We are the Circus

“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 3:20)

 

We saw the Cirque de la Symphonie on New Years Eve. It was an amazing night and a neat way to introduce a different genre of music to our kids. The music was beautiful, the acrobatics were shockingly amazing, and the talent was breath taking. I was torn between watching the faces of my family as new things flashed across the stage and watching the stage itself. How incredible that so much talent can be displayed in one night and on one stage.

 

Two women, in two completely different songs, demonstrated a strength and flexibility that had the crowd “oohing” and “awing” in sync. The juggler was amazing and my youngest happened to mention, at the exact moment I thought it, that it looked like that funny little clown had three arms whenever he was juggling because he moved so quickly. Another guy came out and had a hollow 3-D box that he twirled that may not sound too exiting but it had the effect of a laser show and I couldn’t keep my eyes off the box as it whirled around the guy. The “strongman” act was a true demonstration of strength as these two guys showcased a level of discipline and strength I have never seen before. And let’s not forget the music: it was fabulous! The Des Moines Symphony really out did themselves. Our youngest was quite impressed that they remembered to play a StarWars song for him. They also had a 13-year old come out and play a song on the piano and he will a rising star; I am sure of it. It was a night of beautiful talent and I am glad that we decided to go.

 

God gives everyone different abilities. If all the people in the Cirque de la Symphonie did the same thing, equally talented in exactly the same talents, the show would have sucked (honestly). We are the circus, my friends. God has given us beautiful talents and abilities and when we work together we can produce amazing things through our differences. Some of us are good at juggling, some of us are able to contort ourselves to make things work, some our strength and ability to work on teams gets mighty mountains of ministry moving, and still, some of us are that star that will move people and show them the beauty of life. We are the circus….we are the church and it’s time, everyday, to get the show on the road. Pray about what God is asking you to do and fix your eyes on it now. He’ll walk you through it and see you safely to the other side.

 

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and  strength belong to God forever and ever! Amen.” (Revelation 7:12)

The Inbox

“But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve.  Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

 

I had a lot to do and only a little time to do it. I had to go through the flyers, add some things and change some things, and then send them off to the printing company. I had an hour to get this done, maybe a little less. Since I had already kind of gone through it once before I knew what I was doing so it really didn’t take me as long as I thought it would. I had 10 minutes or so to kill before I had to go get middle school kids so I stared at my computer at my inbox. There was a long chain of read emails that I just hadn’t deleted or filed for whatever reason. Some of the emails were personal, some were about the kids, and some were scheduling and meeting things; time to get organized.

 

I like folders. I like compartments. I like to feel like I at least have the tools around me to be organized, even if I don’t use them. I feel as though there are things in my life I am extremely organized with, like my time and juggling the kids and then there are things that blow up on me daily because of my lack of organization. So, looking at my inbox I needed to file these emails. So, I started and things were going great until I realized another folder would be good and I tried to make one but the computer wouldn’t let me. I guess there is a max of email folders you can have! After a little bit of thought I juggled some things around and now all is good and I have the folders set up the way I would like them to be. My inbox is blissfully cleaned out. Now, you can all sit in amazement at one of the most productive parts of my day yesterday!

 

Imagine that we are all an email account. We can get stuffed and prodded, cleaned out and junked. And like life God will give us the tools to help us stay on the right path and organized but there will come times in our lives when He won’t give us any more, we have to use the tools He has already given us because He knows it is enough, just right, and perfect. We may need to step back and ponder things for a moment, take an inventory of what we have, and use what He has given us to accomplish the task in front of us. So, if you feel overwhelmed clean out your inbox, get organized, take some deep breaths, and see if God doesn’t give you the peace you may be looking for.

 

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good, and pleasing, and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

It really is okay!

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

 

Yesterday I caught a bit of Dr. Phil. I do not normally watch talk shows for two reasons. First, I really don’t have time to watch TV during the day. Second, I don’t like talk shows. However, yesterday I decided to lie down for a few minutes and flip through channels. I came across a woman explaining how very awesome her life is. She and her husband have money, a big beautiful home, nice cars, four kids, and everyone was healthy. Then she broke down into tears explaining how she just wanted to run away because she felt like she was always chasing her kids, cleaning up messes, and organizing chaos. What I wanted to do more than anything is reach into that TV, grab this woman’s shoulders, and tell her she was okay!

 

I remember my first Women of Faith. I had to bring my youngest one because we were still breastfeeding. My husband and I were not getting along at all and he was upset that he had to watch the kids while I went to the conference. I was tired, didn’t really have any friends, a marriage that was crumbling, a loneliness that was hard to explain, and I felt fat too! Within my first few minutes I felt such relief. The comedian explained how many different roles women seem to take on and how it is no wonder that we do not all end up in straight jackets. When we are trying to control of these little balls that are balancing so precariously in our life it doesn’t surprise me at all that we want to run away when one drops. I always say that my head does a 360 degree rotation every 90 seconds, pops back into place, and then I just keep going.

 

But see, we weren’t meant to balance all this on our own. God didn’t give us our blessings, our lives, our talents, our loved ones, or anything else for us to have to constantly manage and place everything just right. God wants us to find joy in the gifts He has given. He knows we can’t do this on our own, which is why He offers to help us along the way. As we kneel down in prayer and take time to know Him better our focus will clear and we will be able to prioritize our lists. As I look at my own home, this last day of summer, and all the things I should do and finish I smile as I look forward to getting off work a little earlier than normal, taking my kids the pool, followed by the movies, a nice easy dinner, and then tucking my kids for their first school night of the year. The house, the car, the laundry, and any other project will wait. Right now I just want to love on my kids and I pray that the woman on Dr. Phil learns how to do just that.

 

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 1:9)

Instruction

“You must destroy all the nations the Lord your God hands over to you. She them no mercy and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you.” (Numbers 7:16)

 

As you grow deeper in your faith you may have realized that there are some habits and lifestyles that you need to turn away from. You may have even realized that there are people in your life that hinder your walk with the Lord. The thing is, we can’t successfully live in two worlds and trying to live in the space between is exhausting, which is what God was telling the Israelites: they couldn’t live among the people without moving away from Him. You may have things in your life you have to moderate and there may be things in your life you have to cut out completely. If you are, or have, experienced this feeling of needing to change you are listening to God whisper in your ears the direction you need to go.

 

I believe we were all ingrained with a natural sense of what is right and what is wrong. Over time we are able to distort and justify the world around us so that anything we want is right and good, as long as it makes us happy. But as the Spirit grows within us our reality starts fighting with God’s reality. You want God’s reality to win in your mind. He molded you with a specific function and purpose. You are part of a larger whole and when you stop fighting the design God has for your life He can more easily reveal Himself to you and you see where you belong; where you fit. (And I realize that some you may be saying that you don’t feel a need to belong or to fit and, again these are my own thoughts, but I don’t believe that. We weren’t made to be alone and God has different gifts for everyone. If it were possible to go at it alone than He would have created humans who would encompass all the physical and spiritual gifts we receive through the Spirit and until I meet that person I’ll go on believing that we need each other.) When you stop fighting His instruction your heart is going to open up and you will see that God meets you were you are and guides you to where He knows you can be through prayer, the Word, your family of faith, and your service.

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24a)

Storms in the Night

“Terror overwhelms them like a flood, and they are blown away in the storms of the night.” (Job 27:20)

 I am reading a fictional series right now that is pretty interesting. In this story one day everything stops working: anything run on electricity, planes, cars, watches, generators, you name it and it doesn’t work. Even the water system is completely shut down. It is the 21^st century and life as we know has gone away. No more computers, no more video games, no more stereos and CD players, no more running water or quick trips to McDonalds, and no more refrigerated food. The people in this book have to learn to cultivate the land and do without the nice technologies that we have grown so accustomed to in our everyday life.

 Interestingly enough I have really starting to think about what would happen if we really did loose all technology. Makes me want to learn how to do things now that would help us in our need but also allow us to be less dependent on society for our food and provisions. I should learn how to not kill every plant that crosses the threshold of my house so that one day I could have a thriving vegetable and fruit garden. I would actually reconsider my husband’s wants to have a house on some land someday because then maybe we could have a couple chickens or something and nice big gardens. I know I go a little our there with my thoughts but how nice would it be to provide for ourselves more????

 So, the storms last night that breezed through Iowa knocking out the electricity in roughly 170,000 homes, including mine, really REALLY got me thinking and loving the irony. How much in this life do we take for granted? Why is it that I just can’t bring myself to leave my windows open a bit more and suffer through some of the heat and humidity to save energy. Why don’t I really start a garden; I have been thinking about it for years but it takes so much work! And why don’t we walk just a little more or ride our bikes more often? I mean, I am frugal with my gas but how much more so could I be?

 Take a moment to thank God for all He has provided for us through the rise of technology and innovation. Thank God for placing such creative minds behind the electrons and fossil fuels that get us through our day. And then ask God what you can do to be a better steward of our world and throw in a little prayer that our power will come back on sometime today!  

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colassians 4:6)

Quitting

 “But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

 

We are on a co-ed softball team and, honestly, this couldn’t have been a rougher year. Tensions are high and some attitudes, at certain times, are awful, including mine. We do have a talented team we are just having difficulty pulling it all together. Similar to life, it’s the little mistakes that keep us from moving forward. Last night, however, I wanted to quit so badly.

 

I got hit in the throat with the ball. Yeah, it sucked! Now, whether the ball graced my glove before to slow down the impact I don’t know and I don’t care. It still hurt like crazy. Gregory tells me I finished the play before taking a few seconds to recover from the blow and kept on playing. Good thing he and I were quite a distance apart because I am pretty sure there were tears in my eyes for the rest of the inning. I wanted to quit playing last night and go home and baby my neck but I couldn’t. If I left we would be short a girl, which forces a drop out to bat. On top of that I don’t know how to quit. If quitting was an option for either my husband or me we would have been divorced long ago. When you are part of team you just don’t quit.

 

I keep trying to ask God what He is trying to show us during this season, that’s how tough it has been. Have we valued everyone enough? Have we done like the world and awarded favorites instead of the ones who work the hardest? Have we tried hard enough to find everyone a position that suits their abilities? Have we not communicated well when changes needed to be made? These are the questions I ask myself as one of the managers of this team. As simply a player I have ask myself what could I be doing to be pushing my team forward instead of holding them back. Am I so eager to hit the ball that I will swing at anything? Am I listening for my teammate’s instruction during the plays? Am I encouraging enough? And the questions don’t stop. They keep coming and coming. It’s nerve racking.

 

In our family of faith everyone has different gifts and there are lessons we can pull out of everything we do. God wants us to learn from everything. But the two most important things we need to remember are to love God with all of our heart and love our neighbors. Jesus came down from Heaven to show us how to live and then took our sins to the cross with Him and died. Is there really anyone on “our team” that we cannot love? Is there anyone on “our team” that God did not put there for a specific reason and purpose? God had a plan for each of you since the beginning of time. If you are somewhere right now you really need ask God why He put you there and if you haven’t learned all you need to learn can do you think He would want you to quit?

 

“Jesus replied, ‘The most important commandment is this: “Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord you God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.’” (Mark 12:29-31)

Time

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

 

12 years ago I found out I was a statistic the day I found out I was pregnant during my senior year of high school. 10 years ago I had just found out I was pregnant with our daughter. Seven years ago I accepted Jesus as my Lord. Six years ago my husband and I were picking up the shattered pieces of our marriage and trying to start again. Two years ago my youngest son started kindergarten and I received my Associates degree. Last year I started working out and writing. This year my oldest son will turn 12, my daughter will officially be a two-digit-midget (please don’t find offense) turning 10, and my youngest is turning seven. By the end of this year Gregory and I would have celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and I will be five months (or so) from being done with school for a while and able to enjoy a lot more time with the kids. My life is the American Dream: College, marriage, kids….I just did it backwards.

 

I can now say things like: when we were younger Greg and I…..   I can sit here and stare at my children as they eat breakfast and wonder where the time went and pausing when I think of how little time there is between now and when they are adults. I can laugh and cry at all our memories. I can look back and see how much life has changed for us as we asked God into our home. I can look at what we didn’t have 10 or 11 years ago and see how very blessed we are. Time is a funny thing. You can never get enough time but once you have it it’s gone and you can never get it back.

 

We can look at history and try to look at the future. Everything seems so far away and untouchable. We read these stories in the Bible and we have a hard time fathoming a 400-year wait between slavery of the Israelites and the Exodus. We can easily see that it has been 2000 years since Jesus walked the earth by looking at the calendar but it still feels so far away. And God made promises. Jesus promised He would come back and restore His people once and for all. We are patiently waiting for that day. I pray that we are living in a way that if Jesus were to triumphantly return today we would be ready. But even so, there are still days when we wonder when this day will come.

 

In the book of 2 Timothy it says that a thousand years is but a day to God. So, while I can sit here and spend 30 minutes reflecting on my past 10 years this would be a blink of an eye to God. If a thousand years is a day then, to God, it’s only been a few days ago that Jesus hung on a cross. While we are wondering how bad the world is going to get before Jesus says it is time, God is probably sitting on His throne wondering why we are worried. It makes me think of how badly the kids freak out if their ride is not here right on the minute.

 

We need to love on the things we have now and not worry so much about what is going to happen and not stress over things we cannot change. We need to give ourselves a “time-out”, take a couple deep breaths, and look at our lives. We need to thank God for not coming too soon that we weren’t able to enjoy the people in our lives that are there today. We need to thank God for not coming too soon because if He had we would not have experienced this or that. And we need to ask God what He needs us to do to prepare the way.

 

“But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends; A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and thousand years is like day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.” (2 Timothy 3:8-10)

Thank God

This is real love—not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

 

There are many moments in my day when I wish and pray that I could take someone’s pain, burden, or sickness away from them. Even when my own children make bad choices I wish I could wrap them in my arms and take it all back for them because I really dislike seeing them in trouble. I look at the world around me—the pain, violence, abuse, hatred, war, famine, genocide, poverty, and sickness and I want to look up to the sky and beg God for the release that so many of us are trying to patiently wait for. But, I was reminded that we should be thankful that God has His own timing.

 

I was reminded last week that God’s will and timing are perfect. I can sit around, and you can sit around, all day praying for God’s Kingdom to come to earth but people have been doing this for years. In fact, had prayers been answered 10 years ago for Jesus’ rapture I would not have been taken up to meet Jesus (if you believe in pre-tribulation rapture) and I would be down here facing tribulation with all the other unbelievers. Thank God that He allowed more time for you and me to accept His salvation.

 

And everything that we experience, the good and the bad, can be used to deepen our relationship with Jesus. There are countless people in my life who have been blessed with celebrations and painful experiences that have taught me so much about faith, love, and hope. I learn from God, I learn from you, and I learn from my own experiences. We can do all these things with hope because God did something that no one else could do: loved us enough to give Himself up so that could live forever. I can’t imagine that, can you?

 

“Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.” (1 Peter: 13b)

Face It

“Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord for my bones are in agony. I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me?” (Psalm 6:2-3)

 

 There are some things that we just dread to face. This obstacle could be a relationship, getting your kids ready for school, going to work, and dealing with finances, moving, death, aging, or sickness. No matter how big or small your issue is to someone else it could be a huge step hurdle for you. But then I think about Jesus. He knew he was going to die. He knew how and when. Can you imagine not only knowing how and when you were going to die but to know it was going to go down the way it did with Jesus?

 

“Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour? For that is the reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.’” (John 12:27-28a). Jesus knew what was happening and he still moved forward, accepting God’s plan for His life. God does not ask of us anything that He has not had to do himself.

 

Studying God’s Word helps put things into perspective. If Jesus can do what He did for you and me what is it that we are having trouble facing? We really need to toughen up and put one foot in front of the other and start moving. We will have our trials and we will have our hills and valleys but going through life dreading them and fighting them will only make them worse. Think of the sacrifice that Christ made for you and for me while we were still sinners, with God’s help there is nothing that you or I cannot do and face.

 

“For I can do all things through Christ who give me strength” (Philippians 4:13)

 

Procrastination

“Lazy people want much but get little; but those who work hard will prosper” (Proverbs 13:4)

 

I guess it a question of priorities. Priorities are at the heart of where we draw our laziness lines and how we define “work” and “prosperity“. I have found that maintaining the right priorities can be more work than anything at times. Keeping my eyes set on what’s important can be hard because the world makes my vision so cloudy sometimes. I see things I don’t need, or I start to focus too much on what I want, and then things that need to be taken care of aren’t and things that could have waited, don’t.

 

I have been very excited about this summer. Since getting my new job last month I have decided to take the summer term off of school so I can focus on just having fun with the kids. My working only half days will allow us to visit with friends, go to the pool a lot, and just have fun. This is the first time in nearly 12 years I have had such flexibility with my time and I am basking in this freedom. However, I do need to remember that other things still need to be maintained as well. I need to make sure I am taking care of my responsibilities as a parent and homemaker. So, today as I look at my day and realize I probably can’t put off groceries another day (it’s been three days of needing to), and I need to get my laundry at least started, I am thinking about maybe mowing, and we have a doctors appointment, and I have a little assignment to do for a friend that I have also been pushing off. I really don’t think I am going to make it to the pool today!

 

My work is not contained within the walls of my office. My work is practically every inch of my space and although I am not bound to the tight schedule I seem to maintain throughout the year, I still need to be diligent about not letting things go. I see my prosperity this summer coming in the form of time spent and memories made with my family and friends, but to enjoy those I need to find a good balance between my responsibilities and my playtime. Freedom comes in many forms, as do blessings. I only pray that each of us realize that our truest blessings are usually blocked by us and not what we are expecting so be on the lookout, take care of what you need to, and I promise that you will “prosper” somehow.

 

“Teach us to make the most of our time, so may grow in wisdom” (Psalm 90:12)

In Christ,
Judy