Tag: life

Mom’s Day

During church last night, our pastor reminded everyone that it is Mother’s Day this next Sunday. Then he asked for a show of hands of people who are the product of a praying mother. A lot of hands went up. Mine did.

But what captured my thoughts, were seeing the number of people who did not raise their hands.

I was again reminded of what a gift a praying mom is. And so, I’m reading Proverbs 31:10-31 with my mom in mind.

My dad became an overseas missionary much later in life and his health continued to decline. Mom would travel with him to help out where she could. I remember asking one time why she didn’t ask him to stop traveling. It was difficult maneuvering the airports (dad needed assistance and a wheelchair.) They were both hurting physically every time they traveled.

Mom said, “I would feel as though I were taking away his dessert.” She knew dad’s time was short and didn’t want him to miss out on possibly the best time. Verse 12, “She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”

Money seemed to always be tight but there was always enough. Sometimes, that meant that mom had to work outside the home. Verse 17, “She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.”

I was asked to go to a dance. She made my dress. She made several items of clothing for me – first day of school, bridesmaid, prom. Verse 19, “In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.”

She may not be as active as she once was but, she still manages to make a difference to people. She gives rides to those who need it. Gives little gifts to the grands. Cleans the kitchen. Cares for Xena, the wonder dog. Verse 20, “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”

Tim and I both know that she prays for us. She continues to support and pray for her children, their families, and others. I know that I am the product of a praying mom. I know that is a blessing and a legacy that I continue.

Verses 30-31, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

Thanks, mom. For everything.

Easy vs. Important

I believe that either the entire Bible is true, or it is completely false. So, if we start on the premise that the Bible is true, let’s look at somethings we know are true.

  • God is the creator of all things. God is for us. God has a plan for our lives. God wants our lives to be abundant in every way.
  • We have an enemy who has three moves – steal, kill and destroy. His sole purpose is to keep people from becoming Christians. Once you’ve surrendered your life to Christ, you pronounce Him Lord. After this, the enemy can only keep you in darkness. He may try to douse your light and make you less effective for the kingdom. He can’t steal your salvation but he can steal your witness or your influence.
  • Christ lives in us. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us. He helps us in all areas of our life.

Think on these statements. One or two might be applicable in your life.

It’s easy to go to church and be seen. It’s harder to serve and to take the church outside the building.

It’s easy to have a 3 minute devo that you push play for. It’s harder to study the Word and learn yourself what it means.

It’s easy to work and to do your job. It’s harder to learn something new. It can be challenging to believe that perhaps the Holy Spirit is leading you in a new direction.

It’s easy to say, “Sure – I’m doing well.” It’s harder to say, I’m hurting, struggling or are sick. It’s harder to let people in.

It’s easy to scroll social media or to watch TV. It’s harder to spend time having important conversations or being with others who need you.

It’s easy to say, “Hey!” and keep on walking. It’s harder to stop and look into the person’s eyes and ask the real questions.

It’s easy to eat the carbs and sugar. It’s harder to have a meal plan and to stick to it.

It’s easy to be in a rut. You might call it a groove or the zone. It’s simple to just do the same thing day after day. It’s harder to sit in silence, to take account of your life, to inquire the Lord’s direction.

It’s easy to say – I’ll do that tomorrow. It’s harder to eat the frog today.

Some important questions to ask yourself may be – how am I spending my time? Who is first in my life? What/who am I neglecting? Am I growing? Where am I stagnate?

I am thankful that we can always ask Jesus. We can repent and surrender our lives (mind, body and spirit) to Him again. And then by all means – ask Him what He wants us to do. Where does He want us to direct our focus? Where does He want us to change? Trust that He is for you and He is with you.

Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

21,335

Did you know you can find anything on the internet? It still fascinates me when I wonder about something and start researching it. I save a lot of time if I just start typing my question into the search bar.

21,335 is the number of days I have been alive.

Sometimes, it doesn’t seem like much.

There are other times when I am acutely aware of how long some of those days are.

In Psalm 39:5 David writes, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.”

The Lord has been constantly reminding me to use the time I have been given wisely.

I’m better at this some days more than others.

I had plenty of time to write yesterday. I had finished work and knew what I was going to make for supper. I had walked with Xena, the wonder dog. The time was available to me.

But I didn’t use it wisely. I thought I would have plenty of time this morning to write.

But then I had a rough night. Xena needed to go outside several times. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t get comfortable.

And then I did sleep after Tim left. I was so grateful. But now I’m ‘behind’ on what I thought I would be doing today.

Again, another reminder that I don’t know what the day holds, but I know Who holds the day.

I don’t know how many days I have left in this world. I know I have eternity with Jesus.

But, I have things to do now. Things God has asked me to do and given me time to do it. I need to stop trying to figure out how. I should just move forward and trust that He has already figured it out for me. I can rest knowing that God is for me. He will equip me to do what He has asked me to do.

I need to trust. I need to remind myself over and over and over again.

Use the time I have been given wisely.

Treasured Possession

When I lived in Florida, a tremendous thunderstorm rolled through one afternoon. I don’t remember a lot of rain. But there was a lot of lightning.

My parents were visiting for the weekend and mom and I were out shopping. The storm was getting worse so we decided to head home.

When we arrived, my dad was walking out of the house with his and mom’s clothes. He said lightning had struck the house and there was a fire.

Mom and I walked into the house. I didn’t see any flames but there was a lot of smoke. The fire was in the roof.

I told mom to get out and I would grab Spaz the cat. I found the cat carrier and the cat and then just stood there for a moment.

I was trying to figure out what else to grab. I couldn’t think of anything. The fireman arrived and strongly suggested that I leave.

While I watched the battle of fire and water, my mind thought of other things that were inside. There were precious letters from someone who was no longer living in this world. Photographs and yearbooks that showed the story of my childhood. These things were lost for good.

We all have treasured possessions. They are people and things that cannot be replaced. These are people and things we hold close to our hearts. We want to protect and love them as best as we can. We could live without them but, we do not want to.

Deuteronomy 7:6 says, “For you (Israel) are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

The people of Israel were God’s chosen people. They were set apart (holy) from all of the other people on the earth. They were His treasured possession.

Believers, having been adopted into this family, we too are His treasured possessions. He protects and loves us. We are prized and cherished and are precious to Him. Jesus died for you. You are worthy because God says you are worthy.

1 Peter 2:9 reminds us again that we are chosen and holy, a people for His own possession.

He chose us and made a way for us to live with Him forever.

Friend, remember today and every day that you are seen, known, and dearly loved.

Just Saying…

I am someone who wants to use words- both written and spoken- to build others up. When friends share something that I have written to encourage others, it confirms this desire.

Whew! I’ve said some words over the past week that were not encouraging nor profitable to anyone. I have gossiped.

Such an ugly word. But, by definition, did I *really* gossip?

Cambridge Dictionary defines gossip as “casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.”

I had a casual conversation (check) and said something about someone else (check.)

Someone I trust told me what this person said. I’m sure the statement was true. (Not check.)

So did I really gossip?

Let’s go to the Bible. (Eeek!)

In James 4:11 and Colossians 3:8, it talks of slander. It’s spreading rumor or lies to purposely damage. I did not do that.

Or did I?

It wasn’t a lie. However, would I have said it if the original speaker were present? Why did I say it? To make someone laugh? To be “in the know?”

Did what I say uplift the other person? No. I had mocked them. It made them appear petty or ignorant or unkind.

It made ME petty, ignorant and unkind. *ouch*

As soon as it came out of my mouth, I was convicted. (Thank you, Holy Spirit.)

A couple of days later, I found the one I had spoken to and pulled her aside. I confessed my sin of ‘saying something I shouldn’t have said.’ She knew what I meant.

She said, “Thank you for saying that. I have been struggling with gossip lately too.”

Wait – I just said something I shouldn’t have. Oooo, she named it as gossip.

And she was right.

And then the next day, I did it again.

I have some work to do. It definitely starts with being aware of what comes out of my mouth.

And things that come out of my mouth start with my thoughts.

Philippians 4:8 – Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Thank you, God, for forgiveness. Thank you, Spirit, for conviction. Thank you, Jesus, for your example.

Things Change

My retreat week has been quite uneventful. It’s been great. Very slow-moving. But things for others have changed. And sometimes it was quite quickly.

One man was doing his job – just as he had done for many years. But this day didn’t end like the others. He was struck by a vehicle and died.

I wonder about his wife. Did he kiss her goodbye that morning or because it was so early, did he let her sleep? Did they have lunch plans later that day or a vacation planned?

I wonder about the person who was driving the vehicle. What is he feeling?

People in California had to pack quickly and evacuate because of fires. What about their families, friends, pets, homes? Did they grab their pictures?

A person my age had a stroke. How has his life changed? A young person had a virus that landed him in the hospital for days. What has been going on in his mind?

Tim had minor surgery this week. Everything went as planned and we ended the day eating supper together and laughing. Other people received different news.

Oh, how do people do life without knowing that God is in control…that there is a plan and a purpose for pain? It’s hard sometimes even when we know that God is working. But there is comfort and peace that comes with that knowledge.

Peace isn’t the absence of pain or trouble or hurt. It is the very presence of Jesus in the midst of all that. Invite His presence into every area of your life. Every area – even the pain, the hurt, the doubts.

Oh, thank you, Lord. We don’t understand but, we trust in You. You are working – even when we don’t see it.

How Many Rocks Do You Carry?

In one of my small group seasons, a leader was discussing forgiveness. I didn’t think I needed this lesson because I was sure I was not harboring any bad feelings toward anyone. It didn’t take me long to discover, however, that once again, I was wrong.

She began by describing offense as the bait used by the enemy to lure us into bondage.

My interest was piqued. I definitely don’t like giving the enemy any ground and do not want to exist in bondage. I want to live in freedom.

She said forgiveness was not minimizing what happened or even forgetting what happened. I really thought it was to forgive and forget. I thought that made me more spiritual. (Roll eyes here.)

Forgiveness allows us to remember the event without reliving the pain associated with the event. That was a big statement because there is some pretty big pain in this world.

Forgiveness also isn’t reconciliation. Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” You can only control you. You cannot control the other person. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you as to whether to even attempt reconciliation.

Some of my group members had to leave the relationship. Others reconciled. Still others are living with daily, constant, reoccurring pain because the offender is still in their life. The Holy Spirit leads and not everyone is led to the same decision.

Towards the end of our group time, my leader brought out a bag of rocks. She instructed us to take rocks equal to the number of people we needed to forgive in our lives. We were to carry that bag with us every where we went.

Pulling out that bag of rocks from my purse when I needed my wallet was fun. Oh, the looks I got! The weight of it lightened every time I chose to forgive someone and threw away the rock.

I recently revisited this object lesson. But instead of a bag of rocks, I chose a small pebble. It’s not a smooth river rock. It has multiple sharp edges. I put it in my sock.

At first, it was very uncomfortable. It jabbed me even when I wasn’t walking.

However, within a short amount of time, I became used to it and didn’t feel it anymore. It just was something to carry with me, like extra baggage.

When we don’t forgive others, it can become part of our identity. We don’t even realize the damage or heaviness. It attaches to us and if we don’t address it, becomes a brick in the wall that surrounds our heart. It may keep us from getting hurt – but also keeps up from being loved and known.

That little pebble left its mark – whether I felt the pain or not. It left an indentation on my foot. I’m sure eventually, it would have cut the skin.

Living with unforgiveness leaves a mark. We can become numb to the pain quite quickly and distracted by other things. However, left unaddressed, it will rob us of our joy, our hope and our confidence. We won’t trust people from the start.

When we choose to forgive them, we release that person from a yoke. This yoke is only around our own necks. We are freed from the weight we are carrying. We begin to walk in freedom.

Dear friend, take a moment and think about who you need to forgive. Have an open and honest conversation with God. Tell Him what happened. Give Him your pain. Tell Him of your desire to forgive the person. Choose to forgive – say it, out loud. Choices lead – feelings follow.

However – if you decide you do NOT want to forgive this person, find a rock and carry it around. Or put a sharp pebble in your sock. The Lord wants your rocks. But He’ll let you carry them as long as you want to. Then it will be yours to manage.

First step…

I am blessed to live near a walking and biking path along a creek.  I often take Xena with me and when I do, it is less of a leisurely walk and more of a walk fast, stop, walk fast, turn around, stop.  Walk faster!

One afternoon we were enjoying the nice weather and came upon a man practicing his Tai Chi (or something like that.) It’s always so beautiful and graceful. He usually doesn’t break his routine when we approach but that day he did.

He told us he had just seen a coyote on the other side of the creek walking in the same direction we were. The creek was low and could easily be crossed by human or animal. I thanked him and Xena and I continued our way.  I found a thick tree limb that had fallen and picked it up and carried it like a sword ready to strike. We were approaching a part of the path that was covered with trees on both sides. My vision was limited.

I suddenly was walking purposeful with a steadfast gaze to the front, to the side and to the rear.  I was on high alert.

What changed? Xena and I had been aimlessly wandering around on familiar territory.  Suddenly, I was made aware of a potential danger that could come from any direction. I armed myself and prepared for battle.

Thankfully, we never saw the coyote and made it home safely. I was able to drop my weapon when I got into my neighborhood.

I started thinking about my response to the perceived danger.  I was going to protect myself and my beloved dog.  I was hyper-aware of my surroundings and I wanted to get to the safety of home as soon as possible.

As a Christian, I have a real enemy. He is always lurking nearby – prowling and waiting to devour me. Why am I not as vigilant with that enemy as I was with something that turned out to be nothing?

Most of my life I have spent wondering around without awareness of him and his intent on limiting me and my purpose in life.  He has attacked me with lies, busyness, loneliness, depression, and the biggest one of all – FEAR. All of which is to make me ineffective in living out my purpose – which is to reflect Christ and point people to Him.

Well, today starts a new chapter.  I am done procrastinating and listening to the lies.  I am done thinking that I can make no difference to anyone with my words. I am done thinking and thinking and thinking about writing and not writing. I am blogging with a purpose.  I am living out what I am called to do.

Beware, devil.  I know you are out there.  I am prepared.  And by the way, I know the final outcome.