Love Comes to You

My analytical mind gets so overloaded with details sometimes that it's so hard to sift out the facts that are needed versus he facts that are not. On the day I'm writing this, I'm reminded of the truth that whatever debris is swirling around inside of my mind, I can depend on the truth that God is constant. He's the anchor in the storm, He's the unshifting rock I can rest on. 

There's a song that Kari Jobe sings called "Love Came Down" and I'm going to share the lyrics here because of their powerful truth that I am focusing on today: though I may be overwhelmed, I will trust in Him still, because his Love comes down to rescue me every time. 

Like waves on the shore, God's love consistently flows to us.

If my heart is overwhelmed, and I cannot hear Your voice 

I hold on to what is true, though I cannot see 

If the storms of life they come, and the road ahead gets steep 

I will lift these hands in faith, I will believe 

I'll remind myself of all that You've done 

And the life I have because of Your son 

Love came down and rescued me 

Love came down and set me free 

I am Yours 

Lord, I'm forever Yours 

Mountains high or valley low 

I sing out and remind my soul 

I am Yours 

I am forever Yours 

When my heart is filled with hope: every promise comes my way 

When I feel Your hands of grace rest upon me 

Staying desperate for You, God; staying humble at Your feet 

I will lift these hands in praise, I will believe 

I'll remind myself of all that You've done 

And the life I have because of Your son 

Love came down and rescued me 

Love came down and set me free 

I am Yours 

I am forever Yours 

Mountains high or valley low 

I sing out and remind my soul 

I am Yours 

I am forever Yours 

Finding a Little Bit of Light

I've got some family friends that travel every so often and ask me to house and dog-sit for them.  They live about an hour away from where my home is, so I make it into my own little retreat and look forward to the time with their tiny Yorkie's.

As I fall asleep at night, silky fur snuggled around me, I can look up and see a skylight in the roof of the adjoining bathroom.  It's a small one - maybe one foot across - but it lets in a good amount of moonlight for it's size.

Earlier in the night, though, I was taking care of things around the house, and I couldn't tell that any light was coming through at all.  Of course, the lights in the house were on, so there was not enough contrast to tell.  But when the lights were out, that moonlight glowed enough to not turn on anything else, and still see where I was going.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a dark spot.  We don't really like to be there.  We usually pray, begging God to bring us into the light, as we should!  But so often, we get discouraged or downcast in the the darkness.

Let me encourage you today: look for the skylight.  Look for that shimmer in the darkness and ask God to let your eyes adjust a little.  God will never abandon you, but sometimes our sense of fear is heightened in those dark times.  Let Him show you things with that little shimmer - just enough to get you through until morning.

There's a sunrise coming.

Bloom Where Planted (A Reflective Entry on Nehemiah 05)

I was driving a friend to dinner one night and happened to have a conversation with her over the phrase “bloom where you are planted”.  You may have grown up with the phrase, like I did, but she is from a different country and was unfamiliar with the phrase. 

“Bloom where you are planted. Basically, it means to grow wherever God puts you. You know, like a flower blooms in the soil.”

Then, my friend made a very valid statement, “But sometimes, the flower dies.”

Ah, yes.  Sometimes the flower dies.  Sometimes the plant withers and the heart breaks.  Sometimes the dream is turned to dust.  Sometimes the walls are destroyed.  Let me be a little vulnerable here: sometimes I don’t bloom.  Sometimes my dreams are crushed and sometimes my walls are destroyed.  Sometimes, all the work of my lifetime that I have put into a task or a project is looked over and I’m left wondering, “What is left?”

Well, a fragment.  Fragments are left.  Nehemiah’s city was fragmented.  And what did he do with the vision God placed in his heart?  Nehemiah led his fellow countrymen (and women!) into a strategic plan to rebuild what was fragmented.  The key to their success was to take what was in front of them and build it up based on the threats that were specific to their part of the wall.  Each person was responsible for a little part, and their little part, in turn, helped fortify the whole city.

God has a vision for rebuilding us, too.  When you or I find ourselves left with pieces of a fragmented dream, or even a reality that went badly wrong, God will step in to redeem these fragmented pieces and build something even greater out of them, if we let Him. 

Garden of Gethsemane, Israel
May 2012

You see, sometimes the flower dies, but sometimes it only dies for a season.  Sometimes it just needs to be replanted into richer soil (like when you lose a job and are relocated), fertilized with the right nutrients (like when you become sick and have to cleanse your body of the sickness), watered (like when you are simply drained from life and need to take time to rest and recuperate), or placed in the right light (like when you have a bad day that helps you see a different perspective). 

Chapter 3 of Nehemiah shows us that God’s plan for our success involves not just where we’re at, but it is also about taking advantage of the other resources He has given us in this place.  Also, we learn that no success is found alone – there are always people surrounding us and God directing us.  As in blooming, I may be the best gardener ever, but God alone sees that the seed opens and life comes forth.

Blooming is not easy.  Blooming requires lots of growth, lots of change, lots of waiting, and lots of weather changes.  But this process also develops strength and beauty that cannot be found in a closed seed sitting in soil. 

Dare to pick up the pieces of what is left.  Dare to go to God with a fragment and work with Him as He rebuilds what has been broken and lost in your life.  Dare to bloom where you have been planted.

Questions for Reflection

• What things in your life have been shattered (seemingly) beyond repair?
• Can you see where God has had a divine purpose in allowing these things to happen?
• How might God use your broken walls to draw people closer together? How might God use your broken walls to draw people to Him?  What makes the difference in bringing people together and bringing people to Him?
• Are you willing to let God restore what has been lost in your life?
• What is holding you back from daring to live a life of Christ-honoring influence in the place God has planted you?

Solid Ground amidst a Shifting World (A Reflective Entry on Nehemiah 04)

Wait. 

Wait wait wait wait wait…..!  Ugh!

Many of us struggled with this part of Lesson 04 of the Nehemiah study.  We share a passion to see things done effectively and efficiently in our world while still keeping a perspective of how things are affecting those around us.  But to tell us to wait?  Haven’t we waited long enough? 

Often, I find myself in the same boat as these amazing women: filled with a vision of destiny and yet so very limited by my “here and now” circumstances.  You may liken it to a paraplegic who was once an amazing athlete or a person in the throes of the aging cycle who used to be so independent.  Waiting can feel like a trap.  And acting on a whim can feel like the solution. 

But a whim fails.  Sure, sometimes you pull it off without a hitch and internally wonder “how on earth did I make that happen??” Most times, though, the whim is an immature response to our fear of the wait. 

What a great encouragement Nehemiah’s example was, then!  He waited in prayer before he spoke to the king, he waited in inspection of the city’s status, and he waited in sharing the king’s approval of his mission (Nehemiah 2:20).  Likewise, we can have freedom from lies that tell us we have to rush forward when we remember that restraint is not a bad thing.  Waiting helps us to see a different perspective while God works out the details. 

• Details like officers and horsemen to protect you.  Nehemiah did not ask for them, but the King provided them anyways.  Earlier, Ezra needed them as well, but was ashamed to ask for them (See Ezra 8:22).  Despite Ezra’s shame and Nehemiah’s lack of shame, God provided.  God does not need us to come to Him with all our shame, but He does not turn away from us when we bring it to Him either.  In both circumstances, He provides exactly what we need.  And so we can confidently wait on Him. 

• Details like opposition that is already in place.  Nehemiah likely knew of Ezra’s opposition when he tried to rebuild the wall years earlier, but he had no way of knowing what was to come.  Sanballat and Tobiah proved to be deeply threatened by Nehemiah’s attempts to rebuild the wall.  Nehemiah needed the confidence that God had sent him, not the king.  As the footnotes in my Bible read, “Knowing that God is behind your task is the best incentive to move ahead in the face of opposition.” Certainly Nehemiah’s preparation for this task showed that God was behind Him.  God will show us too, when we seek Him.  And we can confidently wait on Him for this also.

Sanballat and Tobiah were city officials, probably similar to mayors or governors as we know leadership today.  If the city was rebuilt, Sanballat and Tobiah would receive less money in taxes, which would be reason enough to be threatened by the welfare of the city and its people.  Even more threatening was the knowledge that the rebuilding of Jerusalem threatened their entire position of power.  Think about it – would you be more threatened by a decrease in pay or a possibility your job was going to be eliminated? 

Their response makes sense from a worldly perspective.  In order to survive in our world, we often find this threat creeping into our lives.  It may come in the form of competition in our workplace, jealousy in a circle of friends, or a broken economy.  Why?  Because the root of the problem is not work, not jealousy, and not opportunity! The root of our entire issue with waiting is security. 

We desperately want something true and solid to stand on in life, so we look to jobs, property, relationships, or wealth.  Every single time we are disappointed in the long run.  Everything we use to try and stand on aside from God’s truth fails us.  And I would challenge you with this today: it was made to do so!  Do you get that?  Our world was designed to collapse so that we would land on the one thing that does not shift for all eternity: God.  (See Hebrews 12:27)

All this from learning about Nehemiah’s wisdom in waiting… wow!  It’s hard to imagine how nearly 2,500 years ago there was a man living in a world so dramatically different than ours, and yet we can relate so intensely to his story!  That’s the thing: it’s not about Nehemiah’s story.  It’s about God’s thread through history.  He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and His truth applies to every generation.  Including ours! 

Jerusalem at Sunrise, May 2012

Questions for Reflection

• Nehemiah’s waiting makes me wonder: what caused him to wait?  What life experiences caused him to stop and consider things before he acted on them? What life experiences have charged you to wait before you act on, or react to, something?
• What things do you find yourself turning to when life gets tough?  Does this thing have a possibility of failing you?  How would you react if even that one thing crumbled?
• What are some active ways you can choose to wait on God and seek Him for your confidence instead of other forms of pseudo-security?
• Do you get annoyed or frustrated when you see insecurity in others?  Take time to pray for the people you know who are struggling with a very obvious form of insecurity. 
• What vision have you had for your life that you are still waiting on God for?  Has He given you any direction to act on that vision?  Do you ever fear acting on something God tells you to act on for fear of not being able to tell what the result will be?  Pray for God to give you confidence to step out when He gives you a vision.

Places to Hide

Looking out from a not-so-conspicuous cave in the
oasis of Ein Gedi, Israel.
Photo taken May 2012

Some days I just want to crawl in a cave and hide. 

I can certainly relate to King David during these days.  Well, the future King David, who was, instead, running for his life and indeed hiding in caves.  Do you ever have days like this?  Days where you’re just ready to run away from the world? 

On days like this, I resist the urge to run away completely from challenges that come my way, but I do some serious internal interrogation (generally, in quiet places with just God and I).

Why are you feeling this way?  What is making you so anxious?  What is causing you stress?  What boundaries do you need to set to avoid these things?

If we’re honest, the daily challenges of life can feel like they are shoving us into a hole, whether we want to go there or not.  And sometimes the same challenges can feel like they are propelling us out into the world as a superhero to fix them all.  While it’s not healthy for us to constantly run away and hide, neither is it healthy for us to have an inkling of an idea that we can fix all the problems we’re dealt without the help of God.

So what did the mighty David do?  He hid.  But he hid in the shelter of the promises of God.  Look at these translations of David’s words in Psalm 62:5....

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. (NIV 84)

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. (NLT) 

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. (ESV) 

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. (KJV)

Waterfalls in the hills of Ein Gedi, Israel,
where David hid from Saul's pursuit and wrote
many of the Psalms.
Photo taken May 2012

Resting. 

Waiting. 

Hoping. 

Expecting. 

This is my remedy for the anxious feelings that come my way.  And though it takes a conscious effort to set aside my drive to “do” and simply “wait”, it’s where I find the most peace.

Sometimes, a short term cave-experience isn't so bad after all.  

Judging a Book by its Cover (A Reflective Entry on Nehemiah 02)

I grew up doing musicals.  

Without sharing my life story with you, let it suffice to say that memories involving music, drama, or arts, always seem to stick with me.  One of the musicals I was in at some point in my childhood was called “O Me, O My, O Nehemiah!”.  The first thing I thought of when I heard about this Bible study was one of the predominant memories that remains of this fun little children’s musical: Nehemiah rebuilt the wall (see what I mean here if you are unfamiliar with what wall I'm talking about).

I say all of this to tell you one thing: the book of Nehemiah is so much less about the rebuilding of a wall... 

In fact, in all the peripheral research I did in personal preparation for his week’s group study, almost every resource I came to primarily talked of Nehemiah’s focus on prayer.   Prayer.  He was no engineer, after all.  He was a trusted, faithful leader that relied heavily on prayer.  For this reason, when we study Nehemiah, we may have to throw away some of our cozy childhood memories of our Biblical expertise and look at what the book really says.  We’re only in week two of this study, and still on the brief chapter one, but already we see a foundation Nehemiah builds in his life that has little to do with cutting or moving stone and a lot to do with relying on his communication with our Creator.

There are some very distinct truths that we can pull out of these 11 verses about Nehemiah, about our lives, and about prayer. 

We can pray with confidence!

As a God-follower (specifically now, a Christ-follower), we can have confidence in prayer.  Nehemiah demonstrated this confidence in that he knew the God he was praying to when he made his requests.  Nehemiah had a respect for God’s wonderfulness, he had a trust in God’s faithfulness, and he had a righteousness that taught him God was approachable.  Our attitude about prayer is often shaped by our attitude about God.  Nehemiah would have grown up learning about the attitudes toward prayer of Kings in his heritage, and one of them was Hezekiah.

Hezekiah prayed confidently to God in the same manner that we see Nehemiah doing so.  (See 2 Kings 19:14-19).  Hezekiah’s confidence was not just a boldness with the intent to flatter or manipulate God, but was to demonstrate his reliance on God’s faithfulness to keep His promises. We were reminded that prayer is not an opportunity for us to align God’s plan with our wishes, but as we seek God, our wishes are aligned to God’s plan.

Prayer brings success!

Do you see?  This is the answer to success in every area of life!  Prayer changes our heart’s desires to God’s desires.  God’s desires always match His great plan and purpose, and His purposes never fail.  Therefore, prayer always leads to success when we are seeking to have the heart of God, rather than seeking to have our own way.

God’s answers are immediate!

When we are praying for the plans and purposes of God to pan out, we can be confident that He has already answered those prayers.  Here are some examples: In 2 Kings 20, the prophet Isaiah came to tell King Hezekiah that he was going to die.  The King prayed as soon as the prophet left, and before Isaiah had passed through the courtyard of the temple (which was not very far at all-perhaps from your house to two doors down), God gave him the answer to Hezekiah’s prayer: “I’m giving you 15 more years to live.”  

Wow!  That's pretty immediate!

Consider also, Daniel and his prayer (see Daniel 10:1-14).  Daniel started praying and immediately God sent out the answer.  The angel sent to deliver the answer was held up for three weeks, though, and so Daniel kept praying.  Come to find out, Daniel’s prayers weren't just for an answer from God – they were for the delivery of that answer.  Do you get it?  When we pray, God answers immediately!  If we don’t see or know the answer immediately, we keep praying for the delivery of the answer!  God’s ready to dish out answers to prayer.  They are not as few and far between as they may seem, but we have a responsibility: act.  Pray.  Ask for what we need and then pray for a clear delivery of your answer while you praise God for what you can confidently trust that He has already done.

Prayer is valuable!

In verse 11 of Nehemiah chapter 1, we read that Nehemiah was praying with other people.   His request of God was not just to hear his prayers, but to hear the prayers of all the faithful people who have been in prayer.  Nehemiah was the spokesperson for his people at this time, but he was not the only person interceding through prayer for the Israelites and for the city of Jerusalem.  Sometimes we are in a place in life where we are a “spokesperson” – we are in the position and have the ability to speak up for that which we and others are praying.  But sometimes, we are the silent warrior, praying with other believers, expecting from our faithful God, but not necessarily writing a book about it or leading a movement for it.  Each prayer is vital.  Each prayer is valuable.  And no prayer goes unheard.

That “circumstance” in your life is your divine opportunity!

In fact, Nehemiah’s mentioning that he was a cup-bearer to the king wasn't necessarily as out-of-placed as it seems, initially.  The assignment of cup-bearer was a high honor bestowed on people that were loyal leaders and whose character had been tested.  This testing of character would have taken years, perhaps Nehemiah’s entire lifetime up to this point, but certainly before Nehemiah knew how God was going to use him.  Instead, while this verse states a fact, it also states a history: God had been putting this plan into place for a very long time!  His statement (in 444 B.C.) resembles the heart of what Mordecai spoke to Queen Esther approximately 40 years earlier (in 473 B.C.) – God has placed Nehemiah (like Esther) in the position and with the express ability to carry out a divine plan “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). 

You can take heart from this, because it is a truth that runs like a thread through the entire Bible, through the ages, and into the timeline of your life today: God has placed you in a position, and has placed in you the ability, to carry out His plan “for such a time as this”.  Your job is not a coincidence, your neighbors are not a coincidence, and your car troubles are not a coincidence.  All these things that shape our lives – the “dailies” that we have to deal with – are all part of the plan that God has in mind – and they have been that way forever!  Trusting, honoring, and following God during whatever you’re dealing with is your opportunity to jump into a divine plan and see restoration happen in your life and in the lives of those with whom you come in contact. 

Logic can be our biggest ally or our biggest enemy!

Often, we fall into “logic traps”, leading us to believe that an answer from God was really not from God at all, but was because “that’s just the way things naturally happen”.  While this latter statement is true much of the time, the reasoning behind it is not true.

When you cut your finger and ask for healing, God may use a salve to heal your finger, but the salve was not the healer.  The salve may have been the resource, and your application of the salve was perhaps the obedience required, but God is the one who did the healing, not the salve.  This is what we mean by logic traps.

Nehemiah didn't succumb to these traps, though he was certainly a wise man.  He chose to bring the details to God and let God work those details out.  His prayer was desperate and brokenhearted for the heritage of which he had only heard stories.  Even with these disjointed burdens, Nehemiah knew that God was big enough to ease his burden, in whichever way was suitable to His plan.  Like the heart of Nehemiah, let’s be mindful to thank God for each and every answer to prayer – even those we don’t physically see.  And let’s remember that while logic has its value, nothing surpasses the power or value that is held in the very being of God.

Despite a busy week and a late, exciting night of preparation the night before our group meeting, I was stoked to share these truths with the ladies!  In choosing to dive in and figure out more about exactly what we are reading, we found that while historical records intrigue and stories themselves can delight, seeking out deeper truths helps us to re-cover our perspective on this book of Nehemiah and to recapture the essence of what Nehemiah was really about: drawing closer to the heart of God. 

Questions for Reflection:

• Have you ever had an event in your life that has caused you such great sorrow that you have wept for days or weeks?  What was it?  Did you take time to seriously pray about it?
• How would you evaluate your current prayer life?  Is there something you would want to change?
• Do you view prayer as a privilege, a job, or both?
• Knowing what we know about Nehemiah’s divine placement in history (like Esther, like Jesus, like Moses), can you see how God may be taking you through places and seasons that could bring Him glory and bring you long-term goodness?  We cannot know which way the hand of God will move, but working to see our “hard times” through the eyes of eternity can give us hope in the short-term.

Waters of Great Love

At twenty-nine the waiting game is over
No offense, but I've got lots of things to do
So I've left you this little note
And I'm hoping that you'll find it:
Meet me in the waters of Great Love

I held off for a while, just stalling Him, you see
But His calling for me was growing quite too faint
I realized my love for you
Would never be enough for you
Unless I drank the waters of Great Love

So I'm drinking deeply now, still hoping you'll show up
Yet this waiting time hasn't been for naught
And when you've made your peace
With all you've done and fought
I'll be wading in the waters of Great Love

Our Part of the Tapestry

I'm sitting in the doctors office as I write this, waiting to be seen. Another "interruption" in my day that causes me to sit back and thank God that He does everything for a purpose and I can trust He already knew how my day would go today. 

I finished a Bible study last night that left me craving for more. So I pull out this book to read that I've been eyeing since I got it from the budget bin at the local bookstore: Max Lucado's God's Story, Your Story. 

The first chapter of Max's writing reels me in: God has a story for me. For my life. "You are so much more than a few days between the womb and the tomb."  

Who doesn't long for purpose? And who doesn't struggle to find it at times?  

Max talks about his genealogy, and the pictures of my own family tree projects as an elementary school student pop into mind. I have a new idea on how to chart this history in a more meaningful way to me.

Have you ever charted your family's history? Have you ever wondered if you were related to royalty or some great inventor? 

But God's story unfolds for me in the now. The history is still alive inside of me and I carry it. No, I don't carry the burdens of my ancestors nor do I claim their successes or failures. But I recognize their thread in a larger tapestry, and I continue that thread with my own color. 

I don't know about you, but I want my thread to be strong, to bind to other threads around me and create a picture of my generation that is more brilliant than the one before me, and one that is more dull than the one to come. I want my portion of the loom to build a foundation for the one to come: One of faith that rocks the world, that shocks the world; One of love and compassion fueled by the heart of God. 

Dream today with me, will you? Let's not give up on this journey of impact and purpose that goes beyond our today. Lets look to God for the bigger story and how we can be threads available for Him to weave.  

Check it out here!

Retro Word

I'm curious: when was the last time you pulled out an old-fashioned leather or paperback Bible?

Devo Time :)

I'm a huge fan of the Bible applications that come on the fancy phones these days, but something special happens when I take time and effort to turn those thin pages. At least, for me it does.

Thank goodness for technology that reaches the un reached!! But what a privilege to hold something like a Bible, freely and openly, in my own hands.

Live every moment....

Live every moment, as though it was your last
Before the Thief of Always steals tomorrow from your grasp
Before the chance to know His love has somehow passed you by
Let your heart reach out, right here, right now, for the Lord to touch your life
                           -Jaci Velasquez, Thief of Always

 A few weeks ago, I went to spend time with one of my friends from choir.  Though about 50 years separates us, I love her as if she’s a sister my age.  We ate at her favorite pizza parlor and she gave me a tour of her home.  She moved here several years ago at the insistence of her children, who lovingly purchased and furnished the beautiful place she lives in.  She has nothing but praise and love for them. 

One thing that is just remarkable to me about this lady is that she is such a graceful and welcoming person.  There aren’t very many people who don’t just have a blast spending time with her.  Spunky, she is.  She’s not willing to give in to discouragement, though she deals with it often.  I admire her greatly.

That is probably some of the reasons why a lady in her development, Tanya, became such good friends with her.  Tanya has been dealing with medical issues for a while, but you’d never know it looking at her.  She’s spunky too, but a bit more quite than my friend.  So I had the delightful idea when I was visiting my friend, to plan for a ladies’ night in where we could invite Tanya to lift her spirts a little and have fun together.  We were going to plan it as soon as I got back from my trip.

That was a couple weeks ago.  Last Thursday, Tanya passed away suddenly. 

I grieve because I simply miss her sweet spirit, but I know that as I grieve, she rejoices with no pain, and with the love of her life.  I take great comfort in that.  Also, as Pastor Phyllis mentioned at her memorial service, Tanya simply got an address change, and those who know Jesus with see her again someday.

While I celebrate the fact that Tanya is at peace, I am also challenged to not let a moment go by when God brings someone to my heart.  Take advantage of that opportunity now, because it may not be there tomorrow, and you never know what God might have for you to learn from that moment. 

 “Father, I want those you gave me to be with me right where I am…” John 17:24

Here's a little blast from the past.  Enjoy. :)

Reevaluation

It's that season - a time in life where you have been driving down a highway and all of the sudden find yourself on a side street, with the GPS voice reading off "recalculating, recalculating". 

Sometimes we look at the roads we're on in life and we can see a long drive.  We can be content there because we know what's up ahead.  We can anticipate the traffic, the turns, and the scenery.  And sometimes, we  look at the roads and see a dead end.  How did we get here?  We were traveling straight, steady.  We took no stops or detours. 

But wait, perhaps we should have.

That's the spot.  That's the recalculation, the reevaluation place. Maybe you stay on this road, but maybe you need to turn down another.  And only God knows which way is the correct way.

It's not really something to get stressed out about.  After all, "we can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." (Proverbs 16:9). 

So it comes to this: pulling off to the side, and looking at our road map, calling the person we're headed to see, and reevaluating our course.  This is where I, and several of my friends, find ourselves.

I'm seeking God through the Bible and prayer and counsel.  I'm hanging out on the side of the road for just a little bit while I get my bearings. I'm sure I won't be here long.  There's a lot of road to travel.

Pastor Dan Betzer once made the comment about choosing how to proceed in a huge life decision - if you're really not sure what to do, don't do anything.

If you're in this season with me, let's be proactive about seeking God and serving others while we wait for an answer.  You never know when the call is going to come, so make the most of this time, and you'll be ready when it does.  

Road trip...

Waiting v. Camping

I mentioned in an earlier post about reading Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (1952).  I've only made it through the preface with my busy schedule, but there were several things that grabbed my thinker and took off running.

I enjoy the way Lewis has written in such a direct style.  There is little fluff, but lots of illustration, in his writing.  Toward the end of the preface (pg. 12), Lewis is describing decisions we must make in life regarding how we will live out our faith.

However, he goes on to point out that while we are waiting to make certain decisions, we must remember this is a time of waiting, not of camping.  Rather, don't get too comfortable.  As Lewis explains it, we must keep seeking God on the matters, even though we are in a waiting time, because we are not there to stay.

This train of thought has led me to remember the Bible verse that clearly says we must have faith if we are going to have any chance at all of pleasing God.  In our times of waiting, we have to keep seeking God, believing that He has more for us than this "hallway", and believing that He will answer us.

I'm choosing to seek and believe.  Let's live proactively in the waiting time, and save the camping for our recreation times.

2012 Goal: Be Who I Was Made To Be

There are things that we have to do in life that - man - we just do not want to do.  We don't want to face the challenge, we don't want to deal with the possibility of defeat, nor do we want to fail.  We sometimes play the voices of our past critics in our head and battle their attacks with ways we can be better to, essentially, prove them wrong.

Last year, my brother went through Officer's Candidate School, and was thrown into a class of incredible, incredible men and women all pining to be dubbed officer's for the US Army.  His class's cutoff scores for physical fitness was higher than any other class before him, and he made it by a hair.  Every day was a challenge - a good one, at that - but a challenge nevertheless.

During this same time, I was taking state exams and not doing so well on them.  I've always been a high achiever, so it hit me hard to be so uncertain about my scores.  My brother was able to call me for a few minutes one day, and we talked about how what really matters at this point is that we have done our absolute best, and that we pass the test.  Not that we actually come in first place, but that we pass.  We've both found ourselves in leagues of extraordinary people this last year, and it's been exhilarating to be in their company.  Humbling, too.  What this means, though, is that while our best score may be the worst one of the group, it's still our best.  And our best is still good enough.

My pastor, Pastor Dan Betzer, quoted Theodore Roosevelt this week, and I was very encouraged by his words on pressing forward.

It is not the critic who counts:  not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.


"Citizenship in a Republic"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910*

So please make a resolution to live with me this year, to be who we were made to be, to jump in our life's arena with the heart God put into us and move with Him.  After all, He earns the right to be a critic since He's right there with us all along.



*Retrieved from http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/quotes.htm in January 2012

2012 Goal: Believe Bigger

I don't know one single person that would not benefit from believing bigger about God's ability and the ability He has instilled inside of each of us.  Too often, we find ourselves backing out of things before we even attempt them, though, because we don't believe God made us strong enough for something.

Remember Moses in the Bible?  God chose him to lead an entire nation to freedom, but he was so scared of speaking that God had to use Aaron, his brother, to speak to the crowds.  It's not to say that God didn't know this was going to happen, but I always wonder how or if the story would have changed if Moses decided to stammer his way through every speech, just because God told Him to.  I didn't read anywhere where God was asking Moses to be eloquent, just obedient.  Still, our human nature inherently tells us we are limited, where God's divine nature tells us we are able.

Remember Esther in the Bible?  She didn't think her stunning beauty was worth anything but to be beautiful.  She probably had hopes to be chosen as a bride by some other humble Jewish boy and to become a good wife and mother.  Yet God had a kingdom to save, and He knew he could use Esther, so He called her.  She became queen, but even with her influence as queen, she doubted her ability to do anything of significance.  Her wise uncle was the one who said to her that her whole life may have been purposed for just this very thing: this very pivotal part of the nation's survival.  And who is she to question God's purpose at this time?  Even here, the human nature of limitations creeps in on God's divine nature of ability.

Andy Grammar, a current singer/songwriter from L.A., has had an experience similar to these.  While I don't know how divine his experiences have been, I do know that God's Spirit can use anything to get inside of our hearts, including a song. From a non-Christian singer.  The lyrics to the chorus of "Lunatic" are especially encouraging to me.

You can do this, you can do this. You are not a lunatic. Crazy would be changing your mind. You can do this, you can do this. You are not a lunatic. Crazy would be leaving it behind.

God has put dreams inside of you and I.  Let's believe this year more than ever, let's let our faith grow this year more than ever.  And let's not ignore every little thing His Spirit speaks to us, from whatever source it seems to come from.


"And without faith it is impossible to please God" - Hebrews 11:6

2012 Goal: Ignore Fear, Not Wisdom

**Movie Spoiler - A line from We Bought a Zoo**

If there's one thing I would have said about myself a year ago was that I was not really afraid of anything. 

But in 2011, God walked with me through many circumstances where fear was brought center-stage in my life.  It helped me realize how often I am paralyzed by fear and I don't even realize it - how often I am truly afraid and call it something else. 

Now, there's a verse in the Bible that talks about having a fear of God.  This is a reverent fear, not something that is scary, but something that is deeply respectful of God's position versus our position.  So there is a healthy fear, but in our vernacular, it should really be referred to as "reverence" or "respect". 

That being said, I was most certainly living in a lot of fear. 

I imagine you deal with the same thing.  But fear is not a useful thing.  We have to figure out a way around fear so we can live to go places we have not believed ourselves to be able to go.  Fear will, undoubtedly, keep us from walking in God's #1 plan for our life.

I heard a really good line in We Bought a Zoo when I saw it the other day:

You know, sometimes, all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage.. just, literally, 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery, and, I promise you, something great will come of it.

One of my goals for 2012 and beyond is to remember this little tidbit and to take my chances with 20 seconds of courage.  As a Christian, I really think I have to remember wisdom in this decision, though.  Sometimes, 20 seconds of courage can mean holding my tongue for 20 seconds.  Other times, it's going to mean: go up to that stranger and give them a hug in a matter of 20 seconds.  Courage doesn't necessarily mean doing something stupid.  It just means doing something wise-doing something right, no matter how many people think it is stupid. 

So please remember 20 seconds of courage in 2012.  It's a great time to walk into somewhere incredible God has for you.  And I'm pretty sure we don't want to miss out on that...

The Ripple

Sometimes I imagine more than just 2 people read what I have to say on here. I imagine some people care about what is on my mind and in my heart other than a passing comment they hear from me.

Truth is, though, I love to write.

So it is with any passion. You do it not so much for the attention, but for the joy of the activity. And when you do it for the simple joy of doing it, you find shelter from critics and cynics. You may still be attacked, but you're not really doing it for their approval.

So I write, I sing, I bike, I travel, I tinker on instruments, I love people, I help people.

I know my writing doesn't win any awards, my singing doesn't turn heads, my playing doesn't soothe any soul, my loving is considered futile, my help is seldom noticed, I can only visit so many places, and I'm going to get all sweaty biking.

But this is who I am.  This is where I find joy.  This is how I express myself.  I cannot walk away from who I am - regardless of those critics and cynics - or else I fall into a life of confusion.

Don't forsake who God has made you to be.  Don't settle for what others tell you that you are.  Challenge it with the One who made you, and find out really who you are.

Everyone has something wonderful to add to this life.  Even you.  Even me.  Let's do it and do it well.

This weekend ends one year and starts a new one.  You have another opportunity to throw yourself as a pebble into a pond.  You have the opportunity to create new, beautiful, adventurous, calming waves with who you are.

Go ahead, make your ripple.

Happy New Year.

Red Rock Canyon

I've always been a bit of an adventurer.  I love my security, but I thrill on adventure.  I was in high school when I traveled half way around the world to work in a 3rd world country for a couple weeks one summer.  I've got the guts to jump out of a plane and fall 14,000 feet just for the fun of it.  But some of my most special moments come from just enjoying the beauty around me.

I love parks.  I may sneeze at every speck of dust, but I'd rather sneeze than not be wrapped up in the middle of that beauty. 

About a year ago, my family took a trip to Las Vegas and southern California to visit friends and family for a week.  One of my most favorite memories was from a hike I took up a trail in Red Rock Canyon with my brother and our friend Myron.  The views from the canyon are breathlessly beautiful.  The little bit of physical exertion to make those views possible makes me wonder why the trails weren't packed that day. 

Life is short enough as it is.  Find an adventure that you can't fit into your normal schedule, set a date, and make it happen.  Don't miss the beautiful fun that is available to you in your area!

Freddie, Me, and Myron:::Red Rock Canyon, January 2011

Skydiving

A lot of people are surprised to learn that I have been skydiving.  They tend to be more surprised when I tell them I can't wait to go again.

So often, I find we do things that we know we'll be able to control.  And security is not a bad thing, but for my own sanity, my own faith, and my own reminder that I am not in control anyway, I find it good for me to do things such as skydive.

It is true that there is a risk.  You risk death, essentially.  But you gain a realization that even falling through the air with a parachute, God is in control.  When I went skydiving, I placed my life in the hands of my tandem diver.  But I knew I could trust him to get me to the ground safely because he wanted to land safely too!

God can do the same, for the same reasons.  God's "landing" is when we reach heaven.  The salvation of Christ is our figurative parachute, and as long as we stay strapped to God, we can rest assured we will land safely in His arms in heaven one day.

Interestingly enough, I did not have a fear of jumping.  I had a thrill of getting to do something I may never get the opportunity to do again, and I took it.

We must trust God enough to jump with Him and to come to salvation in Christ.  If we don't we risk doing something that we may never get the opportunity to do again.  Don't wait until tomorrow to decide to go jumping with God.  Make every day a dive in the sky.

And keep your mouth closed.  It helps you breathe.  :)

Skydiving July 2010 - Me and my tandem, Chad

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance! - Psalm 16:6

When a bad day comes....

When you are having a bad day, read this:

O Lord my God, I cried to your for help, and you restored my health.  You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death.  Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise His holy name.  For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime!  Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.  Psalm 30:2-5

Take heart in new beginnings, and try to remember that what is bad now is only temporary.  As horrible as it is, it will not last.

And let me know, so I can be a friend to you today. 

Differences

Little things pique my interest. In fact, most women or artists are probably the same way. We get teased for over-thinking, or making too big a deal about things, but this is how we were fashioned: to notice and draw out the small, significant things in life.  And these same people who tease are the ones who find comfort in those little details when they hit a rock wall.  But lest I neglect the value that these opposite personalities offer, let me note that they, too, carry a very important part of God's character within them: they are often the producers, the directors, the adventurous ones who take on the world. And we need them.

Notice that without the two, we would have a very unbalanced world.... more-so than it already is!  Each compliments the other, and neither paint an entire picture alone.  

Great leadership recognizes that they need this balance in their activities and decision making process. You may not like that I am so detail-oriented....... until it comes to your taxes and you are hoping to find one more deduction.  Conversely, you may not like that I am prone to responding sincerely.... until you are in a breakup and you need an honest  friend to give you the company and encouragement that is not fleeting.

Try to be aware of those around you today that are different from you. What do their personalities have to offer you that will make you a better person? In return, how can you graciously offer your "differences" to help them with some situation?  It is difficult for some, but as you practice, you will get better at complimenting people around you.  You may also find that you get less "annoyed" with them...


You will find, in time, that your conscious effort helps you in many more than just that one social or professional setting. Aside from that, you may make the friend if a lifetime, just because you were mindful of them despite their differences. 

Remember one thing: you are where you are for a reason. If God didn't want you there, or need you there, He would move you. So find out how you can compliment those around you and do so.  Take advantage of this opportunity before it's gone forever.




Lord, remind me of how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered [by You!!] - how fleeting my life is.  Psalm 39:4