Journeys

“I know, Lord, that our lives our not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So, correct me, Lord, but please be gentle.” (Jeremiah 10:23-24)

 

I read that today and I almost started to giggle, even though I know it’s not funny. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I have prayed that exact prayer! Even reading it over and over again I can see it in my mind. How many times have I sat in this exact spot and let God know that I know He is in control? How many times have I confessed my sins but then, in the back of my mind, I am chanting “be gentle, be gentle, be gentle”? Do you ever feel good when you know you are not alone in your heart?

 

My journey through the Bible this morning was much of the same. I came across verses, as I did my morning Lent readings, and each time I felt God speaking to me. This is why I love God’s Word because the pages aren’t just filled with words. This tattered book I carry around with me, and try to pick up every morning, has become His voice in my heart. Now, I don’t get these warm fuzzy feelings every time but when I do it’s pretty neat stuff and I reminded once again of God’s beauty and His grace and love. I am reminded of how blessed I am and how much I love Him!

 

So, I finish this up with a few more versus from today.

 

“As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?” (Psalm 42:1-2)

 

“Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.” (Psalm 43:3)

 

“For the sin of this one man, Adam, causes death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:17)

 

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Just Another Day

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

 

It’s my husband’s birthday today BUT before anyone goes rushing to their Facebooks, email accounts, or cell phones STOP! He doesn’t want birthday wishes because it’s “just another day”, which of course irritated me enough that it’s all I can think about, hence the subject matter of the day: him. If you wish him happy birthday he may not join me for “just a regular day” lunch at work. So, if I don’t eat it is your fault (wait until after lunch).

 

On this incredibly normal day I will share with you how very irritated my husband can make me. In fact, I am pretty sure he can irritate me more quickly than anyone else on the planet and he is proud of how good he is at doing this. On the other hand, the better one, one smile and my husband can make me laugh and end a fight, which irritates me again! Our friendship, our marriage, and our love is not without its emotional roller coasters but I am blessed every moment he is with me. He is the man I never I knew I needed. He is my lover, my best friend, a wonderful dad, and, I believe, my soul mate.

 

He will always be the first to say that I helped him stay the course. However, I wonder if he will ever know how much his strength and love have helped me put one foot in front of the other. Those few times when my faith gets wobbly he is right there with an infusion of guidance to get me back into place. He would say I am the strong one but it’s when I am not, and I feel like everything is falling apart, he gently walks me back to the Lord’s feet. So, on this incredibly normal day I want to praise and thank God for the man He has so graciously given me to walk with on earth. I am blessed, I am loved, and I am….probably in a bit of trouble!

 

“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it.” (Song of Songs 8:6-7a)

Let’s Get Real

“Let  your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.” (Proverbs 18-20)

 

I have heard and read many debates about the purpose of marriage recently. People shout that marriage was simply put in place for procreation. Others defend that marriage is a religious institution and that it should be separate from the state altogether. And still others argue that marriage is a way for two people who love each other to commit their lives to each other publically. I am not about to go into a political debate this morning. However, whatever God intended marriage to be He intended it to be fun….or funny, I can back and forth between the two.

 

When God made Eve He did not tell Adam He was making a baby machine. God made Adam a helpmate or a companion (Genesis 2:18). As you walk through the Bible you read of many people falling in love, staying together for longer than I care to be alive on this earth, having children, making mistakes, growing families, building their homes, fighting wars, and staying together through it all. This is more than two people getting together to simply fill the earth with people (and by the way, if you haven’t noticed, the earth is pretty heavily populated). The Bible shares stories and examples of people sharing their lives, pushing through hard times, and devoting their marriages to God.

 

But let’s get back to the fun part. It is my desire that every married couple truly enjoy themselves. We need to love our husbands and wives with a love that the world does not understand. It’s an agape love that transcends anything you will find in a romance novel. It’s that love that shines when your bride is walking down the isle as much as when your husband is puking all over the bed from food poisoning. It’s that love that sticks with you even when the days are long and you can’t remember what it was that drew you to your spouse. It’s a choice to love someone when they have bad breath or when they wear that one sweater than you like so much. God gave you your spouse. Love them fiercely, even more when you are mad. Enjoy them immensely because you can. Laugh often, fight fair, and be silly whenever you can (that is what works for us anyway). The days won’t always be easy; in fact there will be some parts that suck. But, the journey will be worth it and eternity will make it all clear.

 

“My lover is mine, and I am his. Nightly he strolls in our garden. Delighting in the flowers until dawn breaths in light and night slips away.” (Song of Songs 2:16-17a)

It’s Neat Being a Girl

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31: 29-30)

 

I used to hate being a girl. I have no sense of fashion and not one ounce of artistic ability when it comes to my hair. I hate to shop for clothes I know I will not like once I bring them home but yet I hate everything in my closet. I should take out stock in razors and wax. I would rather walk around in boxers and flip-flops than skirts and high heels. I truly hate “that little friend” that comes once a month that disturbs my mental stability and emotional control. After breastfeeding, and some extra boxes of cookies, my breasts are not what they were in high school and the bra that would help “elevate” the best costs more than a mortgage payment. I do not like it when my husband brings me flowers and he better not waste the little money we have on jewelry that I will, more than likely, loose. I am not a “Better Homes and Gardens” homemaker but I can cook really well; however,  I don’t usually feel like it. I make the best cookies when no one is looking and I put too much on my schedule and complain about it later. If the kids lose a button I tell them to deal with it, do I look like I can sew? I am not the Proverbs 31 woman. However, over the last couple of years I have found that being a girl isn’t all the bad I have always thought it was.

 

Actually, I have learned to think it’s pretty neat being a girl. Through the women in my life I have learned to love more, trust more, and hope more than I would have ever imagined. Through the ladies that surround me I have prayed, cried, laughed, and complained all in a matter of seconds. I have seen unimaginable beauty and incomparable strength. I have experienced the joy of being a very normal woman and the shock of knowing that I was also made very different and very special.

 

Girls get to talk about chocolate, kids, husbands (no man-bashing please), work, school, car pools, sports, wine, waxing, pedicures, facials, massages, trips, date nights, silly moments, chocolate (yeah, I put in there twice), and so much more. I never would have imagined so much could fit into one person and when we throw a group of us together watch out for laughter, tears, and hysterics. God has made each of us in a way that we can nurture each other and learn from each other all at the same time. We do not try to fix our girlfriends but we have coffee with them as they show us what is broken. We laugh at ourselves and we pray together. We bear Christ’s witness to each other and sometimes we carry each other on that journey.

 

What an amazing thing God made when He made us women! We are strong and soft, fierce and gentle, hard and loving. Throw in some compulsive behaviors, an iPod, a couple chocolates, a facial, pretty toes, and you have what I have become: a girl…and I’ll just trust that God knows what He is doing.  

 

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14)

A Walk in the Rain

“When the king smiles, there is life; his favor refreshes like a spring rain.” (Proverbs 15:16)

 

Once upon a time there were two crazy ladies who were so bent on walking in the morning that, not only would they just show up at each other’s houses at five in the morning, but they would also walk in the rain. Okay, it’s not a fairy tale. This is the story of my life!

 

We knew we were exercising this morning but we had our locations mixed up and we waited for each other. When she didn’t show up, and I had left my cell phone at home, I decided to head back home. When I got home I gave her a buzz. She was already in my driveway because she had been waiting for me and when I didn’t show up she decided to find me. We decided to walk from my house down to the lake. At first, we were very thankful that we definitely got one more morning walk in before the possibility of snow turns into reality. Then it started to rain. It was a light rain but by the time we were done it had gotten heavy and we were soaked.

 

In all actuality it was a wonderful walk. We didn’t walk as long as we normally do but we sure did laugh a lot. There were a couple of times we, on different occasions, almost slipped in the mud. I can recall with excellent clarity the moment I stepped into a hidden puddle and my one shoe and sock were instantly soaked. By the end of the walk it was hard to see as the rain was irritating our eyes. We drew up a few metaphors and funny thoughts as we went along.

 

1.      We, of course, sang “Singing in the Rain” for a little bit

2.      We thought of what it might be like for people who live in a jungle (which was weird because we were both thinking about it at the same time.)

3.      We thought of the times it feels like we are walking in the rain in our lives.

 

The third thought, walking in the rain, was the most profound for me. As the rain kept coming down and getting harder I kept thinking about how sometimes one hard thing comes our way and we think it can’t get any worse or any harder but yet it does. That is what this rain was like. At first, it was a light dusting and by the end I could feel the drops dripping down my head and soaking through my clothes. By the end, when we were having trouble seeing, I thought of how in our own lives we sometimes have to simply put one foot in front of the other and trust that God will get us to where we need to go.

 

I wouldn’t have changed this morning for anything. I got to spend time with God, my friend, and taking care of my body. It’s times when the normal routines are changed that we can draw new ideas and appreciate the life we have more. I know I could maybe survive for 5 minutes in the jungle rains and that I have really good balance at five in the morning because I saved myself from many slippery mud messes. I, also, know that I walked through rain this morning and my friend walked with the entire way. We laughed at each other, complained to each other, and pushed each other to keep going.

 

Stay connected to people and don’t shy away from a little rain. God will be with your and reveal Himself to you through the people and trials in your life. Look up at the sky and thank God for everything in your life. Let the blessings pour down on you and soak through the layers you have put around yourself until you are sure that Jesus is right there to guide you Home.

 

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

TGIF

 “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4)

TGIF! After a giggle at myself, and a pat on the back for early morning creativity, I start this morning with a faint smile on my face. Not only I am so very happy it’s Friday but I am so very thankful that God loves us the way He does and repeatedly forgives us for our sins. Thank God I‘m Forgiven! I do not believe I have every seen that phrase before, but I promise not to copyright it in case someone else has. I also ask for forgiveness for using it if it is already copyrighted.

 

Anyway, truly, I thank God I’m forgiven! Thank God you are forgiven! Can you imagine living in a world where there wasn’t this divine forgiveness? The world could seem hopeless without forgiveness and grace. Imagine trying to live your life so perfectly and then you make a mistake….how painful would that be without the hope imbedded in forgiveness. Or, let’s say you have done awful things and committed terrible crimes and one day you see all that you have done….but there is no forgiveness for you, no hope! We should be able to look at our lives this glorious day and thank God that we do live in a world of hope, forgiveness, and grace. We can make our lives about loving others and accepting the love the Lord has for each of us! That is the world I live in and that is the world I pray that you join me in. If you are struggling to meet with God maybe you will find him somewhere in the places of your life that need forgiveness and grace but, where ever you truly look I promise He will be there!

 

“Brothers [and sisters] listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do.” (Acts 13:38)

The Path You Are On

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” (Micah 4:2)

 

We had quite a lively discussion on the way to my parent’s house on Saturday. I had shared with my husband that they had arrested the estranged husband of a woman who was shot and killed on I-235 a couple weeks ago. My husband, in his confusion, couldn’t believe that anything could bring him to such a breaking point as to shot me. We started debating the reasons behind divorce, the rationalization behind who should pay support, and the problem with the way people view marriage. There are very few things that truly get my husband riled up but marriage is definitely on the top of the list.

 

We were going back and forth until I had reminded him that our marriage is set in our faith and we derive our values, morals, and priorities from that faith. Ohhhh, now he gets why I was saying what I saying. I wasn’t looking at things from my point of view. I was trying to get him to understand that when people live by the values set out by our culture that their thought process, and maybe even their reality, is not the same as ours. The Christian faith is all about commitment, monogamy, love, relationships, honesty, trust, and faith. If you didn’t want to fit in as much as possible in our society the best thing to do is to claim Jesus as your Savior and people will steer clear of you. It’s kind of sad.

 

It is so easy to walk away from things that seem to make life difficult. It is so much easier to say yes to what you want, every time you want, without considering the consequences because you want to feel good right now.  It is so much easier to sleep in on Sundays, lust after co-workers and friends, do things in anger, not forgive, and step over a line that you can’t see but you know is there. However, the rewards are so great when you stay on God’s path. You will struggle, but in your struggles you will find joy and peace. There may be turmoil in your relationships from time to time, but in those you will find forgiveness and grace. And when you are in community and worshipping your Lord you free yourself from the bonds of the world we live in and you have that small taste of heaven that carries you through until you go to meet God once again.

 

“May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in our life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” (Philippians 1:11)

Laughter and Joy

“A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3:4)

 

We have a small living room and for the better of 30 minutes it was full of laughter yesterday afternoon. Our youngest was in the recliner reading Calving & Hobbes. I was cuddling on the loveseat with the hubby. My oldest two and the two girls we watch were wrestling, laughing, tickling, and making any kind of noise you can imagine. Gregory and I had fun torturing them as well.

 

I always try to etch those kinds of moments into the forefront of my memory so that I can easily grab onto them throughout my day. So many things pass us as we walk through life taking care of our families, going to work, being involved in ministry, trying out new sports, or working on new craft projects. There is a lot of frustration, time constraint, disappointment, struggle, and busyness there but if we can slow down long enough to take the time to laugh….it’s like God handing you a ray of sunshine that warms you from the inside out and gives you enough solar energy to keep on keeping on.

 

What do you need to slow down and enjoy today, even for five minutes? What is your joy trigger? My joy trigger is the kids and when they laugh. I love to laugh and they love to laugh so when we laugh together it’s awesome! You can’t plan afternoons like yesterday where we all just seem to be in the same place at the same time and we were all very playful. However, I can be so thankful to God for giving me that ray of sunshine yesterday and I pray that you find your ray of sunshine very soon and very often.

 

“I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.” (Psalm 9:2)