I Matter to God

This makes me extremely sad—that I would think I do not matter to God after all He has done and continues to do for me.  How could I be so selfish and ungrateful?  How could I belittle His existence to increase my own worth—or perhaps it is the position I hold in my eyes that is the problem.

I know that life isn’t about me.  I know that God can carry out His plan without my participation.  But that’s just it:  I want to play a part.  I want to contribute a verse.  I’d like to contribute a chapter if He’ll let me.

Does anyone feel else feel the way I feel?  Or is it worse than that?  Does everyone feel this way?  Does everyone struggle with where they fit and how?  What is this life that the God of the universe should think of me?  Yet, He does.  Jeremiah 31:3 tells us that “He loves us with an everlasting love.”  That means something to me.  It means that He always considers me and always did from the moment of creation.

Think of it.  He considers me, which means He considers you.  Whether you are in the depths of the deepest bondage known to man or soaring like an eagle in the freedom only God can provide, He considers you.  You matter.  I matter.  He has a purpose and a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11).  He hears us when we cry out to Him.  He hears us when we ache in utter silence.  He hears us.  And He intercedes on our behalf.  He wars for us.  He carries us.  He feeds and clothes us.  He gives us everything we need exactly when we need it, even if it isn’t exactly what we want.  He cares about everything—EVERYTHING.  Did I say everything?  I mean EVERYTHING!  He cares about what books we read, the clothes we wear, the foods we eat, the television we watch, the conversations we have, the people we marry, our childrearing techniques.  Friends, sporting events, parties, pastimes, future times, current times.  Are we present?  Are we in the moment?  Do we allow Him into those moments, those memories or opportunities?  Do we stop to listen to what He has to say?  He’s there.  He cares.  He wants to know us in the most intimate way.  He wants to interact with us as the Lover of our souls.  He wants to be our Deliverer, Comforter, Healer and Friend.  He wants to be our Everything.

Oswald Chambers said that “No love of the natural heart is safe unless the human heart is satisfied by God first.”  When we let Him into our hearts, He performs miracles.  As we let Him into the deepest recesses, He heals us.  He gives us a new heart, replacing our selfishness, bitterness, anger, hatred, rage, heartlessness, and pride with His Love.  And with His love comes His mercy and grace.  Then, there is hope and a deeper understanding (hopefully) that we are the object of His affection.  We are His greatest love, and He is ours whether we know it or not.

We have deep desires to be loved in complete and unconditional ways.  Only One can provide it as we need it, and that is Christ.  He placed in our hearts a yearning for eternity.  He created us to want Him, to need Him, and to never live apart from Him.  Yet in this fallen world that is exactly what we do (some “effectively,” some not so effectively).

We try to live life our way, at the helm, in control.  But our Maker did not design us to live like this.  He did not design us to be in the driver’s seat.  He designed us to participate in the plans He has for us that He might give us a life more abundant.

Even when we don’t want to live this way, it is fairly easy to get tired of waiting on God and jerk back the reins, only to our detriment.  How often does that happen?  For me personally, I have lost count.

Some of my deepest regrets are when I have rushed in without His permission.  The others are when I have stood in fear and insecurity and disobeyed His command to go.  Neither is amenable to what I, in my heart of hearts, want to do and that is follow Him in complete obedience.  His will, not mine.  At least that’s what I want to want.

The Lord has led me down a path of forgiveness and healing during the last four years that has catapulted me into a life of doing His will.  I don’t always get it right, and I admit that sometimes the last thing I want to do is converse with Him about one subject or another.  Sometimes I am tired of praying and want to just do it—whatever “it” is.  And then, after my departure and to my chagrin sometimes tantrum, He pulls me close to Him in His gentle, affirming way and I ask Him to help me try again.

The thing is I need Him—desperately.  I love my life—most of the time.  He has given me some really rewarding work to do.  I am thrilled He gives me the grace to do it.  But do you ever have a bad day?  I do.  And sometimes I don’t feel the grace I need to be effective for Him.  Sometimes I let it get the better of me—when I am tired or frustrated, otherwise known as easy prey for the enemy.  This does not give me an excuse to live in that lack of grace.  Instead, it is a call to His throne where I can rush before Him boldly in all confidence that He will hear me, and humbly in complete reverence  to Him, asking for the things I need: His strength, courage, grace, mercy, love, even a smile.  I can ask Him to fill me to overflowing with all that He is so that I am adequate and able to do all He calls me to do.  Most especially loving Him and those He places in my path.

Only when I remember that it is not about me and all about Him, only when I remember that He is the only One who can fill me, am I suddenly able to let go of all that weighs me down and be His representative where I am not concerned about getting the glory—instead where I am unabashedly able to give everything over to Him and shout from the rooftops “to God be the glory great things He hath done.”

The New Me

Sometimes you have to bury what’s dead in order for the new to come, for new dreams to arise, for a fresh breath to enter the lungs.  We must constantly die to ourselves.  It’s part of the Christian life.  But we must also let the past die a certain death so that we can move on and grab hold of the new, where we find the abundance God promises us. 

So much in my life has died.  So many dreams, so many things that I thought were part of my purpose, part of the plan the Lord had and has for me.  What do you do with what’s left?  What do you do when the traumas recur, when businesses fail, when relationships are strained, when the purposes you saw or the promises spoken over you haven’t crystallized?  I don’t know all the answers.  I can only tell you that my journey through the brokenness has led me deeper into relationship with Jesus, who He really is, and what He wants for my life…and yours.

So, in the spirit of death and renewal, I held a funeral the other day.  Yes, a funeral.  I was watching The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and it, along with the recollection of a friend doing something similar, I took a piece of paper, wrote down what had died on one side, then recorded what had come and what is coming for me on the other side.  I took it to the garden, dug a hole, and buried it.  I said a few words, and let all the bad in the past go and welcomed the new, whatever that may be.  It was grand.

In childhood I spent time in a great church filled with love and people who poured the Word of God into me.  I had a knowledge of who He was.  I had lots of knowledge, but there were still many things broken.  I didn’t know what to do or how to fix me or anything around me.  How would I ever feel whole?  How would I ever feel safe?  How would I succeed in being the right Christian, in gaining acceptance from others?  There is a lot that was in there making me feel insecure, leaving me wondering if I would ever be good enough.  Then one day, I had an encounter with God.  I spoke in new tongues.  I listened to Him.  He led me through the brokenness, the pain, the questions, and gave me that for which I had been looking, that for which I longed: Him…and everything that came with Him – greater feelings of wholeness, knowledge and understanding that everything I needed was paid for at the cross on which He died, that He loves me regardless of what I do or don’t do, that I now have His righteousness because of His death, that He paid for my healing on that cross, my healthy and sound mind, body, soul, and spirit.  Yes, He died for me so that I could be whole, so that I could be comfortable in my own skin, so that I could heal from the inside out and be a vessel to extend that same healing, love, wholeness, and wealth to others.  He died so that I could be free from everything that Satan had stolen, killed, and destroyed.  He lives so that I can live and reign with Him forever and so that I can share that message of reconciliation with the broken, lost, and dying, people just like me.  I have seen and experienced many amazing things, and I promise you that it doesn’t get any better than this.

Things Above

This morning, the Lord and I were speaking.  I have been crying out regarding a particular matter for about seven years.  The ends simply do not meet, and that can be disturbing to say the least.  Still, I don't want to be so introspective that my life becomes about me or my problems.

Colossians was on the brain this morning.  Then, the Lord led me to Colossians 3:2:

"Set your minds on things above."

It was a great reminder that the best way to soar is to look up.  When we focus on our problems, we take our eyes off God.  We take our eyes off the One who is above our circumstances, the very One who can deliver us from them, even if it is only a mind shift.

I once heard someone say that the best way to be depressed is to focus inward.  I can see where this is true.  When I look at problems that seem insurmountable, I can start to worry.  This brings no change or relief to anything going on in my life.  In fact, it often makes things worse.  As I walked with the Lord this morning, I started to repeat Colossians 3:2a over and over in my mind, and then I spoke it out loud.  Aspects of confusion and worry lifted.  My heart lifted as I truly set my mind on Jesus who is sitting at the right hand of the Father advocating for me...and you.  It didn't change my circumstances, but it changed me and brought joy inside.

So I encourage you to set your mind on things above.  Let the Lord lead you to soar above all circumstances, even when all hope is gone.  He is the hope restorer, the Kinsman Redeemer.  He sees us, loves us, and wants what is best for us, even when our circumstances might scream otherwise.  I need to remember that - always.  It is one reason I love to study His Word daily.  His promises, His love for me, who He is - it's all right there in black and white.  And when things seem out of control, black and white is necessary to level me out, help me through, and to remind me that He is good all the time.  May you know in your heart that He is good all the time, too.  And may His love wash over you and fill you with joy, peace, and hope.  My best to you...wherever you may be.

Prayer and Words for Those in Need

Today, I checked the stats on the blog, and a few read the last post, which is exciting.  Then, the Lord asked me to pray for these people in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and the United States.  So I did...I am.  I pray for peace and joy and love to enter their hearts, minds, souls, spirits, their lives.  I ask, Lord, that they would see more of You and have boldness well up inside them to step out and say yes to You every day.  I pray that their hearts would be so consumed by love for You and Your people that they can't help but say yes in radical ways.  I ask You to fill them with more of You, fill them with joy and abundance, wisdom and grace.  And, Lord, may each of them feel loved by You in a way they never have before.

The Lord is telling me that one of you is really hurting, and He wants you to know that He is there with you.  He wants you to know that He is proud of you and delights in you every day.  Your efforts are not going unnoticed.  He is telling me that you mother many, raising them up, encouraging them.  He delights in how you do this.  He also wants to bring new resources to you and fill you with peace.  He will heal every hurt and wipe away every tear.  He loves you very much.

For another, you are a hard worker, someone who is in need of rest.  The Lord is telling me that He will bring it.  Keep going.  Revelation 3:7-13 is for you:

To the Church in Philadelphia

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

I pray this blesses you and all you touch.

To another, you are frustrated by your work.  God is going to open a door for you, and He is going to keep it open.  Remember that you are highly favored and that God loves you very much.  Also remember that you are special to God.  You are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10, NLT):

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

May this also bless you.

And there is one more.  For you, the Lord is showing me that you are tending a garden.  It is alive and green.  The ground is a bit dry, but the Lord is bringing rain to revive the land and to refresh you.  He will give you all you need and give you a great abundance in the harvest.  May this bless and strengthen you today.

The Lord wants to show up in each of our lives in so many ways through prayer, words of encouragement, a hug, an act of kindness...even from a stranger.  Ask the Lord how He wants to use you.  Ask Him to open your heart and spirit to what He has for you and make you aware, giving you wisdom and understanding of the gifts He has given you and wants to release in and through you to a hurting, broken, and dying world.  Life and death is in the tongue.  Won't you step out in obedience to God and speak life to someone today?

Proverbs 18:21

The tongue has the power of life and death,

and those who love it will eat its fruit.

John 6:63b (words of Jesus)

And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Pausing...in a way

I love a story told well.  Shakespeare, Dickens, Goethe, Dumas, Robert Louis Stevenson, Peter Mayle, Frances Mayes.  Words and wonder, tumult, trouble, victory, great adventure.  All in the name of writing.  I think a key to good writing is observation.  What do I see?  What do I hear?  What is funny?  What is charming?  What delights me?  There is so much to see in this world and the next.  So many people to encounter, so many stories to observe.  And, if worth the time, those wondrous stories to record for posterity, even if they are only snippets in time, a brief reflection on a delightful moment:

Saturday when my nephew raced boats with his Cub Scout friends.  Afterward they dined that great delicacy of hot dogs, along with apples, celery, carrots, oranges, jello, and worms of gelatin and sugar.  My niece, aged 3, plopped an entire orange section in her mouth.  Quite a feat for her tiny chompers.  I suggested she take smaller bites when she proceeded to assume a staunch position, setting her jaw and pursing her lips:  “Mimi,” she said quite seriously, “if I bite the orange in two, it drips down my chin and on my clothes.”  Hard to argue with her logic, and most definitely humorous.

There is much to observe here.  Green grass.  Fields freshly planted.  Peonies perfuming the air.  Blue buntings, doves, robins, rabbits, and ground squirrels.  All delights for Mom’s rat terrier to chase.  The wind whips through this plain with vigor.  Just as well, for it keeps the bugs moving onward, preventing them from munching on me for their morning snack.  It is a warm day, feels more like spring now.  Many of these May days seemed to have an identity crisis, only getting into the 50s and low 60s.  I had to pull out cozy sweaters, drink hot tea, and turn the furnace on again.  I love the ups and downs and unpredictability of the weather…most of the time.  Then, there are those moments when I would love to look out on the ocean and smell the salty breeze.  Alas, no.  I am here, and that will do for now.

This time has moved slowly in many ways.  My brain has not worked well since the accident, over a year ago.  It has made me pause in a rather busy life.  It has provided a time to be here where it is quieter, and I like that…most days.  I love that I get to spend time with my family, watch my nieces and nephew grow up, delight in the free entertainment they provide on a continual basis.  Pause is good.  And so is stillness.  But I don’t always want to be in pause mode.  I am seeing improvements in the brain, needing fewer supplements to be out in public.  I can concentrate for a longer period of time without headache or eye strain.  All good things.  Still, a few things need to be put in order up there so that I can move and circulate in a hustling and bustling world, write, remember, be able to critical think for more than a short time, be on airplanes, speak to large crowds.  And so I do what I can, and I wait.

Yes, there is great improvement, and I am thankful for that.  Still, it seems there are miles to go.  With feeling somewhat better, my hope is renewed.  I want to work and travel and help people.  I want to speak into people’s lives and do great things.  It is in these moments that I must remember that great things often look small on a world stage.  Sometimes we feel small in a world gone mad.  But we and everything we do is significant because we and everyone we meet are significant.  We each have a purpose, something we are designed to do, something that only each of us can do.  It may seem strange, but it’s true.  You and I have a purpose for which we were built, tasks to accomplish, a message of reconciliation to share.  We are to be salt and light, crashing into darkness, exposing the lies of the enemy.  What a great message to share.  What a great call to have.  It starts with our families, our neighbors, work colleagues, friends.  We each have a sphere of influence, people specifically placed in our lives.  I want to be salt and light to the people around me.  I want people to know how great Jesus is and what He can do and will do today in and through us.  Whether I am here “pausing” or out there in go mode.  What about you?

God is Faithful

“My eyes and my heart will always be there.” (1 Kings 9:3)  The Lord stated this to Solomon when He consecrated the temple, making a promise that is as solid and true today as the moment it was first spoken.  And while the temple no longer stands in Jerusalem, we as His children are His temples.  Therefore, His eyes are on us, and His heart is with us.  He is here.  He is present.  And He is always faithful.

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, also Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5).

Reading the book of Lamentations is a trip into a country song.  It is dark and depressing, leaving one with a serious need for a soul boost afterward.  However, even in the midst of melancholy, destruction and devastation, Jeremiah remembers who God is:

“His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning.  Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Great is God’s faithfulness.  What does that look like?  How does it manifest?  What are the tangible expressions of His faithfulness?  

One morning, the Lord asked me:  “Why am I faithful?”  I had no answer, so I asked Him why.  His reply was at first mysterious to me: “Because I am who I am.”  Then, He expounded:  “I am forever.  I am constant.  I the Lord do not change (Malachi 3:6).  I rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).  I renew you.  I sustain you.  I give you good gifts.  I am faithful.”  

Okay then.  At first, I didn't understand why He brought up the subject.  After all, I know who He is, and I have loved Him my whole life.  I know He is faithful.  Now, however, I realize that regardless of what I know I need to be reminded of just how much He loves me and that He never leaves, because sometimes in the midst of trial and torment it may appear that He isn’t there or that He doesn't love me.  So yes, I love that He’s a Dad who takes time to remind me of His consistency and the fact that He thinks I’m awesome to the point of rejoicing over me.  And I love that He lavishes His love on me in so many ways and that He is forever faithful, even when I am not.

When I have these questions, I also go to the Scriptures because God’s promises to me are there in black and white, so even when my emotions may get the better of me, I can stop and hold the evidence of His faithfulness in my hands.  These are a few of the Scriptures that remind me how faithful He is:

“Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength,” (Isaiah 40:28-31).

“If God is for us who can ever be against us,” (Romans 8:31-32).

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God,” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NKJV).

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:35, 38-39, NKJV).

“In my distress I cried to the Lord and He heard me,” 

(Psalm 120:1, NKJV).

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future…I will be found by you…and I will bring you back from captivity,” (Jeremiah 29:11, 14).

These words keep me strong, reminding me who He is and that He is there for me, even when it doesn’t feel like it.  They are my rhetorical reset.  I love that He is constant.  I love that He is forever.  And most of all I love that He’s my Dad, and no matter what I do or don’t do, He’s on my side, and He’s always, always there.

Enlarge My Heart

This morning, God led me to one specific verse in Psalm 119:

I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart (v. 32, NASB).

I became aware of this Scripture a few years ago, and it delighted me because I had experienced this in the physical, emotional, and spiritual senses.  As one who had a heart condition, manifesting in the teenage years, I faced certain physical challenges.  As someone who experienced abuse and hurt, I encountered emotional and spiritual challenges.  Regardless of how great these may have seemed, I know the God of heaven is above it all.  Through homeopathy and nutrition, He healed the chest pain and heart racing.  And after nine years on medication to alleviate those symptoms, I was able to throw it away.  Then, in leading me through forgiveness, He enlarged my heart.  I literally could feel it grow inside my chest.  After that exercise, my heart was much stronger and no longer was ravaged by an average cold or flu virus.  My heart also opened to more of God and what He had for me, even if I didn't understand.  This translated to more openness to love and be loved in return.  It was a powerful turning point I will never forget.  And I am forever grateful to the God of the universe, my Papa, who reached down in a time of sickness to guide me and others to physical healing, and who stepped into a quiet moment to lead me to emotional and spiritual freedom, the life of abundance He promised.  In great and small ways He is there, loving me, reaching out to me, pursuing me, rescuing me over and over again.  And I promise you He is working in your life and wants to do the same for you.  I hope you get to experience Him in great and small ways just like I have.  I hope you get to experience more.

Praying you will be touched by our God who loves us deeply, who wants to heal every hurt, celebrate every joy, and give us a life of abundance where we are free.  I also pray that God shows you in tangible ways how much your hearts mean to Him.

Until next time...

When Life Throws You a Curve Ball

(I wrote this January 2 of this year.)

It is the beginning of a New Year and I have never felt less certain in my life.  I once thought I knew where I was going, what I was going to do with my life, what I would be when I grew up.  But now I find myself with more questions than answers.

I had just helped my mother pick out paint colors for the new house.  It was a short trip to the family farm, and I was going home to resume my life.  Then, in a split second, everything changed.  A driver crossed the center line and came straight for me.  Suddenly, I was rolling.  Pause…

This is nothing new for me.  I have had accidents before.  Landed on my head and shoulder going somewhere between 35 and 45 miles per hour on a three wheeler.  I also have rolled a car before traveling home on an icy road.  Not to mention countless other accidents and head injuries.  Needless to say my guardian angels work overtime.

At first, I thought I was fine.  I had my wits about me, rolled down the window of the passenger window and stood up.  The people who witnessed the accident were thrilled to see that I was alive.  I was mad, knowing that the Jeep was totaled, and the driver who caused the accident didn’t stop.  My parents came and collected me.  The Jeep was towed away.  I had hit my head but had no cuts or broken bones.  All was well…I thought.

When we arrived home, my seven year old nephew was relieved.  He hugged me and said he understood how much my head hurt because he had just lost a tooth.  What great comic relief.

As the days passed, I prayed a lot, nothing out of the ordinary for me.  I also received great prayer, something I know has helped tremendously.  However, after returning to my house, I became sad, then angry.  I couldn’t watch television or listen to music because of the headaches.  I returned to work because I didn’t have any vacation time left.  Things that never bothered me began to stress me immensely.  And an already stressful situation became even more stressful.  I finally realized I was experiencing the after effects of a concussion.

With previous head traumas I never paid much attention to the warnings and never considered the cumulative effects to the brain.  After trying to stick it out with work, it became apparent that my brain could no longer handle average sounds, talking, music, especially loud music.  I suddenly had difficulty processing information.  I couldn’t be on the computer or phone for very long or remain in public for any length of time.  And I didn’t know what to do.  In two months’ time I had a brain injury, lost my vehicle, lost my job and then my house.  Where to live?

I moved into my parents’ new home, which was quieter than being in town.  I lived in ear plugs.  I tried to read and spend a bit of time outside.  Still, months later, I am limited in how much input my nervous system can handle.  This experience has given me insight into how people feel who have anxiety or other cognitive impairments that cause overstimulation of the brain.  I see how people can become overwrought easily and avoid the madding crowds.

Sometimes I feel like I am starting over.  I believe Jesus is my healer.  I also realize that there is great resistance in this fallen world.  And because of this I wonder how long these limitations will last.  “Is this it?”  “Is this all the more I will be able to do?”  “Will I have to consider life with restrictions?”  I want to travel again, do mission work, speak and teach about nutrition and health God’s way.  Will I be able to do these things, work again, live on my own again?  Will things change, or is this the new me… I wonder?

And then I think how grateful I am to be alive, to be able to move.  Oh sure, I can’t always remember certain people, but I know who my family and friends are.  I know that I am loved and that I have a warm bed in which to sleep, food to eat, and hope.  That’s more than most.  I also try to focus on what I can do as opposed to what I can’t.  It is in that where I find the most hope.  I love to write, even if I can only do a little at a time.  I love to read, and I can do more of that than I could 3 months ago.  I love to cook, and my parents have a professional oven, a kitchen that belongs in Architectural Design Magazine, and an abundant supply of organic foods.  My creativity in the kitchen is pretty good most days, and I am creating.  I even sewed a monogrammed satin pillow case for my nephew for Christmas.  I love photography and am thinking about asking a friend who is a professional to critique my work.  I have ideas for business but those have to be put on hold for now.  Still, I enjoy the interludes with my nieces and nephew.  And I loved getting to be there for my sister during a crisis.  The time with family has been more than a blessing.  It has been healing.  And so, even though I am on the receiving end of a major curve ball, all is not lost.  Sure, there are hopes and dreams that I may never realize.  But that makes way for new hopes and dreams.  And while I don’t know what those are, I am open.  After all, I’m alive, and that’s the first step to anything new.

Radical Praise

Once upon a time, praise was a limited concept to me.  I often associated it with worship time at church.  It conjured up images in my head of people kneeling or bowing down before the Lord, bowing their heads to pray, lifting hands in the air.  Then, I came to realize praise is a lifestyle.  As I researched the meanings of praise and worship in Hebrew, I discovered that they also mean to shine forth, to dance, to spring about wildly with joy, to jump for joy, to spin around under the influence of strong emotion, to rejoice and be glad, to exult, to shout, even to split the ears with sound (Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome (Psalm 47:1-2)).  I think these are my favorites:  to celebrate hilariously and to be clamorously foolish.  (Definitions in Hebrew from: http://www.topraise.net/pages/ropaw/hebrew-words.htm)

Praise is about rejoicing before the Lord, making a fool of ourselves in front of Him, dancing, shouting, singing…living in abundance and joy.  And when we do not feel like rejoicing, when we are weighed down by the burdens of life, we must choose to move beyond our circumstances and rejoice anyway.  Why?  Because it breaks the back of the enemy and invites the Lord in.  Suddenly, we are in His Presence, and we are transformed.

So how do we get there? 

First, we must choose to seek Him daily, regardless of our circumstances or emotions.  Whether that is in His Word, turning on praise music, praying aloud or in silence.  As mentioned before, praise comes in a host of different colors and styles.  What does it for you?  Where and how do you feel closest to God?  But I extend this caveat, while knowing our personal preferences is important, these can also be a deterrent.  The enemy knows us well and can use our emotions to steer us off track. 

For example, we all have different preferences in styles of music, ones that can really lift us up and others that are just so-so or even grate on our nerves.  However, when it comes to singing to the Lord, a pastor once pointed out that it doesn’t really matter what we feel in that moment, because it isn’t for us; it is for the Lord.  We must put the focus on God.  It may not elevate our hearts immediately.  But as we continue in the pursuit of praising God, things change.  We change; our hearts change.  And suddenly, those circumstances, good or bad, are irrelevant because we are in the presence of the Lord.

So what else can we do to get there?

I propose we begin by allowing the child in all of us to be filled with wonder and awe in the presence of things discovered, in the presence of beauty and grace, in the presence of God.  How do we arrive at this?  How do we take back what was ours or perhaps what was never ours?  I recommend purchasing a license to be astonished, to enjoy, to revel, to praise God.  It’s free and will transport you to a world of joy and disembodied rapture in the blink of an eye.  It is a place where youth and the freedom that comes with it remain.  Perhaps it is a bit like Sir J. M. Barrie’s fabled Neverland, or perhaps it is even more amazing than that.  Perhaps it is a place that is real to each of us in our own time, in our own way, that is, according to God’s design for each of us.  Yes, perhaps.

What a wonderful word—perhaps.  No boundaries, no limitations.  Only possibility.  Improbability is no longer a factor because with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).  All things.  Not some things – all things.  It means that marriages can be repaired, children can be healed of Down’s syndrome, the blind can see and the lame will walk – it means that life can be restored, revived, replenished, renewed.  It means that Isaiah 61:1 and the Great Commission are for today.

I love how A.W. Tozer puts it: “leave a margin for miracles.” (,p. 12)  We need to leave room for God to show up.  Chip Ingram says dream “God-sized dreams”.  If they aren’t God-sized, we don’t really need Him to make them happen.  We need to stop limiting God; we need to expect Him.  We do this by inviting Him in with praise and prayers of thanksgiving and gratitude and expecting Him to answer, to show up powerfully.  I don’t mean that He will always answer our prayers the way we want.  I don’t mean that He will always give us the miracle, but He can and will sometimes.  But if we never ask, if we never hope, if we never seek Him, how can we expect Him to answer?  If we never give Him glory and honor and praise that are His alone, how can we expect Him to show up in power and with purpose?  We need to invite Him into everything, even the little things, because everything matters to Him – from our greatest joys and heartaches to our tiniest desires (like a chocolate bar).  We need to invite Him in, then, expect Him to show up.  And when we invite Him, praising Him, whether it be through prayer or singing or holding someone’s hand when they are ill, giving your time to a child, writing a book, or giving to one in need, His glory descends upon us.  The glory comes when the King is in the house, that is, when He’s invited.  And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17), the veil is lifted (2 Corinthians 3:16).  Amen.

So take the time to praise Him today, even if it's for 10 seconds.  Give Him time, give Him praise, and be transformed.

Until next time...

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (II Corinthians 3:16-18, NIV).

Childlike Faith

When I was a child, I stood in wonder as I gazed upon the stars and the man in the moon.  I still remember the first time I looked at him magnified.  I was six years old, lying in my grandparents’ front yard looking through Grandpa’s binoculars.  That was a long time ago, but I remember it as though it were yesterday. 

I looked into the heavens, and I saw.  I saw that there were wonderful worlds far far away, and I was awestruck.  It made me dream dreams so big that it would take a big God, a mighty God to put them into place.  I thought anything was possible.  I had faith.  I believed.

Children have the ability to see what we as adults cannot see.  There are far fewer ideas, walls, presuppositions, and misconceptions.  As we grow older, it becomes more challenging to “see”.    The Lord calls us to come to Him as children, i.e., have childlike faith (Matthew 18:1-5, Luke 18:15-17).  This type of faith allows us to come to Him without pretense, and with less of a tendency to limit Him.  It is a faith that prohibits boundaries to belief.  With age, hopefully, comes wisdom.  However, with age we also bear the brutal scars of reality, and that reality can preclude us from trusting the God of the universe to come through as He promises to do.

I have been a Christian a long time, but sometimes I need a reset to my faith, to remember in whom my faith rests.  It is important for us to remember that dreams and fantasy and faith are part of our core existence.  They are as necessary as the air we breathe, for in them lies the hope of possibility, the hope that dreams really do come true, that there is something more to this life than we can see.   In 1897, Francis P. Church, editor of the New York Sun, wrote a letter in response to an eight-year old girl who had a crisis of faith.  Here is an excerpt from my journal regarding his editorial:

Twenty-five minutes ago, I finished recounting the hardship of a long trial.  It was cathartic and beneficial.  A bowl of homemade chili, a cup of oolong tea, and two Manner cookies later (a favorite treat from Austria), I am listening to Harry Connick, Jr.’s Christmas album and enjoying the beauty, grace, and provision of an enormous tree, recently decorated by friends and family.  The world may not be right yet, but it is peaceful in this moment, and I reflect on the coming Christmas season, a season of childhood dreams, of awe, of wonder.  The candles are lit and a copy of Frances P. Church’s response to Virginia O’Hanlon is in front of me.  She needed, as we often do, a little reassurance that her faith was not unfounded:

“Virginia, your little friends are wrong.  They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age.  They do not believe except they see….man is a mere insect in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge.

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.  He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.  Alas!  How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus!  It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.  There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.  We should have no enjoyment except in sense and sight.  The eternal life with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished…

“The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see…Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world…there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest men, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart.  Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond.   Is it all real?  Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding…He will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

Mr. Church refers to skepticism and a skeptical age, something with which we can identify.  Yes, even a century ago the very things that today rob us of our sense of wonder and awe, of childlike faith, were alive and well.  I love how Mr. Church paints the glorious victory that faith brings.  He declares that not even the combined strength of the strongest of all men from all generations could tear the veil that covers the unseen world.  No, it takes faith to “push that curtain aside” to “view the supernal beauty and glory beyond.”  Yes, faith is the crux of belief.  And only when we believe can we see.  While we understand that Santa lives in the land of imagination, we can look to the original St. Nicholas and then to the One who inspired him to give generously to poor maidens who had no dowry.  He is the One who calls us to come as children, have the childlike faith and look to Him, i.e., beyond what we can see.

“Now faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

He is a big God, a mighty God.  When I think of the earth and the heavens and how He made them in six days, I am awestruck.  When I think on how He rescued His people from slavery, I am in wonder.  When I think on how He sent His Son to die for you and me, I cannot begin to fathom it…or Him.  And yes, I believe.  I believe the stories I have been told since I was a child.  They are part of me, giving me understanding of who He is to me personally and not just to my parents and grandparents.  I am thankful for my upbringing in the church, and I am thankful that He continues to delight me with more of Himself.  And yes today, even now, when I look into the night sky and gaze upon those burning orbs, billions of light years away, I am still struck with wonder.  It is the wonder that comes from knowing that the great God of the universe, who is in all the big things from the laying of the foundations of the world to now, is also all about the details of my life.  It is the wonder that He is even bigger and more awesome than the beautiful black canvas before me.

In those moments of childlike faith, I know in my heart that He put the sky and everything in it right there for me to enjoy.  Perhaps so that I would remember how big He is.  Perhaps so that I would remember that He sees me.  Perhaps so that I would know that I cannot possibly comprehend how beautiful and amazing He is.  Or perhaps just because He can.  I love that about Him.

When I first gazed upon the night sky in wonder dreaming God-sized dreams, I did not fully grasp what He had planned for me.  As I continue to gaze in wonder and enjoy holding more pieces to the puzzle, I still do not fully grasp His plan…or Him for that matter.  But this I know: I am still in awe of Him.  And once again, when in His presence, I am struck dumb; I am a child, and I believe.

Until next time...

For truly, with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).  Amen to that!

Just Believe

Saying “Just believe” is kinda like saying, “Just do it.”  A simple concept that can be a challenge to live out.

Paul clearly states in Romans that it is with our hearts that we believe (10:10).  And if we are to have believing hearts, our hearts must be in good shape.  I don’t mean we need to be able to run a marathon, at least not in the physical sense.  No, instead we must be prepared to run the race to which the Lord calls us, the race toward a believing heart, a life of faith and abundance lived for and toward Him. 

“But one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward” (Philippians 3:13-14).

When our hearts are attacked, as is bound to happen in this fallen world, our belief can wane.  Who can we trust?  In whom can we believe?  Where do we go from here?   Where do we find God when He seems so distant, when He seems so hidden?  The answer is in Him, that is, in His Presence and His Word.  And sometimes I have found that I simply need to turn around to be able to see Him.  Can we believe when we cannot see?  Will we just believe?

“If God is for us who can ever be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. How shall He not with Him also freely give all things?” (Romans 8:31-32).

Like when little Virginia’s friends told her there was no Santa Claus, so often we are told that there is no beauty in this world, no need for fantasy or dreams, no room for faith.  A crushing, it seems, of the spirit, the soul and a heart to believe.  This is more than sad; it is devastating.

When Billy Graham was a young man, he, too, had a crisis of faith.  It came on the verge of the conference that launched his ministry into what it is today.  He questioned God and spent weeks examining himself and God’s Word.  Finally, in a back alley, Bible in hand, he declared to God that he believed every word in that book was true.  He just believed.  It was a decision based on faith, not emotion.

Emotions are shifting sands.  And if we give them sway, they will toss us about like a limp rag.  They distract our eyes from the goal.  Like when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water.  He had asked the Lord to call him to Himself.  That’s faith.  And when the Lord called, Peter stepped out of the boat, onto crashing waves – bold, brash and confident in God.  Peter went out to meet Jesus, actually walking on water himself.  How cool would that be!  Great stuff.  But he was sidetracked by the wind and the waves.  Now not to belittle Peter or his concerns.  This particular body of water was known for sudden squalls that claimed boats and the lives of many a sailor.  This was no spritz of rain; this was a storm.  And being a fisherman, Peter knew the dangers.  So here he had been faith-filled, was walking on water straight toward the Savior Himself, then, he crashed, so to speak.  Focusing on the wind, fear crept in and began to take over.  Peter took his eyes off Christ, and he began to sink into the waves.  Yikes! 

Marilyn Meberg from Women of Faith says that “emotions don’t have brains.”  That’s for certain.  There is no clear thinking, only panic.  And with panic comes foolishness.  As we see here with Peter, no focus on Christ equals zero stability.  It is only when we remain squarely focused on Christ, firmly anchored in Him as our foundation that we can stand firm.  Sometimes our emotions don’t sway us toward Christ or believing what He and His Word say to be true.  When they bend toward the destructive, we must say no to the emotions like fear, anger, insecurity, feelings of worthlessness, etc.  It is in these moments that we must choose faith, that we must believe. 

So what happened?  At the end of this episode on the water, Peter calls to Jesus to save him, and He does.  So yes, for a moment, Peter took his eyes off the goal.  But he chose to call out to the only One who could save him.  Thankfully, our God is still in the business of saving us when we call, whether it is to cross the street, drive the kids across town or embark on a missionary journey to Africa.  He is there.  Christ is in our midst, and He is ready.  Christ is the foundation, and our faith is in Him.  Then, we can just believe because His Word says so, not because we feel it.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand.