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).

Jesus Is My Pay Pal

A while back, I tried to purchase a doll online. I hadn’t been on Ebay for several years, so I hadn’t used PayPal either.

Of course, I couldn’t remember my password. When I tried to click the “reset” button, it didn’t send me an email. I hit the button about 10 times, typed in those googly letters for security. Ahhhhhh! I just wanted to pay for the doll. I tried to re-register on PayPal.
“That email is already in use.”
No kidding? Then why don’t you send me a password re-set?
I try to call.
I click on the “call me” button.
It says, “We show that you have an active email. Check your email.”

Ultimately, I gave up in utter frustration. I’m just going to start over with a new identity. I registered for a new Yahoo email address and a new PayPal account. Finally, I was able to pay for my purchase.

How does this relate to God? Well, before I knew Jesus, I had made a complete and utter mess of my life? No matter how many different ways I tried to fix it, I just made it worse. I wasn’t connected with God, so I didn’t have any help. I was trying to do it alone. Finally, one night at a Christian music concert, I surrendered God. I said, “I’m sorry God, I can don’t do this by myself any more. I give up. I need you; please forgive me.”

From that moment on, He took over and wiped my slate clean. He gave me a new name. He gave me the “access code” – J-E-S-U-S is my password. All I need to do is use HIS name. He is the ultimate PayPal. He paid the price for me to have access to God in this life, and in Heaven for eternity.

Romans 5:1-2 (The Message) "By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us — set us right with him, make us fit for him — we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise."

Finding Love In A Pile Of Leaves

One day after work I was feeling a little down and dejected.  I had just been notified that I didn't get a promotion that I interviewed for.  I decided to go for a walk around my old elementary school to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. Perhaps it would cheer me up and get my mind off my disappointment, I thought.  I put on my IPOD shuffle, and started walking. I prayed that God would speak to me.

The song, "Forever Love" by Francesca Battistelli came on as I rounded to the back side of the school. One verse says, "from the bottom of my heart I'll sing to you. From the depths of who I am I love you. With everything inside I'll run to you 'cause all that I've become I owe to you...

Right as I heard "I'll run to you," I looked up and saw a dad raking a huge pile of leaves in his front yard. His daughter (who looked to be about 6 or so) was running full speed and joyously diving into the pile. I turned around and started bawling. Just seeing a father and daughter, the little girl's trust and her joy, the way the father prepared the pile and waited for her. It was just precious. In that moment, I heard a message from God about his love for me.

So there I was, walking, and crying.  The next song on the shuffle was Bethany Dillon's "All I Need". Although I'd asked a friend if she could join me, as well as my husband (who didn't feel good), it ended up being just me and God on the walk.  You know what? That was enough!

Here are just some of the words of Bethany's song:

You are all I need when I'm surrounded
You are all I need if I'm by myself
You fill me when I'm empty
There is nothing else
You're all I need...

...I hear You whisper loud
You're still the God that opens seas
Every flower, even me
You're all I need

When I started my walk, I felt down and dejected, but God lifted me up by showing me love in a simple pile of leaves.

Does God Give Directions?

Directions? What should I do? Where should I go? What should I say? What should I think? In the Bible study that I'm currently doing, Experiencing God, by Henry & Richard Blackaby, we are looking at the concept of how God gives directions. In the Old Testament, God uniquely spoke to His people. They knew it was God. They understood what He said. When God spoke, that was an encounter with Him.

Okay, so how do I have that kind of encounter? When God speaks to me (not audibly, but in my heart), I don't always know that it's Him. Sometimes it's just lil' ole me trying to figure things out myself. Sometimes it's my codependent people-pleasing personality trying to fix everything and everyone around me. Heck, sometimes it's just indigestion.

I'll be honest, it's not always easy for me to hear from God. Especially if I'm so busy talking (whining) that I'm not open to receive from Him. There are also times when my heart is hurting too much.  I'm just too shut down. Sometimes I wish that God would come and talk to me in a burning bush like he did Moses. Or perhaps he could send an angel to sit and have some Starbucks with me face-to-face? But alas, that doesn't seem to be his plan.

Isaiah 55:8 says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the Lord." Yep, that's the truth. My thoughts are selfish. My thoughts are usually about getting my way, or feeding my flesh. But God's thoughts are so much higher than that!

This study is reminding me that God talks to me (and gives me directions) all the time, and in many different ways: through the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and through prayer. He also uses songs, sermons, and best of all, Godly friends. If I want directions, all I need to do is ask. And then shut up and listen.

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." Amen (Psalm 143:8)

Green Eyed Monster

cov·et (k v t)
v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets
1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy.
2. To wish for longingly.

The Bible is clear. God says we are not to covet. The green-eyed monster of envy is our enemy. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's..."(Exodus 20:17)

Some things are easy to pass up.  I doubt many of us have lately coveted anyone's maidservants, donkeys or oxen.  However, we do covet each others' homes, jewelry, cars, clothes, furnishings, electronics, vacations, skinny waists, spouses, well-behaved kids, and everything else under the sun. The minute we see a commercial, we want it! It's what keeps our economy going. Advertisers bank on it.

Is there really that much harm in desiring other people's possessions or apparent health, or relationships? Actually, yes, there is. Basically envy, jealousy (coveting) is flat out saying to God: "Hey, I don't like what you've given me! I want what they have." When my kids were younger, we had one cereal bowl that had a small chip on the side. Every day that bowl would end up on the table, and sure enough, the kids would fight over who got the broken bowl. Why? Because the one who didn't have it thought they wanted it. The one who got it flaunted it. It was the stupidest thing ever. Finally, I had to throw it away.

When I see myself start to covet, I think. "Do I sound like my silly kids? Am I really that unhappy with what I have?"

I have to be especially careful of things that make my covet-hungering worse. Like HGTV, for example. When I start watching house-hunters, or even worse, house-hungers international, I start to resent the fact that some people get to buy gigantic, beautiful homes - sometimes in exotic places. It's not fair!  Why do they get a 6000 square foot house in the Virgin Islands? Meanwhile, I'm still just stumbling along in my 1700 square foot fixer upper.

The green-eyed monster doesn't stop at houses either. I covet other people's figures, tight butts, lack of wrinkles, etc. I covet other people's relationships all the time. The other day I was actually momentarily envious when I found out a good friend is going to become a grandma. Everyone I know is a grandma. When's my turn? I want the broken bowl...I want...I want...I want...

Today I will turn my coveting into praise. Lord, I am thankful for what I have. I will turn my heart towards you and be thankful for the abundance of things you've given me. Even if I don't have the broken bowl.

God's Arm of Protection

Psalm 138:7-8 (New Living Translation)

Though I am surrounded by troubles,
you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
and the power of your right hand saves me.
The LORD will work out his plans for my life—
for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

This verse speaks oceans to me today. I got an email from someone yesterday who is greed and evil incarnate. The fact that he is a family member is irrelevant. What matters is that having contact with him makes me physically, emotionally and spiritually ill. Therefore, I choose not to have him in my life any longer. Today I’m setting a boundary. I’ve responded by telling him I no longer wish to have contact. He is waging an ugly legal battle to try and gain more of his share of our recently deceased mother’s money. That’s his choice. But I am not his ally.

God, on the other hand, is high above the Earth. He is full of might and power, and He is able to protect me from my enemies. The verse, "you reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me," makes me think of the days when cars didn’t have seat belts. If someone slammed on their breaks, Fathers and Mother’s would instinctively reach out their arm in front of their child to create a safety barrier.

I like to think that God is stretching out his arm right now, even in the midst of this trouble, and he is creating a safety barrier for me. The enemy can’t touch me when God’s arm is surrounding me. Thank you, Father, for you love and protection.

Tip of the Tongue ~ the Tip of the Fingers

"The tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire..." (James 3:6)

I got an email from Amazon today. I put in an order weeks ago and hadn't gotten it. The message read: "A shipment from your order has been returned to our fulfillment center as undeliverable..."

Some dribble about problems with my mailing address. I have no idea what the issue could be; after all, I order books regularly from Amazon and have NEVER had any trouble. I almost hit the reply button and started to type:

Dear Idiots! What the h....is your problem? You have my money! Give me my books, NOW!!! I know, I know. That would have been rude. Luckily I didn't type it, or send it. Especially given the fact that the order consisted of:

ESV Compact Bible (TruTone, Wild Rose, Floral Design)
Devotions for a Sacred Marriage: A Year of Weekly Devotions for Couples.

Sheesh, that would have been just great, huh? Jesus said, if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. How about cutting off your fingers so you can't type? What we write, type, or say with our tongue. It's all the same. They can ALL be a fire burning out of control.

Lord, help me to control my tongue - as well as what I type. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight. Amen (Psalm 19:14)

Family...

Family is, well, complicated to say the least. Why? Because the people we LOVE the most have the power to hurt us the deepest. Family members can push our buttons like no one else can. And with day-to-day annoyances, misunderstandings, hurts and frustration going on while living in close proximity to each other, let's face it, some days it's hard to love our families. Especially the way Jesus wants us to.

"My command is this," he says, "love each other in the same way I have loved you." (John 15:12-13)

That's so tough to do! Especially when some of our family members are teens or young adults, and they are walking all over our boundaries. Do you ever get tempted to take scripture out of context and twist it to suit your own emotions? I know I do. How about Luke 14:26? "If anyone comes to me and does NOT hate his father and mother, his wife and CHILDREN, his brothers and sisters...he cannot be my disciple..." There you go. If we take Christ's words out of context, we can justify hating those annoying little buggers. (Though that wasn't really what he meant; he was talking in a broader sense about being wiling to leave everything - and everyone behind - to follow him). But back to feeling hate. Hate's easy. It just pops up and rears it's ugly head as soon as we let our guard down.

Love, on the other hand, that takes a lot of work!



In The Necessary Enemy, Katherine Anne Porter points out that "Love must be learned, and learned again and again; there is no end to it. Hate needs no instruction, but waits only to be provoked."

So how can we practice love? Here's the famous recipe according to 1 Corinthians 13 (The Message)

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Well, that's it I guess. Love never gives up, especially on family...(even though they are a pain in our butts!) Lord, your word promises that all things are possible in your strength. Please help me to not only love my family, but to be loving towards them in my thoughts, words and actions as well. Amen

Look-Alikes

2 Corinthians 3:18 ~ "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit"



Many people believe that the more time we spend with someone, the more we start looking and acting like them. Can it be true? Do married people really begin to look like their spouses as the years go by?



An even more hilarious idea is the notion that some people begin to look like their dogs!









Although the above photos make me chuckle, I like this idea even better: the more I spend time with God, the more I am transformed into HIS likeness. Now there's something to aspire to. God's characteristics are amazing. For starters, he is perpetually loving. Add to that patient, good, and merciful. He is also gentle, righteous, just, faithful, perfect and holy...the list is as endless as he is.

If only I could possess some of those qualities! 
Lord, please continue to help me look like you! May you transform me into your likeness with ever-increasing glory. Amen

Work Woes

Exodus 5:10-14: “Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'  
The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”

This verse is especially telling because someone I love is quite overwhelmed in his job today. It’s actually been ongoing for a very long time. The slave drivers keep beating him down more and more. What’s worse, I’m helpless to fix or change it. He wants to run. He wants to quit. Pharaoh is just asking for the impossible. He’s trying to squeeze blood from a turnip …

I’m looking into God’s Word for some hope that I can offer this individual. David cried out to the Lord, “I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you. Save your servant who trusts in you...when I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me." (Psalm 86)

That’s the answer! David was able to survive when everything around him was “caving” in - both literally and figuratively - because he called out to God during his distress. His life was in peril when King Saul was hurling spears at him, then chasing him into the desert. Later, David’s heart was shattered to pieces when he fled from his own son, Absolom. Yet, David cried out to God. He clung to Him for his very life. 

This complete dependence on God is reflected In Michael W. Smith’s song, "This Is The Air I Breathe." 

This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me
This is my daily bread
this is my daily bread
your very word spoken to me
And I I'm desperate for you
And I I'm lost without you

Today I pray that the one I love will depend on God like that. I pray he will desperately seek his heavenly father like the very air he breathes. Even if God doesn’t choose to ease the crazy, impossible demands of the slave drivers right now, I know that God will provide much-needed protection, and healing and peace.

Clinging and Swinging

In Psalm 63:8, King David told God, "My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." This is a pretty amazing statement given that David penned it while running through the desert from his son, Absolom, who was hunting him down with plans to kill him.

Linda Dillow (author of A Deeper Kind of Calm, the book my women's Bible study is reading right now) asks us to remember a time when we experienced "clinging," and to describe those feelings. Well here's an example of NOT clinging:

When I was five years old, I was at my friend Sandy's house down the street, playing on her backyard swing. I was doing what all children do on swings: leaning back, pumping my legs, and looking up at the sky. "If you let go," her older brother, Larry, said, "you can fly!"



Me being the gullible idiot I was, I let go. Bam. That hard ground felt like cement. A burning pain seared through my body. After I caught my breath, I began to cry. In fact, I walked home, crying all the way. My collar bone was broken.  But what's worse, my trust in people was broken too.

What was going on inside that 5-year-old head of mine? Who knows. But one thing I do know is that if I had held on tight (and clinged) to that chain swing, I would have kept soaring higher and higher. I wouldn't have been hurt. I would have been free and happy. Instead, I chose to listen to - and believe - in the world's lies.

"Let go...and you can do this ...on your own..." 

Lord, please help me to ignore those lies. Help me cling to You with all my strength. I know You will never steer you wrong or let me fall. Amen

Psalm 65:6-13 (God in Nature)

I read Psalm 65 today, and was overwhelmed by how good God is to us. This "harvest Psalm", written by David, glorifies God (the Creator) through reflections of nature. Nature helps us understand God's character. It shows His generosity. He gives us more than we could ever need or deserve.

"O God, our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power...



who stilled the roaring of the sea...



those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades, you call forth songs of joy...



You care for the land and water it, you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water...



You drench its furrows...You soften it with showers ...



You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance...



the grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness...



the meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing."



It just doesn't get any better than that. David was definitely a "nature" guy. After all, he spent his formative years shepherding sheep. I love what he later wrote about gratitude: "because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of food." (Psalm 63:3-5) 


Lord, your love is the only thing that truly satisfies. Help me to eat, drink and breath your love, your presence, and your abundant blessings. Help me to be completely satisfied in You, Amen

Distractions

The other day I was trying to do my Bible study at the computer. Unfortunately, there was a very big, very noisy fly buzzing over my head that would not leave me alone! Back and forth from the lamp to the window he went. Finally, in desperation, I got a fly swatter. I sat perched in the chair - ammunition cocked  just waiting for him to swoop past me. Here he comes…swat … miss…there he went!

Now he was in the lamp. But he was just too fast. It was like he was on methamphetamines or something.  Zigging and zaggain, zigging and zagging! I kept swatting. Swat. Miss. Swat. Miss. After about 15 minutes, I sat back down and took a deep breath. In desperation, I prayed, “Lord, please help me kill this fly so that I can get back to my study.”

Soon, I heard the fly again. This time I just blindly swatted in the air above a high bookshelf. I’m pretty sure I got him. I couldn’t see his carcass, but the buzzing stopped. Finally, I was able to get back to my study.

So what did I learn from this crazy encounter? Mainly that the enemy of our souls wants nothing more than to distract us when we are trying to read God's Word. If he can get our minds, eyes, and ears off of what God is saying, then the battle is won. What's worse, Satan wants to make us crazy - swatting, reaching, grabbing for everything under the sun  except God.

Are there other things distracting me today from studying God's Word? Perhaps it's Facebook, or email, TV, or my cell phone. I need to "kill off" all those pesky flies and quiet my mind so I can hear what God is trying to tell me. First, let me just check my email one more time, though ....

The Blessings of Deprivation

When I was very young, I had numerous allergies. My mother said that I was congested all the time, so my parents did the only thing they could think of: they took away anything that made the allergies worse. Basically, my bedroom was a crib, wood floors, and a dresser. Anything that could possibly carry dust was removed, as were soft things filled with stuffing. No stuffed animals. No soft blankets. No pillow. I had a gate in the doorway to lock me in.



I actually have an early memory of standing at the gate, looking through the bars at the family gathered in the other room. I wanted to be there with everyone else, but I couldn’t because I was “quarantined.” I don’t know how long it lasted. Eventually, my allergies dissipated. All except for dust. As an adult, when I vacuum and clean, I constantly have to blow my nose and sneeze. (So, I can legitimately say that I am allergic to house work!)

When I look back at that little girl behind the gate, I distinctly remember that I hated feeling left out. I hated being a “have not.” Perhaps the fact that I couldn’t have soft things THEN explains why I NOW love my fleece bathrobe, slippers, socks, and blanket NOW. The fuzzier, the better!

Even though I didn’t like it at the time, the things my parents kept away from me were for my own good. I’m pretty sure that’s why God has chosen to keep material things away from me as well. I’ve never had a fancy house, clothes, toys, jewelry, bling, etc. I’m kind of a simple girl, I suppose. God knew that if I had too much of that “stuff” I would be too obsessed with it. I’m not sure why he surrounded me with friends who were well off, though. All through middle and high school I hung out with “rich kids” who lived in Carmichael along the American River. Yikes! talk about being on the other side of the gate.

But you know what? It’s okay. I know that God wants more for me that just a material girl. He wants me to be appreciative, thoughtful, compassionate, and deeply committed to Him. If I were to win the lottery or come into some serious money, I’d go downhill in a millisecond. Money wouldn’t be an allergy; it would be an all-out tornado that would suck me into it’s vortex! God knows that, and I trust Him.

So, today I will say thank you, Lord, for giving me a simple, blessed life filled with You, my family and friends. Those are the “things” that matter most to me. And my fuzzy slippers. As long as I surround myself with these things, I am a happy and content girl.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34)