Expectations

As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

Philippians 1:20

Good Morning, Girlfriends!

Did the sun rise on your day? I expect it did.

As a matter of fact, when I opened my eyes this morning, I expected the sun would be rising. I not only expected it because of the light filtering through my closed eyelids, but also because internally I just presume the sun will rise each morning that I wake.

Did you have your coffee or tea this morning? I expect you did.

As a matter of fact, when I went to the kitchen this morning, I expected the coffee maker would work and brew my drink. I not only expected it because I smelled my son-in-law’s cup of joe, but also because internally I just presume the Keurig will operate each time I need a pick-me-up.

Did you look at your computer today? I expect you did.

As a matter of fact, when I thought about writing a blog this morning, I expected my computer keyboard to light up. I not only expected it because I had barely put it away a few hours ago before bedtime, but also because internally I just presume my computer loves me and wants to function properly for me so I don’t yell at it.

Did you….did you…did you? I expect you did.

Why?

Because as a woman and human being, I…

Expect…

Assume…

Internally Presume…

Trust…

Believe.

But what if they computer crashed during the night?

What if they coffee make shorted out when turned on?

What if the sun did not rise and darkness prevailed?

Unmet Expectations.

False Assumptions.

External Reality Interfering with Internal Presumptions.

Uncertainty.

Doubt.

Disbelief.

The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Proverbs 10:28

Girlfriends, the reality is we all carry expectations whether we are aware of them or not.  Sometimes our expectations are grounded in experience of the world. For example, the sun rises every morning, sets at night, and rises again the next morning. We don’t consciously think about it, but we do expect it.

We all carry assumptions, grounded in reality or not. Most of the time, we can assume the coffeemaker will work because for the past however many months we’ve used it, coffee has come out every time. We don’t overthink it, but we do know that one day we will press that button and voila….nothing happens. But we never expect that day to be today.

We all presume certain things will happen as a result of our experience, assumptions, and knowledge of how the world works around us. I presume my computer will work because (1) I went to Mac and have never looked back, (2) my husband is obsessed with technology, and (3) I have a child-like faith that everything will operate the way it is supposed all of the time, despite my immature fits of anger when it doesn’t.

So, my friends, I assume about now you are saying to yourselves, “Jackie, get to the point!” Whether that is true or not, doesn’t really matter. I am still assuming it. And therein lies my point.

Ladies, we constantly make assumptions and have expectations that are often subconscious and ruled by our past experience, present state of mind, and the unique worldview we possess. Sometimes those expectations are met on a consistent basis, and all the world is at peace. Yet at other times, our assumptions run up against the expectations of others around us, and all hell breaks loose before we even realize what happened.  No one intended to hurt another’s feelings, because everyone presumed to be on the same page.

In reality, nothing in this life is promised to go as we expect or assume it will. Truthfully, we are told we will face trouble. (John 16:33) Expectations will not be met. Assumptions will make an “ass” out of “u” and “me.” (Thanks to my high school volleyball coach for first pointing that out to me.) And presuming leads to let-down, which in turn leads to all-consuming attempts at controlling what, in reality, only God holds in His hands: the future and the people around us.

Girlfriends, my message to you and to myself today comes from that same verse that promises us trouble in life: John 16:33.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

TAKE HEART! Have PEACE. Jesus has overcome the world of expectations, assumptions, and presumptions with the only truth that we can truly and unequivocally trust and believe: He loves us, and He has final victory.

Victory over fear…

Over false or unmet expectations…

Over pain and suffering…

Over broken promises and shattered hearts….

Over death and dying….

Over every earthly concern you or I can imagine.

He experienced it. He fought the fight. He won the war.

And although the battle rages on inside our souls and between people on this earth,

you can raise your eyes to heaven in the morning, lift that cup of coffee to your lips, and confidently proclaim to the world (through your computer-aided social media) that JESUS REIGNS!

So consciously today make an effort to LET GO. Surrender. Lay it all at the feet of Jesus, the Lamb of God who came and conquered in a way the Jews never assumed would happen: SURRENDER! He did not build an Army and go to battle on earth against the Romans. No! He waved a white flag and laid down His life for you and me, and when God raised Him from the dead, He built the most powerful Army ever to fight the real battle…the spiritual one raging right now for our eternity.  Satan is using your expectations, your assumptions and your presumptions against you. Take back control with conscious prayer, proclaiming the Word of God you know to be holy and right. Do not live in a spirit of fear! Live in the Light of Christ….and have PEACE!

Girlfriends, today, His peace is with you….Expect it!  

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 22:3-5

Leap Day!

Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when men hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil,

because of the Son of Man.

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. 

Luke 6:20-23

Leap for joy

Happy Leap Day, Girlfriends!

Praise to God for the warm weather here in Chicagoland--He gave us an extra day in February AND cranked up the temperature to boot!

I am going to step outside for a long walk today, reading a book and enjoying the breeze. How will you spend your extra day? Whatever you choose, I pray God's presence will be felt. 

Whether you are soaking in the sunshine or battling a personal time of darkness, my desire is that you LEAP for joy today. God is good, and His promises for a great reward in heaven stand. As Jesus states in the passage above from Luke, Blessed are you! How can our hearts not leap with joy when we consider His promises are for eternity, where days in a year do not matter?

Leap of faith

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

The book I am reading while walking today is I Still Believe, the autobiography of Christian singer/songwriter Jeremy Camp. Jeremy wrote the song "Walk By Faith" after losing his young bride to cancer after only a year of marriage. The raw and revealing lyrics to his songs show the leaps of faith he has taken in his life. His book also details God's faithfulness through Jeremy's journey.

I Still Believe stirs my heart. Now girlfriends, we are women who cry over great love stories, but what leaps off the pages and into my soul is more than a tale of love, loss, and longing. The members of Jeremy's family traveled rocky roads, eventually reaching out for God's grace. Once under His wings, their concentration and commitment to Him during even more challenging circumstances amazes me. Suffering did not cease once they were saved, but hopelessness did. Because they walk by faith and because they still believe, Jeremy and his family know "There will be a day with no more tears, No more pain, and no more fears. There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face." (There Will Be A Day, Camp)

Girlfriends, that is more than enough reason for me to leap with joy--won't you jump with me? Whether your vertical is zero or thirty inches, it matters not: Truly, God sees your bounce. Let's make this a record-breaking Leap Day.

Love you all!

Faith and Mountains

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20

Mountains

When my husband and I were young and newly married, the Army moved us to Hawaii. For three and half years on Oahu, I lived with a mountain right outside my door. Recently, my husband took the kids and me back to visit. Although the actual housing in which we had lived no longer stands, that gorgeous mountain does. I loved watching the mountain at sunset, the glow from the sky reflecting off the green ridges, emitting warmth and tranquility. I never climbed on its side, nor learned how it formed or when. Some days, I took the mountain for granted, not even noticing it as I pushed the girls on the swing and casually conversed with my neighbors. Yet still to this day, that mountain rises majestically to the sky just outside what once was my lanai door. 

Faith

In those early years of adulthood and marriage, my faith was growing slowly. God was pursuing me, placing wonderful women in my path who would lead me closer to Him, particularly by their dedication to my children. Beth, a Christian woman and nurse who was present for the birth of two girls, is the godmother of Alexis. Donna, a neighbor devoted to her Catholic faith, encouraged me to attend church routinely and is also the godmother of Joslyn. (And the reason I bled green as a girl scout leader for 12 years, but that is a story by itself!) Both of these ladies had a major impact upon my blossoming relationship with the Lord and the faith future of our family.  Time has only magnified their role.

Mountains and Faith

Funny thing about mountains, as beautiful as they are to gaze upon, their height blocks your view of the horizon. That mountain in the backyard was not the only mountain in my young life. I had some major peaks to conquer as an Army wife, college graduate seeking a career and identity, a counselor in a domestic violence shelter, and a mother of three who struggled with detachment issues. Because my faith was nowhere near the size of a mustard seed, barking orders for them to 'move from here to there' did not work, and actually only frustrated me and wore down my husband. 

I had no clue that what I needed was to increase my faith through a solid relationship with Jesus Christ. Seeking Him was not my top priority: I was my top priority...how hard it was on me married to a soldier and trying to raise three small children; how difficult I found it to work a job and miss my baby take her first steps or put my kindergartener in after-school care; how internally I battled with the desire for a career and identity outside the home all the while wanting nothing more than to hold and play with my kids all day. Me, me, me. Instead of turning to the Father in prayer, I relied upon my own reason and strength to move these mountains. Guess what? They did not budge, and I wore out both myself and my family in the effort.   

Faith and Mountains 

Just as that Hawaiian mountain still towers today, the mountains in my life also stand. Yes, the children are older, but I am still a mother supporting and pouring into them. I rarely work for pay outside the home, but I volunteer countless hours in a week. The battle still rages within when I reflect upon former desires for a recognizable career. Furthermore, new mountains have formed over the years: my husband changed careers but we still endured years of physical separation, including two deployments into war zones. Medical emergencies and tragedies have threatened my children and family members. We have moved homes fourteen times. 

That tiny speck of faith that God planted early in my life and that Beth and Donna nurtured in Hawaii has  grown immensely by His grace and by the loving hearts of innumerable women I have been blessed to call girlfriends. Today, I can confidently speak to the power and wisdom Jesus imparts in Matthew 17:20: Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 

I have moved mountains. I have learned to find beauty in each rising challenge, yet I know that I need to see the horizon that the mountain obscures. With faith probably not much larger than a mustard seed at times, I consult my Father in Heaven when immovable obstacles arise. Through His strength, not mine, I tackle problems and through His wisdom, I arrive at solutions. The process is often slow, as God's timing doesn't run by my watch. Sometimes patience is my dolly; I strap on grace, mercy, joy, and forgiveness. Other times humbleness is my handcart, rolling on wheels of love and self-control. But I never call in the moving truck without first consulting the Holy Spirit in prayer, for by Him all these fruits are given. I am never disappointed or discouraged when I believe that just as God created that mountain in Hawaii and placed it there for me to enjoy, He is also the artistic Creator of my life. I face the mountains, but I also believe in my faith through Christ to move them. 

How about you, Girlfriends? What mountains stand in your backyard today? Are you battered and worn down from trying to move them  by yourself? Has your family suffered because you cannot take your eyes off the mountains?  Or have you been gazing upon them for years, enjoying the view but oblivious of what lies beyond? And what about your faith? Do you believe that you can conquer all things through Christ, who suffered, died, and rose to new life to forgive your sins? Are you seeking a relationship with Him, the greatest Mover of all times? I pray today that you will take time to gaze upon His glory, seek His love, and ask His forgiveness. Together, you can move mountains!

Love you Girlfriends!