July 25, 2019

Jesus Is There

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. – Psalm 27:10

The Bible was old and tattered, written in a language that was hard for me to understand. Still, I clung to it.

The suicide notes were written; my death planned out. Pain had numbed what was left of my heart. I was only 15 and, yet, all these years later I still remember the deep, wounding hurt.

I went outside still clutching my Bible, a remnant from childhood of the woman who hated me so, and sank into the grass. My tears were gone. My task was to survive until evening came.

I flipped open the Bible and looked down to read wherever my eyes landed. This verse drew me as I read it over and over again. God. He met me there in my brokenness, giving me a hope I didn’t feel and a purpose I couldn’t understand.

I wish I could say that life became perfect in the days and weeks that followed. It didn’t. My mother didn’t love or want me. It was a hard truth.

I wish I could say that I lived a perfect life, always pleasing God. I didn’t and I haven’t. Brokenness has a way of begetting more brokenness. That’s not an excuse but rather a fact. Recovery programs are littered with broken people. But there are just as many broken people who walk invisible amongst us each day. They carry their scars inside. They pretend so that others won’t see their pain.

My Bible today is littered with marks. Its easy-to-read words are highlighted and underlined. I cling to it whether times are good or bad. It tells the story of my life.

I don’t know your story. I don’t know your struggles or heartache. I don’t know your pain. But Jesus does. He meets us where we are. He comforts us, guides us, and fills us up inside. When the days are hard and the nights seem never-ending, call on Him. Don’t give up. Jesus is right there.

December 21, 2018

Choose Happy

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. – Psalm 1:1-2

What does it mean to be blessed? We see that word in the Bible again and again, depending on your Bible translation. It’s a good word. Religious. But what does it mean for us?

Various dictionaries use words such as consecrate or holy, sacred or bringing good fortune. All those things are wonderful things and we long to be worthy. We want to be blessed in sorrow and pain (as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount) just as we want to be blessed in mercy and peace.

But what about happiness? We can be stoic and tell ourselves to remain strong in the Lord as we suffer. We can bear our sorrows and tell ourselves we are blessed to walk with Christ during a difficult time. But do we ever have a chance to be happy? Does God want that for us?

Of course, He does! God didn’t create us to suffer through life. Sure, we’re going to experience pain and heartache but it’s doesn’t have to consume us. It doesn’t have to define who we are.

In her latest book, Lisa Harper digs back into the original Hebrew to discover what this psalm really says. Did you know that the Hebrew word used for blessed is asre, which can be translated into with “happy” or “blessed”?

Go back and reread the Psalm 1:1-2. Now substitute the word “happy” for the word “blessed.” Are you happy when you walk in the ways of the LORD? Are you happy when you meditate on His Word?

Let’s go back to the dictionary. What does “happy” mean? Contentment, pleasure, favored by luck or fortune, delighted, pleased, joyful. Do you associate those things with external enticements, such as new stuff, job, food? Or do you think about happy when it comes to God? That’s a question Lisa posed in her book, The Sacrament of Happy.

Are you happy that next week we’ll celebrate the birth of Christ? Or are you feeling the stress of preparations and gifts and company?

Are you happy that God loves you and me enough to send His Only Son into a broken world to save it? Or are you so focused on your present circumstances that you’ve missed the greatest gift ever given?

Are you happy to fill your heart with songs of joy and praise for the Messiah? Or are you so caught up in the trappings the world insists on that you miss the reason we celebrate Christmas?

Each of us has a choice to make: Are we going to choose to be happy with what’s truly important or are we going to choose stress and disappointment as we follow the world?

I choose happy. What about you?

November 28, 2018

Are You Guilty?

They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved. – Psalm 78:18

Do you ever test God? Are you sure? Do you ever get angry with God because He isn’t doing what you’ve asked, giving you what you think you deserve, providing your requests in a timely manner?

We all know the story about the Israelites who crumbled and complained so much that God refused to let them see the Promised Land. They wandered around for 40 years, waiting for all the complainers to die, before God would let them see what He had promised them.

How often do we miss blessings because we’re so busy making demands of God? How often do we behave like ungrateful children who, instead of being thankful for what we have, increasingly insist that God give us more and more and more.

I love the NLT version of this verse because it talks about the heart. We can do and say all the right things but remember that God looks at the heart. There’s no hiding what you really think and feel from Him.

When you’re secretly jealous because your friend got a new car or a job promotion, God knows. He hears the silent whine of your heart as you wonder why you can’t have those same things.

God knows when you’re nice to someone to their face but in your heart you’re criticizing them for their weight, how they’re dressed, how their children behave. God hears the ugliness that good manners have taught you not to reveal publicly.

God hears you gossip about people. He knows the lies you spread. God sees the selfishness that rests deep inside of you. God hates the pride, the arrogance, the deep certainty that makes you believe you are better than others, deserve more than others, know more than others.

The Israelites had forgotten all that God had done for them. They’d forgotten the oppressive years under the Egyptians. They’d forgotten how God had parted the Red Sea, allowing them to pass safely, before the water drowned their enemies. They’d forgotten how God had cared for them. They were just too focused on what they didn’t have, what they believed they deserved, on their own momentary discomfort. Are we any different?

God loves each of us equally. It’s something we really can’t comprehend because it’s something we’re incapable of doing. God also wants good things for each of us. It’s not about good deeds or worthiness. We will never deserve anything good from Him. Still, God wants to do good for each of us.

What does that look like? The Israelites decided it looked like water and meat. But that was just momentary. Once they got what they wanted, the demands didn’t stop. We’re no different. We want and want. Then we get it and, a short time later, we want something else. We’re trying to fill ourselves up, buy happiness and contentment, with things that will never satisfy us. Will we ever learn?

It all comes back to the heart. Our hearts. Your heart and mine. That’s what determines our joy. That’s where we find our contentment. When Jesus is all we need, we become satisfied and at peace.

Life will always have challenges and obstacles to overcome. We’re on a journey to the Promised Land and the terrain is rocky and uncertain. But we can be joyful. We can choose to see the good, to be satisfied, to trust God to see us through to the end.

Look at your heart. What does it say about who you really are?

November 25, 2018

Living a Thankful Life

“Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” – Psalm 50:14-15

The news was awful. A shooting at a mall in a Birmingham suburb. A 12-year-old girl was an innocent victim. She could have been anyone’s daughter, anyone’s friend. Shock waves echoed.

But what was so amazing is how her mom wrote nothing but positive on a Facebook post that was shared repeatedly. Rather those focusing on the scary, the painful, the awful thing that happened to her daughter, she used the post to thank those who helped her daughter and reached out to her. I wonder how many of us would have done the same thing?

She thanked the strangers who rushed forward to tend to her daughter’s wound. She thanked the nearby store clerk who snatched a new shirt from the rack so it could be used to help stop the bleeding. She thanked first responders, medical staff and all those who reached out. She saw the good in an awful situation.

Her daughter should be fine. We are thankful for that. It surely could have ended differently. And we’d be naïve to think there won’t be trauma that lingers for her daughter, herself and the grandmother that was there when it happened. We are all learning to be fearful, watchful, careful in places that once felt so safe.

I don’t have any answers. I’m not diving into the gun control debate. I own guns. I am trained and prepared to defend myself against a threat. But, gosh, I wish we lived in a world where it wasn’t necessary. Don’t you?

But I am thankful for good people who come forward in the midst of chaos. Think about it. Shots were ringing out and yet people rushed forward to help an injured child. No one would have blamed them if they’d fled to safety. But they stayed to help. That’s good making a difference in the midst of bad.

Today several people showed up at a friends’ house and built a ramp. Her elderly parents certainly need it. And last week she fell and broke one ankle and severely sprained the other. She needs it too. Good in the midst of a horrible situation.

I have been the recipient of kindness and I have tried to extend kindness to others. It doesn’t take much to bake an extra cake, drop off a few magazines, or make a phone call. But it means the world to someone else. It matters.

When we learn to be thankful first, it’s easy to extend grace and kindness. We become aware of all that we have. We know that in the midst of awful there is good and we are thankful for it. We cling to the rock, our Savior, the One who never leaves us to face anything alone.

No matter what today or the days that come might bring, be thankful. Find the good. Remember to thank God for His Presence. Don’t ever take your blessings for granted. There’s always something to be thankful for if you open your heart and look.

November 23, 2018

Priorities

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. – Psalm 39:6

The lines started early yesterday morning. People skipped turkey and fellowship for the chance at a bargain. Last night was the same. This morning people rushed out before dawn to snatch up a good price on gifts and items for themselves.

Come Sunday, people will be too tired to attend church. They’ll moan and pull the covers up. Church comes too early, they’ll complain. It’s just too much effort to get dressed and go. Maybe next Sunday. Or the next. Or maybe they’ll just wait for Christmas Eve. Surely God will understand.

It’s all about priorities. Shopping, whether for gifts or for ourselves, has become more important than God. It’s okay to get defensive when you read that. The truth doesn’t always feel good.

Christmas is no longer about a babe in a manager. It has nothing much to do with Jesus’ birth and everything to do with retail sales. We’ve lost sight of what’s important. We celebrate ourselves and our pocketbooks. We forget it’s not our birthday. We forget that it’s not about us.

Or, maybe, we just don’t care. We are self-involved to the point that we don’t care what others think or say. We don’t care about what God wants from us. We’ll do what we want, spend our money the way we choose, and, well, if there’s anything left over maybe we’ll send it God’s way.

We fill our lives with stuff we don’t need in a vain effort to fill ourselves up with peace and contentment. It will never work but it doesn’t stop us from trying again and again. If we just have a little more, if we just get one more thing or make more money, then we’ll be happy where we are. Except we’ll never be happy because we’re chasing the wrong thing.

We’re so busy making plans and rushing through life that we forget what’s important. A sweet friend spent a different kind of Thanksgiving yesterday. Oh, there was lots of food and plenty of guests. But she’s no longer interested in the Black Friday sales and the thrill of the bargain hunt. What changed? Her husband died unexpectantly three months ago. There’s nothing quite like sudden death to rearrange your priorities.

There’s nothing wrong with a bargain. I like them myself. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with treating yourself to something wonderful or buying gifts for those you love. It’s when that becomes all-consuming, when you forget to be thankful, when you fail to acknowledge that it all comes from God, that your shopping becomes an idol you worship.

When life ceases to be about God, you’re headed in the wrong direction. When you find yourself making excuses for not spending time with Him, you’re focusing the wrong way. Put God first. Put people second. And place everything else a distant third.

Life is all about priorities. Your actions reveal what those priorities are. What do your actions say about your priorities? Think about it.

November 20, 2018

What Does Your Life Say?

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. – Psalm 1:1-2

The discussion turned to what others see in us as we go about our daily lives. We are Christians, people who claim a faith that lives inside of us and directs our steps. But it is our actions, not our words, that preach what we truly believe.

John Wesley, who founded the Methodist denomination, lived his faith. He died a pauper because he gave away almost everything he earned. He wasn’t always the most well-liked person because he refused to go along with the establishment. When he saw a need, he attempted to find a solution. People don’t like change, especially when change might cost them something.

We see this same thing happening in our world today. I’m not really sure how one political party gained the reputation for being the “Christian” party and the other gained the reputation as being for those who don’t believe. As I’ve said before, neither political party gets it all right or all wrong when it comes to following God’s Word.

It doesn’t stop us from pointing fingers and getting angry at others for believing differently that we do. I’ve watched people I once thought were Christians who lived their faith fall into ugliness that comes when people are more concerned with their wallets than with their hearts.

I get it. I do. No one wants to work hard so that someone who refuses to do anything can partake in material blessings. But that’s where we take the wrong fork in the road. We aren’t called to fix or judge others. We are called to love, to work hard as though we are working for God, and to be generous with our time, talents and possessions. But, like the belligerent 2-year-old who refuses to share, we throw a tantrum and just say no.

I have a once sweet friend who has allowed herself to get so caught up in national politics that she has now become someone I don’t even know. It’s not about differing political views. I could care less about that. It’s that she is all about hate and possessions, condemning what she doesn’t know or understand, and spreading lies because it “sounds right.” I’m not the only one who sees it. A few have called her on it publicly. But she can’t see the change in herself as she pushes forward with her “opinions.”

People don’t see Jesus when they hear her or read her words. They aren’t drawn to Him because there’s no kindness or love, no mercy or compassion, in anything she says or does. She goes through the motions but her heart has hardened. It’s really sad.

We were never called to be like the world. Jesus repeatedly told us how to be different: love your enemies, do good to those who seek to harm you, share everything, put God before self or even your families. But those words of our Savior make us uncomfortable. We want to pick and choose which to follow. It was never meant to be that way. We were never meant to be that way.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. – Psalm 139:23-24

I wonder how many of us pray this verse? I wonder how uncomfortable the response from God might be? Are we willing to hear Him? Are we willing to look deep into our hearts and make the changes necessary to truly live like Jesus?

Many people know Jesus because of what they see in us. What type of message are we sending? What type of lessons are we teaching? Make sure your actions line up with the faith you claim. It won’t be comfortable but it surely will be worth it in the end.

November 14, 2018

God Listens

You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. – Psalm 65:2

When I was a child, the Mormons aired a television commercial that really hit close to home for me. It was about a little girl who had just returned home from a birthday party. Her mother didn’t want to hear about the party because she was busy folding clothes and watching a soap opera. Her Dad was too busy to listen. So was her brother. She finally sat down on the back step and asked the dog if he wanted to hear about the party.

I’m sure there are details I’ve forgotten over the years. The message remains. There are times in our lives when we need someone to listen and they simply can’t or won’t. And there are times in our lives when someone else needs us to listen and we either can’t or won’t.

Are you a good listener? Do you listen to hear or to respond? Do you listen only so you can tell something about yourself? Or do you ask questions and make comments about what the other person is saying?

So often, we try to make it about us. Many times we think we’re too busy to stop and hear what someone else has to say. We think we’ll have plenty of time for conversation one day. Except one day never comes.

I saw something on Facebook recently that said there are seven days in the week. One day isn’t one of them. But we act as though it is. We’ve got lots of plans for one day.

We get caught up in life, don’t we? We plan to spend quality time with our children except we are so busy. We’ve got work and then we’re racing kids to soccer practice and dance and a host of other activities. We’re there but, well, someone is always texting or calling. And we need to relax. There’s surely nothing wrong with playing video games or scrolling mindlessly through Facebook. We can listen another time.

Except when will one day come? When do we share a conversation with the people that we care about? When do we look someone in the eye, share a smile, chuckle over a joke?

I’ve always been blessed. God never, ever left me alone. I learned early in life that He is quick to listen. It is a comfort that I have carried with me. He surrounds me. He is with me.

People are amazed that I’m not lonely. Why would I be? I am so blessed with the people in my life, those who are there no matter what. But I am mostly blessed with a God who listens, who sees me, who holds me close. Always. Forever.

I don’t understand those who find it hard to pray. It doesn’t have to be formal. It doesn’t have to always be more of a ritual or a list of thanks and requests. Yes, God is Creator and to be respected and held in awe. But He is also Abba, Father, Daddy. I am many things in this world but the first thing I am is His child.

I talk to God constantly. Yes, I have formal prayer times. But why would any of us limit time with God to just that? I thank Him constantly for blessings as I enjoy them. I ask for His help and guidance as situations pop up through the day. I ask Him to watch over others, whether I know them or their story or not. It’s how I keep myself connected to the source of life while I travel through a sometimes dark world.

I hope that whatever you face today, you take a moment and invite God in. I hope that you talk to Him, let Him calm you and guide you. I hope you share your laughter with God, as well as your tears. He loves you. And He’s always there to listen.

October 27, 2018

Would You Let Jesus In?

The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

– Psalm 146:9

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” – Matthew 2:13

Would you have welcomed Joseph, Mary and Jesus into your country? Would you have allowed them to cross the border and come into your land to make their home? Or would you have turned them away, perhaps arrested them and separated Jesus from his earthly parents, because they weren’t welcome?

“Of course not,” some of you are saying right now. My next question is this: Are you sure?

Joseph didn’t have time to apply for the proper papers. He didn’t have time to pack and have a good-bye party and make a plan. He followed the angel’s directions and left immediately. Jesus’ life depended on it.

I know there are some who cross our borders with evil intentions. There are some who are violent criminals who have been repeatedly deported. And I know that laws are important and should be followed whenever possible.

But as I read this story again I can’t help but realize that we wouldn’t have allowed Joseph, Mary and Jesus into our land. We would have turned them away. I know this because we do it almost every day.

The horror stories are real. If your son doesn’t join the gang, they will kill him the next day. If your daughter doesn’t agree to be a prostitute, we’ll kill her too. They know the threats are real because they’ve seen it happen. They don’t have two or more years to file the paperwork and go through the “proper” channels.

So, yes, we would have turned Joseph, Mary and Jesus away. We would have told them quickly that they weren’t welcome. We would have called them names and protested against desperate people because they broke the law. We wouldn’t have extended compassion. We wouldn’t have offered food and shelter. We would have condemned without ever trying to understand.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,” – Matthew 25:35

One day Jesus will ask us why we thought it was okay to be so cruel. One day we’ll have to explain why we harshly judged those who needed our compassion. So, let me ask you again: If Joseph, Mary and Jesus, were at the border trying to get in, would you let them?

October 26, 2018

Some People Stir Up Trouble

Rescue me, LORD, from evildoers; protect me from the violent, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day.

– Psalm 140:1-2

She was not a gossip. Oh, no. Not her. She merely listened to everything she could possibly hear, whether she was part of the conversation or not, then went running to the pastor to tattle.

I know. But there really is no other way to put it. When we were kids, we called people like that tattle tails. Unfortunately, she never outgrew it.

This was not a case of mentioning to the pastor that so-and-so was about to have surgery and maybe a call was appropriate. Her commentary was on anything from those who opposed the new carpet color to someone allegedly having an affair.

Unfortunately, this pastor encouraged her behavior by listening. It was gossip that sometimes had no factual foundation. Who she was passing the information on to was irrelevant. Gossip is gossip and her gossip was designed to stir up trouble.

Another woman does the same thing at her job. She is known as the “spy.” She runs back to the bosses with any tales of inadequate work or attitudes that should be adjusted. She does it with a sugary smile but her words are designed to bring trouble.

She’s also quick to take credit for anything good that happens. She doesn’t bother to mention her team. She doesn’t extend credit to anyone else. It’s all about her until something goes wrong. Then she’ll find someone else to take the fall for her mistake.

Some people just thrive on drama. They love to stir up trouble. They enjoy turning one person against another. It’s as though they get a power rush from seeing it all unfold.

I wonder sometimes if insecurities fuel their behavior. Maybe. But other times I think people like this are just mean. They don’t seem to care who they hurt.

I wish I had a grand plan to put a stop to this behavior. I don’t. Because people who don’t see anything wrong with their words or actions aren’t going to change just because you or I think they should.

I do believe that we should take everything to God first. Take your hurt to Him. Take your frustration to Him. Take your tears to Him. And trust Him to work it all out.

Also, be sure to pray for the person who is harming you or others. Ask God to open your heart to that person so that you can forgive and let it go. Be kind even when you know it’s wise not to trust. Don’t allow their behavior to lead you into sin.

October 21, 2018

Gratitude

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. – Psalm 95:2-3

What are you grateful for? Do you ever stop and think about it? Oh, I know. We’re supposed to count our blessings every day, but do you? Really?

It’s easy to focus on the big things. Family. Friends. Home. Job. Health. Those are all important. Sometimes they are even things we take for granted until we don’t have them anymore.

But what about the smaller things? In our country, we assume clean, running water and indoor plumbing. Until we don’t have it. Then we’re scrambling and whining. But here’s the thing: some people do without those luxuries every single day. Do you ever thank God for the water you use every day?

Do you thank Him for the food you eat? I’m not talking about a standard prayer before your meal. I’m talking about giving real thanks, the kind of thanks that comes when we realize how blessed we are to have food.

For most of us, when we are hungry we simply go into the kitchen and get something to eat. That’s not true for everyone. You might not always recognize those who don’t have enough to eat. Sometimes they’re the people who live down the street. Their children play with your children. You know they work. You assume they have enough food. Yet, many don’t.

What about medical care? Are you grateful that you can go to the doctor when you need to? Are you grateful that you and your insurance can afford whatever medications you need? We are blessed to have access to such wonderful medical care. Not everyone does.

We assume that everyone has insurance. Do they? Can they afford to use it? High co-pays and deductibles make medical care unreachable for some people. Medicine is an unaffordable luxury. It’s not about need or desire. It’s about reality. If you can afford medical care and medicine, you are blessed.

There was a photo of a beautiful little girl on the front page of the local newspaper today. She’s sitting in a wheelchair. A big bow highlights where her hair should be. You know what’s coming, don’t you? This little girl is fighting for her life. She wanted to be on the sidelines of the high school football game with her cheerleading class friends and her parents and others made that happen.

Don’t ever take your health for granted. Don’t take the health of those you love for granted. It can be gone in a flash. You could easily be the one living the unthinkable.

Gratitude does more than just change our attitude. It fuels our compassion for others. It helps us realize how blessed we are and how much we have to give back to God by loving others.

The next time you’re tempted to whine about what you don’t have or how busy you are or how much you dislike your job or a co-worker, stop. Consider your blessings. Thank God for your health, your job and the lessons He’s teaching you by sending a challenging person into your life.

Be grateful. Praise God. Feel peace.

October 20, 2018

Priorities

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90:12

A month ago, their priorities were different. We live in a world filled with college football and lazy days at the beach. Our lives revolve around high school sports and band, little league and soccer and dance. Work and errands and the daily busyness of life rush us along at a rapid pace.

And then the unthinkable happens and our priorities shift forever. It could be a death. It could be a job loss. It could be a major hurricane that destroys your world. And suddenly what you thought was important turns out to be unimportant after all.

We are a people who like to complain about what we don’t have. We are goal-oriented folks who are always striving for the next achievement, the next possession, the next thing we think will make us happy. We’re so focused on future possibilities that we miss today’s blessings.

Oh, we’ve always heard people tell us that. “Stop and smell the roses,” they say. “Count your blessings,” others add. We know it’s all true but we don’t actually do any of it. Until we’ve got nothing left.

Today someone’s priority was finding a place to live. Another person’s priority was diapers for their baby or how their child will get an education when all the schools are destroyed. Another person wonders how he’ll survive without his spouse. One person struggles to find a job, any job, just to keep a roof over his family’s head and food on the table.

Priorities. It all depends on where you’re at in any given moment.

One woman complained that her husband’s business was down and she just didn’t know how they were going to afford things. Really? It’s difficult to have sympathy for someone who lives in an affluent neighborhood, always drives a new car, eats out several times a week and doesn’t work. Her priority is maintaining her lifestyle. She’s never done without, she’s never truly suffered, so her priorities are different from those who have known those things.

There’s a good side to horrible things. Your priorities shift and you come to understand what really matters. Do you remember how Jesus told Martha, who was bustling around preparing a meal, that Mary knew what was really important? Why don’t we realize He was talking to us too?

Spending time with God each day should be our priority. It’s the most important time of our day. And, yet, we act as though everything else is more important.

We always plan to spend more time with people we love. We vow to volunteer one day. Maybe we’ve got a list of things we’d like to do. One day. Why not today?

What would happen if you gave up a Saturday and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity to help build a house? What would happen if you invited an elderly neighbor over to your home for a meal? What would happen if you turned off your phone and went outside and played with your kids?

Be present today. Put God first and the people He loves right after that. Take time to laugh. Be grateful for the small things. Smile often. Be kind. This world can be hard and cruel. Be the light. Show the world what really matters.

September 26, 2018

He Chose Me

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” – John 15:16

It had been a particularly bad day in a life that hadn’t been that great. I was only 15 but I’d known more than my share of rejection. I just couldn’t take it anymore.

My Mother hated me. No one understood. They assumed I was exaggerating or it was just a fight. I didn’t try to talk about it to anyone anymore. They didn’t hear her words. They didn’t see the hatred in her eyes.

I planned to kill myself that day. As I waited for night to come, I went outside and sat on the grass. I held a Bible – her childhood Bible – and sobbed to God. I can’t say I knew Him but I sure wanted to. There was no one else to listen.

I opened the Bible to the Psalms. We were not a church going family, but I always found comfort in the words. Do you know what the first verse I read was?

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. – Psalm 27:10

And because of that verse, I lived. Nothing in my circumstances changed. I lived in a house filled with hatred that was mostly directed at me. But the peace I felt carried me through the days. God’s Presence fueled my determination to survive and to create a different life for myself.

It wasn’t until many years later that I fully understood that the peace I felt came from the Holy Spirit. I didn’t become a Christian when I was baptized in college. I became a Christian that day I cried out to God in pain and He answered me with Himself.

I have not always lived up to His standards. I’m sure I’ll continue to let Him down again and again as I continue my journey home. But I know where I’m going. He chose me that day. Everyone else had rejected me but He called me His.

We like to think the choice is ours. We like to believe that we’re in control. And I guess we could say no. But how can anyone really say no to Jesus? Knowing Him has been the best gift I could ever receive.

I believe He sought me out long before I cried out to Him that day. There was a reason I clung to that tattered Bible. There was a reason I’d read the Psalms when I was heartbroken from the daily battles. I instinctively sought the One who could save me. And He, in turn, drew me near, bit by bit, until I became fully His.

I don’t know what your story is. Some people grow up in church and say they’ve always felt His Presence. Others know all the answers but that doesn’t seem to make a difference in their lives. I’m thankful it’s up to God to judge our hearts.

I love Him. It really is that simple. I love Him because He first loved me. I love Him because when everyone else thought I was worthless He called me beloved. I love Him because He never left me. He gave me hope. He chose me. I am so very thankful.

July 20, 2018

God Sustains Us

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. – Psalm 55:22

There’s a popular saying that some people like to throw out. It goes like this: God will never give you more than you can handle. Yes. He will.

If we can handle alone whatever it is we’re facing, we have no need for God. It is only when we acknowledge that the journey is too tough, when we turn to Him, that we find His strength to carry on.

I’m not sure where the phrase came from. Maybe it simply makes people feel better. We’d much rather people be strong than for us to actually have to see them suffer. It’s that stiff upper lip silence that we’d prefer.

Life isn’t like that. It’s messy and sometimes it hurts. Sometimes things happen that are beyond your control, beyond your understanding, beyond your ability to withstand the onslaught. That’s where Jesus steps in.

Others try to tell us that God doesn’t care about the details. Don’t bother Him with the small things, they insist. Handle it yourself. God is there for help with the big things. You know. Things like cancer, divorce, death. He’s too busy for small concerns or joys.

They say this about the God who has numbered the hairs on our heads. Yes. I believe God cares about the details. While I joke about God wishing I would sometimes just shut up, I know that He hears my running chatter with an indulgent smile. God is my very best friend. I tell Him everything.

Some say that we shouldn’t continually bother God with the same requests over and over again. One friend used to say “You’ve asked God once. Just let it go. He heard you the first time.”

I bother God. All the time. When the time came, I bothered God repeatedly to heal this friend. He did heal him. God healed my friend by taking him home. That hurt. I bothered God about that too.

I know I don’t need to remind God about my needs. I don’t need to continuously thank God for His blessings. I don’t need to always be thanking Him for never leaving my side, for loving me no matter what, for placing good people along my path. But I do.

I will never deserve God. I will never deserve the sacrifice Jesus made. I will never deserve the presence of the Holy Spirit inside of me. But I am so grateful, in good times and bad.

So, yes, God will give you more than you can handle. He will bless you more than you deserve. Cast your cares on Him and trust Him. Accept His blessings and praise Him. God is there with you in all things at all times. That’s a promise you can cling to no matter what life brings each day.

July 2, 2018

Mental Illness Destroys

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalm 34:18

The tears came down. He was in a church, surrounded by family and friends who’d come to support him as deep grief laid her ugly hand on him. He wasn’t there for a funeral service. He was there to hold a news conference about his wife’s death.

Suicide is such an ugly thing. We don’t want to talk about it. We want to focus on the life of the person we’ve lost and forget that she chose to leave us. But did she? Mental illness is a disease. It’s not a choice.

Mental illness is something that is so misunderstood. We want to believe that because we can’t “see” it, maybe it doesn’t really exist. That’s especially true when the sick person appears healthy and normal to most of us. Masks can hide pain but the pain is still real.

It’s hard for some to accept that. They get angry and remind us of all those who fought hard to live. Those that died from cancer and ALS and heart failure and so many other diseases. They wanted desperately to live and yet here is a person who made a choice to die.

But did she? Is suicide ever really a choice when the person is mentally ill? Perhaps the choice comes when someone is terminally ill and chooses to end their life rather than suffer to the end. But not someone who is mentally ill. They aren’t capable of making that choice.

We ask how they could possibly commit suicide when so many people love them. Someone who is mentally ill doesn’t see it that way. They are tired, weary of the struggle, convinced that those who love them would be better off without them.

There’s a part of me that hopes you can’t understand. That dark hole is unforgiving. It sucks the very life from your soul. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

There are many ways to commit suicide. None of them are pretty. All of them come with a high cost. We can ignore that cost or we can turn it to good. We can use it to teach others, to hold them close, to show them a different way.

I am alive today because of Jesus. I could talk about medicine and therapy and so many other things that are good and helpful. But I learned to keep going through the hopelessness because I learned to lean heavily on my Savior.

I am not here to judge anyone. None of us truly know the inner workings of another’s mind and heart. But I do know that hope, true hope, comes in knowing deep inside that you are not alone. There is someone greater than all of us that carries us when we just can’t face the hours in the day.

My heart breaks for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, his daughter and their family. Nothing can take away their grief and the questions that will forever haunt them. But we can support them and others who walk this path. We can seek to understand his wife’s illness. And we can be kind to those around us. We never really know what they are going through until it’s too late to make a difference.

June 17, 2018

God Always Helps Us

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper.

– Psalm 118:6-7a

I was beginning to think she was never going to have that calf. Until she did. Naturally, being a new mother and a little bit unsure of it all, she forgot where she’d left it. And, naturally, she expected me to locate the tiny little bundle of joy.

At first, she believed she’d left the calf in the area we call the branch. It’s an overgrown section that borders one side of the pond. It houses two streams and all the runoff from a nearby highway. Did I mention it is also the home of moccasins? I am terrified of snakes.

I do some of my best praying when duty calls me to that area of the farm. I rarely see a snake until after it has seen me. If I’m to avoid a close encounter, it is up to God to protect me. I’ve flunked that test too many times to count. It is all on His shoulders. I repeatedly remind Him of this as I go through the area.

That’s the thing about God: He never leaves us alone. He’s my constant companion and my very best friend. He always has time to listen and provide help. Searching for a newborn calf is like trying to find that needle in a haystack. I’m sure you’ve heard that cliché. And God was right there with me during every terrifying step.

As it happens, the calf wasn’t in the branch. Nor was he in the upper pasture as the cow next believed. She stood there bellowing, beyond distraught. I wanted desperately to remind her that a good mother wouldn’t have left her newborn calf alone. I didn’t. She was upset enough without my input.

I wonder if God thinks that about us sometimes. Does He ever look down at His distraught children begging for His help and want to remind us that we’re in that predicament because we made a bad choice? How frustrated God must get with us.

Of course, God never turns us away. He may let us learn a hard lesson but He stays right beside us on the journey. God always helps us make a better choice. If we’ll listen.

I didn’t abandon the desperate cow either. Her baby calf emerged and he and I headed across the pasture toward his still bellowing mama. She was so full of anguish that she refused to see him toddling toward her.

Finally, she quieted down and gave a low call. The baby hurried forward and started sucking. She wasn’t overly happy about that and danced around a bit. But the baby was determined and, well, she knew it was the right thing to do. I watched, glaring occasionally, to make sure the baby got plenty of nourishment.

Afterwards, the baby toddled around and she followed, occasionally glancing longingly at the cows on the other side of the property. I knew she’s end up repeating the same mistake, leaving her baby so she could rejoin the herd. Some of us are like that. We need to make the same mistake again and again before we finally learn the lesson God wants to teach us.

I drove mama and baby around to the herd. And then I shut the gate. I didn’t want a repeat the next day.

Sometimes God does that for us. He blocks us from making the same mistake again, teaching us to rely on His wisdom until we can grow enough in faith to make wiser choices. Through it all, God remains steadfast. He is our helper. He is the One who loves us enough to never give up, no matter how many times we take a wrong turn.

June 7, 2018

God Helps Every Time

I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. – Psalm 121:1-2

Casting Crowns had a song out several years ago titled “Praise You in This Storm.” It includes the words from this Psalm. I love that they put music to this and that they used it to remind us that no matter what comes, God will help us.

Sometimes horrible things happen and we desperately need help. More often, though, it’s the small things that knock us around and cause us to cry out for help. It’s the four-wheeler with one wheel in a deep hole that won’t be budged. It’s the sick cow that needs a diagnosis. It’s the ride home from the hospital.

I am blessed to have wonderful, caring people in my life. I know that they are only a phone call away. They are people who will come, who actually put legs to their faith. I try to be like them. I fail regularly but I do try.

One important lesson I’ve learned is knowing when to ask for help. I joke about the things that are “above my pay grade.” Honestly, most things I can do on my own. I’ve learned that I can do quite a bit when I don’t have someone standing beside me telling me I can’t.

And then there are those things that require someone with experience. Some tasks need two sets of hands or equipment I don’t own. And some things just need to be explained so that I can do it on my own, like driving the tractor.

But there are some people who mean well that insist on doing things for me. It’s for my own good, they say. Another lesson: When people start telling you what they need to do for you for your own good, run in the opposite direction. It’s not about you. It’s about them. They will almost always lead you down the wrong path.

It’s not that they don’t mean well. They do. It’s just that no one person can do everything, be everything, for someone else. It quickly becomes a lopsided friendship with one person thinking they can run the other person’s life. That’s not healthy for anyone.

God is my helper. He’s the One I go to first when I have a need. He’s the One I always seek advice from. His opinion is the one that matters most to me.

Does He use people to help me? Absolutely. But He also teaches me that I’m a lot more competent than I ever thought. And He teaches me that He will always be there, always provide, always guide me.

That unsettles some people. They want to hold that position in my life. They want to tell me what’s best for me. It seems like I’ve heard it all. Funny thing is that what’s best for me in their eyes always ends with them getting me to do what they want.

Do you have someone who wants to control you in your life? Do you have someone who wants to take God’s place in your life? They probably don’t even realize it. But you should.

I’ve learned a lot on this life journey and it’s mostly that God is loving and dependable. I can always count on Him. I can’t say that about anyone else. People let each other down again and again. We just do. We can’t always be there and be there in the way someone else wants or needs.

We don’t always give the best advice. Our thoughts and opinions, our experiences and challenges, color our words. No matter how objective we think we’re being, we aren’t.

When I need help, I look to God first. I know He will help me. It might be showing me the way or it might be sending someone to me. But God will help me. Every time. Count on it.

June 4, 2018

Both Political Parties Are Wrong

Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt. We have endured no end of ridicule from the arrogant, of contempt from the proud. – Psalm 123:3-4

It’s the day before Election Day. We have survived the ugly political ads, the nasty comments from friends, and the political signs that seem to multiply overnight.

You’re probably thinking it’s those nasty Democrats causing all the trouble. It’s fun to bash them and blame all our troubles elsewhere. But the truth isn’t so pretty. This is a primary election and those nasty words are coming from Republicans who also loudly proclaim their Christian faith and conservative values.

The truth is that neither party gets it all right or all wrong when it comes to Biblical teachings. Someone who is a Republican isn’t necessarily a “good” Christian. Attending church every Sunday doesn’t make someone a person of faith. And loudly proclaiming your religion doesn’t mean that behind closed doors you actually live it.

Two candidates running for office are a good example. One proclaims his faith. I just found out we attend the same church. I’ve never, ever seen him or any member of his family at any service or event. Maybe I missed him. Or maybe not. His opponent keeps his comments on the issues and says nothing about faith. I know his family. I know he is a man who slips into church without announcing his presence. I know his faith goes deep and it shows in his integrity. Who is the “better” Christian?

Some candidates who proclaim their faith loudly bash immigrants – both legal and illegal. They condemn the poor as lazy and blame the media for every exposed lie. We need to put God back in schools and government. That’ll fix everything. Just ask them.

But don’t ask them what the Bible says about welcoming immigrants because our ancestors were once foreigners in a foreign land. Don’t question them about Jesus’ comments on taking care of the poor, about guiding one another, about teaching our children right from wrong. Yes. Everyone should obey the law. And, yes, everyone who is able should work. But the issue goes much deeper. Who among us has bothered to research it? Who among us even attempts to show compassion and mercy to those who are in need? Who among us dares to be Jesus when doing so contradicts our political tag?

Others think it’s okay to kill unborn children. They consider that everyone has rights but not those in the womb. They remember that not too many years ago Christians used the Bible to “justify” racial discrimination. Some of them still do. They believe that putting God in “His place” will put everyone on a level field with equal opportunities. They try to deny our identity in a vain attempt to justify multiplying wrong.

Politics is about power, money and self. Does anyone run for political office to try and truly bring change? Sometimes. But it doesn’t last long. Compromise and working together are what bring change. Unfortunately, compromise doesn’t win elections.

How do we change this political climate? I don’t have a clue. I pray and vote for individuals. It’s not about a particular political party. It’s about God. It’s about honoring Him. Until we get that right, nothing else will ever change.

May 31, 2018

Break the Chains of Doom

Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains.

– Psalm 107:10

But if people are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, he tells them what they have done – that they have sinned arrogantly. – Job 36:8-9

Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.

– Luke 1:78-79

He is a most negative person. I’ve stopped inquiring about how he’s doing. Honestly, I don’t want to hear it. Do you understand what I’m saying? Do you have someone like that in your life?

It’s not that I don’t care. I do. It’s just that his total lack of hope, his inability to see anything good in his world, directly contrasts with the faith he claims lives in his heart. That bothers me. It really does.

He’s a good person. And, yes, he’s had stuff happen that has been hard. But he’s also had a lot of good too. Sometimes I think he misses that because his focus is on the bad.

Aren’t we much the same? We obsess over what’s gone wrong and brush off all that’s gone right. We hang on to mistakes and problems and hurt long after we should have given them to God and moved on.

We can’t count our blessings because we’re too busy looking at all that’s missing. We focus on what we can’t change, what we can’t fix, and miss what we can control. Like our attitude.

Satan loves to bind us in chains of despair. He loves to tell us again and again how awful our lives are, how others have wronged us, how futile our attempts to change can be. Satan wants to steal our hope.

But he can’t. Not unless we let him. Because Jesus is our hope. Jesus came to pay for all the wrongs we’ve committed and make us right with God. Jesus sent His Spirit to guide us. Jesus walks with us every step of every day.

We are not only to live in the light, we are to be the light. How can we do that when all we see is darkness? How can we show others Jesus when we can’t see Him ourselves?

This man is quick to tell others about the wonders of this beautiful world. But when it comes to his own life? Well, he doesn’t see anything good in it. I see his beautiful wife. Yes, she suffers from an illness but she is sweet and kind. I see the son who has made wrong choices but I also see the son who is excelling at the college of his dreams. I see the nice house, the good job, the fishing trips and other good things in his life. He sees the lack. I see the abundance.

That’s something else that’s true in our own lives. You don’t think so? Are you lustful for the new car your neighbor got? Do you want to remodel your kitchen like your co-worker? Do you long for the latest gadget, the promotion, the dream vacation someone else just took?

It’s great to have dreams but not when those dreams of tomorrow keep us from enjoying the blessings of today. Jesus came to break the chains of doom and set us free to live in His light. Why can’t we see that? Why can’t we live our lives basking in the light of His love? We can. If we will.