one day when a pastor said, “Many are sacrificing truth for unity.”

John 17, a favorite passage, came to mind. I’ve studied it often.

Jesus prays just before going to the cross. It’s almost like it’s His last will and testament where He expresses what He wants us to grasp before He leaves. I never noticed before yesterday when I read it again. It’s actually a warfare prayer. I want you to read the whole thing, but for the sake of my point, read John 17:15-19 below (emphasis mine)

I am not asking that You take them out of the world , but that You keep them from the evil one .
They are not of the world , just as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
As You sent Me into the world , I have also sent them into the world.
For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.

In those few verses you can see it’s THE TRUTH verses THE WORLD. As believers, we know that the cosmic war is between God’s word and man’s ideas as influenced by Satan.

Following this revelation of the reason for division, God brought me to 1 Timothy 3:15 , which states that God’s intention for His church is that we be a pillar and buttress of truth . A buttress, according to Merriam Webster, is “something that supports or strengthens a structure; giving stability to a wall.”

And then I heard this sermon about closing the breach in the wall .

There Is A Truth That Is True

How convenient for the enemy of God that there are two political parties. How many times have you heard in the last year that the church should not be political? If you did, did you process what that means? Have you been silenced into sitting on your hands, riding the wave of “whatever will be will be”?

If God’s people are to be stabilizing supports of truth, first we need to agree on what the truth is.

Dear blessed church, we are not of two political parties, as the world would say. We are a unified body that sees things from a heavenly perspective. (See 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 ) We have the mind of Christ. ( 1 Corinthians 2:16 ) It is ONE mind. ( Philippians 2:2 )

The “skipper” of the church unifies his people when he parses out what the biblical perspective is. Teaching about how God sees public policy is not political, it’s giving the sheep confidence and direction.

Once we know and agree on the truth, if we fail to be involved in public policy in the land we’ve been given to steward, we go down. If we are agreeing to be silent as the ship sinks, then we are complicit in America’s demise.

Israel and America

There is a reason we are often paired together with Israel. God’s blessing has been upon us, and we have been allies. We both were founded upon God’s word. (“Americans’ affinity for Israelis also stems from our shared Judeo-Christian heritage” ~ U.S.-Israel Relations: A Special Alliance, by Mitchell Bard )

God’s word applies to every soul, every nation, every continent. He owns it all. And we owe Him our allegiance.

God gave the enemies of Israel into Her hand as they followed Him in taking Canaan. Over time, they failed to steward what He’d given, and were exiled to a pagan nation.

God gave our founding fathers wisdom in writing the constitution to secure our liberty from tyranny. If we fail to steward what He’s given, we are essentially turning over the land He’s given to paganism and inviting persecution of God’s people. And none of us wants our hand in that.

You Are Destined For Fire

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 11:50:00 GMT

This is the question that came when God was moving us across the river into Minnesota. We were leaving the community we’d invested in for twenty years. At the time, I was leading two groups of women through the Gideon study , by Priscilla Shirer.

Two years prior, we’d given up our farmhouse. We’d put much blood, sweat, and tears into a two-story addition with our kids. We trenched electricity to buildings, setting up our woodworking shop and more. Leaving the farm had also required me to give up my little country gift shop. But at least we were still in our community. I was still directing women’s ministry at our church, still leading Bible studies, and still mentoring youth.

We Were Moving—Again.

The question came at just the right time—you might know how that is—at the moment I desperately needed to hear a word from God.

In Gideon’s story, the angel of the Lord had visited him in the winepress where he’d been hiding. Gideon had left to prepare a sacrifice for the angel. After putting in the work of preparing a delicious meal, he returned to present it. Instead of sitting down to eat, the angel directed him to “put it on a rock.”

Suddenly fire came out of heaven and consumed the offering!

When God Speaks, You Know It

I knew the question God had proposed was Him consoling me about leaving the position I’d built and loved. I established and led Women’s Ministry for five years. He kindly reminded me that it wasn’t my ministry, it was His.

His sweet grace in asking the question enabled me to walk on, not looking back. Instead of suffering sorrow over loss, I’ve lived with a certain amount of anticipation. I’ve carried a question of my own as we’ve prodded along and moved once again.

Shielding my eyes from the sun on the horizon, I often ask, “What’s up ahead?”

I never imagined that nearly four years later He’d bring me back. We came full-circle. We were looking to move back to Wisconsin, but sought to stay closer to the Minnesota border. Dale was still commuting to Minneapolis, and we didn’t want him to have the hour-long commute.

But, Deer

It could only be an act of God . . . perhaps He put a haze over my eyes regarding the full meaning of the spark that lit my husband’s. When we were walking this property, I saw it. His eye twinkled when he said, “I could hunt deer on my own property!”

Oh. I knew that meant “this is it.” And knowing of his deep longing to be a mighty, fierce hunter—in that moment, I surrendered my desire to live on a lake. I believed God wanted me to.

And so we are here.

We are here with deer meat in the freezer and the lower half of my spruce trees bald as a Christmas tree in January. Bald evergreens and no beans over winter, because deer.

Yes, this is fire—every time I die to my desire to grumble, I burn. Whenever I die to my desire to feel sorry for myself for what I don’t have, I feel the burn.

Dying-to-self is a lot like offering my desire on the rock of fire.

“Take it, Lord! I’m trusting You have us here for a reason. Maybe to help me cease from grumbling. *Ahem*”

I don’t mean to imply that I just yielded every desire of my heart so Dale could be a deer-warrior. No place is perfect and no lake was available in our price range. Plus, I’m a country girl at heart, and this deer-land came with a barn. (I’m just happy hosting deer doesn’t require me to shovel poop!)

There’s also the fact that I’ve come to love the adventure of fixer-uppers with my man. So, it’s all good .

Another Study by Priscilla: Elijah

Lifeway offered it online in February. I couldn’t wait to dive in. I have always felt a special kinship with the prophets for some reason. I’ve marveled especially at Elijah’s boldness in confronting the prophets of Baal and the entire Israelite community. (Maybe because I’ve always felt like a chicken!) Elijah stood alone with bold faith and God showed up with His fire! But the fire of God in that moment was necessarily preceded by the burning that took place prior.

We might read the story of Elijah being sent to the brook during a drought and being fed by a raven, and entirely miss his burning. Elijah’s test of trust had to scorch at times. I can’t imagine him sitting by the dry brook all day every day, with no food in sight, twirling daisies with a peaceful, easy feeling.

His lips were probably cracked. His eyes likely felt dry in the heat of drought. I’m guessing he was a bit smelly too. ( 1 Kings 17:2-6 )

We don’t know exactly how long he was there, but it was no walk in the park. And we do know God proved Himself faithful in impossible circumstances by impossible means. (By the way, ravens are gluttonous devourers by nature, but God fed Elijah from them.)

We Are Being Refined By Fire

When Elijah took God at His word and went to the brook to let God meet his needs, He was living off of faith, believing the word of the Lord.

God’s word is fire . When we face a place where He promises to provide, but we see no provision with our natural eyes, that is the place of the altar. This is where the crisis of faith occurs, and we choose to take Him at His word.

We hear God’s question: “Will you believe My word over what you see or what you reason or what you’ve experienced in the past?”

When we believe, we receive, and we grow spiritually strong. Believing stokes our heart’s fire.

I probably don’t have to say this, but I always do: God will not fail. We know this in our head, but we must face many altars in order to seal it in our hearts. It’s the nature of the journey with God.

He is so gracious to burn away our self-reliance before He gives us big assignments. We might melt in the fire, otherwise.

The Purpose of the Burn

God’s goal with each and every one of His children is for us to be set right. What I mean is to be back in a right relationship with Him. This only happens when we receive forgiveness from Jesus, when His blood is applied to our sins and we are forgiven. Then begins the refining process to return us to His original design and intention—to reflect Him.

By the time Elijah comes to the place of confronting the people with God’s fire, he’s ready.

Read his prayer and see his bold heart wanting to glorify God:

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command . Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God , and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” 1 Kings 18:36-39

The Refined Self Wants Everyone To Know God & To Follow Him

As I’ve been walking with God for 32 years, and have experienced the burning, this study resonates powerfully. This morning these words came in the wake of my study:

We die to our self-awareness and self-reliance when we burn for God to be made known.

We burn for God to be made known because He has burned away our self-awareness and self-reliance.

Where ever you are today, you can know that you are on your way to where God is leading you. Grab hold of the fire of His word and never let go!

Your torch will light the way for others to come to believe God!

Time To Rock The Boat

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 19:10:00 GMT

I attended a concert with my friend, Ann, on the cusp of lockdowns last spring. As Rend collective rocked the house with their powerful songs, I knew I was there by providence.

We raised our voices with them. First, it was the familiar song. I sang it at the top of my lungs:

Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray! ~Rend Collective

Then came the NEW song. A declaration I knew was directly from God:

Spirit fall down, start a holy riot
Fill this place now with the tongues of fire
Oh, break the strongholds, come and unleash heaven
Burn within us, make us bold as lions

This is our revival anthem
Can you feel the darkness shaking?
Oh, we are the dry bones rising
This will be our great awakening
This is our revival anthem

Fill our hearts, Lord with a holy danger
Lead us beyond our fear of failure
We’ll fight the good fight in Your strength and power
We’ll take back the night, victory is ours, yeah ~Rend Collective

Carry On, 2020 . . .

And the year that started out as Year of the Bible became a Year of Great Shaking.

In saying so, I don’t mean to contrast the first title with the second. On the contrary, looking back, I sense it was both. The shaking that happened caused many who were rooted to deepen their roots, while those with shallow roots have become uprooted.

Many moved closer to the Light. Many moved farther away. And, I’d say that many more who’ve been living in the grey zone continue to coast along, believing things will return to normal.

A Divisive Year.

Though we once were a united land with (mainly) two political parties living under the banner of light, it seems we are now a divided land with two opposing viewpoints largely living in the dark. How has this happened? When did the switch flip? I’ve spent much time over the course of the last year asking that question. I’ve dug into American history, read up on Marxism, learned about Critical Race Theory, listened to sermons from Pastors across the land and come to some conclusions.

I think I can look back and see a bit more clearly, the year that was 2020. I’m here today to begin sharing what I’ve learned.

The division isn’t just political division, it’s disunity in the churches, in families, between friends, and neighbors. Why?

What has happened that has brought about such great divides?

As I was asking the Lord that question, I heard a pastor say, “You cannot sacrifice truth for the sake of unity.” I’m sorry I cannot remember who the pastor was, only that a lightbulb went on. Jesus’ words came like lightening, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 — it is the Truth which unites us.

Our culture is full of lies, therefore it has gone dark.

Clarity!

As a nation, we’ve moved farther and farther away from the light. The farther we go from God, the less we see truth.

There are many passages of scripture that confirm that a nation which turns away from God will be given over to darkness. Romans 1:28 ; Jeremiah 17:4 ; Proverbs 1:28-29 ; Deuteronomy 30:15-18 and so many more.

Many would resist this idea. I’ve read their words in rebuttal to such a suggestion: “God never made a covenant with America. We are not Israel.” And while it’s true, there is not a covenant “ like His covenant with Israel”—it’s simply not true that we don’t have a relationship with God. I understand many seek to erase the truth of our history, but the books written are here to serve us. Please dig in here & here.

Our nation was, in fact, founded on the principles of God’s word. Our liberty came because we were given light . America has been a great nation, a land of peace and plenty, because we recognized in our founding documents that God has given us inalienable rights. We have the right to live and move and have our being in Him—FREE. We are free to worship and work, to love and serve. Blood has been shed for our liberty. It is right for us to steward the land God has given us.

So what does this present darkness mean for us who have the Light? You and me? Those who’ve determined to remain loyal to the Lord?

Exciting Times!

While we are literally grieving our losses, and rightly so, we also still and always will have the Light!

Not only do we have Him, but we have the Power that will never be overtaken by the darkness dwelling within us.

Part of the reason we are in this season of shaking and sifting and increasing darkness is that for many of us, our light has been hidden under a bushel. We’ve known we were slipping down the slippery slope to secularism, but since we were only lightly affected, we carried on in our living, not taking time to gather and pray, not wanting to rock the boat by sharing the truth we know. (Who doesn’t like smooth seas?!)

The problem with our coasting along, we are finding out, is that sleepy waters are always being drawn somewhere, and if we fail to steer the boat, it is headed toward the falls.

Here We Are, On The Precipice of the Falls.

While the darkness we are living in in 2021 is for judgement on those who don’t want God, the darkness is an awakening for us who’ve maybe been sleeping in our comfort. It’s an invitation from our God to move toward the light, and to live wholeheartedly for Him.

Brothers and sisters, we are here on this temporary earth because we have been given a rescue mission! We are here to let our light shine! We serve a God who can turn this ship around! Do you believe it? And even if God has a different plan, would He be pleased if we just sat and waited for the ship to sink?

NO! We must seek to right it. We must work—hard— to recover what has been lost. Though the ground we lose is extremely hard to get back, we serve the God of the impossible. We must seek and be His blessing.

Let this be our prayer today: “Lord, let there be light! Ignite Your church!” AND

Spirit fall down, start a holy riot
Fill this place now with the tongues of fire
Oh, break the strongholds, come and unleash heaven
Burn within us, make us bold as lions

This is our revival anthem
Can you feel the darkness shaking?
Oh, we are the dry bones rising
This will be our great awakening
This is our revival anthem

Fill our hearts, Lord with a holy danger
Lead us beyond our fear of failure
We’ll fight the good fight in Your strength and power
We’ll take back the night, victory is ours, yeah ~Rend Collective

And think of this, Saints, who is the person looking for the light? It’s people who want to see in the dark.

Some will want the light we have, many will not. Regardless, we must be like Jesus and run into the darkness with the torch of the gospel message!

Follow Jesus. Pray to Jesus. Be like Jesus.

He is the Way, the Truth, the Life and the Light!

When the world is hostile, the Prince of Peace is compelling. Let’s be compelling!
When the world is full of lies, the Light of Truth is clarifying. Let’s be clarifying!

This is the way the holy riot: we carry the torch of love and truth into this present darkness.

The Trial

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 15:14:00 GMT

The Holy Spirit prompted me to share a bit from the entry I read today:

Essentially, Jesus turned Himself in right there.

(Imagine the stirrings in the courtroom!)

When Jesus gives them exactly what they are after; a reason to condemn Him, they attack. Viciously.

I Pen a Prayer to the LORD:

The weight of darkness
suffocates me when I feel it —
You too, LORD, until You prayed there in Gethsemane.

“Take the cup of wrath—yet not my will, Yours.”

Dear God,
Your wrath is more to be feared than theirs—
and theirs is like
cast iron on my chest.

Thank you for saving me, my Jesus.
And if I ever need to bend the knee in Gethsemane,
I know You will be my strength.
Amen.

Stand Your Ground

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 22:45:00 GMT

I’ve been gathering friends on the YouVersion Bible app to read devotions together. If you are interested in joining me, find me on there and friend request me.

It’s been a rich experience. I have shared many responses Jesus gives me on my social media feeds. The one we are in this week is on the story of Nehemiah and I’m loving how relevant it is for us.

Read Nehemiah:

Look at how God answered Nehemiah’s prayer! It reminds me of Ephesians 3:20 !

“God uses impossible circumstances to prove His faithfulness and strength to us. . . . He is the way-maker. Impossible circumstances are His proving ground. And when we are blind to the truth of what’s going on in individuals, families, and communities as a whole, we risk missing what He’s doing—and what He’s calling us to do with Him.” ~Quote from Day One: Keep Doing What Seems Impossible on YouVersion

We often think of our individual lives when looking at scripture. We draw truth from God’s word that helps us walk by faith and recover lost ground.

But the list of what God has done through His people in scripture (Moses with a staff, Joshua with a horn, David with a stone, etc) shows the power of ONE with God on behalf of a national movement!

I woke up this morning with an image in my mind:

Waldo-like people chiseling away at a stone wall of TRUTH, and it was a representation of the spiritual war.

Satan hates truth. Our nation (don’t let the history re-writers tell you otherwise) was founded on TRUTH. Our constitution is a covenantal document based on truth.

The verse God spoke with the image was 1 Timothy 3:15b … “The church of the living God, the PILLAR and FOUNDATION of TRUTH.”

As censorship increases and as I hear people say, “they are brainwashed” or “they need to be deprogrammed” — the spiritual war becomes more visible. Until 2020, we were hardly aware of it on our shores, though it’s been here all along. Ultimately, the darkness seeks to overtake the light (which is the church, the upholder of truth) BUT GOD—Jesus—we are the light, and the darkness will NOT overcome!!! It can’t!

Nehemiah's Battle:

~ Nehemiah 4:1-6

Nehemiah believed God, and STOOD his ground against all opposition. I believe Nehemiah’s success was built upon the fact that He tended the fire of his relationship with God as evidenced in his prayers.

Tending the fire of our intimacy with God and fortifying our faith is the most important pursuit of our life, always, but now more clearly than ever.

Follow me on Instagram for daily inspiration.

In A World Of Pointy Fingers

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 20:09:00 GMT

As hard as it is seeing the divisive spirits in the world, how do we manage the immediate challenges in our own lives and relationships?

Can We See Our Way Through?

The world is full of books and podcasts and social media chatter on self-care and self-help and self esteem.

What is it about the self? And why are these topics so popular and why do they seem so necessary?

The Need to Know and Care for the Self

We are people with bodies and minds and souls that need to be cared for. Within our desire and our responsibility to steward our lives and our bodies, we need knowledge. And we need the wisdom to manage it.

Where do we go for such knowledge and how do we know a source will steer us rightly?

It’s no secret, we the people are naturally self-centered. I don’t have to tell you, because you know that typically our first inclination is to run things through the filter of “how will this affect me?” or “how do I see this?”

Conversely, selflessness is a supernatural characteristic.

It might seem like a stark statement when I say that selflessness can only flow out of the love of Jesus. But it’s true. True love can only come from a vessel filled with true love. Since God is the truth and He is love , we can only truly love out of knowing we are loved by God.

I've lived long enough to see through the smokescreen of my own good intentions.

Even selfless deeds can be done from selfish motives—to puff up self. We do good things to make ourselves look good or feel good.

This is the reason Isaiah says that all our righteous deeds are as filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6

I once was considered a “good girl” but then I found out I was not. My goodness was all about manipulating my world. I’d believed the lie that being loved had everything to do with my performance and how people responded to me. It was exhausting and self-defeating to say the least and landed me in a pit of depression and anxiety.

God let me experience the fallibility of my own resources, and then He healed me.

The Many Schemes of the Self

The list goes on and on.

Those are just some of the ways we seek slaves or we succumb to slavery.

We Are Slaves And We Seek Slaves

Does that sound shocking? If you’ve ever watched a soap opera, maybe you can think through scenes and see the tendency to manipulate or fall into a doormat mentality. It’s simply the human condition without God.

When we are not trusting God, we are slave-makers and/or we are slaves who “fear man”.

“The fear of man will prove to be a snare.” ( Proverbs 29:25 )

Fear of man translates into “looking to flesh for our strength”—This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5

The curse of relying on man for our strength is that we become slaves to men. We might also make slaves of men if we exert our power over another rather than using it to serve God. (Hello, Delilah!)

The whole world has been under this curse since the beginning. There is only One Way to liberty; it is through repentance–turning away from the self and turning to Jesus.

When we turn to Him we are FREE from the curse, and enabled to set others FREE. We no longer need people to serve our whims or to curb our fears. We will no longer require people as our source of strength or validation or salvation.

You're Gonna Serve Somebody

Bob Dylan nailed it when he sang, “It may be the devil (who manipulates through flesh) or it may be the Lord (who loves through flesh) . . You’re gonna serve somebody.”

The question is, will we manipulate or love?

Who are you serving?

Discernment asks the questions: “Who am I serving?” and “Who are they serving?” —not to guilt, judge and shame, but to remain FREE.

Recently, I was assaulted with a public, slanderous accusation. It was so hurtful and alarming that sleep eluded me until I hauled myself out of bed at 1:00 am, and picked up my Bible. Reading about the temptation of Jesus enabled me to see that the devil (accuser) was using the person slandering me to seek to shut me up. The accusation leveled against me was not true, nor was it in a spirit of trust in hope of healing a breach. In the condemning words, there was no desire to understand me or ask me to understand her.

How Does A Sinful Self Withstand Another Soul's Slanderous Accusation?

Because we are forgiven by the blood of Christ, we can know that a condemning, shaming voice is not from God. It’s not that we don’t take the accusation before the Lord to see if there is any truth in it. None of us are immune from messing up. Do that. But also, don’t let false guilt eat you up. Don’t let accusation land on you who have been atoned for. Know what Jesus has done for you and who He is to you: your Redeemer and your Friend!

Once I saw the truth, I was released and could pray with mercy for my accuser. “Forgive her Father, for she knows not what she does.” I fell asleep at 3:00am then, resting in God’s mercy.

I share this with you, dear reader, because the spirit of accusation and manipulation is prevalent in our day. Idolatry and sorcery have come to be so common we may not recognize them. As Christians, our need to righty discern is imperative to our walk with the Lord.

Remaining in God’s love as we continue to walk in truth is our ultimate soul-care.

Take a Look at Galatians 5

Reading the list of the fruits of the flesh . . . enmity, strife, division . . . was like reading Twitter or watching the news! I haven’t watched the news in years due to the way it disturbs my spirit. But, I’ve been watching Twitter to “see” what’s happening in the world — and it might be time to draw that line too.

One can literally see 2 Timothy 4:3 in action—“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

The Day is Here

This might explain why walking in the Spirit required more of us in 2020 and will continue to be a challenge in 2021.

To bless and not curse. To endure slander, rather than retaliate. To do good to those who hurt us. We will not need self-care or self-help or self-esteem as much as we will need self-control over and over.

“Who will save me from this body of death; who will help me die to self?” The Lord Jesus!

We will be tested in this wilderness! But, like Job, “we will come forth as gold” because our Redeemer lives!!

Pray for one another like never before! Seek the Lord fervently, and declare His truth with thanksgiving boldly over yourself and your family.

A Word For Us Today

All The Things Matter

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 22:28:00 GMT

We reap what we sow, God says.

We plant seeds every day. Seeds of deeds and seeds of words. Seeds of thoughts and seeds of feelings.

I finished reading through the Bible again yesterday. This means I was at the end of the Old Testament (Malachi), New Testament. (Revelation), Psalms & Proverbs. One of the verses that stopped me in my tracks was Proverbs 31:27 which says,

We’d just been talking about the significance of Bread in Torah Club . What does the Psalmist mean? The “bread” of idleness. Bread is food. If one eats idleness, I suppose one becomes puffed up with idleness. More idleness will grow?

Our daily choices matter because they grow something. I think that is what it means.

Old Journal Entry

When we purchased our farm, I wanted to name it. Our former farm became Bittersweet Farm due to the vine growing on my windmill. Christy and Nathan Nockels named their homestead in Tennessee “Keepers Branch” — I love the sound of it. It is compelling. Pineview Acres is the original name I landed on, but it’s fallen flat. It feels generic. So, I went looking for the old journal from late 2018 with the forty words written with which to choose a name from. I still haven’t found my list, but this entry I read (think, notes to God) seemed appropriate to share due to our current state of affairs:

“I think I once thought that they (people who are not following God) could go on living and I would be unaffected. All seemed well–

But now I know that all the lies accumulating in the world, shutting out the light (they love darkness, they hate light) have an impact on the life of all.

When men’s minds are dark (darkened by sin and satan and self) then so is society.

Darkness and Depravity

How to Sow Seeds of Light

We have no way of knowing what we will reap from the seeds sown in 2020. Only time will tell if the darkness that has descended upon our land will continue or if the light will break in.

What can we do? How can we sow seeds of light?

Besides prayer, I believe Philippians 2:12-18 has a recipe for us for 2021:

Seeds of Light

Naming the Farm

New paragraph

Faith (in God) Overcomes Fear (of Man)

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 23:28:00 GMT

“Deliver Me O Lord, From Evil Men.”

(This is the title of Psalm 140.)

In a world riddled with sinful people, the Psalmist (King David) cries out to God to preserve him. He thanks God for being his salvation and for “covering his head in the day of battle”. ( Psalm 140:7 )

Then he prays for the Lord to serve His righteous justice: “Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, never to rise. Let not the slanderer be established in the land; let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!” ( Psalm 140:10-11 )

Finally, he declares his faith in God’s justice:

“I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence.”

( Psalm 140:12-13 )

King Saul literally hunted David for years. David understood that in this life we will inevitably suffer affliction and loss at the hands of sinful men. He also understood that in a world of injustice, waiting on God was the only way for true justice to be served. By committing himself to focusing on God, on God’s goodness, on God’s promises, and on praying, he was sustained in the waiting.

Trust Results In Surrender:

David never tried to force his will; he never sought to manipulate his way into position. He never once slandered the evil king. In fact, he was cut to the heart and repented for cutting off a corner of Saul’s robe! ( 1 Samuel 24:5 )

In 2020, on top of the affliction seeking to attack our bodies from within, we’ve experienced the rise of injustice and violence on our streets. The seeds of this chaos were planted years ago, they’ve just come to fruition in this political year.

Failure to Trust Results In Poison:

In the face of these things, the natural human response is fear. When unchecked, our fear results in “gnashing of teeth”

Slander.

Accusation.

Division.

Fighting.

Shame & Blame spew forth from the human heart, that inner chamber which is the core of us. The heart is the place the Bible says “is deceitful above all else” — and “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Or tweets, as the case may be.)

Unless the tongue is bridled by faith in God, it speaks poison. We need to be aware of this so we don’t add to the darkness of division.

Fear's Antidote:

In this year of disorder, we’ve all been witness to poisonous words. None of us are immune to its effects. The antidote to being swept up in the storm of pride and unbelief is FAITH.

Faith in God’s love and in His sovereign hand upon each of our lives is our sure hope. And faith gives us even more! Besides hope, we can have peace! And joy! And LOVE for those who’ve been overcome by fear.

We can have these fruits of faith because we have those who’ve gone before us that have been FAITHFUL. Those who’ve endured the trials of this life, who’ve suffered at the hands of sinful men have kept the faith “until” the Lord showed up with His breakthrough. (We can read about a list of them in Hebrews 11)

How’s your faith holding up? Have you been caught up in warring with words? It’s natural. We are all prone to responding from our emotions rather than faith.

We can follow David’s lead by turning to God in prayer and trusting Him to deliver us from evil men rather than trying to manipulate our circumstances with our own flawed methods.

Reflections of the Past in the Present: Advent Hope

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 17:29:00 GMT

I love discovering the reflections of the Old Testament in the New Testament— parallels —like the tree reflecting in the pond.

I’ve been noticing so many as I read through the Bible this year. In the season of Advent, I see the way the church age is reflected ... 2000 years, waiting. Waiting for the virgin birth then, as we wait for the King to come again in all His glory & majesty.

We can be so encouraged as we see signs emerging, and with more clarity!

This is the first time there is an entire global contraction.

For mothers who've birthed babies, who've heard Jesus say it will be “like birth pains” (Matthew 24:8,) we recognize the “start of the end” when the intensity ramps up, the pain increases, the timing becomes more rapid. Jesus is coming!

HOPE!

“Look for His coming!”! “He’s coming in the clouds!”

As we see the Day approaching, we will need each other more. We will need to encourage ourselves in the Lord. We will need to have firm faith. And actually, these are the things we’ve been needing since our new birth! He has proven faithful. He will be Emmanuel to the end . . . which will be the New Beginning for us!

I love this paragraph from a YouVersion devo:

“To hope in God is to be patient with God. It is believing all the facts are not yet in. It is believing the story isn’t done being written. It is believing there is something still yet to be revealed or uncovered. It is believing that, despite the waiting, there will be a child born, who is “true God of true God, Light from Light eternal.””

His story isn’t done being written. Your story isn’t done being written! The beautiful thing about our journey with God is that we are promised it is going to be SO GOOD! (Romans 8:28) This promise alone serves us rich HOPE in whatever we are walking through here.

The Author is still holding the pen!

My prayer for us and our children and our grandchildren: That we’d have such a vision of Jesus and such a knowledge of His LOVE for us that we’d be FULL of faith and joy in Him.

Vision of Jesus; knowledge of His love, and faith in His promises . . . these are the things that lift us into the faith zone, enabling us to release our grip on our lives here.

May we be so expectant, so excited about our lives in Him eternally, that we hold loosely to temporal things. Living light here will embolden us, infusing courage and conviction into our souls, making us rock-solid like the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us.

HOPE in the Lord and renew your strength. May we be ready and watching.

The King is Coming!

To Be Truly Free

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 21:14:00 GMT

I was in my 40’s the day I stepped into Target and saw the racks of bikinis, colorful threads dangling. A familiar feeling of inferiority — a teenage pang rose up. Mom and Dad didn’t approve of bikinis, but I bought them anyway.

I never felt comfortable in one though. I always felt fat.

My friend Holly, still slender and beautiful in her 40’s told me one day, “Fat is not a feeling.”

I’m still thinking on that. Because I feel it.

But, I digress.

That day in Target when I saw the racks of strings, I felt all the fat I knew I’d see in the dressing room mirror. And then I heard the Familiar Voice break in, “You have the freedom to say ‘no’.”

I stopped feeling it.

Yes. Looking good in a bikini does not define me. That is an “old way of thinking that I have been set free from.”

I was instantly relieved from any thoughts of bikinis as I went about my shopping — I probably bought a Hershey bar that day.

Whatever.

I’m not sure the reason my conversation with Holy Spirit in Target so vividly sticks with me. But I’ve quoted Him many times since, to myself and to others as I encourage freedom.

“You’re free to say no.”

And what was I freed from? What do we all need to be free of?

The world’s opinions. The ways of the world which are often in direct opposition to the ways of God.

So, we take our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. We offer our bodies — not as trophies of our accomplishments (or hate them for our failures)– but as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God as an act of worship! ( 2 Corinthians 10:5 ; Romans 12:1-2 )

My mentor gave me a tract back in the days when I most desperately needed freedom from my old ways of thinking. Maybe you’ll be set free too.

“Others May . . . You Cannot”

“If God has called you to be really like Jesus he will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians, and in many ways he will seem to let other people do things which he will not let you do.

Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it, and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their successes, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, he will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because he wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon him, that he may have the privilege of supplying you needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden in obscurity, because he wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for his coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep you small. He may let others do a work for him and get the credit for it, but he will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then make your work still more precious, he may let others get credit for the work which you have done, and thus make your reward ten times greater when Jesus comes.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time, which other Christians never feel distressed over. So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do as he pleases with his own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in his dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell yourself to be his love slave, he will wrap you up in a jealous love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.

Settle it forever then, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit , and that he is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that he does not seem to use with others. Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management the Holy Spirit over your life , you will have found the vestibule of Heaven.”

So, your battle with your old worldly way of thinking might not be as vain as mine was that day, but the encouragement in the tract is YOU ARE FREE TO LIVE FREE in following the voice of your Savior.

Do you know how special you are to Him? Do you know His voice?

Divine Conversations: An Excerpt

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:30:00 GMT

And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.

Genesis 32:24-25

“The degree of blessing enjoyed by any man will correspond exactly with the completeness of God's victory over him.”

“God conquered Jacob by weakening him.”

Warren Wiersbe (Be Authentic)

How Does God Remake Us?

I Am Weak

Unreasonable fears marked my childhood. If I were to name them, the primary two would be “Fear of Rejection” and “Fear of Authority” – I especially feared making my dad angry.

It seemed that rejection was a continual part of my life. I just dealt with its daggers as they pierced, often telling people what I thought — in my mind — but never, ever with my lips.

Somehow, my method of inner self-justification pacified the often-felt sting to my heart. But, it left me with a lot of baggage as an adult.

I enjoyed a reprieve from painful feelings of rejection by my peers during the school day after stepping off of the bus. Although I was accepted and loved at home, even there, I spent much effort on avoiding disappointing my dad.

Part of my fear stemmed from watching him get angry with others. Like so many people, in impatient moments, he’d utter words of disapproval. When he would rebuke my little sister, my heart hurt. My empathy caused me to wince as if I were the one being rebuked. I was hypersensitive.

Dad often told his friends, “I never have to spank Bean; she’ll start to cry if I even look like I might.”

Though you can sense his fondness for me by the use of the nickname, and I knew he loved me beyond a shadow of a doubt, I still feared his disapproval.

Over the years, I learned to “read” my dad in order to please him. I liked to feel his favor. Don’t tell my siblings, but I might have even believed I was his favorite. Seeking that position caused me to give up many things as a child. I’d prefer to work for my dad, because it made him happy. When Dad was happy, I was happy.

However, being so involved in working for my dad kept me from having a life outside of my occupation as a ‘farmer’s daughter’. This only fueled the feelings of rejection I endured while I was at school. I sought to improve myself in order to figure out how to be loved and accepted. I often studied the popular girls to try to figure out their secret.

Striving marked my growing up years.

I learned the art of self-preservation. As firstborn, “Be Responsible” was the sign most often marking my path.

When I began my relationship with Jesus, I understood His grace, but I still struggled with condemnation when I’d sin. About ten years in, during a very stressful season, I felt rejected by Him. Rather than trusting in His love, I began to strive to please Him just as I had in my childhood with my earthly father.

Because I was trying to please God in my own strength, I landed in a pit of anxiety and depression. As the word “pit” suggests, it was a scary, dark place. And I wasn’t the only one who was afraid of it. The closest people in my life were scared too. They understandably wanted me to just get over what I was going through. But the pressure I felt to get better actually made things worse.

Shame Is A Barrier To Intimacy

It was as if shame and condemnation had a noose around my neck. I was overtaken by my greatest fears; I felt rejected and alone; I could barely breathe.

It took several years of relentlessly pursuing God for my healing. Eventually, I found rest and joy in Jesus’ love.

Through renewing my mind in His word, having a mentor pray with me weekly, and holding on for dear life to God’s promises, I was lifted out of the pit.

Looking back, it’s as if the Lord gave me over to what I was prone to rely on (myself) in order for me to experience His unconditional love and power. Only He could deliver me from the lies that strangled me.

Just as we will read in the story of Jacob’s life, God knew exactly what I needed to overcome what bound me.

Beauty From Ashes

Several years later, I was walking with a friend as she sought Jesus to deliver her out of her own pit. One day after meeting with her, I got in my car and with astonishment, tears of thanksgiving spilled over as I told the Lord, “Thank you that I went through that!”

Because I knew my experience had enabled me to effectively minister to her as she gained victory over the darkness.

To read about Jacob’s story and dig in deeper to God’s ways of shaping YOU, grab a copy of Divine Conversations on Amazon or purchase it right here on my shop tab!

So, You Want To Lead A Bible Study?

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 16:55:00 GMT

A Leader Training Course !!

Hi friends! I’m coming to you to OFFER an opportunity.

For anyone who has ever had a nudge from the Lord to lead a Bible study but didn’t feel qualified . . . or maybe lacked the confidence . . . or maybe you are leading, but would love to have ongoing encouragement and prayer.

Fostering Divine Conversations Leadership Training might be just what you need!

Maybe you already know that I wrote a Bible study . Actually, I wrote two and I have another one in the works.

But my second title, Divine CONVERSATIONS is UP on Amazon (and here on my blog ^ see SHOP tab) for purchasing!

A bit about me:

I began leading Bible studies when I was 27. I’d been a believer in Jesus for a few years and was plugged into a weekly Bible study. When our leader left, I was asked to step in. The first study I led was on Spiritual warfare. I jumped in the deep end right away.

I have led a large variety of studies over the course of the last 28 years. I’ve walked with women through non-fiction books by authors like Susie Larson, Sheila Walsh, and Jennie Allen. I also led studies through Bible study books with fill-in-the-blanks by authors like Cynthia Heald, Beth Moore, and Priscilla Shirer.

As a Sunday school teacher, I taught inductive studies–through a Psalm or chapter or a book of the Bible.

I discovered that leading Bible study has less to do with how much you know, and more to do with your hunger to learn as well as having a heart for women (or youth as the case may be!)

I love mentoring one-on-one as well, and have found that to be very fruitful and satisfying.

So, wherever you fall on the spectrum of leading, I would love to walk alongside you and encourage you in this sweet adventure with Jesus!

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED

I’m offering four hour-long group zoom classes during the month of August. If you are interested, leave me a comment and I’ll email you all the information!

I hope to hear from you!!

A Song In The Storm

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:55:00 GMT

Hello friends!

I hope you and your family are well as we wait.

I’m popping here in the blog to share a “song” with you.

I have the joy of mentoring my pastor’s 15 year old daughter. We were studying Jonah. I challenged her (and I) to write a “song” as Jonah did in chapter 2.

Hers was beautiful, of course!

The Lord compelled me to share mine on our church Facebook Page where I am posting daily prayers.

I’d had a rough day the week prior to writing it — many hard things had come in one day. I felt the familiar choke-hold of anxiety squeezing out my joy and peace.

My Song From The Difficult Day:

In my distress I cried to the Lord, save me from carrying the weight of others and from fearing the unknown. Help me cast all of my burdens on You who alone can carry them.

Remind me again that You are in control. Enable me to guard my heart from fear as I listen to and care for people. My faith in You will shield my heart.

I am a woman of faith. I will look to You for my help and strength. All my hope is in You.

Lead us all through this, O Lord. Make us conformed to You. Help us discern Your will and walk confidently in You.

Level the mountains of pride in our land and raise up the valleys of unbelief. Smooth out the rough places of dissension, bring repentance. Make straight a highway for You to bring salvation and reveal Your glory.

Show Yourself strong on behalf of Your people. May many turn to You in their fear and be saved.

I know I will see Your goodness in the land of the living. I remember the way you protected Israel in the desert and I remember the way You’ve kept me and my family.

You kept us from drowning in debt, from trees falling on/near our house and missing our kid’s bedrooms — twice. You’ve held us steady in a multitude of life’s storms that would otherwise have taken us down. You’ve kept our faith in tact as we walked through loss, stood graveside, surrendered things on this earth.

If I cling to the reports of men, I will drown in the sea of unknowns. But when I lift my face to the Hills and recall to mind Your Sovereign Right Hand is holding mine, I rest and trust.

I know the waters will not sweep over me, and the fire will not burn me, for You are with me — Many will see and fear and put their trust in You.

You are the Rock of Ages, You hide me so no evil will befall me, no disaster will come near my house. I will say, “Salvation comes from the Lord.” Amen.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

( 1 Peter 5:7 ; Ephesians 6: 16 ; Romans 12:1-2 ; Isaiah 40: 3-5 ; 2 Chronicles 16:9 ; Psalm 27:13 ; Isaiah 41:13 , 43:2-3 ; Psalm 91:10 ; Jonah 2)

For More Good Stuff:

If you are interested in reading through my prayers, you can go to our Church Page and find the photos. Click on them, and hit the arrow to move along from day to day.

For a really well delivered and encouraging message by Dr. David Jeremiah about where God is in the COVID-19 season.

If you want some good ZOOM call tips , I am loving watching Dominique Sachse. (She has great make-up and nutrition videos too!)

My friend Wendie Pett has great nutrition and workout videos for those who aren’t into weights or running.

How To Have Victory When What You Feel Is Angst

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 18:31:00 GMT

I’ve got fifty-five years worth of life’s buffeting and blessings. That’s enough life to enable me to see more clearly — even as my physical eyes dim.

By grabbing hold of the bigger-picture story, we can view things through the wider lens. Looking at life from God’s perspective lends to our victory.

Dear Lord, help me see as You see. God’s throne room is the place we seek to live from; a position of wisdom and peace.

But sometimes I can't see clearly.

Battles get blurry. Sometimes . . . I get weary and worn and want to run. In those times, I’d fly wildly to Heaven if I had wings.

When I feel overlooked or forgotten, criticized or rebuked, when I’m facing my own failure or the occasional day when I feel like the sky is literally falling . . . it’s in those times that my eyes seem to acquire scales.

We take turns being blind, don’t we?

I’ve noticed this in my marriage. When I’m floundering, he’s strong. When he needs encouragement, I seem to be ready to give it. Thankfully we don’t go in the dumps together often.

I’ve noticed it outside of marriage too. I encourage and pray for people when they are down. But soon after, I find I need prayer and encouragement from my people.

We can’t soldier alone.

In our first online sermon due to CV-19, Pastor addressed our need to be together. He talked about how we often don’t know what we’ve got ’till it’s gone. (Isn’t that true?! Are you feeling lonely yet?)

In the case of our current quarantine, we need to pray our restriction on meeting together is very temporary. Please, Lord!

Pastor read from Romans 1:11-12 :

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

And Holy Spirit reminded me of Hebrews 10:23-25 :

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Feeling forgotten is part of the human experience.

It’s true that though we are mindful and reach out when we are stirred, we simply cannot be for others what we’d like to be.

Conversely, in our God-designed need for one another, we shouldn’t expect people to completely satisfy the void we feel.

We help each other a lot, but can never take the place of God.

So, this season, as much as we seek to make the most of it — and HATS OFF to those who are sharing their songs , dances , and art online — I LOVE your brave efforts SO much!! — we are going to feel lonely sometimes.

And I want to encourage both of us with what I learned during our painful uprootings:

It is in this aching, longing, and angst within our hearts that God comes in with his comfort, hope, and peace. He proves Himself to us in the perhaps customized cycle of need, prayer, rescue, and relief. He helps us know Him as the One who loves and redeems and rescues us.

He builds our faith, worth more than gold.

The angst keeps us clinging to Him, forcing us to hold to hope, cling to His promises, and practice fixing our eyes on the Day of His return. John 14:2-3

What to do when you feel lonely:

You'll kick angst to the curb when you know you are a present.

Intertwined

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 17:45:00 GMT

Our worlds tied,
When swollen round.

Her blues met mine,
Life, unbound.

I quiet rocked,
Tender song.

She learned step,
Toddle ’round.

Words took form,
We see letters.

Then her art
All tied together.

Here’s my story —
See my book.

Sketch and rhyme,
Hold me, good.

Odd felt Maple
Among the trees.

Which leaf is mine?
Do I touch bees?

I watch them sting,
Her sap emerged.

Bark showed signs
I knew not where.

They pierced core,
A root dark, sore.

I watched,
She bloomed
Despite the scar

She rose
Broke through
Now near, not far.

Uproot and plant,
Nourishment.

Bees through bark,
New tree in heart.

Her wound,
A friend.

When Christ
Did mend.

I became overwhelmed with thanksgiving for my daughter. She lives Christ and allows me to freely tell her story.

If you read my story about her new freedom , I want you to know that when I asked her permission before posting, she replied with a hearty, “YES”

Kayla, I love you so. I am so grateful for you and the way God has tied us together to tell of His wonders and make His deeds known among the nations.

Faith Is Shown By Works And It's Never Too Late To Activate

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 11:33:00 GMT

God rewards the faithful. Hebrews 11:6

How does one become full of faith?

How did you come to trust the people in your life that you depend on? Is your trust in your father or in your mother due to what they say or more by the things they’ve done? Has your spouse’s actions proven love to you? His faithfulness?

And you? Are you trustworthy? Do your actions match your words?

To truly walk by faith, you must move on what you know. Knowledge doesn’t necessarily elicit movement in the right direction. I can know and believe that God answers prayer according to His will, but if I don’t pray, nothing will happen. I can know that His will is for all my family to walk by faith, but if I don’t act on my knowledge, pray and share the truth with them, my faith is dead.

Faith without works is dead. James 2:17

There are many promises in the Bible that give us assurance of victory in life. We might have heard the hymn, Standing on the Promises , we might gather all the promises and pray them fervently, but if we are not acting in accordance with them, we have a lopsided faith and will likely hinder the fruitfulness of our prayers.

Certainly God answers prayers and restores what the locusts have eaten. Those are promises we CAN stand on found in Matthew 7:7 & Joel 2:25. But if prayers go unanswered and the locusts have stolen from us, it’s good to discern if there might be a reason.

What if unanswered prayer is due to our past failure to act on our faith ?

Perhaps we have prodigal sons and daughters.

Before I go further with this example, I want to state that our faith, though often related to the faith of our parents, it is not dependent on our parents.

Anyone at any time can turn to the Lord and be saved.

God does redeem and restore and heal and bless us and our children when we follow him.

However, if we who were saved before having children have prayed for our children, but have failed to act on our faith, we might be seeing our children wandering from the faith. We might wonder, “Where in the world is God and why isn’t He answering our prayers?”

(If you came to faith after your children are raised, your prayers plus active faith will be greatly rewarded by God! Hold on tight!)

Questions for parents in the Lord longing for their children to return to Him

When you brought up your children, did you read and heed Deuteronomy 6:4-9? Did you teach your children God’s word while you were together in your home? Did you talk about His ways while you were driving down the road? Did you write His words around your house so they knew the importance of them? Did you live a life centered on His word? Did you pray with your children?

If the answer to those questions is yes, praise God, keep praying His promises and acting on His prompting. You will see God’s faithfulness!

If for some reason — perhaps ignorance or marital issues distracted you or illness hijacked your consistency — upon seeing you were negligent of impressing God’s ways into your children, please don’t feel discouraged!

The object of this post is to encourage you to grab God’s hand now and from here pursue victory!

Nothing is ever beyond redemption! But if you have failed, it’s important to know where, and name it so you can start acting on what you believe.

Failure to look at the ways you've failed would allow the same pattern to persist.

If you fail to see and acknowledge your areas of weakness, you’ll likely see no change. You’d still be praying and trusting but failing to do anything.

Wait! You might think, my children are adults, and I don’t have parental power or authority over them any longer.

False! If you identify an area of failure or weakness in your formative parenting, you can go to your children and tell them the ways you failed and ask their forgiveness. Even if they are not receptive to your apology, you’ve spoken the truth and broken off any foothold the enemy had through your failure.

Next, ask the Lord to help you identify any areas you have neglected during their adult years and do the same. Have you looked lightly on their sin because you are hinging your hope of their salvation on your prayers alone?

When adult children hear the truth; your words of truth and love will bring a cog to the gears that have allowed them to persist in their current way of thinking.

Confession is a catalyst to change.

God redeemed my parenting failure.

My daughter was recently set free from something that had rooted in her heart during her teen years (she’s 30). This liberation was God’s work, but I found myself actively participating as her mom. It was an intense week before Thanksgiving. On top of being sick with a bad respiratory bug, I was awake for hours during the night, praying.

God knew exactly what had happened in her past and what continued to steal freedom and joy from her and those close to her. I’d sensed a deep need for inner healing when she’d be deeply wounded by things that could otherwise be easily dealt with, but felt monumental to her.

I’ll never forget the 4:00 wake-up on a November Tuesday that compelled me to drive to church and cry out for the freedom for my daughter. The word “bitter root” came to mind that morning from Hebrews 12:15. After praying, I knew God wanted me to go to her house. It was there that I learned of words that had been spit in her face by bullies during her high school years. Words that implanted in her heart. As they sank in, she felt responsible for the things she was accused of, even though they weren’t true.

She admitted to looking at herself in the mirror with loathing. In tears, I held her face in my hands and told her the truth. “You are God’s masterpiece, a beautiful creation, and those words spoken about you were not from God but from Satan, the accuser of God’s people.”

When we know the truth, the truth sets us free. John 8:32

Two days later, I woke again — at 3am — with the words reverberating in my head, “The stupidest thing I ever did as a mother was take my daughter on a mission trip with the boy who abused her.”

I typed an email to my daughter that morning. It stated that the boyfriend issues which caused so much friction in her heart, in our lives, and spilled out on the mission trip were due to “abuse.” My husband and I had seen a little bit of it, but she told me so much more on Tuesday.

Naming it "abuse" set us both free to see everything clearly.

I suddenly understood my failure to act wisely in several areas. I repented of those mistakes to the Lord, and then called my daughter to ask her forgiveness.

Two days later, after combing through details together and having God reveal lies, her number rang into my phone. I picked up and upon hearing heavy sobs I cried, “What’s wrong, Honey?!”

I’m holding my breath waiting while she catches hers.

“NOTHING!! The anger is gone!!” She proceeded to tell me of the areas where anger would normally grip her. There is now a notable absence of anger.

This new freedom set in motion restoration of every relationship that had become strained due to the unhealed place in her soul.

God ties it together, reminding me He is working it all for good.

At one point in her life when I wanted to hold on too tightly to her, to protect her, God gave me Psalm 126:6. It was a comfort, but also a mystery to me regarding what He meant. She did not know this when God gave the same verse to her. When she told me, we rejoiced because we can both see that she is already sowing seeds into young girls. Her work in youth group is bearing fruit out of the understanding gleaned through the painful wounds she endured.

With God, all things are possible. Matthew 19:26

The Ministry Of Availability

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 03:41:00 GMT

Intentions Don't Mean Productivity.

I intended to write a series on anxiety many months ago. I wrote three posts.

I intended to blog regularly this year. It’s the end of February; this is post number two.

I intended to . . . do. so. many. things.

Yet they go undone; time marches on.

Life happens. Needs arise. Illness imposes. (My hubby was overcome with the flu while I was away in Arizona. This meant I needed to wash bedding and disinfect all the things — on top of catching up from being gone for five days.)

Are Plans Hijacked Or Simply Rerouted?

I receive a text: “Are you available?” Someone dear to me needs encouragement . . . and prayer.

I’m available.

I remind her of God’s promises. I pray His will with her. I speak truth that sets her free.

Her spirit lifts. (Is anything more valuable than giving light to one being swallowed by the dark?)

After spoken words, I hear joy . Her heart’s silent-release saying, “I’m not alone in all this pain.”

Before hanging up, I also hear an ache, “Everyone is so busy.”

What I think I hear is, “I want people to have more time for me.”

Or maybe, “I feel bad needing you.”

I ache too.

I want to do more . But . . . I know . . .

“God is with her,” I reassure myself. (God is God and I am not. Only He can be what she needs.)

Empty Nest Is Not Synonomys With Freedom -- Or Is It?

I remember something I said many times, “I have the ministry of availability.”

Words might be unwritten. Hashtag: #blogfail . . . but they are not unspoken in prayer with one precious soul feeling overwhelmed by the darkness closing in on her life.

Have I lifted a soul to Jesus today?

Have I refreshed a discouraged heart?

Have I offered a dish of hope for one hungry?

The Power Of Loving One

I will not regret my failed intentions. No. My times are in His hands. I am His.

My words may not land here in print as often or as beautifully as I’d hope . . .

but I know I’ve spoken words that have been a torch for one seeking her way through the darkness.

And when her torch is lit, where might she take the light?

A New Year, Book News, & A New Word

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 22:41:00 GMT

The wildlife of being a Schwanke has hijacked my writing time in 2019. At least my blog-writing time. You might be waiting for a next post in my “Kicking Anxiety” series . . . The first few flowed, and then I began to prepare for Christmas and all my plans went wonky. If you missed them, you can click here to read the first , second , and third posts. I hope to add several more in 2020.

The sled in the background was my Christmas present from my very thoughtful husband. <3

Today, I wanted to jump in and say HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Thank you for being a reader of my blog, and an encourager of my writing. ��

I also wanted to fill you in a bit on my life and work, and encourage your new year’s plan!

First, my writing news:

I had the honor of writing a chapter for a book last spring. “ Sister Walk In Truth ” (My chapter is ”Learn To Discern”)

And I have two chapters in a new book that is available TODAY! “ Walk By The Spirit ” (My chapters are on Prayer and Hearing God) I hope you’ll check those out.

I’m also doing a giveaway today, so read on!

Apparently God has called me to write about walking!

It just occurred to me as I wrote the titles that both books are aimed to encourage you on your walk with God.

This is sweet considering that on the other side of the anxiety pit, I remember sitting at my kitchen table, Bible opened, and talking with the Lord when suddenly a fear gripped me. The thought, “What if I fall back?!!” The idea weighed on my heart. Almost as quickly as the Voice came, “Kathy, just keep holding my Hand.”

And I knew that if I kept meeting with Jesus in the morning and reading His word, that He’d see to my freedom.

I knew how a good daddy wanted to provide and guide his children. His words to me gave me rest in the moment. They also imparted to me a gift of dedication to our daily meeting. As a result, this will be the twentieth year of reading through the Bible in a year.

Did you also know that many have declared the year 2020 as “ The Year of the Bible ”?

Will You Commit to Reading The Bible in 2020?

Yes, I’d love for you to buy books about walking with God! (BTW: my contribution to the book above is pro-bono, my work donated to the mission they support) But what we all really need is to know God through His word.

Obviously you don’t have to read the entire Bible in a year, but will you make a plan to do something every day? There are many options online. You can go to YouVersion to find one. I’ve used a One Year Bible most years (I LOVE this one !) but last year and this year, I’m using a journaling Bible so I can write notes in the margins. I plan on giving one to each of my grandchildren on their 13th birthday! So, I have printed off my reading plan .

The Way I Do It

Every morning, I sit and journal a bit (write a letter of thanks for yesterday’s goodness and pen any concerns I have) Then I write the day’s four reading entries in my journal. (I write in my Bible and in my journal) I write what I’m seeing or hear God saying in the margins of the Bible. Often I will write a prayer about what I’m reading. In my journal, I write one thought or prayer that summarizes the words I read.

This enables me to interact with the Lord, and hear Him speak to me.

I do not choose a word for the year, God gives it to me. I wanted to show you how He came to give me my word for this year.

I started praying about it. Kayla (my daughter) had been given the word, “rest” and I wanted that one too. (Who wouldn’t!?) So, I wrote it down. I kept praying and looking daily for the last week and a half of 2019.

The first word I wrote was “Blessed” but quickly brushed past it because who wouldn’t want that word either? And I went on, writing down or noting words that came across my radar: Revelation . . . Clarity . . . (You know, for 20/20!)

I wrote in my journal 12-30-19 “Lord, reveal to me your word for me. Open my eyes to Your will.”

Later, I put a word in the search bar of my blog, and ended up reading the ones that came up: The Immeasurable Value of Prayer ; Prayer and How to Hear From God ; and finally, How To Be Blessed.

There was that word I started with: Blessed. So, I read that post, and took note of the definition of Blessed:

The dictionary tells us that being blessed means to be consecrated, sacred, holy, divinely or supremely favored, blissfully happy or contented.

A bit later that morning, I was reading in one of my favorite Advent devotionals: Preparing For Jesus, and on the 6th Day of Christmas, I read:

And there it was again: BLESSED — and it tied in the other two words I had jotted down! “Revelation” and “Clarity” The spark came when I read the verse: “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see.” Luke 10:23

The day prior, I had been doing some research on the reason Levi’s tribe had been chosen by God to be the priests, because I knew it had to do with their to loyalty to God when the golden calf was created — it was a fierce loyalty that went all the way to turning against their own brothers. That kind of love for God doesn’t take into account our natural feelings, it doesn’t prioritize our feelings over obedience.

And I began to see more how we as believers in Jesus (we are all priests 1 Peter 2:9 ) are given the first commandment FIRST: “to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength” . . . and be willing to turn away from anything that would turn us away from Him. (See Matthew 22:36-38 and Luke 14:26-27 )

The reason I was looking into this is because I sense many people are prioritizing people’s feelings over obedience to God’s word. (And I am feeling compelled to write more about this in the coming days . . . Would love your thoughts on this too!)

Since I am BLESSED to have written parts of His story from my life in those two books, I want to give two sets of them away. (Two winners will each receive a copy of BOTH books!)

I don’t have physical copies yet of Walk By The Spirit, but will ship it to the winners as soon as I get my hands on it.

1. Comment on this post.

2. Share it on one of your social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or email) and then let me know by tagging me on your post (or if you email, copy me on it schwankekathy@gmail.com

I will put your name in the drawing each time you share, and I will pick the winners out of a hat one week from today: January 8th! (Please send a separate comment here with your email address — which I will not publish — so I can contact you for your mailing address!)

Kicking Anxiety: Anxiety Is Rooted In Shame & The Truth Will Set You Free

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 00:39:00 GMT

I mean, I tell the stories of how I sewed “fig leaves” to cover my shame just like Eve did. Though it wasn’t actually leaves — I sewed and sewed and sewed a “costume” to cover the shame I always felt inside.

On my first day of first grade I encountered rejection by a little girl. Her hair was blonde like mine. I wanted her to be my friend. Miss Grossman had greeted me at the door and told me I could sit anywhere.

I eyed my open seat.

My eyes landed on her — remembering what mama had said to dispel the possible separation anxiety I might feel, “You’ll meet new friends.” So, when I saw her, I just knew she was going to be my friend.

Not long after sitting down, another little girl walked over and stood by us. My new friend turned around and asked me to move so her “other” friend could sit in my spot.

I said, “no.” (Because I already had plans for this friendship!)

But over time I realized that she was not going to be my friend unless I moved.

So I did.

And then she was nice to me.

And I learned that to have friends, I needed to do what people wanted me to do.

I started sewing.

And my fig leaves looked a lot like “People pleasing” . . . And “performance” . . . And “perfectionism.”

I sewed and I sewed and I sewed. I felt rejection often — felt left out. So I tried hard to find out what might make people love me. I sewed some more.

Never once in my five or six or seven or eight year old mind did I attribute my challenge to have friends with my lack of time or the distance of my country living life.

I was a firstborn. Of necessity, a hard-working farm-girl. I didn’t get to play after school, I had to do chores. I didn’t get to participate in sports or watch 7:00 TV or hang out at friend’s houses.

I went home after school. I had my short date with Gilligan on his Island, and with the Brady Bunch of kids before heading out to the barn. There, I fed the cows with my sisters, and scraped their poop into the gutter. I sprinkled ground up lime-rock on the barn floor so that after supper when we milked the cows, the barn floors would be clean.

Childish Reasoning

It wasn’t until I was 35 and deep in the pit of anxiety that my mind was drawn back to my early years. I needed to find out where I had gone wrong.

I can only attribute the jarring of the memory and it’s significance to the Holy Spirit — The scene came flooding back and I knew it held some key to understanding the thinking that had landed me in the doctor’s office that year.

I told him the story and he looked at me as if I were more than confused. (Adding to my shame.)

I’d lost 25 lbs from not sleeping, and had finally given in to the pleas of others to go to the doctor. Even though I knew he couldn’t fix me

He read my fear of meds and I left with a prescription for the smallest dose, 50mg of Zoloft. Up until that day, I was convinced God would reject me if I took drugs. But I was desperate.

I went to a counselor a week or two later. But when he told me he couldn’t’ fix me overnight (as if I was asking him to) I felt more shamed and never returned.

I read my Bible sometimes for three hours before starting my day. I was so desperate for an answer and I knew Who had it.

I also read parenting books to figure myself out. I read the book “ Hide or Seek ” by Dr. Dobson — and I learned about myself.

I read “ Captivating ” by Staci Eldridge and learned about what God thought of me.

I re-read “ The Confident Woman, Knowing Who You Are In Christ ” by Anabele Gilham and learned how I put the cart before the horse and relied on unreliable things.

Over the course of time, I came to understand that I’d fallen into the pit of anxiety because I was spinning myself crazy to be perfect and please people and perform for love.

I was sewing fig leaves to cover my shame and sewed myself into a ditch.

Instead of allowing the love of God to fill and cover me, I’d been seeking to make myself lovable — and I toppled into a pile of dust.

That is what happens to leaves when you pluck them from the tree. They disintegrate and you have to keep plucking leaves and keep sewing and sewing and sewing.

It’s really exhausting.

The Effect Of Thoughts

Thoughts are powerful. When I think I am in(fear)ior, I feel fear. When I feel fear, my body responds. You know, in case I need to run from someone who wants to kill me.

But when sewing fig-leaves for love, it’s not that someone is out to kill me, it’s that someone might reject me and prove my shame to be true. To let it have the last word.

I felt it in my bones — I was lacking whatever others had that made them lovable.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that the entire human race is born in the same condition as me — feeling lack — experiencing shame — needing a covering.

Because only our Daddy can fix our shame.

When Adam and Eve believed the serpent, they severed connection to the One True Love.

God is holy. When sin came, so did shame. Only holy can be united with holy. He needed to have a rescue plan. He killed the first animal to give them a covering that wouldn’t disintegrate. The covering that held up enabling them to rest from sewing was provided by their Daddy.

Enter Jesus' Perfect Love

Perfect love drives out fear. The one who fears is not made perfect in love — 1 John 4:18 tells me that. How do I get the perfect love? I want to be free of fear!

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

Believe — Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Believe the truth of His love and you will be set free. I know these words. How do I get them? ( Acts 16:31 ; John 8:32 )

When I feared falling back, I cried out to Him, “Help!”

He replied, “Kathy, just keep holding my hand.”

I knew He meant keep meeting me and reading my word. “Abide in Me” — I am the Living Word, the Bread of Life, eat and be satisfied in My love.

True to His promise, His love has set me free from shame.

He — HE — is the Perfect one. He is the Lamb of God who takes away my sin and the sin of the world.

He took my unbelief and my sin of self-reliance — my propensity to sew fig leaves to cover myself instead of turning to Him for the once-for-all covering.

He will do whatever it takes to free His children. He is and He always will be my Savior and my God.

When I am afraid, I will trust in Him. Psalm 56:3

This is the third post in a series I'm writing on Kicking Anxiety.

Click here for the first post.

Click here for the second post.

Kicking Anxiety: You Need The Lord

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 16:35:00 GMT

I have to start out this series with this caveat: To kick anxiety, you need the Lord.

He says it in John 15:5 “Without Me you can do nothing.”

Only the Lord can get to the recesses of our souls, and help us replace lies with truth. John 8:32 Only He can lead us to the right kind of help — whether it is medical treatment for the physical part of healing, counseling for the emotional part, or digging into His word with a prayer partner to fortify our life in the Spirit.

I took Zoloft for a year*. I tried a counselor, but felt shamed by him, so I turned to the Wonderful Counselor and banked on His perfect love, dug into His word, and met weekly with a praying mentor.

Weeds have roots.

We are all on a quest to be loved. Our struggle with anxiety is rooted in the reasonings and methods developed in childhood to cover our shame. [It is only LOVE that relieves our sense of shame.]

My anxiety was rooted in irrational belief that if I performed perfectly, people would love me.

As a child, I was acutely aware of shame. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but even though I was very loved by my parents, I felt unworthy of love.

I lived my childhood seeking to understand how to act in such a way as to earn or keep favor or love. I equated love with human approval.

I studied my father so I wouldn’t upset him; I so feared his disapproval. I studied girls in school, to try to figure out how to earn their friendship.

I was my own idol — I relied on my performance rather than trusting God loved me.

Friends were my idols — I craved their approval and allowed their opinions to define me.

I didn’t uncover these vices until I fell into the pit. Then it became imperative to get to the root of my illness before it strangled the life out of me.

(I will talk about fear of man in contrast to fear of the Lord in a future post. It’s very important.)

God placed within us a desire for love.

Back in the garden, when our mother Eve forsook trust in our good God resulting in disobedience to Him, she was broken off, just as He had warned Adam. Genesis 2:16

Adam followed Eve in disobedience and the whole human race became broken. Broken from fellowship with God — because sin separates us from God who is holy — sin made us incomplete.

It was like we lost our skin. We come with our souls bare, missing the layer that protects from the elements.

Flesh burns when it has no skin.

If you know the story, with sin came shame. Adam and Eve hid from God and covered themselves with whatever they could find. That is still what we do. We “cover” ourselves with things that we keep having to sew over and over and over . . . Until one day, the repetitive process causes a break-down and need for repairs.

With repetitive action with our hands, we get carpal tunnel. With repetitive use of the knee, we get knee replacements. With repetitive anxious thoughts, we wear down our serotonin supply as we tax our adrenal system and we get the dizzy feeling, dry mouth, shortness of breath and the general urge to flee from an invisible bear whose growling we alone can hear.

So, we are all broken (broken off from our union with God) and we wear ourselves out trying to cover our incompleteness because nothing really works apart from reconciliation with God.

[This applies to any vice — not only self-reliance, but anger, manipulation, alcoholism, chronic lying, sexual immorality, etc — all are different types of “fig-leaves”]

God wants you and He wants you to want Him.

God, who is perfectly just could not simply overlook sin. (Don’t you hate it when there’s no acknowledgement or reparation when you’ve been wounded, misunderstood, or betrayed? Justice is GOOD.) But He loved the people He made for Himself so much that He devised a plan for restoration.

Sacrificing His Son, He satisfied His wrath against the injustice of our rebellion. Hebrews 9:22

In order to be reconciled to God, Jesus had to die in our place to satisfy the righteous wrath of God. Isaiah 53:5

It is only through repenting of our sin (agreeing with God that we rely on our own methods — and seek restoration without Him) that we turn to Jesus for forgiveness. Then He covers us with His own blood, and sticks His skin on us forever. Mark 1:15

The One who loves perfectly is the perfect and forever covering for our bare souls. Once we are in Him, we are no longer slaves to sin. We are free from shame as children of God.

When you are His, He remakes you.

Freedom is a process. Sometimes we hear stories of insta-deliverance. The alcoholic loses the desire to drink in a moment and never returns to it. The person with a disorder is miraculously healed. But those stories are the exception, not the norm.

I wanted to be delivered instantaneously from anxiety. Everyone does. But it was a process, one I am grateful now for. Somehow I knew going through that the process was necessary for several reasons. First, that the lessons I’d learn would stick.

What I didn’t share in my last post was that I had “fallen in a pit” once before but I didn’t go in so deep — but I forgot the lessons that led me out.

In 1995 I experienced anxiety for about four months. God healed me through doing a Woman’s Aglow Bible study on the book of Philippians (Keys to Contentment), a book called “The Confident Woman, Knowing Who You Are In Christ” by Anabele Gilham. And a vivid dream in which I heard Him say, “Kathy, you are working so hard for something you already have! Righteousness.”

I’d written about the dream in my Bible study book, but forgot. It all came flooding back when I ran across the book and read what I’d written. I’d been trying to cover my unrighteousness with my own “good” behavior once again. Spinning myself dizzy.

Unfortunately, by late 1999, I’d forgotten all I’d learned and fell deeper into the pit mentioned in my last post .

So, don’t be discouraged if the process of deliverance seems slow. But also expect to gain ground on your quest for freedom as you learn from my experiences here.

*I need to mention that though I only had need of meds for a year, we are all different, and I know of others who need them regularly, and walk in freedom in Christ with Him and medication. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And He wants us whole more than we do!

Help for you:

Recall childhood memories that impacted you. Consider your feelings, thoughts and actions in the scenarios that come to mind.

Process: Were the people who impacted you in your memories acting in ways that were good and true? (Jesus will help you see and forgive offenses) Were there beliefs in your heart that don’t line up with the truth that you are a beloved child of God? What methods did you use to order your world? Who might you ask to meet and pray with you?

Part 1

Part 3

Kicking Anxiety: A Series

Sun, 15 Sep 2019 11:16:00 GMT

I’ve been open about my struggle with anxiety.

I wasn’t open about it when I was going through it. I was ashamed.

I remember the people — every single one of them — who tried to help me when they had no idea how. Some well-meaning attempts drove me deeper in at the time. But there was grace. Every effort was at least a drop of water for my parched soul even if my thirst for deliverance was in no way quenched.

My experience in what I call “the pit” – Psalm 40:2 gave me the name – has served me heaps of wisdom in understanding the depths of darkness that can nearly suffocate a soul. My experience of deliverance also enables me to give hope to those who are feeling strangled by their own emotional bondage.

I mentored my dearest friend to spiritual health. Not me actually, but Christ in me. The reason we saw victory together is because the Holy Spirit lives in us both. Her pit was anorexia which seems always to be accompanied by both anxiety and depression.

When I first met my friend, I had no idea of the dark waters she was drowning in. No idea how God was going to use the darkness I’d walked through to help another find her stand on the Rock. Psalm 40:2

We met weekly. She called between — when the temptations were overtaking her because of her strict control of the scale’s number. I remember being surprised when she called to tell on herself. The Holy Spirit was giving her power, I knew. I prayed for her.

God has purpose for your pit.

One day I drove away from the coffee shop we frequented, having watched her countenance go from heavy dark clouds to partly sunny during our time together — because the Spirit encouraged her through my words — in tears I thanked the Lord for what I went through.

I shook my head a bit at the idea that I’d thank Him for that. Only He knows the depth of terror I experienced almost 19 years ago now. I remember it like it was yesterday though. It was hell. But the only hell I’ll ever know. Praise Jesus for His cross.

I can’t begin to tell you how many beautiful things our God has done in and through the life of my friend. She was not the only one broken in her family. We’ve prayed together for so many might-be tragedies or traps, and we’ve seen great and mighty deliverances.

Not only have our prayers averted satanic schemes to steal, kill, and destroy, but God has painted beauty with my friend’s life.

He moved us both. We grieve we are walking roads too far apart for now. But our paths had necessarily distanced even when she was near, because when you are standing on the Rock, then God takes you wherever He wants you to go so you can grab another hand . . . to help another stand.

God gave her a vision of her plowing her row, and mine was over yonder. Occasionally we meet up again to share stories of our plowing and planting in God’s garden. And then we get back to the mission. Even though our rows are far apart, she is never far from my heart.

It is my intent to do a series on anxiety because it seems to be an epidemic. Those who have not known it need help to understand. I want to offer both understanding for those who love people struggling, and hope for those struggling themselves. #withGodallthingsarepossible

Part 2

Part 3

About Ponds & Other Things

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 15:51:00 GMT

Is anyone else startled by the early appearance of autumn? Maybe you are not experiencing temps in the fifties where you are … but WOW … after such a wet and humid July, having this cool crisp air is mighty glorious.

Not only that but my ponds are looking prettier — with the wind and rain driving the algae to the edges.

I guess I failed to mention my ponds in the last post . . . we have ponds. ��

When we looked at the property in February, we had only the aerial view from google maps to “see” what was here. We anticipated pretty and clear waters, but found somewhere around the end of June the “greening of the surfaces” and it threw my celebration of our new property into the shadow of doubt.

One pond is very near and open to viewing from our home. It’s the smaller and disappointingly, the worst looking of the two:

The larger pond was hidden by the underbrush of the wood’s edge. In May, we saw the sunset reflecting on the larger pond and set about clearing underbrush so we could see it from our deck. And it was exciting — until its surface also became blanketed with green.

My mind kept circling around “HOW can I clean the ponds?” And I wanted to do it for free.

“Maybe there is a government program,” I thought . . . I called the county, and they referred me to an extension of Wisconsin’s university, and they pretty much had nothing for me. I consulted google and found a good number of tools that may or may not work.

Should I spend the money? Do I have the time?

I also tried a pool net with a long handle — but found the reach was never going to reach and it would take a month of days to do it that way. Who has time to stand by the edge of the pond and swoosh away algae?

Then I thought, “Maybe I need a sturdy little row-boat and then I can design a tool. A rowboat would be fun for the family too. And I would want a trolling motor.”

One day as I was browsing Facebook Marketplace, what should appear? A sturdy little rowboat with oars and a trolling motor. So, I mentioned it to my man and he was all in. After our little anniversary getaway to the North Shore, he brought it home and set it on the ground near his workshop.

When the four little men showed up at our house on Saturday, of course they wanted to sail away in our little boat. This desire prompted our assessment of where we might be able to get the little boat on the water without a dock. The skidsteer came out and started clearing brush, knocking down dead trees, and then we all grabbed saws, clippers, and some had waterboots to play near the ponds edge as we blazed a trail into the woods.

The process of working together in the woods on such a gorgeous day was the most fun we’ve had in awhile. And the reward was entirely sweet when my girl took her boys for a ride.

I also posted about it on Instagram .

Thank you for bearing with me as I figure out my technical dilemmas with my blog. If you are a subscriber, you saw my glitch was NOT fixed. So, today I’m trying again. HOPING to see only a portion of the post land in the email, and then you can go to the blog to read the full post.

Freedom From Striving To Be Loved

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 12:50:00 GMT

Sick Of Me, Why?

Sat, 16 Feb 2019 19:10:00 GMT

First, let me say, I love the way Whitney articulates her messages so clearly . . . and I love her hair!

This book came at just the right time.

I haven't got time for the pain.

I couldn't put it down.

Sanctification is the progressive work of becoming more like Christ.

We don't want hard.

How To Hold On To Hope For Hard Hearts

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 12:47:00 GMT

Reading through the plagues God poured out on Egypt and the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart had my own heart in knots this morning. How could someone remain so rebellious and willful against God Almighty? I wanted to shout at Pharaoh, “Why not just humble yourself and worship God? It’s really the best thing ever!”

How many chances and how much devastation would the man endure before bowing before the LORD? Putting myself in the story, thinking of the misery of each plague on every Egyptian in the land — blood and lice and the stench of dead frogs — GAG! My imagination had me more upset at the destructive harvest produced by a single hardened heart.

This, after having recently read through the major prophets and the devastation Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were warning God’s people about if they didn’t repent. I found myself fighting for a hopeful outlook amidst the extreme and rapid turn in our own culture. I notice so many parallels.

Daily, we get a window into hard hearts through social media and news outlets. We also get a whiff of the potential of our own heart’s corruption apart from the light of Jesus inside of us.

Awareness of the possible implications of our current cultural climate can send us reeling if we don’t keep in mind a few things:

Knowing that we need to maintain awareness of God’s bigger story and the fact that we each play a part in it helps us look beyond the darkness and devastation. We can rest our hearts in the place God wants us to live. We live in the current chapter of God’s story, “Redemption.” We need to look at hardened hearts with hope. For the God who moves mountains and slays giants is able to break in and break through with His good news of redemption!

Remembering that God really is in control, and nothing happens outside of His permissive will helps us look at the darkest scenario with hope. We should look for His goodness and mercy to come bursting forth from what might appear destined to become ashes. Focusing on the fact that God indeed does hold the whole world in His hands helps us refrain from the rampant cynicism and criticism that rises up in our own hearts upon encountering those touting their opinions online hoping to sway people to their way of thinking.

If our hearts feel heavy and discrouaged from the shifts in culture and the hard hearts blind to the woes of sin, we need to remind ourselves that feelings are . . . only feelings. Feelings are fickle and don’t control our reality. We can submit them to the authority of “Christ in us, the hope of glory.” We can go to scripture to remember the bigger story and recall the sovereignty of God. Being reminded of His purposes for redemption in the world can renew our hearts. By focusing on our Savior who endured His cross for the joy set before Him, our purpose here comes into focus as well.

Ultimately, the secret to our joy is always going to be found in Galatians 2:20 . Say it out loud: “I have been crucified with Christ. (I’m already seated in Christ in Heaven.) It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. (The Holy Spirit is the One who does the things He has created me to do in this chapter of His story.) The life I live in this body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and died for me.” (Faith looks beyond what seems true to what God has said is true in His word.)

How To Be Strong When You Are Weak

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 18:24:00 GMT

For When You Wonder Why God Allows Suffering And Death

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 00:45:00 GMT

Recommending THIS Planner for 2019!!!

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 16:27:00 GMT

Hearing The Voice Of God

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 11:45:00 GMT

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Though my dad has been gone since June of 2014, whenever I see a photo of him or think about him, I can still hear his voice. Not only do I hear the sound, but the words he would say, and the mannerisms with which he would speak still come in full color. Spending time with my dad ensured my ability to know his voice. Even when I cannot see him.

There was actually a time in my adult life that, without realizing it, I was living more in tune with his and other important voices in my life, than that of my Heavenly Father. I was often anxious about my decisions, and the Lord revealed that I’d been listening to too many voices.

I’m not sure if you’re aware of the impact of your father’s voice on your life, but if you have any recollection of his influence of your earthly life, you will understand how important it is to your spiritual life that you know the voice of your Heavenly Father. To do so, you must spend ample time in His word and with His people in His word.

Satan knows that if we have confidence in hearing God’s voice, that our walk with God will be victorious. He doesn’t want us to trust that we can hear. Consolation in your darkness? His direction in your indecision? Belief in His presence with you? Satan will work feverishly to cast doubt on our ability to hear God. The reason he has any success in doing so is we already have some doubt in our mind.

Our spiritual sword against doubt is the word of God. We hear His voice, and the voice of another we will not follow. [ John 10:5 ]

I’ve just written a short journaling devotional. I’m going through it myself and have sent it to a few friends. Once I get feedback and do some final edits, I’ll have it available to purchase here on the blog.

The first day I encourage “listening prayer” which is basically journaling what the Lord is speaking to you. I’ve practiced this through the years, but not with much regularity. I am always built up in my faith and devotion when I do. By writing down what I hear Him say, I gain confidence in hearing His voice throughout the day.

When a new woman joins our Bible study, and I hear Him say, “Invite her to coffee,” I don’t hesitate. When I’m listening to a story of need, and I hear Him say, “Give her the $20. in your wallet,” I reach in and give it.

While reading through my entries this week, I heard Him say, “Post this word so people can see what you mean by listening prayer.”

Here are some of His words to me from my journal this week:

[ Isaiah 61:10 ; Romans 10:8 ; 2 Corinthians 9:8 ; Psalm 23:4 ; Jeremiah 1:5 ; Matthew 5:14 ; Matthew 28: 19-20 ; Romans 8:26 ; Psalm 40:9 ; John 5:44 ; Psalm 42:1-2 ; Psalm 27:8 ; Ephesians 6:10 ; Matthew 26:41 ]

It’s no surprise that words powerfully affect us and we become like what we behold. When I was a child, I spent a lot of time walking and working with my dad. His voice is so incredibly strong in my memory, and now that I’ve walked and worked with Jesus for thirty years, I can say the same. I know His voice, it is in my memory, and the voice of another I will not follow as long as I keep holding fast to His word daily.

Is your prayer life more of a monologue or a dialogue? Maybe you want to start to practice listening more for His voice.

Blessed Are The Thirsty

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 11:40:00 GMT

In a recent message, I wanted to comb through Jesus’ dialog with people and learn from watching His methods of communication. As I began to dig into the gospels, I knew I’d barely even scratch the surface.

Having done an inductive study on the gospel of John, I decided to highlight Jesus’ first conversations that John recorded.

In John 3, Jesus’ first engagement is with Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night. People who preach on this passage often make a big deal about the fact that Nicodemus doesn’t want to be seen by his peers. But Jesus doesn’t seem to have any issues with it.

Contrary to the other religious leaders who approached Jesus with disdain, Nicodemus is sincerely curious to know more about Jesus. This is indicated in the questions he asks and the way he responds to Jesus’ strategic questions.

Nicodemus, as a teacher of the law, would have memorized the first five books of the Old Testament, as well as Psalms and some of the prophets. Jesus graciously asked him questions to draw out what He knew was inside, and that would challenge him to think deeper and set his sight higher.

If you read the entire story in John 3:1-21 , you will see Jesus constantly pointed to Heaven , and to belief in Jesus as the way to be saved.

The next conversation takes place in John 4, where we find the longest recorded conversation of Jesus in all the gospels.

When he passes through Samaria, Jesus takes a rest near Jacob’s well. There he meets the Samaritan woman, whom we learn has had four husbands and is currently living with a man. Shame would have marked her life due to the fact that if a woman was divorced it wasn’t her doing. In that day, the man would have “put her away” — imagine having been rejected four times by men.

Talk about being hungry for love and acceptance!

As the Rabbi engages the Samaritan woman in conversation — something that was unheard of — He shows unconditional love in asking her pointed questions, and drawing out the truth from within her but never shaming her.

Eventually, her spiritual hunger appears:

“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” ~ John 4:19-26

This is the first and only time Jesus reveals Himself as Messiah — to one rejected by men, but beloved of God!

In both conversations, Jesus makes it clear that Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman are outside of the Kingdom of Heaven. (See the “you / we” highlights above)

Both of them, thirsty for truth, ultimately come to a saving knowledge of Jesus, as both declare He is Messiah.

I recently had a conversation with someone I love dearly. He explained what life was like growing up in a family where he alternated weekends at two very different churches. One of the churches, he said, always talked about the need to “pray a prayer.”

His words to me were something like, “I don’t believe God would reject any of His children. I wouldn’t reject my children.”

I listened, waiting for any prompting from the Lord to explain. None came.

But I’ve been thinking about him and praying for him ever since. Praying for the opportunity to clarify that when we are born, we are not yet children of God. Yes, God created us, but because of our ancestors turning away from Him in the Garden of Eden, we rejected God as our Father, thus becoming illegitimate children who need a new birth.

This is the reason Jesus came from Heaven to Earth, to not only show the way to be saved, but to BE the way to be saved.

Yes, dearly beloved, we are born outside of the Family of God and we do need to turn to God to become His children . As Jesus told Nicodemus, we must be born again. ( John 3:3 )

Oh! Come and talk with Jesus! He is waiting for you, He wants to satisfy your thirst for truth and belonging.

Jesus points us to “the way” when John the Baptist, the last Old Testament prophet is slammed in prison, Jesus takes the proverbial baton, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” ~ Mark 1:14-15

The gospel:

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News (gospel) I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless you believed in vain.

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Are you thirsty?

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.
Acts 16:31

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed . ”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:28-31

No One Wins Who Fails To Listen

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:45:00 GMT

There have been times when the Extrovert (ie: my husband) has extroverted a little longer than this Introvert can endure with ample attention. At the end of noted discourse, Introvert finds she’s failed to apprehend a few of the incoming facts.

This becomes apparent in her inability to answer Extrovert’s questions regarding the information that has just passed from his lips into mine one ear.

Somehow words found an escape route. Whether through an empty tunnel in Introvert’s brain, or maybe things really can go in one ear and out the other . . . I’d like to say this is the more likely option.

After a time of trying to backpeddal to answer the question, the truth comes forth. “I’m sorry, Honey. My mind wandered.”

This is very . . . humbling.

Have you ever considered how your own two hearing ears do not truly hear sometimes?

Have you ever spoken to your child within earshot, and it was as if they did not hear you at all?

Jesus said those words seven times in the New Testament . This particular time was just after telling the crowd the Parable of the Sower.

It was a punctuating announcement pointing to the necessity to go below the surface of the story. As if Jesus was saying, “Think about this further.”

It was a call to be curious, an invitation to awaken desire. Jesus wanted them to seek to know what He was actually telling them.

Jesus told His disciples that the parables intentionally hide things from unblievers. The hope is for the spiritual appetite to be whet. It is not much different for us as new believers, or seasoned believers. We have to be attentive to our own ear-tuning. We have to see to it that we have an appetite to listen to Jesus, deeply. (Not just on Sunday morning!)

When Jesus went up the mountain with Peter, James and John. Do you remember it? The time Moses and Elijah showed up to “chat” with Jesus, He was transfigured into a heavenly glow of glory — enough to scare the humans speechless — even Peter! (Note though: true to his nature, he was the first to speak!)

God the Father showed up in a cloud while the men were shaking in their sandals and spoke, saying,

Is there anything more important than listening to the God of the universe?

As I browse the gospels, studying Jesus’ communication with people, I’m noticing how often he is responding to those who oppose Him. What I see is, not only did they fail to listen, it appears their anger and obstinacy caused them to refuse to listen.

The self-righteous became more hardened and hard hearts become hostile.

During a fairly well-known story in which Matthew invited Jesus to dine at his house with his friends, the religious leaders, always in a tone of superiority, asked Jesus’ friends, “Why does your teacher eat with sinners?”

Jesus replied, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” — Allow me to translate: “My dear opposers, you have no idea that you are blind to your own sickness.”

Jesus followed his statement with,

I’m also learning that Jesus was always quoting scripture to the religious leaders. He knew what many of us don’t really think about.

Pharisees had memorized large portions of scripture — otherwise they would not have had their position as leaders. The Jewish student would not make it to the level of leadership unless they had internalized the entire first five books of the Old Testament. Many of them, being gifted in memorizing, had internalized Psalms and some of the prophets.

At any rate, Jesus was appealing to their “dead knowledge,” giving them a chance to come awake to the life in it.

Jesus was drawing them to recall Hosea 6:6

Sadly, their ears were plugged by their pride. We find them a few chapters later, in Mark 12, confronting Jesus and his disciples again. This time, for picking heads of grain and eating them on the Sabbath. “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” ( Matthew 12:2 )

Jesus replies by pointing them back to an Old Testament story of David eating what was unlawful for him during a time of need, and then he says,

It wasn’t long after this when the same self-righteous deaf ones accused Jesus of driving out demons under the authority of the prince of demons. Not only had they failed to listen, failed to engage their hearts with the words of God, but they continued to adamantly oppose Him. They were hell-bent against Him. Their antagonistic pursuit, as we know, ultimately ended in their condemning the Innocent One.

Thankfully, we get a window into at least one of them actually having listened. Nicodemus, who genuinely asked questions (see John 3) ended up anointing Jesus’ body for buriel with an amount of spices only used on kings, proving his faith.

Likely others — the opposers of Christ — (read: anti-christ) continued on in unbelief, deafened by pride to their peril.

Pride is a perilous dam to the inflow of the word of God to a soul.

What should we glean from this knowledge as believers?

There are many people today who have amazing knowledge of scripture, but have no heart to submit to God. They are taking His word out of context, twisting and distorting it, and are actually working against Jesus. (read: anti-christ)

How will we discern false teaching if we are not keeping our ears tuned into the voice of Jesus? How will we avoid getting sucked into the vortex of deception that Jesus Himself warned us of? How will we help others stay above water?

I realize many or most of my readers are already in tune with the need to stay close to Jesus through a daily dose of manna, with reflections throughout the day, but sometimes a reminder is just what we need to stoke a smouldering fire.

I also believe we need daily encouragement from each other, reminding us that we are not in this alone.

And if, by chance, someone reads this who hasn’t yet come into the saving love of Jesus, someone who finds themselves hell-bent on opposing those who carry and speak the Words of Life, you might take to heart the fact that Jesus came to deliver you from darkness and fill you with His marvelous light.

Jesus is the Word who took on flesh and dwelt among us so we could know and love Him as He truly is. In your best interest, please, take into yourself the nourishing, life-giving Word!

Listen to Him by reading His word and obeying it. Matthew 4:17

Father, soften hearts and bring salvation through your good news! Strengthen your own. Establish us in your truth, that we might be mature, able to discern between good and evil, truth and lies. Protect us and our families from the evil one, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

PS — If you have not had a chance to watch the videos in the series, The Rock, The Road, and The Rabbi with Kathie Lee Gifford, you simply must! I’ve learned so much, and the scenery in Israel is glorious! The final one posted today. Click here to watch all six.

The Way To Be Free From Shame

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 23:35:00 GMT

What Is Shame?

Shame is an inner voice we are born with. It’s a nagging echo that says of the self, “worthless!” or “you’re not enough.”

I haven’t met anyone that isn’t familiar with it on some level. It’s the voice that tells you to be or do something MORE than you are being or doing in order to shut it up.

Guilt And Shame Are Different.

At the writer’s conference I recently attended, Sheila Walsh gave this definition: “Guilt says, I did something wrong . Shame says, I am something wrong . ”

Shame As A Motivator.

To cover my shame, I aimed at being a good girl. It was priority to please my dad. I feared being reprimanded and found I was pretty good at being good at the farmer’s daughter gig. He boasted about my accomplishments and I loved it.

I also wanted to have cool jeans. You know, to win friends. Because my little-girl logic told me when I felt rejected by the girls at school, it was because I wasn’t cool enough, pretty enough, or thin enough. So I set out to attain a better bod by crash-dieting and I slathered Clearasil on my skin every night to prevent breakouts.

When hand-me-downs came into our house from a family with nicer clothes than ours, I dove in to see if there might, by chance, be a pair of the jeans I coveted.

I was one happy eighth grader when they showed up in a black trash bag — in my size. I wore my new Levi’s every single day. Until Kim inked a mark on them when I left them in my locker during gym class — to see if I washed them every night.

She called me out on it after a few days of watching the ink spot.

Ouch! Middle school stung !

High school was a little better, and especially when I finally found a boyfriend the summer before my junior year. That was the quintessential covering for the feelings of shame. I nearly forgot about them!

A few years later though, when my thoughts circled back to the way we made out in the hallway between classes, my boyfriend-covering backfired. The memory choked me with shame.

No matter how much you fix yourself up … no matter how much you accomplish … you still can have the nagging feeling.

You Can Numb The Shame

Maybe you’ve numbed out to the voice. Maybe instead of being uber sensitive to your own sense of shame, you’ve bucked it. You feel as if you’ve won the day, even if you’ve stepped on a few people on the way. You’re successful, beautiful, and you get a sense of satisfaction when you’re hipper, wealthier, or more accomplished than others … You’ve found a comfortable groove, and feel pretty good. At the height of my hairstyling career, I felt like that.

Under the surface, the nagging was still there though.

The Power Of Conscience Is Valuable

The Bible says our consciences can become seared by lies as with a branding iron. 1 Timothy 4:1-2

This searing of conscience might come as a result of joining our lives with others that have seared consciences. If we do something wrong often enough, we come to believe it’s okay. Proverbs 13:20 ; Psalm 1:1

A seared conscience can also come from failing to forgive — when we’ve been wronged, and we don’t think we need to forgive, we might relish in gossip about what’s been done to us, enjoying the company we find in our pain and anger.

Unforgiveness might be the strongest source of a stone-cold-soul there is. It is the one condition Jesus gives to us for His forgiveness of our own sins. The implication is that when we fail to forgive, the devil gets a hold of our foot, catching us in his trap. Matthew 6:15 ; Matthew 24:11-13 ; Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV

So, the question we seek an answer for today is not how to feel unashamed, but how to be unashamed.

We’ve established that it’s not by doing good or becoming perfect (by the time you’re in your forties, you realize that is impossible) and it’s not by ignoring it, killing it, or “crushing it” with success.

The things I tried to do to cover my shame, the things I’ve done to suffocate it — those are all things that address shameful feelings by seeking human approval.

Over time we learn that humans can never absolve or approve us enough to free us from shame’s grip.

The Way

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Only our good Father in Heaven can heal the gaping hole in our soul and soothe the ache in our heart to be whole. He alone turns shame back on the enemy where it belongs. Colossians 2:15

It’s His love that fills in the gaps left by our sin. To be unashamed, we must turn to Jesus for salvation. “Repent and believe.” Then we get to listen to His instructions and follow Him as He leads us all The Way Home.

No people-pleasing or one-upping will touch the place in our heart that needs to be filled with perfect love. Holding on to our rights only causes us to be ensnared by those who have wounded us.

There is an old hymn that summarizes The Way. Its simple words hold the answer to our quest:
“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way.”

When we stay in communion with Jesus through listening to His word and prayer, we can sort out what is good and what is evil – both in our own hearts and in this world filled with devils. Lies have the power to trap us, but the Truth will set us free.

We don’t only want to be free of shame, but we want to “come forth as gold” as Job intended to. ( Job 23:10 ) When we stand before the throne of God to give an account for our life, we can stand unashamed because of Jesus.

We have a choice — every day — regarding what kind of reward our life will bring. The choice before us is, “Who will we seek to please?”

Will we live to please God or ourselves and other people?

Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:20-21

We can live believing that Jesus loves us with His perfect love. We can embrace the fact that He triumphed over shame on the cross. We can choose to walk intimatley with Him, cleansing ourselves from dishonorable things, and instead doing the good works He planned for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Do you carry a nagging sense of shame?

The Portal To Abundance & How To Be Free Of Self-Sabotage

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 12:53:00 GMT

It’s amazing what an hour and a half on a bike will allow a mind to ruminate on. Along with seeing at least five blazing-red cardinals “light” out of the thick summer foliage as I whirred past yesterday — thrilling me to no end! — my mind processed a whole number of things.

I’ve been challenging myself to take note of what muddles around up there.

I’m seeking to capture my thoughts. Have you ever done that?
It’s wild!

The reason I’m doing this is because I’m a writer, and I have been to writer’s conferences. I’m realizing that the difficulty I’ve had in coming up with words has been largely due to the fact that I don’t pay attention enough to what I’m thinking.

Things go in my brain in the morning, and by noon I cannot recall the profound thoughts . At. All. It’s not likely (yet) that my memory is failing, but that I flit from one thing to another. Much like the cardinal bursting out of the bushes, and then disappearing. The thoughts come in, seem profound enough, and then . . . fly away “somewhere” as I attend to the tasks of the day.

As the paved path curved one way and then the other, so did my thoughts. A hymn came. I sang the chorus twice. I determined to remember which one it was. (Please don’t ask me which one. I can’t remember!)

I stopped along the trail to step into this opening and take a photo.
I met Vincent and his two little people, Cayden and Koko.
I determined to remember their names … and I did!

When I was running the flat iron through my hair after my ride, I opened the voice memo recording tool on my iPhone, and I recorded my thoughts — the ones I’d committed to remember. (Using crutches is fair, right?)

As a writer, starting . . . later in life . . . I suddenly realized (while riding said bike) that all too often I unknowingly operate under a mindset of . . . scarcity.

That was a profound thought!

I’ve recently had this cloud hanging over my head and it’s been darkening my heart with discouragement. Not every day, but often enough to tie my hands and keep my nose in social media too long.

When I sit down to write, words fail to come.
“There’s nothing there,” I tell myself. “I t’s already been said, and in much more compelling ways than I ever will”

Before my bike ride yesterday, My eyes landed on the Sermon on the Mount. Its familiar words caused me pause.

I just stared at that one word. Blessed.

Jesus says, “ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” He continues with seven more blessings. ( Matthew 5:1-11 )

And I remembered the message series I’d heard years ago, particularly the one about the beginning of this sermon. Jesus is actually describing the new Way. He is seeking to turn the minds of the religious away from their own human performance. He is trying to open their eyes to their inability to obey the law, and pointing to the Way of the Spirit that He came to give us.

Being “poor in spirit” — acknowledging our spiritual poverty — is the point of entrance into the Family of God.
It’s the gateway to salvation.
It’s the igniting spark of eternal life.

I look at the word again: Blessed. It means fulfilled and happy.
In the Old Testament, it refers to “ a bestowal of good. ”

Here’s the thing I saw as I rode my bike; with the background music of scripture playing in my head from years of study:

God is good. ( Luke 18:19 )
God is the giver of all good gifts. ( James 1:17 )

When we, by faith, reach out our feeble hand toward Heaven, that is when the blessings come down from the Blesser and the life from above comes in, empowering the feeble to do the things we cannot do.

Here’s the thing: As easily as I forget the thoughts from the morning, I forget what I know to be true of my life of faith.

I have access to the very throne room of God! ( Hebrews 4:16 )

Since that day when I stepped through the portal — or rather, when He reached down to my incapable, weak hand and adopted me, ALL OF HEAVEN BECAME MINE — even WHILE I LIVE HERE ON EARTH!!!

Ephesians 2:10 tells us we have been been created to do good works prepared in advance for us. This means we are not the workers of the good works! He is.

We are the BELIEVERS in His promises, and as we walk with Him, His life comes through us.

I’d been self-sabotaging and I didn’t know it.

My doubts. The doubts I allow into my thinking — well, they are really just doubts in MY ability — or worse, in God’s love and goodness!

Those are both such wicked thoughts for a child of God, wouldn’t you say?

Friends . . . our doubts? They allow darkness to imprison us, and thwart our mission.

It is only FAITH that brings the BLESSINGS down — so the blessings can come through us to others. ( Hebrews 11:6 )

Had I been remembering that I am literally DEAD, ( Galatians 2:20 ) and that Jesus has taken up residence in this body of mine, ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 ) the LIGHT would blaze forth more freely, I’d advance daily in His mission by having a mindset of abundance and a fervor to advance in the calling God has placed in my heart!

Oh, the lessons we must learn while we tread this windy trail . . . But. Praise God who is always working — even our doubts — for our good!

This seems like it should be obvious, like I should know this by now, but it truly is a breakthrough! When I allow doubt to cloud my day, I prevent the life of God from coming through me.

What do you need for what God has called you to do?

Resources? Skill? Finances? Strength? Endurance? Hope? Faith?

Have you been struggling with doubt? Maybe you need the reminder too.

Everything you need is yours if you are in Christ Jesus!

For further study and memorization:

I Corinthians 3:21-23

Cast Off Your Anxiety And Let Peace Rule Instead

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 18:28:00 GMT

I attended Northwestern Christian Writers Conference last weekend. This is my second year, and I intended to go more prepared than I had last year. I wanted to bring a “one page” book (actually Bible Study) proposal sheet for my one-on-one appointment with an acquisitions editor. When I signed up with her, my schedule in the months preceding didn’t look all that full.

Life happened. Do you know what I mean?

I spent 45 days advocating for a brother who served a 45 day jail sentence. (Long story I might tell someday) Then my son started a contracting business. His work exceeded his the original plan on a landscape job, and it was my pleasure to help him. (I love working outside in summer.)

Those two major things and others squeezed my time to nil.

I left on Saturday morning with nothing but the intent to gain wisdom during my appointment.

It was scheduled at 11:10, and when the first workshop ended, I glanced at my phone and was startled that it was 11:30. My heart sunk into my belly. Missing your appointment or being late is the one thing you are not supposed to mess up at a writer’s conference.

The woman I had “stood up” was teaching a workshop during the final session. I did not originally intend to go to hers, but as I resisted beating myself up for my failure, I remembered a promise I draw from constantly (I always say that if I could wear a promise out, it would be this one — gladly it’s impossible for God’s promises to ever fail!) Romans 8:28 .

“Ok, God. You promise to work all things for good . . . help! ”

I knew I needed to attend her workshop in order to apologize.

As I sat listening to her fiery message about staying true to scripture as a writer, I was applauding in my heart from beginning to end. At one point, she talked about forgiveness. I smiled at God.

I approached her at the end of the class with my apology, “Hi, I’m the one that stood you up.”

She jested, “So, you’re the one!” And then she assured me it was a nice break for her in a busy day. She had taken the time to check in with her kiddos.

The good God promised? I was free to face my failure, expecting grace. Who knows what else, right? There could be more . . . perhaps she will remember me when I do get my book proposal together for next year’s conference. Perhaps. ��

Because of Jesus, we are forever free from rejection and from condemnation.
Our freedom allows us to always think of challenges and conflict redemptively.

So often we don’t. At least, not naturally.

In our relationships, we generally have a fervent desire to maintain peace.

But, so often we live in fear of messing up.

The reason we tip-toe around challenginges, is that fear lurks beneath the surface.

This fear comes from a belief that if there is a failure or a disagreement, the person might reject us.

This fear leads to anxiety because we stew over things that need to be dealt with rather than courageously and lovingly approaching the one we want to maintain a relationship with.

What is required?

Trust. Trust in the Lord and His power to help us; trust in His ability to mend relationships, and trust in His power to redeem our failures.

Trust is required in approaching either the one who has offended us ( Matthew 18:15 ,) or the one who we know has been offended by us. ( Matthew 5:23-24 ) In my case, the one whom I had failed.

Name your fear:

Sometimes our fear is over losing the relationship.
Other times, the fear is that a rejection will prove the greater fear that lurks beneath the surface to be true: the fear that we are not valuable.

Ask me how I know this.

I am the (former) queen of people-pleasing and performance-based acceptance. I said former, but there are residual battles that I find myself fighting constantly. And I know that the battle will rage until I leave this earth, and enter Heaven

Here is what I have learned:

Oswald Chambers says, “Anxiety is calculating without God.”

I can face any number of circumstances in a day that cause anxiety. I might be anxious about being late, or failing to get things done on my to-do list. I might be anxious about letting someone down that I’ve had on my heart, but have not had time to contact. I may feel intimidated and anxious about the project I face.

Unless I intentionally turn these anxious thoughts into prayer, they can weigh heavily on my heart and steal the gifts of joy and peace.

What do I need to remember?

Pray always. When I remember to turn my anxious thoughts to prayer, I find ” the peace that passes all understanding there to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” ( Philippians 4:6-7 ) And … I find Him faithful, always.

Have you been allowing your heart to endure anxious thoughts?

You can cast them on Jesus and let His peace rule your heart instead.

Don't Let Decision Anxiety Wreck Your Grace & Thoughts On Soul-Care

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 22:38:00 GMT

She has four little boys under 8, a home business requiring much of her time, and is just on the other side of a camping vacation. Whether or not you thrill at the thought of a camping trip as my daughter does, returning home and reacclimating to life requires some . . . en-er-gy.

Especially with aforementioned FOUR man-cubs and a man. ��

So, she made the decision to sit out the morning check-in which was scheduled for her clean-eating group. She emailed the night before because she was well aware that her previous week had stolen so much sleep from her. She knew that if she started off Monday too early, the day might go south fast.

My daughter was practicing soul-care by making a wise decision. The whole house was quiet when I called her at 9:00, and her spirit was peaceful. [This served her mom a ton of peace as well!]

I was affirming her when the words came from my mouth and I had to write them down.

“You stand your ground and if things should happen to fall, you trust in the Lord to pick up the pieces.”

This overflowed from my own soul’s recent wrestling. I’ve traversed some rocky roads of difficult decision-making this year. (Did I mention that my 2018 word is courage? Yes. Thank you, Lord.)

The first was regarding a disagreement in the wording of my writing contract, and due to the stand I decided I needed to take, I was let go.

The second was the recent decision to step down from the position of Prayer Leader on the Women’s Ministry team. I’d been floundering due to the fact that Dale travels for work and wants me with him more than before — before, when I was leading Women’s ministry. Though prayer is something I can do remotely, I felt disconnected from the team, and as a result, forgetful of the needs, and then ineffective.

After much prayer about how I’d been feeling and my poor performance — and on the heels of another decision in our lives that I wont mention yet, I knew it was time to step down so I could be replaced.

I sent an email, and things were set in motion to close out another chapter in my life.

We have an enemy who casts doubt on our decisions and we must resist him.

I weighed each decision heavily before putting out the words, and then I weighed them more on the other side of putting out the words.

I’ve brooded, and I’ve prayed.

I’ve written things out in my journal to make sense of it all.

After much wrestling in prayer, I’ve been able to find the place of peace in the grace of God and see clarly that these decisions are indeed from Him.

“You stand your ground and if things should happen to fall, you trust in the Lord to pick up the pieces.”

I’m well aware that I suffer from something podcaster Emily Freeman has titled, “Decision Fatigue.” If you can relate to the doubting and second-guessing, she speaks beautifully to it and encourages you to “ make room for our soul to breathe.” I highly recommend The Next Right Thing .

There is one more incident that has given weight to the words that I jotted in my journal today. I’d already spoken them in a slightly longer version a few days prior.

Our son has his own contracting business . His current project has taken him two and a half hours away from home. He’s been sleeping at the job site and as often happens in construction, the project is taking a bit longer than expected. Since he has a pregnant wife and two toddlers at home, he made the decision to go home Friday instead of Saturday, and then return to the job after the weekend.

When he called his dad on the drive home, I overheard him describe the struggle with his decision. Familiar with the battle, I saw the enemy trying to cast doubt. The promise in Psalm 1:2-3 came to mind — blessed is the man who . . . meditates on God’s word day and night, he is like a tree planted by the water, “whatever he does will prosper.”

And the words came:

“God will bless either decision.”

You make your decision, you stand your ground and if things should happen to fall, you trust in the Lord to pick up the pieces .

As believers in Jesus, we have to put off the fears that would assail us, the doubts that would derail us, and take our thoughts captive to obey Christ by knowing and applying the truth. This is our ultimate soul-care.

Pray. Thank Him. Cast your anxieties on Him. Know that your time is valuable. Know that He redeems all things. Know that He is on your side. Know that when you pray, He wants to answer. He loves to show Himself strong on behalf of His people. He promises to work all things for good for those who love Him, and He has all the power we need to get through any crisis, should we find ourselves in the midst.

He wants us to trust that when we walk through the fire, we will not get burned, because He is with us. He wants us to maintain our souls with wisdom, and that means taking rest when we need it, checking in with our families when we need to, and letting go of things that are good, but are no longer a good fit.

And speaking of wisdom. We have another promise for those of you who, like me, can find themselves suffering from decision fatigue , I’ll leave you with this:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all withoug finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5

There’s no doubt to be found in the words, “it will be given to you” … “it WILL be” … He WILL

Let’s help each other stand on that rock, and take good care of our souls.

Nothing Barring: The Power Of His Word

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 15:55:00 GMT

Yesterday, I opened Twitter just after Beth Moore posted. Her words reflected what I’d written in my journal moments before, and so I replied to her tweet with my own thoughts.

I took a screenshot of our conversation for kicks, and sent it to my friends whom I have done Beth’s studies with. I captioned it, “Just a little fellowship this morning with Beth Moore!”

*disclaimer: I do not share this with you to gain from her fame, but rather that she makes herself available to ordinary girls like me, whom she does not know. I’ve always looked at her as a sister, not a celebrity.

I want to expound on my thoughts and what God showed me in the passage I mentioned in my second tweet.

We’ve done several early morning studies. The last one we walked through together was “Children of the Day” , a study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians which highlights the coming Day of the Lord and the Great Apostasy leading up to it. The topic can leave a heart feeling weighed down, but the encouragement expressed in my tweet was like a fresh breeze I needed to be reminded of.

My first journal entry yesterday was an expression of my discouragement at the increase of rebellion and lawlessness visible in every news venue, and particularly what I’d seen in the early morning that weighed heavy on my heart.

As He most often does, in response to my heart’s ache, God met me in my daily Bible reading with the passage in Acts to encourage me. He reminded me of the power of His Spirit within His people, and that He is working in ways we cannot see. He works through blindness and He wants to deliver people from the darkness by gifting them with His marvelous Light.

In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit had anointed and sent Saul and Barnabas out to preach the Word of God . On their journey, they

Bar-Jesus tried to bar Jesus (Seriously, don’t you just love scripture?!!)

Notice, the Holy Spirit gave Paul the ability to see who was behind the opposition to the gospel going forth, and to boldly, in the authority given to him by the Spirit, speak such a rebuke to a man, and — really, I think this is God’s grace working — to humble the one who would bar Jesus.

Paul’s use of the phrase, “for a time” suggests to me that once humbled, perhaps the man himself would turn to the Lord and be saved!!

Look now at how literal blindness potentially humbled the man — and the fact that this is exactly the way Jesus humbled Saul (see Acts 9) has not escaped me! —

. . . immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Acts 13:11b-12

What stood out to me most from this short story, was that the proconsul wanted to hear the Word of God , and that God would let nothing bar his hearing of the Word or his turning to God in faith.

How refreshing the reminder of the power of His Spirit within us, the power of His Word, and of His desire to answer our desire for Him!

How could I ever remain discouraged?

The story reflected another passage tucked into my memory from Jeremiah:

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord . . . Jeremiah 11:12-14

God wants us and He wants us to want Him.

He wants to make us More Than Conquerors .

Are you currently holding on to Hope for people who are still trapped in the darkness?

Pray with me: “Lord, grant them a desire for You, help them to know it is You who will fulfill their every desire, because You are the source of Life and Light and Truth. Help them want the Truth, Jesus, because the Truth will set them FREE! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

The Ache In Me (And You)

Wed, 16 May 2018 01:55:00 GMT

Winter’s constricting boundaries have finally melted away. I click the thermostat to “off” and then open the windows. Woo Hoo!

My yard’s green strands have finally reached the point of requiring the first cut of the season. After consecutive days of brilliant warmth, followed by a gentle rain, the trees have donned pink and white and rasberry decorating their green clothing.

I step outside and smile as the sweet fragrance of apple blossoms surrounds me on my way to the jeep.

My spirits should be soaring.

Instead, as I drive under sunny skies, my windows down, and happy tunes at full volume — just the way I like it — I notice the ache.

It is . . . a familiar feeling. One I’ve fought to shed a thousand days. Even on joy-full days, it seems to linger in the background.

“What is it, Lord? . . . What is this ache I feel?”

I don’t hear Him, but a sentence comes into my mind. “It’s a mixture of sorrow and angst and . . . longing . . . a longing for God, for perfection.”

I think about my life.

My husband is working in a different state. I miss him when he’s gone . He misses us all. When I leave to spend time with him, I’m away from home. And the home we own rarely receives visitors due to the fact that he lives away from home. We haven’t had much of a chance to put down new roots. I pack, unpack, adjust my calendar, empty the garbage and the fridge, and restock it more often than usual so things don’t go to waste. It’s a whirlwind.

And when he is home, we pack the weekends so full that there is a sigh when I drop him off at the airport. A sigh because the time passed so quickly, a sigh that he gets to actually rest on the plane — and a sigh that he has to go back to work the next day and live alone for another two weeks.

We talk on the phone every night, but it’s not the same as being together.

So, there’s that . . . and there are the other things.

The miracles I pray for, the things I wait for on behalf of others.

There are also all the missing pieces, the broken places, and the unfinished messes.

It’s as if the globe is a rhythmic clock with seasons of need, outcry, rescue, and relief. Then the cycle starts all over again.

If I were to focus solely on the unfinished or broken things – I might crash, fall into a heap. If I failed to cry out in my need, there’d be a much slower rescue or maybe no rescue at all, maybe bondage would get a tighter grip on me, and then tragically, relief would be sparse to nil. Sorrow would increase, peace and hope would be absent.

Oh . . . but God!

God invites us to cry out to Him, and He loves to show Himself strong on our behalf. ( 2 Chronicles 16:9 )

I’m a melancholic personality, yes, but as an encourager, I’m also prone to look for the best in the hard things.

Granted, it’s taken years of refining my melancholic mind, but life — or rather, God — has taught me hope.

After persevering through a number of dark seasons — seasons of waiting for relief from financial bondage, of hoping for healing from anxiety and depression, of enduring home remodeling messes far longer than I’d ever wanted . . . and the experience of being betrayed, and as a result, suffering loss of home and place . . . I’ve learned to look (mostly*) for the good.

(*Maybe not so much when winter drags on — I might grumble a bit about that still.)

Finding purpose on the other side of troubled times has taught me well – the power of hope.

I champion its essence, for without hope, our hearts atrophe.

And I see the answer to my question through the clouds that have been allowed in my life. Through the heartache, the longing, the uprooting, the letting go . . . and the losses . . . I see the longing in me.

I want to be Home. I long for Eden. I know this is the ache I feel that never leaves.

I long for perfection. I yearn for wholeness — in the world, in my family, and in my own heart. “Hold me, Jesus.”

I don’t know if you know what I’m talking about. I suspect you do. Even if you are a different personality type who doesn’t identify with melancholy or perfectionism, my guess is you feel the ache too.

The desire for wholeness and fullness dwells in our hearts; the longing for perfection is at the core of humanity.

I think about this for a time. And I consider that we do a number of things to alleviate the ache.

We find our own methods or ways to satiate the longing for Eden that we were initially created for.

We might strive for perfection in our body image, in acquiring knowledge, or in our successes.
We might numb with entertainment, with substance-use, or workaholism.
We might bury our angst in busyness, belonging, or by burrowing into books, living vicariously through characters we wish we were.

But here’s what God is teaching me; I keep experiencing things that lend to me hearing His voice say, “embrace suffering ” . . . We naturally try to avoid suffering, and we do whatever we can to get out of it. whether He allows it or He lays it upon us in some way, He calls us to endure. ( 2 Timothy 2:3 )

There is no getting around it, dear friends, we must go through it.

My friend Pennie has MS, epilepsy, and she has lost a son to suicide. She tells us she’s been called “to suffer well” — meaning, she commits herself to the Lord and trusts that He truly IS holding the whole world in His good, good hands. She embraces that there is purpose in everything God allows, and she trusts Him with it all.

My spirit revives as I embrace the truth: the ache is a purposeful part of the life in the dash .

It is in this aching, longing, and angst within our hearts that God comes in with his comfort, hope, and peace. He proves Himself to us in the perhaps customized cycle of need, prayer, rescue, and relief. He helps us know Him as the One who loves and redeems and rescues us.

He builds our faith, worth more than gold.

The angst keeps us clinging to Him, forcing us to hold to hope, cling to His promises, and practice fixing our eyes on the Day of His return. ( John 14:2-3 )

And on that Day . . . ?

That is the approaching Day the ache will go away. Permanently. Revelation 21:4

For now we are sealed. Then we will be healed!

What a Day of rejoicing that will be!
It will be like no Spring we’ve ever experienced!

Hang in there, friend! The Day is coming!

When You Need To Fight The Devil

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 15:35:00 GMT

A drive south from Minnesota to Kansas in March might be mesmerizing, in a grey sort of way.

I needed to intentionally engage my eyes on things other than the road ahead, so they didn’t glaze over. There were a few pretty farms, but mostly grey fields, dirty snow, dead wind turbines, and tar.

As I got closer to Kansas, flocks of birds — large flocks — traveling overhead in the opposite direction. Flock after flock. I could see huge congregations of winged critters darting around off in the distance, like some kind of bird’s Black Friday madness, as if there were too many of them to get into formation.

Their confusion reflected the activity within my own soul.

Two weeks ago, I spoke at the Set Apart Conference . My message delivery was based on a difficult story from my life, it went well (I didn’t cry in the telling)– the Holy Spirit moved, and women asked me to repeat the truth I brought:

I had them repeat after me the lesson the Lord taught me:

“I may be emotionally weak, I might feel physically weak, but I am spiritually strong.”

As a whole though, the conference left me with a heart-heaviness from the cancer stories of both of the Keynote speakers, Liz Curtis Higgs and Lysa TerKeurst — additionally, Lysa’s story of the battle for her marriage was emotionally weighty.

Though their stories were full of faith and hope, I left feeling weary.

It may be partly due to the fact that when my kids were little — a bad epidemic of lice hit our community causing my friend to shave her head in order to rid her home of them. I had pleaded with the Lord for NO LICE, terrified of ever having to be without my hair. I’m grateful, the Lord heard my prayer.

Liz Curtis Higgs, at the end of her message on Saturday, was led to remove her wig, revealing her raw-self to us. She walked baldly and boldly – and beautifully . . . humbly – off the stage. And it kind of wrecked me. The young woman next to me wrapped her arms around me and I sobbed.

Though Liz and Lysa are both funny and faith-filled women, the weight of their pain found a parking place in my heart.

Less than a week later, after going over the messages for the following weekend retreat, I drove the three and a half hours to Iowa to bless women of all ages at a beautiful Lakeshore Center on Lake Okoboji .

I enjoyed conversations with many of these beautiful women between my sessions. And fell in love with God’s family all the more. (Blessed to have my mom, aunt, and three cousins join us in the lower photo)

After delivering my three messages:

“Come” an invitation to salvation:
“Jesus invites me to leave my life of sin, and be tied to Him.”
“Grow” an exhortation to fill up and overflow His living word:
“Drink the Living Water and you will be Giving Water.”
“Go, Light Your World” an encouragement to:
“Be the Light . . . Buck your fear.”
“Step into where He calls you, and He is there, and in His presence is fullness of joy.”

After the retreat wrapped up, I had the above-mentioned five and a half hour drive to Kansas on Saturday afternoon.

I hadn’t been to Kansas where Dale is working since January. Instead, he’d flown home two weekends in February. Two weekends that turned out to be consumed with snow shoveling at home, hardwood floor installation at our boy’s house, and a floor redo in our own basement.

*Whirl & Spin* That’s what life has been.

On Sunday night I had a hard time sleeping after receiving four major prayer requests. One was for our grandson who was running a high fever. I also had a bad dream in which I was being scolded by the retreat hostess. (Not the actual lovely person who hosted me, but someone I didn’t recognize.)

On Monday, as I sat in my morning chair, the weight of these burdens was like a hundred pound barbell sitting on my shoulders. I knew the enemy was aiming to discourage me. And I knew I had to fight.

So I stood.

I raised my arms and lifted my face to Heaven.

I stood to spite the burdens, and I opened my lips to oppose the heavy thoughts.

I spoke faith-filled words into the atmosphere of our little townhouse. Praise and thanksgiving came out from my lips, along with declaration of God’s promises that are true. After a time of praising Him for His goodness, the burdens took flight like the birds moving North overhead.

Flocks of them, soaring away to their place of rest, leaving me at rest in His presence once again.

I’m no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God.
He split the sea so I could walk right through it. He drown my fears in perfect love.
He rescued me so I could stand and sing: I am a child of God!

Your Life Is A Poem Penned By God

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 12:40:00 GMT

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

A melody moves me to dance, a sonnet draws my thoughts deeper . . . When music comes alive at the movement of the ballerina, and the sculptor reveals what was hidden in the wood . . . When rugged mountains mesmerize me by their grandeur, and the ocean’s voice reminds me how small I am . . . I see God.

The fact that we are each a masterpiece, a poem penned by God, sets us free from all of the world’s restrictive frames, and enables us to dance freely on the canvas God has for written for us.

It seems like many of us spend much time circling around mountains, sizing up the landscape, trying to figure out how this life of faith works, that we miss the childlike simplicity that we are called to — He has prepared good works beforehand that we should WALK in them.

The picture emerges of our Father and His daughter walking hand-in-hand, sometimes in silence, but often in conversation. He is directing her steps, giving her instructions, teaching her the way to go. He is carrying her when necessary, and giving her everything she needs to succeed.

No wonder Satan wants to call into question the goodness of our Father! No wonder he wants us to get our eyes on ourself and our performance! No wonder he wants us to feel like we are alone when Jesus has promised to never leave or forsake us!

Father, thank you for this amazing grace that rescued me and set me free to serve you without fear — because You are always near. Thank you for pouring Your Spirit in me and sealing me in You, that I am assured of my place in Your Kingdom. Thank you for the beauty of each poem You have written — over each of our lives — that we may SEE YOU, and love You more for Your wonderful works in and through one another’s lives— we know this full well. Help us celebrate one another as You mean for us to do. Your workmanship is beautiful!

Foundation Stones of Parenting

Sun, 18 Feb 2018 21:46:00 GMT

Isn’t that is what we ultimately want for our children? That they’d grow to know and love the truth and to live free from fear and the bondage of sin?

Any operation or organization that functions well has an established system, whether a corporation, a branch of the military or a family. Fortunately God has given us the outline for our families in His word. We don’t have to walk this mom-journey blindly! God shows us how to live according to His plan in His word.

In God’s amazing creation, each family is unique. His desire is for us all to abide within the boundaries and guidelines He has established in His word — for our blessing.

We often wrongly believe His boundaries are restrictive when He intended them to be protective. When we walk with Him, we learn there is much room to move within His good boundaries.

Whether we homeschool, or our kids attend private or public school — If we are walking close with God and listening for His voice, we can trust we will be within His plan for our lives and He will cover our children and our homes with His grace.

The most valuable goal is to establish within your home an understanding of the value of God’s authority, and how He delegates an order of authority for the flourishing of His creation.

Within a corporation you may have a CEO, a president, a treasurer, a secretary…etc. Each job title and each employee has his or her own job description. If each member does their job well, the company will function as smoothly as possible.

In God’s design for the family, He is the ultimate authority, and He delegates authority to parents over the children. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it appears there are many parents today who are afraid to parent, becoming friends of their children instead. We might guess many lean toward permissiveness or passivity for fear of their children rebelling, which likely stems from a lack of understanding that loving discipline and boundaries are necessary for children’s flourishing.

Establishing the conviction within your own heart first, and then in your home that God’s authority is supreme is the most beneficial (and I will go as far as to say imperative ) thing you will ever do. If you don’t have Him and His word behind you, your home will be open to chaos. (See Ephesians 5:22-6:4 for the benefits and the divine order)

A word about Authority:

To many this word brings pictures to mind of bossy, mean, and oppressive rulers.

But with God, as with so many things in His Kingdom, all of that is flipped upside down. Jesus says he came to serve.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45

So the One in the highest role of authority is the One with the greatest responsibility to serve the family. Isn’t that beautiful? God established authority for safety, provision, protection, and at the top: Joy!

It is His joy to see to the needs of our families! (Just as you delight to see your family thrive!) Honoring His authority is the reason I can tell you this side of parenting, that though my husband and I made many mistakes, our children love and honor God.

Having His authority established early in our home helped us through difficult times in the teen years. Where things may have turned out badly and wrought destruction, we saw God protect and sheild due to their willingness to honor our leadership by their obedience.

Our children honored us as parents because they honored God who gave us the authority over them. Our word was good because He established it to be so.

One of the first passages we memorized together was Ephesians 6:1-3 : Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Knowing those verses myself helped guide my parenting decisions. Establishing a love for God’s word was a priority in our home.

What not to do: The last thing we want to do is just be rule-makers. Ruling without love leads to creating robots. There is no heart in a robot. No truth and no freedom. We don’t want robots. Even on the days we might think we do…

For more encouragement, I highly recommend a book called Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp. You can also check google to find podcasts by him.

What to do: Make it clear to our children that God wants a love-relationship with them. Help them see that Jesus’ death on the cross is the greatest act of love in the universe and talk about how the cross establishes the length and depth of God’s love for them.

Love and reverence for the Lord is best transferred to our children by our living it out daily. When we, as parents love God, talk to Him and talk about Him; when we spend time in His word and read it to our children, when we show our love for Him by our obedience, we will have sufficiently guided them to the path of Life, where they learn to love truth and live free.

Parents Establishing Good Foundations

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 23:27:00 GMT

Parents Establishing Good Foundations

* * *

Most of us want to do a good job as parents. We love our kids, and want them to thrive. We desire for them to be happy, to have good experiences and to generally be successful. These are fairly universal desires.

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:45:00 GMT

It’s June. The month when Minnesota exhibits full life again, shows green again. Violets, Lupine, and daisies are in bloom. Mornings are serenaded by bird choirs. Life is sprouting all around. Overhead is a tarp shaped into a tent. It’s blocking the midday sun. I’m standing on some kind of rug, walled in by others. Shoulder to shoulder we stand, shifting to accommodate more as they approach the makeshift shelter.

Faces all marked by sorrow. There is only the sound of shifting bodies as we file into this small space. The shape of the shiny rectangular wood box we face is matched by a dark hole in the earth — a small mountain stands to the side. Is it covered by fake turf. For some reason, I think there is velvet here. I don’t know where or even what color. I just remember velvet. And soldiers. The soldiers that will shoot the guns, further puncturing my heart by their sound.

White and red roses rest in small hands. Pretty girls, cascading curls cradling their downcast faces . . . men, young and old, darkly clothed, their eyes are graven too.

What are their hearts feeling? How can I hold them and who can heal them all? I know, I know. Jesus alone.

This sorrow, it feels a lot like choking.

It was 2014, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

We’d just spent three days of happy remembering and painful grieving. How can such joy and sorrow mix? We celebrate life and mourn death — the same day.

My heart is in a knot.

Moments ago there were smiles and I know those sweet faces will resume radiance again. Life this side of the box brings smiles even on the darkest days.

But we will all have our own day in the box next to the hole of the same shape. “To dust you will return.”

”Jesus” I hear Your name every time I hear of the dust as I stand in this space under the makeshift tent on top of the origins of all earthly things. The dust that is under the rug I stand on. The dust that you breathed your Life into when you first made our father, Adam . . . I hear the soothing words again, “Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord who was raised from the dead. He conquered sin and death and the grave.”

Oh, Jesus. For those who know You, this shiny box marks not the end, but the start of a new Day. A new and free Day! For those who have turned to You and believe in Your grace, those who have said “yes” to You — have already in that “yes” moment, received eternal life in their body — sometime before being laid in the box. ( John 1:12 )

The tent of the body will return to dust, yes. But the soul . . . The soul has come Home! ( 2 Corinthians 5:8 )

The soul that is seated in Christ has left the tent that will return to dust — but the saved soul is really eternally ALIVE! ( Ephesians 2:6 )

Thank you Jesus, for coming to rescue us from the dominion of sin and death, and thank you for transferring us into the Kingdom of Life and Peace in You. ( Colossians 1:13 )

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

The way to this satisfying hope: John 11:25 ; Romans 5:1-2 ; Romans 10:9-10 ; Acts 2:38-39 ; Acts 4:12 ; Isaiah 45:22

About Those Bible Studies I Wrote . . . They're Available!

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 13:02:00 GMT

For years my heart has harbored a vague dream.

On top of pursuing speaking from a very clear call . . . the call that came at a retreat as the speaker was speaking and my heart was set on fire. ( Luke 24:32 ) The Spirit of God was speaking to me . . . He said, “You will do this one day.” To which I replied, “Ok, but You have a lot of work to do.” because my last stint at public speaking was in tenth grade, and I’d vowed to never again . . .

But when God calls, who can resist Him?

So I took every opportunity He opened for me.

There is nothing like your home church to form and re-form you for the ministry God is shaping you for. I am most grateful for the Pastors and Elders of East Lincoln Alliance Church who opened doors for me to practice using my gifts through teaching and leading.

Beyond the clear call to speak, I’ve also long-sensed a call to write.

Because it was so vague, the “what, where, and when” always seemed elusive.

I’ve been blogging with very little regularity since late 2007, but it never caught fire as other’s blogs have. That didn’t really bother me, so I’d just keep blogging away, waiting for the next open door. The Lord had faithfully opened many doors in my years of walking with Him.

Sometimes I’d sense that I had missed “it” somehow. I wondered if I should have done something or other . But what else could I do but wait for His timing?

It was about a year ago when my friend, Jenn messaged me to tell me her high-school friend, the director of Sammy’s Inc , was looking for a Bible Study writer.

I was already acquainted with Sammy’ s (Strength Among Many Ministry) because I had encountered their ministry while seeking a place for my daughter to get to know women in her area several years back. Through Facebook, I met Sammy’s founder, Pennie, and chatted with her via private message. I loved the heart of the ministry right away.

Jenn’s message came when I was feeling displaced and lonely a year after our move. I’d been asking the Lord, “What is your next step for me?”

“How ironic,” I thought when I learned about the ties. [Pennie had moved from the original location and had turned the ministry over to new leaders by this time. She happened to attend the church we landed in after our move in late 2015.]

A few weeks later, four of us met together and sought the Lord on topics for the two-semester year.

As is often the case when pursuing His plan, He put the same topics on each of our hearts. They were “Intimacy with God ” and “Prayer.”

I pressed in for the words and plunked away at the keys in 2017.

Because the whole process of hiring writers was new to Sammy’s, we encountered our share of challenges along the first stretch of the journey. We ended up being squeezed for time in the summer, and some errors were made in the formatting. Unfortunately, they weren’t caught until after printing, so when I received my first copy, I was startled to find what seemed like missing pieces. It’s hard to explain, but a few homework sections that followed commentary had been pulled out and placed along the side. They’d been rearranged to fit the former structure on behalf of the teachers.

Though I struggled with knowing the errors were there, I’ve heard only good reports from those who worked through dearly BeLoved study last semester.

It was a lesson for this recovering perfectionist to be sure.

The formatting has since been cleaned up, and you know God — when we are on the road with Him, He works all things together for good.

The errors made in dearly BeLoved moved us to make a more consistent format structure which would enable the designer to plug sections into specific headings in the study. This saved all of us a ton of time. The second study, divine CONVERSATIONS , is beautifully laid out and is available to purchase here .

Sammy’s Inc. is funded by the sale of the curriculum. It is supplemented by the sales of their (awesome) new merchandise which you can find here .

Aren’t they beautiful? They’ve done a fantastic job of choosing fonts and colors, and I couldn’t be happier with the final product! If you would like to do a study, you can purchase one here .

If you have ever had a desire to start a Bible study in your community, but haven’t known where to start, please consider joining the Sammy’s family which currently consists of six locations. Their resources and support are wonderful. To read the heart of their mission , you can click here.

If you want more information, or if you order the study, I’d love to hear from you! Your encouragement means so much!

How To Overcome Anxiety & Panic Attacks: A Christian's Strategy For Peace

Sun, 14 Jan 2018 21:10:00 GMT

Dale was pulling the boat he’d successfully refurbished during his eight-month stay in Georgia. His job was finished and we were returning to Minnesota with a few vacation destinations on the way.

I was following him, driving the Yukon he’d purchased on Craig’s List, which was full of weighty things, and had a heavy wood box strapped to the top.

With 2200 miles ahead of us, I couldn’t succumb to the panic attack that struck as we began the drive through the mountains.

***

A week after returning home, I spoke to a gathering of women explaining how the Lord enabled me to complete the trip. After my message, I was approached by several women seeking a transcript or a way to listen online. They wanted to remember and share the message with others.

Since I’d already been entertaining the idea of starting a podcast, I told them I’d record it, and send them a link.

I’m still deliberating about the podcast . . . but have managed to record and upload the message to Sound Cloud.

Learning the art of recording has been challenging for me, so after many hours of recording three different “takes,” and finding a way to add music, I decided to just bite the bullet and share it.

It’s been on hold for over a week that was full of “other important things” taking my time.

I wanted to try to splice in a new intro because it didn’t come across as I’d intended. — If you listen, please give grace for the opening comments about one of my favorite titles: Granny . And if you actually picture Granny from The Beverly Hillbillies — as the granny I was describing, then maybe I did okay with the intro after all. ��

I’m happy to share this somewhat painfully acquired message with you for free.

I’m wondering if you would mind leaving me a comment if it encourages you?

Also, would you do me the honor of sharing it with someone you think might benefit from it?

And lastly, I would LOVE to have you sign up to receive my blog posts in your inbox. You can do that in the upper right hand of this post. Or by clicking HOME in the upper left and scrolling down about a third of the way to the box “Don’t Miss A Post” ~

Thank you so much!

To listen to the message, click here: A Strategy For Peace

Here are a few photos from our “intense” and beautiful year that go along with the message:
Oliver, at my desk with my glasses.

Our two small houseguests from June – September:

A new brother in June for these three:

And Fixer-Upper Farmhouse (Trees went down in a storm – in the midst of the labor-intensive gutting in June)

One from GA:

KEY VERSE: (If you have Pinterest, Please Pin This Graphic) from my message: A Strategy For Peace

It Is With Our Hearts That We Truly See - It's Epiphany - How To Be Truly Saved

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 17:54:00 GMT

“Many people are only eighteen inches away from salvation. That’s how far it is between our head and our heart.” ~Pastor Randy Schussman

There is a word to describe the bridge between the head and heart. It’s a word containing two elements. One might think the word is “believe.”

After all, we read in scripture, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” ( Acts 16:31 )

But — there is more to the believing than intellectual agreement.

If you are sitting in a dark cave, you might believe there is a sun in the sky. But believing won’t enable you to see its light nor enjoy its warmth.

Many people believe there is a God. Many people believe . . . even demons believe . ( James 2:19 ) But the believing with your intellect isn’t enough to save you.

In His sermon on the mount found in chapter five of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus lays out the road to salvation. The path begins with “Blessed (happy and fulfilled in God) are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” ( Matthew 5:3 )

The opening of the way of salvation is knowing our spirits are impoverished.

When we know we are thirsty, we will seek water.

Jesus continues marking the road to heaven:

He tells us, after we know our spirits thirst, we mourn. Mourning the sin that darkens our hearts makes us seek comfort from the only One who can clean us up. He comforts us in our mourning. ( Matthew 5:4 ) Humility follows as we realize how desperate we are, and how wonderful He is in providing a way for us to be free. This humility of heart grants us adoption, and then our inheritance as children of God. We “inherit the earth” which belongs to our Father. ( Matthew 5:5 )

Following humility, the heart finds a new hunger and thirst — we have a desire for righteousness, and with it comes a promise of filling. ( Matthew 5:6 ) Upon being filled with His righteousness, we are able to abundantly give and receive mercy; the circle of love marks our lives as new creations in Christ. ( Matthew 5:7 )

Jesus continues ( Matthew 5:8 ) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Poverty of spirit, mourning of sin, and humility have cleared the clutter from our hearts. When our hearts are clean, they can be filled with goodness and mercy. Now, our heart can truly see.

I told you earlier this week about seeing no good on Day 2 in Genesis . I saw something else I’d never seen before. I’m going to paste it here for you to read.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning— the first day . Genesis 1:1-5

And God said, “ Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning— the fourth day. Genesis 1:14-19

Light came the first day.
The sun, moon, and stars didn’t come until day four.

What was the light on the first day?

I could only conclude it was the very presence of God — moving — He said (spoke) and the Word (Jesus, light of the world) appeared simultaneously as the Spirit hovered over the dark waters.

I remember reading that the ancient Hebrews believed Sheol was beneath the waters of the earth. As if the original darkness was still below the waters.

God leaves us with a mystery regarding the dark waters and the Light on day one. As with every mystery He leaves, faith is required to wait for revelation.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to find out!

Speaking of Revelation . . . Where Genesis begins with God coming, bringing Light; Revelation ends with no need for the sun, moon, or stars, because He is the Light of eternity.

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:5

The Alpha and the Omega, the Light that came into the world at Genesis, at Christmas, and will come again on the Last Day, is Jesus Himself: Jesus, The Word of God, the Light of the World.

You see . . . on this twelfth day of Christmas, this Epiphany — the Light that came into the darkness to save people from their sins — He can only be your Savior if you first see your need for Him. Walking the road He marked out; taking the steps of acknowledging your spiritual need, confessing your sin, humbling yourself in surrender, then you can be truly saved — only then can you truly see . Only then will your belief save you.

The eighteen-inch word that is the bridge between the head and heart is surrender.

The two necessary components of surrender are trust and obedience —
Trust goes beyond belief; trust is an element of relationship.
Obedience is the action taken in response to trust; it is the evidence of a humble, pure heart.

Trust and obedience enable you to emerge from the dark cave in response to your belief that there is a sun in the sky to light your world and warm your heart.

Jesus came first, then the sun. If we truly see, we will see the sun is a message for us . The Bright Morning Star of Revelation 22:16 — the Light of the new heavens and the new earth — will obliterate our need for that great ball of fire, that morning star that rises on our days. We will no longer need the solar-system-sun that guides our daily rising and resting on earth.

Is the day breaking in your soul?

What the sun is to us in our human lives, Jesus is, and so much more, to our spiritual lives.

What similarities do you see between the sun and the Son?

What differences?

Dear Sunrise, What Message Do You Bring?

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 15:34:00 GMT

Dale had heard of how the sun would suddenly pop up over the horizon of the ocean. We’d driven out onto the sandy shore in Jacksonville, FL that morning to wait for it. Pulling my sweatshirt tighter in the chill of the February morning, my eyes focused on the backdrop of cottony pinks blending with velvety violet just beyond the thrumming waves.

We were not disappointed by the magnificence of the show, the bursting of wonder, a grand introduction to a new day.

Six years later, the sight and sound remain seared in my memory.

This rising and setting that marks our days, that wakens and quiets every soul . . . beyond its function and beyond its grandeur, has more to say to us . . . but we likely think little of its message.

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive -to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” ~Marcus Aurelius

We might grasp a moment of wonder as we walk past the window, its rays landing across the floor, casting all form of shadows.

We might catch a glimpse of its glory as it begins to set yet again, breathing out a “wow!” as we move on to the next thing.

We most often go about our day without thinking of its rhythmic, warming message.

As the Artist’s art is meant to speak, what is the sunrise saying?

I think I hear the message!

“Good Morning, Beloved!”

I’m here! I’ve given you LIGHT to live by. I want you to marvel at my provision and my artistry!

It’s a new day! Let’s begin again!

Yesterday? You closed your eyes on it. Let it go, there’s no going back.

But! See the sunrise? Did you see it today?

Do you realize morning marks another new beginning?

I’m giving you a new opportunity to see!

Beloved, let your eyes behold — hold onto the things you see.

The gifts you see are from Me, expressing my love, my care, and my provision for you.

Have you thought about what it would be like to have no sun?

Have you considered what living would be like with only the moon?

What if I’d given no sun or moon?

Ah, now you see!

This day, it is a love-gift from Me!

Take joy! Rejoice!

Could the One who made the sun, make all things new for you — today?

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

Are you looking for Him?

Are you listening for His voice?
Are you living expectantly?
The sun reminds us that He is good and He is magnificent!

The Laughter of God Comforts Me

Tue, 02 Jan 2018 16:22:00 GMT

The New Year questions we ask ourselves in order to evaluate the past year and lay a foundation for looking ahead serve us a dish of sweet and sour, a cocktail of bitter and happy. The stories of laboring in our work — be that parenting or plowing in the nine-to-five of our everyday experiences — our life on earth is marked by the blending of joy and strife.

On Christmas Day, our family adopted a few questions my friend mentioned that her family uses every Christmas: 1. What did the Lord teach you this year? 2. What life lesson are you taking with you into the coming year? 3. What do you want the Lord to teach you or help you with in this coming year?

Asking these questions not only clarified the answers to our own hearts as we pondered our past, but built bonds of love among us, as we learned how to support and pray for one another over the course of the coming year.

On this second day of 2018, in the second chapter of Genesis, I read of the fall and the fig leaves, the first-ever question, “Where are you?” and the covering of God.

Then comes the curse: Snake will eat dust and be crushed. Woman will sting in the labor of childbearing … her children, be they natural born children, or the nurturing of other’s children, will be accompanied by pain. Man will sweat and strain in the labor of provision … his work, be it plowing or plucking keys on a computer, will be accompanied by pain.

With the curse, God gives the greater promise. The mercy that always triumphs over justice. The coming of the Seed to crush the serpent. The commitment of Love to see us through. “I will never abandon you.”

With the curse — and we should note this — God is present.

He could have abandoned Adam and Eve when they abandoned Him. But He didn’t. Honestly, I don’t think He could. It’s not in His character to abandon. The opposite is true of Him. God runs toward anyone who seeks Him. ( Luke 15:20 )

Adam and Eve have two sons. Cain first, then Abel. Cain and Abel both give offerings to God. One is out of thanksgiving, the other of obligation. The one with sacrificial thanksgiving is received, the one from dutiful obligation is rejected. God’s rejection of Cain’s offering might have moved him to make a course correction. Instead it moved him to kill his brother.

God continued to be present to Cain, exhorting him to make the course correction — even after killing his brother. Not only does God continue to love Cain, He even marks him to protect him.

In all of His dealings with man . . .

There is His presence . . . and there is His gift of free will.

There is His word . . . and the gift of hearing . . . or not.

He always allows us the choice: to listen or to continue laboring our own way.

God gives signs everywhere. Signs pointing to His love. Waking up in the morning, breathing, a sunrise, a smile . . . Water. Wonder. Weather. His word.

Even as we wrap up savoring Christmas with our families, we turn on the news and hear of the increasing evil in the world. We might tune it out for a time, but tune in, and it’s unavoidable.

The report of the annual New Year address by the leader of North Korea . . . he says, “I have a nuclear button on my desk.” This is altogether unsettling, and yet we might be so apathetic to all the noise and dark reports online, that we think little of the words of an unstable man . . .

On this second day of 2018, after reading the pronounced curse and the promised blessing of Immanuel, (and seeing it reflected on the news) I read it in Psalm 2, “the Lord laughs at him:”

Why do the nations conspire

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,

“Let us break their chains

and throw off their shackles.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;

the Lord scoffs at them.

He rebukes them in his anger

and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

“I have installed my king

on Zion, my holy mountain.”

I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;

today I have become your father.

Ask me,

and I will make the nations your inheritance,

the ends of the earth your possession.

You will break them with a rod of iron;

you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

Therefore, you kings, be wise;

be warned, you rulers of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear

and celebrate his rule with trembling.

Kiss his son, or he will be angry

and your way will lead to your destruction,

for his wrath can flare up in a moment.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Not only does God laugh at him, but He invites — even this evil leader — to heed His warning and to turn to God, serve Him with fear, and celebrate His authority with trembling. God offers to be a refuge and to bless all who turn to Him. This is our Almighty King!

What Does He Say With His Silence?

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 15:46:00 GMT

In the beginning . . . What is it about new beginnings? How is it that year after year, the wonder shows up? Do you know what I mean? A renewed sense of hope surfaces, and the will to clear away clutter . . . on the calendar, in the closet, in your heart . . . just kind of springs up. Again!

Like so many years before, on January first, I open my One Year Bible to Genesis 1, Psalm 1, Proverbs 1, and Matthew 1.

This year, I mark the word “good” with blue pencil as I read Genesis 1.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, the darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then He separated the light from the darkness. . . . Genesis 1:1-3

I continue highlighting it and anticipated one “good” for every day. Suddenly, for the first time, I see it!

Six times I mark “it was good ” before the seventh time which is enhanced by “very” . . . When He created Adam, He looked over all He’d created and saw “it was very good.” — but, no “good” on day two, and two on day three, and two on day six.

So, I ask, “What happened on day two? Why didn’t He see “it was good?” ”

On day two, He created the sky.

Oh, the sky! I’d say that the sky is “very good!” How I love the sky! I’ve no doubt that He loves what He made too.

Suddenly, I understand. Because of what I know of my Heavenly Father and His tender heart — of God’s desire to be with us — the separation between earth and heaven — though beautiful, and undoubtedly good, I truly believe by His silence . . . by His omission of the word, good , is for the purpose of displaying His desire to “rend the veil” that separates us from Him.

Do you recall that when Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom? You can read about it in Matthew 27:51 — The curtain that separated men from God was torn from the top down.

A tiny exclusion of a word, speaks to a simple granny sitting on her couch wielding her sky-colored pencil. “ The Word . . . that speaks Light into existence, speaks of His love in His silence.”

I keep thinking of it.

Christmas is the crescendo . . . His love, born in a manger under a bright star . . . The greatest Gift — to all who receive Him, He gives the right to become children of God.

How His heart must have burst with joy when He ripped that curtain!

How my own feels like it could explode at the thought of His love . . . at the sound of His voice.

It’s hard to contain it, and hard to explain it.

Have you grasped the magnitude of His love for you? Maybe you needed this reminder. He has never seen the space between Him and you as anything other than something to conquer!

His creating . . . His coming . . . His conquest . . . Speaks mightily of one thing — He wants you! He loves you!

This is what He says in every word, and in the silence! You are mine, and I love you!

Christmas Letter 2017

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 17:19:00 GMT

When my Christmas card showed up on December 17th, I was disappointed with how dark it looked. Especially the photo of Kayla and Andrew’s family. I felt regret at choosing a black background. Burying my disappointment, I had to set them down in my office because I was in the middle of a huge painting project in my basement. “I’ll deal with it later.”

Which I did with my letter:

I chose the location in front of the pines at Ethan and Caitlin’s new, but really old fixer-upper farm. Kayla shot our photos. Visions of beautiful Christmas cards danced in her mom’s head.

We began with Ethan’s family, then photographed the big group. When it came time to shoot her and Andrew’s family, the sun had popped out, making our setting too brilliant for the photo. So, we moved to the backside of the same two trees. The difference in the effect of lighting is . . . obvious. (So is my poor editing – I tried!)

Even if you don’t wear reading glasses, you might need them for our photo card this year. Sorry! They looked just fine on the computer when I ordered them, but arrived too late for a reorder when I saw how dark they looked in real life. If I could just somehow add light . . .

Surely there is a way to redeem this rather expensive mistake; I thought . . . How does this relate to Christmas?

What is the value of light?
How much do we value our sight?
What can we do when things don’t go right?

Candles flicker on the coffee table; reflection from lights wound on evergreen boughs sprinkle the wood floors like glitter. I’m on my couch where I begin every morning. It’s dark as night, but 7:00 am – It’s the shortest day of the year and I’m already anticipating more light.

Sure, by summer’s end, I welcome shorter days. Green turns to gold, orange, and burgundy, before descending into winter’s brown and grey. I look forward to quieter times . . . my cozy home . . . the cooling of autumn giving way to fireside reading. A time for quiet.

But that isn’t really how it is . There are times of nesting and resting peppered into this spinning globe. Thank God! Those precious moments when our hearts glimpse the fullness that is to come . . . the promise of the eternal home when the Light never shifts. The shadows that obscure Truth will be gone forever. Our heart’s eyes will see Him clearly; t he Love that came down at Christmas. Surely this was the purpose of the Sabbath law. The one made for man – for us to stop and breathe, to love the Light. Might we pause and ponder the goodness of His ways? We have permission to cease striving!

In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:1-5

Jesus was in the beginning – with God. At His Word, “Let there be light.” creation happened. Sun and moon and stars lit the darkness. God’s preparation for life’s rhythm – all the “it was good” things He made on days 1-5 were in anticipation of the “very good” of day six: the day He breathed His life into us.

But all the “it was good” didn’t seem good enough to Adam and Eve who ate the forbidden fruit, and the light went out in the heart of humanity. The human heart became dark, void of God’s life.

History marched on with glimmers and glimpses of what was to come. God kept speaking words of promise, of hope, of redemption. And then, after going silent for four hundred years – after prophecies halted . . . on one dark, ordinary day, Heaven’s veil was torn open; Angels appeared. Light entered earth again in a new and living way.

God spoke to Mary, announcing that hers would be the dark womb to nurture the Light from Heaven; that her body would be like the deep void of nothingness that was in the beginning. Just as the Spirit hovered over the lifeless atmosphere, as we are told in Genesis, the Word that brought the whole galaxy and this tiny spinning globe we call home into existence – would be born through her virgin body . . .

How could a perfect, holy God have a relationship with humans in flesh, other than to become one? This is love. This is the Light that breaks into the darkness and gives the gift of God to all who seek Him. His life came down to light us.

Let every heart prepare Him room! Love came down at Christmas for no other reason than – He wants us.

He asks at Christmas, “Will you receive Me? I’m free!”

Dear Lord, yes please! Give my heart sight, help me value this Light that came into the darkness to make all things right.
I want You too!
I do! I do!

Here are our photos — with the proper light:

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

What Are You Waiting For? What Has You Restless?

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 22:08:00 GMT

I picked up my phone, pressing the button revealed the time. It was 3:30 am.

Feeling frustrated that I might not be able to slip back into slumber, I toss and turn . . . an hour later, my husband is annoyingly fidgety and I’m facing his back, wondering why in the world am I so restless?

Nothing terrible is going on. Usually, my restless nights are due to something regarding our kids. In my agitation, I will get up, make tea, pray, and return to bed while it is still dark.

I’ve found that getting out of bed disables the dark monster that obscures reality when I’m flat on my back in the dark.

But all is well with the kids. (Praise God!) By 4:45, I give up and head for the coffee machine.

Scribbling thoughts to God in my journal, I conclude that the lifestyle I’ve been forced into – the ongoing uprooting I’ve experienced since August 30th, 2013 has become tiresome. I’m weary of moving, and of my husband switching jobs. I’m tired of him living away from home for work, having two homes, and not knowing where I will be – or when.

I feel like the grapevine that Luc Teyssier (played by Kevin Kline) carried in his coat pocket, – in the movie, French Kiss. The straggly twig’s roots were wrapped in something akin to a dishtowel and tied in burlap. He took it into the bathroom on the plane, examined it, kissed the stolen diamond necklace that was buried near its roots, and tucked it back into his inner jacket pocket. Before leaving the plane, he stuck the poor little vine in Kate’s (Meg Ryan) purse. She unknowingly carried it around for an entire day. It was eventually stolen and ultimately retrieved again by Luc who had been like Esau and sold his birthright to his brother. Now he intended the stolen necklace to be his ticket to a fresh start. The vine, a ‘firstborn’ plant for a new life, one of owning a vineyard.

It’s one of my favorite movies (but I keep my remote close so I can skip the one steamy scene – WHY do they tarnish good films with one dumb scene? ) I love the film because it displays broken, sinful people, moving toward and acquiring wholesomeness. Through Luc and Kate’s journey of human struggle, “shallow” is seen for what it is. The value of depth of soul, the power of selfless love, and its acquirement of redemption is brought to light.

While journaling my thoughts about being an uprooted vine, I realized I’m currently waiting for my life to settle. I want my roots to go down. I long for my husband to live at home so we can find our people, have our neighbors over for dinner. I long for community.

And I’m tempted to grumble a little.

Sitting with Jesus, I begin to express my longings. In His light, I receive revelation. I’m suddenly aware of the fact that my life is much less disrupted than many who have lost homes to hurricanes or fire. I recall that many in my own life are experiencing horrible health issues and loss of family members.

I realize that the weight of my longing has shifted onto me instead of pursuing Him for His will for me and for the health, wholeness, and redemption in the lives around me — those on my ever-growing prayer list.

The humble cease to grumble.

I’m humbled again by His grace. I realize my restlessness is due to my failure to step back from my waiting-to-be-fulfilled desires (aka: focusing on what I don’t have) and see His love at work all around me. I am not an earthly receptacle of His goodness to hoard it, but an ambassador to pour out my life that others might be free.

How do we endure the slow drain on our lives when they become disrupted? How do we persevere through seemingly insurmountable trials?

His accessibility to us is the miracle gift of Christmas.
His salvation, our eternal hope for the perfection we long for.

He came to joyfully intertwine His life with ours. He wants us completely wound around and filled to the brim with Him.

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:25-26

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing . John 15:5

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

As I think about the vine in the movie, I realize that is exactly the way I am called to live. Hands off my life. Surrendering myself to His care. Through twists and turns, through falls and failures, even through times of enemy-hijacking, I’m never outside of His reach.

I can entrust my entire life to the Vinedresser.

It seems Luc managed to keep the vine alive. Through twists and turns, through a couple of people seeing past his sins to his potential, he was able to plant his little vine in his vineyard.

And . . . they lived happily ever after.

This is the story of the redeemed. Our journey on earth feels out of control often, but it’s never out of the control of Christ. And we will – eventually – live eternally happy . . . ever after.

For your entertainment, I’m adding the trailer. Seriously, sometimes you get just enough. The vine shows up around 1:41

I’d be honored to hear from you. What are you currently waiting for? How can I pray for you?

And I’d love to have you sign up to receive my words in your inbox on the top, right –>
I intend to post more regularly during this season of waiting for and marveling at our Messiah.

Hey There Lonely Girl . . . My #WalkItOut Guest Post on Tricia Goyer's Blog

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 14:48:00 GMT

Standing in the middle school lunch line, my eyes were lingering on the pretty girl ahead of me. In addition to the long lashes framing her clear green eyes, and the blonde hair perfectly framing her smooth skin, I noticed how at ease she was with herself – a quality unfamiliar to me, and I envied her.

I envied her looks, her friendships, and her freedom.

I was more ultra aware of a large pimple protruding from my cheek, and certain it contributed to the rejection I felt that day. And every day.

Reminders came again after school as I boarded the bus for the long ride home. Girls my age sat together, but I had no one.

To read more, click here . I’m honored to be a guest over at my friend, Tricia Goyer’s blog – in celebration of her inspiring new book, Walk It Out .

Man Needs A Suitable Helper: Truth About God's Woman

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 21:00:00 GMT

“Since we are moving closer to his job, my husband wants to switch to a church in the town where he teaches. The problem is, I have found “home” here. I have grown in my faith so much in the last year, and have made friends. My kids have made friends. I’m having a hard time . . .”

My new friend expressed wrestling with her painful decision. I could relate, as she faces moving away from one home and church family and into another, because of her husband’s job and wishes.

“He’s not forcing it, of course, he understands the struggle, but I know it would be the best thing.”

I tell her, “I’ve always been a staunch advocate for attending a church close to home – in order to be able to invite people to go with you, and so your children have friends in church and school.”

And I’m thinking to myself, “Girlfriend, I can so relate! The plight . . . and the joy – of the wife . . . ” (More on the joy later.)

If I would tell the truth about my zig-zag life, all of the moving and leaving and restarting I’ve been through, all the upheaval in our lives, all of the loss of home and place, has been due to my husband’s desires and decisions.

I jest, telling people that since we married, he knocked me on the head and has been dragging me by the hair ever since.

I tell him that too. He laughs.

Because he acknowledges the hint of truth in it.

Though dynamics differ in people’s personalities, interactions, and life experiences, there is a reality experienced by most Christian wives, of moving and/or giving things up based on our husband’s desires and decisions.

I can almost see the world wince reading this.

Our culture has been fighting for women’s rights — for years. There have been significant positive changes in the way women are esteemed and freed from antique and unjust constraints. But there has also been an enormous loss of cohesiveness in our society with the ideas of equality going far beyond what God intended.

God, the Master Designer, arranged things in order. In order for us to function in a thriving world.

And we fell.

The root of the fall is a proud, self-sufficient assumption of divine prerogatives—a rejection of God’s design for life. ~John Piper, Satan’s Design in Reversing Male Leadership

And we are always trying hard to get it right. We NEED to get it right. We Christians must get it right!

But too often, we try to do it our own way, which ends up being counterproductive. Most often in hindsight.

Femininity has, in many ways, lost her subtle beauty.

Instead of being content in our role, and joyfully investing our gifts and resources right where God has planted us, women are often full of ambition and competition. We spend our efforts on manipulative strategies to advance an agenda that, if we were to see the end result, ultimately undermines our influence for love, joy, peace, nurture, and restraint. Those effective character qualities (spiritual fruits) that undergird a thriving society.

In saying that, I am not saying bold women are less beautiful or less feminine. On the contrary, the diversity of women is meant to display a greater array of God’s glory.

How God loves women!

He loves all of us equally, but throughout history, often males have dominated rather than served. Since men are given authority by God, their words and actions have gravity in the female soul, their failure to love women with Christ’s love has left women feeling inferior and empty. Their inherent value diminished by the ones given to protect and provide.

This elicited a female response, and in a day where women had greater freedom and power of persuasion — in our democratic, modern world — the tide began to turn with the rise of female pushback against male dominance. I understood this much better after watching the movie, Mona Lisa Smile.

Along with attainment of certain liberties came an imposition; women seeking not only equality but role reversal, desiring to the take the lead — a mandate given by God to men.

The pursuit of usurping the man’s role is a result of the curse, pronounced at the fall, as spoken by God. [ Genesis 3:16 ]

For anyone interested in reading more on God’s intended design for a husband’s servant leadership, read Lionhearted and Lamblike .

So, what does God really think about women ? I’m glad you asked! Women are EXTRAORDINARY !

In her book, What God Really Thinks About Women, (linked above) Sharon Jaynes writes,

Eve was the “*crowning touch of God’s creative masterpiece and the inspiration of man’s first poetry.” She was not an afterthought, but God’s grand finale. Woman was created to complete the picture of God’s image bearer. Man could not do it alone. Woman could not do it alone. Both were necessary—working, serving, and living in tandem to complete the picture God intended all along. God concluded the first week of the worlds’ existence and the curtain fell with the words: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” With the debut of woman, what was “good” now became “very good.” …

She expands in her book on the word “helper” as God gave Adam “a helper” suitable for him. ( Genesis 2:18 ) The Hebrew word used for “helper” is ezer. The word is derived from azar, used of the Holy Spirit, meaning, “one who comes alongside to aid or assist.” Upon this understanding, Sharon Jaynes expands beautifully. She goes on to say,

“Like a violin without a bow, or a lock without a key, man was incomplete without women. Together, they are whole.”

And for the unmarried woman,

“Woman was created to be a helper and rescuer no matter what her marital status in life.”

Do you know what I have found – in these thirty-four years – to be the MOST rewarding part of being a wife? (Besides the obvious answer of having the blessing of children and grandchildren) Helping him on our home reno projects. Helping him hash out his dreams and goals, and become who God made him to be. And can I tell you? He has helped me way more than I have helped him. He’s my helper too; my protector, provider, and encourager.

Oh, it hasn’t always been that way. We’ve had to fight for our own hearts to be yielded to God, after trying really hard to help one another … Ahem.

It has been really hard for me to uproot so many times. Especially painful – our last move. But the HOPE I have in the God I love keeps me moving beyond what I can see to the possibility of what He has planned for me — for us — in this crazy journey, full of much joy.

[[Quote within the quote: *Caroline Curtis James, When Life and Beliefs Collide ]]

When Flood Waters Rise

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 17:16:00 GMT

Perhaps to some degree, we’ve all been in situations similar to our brothers and sisters in Texas.

When it’s 2:00 am, the croupy cough of my one year old daughter is scaring me. We’ve been through this before; there was nothing the hospital could do. Do I take her in?

They’ve heard about the coming storm, the potential for flooding. Will it really be that bad? Do we leave?

When the terrifying thought came late in the year 2000, “Am I having a nervous breakdown?” during my season of anxiety and insomnia; I feared losing control of my mind. I’d witnessed the desperate condition in my aunt when I was in middle school and our family had taken her in. During her stay, I did not look forward to getting off of the school bus. Will that happen to me?

Their house is on higher ground. It is serving as a place of refuge for the neighbors, but the rain keeps coming. Will the waters rise so high that we will be needing to be rescued like the others?

When I read Gindi Vincent’s Harvey Hit Houston yesterday morning, the feelings of helplessness and the questioning of my own experiences surfaced from my memories.

The rising flood waters awakened me again to my humanity, reminding me of how absolutely desperate I am for God.

Every breath – every day – a gift.

I transport myself into a house in Houston, with flood waters rising all around me. I think of the worst case scenario. What if it gets so bad and there is no way out – no one to rescue me?

As the flood waters rise, so does awareness of my need for the gift of salvation and eternal life.

If I were on the second floor of my house and the waters were rising in the floor below, I know I would feel fear. Though I know where I am going when I die, and I don’t fear death in the sense of fearing eternal separation from God with all His goodness and glory. I know I would feel fearful.

But I also know from experience, I’d wrestle down my fear with my faith. Just like Jesus did in Gethsemane – when He faced his death He wrestled down His fear. [ Matthew 26:36-46 ]

Through prayer, the ministry of God’s Spirit, and remembering what is ahead, He persevered and I can too. So can you.

So are my friends who are wondering what to do as the waters rise. Because even if our God does not rescue us, we know our lives [our eternal souls] are safe in Him.

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. . . . Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
Hebrews 2:10 , 14-15

Jesus endured our suffering and death in his human body in order to destroy the one who has power over death.

This is how we always win over fear – by fixing our eyes on the things unseen.

Fire On The Altar Of Love And How To Resist Being A Doormat

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 19:20:00 GMT

Our daughter, belly at beach-ball status with her fourth boy due anytime, has been watching our other two grandchildren while our son and his wife work on their fixer-upper house. The gift of filling her house with all of five children under the age of seven for several days in the last week – it can make her weary. Additionally, her husband has been working longer hours for the past several weeks.

The days may get long, but she chooses to joyfully serve, enabling her brother and his wife to spend time together conquering their project.

Seeing her serve with love makes this mama especially happy. Even more so, since I’m forced to view from afar due to living in a different state during their project.

Love, true love, is the most powerful force in the Universe.

This might be proven, not only by the rush of love to rescue, like when moms don their wonder woman costumes to rescue their babes, but by the fact that God is love.

What continues to stoke the fires of true love?

Siblings:

When we are in a family, our love is fueled by our desire to remain in relationship. This is a sweet gift from God. He knows we can forsake a friendship that is unsatisfying, and sometimes it is even necessary to do so. But with siblings, the bonds are for life. We only have two choices: either pursue one another in love or allow barriers when we aren’t in agreement. I can’t think of one person who doesn’t desire to have good relationships with their siblings.

Marriage:

When you first fall in love, it is usually physical attraction that kindles the fire. But if it is only attraction, the fire is destined to die. Love’s fire requires much more to keep it blazing than loving your lover ‘looking fine.’

Because, Babe, “Lookin’ don’t last.”

The blaze of love is kept burning by death.

Not the murder of our physical bodies. That is just death unto dust. But the murdering of our selfishness – that is the death unto love.

If we want relationship, if we desire union and fellowship, then sacrificial love is required. There is no getting around it.

Either we die or love dies.

And love is the foundation of real living.

Offering ourselves on love’s altar requires pausing in the places where we meet with a choice: to fight for our right or yield up our will in preference for the other .

This is the call of all followers of Jesus.

When Jesus exhorted us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, this is what He meant. Death to selfishness. Death to the “my way” on the highway of life.

Love is a daily dying .

To take up our cross – to be willing to bear the burden uphill – for the sake of another.

Because, true love? It’s not a feeling, but a sacrificial offering of ourselves. You are a gift of God, you must believe it to be free.

The opportunities to love at a cost to ourselves become ‘fruitful unto life’ in this world. They are . . . reflections of Christ.

They are the acts of the sacrificial love written about in Romans 12:1-2 ; the self-denying offering “holy and pleasing to God.”

This is true worship, bending down to lift others up.

There is a vast difference between being a living sacrifice and a doormat.

In this call to lay down our lives, there is a back door the enemy uses to sneak in and distort the beauty of the way of Jesus – so I want to say a word about being a doormat. First by way of contrast:

A servant is one who is strong in identity, willing to go low to lift others up.

A doormat is weak in identity, one who thinks herself inferior, allowing herself to be trampled on.

At first glance, you might not understand the difference, but look a little deeper and you’ll see. A living sacrifice is aware of her value, and is serving out of a heart filled with love. She has joy in her love.

A doormat is one who does not know her true value, and bends out of fear, submitting to one who wants to dominate or bully her. If you happen to see yourself in that story, then please seek a trusted friend, pastor, or counselor to see yourself out of bondage.

There are people who seek worship for themselves by being dominant. If we bow to their wishes, for us, that is idolatry. This requires discernment of our own hearts and the actions of others.

None are immune from doing things for the wrong reason. We can even vacillate between the two by forgetting our original intent to bless the Lord and people. The test is to ask ourselves “Who am I serving today, my ego or Jesus?”

The good news is that if we find ourselves loving for the wrong reason, we can repent and the Lord will help us see clearly. Often, just pausing to look up and ask for help when we feel overwhelmed will set our messy attitudes back in their proper perspective.

When we remember our value is found in God, and the works we do are for Him, we will be sturdied again to love from a pure heart. And the bully will lose his or her power over us, even being transformed by our refusal to serve the wrong god.

Another way to check is to make sure Jesus is our first love. Every day.

There's Quite A Commotion When God Hears Your Cry

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 12:00:00 GMT

If you are a mom among multitudes of moms and kids, let’s say . . . at a beach, or in a gymnasium, and you hear a child, any child , holler in a blood-curdling scream, “Moooom!!!!” you will notice at once every mom among moms will turn their head to see if it is their own child calling.

Likely, adrenaline begins pumping in your veins the moment your ear hears and your head turns.

Just in case.

If one of our own people has an emergency, the spinning begins. In short order, we find ourselves donning our appropriate and perfectly fitting Wonder Woman empowered apparel.

More often than not, we find out it was not our child . So, in our relief, we unwind, settling back into our street clothes and continue sipping our iced tea.

Fervent parents reflect of our Heavenly Father.

{More Powerful Than Wonder Woman}

New Dear friend,

Do you doubt God’s love for you? Is your hope thin?

So often we get to that place. Enduring darkness for what seems like eternity, grasping to hold to His promises of healing and deliverance. When will God come down and rescue me?

I’ve been in that place myself – as a mom, when the 24/7 seemed to wall me in, and I didn’t feel like I could go another day without a retreat. And the deeper dark days of despair that stacked up as I endured the affliction of anxiety and depression.

In those days, I’d felt the heavy Hand of God upon me. Somehow in my spirit, I knew my own fiery trial was the loving hand of discipline. Yours might be that, but there are so many other reasons we endure afflictions in this life. Ultimately . . .

When we belong to God, every affliction endured is leading to good. Ultimately the greatest good; bringing us nearer to God.

For years David was pursued by jealous King Saul, who intended to kill him. For over a decade David lived on a promise, God’s presence, and prayer.

The promise came when he was a boy, anointed as Israel’s King by the prophet Samuel. He wasn’t established king until he was thirty years old. Can you imagine the years going by and the increased temptation to give up; to doubt the words that had been spoken over him? Forgetting the promise and moving on would have been natural. But . . .

The same is true for you, if you are in love with Jesus.

This morning, I read this sermon mentioned by my friend. It’s a message on the life of a favorite writer, Charles Spurgeon. (Written/recorded by Pastor John Piper.)

Toward the end of the message, Surgeon was enduring such a time. His hope was wearing thin when he cried out to God:

This feels precious to me.

The way God ran to answer David’s prayer; the way He heard and answered Charles’ prayer, amplifies to me His Fatherly attentiveness to, and zealous love for His children.

It is a wonder that we doubt His love, isn’t it?

Because of our own fervent attention to our little people … okay, totally honest-moment … it doesn’t change one iota when they are adults. For real.

I still spin into my ‘Wonder Woman costume’ when my adult children cry.

Why would I expect any less wonder from my God?

Come To The River

Thu, 18 May 2017 13:00:00 GMT

I wish I could embrace Him for real. To wrap my arms around Him . . .

More.

To nestle into His heart, His mind, His life.

Then,

I hear Him, “Abide in Me.”

This is His invitation:

“Come to Me.

Everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters,

and he who has no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.”

***

Maker of beauty, when my feet wander beside the banks of Your quiet creek, glistening, reflecting sunshine, moving over stones worn smooth by it’s relentless meandering.

Where does water come from?

I know . . . the sky.

Surely dark clouds surrender tears to earth.

Droplets land amidst giant pools, lost in their immensity.

What is a drop in a sea?

So small.

What is the source of life?

I know, You.

Living water.

Spilled from sorrowing clouds.

Life is here: the seas . . .

lakes . . .

rivers . . .

streams . . .

Because Cloud sorrows.

Then wells draw forth Your Joy.

Springs, up from earth.

When You led your people out of bondage, You went before them, a Cloud.

You split the sea so they could walk right through it.

Commander of water.

Nothing is too hard for You.

Author of Life, Water-Giver . . . Water-Mover.

For life or for deliverance, You are the Way.

Are those Your tears?

Out there in the lake, the sun dancing outside my window?

Do they accumulate, pool for the return of Your beloved, Your lost ones?

You beckon the thirsty with Your beauty.

We all are satisfied, full, alive in Your River.

Help them know the want and need and panting is for Your Water.

Source of Life, free to drink, forever filled.

Lead them to the Rock that is Higher than their earthen idols,

that they may be refreshed in Your rivers of Joy.

When God Waves

Thu, 11 May 2017 17:15:00 GMT

It had been a seemingly long season of waiting and wondering if Dale and I had really landed in the church God wanted us serve with. Because, though I had knocked on the proverbial doors, I wasn’t finding my fit in the already-thriving Women’s ministry.

Up until this point, I’ve been more of a ground-breaker, but was willing to go wherever He sent me.

Then, about a month ago, I was invited to join the Women’s Ministry Team. There was a vacant position, they needed a Prayer Coordinator.

God had already been speaking to me about prayer, and then, after being asked, He confirmed it in several ways. So I happily said yes. I am honored to step into this precious place to serve Jesus and His mission.

A little over a week ago, we had our planning retreat for the upcoming year, where we review each ministry, give reports of God’s work, seek His will for the upcoming year, and do our own growth-assessment, setting new goals for the weeks and year ahead.

It was a wonderful, intense time. I enjoyed getting to know the team, all of whom are zealous for building the Kingdom and pleasing the King.

Jesus was with us, tangible in the midst of food, conversation, and loads of laughter.

And particularly visible the first night, as recoreded in my journal the following morning:

Last Night

I saw you paint the sky and then you pointed everyone to the sight.

As Lori spoke of her two teammates, we turned our heads toward their faces, and there You were, waving in the background. Outside the window, You’d brushed the canvas with hues of apple-reds and apricots.

“Look! God painted the sky for us!”

A Shift

There is always movement when You come near!

Diane got up from her chair and opened wide the blinds of the large window, so we all could see Your hand waving, together.

And soon, it was gone.

The sun set.

These windows of opportunity

to see You.

Often it seems we wait long for the Lord to bring the thing we are seeking: the answer, the opening, the breakthrough. And it’s in the waiting that we learn to cast our anxieties on Him, listen for His voice, and trust His promises.

So friend, what are you waiting for?

Keep your eyes open, your heart expectant, pray and declare His promises, and He will surely come one day, waving.

And your life will suddenly shift.

The Strength of the Struggle

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 21:38:00 GMT

I asked Him,

“Lord, why does it seem I am only a spark and they are a flame? The temptation toward the sin of comparison strikes again.

I see them shining like stars in the universe as they hold out the word of life. I long for that. Not applause, but tangible evidence of Your beauty coming forth from my life. I want to be beautiful.

Their expressions of Your life through them make my heart sing. Their songs, their words, their art – are stunning! And, I celebrate them!

So, what are these feelings that tend to haunt me – even as I celebrate?

They are familiar.

I think they are inferiority.

His reply,

“Daughter, you are Mine. You do trust my love? It drives out the fear from the middle of in fear iority – all the dark feelings are rooted in your flesh. You do right to ignore them. Perhaps you’re asking Me to take them away?

As you know, feeling the pain of your human condition – that familiar groaning of your spirit – it has benefits. To keep you longing for and seeking Me. Seeking your True Haven. You have to constantly war against the enemy – and the earthly mentality, subjecting it all to my Lordship.

That is what I mean by denying yourself. The feelings are splinters of your cross, really, bearing them is a gift for you and for others.

Remember Daughter, beauty isn’t performance or the applause of people.

Beauty is trust in My love.

It is in the daily dying to yourself that you truly live. That is beautiful to Me.

This is what grumblers fail to understand. The unbelieving souls who, rather than denying their flesh the right to self-pity, find fault and want to fix things by human strategies rather than trusting Me to be their God.

I Am Counselor, Comforter, Keeper, Savior, Shield, and Defender of all who trust Me.

You must keep working out your salvation with fear and trembling as I work in you to do the work that is My will for you.”

This is what God promises, to work in me that which He has called me and set me apart for.

I rest in His promise. Again.

And I wonder . . . did Joseph war against haunting feelings while he was a slave in Pharoah’s household, wrestle down bitter feelings toward his brothers who sold him? Or while awaiting his release from prison? Were the sons of Korah groaning inwardly before they penned the words of surrender in Psalm 44:22 :

Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

Or Paul? How did he feel as he brought the words forward in Romans 8:35-37 ? I believe he fought the darkness inside of himself too, yes, even him.

No doubt David warred against his flesh as he ran from Saul, as he longed for Absolom. His warfare penned in the Psalms. But God gave grace to endure. Just as He does with me today. With you.

And Jesus, my King, as you knelt in the Garden, you yourself felt the resistance of flesh’s fear, desiring to escape the suffering . . . Praying and praying and praying, then surrendering.

You are my example of winning the war.

Yes. I am a sheep.

And I surrender all. Again.

For the glory of our Father.

And this makes me stronger in spirit, the weaker my flesh.

The decreasing of self, means the increase of You. Have your way with me, Lord. Grant me your strength to fight the good fight of faith.

It reminds me of that unreligious “prayer” that made me laugh a little the other night, the one from within the story of the redemption of the professional genius-fraud, Frank Abagnale Jr. isn’t so unreligious after all.

Easter Is An Invitation To Truly, Truly Live

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 22:42:00 GMT

I could not pass the flowers, I stopped, inhaled, and broke them from their mother. I imagined her roots drinking of the spring moisture and rich nutrients of earth as I took the fruit from her, this glorious hue of pink that I held in my hand. Not only a sight for the eye, but fragrant with honeysuckle sweetness.

Her branches cracked easy as I bent them.

Collection in fist, stepping into the kitchen, I grabbed what seemed the best fit available, the Starbucks cup, and filled it with water. I happily found it a perfect match, the bundle stood asymmetrically, tendrils spilling over the glass.

This may be the most beautiful bouquet to ever grace my coffee table.

But as beautiful as it is, because it’s been cut off from life, it is dying on this third day, reminding me of what the Rabbi was teaching me this morning as I read His Living Water.

It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ~ John 6:63

“I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear fruit. And every branch that is fruit-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.

“Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear fruit by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce fruit, when you mature as my disciples. ~ John 15:1-8 MSG

The flesh, if it isn’t united to the Vine, if it’s roots are not going into the Life-Giving Word of God, and filled with the Spirit that quenches the soul to live, is akin to this beautiful bouquet.

It’s been three days, and they’re fading fast, petals drooping a sorrowful brown, this overcoming, a death take-over of the lively pink.

Tonight, I’ll have to throw them over the side of the deck with the rest of the decaying leftovers of autumn, where they’ll return to earth. Sometime later, soil for worms.

How joyful we can be in our celebration, this week leading up to Easter, that Jesus made a way for us to be grafted into the Vine, tethered to His life. That our turning to Him in repentance brings about a re-attachment to Him, the Source of Life. John 6:47

His invitation, to take and eat of the Bread of Life, to drink deeply of the Living Water, is written for us to stake our roots in. John 6:35 ; 68-69

Spend some time reading John 6 in the coming days, and see if your thirst grows for Him who loves you. Because when you drink deep, your leaf will never wither. You will bear fruit in season, and the spring in you will well up to eternal life. [ Psalm 1:2-3 ; John 4:14 ]

For further meditation this Easter week, a reflection of John 3:14 & Numbers 21:9 ~

The Immeasurable Value of Prayer

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 19:49:00 GMT

Are you content with your prayer life? Are you seeing the promises of God come to pass?

Prayer is a multi-faceted practice. It is a conversation with our Heavenly Father, and also a service to the Kingdom of God. It is one of the most essential disciplines for every child of God and should be foundational in our lives.

But I don’t know of many who are content with their prayer life.

A friend told me a story recently about someone moving to a metro area, and scouring the internet for a church with an obvious focus on prayer. And to her discouragement, there were only two in hundreds that displayed prayer as a priority.

That’s not to say that many of them didn’t have prayer established, but it was telling, and I’d say, reflective of what we all know to be true.

In the twenty years that we attended our former church, only a handful of times did we get a turnout of over 15 people to show up for an advertised prayer meeting.

But the Bible studies are well attended. The events we hosted were well attended. People make time for preaching, teaching and singing. And even when we tack prayer on to those gatherings, we tend to talk more than we pray.

So, why not prayer? What is the issue?

In his book entitled “Prayer,” Timothy Keller encourages by reminding us that every worthwhile endeavor will be hard. Whether you are approaching a marathon, or seeking to shed 20lbs, there will be a fight to accomplish the goal.

And let’s not overlook the fact that we have an enemy who wants to CUT God’s power off. He knows what to target. He will aim every arrow and throw darts of distraction at key times in order to thwart God’s power from bringing life and healing and redemption to our circumstances, and to our family, friends and neighbors.

So how do we get the upper hand in this wrangling for the power of God to be active in our lives?

How do we effectively apprehend the promises of God for our families and neighbors . . . and equally important, but given far less attention , how do we apprehend the promises of God for His mission given to His Bride while we wait for His return? Where does motivation to pray come from?

We need to know and remind ourselves of the call to pray and the rewards promised by Jesus for our prayers.

Jesus talks about rewards a lot in the gospels, and we talk about them very little. Matthew 6:3-4 promises rewards for giving. Matthew 6:5-6 and Matthew 6:17-18 promise rewards for prayer and fasting.

And Revelation 5:8 shows us that our prayers are incense to God, and He keeps them in bowls.

I found as I looked into the significance of incense to God, that it is representative of worship, which to God, is our affection for Him.

For someone who’s main love language is quality time, I get that. God is delighted when we engage with Him by taking in His word and then seeking Him and what He has promised to His children in order for His will to be accomplished on the earth. Matthew 6:10

A few years ago, when my husband was traveling for work and I was caring for our hobby farm without him, our son happened to be doing his second year of college online and staying at home. He was so busy with work and school, but he took the time to gather the wood out of our shed, haul it up to the house and toss it in the basement for me.

I cherish the gift of him taking care of that with a happy heart. [And this photo depicting his hard work maybe is a little like incense [?] because I see it and am reminded of my joy.]

Besides the fact that God is a good, good Father, and loves to show Himself strong on our behalf, He cherishes our prayers, so much so, that He keeps them and will reward them in Heaven.

Want to pray?

Father, please forgive me for my prayerlessness. I admit that I am easily distracted and don’t make it the priority that I want to – or that I need to. Please help me make a date with you every day. A time when I will get on my knees, or on my face, or talk out loud with you while I am driving, and help me seek to pray with others. Help me take note of the opportunity to pray with others and jump in without reservation or excuses. May I please You and may Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. IN Jesus’ name, amen.

[For more encouragement, watch this video]

Diving Into The Deep During Lent

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 21:53:00 GMT

The sound of waves land the shore, my heart smiles at the wonder of these tiny people . . . this memory . . .

I took these last April and landed on them while browsing my 17,000 photos in my phone today. [Help!]

My heart fills with joy when I remember this day. And I know – this granny thing closely represents the heart of our Heavenly Father. ♥️
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As I meditate on Isaiah 53 this week, I’m full of gratitude – and especially remembering the autumn of 2000, when I had sunken into anxiety and depression, and insomnia was stealing my life . It literally felt like hell. I believed I’d committed the unpardonable sin by my fear and unbelief during that dark season. I was terrified that I was cut off from God. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, when I kept silent my body was wasting away indicative of my soul.

It’s true, a bruised reed He will not crush. [ Isaiah 42:1-4 ] Jesus came into my mess with His message of mercy and lifted me out of the pit. ?Thankfully, He showed me that I was wrong. ? in fact, He was pruning me, delivering me from self-reliance, inferiority and unbelief.
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They say this life is the only hell that believers will experience . . . and the only Heaven that unbelievers will experience.
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The hell I experienced was deep regret and powerlessness to be absolved from my sin. And extreme self-awareness. Hell is the absence of peace, love, joy, and hope. All of which are found in Jesus.

Please don’t stay stuck in slavery to sin, when Jesus gave His life for you. Let Him have it all. That is why He came, died and arose. His mercy covers all who repent and believe.

I’m writing short devotionals on my Instagram account starting at Isaiah 53:12 and going verse by verse backward. Take a peek at how it’s laying out here .

The Power Of Mentoring

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 19:44:00 GMT

Her mind cannot move her left hand.

She can barely move her fingers. She’s suffered a stroke.

The occupational therapist is there, asking her to lift her left arm. “It feels like fifty pounds!” Mary says.

Then, “Move your wrist, your fingers.”

The ability to move decreases from her shoulder down to her fingertips.

But there is movement. I watch her pretty, weathered, long fingers move ever so slightly.

“They don’t work.” Mary said to the sweet girl.

“Oh yes they do, and you need to keep working them!” I could see both the temptation to let the hand have it’s way, withering, and the insistent coaching of the therapist who was there to mentor the hand to life.

She taught my 78 year old mentor to use her right hand to help her left hand move. “She will come back!”

As I observed, I found myself saying, “We need to give her a name, talk to the hand!”

It had been five days since Mary’s stroke and this was my first visit. I was taking up where family left off as they flew home to Washington, Ohio and Oklahoma.

The next day, after spending considerable time in prayer for her and the other weighty things that I cannot carry, I was sweating in my basement along with my never-aging “The Firm” instructor. (This is where I find myself thinking further on all the things . . .)

And the thought came to me, “Her hand is just like ME when Mary invited me into her home once a week when I was fighting anxiety and depression . I’ve often described that season of my life, as if I were a “limp noodle” and I saw that is how Mary was feeling about her hand!”

So I texted her later, “Your hand is like I was when you mentored me. We should call her ‘Kathleen’.”

“Kathleen it is” was her response.

[That is Mary on the left]

Years ago, maybe nearly twenty, when Mary and I and a couple of other friends were at a retreat, we began using our full names. She was “Mary Ellen” and I was “Kathleen” and so we have continued to use those names as endearing reminders of our fun together.

The following week, I visited Mary again. “Kathleen” had made much progress, and was able to move significantly more freely than the week before.

And yesterday, during my third visit, I saw Mary using “Kathleen” to hold the hospital juice-cup in order to peel off the foil covering without spilling.

“I’m doing much better than they expected! I was able to walk without the walker, and carry a tray with a glass of water without spilling!”

Mary Ellen’s mind CAN move her right hand, and her right hand is mentoring ‘Kathleen’ back to health. Just like she did for me over fifteen years ago.

How thankful I am for people who see potential and who are willing to invest their prayer, time and energy to coach the wimpy things back to life and strength.

Have you been mentored? Are you mentoring someone?

When You're Being Bombarded By The Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda: How To Have "No Regrets"

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 19:07:00 GMT

I posted the blog on Sunday to encourage parents , and some time after hitting “Publish,” I thought there might be a reader who was “past parenting” and who hadn’t had the grace to sow gospel seeds into their children.

And now the time has passed, not to be regained. I know the sting of regret, and now it’s antidote.

I struggled DEEPLY with regret for several years. After those couple of years of “ running in the desert ,” seemingly unable to cope with everyday life; I regretted the time that I felt I’d lost with my children. Loss of living fully present with them, enjoying life.

I remember reading them a story at bedtime, and struggling with my concentration, always enduring a sense that I needed to “run.” It’s amazing how dark emotions fogged my present, and blocked enjoyment.

And in those places of pangs of regret, the Holy Spirit would whisper a word from scripture, such as: “He will restore what the locusts have eaten.” Joel 2:25

And I would seek to settle in; I’d find rest in the whispered promise.

Or I would land on something while I was reading, like Matthew 20:12 ‘ Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’” The Parable of the Vineyard Workers has spoken to my heart on many occasions where the enemy is throwing accusations at me based on comparison or “being late” to understanding and implementing a grace.

[ More commentary here ]

He always gives us promises to rest on, no matter where we find ourselves, or at what hour, leg, or season of our journey. Wherever He finds us, He enables us to fulfill the plan He has for our lives and our families. He, the author and perfecter of our faith, has promised to work all things for good, be with us, grant us the desires of our heart when we trust in Him, and is faithful to complete the work He starts in each one of us.

So, be encouraged friend, if you struggle with regret for anything lost. Jesus, the resurrected King, the Lover of our Souls, He is mighty to save, deliver, transform, heal, and keep us and our hearts strong until the Day when He comes back for us!

Mind if I pray for you?
Dear Heavenly Father, Your word says that all of our days are ordained before one of them comes to be. And you have good plans for us, to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a hope and a future. You DO restore what the locust have eaten and are Mighty to TURN THINGS AROUND just as you did for Mordecai and Esther and Your people. You turn the enemy on his head! You’ve crushed His head, and promise to lead us in victory! You also promise that our spouse and children are sanctified, set apart for you through our faith. [ 1 Corinthians 7:14 ] We STAND on your promises. You are faithful to Your promises, You are loving toward all You have made, and especially to Your Children. Help us to praise You and thank you before we see the manifestation of the promise. Help us to encourage our hearts in You by reminding ourselves of the truth and declaring it over our lives and our loved ones. Through You we will do valiantly, it is YOU who tread down our enemies! Thank you, and Amen!

Staying The Course For Parents

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 21:35:00 GMT

I had the chance a few weeks ago to join my daughter in tucking my grandsons into bed. After they said their prayers, they asked me to pray. [I KNOW!!!] So I prayed over them, and prayed a prayer that I’ve probably prayed more times than any other prayer for my own children.

“Lord Jesus, help them to love you with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to follow you faithfully, not turning to the right or the left . . . Amen.”

And immediately, six-year-old Bennett asks, “Gramma, what does that mean, to not turn to the right or left?”

OH, my heart, baby!

Using my hand-motions, I told him, “It means that you are following Jesus so closely that you don’t turn off the path to the right or the left.”

“Well, what if Jesus turns right?”

“Then you turn right WITH HIM, but you never turn right unless He goes first.”

If you cold have seen my granny heart singing!

Raising children is not for sissises. Especially in our culture. It is rather shocking how things have changed since my baby graduated just six and a half years ago, particularly with access to smart phones and the internet. It feels like a situation for a “Red Alert!”

But, I’m also very confident that it is not an impossible job.

Because God.

With God’s enabling grace, attentive, prayerful parenting, and the help of family and friends, we can guide them safely to the heart of God.

I am so honored to be a granny, and thankful to have time to spend encouraging the mamas and being involved with the little ones.

I haven’t stopped praying that prayer for my own children as they raise theirs. Dear Lord, help them stay the course and endure to the end. Help ME to do so as well.

This journey with Jesus is a long road, we need endurance and fortitude for the long haul. And that comes readily from the favor of God through our loving attention to Him, the study of His word, and through our living our lives to honor Him.

Keeping Jesus as the hub from which all of our endeavors encircle. Colossians 3:23

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. [ Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ]

I cannot stress the impact of those few verses have had upon me and others for the training of our children. Have you landed there? And how do you impress the Word of God on your children?

My #WarriorBoots Weekend

Sat, 14 Jan 2017 18:32:00 GMT

If you read my last post , you know I high-tailed it out of here last weekend, and not without a fight, to a retreat in North Carolina. But you likely don’t know how it came to be [and why in the world] would I fly all the way to NC for a short weekend retreat?

I’ve known of our hostess, Lisa Whittle , since my first trip to She Speaks in 2008, where I picked up one of her books. I had also heard her speak at Allume in 2013. But it wasn’t until this past year when I really engaged with her as she is writing her newest book, “Put Your Warrior Boots On” due out next summer.

She’d post a thought on Facebook, and I’d “clap” with a hearty click of the “Love button.” After several posts crossed my feed, I felt led to pray for her as she writes, and I told her so. That might be why I received an invitation. ��

Put Your Warrior Boots on is a clarion call to be PREPARED, PUMPED & PRESENT in the spiritual battle that we who follow the Lord are {IN} whether we are acknowledging it or not.

When I was a fairly new Believer, I led a Bible study on Spiritual warfare and we practiced what we learned. A year or two later, Dale and I and our two little people moved to a new community. Shortly after we moved and found a new church, the pastor, whom we had come to love, was asked to leave by the elders of the church. It was a painful time which resulted in a prolonged spiritual drought at our little Alliance Church.

Before the breaking up of the church, there was a Wednesday evening prayer meeting which was discontinued. For many years, there was no corporate prayer.

I clearly recall walking through my house one day, and the surprising thought struck me, “No one practices spiritual warfare here.”

And soon after, I found myself in a pit of anxiety and depression; for months I was isolated and spiritually impoverished. I’d lost all the light I had formerly taught on; I’d forgotten who I was and how to stand. You might say, I left my armor on the dressing room floor and found myself alone in a foxhole.

Thankfully God is faithful and used it to refine me and actually teach me more about the schemes of the enemy. I needed to fall so that He could stand me up stronger in Him. I needed to come to the end of my self-reliance, and gaging my value on performance.

I needed to know that there was nothing within me that could bring me to God, that only He could rescue me out of the pit.

As I began to ‘recover’ what had been lost, to gain back my understanding of the spiritual battle, I realized that many more are passive than actively standing in their warrior boots, and I have been on mission ever since to strengthen and encourage my sisters and brothers. I’m blessed to invest.

Hence, the reason I’m drawn to Lisa’s current work.

Declaration 4) I WILL RISE UP & STAND FIRM

“Love is the strongest fighter. Love compells us to rise up and fight. The Christian self-help culture has to stop. [We need to put on our Warrior Boots and fight in the power of the Holy Spirit.]

Instead of our flesh responding to what is against us, we need to respond to the things that are against God.” ~Lisa Whittle [paraphrased because my notes are not verbatim.]

I am one who takes a broad view on the world and seek to do so through the lens of scripture. I literally scope out the current landscape; I watch. Thanks to social media and the internet window on the world , I am able to see.

I catch wind of what God is doing “broadly” and follow suit, or find myself in the flow “accidentally.”

Last year, many pastors and teachers wrote, taught and preached on Revelation and on Heaven . [I was involved in studies on both of those topics and wrote “A Holy Beautiful Fear” ]

And with the movie, War Room coming out recently, plus the rich Armor of God study by Priscilla Shirer, it seems clear to me what God is up to with His Bride.

Restoration [ Isaiah 56:7 ,] Purification [ Ephesians 5:26-27 ,] and Fortification [ Ephesians 6:10 .]

Have you been noticing it too?

And Lisa Whittle, faith-filled daughter of a faithful pastor, has been gifted to share her hard-won wisdom in this book. You can sign up here for a FREE 10 day Bible Study delivered to your inbox, and I heard you’ll even get a few videos of her teaching.

Where I've Been & Where I'm Going * Thoughts on Loneliness & Friendship

Sat, 07 Jan 2017 15:49:00 GMT

For a week I’ve been “under the weather” as they say . . . and currently kicking at the Southern snowy weather (and any rising fears) with my faith.

Having spent hours yesterday rearranging flights due to cancellation of my connecting flight in North Carolina, I have three hours to wait here at MSP this morning. Then a 45 mn slot in Chicago to catch my new connecting flight.

Prayers appreciated.

I paid an extra $22. for a seat closer to the front of the plane, but I’m not wearing my running shoes.

In getting ready to go, taking down the crispy tree and all, I haven’t had the chance to blog, so I’m blogging from my phone for the first time. If you read this, it worked!

2016 closed for me with a heavy heart. Not for anything weight-worthy, like a death or a loss, but from a deep sense of greif from loneliness.

And I had one of the sweetest Christmas celebrations ever. Our family gatherings – all three – were full of joy (and food) and celebration. And, no one was sick!

So why?

Monday and Tuesday this week -“I lost.”

I was sucker punched with self-pity. Because I was fixated on … my feelings. Blah!

I had three days of work between Christmas and New Year. Working as a home hostess means I greet home-lookers with a smile and a cup of coffee, a cookie and as much information as I can when they ask.

But in three days, I had one looker.

The time without lookers is mine. If the welcome-center is tidy and the fridge stocked with water bottles, I can read or write or pray – even do jumping-jacks if I want to. [haven’t tried that yet]

So, long about Wednesday, I realized I was under attack by the self-pity demon and remembered I had the power to resist. (I blame my stuffy head on the brain-lapse.) So I looked up, remembered my identity as a daughter of the King who has EVERYTHING I need, and realized that this time of aloneness must be of His arranging and that I should seek to be totally satisfied in His presence.

And if I wasn’t, I was looking at my soul thirst to be filled by the wrong thing. Hence, the test.

Moving to a new location as an empty nester has proven more difficult with no children’s activities & needs to connect me to other moms.

After having served at our former Church on Sunday mornings, driving separate forever and ever, and able to stay after as long as I wanted, I’m now riding with my husband, and we linger less. But even when I go alone, I feel . . . alone and sad. And then I don’t feel like talking to anyone.

In saying that, I realize it’s only here and there. I’ve not been dwelling in the feelings much until this week.

So, glory-be! The Lord Jesus intercepted my pity party. When I looked up and acknowledged Him and His unfailing love, I knew that this season was given to me for the express purpose of drawing closer to Him.

This song has been playing. True Intimacy by Rend Collective in my car.

And then, upon seeing a friend’s Flipagram, I went and made my own. Our 2016 Flipagram , which reminded me of my blessings and my full life. Ashamed to admit my failure at first, but then remembered: mercy is fresh and free, and I rest there again.

How precious is the flow!

And just this morning, sitting here, I read Oswald Chambers words for January 7th:

True friendship is rare on earth. It means identifying with someone in thought, heart, and spirit. The whole experience of life is designed to enable us to enter into this closest relationship with Jesus Christ. We receive His blessings and know His Word, but do we really know Him?

Jesus said, “It is to your advantage that I go away…” ( John 16:7 ). He left that relationship to lead them even closer. It is a joy to Jesus when a disciple takes time to walk more intimately with Him. The bearing of fruit is always shown in Scripture to be the visible result of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ (see John 15:1-4 ).

You can read the whole thing here.

M y word for 2016 was ENOUGH. Countless times I was reminded in loss and loneliness that He is enough. And because of that, I HAVE enough and I am enough.

No fear, no guilt, no shame or blame.

Just trust.

And the word for this new year, it doesn’t hold promise for a lot of company with human beings, though I will seek that out and seek to live balanced, as always. My word is DIG.

Dive Into God.

Because I am writing a Bible Study, and writing means studying and praying and . . . being alone. So, His peace is with me as I shift my mind on to His sufficiency and rest . . . abide more deeply in His love.

And when I land in North Carolina, I look forward to an entire weekend with 40 other Jesus-sisters, many who write and speak, so I’ll be in good company. Fourty friends for this not-so-lonely girl.

Behold, The Light Has Come!

Sat, 31 Dec 2016 16:53:00 GMT

The Son comes in, but can you see?
Grace has come to rescue thee?

Jesus born to free us,
To shine Light on darkest mind,
Expose the dank of prison,
Illumine, unbound blind.

Not to judge the prisoner,
For the dark already is.
But to free us from it,
This is Heaven’s gift.

Jesus, light of the world,
You see into my soul –
Truth scrape out impurity,
Pure blood, make me whole.

Jesus, tie me, tether me to Heaven
Your cross, and I am free!

I’m free!

Your grace gave eyes to see. I see!

How is it that you chose me? Chose me!

And now my debt to Thee:
To bear the Light
To endure the night
To shine so bright
To stand and fight

Not with a sword,
Not with a gun,
But with your Word –
That will spare none.

To one it’s grace to set her free,
The other, unyielded,
Condemnation be.

Incite this heart to pray with faith,
That all receive this saving grace!!

Oh grant that ALL EYES land upon You, see,
Grant that hearts be pure, unbound, free!

Light Can Hurt - But Never Flee From It When You Can Be Carried Straight Up In It!

Wed, 07 Dec 2016 02:00:00 GMT

Twenty two month old Elliot winced when I shone the dim light on his little face, eyes squinted closed, head turned to the side. He had awakened before the sun and I did not want to wake his brother, so I went in after him using the dim light of my phone.

I scooped him up quickly, and stopped in the bathroom to brush his teeth. [Who knew babies had morning breath?!] I flicked on the light and he dropped his face into my shoulder. His eyes weren’t ready for the light.

When you’re accustomed to darkness, the light hurts.

Light in the darkness can be frightening! Or it can be stunning and freeing!

In this season of light, this advent of celebrating the coming of Jesus, the One who came at Christmas . . . as I look into the light of His Word, I see the brilliant radiance of His presence in the earth, and observe the two ways that people respond to His arrival:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

He who believes [option 1 ] in Him is not judged; he who does not believe[ option 2] has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

For everyone who does evil [option 2] hates the Light , and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth [option 1] comes to the Light , so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
John 3:16-21

So the world is already and always has been under the judgement of God, but Jesus came in to take the wrath of God upon Himself for anyone who will turn from sin and put their trust in His atoning sacrifice. The Savior came to SAVE!!!

This is the good news of Christmas. Ephesians 5:8 [So believe!]

Even the darkness is not dark to God. Psalm 139:12 [Nothing is hidden from Him!]

Light overcomes darkness. Every. Single. Flicker. Revelation 3:21 [He overcame, so we can]

So, never be afraid to come into the Light and be free!

Advent: Seeing God Who Fully Sees

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 17:43:00 GMT

So often I want to get at least glimpse into my future, to see what’s up ahead. After all, the worry that so often surfaces ? It’s from not knowing, but having a desire to control the future.

How much better prepared I could be if I knew what was up ahead . . .

How much less I’d have to rely on God if I could see the future clearly . . .

[Have mercy on this faithless child when I desire to control the future, Lord, powerless as I am …]

Over seven hundred years before the manger in Bethlehem held the newborn King, the prophet Isaiah was given the revelation:

2 The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.

. . .

6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:2-7

From the day God said, “Let there be light.” giving birth to sun, moon and stars, to the day His Kingdom of Light literally lands upon the new earth, God, unlimited by constraints of time, sees the entire timeline of His story.

He reveals His word in Isaiah’s day, and Isaiah, who has no idea when the Light will actually burst forth into the earth, by faith, proclaims the prophecy.

And in the day of it’s fulfillment, Luke reports that the Angels, those messengers of God, carry the announcement to lowly shepherds in a field, “Today is the day!” Luke 2:10-12

So, why would I fear, or worry, or be discouraged as I walk this land in-between the first light and the future Kingdom of Light . . . when I have the Light of the world, Immanuel, God who sees all – with me?

Jesus is the Present.

Jesus, Light of the world is HERE now.

He who sees the beginning from the end. He who calls the things that are not as through they are. He who promises to never leave or forsake us. Isaiah 46:10 ; Romans 4:17 ; Deuteronomy 31:6 ; Joshua 1:9

He is with us. Noel.

My Restless, Sleepless Nights and Advent Blessings

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 20:55:00 GMT

The curse had come, a pronouncement of great pain as her body labored to break open for the entrance of a new little human, the curse that extended to all of Eve’s daughters.

Another curse followed, that of painful toil in working the earth, a strain promised in the overseeing occupation of Adam and his sons.

Advent: Waiting for the arrival. Waiting for the coming.

In one week, all of my people were in advent and in labor.

They were waiting for the coming of a breakthrough.

I shouldn’t fail to mention that what actually wakes me in the night – before the restless pondering that precedes my fervent prayers , it’s a volcanic stirring in my body causing me to violently throw off the covers, flip my hair off of my neck, and hang my foot over the edge of the bed.

The curse that wasn’t pronounced after the great apple-tasting, but I’m certain was wrapped up in it, a female affliction popularly known as a hot flash.

It is oppression, people, you need to know this.

Amidst pools of sweat, my mind begins to trek.

My man, Dale is in an extremely difficult time in his job as Construction Superintendent, with the impending finish-date of the hotel, he needs supplies to arrive on time, the sub contractors to be at the job site on the right day, to fulfill their mission in a timely manner, because one cannot lay flooring if the sheetrock isn’t sanded. [And a myriad of other such scenearios] His challenges are not only below him, but above, with needing to secure final drawings from architects and decisions from the owner, the pressure is palpable and he has been putting in seven day weeks to keep things rolling. So much falls on him.

I hear of his challenges, see the weight of his work, and in the night, the trek into worry ultimately turns to prayer.

My daughter and her husband have been struggling to catch a break after a lull in employment nearly a year ago. Their rent is high and even as I have scouted out other options for them myself, I find nothing that would suit them with a lower cost. It’s been a constant fight in prayer for their provision. And I’ve been there, we’ve been there , and the pain of our own season of lack is still fresh, though it was so many years ago.

I hear her challenges, see the weight of her ache, and in the night, the trek into worry ultimately turns to prayer.

My son and his wife, after losing two babies within six months of each other last year, became pregnant again. We praised God. At around 20 weeks, she received a diagnosis of placenta previa . The doctor said she would certainly experience bleeding – which was more of a scare after having endured the loss of Theodore – and would have to schedule a c-section two weeks before the due date of November 22, unless the placenta grew away from the opening of the cervix. There was a slight chance of that, which removes the danger of hemorrhaging. We prayed fervently, and the placenta did indeed move! We praised God!

As her due date approached the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, along with their doctor, they decided to schedule an induction. I’ve heard stories of the pain of induction . I heard the stories, I envisioned the strain of the extra pain, and in the night, the trek into worry ultimately turned to prayer.

“Even the miracles of God, so sudden-seeming, have been nurtured in love through the ages to the moment of their appearing. But it may be only in the appearing that God’s careful tending of this thing is made clear to us.”

“Who knows when Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed the prayer the angel mentions? [ Luke 1:13 ] Surely it was long ago, before they had grown old. . . . By now they had probably forgotten the prayer itself.” ~Walter Wangerin Jr.

He hears my prayers.

My husband took today off. He turned his phone off so he can be a human being instead of a human doing. If you know him, this is indeed a breakthrough of sorts.

The provision keeps coming in for our daughter and her husband, they have breakfast on the table today, and my prayers continue for them to find breathing room.

The IV was started at 2:30pm on Monday, the 21st, and baby Ona Mae was born by 9:45pm. A short seven hours and fifteen minutes.

In my mind, this was a miracle – especially after hearing so many stories.

And maybe that is precisely WHY I heard the stories. So my mind would trek to worry and turn to prayer . . . and the Lord would show Himself strong and good and faithful in the answers.

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.

Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Lord, save me!”
The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.

Psalm 116:1-7

Never resent the worry, it indicates that you care. But don’t stay there.

In recognizing your powerlessness to do a single thing to turn the tide, turn your heart to fervent, faithful prayer and you will find you have all the power you need.

The fervent prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:16

Discerning And Deactivating The Devil In This Spiritual War

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 17:20:00 GMT

The de VIL[e] has been scheming.

Oh, it’s true alright. . . he has never ceased in seeking to steal, kill and de STROY God’s beloved. But he’s been maybe more cunning, more strategic of late.

Obviously his de MONS have been busy in this land of de - VISION.

We’ve been told he is like a roaring lion, seeking someone to de VOUR. 1 Peter 5:8 That we should be self-controlled and alert. But he has many of us on the de FENSIVE toward our fellow man.

Our battle is not agains flesh and blood, but against the rulers, principalities and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

To discern if one is being influenced by a de MON: test the tongue. [This is beneficial both for testing your own words and the words of others. To stay free from the opinions of man, to keep our own hearts tender and re storative instead of de fensive, to remember that the de VIL is the accuser. In Christ we are free!]

Are the words rolling off the tongue as a tool for RE building? Or as a weapon of mass de STRUCTION?

None of us is immune to the venomous poison-potential of our one little member. Just because it isn’t visibly forked doesn’t mean it’s not hissing death. Proverbs 18:21

How will we ever move on from here unless we find a little faith? Exercise large doses of grace? Look up to the Heavens from where our help comes? . . . Psalm 121:1

we need a REvision

…

We need . . .
To look UP.
To look TO.
To SEE the One who put the stars in place, Who calls the things that are not as though they are. Romans 4:17 Who is able to perfect that which concerns us. Psalm 138:8 KJV

Jesus is in the business opposite of de VIL. Jesus RE stores. RE news. RE builds. RE vives RE deems.

Ephesians 6:10-24

And greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world! 1 John 4:4 Let’s let the Light shine! Lets be like stars in this dark universe, let’s let Him have His way in us. Let’s let mercy lead us.

Feeling It - It's Inevitable In A War Zone . . . FEAR: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 19:48:00 GMT

I’ve not kept it hidden, my battle with the ugly monster named FEAR. Most often it feels demonic.

I’ve been shamed for feeling it, both from the voice of my own soul, and from others, intended or not, who are far more full of faith than I am.

Or are they?

I might feel fearless in the face of some looming threat, and fall prey to fear in the face of something else two days later.

It’s easy for me to be bold when my spirit doesn’t feel a threat and someone else is struggling with fear. I can quote the verses, tell what I know of our God who is in control. His sovereignty, our comfort always – yes , but when my guard is down, and I see the circumstances, I quit walking on water and fall into the sea.

Jesus, help me!

And He does. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Him. None. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Romans 8:1 , 1 John 1:9 and to top off the good news of His rescuing mercy, grace and forgiveness, we have the promise of it all working together for good. Romans 8:28

When I feel confident in the Lord, I might be forgetting my own battle with fear, my own struggle of living in the tension of being in the world but not of it. Of being a woman of faith who feels fear.

I wonder if Abraham felt fear when God told him that He was going to destroy Sodom?

This journey of walking by faith and not by sight. How I wish I could live it perfectly.

So often we assume that feelings of fear should not accompany this walk of faith, as if feeling fear is a sin.

But fear is an emotion.

Granted, it's emotion that can lead to sin. And often does. And with me, it has.

It is our reaction to our fears that become weights and weapons; weapons that war at our very own souls and our relationships and our peace.

And all I can say is, “Please forgive me.”

Forgive me Jesus, and forgive me, those who have been the recipients when I have failed to corral my selfishness, and have launched word-bombs. I’m sure I’ve hurt you, and I’m sorry.

I have not yet won the battle as I live in a war zone . But I have the victory because of Christ in me. When my flesh fails, He is the strength of my heart, my refuge from the storm and my stronghold.

Dear friend, if I hurt or offend you, will you please try to remember to come to me and tell me privately, in the spirit of Matthew 18:15 ? And I will seek to do the same.

Our Lord is so wise. Lead me beside the still waters and restore my soul.

Abraham managed his fear with wisdom. He prayed to God, humbly interceding for his nephew Lot, that he would not be consumed by the wrath of God. And God heard, Lot was delivered.

Fear can be good if it drives us to take the right action .

Dear Lord, in these days of tumult, as I see the winds and breakers of division rolling across my newsfeed and impending darkness of the unknown in this political climate, I admit I do feel fear. Help me keep my eyes on you, help me go to you first. But when I do react out of my fear and inevitably hurt people, help me be quick to repent, help me hold fast to hope. Increase my faith, remind me to pray, and help me trust you more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Cross & Salvation: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Thu, 27 Oct 2016 01:16:00 GMT

I used to wonder how all the people in the book of Jeremiah were thinking they were good with God… and comfortable speaking rebellion against the LORD … and now … we are living in such a day. My heart wavers between hope and heaviness – weeping over the state of the nation.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ~said Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3:3

To be born again means you must first die – and then be born a different way. Jesus went on to explain to Nicodemus that one needed to be born “from above.” Or, “born of the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit enters the once-dead soul, igniting, awakening the spirit of the dead person.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. ~said Jesus in Luke 9:23

A cross is for dying. Denying self means dying to the rebellion that resides in my soul. My first life must be laid down.

On the cross, my arms are stretched wide, I’m incapacitated.
My feet, nailed down, I’m immobile.

Galatians 2:20

I’m finished. My life is no longer my own . 1 Corinthians 7:23

Taking up your cross means taking your hands off of your life. Dying to your human opinions.

Being born-again means having a New Life in Christ – Jesus is LORD of it all. All my body, all my money, all my possessions, all my family, all my going out and coming in. Everything.

It’s a marriage. To Him I am wed . I take His name, His righteousness, His riches, His life. He takes my brokenness, my sin, my shame, my poverty.

Many claim to love Him, but continue to live in sin.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” ~said Jesus in John 14:15

It seems many people who say they love Jesus have walked along their merry way, doing what they do, and at some point in their lives, they have glanced upon that hill where the rugged cross stands against the blue sky. They know the story. They heard it in Sunday school, they heard it while shopping at the mall during Christmas. Some have attended church on Easter . . . Jesus was born in a manger. Jesus was crucified, died and buried and on the third day, then rose again.

And they think it’s really sweet that God would send His one and only Son to do that for the world that He loves, and then they continue on in their way, never turning.

Never approaching the cross. Never humbling themselves in repentance and receiving new life.

Blessed are the poor in spirit-theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Passing by the cross, never admitting soul-poverty.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness-they will be filled.
Passing by the cross, never hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

Repentance roots us back in the Vine that we were cut from when Eve disbelieved. John 15:4-6

There are people writing about Him, and tweeting . . . and speaking on platforms. They believe and promote lies . I used to wonder, “How could there be “false teachers?”

The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is based on merely human rules they have been taught. Isaiah 29:13

We don’t love Him if we don’t submit to His authority. If we don’t fully yield our hearts to His Way.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ ~said Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23

To be a child of the Father, we need to show our love by obeying Him, by loving His word and by yielding our lives – fully.

I asked the Lord one day, “Lord, why do you leave false teachers teaching lies? Why don’t you take them out?” to which He replied, “I leave them there to test my people .”

And we need to test the sprits to see if they are from God. 1 John 4:1

Telling It Like It Is

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 21:36:00 GMT

Good Intentions.

Yeah, 31 Days of Good Intentions. That’s what I should have named my October writing-on-the-blog journey. I’ve got 13/24 posts on wedded words for this lovely month of 31 days. What grade would that be?

This seems a perfect parable to my pursuit of perfection.

I have loved the challenge of looking for word pairs that tie a truth together. I have a good long list of them. The issue I’ve had has been getting the spark of inspiration at the right time.

Life happens.

To give myself a bit of grace, this October has been one of the finest. All the years of having a gift shop, and fall being the favorite season, I’ve groaned over the premature loss of leaves and color due to wild winds and wicked-cold rain.

That is how I know this year is different, having marked those that have passed.

D and I drove down past Afton, MN for another batch of Honey Crisp Apples on Sunday and we noticed so many trees still full of their maroon and golden leaves.

It’s worth pausing the blog for. Obviously.

Who wants to sit at a desk when there’s all this fun to be had? [Parker was taken with the remote control to my new selfie stick!]

The pairing of good intentions and the lack of preparation equals less-than excellent performance. I’ll tuck this lesson away and seek to be more realistic.

And I’ll plan ahead next October if I feel led to do this again.

I’ll admit, as I spend this time – often a few hours on one post – I question the value blogging. I hear from some of you [“Hi Mom!”] And it keeps me writing. Mom and Jesus and you.

So thank you.

And I do pray you have enjoyed all the splendors of Autumn. You can look for a few more post on the 31 day topic. But today, I just wanted to tell it like it is.

Word & Light: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Tue, 18 Oct 2016 20:35:00 GMT

I didn’t care much for history in High School. It was a lot about getting the answers on the tests correct. Memorizing dates and names of treaties, and such obscure-to-me things felt like a boring waste of time.

And then I became an adult, and began to take my faith seriously, and I began to read the Word of God. I also read The Cost of Discipleship by Bonhoeffer. That combination stoked in me a deep desire for, and a fascination with history.

I was particularly fascinated by Nazi Germany. Because I couldn’t fathom – my eyes crossed thinking of it – how so many human beings could be so blind to the horrors of the holocaust.

How was it that so many people participated in the imprisoning, torturing, and murdering the Jewish people?

It still slashes at my soul; my heart agonizes when I think of the darkness of those days.

And then I consider our own land, our “this is our watch” time in history, and how we can see inside the womb of a mother with such accuracy that we discern the gender of a baby. The tiniest heart can be seen inside the womb, beating. The life of the flesh is in the blood. [ Leviticus 17:11 ] And yet there are so many blind to reality – the unborn child is LIVING. People believe lies.

The heart beat is indication of life. And then there are the fingers, toes, arms, legs, feet . . .

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word , you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. ”

John 8:31-32

The Jews would have been free if their murderers would have seen the truth.

Babies would live if the doctors and nurses and mothers and fathers would see the truth.

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17

The only way to see the truth is to be “in the Light” To abide in the Word. Sight and Light comes by the Word of God . Jesus is the Light of the world.

Jesus opens blind eyes.

Not all seeing eyes can see.

The eyes that see are the eyes of the heart.
The heart must be softened to the truth to see.

The Word, Jesus is the Eye-Solution. He purifies, descales, and shines His light the darkness. Isaiah 9:2

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word , so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27

Every human being is a magnificent creation, fashioned uniquely by the Hands of God. When hearts are soft, and eyes are washed with the water of the word, when the Truth is evident, and can be received in a softened heart. Then the radiance; the reflection of the Father would stop every hand short.

Life would be precious in our sight.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light , and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7

Lord Jesus, we all have blind spots. None sees the truth plainly, all at once. Will you please cause your Word to go out and to come in and light up our darkness? Open our eyes Lord. Not only to see the unborn as masterpieces created by Your Hand, but SEE one another with your love. Help us see Your beauty and light in the eyes of Your created ones.

Power & Glory: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Tue, 18 Oct 2016 02:27:00 GMT

There is a scuffle outside, a little noise, and I know it’s them. We’ve been expecting the moment. The door bursts open, and the little radiant face comes running, arms wide open. I squat down . . . wait for the sound in the smile . . . “GRAAAM-MA!!!!” My arms clutch him close, sinking my lips into tender cheeks.

It’s an atmospheric shift. The air, now charged with toddler-energy, and joy as deep as a boat ride on a sunny day.

The Word of God came creating – the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters at the beginning of time, then hovering over the womb of a woman. Her young life, it shifted significantly. She believed it, and received the Word, and birthed Him into earth’s atmosphere.
Our Savior, Christ Jesus, the Living Word, Immanuel.

An atmospheric shift for the entire universe, and time is hinged on the days of His appearing.

In the middle of time, the long-awaited mystery, revealed . Him who became sin for us, and took the wrath of God upon Himself in our place.

He said, “Follow Me. Abide in Me”

Abide in the Word of God.

The Word, He first spoke into the dark-nothing, back in the beginning: “Let there be . . . and there was . . . everything and trees – with fruit to eat, good for life.”

The Word then came in a Garden, “Man, reflect Me. I’ll take you a-part and put you back together again, from one to two, face to face – be made one again. . . Then, reflect Me, be fruitful and multiply, make love, make life.”

“I give you all the trees, but not the one tree.“

The lie came, and trust died, embedding a lie – and then, rebellion. The one “bad-for-me-tree” looked good and humanity bought pain.

The Word continued to speak, “Take trees and pound nails – to Save Life. Build an ark.” . . . Then, “Leave your people. Sacrifice your son. Your trust proven, stop. Here’s a ram.” . . . “Go get a wife for your redeemed son from your people.” . . . “There are two nations in your womb, the older will serve the younger.”

The Law-Covenant will serve the Grace-Covenant.

The natural failed, will serve the promise kept. Galatians 3:23-25

The Word, came forth from a fiery bush, not burning: “Go. Deliver. Speak. I Am with you. Kill a lamb and wipe the blood on the trees that frame your doors. I will cause death to pass over. . . . Leave. Now stand still. I make a way, Cross. . . . From slave to free. I will prove your need and prove Myself to you. . . . I Am deliverer. I Am bread, I Am water, I Am protection. I Am with you. I Am your God. I Am the way. I Am the law of love.”

Many other Word-bearers are imprisoned, tortured, and killed . Prophets of God. Proving more our need . Proving Him, the Hand that delivers, provides, protects, corrects, hurts, then heals . . .

Further on in HisStory:
The baby-Jesus is birthed into a barn. The atmosphere knows.
King Herod shakes, and seeks to kill the Word.
The man-Jesus spends three years plowing through religion, sprouting the Word in the earth.
The Pharisees shake; they enter the Garden to arrest the Word.
Shaken, fallen – in the presence of the Word . John 18:6
They abuse, brutally kill the Word made flesh , nailing Him to a cross-shaped tree.

And the mighty rumblings . . . The earth quaked. The sky darkened. The Temple curtain was torn in two. Three days later the stone, it rolled away. The tomb could not contain or chain the Word! It has proven to be the Rock that rolled the stone away. Broke slaves free, once-for-all, those who obey.

And the Word, you can see His Power , He always enters brilliantly – shards of Light, Truth, transforming, reforming, informing . . . creating, rebuilding, renewing. Altar-ing, turning this dust, all these ashes of His fiery refining into Glory .

So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory ; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power ; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
So also it is written,
“The first man, Adam, became a living soul.”
The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.

The older will serve the younger.

The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

1 Corinthians 15:42-49

It’s a significant shift when a grandson shows up in the doorway. When our Jesus shows up, it’s a “breaking-in,” a Rock-resounding.

There is always momentous shifting. Earth and man, trembling – shaken, awakened, all Altared by His power and His glory.

Some run toward the Word, to persecute and kill Him. Some run away in shame.

And some . . . some run into it and are saved by His power unto glory . Proverbs 18:10

Bounty & Blessing: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 17:44:00 GMT

It’s hard to describe my cocktail of emotions as I’d see Shannon riding her lawnmower down the hill on the two-lane highway. It was at least a mile and a half that she puttered to my house to help me with my one-acre yard. I hadn’t asked her, but she was one of those people whose eyes spoke to her heart. She saw me.

It took me a good three hours each week to push-mow our yard with our rattle-trap mower. I somehow managed to get both of the kiddos to nap at the same time so I could go out.

It had become my job largely due to my feeling as if I had to make up for being a stay-at-home mom. [hello culture induced guilt-trip!]

It was during our extremely lean years of medical debt . The years when we were over 30 days late on our house payment more than once. And everything just ‘hurt.’

She would call me before going grocery shopping and ask what I needed. Or she’d pop in and bring me bags of apples and oranges.

Since my vehicle was long-dead, and we had no budget to replace it for a time, Rhonda picked me up to bring me and my two little ones to MOPS once a month. So I could maintain sanity. And she took me and my babes to Bible study every Tuesday.

I remember shopping with my mom one time, Mom and Dad were still raising my younger siblings and still dairy farming. Things were always financially tight for them too. But as I moaned a little to her, you know, as daughters might do to their moms . . . about not being able to buy a new towel for my kitchen, she reached for the towel and placed it in her cart – for me.

Those were humiliating times – humbling experiences that are seared into my memory. Pain does that, Pain mixed with gratitude stick in the soul’s memory.

A couple years after months of fighting, and failing to catch up financially, we put our house on the market to use the equity to pay off our mountain of bills. It sold within nine days. And our buyers wanted in quickly.

We had 30 days to find a house. And we didn’t.

Shannon and her husband invited us to stay in their basement. Rhonda and her husband offered their shed and a stall in their garage for our belongings. Yeah, that is seared in my memory too. We were living there in limbo for a little over two months.

Our basement-dwelling days . . .

Those times that my friends and family generously shared their bounty with me have served to help me “see” others; to see the way God means for us to pour out our blessings when we notice a need.

I know the feeling of being seen, honored, and loved when feeling desperate. And since those days, I have learned it’s true, that is more blessed to give than to receive.

6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written,

“He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the [h]saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 2 Corinthians 9:6-12

We cannot out-give God. What He gives, when poured out for the needs of others joyfully , will be restocked in order to continue the flow of God’s love.

Our bounty is made for blessing and results in joyful thanksgiving and glory to God. Who might need some of your blessings today?

Leaving & Cleaving: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 02:29:00 GMT

D and I have discussed disliking the often-asked question regarding our move across the river, “How do you like Bayport?”

And the reason it’s so hard to answer is that we went from our dream-setting of having a sunset-over-the-lake view , to losing that home due to betrayal of his former employer and friend. They had purchased the home for us and told us it was part of his salary package. It would be ours in ten years, unless he sought other employment, and then we would purchase it from them.

When he quit, we received the paperwork, and then two days later, were told that they were keeping the house. Though they’d promised a contract, and talked of it often over the year we lived there, we’d never gotten it.

So, we lost our view, and we lost our “home country” . We lost a ton of money from our investment in the improvement of the property, and the increase of value through our sweat equity. [yes, we knew there was risk, but also had little choice given our circumstances]

I’ve moved many mature perennials from one garden to another, and they need large doses of continual water to “un- wilt. ”

I’ve reminded myself in the lonely times, that to uproot a twenty-year planting, and replant, the re-rooting simply takes time.

Don’t get me wrong, we love our home. We really are thankful and know it’s a good gift from our Father . And we have been blessed with great neighbors. Which is saying a lot when we have four encircling us, and at least three more back yards butted up to ours.

We also do like our yard, though we weren’t able to spend much time outside over summer due to mosquitos in droves . [Oddly, there were very few at the lake.]

And we actually like this odd little town with it’s checker-board roads, sporting only yield signs at the crossroads. [I’ve yet to see an accident, but rather expect to!] And it hosts both diverse and quaint houses .

But on Tuesday night, I had a bit of an epiphany.

I am attending a Bible study with my cousin and her friends. We are studying The Real Heaven by Chip Ingram, and the question was posed: “Which of the these three statements do you connect with personally, enabling you to having a more accurate view of Heaven?”
* Perspective in times of trouble
* Perseverance in times of temptation
* Priorities when under pressure

And I’d already thought through many of the reasons that God may have allowed this loss and transition in my life, I’ve been watching for the “aha” moments, and have a small collection of them.

And I’ve asked the kinds of questions any normal person would ask, “Lord, did I love the lake-view too much? Was I enamored by Your sunsets more than You?” And in my asking, I’ve known that I need to rise up above those questions and get into the bigger story. I need to yield my life again to the same call of every Christ-follower:

Luke 14:25-27

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

[By this He obviously didn’t mean He is commanding hate, but that we must be willing to make all other important-to-us things – yes, even relationships – SECONDARY to our devotion to Him]

I am not my own. I have given my life to Him, whatever the cost. I am in His hands. I needed to do the “ Romans 12:1-2 ” again. Climb up on the Altar, and align my mind with His again.

And so in the telling of that story to my friends the other night, shards of light came in. I told them, “I am an ambassador here. That this world is not my home, and Heaven is ahead.”

I already knew it , I’ve preached it to myself, but I think I needed to say it out loud.

I’ve noticed an unusual amount of joy in my new living location since Tuesday.

Because resonating in the back of my mind during the hardest part of our move, there was an echo of the words from Hebrews 10:34 “they gladly accepted the confiscation of their property” . . .that great cloud of witnesses that has gone before me had encouraged me . . . as well as my consideration for those who are living as refugees today – totally without a home.

So, as in so many other transitions in my life since following Jesus, I leave the past and the dreams behind, and continue to cleave to Him Who will one day welcome me to my better and abiding Home. Where I’ll have exceedingly abundantly more than any dreams I could have here on this earth.

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him–
1 Corinthians 2:9

Yes I will. I will leave and cleave to my Covenant-Keeping God. Whatever the cost.

Trust & Obey: 31 Days of Wedded Words & A Giveaway

Tue, 11 Oct 2016 21:42:00 GMT

If you are like me, a song is already in your head from reading the title.

Often when I am in a Bible study or small group and we are circling around a truth, seeking to uncover a “what” or a “how” in a particular scenario, the answer ends up being – we circle right back to this combination of words – Trust & Obey.

Okay, I’ll finish the lyric that I know is in your head, “for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

So, I could finish this post with that to meditate on. Listen to the song, and perhaps God will help you apply it to the one thing you have been seeking an answer for.

And after you get done with that, you can click below for a chance to win $100.00 Gift Certificate from Dayspring. You’re welcome! [From Dayspring, preferred partner of “write 31 days challenge”]

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Humility & Wisdom: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Mon, 10 Oct 2016 20:04:00 GMT

It’s good for us to know in this world of conflict in which we are living, that all responses to prideful accusation or boastful threats fall under one of the two categories:
Pride or Humility.

And whichever we choose will determine whether we reap life or destruction.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

A favorite story of mine is found in 2 Kings 18-20, where the proud King of Assyria, Sennacherib was attempting to intimidate Hezekiah, King of Judah, by boasting of his former victories, mocking, and making threats.

Here is how King Hezekiah responded:

As soon as King Hezekiah heard it he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 19:1

He was acknowledging his powerlessness before the Lord. The tearing of clothing and putting on sackcloth was evidence of humility and mourning. He then sent his people, also clothed with sackcloth, to find the prophet Isaiah.

Upon arrival, they delivered King Hezekiah’s message:

“This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; . . . It may be that the Lord your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master, the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.” 2 Kings 19:3-4

To which Isaiah replied,

“Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the kind of Assyria have reviled Me . Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.” 2 Kings 3:6-7 [emphasis mine]

So . . . Sennacherib puffs up his chest and basically tells Hezekiah through a letter, “Don’t let your God deceive you.” [verse 10-13] . . . and continues to boast of his other exploits.

Hezekiah, once again humbly goes before the Lord and “spread the letter out before the Lord” and prayed:

“Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

“It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.” 2 Kings 19:15-19

And God answers through Isaiah, with a long message stating that God has heard his prayer and sees the pride and boasting of his enemy, and will Himself defeat him. [see verses 21-28] With a further promise of making the surviving remnant of His own people fruitful.

That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.
2 Kings 19:35-37

The humble response of King Hezekiah saved his people.
God Himself fought for them.

Had Hezekiah answered Sennacherib’s pride with his own pride, there would have been mass-destruction, and much bloodshed.

This kind of thing doesn’t only happen to Old Testament Kings. It happens to us in our everyday lives. Boasting against our God. Intimidating threats. [Have you heard the term, “fear mongering”? I’m beginning to bristle at the repetition of certain words and phrases used and re-used. How about you?]

Have you felt threatened or accused by someone who felt like an enemy recently?
How about through the misunderstanding of a friend or group of people?

Have you discerned the real enemy when it happens and gone to your knees in prayer?
Do you trust that God has your back and promises to be your shield and defender?

For a few more of my favorite stories of God’s people choosing humility and acting in life-saving or life-creating wisdom:
1 Samuel 24 -David with Saul
1 Samuel 25 -Abagail with David
1 Samuel 1 – Hannah

Fall reminds me of humility, the laying down of our life, to let God rise up out of the dust what He wills . . .

Law and Order: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Sat, 08 Oct 2016 23:31:00 GMT

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace–as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people. 1 Corinthians 14:33

I chose today’s words, not because they came from the mouth of a “politician” recently. Not because they are the title of a TV show [which I don’t think I ever watched] but because I keep thinking that it feels like the whole world is in chaos.

We have lawlessness.
We have disorder.

And yet, when I look at my everyday life here in the suburbs, things are pretty peaceful, other than the SOS calls I get for prayer on occasion, or the ambulance or police car with their lights and sirens flashing while I’m out. None of those things are new.

So I study the dichotomy of a world in chaos according to the media I see and hear . . . there is a “reality out there” with the wars and the storms, the shooting and the looting.

And then there’s my regular, everyday life of waking, and sleeping and everything in between . . .

But I am FEELING the chaos, and realizing much of the disturbance in my soul is due to my eyes taking in the media reports and the social media world.

I read a post on Twitter today by a Christian leader about a presidential candidate [just pick one!] and then glanced through some of the comments in reply to him.

My spirit became extremely disturbed.

It seems no matter which side people are on [ note: I’m talking “Christian” people here] . . . and that is a sorrowful, yet telling statement . . . there is a venomous finger-pointing, labeling of “the other side” as evil and ignorant and all kinds of other condemning words

T rumpeting Tweeters and Bossy Bloggers are Fueling a spirit of Feuding.

I tried to shed the knot in my gut, ruminating on what I’d seen. And my deduction: “Dear Jesus, help us to get quiet, get in our prayer closets, get with our real-life people and pray, study scripture and then, THEN when we go out, always and only speak life – unless God directs a prophet to “warn” someone in authority, specifically. And personally.”

I’ve been reading through the Old Testament Prophets. It’s like looking at a window to America. Have you seen that?

As I read, I observe that the prophets God called were sent to LEADERS, to the law-makers, and the law-enforcers – to the Kings and Shepherds and to those in authority.

This is God’s ORDER. It’s why He has given LAWs and established ORDER. So we would have a peaceful way. [See James 3:15 ; 16 ; 17 ; 18 ]

As far as I can recall, He never called His people – laymen or leaders – to spew out their opinions – or even His word – wherever there was a “microphone” . . . He never called leaders to “ call out” His people publicly , whether individually or en masse.

Never.

He warns us, “Don’t cast your pearls before swine or they will turn and trample you.” Matthew 7:6

He exhorts us to use wisdom and discretion: The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction. Proverbs 16:21

He sent Jonah to the leaders of Ninevah. He sent Esther to the King. He sent Joseph to Pharaoh. He sent Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, Amos, Ezekiel . . . all were sent to speak the word of the Lord to leaders.

The applause for the Christian Tweeter’s words were sickeningly prideful, and most of the words against him were equally sickening; hostile.

His tweets are not helping bring peace and reconciliation. According to scripture, he and others on self-proclaimed platforms have . . . become fools.

Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king. Ecclesiastes 9:17

The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but a fool’s heart blurts out folly. Proverbs 12:23

A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. Proverbs 29:11

Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. Proverbs 10:19

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. Proverbs 15:2

Processing this through the lens of God’s word is giving me an incredible amount of peace and understanding. Perhaps if enough people see the benefits of pulling back from those conversations, we will be able to put out the flames of the increasing hostility-fire.

Dear Jesus, help us. Amen

Quietness & Trust: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 21:39:00 GMT

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
. . . Isaiah 30:15

It was as if I was 12 years old, wiggling the antennae of our Black & White TV in order to get the picture to come in clear.It was 1992. I hadn’t had an ultra-sound with my first pregnancy. But with my second, I ended up in the hospital, due to early labor. I was staring at the screen, eyes large from fear and some wonder at what I might see there.

The doctor squirted a blob of clear gel on my protruding belly, pressed the cold bar back and forth, up, down, and around – trying to get a good picture. It had to be at least 20 minut es. Eventually he determined I’d need to “fly” by ambulance to a hospital in the Twin Cities that would be equipped to handle preemies. He determined I was at least six weeks early and administered the drug to stop my labor.

The nurse warned me before leaving about the doctor that would be seeing me when I arrived. “He has a bad bedside manner, but he is an excellent doctor.”

Upon arrival in what turned out to be an $800.00 ride, I was ushered to my room, and met the man who, true to the nurse’s description, was partly chilly . How thankful I was, in my emotionally vulnerable state, for that bit of info.

I was stunned to see the Monitor at this larger hospital more resembled the 1992 TV we had at home, the picture clear, colorful, and it took a whole six seconds after gelling my belly for him to tell me, “I don’t know who is giving you your dates, but you can have this baby. Let me order an amneo to make sure the lungs are developed adequately.”

I’d heard about those amneo’s. Needles the size of a ruler that they stuck in your belly. It turned out not nearly as bad as that, and it was determined that I was 36.5 weeks along and all would be well with baby.

So they took me off drugs and after many excruciating hours of my body contracting but not advancing the process enough, the doctor finally came back and pricked my water sack, causing them to literally run me down the hall to the delivery room, and hold my knees together until Dr. “gloved up” . . .

And Ethan was delivered into Dr’s hands, my body the quarterback.
Safely, at 5lbs 13 oz.

Six weeks later on a Tuesday, still under 8lbs, Ethan began to projectile vomit, the stream reeked of rotten eggs.

I continued to feed him, and he continued to vomit. By Friday I went into the Dr. who ‘felt for something’ in his tiny belly, didn’t find what he was looking for, sent me home with instructions “Give him pedialite, and if he isn’t better tomorrow, bring him back in. We don’t want him dehydrated.”

Saturday morning we were back in. Exrays were ordered. The barium was fed to him, he was put on a conveyer belt for photos, the barium was syphoned out through a tube in his nose, and we were sent back to the hospital in the Twin Cities.

He had Pyloric Stenosis and would have to have surgery. It was scheduled for 10:00 am Sunday.

Upon arrival, they sought to get an IV in him to keep him from dehydration. First they pricked the needle into his hands, then his feet, each time unsuccessful in piercing a vein. On the seventh try, they had success getting the needle in the top of his little head. They taped a dixie cup over the top of the needle so it wouldn’t get bumped.

I was alone with my baby and the sympathetic nurses during that time. They had so wanted to save me the trauma of seeing a needle in my baby’s head, but actually served more trauma in the long run. Bless their hearts. I was thankful for their empathy.

Seven pricks in my tiny little man was much trauma for this mama.

But through this journey, and the resulting $30,000.00 worth of medical debt that weighed on us for years, eventually causing us to “sell the farm” to get out from under it, the Lord sustained us with His strength.

That season of my life was very isolated. We had moved an hour away from home, my husband commuted an hour to and from work. My car had broken down and we couldn’t afford another. I was in a position where the only thing I could do was quietly trust in God.

Trust Him when I called the neighbor at 10:30pm to take me to the hospital, and left my little girl at home with her 15 year old.
Trust Him when I “flew” in the ambulance alone. [Dale worked nights]
When I was flying down the hall of the hospital, body ready to “throw the baby”.
When I set him on that x-ray conveyer belt to go through the radiation tunnel.
When I watched them syphon the barium from his nose.
When I watched the nurses prick my little baby’s hands and feet.

And trust Him when they finally got the needle in his head, I knew he was going to live.

Then they left me alone in the room. And that’s when I leaned over the bassinet in those quiet moments after the storm, and I shared the gospel with my son.

“Mama’s sorry that you have to experience so much pain. It is so that you can have life. That is what Jesus did for us Ethan, He died so we could live.”

It was a holy moment. I knew his heart somehow heard it.

So the next day, with him in my arms, paper cup on his head, I was sitting in the waiting area. In a short amount of time, I watched the doctor walk through two swinging doors and when he reached me, held his hands out to take my baby, and as he turned to disappear behind the doors, I knew he was in Good Hands and I would receive him back whole. Healed. Alive.

In quietness and trust is your strength.

Ethan and his family. ��

More “Wedded Word” stories HERE

Repentance & Rest: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 22:32:00 GMT

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15

I have noticed over the years that we human-beings tend to be off-balance – leaning too far on one side or the other – always. Unless we intentionally [intently] look at our hearts in the mirror of God’s word and see the reality – as much as our veiled eyes are able – to grasp what the Holy Spirit reveals.

I know that in times of distress in my life, I most often need another set of “eyes” to help me see more clearly

In the passage above, we see salvation is both repentance and rest. I would say that I naturally lean toward repentance. I feel the weight of my sin quite heavily, and the rest never comes easy.

Others rest well in the grace of God, but miss that there might be something that needs to be looked at more closely.

I’m not saying I never lean into rest too much in some area, but I am more likely to bear the weight of my sin when I don’t have to.

During my season of depression, panic, and anxiety, knowing that fear was a sin, because it’s written in the Bible like 365 times, God says, “Do not fear.” – and also knowing that it is faith that pleases Him, I couldn’t receive – for the longest time, His grace.

I repented a thousand times a day, but couldn’t come into His rest.

And then I read that passage in Hebrews 3:11 and felt I’d sunk my ark for sure. It was terrifying. I’m sure the devil was flashing filthy pointy teeth in some form of an evil smile.

I was grossly off balance in my biblical understanding, both of salvation and physiological responses of the body to stress.

Although it was true, in my unbelief I’d been digging my own cisterns that cannot hold water. And yes, I thought the keeping my salvation was somehow partly up to me. Now I know the Lord let the enemy bully me to the bottom of the dark hole, so that when my own righteousness failed completely, I’d raise my arms and let Him lift me from the pit of accusation.

“They” call it, “Coming to the end of yourself.” And I’m telling you, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Then I learned about rest. I learned in my heart what I knew in my head. I learned that His grace is sufficient for me. I found out the simplicity of confession; that if I confessed my sin, He would always be faithful and just to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. And I learned that by His blood; by His stripes, I am healed. And that His mercies are new every morning, great is His faithfulness.

Today, when I sin, I feel the weight of it heavy, and sometimes it is for a few days that I have to remind myself of those truths of the new every morning mercies. And the rest that Jesus offers is gloriously peaceful.

Which side do you lean toward? Repentance or Rest?

See: 1 John 1:9 ; Lamentations 3:22-23 ; Isaiah 53:5 ; 2 Corinthians 12:9 ; Romans 8:38-39 ; Jeremiah 2:13

Watch & Pray: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Wed, 05 Oct 2016 19:19:00 GMT

As a mom, my primary goal was to raise our daughter and son to love and serve Jesus with their lives. I intended, to the best of my ability, to see that they would come through their teen years with as few “scars” as possible.

And frankly, after having heard so many stories from women who had more than one sexual partner before getting married; of their difficulty in breaking early ties with former lovers, I also had a specific goal that they would stay pure until marriage.

Lofty, I know. But I had great faith, that God could and would do it.

[I also MUST say here, that through repentance and faith, God can and does completely heal and restore those who have crossed the line before marriage. See 1 John 1:9 ]

Though I had not remained pure until marriage, I did marry the “one and only” [and so did he] and we have been eternally grateful for that. I have no doubt it has been beneficial to our marriage, which sealed in me an even deeper conviction that this was something worth contending for.

I have described my parenting – especially in those years of hormones and identity crisis times – as “being on my knees and on my toes.”

It meant constant watchfulness [on my toes] – in overseeing their lives.

It meant having an understanding of their unique weaknesses in social situations as well as knowing what was happening and who they were with in times when they were away from home. Not as micro-manager, but as one who is given a charge by God to guide them in the way they should go.

It meant knowing who they were with and having conversations with them about what God desired for them. And it meant talking about how to make wise decisions that would best honor God and keep them safe.

They knew from early on that God’s ways are good and freeing, not restrictive.

Though we had a somewhat severe struggle , I am blessed to report that they both honored God with their bodies in saving themselves for their spouses. [All glory to God!]

I would be amiss if I didn’t also tell you that the watchfulness was coupled with prayer. Intense prayer. [On my knees] . . . the dark of night, on my face in carpet, with my Mom’s In Prayer group, with my Bible study friends, and with the youth group leaders.

And I prayed daily with my kids.

We missed a few days, but our constant goal was to have the 15 minutes before the bus came to pick them up, or later, before they hopped in the car to leave. We read and memorized scripture, and we prayed together.

I believe the combination of watchfulness as a mom, the prayers I prayed, and the time I spent with them centering our conversations on God kept them focused on Him and enabled them to continue to desire to please Him more than ‘self’ or their peers.

Jesus exhorted with the words “watch and pray” on two occasions. First when his disciples fell asleep on him, when he was in Gethsemane facing the darkest night of His life. And second, instructing them to be alert and watch for His return in the last days.

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is need is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times , praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36

We are all watching something. Our eyes might be looking to worldly success, riches, entertainment. Or we are looking past all of that to our eternal dwelling with God, storing up treasures in Heaven. Matthew 6:20 ; 22 ; 24

Its true, our lives follow where we fix our gaze. Prayer keeps us in constant awareness of our need of God and His power to get us where He wants us to go. It is by His grace that we reach the goal of pleasing Him with our lives.

What are your current goals? Where are you fixing your eyes? Are you praying about your desires? Does it encourage you that in my parenting pursuit, in this culture, partnering with God according to His will, that He fulfilled the desire of my heart?

There is great assurance in the marriage of those two words: Watch & Pray

Thanksgiving & Peace: 31 Days of Wedded Words

Mon, 03 Oct 2016 15:05:00 GMT

It was my first “big” paid speaking engagement.

I had an hour-long drive – on a good-traffic day – and our information meeting was at 8:00 am. It was on a Friday, so I knew I’d be in the thick of rush-hour traffic.

Due to being anxiety-prone, as prevention of said anxiety, I am most often early to appointments. My plan was to leave at 6:30 that morning. Somehow, when I turned the key in the ignition and glanced at the clock on the dash of my Jeep, it read, 7:00.

I willed myself not to panic, but I couldn’t seem to push back the anxiety as I drove.

I visualized prior years when I had driven to the conference as an attendee and the lines of traffic waiting to get into the gate of the college, and then more waiting in a long line of traffic to get around to the back side of the building, where I’d been told, there was a place reserved with my name on it.

I white-knuckled the steering wheel and accelerated at 80mph for a time in the “speed limit 70” zone. I was going right along with the rest of traffic, mind you [I know you know what I’m talking about] but it was the anxiety that made me feel guilty most of all.

Anxious me, going to give a message at a CHRISTIAN conference. Oy.

I was about 25 minutes from my destination, when the Holy Spirit broke through, reminding me of a lesson I’d been learning, but forgetting – ahem. ”I’m listening Lord!”

“Thanksgiving precedes the miracle” as Ann Voskamp stated in her book, 1,000 Gifts.

At that moment, I opened my lips and broke through the devil’s wall, “ Thank you God, that you go before me and you are directing my steps – my jeep. You made a way through the Red Sea for Israel, You can part the traffic and make a way for me to get to my destination on time!” . . . and I kept thanking Him out loud, speaking TRUTH until I had absolute PEACE guarding my heart and mind.

I also boldly asked Him, “and will you please get me in the room with three minutes to spare?”

It so happened, I drove into the gate and all the way around to my parking space with NO traffic or waits. I walked into the room where our meeting took place. I chatted with a few of the other speakers before Jane took the microphone and said, “Okay, it’s 7:57, so we will get started in a few minutes.”

I smiled at God who had been smiling the whole time.

And then I added that story into my messages that weekend, as well as to my heart-files, where the stories of my past can speak to my present and prosper my future. By His grace, I will bring Jesus glory for my faithful acts done while I live here on earth. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Do you have stories stored away to inform your faith today?
Have you shared them with your family and friends so they can be building blocks of faith for them?
Where are you tolerating worry and anxiety?

You can “open your lips and crush the devil’s wall” and walk in peace today!

Rod & Staff: 31 Days Of Wedded Words

Sun, 02 Oct 2016 11:25:00 GMT

I wouldn’t know it until years later, how her heart had been torn. Their relationship had become volatile. How he had manipulated our 16 year-old daughter , bullied her, barring her from her locker between classes until she gave him the combination so he could gain more control.

The volcanic relationship had finally erupted when she found out he had cheated on her. The break-up – hot molten lava.

My husband and I concluded that he was addicted to her.

Years later, she would discover that the same had been true of her, she would see that she’d been addicted – until the day she broke up with him.

That day it ended for her, but not for him. He would continue to pursue her for a time, relentlessly.

She broke it off in April. One month before the end of sophomore year. He wanted his radio speakers back that she’d installed in her vehicle. Her dad said, “Good, come and get them!”

And when he came for them, he was told, “I don’t want you to speak to her or even look at her for the next 30 days.”

There were 30 days of school left. They turned out to be thirty days of trials.

One day we came home to the “F” word written on the mirror in our entryway. Another night he stalked her outside her bedroom window. And while she was on a field trip, she was being swamped with text messages with his threats of suicide.

She continued to confide in us and honor our instructions.

Things were so bad though; we decided to home-school her for her junior year so that she would not have to deal with him, or the fall-out of judgment from others.

Looking back now, ten years later, I see that she was sheltered from what could have been disastrous because she honored us and submitted to our authority.

As I recounted the story to several women who came into my gift shop back in those days, I learned that ‘addiction to people’ was not uncommon. I was thankful this happened “under our watch” as parents.

Her dad was decisive and firm. I was comforting and watchful.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

The rod – in Hebrew: SEBET – it carries a sense of authority.
Like a father . . .
The rod was commonly a stick, a part of a tree.
It was used to count sheep.
It was used to protect the sheep from other animals.
It was also an instrument of discipline.

The Staff- Hebrew: MISHENA – it carries the idea of support.
Like a mother . . .
It was something to lean on, and trust in.

When wed together, they depict a trustworthy, strong, and tender Overseer.

The comfort of the rod and staff are equivalent to the comfort of having a strong, loving, protective father and a gentle, nurturing, attentive mother . . .

Might you need to grasp more confidently and assuredly the comfort of the rod and staff of your Heavenly Shepherd?

Grace & Glory: 31 Days Of Wedded Words

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 12:12:00 GMT

After seeing a post about the October- “ 31 day writing challenge ” yesterday, I was praying and processing on the way home from work about what I might write about. [I’ll be working on learning to plan ahead!]

The thought came to me, “wedded words” as I’ve been watching for and studying the relationship of justice and righteousness in scripture.

The Lord highlighted the marriage of those words to me last spring. He then gave me the opportunity to share my thoughts briefly on the air .

This year, I’ve been reading Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening devotion every morning on my Logos app. This morning, the Lord spoke to me . . . through Spurgeon’s words, as He often does, based on Psalm 84:11

“He will give grace and glory.”

To have the privilege of knowing Jesus as Friend, King, Lord, Savior, Husband and Brother . . . to know God as Father . . . basically, the Trinity as every sheltering relationship a human being could ever desire, is founded on the bedrock of grace.

I doubt we ever think of grace as a rock. More we think of it as a pillow, or an embrace. And it is for sure that. Grace is comfort and friendship, of course, but it is also power. Power to do what we cannot do. The ability to deny ourselves, carry a cross and follow a rejected King wherever He leads us. The capability to step into places that we are naturally ill-equipped for, but spiritually fortified by His going before us and living in us.

And that is why grace and glory are wedded together forever. There is no glory unless we are graced by our King to do what He calls us to do. And conversely, there is promised glory for every act prompted by our faith. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

So, now Spurgeon has made this first post easy for this last-minute planner.

To read the entire October 1 Evening Reading.

New Wine Will Burst Old Wineskins

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 19:38:00 GMT

Jesus brought tension wherever he went. At every turn, His life confronted the Jewish culture. In studying the gospel of Mark, it became clear that at the start of his three-year ministry, Jesus meekly exploded onto the scene which had been quiet for a long time.

Israel hadn’t had a prophet for 400 years. God had been silent as far as we know. And then John the Baptist comes as the forerunner of Christ. John is the last Old Testament prophet. His life represented the old way and he came “carrying the baton” to hand over to the long-awaited Savior.

Consider the desirability of the prophet’s life. His clothing was like burlap, he lived in barren places in the desert, and he ate locusts and wild honey. An isolated and, other than the honey, a deprived man. Willingly cut off from the finer things of life, the rich goodness of comfort, flavor, family, and friends. He was what we would consider poor, I imagine scruffy, and lonely.

John came baptizing, and when his mission was complete, he goes to prison because he called King Herod out on his sin.

Jesus then steps in to take up where John left off. John came preaching, “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.” And Jesus, as he began his ministry after his 40 days in the wilderness, took up the message-bearing, preaching, “Repent and believe, for the Kingdom of Heaven is here.”

It was like a relay hand-off.

And everything began to transition.

And as we all know, transition is H.A.R.D.

The word transition might bring to mind labor and delivery if you are a mom. That time between feeling like any minute you might burst, and the time when the bursting-forth happens. For most of us, it is a twisting, writhing, ugly-painful time. Transition.

If you are not a mom, think of moving homes, neighborhoods, jobs or schools . . .

Such tension accompanied Jesus as he traversed earth during those three years. Until that glorious day when He burst forth from the grave into Eternal Life.

Jesus’ time on earth was laden with rhythmic contractions of painful tension. As in labor and delivery, there is a kind of joyful hope underlying the pain, because you anticipate what is ahead, but it is H.A.R.D.

Everywhere Jesus went, he faced opposers. Those trying to trick and trap him, and who wanted to kill him. Can you imagine? You and I may have a few who feel like enemies at times, but most of us really don’t know what having an enemy is- at least not an enemy consisting of a herd of powerful, influential people opposing you, hating you all together.

Transition is most often accompanied by pain and challenges.

Have you ever tried to change a tradition in your family?

In a magnanimous-gigantic way, that is what Jesus was doing in the three years of his ministry.

There were customs, rules, traditions, and protocol to strictly follow in Jewish culture. I think many had given up and just fallen away from their faith. The rules and regulations had grown to impossible-to-keep proportions. God’s laws had been “tweaked” by the elite. In vain conceit, laws were made more difficult for the common man in order to elevate the Pious.

So the Pious become offended each time Jesus breaks protocol. And he does it all. The. Time.

Anger increases as He continues to confront pride in the leaders. He proves them wrong in His rightness and in His questions that appeal to their logic.

Who can deny the Truth to His face?

Don’t you marvel at Jesus’ composure in the face of the hateful accusation?

A paralyzed man couldn’t get through the huge crowds swarming Jesus, so his friends brought him up onto the roof and cleared a hole in it to let him down. Instead of Jesus healing the man right away, he first said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Indicating that he was indeed God in the flesh. This caused a mighty stir in the religious people who accused him of blaspheming. Mark 2:7 Then Jesus proves His power by healing. What can they say to that?

Soon after, he goes to dinner with the sinners and tax collectors and he is accused there of being a heathen. Mark 2:16 He tells them He is a physician who came to heal those (who admit) that they are sick. In other words, the proud who couldn’t see their need for Him wouldn’t taste the benefit of His mercy and power . . .

When the Pharisees and Scribes discover that Jesus disciples don’t fast as they religiously do, {again accusing} Jesus replied with a parable:

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” Mark 2:21-22

Jesus’ earthly life was new wine in an old wineskin.

He brought in the new and better way of love, of mercy, of resting rather than striving, of depending rather than earning, and it made those who wanted to rely on their own merits increasingly angry. To the point of murder. {In His case though, the wine wasn’t lost , but He was spilled out for us all .}

He knew that it would happen. That it had to be that way. Isaiah says He set his face like a flint. ( Isaiah 50:7 )

And then, the glorious day when all hell was bent on destroying the Fruit of The Vine, and seemed to have succeeded. The curtain was torn in the temple. Matthew 27:51

Days later the stone was rolled away, Mark 16:4 .

The old wineskin burst and it lost it’s power to condemn us. We are freed from the wrath of God ( Revelation 14:10 ) when once we repent and believe the good news. Mark 1:15

Now we {you and I, Believer in the Lord, Jesus Christ} are the fresh wineskins filled with the new wine. Acts 13:52

And it is delightful! Psalm 16:6

Celebrating Covenants

Mon, 22 Aug 2016 17:52:00 GMT

We celebrated thirty-three years of ‘the knot’ we tied in a little country church in Hugo, MN on Saturday. We had dinner at a supper club, overlooking the beautiful St. Croix River.

Beams of light broke through the day’s dark clouds just in time.

Thirty three is a lotta years, I know. We were young, 18 and 20, and starry-eyed.

His adventurous and decisive nature, balanced my cautious and compliant one perfectly.

Until it didn’t.

There was a time when the lights went dim. When the weight of our own strongholds threatened to tear us apart. I groped for my footing in the mud of anxiety. But by prayer and what could only be the grace of God in the timing of it, we landed at a couple’s retreat on Valentine’s weekend.

And light returned.

We discovered that we both had been looking at me wrong. I was grossly lacking confidence, and seeing my compliant-self as being inferior was less-than helpful in my gaining necessary confidence.

At the retreat, there were two profound things that both our ears needed to hear.
1. Your spouse is not your enemy. Satan is your enemy.
2. You balance one another out.

And then we had to write letters to one another expressing our thanks for the strengths we each brought to the marriage. I’m telling you, it was an “ah-ha” moment for us both to see that my tenderness, flexibility, and sensitivity was valuable in the equation of D and me. We had both believed that I needed to toughen up, be more decisive and determined like him.

Actually, that was true in a sense. I did need to toughen up. My value needed to be confirmed in my heart-of-hearts, based on God’s heart for me, and not my failure to be what anyone else thought I should be.

God healed our marriage as He healed my heart.

As we were sitting there enjoying our dinner together, suddenly God gave us a rainbow outside the window. I quickly captured it, and had to edit the photo to see it more clearly since the camera is inferior to the eye:

After dinner, we walked the road outside the window delighting in the cooler air, the colors of the evening sky reflecting on the water, and the Lord’s faithfulness to us for all these years.

Yesterday morning, we didn’t intend to miss our 9:30am church service, but the sunlight coming through the trees outside of our east-facing windows, compelled us to head down to the river early with our coffee to further enjoy the unusual crisp air of the summer of 2016, we decided to go home to refill our cups. We packed a brown bag with butter, a bottle of honey and cinnamon, and stopping at the bread bakery between our house and the river, we bought a long loaf, and headed back down.

As we walked and talked, he wondered and we recalled what we were doing ten years ago, twenty years ago, and we found we were able to recall most years based on our celebrations of our anniversary. Several years we had the weekends alone because his parents took our two kiddos to Grandparent’s camp and it happened to coincide with our anniversary.

The years of our kid’s weddings, one, September 4 and the other, August 10 . . . just before and after our anniversary were both marked by our own celebrations. And on our 25th we had taken the kids and four wheelers up to the U.P. of Michigan.

The memories flowed because of the celebrations.

The rainbow was more significant because, being a bit of a social media junkie . . . I do love the online wider-view of the world, and noticing so many rainbows over the past few years, but particularly this year, one day, I felt led to make a proclamation on Facebook, that I felt God was sending us all a message in this worn and weary world:
The rainbow is My reminder of My faithfulness.

R E M E M B E R that I promised to R E M E M B E R M Y C O V E N A N T.
Genesis 9:14-15

And I promised to “share” or repost every time I saw one. It’s been so fun!

So you can imagine how I smiled at that bow peeking through the clouds on Saturday night as we celebrated our enduring covenant.

Celebrate often, our God who always keeps His promises! Luke 1:45

What The Love?

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 11:00:00 GMT

After my run, I sat by the water to write my thoughts down in the “notes” app on my iPhone. I had spent the first hour of my day laying in bed scrolling through one woman’s Instagram feed – to reconsider my thoughts about her, to give her the benefit of the doubt. But I got up from my bed – astonished. Sickened.

Because she is wildly popular, calls herself a Christian . . . author, blogger, speaker . . . and though she loves people pretty well, in several areas, she does not love the Truth of God’s word. [so it’s not true love] I will go as far as saying she opposes Jesus and His mission of Salvation of the lost.

And many of my online friends follow her, quote her, & retweet her.

And her followers praise her – as if she is their god.

Honestly, I gagged.

I love affirmation like everyone else. But if praise comes in mighty waves and never a word of Jesus is mentioned, I’m suspect of her motive. That’s fair, right?

Her snarky attitude [not that that is bad per-se, but in some places it is inappropriate] and the comments below some of her posts overwhelmed me with sorrow [some laden with profanities, others high-fiving the lies, and then there was the applause for her somewhat irreverent, fine-sounding words] and it all ignited a soul-fire in me.

I needed to go for a run.

No, I’m not going to name her. But I want to encourage you to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

So, here are my jottings:

What love is: [because she claims to be a warrior when it comes to love. Which might be true, but not toward God, the Author of Life and the Bible or for Jesus, the Living Word.]

True Love:
Corrects: 2 Timothy 3:15-17
Protects: You know the LOVE chapter: Always… Always… Always… & Never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Directs: Matthew 28:19-20
And so much more . . . but true love always includes the “hard side” . . . of discipline and training. Love has a degree of strictness. It has safety boundaries.

All for the sake of Jesus.

Jesus said, “if you love me you’ll obey my commands.” John 14:15

David said, “Oh how I love your law, I meditate on it day and night.” Psalm 119:97

I was led to consider the name-calling that has shut us right up – we who love and submit to God’s word.
[picture the finger-pointing here…]
——->Legalist!!!<——- [that name!]

And I wondered, in light of Psalm 119:97 . . . What is a legalist? Certainly it’s not one who loves and upholds the law? Right? Hence, my jottings [below] of the contrasts between a legalist [think Pharisees who thought they knew God, but actually opposed Him in opposing Jesus] and a faithful follower of Jesus who keeps Him as their first love, submitting to His authority, keeping His word, willing to suffer persecution for holding fast to the word. [See Revelation 1-3, or the whole book.]

“A Legalist – outward performance – OR – A Faithful Follower – inward submission”

A legalist is one who obeys his own determination of the law for the praise of man. Matthew 6:2
A faithful follower obeys the law from love and submission to honor and reflect the Father. John 15:10-17

A legalist demands obedience.
A faithful follower models and instructs in obedience.

A legalist thinks he loves God, but really loves himself and people more. Matthew 7:21
A faithful follower loves Jesus first and is willing to count the cost of losing anything in favor of staying faithful to the Savior. Revelation 3:8 ; 10

A legalist thinks he’s doing God a favor by “killing” those who bear the Word. John 16:2
A faithful follower bears the Word, willing to lay down his life for the sake of knowing Him. Luke 14:26

A legalist corrects to protect his opinion.
A faithful follower corrects to deliver a soul. Jude 1:23

So, there you have it . . . my jottings.

This all comes after prayer and a great sermon on what the TRUE GOSPEL is [and what it is not] 1 Corinthians 15:1-3

True Gospel: Jesus died, was buried and rose again. He took the wrath of God that we deserved and gave us His righteousness in place of our condemnation. He delivered us from hell and made us heirs of God.

Not Gospel: Jesus loves you and has a great plan for your life. [Though this is true, the gospel doesn’t start with us]

So friends, this kind of Christianity that I saw this morning, I discerned it’s heresy:

There is N O * C R O S S & no need to be born again . — If theres’s no hell, there’s no need for a cross, right?

Watch out for crossless C H R I S S I A N I T Y!!!

A prissy belief and a broad way.
In Chrissianity , no dying to self is called for. Easy. Peasy. [And what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called, “Cheap Grace” <—- highly recommend reading that one!]

And now you too may want to go for a run or punch a bag or something. . . and while you’re at it, put in this podcast to fire up your prayer life and enable that breakthrough you’ve been holding out for.

Dear Heavenly Father, grant us grace to not get sucked into the deception that is running rampant and to hold fast to Your Word, loving you more than our earthly life, anticipating Heaven, our eternal inheritance. Amen.

For the King~

Fear Drives Us To Action

Mon, 15 Aug 2016 12:00:00 GMT

What do you most fear?

Seriously, stop reading right now and write down what you fear. Specifically. This is important.

Likely the first thing on your list has something to do with those closest to you. Our family relationships are the most significant part of our lives and the place where our minds most often park.

Since becoming a mother, my greatest fears always have to do with my children, and my heart has expanded with their expansion. Now it’s [I’ll just say it: ‘worry’] over our two children, their spouses and my grand babies.

I’m most passionate about seeing them thrive. First in their faith, and then in all other areas. There is not much I wouldn’t drop to help them when they need it. I’ll be awake in the night for hours when they are facing crisis, my face in the carpet, praying.

I do this because I know two things. 1. I am powerless. and 2. I know God and I know He hears. And in knowing Him, I’ve learned that perfect Love does indeed cast out my fears. I just often need to wrestle my way back to believing it when things “don’t appear to be going right.”

Fear is a large and forceful undercurrent that continually fuels action.

Sometimes I forget God and take action on my own, until I find it not working so well. More often now, the action I take is to go directly to my knees.

So often we try so hard to block fear, we want to stop fear, to NOT FEAR. After all, God continually said it, I’ve heard, like 365 times in scripture – one for each day of the year . . . “Do. Not. Fear.”

So formerly, I felt guilty at every sensation of fear. Which meant I felt guilty every single day of my live-long-life. And then I’d sing that song in church, “No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me . . . ”

And then wonder how to get rid of not only FEAR but also the GUILT.

But during a season of teaching a Sunday Bible study, I came to realize that the reason God says it so many times is he knows we FEEL it every day. Especially in the face of say, an angel. [For the record, this hasn’t happened to me personally.] Or as we see an impending proverbial cliff up ahead that others are not seeing.

And I realized God’s “Do not fear” is more of an encouragement and a reminder of His promise, “I Am with you to help you.”

And I lost my guilt over having fear.

I do still hate the feeling of fear.

But have come to embrace fear as a friend – if . . . IF I harness it’s presence as an impetus to turn to God in prayer, who can remind me “Do. Not. Fear.” And then I remember He. Is. Here.

In the light of the painful realities of the world in which we live, and in having access to the large, but foggy window of social media, and becoming increasingly aware of our own powerlessness, I’ve noticed the same online.

Fear for our [own] well-being, for the well-being of our families, and for our society as a whole, fuels the online [often brutally ugly] arguments dialoging. [I’ve seen both good conversation . . . and ugly, hostile words]

So I just want to encourage you today by reminding you,

The antidote for fear is prayer and trusting God.
[And often need a praying friend to go to the throne on your behalf.]
The antidote for all the ugly arguing is knowing, turning to, and trusting God.
The antidote for all things really.

You already know what I’m going to say, don’t you?

How To Move A Mountain

Sat, 13 Aug 2016 16:41:00 GMT

Sometimes I feel like a mountain.

And if I am not a mountain, then there’s one large one sitting, feet-out, arms-crossed upon my ambitions. I feel like I have a few battles I cannot win.

Which I know is not true.
So I wonder what my problem is.

I want to get my workout in before 9:00am. I finally get to it at 1:00pm.

I want to lose ten pounds. I get the “Lose It” app on my phone. I chart for three weeks, see no progress and quit.

I set a goal to write for two hours a day, and end up doing many other things, perhaps any other things, but fail to actually write.

And I want to know HOW to MOVE this MOUNTAIN!

I went to the Christian Women in Media “Girlfriends and Chocolate” event a few days ago. I was in line with my friend Wendie . I chose the fruits and veggies, no dip. I put the cheese squares on my plate sparingly. I didn’t take a cookie. I am aware of how she manages her diet, based on her knowledge and her fitness/faith focus, and so being near her motivated me to deny myself some things.

I don’t have that king of motivation at home when Dale brings home . . . pizza.

The next morning I thought of Wendie, and how she has ‘guard rails’ in her mind. She has signposts “Do Not Enter” placed there for the cheese and the sugar and the meat. Because I have some guard rails of my own. And there are those that were formerly in place in my mind, but have been hit by a proverbial car and have landed in the ditch somewhere.

One of them was “No Cheese Allowed” . . . my motivation for that guard rail was that I believed cheese made me fat. And I didn’t WANT to be fat.

Wendie and another friend and I talked about food choices, and what foods do to our bodies, and a bit about the pollution in our American food and the high cost of buying organic.

And we talked about what motivates an Olympian to pursue their goal. Because even Wendie has things she feels like she wants more passion to pursue. [Every human, hello!]

I love to see the beauty of men and women achieving exceptional goals . I’m guessing you do too.

I just wish I loved doing the work as much as I love seeing the result. [Ahem.]

As God would have it, I am currently reading through proverbs AND the Olympics are on. So the day after sitting with Wendie, I read this:

“A worker’s appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on.” Proverbs 16:26

And I realize it is DESIRE that drives the human heart. My desire for cheese . . . or chocolate, as the case may be , drives my choice to eat it, and obviously TRUMPS my desire to lose the excess ten pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past fifteen years.

I wonder if . . .
Comfort is the enemy of advancing to achievement.
And if that is the case . . .
Self-denial is the friend of our passionate pursuit.

I wondered what motivated Michael Phelps to pursue the world record for gold medals in swimming. So of course I searched on google. When I found his twenty inspiring quotes , I realized the thing about facing a mountain.

Moving it is rooted in desire. You can see it in his words, “dream. imagine. willing. love. achieve. . . . ”

As a believer in Jesus and His power, I have, on my side and within me, the resurrection power of Christ and His Spirit. He has given me a spirit of self-control. With that in mind, I realize that indeed, I am the mountain. It is only my refusal to believe and to do the work that keeps me from attaining the thing I desire to do. 2 Timothy 1:7 ; Galatians 5:22-23

I’ve often said there are only two things that keep us from God and I believe the same two things keep us from walking in His will for our lives. Especially our passionate pursuit of Him and His will.

They are two sides of the same coin [I call it Self] Pride and Unbelief.

Daily I need to die to my self and my inferior desires.
Daily I need to kill my own pride and wipe out my unbelief.

This cannot be done by my own will power, I need to rely on His power at work within me. I must search out His word and fight the lies of “I can’t” and “I don’t have it in me” replacing them with, “I can do all things through Christ” and “it is Him who is able to make all grace abound”

I watch that UnderArmor video again , I see the strain and the pain, and I remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:27 , “I beat my body and make it a slave . . . so that I won’t be disqualified for the prize” and I realize the Olympians are there reflecting God. I think that is why we love to watch them. And even UnderArmor has godly knowledge for the world:

“It’s what you do in the dark that puts you in the light.” #RuleYourself

Amen UnderArmor. Amen.

Prayer and How To Hear From God

Mon, 01 Aug 2016 11:30:00 GMT

Do you long to hear from God with more clarity? Have you ever wondered if you could have intimate conversations with God like Jesus did when He was on earth?

I would love to be sitting on a rock next to Jesus when He prayed . . .

Mark 1:35 In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.

Early in the morning, while it was still dark – Jesus leaves the house and goes to a secluded place to pray.

In the following verses, Mark tells us that the disciples had been looking for Jesus and when they found Him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” And Jesus replied, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came.” [ Mark 1:36-39 ]

Look at how our compassionate, servant-Savior, Jesus, obviously confident in His mission for the day, was undeterred from it, even when people needed Him.

Do you need a little of that confidence when there are too many demands on your time?

I’m always seeking to learn more about prayer . . .

In his book entitled, “Prayer”, Timothy Keller says,

“Christian prayer is fellowship with the personal God who befriends us through speech. The biblical pattern entails meditating on the words of Scripture until we respond to God with our entire being , saying “Give me an undivided heart, that . . . I may praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart.””

I remembered reading a few years back that Jewish boys learned the scriptures by sitting outside under a tree muttering them repetitively so as to internalize them – akin to the cow chewing the cud. So I did a little search to consider Jesus’ prayer life further.

From this article , I read, “Training in the Torah began very early. The father had an obligation to teach his children the Law by words and example. A child could observe his father binding the phylacteries on his arm and head. The natural question, “What are you doing?” could be used to teach the child that it was everyone’s duty to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” ( Deuteronomy 6:5 ).

When the son reached the age of twelve, the Jews believed his education in the Torah was complete enough to help him know the Law and keep it. He was then known as a “son of the Law.” As a symbol of this attainment, the father would fasten the phylacteries upon the arm and forehead of his son. The box placed on the forehead indicated that the laws must be memorized. The other box was placed on the left arm so that it would press against the heart when the arms were folded or the hands were clasped in prayer. The box pressed against the heart would symbolize that the laws were to be loved and obeyed.
. . .

Boys usually began formal schooling at the “house of the book” at age five. He would spend at least a half-day, six days a week for about five years, studying at the synagogue. Parents brought their son at daybreak and came for him at midday. While not at school the boy was usually learning a trade, such as farming or carpentry.

If a boy wanted training beyond that given in a synagogue, he would go to a scholarly scribe. Saul of Tarsus received such advanced theological training “at the feet of Gamaliel” in Jerusalem ( Acts 22:3 ).”

Do you remember when Jesus was 12 years old , and his parents accidentally left him behind? And when they found him, he said, “Didn’t you know that I’d be in my Father’s House?” According to the above article, He was then known, at the age of twelve, as “A Son of the Law” – so His question was simply a reflection of what should have been assumed by his parents.

Timothy Keller also quotes Eugene Peterson,

“Language is spoken into us; we learn language only as we are spoken to. We are plunged at birth into a sea of language …”

— I found myself mulling this over extensively! And as new believers, we are “plunged into” a new language. The more we engage with scripture, the more we will be in tune with God’s voice! [See Romans 12:2 ]

“We speak only to the degree we are spoken to.”

It is therefore essential to the practice of prayer to recognize what Peterson calls the “overwhelming previousness of God’s speech to our prayers”
[Working The Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity” Eugene Peterson]

Keller goes on to say,

“It means that our prayers should arise out of immersion in the Scripture. We should “plunge ourselves into the sea” of God’s language, the Bible. We should listen, study, think, reflect, and ponder the Scriptures until there is an answering response in our hearts and minds…”

Consider your own time in the scriptures, in prayer, and your own ability to discern God’s will each day. And then consider how important it is that we are having that intimate time with Jesus as we seek to follow Him in this time in HisStory.

Here are a few questions to think through on your own prayer life.

1. Do you have precious time scheduled into your day to read God’s word and talk to Him that keeps you fortified and heading in the right direction? Or do you need to make adjustments in your daily routine – perhaps getting up while it is still dark? Or going to a more solitary place? [Or like me, leaving my phone in another room?]

2. Have you ever considered what Jesus’ time was like when He went away with His Father and want to share your thoughts?

3. Are you in a consistent prayer time with other believers for your families, neighborhoods, cities, country and the world? Do you think we learn to discern God’s voice more by being with others who know Him?

4. Are you memorizing scripture? If not, how might you work that into your schedule?

In those days, memory was enhanced by reciting aloud, a practice still widely used in Middle Eastern education both Jewish and Muslim. Constant repetition was considered to be an essential element of learning.

In order to hear from God, we need to be near Him and be in His word. This is what John 15 means when Jesus tells us to abide.

A Day in DC

Fri, 29 Jul 2016 17:04:00 GMT

As I stood on the top step of the Library of Congress with my friends praying on 7-17. It was the day after we gathered to pray on The Mall with #TOGETHER2016 (we had mistaken the Library of Congress building for the Supreme Court – don’t judge. ?)

I had a profound sense of reverence for the high calling of God on leaders who make decisions to govern people. I lost my breath for a few seconds.

And a vision flashed before my eyes of the day they will stand facing the God of the universe and be held accountable for their words and deeds.

I have felt the sting of shame when standing in the presence of holiness. How much more will it be when face to face, for those who have lived according to their own standards and failed to acknowledge God as God?

And I fell prostrate on the inside, before God, asking forgiveness for failing to pray for them more as a citizen, myself, under their authority.

It’s safe to say that most of our leaders, though they give lip-service to Him, don’t actually fear the Lord, and so they don’t take care to honor Him or follow His ways.

But just because they disregard His authority, doesn’t remove Him from having authority over them.

Truth is truth. God is God. And one day we all will face Him. Will you join me in praying more fervently for our leaders according to Romans 13 ?

This post by Randy Alcorn inspired me to finally sit down and write about my weekend in DC.

And here are a few photos of our weekend. [Do you know which buildings are which?]

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Thank you for reading.

Why It's Hard To See Beauty In Pain

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 21:35:00 GMT

I had safely placed guard-rails around my heart. If a thought of sorrow over loss would come knocking, I’d brutally slam that door closed. I’d hung the sign on the gate of my mind: “No Admittance” in order to guard against Satanic self-pity. You may have seen me talk about it on Instagram last week.

Two days ago [four days after that Instagram post,] I woke up, and as I lay there, streams of tears came, and mountain of kleenex emerged on my nightstand.

We can be determined to stand in victory, but the rug can be pulled out from under us.

The problem is, standing on the rug.

By faith, I need to stand on the Rock, not the rug.

You see, I wasn’t only being bombarded with pictures and memories from the past that stood in stark contrast with my “now” – but also had been experiencing friction in my marriage – those little annoyances that dig at you but don’t get resolved. And they add up. Until, BAM! – we hadn’t taken time to confront the monster in the room.

And deeper still, inside my heart, I was carrying weights that only Jesus can carry, burdens over choices I’ve made – but failing to trust His love, to bring good even from my failures.

I do trust His love, really I do, but I forget to.

When I bleed, my eyes are prone to look too long at the wound.

And in my conversations with others “more blessed,” my life felt like more of a mess.

With just a glance through the scope of my struggles – written out, we can diagnose ‘the rug’.

The rug is an earth-bound view. A me-centered mentality.

A focus on the present “lack” and on the past — void of the joy in the now, and void of hope for good in the future.
A focus on the crisis instead of Christ who redeems, renews and restores all things.
A focus on the blessings of others in comparison to my perceived lack. [Forgive me Father!]

It is disheartening to find myself, having walked this long and far with Jesus, knowing I have an inheritance in Heaven, to still stumble onto this ugly-rug of self-focus. When I bleed, my eyes are prone to look too long at the wound and forget about the Healer.

But even in THIS present failure to “buck up buttercup!” because of Jesus, I find a redemptive gift: the necessary reminder; the evidence of the self-centeredness that formerly imprisoned my soul.

Today and every day, the gospel! The good news of Jesus is my salvation. Ephesians 2:4-7

Because He has rescued me, no matter how many times I fall by failing to trust and obey, the moment I look UP to Heaven, His hand is there reaching, and lifts me from the dark and dirty earth. Again, He stands me up on the Rock, puts a new song in my mouth, and restores my blistered soul.

On the other side of Mount Kleenex, I marvel at the challenge of seeing beauty in my pain. Even though I remind others of the beauty to come , when the pain belongs to me, I get sidelined with this temporary blindness.

All through scripture, it seems this is the pulse of our “now-on-earth-and-in-heaven” life as we follow Him. He keeps us in awareness of our fleshly weakness, but also enables us to live by His strength, that His glory will be revealed, and His reflection will be seen.

I needed to get back in the Light.

My victory came through:

Acknowledging my weakness to friends [we so need one another]
Asking for prayer
Having a talk with my husband
Sitting with Jesus, receiving His unconditional love and His covering of my sin – again.

Like the Psalmist in the 73rd, and so many other Psalms, I go to the throne of grace with my lament, and come away praising the King of Kings for my future inheritance in Heaven. And, like the apostle Paul, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which He has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Dear Lord, help me avoid getting on the rug; help me keep my eyes off of myself and my circumstances, help me remain standing on the Rock with my eyes to Heaven. And thank you that when I fail, you stand me back up there again. Amen. Proverbs 24:16

I Want To Be In The Light || [LYRICS]

You can pre-order Susie Larson’s book Your Powerful Prayers now!

Which Spirit Will We Invite? Discord Or Unity - We Can Change The Atmosphere

Tue, 14 Jun 2016 16:32:00 GMT

Dearly Beloved, [Wonder of wonders, that is what we are!] Are you feeling increasingly unsettled?

With the growing discord in our world, and more recently on our own soil, it’s as if the proverbial snowball of evil has been rolling down a long and windy hill that is steep at the bottom, and suddenly has landed, scattering shards. There is no land untouched by the increasing violence of darkened souls.

Yesterday I felt a familiar tight knot. A sort of fist in my heart and lungs and head – as weighty as the day was cloudy. “Lord, is this ‘sense’ an identification with your heart for the current state of the world? Or is this the sin of unbelief? This tension I feel, how do you feel about it?”

Considering it all with him, my feelings and thoughts all jumbled, I came to see it is a mixture of both sacred and sin. “Lord, deliver me from my unbelief!”

“How long, O LORD? How long will the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?”

I couldn’t stand to look at the internet, voices seemed to be screaming, words repeating, the reports, the commands, the demands, the reprimands, the blatterstands and clatterbands. [So . . . I made the last two up. ]

But I was looking.

Because I want to assess the situation. Uncertain how to respond. How to think, feel, act [or not] and I am cautious. Reading. Discerning. Looking for God and His heart, His hand, His will. “What are You doing here, Lord? How should we respond?”

I am concerned. And I am hopeful. Concern comes naturally, but I have to fight to maintain hope. As Paul describes it, fighting the good fight of faith, hope in things unseen.

I believe that in a day like today, quiet is good and slow is wise.

Last night a FB friend linked to a post about Christians being blamed . And it engaged that place in my heart and lungs and head. Because often during crisis, I’ve seen posts by Christians against Christians, and as I have ruminated on the outcome of the “Open Letters To The Church” and other such addresses, I’ve come to see the potential harm. The result being, lending more fuel to the fire displayed in the linked article.

It grieves me, and I believe it’s a grief that is more sacred than sinful.

If we openly rebuke, even bully one another in public. If we paint Jesus’ Bride in broad, condemning strokes; holding our own ideals as the standard. [For example: “This is what I do, Church, you should do it too!”] we fuel angst. Not to mention that it sounds a lot like legalism.

Our divisiveness serves the enemy. Angst begets angst.

We think we see the way that all should follow.

It seems logical.

I’ve thought this way myself. Thankfully, long before internet was a thing – so my thoughts had less opportunity to become words. And I have learned through the “School of God” [“Hello Honey, I call my people to follow Me, not everyone has the same course.”]

Time + Experience = Wisdom

The problem with open, public shaming or rebuke is that those who do so fail to discern that the weeds and wheat grow together. We might want to uproot the weeds, but fail to see we are wounding the wheat. We fail to acknowledge that to publicly berate the Bride of Christ, we are feeding Cain and Ishmael and Esau’s arsenal (the angry heart that would not submit, but instead crucified our Savior) the one who persecutes the children of God.

God will not hold guiltless the unrepentant, who accuse and wound His blood-bought Bride. And we should pray for those who act in ignorance. Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.

The fact that we are washed by the blood and free from condemnation is the glorious truth of our standing before God. Praise Jesus! That is why we should never accuse one another in the spirit of the accuser.

God has established an orderly way for us to grow in Christlikeness.

It is in the context of “home” amid relationships, in family and in local gatherings, in friendships and around tables. Submitted to one another, committed to one another, honoring those He puts in leadership in our lives. Those who have the right and the responsibility to oversee and care for our souls. Pastors and leaders and teachers and fathers and mothers, and sisters and brothers.

I suspect the bull-horns of social media – which, at times might be likened to our “modern Tower of Babel” have increased the chaos and division we have experienced of late, exponentially.

Love certainly doesn’t come through in a public rebuke. Even if love is there, it’s likely indiscernible.

God’s desire is that we edify one another, that we are “for” each other. That we do good to all people and especially those who belong to the family of God.
Galatians 6:10

It’s a simple way, really, but not easy.

Lord, be with us, and fill us with faith. May we be faithful to pray, keeping our eyes on you and our hearts tuned to Your voice. Help us love one another well, build one another up. Help us hope in what we cannot see. Hope in You! Lead us O Lord. Amen.

Th e Atmosphere is changing now, the Spirit of the Lord is here . Miracles can happen now, the Spirit of the Lord is here. The evidence is all around . . .

Truth Tellers Are Like Pilots

Tue, 07 Jun 2016 15:33:00 GMT

It’s been awhile since I posted. And I want to say something like, “Life is hard” or “Things feel heavy” because . . . they sometimes do. But I know I don’t need to tell you that, I know you feel it too and the purpose of my blog is to encourage you and enable you to Savor the Light of Jesus, our hope.

The hope of the Gospel; the Truth of Jesus as our Reigning, Sovereign, and Victorious King.

Even when it doesn’t look like Good is in charge, He is.
And that is the truth we must fight to abide in. I am fighting to abide in.

And can I just say that truth-tellers are like pilots to me?

Every single time I fly [and it’s been many times since my (finally) first flight in 2003, at thirtysomething ] every time when I get off the plane, the pilot is standing there by the exit door, and just before I step off the plane, most often he greets me – as he greets all the passengers as they file by – I want to HUG HIS NECK because I am so in awe that he has the courage to fly that big beast of a thing, and more than that , he has managed to fly me through the big beautiful blue sky where I have the greatest view ever and . . . *deep breath* . . . he has landed me safely – yet again.

Thank you so much Mr. Pilot!!!

I LOVE flying!!!
And pilots.
And I also love the mechanics that keep airplanes running/flying smoothly.
[If you know an airplane mechanic or a pilot, will you PLEASE hug them for me?!]

So, back to my love of Truth-tellers . . . This might go without saying in a political year such as this . . . such as we have never seen before – none are trustworthy . None . [politicians, that is – okay . . . and the media . I don’t trust them either. Come to think of it, I don’t trust many who write words these days . . . even medical reporters . . . so many are serving money . . . I digress ]

And at this point, unless a new candidate [a miraculous move of God needed, I know ] comes along, a KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR , I am likely writing in: Jesus Christ . He is the only one I trust ATM [ AtTheMoment #AlwaysTrustMessiah]

This may or may not happen, we will see how things transpire between now and November. Personally, I am putting a lot of hope in God’s love for His faithful people. And that means we need to see to it that we are living faithful, abiding in the love and truth of Jesus.

But. This isn’t a political post, sorry for the rabbit trail. This is about us being faith-FULL in this crazy time in history.

As I said, I love Truth -tellers. [Truth: honesty, integrity, truthfulness] I want to hug them like the pilots.

And speaking of pilots and truth . . .

It has always been ironic to me that when Pilate is interrogating Jesus [the Truth] before the crucifixion, he looked at him and asked the question, “What is truth?”

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth . Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

John 18:33-38

Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life . . . said, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
And we can assume then that there are two sides.
One is either FOR or AGAINST Truth [Jesus].

Christ.
Or Anti-Christ.
1 John 2:18
[Don’t you love how God’s word clears things right up? How there is nothing muddy there?!!!]

In lieu of my ramblings and the fact that I’ve been AWOL here, I am going to leave you with a couple of “pilots” I trust to tell the truth. A couple of men I feel compelled to hug, for they are seeing to our safety. And then one post from someone who I do not know, but whose words ring true . . . for your encouragement and edification, a triple dose of light to savor:

I hope you have time to listen!

Our Only Hope is a message by Dr. Tony Evans given at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

An End Time Call To Repentance is a message that showed up on my Facebook feed by Pr. Gary Wilkerson of Times Square Church. You can tell this was a hard message for him to get into, but by the end, you see the fire of the Spirit of God move through him.

A Christian Singer Comes Out Of The Closet a blog post by Jay Sanders on Pastor Jason Landers’ blog, shining light in a dark world on a heavy topic. Shared on Facebook by my cousin’s courageous teenage daughter.

And I have a guest post on my friend Diane’s blog today. Our Words Are Windows

Until next time . . . keep praying, keep trusting, keep yourself in the love and truth of God.

All my love,
Kathy

Dear Husband, An Apology For My Beastly Attitude

Sat, 21 May 2016 02:02:00 GMT

Dear Husband,

Forgive me for complaining about the job in the yard. I’ve been pessimistic. Thinking I just don’t have it. Thoughts come in, and I forget that I need to take them captive.

“I can’t do it.” . . .
“We don’t have the resources to do it the way I want it.” . . .
“You, dear hard-working husband, don’t have time or energy to do what I want done. Cutting down those three towering OAKS that allow no sunlight in my yard for flowers – I cannot do it alone, my female self ” [Might the Lord be teaching me patience?]

The truth is, I don’t want to have to do it. I want my yard to be ‘insta-pretty’ and . . . I’m sorry that I forgot that I actually do enjoy doing it . I just don’t have time right now. And I hate messy. And I’ve been having this pain in my elbow . . .

And considering that – life is messy – so, maybe us being forced into this place of ‘starting over’ at our age is a custom-made trial by our Father for this perfectionistic wife of yours. Wanting all things beautiful. ASAP. Please.

I coveted my neighbor’s yard when I went for a walk today. [Forgive me Father, for I love beauty too much [?]] . . . or I suppose there is an underlying cause. I want my yard to be showy. [?]

This one ^

My yard and my face and my physique. But I’m in a testing time with all of that too. Yeah. I found out that just when I got to the place of self-forgetfulness regarding my appearance, BAM, I feel like a schoolgirl again – facing the inevitable decline.

Along with my challenge with coveting, I have committed the sin of comparison. To those half my age who are accomplishing so much more than I ever did at your age. It seems you have more wisdom than I do now .

OH! Get behind me Satan!!!

I keep telling the old voice to SHUT UP! I am going from glory to glory . Because I am no longer of this world, new creation and all . Strength to strength and glory to glory. My sagging skin and greying hair is glory. How is that again?

Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

This aging gets me closer to the grave, when I will get my new body.

That will be glory! [ And can I please have normal thumbs and thin thighs? ]

I forget that when I complain, it burdens your heart. [not to mention it insults God, so yeah, this letter is to Him too. Actually, maybe to Him first. ]

So, it was the look on your face after I spilled my weary words all over you that brought this soul conviction. What happened to my sense of adventure with you that has carried us through all this wild upheaval transition?

And I may be growing older in body, but may my heart and mind continue to embrace the challenges with gusto.

May I not sink into low-thinking. Dear Jesus, please!

So, I am ‘over it’! And moving forward. I will take what I have and make the best of it. I have a lot of hastas and ferns, they grow in shade . I will THANK GOD that my body works. I will stick a shovel in sod, and move those cement blocks in the wheelbarrow. I will pull the creeping charlie and turn over the soil in that old forsaken garden.

And I will PRAISE GOD when I do it, for His amazing grace that saved a wretch like me from that horrid attitude that surfaced today. And His mercy that is new tomorrow – forgetting the whole ugly of my heart from today. Will you please forgive me too?

And thank you. Thank you for all you do.

Savoring Light On Sunday ~ Power To Exit The Clouds

Sun, 15 May 2016 12:00:00 GMT

We are “Walking Arks of the Covenant.”

That is what the speaker had said. It’ stayed with me all these years. She was referring to those of us who have been baptized into Christ and filled with His Spirit.

The Ark of the Covenant contained three items: a golden pot of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written.

The Ark represented God’s presence and was the place where God chose for His glory to dwell in the Holy of Holies in the tent in the wilderness, and eventually in the temple in Jerusalem.

Truth:

Our bodies are now the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19
We are priests. 1 Peter 2:9
His Spirit lives in us. 2 Corinthians 1:22

The Ark was greatly revered, and feared. Israel did not want to go anywhere without it. Exodus 33:15

But at the time of Eli, the priest, the priesthood had become perverted. Eli’s sons were “wicked men that had no regard for the Lord” because they had scorned the sacrifice that God had required. 1 Samuel 2:12

And “their sin was very great in the Lord’s sight.” 1 Samuel 2:17 . They had been even having sex with women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

Because of this, the Lord sent the Philistines to wage war on Israel. The priests and Eli were all killed, and the Ark of the Covenant was taken by the Philistines and carried into Dagon’s temple, and set beside their idol, Dagon.

The next day, after waking up, the Philistines found Dagon had fallen. They stood their god back up [Isn’t that funny? Their “god” needed human power to stand. How blind we can be . . . ] The following morning, not only had Dagon fallen, but his head and hands had broken off and were lying on the threshold. Only his body remained.

This sent the Philistines into a panic realizing what power the Ark of God had and after having a meeting decided to move it to Gath. “But after they moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young an old with an outbreak of tumors. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. 1 Samuel 5:8-10

Ekron cried out in fear. Death, fear, panic and tumors had come upon Philistine and they were desperate to get rid of God’s presence. The priests and diviners of Philistine were called and they devised a plan to move the ark out [you can read about it in 1 Samuel 6, a fascinating read!]

For 20 years the ark rested in Abinadab’s house in Kiriath Jearim under the guard of Eleazar, Abinidab’s son who had been consecrated for the task.

Then, the people of God repented and tore down their idols, sacrificed to the Lord and fasted. Samuel cried out for the Lord on their behalf and the Lord answered him. 1 Samuel 7:9 The Ark returned and God protected Israel once again.

Perhaps you have been feeling like I was this morning, a weight of heaviness over what is happening in our culture , and you remember that the Lord said, “Woe to those who call evil good and call good evil.” And its happening before our eyes. We see that people are exchanging the truth of God for lies. . . and we know, and likely fear . . .what might be ahead for us, and especially our children who will remain loyal to God.

As I read the story in 1 Samuel this morning, the Lord encouraged me in four ways that I want to pass on to you today:

1. That His presence with His faithful people is a majority; His power is within us and He will never leave or forsake us.

2. We might feel fear for what might lie ahead in this life, but God can turn things around when His people humble themselves, pray, and repent.

3. Suffering for the Christian is when Jesus is the nearest, and we reap great eternal benefits.

4. The worst thing that can happen to us is death, but that is the best thing for us who are redeemed because we are ushered immediately into the presence of Jesus.

And since we are instructed to fix our eyes on eternity because that is already where we live, this message from our worship service last Sunday: A Glimpse of Heaven will encourage you tremendously. “It’s all worth it because He is worthy”

This post about the reality of the joy we will have in Heaven: Two Minutes After You Die

We might want to avoid suffering, but it is valuable for the Christian. We can trust that our Good God would only allow good things to come in our lives. Suffering Gives Us Authority.

And we can say with confidence, “Lord, I will Trust In You ”

The Testing Of My Faith Produces Perseverance - of Great Worth

Wed, 11 May 2016 01:05:00 GMT

I sat to write and couldn’t. The doctor’s appointment was at noon and it was well past three o’clock. I hadn’t heard a thing.

Before I realized it had been three hours, I didn’t have any concerns that this appointment might bring even a hint of bad news. I’ve had this sort of ‘blessed assurance’ about this baby going full term and being healthy.

Until I sat down here at the three hour mark [and you know how it goes when you sit down… I thought, “What if?”

What if God took another baby from them? From us? My mind processed. I walked through the valley of the shadow right there inside my heart, and again, surrendered and declared my trust. I trust Him with my dearest treasures: My children, and their spouses, and my grand babies. My family. My friends.

I realize they are never really mine, these gifts from Him. They are gifts . Letting go of two gifts has so impacted me regarding the incredible miracle . . . the extreme value of one teeny-tiny life.

Losing Theodore was extremely painful for our boy and his bride, and for us who love them. But in the midst of the pain and heartache, the Lord was so near. His nearness was tangible. And sweet. As I cried out to Him for so many specific things, He answered every single cry of my tender heart except the one for Him to keep Theo in there. God took his son home to Heaven, and we traced His hand in the details of the journey. Enough to surrender any and all rights to having him here.

Losing baby Joy, [That is the word God gave me to pray over the next baby when we first learned Caitlin was pregnant again: Joy ] baby Joy stopped growing at 7 weeks, I’ll admit, the loss was shocking. “She” was a Christmas miracle, announced in December around when Theo was due.

Again, we processed through the grief and surrendered. This time, less trauma than our loss in August.

And no matter what happens here, there remains this enduring hope because of Jesus.

Soon after the second loss, we learned of another new baby. And we rejoiced.

I’ve been praying fervently for this baby to stay in the womb for 40 weeks. [guess which ‘word’ God gave me for this baby? ABIDE! ] And I’m praying for a healthy and safe delivery.

We love God and our love is proven genuine when we trust Him in the dark.

He proves our love for Him when, in His wisdom and sovereignty, He withholds something from us that we earnestly cry out for. And because we know He is good and He is love, we trust that any withholding of His power and mercy from us must have extreme value for us and for His Kingdom purposes. And it is only temporary. [and all good parents can relate!]

Dear Job, thank you for enduring in faith. Thank you for setting your hope and faith on God.

Dear God, thank you for your word and your Holy Spirit, guiding and comforting, solidifying our faith, which you say is more precious as pure gold.

Because . . . Heaven. Forever. Abiding in Your glory. And. I. Can. Hardly. Wait!!!!!

Thank you Job, and the rest of the great cloud of witnesses, for fixing your eyes on Heaven; for encouraging me through enduring suffering, loss, hardship, persecution . . . and your being burned at the stake, crucified and sawn in two.
Hebrews 11:36-40

And thank you God, that even though sometimes we suffer here, your abundant grace and goodness are poured out on us every single day, even in the dark.

Our Theodore, “Gift of God” has a legacy that already speaks of God’s faithfulness .

“Knowledge of our pain bringing about beauty is powerful. If we can see that even though we’ve been broken another soul has bloomed, we can take one more breath and move forward for one more day.” ~Caitlin Schwanke

I did get a call a few minutes after I sat down to the keyboard. The appointment just went long . The voice on the other end, obviously joyful – pricked my heart and my own joy leaked out through thankful eyes.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

The Week That Got Away

Tue, 10 May 2016 01:12:00 GMT

Stellar weather keeps the writer from her writing. I can’t believe it’s been over a week with no blog . . . and I was on a good streak before that! :o)

Graphic I created for a powerpoint presentation for a retreat I will be speaking at “You Are Here ~ Your Journey With God”

Stellar weather combined with having a ‘new’ older home and yard that need large doses of attention occupied my time. But I still took photos of my fun.

I missed posting my Savoring Sunday post. I have things saved for you – open tabs waiting to be linked. No doubt the beautiful weather had you outside too, so you likely didn’t have extra time either.

So, I’m declaring this – unofficially – Savoring Monday or Anyday. Just in case you need some light to savor during this week’s cloudy days or snuggled-in nights.

This sermon, Fix Your Eyes by Andy Stanley in his Tough As Nails series. For if you are worried about elections.

This song I cannot get enough of: Christ in Me by Jeremy Camp

This local heartwarming redemption story featuring the love and support of our sister Alliance Church: After five decades, prison inmate embraced by small town [via Kare11]

Enjoy your week Friends! And remember God is in control, and is working everything we entrust to Him – FOR OUR GOOD! Romans 8:28-29

Savoring Light On Sunday

Sun, 01 May 2016 12:00:00 GMT

I really love that God gives us the command to take a Sabbath. [we just have to fight to keep it]

My week wasn’t labor intensive in the sense of having a ton of tasks, but was intense in the sense of bearing burdens and continuing to bring them to the Lord. Some things get me up in the night . . . It always starts in the form of worry, but I’ve learned to turn them to prayers.

Turning worry to prayer is how to stand on the head of the devil.

I often thank God for my worries and fears, because they are indication that I care. That I am awake and watchful. And as long as I turn them to prayer, they have value.

It’s funny to me that the first thing I think of telling you was of the burdens. Human nature maybe. Or that the burdens became more intense toward the end of the week. Because, truly-despite the seemingly endless rainy days, this has been a good, good week!

On Tuesday at Bible study, we heard a wild story of God intervening in a crisis. I wish I could tell it to you, and maybe I will be able to some day. I just know that as the story was being told, we could see God’s hand providing people in key places and orchestrating circumstances, and bringing good into what could have been a tragic situation — because we prayed!

And on Tuesday and Thursday I had friends visit me.

It does a heart good to have someone go out of their way to spend time with you. Friendship is a sweet gift.

And I am thankful for you dear reader, and your encouragement. Every time I get a comment from you or see you have liked a post, I am encouraged to press on. So, thank you!

Here are the rays of light I savored online this week.

They will bless, encourage and fire you up!

Why Attending Church Is So Important ~ by my friend Matt Brown

The King Is Enthralled With Your Beauty ~ This is a spoken drama of a favorite passage of scripture. Psalm 45:10-11 , 13

Culture Clash: Freedom Or Constraint ~ A 38 minute message by Pr. Bob from Eagle Brook Church

And of course, a song: To Live Is Christ by the Sidewalk Prophets

Happy Sabbath Friends! May you keep your eyes on Jesus who redeems, restores, rebuilds and resurrects! And may you stand on the promises of God who never fails!

Discerning The Spirit Of The Words

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 12:00:00 GMT

How good and pleasant it is when we walk together in unity. Photo Credit: Kayla Nelson

Debaters.

Opinion-ators.

Proclaimers . . .

We are humans-made-from-humus . . . our origins of dust.

Some days, being online is not sweet . Not that I expect it to be all sweet . . . that is unrealistic. But the balance seems to be tipping towards stinky.

I have learned some lessons about life online the hard way. If you ask those who received some of my forwarded emails back in 2007, when I sought to sway their opinions . . . they may have thought them stinky. So, I’m more cautious of taking action as rapidly as I once did.

Please allow me to share a bit of hard-won wisdom with you . . . and to pray,

Dear Jesus, please help us slow down this fast-moving train-of-thoughts, brain-numbing, “my-words-need-to-be-out-there” blaring-megaphone of human-opinion.

To boycott or not to boycott – it has been the blaring declaration-of-the-week on my Facebook feed. Not only are there strong opinions that come across, but with them, an insinuation of “shame-on-others” who do not agree with me. [that is the stinky part]

It looks a lot like human pride on display.

Where is humility?

Pride, we can recognize it because it’s never far from each one of us. We know it; we know the way it starts it’s sentences. We are familiar with the method it uses to proclaim its pomp – it looks like this:

“I”

I WILL shop at Target.
I WILL NOT be shopping at Target.

You can hear the tone.

Pride starts the proclamation of it’s contempt like this,

“They”

They are fundamentalists.
They are liberals.
They are legalists.
They are judgemental.
They are bigots.

I > They = superiority

And does anyone even know what a Bigot is??? I looked it up: A person who is intolerant of others holding differing opinions.

Dear person who called another person a bigot . . . please see definition of bigot.

“If you cannot make yourself what you wish to be, how can you bend others to your will? We want them to be perfect, yet we do not correct our own faults. We wish them to be severely corrected, yet we will not correct ourselves. Their great liberty displeases us, yet we would not be denied what we ask. . . . hence it is clear how seldom we think of others as we do of ourselves.” Thomas A Kempis

Shame and blame and even fame. They are Satan’s tools.

If we are Christians, we no longer look at people from a worldly point of view.
2 Corinthians 5:16 NLT

Pride sees with earthly eyes and condemns it’s antagonist.
Humility sees with redemption’s eyes and loves it’s antagonist.

Fellow Workers,

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:5-6

There is a way to say what is true without slinging mud or stones at someone who doesn’t think like us.

There is a proper and wise context in which we should work out our angst and our fear and our “how-to’s” in this day of rapid change, and it is likely not the internet.

I wonder if we realize that we actually add fuel to the fire of hostility that seems to be raging against Christians all around us when we are not cautions with our words.

Where we say them.
How we say them.
Who we say them to.

And most importantly how we are using our words to build and to bless our brothers and sisters in the faith.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:10 [emphasis mine]

You may have read this online: “We need your words! We need you to add your voice to the conversation” regarding any number of the debatable issues of our day. And sometimes things get worn-out and over-used and even abused.

Conversations are best in person. Where we can see faces. And smiles.

Sometimes, it’s better to let our words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:1-3NIV

The following passage is about eating and drinking and not offending or causing anxiety in your brother or sister who’s faith doesn’t allow it. I think the same principle might apply to being considerate of others in any context.

It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. Romans 14:21-23

Sometimes it’s better to keep our convictions between us and God if it is going to be a point of dissension in the Body of Christ. Especially publicly.

Dear Lord, please help us be wise. Guard our hearts and our lips . . . Generations will reap what I sow . That is a sobering reality. May it help me pause long before shouting from the rooftops what I will do. May I instead magnify your goodness by trusting you and your Word. And bless the land that you planted me on by praying and obeying You.

God may tell you to send out an email . . .or write a post about a boycott or why-not-to-boycott. You have complete liberty, and you should obey Him if you feel conviction – if you know it is God calling you to do so.

But if your blood pressure is a bit too high, don’t publish until you have a few people read it first, to discern the tone and get a perspective on if it, to cross-check it and see if it would be beneficial to the hearers and to the greater good of the people who will be hear you.

In the abundance of counselors is wisdom. Proverbs 15:22

Dear Jesus, help us to seek wisdom and the greater good of others. Help us to be humble and help us to discern the best way that leads to peace and mutual edification. Help us not to be bullied by the words of people, but to rest in the truth that you have given us in Your Word~Amen

All The Good Good Good From Jesus AND We Can Fight The Good Fight Of Faith

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 11:55:00 GMT

One of the ladies in my early Tuesday morning Bible study texted me during the week seeking to summarize each piece of the armor of God ~ Ephesians 6:10-19 ~ in a way that she could remember them with their characteristics. As I’ve been pouring over this study with three separate groups of women, and especially as I spent time studying the Helmet of Salvation, it became more and more clear that each piece IS the Lord JESUS!!!

He is the Truth.
He is our Righteousness.
He is our Peace.
He is Faithful.
He is our Salvation.
And . . . He is the Living Word.

And that reminded me of this verse:

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Romans 13:14

And that summarizes for us the way to “be strong in the Lord, putting on the whole armor of God.” Ephesians 6:10 And how to “Walk in the Spirit” and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

The final piece of the Armor of God listed in the book of Ephesians is the Sword of the Spirit.

The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.
The sword is the only offensive weapon.
And. It can cut off the enemy’s head! [AMEN?]

But thanks be to God, who ALWAYS leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
2 Corinthians 2:14 [emphasis mine]

What is the difference between being a soldier on the defense vs being a soldier on the offense?

I am a Green Bay Packer fan, and though I know little about football, I do know enough to enjoy the game. And I understand that the “offense” is the team holding the ball and running toward the goal for the prize.

And though we are often on the defensive against the enemy – because he catches us off guard and wreaks havoc in our lives as he prowls around looking for someone to devour 1 Peter 5:8 , so we often find ourselves fighting to get our ground back . . . God wants us to be a lot more on the offensive, resisting the devil so he will flee.

God has given us the ball and wants us to hold on to it!!!

I realize that some of the fires we are working tirelessly to put out are serious, and that the rubble around some of us might feel daunting. But I’m so delighted to be able to refresh us with this reminder that WE have the POWER of the Living God around us and within us!!!

The Lord is pleased when we come together with other believers [in this place “in the air”, and in all of our places on the ground] to fight this invisible war.

LORD, It seems bad out there!

The ancient Foe that seeks to work us woe KNOWS that the healthy family is the solid foundation of a healthy society.

And I probably don’t need to tell you this, but the way I size things up today, his strategy to chip away at the foundation of our society in order for the walls would fall – has come to a pinnacle. The proverbial snowball rolling down the hill for so long, gaining momentum has landed. There’s been an implosion of drug-abuse, hopelessness, sexual abuse and immorality, division, anger, suicide, etc. [and even among professing believers –which makes our need to be alert to the schemes of the enemy imminent!]

And that is why I believe that this study that Priscilla wrote after the movie War Room came out is a gift for the Body of Christ right now!

He is reminding us, refreshing us in the truth of WHO we are in Him. What He has given us in Him. [EVERYTHING!!!] And how to take the ground back from the enemy [defensive] in our sphere of authority , but also how to “HOLD ON TO THE BALL” and push Satan back!!!

We are MORE than Conquerors through Him who loves us. In the darkness WE can celebrate the Light of Jesus! That is good, good, good news!

I Do. And Everything Is Mine In Him

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 11:30:00 GMT

When I married my husband, everything that was his became mine. Whether it was good or bad.

I instantly became a recipient of his skill and ability to service our vehicles.
I became a beneficiary of his carpentry skills.
We’ve done many remodeling projects together.
Everything he set out to do became mine too.

When he built his business, I was building it too.
When he made money, it was mine too.
When he lost money, I lost too.
When his deal went south, I went with him.
When he brings money home, I . . . spend it.
But for the record, he spends too.

The reverse is also true. He has been a recipient of my ‘stuff’.

When he builds, I design and paint. When he rototills, I plant. When he takes apart my windows, I clean them . . . [this is a current project that is rather humorous between us; he keeps taking apart and bringing windows to me, and after I get done cleaning them, he brings me more!]

Over the course of these 32 years, I’ve jested that from the time we were married, he knocked me over the head and has been dragging me by the hair ever since. Because he is a risk-taker and I never used to be. Where he would run, I would dig in my heels. When he wanted to move, I’d say, “Let’s stay.”

But being married to him has helped this cautious one to see things more clearly. I’ve see that risks are worth taking and that you survive, even thrive from the fallout from any failure you encounter.

And we’ve seen that my cautious nature has a very good balancing value to his risk-taking nature.

I’ve been on wild adventures because of him. Adventures that I fear I’d never have experienced without being being wed to Mr. adventurous spirit. I’ve become extremely fond of adventure.

It took awhile for both of us to see the value of his risk-taking and my caution. The Lord has used D’s dominant nature to refine my compliant nature. I’ve sturdied up . . . and he has softened a bit.

Marriage is surely made in heaven, but not the way we might wish.

It’s true that the reason God created marriage is to display His relationship to His Bride, the Church. He is the Husband and we are the Bride. You can read about it in Ephesians 5:22-33

So, here’s some really good news. When we obtain salvation through our faith in Jesus, then we are in covenant with Jesus. Similar to my marriage, except for one signifiant detail. One side of the equation is Divine Perfection.

And everything we inherit as His Bride is GOOD! Good. Good. Good. Isn’t that good news?!

Well, if you are like me, it doesn’t come easy, seeing the good, good, good . And as it goes in marriage, it takes some time to really get to know each other and trust the whole covenant thing.

For far too long in my relationship with Jesus, I thought so much more depended on me. I strained and struggled to obtain what I thought it was to be a “good Christian” [compliant nature, remember?] Until I fell flat on my face in my weakness, unable to pick myself up or deliver myself.

The Lord forced me to rely on Him. Psalm 40:2

And it was the best thing that ever happened to me. To learn to trust. To learn of His unfailing love. To learn of His power to save. To be set free from slavery to the idol of self-sufficiency.

To truly find His REST. Isaiah 30:15

Do you trust Him?

Do you believe the good, good, good of your Savior?

I’ll be talking more about it in the coming days:

The goodness of Jesus .

Savoring Light on Sunday

Sun, 24 Apr 2016 13:06:00 GMT

Spring has sprung and life is unfurling all around. Flowers pop, leaves bud.

My mom came early Wednesday and we met my cousin for coffee. There were two patio tables outside Caribou, and we sat under the warm rays praying before our goodbye hugs.

Returning home, mom and I sat out front where I had dusted off the pair of adirondack chairs and we chatted before walking down the hill to a little cafe for lunch.

It rained the next day and the grass POPPED in, the color more brilliant than I remembered! It’s like I have to wipe winter’s dust back from my eyes too!

That day we sat looking over a rugged, shaggy lawn, and like when the sun pops over the horizon, the next day, lush grass. We don’t quite have a mower ready though. D has been working on that in the garage for weeks – waiting for parts, running for parts, and tweaking the parts.

I don’t get to see the sunset from home. This has been a hard reality after having watched the sun set over the lake for over a year. I never took that view for granted. I praised God every sunset, every sunrise. And so last night when D told me he was out of his coffee creamer and I volunteered to run out and get him some, it was like a kiss from God to drive toward that glory in the top of the photo above.

I had little Oliver all day Friday, the one carrying the heavy jar of chocolate chips that he successfully grabbed off the counter, and bringing them to me said, “More? More?” – Because in the absence of candy in the house, both his daddy and I enjoyed a small handful with our coffee occasionally-before he left home for college.

It was a bit chillier on our walk than I anticipated and I had a pair of $2. gloves tucked in my pocket. Oliver actually wore them all the way home!

I didn’t get to see my other three grand boys this week, but thank you SnapChat! I can still “see” them and screenshot them all on the slide, stair-step fashion.

They call me Gramma Kathy [Kaffey] and their other grandma is “Gramma Jo” . . . last night I got this text from my daughter who had her friend Lindsey over:

And now, here’s more light for your Sunday:

If you are bringing in flowers, view this post for keeping them alive longer .

My friend’s daughter Molly is in college and [wise beyond her years I think] wrote a Letter For When You Forget Your Worth

My daughter-in-law wrote. When Stress Reigns: A Note From This Messy Heart

This little boy’s ballet , and this mom [me] was moved to tears. Seriously.

And finally, this song Greater : [I think the video is as beautiful as the song!]

Happy Sabbath Friends!

Savoring Light On Sunday

Sun, 17 Apr 2016 11:52:00 GMT

We had an 80 degree day yesterday and these three hung out here.

Last year, instead of my regular read-through of the Bible in a year, I read along with my friend Denise’s free Bible reading plan from Deeper Waters .

My first One Year Bible was an NIV version , a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law, Ellen. Since then, I’ve purchased a KJV and an NLT and alternated those through the years.

This year I wanted to read through the ESV, but didn’t want to purchase one, so I looked online and am now reading on the She Reads Truth Bible App . You can also find She Reads Truth online .

You may have noticed I really like photographs and therefore I really like Instagram. So I will, of course enjoy sharing the amazing photography I encounter along the way with you!

For today you might savor these Instagram Feeds:

NASA
earthpix
lukestarbuck
natgeotravel
And this might be my favorite:
discoverearth

And what would a Sunday afternoon be without a song? I sent this one to a friend who was fighting to keep standing this weekend. Maybe you need it too? God My rock

Happy Sabbath Friends!

Life Is Found On The Other Side Of Awkward

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 19:38:00 GMT

It had started with unemployment for her fiancé two weeks before the wedding. Her dad and I were the ones with “wet feet” then. “What are we doing?” I’d asked my husband. They were both only 20 years old.

After a lovely outdoor wedding in early September, the months accumulated, her working full time, he at home, discouraged by the dead-end job search.

He finally landed a job at a grocery store, and shortly after, signed up for the Air Force Reserves. This meant six weeks away at bootcamp when their firstborn was four months old.

A year later with many lonely weekends behind her, he was away again for a two month training. I had picked her up for the five hour trip to visit a friend who had a new baby. A friend who had things my daughter was missing. A husband at home, home decor that all fit together in a comfortable environment, and a body that returned more rapidly to pre-baby weight.

We were getting back into the car to go home. Her eyes released the tension as she closed the car door. Her face, a portrait of pain. A dark cloud of despair filled the car, it’s weight pressing my chest.

Fearful of saying the wrong thing, I prayed silently – for an entire hour.

Suddenly I heard God’s voice, “Pray out loud.” — immediately I resisted the notion — I tried to brush past His voice. But it kept coming. And suddenly another thought made it’s way in, “This is ridiculous! We prayed in the car together all her teenage years on the way to school!”

Thankful then for having had that foundation, but still with a residue of resistance, my mama-heart acted in faith. Love won over awkward, and with words of fire, I launched into bold prayers, praying the word of God, the will of God over my daughter, her husband, their marriage and their family. I prayed that they would flourish and prosper in their marriage [ 3 John 1:2 ,] that they would be full of love for one another [ Romans 12:10 ] and that their lives would reflect His love and power [ Ephesians 5:32-33 .] I praised God that He was going to prosper and not harm them [ Jeremiah 29:11 ], He was going to give them hope and a future. That He would restore anything that the enemy had stolen from them. [ Zephaniah 3:20 ]

I’m only telling a small part of their story, but enough for you to know that when we arrived home that day, darkness had given way to light.

Because of prayer and the spoken Word of God , the atmosphere had shifted from hopelessness, discouragement and despair to one of hope, anticipation and faith to move forward.

That was four years ago and true to His promises, God has been faithful in all of the trials of their young marriage. He has continued to provide and prosper them in their journey with Him. From the weekends and months apart, to the loss of their first home , through several trials , moves and job changes, and three darling little boys, they have prospered in their journey.

It’s experiences like this that have me full of hope and anticipation for what God is doing in and through His people who are moving into their prayer closets and coming TOGETHER to pray.

If we ever needed a SHIFT in the atmosphere, it is NOW!

And friends, I see Him doing it!! Are you in?

We have one more spot for a girlfriend in our hotel room in DC on 7-16-16 .
Message me if you are interested.

Savoring Light on Sunday

Sat, 09 Apr 2016 23:56:00 GMT

When I was a little girl, most shops and businesses were closed on Sunday. Can you imagine what restoring that practice might look like for our society? For your life?

If America restored Sabbath, most everyone would have the same day off.

When I opened my gift shop, at first I had considered opening on Sundays, but my over-70 year old mentor strongly suggested I didn’t. I took her advice and was so grateful over the years that I had that time with my family. [That time that passed so quickly…]

It’s true that we are shallow, who have little time to ponder and dream. Wonders are born in the imagination.

The Possible’s slow fuse is lit
By the Imagination.
~Emily Dickinson

The inward eye requires solitude to see.

Our society seems to thrive on living life in the fast lane.
And I think many of us might need to fast from that lane.

My Facebook friend Kris, recently posted that The Sabbath was made for man. She refers to our mutual friend, Shelly Miller who recently moved to London with her husband who is a pastor. You should check out her beautiful IG feed. And soon her book will be out “Rhythms of Rest” if you want to consider further the idea of restoring Sabbath to your life.

My friend Susie hosts an awesome radio show which I never catch live, but often listen to while running on the Elliptical. Her interview, Carrying Greatness in the Land In Between -I guarantee will stoke your fire and make you stand up taller, taking bold steps of faith.

[If you don’t do elliptical , grab a mug of coffee, a pen and a journal and doodle while you listen. Did you know Doodling Improves Thinking ?

You might hear directly from the Lord about some exciting step He wants you to take with your life.

And so I don’t overwhelm your Sabbath, just one more link. I discovered this new album because the artists A&LA liked a couple of my photos on Instagram [a not only talented, but smart couple ;)] Here is their song, Walking on Waves . ENJOY!

Happy Sunday Friends!

Please share the inspiring things!
xo

Dear Narrow-Way Follower: Remember, Light > Darkness

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 20:35:00 GMT

I hear it when I wake up; rain drops echo in the bathroom fan of our single-level home. I welcome the sound like birdsong, morning voices proclaiming spring. But as the rainy day continues on into the next, the grey drizzle dampens my outlook.

It dawns on me how days like this require inner sunshine, an exercise of intentionality. I must move toward joy from what I know to be true in order to waylay a dreary countenance.

As a lover of light [and by that I mean both spiritual and earthly light, both the light of the glory of God as revealed in His word and in His creation . . . ] I would prefer to ignore the darkness. Especially as a writer, I’d prefer to only write of light things.

But what is true of light is that it illuminates that which is hidden in darkness.
In light we see.

There is much to learn from meditating on that fact.

Psalm 139 tells us that even the darkness is not dark to God. We cannot flee from His presence. The Light of the World sees all.

When I see things in this world that I’d rather not see, what comforts me is knowing that He sees it too. And He is almighty. He is greater than the darkness.

God’s omniscience is Holy Comfort for the soul that sees.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:13-14 The way is broad that leads to destruction and many are there. And that the way to heaven is narrow , and few find it.

And I don’t want to be on the broad way. I want to be His. Matthew 7:23-24

That is why for twenty seven years I have spent hours between the alpha and omega of the Logos and heard the Rhema . John 10:27

Seeing Light in the shadow of Easter:

On Palm Sunday the broad way band of men honored Jesus as King crying “Hosanna! Hosanna!” thinking that this miracle-worker was going to reign in their land and save them from the oppression of the current government, but then on Friday, when things weren’t going the way they’d hoped, the band shifted and in unified hatred they cried, “Crucify! Crucify! Crucify!”

His few narrow-way followers hid in the shadows, not yet understanding what was happening. They knew the Truth and entrusted themselves to God.

This morning I read of Korah, Dathan and Abiram who “took men” and rose up before Moses, with a number of people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron . . . and in unified hatred . . .

This broad-way band of men, jealous and rebellious, rose up against the men that God had anointed and appointed. And, long story short, it didn’t end up well for them. The three men who led the rebellion and their families were swallowed by the earth, and the rest of the men were consumed by holy fire. [You can read the entire edge-of-your-seat story in Numbers 16 ]

When Moses and Aaron were confronted by the rebels, the narrow-way followers fell on their faces before the Lord and allowed Him to be their defender, hidden under the shadow of His wing. They knew the Truth and entrusted themselves to God.

Today, we who see things in His light, as we view the internet and all it’s volatile commentators, through the lens of scripture can see t he broad-way band of men . They chant one thing and then another. We can see the shifts of opinion, the band gaining momentum, the spread of opinions gaining power. A unified hatred against God growing. Here & Here & Here are just a few of the more blatant ways we recently see things shifting [notice the first two took place at night.]

And we who are the narrow way followers, we too must humbly cry out to God, trusting that we are tucked in the shadow of His wings. We must know the Truth and entrust ourselves to God.

Seeing in the light of the hope of Ninevah:
Even though we can see the broad-way band of men gaining momentum, I have great HOPE that I want to encourage you with.

Let’s consider the great mercy of God for our day, how He sent Jesus to save ALL who come to Him in faith. Let’s remember that his mercy triumphs over judgement and how merciful He continues to be to this beautiful land we call home.

Hello running water, flushing toilet, hot shower! Good day reliable car, gasoline and paved roads! How can it be internet, cell phone and Starbucks?!

We, you and I, are born for such a time as this! We can individually and TOGETHER petition our God to bring His light to bear on our land in this day and He who turns things around might relent in allowing darkness to descend and instead bring truth to light.

2 Chronicles 7:14-15 If My people will humbly pray, seek my face and turn away from all their wicked ways [of pride and unbelief, of self-focus and self-promotion, of spiritual laziness and worldliness] THEN I will hear their prayers, forgive their sin and heal their land.

Twice God was going to judge all of Israel, but twice Moses interceded and God relented in judging the whole nation. [See Exodus 32:30-35 and Numbers 14:11-20 ]

Dear narrow-way follower, we are the light of the world! We have been given spiritual authority through Christ to fulfill His great commission and He promises He is with us. Matthew 28:18-20

Yes it’s cloudy, yes we get weary of the drip, drip, drip of the rain, but we can be encouraged that life comes out of darkness and look for the Life to pop up all around us as we are about His business.

It dawns on me how days like this require inner sunshine, an exercise of intentionality. I must move toward joy from what I know to be true in order to waylay a dreary countenance.

It’s true, that revival has come most often through God’s people uniting in His presence, with the reading of His word, worship and prayer. You might consider crossing off Thursday, May 5th on your calendar. If you are in the Minneapolis area, you could plan to come to UNITE NDOP .

If you are not nearby, click here and find something near you, start something at your church, or invite people to your house.

Let US TOGETHER , UNITE and PRAY!!! [email reader, click here for a song]

A Firm Stand

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 00:42:00 GMT

Have you thought long on the fact that what is on your feet is in direct correlation to your heart’s peace?
Me either . . . until recently.

. . . and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15

As the wife of a woodworker / construction guy, I have always been more confident and comfortable working with him [and much more productive . . . imagine!] if my shoe has a heavy sole. Because . . . of potential consequences of nails sticking up, or boards being dropped.

Or, if you are a “shoe-sister” . . . with a closet full, you may be thinking of your own story of wearing “those heels” to that event . . . and how uncomfortable it was, or how you stood [literally] four inches tall while wearing them.

As we look at the armor of a soldier through the apostle Paul’s eyes [ Ephesians 6:10-21 ] in relation to our spiritual armor:

The boots a soldier wore had spikes on the bottoms similar to football cleats but more gripping. This would have enabled the soldier to not only stand firm in tumultuous soil, but also to advance in the goal to conquer.

Our level of peac [ie: trip us up] e directly correlates with our securing victory over the enemy! If the devil can steal our peace, he can overtake and overpower us!

So, how firm and secure are your feet today? How would you rate your heart-peace on a level of 1-10?

In her study “The Armor of God,” Priscilla Shirer uses a play on words as a sub-heading: “Prints of Peace”

Following, she talks about the enemy’s priority-pursuit to steal, kill and destroy our peace. John 10:10

“He intentionally stirs up discord, division, disruption, and disturbance, both within you and around you. He is the lord of chaos and confusion, using every opportunity to upset your sense of well-being and stability. He wants you uneasy, unbalanced, filled with anxiety, worry, and turmoil.” ~Priscilla Shirer #TheArmorofGodStudy

Notice the prefixes of the words “dis” and “un” . . . Stealing. Subtracting. Taking away our peace if our feet aren’t sturdied IN the gospel of peace.

I recall a picture in “The Four Spiritual Laws” tract [are you familiar with it?] where there is a circle [representing your heart] with a chair inside. And that chair is occupied with self until we receive salvation. At salvation, Jesus is given the seat on the chair [throne] and we are at his feet.

I think it’s the times when we de-throne Him [try to take control, and live according to our own power] that we lose our peace. My anxiety always comes when I place the burden of a trial on my own performance instead of praying and claiming the promises of God for my well-being or the well-being of my family.

I love Colossians 3:15 “Let the PEACE of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And BE THANKFUL.” . . . or we might say:

“Let the Prince of Peace rule in your heart”

And you might know a popular passage, Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. And the PEACE of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Thanksgiving and trust are the happy couple that birth the peace that successfully rules and guards our hearts and minds.

I’ve been talking with my Bible Study groups about how we go about shifting the atmosphere when there is a cloud of doom lingering … and today’s message gives us a powerful strategy.

Giving thanks transforms our anxiety and fear into peace, thus steadying our stand and equipping us to be offensively taking the victory that is rightfully ours in Christ.

In what areas or relationships are you regularly targeted with anxiety or fear that you might employ a holy thanksgiving party to shut up the enemy?

Is there a situation that you would like prayer in order for you to secure peace? Because often we need other soldiers to be in the battle line with us or we are much like a “sitting duck!”

Or are you as a ‘seasoned warrior’ standing firm as a storm rages around you?

A Holy Beautiful Fear

Fri, 18 Mar 2016 11:50:00 GMT

I was pregnant with my first baby when I said “I DO” to God. “Yes, I will covenant with You.”

It was much like when I married my husband.
I left the old me and started a new life.

I had an insatiable desire to know Him. I loved reading His letters.
A zealous fire burned in my heart. I so wanted to please Him.

I was led to make all kinds of changes because I didn’t want one single thing to come between us. And it was clear that dangerous temptations could lure me away. I wanted a clean break.

One night I got out of bed, cleared my shelves of all of my romance novels. I pitched them in the garbage.
Another night, I cleared my stack of cassette tapes. AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac, even REO Speedwagon. I’m not sure how I chose, but I kept my Phil Collins.
And The Cars.
Dale and I really loved the Cars when we went on road trips.

I feared falling away.

And I feared so much more than that. But it wasn’t the kind of fear that debilitated or paralyzed me like when I was having anxiety and panic attacks in my mid-thirties.

It wasn’t a terrifying fear like when you fear a bomb might drop on your house.

I read the book of Revelation.

As a mother, I became . . . alarmed . . . when I read the phrase in several places in that book, “ This calls for patient endurance on the part of the Saints.”

Like here:

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

Revelation 14:9-12

It wasn’t the kind of fear that kept me up at night.
No . . .
It was more like when I feared the fire going out on a 20 below zero night in our big old brick house. The one that had NO insulation in it’s thick walls. On cold nights, somewhere in the back of my mind was the life-saving fear necessary to motivate me to go to the trouble to haul in the wood, stir the fire, clean the ashes.

Day after day after long, frigid-Wisconsin day. So many winters burning wood.

Those words from Revelation stoked a holy fire in my mama-heart to protect my children. To discover and impart whatever they might need for that kind of patient endurance.

And to fortify myself.
And anyone else who knew and trusted the holy fear.

Torment.
Burning Sulphur.
Forever.

Those are terrifying words, yes. But there is a confident expectation for the ability to patiently endure by living in obedience to God with faith in Jesus.

I had been getting to know Him. I’d seen images of Him on a cross all my growing up years. I’d walked the perimeter of the old country church building during Lent several times. Seen Him spit on, sneered at, flogged and forced to carry His own cross.

This calls for patient endurance for God’s people.

Jesus, how did you patiently endure the betrayal of a close friend?
How did you patiently endure the unjust, false accusation of the hate-filled crowd?
How could you keep moving after such a scourging?
How could you forgive them when they hated you all the way to death and instead of freeing the innocent, they acquitted a guilty criminal?

When they cried, “Crucify. Crucify. Crucify.”

We do this by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before Him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

For the joy set before Him.

Patient endurance looks past the pain to the gain.

I understand this a tiny bit after laboring and birthing two children. After ripping apart and putting back together several homes. After caring for a lawn and a dozen gardens one summer to have a wedding in my yard.

My eyes were fixed on the prize.

Sitting at the right hand of the Father. That is what conquering Kings did after securing victory in battle. He had his sights set on securing victory over the darkness, taking authority back from Satan, granting pardon for His people.

“I did it Father! We’ve secured our Family’s freedom!”

Along the journey, while my two were still little people barely able yet to communicate, I landed my eyes on Deuteronomy 6: 4-14 . Here I found what I had been seeking as a mom. As a daughter of God. The “how to” answer for my deepest desire.

To discover and impart whatever they might need for that kind of patient endurance.

*Side Note* If you are someone who came to Jesus after raising your children and the devil throws regret at you, resist him who is the accuser and stand on the promises of God for everything you desire. Psalm 37:3-6 [see also this post ]

Last weekend I popped into Faith Community Church. Pastor Tim happens to be doing a series on Revelation. My ears were tuned, and my pen was busy recording what I heard in the message Fear Not . . .

It was all a beautiful reminder. The Lord Jesus, when you know and trust Him, alleviates all your fears.

“Sometimes fear is only fought and overcome with a greater fear.”

“One fear casts out another. For example, a woman, a mother, who is deathly afraid of going in the water, will run into the most tumultuous of seas when she sees her child drowning. One fear casts out another.”

“The goal as Christians is not to live without fear, but to fear what is most fearful.”

Pr. Tim Porter

You’ve perhaps seen the bumper stickers.

“Fear God and you have nothing else to fear.”

“Jesus saves.”

Well, they are as true as the sky is blue!
Because LOVE.
His love is perfect . . .as seen in His willing journey to the cross, it casts out all other fear.

Pastor mentioned that in Revelation, Jesus’ use of symbolism is likely intended to engage our imagination. “Because,” he asked , “Where does fear live? It lives in the imagination. Most of the things we are afraid of haven’t happened yet. We envision . . . worst-case-scenarios.”

“You know what we never, never, never envision in the worst-case-scenarios? The grace that God says He will give us.”

Pr. Porter

Whoah, you might want to read that again! In all of our imaginings of fearful situations, Jesus is not there!

That reminds me of something Oswald Chambers says, “Anxiety is calculating without God.”

And just this week I heard from another man of God, Pastor Greg Laurie. [Look what he just finished preaching on!]

“People ask how God can send people to hell.

God doesn’t send people to hell, He saves people from hell.” Pr. Greg Laurie

This calls for patient endurance of God’s people. And if we are His, we will endure, because He who promised us Heaven is faithful. Hebrews 10:22-23

There's A Promise For That!

Thu, 17 Mar 2016 11:50:00 GMT

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20

Dear Friend,

I’m sitting here thinking about you whose hearts are yearning for something intensely. You who feel sorrow or fear or feel inadequate . . . or maybe like you totally messed up something big.

You might be holding your hands out, cupped, crying, “Pour in Lord! Pour in!”

You might be seeking a miracle:

Healing for your friend or freedom to let go to God. Psalm 41:3 ; Psalm 34:18

A miracle with your job or your finances. Zechariah 9:12

The return of a prodigal child. Joel 2:25

You might be struggling with deep regret for time lost, for opportunities missed, for steps not taken . . .

Isaiah 43:18-19

And I want to tell you something important. If you are in a relationship with Jesus, there IS a promise for you. A promise to pray and a place of peace in the waiting for “it.” Isaiah 40:31

Look at what Romans 8:32 says:

He [God Almighty] who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

You need SOMETHING?
He has promised to give you ALL THINGS!

You need provision?

He’s your Father. Matthew 6:9
He will provide. Genesis 50:21 ; Psalm 34:10

You need your adult children to turn to Jesus in faith and be saved from their lives of sin?

They are holy through your faith. Sanctified [set apart FOR God] 1 Corinthians 7:14
The promise is for you and your household. Acts 16:31

Need direction?

Wisdom?

I think you get the idea . . . Whatever you need is yours in Him.

Search out His word for your need and then hold fast to it as you pray for what you need.
Our God is faithful and He will do it!

And just to seal in your encouragement, a little sweetness for your ears and heart:

The Spirit, It's Like The Wind

Wed, 09 Mar 2016 03:07:00 GMT

I’ve been talking much with “my people” about the Holy Spirit living IN us and ‘marveling’ that the power of God that created the moon and stars, His power that moves mountains and raises valleys, actually abides in us.

His Spirit actually works in . . . and through us . . . Wow!

Shouldn’t we feel some kind of holy fire burning in our bones?

Wouldn’t we have a greater awareness of His presence taking over our footsteps than we do?

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11

A few weeks ago, my husband was going to help our son work on his house on a Sunday morning. I was feeling desperate for soul-nourishment; I decided to go to one of the larger churches in our area. [we moved in December and are still looking at churches] So I went straight to the front and was swept up in the beautiful worship music.

After a great message, I walked out with another woman who was there alone. We chatted as we went. When we got up to the circular foyer area, she asked me if I was parked to the right, and I told her, “No, the other way.”

“I’m parked there too.” she said.

And without really knowing why, I turned my feet to the right, wondering as I went why I did that.

I wandered around the half-circle, and upon seeing a bookstore, I went in, curious.

Across the room, my eyes landed on “Calm My Anxious Heart” by Linda Dillow. I had read it years ago and was surprised it was one they stocked in this little bookstore. Glancing curiously at other titles, I worked my way over to where my eyes had glimpsed the familiar book

When I stopped, there was a woman paging through it. “That’s a great book,” I said. And then asked her if she was struggling with anxiety.

She confided in me that she had been, and explained the challenges in her life. Her daughter, a single mom with a little baby in a car seat, was standing beside her.

So, I offered to pray with her, ushering her and her daughter and the baby out to the coffee shop lounge.
Holding her hands, we bowed our heads and I prayed for her and her concerns.

When I left, I was moved to joy over the way the Lord moved me. It had been a ‘divine appointment.’ I had been able to encourage a sister with the comfort that the Lord had once comforted me with in my anxiety.

In connecting us through a common struggle, I sensed His deep love.

And that day the Spirit was as subtle as a gentle breeze.

#StepOutWhereHeCallsAndThereHeIs
#InHisPresenceIsFullnessOfJoy

The Inevitable War

Wed, 03 Feb 2016 13:57:00 GMT

I pulled the car door closed, it had been a long time since I felt this weight of darkness drop heavy on me. The devil knows what chokes me. Schemer.

Fear encompassed me as I imagine an MRI machine would make me feel, fear of suffocation.

Her words, “you failed to keep your word . . .” had reopened an old wound in my soul. A wound she had nothing to do with. The lesion that bleeds whenever I fail, whenever I miss the mark of making me enough to be worthy of love.

I had sought to do the thing I promised, but it didn’t work out and then life took me a different direction and limited me. And I forgot…

I felt horrible.

Whether a person’s expectations are truly make-or-break and do-or-die expectations . . . or only those I perceive to be the litmus test for my value.

When will I ever be free of people-pleasing? When will I be emancipated from fearing rejection? When will I be able to keep my mind on the things that are good and true and pure and right and excellent and praiseworthy? When will I be able to keep Jesus in my view . . . the Spirit . . . instead of my performance? [me, seeking to keep an impossible law]

I fear the answer is:
When I die.

I seem to fall into this trap most often when my life is wound so tight that I can barely breathe. When there is “trouble on every side” … that’s when the eyes of my heart seem to land on my weaknesses.

That’s when I fall into the old slave-mentality of “perform to save self”

That’s when I forget to remember the truth.
That is when my own expectations are placed on myself instead of depending on God.

It’s not up to me.

It’s not up to me and grace is free.

Not one can save self.
Only Jesus can save.
And He helps me remember His truth the moment I bow my head and seek His grace.

I remember Jesus.
All these years with Him teaching me.
My long-suffering Savior, giver of grace, epitome of unfailing love.

It’s coming quicker than it once did, my repentance.
I feel the weight of slavery, and I know now to turn to the Emancipator.

My face.

It’s about where I face.
When my face falls for the feels,

head hung low . . .
self is in view.
When I lift my face to the rising sun, where mercy resides, where grace frees . . .

Jesus is in view; I am facing Him.

Him, in the hills, that place where my help comes from. Psalm 121:1 KJV

Lord Jesus, I am relying on SELF again! Forgive me!

And He gives me more grace. Again. Praise Him!

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Flesh . . . when God mentions it, He means that part of me that acts independently of Him.
Self-reliant.
That is flesh.
It’s the 666
Three times short of seven with a sabbath where I rest in Him.

The flesh or the self is opposed to the Spirit of God. Galatians 5:16-18

When I allow a human being to have power over my value, I am worshiping the human being.
God calls that idolatry.
And idolatry is slavery.
I default to slavery.

But He split the sea so I could walk right through it!!!
Egypt is in my rear-view mirror!
Get behind me Satan! You are a defeated foe!

My Christ has won the victory!

Where O Death Is Your Sting?

Thu, 21 Jan 2016 19:06:00 GMT

I covered my legs with my boiled-wool sweater. I keep it in my jeep in case I get stranded and need another layer. Today I need another layer on my legs. Dear Jeep of mine, you’re laboring hard, and your heat is . . . not warm.

And my fingers are frozen.

My hands take turns. One on the steering wheel and the other beneath my thigh. And I whisper a prayer, “Dear Lord, fix my heat.” And as I do, I know I am spoiled. Images of homeless people, freezing . . . flash across my heart. Is it from a movie I saw? Or the man standing, holding a sign at the freeway exit?

And the song comes on, Waiting Here For You by Christy Nockels “You’re everything You’ve promised. Your faithfulness is true and we’re desperate for your presence. All we need is you.”

All we need is You, because you are everything. You are the Giver of all Good Gifts. Author of Life. Almighty and Good. Faithful and True.

Another thought comes, “None of us is guaranteed tomorrow. Life is precious. I know this now more than ever. In fact, I think all the losses, all the trials, all the death has served me in gaining an eternal perspective. I feel so much less attached to this world.”

My HOPE is High.

Even as my heart is broken again . . . and strained from circumstances bearing down that get me out of bed to cry out to the Lord for His mighty hand to move.

I trust Him. I really do. He has proven His goodness over and over. But so often I have to wrestle my doubt and fear down to the ground with truth. Remembering His faithfulness. His promises are true. He IS a good good Father. Oh yes He is.

My son-in-law lost his job a few weeks before Christmas.

We get this news in the middle of our painful move. [more on that later]

We are still waiting for the next job to open. In the mean time, God has done amazing things. He has provided. Their rent was paid. They have food. And He blessed them with greatly needed, and sweet gift of bonding time. Andrew just finished his six years with the Air Force Reserves which took him away from home often during their six years of marriage and having three babies.

His gifts are indeed above all we could ask or imagine. Right in the middle of hard, Ephesians 3:20 .

This week we lost another grand baby. Our son and his wife letting go of two treasures within six months . Two babies getting heaven before we do.

Our Anchor Holds , our faith in our Savior.

I’m on my way in the cold jeep to watch their firstborn treasure for the day, I’m thinking on all these things.

This little man that we are so thankful for, the smiles [or funny faces] keep joy unhindered, and right on the surface. Sorrow can not win.

It amazes me that because of Jesus, we can do this thing . The sorrowing, yet always rejoicing. 2 Corinthians 6:10

Yes. Death is inevitable for us all. None escape. But we, who have placed faith in Christ Jesus have this blessed assurance of eternal joy in God’s presence, a joy and a glory that far outweighs all trials we experience here.

Heaven. This is where we fix our gaze, with Jesus as our prize.

And the things of earth? They grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

1 Corinthians 15:54- 55 “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory” “O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

The Memories, The Sorrow, & The Joy

Thu, 26 Nov 2015 16:47:00 GMT

I hadn’t stepped my foot in a gift shop for quite some time. Since we sold the farm two years ago, I’ve been reducing, simplifying, and even changing my decorating style.

But, back in the process – again – of house shopping, and gathering info for the banker to secure us a mortgage, I needed to wait around in town for him to find a lost file.

So I stepped into the overstocked shop with no agenda but to browse.

And there they were, the man-gifts. Mugs, wallet-boxes and framed prints displaying rifles, deer with large antlers, and ducks. For the hunter in your life.

Fond thoughts of Dad instantly filled my heart, and just as quickly the reminder, “he is gone.” The cloudy sorrow-feeling settled in my heart like those eclipsing the sunshine that morning, a blanket of dark on the already colorless landscape.

Soon after, as I followed the path past shelves of mugs, walls of scarves, gloves, serving dishes, and seasonal floral, I came to the baby section.

Theodore would be making his arrival any time now, had the Lord allowed him to stay safely tucked in. But we had all said goodbye back in August , and the little cloud of sorrow grew as I processed in a nano-second, all that was not going to be in the coming holiday celebrations.

And the pain of the others who have suffered the same. My mom. My siblings. My kids.

I turned my mind to thanks. I knew I must; I did not, by any means want to leave the shop with red eyes and black streaks running down my cheeks. But still, sorrow lingered.

Later, at home in my own space, I processed the string of losses with the Lord. I re-surrendered my desire for things to be heaven-like here. I reminded myself of the truth of the old hymn. This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.

Then I sang the lyrics that struck me one Sunday morning . . . “Bless the Lord, O my soul . . . Ten Thousand Years and THEN FOREVERMORE.”

The words stunned me. Who can conceive of even a thousand years, much less TEN thousand . . . and THEN . . . forevermore. [?]

This is the way Jesus calls us to live. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
This is the way to balance sorrow. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16

So, I allow myself to grieve. I thank Jesus for the years and reminders of my dad. I praise Him that we will know Theodore on the other side into forever.

He calls us to not love our lives too much here. He knows we are easily distracted.

This broken world will afford each of us many losses, but when we trust Jesus, we find the sweet promises of God to bring us out into the spacious place of hope and anticipation. God never asks us to give something up without a promise to give us more.

And along with the promise, there is the blessed gift of remembering that this world is not our home. So I can find joy in every day of this life because of this I know: The Presence of God, which never leaves us alone here, will welcome us all who love Him HOME for the great Wedding banquet on the Day of celebration at the start of forevermore.

I drove myself to the Thanksgiving Eve service last night. Upon entering, I was met by about eight men standing in a semi-circle. I’d worn my “Boyfriend jeans” from H&M. Holes above the knees, fraying.

“Would you like us to take up a collection for you to buy yourself some new pants?” said one of the men.

“Sure!” I said, taking his jesting lightly.

And as I walked away, I smiled at God because only He knew how that would stir up fond memories of my dad. His teasing always brought me smiles, and those memories still do.

Maybe you too are facing empty place-settings at your holiday table, I pray you will find comfort in the hope and promises of banqueting together in eternal glory on that Great Day.

Happy Thanksgiving Family and Friends!

Day 30 ~ Walking With God ~ A Journey Of Being Altar'd

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 14:32:00 GMT

When God calls, it sounds a bit like, “Come, [or leave] follow Me . . . and I will bless you . . .”

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3

Will you leave your career in hair, and be a SAHM?” [StayAtHomeMom]
Altar’d and blessed.

“Will you leave your sweet little home in White Bear Lake, MN and move to a remote place in WI where you don’t know anyone? Because, to your surprise your husband wants a hobby farm?”
Altar’d and blessed.

“Will you trust me with the trauma of this early birth, and this six-week-old needing surgery?”
Altar’d and blessed.

“Will you trust me in this painful financial trial with all these medical bills as your car died while you are living in the ‘boonies’ with these two babies?”
Altar’d and blessed.

“Will you put your house on the market, and when it sells rather quickly, endure moving in the basement of your friend’s house with your two little ones because you won’t find a place to live for two long months while your home and business is boxed up in several locations by accommodating friends?”
Altar’d and blessed.

“Will you risk looking weird and homeschool your children?”
Altar’d and so blessed.

“Will you trust I am leading you and put your children in public school?”
Altar’d and blessed.

“Will you endure the pain of rejection a hundred and one times because you are following Me and people don’t get you?”
Altar’d x 101 and blessed x 101.

Will you endure this lonely and terrifying journey through anxiety and depression?”
Altar’d and blessed.

“Will you leave your beloved big brick home across from the beautiful lake and the sunset view that you love and move with your husband to [another] farm?”
Altar’d and blessed.

“Will you take a risk dear cautious one, and open a gift shop on this farm?”
Altar’d and so blessed.

“Will you endure the scorn of those who don’t understand what is happening as you endure this trial with your daughter being judged and misunderstood?”
Altar’d and blessed.

“Will you let go of your children – again? and again? and again? and again? and trust me with them?”
Altar’d Altar’d Altar’d Altar’d and so, so, so, so blessed!

“Will you close the shop, sell the farm, move and move and move again? Giving up your rights, your reputation, your proximity to your children and grandchildren, the church you love, the people you’ve come to know as family . . . and come with Me?
Altar’d * Altar’ing * Blessed *

. . . and looking forward to the blessings.

Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”

Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. Matthew 19:27-30 [emphasis-mine]

#WalkingWithGod is a journey of being Altar’d [ Romans 12:1-2 ]

Selah – I Lay Me Down

I’ve kind of bombed at writing consistently for 31 days . . . it was a lofty goal, I knew that, but thanks for hanging in here with me.

And for today . . . I hope you are encouraged to count the blessings you’ve received in all the places you have left and followed Jesus. <3

Day 24 ~ Walking With God ~ When You Are A Granny

Sat, 24 Oct 2015 20:32:00 GMT

Yes, I do call myself Granny, but my little men call me Gramma just like my kids called theirs Gramma and I called mine Gramma.

Sixteen month old Oliver stayed overnight for his first sleepover on Thursday. He is starting to talk. Every time we see him there is more. And we see him most every week. He says, “Da-daa” and “Ma-ma” and “foof-foof” for dogs, and I think it’s something like “Foo” for shoe. He has a thing for shoes. Not for wearing them as much as for hauling them around the house.

Grandchildren are the best.

All the grannies say that. But when you get to BE one . . .then you know just what they mean. They are like whip cream and cinnamon on your mocha. Sweet. And spicy.

But … being a granny isn’t all chocolate and coffee and whip cream with cinnamon.

Sometimes being a granny means you need to get put in your place. Because even though you have white-hair wisdom, you forget some stuff, and your sympathy trumps your reason.

When Oliver was here and the day was all glorious fall beauty, I invited daughter and her three little men to come for a walk. She was tickled to bring the bike for the 5 year old to the “country” vs their in-town location with streets to cross.

Well, I didn’t think his little legs could put on the miles we were walking, so at the first minor whimper, my heart stirred toward him, and my “ohhhhh, Honey . . . “ was met with a sharp rebuke from my girl.

Mama knows best.

This I’d learned from my own parenting days. So we proceeded, with her encouraging her 5-year-old to keep going, and keep going, and keep going.

He complained occasionally, and she would prod him on with promise of reward of walking his bike if he made it “to the next driveway” or to the bottom of the hill. I’m telling you, it was as grueling for granny at times as I was thinking it had to be for his little legs.

But, I kept thinking about how mamas know best.

I’m telling you, holding my tongue and not just hoisting the boy in my arms was a hard thing for me during parts of the walk. This was a true exercise in self-control!

But, you know what? The boy DID it!!! He put on the miles and he learned that he can press on in times of feeling like he can’t!!! [I currently needed that little lesson for myself-and am amazed at the ways God chooses to speak- the humbling ways . . . *ahem*!]

Daughter emailed me afterwards, revealing her own struggle with me seemingly undermining her authority, making the course of our lovely-autumn-day-walk a mite more awkward than either of us had anticipated.

But hard and awkward are often indicative of living life. And, I truly do believe mamas know best!

[That part, I got right yesterday . . . holding back my sympathy to let her be mom]

And I wonder if we get like that with God sometimes? Getting in His way of Parenting with our sympathy? Because even more than mamas knowing best, the Maker-of-Mamas ultimately KNOWS best. ~Yeah, I think that is what He was telling me . . . He’s my Daddy.

I commended her for being honest, and for knowing better than this granny what was best for her boy. And I gave her permission to confront her mama, with as much gentleness and respect as she could of course.

Walking with God means honest, humble, and sometimes painful living-true – together.

And being a granny really IS the best!

Happy Weekend Friends!! May you FEEL the Lord’s lOVE and KNOW His mERCY!!!

Day 20 ~ Walking With God ~ Those Moments Of Awe & Wonder

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 11:00:00 GMT

Her mother had been abused by her grandmother.

Her great-grandmother raised her.

Disabled and alone, thrown out of her house, her mother had become pregnant with Thelma.

Remember I got that ticket to Women of Faith? Mama T [Thelma Wells] shared a story about her life I’d never heard before.

Great Grandma let Thelma stay at Grandma’s house occasionally. Grandma would lock Thelma in a dark, bug-infested, smelly closet the entire day until just before Grandpa came home. Then she’d clean little Thelma up. Until one day when Grandpa asked his little Thelma what she did that day. To which Thelma replied matter-of-factly, “Stayed in the closet.” and upon further interrogation by grandpa . . . “like, every day” … and then . . . the visits stopped.

Because Great-grandmother had told Thelma about Jesus and had taught her hymns, Thelma spent her time in the closet at grandma’s house- singing hymns and praising Jesus.

And, Jesus kept her from bitterness of heart toward her grandmother.

I told the story to my Ladies Bible Study on Sunday because it fit in with our discussion.

Apparently I was a week early!

We are studying this book, “Life Unhindered” and I was prepping today for next Sunday.

You’ll never guess the story the author referenced in the chapter for next week!!! Right?!?! Thelma’s!!!

These things don’t “just happen” do they?

So, from the stage on Saturday, she wrapped up the story with a word, UNDERSTANDING. She’d come to understand that her grandmother didn’t know how to take care of children, she was fearful of something happening, and to protect children, she’d felt the closet was the best place.

And if you know Mama T. You have been the recipient of her wisdom, her grace and her exhortation to the betterment of your life.

#JesusWins !!!

What kinds of surprises has He given in your life? How has He shown Himself to you? How has He kept you from bitterness in your suffering? This is GRACE friends! Amazing GRACE!!!

And how sweet it is!

Day 19 ~ Walking With God ~ When You Fall Off The 31 Day Wagon And Find Grace

Mon, 19 Oct 2015 19:01:00 GMT

Dear Friend,

It’s true. Writing 31 days in a row – organically, with no scheduled posts is challenging. And I’ve given myself permission to do the best I can – seeing as I started last minute and all. And have been posting often at 10:30 at night when no one reads blogs – because normal people – most normal people – have gone to bed . . .

So, for those of you who either think a daily blog in your inbox is annoying, or for those who might be looking forward to words from me . . . a hearty: Thank You for grace! ��

Speaking of grace . . . if you are on Facebook, you might be enjoying the splashing of your memories on your news feed. They reminded me recently of a post I made a few years back on grace – so I created a graphic with it on. This photo is of my friend Holly who has been a grand gift of grace to me. Here she had shown up at my daughter’s house the day I was painting to help.

Friendship is grace.

My friend Heidi came over on Friday for a lunch date. It lasted into the afternoon, and just before she left to pick up her kiddos from school, I got a text from my friend Nancy:

And so . . . that is my excuse for not writing Friday or Saturday . . . and Sunday. Because I had to catch up from being gone on Friday and Saturday. #grace

Here’s the story: #GodAnswersWhisperedPrayers

Two weeks ago a friend of Facebook had a give-away for four tickets to WOF. I entered but didn’t win. When I found out, I prayed a prayer, “Lord, I’d really like to go to Women of Faith, this being their final tour and all . . . if there is a way . . .”

. . . and I promptly forgot about that prayer.

That is, until I was on my way to the Excel Energy Center on Friday afternoon thanking God for such a fun surprise. And He reminded me . . .

My mentor, often encourages me to pray by reminding me, “You have not because you ask not!” [She’s a loyal King James user ] in reference to Matthew 7:7

I know that often God says ‘no’ or ‘wait’ to my prayers for His good purposes. But there are the times that He just kind of kisses you with, “Sure Honey! Enjoy your gift!”

What might you have a longing for, but haven’t bothered to ask Him?

Day 15 ~ Walking With God ~ When You're Called To Be More Separate

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 23:00:00 GMT

It took me a long time to learn that walking with God means every human adopted into His family has a different course.

It took me a long time to understand that to love Him was to obey Him, because He first loved me . John 14:23

I once thought to obey Him was to win his favor, to please Him. This often left me with anxiety and a burden of condemnation when I messed up. I’d agonize for days over something I did.

As is typical for human-kind, my thinking was upside down.

I understand now that my obedience comes only from surrender of my whole self to God so that He can live through me. It is, in the moment of my flesh wanting to sin [gossip, complain, cuss, kick] in THAT moment , I have another choice. The choice to take up my cross. I die to my right to myself, and let Him have His way with me. Luke 9:23

The power to obey comes in dying.

To take up our cross.
To deny ourself.
To offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. Romans 12:1

There are those who understand grace and think obedience is unnecessary.
They profess to know God, but deny His power.
Titus 1:16 talks about that. So does 2 Timothy 3:5

This morning I was reading 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

As God has said:

“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
Therefore,

“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”
And,

“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

The separating God calls us to is from the world when we are adopted into His family. He is not calling us to leave the world, but to live distinctly from the world. To be set apart for Him. We are adopted into His family and join the Family mission. It’s that simple. It’s God saying, “You are mine.” It’s endearing that He has a special mission for each of His children. Knowing that is what enables our will to surrender at that moment of decision.

Oh that we’d trust Him!

I thought about the different things God required of men and women throughout scripture. The Levites were not to own property, Samson was not to drink wine or eat grapes. Jeremiah and Ezekiel were called to do some strange things as examples to God’s people. David ate the forbidden bread – because he walked with God and God was the boss of him, the maker of the rule, God could override it.

Have you ever had someone’s convictions make you feel guilty because yours were much less restrictive? In those cases, I’ve had to bring my anxiety to the Lord and ask Him if I feel that way because He wants me to tighten up my convictions or if He has just called me to a different walk.

Or maybe you’ve looked down on someone for not having the same convictions as you do. That is where grace comes to play. And pray. First for yourself to remain humble and then for the other person to be in the will of God.

It’s freeing to know that our journey with God through Jesus is . . . free.

As long as we are walking with God, we can rest in knowing He who loves us is leading us on, is speaking to us, and will help us when we get the least bit off track.

Day 14 ~ Walking With God ~ When His Sun Shines In The Fall

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 04:14:00 GMT

The fall.

Don’t you love the way God uses metaphors? We complicate things so much, so often, that we are in danger of missing the simplest of truths.

The most profound is found in the simple

CLICK TO TWEET

The Son – came from Heaven – to bring LIGHT to hearts and . . . resurrection.
He ultimately renews everything. He is superior to the sun.
The sun – comes from sky – to bring LIGHT to earth and . . . nourishing life.
But it ultimately ages everything. It is inferior to the Son.

We, the humans who surrendered our dominion to the serpent, often that event is referred to as “The Fall”
Our parents covered their shame with LEAVES that crumple, crack, shrivel, and would need to be remade EVERY new morning.

Oh the striving they would have awakened to- each new sun –
if not for the shed blood of that first cherished animal.
Oh the striving I would be awakening to each new sun –
if not for the shed blood of a spotless Lamb.

There is such glory in the Son!!!
His mercies are new every morning.

Jesus takes what is dead and He resurrects it.
Can you think of any ‘dead’ things that could use new life?
Marriage?
Finances?
Reputation?
Vehicle?
Your heart?
Its time . . . give it to God who has the power to make all things new.

The leaves. They surrender to earth, become humus and feed new seed-life under the sun.
The Believers. They surrender to God, become vessels of His power, and sow the Seed for new life in the Son.

Day 13 ~ Walking With God ~ When You Want To Have A Pity Party

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 17:59:00 GMT

“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is to ones’ glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11

I don’t remember who said it, but I heard it one time, “Life would be easy if you didn’t have to deal with people.” So as I’ve encouraged friends going through a relationship challenge, tongue-in-cheek , I quote the unknown person.

And we laugh together at the nugget of truth in that statement. Partly because we know we are one of them.

An older gentleman in our church described being part of a church family as akin to being bricks in a tumbler. We smooth off one another’s rough edges. Sounds pleasant . . .right?

I was reminded by a friend this morning that humility lays the foundation for wisdom, and even sometimes humiliation is wisdom’s foundation . And how humility is kind of a pain, and is such a good foundation for having a heart that is teachable.

We really do learn much in pain.

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2

Wouldn’t it be nice if wisdom came freely? If automatically we knew what to do and how to walk through every situation with stellar performance ? And a willing heart to top off the wisdom? Because even when we know what to do, it’s HARD. To. Do. It.

And the real truth is, that when we do encounter crisis in relationships, there are never easy answers. Because each challenge can be as unique as we are. This is one area that walking with God is -for me- extremely necessary. I am so desperate for His voice in my head, and His word in my heart.

Because I’d just run away from everything that bumps up against my rough edges.

Who wants conflict?

Well, I guess some do. I digress as I’m definitely not one of them. But you might be?

So in the thick of life, there will be no escaping our opportunities to face offenses *ahem* discover wisdom . And the natural responses are usually the ones that have ramifications. That steal from us and others.

Gossip, malice, slander, retaliation, bitterness. And my particular brand of sinful reaction, the lovely “Poor me, I wanna flee.” self-pity.

And so here is one more benefit from hanging out with my friend Oswald , his words I’ve read repeatedly underscore truth.

“Beware of allowing your self-awareness to continue, because slowly but surely it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is satanic.” ~Oswald Chambers ~ My Utmost For His Highest

And the voice of the Holy Spirit speaks there in the darkness, TRUST:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge GOD and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6

Self pity or any other sinful response to offense comes from self-focus. We either want to protect self or defend self. And in so doing, we are self-reliant.

Freedom from relational pain comes from entrusting ourselves to God.

CLICK TO TWEET

Letting God be our shield and defender. And, in obedience to the voice of His Spirit, allow humility to have it’s work.

Years ago, I took a course by Francis Frangipane called In Christ’s Image Training [highly recommend!] in which I read this article “How To Become Unoffendable” Even if you are not in such circumstances today, you might be tomorrow and might like to have his wisdom in your heart-file.

31 Days of Walking With God Series:
For Day 1 & 2: Walking With God
For Day 3: Walking With God ~ He Hears
For Day 4: Walking With God ~ On Sunday
For Day 5: Walking With God ~ Hearing My Daddy’s Voice
For Day 6: Walking With God ~ I Smile With Him
For Day 7: Walking With God ~ My Savior and His Friend Oswald
For Day 8: Walking With God ~ In A Long Line Of Leavers
For Day 9: Walking With God ~ Spectacular Love, Bewildering Composure
For Days 10, 11, 12 I plead grace. [and a spectacular fall weekend] ��

And, you didn’t think I’d leave you without a song to encourage you in enduring pain and growing in wisdom, did you?

WHY by Michael Card [Why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord? And why did he use a kiss to show them? That’s not what a kiss is for.]

Day 9 ~ Walking With God ~ Spectacular Love, Bewildering Composure

Sat, 10 Oct 2015 03:15:00 GMT

It was as if his eyes could see into the very depths of them. The way he responded to their taunting. He was always so . . . composed. It was a spectacular thing to witness.

Most people feared them, all pomp and circumstance. But not him. He withstood them, and with an air that was as difficult to describe. The best word is one that some have used when he teaches, “as one with authority”

He who lives among the commoner faces the Pious with a rare . . . sturdiness.

Lord, I want to be like him!!!

Before he showed up, the categorical lines were iron-clad.
If you are not one of them, then you are less than them. If you were less than common, you were thought to be polluted and avoided by them – relegated to the far corners.

But not so with him. His eyes see differently. His heart is . . . good. He is jus so . . . steadfast.

Though we’re close friends, there’s a certain amount of uncertainty in being so near. How can one know a man who is so unlike other men?

How can a man be so kind and tenderhearted toward the lame, the blind, the demon-posessed and then so stern in the face of men-of-standing? It’s as if he doesn’t see the high hats and the stately robes. And the admirable gazes from the common folk.

Oh that I could be like him.

Though his companionship is loyal, there is a sense of awareness that he sees right into the depths of ME. And, well . . . there are times when that just makes me want to FLEE! It’s like my secret thoughts are safe with him. But man! It makes me squirm sometimes. I try so hard to hide those thoughts because I know they are wrong, but it’s impossible when he is near. And he stays!

When I even suspect someone is having thoughts toward me like I’ve had toward others, I put up guardrails to keep them at bay. I have to protect myself from acting out on my emotions – then everyone would know me as the fraud I feel I am.

If only I could be like him.

Judas, he’s always sneaking money. I know he sees it too. But just yesterday, he washed his feet! If he can see into souls, wouldn’t he be able to see the hypocrisy? Strange how he only seems to confront the combative pompous ones, and with that confidence that just bewilders me!

I want to see like him.

There is also something magnetic about him. So marvelous that I know I could never leave him – as often as I’ve felt like fleeing. I could never find anything so . . . how do I describe it? . . . satisfying . It’s like I’d give up everything if he asked me to.

And it’s not because of the amazing things I’ve seen him do. Okay, that is part of it, because, what a show!!! The way he kept breaking that loaf and it was still whole! It not only astonished us as we were able to do the same thing with the loaf he handed us, but so many bellies were filled. How could he have taken so much time with that large crowd when he as so tired?

I want to have stamina like him.

But it’s more than all the things I’ve seen him do. It’s in our every day life. When we just walk together. He is interested in me . . . it’s strange. His attention is more genuine, more pleasant than anything I’ve ever experienced. Not even my own mother’s love has made me feel so cherished.

Will I ever live and love like Jesus?

Only if I let Him live through me.

Day 8 ~ Walking With God ~ In A Long Line Of Leavers

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 04:48:00 GMT

A Disciple’s response to Jesus calling, “Follow Me.” is to stop. drop. and GO . Matthew 19:27

I’ve given mental assent to that statement for most of 26 years. And I’m guessing I am not alone when I say “I’ve left a lot.” Because there really is no escaping leaving. Leave today, leave the year, leave the season, leave, leave, leave . . .

Leaving is the nature of growing. It’s the travelogue of walking with God.

Adam and Eve left the garden. [forced to exit]
Enoch left the earth without experiencing death. [Enoch walked with God and he was no more because God took him]

Abraham left his country, people and family. [choice to follow]
Jacob left his family to flee from his brother. [choice to flee]
Joseph left his father to find his brothers and his brothers sold him and left. [despised and rejected by his brothers]
Moses left Egypt, left the desert, and left Egypt. Again. [a choice to flee, then called by God]
Rahab left her people. [choice to go with God]
Ruth left her people. [choice to go with God]
Esther left her uncle. [selected to be in the harem of the king.]
***
Jesus left Heaven to come to earth [Choice to rescue us]
And yes, we can look at the lives of Peter, Paul and even Mary. They each left a lot as they walked with God.

Family. Home. Religion. Glory. Accomplishment. Reputation.

And so as I walk with God during a time of ‘leaving’ yet again, I’ve been considering the common traits of “leavers”
Faith ~ believing God who promises to work all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
Hope ~ Looking for Heavenly rewards instead of instant gratification.
Love ~ A loyalty to God so fierce that nothing compares to being with Him.

And I’ve also been pondering where their journey took them after leaving . . . a desert, a prison, a harem, a barn . . . but all of the barren, hard and stinky places were just layovers on the way to glory. Both in this life and the next! Mark 10:29-30

Every saint’s story ends in glory. A palace, a kinsman-redeemer, a heritage, a rescue, a Savior . . .

This is our peace.
This is the joy set before us [ Hebrews 12:2 ] – no matter the circumstances.

I am preaching truth to myself a lot lately.
I am praying a lot lately too. I told the Lord tonight that I needed HIM to help me let go, to do what He’s called me to do, because I don’t have it in me.

Goodness, I just realized it’s like I have the chicken pox!!!

MOOOOOMMMM!!! ��

And you’ll never guess what happened right after I prayed that prayer! This song came on!

And I’m considering putting a large red blotch with a Sharpie marker in the palms of my hands.
So I can remember . . . it’s not about me and this world is not my home.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16

Day 7 ~ Walking With God ~ My Savior & His Friend, Oswald

Thu, 08 Oct 2015 03:18:00 GMT

When I meet with God in the morning, I visit with Oswald too. I’ve been doing this for most of the last 26 years. Oswald’s words throw open the attic window in the old house that is me. Light streams in; the view is grand.

This morning I had to do a little catch-up in my little corner because of leaving the house so early yesterday. And as Oswald spoke today, a picture came to mind, and so I composed a poem.

I want you to read just this portion of the day’s thoughts from Oswald, and then I will add mine.

“When it pleased God … to reveal His son in me” ( Galatians 1:15-16 )

“. . . I have a heredity I had no say in; I am not holy, nor likely to be; and if all Jesus Christ can do is to tell me I must be holy, His teaching plants despair. But if Jesus Christ is a Regenerator, One Who can put into me His own heredity of holiness, then I begin to see what He is driving at when He says that I have to be holy . . . The moral transaction on my part is agreement with God’s verdict on sin in the Cross of Jesus Christ.” ~Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest ~October 6th

And from Today:

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew not sin:that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” ( 2 Corinthians 5:21 )

Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not wrongdoing, it is wrong being, deliberate and emphatic independence of God. . . . The revelation of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took upon Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took upon Himself the heredity of sin which no man can touch. ~Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest ~ October 7th

Adopted

born bound by sin
heart of stone
impenetrable rock
no life to sow

press’d stone cracked
head hung low
Hope stands by
“Come, let’s go”

lifting my face
drinking in grace

holy tongs
a surgery
heart of stone
delivery
transplanted new
now soft
now free

His love found home
Holy dwells in me
~K. S.~

A soul’s dark places are illuminated gradually as we walk with God. He eradicates everything that would hinder our journey to Heaven. We learn things along the way . Methods of overcoming darkness.

You may already know that along my journey, anxiety and severe self-awareness once choked my life. The threat of it never leaves when I find myself in tight places. But as I’ve walked with God, He indeed has “trained my hands” for battle [ Psalm 18:34 ] I’ve learned to stand firm in those tight places, in those places that threaten to debilitate me, arms outstretched, I speak out loud His Living and active [s]Word. . . [ Hebrews 4:12 ]

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

His word does the work He sends it to do.

If you’ve been reading here for awhile, you know I am pretty taken with music. It cements in my heart. [as evidenced in the age of this] favorite song that came to mind as I wrote out the poem this morning. I hope you have time to just close your eyes and listen. You are loved.

How has God “trained your hand” for battle? Is there a verse that you use to overcome in battle?

Day 6 ~ Walking With God ~ I Smile With Him

Wed, 07 Oct 2015 03:13:00 GMT

Tuesday. It’s one of my favorite days.

The alarm goes off at 4:30am. I steal away into the dark morning, first of several hot cups in hand. I greet five girlfriends at the local ice cream / coffee shop. We opt for coffee rather than ice cream . With French Vanilla please and thank you. And we will take oodles of that conversation you advertise . We only have an hour before they are off to work or back home to gather their chicks and get them off to school.

It’s their thirst for the Living Word that draws them to sacrifice sleep, to leave the warm comfort of home in the dark. I smile with God.

Jesus [ John 6:35 ] is to the Believer as ice cream is to the pallet. As music is to the ears. As a sunset is to the eyes.

Jesus is delicious. Amen.

And the fact that I get the honor of serving the Gift, of praying for them, over them and their families, feeding them the Bread of Life ~ it lays me low. I’m completely humbled by the joy of that precious hour. Often I feel astonished that they keep coming back. But delighted because I know it’s not for me. It’s because of the power of the Living Word to guide and heal and Set. Us. Free.

After they leave, I flip open my laptop – for free internet. [If you live in the ‘sticks’ and have a dish on your roof, you understand… does anyone else have to “purchase tokens” five days before the billing cycle ends?]

Many locals gather at Ellie’s every Tuesday morning, though not as early as our group. Most of them, I’m guessing, are over 70. As I work on my laptop, they walk past and most of them say “Good morning!” and ask what I’m doing, or sometimes I’ll hear a tale of days gone by. Several of them comment on my lengthy time on the computer. Because they “never found any need for it.” I smile with God

Sometimes I pause and listen to their light-hearted banter in the background. I smile with God , and get back to work.

Lately I find myself thinking of the process of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [okay, I’ll just say it . . . aging ] I really never gave it a thought before that day I realized I was. Aging I mean . I guess I was in denial or too busy to notice. Seriously . And then from my parked Jeep, I watched an old man walk across the street one day, his feet heavy, slow, small-labored steps gaining him just a few feet, but I noticed that he had accepted it. He seemed at peace with his pace.

Lord Jesus, help me be content with whatever you allow in my life!

That day I realized that the road ahead was . . . something I’d need to reconcile with and perhaps at some point, take more slowly.

So I pay attention now. [I’d be ashamed, if not for grace, that I didn’t much before.] They have become more precious to me because of my time at Ellie’s. I love their respect, their humor, and their attention.

But even so, when I look at my own reflection , the changes don’t illicit the same fond feelings. But I do feel God smile, and I find comfort in that. He will be with me through it all. Whatever is ahead.

His grace is sufficient, 2 Corinthians 12:9

His power is made perfect in weakness.

He’s smiling at me just as I would with my children if they were feeling resistant to change.

Do you Friend?

Do you smile with God?

Email Subscribers: Everything Is Grace by Matt Maher

Day 5 ~ Walking With God ~ Hearing My Daddy's Voice

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 03:15:00 GMT

His voice, I’ll never forget it.

Raspy. Perhaps it was a vocal strain – I feel it in my own voice. Talking takes energy for me and I’m guessing it did for him too. I see him take a deep breath before he talks.

I hear him as he plunges the tin grain scoop into the metal cart, heavy with grain as he rolled it down the isle between two rows of black and white furry faces, instructing me on the number of scoops to give each cow.

I walk beside him; he’s carrying a metal pail filled with snow-white ground limestone, he demonstrates scooping lime by handfuls and broadcasting it over the concrete floors where we spent morning and evenings. Like gravel, it crunched under our shoes as we carried the milking machines from one cow to the next.

Rowing the duck boat through thick weeds with him , his voice comes from behind me, gently instructing me on where and how to place the paddle in the water. How to safely store the gun until we arrived at our destination. Then how to aim and shoot if I saw a duck fly overhead. I don’t recall ever actually hitting a duc k, but his voice carried in it an anticipation I was very familiar with, seeing his ‘student’ succeed meant as much to him as getting his own trophy. He let me take the shot he might have taken.

Loving fathers sacrifice for their children.

Going out with him to fix a fence the cows had pushed through, “Hand me another staple Bean.” I dug out another one from the five gallon bucket sitting at my feet, scrounging through random hardware that farmers save, but have no time to sort. He pulled the barbed wire tight and hammered in the staple he’d just taken from my hand.

“Now the Lord said to Abraham, “Go . . .” . . . so Abraham went.” Genesis 12:1-4

I doubt God just showed up out of the blue that day. I’m guessing there was an ongoing relationship already in place to a certain extent. If a random stranger said, “Come with me, we are going to fix that fence.” I might be inclined to tell him to go fix his own fence.

“Teach us to pray Jesus.”

“Start like this: “Our Father who art in Heaven . . . “ Matthew 6:9

I began to hear my Heavenly Father’s voice as a child. [Do you recall it?]

I heard Him when my mom read Bible stories to me. “I Am The Author of Wisdom.”
I heard Him when I was faced with decisions of integrity. [I didn’t say I always listened…]
I heard Him when I struggled with relationships. “I’m with you.”

When I sang Christmas Carols and Hymns. “ Good Christian Friends Rejoice . . .”
When I smelled my Dad’s aftershave when he readied for church. Old Spice
When I saw my parents laugh together. Or when they fought and I cried and she noticed.
When Mom turned chokecherries into jelly.

When I worked with my parents. “Honor your father and mother.”
When people were mean to someone I loved. “Love one another, love comes from God.”
When my mom baked a dozen loaves of bread and let us have some fresh from the oven with large doses of butter. “I am the Bread of Life” [okay, I didn’t hear Him say that, but now I know how yummy He is…!]

I heard His Spirit whisper to mine. I heard His words. I sensed His nearness. I knew I had a Father in Heaven. [Do you remember knowing?]

“See her there? She needs a friend.” He instructs me to mentor. His voice barely discerned, it’s more like a nudge than a voice.

“Send her a text, she is struggling.” He guides me to encourage someone.

“Start a Bible study outside of your church. Go out into the community.” Heather comes to mind. I intend to ask her. A year or more later, I ask and we gather women in a restaurant for STUCK . He leads me in the plan He has for me. Ephesians 2:10

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8

The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. Isaiah 50:4

It’s like I said before , I learn a lot about my Heavenly Father through considering my relationship with my dad.

And I’m learning that we often make our relationship with God more complicated that it is.

God is our Father who walks with us and talks with us. He assures, comforts, guides, provides, leads, teaches, holds, and lavishes us with love and good gifts.

The more I know God as my Father, the more readily I trust Him, and the more I enjoy the journey.

For Day 1 & 2: Walking With God
For Day 3: Walking With God ~ He Hears
For Day 4: Walking With God ~ On Sunday

Day 4 ~ Walking With God on Sunday ~ one Q & one A

Sun, 04 Oct 2015 10:58:00 GMT

[email subscribers: click here ]

Day 3 ~ Walking With God ~ He Hears

Sun, 04 Oct 2015 02:20:00 GMT

I love the Lord, because He hears

My voice and my supplications.

Because He has inclined His ear to me,

Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.

Psalm 116: 1-2

Yesterday I heard Him remind me to remember.

When I call to mind the ways He has cared for me, the ways he has answered my prayers, my faith soars.

No wonder our enemy wants us to lock our gaze on our circumstances.

“Look at that mountain in your way! You’ll never be able to get past it.”

“Look at that barren land! Your dead womb, your lack of finances, your dead relationship, your inability…”

“Just look at that desert, those giants, that big Red Sea!”

As Dale and I set out to hunt for houses today, I’m carrying this reminder with me. To remember how God has always brought us to a place suitable for us. A place where we flourished in His will.

Even so, I felt my heart sinking around four hours in, and fifteen or so “drive-bys”

We are crossing the river into a leap in housing prices and a reduction of space as well as financial limitations.

I feel things. I feel claustrophobic in areas with close-together houses and junky yards. Though we were not in neighborhoods like that today, still I felt squeezed by the search and imagining life in more confined places.

God heard my cries for help and showed up in my husband insisting on lunch at Green Mill. I thought we needed to grab a roast beef at Arby’s and eat on the journey.

He got a little “fatherly” with me, “I think you need to just chill and let’s sit down together and talk!”

Well, I don’t need a lot of convincing to dine out. ��

As we were seated, the smell of chlorine from the adjoining hotel threatened to nauseate me, so I requested being moved outside where it was just a bit too chilly for most-but the fireplace was blazing, we got our jackets out of the truck and had the entire outdoor patio to ourselves.

It was delightful.

And I “chilled!”

I have favorite verses that I often pray boldly for others, but sometimes fail to claim them for myself.

And even so, even when I forget to remember, the goodness and mercy of God chases after me and reminds me that He perfects that which concerns me. Psalm 23:6 ; Psalm 138:8 He gives me the desires of my heart and works all things for my good. Psalm 37:4 ; Romans 8:28

We didn’t find a suitable house today.

We pegged 27 possibilities and drove by them. It wasn’t as fun as it has been in the past, but we returned to our temporary home with our hope firmly fixed in God’s perfect timing, leading, and provision.

Because we remember how He has cared for us in the past.

We are resting on His unfailing love and faithfulness. He has a plan and we believe He is good.

Days 1&2: Walking With God [or running or tripping as the case may be]

Thirty One Days of Walking With God [or running or tripping as the case may be]

Sat, 03 Oct 2015 04:52:00 GMT

So, there is this “Write For 31 Days” blogging thing that happens every October. I’ve watched from afar over the past several years.

Many of my friends join in.

Like Jacque Watkins – you don’t want to miss her 31 Days of What You Should Know Before An Affair – and you will love her podcast (shameless plug!) Mudstories !

My daughter is doing “Write 31 Days” for the second year at her blog The Creative Jayne .

And I’ve considered it.

Since my best writing seems to come out of pain . . . I resist a strong urge to ‘be a writer.’ [although I am a writer because I write-but you know what I mean…]

The desire lurks in the background of my heart since my first “article” was published in the Forest Lake Times . I was in fourth grade.

I wrote about a little girl getting a doll for Christmas.

Original, I know.

My mom raved about it. AND anything my mom raved about has become an interest in my life. So there’s that . #BlameMom ��

Since I’ve been thinking of it for a whole two days and it is October 2nd already, I figured there is no time like the present, and better late than never!

Since I’m naturally a rule-follower, I can’t skip yesterday. So now you get two days in one.

Free of charge. ��

October 1st:
My mini pumpkins looked puckered as I passed by on the way out the door to meet friends for breakfast in town. “They could NOT have frozen!” I thought. But upon inspection, found them to be squishy on the bottom. I paid money for them, and now they are ‘dead’.

This is the ‘before’ picture. I can’t take an after because I promptly sent them sailing into the woods for deer food. And watched them smash to smithereens.

“Really God? It’s too early for frost on the pumpkins!”

I didn’t hear Him say so, but I’m guessing He thought differently.

I did feel Him smile with me though.

I ordered a bagel with butter and an egg over hard. Three friends + one sister = lots of laughter. Lanni had eye surgery on one eye. Which made us laugh when she had to hold one eye closed and her phone a mere 2″ from her ‘old’ eye to see. And there may have been a few jokes about aging.

My sister was caught with her phone -notably often- to search out whoever came into conversation that she didn’t know.

“Is she always a Facebook Stalker?!!” Becky, who had just met my sister asked.

“She’s researching.” I said. [Note: We were talking about our children . . . or a few other relatives like Jaci Valasquez – because her aunt sat next to me having eggs and hash-browns. ]

“Thank you God, for friends and laughter, and relatives . . . and friends . . . and time with my sister and friends!”

Then I switched restaurants to meet my friend Holly. She’s in the midst of a major project which I was finally going to get a chance to help with, but we snuck in a half hour away from the chaos for her-sanity mocha . Then we were off to her newly acquired old house which she is renovating to be her ballet studio. [She reported during ‘mocha time’ that God had been providing in AMAZING ways for this extremely low-budget project-which I hope to be able to tell you about in the future!!!]

I prayed for the project her parents are working on in this photo-making two rooms into one large one, and for Karar Academy .

These are the benches in the dressing room in process.

After painting a table, we got a little giant ladder to hoist onto the stairs, and I finished the high wall above the stairway before I left for a quick visit with my daughter-in-law and Mr. Adorable. It had been TWO whole weeks since seeing them!!!

He’s saying “ Mama” and “Da-da” now. And “ Uh-OH!” when something falls to the ground.

I had to show you that. For obvious reasons.

October 2:
Briefly ~ I know you are busy!

Daily I start out with God in ‘my little corner’ on a love seat in my living room. Most often I spend 2-4 hours reading, praying, and occasionally I create graphics to go with what the Lord speaks to me about. I text people God puts on my heart or who I’ve prayed for and then I browse social media to encourage friends and get my news. I sometimes turn on the TODAY show at 7:00 and pray for the top stories.

I get my inspiration for graphics while reading the Bible, or the words of Oswald Chambers of Charles H. Spurgeon in my little corner.

This morning we had our MOPS steering team meeting where we solidified the plan for next week’s MOPS meeting.

And then . . . [I’ve been waiting for this all summer!!!] I got to go horseback riding with my friend Wendy who is employed at the local camp and houses the horses at home through the winter. Today they were ‘going home’ and so it was our last chance to ride.

And it was a HEAVENLY day which had me all kinds of praising the Lord who gives and gives and gives – not the least of which are these rich friendships that I get to celebrate.

FALL!!! How I love a crisp 60* sunny, colorful day!

Wendy, getting Diesel ready. My horse Barbie is behind.

I’m a dork and wore my running holster on my arm so I’d have my phone with me. I had three layers on today. A plaid shirt, a wool sweater and my jean jacket.

Barbie would NOT stay still for a photo. This is as good as it got.

Upon returning home I paid bills – YAHOO!!! I thanked God for His constant provision. He is a Promise KEEPER!!!

And then just as the sun was shimmering on the lake outside my window, I decided to trade in my planned grocery shopping excursion for a phone call on the deck to my North Carolina friend Renee who had texted of her rare availability.

In over an hour, we caught up on blessings, challenges, and family before ending the call with prayer over one another. Her words were balm as she prayed about my recent necessary UProoting . God had already told me this morning “Remember my past works” and without her knowing it, she prayed that very word, “remember.”

And that is really the point of this series topic. I am praying that together we can see God more clearly in our every day lives. That we can celebrate the daily moments and remember them more readily in the future because we’ve taken note of them. Praying that my daily journey might inspire you to make note somewhere of yours. Perhaps in a journal at the end of a day . . . or a week.

I’ve begun using these hashtags on Instagram . If you want to gather your memories of walking with God, join me by using the hashtags: #SeekHim #ListenToHim #LoveHim #KnowHim #WalkingWithGod

There Will Be Days Like These: A Necessary UP-rooting

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 19:29:00 GMT

Days like Saturday I’d rather not repeat. Days when I wake up and plant my foot on the floor next to my bed expecting the cloud from the night before to be gone; lifted by an adequate night’s rest. But three steps to the door, I realize – it isn’t . The dense cloud of sorrow, frustration, and limitation-linger.

The imposing heaviness, when you awaken with it . . . actually seems to increase due to the fact that it is STILL there!

Why can’t I just turn off my emotions?!!

It’s as if I have the will, but not the power.

I’m facing another loss.
[You don’t like loss either?]

Time and again we suffer it.

Loss of someTHING, or worse, SOMEONE. And following any loss there comes the processing of emotions . . . sorrow, anger, disbelief.

Like you, I’ve had my share.
Losing loved ones .
Leaving a career .
Losing money.
Leaving a town.
Losing a house.
Leaving a season.
Losing a tooth . [I didn’t grieve that one, but I feared it]

In June, I thought I had reached some imagined limit to loss – like God wouldn’t have anything more to ask me to give up – at least for now – after we sold our farm, emptied our nest, and closed my business, I lost a tooth [hey, it was my first surgery!] , and . . . the shock of losing my Dad, then a year later, in August – we lost Theodore .

And that happened on the heels of finding out we were going to have to move.

Again.

It was like a punch in the gut.
In my mind, in this house, I was planted.

We’d been mapping out plans for an addition in the future, building a garden shed, planting grass and perennials. I’d been dreaming of events with family and friends. I even had a secret dream of building a little writing cabi n below the hill to offer for retreats . . .

I am not at liberty to share the details of why or how this happened, but I will tell you that it is totally out of my personal control-I am not a factor in the change of circumstances, but more a passenger on this train.

But I want to talk about how I’ve had to fight bitterness that threatens to lodge in my soul over this loss because I live here in the midst of it, finding my ‘former dream-mode mindset’ to be an enemy of my emotions.

And how I’m winning this battle-with the exception of yesterday morning- because God is my Father.

[The strategy that has worked in the past when I’ve been tempted to feel sorry for myself, the strategy of considering and praying for families in Kenya who are forced to live in slums, or those in China that have to live confined with several other families in tiny apartments helped a little, but it hasn’t given me total freedom from my pain.]

Because somehow, for some reason I discovered in this battle, I had put my roots in this earth more deeply than in our previous homes. Even though it’s only been 16 months.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been working hard for half-a-century and I just wanted to be done. I am tired of moving. Maybe that’s it.

Maybe it’s because we have had so many wonderful memories here.

Maybe it has a lot to do with the lake view that has lifted my soul a thousand times with joy.

And the stone fireplace reminding me of the stones my parents used to build the retaining walls I was so fond of in my childhood home.

Perhaps this outdoor office where the presence of God was tangible in the quiet, the breeze and the sun’s reflection on the water . . .

And likely the struggle has something to do with our current perceived limitations. I say perceived because, I’m ashamed to admit it, but it’s true. I so often forget to factor God into the equation. Or the promised testing of my faith intended by Him to prove the genuineness of it. [ 1 Peter 4:12 ]

So yesterday morning, with the weight of the loss threatening to implode my heart, [which may or may not be a bit pathetic] I texted my 70+ year-old mentor an S.O.S. “Will you please pray for me!?!!”

And she called me, listened and prayed.

I needed to be heard. I needed perspective. Someone else’s. And I needed someone to pray for me since my own prayers were limited by my skewed emotions. I needed encouragement. And a reminder of the TRUTH. [ 2 Corinthians 5:7 ]

VICTORY is my word for 2015 . I knew when I heard the Lord impress it on my heart that it meant ‘battle’. There is no victory without a fight, right?

The greatest battle I fight is the one in my soul. And I have had some “bloody ones.” [at least it felt like a blade slashed at my heart!]

I’m being trained in battle. [ 1 Peter 2:11 ] Maybe you are too. I’m learning that to walk in victory requires others to join me in my battle. We are in this thing TOGETHER. [ Hebrews 10:24-25 ]

I’m being reminded that my roots should not go down into earth, but extend upward into Heaven. [ Hebrews 11:13-16 ]

It requires an intentional shift in perspective – Eyes OFF of the circumstances and ON to God. And often, as my mentor reminded me, we need to just rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus. “Get behind me Satan, you don’t have in mind the things of God, but the things of man.” [ Matthew 16:23 ] and restate your claim. “I’m a child of God.”

The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things . . If I weep, let it be as a woman who is longing for her Home . . .

Yes, this world is not my home, so my roots need to be UPward. I am a citizen of Heaven, an ambassador on earth just passin’ through. [ 1 Peter 2:11 ] I must remember . I must “go” where He chooses, go where He sends me.

Lord, grant me a willing heart to sustain me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Seeing Stars? Songs Of Hope

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 16:50:00 GMT

Musicians are genius.

Few words, immense impact. I admit, I fight coveting their gift.

There are two songs playing on repeat here (I told you about one already.) With minimal words, they summarize our desperation as humans and the ultimate hope we have only in God.

“Sitting in the rubble, I can see the stars . . . ” The Unmaking by Nichole Nordeman

“I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground . . .” Touch The Sky by Hillsong United

When we are down, we have two choices.
Stay down, or look up. “Who will help me?”
[In my life, downs have turned out to be a gift from God]

Face upward, we see light, glory, hope . . .

In true life, the way up is down. Matthew 20:26
[if you are an email subscriber, click over to the blog for live-linked scripture references]

He stooped down to make me great . Psalm 18:35NIV

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did . 1 John 2:6NLT

It’s been fifty years since my lungs first took in air, and the teaching of time’s impact is greater than that of words. But as time and experience teach us that life is a continuous circle of fractures and rebuilds, words become richer. Understanding greater. Life more restful – yes, even in the rubble.

As I look back, there isn’t one single year that has been rubble-free.

Nor has there been one where I haven’t sought to be free of rubble.

And there hasn’t been a year that I haven’t needed to assume the posture. Knees hit the ground. Though I haven’t always done so . . .

And always this promise of God, I’d have worn out if it were possible: Romans 8:28 [He works ALL things for good for those who love Him.]

God bless the broken road that led me straight to you . . . Broken Road by Rascal Flatts [bonus song :)]

Jesus, Son of God came as a lamb in a barn. He descended into our ‘rubble.’
He stayed long enough to show us God, to fill up on our pain, then take it with Him up a hill to be crucified.

And after burying it with Him, He resurrected to take us up with Him
[He turns us-the rubble rousers into His stars] Philippians 2:15 ; Matthew 5:14

We must look up that hill to find deliverance. John 12:32

Sin dies. We live.

SIN DIES!!! WE LIVE!!!

This is resurrection power.
Resurrection only happens on the other side of death.

We all die many deaths on the way to Heaven. I think it helps to know this-to remember it when you are sitting in your rubble.

Broken? Sorrowful? Lonely? Discouraged? Fearful? Sit here and listen, look up to the Hill from where your help comes. Read Psalm 121

And after you have suffered a little while, He Himself will restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10
And then go strengthen your fellow sojourners. Luke 22:32

How can I pray for you this week? Leave a comment or private message me on Facebook and I will lift you up.

What Is Flipping

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 17:09:00 GMT

D and I flipped a house .

My sister teaches girls and boys to flip .

Soon we will flip the calendar to September .

And I’m thinking a lot right now about how Jesus flips. And how His flipping is always for good. Whether flipping hard or flipping happy. And how hard usually precedes happy. Matthew 21:12-13 , Psalm 30:11

Yesterday I read 4 Really Good Money Questions , and my heart began to do some hard flipping.

This morning I read a story about a rich guy who hoarded all his wealth and ended up in hell. He was wishing for a flipping. But it was too late for him.

The beggar named Lazarus, who had agonized in hunger, pain and humiliation at the door of the stingy-rich man, had gone to heaven.

When the now-impoverished rich man who was burning-up in hell saw forever-wealthy Lazarus free in heaven,

. . . he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ Luke 16:24

I notice the rich man has no name known to Heaven. He probably never gave Jesus a thought as busy as he was – devouring grace on earth.

Look at Abraham’s response,

‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ Luke 16:25-26

You can read the whole story here . It is amazing that the man in hell is humbled enough to ask Abraham a favor, and that he appears to have compassion on his still-living relatives.

I began to assess my life in the light of my wealth, and I realized that in some ways it more resembles the rich man than I’d have admitted yesterday when I swiped my card at the grocery store. I’m floored, l ike face-down on the floor at the awareness of my self-indulgence.

Two days ago I purchased a $4. coffee without batting an eye. I swipe the card not thinking of denying myself something in my cart so I can give to another. I fly on a plane to a conference, fill my car with gas, go to Target and come home with non-essentials on a regular basis. – I know those things are not bad , many are necessary, but the fact that I don’t think more about the balance of my purchases with my giving – that is the part that I am being heavily convicted about this morning. I’ve become thoughtless regarding my spending.

Today, the Holy Spirit hit “refresh” on these words of Jesus as He flips my heart today:

The first will be last and the last will be first. Matthew 19:30
If you want to keep your life you must lose it. Matthew 16:25
If you want to be great you must be a servant. Matthew 20:26

And my consolation – every day I need this consolation, this is nothing new. My consolation is that by Jesus’ blood, I go free another day. He flips my sin. I’m washed free of my sin of self-indulgence of yesterday. 1 John 1:9

And my salvation – every day I need this salvation, this is nothing new. My salvation is the power of the Holy Spirit in me to enable me to walk free of this self-indulgence. He flips my desires. To deny myself, to take up my cross and follow Jesus in selfless living. Romans 8:12-14

This song keeps resounding in the background of my head today . . . What Have We Become by D.C. Talk

The one in the palace was imprisoned by his riches and impoverished eternally.
The one impoverished on earth, was eternally free and wealthy.

O God, I beg two favors from you;

let me have them before I die.

First, help me never to tell a lie.

Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!

Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?”

And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

Proverbs 30:7-9

My Anchor Holds When I Can't Get A Grip | God's Presence in Loss

Sun, 16 Aug 2015 00:27:00 GMT

You can sit on the rugged rocks on the North Shore of Lake Superior, like God made you a captain’s chair. Their flat surface, a safe support for spectators.

You get a front row seat to magnificence. The thunderous crash of waves against the rocks below tells of monumental power as their mist descends. Waves receding back to their original reservoir of steel, cold waters.

The day we chose to go up was still. The sound I hear is memories of past trips. But there is no escaping the immensity of Lake Superior even when its waters are quiet.

Life is fragile.

I feel small here. Small is how I felt during the nine days prior to losing Theodore. Our fifth grandson was born too early to survive outside of his mother’s womb last Tuesday.

Humans, we are. Small. And powerless to change one single thing – if the mother’s body is laboring.

We got a crash-course on pre-term labor. We learned that administering the drug to stop it is only a buying-of-time before it becomes a danger for the baby. It doesn’t really stop, it only suspends. It was a two day reprieve, a little bit of rest – with hope.

We found that out when the drug wore off, the body resumes its course.

The waves and breakers washed over us. Psalm 42:7 We only had two choices in weathering the storm. Trusting . . . or another way.

Our son and his beautiful bride named their second-born son, Theodore, “gift of God”.

A tiny boy, perfectly formed, but not yet developed enough to take a breath outside the water.

How earnestly we cried out to God. How we grabbed hold of His promises and pleaded for the waves to cease. And all the while, we wrestled against our own desire to be in control. To demand His will match ours.

We chose within our cries to be at peace with whatever the outcome, because we trust Him who alone has the right to choose.

How we’d hoped labor would stop and Theo could be with us here.
Just two more weeks they said, and he could go to a preemie unit where they would place him in a womb without water.
But God said, “I want Theodore Here.”

And we cried.
“Lord, not my will but yours . . .”

Four days had passed and we wanted to be near the large lake, to remind ourselves of the God who forms and holds all things together. Colossians 1:17
The rhythm of massive waves not unlike the beat of a tiny heart as heard in a hospital monitor.

Our God chisels [ Isaiah 51:1 ] forms and destines [ Psalm 139:16 ] and imparts life [ John 11:25 ]

And so, with Job we say it, “. . . The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21

Until we meet again Theodore . . .

Fighting For Justice In A Chaotic World #Together

Tue, 30 Jun 2015 12:00:00 GMT

Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people. Proverbs 14:34

I began noticing in scripture several months ago, that whenever I saw the word “justice” it was partnered with “righteousness” and upon reflection, I understood that the two words must marry in order for our pursuit of justice to flourish.

There will be no true justice without righteousness. Psalm 89:14 , Psalm 97:2 , Psalm 85:10

The truth of the matter is, we will have no justice without Jesus, who has become our Righteousness. 1 Corinthians 1:30

The chaos of now is only a slight taste of eternity without Jesus. And if you are on social media, you have an inkling of how painful it is to be seeing, even experiencing the constant conflict of opinion and many of us are weighted by a deep inner groaning.

How will we ever overcome the chaos?

Fighting for justice is good, but it’s only half the battle.

True Justice needs a Righteous Foundation, but we don’t hear many people calling us to “fight for righteousness!”

Righteousness is father and justice is mother. Together they have peaceful children.

God has been so merciful to US as a Nation. I believe that we are still the most blessed nation on earth, but we will also be the most accountable nation at the judgement. You read that right. [To whom much is given, much is required. Luke 12:48 ]

I landed on these words of Jesus last week where He said, [I’m paraphrasing] “Woe, woe, woe to you cities who don’t pay attention to My Words!” and I had a fresh revelation as He spoke to cities. I considered who he was talking to and I realized that I am personally responsible for my city, as my works will be tested at the judgement . [At the very least, I should be praying!]

The pressing questions for us are, “How do we live in this day of disorder? And how will we reestablish a foundation of righteousness so our world can have peace?”

I believe the answer can only come one of two ways leading to One place, Jesus. Either by one heart at a time turning the throne over to Jesus, or by many hearts at one time as the result of a mighty move of the Holy Spirit among us ushering in another Great Awakening .

Read this quote about the first Great Awakening from a history student, Sarah Valkenburgh

In all these Protestant cultures during the middle decades of the eighteenth century, a new Age of Faith rose to counter the currents of the Age of Enlightenment, to reaffirm the view that being truly religious meant trusting the heart rather than the head, prizing feeling more than thinking, and relying on biblical revelation rather than human reason”.

So, you who have been made righteous through Jesus, and have His Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you. The Spirit who hovered over the waters at Creation. What part might you play in bringing healing and peace to our world?

Will you press in to love God more by digging deeper in His word?
Will you believe and submit to the authority of His word?
Will you pray more faithfully than ever before?
Will you honor God by discipling your children and others in His word?
Will you bless the city you live in by your prayers and testify of God’s goodness?
Will you bless the businesses that serve you by offering to pray for their proprietors?
Will you bring the light into darkened conversations by communicating truth in grace?
Will you mentor someone who is following your season of life?
Will you pray for your governing authorities, police officers, schools, teachers, pastors?
Will you join the Outcry ?

On the National Day of Prayer this past May, before the UNITE event put on by PULSEMOVEMENT , I prayed in one of the suites on the mezzanine level of the arena with a group of about 10 people before the event began. We prayed that God would bring the truth of our need for restoration of righteousness to our land . Here is part of what happened after we prayed that prayer. I hope you can watch Francis Chan’s message given at the Mariucci Arena on the U of M campus. [email subscribers will need to click over to the blog] Our answer to prayer come through, and specifically beginning at minute 6.

Some Things My Dad Taught Me About God

Sun, 21 Jun 2015 12:29:00 GMT

It’s been a year since losing Dad. I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot over the past year as I’ve stepped into speaking and writing more, as I’m ‘harvesting’ stories from my life.

I’ve also been considering of the value of fathers, not only for their own children, but the ripple effects of their investments as the children become fathers . . . and how worthy this day of celebration is.

I likely spent more hours with my dad than most girls since his job was home and I was the first born. I’ve often jested because of growing up on a farm, that I should have had an older brother, while inwardly cherishing the privilege of having had so much time with my dad.

You may see more posts on this topic in the future, and I’d love to read your stories of “ Some Things My Dad Taught Me About God” in the comments or a blog post . ��

Here is just a tiny story from my ‘field’—>>>

“I’m going to put you on the rake today.”

It was our family ‘farm language’ I knew he meant I’d be driving the tractor pulling the hay rake, turning over rows of cut hay.

We kind of had our own language. [I discovered this whenever I was out in the world]

There is something wonderful about approaching a field of cut hay in summer . . . as we arrive through the opening in the tree-lined ditch, he stops the tractor and we step into the damp stubble between rows of cut hay. He grabs a handful of alfalfa, fragrant, and weighty from yesterday’s rain. Pulling the chunk apart to show me, “If we turn this over, we should be able to bale it in a few hours.”

We get back up on the tractor, but I’m the one in the seat now. I listened intently to his instructive words as I hear the eagerness in his voice, teaching me this new task, second-nature to him.

He tells me how to line up the rake with the row, where the wheels of the tractor should be in relationship to it. A simple pattern, except when it comes to the turns. Or the steep hills.

Dad sees to it that I know how to safely handle what he’s given me to do. And I spent hours driving around fields under open skies. Many of which I spent thinking about God.

From this one story, here are just a few of the things my dad taught me about God:

We have our own language.

He goes with me to the field.

He teaches me his ways.

He enables me to do what he instructs me to do.

He empowers me with the proper equipment.

He provides the fuel.

He is never far if I need him.

Remembering how my dad gave me everything I needed to accomplish each mission helps me be more confident of my Heavenly Father equipping me for every good work that He calls me to do. Ephesians 2:10

What have you learned about God from your Dad?

Here is an old song that played on the radio yesterday as Dale and I traveled to our nephew’s grad party. I shed a few tears as thoughts of my dad came, and thoughts of our parenting years -past- [email subscribers, click over to the blog for the song]

Happy Father’s Day!!!

Where You Look Determines Where You Land: To The Pit Or The Palace

Tue, 16 Jun 2015 11:30:00 GMT

A load of bricks, its weight more than my back can bear, now bent in pain. My legs slowly prod on, feet shuffling. I see the minuscule pebbles, this unending path of lifeless dirt. The air is thick, my breathing shallow.

Who will help me with this load? Who will relieve my burdened back?

When things in life get heavy-hard – have you also noticed you’re prone to looking over your shoulder?

Shackled you, looking back to see what you’ve done wrong.

Your soul feels burdened with your inability to get past .
this.
wall.

Discouragement fills your heart. [Maybe anger. Maybe defeat.]

Which mutes your drive to press on .

Looking back that way, there’s always a ball and chain. Every time pressures bear upon my life.

When my finances are tight.
When my kids are struggling.
When my relationships are strained.
When my dreams are on hold.
When my goals seem impossible.
When my expectations are drowned.

I look back to see where I went wrong , and inevitably I feel defeat.
If I keep looking back, I become paralyzed, stuck in a pit of woe.

When will the light come on? When will the weight be gone?

It’s said that it’s the Devil himself who beckons you to look backwards. Because what’s behind you is always past, and cant be changed. Not one teeny bit.

If he gets your head to turn, your eyes backward to land on your performance, then he’s caught you vulnerable – not seeing God. The armor doesn’t cover your back. Ephesians 6:14-17

He has snatched your possibilities.

Our Enemy, his name means “Adversary” or “The one who resists.”.

Our adversary accuses us [ Revelation 12:10 ] and wants to hold us back.
The accuser appeals, “Look back at you! You’ve done it now, you FAILURE!”

And when we take the bait, because we are in a place where it appears we’ve failed, we land in Pit Defeat.
Pitiful.
Defeat.

And God is calling, “Remember your Redeemer! Look up! I’ve already taken the weight, you bear it no more!”

And when we turn away from the past, when we get our eyes off of ourselves, there we have His promises waiting to be claimed. [His promises are not “yes and no” but only and always “yes” in Christ, so we can say, “Amen!”] Our faithful God is holy and true, merciful, kind, gracious, compassionate, powerful, and perfectly loving. He reminds us that His mercies are new every morning, so great is His faithfulness .

We walk by faith and not by sight.
And we must remember, “Get your eyes up!”
“Look ahead!”
“ God is already there! ”

One year ago today, we laid my Dad to rest.

I had the honor of writing the Eulogy for his funeral. This morning I returned to it, and after editing a paragraph by adding a list of his accomplishments, I want to share it in memory of him.

Dad’s Chair

The floor bears dark scuff marks from his chair skidding in and out from the table. If you visited our home, you likely visited with Dad at his spot in the kitchen. Meal after meal . . . day after day . . . year after year.

Dad read the Bible and led prayers before meals from that chair. To his left, at the corner of that table, one by one, sat a dozen babies in a high chair with him sharing his love of food. Sure, mom fed the babies more often, but Dad was there with the dessert. Most often ice cream. His eyes twinkled when he smiled at the reception from eager, round eyes wanting more.

The marks on the kitchen floor are emblematic of the indelible marks Dad has left on our hearts . . . the lasting impressions that will continue to impact our families and our world through the ensuing generations. No doubt his life has marked yours as well.

It’s safe to say that even with his many accomplishments, his military schooling at West Point, his service in the U.S. Army, his service to his hometown of Hugo, his main occupation of dairy farmer, and following that his service on the Conexus Energy board of directors, the hub of his life was faith, family and friends.

Dad delighted in his people.

In “Dad’s dairy school”, he was always teaching us to do the jobs that were age-appropriate. We “graduated” from the first level job of feeding calves to the next, washing cows in prep for milking. Moving up was a big deal and ultimately culminated in fieldwork.

Many of us and some of you experienced hours under the open sky on one of his International Harvester tractors, including his father’s first tractor, a Farmall H, acquired in 1944. Dad maintained and we continued to use it as we worked the family land that he loved, cutting, raking and baling hay, plowing, planting and harvesting oats and corn.

We are marked by his love of farming and his work ethic.

The demands of a dairy farm and large family never kept Dad from enjoying his love of hunting and fishing. And even there he was our teacher.

To bait a hook, cast a line and reel it in . . . To row a duck boat, build a blind, to wait in quiet expectation – often beneath grey skies. To get a shot and hit your target . . . or not . . . To freeze your tail off in pursuit of a deer, and succeed or not, Dad was there applauding and cheering for you.

His joy in our success as well as his own, has marked us all with a hunger to enjoy, advance and succeed in life and cheer others on as we do.

Whatever our need or pursuit, if he was able, Dad invested. Whether college, car, or business … recovery program, farm, land or equipment . . . encouragement, wisdom or humor, he has marked our lives with hope, laughter, perseverance and the means to move forward.

And who will forget his light-hearted, mischievous jokes or his colorful tales that often stretched in the telling. If he could get mom to blush a little, or a face to break into a smile, his heart seemed to dance.

It was with the same joy on his face that we saw when he was on the dance floor waltzing with mom, when he was talking about, holding or visiting with one of his grand children. When he was teasing one of us… or one of you…

We will all fondly recall the glimmer in Dad’s eyes when he succeeded in bringing joy to others.

Like the marks on the floor from the frequented chair, his love through teaching, rejoicing, working and giving has marked our hearts, which will continue to bear a bit of him here through our lives.

We can only bow our heads and thank God now for such a father, for such a man to celebrate today.

Our Deeds Are Seeds Of Fruit Or Weeds

Tue, 16 Jun 2015 11:30:00 GMT

The Delta pilot announced our arrival time to MSP. As the plane descended, I gazed out at the variety of tall buildings framed by the small window and considered the structures, their varied style, materials, and differing heights.

My husband has built or remodeled several of them.

I have an inkling of what goes into erecting or remodeling 16 or more stories. The amount of time and people it takes to do the bidding, manage the funds, acquire the design, and read the plans. Then there’s the hiring and overseeing of crews for each aspect of the work. And it’s never smooth-sailing. There is opposition. Often weather, sometimes poor attitudes, flawed communication or even no-shows which throws every other sub-contractor off.

Sheetrock is held up if the wiring isn’t finished on time. Flooring halts if the tapers are behind. What each person contributes to a job-sight matters.

Over the course of the twelve years or so that my husband has supervised commercial buildings, I’ve marveled after hearing his daily telling of stories, that a job would ever get done! Finishing is a victory of majestic proportions, worthy, in my opinion, of a large party. But they usually just move on to the next job.

My point is that when we work, there is creation.
Buildings rise, gardens grow, product sells.

Every hit of the hammer, every stroke of the brush, every planting of the seed . . . and V’W’alla!! Roll out the welcome mat! Have a salad! Decorate your walls!

Every step.
Every click.
Every choice.
Every day.

Our movements add up and advance something.

Fruit nourishes, building life.
Weeds choke, aborting life.

I read a blog post the other day by Mike Donehey of the band, Tenth Avenue North, and “I was stuck in my head and couldn’t get out” ~ just as the author describes himself after watching The Bachelorette show for the first time, and then giving this wise reaction .

As I was stuck in my head, I remembered the mud I’ve often observed online in the “hostile” comment section, you know the ones you see ever so often far too often, where someone is defending an immoral person’s plea for acceptance of behavior, “As long as it doesn’t affect me.” or “ If they want to ______, what does it matter, it’s not hurting anyone.” and then the famous line of our day, “Who are you to judge!?” meaning, “I don’t want to hear your view because it opposes mine.”

The line of thinking is so dead wrong.

When God created us in His image, He endowed us with His creativity and He gave us healthy boundaries to guide us, keeping us safe . <–fascinating – without boundaries, sheep eat themselves to death.

He also expects us to uphold His boundaries for the love of humanity.

Creation is power. God creates everything from nothing-nothing but His infinite power. We can create nothing unless it originates in Him. We take the seed, the material, the yeast [from Him] and work it into the ground, the canvas, the dough and out comes plants, paintings and provision.

Our creative process is receive, work, produce, repeat.

And there are two possible outcomes. Building up or tearing down. Giving life or diminishing life. Moving toward God or moving away. [I might add, moving others toward God or away.]

Contrast building a house to a working a meth lab.
Contrast a vote of confidence with an encouraging word to a brutal tongue-lashing.
Contrast serving at a soup kitchen to burglarizing a convenience store.
Contrast self-denying love to self-serving demands in a relationship.

Using those contrasts, it’s easy to see the positive or negative effect of one choice over another.

But what about our daily, sometimes seemingly insignificant choices? What power might they hold? What we eat, whether we exercise, what we watch, purchase, read, how we drive, etc.

Back to The Bachelorette, follow a trail of that one show’s potential influence on up-coming young people, believing women to be nothing more than s*x-objects and you will find at it’s end, s*x-trafficking, pornography and prostitution. Broken families, broken children, and a broken society.

And I guess we are already there, aren’t we? The USA is broken, and in deep need of healing.

No doubt, you too have considered the cause of so many woes in our day. How is it that human thinking has become so twisted?

And it’s easy to see several things that have hastened the advancement of sin, evil, confusion and darkness, but what about the little things? What about my daily choices? How may they have contributed to the increased violence, lawlessness and immorality?

Have I held to the God’s standard? Loving what He loves and despising what He hates? Or have I compromised as the boundaries have moved increasingly outward in culture? Do I need to pull in my boundaries again by practicing self-denial and restraint? What have I invested in? Life or death?

Have you considered your power?
What are you producing?
What roles and positions do you hold where you influence others?
What are you building with your time, energy and resources?

“Whether we like it or not, our private choices eventually bear public fruit. The things we prioritize from the day to day are like seeds we plant in the ground. In due time they surface and bear fruit in our lives –good, bad, or otherwise. Though we are saved by grace and loved unconditionally, our stewardship matters to God.” ~Susie Larson #YourSacredYes p. 155

“What we do with the cross determines where we spend eternity. How we live our life here determines how we spend eternity.” ~John Bevere ” Driven by Eternity

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” ~ Jesus

Dad's Chair

Sat, 13 Jun 2015 12:00:00 GMT

One year ago today, we laid my Dad to rest.

I had the honor of writing the Eulogy for his funeral. This morning I returned to it, and after editing a paragraph by adding a list of his accomplishments, I want to share it in memory of him.

Dad’s Chair

Dad delighted in his people.

We are marked by his love of farming and his work ethic.

The demands of a dairy farm and large family never kept Dad from enjoying his love of hunting and fishing. And even there he was our teacher.

His joy in our success as well as his own, has marked us all with a hunger to enjoy, advance and succeed in life and cheer others on as we do.

We will all fondly recall the glimmer in Dad’s eyes when he succeeded in bringing joy to others.

Like the marks on the floor from the frequented chair, his love through teaching, rejoicing, working and giving has marked our hearts, which will continue to bear a bit of him here through our lives.

We can only bow our heads and thank God now for such a father, for such a man to celebrate today.

Probable Impossibilities [I'm Writing @ Deeper Waters Today]

Wed, 10 Jun 2015 12:47:00 GMT

I found out that I have some pretty sturdy guardrails in my mind because reading the words of Madeline L’Engle is causing all sorts of ideas to bump up against them. Particularly in the chapter, “Probable Impossibilities”

I’m chewing on foreign concepts.

New perceptions might need to bump around over a course of years. Mrs. L’Engle herself alluded to “chewing on” Aristotle’s words since her college days, “that which is probable and impossible is better than that which is possible and improbable.”

In her book, “Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art”, I find myself on an exploration of art or creativity as a means of busting free of man-created restraints and breaking into uncharted possibilities.

To read more, hop over to Deeper Waters

What Fortune Lies Beyond The Stars

Fri, 29 May 2015 21:29:00 GMT

Occasionally, music swoops down and lifts my soul, twirling joy, and spilling light . . .

. . . the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. ~ John 16:27 NIV

Humus . It is the root word of humility. It is also the root word of human.
Men, made of earth.
We are the lowly, ashes to ashes material. And dust to dust.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ~ Matthew 5:3 NIV

Humble humans get heaven. The ones who know we are empty until.

One Man, not from dust, came down from Heaven.

Jesus.

We are told, and we sing it, He is the Light of the world.
Jesus, Fully God, full of the Holy Spirit, and the exact representation of God the Father.
Hebrews 1:3 NIV

A kind King. A beautiful Blesser. A radiant Redeemer. A generous Giver.

The Father, He would give His greatest Treasure to humans.

A Diamond delivered to dirt.

And dirt, surrendering becomes encapsulated in Diamond.

To highlight His lavish love, He came encapsulated in skin. Light entered through darkness,
and came not to a Mansion, but to a manger.

To show His mercy, He chose a brutal, bloody, humiliating display of human-hatred toward His human-loving glory.

The One whose very name holds such power as to make men bristle or to make them rejoice.

The Rock of Ages.

Humans, we all return to earth, but Diamonds rise.

We can fall on the Rock humble, and rise up. Or we fall under the Rock, proud and crushed.
Matthew 21:44 NIV
That is the one decision.
Resist the Diamond or surrender.

“I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground.” ~Hillsong United [Touch the Sky]

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. . . . Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up. ~ James 6:4 , 10 NIV

When You're On The Edge Of Your Seat

Thu, 28 May 2015 21:14:00 GMT

When your favorite team is in the playoffs, they’ve come up from behind and the score is tied.

The morning of your Daughter’s wedding after months of planning, and there is so much to do.

When you are waiting for the signature on the offer you made on a house.

The day you get the call-finally! The baby is coming!

That is what it’s like for me today.

[THANK YOU!!!]

You have enabled me to hold on to the front page in the writing contest through the weeks since I submitted my piece . And there are still THREE DAYS left! A lot can happen in three days, so I’m here asking for your help.

I’m hoping for a stone to roll, for a door to be opened.
Will you please pray for me and for God’s will in my writing?
[Thank YOU!]

Just today I’ve noticed wider-known authors have risen up to the front page (all ten of the entries are non-fiction so in order to be “in” the judging I will need to remain on the front page)

If you have already voted, would you consider sharing this with a friend and asking them to read and vote? Click on the image on my side bar or HERE.

Gentle Reign Descend Upon The Weary Land

Tue, 26 May 2015 01:22:00 GMT

Gentle rains descend upon the weary land,
Soldiers served, so often died to keep men free.
Curs-ed domination veiled by evil men,
Burden of lost souls oppressed, longingly plead.

O Lord, descend upon the weary land,
For soldiers serve, die not for liberty.
Curs-ed domination veiled by evil men,
Burdened souls deprived, now eager plead.

Veil that captures darkness shrouds high eyes,
Over-seers captivated by deceit.
Fear – the death – the noose that severs life,
Hardened hearts unfree -a vile pursuit.

When You O Lord of love will have your way,
The innocence You sent to us, Redeem.
Men bound by earthly men whose hearts hold war,
Oppose You here, then there shall live no more.

May we, the grateful soul unburdened captives,
Press on in faithful service to our King.
Though men deceived believe they have dominion,
Assuredly the God of love will reign Supreme.

[I wrote this poem this morning, and have failed to find an image to satisfy what my heart sees.]

I pray you have enjoyed your Memorial Day Weekend.

God BLESS all those who serve and the families who endure long waiting for their return and those who have lost loved ones on behalf of service to our country.

You Can Trust The One Who Made You ~ He Loves You

Fri, 22 May 2015 16:30:00 GMT

I do not know the numbers of hairs on my head.

And even if I were interested to know, I’d not consider it a worthy investment of time – not to mention a most boring and tedious endeavor which would result in absolutely no benefit whatsoever . . .

Likely you feel the same way. Especially if you have as much hair as I do. My poor hairstylist usually goes over the booked amount of time due to the amount of hair that accompanies me.

God has numbered our hairs. All of them. Luke 12:7 and Matthew 10:30 [Seriously!]

And I think this tells us so much about His love.
And a love like that speaks of His goodness and faithfulness.

If you have ever created art , built a business , prepped for a wedding , or remodeled your home ; if you’ve raised children, invested in a project, then you understand the intricacy of your investment and how your soul intertwines with the work you’ve done.

Have you learned that no one really knows what goes into what you do unless they have done it themselves?

In shopping for my gift shop, I drove five hours down to Madison, WI. I carried with me a rolling trash can. Upon arrival, I unloaded it, carried it up a flight of steps, across a road, over a curb and into the Alliant Energy Center where I waited in line with other shop owners until the market opened.

When the doors were open, it was kind of a mad rush, waiting in lines, navigating around loaded carts and trash cans like mine, making insta-decisions with hard-earned money on what my customers would purchase.

When the trash can was full, I’d roll it back to the holding area where I was given large tags on wire to number my things. I’d add my address label to each one, [or write my name and address when I forgot the labels] and twist them on bags of potpourri, posts of birdhouses, wrought iron garden decor, etc and then go back into the fray, where I would start all over.

I’d shop for four hours or so, back the Tahoe in to the loading area, strategically load it-sometimes it took unloading and reloading to fit it all in. Then upon returning the five hour trip with a loaded Tahoe, the next day [I did sleep!] I’d unpack, remove price tags, put my own price tags on, and work the merchandise into the displays.

People always said of my shopping trips, “That must be so fun!!!”
I’d smile at them and nod, thinking, “If you only knew.”

What I invested in, I followed through on.
What you invest in, you continue to care for.

You are motivated because of your investment to maintain it, to protect it, to see that it thrives.

Our Creator is invested in us. We are His workmanship. He has numbered our hairs.

Often I marvel at how quickly my heart can default to fear upon hearing some piece of bad news, because by now I have quite a history with this faithful God of love that I’ve grown to know.

But I find that when I dwell on His attention to detail – he numbers my hairs! Matthew 10:30-31
Not a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowing. Matthew 10:29
And that He delights in every detail of my life. Psalm 37:23NLT
I am more prone to trust Him more readily.

Would God have put up with us this long if He had only a limited amount of grace? If He had only a limited amount of anything, He wouldn’t be God. I shouldn’t use the word amount , because amount means “a measure” and you can’t measure God in any direction. God dwells in no dimension and can be measured in no way. Measures belong to human beings. Measures belong to the stars. ~ A. W. Tozer “The Radical Cross”

He cannot be measured, yet he measures every detail of our lives. Even the hairs on our head.
Can you now trust Him more readily too?

You Are Made For It | And You Reflect It | LOVE | The Impact Of Your Life Will Create Ripples

Tue, 19 May 2015 12:05:00 GMT

At thirtysomething, I was still searching for significance. I was a wife and mother of two, homeschooling in a tiny town. My family of origin was over an hour away, and phones had plastic-coated spiral cords attached to the wall.

There was no internet, no smart phones, and many days I felt confined.

I wondered what in the world I was here for.
The woman on the platform was shining light on our value and uniqueness.

And on God, our Master designer.

A few of us mamas had left our little people in the care of their dads to get a spiritual recharge. We were sitting in the evening session at a weekend retreat.

My friend Lisa was sitting to my right.

As the speaker went over God’s gift list , she expounding on the gifts of teaching, giving, faith, helping, overseeing, encouraging, speaking, wisdom, discernment, etc . . .

And I was leaning in, hoping to glimpse mine. [ 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 ]

The desire for significance is universal. We all have an ache, a deep longing and I believe we are created to thirst for it. And like all of our inner longings, it is meant to be fulfilled by our relationship with the One who’s image we bear. The Living Water.

When the speaker began to describe the gift of encouragement, Lisa leaned over to me, cupped her hand on the side of her mouth and said, “THAT one is definitely you. ”

Her affirming words penetrated into the depths of my soul.

The description of encouragement was resonating with me already, and then she cemented it there with her pronouncement of what she had observed in my life.

You might say her affirmation stoked a fire in me.

I’ve been considering the significance [there’s that word!] of Lisa being with me that weekend and affirming what she saw in me. She greatly impacted my life. And there are ripple effects from that one whispered sentence. The Lord has enabled me to encourage and build up many women with confidence that He had gifted me to do so.

I mentor five high school girls on Wednesday night, and last week I took them to the flower shop to purchase flowers for the planters at church. After getting them in planted, we still had a half an hour of time, so I drove them to the beach where I got a bit camera happy.

And they were happy too! [have you noticed high school girls love “silly”?]

Together we came up with this “LOVE” on the dock. What I didn’t realize until editing the photos was the reflection in the water. And my thoughts wandered . . .

What if one of the five were missing? Would there still be LOVE? No, it would be incomplete.

And what would happen to the reflection if even one were missing? It would be incomplete.

Do you realize, that without YOU, the world around you would be incomplete?

Do you have the freedom in your soul – by knowing and trusting the LOVE of God for you?

You can and should from time to time – celebrate the wonder of YOU. It’s okay you know, as long as you give credit where credit is due. Credit should always go to the Master Artist whose image we bear. ��

In The Valley Of The Shadow of Death: A Call For God's People To Pray

Mon, 18 May 2015 02:20:00 GMT

At the checkout in the grocery store, the boy who was buying the apple beer – there was something about him that made me want to know him. Maybe he reminded me a bit of my own son. His playful demeanor and winsome smile drew me to engage him in conversation.

Since I don’t regularly drink beer, and actually I haven’t for such a long time that I didn’t even know that beer could have a flavor other than, well . . . beer.

I’ve seen the advertisements in magazines, on the posters outside of the grocery store. Vanilla Beer. Apple Beer. Peach, raspberry, chocolate, coffee, and upon googling it just now, I found there is even beard beer . [Yes, you read that right-and if you click over to read the description you will find that they even use -ohmygoodness- bull testicles in modern craft beer making!]

Thirsty?

Back to the boy . . .
I’m curious and I ask him, “Does it really taste like apple?”

He said “It’s good, but you have to take a drink after you open it and then add vodka to it. It’s just not strong enough to get drunk.”

I smiled at the boy, wanting to mother him, remembering that it was the assumed goal of cracking open a Miller Light when I was 19, and I told him he didn’t need to get drunk.

He smiled back, amused that I’d be his mommy-in-the-moment.

After I paid for my groceries, I headed out to the car and he was just getting into his, parked a two spaces beyond mine. He smiled at me again, as he heard this mother tell him, “Please stay safe!”

He assured me that he would.

Thirty years earlier I could have been a friend in that car going the same place he was going. To party with my friends, and likely laughing about that lady in the grocery store who presumed to act as my mother.

And I prayed for him as I saw him drive off. That God would keep him safe. Save him Lord. That he would know he is made for so much more than a temporary high that often ends in puking your guts out. Or nearly dying from embarrassment when you remember your antics from the night before. [Yes, I am speaking from experience.]

And sometimes, worse than dying from humiliation, there is really, truly dying.
We never think it will be us . . .

Just three nights before I surrogate-mothered this boy buying apple beer and vodka, I was at the visitation of a 20 year old boy who, after leaving the bars in his college town somehow drown in the river.

He wasn’t reported missing until the third day. I cannot tell you how my soul grieves.

My husband and I drank beer with his father when we were too young to be drinking.

In 1987 [or maybe ’88], I was bar hopping with a friend in the same town that Robby drowned.

After the bars closed in River Falls, we drove to Beldenville where they stayed open until 2:00 am. It was what my girlfriends and their friends did in R.F. [that’s what we called it] on the weekends. On the way home from Beldenville, my friend lost control on a curve and we rolled into the ditch, her body landing on top of mine. I stood on my door and helped her climb out of hers . . . then I jumped down into the ditch . . . her family came for us.

It was a sobering experience. My friend’s mom took us to the hospital in the morning to get checked out. God’s grace kept us from harm other than my bruises. Her mom talked about God that day. The gift of a mother who loves . . .

That world I once lived in seems so far away now. It was a world of carelessness. Of living for the moment.

I keep finding myself wondering why I lived through those days and others don’t. Only God knows. As I have been in prayer for this young man’s friends and family, in my own grief, and in lieu of the barrage of river drownings of drunk college students: [from the article linked above]

“Sontag’s death is one of several which have occurred in the past under similar circumstances in the Midwest. Reports of students drinking and drowning have been reported at numerous universities including UW-Eau Claire and UW-La Crosse, the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State.”

Will you please join me in prayer for the college students, prayer over the waters that are meant to give life, but are instead stealing it? Pray that God will put a hedge around the waters. Pray that the Holy Spirit will thwart the plans of the evil spirits intent on stealing, killing and destroying life. Pray that young people will value their lives, love wisdom, and that love will surround them.

An Opportunity. Will You Help?

Thu, 07 May 2015 19:56:00 GMT

Hi Friends!

I’ve just submitted a piece to a writing contest at Faith Radio.

Would you go read and vote for it? The top ten favorites in each category will be voted on by the official judges, so you would be helping me get the chance to be judged.

My piece is here: When You Want To Ask The Question “Why God?”

Rescued By Love

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 00:32:00 GMT

Life Is Here Today!

Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. Galatians 1:4

The alarm jolted her awake. And it was there again, the feeling of foreboding. The sense that failure was imminent. It was like a background noise, this dark cloud in her mind. A weight of dark.

So common was the morning greeting, she’d become accustomed to bearing the heavy weight of it. Barely living.

Limping through her day wondering why every step felt shaky.

There were pressures to STOP IT.
How she wished she could.
Just.
Stop.
It.

“How are you today?” He’d ask upon returning from work.
And she’d hated to say it again, “Not great.” and his disappointment showed on his face. Frustration even.

He was sick to death of whatever it was that was going on with her. Why can’t she see life is good?

And she was sick to death of waiting for some relief, some light to overcome her darkness.
Depression stuck, like last night’s burnt lasagne on the edges of the pan still in the sink.

In her fear, she’d lost sight of love.
In her gloomy state, those who loved her couldn’t. Didn’t know how.

She’d groped. Digging into her Bible, looking for answers.
But she was missing the one thing that would allow the truth to set her free.

One thing that had to be unlocked by Another.

She was missing Trust. She wanted to trust, but something was blocking it.
How often she looked for the key. How she longed to be free from the depressing prison.

How she longed to love life.
Longed to be loved.

Unbelief was blocking love.

One day, Love broke through.

Words suddenly, a mirror to her heart:
“You are listening to the wrong voice.”
“Mine is the voice of love.”

“You are looking for love in the wrong place.”
“You are seeking to make yourself lovable.”

“Do you see that? “Make Yourself?”

“It is I who made you.
I, the One who died for you.
Only I can love you perfectly.”

“You can choose to believe.”

“Do you believe?”

How A Lie Appears True And Where Is Truth?

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 12:01:00 GMT

If I am the only one who believes a lie.
Everyone else will know it is a lie.

If I convince my friend that the lie I believe is true.
Both my friend and I will believe the lie is true.
Lie x 2

If both my friend and I convince two more friends that the lie is true,
then six people will believe the lie is true.
Lie x 6

The lie is in motion.
The lie is growing.
The lie is spreading.
The lie has gained power because more people believe it to be true.

When the six people convince their families, their neighbors, and their coworkers that the lie is true, and if all the people in the families, in the neighborhoods and the businesses believe the lie is true . . .
Lie x 20,000

Lie advances powerfully, fiercely, rapidly.

Pinochio’s nose, it grows, and grows, and grows.

The lie is now believed to be truth.
The lie is still a lie, but it appears to be truth to all the lie-believers.

And all people will suffer for it.
Even, maybe especially those who didn’t believe the lie.

Deception is the enemy of the soul. It is bondage.
Deception is the enemy of life. It is darkness.
Deception is the enemy of humanity. It is hatred.
Deception is the enemy of the world. It is condemnation.

Deception is demonic, darkness, and death.

There is One who Knows, Upholds, and Restores truth.

He came to restore truth.
He came to restore liberty.
He came to light the darkness.
He came to expose lies.

Christ Jesus was crucified by liars.

I was a liar.
I still sometimes lie.
I have believed lies.
I have spread lies.
I have been in bondage to lies.
I have been imprisoned by lies.

I have been entrapped by pride.

Pride harbors lies.
Pride is unwillingness to admit agreement with lies.
Pride destroys.

Humility unmasks lies.

Humility before God enables Truth to rule.
Humility heals the heart of humanity.
Humility paves the path to emancipation, restoration, resurrection.

Humility is the path to peace.

Admitting the truth disarms the lie.
Admitting the truth is confession.

Have you ever lied?
Do you believe lies?
Do you spread lies?

How do you know what you are believing is true?

Jesus is the Way.
Jesus is the Truth.
Jesus is the Life.
Jesus is the Word of God.
John 1:1-5

Jesus is Lord.

What if six people who had heard the lie had resisted believing?
What if the lie was so powerful, there was no resistance to be found?
What if truth-believers remained silent about the truth?

One cannot know what is true unless they know the Truth.

One cannot know what is true unless Truth moves in and exposes the lie.

What if only One knows the truth, but no one believes Him because they believe the lie to be true?

Will He Find Faith On The Earth?

What if everyone believed only lies?

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

You Want To Know What To Pray

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 12:37:00 GMT

I pray this most often for the people I love, and for all people.

That God would give us a desire for Truth in our inmost being and fill us with wisdom.

Our inmost desires drive us and determine our choices.
Desire drives our priorities.
Guides our words.

Truth is love.
Truth is the great emancipator. [ John 8:32 ]

Without Truth, there is ultimately death of some sort.
Death in relationships.
Death of dreams.
Death of purity.
Of health.
Of wholeness.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. [ John 14:6 ]
Ultimately I pray for hunger & thirst for Jesus in our inmost being.
The Bread of Life and Living Water that springs up to eternal life. [ John 4:14 ; John 7:38 ]

He is our wisdom. [ 1 Corinthians 1:30 ]
He is our Life. [ Colossians 3:4 ]

#RESETourNATION
#reviveusLord
#RESET2015
#NDOP2105
#praythiswithme2015

I hope you will plan on praying for our nation on the National Day of Prayer on May 7th .

If you are in the Twin Cities area, join us here with Kari Jobe and Francis Chan: [or this year you can participate from your home!] UNITE

Promo Video

Its "Holy Week" - What In The World Is Holy?

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 01:07:00 GMT

Sometimes life with me gets pretty serious.

It’s why I married a funny guy. [Did I tell you I met him at an amusement park?] When I tell him of some of the news stories I read during the day while he is at work, he sighs heavy.

Sometimes we just don’t want to know about the heavy stuff. Admittedly, sometimes I spend too much time reading about it.

I would love to ignore our current world reality. And many days I actually do. When its busy. Living life is enough without having to worry about problems outside the realm of my little life circle.

But even when we want to, we cannot ignore reality in our land , in our world any longer. The waves of adversity are coming heavier and more often. More sickness, more loss, more suicide, more terror, more fighting, more fear.

And I don’t think we realize it. Everything one human being does affects at least one other, if not an entire community or nation.

This is a truth we have denied. “To each his own,” we say.
Or, “What do I care as long as it doesn’t affect me?”

It does! If you buy peanut butter, you enable a peanut farmer. [Is that what they are called?]

Have you had a suicide in your neighborhood? Have you known an addict? Do you see the increase of everything horrible all around us? Sex trafficking. Pornography addiction. Gambling addiction. Immorality. The list goes on and on . . .

This is “Holy Week” and we [as a culture] likely have only a vague idea what the word holy means. It’s value has been mocked and spit on. What happened over two thousand years ago to Jesus is still happening today as He promised it would before He went to the cross.

“What i n the world is holy ?”
” Something or someone set apart for or devoted to God”
“Anything in the presence of God.”

I could end this post right here, we could stop and think about that for longer than 20 minutes and be able to answer the question more explicitly.

Why do we celebrate Holy Week?

One cannot come near God unless one is holy. || 1 Peter 1:15-16 ||

One cannot be holy unless the blood of Christ has covered our sin. || Titus 2:14 ||

No doubt you’ve seen the news this week leading up to our celebration of the resurrection of Christ, and it’s quite clear that we, as a nation have moved far from God.

There has been an erosion of all things holy.

And we need a restoration of consecration

Easter is the perfect time for a turn-around. To gaze upon the cross of Christ, to see the cost of sin upon His body, and to understand how destructive it is to us. Oh that all people would understand this affliction called sin and know that it has a cure!

The cure for sin and darkness is Christ! The power is in His resurrection!

He is ALIVE!

He sees all. All our sin, and our strife and our pride and still, as long as we have breath in our lungs, He stands with open arms to welcome us in if we seek Him for forgiveness and grace.

To repent of the sins of this land, we could start here:

Dear Lord, please forgive us for . . .

Instead of loving purity, we have “soiled our clothes.” || Lamentations 1:9 NLT ||
We have called good evil and evil good. And God says, “Woe.” || Isaiah 5:20 ||
We have polluted our soil || Numbers 35:33 ||
Instead of worshiping only You, we have worshiped our own ability and ideas, and choices, our money, government, success, our material goods, food, homes, cars, our educations, accolades, friends, status . . . Oh Lord, these and so many more. Please forgive us!

Christ is the atonement for all that is polluting our land. We just need to humble ourselves and repent . . .

Lord Jesus, we need a revival. Blow the wind of your Holy Spirit across this land!

Please help us to repent of our wicked ways – those of us who call ourselves Christians – so Lord, You can PLEASE turn and heal our land. || 2 Chronicles 7:14 ||

As much as we’d like to ignore the bad news that permeates our days, as much as we hope it will just go away, we know it wont.

But in the midst of it, each of us can make wise choices. We can share the good things. Do good to all people. Honor God. Live holy lives by repenting and receive the gift of the shed blood of Christ.

And even in all of the hard news, we still always have so much to thank God for and to celebrate.

And the greatest gift of all, His sacrifice, death and resurrection!
He is holy and made a way for us to get close to Him.

What Do I Know of Holy? by Addison Road [email subscribers can click over to the blog to listen]

Why I Don't Fear Judgment | We're Human After All

Sat, 28 Mar 2015 21:47:00 GMT

Sometimes a negative opinion will crush me. My soul shrivels. Face in dirt.

And I have to reach for the Light to stand up again. Find footing in truth.
Drink grace to find peace.

The truth is, we talk about grace, our understanding has grown. [Hasn’t it?] We know we can’t be perfect. We’re human after all. But we still expect perfection from ourselves or from each other.

We still expect perfection from humans. Because, we’re human after all.

I tried perfectionism.
I lived it as a child actually.
Okay – as an adult too – always living on the edge of anxiety.
My peace was found in performance.
Therefore my peace was . . . well, rocky.
And not only dependent on my performance, but also upon opinions about my performance.

It worked out well sometimes. Deeply entrenching it in my soul’s DNA. It was always exhausting.

Shaky knees hoping groping for favor.
Tender heart hoping groping for acceptance.
Insecure soul hoping groping for acceptance.

Arrive early to avoid anxiety.
Wear the right clothes.
Practice, practice, practice frantically to avoid criticism.
No mistakes.
No messing up.
Please the people, Kathy, make them happy and you will be too.
Consider every possible response or outcome
before choosing,
before speaking,
before acting.

Exhausting. So exhausting.

I’ve met them for coffee, and often heard college students open a conversation about something with these words, “Not to be judgemental, but . . . ” and then express what was on their heart.
Are we all walking on eggshells, fearful of cracking?
Why are we so vulnerable?

Have we, the people chiseled an Eleventh Commandment? “Thou Shalt Not Judge” on stones to throw? Have we accepted the stones in our bones? Stones with words chiseled by those who have sinned – just as we ourselves have?

Can anyone count how many times they’ve seen it: “Thou Shalt Not Judge!” in the sharp disagreements stacked upon stacks of opinions beneath opinions on controversial topics?

It’s an easy answer to hurl. “Don’t judge!” It’s so much easier to cement a label on something or someone than it is to open our hearts and listen . Or humble our hearts and yield.

We guard our opinions like mama bears with their cubs. Unrelenting claws.

The thing is, opinions are not laws.

And we make them laws. We who give opinions power over our peace.

But God is the only One whose Word will stand. | Mark 13:31 |
He is the only Just and True Lawgiver. | Romans 7:12 |

There is so much to sort through in our lives. Now more than ever. Has the world gone mad?

One cannot unravel the complexities of our freedom in less than 500 words – it takes much time to study God’s word to clarify our liberty from the laws of opinion.

But we have this grace to sail in. We who bear the Truth. Us who are Living Letters.
Flesh being made The Word. | John 3:30 |

We are called to judge. | 1 Corinthians 2:15 |
We are warned not to judge. | Luke 6:37 |

And He came to rescue us from our enemies and serve Him without fear. | Luke 1:74 |
And we can be our own worst enemy. Expectations on Perfect Performance.
Or we can be our friend’s worst enemy. Expectations on Perfect Performance.

Expectations on anything other than God is idolatry. | Exodus 20:3 |

When we value human opinions over God’s word, we worship humans. | Proverbs 29:25 |

Only God sees the whole heart. We only see in part. | 1 Corinthians 13:12 |

We, the people of faith, have a shield against all stones. The shield of Faith. | Ephesians 2:8 |

Opinions are not our refuge. God is. | Psalm 46:11 |

We, the people of faith . . . well, like Sierra used to sing, the longer we know the Lord the more we know, we got no stones to throw . . . and we have a shield to deflect them when they are hurled against us.

And it’s the Easter truth! We are FREE from judgment!

Whom the Son sets free is free indeed! | John 8:36 |
[if you are viewing in email, click over to blog to listen to the song]

Today Is A Good Day For: A God-Story * A Friend's Podcast * And A House

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 11:00:00 GMT

Hi friends! I promised you a post about the house we flipped last year, and started this in December. I apologize for the delay, and as it works out, my friend Amy Bennett is starting a new podcast about faith stories and asked me if I had one. (You can click on her name to find out more).

Right away I thought of this little story, and so it works perfectly to finally blog about it and publish my post on the same day as the podcast goes live.

TODAY you can go online and listen to me tell the story!

You can find the podcast by clicking here: FEATHERS and then come back and read the post for a few more details and our “Before & After” photos! EnJOY!!! (The other two stories go live today as well! #000 is Amy’s story, #001 is Jessie’s story, and mine is #002)

Once upon a time, this crazy couple decided to flip a house.

It all started when we were still waiting for our farm to sell. I met our WI realtor at a little house in our little town that was listed for $29,000.

I was emailing photos to my husband who was working in another state. As we were deciding over phone conversations that it would be a good investment, the realtor hollered from the back steps where she’d been talking on the phone, “They just got an accepted offer!!!”

Really!? After all that – it was not happening for us there that day.

But the light was lit.

And after we closed on the sale of our farm, we decided God had been working this dream into our hearts.

So after a few months and a dozen showings during #snowmageddon2014 (our poor realtor!) we found a little house.

It’s not that the couple are really crazy, really.

They had fixed up each of the former five homes they’d owned, and made their sweat and bloody-knuckles into equity.

They enjoyed the product, and endured the process.

There is satisfaction on the other side of every hard endeavor. Plus, they are gifted. She in decorating and color-coordinating, and he’s . . . I guess they call guys like him “Jack of all trades.” He’s been a farmer, a mechanic, a cabinet-maker, a concrete dude, a builder, a foreman, a supervisor.

He’s says, “I built the Excel Energy Center.” And they tease him at church sometimes that he single-handedly built the Excel Energy Center. And then we all laugh.

He’s always told his wife, “I can do anything.” And has proven it a thousand times. [And it is true! There’s nothing he hasn’t set out to do and not followed through!]

So . . . with an electrician friend, updates were made on the electrical, and the furnace was updated from fuel oil to natural gas, and the chimney was lined, and a bathrooms fixed up and a kitchen remodeled. Closets were added to bedrooms and the entryway. Gravel to the driveway, yard weeded, shrubs planted, sawdust and sheetrock dust created daily – then vacuumed again , and [for yours truly] paint, paint, and more pain (t).

We saved a ton of money by purchasing used items on Craig’s List (we purchased cabinets and removed them ourselves, out of the servant’s quarters on the third floor of a mansion on Summit Ave in St. Paul, MN ) and we found many fixtures and furniture pieces for staging at Habitat For Humanity’s Restore shop .

It was a wild journey led by God and you can listen to the podcast about it here: FEATHERS and FLIPPING A HOUSE

PHOTO JOURNEY:
[The Mess]

The Bathroom before:

The Kitchen before:

The Porch before:

Stairway and landing before:

In the craziness of the journey, I’ve lost some of the “before” photos of the bedrooms , but I have some ‘in process’ here:

The Landing upstairs in progress:

I found this (below) decal for around a dollar at Walmart one day, and put it on the wall in the entrance to the stairs, so one would see it coming down for coffee in the morning. We found out THIS caught the buyers eye. And I’d had a feeling about it when I bought it . . .

[The Masterpiece]
WELCOME!

The entryway and laundry area:

The kitchen:

The bathroom:

The front entryway and porch:

The Living Room:
The only thing we did in here was new trim, switch lights, spiffy up the floor and paint the walls.

The Bedrooms and Upstairs Bath:

Thank you for visiting!

When God Speaks {How He Longs That We Hear So He Can Bless Us} But Will We Listen?

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 12:30:00 GMT

How easy it is to hear and not listen.

It happens. So often I’m telling the four year old, “Look at me” when I’m trying to get him to actually hear what I’m saying. “Throw that in the garbage please! Honey, look at me . . .”

Isn't he cute!?

How easy it is to hear and not listen.

It happens when I’m driving and a song comes on that I’ve heard 10,000 times, and suddenly I really hear it for the first time. “Why didn’t I ever catch that before?”

In the book of Jeremiah, God gives Jeremiah, the prophet His messages to warn Israel of impending disaster if they don’t repent. And no one listens. As far as I know, not one person turned to God through Jeremiah’s message.

Can you imagine having a hard message to deliver, one that made people angry and hateful, and no one, not even one listens?

To tell you the truth, that is why I wanted to study this book, I am amazed by Jeremiah’s relentless obedience, composure and endurance. I want that. I pray for that.

Often I feel anger if someone doesn’t believe the truth, or I begin to doubt that I am in the truth when it seems many others are going a different way in their thinking. This causes me to return to God in His Word and thankfully, He clarifies truth.

If only we would turn there, to Him, we would find the good way. Oppression would cease. Bondages would be broken . . .

I remember a couple of years ago, landing on a blog where the man was making a biblical case for polygamy. His arguments were so convincing using scripture that I was shaken. So I closed my computer, and as I prayed and began to listen for the God’s voice, I heard His familiar words, “Keep the marriage bed pure.” Hebrews 13:4 and “A man should leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and they will become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24

He settled my soul into the truth, but I left that experience amazed at how quickly my mind could go in a direction based on human logic and reasoning. And what is even weirder, is that logically, polygamy makes no sense. It only leads to competition, and pain. The things God’s loving boundaries are meant to protect us against. Duh.

I remembered Eve being hooked by the deceiver when he appealed to her logic and she, reasoning with him, stretched God’s word to make it sound as if He was holding out on her instead of protecting her by the limit he instituted in the garden. Genesis 3:2-3 (God never said she shouldn’t touch the fruit.)

In the book of Jeremiah, I don’t think I could accurately count the times that God said something to the effect of,

“But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward . . . .And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.” Jeremiah 7:24 , 28

My heart broke reading, “truth has perished.” What a tragic place to be. Living without truth is living in bondage. John 8:32

Honestly, as I read through this rather depressing book, (It’s depressing if you don’t know God and that He is passionate about people coming to repentance and that is the whole reason for His message.) my heart ached at the condition of our land. And so I pray that we will HEAR GOD today. That we will not stiffen our necks and harden our hearts because He longs to show mercy ( Isaiah 30:18 ) and His mercy triumphs over his judgement. ( James 2:13 ) But only if there is repentance and humble honoring of Him and His ways. ( Jeremiah 7:5-7 )

Dear Lord, help us humble ourselves before You, stop our word wars, and our prideful name-calling, and get on our knees to seek your good favor upon us. O Merciful God, hear the prayers of your people who listen to you pleading for repentance in our land in our day.

Reconciliation: The Place of Grace

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 07:00:00 GMT

It’s likely you’ve heard the admonition to “preach the gospel to yourself.” But do you have a practical, systematic way for doing that? What do you say when you preach the gospel to yourself?

{How do you tell yourself the good news when you are under fire?}

The gospel message about Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection has the ability to enrich us and make us wealthy in mind and spirit, word and deed (see Colossians 3:16 ). Yet if we have little grasp on how to effectively apply it, we miss out on the power it holds.

Preaching the gospel to ourselves means allowing our thinking, emotions, and responses to daily be shaped by the truth of the gospel. ~Arabah Joy

In this series, we hope to give you practical help in preaching the gospel to yourself. We’ve pulled key gospel concepts and compiled them into a list of words, such as justification, redemption, and sanctification. Don’t let the big words scare you because we’ve explained them!

We’ve also summarized each of these powerful truths in a useable way.

We hope this series will deepen your grasp on the gospel and give you verbiage for what to say when you need a healthy dose of good news!

How to use this series:

To begin, read my post below. Then visit each of the links for more gospel words. Take notes while you visit! You may want to bookmark this page because you’ll probably want to come back here often.

Reconciliation:

Former enemies agree.
One resigning to something not desired in order to be reconciled.
The process of making compatible.

It happens every time I speak a harsh word to my husband. Or when his words don’t land gently on my heart. There is this invisible weight pressing down my eyes. I avoid his. I can. Not. Look.

I know this force is the presence of my pride. My pride must yield, must actually die in order to restore our relationship. Whether it’s his offense or mine. There is no relationship without reconciliation. And no reconciliation without death. In the case with my husband, death to my pride.

“Reconciliation, by definition, assumes a previous state of alienation and hostility caused by the offensive action of one or both parties.” Jerry Bridges; The Gospel For Real Life

Isaiah 59:2 states the condition of our souls in relationship to God: “but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Our sin separates us from God and He turns his face away and will not listen to us.

There is so much about this in scripture. We face our condition daily. Even if no one else sees, even if we keep from acting it out, we harbor thoughts. Anger, jealousy, cursing, lies in our discomfort, and fears.

It’s all there inside of us pointing to our desperate condition. We feel it. We hide behind our unsteady structures: accomplishments, good deeds, popularity . . . until our business fails to fulfill us. Until we realize that we are giving to the poor for the reason of satisfying our guilt. Until we face rejection or disagreement. Then we find we’ve built on sinking sand.

So familiar are we with our mucky hearts, we often take little notice of the mud. We think, “I’m not as bad as So-and-So”

We find false-justification by comparing ourselves to others who are ‘worse’.

We do need God to show us how offensive our ‘goodness’ is in light of His holiness.

When we read what God has to say about our sin, it’s a stark and piercing reality.

The sinful mind is hostile to God. Romans 8:7
Because of sin, we were enemies of God. Romans 5:10

His Holy love sent Jesus. His Holy love submitted in innocence to death by crucifixion. Jesus submitted his body to angry, hate-filled men when he could have called down a host of angels. Matthew 26:53

Reconciliation results from a change of heart. Death to my way.

In the case of my relationship with my husband, one or both of us needs to humble ourselves to restore relationship. Pride dies, or relationship dies. There is no getting around it.

In the case of our relationship with God, we are the ones that need to change. But we can’t. As hard as we try to keep ourselves from lying, cursing, seeking to make ourselves look good, gossiping, slandering, complaining, we inevitably find we can not.

So, come to the Cross. The place of grace.

“Its tragedy summons all sufferers. Its absurdity attracts all cynics. Its hope lures all searchers. . . . Its bottom line is sobering: if the account is true, it is history’s hinge. Period. If not, the cross is history’s hoax.” Max Lucado; “The Cross”

The Cross of Christ is where EVERYTHING changes. Blind see. Deaf hear. Dead are raised. Broken are made whole. Sinners are reconciled to God. This IS the GOSPEL good news!

Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. The good news of the gospel is that God sent Jesus, His only Son to suffer the wrath that our sin deserved, that we might be reconciled to God.
Colossians 1:22

When once we have received this gift of salvation through repentance, we ARE reconciled. We are new creatures. ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ) Our identities are changed. We ARE declared to be holy and blameless. We DO stand before him without a single fault.

It is by grace through faith that we are saved. This gift. Ephesians 2:8

So often we forget our new identity. Especially when we sin or when things are not going well.

When we sin, or life is hard, our natural reaction is to hide or strive. But because of Jesus, we don’t have to do either. Instead of hiding or striving, we can trust God’s mercy. Often we have to fight our way there, to trust.

In those times, we must remind ourselves of the gospel truth: “I am a child of God. He loves me. He shows me His amazing love through the cross where He reconciled me to Himself. He came after me to rescue me. I am saved.”

Then thank Him yet again for this indescribable Gift!

More glorious Gospel words:

Justification by Arabah Joy

Sanctification by Jen

Redemption by Rebekah

R egeneration by Marci

Atonement by Leah

Adoption by Kerry

consecration by Kimberly

And If The Day's Rays Are Shadowed Gray, May You Recall & Anticipate The Return Of Light's Glory . . .

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 12:30:00 GMT

It’s been dark around these parts. The days have been shadowy with a side of sun. (photos of Stillwater, MN last Friday)

And my inner world. It’s been a bit tricky navigating life in ministry with no ‘regular office hours’ and many needs. I’ve always been allergic to saying the word, “no.”

That isn’t a good thing when your work is as vague as writing and studying. (I’ve never taken a college course, so bear with me)

(The sun broke through!)

I’m writing a short, six week Bible study for Personal Prayer Revival that I am teaching to my Sunday Bible class.

How much time does it take to write a Bible Study? How much time do I expect it takes to prepare a message? Do I have a ‘right’ to decline when someone needs me and it looks like I am free?

How do I say ‘no’ when I don’t have time frames and boundaries? “Um, I’m not available, I’m sitting at home writing.” (Does that sound like a lame excuse to you?)

I’m learning. Slowly. If I say ‘yes’ to everyone, I won’t get to what God has called me to. I will steal from my family and from His glory because I would be serving out of duty. I’d be as a slave.

But I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God.

It’s so much easier to know what to do in a day when you have children in the house, a shop with posted hours, a house to flip, to know which steps to take next. Many days I feel lost. Many days I feel like I’ve accomplished very little and I’ve worked most of the day.

I know all of this mind-mayhem and indecisiveness is serving me, pressing me to lean in and listen more intently to the voice of God. He whispers . . . And He does promise to direct my steps. ( Psalm 37:23NLT ) I have to remember, and believe it. And keep taking the next step.

In all of this, my path ahead is becoming more clear and more focused. Because the hard things keep ‘bumping me back’ in to search His heart and tune my heart to His voice.

It’s like hard things are bumpers and I am a bowling ball aimed at the pins.

I’ve just finished creating new brochures for the bags that will be handed out to attenders at the Set Apart Conference (and added them to my speaker page.) It’s an exciting opportunity to launch God’s message into 1500 bags.

After all these years of preparing, and this past week I finally received confirmation of my core message, I am so ready!

I wanted to tell you about the idea of having a “core message.” I’ve heard many times that we all have one. I’ve heard this: Ministry is where passion meets need. And I’ve been leaning in and listening for a long time for more clarity on my core message.

I listened to my friend Susie, host of Live The Promise interview Tullian Tchividijian and I heard him say it too, “I’ve been given one message, and a million different ways to say it.” (I think he said a million, it may have been thousands . . . but give a listen, it’s so worth it!)

And then I heard this new song. It is the ‘back side’ (as in the tail of the coin) of my message which is this: ~We Are Daughters (and Sons) Of The King~ Our lives are precious and valuable ~For Heaven’s Sake~

Here’s the song: No Longer Slaves

What does it mean to you that you are no longer a slave to fear, but are a royal heir of Heaven? (Peek at Romans 8:17 ) Do you have a core message?