All of Creation Sings

Lord, your faithful love reaches to the heavens,

Your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains;

Your judgements like the deepest sea.

Lord, you preserve man and beast.

God, your love is so valuable

that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

Psalm 36:45-7 HCSB

Hello, Girlfriends, from sunny Florida!

I have missed writing to you all and apologize for the long gap between posts. I do not have a computer with internet access here. Can you imagine? Ha ha! Finally my sister arrived last night with a mobile broadband card, so thank you, Shel!

Enjoying time with my mother and the kids has been refreshing and joyous. Laughter is truly good medicine for the body and soul. Breathing in fresh ocean air and basking in the sunshine, our spirits renew daily. The natural setting of the ocean provides the perfect backdrop for reflection, contemplation, and sharing. Bonds are strengthening and growing.

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Proverbs 8:17 

Directly outside the house, so graciously provided to us by the Grahns, is a beautiful golf course with a series of water holes. In the evening, the sunset colors the horizon and decorates the pond, giving us pause:

"You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you." Nehemiah 9:6

We have been blessed this week to both interact with and observe closely some of God's amazing creatures in natural habitats. Joslyn and I adventured through the dunes to a small inlet where we sat in awe on the beach, mesmerized by the free dolphin show. Panning across the water with the camera lens in anticipation of the smallest glimpse of a dolphin's fin, I captured this amazing photograph:

"How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number-living things both large and small. Psalm 104:24-25

God's perfect timing! Amen!

Earlier in the day, Emily and Mark were snorkeling when a manatee swam within 5 feet of them, freaking Emily out but fascinating Mark of course!

Joslyn climbed down the jetty for an up close and personal session with a pelican:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:1, 31

Another day, she and I walked within TWO feet of this blue heron, which then took off and perched on the top of a tree branch:

"Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Job 12:7-10

At this same location, Mark pursued this little guy until he was exhausted (the lizard, not Mark!):

"Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds." Psalm 148:7-10

And we watched this little guy eating his dinner:

He provides the animals with their food,
and the young ravens, what they cry for. Psalm 147:9 HCSB

But Mark's snake encounter capped the day, both for him and his little blonde-harired, highly-intrigued observer:

"Praise Him, hills and mountains, fruit trees and forests; all animals, tame and wild, reptiles and birds." Psalm 148:9, 10

I think an appearance by the alligator from the pond on the golf course would define this vacation for him! So far, no such luck. On the other hand, Joslyn is already dreaming about birds and beasts so I am not sure she would get any more rest if the alligator shows up!

Each rendezvous deepens our appreciation for our surroundings and provides topics for evening conversation. The hours beachside also give us time to meditate and ponder our experiences. My thoughts keep returning to the admiration and wonderment of God's creation. From the tiniest insects (called "no-see-ums" by the locals) to the vastness and power of the ocean containing dolphins, manatees, sea bass, and more, I can barely attempt to understand and appreciate the intricate and detailed connections of life on earth. Yet every day I open my eyes to observe yet another production of our Lord.

I cannot help believing that if we five travelers marvel at these few, minute instances of nature's revelation, how much more must the Maker of all cherish observing and interacting with us, His greatest creation. We are His children, His beloved. He adores us. Subjects to which we have no attachment capture our attention and emotions. Can you imagine God's response to everything developed by His Hand, especially you and me?

 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17 

You are a treasure to your Father beyond anything we can know on earth. Nothing compares to you, and in return, not one thing on this earth can outshine Jesus Christ. He alone deserves our pinnacle praise, worship, admiration, awe, and amazement.

Christ "is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." Colossians 1:15-16

Soak in this truth, Girlfriends. If God were on vacation, you are His most amazing and favorite photograph of the entire trip. Your life is the captured moment He wants to blow up, frame, and hang in a prominent place as a treasured memory. You are His most revered souvenier, prized possession, and stupendous encounter. His scrapbook is full of you, you, and more of you! You laughing, crying, learning, working, creating, worshipping, trying, failing, believing, doubting, seeking: every aspect of your life is represented and brings a smile to His face.

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:16-20 NLT

Ladies, I pray today that you will not only enjoy the blessings of this life which God so graciously provided for us, but also that you will remember the treasure you are to Him. I have a vision of the Lord gazing upon each one of you, smiling and pointing, just as I have viewed the dolphin emerging from the ocean or the heron soaring in flight. He is absolutely amazed, filled with awe, wonder, joy, peace, and pride when He views your life. I know the way He looks at you and how His heart swells. My eyes have seen. You are beautiful! God loves you, and Girlfriends, so do I!

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 

Be blessed!

Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:26 

This cross marks the site of the first Catholic Mass in the new colony. 

St. Augustine Florida, 1565

Spring Break!

There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Spring Break has officially arrived, my dear girlfriends! It is time for me to head south with the girls (my mom, my oldest daughter, my youngest daughter, my sister, oh, yes, and the youngest daughter's boyfriend...what a trooper he is!) 

In today's key verse, God reminds us there is a time for everything and for every activity under heaven, including rest and relaxation. Our calendars are usually jam packed with activity. Each day whizzes by in a blur. Weeks, sometimes months, pass without connecting to family members who live less than two hours away from us. Time is one thing of which we never have enough.

I for one am glad that we are prying the fingers of the clock off of our necks, allowing ourselves to breath freely and take in the fresh air of freedom and repose. Oh, and did I also mention we would also be clearing our heads with the smell of saltwater. Yes, ladies, we are headed to the ocean....my favorite place to linger!

Toes in the sand...

Frolicking in the waves...

Tossing a ball back and forth...

Lounging in a chair....

Reading a good book beneath the warm sunshine....

These are the moments, the precious, blessed moments, which attune me to my Maker. Standing on the shore, gazing at the horizon, mesmerized by the tossing of the waves, my significance could easily shrink to a single grain of sand. Yet, my connection with my Father in this setting is too strong to allow Satan even a whisper to diminish my importance in the eyes of Jesus. I am His daughter, and He created this beautiful place for me--and you--to enjoy, to inspire, and to celebrate. My heart bursts with gratitude!

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:27

I am united with the Lord in love of the ocean with all its power, mystery, and vastness if for no other reason than I am created in His image. Thank you God! 

Ladies, I pray you will enjoy your spring break, whenever it may be. Or if you are not having a spring break this year, I pray you will have some kind of pause in the chaos of life during which you can relax and reflect. I ask you to please pray for God's protection over our journey on the highways and byways of America. I will write as I am able this week. Finally, I leave you with a quote:

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea. E E Cummings

Miracles

 
I will show wonders in the heavens above
   and signs on the earth below...Acts 2:19

Fellow Israelites, listen to this:

 Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God
 to you by miracles, wonders and signs, 
which God did among you through him, 
as you yourselves know. Acts 2:22

Miracles

Do you believe in Miracles? Wonders? Signs?

Or in Greek:

Semeion? A sign, a mark, a token, an unusual occurrence.

Thaumasios? Wonderful, Marvelous, Wonderful deeds.

Dunamis? Power for performing miracles.

I think that most Americans in today's society are skeptical and pessimistic about miracles. Take any collection of people that you know.  Describe to them a miraculous event about which you heard, or experienced personally, and watch their reactions. Even when observed before their own eyes, people doubt, rationalize, and seek logical explanations. Everyone desires to believe in miracles yet refuse to acknowledge them when wonders and signs actually happen.

Why is it so easy for Christians to believe that God flooded the earth and the only humans He saved were Noah's family, or to believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, crucified, and raised from the dead, yet extremely hard for them to accept miracles, signs, and wonders performed in the 21st century? We see the beauty of creation all around us. We confess that God is alive and active in this world. We credit Satan with nearly every evil we encounter. So why can we not admit that God is performing miracles every day?

Jesus even told us to expect amazing works. 

For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. John 5:20 

Miracles are for God's authentication and glory. Men and women acknowledge His power and sovereignty through the witnessing of marvelous phenomenon. God takes charge in certain situations to remind us that we are not in control, He is; that it is not by our efforts that wondrous changes in people or in nature occur, rather by God alone. Still many doubters (and non-believers) struggle with acceptance of God's mighty works. 

Be A Kid Again

I watched a wonderful video today that clarified in my mind why most Americans do not believe in miracles. The reason is: they are too old! Yes, Girlfriends, the older we get, the more experience we have; the more knowledge we possess; and definitely the more pride we exhibit. We can grow so full of ourselves that no room remains for awe and reverence.
 "Oh, I can explain that."
"Well, of course I know why that happens or how that works."
"Oh, those things happen all the time."

Ladies, we grow into "know-it-alls." And if by some chance we do not understand, well, shucks, Wikipedia knows someone who does. Or Google can find us an expert to educate us. Obviously we are too blinded by our own brilliance and expertise to see the obvious signs and wonders of divine intelligence right before our eyes.

Jesus warned us about this process and its effects. 

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4 

The video

Please take a few minutes now to watch the video to which I referred. After viewing, I think you will clearly envision my reasoning here.

The Challenge

Girlfriends, I challenge you to pick up a camera (or video camera) this week. Rediscover your youth; find your child-like eyes and recognize the miracles, signs, and wonders all around you. Capture them, ladies, as these children did, and please share your remarkable findings--with me, or with someone who needs to encounter God's mighty presence in this world He created.

I pray you will humble yourselves before the Lord;  lay down your pride, your education, your competency, and your reliance upon yourself. Seek Jesus; ask for revelation and discernment. And, my friends, be amazed!

P.S. Never forget, YOU are a miracle!

Make Music With The Heavens

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 28:7 

"Sing, Sing, Sing, and make music with the heavens..."  (Sing, Sing, Sing. Chris Tomlin)

I LOVE music. I read somewhere* that the Bible contains over 1,150 references related to music, words such as melody, hymn, song, or specific instruments. Compare that number to the frequency of other biblical terms. Depending upon which translation is used, total occurrences vary. Here are a few:  Love (over 500), Fear Not (approximately 365), Honor (approximately 146), Forgiveness (approximately 110). The Bible tells us God is love, but I am guessing he is in love with music. I know the feeling. Sharing this passion with my Creator draws me even closer to Him.

Whether I am folding laundry, helping with homework, at the gym, working on a project, or even writing this blog, I am listening to music. I enjoy an array of musical genres, as long as the lyrics or the artists are not offensive. Classical. Alternative. Solo piano. Reggae. Jazz. Country.

For a variety of reasons, my absolute favorite is contemporary Christian. These songwriters often draw lyrics straight from God's Word, keeping me rooted in Christ all day long.

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3 (Psalm 40,NewSong)

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40: 28-31 (Everlasting God, Lincoln Brewster)

Sometimes I just want to praise the Lord and honor Him; my heart and soul are moved to glorify our Father. At those times, you can find me standing in the middle of the kitchen or out on a run in the neighborhood, hands lifted high, eyes closed, and heart deep in worship of the only One to love me for exactly who I am, for who He created me to be. I know God does not care if I look silly or crazy, so why worry about what the neighbors or my kids think? I am just loving my Father and belting it out. (And here I add that I cannot carry a tune in a bucket, so thank you Lord for not plugging your holy ears!)

"How great is our God, sing with me, How Great is our God, all will sing, How great, How great is our God." (How Great Is Our God, Passion Worship Band )

"I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean? Singing, How Marvelous. How Wonderful. And my song shall ever be. How Marvelous. How Wonderful, is my Savior's love for me."  (I Stand Amazed, Chris Tomlin)

Another point that draws me to Christian music is the story...God's story set to music, reminding me of His faithfulness to real people from Adam and Eve down to the apostles and early church leaders. Because our God is alive, His Word is also living and active in me today. These songs give me hope for the future.

"Blessed are you, as you weep on your knees, with perfume and tears washing over My feet. Blessed are you, beggar, hopeless and blind calling for mercy when I’m passing by. Blessed are you, shaking your head at two tiny fish and some bread. Blessed are you as you tremble and wait for the first stone thrown at your sinful disgrace. Tell me your story, show me your wounds and I’ll show you what Love sees when Love looks at you." (When Love Sees You, Mac Powell)

"Oh what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant with just a sling and a stone, surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor, wishing they'd have had the strength to stand." (Voice of Truth, Casting Crowns)

Sometimes songs are just songs until you hear the story behind them, either live in concert or in writing (often by the artist himself.) Or perhaps you see a video or a movie that gives a new meaning or purpose to the lyrics. I have a few of those selections as well. Most recently, I saw Jeremy Camp perform live. After the show, I bought his book I Still Believe. I will never hear his music in the same way now that I have a visual picture of his testimony and inspiration for writing.

"Well in brokenness I can see this was Your will for me, to help me to know that You are near, yea.  Cause I still believe in Your faithfulness, I still believe in Your truth, Cause I still believe in Your Holy Word, Cause even when I don't see, I still believe." (I Still Believe, Jeremy Camp)

"We were made to be courageous, and it starts with us tonight. The only way we'll ever stand is on our knees with lifted hands. Make us courageous, Lord make us courageous." (Courageous, from movie Courageous, Casting Crowns)

In some of my darkest, most painful moments, I have turned to music to carry me through the valley. God speaks to me through His Spirit and His gift of musical talent to believers who choose to share with all of us. I praise Him, and them, for the beauty they produce together. 

"There is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing, He will meet you wherever you are. Cry out to Jesus." (Cry Out To Jesus, Third Day)

"My Life, has led me down the road that’s so uncertain, and now I am left alone and I am broken, trying to find my way, trying to find the faith that is gone...Give me a Revelation, Show me what to do, Cause I've been trying to find my way, I haven't got a clue." (Revelation, Third Day)

A few songs deserve the title of "favorites." Anything sung by Mac Powell goes into that category! His voice captivates me, and his songs strike a note deep inside my heart. Others sit at the top of my chart because they remind me of my abiding love for my Savior. 

"I believe that He who suffered, was crucified, buried, and dead. He descended into hell and, on the third day, He rose again. He ascended into Heaven where He sits at God's mighty right hand. And I believe that He's returning to judge the quick and the dead and the sons of man. Well I believe what I believe, that what makes me who I am. No I did not make it, but it is making me. It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man." (The Apostles Creed-Live, Tribute to Rich Mullens, by Third Day)

"This is the body, and this is the blood, broken and poured out, for all of us. And in this Communion, we share in His love." (Commmunion, Third Day/Mac Powell)

Finally, Girlfriends, my ultimate reason for loving Christian music....joy in Jesus! Music made in His honor causes me to smile, dance, sing loudly, and praise God for every blessing--the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the sad and the happy! So put on your dancing shoes, warm up your vocal cords, push back the furniture, and let's move! God rocks! and rolls! and harmonizes! And thankfully He directs all the choirs in heaven to which one day we will belong, singing eternal praises to Him, making beautiful music together!

"Whoa, whoa...Anytime you feel alone, put on your headphones. Love, love's coming through your headphones." (Headphones, Britt Nicole)

"Cause I'm a God girl, that's who I'll be, from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. No I can't deny it, wouldn't even try, I'm your girl, in a crazy world." (God Girl, Jamie Grace)

"They say it sounds insane, we say that we've been changed by the power of crazy love. This world, it looks at us like we're ridiculous, Baby, it's all because of crazy love." (Crazy Love, Hawk Nelson)

"I'm Awake, I'm Alive, Now I know what I believe inside, Now, it's my time, I'll do what I want, cause this is my life, Here, Right here. Now. Right now." (Awake and Alive, Skillet)

"I hear the birds singing, now my alarm's ringing, get up, get up. Hey. It's a good morning, wake up to a brand new day." (Good Morning, Mandisa)

I pray you will click on the many hyperlinks in this devotional and enjoy some amazing worship music. I also pray you will honor God and connect with Him through music, whether it is a choir of chirping birds or a jam session in your basement. Just sing, sing, sing, and make music with the heavens....

P.S. Comment below and tell me what are some of your favorite songs, of any genre. I’d love to hear.

*http://www.insearchoftruth.org/articles/music_references.html

Contrast

Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. Luke 12:27 NLT

Look at the lilies, Girlfriends! God instructs us to look at the flowers. And then He reminds us they are not just any old flowers but flowers that He has personally decorated and dressed in greater splendor than all the man-made adornments of the great kings like Solomon. Have you noticed these flowers?

Due to the most marvelous warm winter weather here in the Midwest, the flowers and trees are bursting forth with buds and blossoms over a month early this year. The unexpected unfolding of the season has everyone talking, but I noticed this morning that it also has me more attentively listening and looking. 

I marvel at each bush, branch, and blossom as I stroll in the cool of the morning. Incredibly, I have not been wearing headphones but rather opt to walk in enjoyment and awe of nature's chorus. After months bereft of sound, the chirping, tweeting, and trilling of the birds is poetic music to my ears. Likewise, each colorful bloom catches my attention, standing in stark contrast to the dead, brown dreariness of winter's slumber.

I think what strikes me the most this time of the year is the contrast: the old vs new; death vs rebirth; dullness vs vibrancy; silence vs noise; warmth vs frigidity.

Today I pondered: Why am I strolling the neighborhood in such joy and amazement, stopping to gaze at a bush or a tree that in two months will not even be on my radar? As much as I loathe the cold, dark months of a Chicago winter, I realized that I am blessed. Blessed because without that disparity, I am convinced my appreciation of the appearance of spring would be greatly diminished if not entirely eradicated. I enjoy what I have because I so recently had not.

Ah, I wonder to myself, is that true across the board? Am I thankful for financial security because I know what it is like to search under sofa cushions hoping to locate enough change to buy formula for the baby? Am I grateful that as a mom I can stay home and raise my children because I know the ache of missing many "firsts" that occurred with the babysitter while I was away working two jobs to make ends meet? Do I thank my husband every day for a wonderful marriage because I know the grief and heart-wrenching ache of marital desertion, neglect, and abuse? Do I praise God for reaching down and pulling me out of the muck and mire in which I resided because I know the loneliness, fear, and hopelessness of living an unsaved life void of a relationship with Him? What about you, sisters? What do you have that you once had not, and are you appreciative?

Girlfriends, God is remarkably adept at pointing out contrast. He is after all the author and creator of it. In our key verse today, Jesus is admonishing His disciples not to worry. Look at the lilies, He says. They grow. They are beautiful. In the next verse, Jesus says, "And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?" Here today, in the fire tomorrow....yet God clothes the flowers and cares for them fondly through the icy cold term of winter until they rise again in majestic splendor. How much more must He treasure us? Will He not guard and nurture us through our bleak, bitter seasons of life? Worry not, Jesus says. We are God's perennial people!

Ladies, I pray today that you will obey God and take time to look at the flowers. And the trees. And the bushes. And listen to the chirping birds and chattering children outside playing in the sunshine. I also pray that you will arise and give glory to Him who guides and guards you through the difficult seasons of life. Be grateful for those bleak and barren days because by their contrast you are aware of the radiant and resplendent times. Whether you live in Alaska, Illinois, or Florida, please cherish every blessing of the Lord, for we are here today and gone tomorrow. Yet, just as Jesus raised Lazarus from death, and as He himself was also later resurrected from the grave, God will usher you into new life as well. (John 11:41-44; Matthew 27;1 Corinthians 15:21-22)

Do not forget His faithfulness when you have (or had) not. The Good News of Jesus Christ is that our eternal future contains "having" versus "have nots" and "belonging" versus "rejection."  

 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:26-29

Girlfriends, God loves flowers, but He loves YOU more than anything. He wants you in His eternal garden, dressed in splendor and radiant beauty, with Him forever. I pray you will open your hearts, admit your sin, ask for and accept forgiveness, and experience the saving grace of our Father. Compared to your old life, you will be born again into a wonderful, regenerated and renewed existence. What a contrast, what a wonderful God!

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

"How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again. John 3:3-7

Boxes

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Sitting on my back deck, shaving our dog earlier this week, I saw them coming. Swarms of mosquitoes. Those annoying insects adore me, and I hate them. I'm thinking of getting a twenty foot pole and a bat house just to be free of those pesky bugs. Itchy, itchy bites, and it is only March.

Something else bit me this month as well: the spring fever bug. This bite has me itching to clean and organize. Categorize. Classify and group. Analyze and arrange. Then rearrange. Bring order to the chaos. Spring cleaning!

Once I get started, Sterilite and Rubbermaid are my middle names. I love boxes. Boxes on shelves, boxes in closets, boxes in the garage. Clothes in boxes, tools in boxes, medicine in boxes, even extra boxes in boxes. Boxes, boxes, boxes!

Boxes make me feel good. A place for everything, and all things in their place. What is even better than boxes are labels. Labels on my boxes, indicators of what is inside. Cataloging. Systemic regulation of our "stuff."

Ah, spring cleaning. My surroundings appear orderly and neat, giving me a sense of control and of peace. Now I can sit back and enjoy summer...until...until the pace of life picks up. Suddenly, flip flops of every color come flying out of the box and get kicked across the entryway while we rush in from the pool and out to the park. As we hop on our bikes, baseballs and mitts lay in the yard instead of returned to the neatly stenciled container in the garage. Warmer weather beckons us outside. Hence, mail piles up on the countertops; leftover school supplies get thrown in the bottom of the closet until August; and then there is that stray plastic egg, once containing chocolate, that fell behind the couch. How long will it sit on the coffee table waiting to find its home in the box in the basement marked EASTER?

Girlfriends, life is difficult to live out of boxes. When we are in relationships, engaging with one another, interacting and appreciating the things and people with which and with whom we are blessed, well, the lids fly off and out comes "the stuff"--the material stuff, the emotional stuff, and the stuff God wants us to either develop, share, or purge. And at the end of the day, everything does not always make it back into its box. Items get broken, borrowed, or buried. Exhausted, we choose one container to be a catch-all. Labels no longer fit the contents. Then there are those things too large to put in a tote. What do we do with them?

As much as I love boxes, they are not the total solution! And so it goes with our spiritual life as well. As enticing as it may be, God cannot be put into a box. His nature and His precepts cannot be compartmentalized and concisely labeled. God's essence is very complex. His vastness is beyond our comprehension. And having been created in His image, so are we! People want to label us, box us up, and put a lid on it!

I am presently studying the gifts of the Spirit and having a tough time with boxes and labels. Do I fit into the Teacher box, or the Leader box, or the Servant box, or maybe the Prophet box? Am I an encourager? Am I a giver? I am told to methodically analyze each gift in Romans 12, simply defined by Mr. Ingram, so that I can choose one major gift by which I will operate. The problem is I don't seem to fit in one box, and apparently neither do the other ten women in the group. That observation causes me to think that if we women do not want to be labeled and defined by one box, then certainly God our Creator does not either.

Girlfriends, I pray you will be bitten by the bug this spring. Find some pretty boxes and get cleaning, both your physical and your spiritual houses. But I also pray that you will live life out of the box. Allow God to dictate your sorting system. He is the ultimate organizer: just look around in nature! Be careful with labels; use them appropriately and be willing to change them as needed. And please do not waste days sitting around admiring your boxes--throw off the lids and actually use the contents to create memories and share your joy. Finally, I pray you will find peace with your system and at least for one day enjoy the clean, orderly, and refreshing state of your abode...until...life happens!

Walk With Me

When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her. The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. 

Ruth 1:18-19 HCSB

Spring has sprung in my town!
We had a beautiful day full of sunshine and warmth.

I had the pleasure of taking a walk outside with a dear friend this afternoon. As much as I love walking alone, talking with God, enjoying His creation, listening to His voice, and absorbing His peace, I adore meandering with a girlfriend. Strolling side by side presents opportunity for precious moments of insight, sharing, and encouragement. Companionship is something we all too often take for granted. Have you ever been overwhelmingly busy and surrounded by people, yet felt lonely and longing for comradery? As God's children, created in His image, we are made for relationship. If you are seeking it, most likely others around you are too!

Read today's key verse again. I love God's women in the book of Ruth. You will hear me refer to Ruth and Naomi often. They stir a passion inside me. Devoted to one another, together these ladies travel life's journey through dark, desperate valleys and tall, triumphant mountaintops. I admire their dedication to one another and their fidelity to God.

I encourage you this week to reach out to a female friend and and ask her to take a walk. It can be a five minute jaunt around the block or a 45 minute hike in the woods; the duration or length matter not. The invitation alone says, "Hey, you are in my thoughts, and you are important to me." The time spent together is irreplaceable. Laughter, tears, smiles, memories, emotions, embarrassing moments...you never know what you will encounter along the pathway. Drink it in, ladies. This is the stuff that enriches our lives!

I wish I had the time and proximity to walk with each one of you! Please know that I am alongside you in my heart, and you always have an open invitation should you be in the area! Thank you for walking through life with me in blog form. You inspire and motivate me. I love you all!

PS If anyone has it in your heart to ask me to run with you instead of walk, I need to hear from you soon. I am getting a blogger's butt--that is a bad, very bad, thing to have at any time, but especially in the spring and summer! Let's roll!

Guilty

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1

 

Guilty

Is anyone else feeling guilty today, Girlfriends?
This weather is amazing for early March; so much for "in like a lion and out like a lamb."
Because the sun is shining and the air is nearly 80 degrees, my to-do list goes untouched so I can bask in the sun, reading and relaxing.
Guilty.
I am guilty of succumbing to spring fever!

More Guilt 

I recently read a quote by John MacArthur that said, "Spiritual life without guilt would be like physical life without pain. Guilt is a defense mechanism; it's like an alarm that goes off to lead you to confession when you sin." I never thought about guilt in the same sense that I think about pain, as a warning sign that something is wrong in the body. Somehow, I think I am more accepting of pain than I am of guilt.

Actually yesterday, after visiting the doctor, I wrote about pain. I guess we all expect to feel physical affliction at some time or another. But what about guilt? I think I would rather live with pain than guilt. Pain, I can attribute to something outside of my control but guilt, well, that one is all me. If I feel guilt, I have committed some trespass, either legally, morally, or spiritually, and the weight of the iniquity is causing me emotional pain.

I do not complete my chores; I feel guilt.
I commit to healthy eating. I eat a piece of chocolate; I feel guilt.
I plan to save for a vacation. I buy a new book; I feel guilt.

As MacArthur's words say, this guilt is an alarm going off, warning me that I am not meeting the goals I set for myself. But what about the more serious guilt we feel in life? What warning does it give about sin?

The Guilt That Destroys

My high school FCA group watched a clip from The Lion King today. In the movie, Simba believes he is responsible for his father's death. As a result of the guilt, he ran away from his kingdom and befriended two unlikely critters of the wild whose motto is "hakuna matata"--No Worries. They surely are feeling no shame for anything! But the monkey, Rafiki, finds Simba and directs him to the pool of water, where Simba sees His Father in his reflection. Mufasa speaks to Simba: "You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become." Simba is reminded that despite his guilt, he has a responsibility to his kingdom to which he then returns.

Well, of course, we all know that Simba is truly innocent in the death of his father.Yet, that perceived liability paralyzed him from fulfilling his duties for many years. So many years, actually, that his entire kingdom almost perished. Had he minded the internal alarm, the suffering of many could have been avoided.

How many of you are like Simba today? Whether the guilt you feel is justified or not, you have allowed the weight of your weakest moments to control you for long time periods. You are ignoring the bells and whistles that are going off inside you? Or, are you more like Pumba and Timon, just living with "no worries," ignoring both the offense and the guilt? Either way, as with Simba, chances are your choices have drastically affected your family and loved ones.

God Forgives

Yes, Girlfriends, guilt is a warning sign. That feeling tells you something is amiss and needs correction. As hard as we try, we are going to make mistakes and be convicted. The Bible even tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. However, the Good News is that guilt does not have to rule us or ruin our families. Why? Because like Mufasa in the movie, our God lives. He is alive inside each one of us, and He is a God of mercy and forgiveness. He washes us white as snow. Our sins are sent to the bottom of the ocean floor. And you need to let your guilt go there along with them.

It is true, we may have consequences to face and penalties to pay here on earth for our transgressions. But do not live under the burden of guilt. Jesus died to declare you pardoned and free, if you come to Him in repentance and faith. Live in that freedom, Girlfriends.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

We should not continue to exist in worried frustration over the situation that initiated the guilt. Likewise, we cannot bury it and pretend nothing is wrong. Bring it to Your Father who lives! He loves you, wants to hear from you, and can help you.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord... Acts 3:19

I pray today you release the guilt: no minimizing, no rationalizing, no compromising, no criticizing, no chastising, no agonizing. Only apologizing and realizing, YOU ARE FORGIVEN! Now forgive yourself and go forward!

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7

Your Body is a Temple

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:28-30 

Happy Monday Girlfriends! I hope your day started off better than mine did.

A rainy day with no sun shining into my bedroom, I fell back asleep after shutting off the alarm. I woke exactly ten minutes before my doctor's appointment to evaluate the increasing pain I have had in my elbow for the last month. Fortunately the office is nearby. Whew! 

Welcome to Middle Age

In the office, I had an x-ray after which the physician performed a physical exam, poking and prodding, pulling and pressing. Jokingly, he told me he had no idea why I was wincing. Then, with a gleam in his eyes, the doctor looked up from his thumb, which he was pressing on my forearm, and said, "Welcome to middle age! You have tennis elbow. Depending upon your body, recovery is two weeks to two years. Until then, you need to wear this cute arm band and go to therapy. See you in a month!"

My mind began racing with protests: "Wait! I do not even play tennis! But what about yoga? Down-dog and chaturanga dandasana do not cause pain, only lifting the laundry detergent bottle hurts. Can't I just stop doing laundry and keep going to yoga? And what do you mean, "Welcome to middle age?" Just because I am wearing two pair of glasses, one on my head as needed for distance, and the one on my eyes to read this handout on tennis elbow, does NOT mean I am old. I rejected bifocals last week for that exact reason. Only old people wear bifocals! Can't you see I only feel twenty-nine?"

So then I went to my van and pouted. Middle age, schmiddle age. Pffff. We will just see about that next week, when I am frolicking like child in the waves of the Atlantic ocean, in my bikini. Ugh, bikini. Middle age. Oh fine, I resign to reality. But my heart will remain forever young!!!! 

Welcome to Reality

Just yesterday, I told my nineteen old daughter to stop being in such a hurry to grow up, to enjoy her youth while she is in the midst of it. Naturally, she rejected my words of wisdom and continued moaning about how all her co-workers and friends are already twenty-one. Are we not good at that, Girlfriends? Ignoring the voice of experience, only recalling the advice after the time to heed it has passed. Whether you are nineteen or ninety-nine, I am positive you can recall an "I told you so" that still haunts you today! Oh, if we would only listen.

The truth is humans do grow old. Growing old means our bodies are going to age and deteriorate; however, the reality is that physical pain can even attack us in our youth. Athletes experience injuries. Diseases strike as early as infancy. Accidents affect function and mobility. Strength and endurance come and go as seasons of life affect time for exercise and fitness. As much as we try to be healthy, life happens, and our bodies endure the brunt of it. 

Welcome to God's Plan

The Good News is that God understands, having lived among us in a human body that suffered physical pain. He has a plan and a purpose for you, for your soul, which transcends your earthly anatomy.

Girlfriends, our greatest concern in this life should not be wrapped up in our bodies--what we will eat, what we will wear: 

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25 HCSB), 

or how we look to others: 

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7).  

We are told not to fear injury, disease, accidents, attackers, or even death: 

Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. (1 Peter 5:10 HCSB)

Yes, ladies, we are to care for and attend to our health, but the motive for doing so is what God considers. You are uniquely created by God for a purpose in His Kingdom, and while living on earth you obviously need a body to carry out that objective. But why? Well, your body houses God: when you humble yourself and submit to Jesus Christ as your eternal Savior, the Holy Spirit enters and resides within you, giving you access to the very power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; Acts 1:8

How marvelous! God within us. And for that very reason, and that reason alone, we care for our bodies in this life: 

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,  for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
  
Girlfriends, out of respect, reverence, and awe of what God has given you--His very Son's blood as an atoning sacrifice for your sins (Past, Present, and Future)--regard His Word. He alone holds the power to glorify--or to destroy--both your body and soul. He tells you that in the gospel of Matthew: Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Mtw 10:28 Yet in His very next words He also acknowledges His love and concern, for you are worth far more than even a sparrow whose life He also commands. God treasures you even down to the very number of hairs on your head!

 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-30)

  
My prayer for today is that you will look at yourself in a mirror; yes a full length reflection, maybe even one of those tri-folds like in a dressing room. Gaze upon the temple of the Holy Spirit! Admire your beauty through God's vision. Stare into your eyes and see grace, mercy, compassion, and holiness alive in you! Jesus lives, and Girlfriends, He lives in YOU! Talk about getting in touch with your inner self; reality is you are touching God. Hold His hand, draw upon His strength, and know the comforting promise of a new, glorified, healthy, pain-free, eternally glorious body that He will give you in Heaven. That is the promise of salvation that no doctor, no chiropractor, no therapist, no personal trainer can give you. Stand on the Rock and be Strong!

Love you all!