Gus and Girly

We've all heard the idiom, "She (or he) has a face only a mother could love." Well, sometimes that's putting it mildly. My friend's pug, Girly, has that type of face. She's so ugly she's cute. I mean, just look at her! This photo doesn't show her toothless smile, and how her tongue hangs out of her mouth.This poor old girl was adopted a year ago after being sorely neglected. Thankfully, she's since been showered with attention, love and lots of nurturing. Despite her seemingly sad facial expression, deep down, she's actually quite happy and content. 

Recently, she had to have some surgery that ran up my friend's Visa bill. Even though it was a steep financial sacrifice, my animal-loving friend willingly took the bullet for her silly-faced little dog.

Girly's brother, Gus, is also very lucky to be part of the family. Apparently, the shelter warned any potential new owner that Gus could be a bit of a brat.  He might get cranky or even nip, they'd said. But after my friend met Gus, she kept thinking about him. So much so that she actually went back and adopted him - despite the warnings. Turns out he's been a pretty good little dog, but she didn't know it would all turn out that way. 

My friend's loving heart towards her dogs is so amazingly unconditional. When I think about Gus and Girly, it makes me think of God's unconditional God's love for us. Romans 5:8 says, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (NLT) While we were still sinners -  what amazing words! God sent Jesus Christ to die for you and me. Why? Certainly not because we are or ever can be good enough. Heaven's no. He did it just because he loves us. Whenever I start to question God's love for me, I have to read this verse repeatedly until it sinks in. I'm just so amazed that he knows all my flaws, my issues, my cranky, selfish moments (or hours, or days, or longer), my fears and my mountains of insecurities, and he said, "I want to adopt you into my family."

Unbelievable! The God of the universe  wanted to adopt me - and YOU - knowing every unappealing thing about us.  And what do we have to do to earn this love? Not one thing! Ephesians 2:8 tells us, " For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." 

Thank you, Lord, for your unconditional love.  You accept us just like Gus and Girly. Flaws and ugly faces and all.   

My One Word: HOPE

I just love a good book!  Especially when it offers encouragement and helps me draw closer to God.  The first book I read this year was My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word, by Mike Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen.  The "My One Word" project is something that Ashcraft has been doing at his church for several years.  The concept is quite simple: do something for the year about just one thing - instead of nothing about everything. So, my homework assignment was to choose just one word that represents what I want God to do in my life and in my heart, then focus on it for an entire year. So, to start 2015, I chose the word HOPE.  (I figured it was the perfect choice, since 2014 ended in a puddle of hopelessness).

I'm amazed at how many scriptures there are about hope.  There are nearly 200!  My key verse is Psalm 33:22: "Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone."

Every time I pick up my Bible, I come across more and more words filled with hope.  When I start to wonder why I should even get out of bed - "what's the point of all this anyway?" - I'm encouraged to press on to reach the end of the race, to receive that heavenly prize for which God, through Christ, is calling me (Phil 3:13-14). 

I need that reminder because many days I'm just plain exhausted.  I know I'm not alone.  Several  of my friends are hanging on by an emotional thread and ready to fall into the abyss any minute.  It's the curse of menopause, and the curse of Adam.  "All your life you will struggle to scratch a living...[the ground] will grow thorns and thistles for you...by the sweat of your brow ..."  Yeah.  Thanks a lot, Adam.  We've all been working for so many years, and we're dang tired.  We need to see a ray of light at the end of the tunnel (is retirement ANYWHERE in sight?). 

But, then I'm reminded.  I can't put my hope in anything but God.  Not my husband, my kids, my bank account, my job, my future retirement, my health, my friends, my house ... it's all just quicksand.  So, repeat after me: God, alone, is my refuge and my hope.  Amen

Quiet The Noise

Noise. It's all around us. The other day, I was waiting at a traffic light and the car next to me had their stereo blaring. Not only was it loud, it was offensive.  The rap music erupted with expletives. Worse yet, the car had one of those giant subwoofers that sound like an airplane engine - bomb, bomb, bomb - I could literally feel my car shaking. But what could I do?  I couldn't get away from it. 

I turned up my own radio as high as it would go, which was tuned into a Christian music station.  I tried to go to my happy place in my head and just ride it out.  Eventually, the light changed, and I let the noisy car get as far away from me as possible.  Thank goodness!  Speaking of quieting outside noise, one of the most useful gifts my husband has given me over the years is a set of Bose headphones.  I use them at work to drown out co-worker's banter, at home to drown out the blaring baseball game, and on airplanes to drown out crying babies.  They are awesome!

But what happens when the noise is in our own head?  When our thoughts are swirling with fear, doubt, resentment, confusion, worry, or anger.   What can we do?  The only way to drown out the noise is to turn up the God volume.  Get our minds back on Him.  Get in the Word.  Pray.  Journal. Turn on Christian music.  Breathe.  Take a walk or call a friend who will encourage us to talk to God about it.

Recently a friend confessed that she was struggling with negative noise in her head.  "I'm trying to take my thoughts captive," she admitted.  It's so hard, though. That's why we need God's truths to take up residence in our minds. His truths help us to pack up our own noisy thoughts and move them OUT.  If we do that, God promises that He will give us His peace.  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:7).

Thank God It's A New Day

When my kids were little, I used to put them to bed early if they were too whiny or unruly. Nine times out of ten, the negative behavior was just an indication they were overtired. Well, I must have been overtired from the moment I woke up yesterday because even before I finished my first cup of coffee, negativity had totally consumed me.

Instead of finishing my devotional reading, I got sidetracked and went onto the internet. I began "chatting" and venting with a friend. Grrr. Then I posted a complaint on Facebook about my neighbor's barking dogs (several people responded with suggestions about how to handle the situation). Grrr. After a while, hubby and I made a trip to Home Depot and some other places. My sandal broke on the escalator. Grrr. I got home and tried to clean the house. Grrr. My back was killing me. Double-Grrr. A trip to the grocery store. Grrr. Everything and everyone was getting on my nerves. Grrr.

Negativity swirled inside (and outside) of my head. I sent a couple of text messages to a friend in which I was saying critical things about the people I love. I immediately felt guilty. Needless to say, by 8:00 pm, I decided I just needed to call it a day and go to bed. It was a self-inflicted adult time-out so to speak.

I'm so grateful that God doesn't hold this bad-attitude-day against me. In fact, the Bible says: "The faithful love of the Lord never ends. His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23).

There is a great song by Avalon called "New Day" which I'm singing today!

It's a new day

Oh, it's a new time

And there's a new way

I'm gonna live my life

All the old has, passed away

And the new has come

Thank God, It's a brand new day

Lookin' back on yesterday

There are things that I regret

But I put the past behind me

And I never will forget

You have covered my mistakes

And my broken dreams

Now over the horizon

I see the dawn is drawing near

And I realize the sun did rise

Tomorrow's finally here...

Faith Of A Child

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3)

Yesterday a friend of mine said something very profound. She said, "If we all truly believed that Jesus loved us, we wouldn't have any worries or stress." Is it really that simple? The answer is yes. It is. The simple faith of a child - that's what God wants us to have. Like the children's song: Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so..."

If we truly believed Jesus loves us, we wouldn't worry about what’s going to happen tomorrow. We would know that he will take care of us, equip us and strengthen us in everything life throws our way (because "He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power at work within us" - Ephesians 4:20). If we truly believed he loved us, we wouldn't be weighed down trying to carry our own burdens or spinning out on all our problems. We would know that he will carry our burdens for us and work things out as he sees fit ("cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" - 1 Peter 5:7). If we truly believed he loves us, we wouldn't compare ourselves to other people and come up feeling cheated. We would accept what he has given us (including our looks, intelligence, personality, gifts, talents, etc) knowing he gave us those specific qualities for a reason.

We wouldn't question his “no's” when he doesn't give us things we ask for, whether it's a job or a relationship or better looks or a winning lottery ticket. If we truly believed he loved us, we would be completely content in his love, and not feel compelled to strive for acceptance by endlessly doing things for him. Instead, we would obediently do things he asks us to do - because we are overflowing with gratitude that he’s come to save us and give us a meaningful life (he said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" - John 10:10). If we truly believed he loved us, we wouldn't be searching for happiness in things like hobbies, or clothes, or food, or cars, or people, or more stuff for our house. Those things are well and good, but they will never make us eternally happy. 

If we really believed the words of that children's song, we would find joy in knowing that God not only loves us, he knows the number of hairs on our heads! (Matthew 10:30). We would trust him so much that we would whole-heartily jump into his arms like a little child diving off a bed into a parent's outstretched arms. Yes, it’s that simple. Unfortunately, we are such block heads that we have to be reminded of his unconditional love every day. Yet, even in our spiritual Alzheimer’s, he loves us anyway. Imagine that.

Thou Shalt Not Grumble

grum·ble

intransitive verb
To mutter in discontent

Synonyms: beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, growl, complain, grump, holler, inveigh, keen, kick, kvetch, moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, yammer, yawp, yowl.



You'd think we would learn from the Israelites. After 430 years of brutal slavery in Egypt, they were finally delivered. Exodus 15 tells us that Moses lead the people of Israel through the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. The mighty Egyptians drowned. Moses & the Israelites sang a song of praise to God. And after three days in the wilderness, what did they do? Drum roll please ...

Exodus 15:24 "So the people grumbled..."

It would be easy to sit and judge. But truth be told, if I were in their sandals, I'd probably have done the same thing, perhaps even sooner. This pack is killing my back. I have to go to the bathroom. I'm thirsty. She's annoying me. When's the next rest stop? When life gets hard, and pressures come, our gut response is to complain. The problem is that griping accomplishes nothing. In fact, our negativity only makes things worse.

What amazes me is that time and again, God provided for those grumbling Israelites. More amazing is that, although I don't deserve it, he provides for my pitiful grumbling self as well. Paul says in 1 Corinthians that "our forefathers ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them..."

God was not pleased. That's the rub. Paul warns us to learn from the Israelites' mistakes. He lists three sins NOT to commit: practicing idolatry, sexual immorality, grumbling (1 Cor 10:5). Just in case anyone wants to minimize the sin of whining, it's pretty clear. So how do we stop? Well, Paul concludes that passage by assuring us that God will not give us more than we can handle. When we are tempted, He will provide a way out.

Today I will look at what is occupying my attention. Am I grateful for what God has given me? Or am I only focused on what I don't have? What difficulties I face? What people are currently annoying me? Today I will choose to turn my gaze upward and meditate on God's promises. I will thank him for what he has done, and for what he will do in my life in the next 24 hours. When I am tempted to grumble, I will stop & ask for his help.

Psalm 73:23 says "Yet, I am always with you, you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel and afterward you will take me into glory."

Waiting on Him

When my daughter, Valerie, was just a toddler, a friend at church asked her when we were going to come over for a visit.

In a sad, small voice, Valerie replied: “Mommy says soon, but soon never comes!”

When I think of my little girl’s hopeless response, I am reminded of the countless times I, too, have felt that same pang of despair while waiting on God. We live in a fast-paced world, often expecting instant answers and immediate results. It is so hard to remember that God’s timing is not our own. He is never in a hurry.

Meanwhile, we wait. Perhaps we need His guidance on an important decision. Maybe we are struggling with a difficult relationship, a challenging job, or an illness that just keeps hanging on.

No matter what our trial, God encourages us to be “Joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12, NIV).

This, of course, is easier said than done. How can we remain patient in affliction? I believe the key is in the latter part of this verse: if we want to experience true joy in all circumstances, we must be “faithful in prayer.” When we pray, we are opening the floodgates for God to fill us with His hope.

Perhaps that is why I love to read the Psalms. David continually exemplifies this principle of non-stop communication with God throughout his life. No matter how seemingly dark his circumstances—facing a fowl-mouthed giant, hiding from King Saul in a cave, or experiencing the devastation of losing a child—David continually reaches out to God for help.

That is how he could proclaim: “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry"
(Psalm 40:1, NIV).