Life in Words

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened  with death?" (Romans 8:35) I have read Romans 8:35 several times but today the way the NLT version worded the question after the first statement caught my attention. "Does it mean he no longer loves us if..." I can fill those dots after the "if" with a myriad of different scenarios. In the end, I feel like it boils down to that frustrating question--why do bad things happen? Can I go a little deeper? Why do bad things happen when you're doing your best to follow God? Have I lost His love? There's multiple scenarios, explanations, possibilities given when pastors are asked this question. There's God's sovereignty, His ultimate will, human consequences and free will to factor in the answer. The answer is never an easy or simple one. Sometimes the answ...

 "'You have made my life  no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.' We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you." Psalm 39:5-7 I dare say that one of the biggest lessons of 2020 is how very quickly life can change. Sure, that's a fact that is in the back of most people's minds, but this year it was highlighted in a whole new way. Meditating on that for a while can become depressing rather quickly, which is why I love the bluntness of David in this Psalm... God, everything could change in an instant. So where do I safely place my heart? What do I hope in? How do I navigate the anxiety producing reality that I can not control this life? You... only You . You are the answer to the panic that swells inside me. You are the answer to the doom that tries ...

 Merriam-Webster defines "empowerment" as 1) "the act or action of empowering someone or something: the granting of the power, right, or authority to perform various acts or duties." 2) "the state of being empowered to do something: the power, right, or authority to do something." Empowerment. I feel like I've heard that word often when correlated to the female gender. For years, we girls have sought the right to be treated equally as human beings. (Rightly so) There is no reason that a woman should be thought of as less important, intelligent, capable or valued. As human beings, male and female hold the same value. As human beings, we all have our own unique, God given talents and abilities.  Sadly, I fear that along the path to gaining rights for the next female generation, a deceptive "new beginning" was passed on that has ended up wounding and enslaving millions.  What empowerment comes from sensually promoting female minors? What benefit...

My nephew loves to roll around the house in his walker. His little legs move him as fast as those wheels will go until he hits an obstacle. Once his walker is wedged up against that obstacle, no matter how hard he tries to move his legs, his little walker is stuck. My sister is an extremely patient mom who will lovingly readjust him so that he can continue moving forward toward his goal every time he gets stuck. He knows to look for her as he frustratingly grunts or starts to whimper. Getting stuck even as an adult is not any fun. I see my goal. I know how to get there; but for whatever reason, I'm stuck.  There's something known or unknown in my way and no matter how hard I try to move forward, I can't. Even worse is when the goal has been on your heart for YEARS and you still can't seem to ever make it all the way there. Oh there are forward progressions, but just ever so slight ones before feeling stuck again. That frustration can almost cause a complete stop or givi...

I have a friend whose name is Charles. He is married and has a daughter. He and his wife are college graduates with well respected careers. While attending a private Christian university Charles was elected class body president his senior year. He has met many important government officials and even ran for a public office. If you had to guess which box he would check on the census for his race, would you guess correctly? I have a husband whose name most people can not pronounce. His parents picked the name because they thought it would be an easy, two syllable name for native English speakers. When people meet him for the first time, he often has to repeat his name slowly multiple times. He's been asked if he could go by a different name so that it would be easier for those around him to say his name.  Would you prefer someone change his name so it is easier for you to pronounce? I have two friends whose husbands put on a uniform, carry a weapon and have promised to uphold the law...

“You must burn their idols in fire, and you must not covet the silver or gold that covers them. You must not take it or it will become a trap to you, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. 26 Do not bring any detestable objects into your home, for then you will be destroyed, just like them. You must utterly detest such things, for they are set apart for destruction." (Deuteronomy 7:25-26) I find it interesting that God is letting His people know that not only is the actual idol repulsive but the pieces of gold and silver attached to it are too. So not only were they supposed to destroy the actual idol but the gold and silver too. ... I don't know about you, but if I found a statue with real gold or silver attached to it, I would not want to destroy that gold and silver. I could very easily reason with myself that the gold and silver are not the idol itself and could be put to much better use in my hands. Yet, God is saying that any part of that idol is marked fo...

Keep your eyes on me. It was a very clear command I heard Him give me. Matthew 14:22-31 tells the story of how an ordinary fisherman walked on water. Jesus had sent the disciples ahead of Him—telling them to travel by boat. During the night, the winds picked up and the water was not acting favorably toward the boat and its occupants. At some point during the evening, Jesus decided to catch up to His disciples by walking across the water toward them. Not knowing if they were seeing a ghost, the disciples start shouting at this supernatural figure approaching them. In only the way Jesus could, He reassures them that it’s Him walking toward them.  Peter, in all his boldness, asks Jesus to call him to Him. So Jesus does and Peter walks on water. Then... he takes his eyes off Jesus. The wind is howling. The water is lurching. The tension from the others left in the boat must have been palpable. Confidence gone, he begins to fall through this previously invisible solid and yell...

"Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means 'the LORD will provide'). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: 'On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.'" Genesis 22:14 There are times when we are called to be still and wait on God's timing. Then there are other times when we are called to move first in faith to see the provision of God. Abraham was not given the ram before he went up the mountain. He was not given the ram halfway up the mountain. He was not even told there was going to be a ram provided. Abraham was asked to do something in faith and he did it. First came the obedience, then came the miraculous provision. If he had waited for provision before starting his journey, he would not have received it. If he had stopped halfway through his journey, he still would not have received it. Even if he made it all the way to the top of the mountain, he still wouldn't have seen that ram until he had fully obe...

“...for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:11) This became my mantra the years we waited for a house to become available in the specific city that we knew God had called us to move to. All those with good intentions encouraged us to rethink about choosing a wider perimeter, but we knew that we were meant to live within this specific city. Two years past and we still had not been successful in purchasing a home. This waiting time in between receiving a word and the fulfillment of it is one of the hardest and most frustrating. If we are not careful, we can hold onto that promise so tightly that we squeeze the life out of our present. What happens if I heard incorrectly? What if it wasn’t really God? What if I am missing something? The questions and the agony of the waiting suffocate the joys of the present... In the meantime, our kids are still celebrating milestones, our present responsibilities still require completion, and our awareness of the “smaller” ...

Standing several feet taller than the average man, Goliath was no ordinary foe. He taunted the army of Israel for days before a young shepherd boy decided to face him without any armor. While listening to this story with my kids this morning, one particular part of the story jumped at me. "Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, 'Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul ?' " (1 Samuel 17:8a)(emphasis mine) He called them "servants of Saul." He didn't call them the army of Israel, God's chosen people, nor the army of God. Nothing close to what their true identity was. Now Saul (the king at the time) did not appear to be a very brave man from what I understand about him. He didn't volunteer to fight Goliath. He didn't even volunteer to go speak to him. He was only offering a reward (a very large one at that) to the person brave enough to stand up against Golia...

For someone who has never been very good at math, I sure like formulas! My sister told me the other day that my brother-in-law wondered why I wasn't an engineer since I value and prize order, organization, straight lines and routines so much. (She informed him that I sincerely lack in the area of mathematical expertise which quickly took engineering off the career table for me in college). Duty and responsibility are probably some of my loudest personality traits. This becomes a problem when I let those two parts take over in my spiritual life. I begin to recite prayers like formulas assuming they will work because of the power of the words, not the power of the Father. I begin to faithfully read my devotionals to check off my to do list, not because I'm sitting at His feet to listen. I begin to sing worship songs at church expecting the same revelations, not because I'm seeking His face. Order, familiarity, formulas, routine ... these are my places of com...

I'm a striver. I struggle with being performance oriented. Like a dancing  monkey, I might give you a good performance if you're willing to grant me a worth while reward. This fault has been the thorn in my side when it comes to not only trying to understand the unconditional love of God, but also trying to remember it. How and why would He love me when I haven't given Him a good Christian performance? Isn't He disappointed when I mess up? Isn't He embarrassed by my tantrums and disgraces? This morning as I was talking with Him and almost pleading,      "Abba, I just want to please you. I just want to do Your will..." I felt like He asked,      "Why? Are you serving me out of a fear of punishment or out of love?" Immediately I knew the answer. I had fallen back into fear of punishment. This week hasn't been my most stellar week and I was desperately trying to convince God with my words that I was going to be better. I know be...

When I was a little girl, I used to ask my younger sister to pray for things I really hoped would happen because I was convinced that God heard her prayers more than mine. I was in trouble more often than she was so it made logical sense to me that God would ignore my prayers and give ear to her's. When I saw this picture floating around Facebook it made me chuckle and remember the little girl who didn't consider her prayers very important. I imagine there are many others who also would rather have a pastor or someone more official or in tune with God to make their requests to Him on their behalf. How many times do we whisper our prayers and not even consider that God will actually bring to pass what we prayed for? How often do we consider our prayers not as valued as someone else's?  Yet God took notice of David before he was king... of Esther before she as queen... of Mary before she was the mother of Jesus... of Peter before he was a well known apostle...

I stand to praise You, But I fall to my knees. My spirit is willing, But my flesh is so weak. Light the fire In my soul, (In my weary soul) Fan the flame, Make me whole. (Make my spirit whole) Lord, You know
 
Just where I've been, (Where I've been) So light the fire in my heart again. I feel Your arms around me, As the power of Your healing begins. You breathe new life right through me, Like a mighty rushing wind. So light the fire in my heart again, Light the fire in my heart again, Light the fire in my heart again (By Bill Maxwell) Awe, the summer church camp memories those lyrics bring to mind. Back then I was more focused on how I sounded then what the song was really saying. Have you ever felt a weary soul? It’s like a slow burning fire, gradually growing cold. If it’s not stoked or reignited, it’ll go out. Sometimes these weary souls are good soldiers—doing everything they ought to be doing. On the outside, by all ...

I had a bad day yesterday. You know the one—a handful of little aggravating circumstances that haven’t seen results yet topped with a new unforeseen unfortunate circumstance and I broke... big, hard sobs that I had to run and stifle lest I terrify my children. My bed was my place of comfort until I could cry no more. God, where are you? My heart cried. Silence I know the right answers, the right Scriptures, the right attitudes; but at that moment I was broken—my shield and sword no longer defending but laid aside next to my crumbled self. Depression’s ugly face taunted me and tempted me to let him hold my hand. This foe whom I hadn’t seen in a long time was here again waiting for me to decide whose side I was really on. God, why won’t you just miraculously fix this growing lists of challenges I’m facing? Haven’t I tithed faithfully and given offerings? Haven’t I prayed, and fought with Scriptures, and served You? Why am I in this spot?! The vision of Peter ...

I saw a clip from a story on the news about a kindergarten class that starts each day with the students looking each other in the eyes and greeting each other with a handshake. The eye contact part was not only cute, (one little boy widened his eyes as he looked intently into the eyes of his classmate), but it struck me as vitally important to seeing each other as human beings. Making eye contact with another human being is impactful, creates respect and mutual acknowledgment. How often as a society do we actually make eye contact with each other? With the rise of technology, I find that this eye contact becomes less and less normal. In fact, we often avoid making eye contact at all. Even among those who are supposed to be the closet to us, eye contact is becoming rare. Think about it. How often do you spend time actually making eye contact with your loved ones when you’re in conversation? I would be willing to guess that it’s not often. The majority of us talk while looking at our pho...

Do I make a difference? “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Matthew 5:15) Wouldn’t it be curious if a lamp could ask, “Am I giving you enough light?” Regardless if the lamp thinks it’s making an impact, its light will have some affect... if it’s plugged in and turned on. Whether it has a dim light bulb or a eye blinding LED inside, the lamp will have an effect on the area surrounding it. It is simply not possible for the lamp not to add at least a light to its environment. The same is true for us. I may never know the impact I have had on my environment but I am encouraged by the thought that I have added at least a little light as long as I have been plugged into Him shining His light. May I offer this encouragement for those wondering if you have made a difference? Stay plugged into Him and turned on because you never know what area you may have just lit up for someone else.

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” ‭‭James‬ ‭ 1:26 ‬ ‭NIV‬‬ http://bible.com/111/jas.1.26.niv We are to be ambassadors of Christ—representatives and reflections. Yet, how can we accurately depict Jesus when our tongues are so quick to burn, cut down and destroy others? James 1:26 says our efforts are worthLESS if we do not know how to control our tongues. One misspoken word... one harsh insult...one passive aggressive expression might be all it takes to uproot a seed that had been previously planted. Tread lightly with those fingers so quick to text back a snarky reply or release a rant on social media. Your words could be the last drop in someone else’s already too broken bucket. “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” ‭‭James‬ ‭ 1:19 ‬ ‭NIV‬‬ http://bible.com/111/jas.1...

For as long as I can remember my mother would recite the armor of God over my sister and me everyday. Now as a mother, I do the same for my children. It is a passage I am very familiar with, but sometimes with familiarity comes a certain mindlessness. You have recited the same words over again for so long that somewhere along the way, they lose their meaning and power. Ephesians 6:11 came up as the verse of the day on my Bible app yesterday and one word in particular caught my attention . . . schemes. "Put on the full armor of God, so that  you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." A scheme is something tricky, underhanded, not fair and blind siding. It is something that can take the wind out of your sails, pull the rug out from underneath you, and leave you disheartened. It is not a full frontal attack. It is not something you see coming. It is not a fair fight.      "You're tired. God won't hold it against you if you don't spend time ...

"Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure." (Genesis 41:49) "... it was SO MUCH that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure." (emphasis mine) Joseph was a diligent man. It was no accident that Egypt had more than enough grain to survive the 7 years of famine. God had blessed Joseph with many gifts and one of them, in my opinion, must have been the gift of administration. Can you imagine being in charge of an entire country's food reserves? Not only that, but also being the person everyone is looking to, to make sure there is enough food for later! What a huge responsibility! He must have been blessed with the gift of administration. I can not imagine someone without that gift being able to accomplish such an enormous task. Now here's the part of that verse that really stuck out to me... He did his job so well that there came a p...