Where's My Crystal Ball?

Do you ever wish that you had a crystal ball that would allow you to see into the future? I know that I do. I’m a planner, and I hate “not knowing” what’s coming next. I like to be prepared. I don’t like surprises. But, unfortunately, life doesn’t come with a crystal ball. We aren’t given the whole blueprint at the beginning of the process. Instead, like a puzzle being slowly put together, we are given one piece at a time.

I remember, as a college student, spending hours of frustrated prayer asking God to please show me His plan for my life. And, I wasn’t just asking about what I should do next week or next semester. I wanted to know His long term plans for my career and my family – my whole future. I knew what I had planned, and I was honestly afraid that His plan wouldn’t line up very well with my plan. Somewhere along the way, I had gotten the idea that God’s plan would be hard and that it wouldn’t be fun.

As I’ve grown older and (hopefully) more mature, I’ve come to understand that God’s plan for my life is a good plan – it’s the best plan – it’s the plan that will lead me into joy and fulfillment and peace and contentment – IF (and that’s a big if) I can learn to submit to it – to give up control – to stop fighting against it. I’m also learning that God’s plan and my plan don’t have to be in opposition to each other. In fact, they should line up quite nicely together if I’m spending time with Him on a regular basis. Psalms 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

In spite of all of that, sometimes I still feel like that college girl who is stomping her feet and yelling at God and asking Him to just show me. As I sit here reflecting on the past year, I know that next year will be a year of change and transition for my family. Because of some of the events that have already been set into motion, I know that there will be some big challenges ahead of us. But, I also know that there will be some big opportunities. I have so many questions, and I’d really love to have some concrete answers.

But, here’s the thing – If God did give me the answers to my questions right now, what would I do with that information? Would I file it away in the back of my mind and wait on God to work, or would I start planning for what I needed to do to make those things happen? What if I didn’t like all of the answers? Would I walk out the plan anyway, or would I try to figure out a way to change the parts that I didn’t like? Either way, I can guarantee you that at some point I would try to take over and I would totally screw it up.

So, my prayer for the New Year is that I would learn to let go of control and to follow even when I’m not quite sure where I’m going – to trust in the Father who is leading me and to find contentment in the journey rather than straining to see what lies up ahead. Because, I know that He has good plans for me – plans to prosper me and not to harm me – plans to give me hope and a future – and, really, that knowledge should be enough – no more details required.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Marriage

In honor of my thirteenth wedding anniversary, I wanted to write something about the blessing of marriage. But, as I sit here, thinking about marriage, here’s what keeps going through my head:

“Mawage. Mawage is what brings us together today. Mawage, that bwessed awangement, that dweam wifin a dweam… and wuv, twu wuv, will fowow you foweva. So tweasure your wuv…”

If you don’t recognize that quote, check out this clip from the movie “The Princess Bride” and then you’ll understand. Thinking about those words always makes me laugh, but I realized as I was writing them down that there’s actually some truth there.

1. Marriage is a blessed arrangement. God ordained it from the beginning when he created Eve as a helpmate for Adam.

2. Marriage requires you to treasure your love. Treasure here is a verb. It means “to keep or regard as precious; to value highly; appreciate; cherish.” The covenant love between a husband and wife is something that must be protected at all cost. It takes work. It doesn’t just happen.

3. Marriage is a dream come true. I had almost given up on that dream, but God had a crazy plan for my life that ultimately led me to my one true love. After thirteen years, I’m still amazed that I’ve been given the privilege of living the dream.

In preparation for this great adventure called marriage, we spent a lot of time thinking about the words that would be spoken at our wedding ceremony. I have the words written down in a scrapbook so that I can remind myself of what we promised to each other and what is required to maintain a strong marriage.

The following words from our ceremony still serve both to challenge me and to encourage me in the journey:

Christian marriage is not living merely for each other; it is two individuals uniting and joining hands to serve God. Let me charge you both to remember that your future happiness is to be found in mutual consideration, patience, kindness, confidence, and affection. It is the duty of each to find the greatest joy in the company of the other and to remember that in interest as in affection you are to be henceforth one and undivided. When life is done, may you be found then as now, hand in hand, still thanking God for each other. May you ever serve Him happily and faithfully together until you return to glory or until at last one shall lay the other into His arms.

So, today, I am thankful for the blessed arrangement of marriage. I am thankful for my wonderful husband whom I adore. I am thankful that God brought us together. And, I am thankful that I truly do find my greatest joy in the company of my husband. I am thankful for the past thirteen years and I look forward to many more wonderful years to come.

I love you, honey! Happy Anniversary!

"Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away..." - Song of Solomon 8:7

A Thankful Heart at Christmas

Being a parent is hard. There are days when you wonder if your children even hear what you’re saying to them. There are days when all you can do is pray and hope for the best. But, then, there are those rare and beautiful days when you get a glimpse into the heart of your child and you realize that somewhere along the way, you must have been doing something right.

I had one of those moments this week. My youngest daughter had been working diligently on something for a good part of the evening, and when she handed it to me, I saw that it was her annual Christmas letter to Santa. This is what it said:

Dear Santa Claus,

I love you. You are great. I would like a password journal and the Mary Grace American girl doll, book, and accessories. You are my favorite person that gives presents.

I love what you do for everyone around the world. Thank you, Santa Claus!

In this consumer-driven world that we live in, it made my heart glad to see that she spent more time in this letter thanking and praising Santa than she did asking for more stuff.

Praying that the spirit of love and giving will fill our hearts and our homes during this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

Social Justice is not enough... We need a miracle

Social Justice. It’s a hot topic right now. Everyone from celebrities to missionaries seems to be hopping on the social justice bandwagon. At first glance, that seems like a good thing. I mean, the heart of the social justice movement is to help ease the plight of the poor and needy. However, I’m not sure it’s such a good thing.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve repaired and painted buildings in the slums of Mexico. I’ve spent my Sunday afternoons feeding and caring for the homeless men and women in Moore square. I’ve sat in an orphanage in China and loved on the precious children who were abandoned by their parents due to some perceived imperfection.

I believe James 1:27 which says “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” I get it. And, I try my best to live it out.

But, here’s my concern. I believe that the heavy focus on social justice may be distracting the church from a greater purpose. Social justice puts the focus on the physical need, and for that reason, meeting that need becomes an end in and of itself. For example, if children don’t have shoes, then the social justice movement would compel us to collect shoes and give them to the children. That’s a good and worthy thing to do. But, as Christians, if we stop there, how are we any different from any other governmental or social agency? As Christians, we have something more to bring to the table.

I do believe that we have to start by meeting the physical need – by providing the shoes. But, we need to do more than that. In a sense, the shoes should be a means to an end rather than an end in and of themselves. The shoes should open the door for us to then connect the felt need of the people with the power of God.

Look at Peter’s example in Acts 3-4. When Peter and John encountered the lame man at the temple, they could have taken the approach that many would have taken today. They could have taken him to a soup kitchen to get some food. They could have connected him with an agency that would provide him with braces for his legs so that he could be more mobile. But, Peter and John looked at the man and saw his condition and they said:

"Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Wow! What an amazing way to meet the need of this poor beggar! And, if you continue to read Acts 3-4, you’ll see that this event impacted not only the man himself but the entire community.

Some people say that miracles like that aren’t for today, but I disagree. God hasn’t changed. His power is still the same. However, I do believe that we’ve changed. We have become so reliant on ourselves and our affluence and our abilities to meet the needs of others that we forget to call on the one who has the power to TRULY meet the needs in a miraculous and life-changing way.

I’m not knocking the social justice movement, but for me – it’s not enough. I want to see the lame walk and the sick healed and the captive set free. I want to see the power of God displayed in miraculous ways. I want to see lives changed and nations transformed. And, I want to see God glorified in our church, in our community, in our nation, and in the world.

“(Jesus said) Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” -- John 14:12-14

The Impact Zone

I am not a surfer – never have been – never even played one on TV. But, I AM amazed and inspired by the story of a young surfer named Bethany Hamilton. My tween-age daughters have fallen in love with her story, and we just finished watching her movie, Soul Surfer, for the third time.

Each time I’ve watched the movie, I’ve been struck by different aspects of her story, but this time, the quote at the end of the movie really caught my attention. Bethany says:

“Life is a lot like surfing. When you get caught in the impact zone, you need to get right back up because you never know what’s over the next wave. And if you have faith, anything is possible….anything at all.”

Again, I’m not a surfer, but as I understand it, the impact zone is the place where the waves break or flip over and crash back into the ocean. It’s not a place where you want to be. If you get caught there, chances are, you’re going to get tossed around and pretty banged up. The waves just keep coming, and if you don’t get out, you’ll use up all your energy just trying to stay above water and end up too exhausted to keep going.

As I see it, you have three choices when you’re in the impact zone:

(1) You can stay where you are and hope for the best. Given the potential consequences, this doesn’t seem like a very good plan.

(2) You can turn around and try to make it back to shore. On the surface, this seems like a pretty good idea. Just get out of there and get back to safety. However, if you’ve ever been in the ocean, you know that it’s hard to out-run the waves. They have a way of catching up with you and knocking you down again. So, you may make it back to shore, but when you get there, you haven’t really accomplished much and you may actually be in worse shape than you were before you headed out.

(3) You can dive under and swim out a little further. This may seem like a dangerous option since it’s taking you away from the seeming safety of the shore, but once you get past those breakers and into the open water, you can see what’s on the horizon, and you’ll be ready to catch that perfect wave and ride it all the way in to shore.

Sometimes life can throw us into the impact zone. But, that’s not the time to quit. It’s not the time to give up, turn around, and walk away. Everything in you might be screaming, “I can’t take it anymore! I can’t deal with all the things that are coming my way right now. It’s just too much!” Take a lesson from the surfers... Don’t give up - keep pressing forward. Go a little deeper. Dive in, kick for all you're worth, and head for the open water. You can do it. And, there’s sure to be a promise waiting for you out there just beyond the horizon. As Bethany said, “… you never know what’s over the next wave. And, if you have faith, anything is possible… anything at all.”

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4: 12-13

Steve Jobs, were you ready?

Steve Jobs. Creative genius. Technology innovator. Gone much too soon at the age of 56.

It’s amazing to look at what he accomplished during his life. And, it’s sad to think of what else he might have done had he been given the privilege of living another 20 – 30 years.

As a technology product manager, I’m amazed and inspired by Steve Jobs. He was able to find that sweet spot where every product that he created delighted its user. We all strive for that, but few of us ever get there.

By all accounts, he was a happy man. He loved his job. He had a wonderful family. He had overcome obstacles that enabled him to enjoy his success even more. He seemed to have it all. And, his loss has been felt deeply around the world by people who never knew the man but were touched by his technology.

By his own admission, Steve believed in himself and followed his own intuition – religiously. That belief was at the core of his success. But, the question that has haunted me since his death is whether or not he believed in something bigger than himself – an Almighty Creator – the God of the universe.

Steve believed that death was the great “reset” button – clearing out the old and making way for the new. But, did Steve understand that death is not the end? It’s only the beginning. His 56 years here on the earth were just a blip when compared to eternity.

As I listen to all of the tributes, I can’t help but wonder whether he had the important things in order. There’s a cartoon making its way around cyberspace showing Steve Jobs at the pearly gates waiting for St. Peter to find his name and telling him that there’s an app for that. It’s a funny cartoon, but it made me wonder... When Steve stepped out of this life and into eternity - when he heard God’s voice - how did he respond? Did it go something like this?

Steve, did you know me?
I created the iPhone and the iPad.

But, did you know me?
I changed the way the world interacts with technology.

That’s great – but, did you know me? Really know me?
I was a good man – just ask anyone…

But, did you know me?

I don’t know how Steve answered. I hope and pray that it was yes.

What will your answer be?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” - Matthew 7:21-23

The Tip of the Spear

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Powerful words - made even more powerful when you realize that they were spoken by a man who was later martyred for his faith – a man who lost his life at the end of a spear wielded by the very ones that he was trying to help.

Jim Elliot is one of my heroes. His journals (referenced in the book Shadow of the Almighty) give insight into the heart of a man who was completely committed to a cause. He knew the task would not be easy and he knew that there would be opposition. But, he was willing to face the battle in order to fulfill his part in the Great Commission. He was sure of God’s leading and protection even in those last moments when he lay dying on a beach deep in the heart of the Amazon jungle.

You see, we are all engaged in a battle. It’s usually not a physical battle like Jim faced (although it can be). Instead, it’s a spiritual battle being fought in the heavenlies. It’s a battle between good and evil – a fight for the souls of the peoples of the earth. It’s a movement to see God’s kingdom established here as it is in Heaven. And, when we push into new territory, the enemy doesn’t like it, and he pulls out the big guns to try to protect his stronghold.

Missionaries like Jim are at the frontline of this battle. They are the scouts sent out ahead to blaze the trail and break new ground. They live their lives at the tip of the spear. Not everyone is called to lead the charge, but everyone IS called to take part in the battle. We can pray – for God’s protection and for the success of their mission. We can give – to insure that they have the provision that is needed to complete their task. And, we can go – to come alongside them, even for a short time, to provide help and encouragement and to help sustain them in the fight.

Are you ready to take your place in the battle?

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms… Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." – Ephesians 6:11-12, 19-20

The following video provides some powerful commentary around what happened when Jim Elliot and his four colleagues (Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and Nate Saint) met the Waodani people.

Now I See It Well - God's Leading and Protection

New Beginnings...

I watched this week as a friend of mine went through the birth of her first child. Her experience was so much like mine, and it’s brought back so many memories of when my first daughter was born. One of the strongest memories that I have is from the day that we brought her home from the hospital. She fell asleep in her car seat and stayed asleep as we carefully removed her seat from the car and brought her into the house. We set her carrier in the middle of the floor, and then we just looked at her and looked at each other and basically asked, “Now what???” What were we supposed to do with this tiny little human that had suddenly been committed into our care? Should we wake her up? Should we leave her alone? Should we move her into the pack-n-play that was waiting for her in the living room or take her up to the cradle that was waiting for her in our room? We realized at that moment that we really didn’t have a clue how to be parents. In spite of all the books that we’d read and the advice that we’d been given, we had no idea what to do next. It was a bit of a helpless feeling to realize the magnitude of the responsibility that had been given to us and to feel this fierce love and desire to protect and provide for this child while at the same time acknowledging the fact that we were not sufficient to get the job done within the scope of our own limited knowledge and abilities…

Fast forward a couple of years and we were blessed with a second lovely daughter. By the time she was born, we felt like we had the parenting thing pretty much figured out. However, from the very beginning, nothing worked the same way with daughter number two. I would try all of the tricks that I had learned with daughter number one, but to no avail. We really had to start from scratch to learn what worked for our second daughter. The transition to having two children was really much harder for us than the initial transition to being parents of one. But, over time, we got the hang of things, and we began to feel comfortable again with our role as parents.

Fast forward to May 2011. In just five days, we will bring our first daughter home from her last day of elementary school and officially become parents of a junior high student. Yikes! Right now, I’m feeling much the same way I did on that first day we brought her home from the hospital. I keep asking myself, “Now what??” When I think about the challenges that will likely lie ahead for our daughter and our relationship with her over the next few years, I feel overwhelmed and I’m afraid that I don’t have what it takes to love her and nurture her and guide her down the rocky road that we know as the "teen years". Just like on that very first day, I realize that I really don’t have a clue how to be the parent of a (pre)teenager.

However, there is one important difference between that first day and this one. I’ve come to understand that it’s OK to ask “Now what?” I’ve learned that the Heavenly Father that formed my beautiful daughter in the womb also has a perfect plan for her life (Psalm 139:13-16). He has plans to prosper her and not to harm her – plans to give her a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). And, He has entrusted her into my care in spite of the fact that He knew that I would mess up and make mistakes along the way. I’ve learned that Proverbs 3:5-6 applies not only to my life but to my daughter’s life as well. If I acknowledge Him, He will give me the wisdom I need to shepherd her as He directs both of our paths.

So, I’m thankful for new beginnings. They are times of transition and times of change. They can bring great joy. But, they can also bring great fear and great anxiety. We just need to remember that, ultimately, God is in control, and He will help us walk through those transitions and come out stronger on the other side if we’ll just let Him.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." -- Proverbs 3:5-6

Breadcrumbs

Do you remember the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel? There are lots of aspects to the story, but the part that I’ve been thinking about recently is the breadcrumbs. You see, when Hansel and Gretel were forced to go into the woods, Hansel left a trail of breadcrumbs to help them find their way back home. Of course, the breadcrumbs were eaten by the forest animals and the story took a nasty turn, but let’s just ignore that part for a moment… The idea that I want to focus on is the fact that the breadcrumbs provided a trail marker – a path – a reminder that was meant to help the children find their way back home.

The first part of this year has been pretty eventful – not always in a good way – and I’ve had a few opportunities to question God. Sometimes I’ve wondered where He was leading us and other times I’ve wondered if He might have just forgotten about us altogether. In my heart, I know that He will never leave us or forsake us. But, when faced with uncertain circumstances, my thinking and my emotions don’t always line up with my heart. Sometimes I feel far away from God, and sometimes I wonder if I can even remember how to find my way back to that place of faith and peace and comfort that can only be found in the arms of my Heavenly Father. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve stayed away too long and forgotten the way back home…

But, over the past couple of weeks, we’ve experienced amazing protection from a couple of potentially dangerous situations, and we’ve seen provision for some financial concerns that had been weighing heavily on our minds, and we’ve seen several other things happen that made us go “Hmmmm…” Some might say that it was just lucky coincidence, but I believe that it was God leaving breadcrumbs for me –unexpected reminders of how much He cares – little things that let me know that He had already gone before me to prepare the way – tidbits that were carefully dropped at just the right place and just the right time to gently lead me back home to the loving arms of my Heavenly Father.

If you’re struggling today – if you feel like you’re lost and can’t find your way back home – look for the breadcrumbs that God has left for you along the way. They may be tiny, and they may be hard to recognize in the darkness of the woods, but I’m sure that they are there. Let them draw you back to that place of faith and relationship with the One who knows everything about you but still loves you unconditionally and is waiting with open arms for you to come back home to Him…

Loneliness and Community

Loneliness – It’s a strange emotion. Some people equate loneliness with being alone, but I sometimes feel the loneliest when I’m in a crowd. Some people think that loneliness is a terrible thing, but I believe that occasionally feeling lonely can be a good thing.

I’ve been thinking a lot about loneliness this week. My husband was away for an extended trip out of the country with very limited ability to communicate with us here at home. When he’s away on these trips, I usually experience a range of emotions. Sometimes I just feel alone. When I’m the only one here to take responsibility for household issues and childcare issues, it can be hard – and without him, I feel alone, like I’ve been left to fend for myself. I have an incredible network of friends and family who are here to help me, but sometimes, I just can’t shake that feeling of being left alone to deal with it all.

This trip was a little different for me. Things ran fairly smoothly on the homefront (which isn’t always the case). I didn’t feel so alone. However, this time, I did feel profoundly lonely the whole time he was gone. I just couldn’t escape the loneliness. I was missing that connection that I have with him that has come from years of sharing all of the ups and downs of life together.

In my case, I was lonely – and I knew why. And, I knew that when my husband came home, much of my loneliness would go away. In my case, loneliness wasn’t such a bad thing. It reminded me how much I love my husband and how important that relationship is to me.

But, sometimes loneliness is symptomatic of a bigger problem. Sometimes loneliness can be overwhelming – and it can lead to sadness and depression and a host of other issues. And, based on some of the things that I’ve seen and heard recently, loneliness is becoming something of an epidemic in our society. Our youth pastor made a great observation on his blog this week after spending the weekend at camp with our teens. He said, “I was amazed to see how this generation that is so connected (via mobile phones, social media, etc) can also be so lonely.” That is such a true statement! In fact, I believe that Facebook and Twitter can actually contribute to a feeling of loneliness since they provide the illusion of friendship and connectedness without the accompanying emotional connection that is also needed and desired.

The truth of the matter is that we were created for fellowship. Adam was created to fellowship with God in the garden. But, after surveying the situation, God also created Eve because He said that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). There is a place deep within each of us that desires relationship – that desires to be understood and accepted just the way we are. I think that this is one of the reasons why community is so vital to us as believers. It’s one of the reasons that the church – in spite of all of its problems – is so important. It’s one of the reasons why we need to love our church and strive to be a church that truly loves others.

If I hear someone at church saying that they don’t feel “plugged in” or don’t feel like they’re really “a part” of the community, I’m the first one to encourage them to take a little action and find some opportunities to get involved. However, as the church, I think that we also have a responsibility to make sure that we don’t leave people sitting in the shadows just outside the realm of true fellowship. You never know what’s going on in someone’s heart or their life. That cheery exterior could be hiding a deep and profound loneliness that can only be soothed by meaningful relationships.

There is a verse in Psalms that I love, and I’ve always thought of it in the context of adoption. But, I think that it can also be applied to the church. It says: “God sets the lonely in families.” (Psalm 68:6a) Imagine what a difference we - as the church - could make if we really took that verse to heart…

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:25

Follow

“Where you go, we will follow… Where you go, we will follow…” I was happily singing those words at the top of my lungs right along with the David Crowder Band, when I distinctly heard the Holy Spirit whisper, “Really?” I stopped singing, and my response was, “Of course – I want to do Your will – I want to follow You.” I heard the voice again: “Really? Will you REALLY follow me? Wherever I lead? Without question?” I wasn’t so quick to answer this time, because if I’m honest with myself, I know that my first answer wasn’t entirely true. My intention – my desire – has always been to follow. But, I’m not so sure that I’ve lived up to that goal.

Over the course of my life, I’ve had lots of dreams and plans. And, I’ve prayed about those plans, and I’ve tried to hear God’s voice. But, so often, as I’ve started down a particular path, I’ve run ahead and then stopped only to say to God, “Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I’ve got this now.” And, I’ve taken off without even looking back.

I don’t think that I’ve veered too far away from God’s plan, but if I’m truthful, I’m not sure how quickly I would adjust my course if God suddenly told me that I needed to make a sharp right turn.

The thing is, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to really question the value of what I’m doing with my life. There was a point when I thought I had all the time in the world. But now, when I look at my life, I’m starting to think more about my legacy than what lies ahead of me. I’ve got a wonderful husband, beautiful children, and an all around great life. But, what impact have I had on my world? How many people have I influenced for the Kingdom of God? And, what am I really willing to sacrifice in order to follow wherever God leads?

Those are the questions that haunt me when I stop long enough to listen…

To be content...

Contentment – It sometimes feels like an elusive dream for me. It’s something I long for but seldom experience. But, when it does happen, it’s the most awesome thing in the world. I was out of town on business for the past several days, and it was quite a trip. I got to fly on the corporate jet. I got to rub elbows with some pretty important and influential people. I got to stay at one of the nation’s premier ski resorts. Some would look at that experience and say, “Wow! You’ve got it made – You’re living the American dream!” And, to some extent, I guess that’s true. But, did I find contentment in those things? Not at all. In fact, I was pretty stressed for most of the trip.

However, tonight I’m back home and I’m sitting quietly on my couch. I can hear one daughter playing music in the office. I can hear laughter coming from the bonus room where my husband and my other daughter are playing Wii with our friend Ian. I can smell warm, chocolate-y goodness coming from the cookies that are baking in the oven. And, I am content. There is a peaceful feeling that has settled in around me, and I would love nothing more than to stay here just basking in it forever.

But, tomorrow morning, the alarm clock will ring at 5:30am. I’ll hit the ground running, and the next thing I know, this contented feeling will have vanished like vapor in the wind. But, for now, I’m going to soak in all of this sweet contentment. I’m going to burn it into my memory. Just like the children of Israel would build altars to remind them of God’s goodness at certain times in their history, I’m going to let this time serve as an altar in my mind to help me find that place of contentment even when life is coming at me fast and furious.

Thank you, Lord, for times of refreshing, for sweet contentment, and for the peace that can only be found in You...

Worship Wednesday

I've listened to this song over and over during the past several days, and I've been overwhelmed by the realization of how much God loves me. I haven't done anything to deserve that love. I'm not worthy of it. But, the amazing thing is that this love is a "no strings attached" kind of love. It's freely given, asking nothing in return. We just need to reach out and receive it.

Jesus sacrificed everything to show His love for me. What can I do today to show my love for Him?

A Love Story for Valentine's Day

It’s Valentine’s Day, so I thought that I’d deviate from my usual format and share a little bit about how I came to meet and marry my wonderful husband. I’m sure that everyone says this, but I think that we have quite an interesting story. And, for those of you who find yourself wondering if you’ll ever find “the one,” I hope that our story will offer you some encouragement.

Rewind several years to the summer of 1984. I was 17 years old and heading off to college, and I had everything planned out. I was going to finish college, get married, and be done having children by the time I was 30 years old. However, as time passed, I watched that dream slowly slipping away – at least the part about getting married and having kids. By the time I finished graduate school, I had decided that maybe it was time to “stop looking” and just get on with my life and my career. However, in spite of that decision and the fact that I usually avoided singles conferences like the plague, I decided – at the strong urging of one of my friends – to check out a singles event that his church was sponsoring.

I didn’t meet the man of my dreams at the conference, but I did make some great connections that ultimately led me to him a few years later. As a result of the conference, I started attending a small church that had recently been planted in my town. Every Wednesday night, a small group of us would meet to pray for the church and for our community – and for a man named Charles who had recently moved to China to teach English. We faithfully prayed for him every week.

As we prayed going into the new year of 1995, my pastor had a word for me that this was going to be my year – the year that the things I had dreamed of would come to pass. He was right! I had always dreamed of going to the Grand Canyon and got that opportunity. I had always dreamed of going on a mission trip and I got to do that as well. I had dreamed of working for a particular company in the area and ended up getting a job there. Of course, in the back of my mind, I also wondered if this would be the year when I would finally meet my husband-to-be.

During the summer of 1995, the mysterious Charles from China came home for a few weeks of R&R before heading back there for a new job. We didn’t spend much time together, but on the weekend before he left, all of the singles went out to lunch and to see the movie Apollo 13. While we were talking, we got onto the subject of dating and he expressed many of the same opinions that I held. That sparked my interest, and for the rest of the afternoon, I kept having these moments where I thought that he just might be the one.

A few weeks after he left, I was talking with one of my good friends (who also happened to be the pastor’s sister-in-law), and I mentioned that the only guy I had been interested in for a long time had just gotten on a plane for China. What a bummer! Then, she told me that Charles had mentioned to the pastor that he was interested in me! So, the pastor gave me Charles’ e-mail address and suggested that I should write to him in China to encourage him while he was away from home.

I took the pastor’s advice, and for about 6 months, Charles and I e-mailed each other regularly, and we got to know each other pretty well. At the end of the year, he decided to come back home because his mom was in poor health and he wanted to be closer to her. I didn’t find out until years later that he had told his brother when he arrived home that he had also come back because he had met the girl that he was going to marry!

After he came home, our friendship grew, but he didn’t want to ask me out on an official date until he had found a new job and gotten settled into his own place. Finally, in April of 1996, he asked me out and I said yes. Things were going great for a while. However, later that year, we attended a missions convention together, and things almost fell apart. Charles was busy talking to lots of old friends and making lots of new ones. I felt like he was ignoring me, and he felt like I was being emotionally immature. We weren’t quite sure what was happening, but it definitely pushed us apart for a while. Then, we discovered the book The Five Love Languages. It turns out that my love language is quality time. Charles felt like we were having quality time together as long as we were both in the same place at the same time – even if we were doing completely separate things, and that didn’t work for me. Once we discovered what our love languages were, it really helped us to put some things into perspective, and our relationship took off again.

I still had one more hurdle to clear before Charles would be ready to ask me to be his wife. You see, he had never planned to get married. He frequently travels to 3rd world countries to share the good news with people who haven’t had the chance to hear, and he felt like having a wife and family might hinder him in those endeavors. So, I had to pass a test (although I didn’t realize it at the time) to show him that I could make it under less than ideal conditions. We travelled to Hong Kong in the summer of 1997, and we stayed in some pretty basic places – no hot water, no western toilets, sporadic electricity. We stood out in the 100 degree heat and 99 percent humidity for hours on end and then had to walk for blocks in order to catch the only bus that could take us back to the youth hostel where we were staying. I think my ability to cope with all of the crazy things that happened on that trip finally convinced him that I could fit into his plans.

As we approached Christmas (1997), Charles asked me if I would go with him to the Christmas Eve service at Duke Chapel. My Christmas tradition was to spend Christmas Eve with my family, so I put up a lot of resistance. Finally, we found a compromise and decided to go to the early service at Duke Chapel. At the end of the service, while the organist was playing some hideous music (we both distinctly remember that point!), Charles pulled out a beautifully wrapped box and handed it to me. Ever the clueless one, I opened it and saw a music box, and politely thanked him for the lovely gift. He told me to open it, and to my amazement, there was a beautiful sapphire and diamond engagement ring inside! He asked me to marry him, and of course, I said yes. I also told him that if he had given me some indication that he was going to propose, then I wouldn’t have put up such a fight about going to the Christmas Eve service with him!

Fast forward to November of 1998 – the Saturday after Thanksgiving. UNC and NCSU were playing football that afternoon – which threatened to throw a monkey wrench into all of my plans. However, the game was early afternoon, and the Tarheels won, so Charles was in a great mood and our wedding went on as planned later that evening. We’ve been married now for 12 and a half wonderful years and we’ve been blessed with two beautiful daughters. I am so blessed to be able to share my life with the man that I adore – who also happens to be my very best friend.

So, I didn’t achieve my goal of being married before I was thirty – and I was of “advanced maternal age” when I finally had my children – but I wouldn’t change a thing because I’ve found my happily ever after.

“Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.” – Song of Solomon 8:7

Is it really meaningless?

I’ve been drawn to the book of Ecclesiastes this week, and after reading it through a couple of times, I’ve decided that wise old King Solomon was a bit of a downer! Consider:

“’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’” – Ecclesiastes 1:2

Or how about this:

“All things are wearisome, more than one can say.” – Ecclesiastes 1:8

And that’s just from the first chapter! There’s definitely more of the same throughout the rest of the book. To be fair, there are some encouraging thoughts as well. However, as I think I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been in a bit of a funk this week, so it didn’t take much for me to get right in there with Solomon. “All things are wearisome” pretty much sums up my outlook from the last few days.

But, in spite of the slightly depressing tone of the book, I can’t seem to get enough of it. There’s some insight buried in there for me, and I just haven’t been able to tease it all out yet. I’m searching for that nugget of wisdom that will help me find the balance between my vocation and my calling while still having time to enjoy my life and my family.

I believe that some of that wisdom is buried in Ecclesiastes because Solomon also says things like: “(God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11-14

That thought reminds me of Paul’s statement in Philippians that he had learned to be content whatever the circumstances - or Timothy’s statement that godliness with contentment is great gain.

Contentment – satisfaction – those are not necessarily words that I would use to describe the vocational aspects of my life right now. Sigh… So, I’m hoping that Solomon can help me in my quest to find satisfaction when “all things are wearisome” and “everything is meaningless…”

If you have any wisdom to offer along these lines, I’d love for you to share it with me as well!

Worship Wednesday

I have to confess that I've been in a bit of a funk for the past few days, and I just can't seem to shake it off. But, this song helps to remind me that no matter how funky I'm feeling, Jesus is always there for me...

Where's the light?

I think that I have SAD. No – that’s not a typo. I don’t think that I AM sad. I think that I HAVE SAD – Have you ever heard of it? It stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It’s basically a condition where your mood is affected by extended periods of cloudy, gray weather. And, let me tell you – we’ve had more than our share of cloudy, gray weather this winter. It makes me want to hibernate and just stay in bed – it makes me grumpy – it makes me moody – it makes me long for the sunshine. I look at the weather forecast every night hoping against hope that the weatherman is calling for a sunny day. I don’t even care if it’s cold. I just need sun. I need light. I need it just like I need food or water. I’m like a daisy. I start to wilt when I don’t get enough sunlight.

As I sat and looked out my window at the drizzly rain falling from the cold gray sky this morning, it occurred to me that people who don’t know Jesus must feel like this all the time. Metaphorically speaking, they aren’t walking in the light. They’re in a constant state of darkness, and even though they may not be able to put their finger on it, that’s what’s causing them to feel anxious and overwhelmed. That’s why they can’t seem to find any peace in their lives. That’s why there is an emptiness inside of them. There’s a longing for something that just can’t be fulfilled until someone, somewhere shines the light of Jesus into their lives.

Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message) says:

“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

Jesus made it clear that WE are to be lights in a dark world. I’ve been thinking about that a lot today. When I think about how much I long to escape the physical darkness of this winter weather we’re having, how much more must those around me be longing to escape their spiritual darkness. If I could flip a switch and turn on the sun right now, I would be ecstatic! Unfortunately, I can’t do that – I don’t have the power. But, guess what – I do have the power to shine a spiritual light into the darkness of someone else’s life. So, the question becomes - How can I spread a little SON-shine today?

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” 1Peter 2:9

Worship Wednesday

Have you ever wondered why people lift their hands in worship? For some people, lifting their hands is very natural and for others it feels strange and awkward. For my worship thought today, I decided to share a few of my thoughts on the subject.

When you encounter something new or different in a worship service, the first thing you should always ask yourself is “What does the Bible say about it?” In the case of lifting hands in worship, the Bible has quite a bit to say. A quick search yields over a dozen scriptures that talk about lifting holy hands to the Lord in worship or prayer. So, now that we’ve established that it’s Biblical, the next question might be “What’s the value of doing it?” Here are a few reasons that I’ve thought of, but I’m sure that there are many others.

The posture of lifted hands is a posture of surrender. What happens when a soldier wants to surrender to an invading army? He lifts his hands to indicate that he is turning himself over to the other side.

The posture of lifted hands is a posture of vulnerability. Think about all of the movies about the old west. The bad guys would always pull their guns and tell their victims to lift their hands to the sky. That action left the victims open and vulnerable before the gunmen. Maybe that’s not the greatest example in this context, but you get the point…

The posture of lifted hands is a posture of humility. It is a posture that a servant often adopts before a King to indicate his humble position in light of the King’s greatness.

The posture of lifted hands and open palms is the posture of one who is ready to receive. When we have a gift for our children, we often tell them to close their eyes and hold out their hands. They quickly obey in eager anticipation of what’s to come.

When we come before the Lord in worship, we need to come with humble hearts and open hands. We need to acknowledge the greatness of our Lord, and we need to be prepared to receive from him as He speaks to us. We need to be open and vulnerable about our heart condition, and we need to be ready to surrender our will to the will of our Heavenly Father.

By lifting our hands, we are aligning our outward appearance with the inward attitude of our heart. We are taking the focus off of ourselves and turning it towards the Lord. We are declaring with our hands that He must increase, and we must decrease.

“Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.” - Psalm 134

I need a little discipline

I know - It’s been a while since my last post. As part of the Awakening 21 fast, I decided to take some time away to think and pray rather than write. And, I’ve done a lot of reflection about this blog and how much time and energy I should devote to it. I feel like I have some things to say that are worth sharing, but I don’t want blogging to become a burden – or an end unto itself.

I reminded myself that my goal when I started the blog was to be more intentional about meditating on and writing down the things that God was teaching me, and I believe that , for now, that should continue to be my goal. I also want to keep some level of accountability and not be totally random in my journaling, so I’ve decided to set a goal of posting twice a week. I’ll post something worship-related on Wednesday – either a song or a devotional thought or both, and I’ll post one other time during the week as well. If I have more to say and more time to write, that’s great and that might generate more content at some point in time. But, for now, I think that twice a week is a reasonable and attainable goal for me.

One of the main things that I learned during our time of fasting was that I really don’t have enough discipline in my life. I think I did at one point in time because I never would have made it through my PhD program without it. But now, I seem to be more in the mode of just doing the best that I can to keep all of the balls in the air and hoping that I don’t drop an important one. I’m learning that I need to be more disciplined in what I eat, when I sleep, how I manage my household, building relationships, spending time with God, writing this blog… and the list goes on and on. I’m learning that if something is important, it requires us to be intentional about making time for that thing. I’m learning that there is a balance that needs to be achieved in our life that is not going to “just happen” on its own.

At the core of the word disciple is the word discipline. We don’t really like it and we sometimes try to forget it, but there it is – just staring us in the face. So, this year I’m pursuing discipline in order to pursue discipleship in order to equip myself to pursue the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment. And, at least for now, this blog will continue to be a part of that pursuit.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20

Why a Daniel Fast?

As mentioned in a couple of my previous blog posts, my church is participating in the Awake 21 time of prayer and fasting. And, I have a confession to make. I’ve really been struggling with the whole idea of a Daniel fast. I know that it’s Biblical – no issues there. But for me, fasting has always been about denying yourself of something and in its place, spending more time with God. When I’ve fasted in the past, I’ve typically done a juice or water fast, so it was natural to sit down with the Bible and my prayer journal during those times when I normally would have taken time to eat a meal or snack. But, with the Daniel fast, there seems to be so much focus on what you can and can’t eat and finding recipes that match up with the guidelines and spending extra time buying and cooking food that complies with the rules, that instead of making more time for God, I actually feel like I have less… And, honestly, I really enjoy fruits and vegetables, so I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing very much.

I realize that this is probably a prideful attitude, but it’s really been causing me problems. However, as I’ve thought about it and done some reading and listened to some teaching, a couple of things have started to become more clear to me. First, a pastor-friend of mine commented that any time we put down our “physical man” in a tangible way, it gives space for our “spiritual man” to rise up and have a stronger place in our daily lives. Even if the changes to my diet aren’t as radical as going to all juices and water, there is still a strong aspect of denying my flesh when I decide against the salty chips in favor of an apple or orange as my afternoon snack. Just that simple act helps to let our body and our mind and our spirit know that we are not going to be ruled by our flesh.

My 10-year old daughter made a great observation along the same lines. She had told one of her friends at school that she didn’t have any sweets in her lunchbox one day because she was fasting. So, the next day, he asked her what she was grounded from that day. She explained to him that she wasn’t grounded from eating sweets because being grounded means that you are being punished. She told him that fasting from sweets meant that she was not eating them because it was her choice – not a punishment. I’m coming to understand that it’s the act of making that choice to eat – or not eat – a certain way that helps to bring our spirit into alignment with God’s purpose, which is one of the great benefits of fasting.

Another thing that God has been revealing to me is that there is a strong connection between our physical health and our spiritual health. There have been lots of books and articles written on the health benefits of the type of diet that Daniel followed. One of the things that God has been showing me for 2011 is that I need to take better physical care of myself. I’ve already written a blog post on the idea of making time for Sabbath rest. I think that being more intentional about eating a healthy diet is also important, and I’m coming to understand that this Daniel fast is going to help me get a head start on my goal for the year. We can’t be effective for God’s kingdom if we’re stressed out, run down, tired, and sick all the time.

So, five days into Awake 21, I’m finally starting to embrace the Daniel fast. I’m understanding that it’s a way to get my physical body prepared so that I can hear God’s voice, get in alignment with His plans for me, and take off running.

Daniel said: ‘ “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So (the guard) agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. ‘ - Daniel 1:12-17

Am I Making a Difference?

Do you ever feel like you have to be hit over the head with something before you finally start to “get it”? That seems to happen to me a lot. I’ll have a thought or an idea or an inspiration, but I’ll ignore it – or procrastinate instead of acting on it. But then, it will come at me from another source – and another – and another – and so on, and so on… You get the picture. You would think that I would have learned by now to listen and act, but I still have a lot of work to do in that area…

Take, for example, Awakening 21 – Our church is participating with lots of other churches around the world in this 21-day time of fasting and prayer. And, I’m really excited about it. I believe that the discipline of fasting is important, and I believe that there are some things that can only happen as a result of fasting and prayer (Matthew 17:21, Mark 9:29). We’re a few days into it, and I’m doing great with the physical aspects of fasting, but I’ve been having a hard time determining what my prayer focus should be – or at least, I thought that was the case.

Rewind about a week to Francis Chan and Passion 2011. I watched the livestream of his teaching, and he was asking the question: “Does your life make sense in light of the gospel?” In other words, if you really believe that the gospel is true – if you’ve really bought into the great commission – are the things that you are doing with your life lining up with that belief? Wow! Tough question. I’m not so sure that I like my answer to it.

Then, a few days later I read a great article that was asking “What are you doing to make a difference?” Great question – What AM I doing to impact the world around me?

Another friend posted a note on facebook about doing something with what God has put within you. He says “My giving is not determined by my bank account, the things I own, or the excess of my life. It has everything to do with what is WITHIN!” Yeah – What AM I doing with the gifts and talents that God has given to me?

My devotional reading on Monday included the following passage:

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness.” Phil 2:5-7

Jesus - the humble servant. Does my life reflect the same attitude?

Then, today I read Pastor Kevin Cooley’s blog. His church is also participating in Awake 21, and his blog was focused on the idea that fasting and prayer brings us to a place of assignment – a place of more fully understanding what it is that God would have us to be doing right here and right now.

And, it finally dawned on me – Maybe my focus for Awakening 21 needs to be a renewed understanding of God’s purpose for my life. Maybe I need to stir up those dreams and plans that have been deposited in my heart through the years and ask what I need to be doing to see them fulfilled. Maybe I need to be asking what new assignments God has for me in 2011.

It’s only taken me two weeks to finally get the message – but at least I got it! And, I’m excited to see what God wants to do in my life over the next couple of weeks!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Worship Wednesday - Passion 2011

I have a bone to pick with Louis Giglio and the Passion 2011 crowd. I think it's entirely unfair that they don't let us "old folks" attend the conference! I mean, come on - Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, Matt Redman, and Charlie Hall leading worship - Louis Giglio and Francis Chan and John Piper speaking! Everyone should have a chance to participate in that experience. However, given that I am well over 25, I had to settle for the next best thing - watching the Passion 2011 Live Stream from the comfort of my own living room. And, let me tell you - It was just as awesome as I expected it to be!

I'm still processing some of the teaching that I heard and will probably be blogging about that over the next week or so, but today, since the focus is worship, I'll leave you with a thought from John Piper. He made the point that God wants to make much of us. However, he doesn't want to do that for our glory - He wants to do it in order to bring glory to His Name. In making much of us, others will see His goodness and His name will be glorified.

When God is glorified - when His Name is lifted up - He will draw ALL men unto Him. So, our repsponsibility as worshippers is to glorify Him - in all that we say, in all that we do, with our hearts and our lives.

Here is one of my favorite songs by Fee that speaks to this same idea:

What's the Rush?

You know what they say – All good things must come to an end... That pretty much sums up how I’m feeling today. This is the last day of Christmas vacation, which means that tomorrow morning, I have to go back to work and my kids have to go back to school.

My hubby asked me if I dread going back to work, and truthfully, the answer is no. We have some exciting things planned for next year, and I’m looking forward to getting started on them. However, it occurred to me that there is one thing that I dread about next week – It’s all of the rushing around.

During the regular course of our week, we are constantly in a hurry to get from here to there. It will start tonight when my oldest daughter gets home from Bible study and we’ll have to hurry her right upstairs to bed so that she can get a good night’s sleep before going back to school. Then, we’ll get up and hurry out the door in the morning. We’ll get home in the afternoon, and hurry to finish homework in time for dinner. And, by the way, I’ll have to hurry to get dinner on the table since my husband has to be at a meeting at 6:30 and I have to be at church at 7:00 for worship team practice. Even on the weekends, it’s always hurry up to finish this in time to get somewhere or hurry up to finish that before someone comes over. By the time Monday rolls around again, I’m usually exhausted.

I don’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions. However, I do believe in setting goals, and this year, one of my goals is to try to get all of this rushing around under control. It can’t be good for the health and well-being of my family. I’m not sure how I’m going to do it, but for now, I’m going to believe that it’s possible and start looking for things that we can change. And, I’d like to take it a step further and build in some time for rest. It may seem silly to schedule time to rest, but I think we need to do it.

If you think about it, God actually instructed us to make time to rest. He even modeled the concept when He created the world. We see that He created all kinds of things during the first 6 days, but on the seventh day, He rested. When He gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, He included this one:

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.” Exodus 20:8-10

I was talking to one of my pastors about this concept just before Christmas, and we were discussing the fact that our busy culture makes it really difficult to practice the discipline of Sabbath rest. And, it is a discipline. It requires planning to insure that you can set aside time each week for rest. It requires commitment to guard that time and not fill it up with activities – no matter how good those activities might seem. And, I believe that it’s absolutely necessary for our physical and spiritual well-being.

So, if you ask me to do something over the next few weeks, don’t be surprised - or offended - if I say no. I know that it’s a radical concept, but that may be what it takes to achieve my goal…

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will release and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.” Matthew 11:28-30 (Amplified Bible)