Silence is Golden

“A time to hear and a time to mend.  A time to be quiet and a time to speak.”  (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

 For a time I thought I have been experiencing a complete and total burnout.  I thought I was tired from long hours of homework, car pools, house cleaning (or lack there of), driving back and forth to wherever the kids need to be, and training at work which involved many long hours of staring at documents and spreadsheets and trying to remember what each one says. School is over, car pool is over, the kids are home more to help around the house, but now I have joined the planning team for VBS at church and that is keeping me very busy.  I have missed writing every morning but I haven’t been getting up in time to do it. I have felt lonely and like something was missing.

 This week I realized that nothing was missing.  Two things occurred to me at the same time.  First, I promised myself I wouldn’t write just to write and, honestly, I haven’t felt like saying anything lately. Second, nothing at all has been missing.  My plate is most definitely full and it’s full of really great stuff.  My daughter is in an amazing musical that has been eating up my weekends but I love being down at the theater and to be able to share this with her has been a blessing for me.  I love my job and the opportunities that have presented themselves to me.  I feel slightly overwhelmed but I know I am where I need to be and it’s going to be all good.  Finally, I am excited to be a part of VBS this year.  It’s crazy, stressful, and a blessing.  I am anxious to see the kids and the leaders walk through those doors Sunday night.  So, nothing has been missing.  God just helped me lighten my load a bit so that I could find balance.

 My relationship with Jesus may have changed a bit in the last couple of months.  I guess if I were to try to explain it I would say that up until May I was sitting down and having coffee with Him as we talked about life (thank you Sally).  Now, I feel like we aren’t talking to each other as much as we are building something great together.  He has never left my side and its okay that someone isn’t always talking in any relationship.  Silence is golden, or maybe silence is me going nuts from mixing too many things together.  So, if things seem crazy or you feel kind of off take a step back and try to see the bigger picture.  I am sure that you are in the midst of an opportunity and you will enjoy it more if you see it now than if you have to constantly look back on it later.

 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it give us assurance about the things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Be a Part of It

“The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. In fact, it was on the last day of the 430^th year that all the Lord’s forces left the land. On this night the Lord kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.” (Exodus 12:40-42)

 

The Israelites were being guided by God. And I know we are guided by Him everyday but He was right there walking with them as they were able to turn their backs on Egypt. He was a pillar of smoke and fire leading the way. He most definitely had their attention. However, further into the story, they showed their human impatience and any moment they did not feel God’s presence they turned away and became disparate. (Exodus 32:4-5)  We have to learn that even on days when we may not feel God is near He is still guiding us and we need to continue to walk toward Him.

 

Today, I cannot see a pillar of smoke or fire in front of me. I hear a lot of angry people. I see a country tearing apart at the political seam. I watch as people become more angry, more disenfranchised, and more desperate for help. I am awed as people are either opening their arms to our new government or turning their backs. But here is the thing: people are paying attention now. People are listening. People are watching to see what comes next. Some people are waiting for their hope to arrive and some are using their hands and feet to realize their own future. It’s like we are all sitting at the bottom of the summit, regardless of our position, waiting to see what will happen. There is a loud rumble in the crowd as both sides lash out at each other. But look, we are all right here together.

 

We are all right here together. We are sharing this small place in space and time in history. We are all a part of it. And “it” is life. And regardless of where you sit on the political bench God is here. No matter if you rich or poor, black or white, employed or unemployed, sheltered or homeless, married or single, the perfect citizen or the hardened criminal God is here. When everything else in the world is distracting us, bringing us hope, and demonstrating pain, God is here. The true opportunity of changing the future comes from what God has given each of us. He has given us the ability to make the world around us and as more people step up to that call we will see more communities helped, more people fed, more children with shoes and school supplies, more abused women in shelters, more help for drug addicts changing their lives, and more opportunities to show the world the hope and joy that we are given by God. So go and be a part of it. Figure out what you can do and do it. Don’t wait for someone else to take care of your neighbor. Don’t think you are not good enough. Be a part of it and you will be filled with the hope that you are looking for.

 

“God blesses those who are poor and realized their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called he children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the kingdom of God is theirs.” (Matthew 5:3-10)

The Promise

“I turned my face away and punished them because of their defilement and their sins. So now, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my holy reputation! They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them. When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies. I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see. The my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave non of my people behind. And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” (Ezekiel 39:24-29)

 

Sin is real and sin is very present in our lives. For many of us, we were swimming in the values of the world and we got so deep that we didn’t think that God would be able to reach in and pull us safely to shore again, or that He would have wanted to. He did pull us out of the water and He will continue to help us up again every time we fall. He does this because He has poured His Spirit into us and when we accepted that gift we became His sons and daughters.

 

God’s love is greater for us than we can possibly fathom. His desire to be with us, and for us to choose Him, is immeasurable. God wants His family to reflect Him and He wants His family to be with Him. No matter where you have been, or what you have done, God has rescued you and He is with you at all times. We are no longer trapped in the values of ideas of the world. We have been made heirs of God and our worth and value were determined the day that Jesus hung on a cross for ALL the sins of the world. We just have to trust that He is there and ready to help us along the road that leads to Him.

 

“God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17)

 

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd;

            I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

            He leads me beside peaceful streams.

            He knows my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

            bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk

            through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

            for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

            protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me

            in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

            my cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

            All the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

Keeping the Door Open

“You will be accepted if you do what is right.  But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But your must subdue it and be its master.” (Genesis 4:6b-7)

 

Do you know how hard it is to have a philosophical conversation with a 7-year old? My youngest and I can have the best conversations and he is so smart and tries to rationalize everything. Last night we were talking Star Wars, which is actually a pretty normal thing since that is all he wants to talk about. As I was tucking him into bed the little guy said, “If I was Anakin I would have just learned as much as I could about the Dark Side but stayed on the good side of The Force.” I, with great trouble, explained to him that once you step over to the Dark Side it’s hard to come back. I tried to tell him that when you go to the Dark Side you are shutting the doors to the good side. Once those doors are shut everything gets dark and it’s hard to see and you can get back to the good side but it’ll take a lot of work because you shut all the light out so you will have to feel your way to the doors. It’s all about choices.

 

It’s all about choices. My dad used to say that for every bad decision I made I was shutting doors of opportunity and I shut a lot of doors. I walked in the dark searching for the light for a very long while. Once I saw where the light was coming from I would run to the door, only it seems to move or if lost focus at all I would loose the door and have to start searching all over again. Once I found the door and walked in it seemed as though I wanted to keep the door open so I could jump between the light and the dark just in case the light got too bright or the dark look to cozy.  

 

Now, I forget there is another door in the room most days. Even on down days, like yesterday, it never dawns on me to walk away from God or what His grace and His love have given to my life. I have seen too much, experienced too much, and seen God work too much to not believe that God is real and that this walk of faith is worth something. I am thankful that God kept the doors open for me and that He didn’t lock them shut and I am thankful for the yearning I had to start finding another way since what I was doing wasn’t working. Everyone walks in the dark sometimes but not everyone realizes that they can find their way back because God is keeping a door open until the last of days.

 

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

Doing Everything Wrong

“He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and abound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished.” (Revelations 20:2-3a)

 

I spent most of yesterday afternoon at the hospital with my sisters. The middle of the three of us had to be admitted. She had some bleeding on her brain that has stopped. However, it has caused her to struggle with her speech and some of her motor skills on her right side. They will be running more tests on her this morning to determine what happened and how to fix it. I was, of course, panicked when I got the phone call but a very good friend talked me through it. Then on the way home I was sad to leave her. Finally, as I am sure my body was completely drained of energy from the day, I realized how lucky we were that she was still alive and I spent the rest of the evening near, or at, tears. I went to bed, and then woke up, very thankful that I get to call her and visit her today….again, on the brink of tears.

 

I feel like I am doing everything wrong lately. I spend lots of my time eating too much, not sleeping enough, being stressed, worrying too much, and being angry too much. It sounds weird just typing that out because, on the other hand, I have been trying to focus on God, filled with adoration for Him, and loving seeing Jesus in so much of my everyday. There are obviously two sides of me at conflict right now and when I realize this I get even angrier because I know how it all ends. Jesus wins. We win. The devil, and all the fallen things of this world, will lose! We know the end of the story. Satan knows the end of the story. So, why then, do have moments when we struggle with direction, with life, and with our emotions and choices. God has simplified everything so well but I continue to make it so hard.

 

I was reminded yesterday of what a sweet gift God has given us with our loved ones and I don’t want to waste any of the time I have with the people in my life or the job that God has given me. It’s hard to walk in the Light when you carry too much on your back, and I have been carrying too much on my back. My prayer today is that I will start handing over my worries, my eating, my sleeping, and my stress to God and let Him carry them. He is much better at carrying that kind of stuff than me anyway. And we need to remember that we can chose to live in the struggles of this world or we can choose to live in the victory that we know is Christ Jesus. I want to choose victory!

 

“I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of the day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—-but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” (Revelations 21:22-27)

 

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)

A Page from a Book

“All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.” (Jude 1:25)

 

This is an excerpt from the Life Application Study Bible (NLT)

 

“With tiny wrinkles and cries, he entered the world and, wrapped in strips of cloth, took his first nap on a bed of straw.  Subject to time and to parents, he grew to manhood and Roman-occupied Palestine, his gentle hands becoming strong and calloused in Joseph’s woodworking shop. As a man, he walked through the countryside and city, touching individuals, preaching to crowds, and training 12 men to carry on his work.  At every step he was hounded by those seeking to rid the world of his influence.  Finally, falsely accused and tried, he was condemned to a disgraceful execution by foreign hands.  And he died—spat upon, cursed, pierced by nails, and hung heavenward for all to deride.  Jesus, the God-man, gave his life completely so that all might live.

 

At God’s appointed time, the risen and ascended Lord Jesus will burst into the world scene. Then everyone will know that Jesus is Lord of the universe!  Those who love me him will rejoice, greeting their Savior with hearts overflowing into songs of praise. But his enemies will be filled with fear.  Allied with Satan, the enemies of Christ will marshal their legions against Christ and his armies.  But who can withstand God’s wrath?  Christ will win the battle and reign victorious forever! Jesus, the humble suffering servant, is also the powerful, conquering King and Judge.”

 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” (Revelation 1:8)

 

Reference:

 

(2004). Life application study bible: New living translation. Pg 2165, para 1-2. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, IL

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)

Into the Fire!

“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20:24)

 

The first time I ever served was in an auction/pig roast at our church. This would have been seven years ago, I think. I had gone to the new member gathering and our pastor had said that as members of Christ church and our church that it is important that we volunteer once every six months. The next “big” thing going on at the church was the pig roast so I volunteered to work in the kitchen, getting my first session out of the way as soon as possible. I felt out of place. I didn’t know anyone. I was nervous. And I had to sweat it out for an hour or two but most of all, I enjoyed it thoroughly and it was my gateway to many different opportunities to serve.

 

Now, my husband and I are leading our first in-home small group, which was something both of us were very uneasy about doing. We are enjoying ourselves very much. Yesterday we were talking about ministry (serving) and we got to the point where we were sharing some of our ideas and it was fun. We talked about different ways to welcome newcomers. We liked the idea of finding a way to bring our family of faith closer together and keeping us connected. There are ministries that we want to be a part of eventually but our schedules won’t permit us right now. Finally, there were ministries, or areas of serving, that we are already a part of that we want to see grow. I got very excited just talking about it and I look forward to seeing how our group changes and grows over time.

 

I am sure that many ideas have crossed the minds of multitudes that have never been put into action for one reason or another. And I am sure that there are some ideas that haven’t come to pass but have propelled other ideas in it’s wake. A good pastor once shared that a heap of coals in a fire will burn and glow but if one coal falls off the side it will grow cold and turn black. I urge everyone to go into that fire and help the flame of Jesus Christ grow. Take that risk and take that chance. Let us be the fire that sets the world ablaze and gets everything ready for Jesus’ return.

 

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)