Prayerfully Penned

Special Announcement

2010-02-01T00:28:00.014-06:00

Happy New Year! Okay, I'm a bit late for a New Year message. But I've been busy! I've been making some adjustments and have an important announcement to make regarding the future of Prayerfully Penned. But first I want to revisit a little history. (If you want to skip to the announcement, just scroll down.)

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After several years of prayer, I took a step of faith in January of 2007 to create this blog and announced to just a few people that I intended to begin writing for God. I wasn't quite sure what I'd be writing, but I had prayed for several years about my desire to write for Kingdom purposes, and in the fall of 2006 God had begun to open doors of opportunity. This led to my early retirement from public education at the end of the school year in 2007.

The next year and a half included various ministry experiences, primarily with ProvenWay Ministries, including writing some resources for women. In December 2008, my heart was stirred to seek the Lord for clarification of my call and direction for the coming year. It was during this holiday season last year that God gave me the name "Brighter Walk", the name of my faith story. I've walked down many roads, some of them wonderful and advantageous, but others very difficult. God walked with me, though, and used those roads to help me understand His plan for all of us. While we are on earth, He wants us intentionally seeking Him and His way, and rejoicing in His provision of an ever-brightening path. The verse from which the name came is Proverbs 4:18, "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day." We in ourselves are not righteous, but are made righteous by the sacrifice of Christ.

Due to some collaborative ministry projects last year, it became necessary that I set up a basic website for Brighter Walk at the beginning of 2009. Now, a year later, the time has come to expand that site to include Prayerfully Penned and my other writings, so that everything is centralized.

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Special Announcement!

Prayerfully Penned entries will now be posted to BrighterWalk.com. If you are a current subscriber via email, you will automatically be resubscribed to receive the inspirational writings on the new site. However, on this new website, there are additional options. I encourage you to visit the new site. You will see Prayerfully Penned devotional posts, as well as cultural commentaries and book reviews. The site is set up so that you can choose to receive all posts, or the categories of your choice.

Current Prayerfully Penned subscribers via Feedblitz will be automatically resubscribed for the devotionals category only of BrighterWalk.com. Other categories can be added to any subscription through the website. Followers through Networked Blogs and Google will need to sign up to receive either the RSS feed or the email subscriptions of your choice by visiting my website.

I would greatly appreciate your prayers for this new endeavor. My goal is not to expand myself, but my reach. By following His lead and promoting the truths of Scripture, I trust God will somehow use this broken microphone to amplify His message. Thank you so much for your continued support over these past three years, and for your patience as we transition into this new phase of communication.

Prayerfully penned,

Rain and Reign

2009-11-23T11:28:00.003-06:00

Homonyms – two words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. As a second grade teacher, this was one of my favorite lessons to teach. It figures. I’m a writer. I love words.

You probably expected me to talk about thankfulness this week, not homonyms. But this morning’s prayer time led me to discuss a simple truth: sometimes praying is difficult. Let’s be honest. Sometimes we don’t know what to pray or how to pray. Sometimes our gratitude sounds repetitive. Sometimes we lack words. It’s on those days I am especially thankful the Spirit intercedes on our behalf.

We don’t show this side of our prayer lives to others. In fact, we’d rather hide it. I haven’t seen an article lately on prayers that lack passion. Am I the only one who struggles on occasion? I know I’m not. Sometimes we are eager to pray, our mouths bursting forth from the fullness of our heart. Other days our hearts seem half-empty, and our mouths follow suit. But when asked to pray aloud in church, we always find a way to pray, clothing our words with our Sunday best. Kind of like homonyms, such prayers may sound the same as those from a sincere heart, but they are different.

Sometimes our hearts are filled with praise and thanksgiving, and praying comes easy. Other times our hearts are filled with grief and desperation, and our prayers erupt from the depths of our souls. A prayer offered sincerely, whether in joy or anguish, is an honorable one. Jesus said, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)

But still there are other times when our hearts are simply beating, and sincere prayers are laborious. Truth be told, most days our hearts are not overwhelmed with joy or pain. Most days our hearts read “average” on the barometer of emotion, and so seem our prayers; for from the heart, the mouth speaks. (Matt 12:34) But emotions should not drive our prayers. It is a spiritual love of God that should fill our hearts, not just an emotional one. This love encompasses all of us, transcending both emotion and intellect. It is based on a personal knowledge of God, that because of Jesus, His Spirit lives within us.

So how do I pray from this spiritual love when my joy is waning and my angst minimal? How do I approach the throne of God in spirit and truth with a heart that is simply beating? Today was one of those days. I have many things for which to be thankful, and I have concerns to bring to God in prayer. But my words did not flow readily. I did not wish to pray out of habit, or with pretty Sunday words. I desired to worship, praying in spirit and in truth. God led me to pray just two words: reign and rain.

The two greatest needs I have every day, regardless of my mood or circumstances, are for God to reign in me and to rain in me. Just because God lives in me doesn’t mean I honor Him as ruler of my life. So I must begin each day by bowing my heart and submitting to His lordship. Also each day, I need His Living Water of refreshment to quench my thirsty soul. Especially on days when the emotional barometer isn’t worth reading, I need a shower straight from His heart to enliven mine. I can thank Him in advance, as surely God will answer these two simple and sincere prayers every time I ask.

If we had a heavenly perspective of our salvation, we would overflow with joy every moment of every day, constantly thanking God in prayer for our blessings. But we are humans, still fighting battles of the flesh for a victorious view. Yet while our emotional delight may not spill over 100% of the time, we should be grateful that neither does our emotional strain. God may allow days or even seasons of desperation when it’s easier to be on our knees than on our feet, but thankfully these don’t last a lifetime. Everyone experiences reprieve.

But regardless of our emotional state, our spiritual state is constant. Our relationship with God is secure, and does not depend on the force of our feelings, or the wealth of our words. For this, I am also thankful. So on days like today, when my mouth is barren and my emotions are as still as the fog out my window, I’ll simply pray for rain.

Slaying perfectionism with the sword of truth

2009-11-05T09:15:00.005-06:00

Today I am pleased to recommend an outstanding devotional book for women. It's a Wonderful (Imperfect) Life by Joan C. Webb offers freedom to the gal like me who tends toward perfectionism. Most of us do, to some degree, recoil frequently after thoughts that we could have, should have, would have done better on a task or in a situation. If you're like me, you fight with overanalyzing your own mess-ups, instead of rejoicing in God's grace and His promise to work everything into good. (Rom 8:28) Joan's easy-reading reflections help free the mind to focus on God's unconditional love.

Joan is a recovering workaholic and perfectionist who communicates a message of freedom and renewal, coaching and teaching others to become who God has gifted them to be. She speaks nationally and internationally and has appeared on Christian radio and television. Joan is the author or coauthor of magazine articles, curriculum and eleven books, including The Relief of Imperfection. She even wrote study notes for The Women of Faith Study Bible. And believe it or not, I met Joan on Twitter!

Here's a sample devotional she has allowed me to copy and paste for you here. Another devotional will be posted on Samaritian Diva's blog tomorrow, Nov. 6 at www.samaritiandiva.com. There's an ongoing "blog tour" you can follow, and the schedule is here. Copies of the book can be purchased by clicking on this link.

Do It Again

Luke 5:5-6: “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, we’ll try again.” And this time their nets were so full they began to tear! (NLT)

From my window just now, I watched a golfer prepare and then strike his little white ball only to flub it. It popped into the rough three feet to the right of where he stood. He slumped and shook his club. Then he walked over to the ball’s new position and hit again. It sailed through the air, over the bunker and landed near the hole.

Sometimes we do it well. (It might be parenting, working, exercising, praying, teaching—or whatever.) Other times even our best efforts yield less than stellar results and we slump inwardly.

I think Simon Peter probably wasn’t thrilled when he and his co-workers worked all night with nothing to show. As a professional, surely he practiced the latest tricks of his trade. Still no fish. Yet when Jesus said try again, he did.

We can, too. Like the disappointed golfer, we can walk a little further, steady our stance and try again. Our actions won’t always be flawless, since only God is perfect every moment of every day. Yet we can listen and obey his promptings to do it again.

Lord, I’m bummed, but I’m willing to try again. Please honor my efforts and bring worthwhile results.

Making It Personal: So you flubbed? I challenge you to try again—consistently for the next 3 weeks. What will you do? Cement your decision by writing it here and calling a caring friend to share.

Embracing Change

2009-11-04T12:02:00.005-06:00

This past weekend we had the joy of spending time with some of our dearest friends at their lake house. Nestled in the tall trees of East Texas, we shared all of life for a few brief days. We walked in peace and harmony along the tree lined roadways, talking and listening to one another. Such time with friends is a treasure. Jesus calls us friends, too, and He longs for us to treasure our daily walk with Him.

The leaves were still changing while we were there. Some changes were obvious, and others more subtle. Our lives are like those trees that go in and out of seasons of change. Spring and fall are seasons of obvious change, like times of new births and marriages. But the changes of winter and summer are less obvious, like stable career seasons and mature discipleship. Winter is so still and barren we wonder if there is any life happening. But if we were to look inside the tree, we would see life, change and growth. This is true with us, too. Regardless of the season, change is always occurring.

As long as we remain connected to the vine of Christ, we will continue to grow and change. This is His design for us. We will never be perfect this side of heaven, but we will be perfected. Paul tells us in Philippians 1:6, “For He who began a good work in you will perfect it.” He goes on to say, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:12-14)

What a prize indeed! To be in His presence, to enjoy His fellowship, and to be changed into His likeness as we walk toward the brighter days of heaven. We are called upward, to reach toward heaven and relate with God even now. Ultimately we will see Him face to face, and this is our ultimate gift. Until then, we have the blessing of not remaining in our damaged state of existence, but being transformed in heart, soul and mind so that we can bring Him glory. But we must realize that this change process is a blessing. Paul embraced this God-led journey, continuing to press onward and upward.

Our goal is to be changed, to be transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ, and we must be guided every moment of the day by prayer and the Holy Spirit to make the right decisions that will bring about the right changes. The kind of changes that are important in our walk with God can only come about by walking in the Spirit of God - following Him, trusting Him and obeying Him. Only God can change us into His likeness. We cannot.

As you walk on in obedience, God will continue to work in you and change you to be more like Christ, who was and is perfect. I pray you welcome His perfecting hand as you enjoy this season of change.

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For similar thoughts presented in video format, please view my October segment on the WebTV show, "Fresh Start", with author, speaker and friend, Karol Ladd.

The Three W's

2009-10-07T17:31:00.003-05:00

When your mother notices you haven’t blogged in a while, it is definitely time to blog. Thankfully, God has worked in my heart in such a way that I don’t take that as a criticism, but a compliment. It is encouraging to know that someone is missing my prayerful reflections.

Amazingly, God had already prepped me today for Mother’s prodding. This morning He spoke to me in my prayer time and gave me a three point sermon. Since I don’t preach, I knew it must be meant for Prayerfully Penned.

My three points in less than 20 minutes

We pray in many ways, at different times and for different reasons. Today, I was reminded of an essential three. Regardless of the day or season, I should always pray about my will, willpower, and wisdom.

1. Philippians 2:13 teaches us that it is God who works in us to will and to act for His good pleasure. God works in us to will. That means He works in our hearts to put the desires there that He wants us to have. When I was just a teen, He revealed this truth to me at a youth revival. I can honestly say it was the first verse that made a serious impact on my life. I realized, perhaps for the first time, that I was worshipping a living God, one that had access to my heart, one that could change my heart. Thankfully He did. Even now, however, I don’t always desire the right things. My will is innately selfish. So the first prayer point I should be sure I hit every day is to ask God to align my will to His.

2. Willpower is the energy to act upon the will. If I want to work out, but never act upon it then my will is not exercised and neither is my sagging body. To act on what we want takes more than want. It takes drive, determination, energy and self-discipline. These seem to be directly proportional to the strength of my desire. I may want a lot of things, but only those I want badly enough will I actually pursue. For example, a day doesn’t go by that I don’t find a way to eat. Even if I’ve been working around the house all day and have no food in the refrigerator to prepare, I’ll order a pizza. I’m pretty determined when it comes to eating. Philippians 2:13 says God works in me not just to want to do the right things, but He works in me to the point of doing them. So I need to pray every day for the energy, drive and determination to accomplish the desires He has put in my heart. I must ask Him to strengthen my will so that it becomes powerful to the point of action.

3. Finally, I was reminded to pray for wisdom. We can have the right desires and an abundance of energy, yet remain fruitless for Him. God has given me the will and the willpower to speak boldly of the truth of His Word. But if I do not have wisdom with regard to audience, timing and word choice, I may not only be ineffective I may do damage. I may also neglect other God-given desires in the process. To be most effective for God we must be wise. We must seek His mind to make decisions that glorify Him. “For the LORD gives wisdom…” (Pr 2:6) These days, many people are quick to share their worldly advice, but God is the only source of true wisdom. Last month I talked about this topic on “Fresh Start”, a weekly webcast hosted by my friend Karol Ladd. If you’d like to hear more about wisdom by viewing last month’s show, click here. Wisdom comes from God, and He longs to give it in abundance to those who ask Him.

As a former educator of children, I spoke often of the three R’s. As an educator of believers, I’m speaking today of the three W’s: will, willpower, and wisdom. I pray they transform your prayers as they are mine.

What now?

2009-08-31T09:44:00.003-05:00

A new season is upon me. I am no longer a stay-at-home mom. A stay-at-home wife yes, but as for mothering, it’s all long-distance now.

We spent last week driving our daughter 22 hours north to her new home, a small Christian college in gorgeous Mid-Atlantic country ,where she will busy herself with new friends, continue to swim competitively and study art. She is experiencing a little of heaven on earth today, and for that I am truly grateful.

But what now for this mom, this leader-learner lady, this former school principal turned Christian writer, Bible teacher and mentor? God only knows, and I take comfort in the fact that He does.

Today, He reminded me that He has plans for me. I love it when God is so obvious, don’t you? And not only obvious, but often humorous! In the past few weeks I’ve been reading The New Eve: Choosing God’s Best for Your Life by Robert Lewis. I took it with me on the trip thinking I’d continue reading, but of course was too busy, or at least too distracted. So this morning when I picked up the book, I hadn’t the foggiest notion of where I had left it last. I opened to my page marker, my latest memory verse index card, and was stopped in my tracks. After shedding tears of joy and sorrow this morning over this change of season, I found myself staring at the next subsection in the book entitled “Married Empty Nester”. Now you tell me that isn’t evidence of God’s living activity! And to think He cared enough to orchestrate such timing! I must wipe away my tears and rejoice in such amazing love.

So what now? God only knows. But I can be assured of this – as long as I continue to pursue Him and His plan, He will continue to show up and guide me along the path. I pray that you, too, recognize God’s living leadership in your life today.

The Greatest Joy

2009-08-17T11:08:00.003-05:00

“The greatest joy is knowing God.” This truth greets me every morning on the back porch as I sit on my swing awaiting my dog to return from her morning toddle around the yard. It is engraved in a simple flower pot that a dear friend gave me years ago, which occasionally even has a flower in it, thanks to my loving husband.

Most of us have at best a mere taste of this “greatest joy”. This ultimate joy is not in knowing about God – God is the Big Man in the sky, the one to whom many pay homage on Sundays. It is not in knowing who God is – God is the Almighty, the King, made known to man in the flesh of Jesus Christ. This utmost joy is not even in knowing God’s many attributes – such as love, patience, graciousness, faithfulness, justice and mercy.

No, these ways of knowing are merely academic. Most people with the ability to learn can be taught about God, who He is and what He is like. Just like a math course, knowledge of God at a certain level can be obtained through scholarly study of the curriculum. God’s curriculum is, of course, His Word. But these types of knowledge do not bring the greatest joy.

The maximum joy that we can experience is “knowing”, not knowledge. I know a lot about Erwin McManus these days. He is one of my new favorite authors. His full name is Erwin Raphael McManus and he pastors the Mosaic Church in Los Angeles, California. According to the Wide Awake book jacket, he is an author, speaker, activist, filmmaker and innovator originally from El Salvador. He’s married to Kim. They have two children and a foster daughter. And that’s just a snippet.

From reading his book, I can tell he is all about dreaming and pursuing God-sized dreams. He admits to getting bored easily, having trouble completing things, and losing focus on the finish line. (Does this give you a clue why I might relate so well to him?) He is easily distracted and probably ADHD. (By the way, there is often a direct correlation between ADHD and intellectual giftedness.) Ironically, he has completed more things in half a lifetime than most men in a full one. Most importantly, he loves the one true God in all of His three persons.

I know a lot about Erwin. But I don’t know him from Adam. I only dream of the someday when I will meet him, fellowship with him, and collaborate with him. (How’s that for being an optimist!) Only then can I truly say I know him on some level.

“The greatest joy is knowing God.” Jesus said to His Father, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). We often think of eternal life as simply "forever life". But it is so much more! It is forever joy, a joy that comes from knowing God! And it begins on the day we believe.

Jesus said, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, (the ability to know God, the greatest joy!), and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). This belief happens now, on earth, while we are yet in the flesh. And God’s promise is that with belief comes eternal life, a forever life of knowing God not just knowing about Him.

Have you truly believed? If so, have you truly embraced this great promise of God – the opportunity to know Him intimately, not just intellectually? This never ending, supernatural fellowship with God is indeed the greatest joy!

The Living Water Well

2009-08-10T11:56:00.005-05:00

It is definitely summertime in Texas, where the temps are hovering around 100 degrees. When it gets hot, there are two things we can do: either embrace the heat or avoid it.

If you’re like me, you probably avoid it as much as possible by staying indoors in the cool air-conditioning with a glass of pink lemonade! (Of course, this choice is doing nothing for my tan.) Or if you’re like my in-laws, you may avoid it by vacationing in a cooler place, like the Colorado Mountains. If you stay a month like they do, you can not only avoid the heat, but avoid a high electricity bill, too. Pretty smart!

The other choice we have when it gets hot is to embrace it. Those who do this will usually draw near to a body of water – like a lake, an ocean, or a swimming pool – and have an ice chest of water handy. They know their bodies were not made to endure excessive heat too long. They must keep their temperature down and body hydrated.

There are other kinds of heat that we experience in life. Financial struggles. Relationship issues. Work stress. When we experience such things, guess what. We handle these kinds of heat in the same two ways – by avoiding or embracing.

We often avoid the heat of life by withdrawing, hiding, secluding ourselves from the issue, from family and from friends. If we do this for too long, we may find ourselves lonely and depressed. It then becomes easier to befriend things we shouldn’t, like drugs or alcohol or forbidden fellows.

Another way we avoid the heat of life is to take a vacation like my in-laws in a less heated place. It may be a physical removal from the heated situation, or it may be a running away of sorts, taking an emotional or intellectual vacation from the situation at hand. On occasion this may be exactly what the Great Physician orders. But, making a habit of running to work or to hobbies can be a way of escaping rather than embracing a difficult reality.

Instead, God wants us to embrace the heat we find ourselves in, and trust Him to use it to mold us, like metal in a fire. Regardless of how we got in the hot seat, God can use the heat of the fire to burn away our impurities and soften us, making us more pure and pliable for His beautiful use. God will use those heated times to make us more like Christ if we will embrace the heat in the right way. To embrace the heat of life, just like a hot day, we must surround ourselves with plenty of water, the Living Water.

John 7:37-39 says, “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, `From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.' "But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

But now Jesus has been glorified, at the resurrection; and just as He promised he left behind His Holy Spirit, the Living Water, to live in those who believe in Him. Jesus said it will flow from within. When we are walking in a right relationship with God, nothing will stand in the way of the Living Water well flowing freely inside us. It bubbles up to overflowing, so that we may drink from it all the time.

In John chapter 4, Jesus tells the woman at the well, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

Jesus emphasized we must “drink”. It is an action, and an ongoing one. Even though we are given the deposit of the Holy Spirit, we must choose to drink of His Living Water every day.

On a hot summer day in Texas, a drink of water refreshes our parched mouths, regulates our body temperatures, and replenishes our dehydrated bodies. Similarly, the Living Water – the Holy Spirit of God – will refresh our emotions, regulate our minds and replenish our souls.

When the heat is on, deal with it, embrace it and conquer it by drinking continually from the well of Living Water that God has put inside you!

Free to be

2009-07-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

I hope you’re enjoying the summer months as much as I am. It’s hard to believe July 4th has already come and gone. As I listened to the sound of fireworks on Independence Day, and watched their colorful display, my mind was captured by the lights and beauty in the night sky. For fifteen short minutes, I thought of little more than the blessing of freedom. I realized that some around the world listened in fear to the booming sound of warfare, while I fearlessly enjoyed the crackles of our country’s annual celebration. As a nation, America is truly blessed.

But just like the Israelites in Old Testament times, we often take our blessings for granted. God repeatedly showed the Israelites His faithfulness and compassion – leading, protecting, and providing for them – but time after time they demonstrated unfaithfulness to Him in return. Nehemiah 9:16-17 says their forefathers “acted arrogantly; they became stubborn and would not listen to (God’s) commandments. They refused to listen, and did not remember (His) wondrous deeds which (He) had performed among them.”

But God, being a God of forgiveness and compassion, “slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness,” did not forsake them. Instead, it says God gave His good Spirit to instruct them (v. 20), and He continued to bless them and expand their territory. Nehemiah says “(the Israelites) reveled in (God’s) great goodness.” But then, “they became disobedient and rebelled” against Him again (v. 25-26).

This is the sin nature of humankind. God blesses man, and man “disses” God. We recognize God as the Creator and Giver of all good things, but show Him little respect in our daily lives. We don’t appreciate His good instruction for how to live. Instead, we take advantage of the freedom God has given each of us to make choices, and we choose our own way rather than God’s way. We’re happy to receive His blessings of family and food, and especially the blessing of freedom – but the gift of guidance? No thanks, I’ll find my own way.

And so He lets us. God gives us the freedom to figure out life the hard way if we choose. But He also offers us the freedom to study His Word and to come into His presence in prayer and to know Him intimately as our friend! We have freedom in Christ to walk in fellowship with the living God and enjoy His presence each and every day! How crazy are we to refuse such blessings! Instead of taking the high road, we choose the hard road.

When I was in sixth grade, a long time ago, our entire student body watched a popular movie starring Marlo Thomas called, “Free to be you and me.” I don’t remember a lot about the movie, but the title makes its message clear. The movie taught the principle of individual freedom. But being a secular movie, it didn’t teach freedom in a biblical context. So here’s the truth. We are free to be either people who walk through life the hard way, following our own selfish desires, and experiencing the consequences that follow. Or we are free to be people who walk through life God’s way, bringing glory and honor to Him and enjoying an abundance of blessings.

In America, many men and women fought to give us the freedoms we enjoy, and for that we are most grateful. But it’s God who gives us the freedom of choice – the ability to think and make decisions. Many people learn about this freedom by making poor choices and walking away from God’s guidance. There are numerous accounts of such people in the Bible. If we want to walk a brighter walk, we must choose to learn from their experiences. We are free to be you and me. The “you and me” our selfishness drives us to be, or the “you and me” God designed us to be. The “you and me” the world seduces us to be, or the “you and me” the Word says we should be.

God gives us the freedom to find our own way in life. But that’s a kind of independence I’m really not interested in. Why choose a blind path when God offers to light the perfect way? And His light shines brightly year round, not just on July 4th. I’m choosing to walk a brighter walk, and you are free to join me!

One good marriage used by God can impact the world

2009-06-24T10:59:00.005-05:00

I haven’t once watched “Jon & Kate Plus 8”. But like most Americans, I’ve heard this week of their proclaimed fate. My view of how their marriage difficulty could be addressed is posted online at EverydayChristian.com.

Today, I read of another marriage. One that I’ve not heard spoken of before. Consider the marriage of Pilate and his wife. Yes, Pilate, that governor who gave up our Lord to be crucified. I’ve always thought of him in such a negative light.

Actually, he’s just a sinner like me. Given the circumstances, I don’t know that I would have responded as a leader any differently. But I don’t think God would have had it any other way. I mean, if we Christians truly believe in the sovereignty of God and the sacrifice of Jesus given by God to reconcile us to Him, then Jesus had to go to the cross. God saw to it that He did. And I think He may have let Pilate’s nameless wife play an important role.

It would be easy to read right past Matthew 27:19. But it’s in there for a reason. God included every verse for a reason. In verse 19, we find Pilate determining what to do with Jesus, having found Him unworthy of the death sentence. He had a custom of releasing one prisoner to the crowd at “the feast”, likely referring to the Feast of the Passover. So he asked the crowd whom he should release to them – Jesus, an innocent man, only guilty in Pilate’s eyes of claiming to be a king but not worthy of death; or Barabbas, a convicted robber and murderer.

Now we come to verse 19. While Pilate was in this decision-making position, his wife sent a word to him saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”

You see, back then, dreams were taken a lot more seriously. God used dreams to influence men in certain ways. Many believed that dreams were omens. The wise men that followed the star followed their dreams, literally. They were warned in a dream not to return to Herod after visiting the Christ child, and instead, returned to their country a different way (Matt. 2:12).

Pilate’s wife had a dream. This was not incidental to the outcome. It influenced Pilate in his decision. He listened to his wife, and had nothing to do with Jesus. He gave the decision to the people to make. Later in the passage, we read that Pilate washed his hands with water in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood” (v. 24).

What if Pilate had not listened to his wife? Or what if she had not shared? He might have responded in a different way. Instead, Pilate might have said, “He is not a candidate for the death penalty. Release Him!” But that was not God’s plan. The reason Jesus had been taken to the Governor to begin with is because the religious leaders lacked the authority to impose the death sentence. They needed the Governor’s ok.

Although Christ’s crucifixion was horrible, it’s what opened the door for us to be saved from the death penalty that we deserve for our sinfulness. It’s what allows us today to experience an everlasting love relationship with God.

God gave Pilate’s wife a dream, one that she felt free to share with her husband, one that her husband felt compelled to take seriously. Pilate and his wife communicated. They had some level of respect for each other. No, we don’t know how much, but we know their marriage was at least functional. They hadn’t thrown in the towel. And God was able to use it to help accomplish the greatest act of love ever known to man.

If you’re married, how healthy is your relationship? How is God using your marriage to accomplish His plan?

On the back side of the storm

2009-06-11T11:09:00.006-05:00

I've never done this before and won't make it a practice, but today I feel led to double a post on both my blogs. Something tells me the message God gave me last night in the midst of the storm might minister to more than just my girls on Daughters By Design. I think He has a message for all of us, young and old. Be encouraged today in the midst of your storms!

***

Spring has long ago sprung, and summer has already begun. But today at my house the spring storms are still in the air.

Last night, the storms were so severe I was in the closet for twenty minutes! The tornado and fire truck sirens howled, and my dog Moo eagerly joined the alarming chorus.

The tops of several of our trees were sheared straight off. Huge limbs lay in abundance around our house in both the front and back yards. As my mother used to say about my room, “It looks like a tornado came through.” And it may have.

When the storms quieted down, Papa Jeff and I were left sitting in the dark without any electricity. So we decided to venture out in the car to see what damage had been done. Fortunately, we saw lots of standing water and broken trees, but no displaced people or broken homes. Many storms are far worse.

As we drove around, I looked at the back side of the ferocious storm that had left its mark in our yard. Surprisingly, I saw a beautiful rainbow. It occurred to me the rainbow wasn’t on the front or in the middle of the storm. It came on its heels, following behind after the intensity of the storm had passed.

In Genesis, God promised Noah he would never again destroy “all flesh” of the earth by a flood, and the rainbow was his sign of this promise. But there is an even bigger message in the rainbow. It reminds us that God is in control of every storm. It is a symbol of his power to limit a storm’s impact, to determine its magnitude and decide its end.

We all face storms and many are of another kind – life storms that move in our direction seemingly out of nowhere. Like rain storms, they are dark and scary. They are beyond our control. They can cause damage and even threaten our lives. We wonder if they will ever end.

When you experience life storms like failure, loss and heartache, I pray today you will always remember God is at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of every storm that comes your way. He is always present and always in control.

Next time you find yourself in a storm, anticipate the rainbow. It will surely come!

Pollution-free Living

2009-05-26T12:39:00.002-05:00

I read the NASB (New American Standard Bible). Why? Because a very important youth pastor gave me a copy of it when I first came to understand the reality of Jesus and what he did for me. It was actually this pastor's own Bible. He’d probably be happy to know that it has gone to good use. I ought to look him up!

The pages are written on and falling out so much so that I decided it was time to get a new Bible to take with me to church. I feared every week some loose pages would go flying down to the floor, slide under the pews out of my reach, never to be seen again. So recently I purchased a new Key Word Study Bible. What version? The NASB of course!

But that is not the only Bible I own, nor read. Actually, these past few years of Bible teaching have led me to realize the importance of studying the Bible from several translations, as its meaning is expanded significantly. There are many free websites that allow you to look at several versions of scripture at once. http://www.studylight.org and http://www.blueletterbible.org are two that I use.

Yesterday I ran across the verse 2 Corinthians 7:1 written in the New International Version. Since the NIV is not the version I read on a daily basis, the wording brought the message into a whole new light for me. Here it is:

“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

“Contaminates” got my attention. Did it you? What contaminates me? Contaminate by definition means to make impure, dirty, or unfit for use. Contamination is pollution.

Our neighbors on both sides have a pool. They do a great job of keeping their pools free from pollution and contaminates. They are able to enjoy them because they stay clean, fresh and fit for use.

My life is like those pools. I have to keep it free from unwanted things and ready for use. This verse reminded me to take a moment to examine the pool of my life. What’s in there, and what do I need to clean out so my life is fresher, more useful and more enjoyable?

Just like caring for a pool, caring for my body and spirit takes time and effort. But the refreshment that comes from enjoying a contaminate-free life is worth the effort!

A Mixed Bag

2009-05-19T17:13:00.004-05:00

Hello Friends of Prayerfully Penned!

My last post about the “Impending Doom of Christians” may have sounded like a loss, but it won me a spot as a regular blogger for EverydayChristian.com. I do hope you’ll stop by this website on occasion. I’ll be posting there at least twice a week. For those of you on the Feed Blitz list, I promise you will not be emailed all those posts! No worries! It is a separate site, unrelated to my blog list. I encourage you to check it out!

The title of my last post was purposely a little “over the top” to grab your attention. Certainly we Christians are not doomed. The post was in response to another Christian article, one I felt compelled to share with you. I find that I am prompted to write primarily on two occasions: 1) after reading the Word and receiving new revelation; and 2) after learning something new from another source that impacts my faith. Since I’m doing both daily, I find I am writing more and more, and having a grand time!

As a result, this blog has become a bit of a mix of devotional thoughts, book reviews and current cultural issues, and I do hope you will stay tuned! This particular blog is morphing into a more diverse collection of writings, and I pray it will continue to inspire and challenge you in your walk of faith. I want to thank those of you who have been with me for a while, and welcome those of you who are just tuning in. I am honored to think that God might use my limited writing skills to speak some word of truth or encouragement to you.

A Word for Today

Speaking of learning, boy did I learn something new today! I’ve written a full account which should be posted to EverydayChristian.com soon, but here’s a taste to whet your appetite.

At PowerLunch at Prestonwood Church today (my home church), I heard Author and Speaker, Brigitte Gabriel speak to an overflowing and captivated audience of hundreds, who burst to their feet in a standing ovation at the end. Raised in Lebanon, she and her family were Christians and came under attack by radical Islamic terrorists. Her childhood story was fascinating enough, but the majority of her entrancing speech was about the presence of radical Islam in America.

Gabriel founded the American Congress for Truth, or ACT, in order to raise the awareness level of our nation to the threat of radical Islam, and to fight for our national security. She is the New York Times Bestselling Author of Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America; and her latest release is They Must Be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can Do It.

Paul E. Vallely, Major General U.S. Army (Ret.), said of her latest book: “This book gives dire warning of what is to come if the Western world does not take responsible action to protect its people. The United States is the primary target as Islamic radicalism attempts to spread its worldwide dominance.”

Gabriel encouraged today’s audience to look at the history of other nations for some lessons. She said, “Europe has become Eurabia.”

Many of you know that after much prayer I have adopted the label “Brighter Walk” for my ministry identity. It encapsulates many things, but one of which is the idea of intelligence. To walk as a Christian should include the use of our God-given minds for intelligent pursuits which will glorify Him. I pray you will join me on this journey. We need smart Christian leaders to guide our country through this historically significant time. I hope you will journey on to EverydayChristian.com and read more about radical Islam through the very intelligent eyes of Brigitte Gabriel.

Impending Doom for Christendom?

2009-05-04T11:57:00.006-05:00

Do you consider yourself a Christian, a Believer, and/or an Evangelical? "Christianese" is rampant in our culture and perhaps to a fault. Like church denominations, religious labels can be counterproductive to the Church, dividing us like political party lines. Regardless of your answer, if you label yourself Christian, whatever the variety, your world is shaped to some degree by others who also claim the name. Understanding how your world is shaped is a key to successfully living out the purpose God had in mind for you when He placed you in it.

A recent article entitled The Coming Evangelical Collapse by Internet Monk Michael Spencer is fiercely stirring the religious pot in America. Since thousands and perhaps even millions of Americans of many faiths are discussing it, Evangelicals would be wise to take note and learn of their impending doom. Yet their act of learning, or rather their absence of, is one of the contributing factors to the Evangelicals’ grim diagnosis.

Spencer states, “Being against gay marriage and being rhetorically pro-life will not make up for the fact that massive majorities of Evangelicals can’t articulate the Gospel with any coherence.” Regarding evangelical youth, Spencer writes, “Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it.”

Spencer makes many valid arguments for his case, arguments that should inspire us to change. We need to recognize individually our personal weaknesses in living the Christian life and take action. We must admit that not only have we fallen short of the glory of God, we have fallen short of the plan of God for our new life in Christ. Spencer suggests that “we need new evangelicalism that learns from the past and listens more carefully to what God says about being His people….”

Yes, it is time for us to learn both the history of our faith and the wisdom of God. Assuredly it is time, too, for speaking up for the Judeo-Christian values upon which our country was founded, and time for fighting the battles for freedom of religion and religious speech. But if our zeal for our religion outweighs our zeal for our relationship with Christ, we have missed the point. Ultimately, such misplaced zeal may prove costly to the Church at large.

Surely we Evangelicals are long on lecturing and short on learning. But in seeking to add more intelligence to our primarily “emotion-driven” faith, we might choose as our first area of study – “How the World Has Impacted Our Zeal.” Where is your zeal placed today? Is it found in your church, your cause, your culture, or your Christ? History teaches us that when Christians unite their passion for Christ Himself, the Church Itself is saved.

A Gift of Grace

2009-05-01T16:39:00.004-05:00

What a gift we have received in the Lord Jesus Christ! Ephesians 2:8 tells us, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." God's grace granted us the faith to believe in Jesus Christ as our one and only Savior, giving us the only prerequisite necessary to eternal life with Him. By God's grace we are made able to believe, and by God's grace we are then saved through the gift of faith.

Both faith and grace are gifts of God in the myriad of gifts He generously distributes. Author Amy Clipston uses her amazing gift of storytelling to tell about a gracious gift of another kind in A Gift of Grace. Another book in the Amish Fiction genre, this story pulls at the heartstrings of belonging, beliefs, culture and values. Instant motherhood and a clash of cultures makes this new book a fun fiction read for the Christian fiction enthusiast, like my dear friend Glenda who can hardly put it down. Enjoyable and tender, this is sure to be a favorite for years to come.

Your Family and the Changing Times

2009-04-15T20:30:00.002-05:00

Family time is precious time. Ironically, in this struggling economic season family time may actually be a surprisingly positive byproduct of a seemingly negative situation. Less money on hand may equate to less time away from home and more time in the nest.

You may find yourself wondering, what on earth do we do with this "extra together time”? Well, it may be time to search out those board games. You know – Monopoly, Clue, Life, etc. If you’re like me, you probably have enough stored in a hall closet to open your own game store.

Perhaps you’ve decided to let go of those premium movie channels on cable. But I bet you’ve hung onto those old family movies and videos from years gone by. Or maybe you’re wondering what you’ll do on weekends now that you’ve rid yourself of those monthly boat payments. If so, maybe an occasional camping trip will provide a new bonding experience for your loved ones.

Speaking of camping, how about a FREE family getaway to an overnight camping haven! Sound too good to be true? Well someone has to win it!

If you blog, simply join in the conversation about families on your own website. Post a few tips for your friends, and pass along this same invitation to join in the conversation about family time. Laity Lodge Family Camp wants many people passing the word about the importance of family time and the gift of Family Camp. One of us “e-conversationalists” will win a free weekend at the Laity Lodge Family Camp in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, just for spreading the message of the importance of the family! For those of you who cannot enter, you may still want to visit their website to see the many weekend opportunities to get away with your family in the coming year.

While these times may be trying economically, this Pollyanna believes that every cloud has a silver lining. Let’s treasure this opportunity to refocus on one of God’s greatest blessings – the family.

Brain Power

2009-04-08T12:46:00.007-05:00

Even as I booted my laptop to write this review, I was captured alive by the power of the unending internet, seducing me to click on such links as “Christian woman making two grand from home working part-time on the computer” and a video of Rick Warren discussing his position on traditional marriage. Ten minutes later, I now powerfully reclaim my day’s agenda, thanks in part to Shane Hipps’ Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith.

Shane not only addresses the internet in this powerful book, but the entire Print Age, tracing the effects of such media as the written word, photography, radio, and television. But this non-fiction read is by no means dry. It actually goes down like a delightful chocolate milkshake, one I didn’t want to put down and didn’t want to end. I look forward to a second glass.

Every believer and follower of Christ will walk away from this read with an expanded mind. Evangelicals might note Hipps is a Mennonite and his beliefs are woven in the fabric of his work. However, shaping the readers’ mind theologically is not his goal, and any occasional theological difference I may have encountered while reading did not distract me from our shared purpose –awareness. We agree on this main point – if Christians are to walk successfully in this new age, we must become aware of the forces of the age in which we walk.

Hipps’ work fulfills its back-cover promise to awaken readers, opening eyes so that nothing looks the same again. It has stamped my thinking with a permanent reflective question, “Am I responding solely to the hands of the Potter, or am I resigning to the spinning forces of our culture?”

e-encouragement

2009-03-31T21:45:00.004-05:00

Encouragement. What is it, really? Courage comes from the word heart. So to encourage literally means to build or strengthen the heart. God charges us in His Word to build up others and ourselves in Him, even daily, so that our hearts will be protected and prepared for a life of service to Him.

“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing” (1Th 5:11).

“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb 3:13).

Recently, I was invited to participate in a new way of encouraging others in the Lord through the use of the Internet. WebTV4Women.tv is a new one-of-a-kind FREE e-community for women, driven by some of the most nationally-recognized leaders in women’s ministry. It is an honor to work with such an incredible group of ladies.

I invite you to join my friend, author and speaker Karol Ladd, for a Fresh Start to your week. This weekly WebTV show is a brief Monday morning webcast, including a devotional by Karol and an additional segment or two by some of her friends – one of which is me! I am so excited to have the opportunity to join her in this new venue, sharing God’s love internationally through the Internet and encouraging others in their spiritual walk.

This week’s Fresh Start show includes my interview with friend, Lynn Nikaidoh, a remarkable woman who has remained steadfast in her faith despite the tragic loss of her stepson. Please take time today for a Fresh Start to your week, and receive strength and encouragement for your soul.

Click here to watch the 3/30 edition of Fresh Start!

A Heaping Portion

2009-03-23T16:03:00.003-05:00

When I read or hear the word portion, I naturally think of food. I’m embarrassed to admit, but all too often at mealtime I’m longing for fairly large portions of whatever is on the menu, while simultaneously battling this desire in my mind, knowing that God would probably prefer my portions to be smaller than larger for the sake of His temple!

So when I hear the verse, “The Lord is my portion,” (Lam 3:24) my mind naturally thinks in terms of sustenance and amounts of it. This is not incorrect in theme, but somehow I knew there was more to this truth that my mind had yet to wrap around. Today, God led me to a more complete understanding.

Portion is an English word representing a Hebrew expression with deeper meaning than simply an amount. The Hebrew word for portion is used most often in the Old Testament in conjunction with the acquisition of land or property, and means more than simply a share or a part. It encompasses the ideas of possession, inheritance and award. Try substituting one of these three words for portion the next time you think about what God is to you.

Selah.

The Lord is my possession. He gave Himself for me long ago. But He gave Himself to me in a love relationship when I surrendered my life to Him. As with my earthly husband, I do not own him, but I know that “I am his, and he is mine.” (Sol 2:16) We belong to each other. Like all blood relationships, the Lord is mine in an everlasting kinship.

He is my forever Father. His love overwhelms me.

The Lord is my inheritance. He is my heritage and my legacy. I receive life with Him eternally because He adopted me into His royal family. My birthright is oneness with Him. “But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” (1Co 6:17) He no longer calls me servant, but friend. (John 15:15) His companionship is eternally mine.

He is my forever Friend. His fellowship completes me.

The Lord is my award. Not that I am rewarded for anything I have done, but by His grace I am awarded such a prize as the Lord Himself! By His Spirit, He lives in me. “For we are the temple of the living God.” (2Co 6:16) "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2:20) By His grace, I am reborn with His powerful presence given to live in me.

He is my forever Force. His power enlivens me.

God is much more to me than some measurable amount of momentary sustenance. He is an immeasurable spring of continual satisfaction. The Lord is not merely my daily ration; He is my constant source of abundance. He is a bottomless banquet of everything I need, a never-ending portion for this hungry soul.

Food for Thought: As a believer and receiver of Christ, I am never unloved, alone or powerless. I am always loved, accompanied and powerful.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps. 34:8)

Linking Souls to Daisy Chain

2009-03-08T23:17:00.012-05:00

By now, most of my friends know that these days I am prayerfully penning more than these occasional entries, with the hope that God might use me to write something of significance to be read by a few more than frequent my little ole’ blog. If not, that’s ok. I love you guys, dearly! But writing books has been a dream of mine for a very long time.

I can still envision my first attempt at writing a book – notebook paper folded in half, hamburger style, turned sideways to form a book, and adorned with those blue notebook paper lines vertically positioned on its pages. It began in Chapter 1 and ended by Chapter 3. Short and sweet, complete with dialogue, third-grade printing and stick figures. It was something about a girl and her mother – my happy little world about that time.

Well, enough of Memory Lane. Today’s entry is not about my book writing, but a new friend's. In my recent journeys, I have had the pleasure of making acquaintance with one, Ms. Mary DeMuth, author of several Christian fiction and non-fiction books. I gladly agreed to participate in a “blog tour” in celebration of her newest release. My review of this captivating novel is below.

Meet Mary and Daisy Chain.

***

Defiance, Texas is a real place as far as I'm concerned. I can see the faces of her people, smell the stench of the rendering plant, and hear the voices rising from the church pews. Mary has a way of descriptive writing that breathes life into her characters, making them jump off the page and into your heart.

Mary bravely raises questions of faith in the minds of the characters, including the presence, power and sovereignty of God. She tells an all-too-believable story of secrets and sins in the lives of Christians. Daisy Chain never had a dull moment tempting me to put it down. Much to the contrary, I read this book in two sittings, putting off tasks in order to finish all 300 plus pages.

Like the bestseller, The Shack, the storyline is dark and the journey difficult. But in Mary's work we find biblical truth weaved seamlessly throughout its pages. The believer and nonbeliever alike will enjoy the read, and walk away with both satisfaction and hope.

***

Click here to buy Daisy Chain, by Mary DeMuth.

(No, I’m not getting a commission! Ha!)

Visit other bloggers on this tour!

An Undeserving Nation

2009-02-21T15:21:00.004-06:00

When you hear the name Jonah, what comes to mind? Probably a big fish. That’s pretty much all I could pull up about the story of Jonah until I set my mind to further study. Now if you’re a biblical scholar, you probably should be reading someone else’s blog. But if you’re like me, you don’t lack intellectual promise but are far from realizing your potential in understanding the Holy Scriptures. No big deal, you say? Take another look at the state of the union and then try to convince me. The time has never been more crucial for Christians to absorb and apply God’s Word.

So what do I think of now, after further study, when I think of Jonah? I think of a man unworthy to be used by God, a gifted man who was born among the chosen people of God and proud of it. He lacked compassion and mercy for those who were not like him, and did not hesitate to tell God how he felt. He ran from God, whined to God, argued with God and avoided His calling.

What did God do about it? He chastised him, rescued him, used him and continued to teach him. What a loving God! Jonah knew how loving and kind God was, and ironically that’s exactly why he ran from serving Him. Jonah selfishly hated the idea of God showing mercy to an undeserving nation, and even more so, for God to use him in the process.

Conservative Christians, may we ask God to reveal in our own hearts such selfishness! Is it possible that we don’t like the idea of God showing mercy to the undeserving and especially in asking us to be personally involved? After all, their ways are wicked! They have fostered relationships with evildoers! They have chosen death over life and foster fear over hope!

Who are we to have been chosen by God to be a part of his royal family for eternity, but not put on His love, compassion, kindness and mercy, even for those we deem unworthy? And who are we to declare the unworthiness of anyone?

We have a lot of negative to say about our nation and leaders right now. Perhaps rightfully so. But our godly judgment of the circumstances must not create such pride and self-centeredness that we would fail to desire God’s mercy for all people, and fail to be available for Him to use us in the process. If we become so self-seeking as to abhor the idea of God showering His compassion on our own fellow citizens, even refusing God’s directions for our individual involvement, we just show how undeserving of His favor we ourselves are.

What Would You Do?

2009-02-05T11:23:00.001-06:00

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Each day we are faced with millions, and that’s not an exaggeration. There are the more obvious decisions – what to wear, what to eat, whether or not to make that dreaded phone call, etc. And then there are the less obvious, but perhaps the more important ones – how will I respond to this situation, what I will choose to say, will I take time to listen to him or her, what will I do….

There’s a TV show on ABC this season called “What Would You Do?” It’s all about the decisions of people. The other day I caught a few minutes of an episode in which they placed a very real-looking baby doll in a car seat and left it locked alone in a car, accompanied only by recorded sounds of an infant’s helpless cries. It was amazing how many people walked by uncaring or even oblivious to the would-be dangerous happening.

There were those few, however, who were so moved out of compassion for the life inside that they immediately responded to rescue the child. Some called 911. Others began combing the crowds for the baby’s mother. When the pseudo-mom arrived on the scene, each of these who were filled with compassion for the child did not hesitate to unleash their righteous anger on the woman. The “mother”, an actress, responded with indifference which proved to heighten the Good Samaritan’s horror and pleas for care and responsibility. What would you do?

Likely, you would claim to respond like those above filled with compassion for the life of the child. However, is it possible there are thousands of decisions a day that beg our compassionate response to which we turn away and harden our hearts? I have a dreaded feeling this is true. Sadly, I predict that all too often we choose our own comfort and complacency over compassion for others.

I read something interesting today in Amos 1:11 that caught my attention. This verse conveys that Edom had transgressed against God by stifling his compassion. His violent acts and angry rampages, and likely those of his descendents in the country bearing his name, were a direct result of and happened “while he stifled his compassion.” And in doing so, he “maintained his fury.” What deadly decisions were made in the mind of man! By choosing to suppress the God-given ability to feel empathy for others, Edom consequently chose to sustain rage. It was a decision.

In our family, we remind ourselves and each other often that each of us is just one bad decision away from disaster. Decisions are crucial, and perhaps none more important than those that involve compassion for others. Jesus felt compassion for people, and showed compassion in many ways, the greatest of which was in giving His life for us on the cross. Ironically He said, “I desire compassion, and not sacrifice.” (Matt 9:13, NASB) Yet His sacrifice was the greatest act of compassion in history. But it was because of His compassion for us that His sacrifice was made. “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col 3:12), because He first had compassion for us.

Stifle compassion, and sustain complacency, bitterness, even fury? Or stifle such self-centered, negative feelings, and sustain compassion? What would you do?

Lessons for the Labyrinth of Life

2009-01-22T13:28:00.003-06:00

Mazes have always been one of my favorite pastimes. I don’t know why, but as a child I remember doing whole books of them, and drawing countless more in various shapes and sizes, challenging friends and family members to successfully find their way through my creative masterpieces.

Not surprisingly, then, is the fact that I loved to play with our family’s labyrinth. You know labyrinths, those wooden boxes with the tilting tops and silver balls. How I enjoyed trying to make my way around the dividing walls without falling in the holes.

It struck me how similar living is to playing that labyrinth. There are several kinds of players. The first is the one who doesn’t play at all. He finds it so frustrating that he chooses not to enjoy the challenge.

Another is the one who is overconfident, falsely believing that his skill and intelligence can conquer this little ball in a box. He relies on his own will to make the ball go where he wishes, and when it doesn’t, he becomes more and more frustrated, resulting in more and more failure until he finally gives up altogether.

Another player is the competitive one. He’s all about speed, and mistakenly believes that faster the ball rolls, the more effective he will be. This player is determined that speed will triumph over holes, and continues to speed up his race, even though the ball keeps dropping in the traps repeatedly.

The overconfident and the competitive players win on occasion. But the player who wins consistently is the smart one. This player is strategic, persistent, focused and self-controlled. He focuses on the end goal, identifies the path before starting, and proceeds slowly, but confidently.

While maneuvering through the pathway, this player doesn’t view the barriers as obstacles, but constructs to be used to his advantage to help move him toward his aim. The smart player moves steadily toward the goal, but knows when to pause on the journey for a thoughtful look at what is ahead.

The smart player does not plunge into holes of distraction, which take him completely off his path, nor is he anxious by their presence, as he knows this will only cause him to fall right into their traps. Instead, he remains aware of the pitfalls nearby, and works strategically to avoid them. He doesn’t get agitated or give up, but remains committed to the target, turning the tables calmly, slowly, and with precision.

We are called to run our individual races with endurance, and run so that we may win! We can be victorious if we will move through life with confidence, calmness and courage like a master labyrinth player. And as Christians we should be the most victorious, for our ability to play life well comes not from ourselves, but from God’s powerful living presence in us.

Sitting Ducks

2009-01-08T14:54:00.001-06:00

There’s something about feathered friends that attracts me. I remember as a young girl making a bird-watching book, and keeping an illustrated journal of birds that I saw in our backyard. Ok. Now you know what a truly nerdy girl I was! But God can use anything to get a message across to us. Today, He used a duck.

I hope you’re laughing while still reading, as I’m laughing as I’m writing. You see, I passed some ducks on the way out of my neighborhood today. I happened to notice that one duck was alone, seemingly trapped behind an iron fence, while his three buddies were waddling about on the other side having a grand time while he watched. It occurred to me that very often that’s how we live our lives. Not the waddling part, but the fenced-in part. I began to ask myself and God, what fences me in? What do I get trapped behind that keeps me from enjoying fellowship with others? What keeps me from experiencing the joy of the freedom I’ve been given in Christ? In what areas of life am I just watching, rather than participating, and why?

I drove on, and returned quite a while later to find the exclamation point on God’s lesson to me. The lone duck was still there, looking forlorn through the fence. But the other ducks were long gone. Now he wasn’t trapped mind you, he could get out, he just wasn’t trying! Meanwhile, opportunity had flown. Life had moved on without him. Wow. How I don’t want to be like that lone duck in 2009!

I pray for you and for me that 2009 is a year of getting up and around whatever fences us in, so that we might experience all the joys of life that God allows to come our way. Let’s resolve not to miss anything this year because we sit idle behind our fences. First, let’s pray that God would reveal what fences us in and keeps us from life as it should be. Then, let’s pray for the courage and strength to get up and get over it! Jesus did not come to set us free so that we could jail ourselves in, but so we could have life and have it abundantly! (John 10:10) Let’s embrace and enjoy fully abundant lives in Christ this coming year!

Hope for the Hopeless - The Real Christmas Gift

2008-12-24T10:22:00.004-06:00

Well, here it is, Christmas Eve, probably one of my busiest days of the year. For once, I have finished my shopping and wrapping, but I still have groceries to buy and pies to bake. Oh, and my house is not as clean as I might like given the fact that my mother is coming over first thing in the morning! You might wonder, then, why I am taking the time to write, and even more so question why you should take the time to read. Just please do, as I am profoundly moved to share something very special with you.

I thought I’d check my email quickly this morning, as I hadn’t in a few days. A dear friend forwarded me a link to a story about her son’s school, a private Christian school in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Like you, I questioned whether to take the time to read, but I was so glad I did that I am now compelled to pass it on.

Last week, I shared some thoughts about God’s heavenly gifts to mankind through people. The link below is one of THE MOST PROFOUND examples of this concept I’ve ever heard of in my entire life. It is truly unbelievable! Some cry easily, and for others of us, it takes a little more to get our eyes wet. I need to remember to get a new box of Kleenex when I go to the grocery store.

Please allow yourself just another three minutes to click and read. I promise you will be glad you did, and you too will pass it on! In the midst of all the hustle and bustle today, you will be incredibly blessed by this real life story of Christmas hope, love and joy! Merry Christmas!

Click here: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373

What's Inside the Pretty Package?

2008-12-17T15:17:00.002-06:00

Wrapping gifts is one of my favorite things to do at Christmastime. I love to buy things for others that I think they will like, and then cover them with festive paper and LOTS of tape! Thankfully, I don’t think I’ve ever wrapped an empty box and forgotten to put in the gift. How embarrassing that would be!

God’s gifts come in all shapes and sizes, wrappings and trappings. Many of God’s greatest gifts to me were wrapped in human flesh – Jesus being the greatest gift of all. God has used many people in my life as the packaging for His sweet gifts from above. I’m sure you have your own list of those whom the Giver has used to bring you a blessing from heaven.

I’ve had a lot of breakfast and lunch dates this Christmas season with friends, and, oh, what gifts I've received through each of them! God has blessed me through their lives with love and laughter, wit and wisdom, patience and provision, encouragement and equipping, and so much more. I’m so thankful for my Christian friends who open themselves to God continually, seeking to know Him intimately, experience Him personally, and reflect Him vividly.

It’s easier to recognize God’s use of another person in bringing a heavenly gift to us than it is to see ourselves as divine packaging for His blessings to others. But that’s how He wants us to view ourselves, as beautifully and wonderfully made for unique opportunities to bear His gifts to the lost world. But we must remember they are His gifts to share. We are to keep an attitude of availability to God, so that we welcome His direction and preparation of our lives for the blessing and benefit of others.

We ready ourselves each day with physical cleanliness, beauty enhancements and attractive clothes. But how well do we allow God to ready us with His gifts for others? How vital it is to be in His Word! How crucial to submit daily to His will! How imperative to pray continually, without ceasing! If we fail to be readily available for God’s activity in us, we may merely be beautifully-wrapped people with no divinely-prepared gift to share.

God wants to wrap up many of His gifts to others with our human skin – gifts such as the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the expression of His love, the act of His comfort, the word of His truth, and the reflection of His joy. Let’s not be guilty of forgetting to include the gift inside our beautiful wrappings. This season, let’s bow to the Giver not just in thanksgiving, but in surrender, to be His divine wrapping paper for His Christmas gifts to the world.

May you and yours experience the true joy of Jesus this Christmas season, and all the year through!

A Porch Swing Perspective

2008-12-02T19:19:00.007-06:00

The view from my grandmother’s swing, now hanging on my back porch, isn’t particularly interesting, unless you look up. As I sat for just a moment today on that broken, paint-chipped swing, I began to relax as memories flooded my mind. I remembered sitting on that same swing as a young child after dinner, on my grandmother’s front porch in the small town of Gatesville, Texas, watching the cars go by. My how life has changed since then! We scarcely have time to enjoy a meal with our families, much less sit on a porch swing with them for hours afterward.

But as I looked out across the yard, there were no cars to consider, no people to ponder, and no one nearby with whom to discuss them had there been any. Instead I saw the many leaves that had fallen, reminding me of work that needed doing, and beyond that, the neighbors’ backyards. So my eyes turned upward in avoidance. What beauty awaited my simple glance! The tree limbs above were wound together like vines rising all the way to heaven. And each one was covered with brilliant fall foliage. Even in Texas we eventually get a taste of autumn’s debut.

Immediately I felt the gentle breeze and began to worship the Creator of it all. And in that moment, He reminded me of another beauty – the beauty of perspective. Instead of looking at the mountains of leaves past their peak requiring hours of effort, He wanted me to look at the splendor of their array overhead. How often I miss life looking down instead of up!

God created man to look up, not down. Animals look down, but man was meant to walk uprightly and look toward the heavens (Eccl 3:21). Our soul, too, was meant to ascend. Because of Jesus, our soul has the opportunity to be redeemed, to be raised up even now from living an earthly life dead in sin to a new life alive in Christ through the power of His Spirit. In Colossians 3:1-2, Paul says “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”

God had to remind me of this today in the leaves of my backyard. It’s natural for us to set our minds on the earth, to look at the world and all its work, difficulties, and death piled up all around. But beauty and joy are in abundance if we will only turn our perspective heavenward! Jesus isn’t dead in the earth; He’s very much alive today, seated above in all His glory and splendor. In the midst of our stress and struggles, our fears and foes, Jesus longs for us to look up to Him for our help and hope. He longs for us to live life focused on Him, His purposes and His promises. But we can only do this with His perspective. Don’t miss the life He has for you by looking down. Look up! Jesus is still there on the throne! Hallelujah!

Setting Differences Aside

2008-11-13T10:44:00.001-06:00

In the past few months, I’ve been studying and visiting various Christian colleges with my daughter, a high school senior. It’s been eye-opening to me to realize how diverse Christian colleges are across our nation. Most, if not all, share our basic beliefs about God as Father, Son and Spirit, and about the profound purpose of Jesus’ life on earth. Yet many differ in the details of our faith. These differences are evident between and within the universities we’ve visited.

It intrigues me that believers can see things so differently. At some schools, the name Christian merely means having similar Sunday morning traditions. At others, it means having similar day-to-day lifestyles. Some focus on the role of the heart in faith, while others focus on the mind. Yet all have missed the boat in my opinion if we leave out the role of body.

Jesus taught us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We are to worship Him with every part of us, not just our emotions, not just our intellect, but with every aspect of our being, living out our love for Him actively in the context of our given culture and circumstances.

Last time I blogged, I attempted to challenge readers to prayerfully take action in our political process. I charged Christians to live out their love for God by doing something to make a difference. Sadly, I had heard many who said they were not even going to vote, as they did not like either candidate. I hope that you did. Not voting is not acting.

Surely readers of this blog differ in their positions and preferences regarding this past election. Some of my sweetest Christian friends voted for the opposing candidate to the one I was supporting. But we both voted our conscious as we felt led by God. Now the election is over; and as people of God, it is vital that we join together to pray for the one who will be our President.

Regardless of our views on the outcome, it is time to look ahead and look up. Each day is to be treasured and devoted to the will of God. It is His sovereignty that has overseen this election process and approved the result. “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!” There are many reasons to rejoice in the outcome, most obviously that our country has overcome a historical barrier of race and heritage.

It is under God’s ultimate authority that Barack Obama will serve our nation as her highest leader. Let us continue to remain diligent in prayer and adopt a renewed attitude of action, so that God’s message of love and reconciliation can be spread throughout the world.

Looking Out for Our Country

2008-10-25T13:19:00.002-05:00

“I’ve been lookin’ for love in all the wrong places.” That was a line from a country song popular when I was much younger. I related to it very well at the time, as I often went looking for relationships to satisfy my soul, especially before I entered into a real relationship with the Lover of my soul, Jesus Christ. I also frequently went looking for help, for direction, and for answers in all the wrong places, too. Can you relate?

Today I was struck in the Bible by the examples I happened across about people “looking”. Take Lamentations 4 for example. Jeremiah, the presumed author, grieved over the state of Jerusalem. He wept because the people had rejected the God who made them, loved them, and blessed them. And being a prophet, He could see and foresee God’s wrath upon them. Jeremiah sung a song of sadness over the state of God’s chosen people.

Enter in the concept of “looking”. Lamentations 4:17 says, “Yet our eyes failed; looking for help was useless, in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.” The people were looking for help, but their looking was useless. Why? I see two reasons. One, they were looking to the wrong source. They were looking to other people for help rather than to God. God had proven repeatedly to be their great Helper, even as He directed them to help themselves by leading them to take actions that would benefit them. But, they were not looking to Him for their salvation; instead they were looking to man for their direction, their protection, and even their inspiration.

Two, they were looking rather than doing. Consider Mark 3:1-5. Jesus enters a synagogue in the presence of Pharisees, and in the presence of a man with a withered hand. Verse two tells us the Pharisees were “watching Him” to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him of breaking the law. When Jesus asked them whether one should do good or harm on the Sabbath, they simply “kept silent.” They were likely stumped with no good answer. What did Jesus do? He looked around with anger and grief over their hardness of heart. And He healed. The Pharisees looked on with criticism and did nothing. Jesus looked on with a broken heart and took action.

This concept of looking got me to thinking about the state of America today. We are in the midst of an extremely important presidential election. Perhaps it will prove to be the most historic election since our country’s beginning. How will we respond? Will we be like the people of Jerusalem, who looked for help in all the wrong places? That, according to Lamentations, is useless. Will we be like the Pharisees, who simply watch with a critical heart to see what will happen? That, according to Mark, grieves God. Or will we be like Jesus and look at our situation with a heart after God’s own heart, breaking in sadness over the state of His people today, and DO something?

Be warned. In Lamentations 4:12, Jeremiah described the condition of Jerusalem - the capital of Israel, the “city of God” - in this way: “The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.” Now, in place of the word Jerusalem, substitute America or Washington D.C. in this verse and see what you get. In verses 13-14, Jeremiah sheds light on why they were in this situation – “Because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests….They wandered, blind, in the streets.” The prophets and priests had sinned so badly, they were blinded to their own condition, wandering aimlessly and hopelessly in their own sins and leading others to do the same. The failures and inactions of the spiritual leaders left the nation looking in vain for help from someone else.

How will you choose to look on our situation today? Will you focus your time and eyes looking for a human’s inspiration and protection, or Heaven’s? Will you stand by watching to see what happens, or will you look up seeking to take appropriate actions? Will you sway others as you turn a blind eye to the obvious spiritual warfare at hand, or will you influence others for good as you openly turn your eyes to God and respond to His direction? America needs to turn their eyes and hearts to God. But much of America will follow the lead of others. She needs Christians to quit being passive and start being active in responding to the current crisis of our great country.

Today's Investments, Tomorrow's Income

2008-10-09T22:12:00.003-05:00

Investments are a sore subject as of late. The market dropped again today, intensifying one of the worst financial crises in this country during my lifetime. I dare say there are no investments paying well today, that is, in the market. Last time I blogged, I mentioned the plausible payoff for choosing production over perfection. Choosing. This is the key word. In what do you choose to invest? Your answer to this question says much about the type of payoff you can expect.

Investing in perfect tasks may yield perfect products, but at what price? Investing in worldly gain may yield creature comfort, but at what earthly expense? On the other hand, investing in things that matter to our Father in heaven brings the greatest payoff, that of eternal rewards in heaven. And this payoff is worth any price. How can we know those things that matter to the Lord? This was the subject of my research that resulted in the Precious Stones Bible Study. God showed me that to love Him fully and actively means to love what He loves. For one, God loves people. How well do we invest in people, what type of return do we seek and for what reason?

It seems to me that oftentimes our investments in others may have selfish roots. Let’s consider parenting as an example. Parents invest in their children because they love them and want them to achieve to their potential. On the surface there is nothing wrong with this. Parents should want their children to succeed. But hopefully this desire for their children to achieve is for the glory of God and not for the glory of their children, or worse, the glory of their own achievement as parents.

Similarly, we invest in other people to develop friendships, hopefully for the purpose of glorifying God through the good that the relationship can bring, and not for selfish gain. It’s really either one or the other. There is an old saying, “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours.” I guess if such mutual scratching is glorifying God, then there’s no problem. “Iron sharpens iron,” after all, and this process can bring glory to God. But most likely, we often operate with an unconscious mindset that if I’m not going to get anything, then I am certainly not going to give anything. It makes me wonder, “Is this what Jesus would do?”

Choices. They are a driving force in our lives. In my school where I served as principal, we used to say on the announcements daily, “The choices you make today shape your world tomorrow.” What choices are you making today? In what are you choosing to invest your time, your talents, your gifts, your emotions, your money, and your strength? Why are you choosing these investments? Is the final payoff you receive worth the price you pay? What might God say? There’s one way to know the answer – pray.

Less Perfectly Penned

2008-09-24T10:37:00.003-05:00

“Less perfection, more production.” This is one of those repeated messages from God in my life. Do you get repeated messages, too? I wonder sometimes if I am the only slow learner needing so much reteaching!

My first lesson in this area was in delegation. As a young teacher, Sally Beard, a teaching teammate in Lubbock Texas, saw me measuring the spaces between the perfectly-cut letters I had just made for my bulletin board one day and told me I did NOT have time to do that. She did not hesitate to mentor me by sharing some of her effective practices in running a classroom, and I am forever grateful that she cared enough to do so. Needless to say, she was a devoted follower of Jesus and a lover of His soul and of His people. I learned that giving up control of the bulletin board to some trustworthy moms freed me to focus on that which was of greater priority, while also valuing their gifts, service and investment in their children’s lives. It promoted both productivity and relationships. How cool is that?

A second lesson learned was from another fellow educator who took the time to mentor me in school administration. I was the Assistant Principal to Julie Combs, a highly-respected elementary school principal in town. I remember noting how her emails were void of punctuation and capital letters on occasion, and how her plans and notes were oftentimes a somewhat messy combination of typing and handwriting. Neither of these examples appeared perfect to me, yet they were both productive. I learned that the time it would have taken her to perfect her projects was sometimes not worth the payoff. Instead, lack of perfecting sometimes produced a larger payoff, because it provided her more time for other priorities.

As such, I am considering writing less perfectly more often in this venue. Please let me know what you think! Also, if you do not have a blog account set up so you can comment, I encourage you to do so. It isn’t difficult to do, and it will allow more than just me to read your comments, promoting more community and conversation. Many of you email me directly, and I love that. But I’d also love for you all to connect with one another. The purpose of my blog should be more than an outlet for my very opinionated nature. It must be about promoting greater good in the world, and our collective opinions will do more to accomplish that than any one person’s could do alone.

The Shack: Firm Foundation or Shaky Ground?

2008-09-07T15:42:00.010-05:00

Although my readership is by no means large, I have had several ask my opinion regarding the bestseller, The Shack by William P. Young. A well-written review would include more than can be boiled down into an easy-reading blog entry, so I may be compelled to revisit this topic in more detail here or in another forum at a later time. For now, having read the book and a theologically conservative review of it by Tim Challies of challies.com, I offer this short opinion for your consideration.

This book is a rare mix of fiction, fact, and falsehood, making it both an engaging and fascinating read, and an instructive vessel of both truth and error. It is fiction by definition, as it is not a true story. It is a made-up story of a man who experiences disaster, and then works through his heartbreak via a supernatural encounter with God at the site of the tragedy, namely The Shack.

Clearly millions are reading the book, and many are coming to a new understanding of the living triune God and His desire for people to enjoy a loving relationship with Him, rather than to endure a lifeless religion apart from Him. For this reason, I must conclude that there is Kingdom value in the work. If one life is saved for eternity, even in the midst of some faulty teaching, I rejoice. Why? Because Paul did. “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice” (Phil 1:18).

Tim Challies, recognized Christian blogger and editor of Discerning Reader, writes:

“The Shack is a fictional tale. Yet though The Shack is fiction, it is clearly intended to communicate theological truths. It is meant to impact the way the reader thinks about God, about love and about life. It is not a book that was written only to share a story, but to share theology.”

Therein lays the controversy. Even biblical scholars disagree on some aspects of Christian theology, aspects covered in detail in this book. Because The Shack addresses the only true theology – the Christian theology of one God as the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit - within the framework of fiction storytelling, the responsibility of the author is to present such truth both clearly and accurately. Two difficulties arise. One, to reach a wider audience beyond the Christian community with a message of God’s love, a Christian author must write in such a way that it crosses over to the desired audience. The greatest challenge in such “crossover works” is to cross over without turning the cross over.

The second difficulty lies in the issue of theology. While one theologian may vehemently disagree with elements of the book’s content, as I do, others may argue that the author’s points are not necessarily inaccurate or misleading. As with any Christian debate, Scripture can be used (or misused) to support more than one view. While there are definite nonnegotiables in Christianity, only God has a complete and unhindered picture of truth. This is one reason I believe He has set eternity in the hearts of man (Eccl 3:11), so that we will continue to seek His truth until we see Him face to face on the other side. Our human-sized brains can never fully comprehend the mysteries of God in this lifetime, nor were we made to. We were only made to seek it continually and fervently. As the author of The Shack writes in the words of the main character, “I can only follow (a certain) line of thought so far, and then I get lost and my brain turns to mush.”

If you choose to read it for yourself, I encourage you to pray before reading, and remind yourself as you turn each page that it is a work of fiction, written by one who likely has the right motive at heart but who misrepresents some basic biblical principles in his human effort. After all, he is human. As such, you should not view this book as a reliable source of truth. Consequently, you should guard your mind to deception, which begs the question “Is it worth the read?” But if Young’s creative work causes you to embrace God’s love, experience forgiveness or explore Scripture for truth at a deeper level, then may God bless it for His eternal and glorious purposes, despite the many misgivings.

The Election and the Evangelical

2008-08-18T22:33:00.009-05:00

Our current presidential election is bringing not just Christian beliefs to the forefront, but the entire concept of Christianity. What does Christianity mean anyway? The media, as an institution, cannot define it. Perhaps it is due to the prevalent idea today, that what one person defines as truth is truth for him but another person’s truth can also be true. Since when can 2 plus 2 equal both 4 and 5?

There is really only one definition of Christianity. Although it can be worded in various ways and translated in many languages, any accurate definition of Christianity embodies its root words: Christian and Christ. But Christianity is not merely a religion based on the teachings of Jesus, as it is most commonly understood to be; instead, it is better defined as the practical expression of the real Christian, the one who truly believes in Jesus as the Christ and who nurtures a mutually abiding relationship with Him.

Christianity is the expression of belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God the Father, who was made intimately known to men and women by coming to earth in human form, to live and die and overcome death to live again, so that mankind may also live again spiritually in harmony with God through Him both now and forever. This “living again” or “new life” is granted individually upon this heartfelt belief. Without heartfelt belief in the deity of Christ, in the sacrifice of His life to pay for sin, and in His divine resurrection, as well as a humble surrender to and an individual acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior, one is not a Christian and therefore cannot demonstrate true Christianity…period.

The spiritual rebirth that occurs from true belief results in permanent change. Just as someone is permanently changed by any significant experience, such as marriage, divorce, birth of a child, death of a parent, etc., a person having had a supernatural encounter with the living God is never the same. Because of the joy and peace experienced, many of these people become so enthusiastic, zealous and eager to share they are termed evangelical. Evangelical Christians make up some 20-25% of expected voters in the upcoming election.

Many claim Christianity their religion as a birthright. But it is not a right of birth or a legacy that can be passed automatically from one generation to another. Christianity is the result of belief. Beliefs are thoughts accepted as truths. One cannot oblige specific thinking in the mind of another nor force the acceptance of belief upon another; this is an impossibility. Each person thinks his own thoughts based on the information he has received through his own experiences, and then formulates his own beliefs by determining what he accepts as truth. However, what one accepts as truth does not alter the truth itself. 2 plus 2 equals 4 regardless of what one believes. This is why education is so vital, and why evangelicals are deeply concerned with sharing their faith so that others will choose to believe fact over fiction. This drive to preserve truth also fuels many evangelicals’ interests and participation in the political process.

In an August 15, 2008 interview with ABC News, Pastor and Author Rick Warren suggested that evangelical Christians may not consider either presumed presidential candidate an evangelical. But perhaps we evangelicals are too hard on our presidential candidates. Perhaps we should remember we are electing a president, not a preacher. Only God can see into the heart of man.

Pastor Rick said that “politics is the art of compromise.” If this is true, then for someone of any faith to be successful in politics, he must somehow reconcile his personal convictions with the necessary component of bridging, unifying and compromising for the sake of peaceful consensus. It is a daunting task at best, but it is possible to be enthusiastic, even evangelical, about one’s faith, yet temper one's enthusiasm in order to successfully keep the charge to which he is called. This temperance does not necessarily indicate compromise of conviction. It may simply be a compromise of expression for the sake of reaching all God’s people for the common good.

Evangelical Christians must consider the candidates' convictions, but should be careful to evaluate their content over their expression. Certainly Christians should be alert to any political compromise that violates the truth of God’s Word. Regardless of your political persuasion, I hope you will join me in praying for both candidates during this election season, as both will make lasting marks on our country.

Carrying the Torch

2008-07-21T16:06:00.006-05:00

The 2008 Olympics are only days away, and the torch relay is in full swing. Much celebration surrounds the torch bearing tradition and the passing of the Olympic flame from one to another. The torch relay covers thousands of miles before reaching its final destination of honor, illuminating the setting for international peace and sweet victories to be broadcast throughout the world.

How similar this is to the race we are to run for God, bearing the Light of the world. Isaiah 49:6 proclaims God’s future plan to send Jesus the Son to earth, saying “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant…I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Yet when Jesus came, He told His disciples, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14, emphasis mine). Jesus came into the world in human form to bring the torch to us, to light the way to eternity. Jesus says he who follows Him will have the light of life, because He is the Light of the world. (John 8:12)

Jesus gives us His light not just for us to have and enjoy, but to share. He said, “nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house” (Matthew 5:15). Jesus intended for us to take our places on the lamp stand, giving light to the world on His behalf. He did not light the hearts of Christians and then hide them under baskets. But unfortunately we sometimes ungratefully hide the light He has placed in our hearts. Rather than run the race proudly bearing the torch for Christ, we run our own races proudly for ourselves, bearing our own selfish banners, ignoring the precious eternal flame entrusted to us. We are called to hold high the flaming symbol of victory high above our own heads so that the light is noticed, not the runner. As the Olympic torch calls attention to a matchless day of rejoicing for athletes, so much more should the light of Jesus call attention to the coming day of redemption to be celebrated by Christians around the world.

“The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked goes out” (Proverbs 13:9). The righteous cherish and protect the light within them so that they can pass it on as commanded. His Light rejoices over the righteous life. I pray He has lit your torch with His light. If so, is it burning brightly for Him, and a source of joy in your life? Or is your lamp flickering weakly, merely a glimmer of the hope that He gave you?

“Light the passion, share the dream.” This is the motto of the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay. As Christians, we have more than a dream to share; we have a living hope and a blessed assurance in Jesus Christ. So, light your passion within, and share the hope you have in Christ. Raise His torch so that many can see. And unlike the Olympic torchbearers, when you pass the light to others, keep your torch aflame and keep running the relay for Him, so that the Light may multiply and His salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

The Joy Robber

2008-06-30T09:42:00.003-05:00

If you were told someone was going to come rob your house at a certain time, would you do something about it? Of course you would. You would do whatever necessary to protect your family, your possessions, and your life. Jesus assures us of this obvious fact when He says, “And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into” (Luke 12:39).

Jesus’ messages always have multiple meanings. Here, He makes this comment for emphasis as He warns His disciples of the importance of readiness, readiness for His return at an hour that they will not expect. But there is another kind of readiness that God desires we have.

My body is a temple of God. I am a house for the Holy Spirit. (1 Co 3:16) God has given me my mind as the head of the household. My mind makes the decisions that have the greatest impact on my life. If my mind had known ahead of time when to expect the Thief to show up to try to rob my life of God’s pleasure, I would certainly have been ready to fend him off. But he came on many occasions without warning, and I was not prepared. My friend Tanya calls the devil “The Joy Robber.” How appropriate! He has certainly robbed me of joy in the past when I didn’t see him coming.

God warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 to, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” We all know it’s true. We’ve all had his teeth sink into us a time or two, robbing us of joy here and there. But since we cannot know what hour the Thief will try to sneak in, we must be diligent in our minds to stay alert and do whatever necessary to protect our spiritual house from invasion.

There’s a lot of evil in the world. Satan is tricky. Guard yourselves from his influence and impact on your life. Be alert and prepared. Look for cracks in the foundation of your temple, and fill them with God’s Word. Make your temple a house of continual prayer and praise. Follow His blueprints for life. Beware of solicitors. Foster godly friendships - they make great alarm systems! Choose to stay out of the weather and under the protection of God’s presence where there is fullness of joy. Do whatever it takes to keep the “The Joy Robber” from getting anywhere near your house!

What Happens When the Heat Is On?

2008-06-16T14:41:00.002-05:00

Stories of celebrities showing a lack of discretion and judgment are rampant in today’s culture. Why are so many talented and celebrated individuals suffering embarrassment and shame? Why are many of Hollywood’s best and brightest stars losing their sparkle? A star loses her shine when she is missing the right spark behind her sparkle.

Proverbs 27:21 says, “The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is tested by the praise accorded him.” What do a crucible and a furnace have in common? They are both made to withstand extreme heat. They house and even foster heat, allowing chemical reactions to take place in that which is subject to its fire. As silver and gold are put to the heat test, several things happen:

1. Their properties react. They experience great heat and pressure, which tests their true attributes and traits such as strength, stamina and substance.
2. Their impurities emerge. As impurities separate from the metal, they collect. This collection makes more visible the nature and type of impurities that were present in the metal.
3. Their appearance changes. They melt, becoming more pliable and able to be reshaped. Whoever has control of the metal during the heating process is the one with the power to reshape it.

As crucibles and furnaces are to silver and gold, praise is to men and women. Some Bible translations interpret this verse to refer to the presence of praise, but this may not encompass the full meaning of God’s original Word. For whether in abundance or absence, praise is an effective vessel for testing, purifying and molding. If someone is self-focused, she will likely be bothered by a lack of praise and/or become puffed up in the profusion of it. Whether a little or much praise is applied to a person, we can see the same reactions as silver and gold when the heat is on:

1. Test of Qualities: Their true character is tested.
2. Separation of Impurities: Impure motives and improper behaviors surface.
3. Reshaping of Personalities: Significant change occurs as pressure is applied, and alteration is determined by the one in control.

Stars (and all of us) melt into a mess under pressure when our sparkle is only superficially lit by self and selfishness. We are subject to the influence and reshaping of the oppressor when we are not controlled by the spark of the Holy Spirit. However, we are molded into something more beautiful when we remain in the hands of the Master Refiner.

“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, I will refine them and assay them; For what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?”” (Jeremiah 9:7).

God wired us to connect with others, and made us to understand and desire praise. When we allow the Holy Spirit to have control of our lives, His active presence within us changes how we view praise – from something we want to receive for self-glorification, to something we desire to give away to others and offer up to God. This is the right spark of fire we must have behind our sparkle. We need the Spirit of God to rule in our hearts so when the pressure of praise is applied in our lives, we will shift our focus from self to the Savior.

The Proverbial Truth is: “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts” (Proverbs 17:3). How are you fairing today in the abundance or absence of praise? Are you melting in a heap or hardening into a self-idol? Or, are you radiating His spark more beautifully today than yesterday, by welcoming the Potter’s hands in reshaping you to be more like Christ?

From Righteousness to Ruin

2008-05-19T10:32:00.014-05:00

“Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?” (Eccl. 7:16) When I first read this verse, I thought, “How can we be too righteous? I mean, after all, isn’t that what we are striving for?” But I knew there was more to this verse than met the eye at first glance. Some truths must be dug out as hidden treasure.

The author of Ecclesiastes questions everything about life, labeling almost all things as futile and vain, until he comes to the final conclusion that God must be the center of all. When read in context, the real message behind this verse is that righteousness and wisdom apart from God, like everything apart from God, is “vanity and striving after wind.” This verse of scripture refers to the attitude of a Pharisee. We ruin ourselves as witnesses for Christ and ministers of His gospel when we become excessively righteous and overly wise.

Excessively righteous and overly wise people are prideful people. The excessively righteous is the self-righteous, self-exalting man or woman who values religion over relationship. This person is concerned more with outward appearances than inward sanctification. Her righteousness is self-honoring, not God-honoring. Overly wise people are those whose focus has become imbalanced, seeking knowledge as priority over seeing that knowledge make a difference for the Kingdom. These may have initially sought the knowledge of God with a pure and humble heart, but their motive has taken an unfortunate turn to selfish gain. When one seeks to know God’s word to elevate self, rather than to elevate God, she is headed for ruin.

When we concern ourselves primarily with our performance or our knowledge of God, our focus has shifted away from God and His purposes. “My” performance can easily be all about me, not God’s work in and through me. “My” knowledge level can also easily be all about me, not God’s revelation of knowledge to and through me to benefit others. As we grow in wisdom and righteousness, we grow in danger of adopting a Pharisaic attitude.

2 Chronicles 26:16 tells us how King Uzziah went from righteousness to ruin: “But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God.” Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:1-4, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”

As devoted followers of Christ and leaders of others in our homes, neighborhoods, study groups, churches and beyond, we must be careful to guard our hearts from becoming full of ourselves instead of full of Him. We would also be wise to discern the hearts of those we choose to follow.

Some questions to apply to our own lives and to the lives of those who seek to influence us:

Who is doing the work of righteousness in the life, God or the person?
Who is receiving the glory for the righteousness and wisdom, God or the person?
How do others perceive the righteousness, as a reflection of God or of the person?
Could others who are under the person’s influence in any way perceive the wisdom as conceitedness, or the righteousness as condescension?
What fruit is the righteous behavior and wisdom bringing to the Kingdom?
Have you personally ever been tempted to misuse His gifts of righteousness and wisdom for selfish gain?
How have you seen the righteous and the wise trip over their pride in today’s culture?
How can you pass on this warning to others under your watch?

Perhaps more than any other time in history, the 21st century Christian community must be careful to evaluate the motives of the heart. We must first be careful that the work being done in and through our lives is God's work, not our own. Further, we must continually remain alert to our heart's condition as He works in us to make us more like Him and reveal to us more of His truths. As we are transformed by Him, we must be on guard to the increasing temptation to believe we are "above" others who have yet to know or grow in Him, rather than see ourselves as fellow sojourners on His earth.

The Proverbial Truth is, "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling." (Pr 16:18) "A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor." (Pr 29:23)

The devil can be very sneaky, and has to be sneaky to trap the devoted God-follower. Let's keep our eyes open to his schemes and choose carefully with discernment and prayer whom we will follow. Let's also be diligent to keep watch over our own attitudes and heart as we live our own lives of influence. Satan likes nothing better than when God's faithful servants become so full of themselves, in their own prideful righteousness and wisdom, that they have no room for Jesus.

Thoughts on Leadership

2008-04-29T11:11:00.006-05:00

In getting warmed up this morning for my long-term writing project, I had some thoughts about leadership that seemed to warrant writing down for consideration. My Masters degree is in Educational Leadership, as opposed to Educational Administration, the name given to the degree that many of my colleagues have. It might be an interesting search to discover any differences in the coursework required at various institutions.

As an educational leader, we often discussed the differences between “administrator” and “leader.” Certainly administrative gifts are necessary for effective leadership, and leadership gifts vital for successful administration. The difference is the focus of the mind. An administrator is focused on the administration of duties and tasks, the management of responsibilities toward a given goal. A leader is focused on the achievement of group goals, the movement of a group of people in a shared direction.

I can liken it also to my change of roles between Assistant Principal and Principal. After being promoted, I spoke to my previous Principal, a mentor and dear friend. We laughed at how my desk went from orderly to order-less! I had moved from completing the “to do’s” she gave to me, to creating the “to do” list. At some level, this is illustrative of the differences in administrator and leader. An administrator is attentive to checking items off a given list, while a leader is intent upon defining shared purposes, goals, and plans to be accomplished jointly by her and others. A true leader has great vision and investment in the development of collective mission. An administrator tends to follow a given vision and plan. Both roles are necessary to the success of any organized body.

We all serve in both roles in different areas and seasons of life. It is said that everyone always reports to someone else. So in that way, we are all administrators at some level. But according to God’s timing and plan, we may be granted the privilege to be persons of greater influence, stepping beyond task-completion to group-development. It is when we shift our focus, even for a moment, from simple tasks to significant touches in the lives of others that we move from administrative thinking to leadership perception.

We have the opportunity and responsibility to be both administrators and leaders in the body of Christ as called by God. As administrators of God’s goals, we follow His vision, choose to be invested in His objectives and join Him in His activities. As leaders, we influence others to do the same. Leadership is about influence. A wise person once said, “If you think you are a leader, look behind you to see if anyone is following.” If there is, we should look back at our pathway and ensure we are leading her in the right direction.

The Path

2008-04-11T19:15:00.006-05:00

I have been writing this past month, I promise! Just not for Prayerfully Penned. I felt much conviction when I realized I posted nothing in March to share with my readers. Please accept my apologies. God has no doubt blessed you with a choice of many other writings from which to read. This month, I will still be writing on a long-term project; so until I post again, I pray this longer-than-normal post will both engage you and encourage you to listen closely to the Lord, for He promises that "Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left." Is 30:21

The Path...

Paths are present in our lives whether we notice them or not. All of us have walked them and are walking on them now. There are paths to school, home, family, work, entertainment, hobbies, friends, successes and failures. I’ve ventured down many a path in my lifetime, some that were not headed in the right direction. Many times I didn’t realize it. Sometimes I did, but I went anyway.

God has revealed a few simple truths to me about paths. First and foremost, there is only one that leads to Him, and that is the path of Jesus Christ and the truth of His word. As of this writing, Oprah and others are teaching that there are many paths, and that Jesus is just one way. That is not what God’s word says. Jesus said, “I am THE way, and THE truth, and THE life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) So either Jesus is a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. (And, by the way, there is only one right answer.) I pray everyone who reads this has found and accepted the one and only way, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Another truth God has shown me is that His path is best, and not only does He desire us to be on it, He does a lot to get us there and keep us there. The truth about walking on His path is simple, yet profound; I only wish I had learned it when I was a teenager. It’s worth writing down in case anyone has missed its simple truth.

God’s way is the right way and the only way; it is the path we are to be on. The Bible is the path to a joyous life. Its instructions, God’s commands, are the route to fulfillment in life. Often we haven’t studied His path enough to know it very well, so we veer off course. Or, we are stubborn and decide to take a detour. (Unfortunately, I was once very good at this.) God then provides correction, much like a bridled horse. The horse is still under control, and is able to respond to the reproof of its master. It easily hears and feels the redirection; and when it does, it quickly returns to the assigned path. But other times, the horse bucks the rider off, so that it has no master. It takes off on its own, running wildly toward who knows where. We are like this horse when we get so far of course that we quit responding to the gentle correction of God. We run wild, and regardless of His warnings, we run right into danger.

Proverbs 6:23 says, “For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life.” Proverbs 10:17 says, “He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, But he who forsakes reproof goes astray.” God laid out the path we are to follow in His word. When we get off track, He corrects us, because He loves us and wants to keep us on the path. As long as we remain teachable and receptive to His correction, we stay on the path. But when we fight Him enough, He allows us to run wild and lead ourselves right into trouble. Romans 1:28 confirms it: “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.” At some point, when we choose to embrace the improper, we reap the negative consequences.

God allows us to learn in three, sequential ways. He graciously provides His word and teachers of the word so that we can know the path and follow it. He mercifully reminds us and corrects us even as we begin to stray, so that we can easily regain our footing. Finally, He reluctantly allows us to experience the consequences of our choices, when we are hard-headed and refuse to learn any other way.

I’ve been on the path, slightly off the path, and so far off the path I could not even see it. I’ve learned in all three ways, from easiest to hardest. And I’ve learned that, just as you might imagine, the easy way is the best way. Proverbs 4:25-26 says, “Let your eyes look directly ahead, and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet.” The only way we can watch the path is to keep our eyes on Him and His precious word, with Jesus as our living example. Notice He didn’t say to watch your feet, but the path. It’s kind of like driving, you know? Keep your eyes on the road, not on the wheel, so you don’t drive off a bridge; and if you hear the street bumps knocking under your tires and cars honking all around, it would be wise to look out your front window and see where you are headed.

Another Attitude Adjustment

2008-02-29T13:16:00.004-06:00

I’ve learned that when God gives me a thought to share on Prayerfully Penned, it is always best for me to sit and share it immediately. My thoughts are so fleeting these days, between the several tasks that are at hand. I’m sure anyone reading this can relate. It seems to be the order of the day every day – so much to do, so little time! But today He gave me a little attitude adjustment that I felt compelled to share.

How easy it is to recognize when we have fallen short. How easy it is to recognize when God is teaching us yet another lesson to learn. And how easy it is to let that get us down, rather than lift us up! It’s all about perspective.

Every day we are likely convicted with sin at some point, or should be, for we are imperfect humans. Although we may not intentionally choose a pattern of sin in our life, and live for the most part righteous lives, we will never be perfect and are continually being refined by God for the day of Christ. As we are refined, God shows us areas that need, shall we say, “tweaking,” or “reteaching” (to borrow a term from my days in public education.) For me, this is a daily happening! He is continually showing me my imperfect attitudes, motives, and responses. And although I know that I am continually forgiven, it can be easy for these revelations of imperfection to get me down.

It is right for me to recognize and repent of my imperfections as I pray; but at the same time, I can choose to rejoice! Why? Because God loves me enough to continue to speak to me and teach me the way in which I should go. Hallelujah! He could have, and rightly so, given up on me long ago. But thanks to Jesus He didn’t! As such, every time the Spirit convicts me of sin, even “tweaking” me through the sometimes painful consequences that follow, I can rejoice knowing that He loves me, and that no amount of necessary reteaching will ever separate me from His love. How blessed I am that the Father in Heaven looks down to earth and considers it worth His time to keep working on me!

I’m sharing my attitude adjustment with you today, in hope that it might encourage you to not let Satan trick you into viewing God’s refining process through the wrong lens. Rejoice that He cares enough to refine! Don’t focus on the need for reteaching. Focus on the gracious gift of the Teacher.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” Ps. 32:8, 11

Father, Friend and Fire!

2008-02-04T11:46:00.000-06:00

This morning, I awoke with three words on my heart: Father, Friend and Fire. How awesome it is that we can enjoy the presence of God in three persons! God is our Father, the Father of all life, the Creator and Sustainer, Provider and Protector. Jesus is our Friend if we have entered into a personal relationship with Him. I’ll never forget the day when I “got this.” As a youth, I recall longing to “connect” with God, but not being sure how. In God’s timing, I came to fully understand who Jesus is - that He came to earth as the “God-man,” God in the flesh, a human given to earth as the Father’s one perfect son to be made a sacrifice for sin, a person through whom the world could experience the love and the plan of the Father in heaven, a Friend to those who would accept His faithful friendship. “What a friend we have in Jesus!” My grandmother used to play and sing this old hymn with such profound enthusiasm, such obvious belief in her connection to God through the Friend of Jesus. But how could such a friendship be, with one who was no longer on earth? Where did this enthusiasm come from? Her enthusiasm was the Fire that lived inside her, the Holy Spirit of God, whom our Father lovingly provides to us so that we can live in the fullness of His joy! What an awesome gift! Not only did He provide His Son as a gift so that we could be with Him one day in Heaven, He also provides Himself in the form of Spirit to live in us, walk beside us, and ignite within us a passion for Him while we are on earth. The gift of His Fire within is the ultimate testimony to the believing heart of the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. For Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17) This Fire is what I saw on the face of my grandmother, and heard in her voice, as she sang, “Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever!” How incredible to think that our God is the one true, everlasting God – who makes Himself available to each of us forever as our Father, Friend and Fire!

Postscript: If you haven’t ever experienced the “Friend” part of our Father, or the “Fire” part, please consider visiting my recommended website below: Christianity is a Choice, Not an Inherited Trait!

Wearing God's Glasses

2008-01-14T14:06:00.000-06:00

In the midst of suffering, where is our focus? By nature, we focus on the affliction and agony associated with the experience. But God would have us look at things differently. This past two weeks, He has been speaking to me about suffering. If only we could grasp His perspective of it! When I think back on times of suffering in my life, certainly I recall the difficulty. But more often, I reflect on how it has brought me closer to Him, grown me more into His likeness, and allowed me to be more a part of His work on earth. There are those who suffer to such a degree that they will never see God’s glorious work through it on this side of Heaven. But we are assured in Romans 8:28 that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” But in our flesh, it is more than difficult to “consider it all joy” when we encounter trials (James 1:2.) It is impossible to do so without the aid of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is evident in the life of Debbie Miller, whose husband Tommy has just moved into a new mansion in Heaven. Despite this great suffering, Debbie maintains an eternal perspective. Her email communication boasts of the bigger picture – that of Kingdom work, good work that God brings about and brings to completion for His purposes, good work that remains to be done by those left on earth. As Debbie sat by Tommy’s bedside in those final hours, she shared, “Each day we receive the "manna" of strength we need to face the challenges of the day! As heavy and even selfish as our hearts are, we know God has a new song for each one of us - Tommy's will be in the heavenly realm and ours will continue here as we strive to continue to do the work He has planned for us.” And even after he was “ushered into the presence of the Lord” by the hand of Jesus, Debbie has kept her focus off the suffering and on God’s greater purpose. “God is still God, and we have committed this new journey to Him. Oh, sweet friends, it has not been in vain! There is still much Kingdom work to be done!”

As I have been studying through the Psalms, I have often noticed how the writers have complained to God about their suffering, but by the end of their discourse, changed their perspective to match God’s. Psalm 73:26 reads, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” It reminds me of 2 Co 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” For us to see things in such a manner, we must put on God’s glasses. In our flesh, we can only see those things which are temporal. It is only by looking through the eyes of God via His Holy Spirit that we can hope for a glimpse of His glorious, eternal perspective. Debbie does this, and she inspires others in the midst of her suffering, thus bringing attention and glory to the throne of God. How proud Tommy must be as he looks down from Heaven at his earthly bride!

Only a prayerful heart seeking after God’s can yield such perspective as hers and as the disciples’, who, as early devoted followers of Christ, experienced suffering beyond what we can imagine. Paul contended in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” And Peter declared, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

May we 21st century disciples pray for God to help us put on, not only the armor of God, but the lens of our Lord, so that we may take our eyes off ourselves and our suffering, and place them on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith, the one in whom we can trust to take us through our earthly trials safely to the other side. Remember Isaiah 43:2-3, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, not will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” No one knows suffering like the Lord Jesus Himself. Yet, as He anticipated the suffering of the cross, He said to the Father, “Thy will be done.” May we be inspired by these who have learned the secret to surviving suffering – to look through the lens of our Lord and focus on God, God’s will and God’s glory.

In honor of Tommy Miller - 1952-2008

New Year's Vows

2008-01-01T13:04:00.000-06:00

Writers typically avoid using absolutes such as “all” or “none.” But I would bank on the fact that ALL of us have made at least one New Year’s resolution during our lifetime. And most of us, if not all, have broken at least one as well. It has become a source of humor as we poke fun at ourselves and our lack of commitment and follow-through.

Today, I have a new outlook on New Year’s resolutions. Psalm 76:11 says “Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.” This New Year, I am taking my resolutions to a new level, literally. I’m taking mine to the heavenly throne. My resolutions are not being made to myself, but to God. And rather than resolving to do things for myself, I am vowing to do things for God. I have prayed them and written them down. It is often said that writing down one’s intentions emphasizes one’s commitment. But typically we think of making these goal statements to one’s self, not to one’s God. This year, I invite you to join me in making New Year’s vows rather than New Year’s resolutions, and make them to and for our God. Write them down, pray them to Him, and most importantly, “fulfill them.”

May we embrace this New Year with passion to fulfill that which He lays upon our hearts today!

True Christmas Joy!

2007-12-19T10:39:00.000-06:00

As we enter the peak of the Christmas celebration, I want to share with you a thought that has blessed my season. In our couple's class recently, our lesson was from Luke 2, the Christmas story. It was noted that the shepherds experienced a change in their attitude toward God that symbolizes the very heart of salvation. When the angel of the Lord came upon them, the Word says they were afraid. The shepherds naturally feared any presence of angels as they represented a God who had shown His wrath upon the earth in times past. They feared for their very lives. But the angel said, "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy." "Fear not." The angel represented the coming of faith in place of fear. Because of Christ, we no longer have any reason to fear God, as in being frightened of Him. Instead, we can rejoice knowing that He is a God of mercy and love, providing His Son for us to bring us into a peaceful relationship with Him. Because of His great mercy, we should have great joy! As we remember the birth of our Savior, let us be mindful of the peace we now have with God because of His great love for us; and, with a heart of gratitude, let us embrace an attitude of true Christmas joy!

2007-12-12T00:19:00.001-06:00

Dear Friends,

You know that "I like Mike!" I support Mike Huckabee for President of the United States. Today, I let the world know that Mike has my vote in the primary election by signing up at HucksArmy.com. Signing up is FREE and takes only a minute, but it makes a big statement. Please join me in supporting Mike Huckabee. He is the only candidate who will take this country up, not down; the only one with a proven track record as an innovative, optimistic, and authentic conservative.

Declare Your Support for Mike Huckabee: http://www.hucksarmy.com/enlist_today.php
We can make a difference!

Why I Like Mike: A Late-night Rambling About the Importance of Getting in the Game, Regardless of Position

2007-12-06T00:18:00.000-06:00

In Matthew 9:37, Jesus tells his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” It occurred to me today that the workers are few for two reasons. Historically, I’ve thought Jesus’ teaching referred only to the importance of the harvest, and indicated if one was not working, he was either unaware of the harvest or unwilling to work. My interpretation included the ignorant and the lazy, but there is another group of people who are oftentimes not working, namely, the leaders. In this analogy, if it were expanded, one might include the landowners as the leaders or masters over the workers. Today, we seem to have an abundance of these. More people would prefer to be a leader, or perhaps boss or master, rather than a worker. I saw it plenty of times during my eighteen-year career in public education. Some might even accuse me of this very mistake. “Just do as I say, not as I do.” But as the Education Agency bosses the local agency, the local agency bosses the bosses, who must in turn boss the workers. Many people desire to tell others what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, but few are willing to do it themselves. And leaders are even taught, “Delegation is the key. Good leaders delegate.” But too many delegating contribute to too few actually working.

I’m not intending to downplay the importance of good, solid, Christian leadership. The idea of leadership originates in the Bible and is a vital component of our existence. Nor am I meaning to imply that the act of leadership itself is not work. But we are living in a time in which people are misusing leadership as a means of selfish gratification rather than unselfish service. Jesus did not lead in order to satisfy himself. On the contrary, he led because that was God’s purpose for him, in order to ultimately meet every human being’s most important need – to know Him and be accepted as His child. But Jesus did not lead this effort by sitting in a grandstand directing traffic! He walked with the wayward and hung out with the heathen. We have too many today who are neither ignorant nor lazy about the harvest. They are aware and willing to get up and go to the fields, but prefer to perch in the grandstand. They see the harvest, but rather than working in the fields themselves, take great pride in telling others how to go about their work. This is certainly not every leader, but every leader can be tempted to fall into this trap…”Get in the game and work, oh no! Don’t ask the ministry leader or preacher to actually GO on mission in a dangerous neighborhood. Heaven forbid! We should encourage those under our influence to go and evangelize, but the leader’s place is to direct and observe. I don’t want to get my hands dirty.”

As Jesus talked about the harvest to His disciples, they weren’t even yet aware of the harvest that awaited them. At this point in their walk with Him, they had no idea of the importance of their involvement in His ministry, or in the harvesting of the early Christian church. But today, His disciples--you and I-- realize there is a harvest; but the question is, are we willing to do the work? Or are we too busy telling others what work there is to do? Are we willing to sacrifice our lives to work for Him in any way asked? There is an old adage that says, “True leaders don’t ask others to do what they aren’t willing to do themselves.” Now bosses and masters of slaves, that’s another story. But Christian leaders should be willing to bite the bullet and work alongside others in any capacity directed by God in any location or situation.

This is just one more reason why “I like Mike.” Mike Huckabee was a pastor, teaching and preaching to congregations of people seeking to know God more. Surely in this role he had many an opportunity to discuss politics and what the government should and should not be up to. But he was willing to do more than talk; he gave up the pulpit for the pew. He was willing to follow God’s call of leadership out of the church and into the world. This may seem backwards to some. For many it seems, and even for me, God calls out of the secular world to serve in the church. But God can call people to lead and to work in any capacity that fits into His larger plan and purpose in any order He deems best. Jesus’ focus was the harvest – the work waiting to be accomplished by those who were willing. The harvest was and is plentiful. May God bless Mike Huckabee for his willingness to step out into the field and lead, by working for America.

A Pure Heart of Thanksgiving

2007-11-17T11:26:00.000-06:00

Many expressions of thanksgiving will be cast out of heaven this Thursday. Why? They will be offered from a heart of pride.

Have you ever realized how easy it is to become prideful of God's provision? In my circles, it is common for people to give credit to God for His provision and blessing, and we are absolutely correct to do this, for we know all good gifts come from above. "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." (James 1:17) But when our focus on His blessing outweighs our focus on Him, we are subject to sin. Why? Because of where His blessing has fallen--on us! If we become more concerned about giving God glory for our blessings than giving Him glory for who He is, our focus is really on ourselves. Our gratitude is not glorifying to God if we are worshipping what we are receiving from Him instead of worshipping Him. Nor is He pleased by my thinking too much about how my life is bettered by His blessing, or how good I feel because of His goodness toward me. Do you see all the "we's" and "me's" instead of "Thee's?" When our focus is primarily on what we have been given, we are operating from a self-centered rather than God-centered heart. We must not be focused on the gifts, but the Giver.

This time of year our country sets aside a time to express our gratitude toward God for His goodness, mercy and blessing. I believe the original motive for the holiday was pure. However, what was considered a blessing in yesteryear differs from our materialistic view today. Join me in returning to striving for purity in gratitude to God this Thanksgiving. Let us thank Him for our abundant blessings, by keeping the focus on Him and who He is, not on the blessings themselves. This season, may we remember to be most grateful for His presence, His faithfulness, His mercy, His guidance, His protection, His power, His sovereign rule, and His eternal love for us expressed most clearly through the giving of His only Son. May God be the heart of our Thanksgiving!

Disappearing Bees

2007-11-03T23:39:00.000-05:00

If you've read my blog before, you know that I have a fancy for bees. Tonight, I happened to run across a video about the disappearance of honeybees across our country. Some Christians believe this may be another sign of the end times.

Below will hopefully "bee" a link to Godtube.com that will take you directly to the video. If it doesn't work for you, go to Godtube.com and search videos for Disappearing Bees. This short video certainly made me pause. For me, my collection of bees has long heralded a message of faith and stirred great conversation, as bees fly with wings too small for their bodies. After seeing this video, my bee-loved icon has new meaning and is more precious than before.

Disappearing_Bees

Marriage and the Maker

2007-09-15T22:38:00.000-05:00

Have you ever stopped to consider what makes a marriage successful? Why are some marriages more dynamic than others? Some naturally testify of God’s love, illustrating the importance of a marriage with Christ at the center. Others struggle along, appearing to be in danger of falling apart at any moment. What are the keys to making marriage work? That’s a million dollar question! Certainly the most important factor is keeping Jesus at the heart of the marriage. But assuming this is in place, what are the other keys you would list? My list includes trust, communication, loyalty, honesty, shared interests and goals, spending time together and intimacy. Does your list look similar?

Marriage is used throughout the scriptures as a symbol of the relationship between Christ and the church. Isaiah 54:5 states, “For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts.” John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the bridegroom in John 3:29, and Jesus identified himself as the bridegroom in Matt. 9:15. Jesus is the bridegroom, and the church is His bride. There is an old Sunday School song that says, “I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together.” Since each disciple of Christ is a part of Christ’s holy church, each of us has been chosen as a bride for our Lord.

While the complete marriage of the Lamb to His church is yet to occur as described in Revelation, for now we walk in a spiritual marriage with Christ if we have accepted him as our Lord and Savior. How healthy is your marriage to Him? How would you rate your levels of trust in Him, communication with Him, and loyalty to Him? How about your honesty, shared interests and goals, time spent together and loving intimacy? If we are to have a successful marriage to Christ while living in our flesh, and effectively join Him in His work and ministry, we must attend to these important factors. It is only by concerning ourselves with the health of our relationship with our bridegroom that we allow ourselves to be the most available and effective for His Kingdom.

Some who have been married for a time will pause on an anniversary to restate their vows, rededicate their love and recommit their lives to one another. Could it be time to celebrate your anniversary with your Lord and Savior and renew your relationship to your beloved bridegroom?

Our Great Advocate

2007-08-22T12:13:00.000-05:00

Have you considered the gravity of the truth that God is our Advocate? Job did. Even in the midst of all his difficulty, he continued to believe in God as his advocate. From his despair, he still proclaimed, “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.” (Job 16:19) He did not understand why God was allowing him to suffer so greatly, but he never quit believing that God knew the truth of his life and was ultimately on his side.

What Job didn’t realize at the time was that God was more than an all-knowing witness to his righteousness. In the New Testament, a different word is used for advocate, a word meaning one called alongside to help. Christ used this word when he told His disciples in John 14:16, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” The Greek word Jesus used for Helper is paraklhton, meaning one called to one’s side, to plead one’s cause, to serve as an intercessor, and to assist. After Christ’s resurrection, the Holy Spirit was given to inhabit those who would believe in Jesus, to serve as a helper, or advocate.

John understood the depth of Christ’s teachings and went on to relay God’s word to new believers. In his second epistle, he encourages new believers in Christ to walk through life in the same manner Jesus walked, a walk of obedience to God’s commands. He tells them that they “have an Advocate (paraklhton) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” He knew Jesus was his own advocate and an advocate for all believers. Like Job, John understood that God is our advocate, the all-knowing witness to our lives, the one omniscient God who knows the truth about our lives even when we are falsely accused. But, John was also entrusted with Jesus’ teaching that God loves us so much, He chooses to be more than just a witness to our lives, but an active advocate, one who acts on our behalf. God acted on our behalf when he provided Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus then advocates for us by continually praying for us, interceding to the Father on our behalf, and standing at His right hand, serving as the sacrificial bridge between our earthly state and our heavenly home. And God provides the Holy Spirit, His holy presence and guide during our earthly walk; and as our guide, the Spirit is our personal advocate here on earth.

As God the Father, Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit are separate persons yet one entity, we can be assured that we have all three advocating for our best interests. God provides. Jesus prays. The Spirit leads. Wow! How blessed we are as believers in Jesus! Upon reflecting on this truth today, God prodded me, “I am your advocate. Are you mine?” I stand humbled. How awesome to know that God in three persons is advocating for me each and every day. How actively do I advocate for Him?

Redeeming Love

2007-08-12T22:33:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. If you have not read it, I would highly recommend your spending the time necessary to devour its 400 plus pages. I did. And I am so glad I did. What a work of art! She makes a grand effort to capture in words the depths of God’s love for us, His redemptive love. Love and redemption are the crux of my faith, yet I am starved for words that come close to the hint of a definition. How can we describe in our simple humanness the greatness of God’s love for us? We haven’t the capacity in our minds to comprehend it to its fullest degree, so how can we come close to explaining it?

This weekend, our Pastor Jack Graham preached on John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Certainly it is one of the most well-known and often-quoted scriptures of the Bible. God loves us so much He wants to redeem us to life everlasting. He is the everlasting God and He wants to give us His everlasting love and an everlasting life with Him. Despite our faults and our failures, our sins and our selfishness, God loves us anyway, so much so that He made it possible for us to live with Him forever. There is a key word in the scripture that none should read swiftly past. It is the word “believes.” “Whoever believes.” Each who desires to know God and live forever with Him must believe in God and in His Son. It is really much simpler than one might think. God doesn’t put parameters around the word “believes.” He doesn’t require a certain amount of belief, a specific show of belief, or a carefully-worded statement of belief. His only requirement is a simple, but true, belief in Him and in His Son. That means the seven-year-old who says with a pure heart “Yes, I believe” has God’s everlasting love and promise of eternal life as much as Billy Graham. To believe, really believe, is at the heart of our hope.

I emphasize believe with the word really, not to be redundant, but to create a pause, an opportunity for reflection for all who are reading. Have you come to a place where you truly believe? It is not enough to be in a family who believes, in a church who believes, have friends that believe, or even to be married to one who believes. It is insufficient to sing about belief, to “Amen” to others’ prayers of belief, or to rely on a ceremonial act of belief. God knows the heart of each one of us. God knows whether you are one who believes or not. He knows if you doubt His very existence. He is the great “I Am” and His existence is not dependent upon your belief. But your eternal existence is dependent upon your belief in Him. He knows if you doubt that Jesus was and is His Son, “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”--given, sacrificed and resurrected for you. He knows if you don’t recognize or receive His love for you. He knows. But He is patient. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) God’s redeeming love is indescribable, although Francine Rivers made phenomenal strides towards the goal. But don’t take her word for it. Don’t take mine, or even my Pastor’s. Take His. Take God at His Word. If you haven’t experienced His redeeming love for yourself, then call out to Him, believing. Just one simple word of faith, spoken out of a heart that truly believes, is all that is required to receive God’s greatest gift of all.

The Narrow Road

2007-08-03T01:27:00.000-05:00

As I anticipated our summer jaunt to the mountains, my mind went to thoughts of fresh air, quiet stillness, and unadulterated nature. While I have experienced all, it is not in these refreshments that I have heard God speak the loudest as I had expected. The glory and majesty of God is evident from the pine-covered peaks to the rushing rivers below. He speaks to me through the beauty of His nature, and it revives my soul. But it is during the journey up and down the mountain each day that He and I have had our greatest conversations.

It takes approximately eight minutes one way on a narrow, gravel road up or down the mountain. During these eight minutes, one must wind one’s way back and forth, carefully navigating the sharp switchbacks and avoiding the unprotected edges of the roadway. When I am driving, I am in control and too busy concentrating on the roadway to talk much with God. But when I am a passenger, I surrender my safety into the hands of another and find myself talking incessantly to Him. Why? Fear. Fear of surrender. Fear of not being in control. Fear of accident, injury, even death. As I have dialogued with Him about this, I realize how strikingly similar this is to my everyday life. When I retain control, I often don’t take time to converse with Him in prayer. Perhaps I am too busy concentrating on the drive. Perhaps I am too confident in my own abilities to feel it is necessary or even beneficial to talk with Him. But when I have no control over a situation, such as the illness of a loved one, the choices of a family member, or the like, I run to Him in prayer seeking His help. But is my running to Him a result of my love for Him, my respect for Him, my longing to follow Him? Or is it a result of my fear? Rather than running to Him in moments of panic, I should desire to consistently surrender to my loving Father and His perfect plans. Rather than fearing lack of control, I should rest in the assurance of His control over all things. Rather than worrying about disaster, I should be at peace knowing that nothing can separate me from His eternal love for me, not even death.

How often I wind my way back and forth along the narrow road of life. He expects me to navigate my way carefully and avoid danger. But He also expects me to trust Him and His sovereignty during every minute of the journey, at every turn and in every situation. Tonight we ascended uphill during a rainstorm. About halfway up, in the dark of night, we found ourselves in the midst of a dense cloud of fog. My fear doubled in an instant. My prayers intensified exponentially. Rather than discuss with God, the urgency of the moment led me to pray one simple prayer—“Lord, please lift this fog.” That was all I could pray. There was no lengthy discourse, no conversation, and no argument over control, just a simple prayer of desperate faith, knowing that only God could lift the fog and restore our vision for the road home. This moment was a meeting of fear and faith. I could not stand in my self-confidence, nor stagger in my fear. I could only sit immediately at His feet, surrender to His control and trust Him. Miraculously, within minutes of my letting go of fear and trusting in Him, the fog lifted. What a lesson! How I need to let go of both control and fear, and let God lead me every minute of every day. Rather than retaining control, or fearing the lack of it, I must trust in His sovereignty. It is only then that He can lift the fog and restore my vision, so I can see clearly the way to my heavenly home.

""On your way," said Jesus. "Your faith has saved and healed you." In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road." (Mark 10:52, MSG)

Balancing the "Bee"

2007-07-14T23:45:00.000-05:00

While gardening this past week, I could not help but notice the numerous bees amongst the blooms in my flower beds. After my last blog, it seemed natural for me to take note of their behavior. I studied them closely to see if I caught them at rest, since I alleged last week that they were never still. What I observed in my garden taught me new lessons about my walk with God.

The bees buzzed purposefully around the blossoming plants. It appeared that although busy, their business was at all times on task and with purpose. Amazingly, they did not waste time as they went about collecting their pollen, but went in an order, from one bloom to the next closest bloom, and only to blooms that were worthy of visiting. They ordered their day. God calls us to "make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom." (Ps. 90:12 NLT) If only we would “bee” so wise, as we go about ordering our days. Secondly, I realized that the bees did appear to rest for a few moments, but it was purposeful resting. They rested ever so slightly as they landed upon each bloom. As I mentioned, the bees chose only blossoms that were worth visiting, those ready for harvesting, and those able to nourish the bee, meet its needs and help it in its work. When we stop, do we carefully consider where and with whom we are stopping? We might learn from these busy workers that we should land in a place that will benefit our God-given purpose, and we should stop and rest only long enough to meet our need and then continue along our way. If we rest longer than necessary, God's assignments are at risk of being ignored, put off, or missed altogether. Work is not getting done. So, while He desires us to “bee” still, we might do well to remember that God calls us to be still for a purpose. When the purpose is for resting our bodies, then when we are sufficiently rested, we should arise and work. When the purpose is to meet a need, such as to eat or to love another, we should fulfill it and then proceed to the next point on our journey. If the purpose is to worship, to pray, or simply to hear from Him, we should focus our minds on our Lord, refraining from daydreaming, creating mental “to do” lists, and contemplating the temporal, and then respond to His word in immediate obedience.

One challenge I face, and I feel certain I am not alone, is the challenge of balance in life. I tend to live at one extreme or the other, either working without ceasing, or ceasing without working. Each day is a gift of time that we are to use. I am currently reading Max Lucado’s new book, Every Day Deserves a Chance. In it he states, “An hour is too short, a year too long. Days are the bite-size portions of life, the God-designed segments of life management. A complete rotation of the earth. Both a sunrise and a sunset.” Each day is a perfectly designed, perfectly orchestrated, perfectly timed opportunity and gift from our great God. So during each unique segment of life we call a day, my goal from henceforth is to better balance the ceasing with the working. God built me in such a way to require me to rest my body physically. He also built me to rest spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. But God also created me to fulfill a unique purpose to which I am called. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10 NASB) Walk in them. Not rest in them. Therefore, I must also utilize each day to complete my assigned work.

Finally, I noted that the bees’ buzzing presence diminished as the morning turned to noonday. But the last lesson is found in their morning activity. We all know bees make honey. But for these particular bees, and maybe only for the ones God sent in my yard that day, their morning work was not the making of honey. It was about getting ready to make honey. It was all about preparation. They rested long enough to gather what was necessary to head off to their workplace. Do we rest long enough in the morning to be still and gather the instructions, the tools, and the spiritual nourishment before getting busy on our work? Do we take time to be still, even for the slightest moment, and ready ourselves for each day by spending time with God, the Giver, the Provider and the Source of all we need?

I guess I’m refreshed in a way, realizing that buzzing about like a busy bee isn’t totally out of God’s will for my life, as long as I take purposeful rests as God ordains them. These rests allow me to successfully complete the work that He calls me to do. While too much rest results in my not getting His work done completely, too much work results in my failing to get His work done successfully, for it would likely be done apart from His voice of direction and His supernatural power, both best accessed first thing each morning. To complete our assigned daily work and to do it in a way that honors Him requires first resting, then receiving, and finally responding to His marching orders, which most likely will include making a little honey sometime during the day.

Learning "To Be"

2007-07-02T10:43:00.000-05:00

It may sound strange to some that I would spend my time learning something so simple as "to be." But I contend that in my generation, we do not focus enough energy on learning what our Father requires of our "being." We are focused so much on "doing," that we do not take time to think about our "being." Our being is wrapped up in our doing, rather than our doing stemming from our being with God and being who He desires us to be.

As a former principal, I was known to my school community as "Mrs. B." The bumblebee was a symbol of mine, with many scattered throughout my office and finding their way into many a correspondence. The bee represents doing the impossible, for science would argue that its wings are too small to support its overstuffed body. However, it flies anyway! It was a sign of inspiration and motivation for me, a starting point for conversation with struggling students, and a reminder to me that I can do the impossible tasks of the job if I will continue to "bee-lieve" that with God, all things are possible.

I am realizing now that the bee also symbolized busyness. How often do you see a bee rest? It is always buzzing about, gathering pollen or making honey. It is always at work. While there is blessing in productivity, there is also the call for us simply "to be." God calls us first "to be" in a relationship with Him through His son Jesus. Although this is a one-time event when we choose to enter into this relationship, it is also an ongoing priority to grow in intimacy with Him. This requires our taking time to be with Him. He calls us to be obedient. This obedience includes his command to "be still" and know that He is God. We must slow down our lives in order to be still with our Lord. It is in the still, quiet, resting place of His open, loving arms that we connect with Him and hear from Him.

His Word teaches us much about what we are "to be." Some of our being has to do with our interacting and serving others. We tend to be better at these outward acts of being, such as being kind and generous, than the inner condition of being in our heart. We are to be humble before Him, be worshipful of Him, be surrendered to Him, be dependent on Him, and be present with Him. He wants our hearts to be peaceful, teachable and prayerful. Our world rewards the doers, the movers and the shakers, the performers and the achievers. But our God has greater rewards for those whose "doing" is a result of their "being" who He calls them to be. Take time today just "to be."

Full-time Freedom

2007-06-22T14:58:00.000-05:00

Little did I know that writing a simple blog would begin a new chapter in my life. Six months ago, I resolved to write in the New Year. My first writing would be a short blog, dedicating anything that came of it to the Lord. It was a simple statement of commitment, or devotion, to pursue a God-given desire. Since that time, God has opened doors for me in writing and in ministry. Assuredly it was not the blog that opened the doors. To date, I have written only two other blogs, neither of which has received any comments from the possible few who may have read them. No, it was the Lord. He honored my small step of faith in ways I could not have imagined. This summer, I will be formally published as a Christian writer. God did not wait in responding to my commitment. He was ready and waiting on me. I did not seek out any new opportunities, only surrendered my desire to Him, believing Him to be the source, as it says in Phil. 2:13, "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." As a result, He brought the work right to my doorstep. He opened the door and said, "Here it is."

The burden to leave my full-time career as a school principal then became so heavy, I knew that I must lay it down in front of the cross. My decision was confirmed six days after my resignation, when the school district began discussing the possibility of closing my school. Within six weeks, the determination was made. Next year will be its last. God protected me from the difficulties of closing a school, a school in which I have given my heart and soul for the past nine years, while filling me with hope for His next chapter in my life. How great is the Divine Author of Life and Faith!

"Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time--remember, you've been raised from the dead!--into God's way of doing things....You're living in the freedom of God."
--Romans 6:13-14 (The Message)

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the AUTHOR and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
--Hebrews 12:1-3

Free to Write

2007-01-21T10:00:00.001-06:00

One publication that I use regularly for my devotional time is "Our Journey: A Daily Walk in the Word." Today's reflection is written by the legendary Beth Moore and it ministered to me in a unique way. She defines a stronghold as something that overpowers one's mind, distracting one from focusing on God and keeping one from living the abundant life in the power available to believers through the Holy Spirit. Addictions are a common stronghold. But a stronghold can be less obvious. Today, I realized that a stronghold in my life is the negative thinking associated with my ability to write for God's kingdom. While in my heart I believe I have gifts in this area, in my mind I have allowed Satan's influences to replace my faith in God to utilize these gifts with doubt in His will and power to do so. This negative thinking about my own God-given skills and His potential purposes for giving them to me is a stronghold, as this goes against my knowledge of the Almighty and His sovereignty. If it is His will to utilize my writing in some way to further His kingdom, then nothing can get in the way, unless I allow strongholds to rule my mind, limiting my ability to hear from the Holy Spirit and my courage to follow His leading. May it never be!

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."" John 8:31-32

(Special thanks: http://www.walkintheword.com, http://www.bethmoore.com)

In Prayer

2007-01-05T12:33:00.000-06:00

I admit I have little idea what I have done in creating this blog. Truly, I am unsure of the complete meaning of "blog" and of its possibilities. But I create this in prayer, that whatever may come of it, all of it will be to the glory of God. Life is a series of lessons as we grow into His likeness. May this blog be dedicated first to Him and then to His lessons for me, as well as for any others who may take the time to view it.