It's February 1, How Are You Doing?

*This is a repost from two years ago.  I just updated the list for this January.

January is over.  The first month of the new year, with all of it's fresh hope for change and new commitments, has come to a close.  Did you make resolutions?  How are you doing?

From articles I've seen online and chatter with friends, most don't even make it through January without at least one slip-up.  So February 1st offers an opportunity to re-up, buckle down, put your chin up and show your goals who's boss.

Then March first will come.  And where will you be?

I don't want to be depressing.  I think setting goals and making plans are wonderful! (I can be described as Type-A. Ahem.  A little.)  But often our resolutions seem so unforgiving when we don't achieve as we hope, mocking us as we enter week two of the new year and we've already failed.  For example, every semester of college I swore I would stay on top of my class readings.  By the end of the first week, I was already behind.  Every semester!  And I've exercised twice in the last 31 days; a 6% achievement rate.  Nice, Heather.  Real nice.

One option to "fight the failure" is not to make any resolutions at all.  Don't have expectations, and you can't be disappointed, right?  That's just not healthy.

So this morning, I had a new thought based on some verses that we can make into an equation:

If, God is Love.  (I John 4:16)

And, Love never fails.  (I Corinthians 13:8)

Then, God never fails.

Taking that equation, think back over the month of January.  How has God not failed you?  Or, in the positive, how has He proven Himself faithful?

Takes a lot of pressure off, doesn't it?  God is active in our lives, and we can look back to see how He has protected, guided, forgiven, sustained, helped, and loved us.  Then it's not so much about us and our achievements, but God and His working mightily in our lives.  Praise is given where praise is due.

Here are some ways God was faithful in my life in January:

• We were not sick for the entire month!
• Using that husband of mine to encourage and direct me.
• Restoring my pre-pregnancy energy.  (2012 had it's ups and downs.)
• Brian has showed some amazing growth in maturity of late.
• I've been offered an opportunity to speak at our annual women's event in April.
• New Christian neighbors, right across the street!
• Providing time and giving me no excuses about opening up our home in hospitality.
• My heart is starting to rest more in the freedom of Christ, so January has been hopeful, joyful, and, well, fun!

To name a few.

Would you take a few moments today to think about how God never failed you in January, and give Him thanks?  Maybe share a few things in the comments!

And let's anticipate God's faithfulness in the month of February!

My Gram (a repost)

We spent this past weekend in Omaha visiting my Gram and other family members from my dad's side.  It was such a treat and we had so much fun together.  While we were there, Gram pointed out that we were coming up on the first anniversary of her heart surgery.  Today is the day.  Gram is doing so very well; she will, Lord willing, celebrate her 90th birthday on Valentine's Day.  We enjoyed listening to many hilarious and/or touching stories from her younger years, as well as taking in some Omaha fun.  But without further ado, I give you last year's post on this very day.  Be encouraged, friends, the Lord is faithful.  Gram is quick to remind us to trust in Him alone.

Love you, Gram!


From September 19, 2011, one year ago today:

This morning, my Gram will go in for heart valve replacement surgery out in Omaha, NE, my dad's homeland.  I spoke with her last week and yesterday and want to share this part of her story.

  

with her Pittsburgh great-grandkids Feb, 2010
(Iris joined the crew this year!)

In August, the week before one of her sons was to marry in Chicago, she just wasn't feeling well.  She decided a visit to the doctor would be wise, so nothing happened to her on the flight or at the wedding.  The doctor took some pictures of her chest, looked at them, and came back to ask her which hospital she'd like to go to.  She asks, "When?"  His answer?  "Right now."  What followed was a week in the hospital full of tests, as she had congestive heart failure.  She said getting to the doctor was just the beginning of God taking care of her through this process.

She missed her son's wedding, but an internal heart problem she didn't even know she had was caught.

After the week in the hospital, when the test results were all back, she was presented with her options: let things run their course (her lungs could continuously fill with fluid and need to be treated with meds or other methods) or open-heart surgery.  How does one even make the decision?

She decided to schedule the surgery and had a few weeks to wait for the Sept. 12 date.

Meanwhile, she asked us to pray for wisdom and guidance; was this surgery really the right thing?

She has a couple of children in town there in Omaha, and a few spread out.  One, my aunt Jill, in Alberta, Canada, went down for a visit before the surgery.  When she left, Gram said she laid down on her bed and said to God, "Give me some peace about this decision, Lord."  And five words came into her mind:  My peace, My presence, My power, My protection , and My provision.  And when she "heard" the word provision, she had her peace.  She knew in her heart of hearts that God had spoken to her and that his provision was the surgery.

My dad had planned a trip out to be there over the surgery.  But as God would have it, the surgery had to be postponed due to an infection.  Gram thoroughly enjoyed her visit with my dad and the waiting for the surgery continued.  Another little gift from the Father.

My favorite quote from her on the phone last week was this, "If God's got something more for me to do, then I'll be here a little longer.  If not, then I'll be in heaven."  That's faith, folks, trusting that GOD knows what is good and right, has plans for you, and will see them to completion.  Then yesterday, she mentioned that if she's not able to live alone after the surgery, then she'll just change addresses.  Walking by faith, we can see the possibilities and fear none of them, for we know we have a heavenly Father who is caring for us.

The infection has cleared and this morning at 10:30CT, the surgeons will begin their amazing work of replacing a faulty valve with a healthy one.  And we pray that God will guide them in their work and His will be done in my Gram's life.

And what a life it has been - she has so many stories - a lengthy testimony to God's faithfulness in calling people to trust Him and growing them into steadfast believers who walk with Him all the days of their lives, and one day, through pearly gates onto the streets of gold where there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God!

Keep It Simple

In Acts 10, we find the story of a man named Cornelius.  He is a military man and a Gentile (not a Jew).  Here is how he is described in verse 2:

He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

The story continues about God working in his life and the Apostle Peter's.  Big things happen: God shows Peter that the Gospel is for the Gentiles, not just the Jews (a MAJOR paradigm shift) and Cornelius' family receives the Holy Spirit and is baptized.  The story is famous in Christianity and many applications can be drawn.  Today I'd like to focus on that second verse.

Cornelius' family feared God.  How did that express itself in the way Cornelius lived?  He was generous to those in need and he prayed regularly.

Seems so simple.  But these simple behaviors are the expression of a life that was surrendered to God.  He trusted God enough to share what he had.  He trusted God enough to talk with Him regularly.  The base-line reality of Cornelius' life was a trust in God.

From there, God did some amazing things through and in his family.  All of Christendom knows His story.  But it began with the day-by-day life of faith, nothing flashy or dazzling.  Trust and obedience ... reminds me of a song I know.

*     *     *

I have wondered a lot lately what being a Christian should look like.  Is there a mold?  Should we all look the same?  Is my life too void of amazing supernatural works, indicating that my faith is too weak or, worse, not authentic at all?

When I look around me and try to determine what it means to "be a Christian," I'm going about it all wrong, aren't I?

Lord, forgive us for seeking an experience or recognition, rather than seeking You.

Lord, forgive us for comparing ourselves with others, rather than asking You what You have for us.

We need to look to the Lord Himself, the one who's calling us to be His, to know how to live with and for Him.  This year as I've read through the gospels a couple of times, I've been jarred by how simple the call of Jesus is.  All He said to the twelve was, Follow me.  In his teaching he fleshed out the call - it would require their all - but that never changed the simplicity of the invitation to follow Him.  He's the vine, we are branches.  Being a Christian at it's most basic level, is connecting to that vine: daily, intentionally, whole-heartedly.

He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

So my word to you today is KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Cornelius put one foot in front of the other WITH the Lord, praying regularly and giving generously.  He sought God, not a chance to get his name in the Bible.  God does move among His people as we walk by faith.  But usually, it's not glamorous or profound.  Today most of us will do our jobs, eat our meals, talk with family and friends, and so on, without any radical supernatural events.  How long did Cornelius live obediently in relationship with God before and angel showed up and he met Peter?  And I'll bet he continued to live the same way afterward!  Most of his life was like ours: work to do, family to care for, the needy to tend to, etc.

Jesus said, Follow me; repent and believe the good news!  Jesus calls us to Himself, not an experience, not human praise, not someone else's experience.  John Stott says it this way:

Faith has absolutely no value in itself; its value lies solely in its object.  Faith is the eye that looks to Christ, the hand that lays hold of Him, the mouth that drinks the water of life.

THAT is the Christian life.  God may have in store for you a story that is recorded on paper, encouraging future generations of Christians.  Or not.  Either way, KEEP IT SIMPLE because that is the nature of the call.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. 

   And what does the LORD require of you? 

To act justly and to love mercy 

   and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

As you "do life" today, ask God what that might mean at different moments, with different people, and in the midst of the various tasks you have to do.  And may He bless you as you simply walk with Him.

Sunday Meditation: He's in Charge

In Scripture, we find a wonderful concept known as the sovereignty of God - His extreme authority and power over all of time and creation.

This can seem a scary or limiting thought; that someone else is ultimately in control, can bother those who would like authority and power over their own lives. Uh, wait, isn't that all of us?  Aren't we all struggling to rule over our little domains?

I believe that in Scripture, the constant references in prose, prayer, and praise, to God's sovereignty cause God's people to both revere Him and find great comfort in Him.  Once a soul knows God as the One who quenches thirst, gives rest, and forgives sin, growing trust in this sovereign, tender, loving, heavenly Father, brings great peace and freedom as we meditate on and surrender to His sovereignty - over the world and our individual lives.  We are left wondering at the majesty of His ability to see all of history and creation at once, and being able to guide and sustain it all justly.  And we are able to rest, trust, and obey, knowing that the infinite is in the hands of the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God of it all.  The Holy One is awesome, yet also lets us call Him Father.  We fear and we draw near.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so we've been reading about Squanto and the Pilgrims.  I've learned (for the first time) a little of the history on how Squanto learned English prior to the Pilgrims' arrival in the New World.  Had Squanto not been there - unfearing of the English, able to speak their language - all of them would have perished, not just half.  Those brave men and women came to worship freely in a new land; God provided the means for them to survive.  It was not easy; wives, husbands, sons, and daughters were lost.  But I wonder how they worshiped and thanked God that in that strange land was a foreign man, who "happened" to know how to communicate with them and was equipped to teach them all they needed to survive.  In the stories, untold from a Christian perspective, I see the hand of God, merciful, all-knowing, and kind, taking care of His people.  One day we will worship with them in His very presence!

After Thanksgiving, we come to Christmas, building up to it in the advent season of waiting for the celebration of the birth of our Savior.  From the beginning, God had a plan to send His Son and save the world through Him.  In the midst of the sin and darkness here on earth, God was always moving, making promises to Abraham, Moses, David, and speaking through the mouths of the prophets, calling His people to trust and obey Him - the Great Rescuer.  Then, He came!  Jesus, who would save his people from their sins.  Immanuel, who would be God with us.  The promised One came - lived, died, and rose - as promised.  God, the sovereign, keeps His promises.  Now, Jesus sits in heaven interceding for us.

When Jesus departed from the Earth, another promise was made.  Stay put until the Spirit comes to you, Jesus told His disciples.  Shortly thereafter, the promise was fulfilled.  The Spirit of God came to live in the hearts of men who put their faith in Him, empowering them to live for Him as beloved children and bold witnesses and transforming them increasingly into Christ's likeness.

This morning in Sunday school our pastor gave a great summary of how a conviction of God's sovereignty and presence with us brings changes in our thoughts and our lives; I'll call it the Trinitarian Presence in the Life of the Believer.

God around me; Jesus for me; the Holy Spirit in me.

Oh, the blessed HOPE found in that summary, a HOPE supported by the words of Scripture and the actions of the Father!

I wonder if, looking back you can see, not only huge ways that God's will and timing have made a difference in history, but ways that His sovereignty has guided your steps.  Consider not how God's sovereignty over your life limits, but rather how much it frees from worry, despair, fear, and doubt when you rest in the secure arms of such a capable, promise-fulfilling Father, who calls YOU daughter or son.  When I look back, it's most awesome to me to see how God was guiding and protecting my life even at times when I was NOT looking to Him, living by His commands, or trusting His plan.  The echos of mercy in the sovereignty of God get louder and louder the closer we draw near to Him.

Dare to draw near.  You can make no better decision today.

Day 11: If only ...

If only my son didn't wake up so early.
     If only I'd chosen to go to a different college.
          If only my husband were done with graduate school.
               If only our kids were older.
                    If only we made a little more money.
                         If only our house were bigger.
                              If only I were a little older, or younger.
                                  If only my spouse did this thing differently.
                                      If only my house would clean itself.
                                           If only this sickness would go away.
                                                If only I could have a short vacation.
                                                    If only ...
                                                        If only ... 
                                                             If only ... .

Neighboring envy in our hearts, dwells discontentment - If only circumstances were different, my life would be what I want it to be.

We've all been in situations where we find ourselves caught up in the "if onlys."  Circumstances get tough, and usually we don't get going, as the phrase goes.  Rather, we get right down and dirty in the complaining, grumbling, and whining - perhaps not out loud, like my children would, but we're venting the discontent just as fully in our hearts and minds.  Yes, I throw tantrums, they just take a different form than that of a small child.

I'm sure most of the time, like me, you feel quite justified in your discontent.  The statements are somewhat true, some things would be easier if the circumstances were different, right?  Probably, yes.  But what about other surrounding factors?  We can neither control those, nor know what life would be like if the thing we wanted to change did suddenly change.

It is sinful to dwell in discontent, wishing life were different and moping around (either overtly or internally.)  How can we own this sin and root it out?

Declaring War on Discontentment

As with any other sin pattern in our lives, we need to put it to death.  But "taking it down" is not a matter of bucking up and proving to yourself, God, and others how awesome you are that you overcame your sin.  Nope.  Friend, you still need to daily rely on the blood of Jesus to cover your sin.  He is the source and sustenance of our salvation, every day of our lives: 

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

So a declaration of war on discontentment will begin with Him and the war will continue with Him - the great heart changer!

You may be familiar with Paul's popular-to-repeat line from Philippians 4:13,

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

But have you ever read it in context?  Prior to that verse, Paul says he's learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, that he can do all things through Christ who gives him strength.  Christ strengthens us unto contentment, even in situations that are legitimately difficult and not simply less desirable than we would like.

Allow me to suggest a few weapons at your disposal for combating discontentment:

1. Prayer - both repentance and supplication, meaning we're asking God to forgive us for our ungratefulness and for looking to something other than Him for satisfaction AND we're asking Him for wisdom in how to live and thrive (yes, even thrive!) in the circumstances that our sinful nature tells us are so utterly unacceptable.  Moving away from asking, How can I get of this?  And moving toward asking, What might God have for us in the trial/challenge/difficulty?
2. Gratitude - this. takes. practice!  You'll likely need to be praying (see #1) for God to open your eyes to see that for which you can give thanks.  But once the gratitude ball really gets rolling, it grows into a massively beautiful thing in your life, leaving less and less space for discontent.  Like I said yesterday, pull out a weed and plant a flower.  God will likely even bring you to the point of giving thanks for the difficulties (crazy, right?!)  I dare you to try being thankful today, then more thankful tomorrow, and so on!  Oh yeah, I dared you.  You can't back down now.
3. Community - you know those friends you have and those people you go to church with?  Let me tell you something about them.  They, too, struggle (to differing degrees) to be content in Christ and whatever lot God's given them at the moment.  Let some of your closest confidants know that you're struggling to be content and grateful, to remember you Savior and trust in God's goodness.   They can join you in prayer, you can encourage one another, and the kingdom will be built up just a little more in and among you!

Here's to some good battles and God-honoring triumphs as you give your discontentment the boot and replace it with thanksgiving!  You know the whole point in all of this, right?  I mentioned it at the end of an earlier post:

Solo Deo gloria / Glory to God alone

When the Holy Spirit whispers in your ear and prompts you to faith, obedience, or repentance, take heart and rejoice.  The Lord is at work in your life!  He reveals Himself and our sin to us as we walk with Him and IT. IS. GOOOOOOOD (even if, at times, painful.)

Shall we talk about anger tomorrow?

I think we just might.

See you then!

This is Part 11 of a month-long series you can learn more about by starting with Day 1 here.  There are many others doing super cool series this month as well, perhaps you'd like to see the list?

Day 7: Worried?

If you're just tuning in, click here to read the previous posts in the series.

Several years ago at Tuesday morning women's Bible study in Cambridge, MA, we were working through a Tim Keller study on the book of Galatians.  We broke into small groups to discuss some of the personal/application questions.  I was with two dear friends, Jenny and Meda, and one of the questions read something like, What is the biggest difference the Gospel has made in your life?

Without hesitation, my answer was (and still is)

PEACE.

*     *     *

Fly back with me a couple of decades to my blue bedroom on Lime Hollow Road in Pittsburgh, PA.  We had weekly spellings tests back then, in the sixth grade.  And they stressed. me. OUT.  I was only eleven years old, but after being put to bed, my fear of failure and my worry about grades could land me in the bathroom throwing up - over a spelling test!

Another worry that often consumed me, in the days of the blue bedroom, was that our house would burn down and our family would not be able to get out. (So much for the success of the fire safety programs at school!)

Throughout most of my life, I've wasted countless hours worried that the worst has happened when someone was just stuck in traffic, held up at an appointment, or just plain lost.

There was no peace.

Somehow I felt in control of the situation if I worried about it.  But rather than coming out on top, I was being consumed.

Can you relate?  Maybe you weren't overwhelmed by spelling tests, but what about other things?  How about now ... what you will eat, what you will wear, if you'll have a job next week, if you can make ends meet, if your kids will grow up to know the Lord, if your sick friend or family will pull through, if people will like you at your new job or neighborhood?

Perhaps just reading this is giving you heart palpitations!


Is your life more consumed by worry than trust?

Jesus asked, Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Matthew 6:27

*     *     *

God's Word says, be transformed by the renewing of your minds.

Romans 12:2

But a transformed mind is not about the power of positive thinking.  Nor is it about the power of logical thinking (i.e. finding comfort in working out the low probability of X terrible thing happening.)

A mind is transformed as one regularly practices grounding his thoughts in Christ, in the God who is there, who does not abandon and is a refuge for His people.

Worries loose their power as we look to and remember our God who:

• created mankind in His image, Genesis 1:27
• has plans for you,  Joshua 29:11
• daily bears our burdens and from whom comes escape from death,  Psalm 68:19-20
• knows what you need.  Matthew 6:32
• demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,  Romans 5:8, and
• cares for you.  I Peter 5:7

to mention a few.

When we're grounded there, rooted in the love of God, our heavenly Father, we can begin and continue to let go of worry as a lifestyle, because whatever trials may come, we know God will provide for us when.    we.    get.    there.  I'd like to thank Kelly Sawyer for pointing this out to me once, years ago.  I think she got it from the Bible, (surprise, surprise!)

Have no fear of sudden disaster

or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

for the LORD will be your confidence

and will keep your foot from being snared.

Proverbs 3:25-26.

You see, there is no promise in Scripture that disaster won't come, simply that we need not fear because the LORD will be our confidence and keep our foot from being snared.

Jesus said something similar to His disciples:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

In CHRIST we have peace.

May you find that more true in your life today.

The 10th Anniversary: One Girl's Thoughts

Today we observe the tenth anniversary of the attack on the United States on September 11, 2001.  I don't have an interesting story to tell, though of course I remember where I was, what I was doing, who I was with; and I watched the day unfold on the news just like everyone else.  But honestly, I'm not sure how to connect with the day.

I will take moments to pray for families who still grieve the loss of their loved-ones.  (I can't imagine the gamut of emotions they experience as they remember that day.)

I will tell my children about the solemnity of the day.

But beyond that, I'm not sure what to do ... or not do.  I could watch lots of videos and read stories, but I think I'm drawn to those things more like an intriguing novel or dramatic movie than for the reality of it as it unfolded for people on the streets of New York, at the Pentagon, and near here, just east/south of Pittsburgh.

It's so hard to enter in in a manner that seems proper and not a fabrication of emotion or over sensationalizes how I experienced the day.

The real effects on my life of Sept. 11, 2001 are mere inconveniences, not suffering: feeling more afraid to fly and not being able to meet family and friends at the gate.

This is Heather giving you some honesty here, readers, not meant to disrespect or diminish the sorrow, grief, and horror of the day for those who lost loved ones, were sent to off to war, or who endure daily physical and emotional side-effects of the attacks.  In fact, to respect them, I feel I can't pretend to feel more about the day than I do.  My heart aches for families who lost loved ones and/or endure on-going side effects of that terrible day.  I am thankful for and to those in the armed forces who work to maintain the freedoms we enjoy on this soil.  I hate that this is part of our history.

All that said, 9/11 mostly makes me think about good and evil, especially the greater evil that would rule in this world and the Good that has already overcome sin and death and will one day come again!  That goes far beyond America and her enemies.  On this day, I'm reminded that Scripture teaches that there is no one righteous, no one who seeks God, no one who understands (Romans 3) apart from a gracious intervention by God Himself.

Evil was perpetrated against innocent people in our nation by a group bent on our destruction as a nation.  It was WRONG.  It was EVIL.  We need to honor those people who lost their lives in or as a result of the senseless brutality.  But I also feel it is critical, as believers, to remember that there is One even greater than any national security our leaders can design.  We must look to Him, not the strength of our nation or our unity as Americans, for real hope and real security.

I'll close with the Psalm I remember reading as we gathered for prayer on the campus lawn on the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2001, having had our foundations quite shaken by the morning's events.

Psalm 46
¹ God is our refuge and strength,
   an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging. 

 ⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
   God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
   he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 

 ⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

 ⁸ Come and see what the LORD has done,
   the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
   to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.” 

 ¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

I think I've decided how we'll observe the day this morning.  We'll read this Psalm, pray for God's kingdom to come and will to be done (whatever that may mean, even for our own nation), and pray for the families who grieve on this solemn anniversary.

Do you have plans for observing this day?

Lay Your Letters Out Before the Lord

I'm so thankful that just as I was starting to disengage with II Kings, I got to King Hezekiah's story.

Hezekiah overlapped with Isaiah.  (I don't totally get how the Old Testament fits together, but I am learning and taking you with me!)  So, after all the taunting from that jerk, Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, Hezekiah, King of Judah, turns to God - in sackcloth, of course - and sends some men to inquire of Isaiah.

Isaiah's got good news for King Hezekiah and bad for King Sennacherib.

But Sennacherib doesn't know that yet and sends messengers again with an intimidating letter for King Hezekiah.  Here's what the Scriptures say that Hezekiah did:

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it.  Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.  And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord.  II Kings 19:14-15a

What jumped out at me, is Hezekiah's physical act of taking the blasphemous, boastful letter and spreading it out before the Lord.  Like he was saying, "Okay, Lord, here's our problem.  What are you going to do about it?" (In a trusting, not confrontational, way.)

What do you do when you receive bad news or feel convicted, insecure, scared, intimidated?  Do you spread said concern before the Lord?

I often don't.

I worry.

I wring my hands.

I fear.

I get angry

I try to figure out how to fix it.

I feel guilty.

THEN, I might finally get around to meeting with God about it.

What a waste of time mucking around in disobedience and faithlessness (which, incidentally, are the same thing.)

Perhaps you do not have this problem, of leaning on yourself rather than on God the Father, Son, and Spirit.  But if you are like me, would you join me today in spreading your "letters" out before the Lord?

Let's see how God meets us in our distress and delivers us from the evil one!

Don't Answer the Enemies

I love new beginnings.  Wrapping up the school year and entering summer, setting some goals and making plans to be more prepared for the fall, tickles my fancy.  But even as God guides us in our planning and dreaming, how quickly the plan can become the idol, fears of failure to meet deadlines (even personal ones) and make progress screaming loudly through the contentment and peace God has brought as we've sought him to direct our paths.

It's a battle isn't it?  This walk of faith.

As I awoke this morning, I knew I needed to meet with the Lord.  Not just show up for my quiet time, say some  "proper" words of thanksgiving and un-heartfelt confessions and praise, and then read my "assigned" passages.  I needed to commune with my God.  Often I find it difficult to wake myself up enough to even know what's going on in my heart in the morning.  He prepared me last night by making me a little too uncomfortable with my own self focus, instilling a craving for some forgiveness and restoration, and woke me a little earlier than usual so I could meet with Him.

And how God wove His word together this morning!  I'm at the point in the Old Testament where Assyria comes to take over Israel (II Kings 17) and sends them into exile, all according to God's plan.  His people have not been worshiping Him rightly for a LONG time.  The nasty King of Assyria takes care of Israel and moves on to challenge the King of Judah, Hezekiah, who actually trusts God, has torn down the high places and Asherah poles - false, idolatrous places of worship.  Hezekiah is leading Judah toward God.  It's really a point of hope after reading about so many kings who "did evil in the eyes of the Lord."

The King of Assyria sends a messenger to challenge Judah with these words, II Kings 18:28-36:

Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew: "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!  This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand.   Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' 

"Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig-tree and drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! 

"Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.'  Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?  Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand?  Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"

But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, "Do not answer him."

Is this not exactly how the evil one tempts us to despair, to doubt, to fear, to unbelief?  How reminiscent of Satan's temptation to Eve in the garden?  How often my own heart asks, 'Can God really get me out of this mess?'

After a little pondering of these lies my heart too often believes, my readings took me to Psalm 139: God knows when we sit and when we rise, our going and coming; He hems us in before and behind; He knit us together and knows the number of days ordained for us.  Oh, our God knows what's going on with His people!  The taunts of too-proud kings of pagan lands or Satan from his den of folly are real, yes, but how silly they seem when we stop and remember our Lord.

The one who knows us, knit us, keeps us.

I don't know the fears, doubts, and trials that are threatening to undo you today.  But as Hezekiah directed his people, do not answer them.  Rather, lift your eyes and your heart up to the Lord.  Pray as David:

Search me and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me;

and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

God will meet you.  He will hem you in.

A Pencil and Paper Post ... Almost

If it weren't so sloppy, I'd take a good photograph and let you read what I wrote while on the plane.  But for the sake of legibility, here it is typed.

********

April 11, 2011 - in flight between Boston and Pittsburgh

My first ever laptop-of-my-very-own shipped today, so here I sit on the plane home from Boston with paper and pencil to "write out" the time there.

I can sum it all up with one word, one feeling: GRATITUDE.

I just finished another chapter in The Call about the necessity of thanks-giving.  Guiness says that calling is a reminder for followers of Christ that nothing in life should ever be taken for granted; everything in life must be received with gratitude. p. 206

I finished the chapter just prior to take-off, slipped into some prayer for the ladies who attended the retreat and were back into normal life again today, just wrapping up the nine-to-five.  As the plane took off, the tears came.  Now, mind you, I'm sappy and cried plenty this weekend.  Emotion can overcome me too quickly for my taste!  But, we're fearfully and wonderfully made, aren't we?  God wants me this way.

What brought the tears this time?  A deep mix of joy and sorrow: joy that God has been directing and overseeing my way, sovereignly orchestrating personal decisions and external events and circumstances to draw me nearer to Him and His people; joy that I got to see so many dear people this weekend; joy at the memories past and present that fill my mind and heart.

But I am sad.  I'm sad to leave these friends and our history behind.  I'm sad there wasn't just. a little. more time. to be together.  I'm sad that, for now, our sovereign God sees fit that we live in Pittsburgh.

But oh how we can give thanks in such joys and sorrows!  Were it not for our years in Cambridge, under the teaching at Christ the King, I would not have been there this weekend.  The spiritual growth in that place and opportunities to learn and to lead have been for me a training ground and a launching pad.  At the same time, I'm also thankful that we are near our families in Pittsburgh and have found a new church home where we're being taught, fed, and challenged.

Praise the Lord!

I was overwhelmingly humbled to stand before that room full of wonderful women and speak the gospel into their ears and hearts.

I'm awed by God's faithfulness to me as I have considered His call to more intentionally develop and use my gifts to serve the Church.  There are really not enough ways to give Him thanks.

I'm baffled that God uses us as vessels of compassion, mercy, and grace even as we struggle against our own deep-seated sins and transgressions.

I'm thankful the gospel is true.  Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.  Hallelujah!

Sweet, blog-reading friends, will you join me and give thanks today?  Look around you.  Look back. Look ahead.  Consider God's faithfulness.  Consider His call.  Open your lips to praise Him.  We improve at giving thanks as we practice giving thanks.  We're changed when we give thanks; and God gets more of the glory that He deserves.

Exalt the LORD our God
   and worship at his holy mountain,
   for the LORD our God is holy.

Psalm 99:9

Feeling Down? Phone (or Email) a Friend

This past week has been rough, as I mentioned in the previous post.  "Ironically" our pastor preached on how hard it is to believe the gospel and have hope when we're feeling down, discouraged, or depressed.  And yet it's the time we most need to remember ...  or need friends to remind us.

So I emailed I friend yesterday and told her to lay some gospel truth on me.  Here it is, (without any permission from her to copy and paste.)

YOU are despicable  :), depraved and dead..... muahahaha..... and then He died on the cross for all that YUCK.  He took it upon Himself.... upon that cross and then BANISHED it!  It's gone, dude.  Totally gone.

Do you have friends like this?  Reach out to one you trust when you're down and you might just get an email like this.

My heart sank at despicable but soared at It's gone, dude.

I emailed another friend in my out-cry for prayer, and she shot me this lyric:

The love of Christ is rich and free, fixed on his own, eternally.

We all need friends like this.

I wonder if I'm bold enough to be a friend like this.  How we need gospel truth when all we can see is our failure and our sin!

God is at work.

I'm not what I should be, but also not what I used to be either.

Same goes for you, reader!

Let us worship the Lord with gladness, even in our struggles to repent and believe THE GOOD NEWS.  In fact, maybe even more so in those difficult times....

For Wives

Proverbs has a few things to say about wives, vivid descriptions of how we can be a terror for our husbands or bring them great blessing.  I want to do the latter, but it does not come naturally.  

Remembering these words of Scripture, however, can guide us in our interactions with our husbands.  (After all, who wants to be described as decay in her husband's bones, a constant dripping, quarrelsome, ill-tempered?  And we certainly don't want our husbands to feel like they'd rather live up on the roof or in a desert!)

A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,

but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

12:4

A foolish son is a father's ruin

and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.

19:13

Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

21:9

Better to live in a dessert

than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.

21:19

Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

25:24

A quarrelsome wife is like

a constant dripping on a rainy day;

restraining her is like restraining the wind

or grasping oil with the hand.

27:15

The point, however, is not having a good reputation or even being able to check "be good wife" off our to do list.  It's about loving God and loving our husbands.  Proverbs also says these things:

He who finds a wife finds what is good

and receives favor from the Lord.

18:22

Houses and wealth are inherited from parents

but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

19:14

A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

she brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

31:10

We are in relationship with our husbands; we've been given to them by the Lord!  How, then, can we honor God in that relationship?  As we spend time in the Word and prayer, as the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin against our husbands, as we draw nearer to them in intimacy, we will bring more good and less harm to our husbands.  As I said above, it's not about us, it's about God.  Are you honoring God in your marriage?

I don't always.

But God is a redeemer and a life-changer.  As we cling to Him, pray for our own hearts to change, pray for the good of our husbands (not that they would be changed, but that God would bless them*), and choose to do good to them, whether or not it is returned.  Things WILL happen; God will do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.

Go, then.  Put yourself aside and be a blessing to your husband today!  Do something for him, just because you love the Lord and want to obey Him in this role He's given you.

Some suggestions to get your mind churning:

• a surprise love note in his lunch or briefcase/backpack
• making a favorite dinner
• getting a sitter and planning an unexpected date
• visiting him at work with a coffee or other favorite drink
• doing the taxes or some other task you know he hates
• give him some "time off" to hang with the guys or rest
• refuse to nag him today about "that thing" he's not done yet
• pray for his day at work, that God would prosper and defend him

I'd love to hear about what you decide to do!

*Stormie Omartian in the first chapter of Power of the Praying Wife says our prayer needs to be these three words:  Lord, change me.  Not, Lord, change him.  Good book, by the way, if you're wondering how to pray for your man.

God, My Strength

O my Strength, I sing praise to You;

You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Psalm 59:9 &17

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power my rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.        ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Where have you been feeling your weakness?  Have you seen Christ's power made perfect in your weakness?  How might you ask God to help you see how Christ's power might be made perfect in your weakness?

God, our Strength, our Fortress, our Refuge, let us know and abide in You today, forsaking self-reliance and trusting in You alone.

Sabbath Preparations: inside and out

another work day
Saturday
home improvement
messes from the week
running errands
lesson plans
meal plans
in addition to
the usual day-to-day
tasks

tomorrow is different
no work
rest
can I trust
will I let go
He asks me to obey
I must let go
what is not done
on lists for Monday

my Father cares for me
my Father loves me
no condemnation
no abandonment
no fear

provision
love
repent
believe
worship
rest

Be Yourself!

Friends, it's on my heart today to encourage you to be who God created you to be.

I spend much of my time wishing I could be better, nicer, more fun, more quiet, more whatever, like Miss So-and-So who excels at this-and-that thing that I don't do well.  Do you know what I mean?

Well, remember all of those verses about God's people being a body with many parts, each with its own duties and responsibilities?  Yes, those that you can find in I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4.  God tells us in His word that people are called to different things and intentionally knit together in different ways.  This has been on my mind as we've been assimilated into a new church (we haven't officially joined yet, that's coming!) and my identity from our previous church couldn't come with me.  It's made me ask myself, who has God created me to be, what gifts do I have to use in the church that I would be remiss to ignore or not share?  They need to be used and shared now in this branch of the body!

I don't have deep relationships with my new people yet; I can get self-conscious about acting on impulses, afraid of what people will think (um, yes, this is an on-going battle for me.)  But this is where God has us now, so why not jump right in?!

So here's my word of encouragement for you today.  If there's something that's been on your heart to do, do it!  The Holy Spirit gives us little impulses for God's glory.  Perhaps it's something you think others might view as silly or you're afraid will be received the wrong way.  But it could very well be that God's calling you to something very necessary - right now.

For me personally, it's been exercising the gift of encouragement and sending an email, card, letter, or care package when I feel like I should.  Sometimes I don't "get to it" and soon thereafter I often get a call or letter from that person and I'm humbly reminded that God puts people on our hearts on purpose!  I'm learning to get better at responding and doing, but I still fail regulary.  I'm also humbled by how God multiplies my  meager efforts when I do respond to his guidance.  He takes even my balking and mistakes and does great things.  Let me share a story.

We have some friends who are missionaries in Uganda.  I felt the urge, probably sometime in October, to get some of Sally Clarksons books to send to Amy, mother of three, in the middle of nowhere Uganda, so she too could be spurred on as a mom in her discipleship of her children.  I bought the books and they sat in a box in the livingroom for too long.  I wanted to send a treat for the kids, too, but couldn't think of what.

Lilli and Elizabeth at Chuck E Cheese's

Finally one day, as we walked the cereal aisle in the grocery store, I saw the pack of miniboxes and decided to add that to the package.  What kid doesn't love sugar cereal?  (There was even a box of plain cheerios for the baby!)  I got the cereal, put it next to the box of books ... and didn't send the box for another week or more.

I was starting to feel a little stupid, so I got the things together and mailed them off.  The postage was as much as the books ... I had the selfish thought that I would be really mad if that box never made it (I think too much about money.)  But it was sent, the money was spent, and I prayed the package would make it.

A short time later, probably less than a week, I learned the Johnsons would be in the Sates for a month for training and other catching-up.  The box was going one way, the Johnsons the other.  I figured they might get it sometime in February.

You can read the rest of the story (that begins immediately after their return to Bundibugyo from the States) here.

And so, the moral of the story is, listen and go for it!  Do what the Spirit prompts you to do - even your sin in the process (for me laziness, doubt, love of money, etc.) cannot stop God from accomplishing His purposes.  He can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.  I wanted the package to get there; He got it there  in the shortest amount of time, at just the right time, with just the right contents!

Praying for Our Children

My Aunt Jill sent me this weekly prayer guide for parents.  I can always use help getting started praying for my kids; sometimes I'm not sure how to pray for them.  These are great categories through which you can speak specific requests to God for each of your children.  Such guides can also help us as parents think about how we can train our children in areas of service, loving God, loving truth, etc.

PARENTS PRAYER GUIDE

MONDAY: Ask the Lord to completely surround your children with emotional, physical and spiritual protection.

TUESDAY: Pray that the Lord will strengthen your children’s faith and will fill them with a passionate desire to want to seek and know Him, His word and His will.

WEDNESDAY: Ask the Lord to give your children godly wisdom in choosing their friends and peers, and to give them strength and courage to boldly take a stand for what is right.

THURSDAY: Pray that the Lord would renew your children’s mind. Helping them to remain pure in their thought and deeds.

FRIDAY: Ask the Lord to extend His blessing over the activities of your children, both academic and extracurricular, giving them alertness and clarity of mind. Pray also for encouragement in their defeats and humility in their victories.

SATURDAY: Pray that your children will be sensitive and compassionate to the needs of others, and that the Lord will help them act in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

SUNDAY: Pray for and seek blessings for those who are in authority over your children, asking the Lord to give them wisdom and understanding as they instruct your children.

Here, from The Message translation, are some verses for meditation, Romans 12:1-3 and 13:11-14 that my aunt included in her mailing to parents at her church.  (emphasis mine)

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

God bless you as your pray for and train up your children!