Donna Savage

Welcome!

2015-09-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Although 2012 holds the promise of many new things like new insights, adventures, and relationships, the year ahead also offers us more of the same. The same almighty God on heaven's throne. The same divine mercy and love. The same resurrection power for daily living. I think a combo of new and old sounds good. What about you?

Jesus loves Whitney Houston

2012-02-15T11:02:00.000-08:00

No doubt you’ve seen some of the news coverage of Whitney Houston’s death last weekend. Reporters have interspersed footage of old performances and recent interviews with recaps of her life and accomplishments. In one of those interviews—perhaps the one with Oprah Winfrey, Whitney spoke about her faith and God’s love. Her words caught my attention.

I can’t remember all of Whitney’s comments word for word, but I do remember she said that God loved her. Then she quoted the words of an old Christian hymn from the 1800’s: “Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Where did Whitney learn that song? Probably at the New Jersey church she attended with her family. When did she learn it? Probably during her childhood. The song is often taught to tiny tots, because the first verse goes on to say, “Little ones to Him belong; they are weak, but He is strong.” Why did Whitney learn the song? Because someone cared enough to sing it to her. How long did Whitney remember the song? Apparently until the end of her life.

Whitney Houston’s mention of “Jesus Loves Me” demonstrates the power of truth, especially truth from God’s Word. Christ uses that truth to change our hearts and set us free. We can’t overestimate truth’s power, no matter how the truth is proclaimed. Whether words of truth are spoken from a pulpit or car radio or they’re sung in a concert or a nursery, or whether they’re hidden in a greeting card or a children’s song doesn’t matter. Truth lingers in the human mind.

Once truth is spoken, God’s Spirit can use it to open eyes and turn hearts toward Jesus, and that’s the reason we must continue to speak God’s truth into people’s lives. We can't hesitate because of a person's gender, age, economic status, or ethnic background. We don’t know when another hurting soul will need to know that God loves her, so let’s start talking.

Wednesday – February 15, 2012

the King of relationships

2012-02-13T17:41:00.000-08:00

As I’ve spent time with Matthew’s gospel during the last two months, I’ve noticed something important: Jesus’ ministry took place among people.

I know that truth may seem obvious, but think about it. What usually causes most of our problems? Isn’t it relationships? Yet Jesus ministered in a vast network of relationships—family, friends, disciples, groupies, strangers, enemies—without once committing any of the sins that plague us. (Heb. 4:15) There were no loveless motives or botched confrontations. I’ve read through the gospels many times, and I’ve never found one example of Jesus engaged in selfish manipulation or regretting something He said.

Matthew’s gospel reminds me that Jesus understands people. He experienced the joys and sorrows of connecting with others, and those experiences didn’t cause Him to back away from relationships. In fact, the opposite was true. Jesus kept moving toward relationships, including relationships with the guys who denied and abandoned Him at His arrest and crucifixion. And He called us—no, He commanded us to live in relationship with others through the power of His Spirit. To turn the other cheek. To feed the hungry. To love other believers and those who might hate our guts. To make disciples of people from all nations.

Many people will celebrate the power of love this Valentine’s Day, but we need more than love to make our relationships work. We need the power and guidance of the King of Relationships. So you haven’t heard that name for Jesus? Maybe you won’t read that name in the gospels, but I’m convinced Jesus is King in more ways than one.

Monday – February 13, 2012

a thousand gifts

2012-02-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

As the calendar moves closer to Valentine’s Day, I see the flood of sales ads rising higher and higher. Of course, the current flood can’t compare to the Christmas flood, but that’s not the point. Advertisers want me to focus on their things. Things I should buy to prove my love. Things I must have to know I’m loved. Things I need for a satisfactory Valentine’s Day experience.

Perhaps that’s why A. W. Tozer’s words on “things” speak to me today. Here’s an excerpt from The Pursuit of God:

“Before the Lord God made man upon the earth He first prepared for him a world of useful and pleasant things for his sustenance and delight. In the Genesis account of the creation these are called simply ‘things.’ They were made for man’s use, but they were meant always to be external to the man and subservient to him. In the deep heart of the man was a shrine where none but God was worthy to come. Within him was God; without, a thousand gifts which God had showered upon him.

But sin has introduced complications and has made those very gifts of God a potential source of ruin to the soul.

Our woes began when God was forced out of His central shrine and things were allowed to enter. Within the human heart things have taken over.”

Jesus asked His disciples, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26)

Based on Christ’s reference to profits and losses in those questions, Tozer identified the chief characteristic of the self-life—and the enemy of our souls—as possessiveness. Tozer said that we’ll lose everything if we allow this enemy to live. Only the cross can completely destroy it.

So what things do we want to possess? How badly do we want them? What will we give of ourselves to get them? All good questions to keep in mind especially when I’m looking at this week’s ads.

Wednesday – February 8, 2012

God doesn't screen our calls

2012-02-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

I’m always grateful for the Caller ID feature on my home phone, but never more than at election time. In anticipation of the Nevada caucuses this weekend, we receive multiple political calls every day. I get so tired of them. “Hi, this is (candidate’s name), and I’m calling to ask for your vote.” “If the election was held today, how would you vote? Press 1 for….” Thank goodness, our Caller ID service and a good answering machine allow us to screen the calls when we don’t recognize the phone numbers.

As I avoid call after call this week, I’m reminded of the incredible volume of “calls” God receives every day. David asked God repeatedly to hear him, and so do we. I dare say not a second passes without someone somewhere praying for something. Prayers for help and deliverance. Prayers for restoration and healing, both emotional and physical. Prayers about jobs, friends, children, and marriages. Prayers for food. Prayers for peace. Prayers for spiritual power and effective ministries. Just think of how many times you personally called on God last year. Can you count them all? I can’t.

Despite the ceaseless volume of prayers, God is never too busy to hear us. Psalm 145:18 says, “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.” And Jesus said we’re to ask and keep on asking, being persistent in our prayers and trusting the heart of our heavenly Father. (Matt. 7:7-11)

God doesn’t screen our calls, choosing which ones He’ll answer and which He’ll ignore. There is no Caller ID. God listens to every prayer, no matter the topic or our fluency. He comes near us. He responds. So why is it that we don’t pray more often?

Wednesday – February 1, 2012

packing for the trip

2012-01-27T07:28:00.000-08:00

When I was packing last night for a California weekend, my mind skipped back to a presentation I gave several years ago for a women’s retreat. My topic was packing for the trip called Life.

I realized then—and remembered last night—that packing is easy when we know our destination and itinerary. For this weekend, I could check the weather forecasts for southern California. With that info in mind, I could select clothes for travel, a graduation ceremony, and Sunday morning church plus the appropriate accessories and toiletry items.

Packing for life is a different story because we don’t know where we’re going, when we’ll arrive, or how long we’ll stay. And we don’t know what to expect from other travelers. As a result, we can pack only three attitudes: faith, obedience, and contentment. Faith in God to lead us and be with us throughout the journey. Obedience to follow His guidance/GPS along the way. And contentment to accept His wisdom and provision as the best plan for our lives. We want to be able to say the words of Psalm 18:30a no matter where life’s journey takes us: “As for God, His way is blameless (perfect).”

With those three items in our emotional suitcase, we’re ready for anything when we hit the road. As I said, packing for life is a little different than packing for a California weekend. Now I’d better stick my toothbrush in my bag before I forget it.

Friday – January 27, 2012

taking time for love - the rest of the story

2012-01-24T15:01:00.000-08:00

When I was a girl, my dad always responded the same way whenever I tried to tell him that I didn’t have time for a lengthy hug and kiss. He’d say, “If you don’t have time for loving, then you just don’t have time.” January’s busyness (are there really only seven days left?) and February’s pending arrival have reminded me of my dad’s words. He’s right. Making time for people is an important choice all year long.

Last November, the Lord helped me choose people over busyness. He directed me to skip hosting the annual Christmas Brunch for my class (plus several other activities) in order to help with a ministry project for local refugee women. Thanks to the loving partnership of many women from my church, I was able to prepare 60 gift bags of kitchen towels and hot chocolate mix for the women who attended Safely Home’s Refugee Christmas Party.

I recently received this note about the Christmas party:

“…At the end [the refugees] experienced Jesus’ love through receiving gifts provided by you and others. The excitement in the room was contagious as their faces lit up and some had tears in their eyes as they received their gifts. The towels and hot cocoa mix you provided made many women happy. Receiving dish towels may seem trivial to us as Americans, but for refugees it is a sign that someone cares for them. It is also a tangible way to show that Jesus loves them and cares about even their smallest need. Thank you for collecting the dish towels and providing such beautiful bags. Your gifts made a lasting impression on these refugees who have survived many years of betrayal, hurt, and broken promises. It is a blessing to partner with you as we seek to share Christ among some of the most unreached people groups in the world right here in our own backyard.”

Taking time to love on other people is always a good idea. I hope we can remember that after all the Valentine’s Day hoopla is over.

Tuesday – January 24, 2012

more than one way to show you care

2012-01-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

My sons used to tease me about being a news junkie. In the years before cable television and 24-hour news cycles, I hated missing the evening news. What can I say? I like to know what’s going on in the world around me.

My penchant for local politics paid off today. When my doorbell rang mid-morning, I expected to find a package outside my door. Instead I found a middle-aged, clipboard-carrying campaign worker. He handed me a flyer about the upcoming recall election and asked, “Are you familiar with (candidate’s name) and the issues behind the recall?” He expected a negative answer, but I surprised him. I knew quite a lot.

When I shared my views, the guy was jubilant. “You know, you’re the fourth person I’ve found on this street who knows about the election. Wow! The people on this cul-de-sac really care about the community!”

There are many ways we can show we care about our communities. We can support local charities as my family did yesterday when my hubby swung by a neighborhood Goodwill store to drop off five or six bags of donations. I supported another local charity this morning when I mailed a box of used Christmas and birthday cards to the St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in nearby Boulder City. The students at St. Jude’s recycle the card fronts and make new cards to sell as a year-round fundraising project. In addition to charitable giving, we can get involved in service projects like the refugee Christmas party I supported last month (more about that in a later blog) or the community food pantry my church will host on Thursday morning.

Learning about our communities—the people, needs, businesses, and organizations—is also important. As I read through the gospel of Matthew (my current devotional topic), I can’t help noticing that Jesus went from town to town in His preaching and healing ministry. He entered a community. He saw the needs. He responded. As in Jesus’ day, concern and knowledge go together. We can’t respond with love, service, or prayer if we don’t know what’s going on around us.

Tuesday – January 17, 2012

hope comes from a fuel gauge reborn

2012-01-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

2012 has brought a refreshing change to my life: my car’s fuel gauge is suddenly working again. Hoyt and I aren’t sure why it’s working, but it’s nice to see the little needle slide up to “F” again.

My car’s fuel gauge hasn’t budged for several years, and I’ve learned to live without it. Why spend money to fix the fuel gauge on a car with almost 160,000 miles? Instead of using the gauge, I simply reset the mileage counter to zero whenever I fill the tank. When the mileage reaches a certain number, I start looking for a gas station. I haven’t run out of gas once since the gauge stopped working.

What triggered this rebirth? I don’t have an answer. Hoyt checked all the fluid levels in my car a couple of weeks ago, but a fresh supply of oil or transmission fluid isn’t supposed to affect the gasoline sensor. Yet when Hoyt filled up my car a few days later, the gas gauge’s needle started moving again.

I thought the fuel gauge was history, so I adjusted my life to keep going without it. I haven’t thought about it or looked at it. But now the gauge is working again, and I have to make some decisions. Will I trust it? Will I keep using the mileage counter for a while until I’m confident the gauge is reliable? How long will it take before the gauge proves itself to me? I used to like my fuel gauge. I trusted it for years without a second thought, but I’m more cynical now. Can I make room in my routine again for a fuel gauge when I’ve grown accustomed to doing things a different way?

If a dead fuel gauge can start working again, I wonder what else might spring back to life for us this year. What about a once close relationship with a friend or family member? Maybe some of our relationships haven’t worked for years, and we consider them over and done with. We may want to keep our minds and hearts open though. I thought my fuel gauge was history, and look what’s happening now.

Thursday – January 12, 2012

how do we pray for other Christians?

2012-01-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

My Christmas gift to myself last month was a copy of 31 Days of Prayer by Ruth and Warren Myers. I’ve loved using Ruth’s earlier book, 31 Days of Praise, so I assumed I’d love her book on prayer. I was right. The book is a treasure. Of course, I didn’t start using it on January 1st, but I didn’t think Ruth and Warren would mind if I jumped into the process a little late.

31 Days of Prayer includes both a daily scripture-based prayer with a list of scripture references and an “As You Have Time” section focused on different aspects of prayer. Day 8’s words about praying for (and loving) other believers blessed me so much that I wanted to share them today. Here they are:

Love For Others. “If we are to pray for others, we must love. Every part of a body is interested in the welfare of the whole, and exists to complete and help the other parts. Believers are one body, and we ought to pray for the welfare of all Christ’s followers.” – Andrew Murray

Pray Specifically Without Judging. We can be more specific in prayer for other believers than just, “Lord, bless them…” Here are some requests for other believers. Pray that:

· their supreme desire will be to know and glorify Christ.

· their roots wil go deep into Christ and His Word.

· they will realize the rich blessings lavished on them in Christ.

· they will truly abide in Christ, obeying Him by the Spirit’s power.

· they will be a fragrance of Christ to unbelievers, able and ready to share His Word in appropriate and timely ways.

Now that you’ve read Ruth and Warren Myers’ words, has the Lord brought someone’s name or face to your mind? That's what happened to me. I guess that means we should stop reading and start praying.

Monday – January 9, 2012

who are you...really?

2012-01-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Do you know who you are? Are you absolutely certain of your identity?

Margo Summerville has always known who she is. When her identity was stolen two years ago, however, law enforcement officials arrested her for criminal impersonation. They thought she was part of the conspiracy and thefts. Can you imagine being arrested for stealing your own identity—for claiming to be yourself? I saw Margo’s interview on the Today show, and she is one determined woman. She spent two years in legal battles, but now the woman who looted her accounts has been arrested and Margo’s name has been cleared.

Margo’s story intrigues me because it accentuates the importance of knowing who I am. That’s true for my legal and financial identity, and it’s also true for my spiritual identity. If I don’t know who I am as Christ’s follower, I won’t be ready to battle my accuser. And Satan is always ready to muddy the waters and make me question my identity as God’s child.

When Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), the Tempter twice used these words: “If you are the Son of God.” In other words, the Tempter said:” If you are who you say you are, why not…(fill in the blank)?” Did Satan know who Jesus was? Definitely. Did Jesus know who He was and what He came to do? Absolutely. But the Devil couldn’t resist the opportunity for making a personal dig, “if you are the Son of God,” while tempting Jesus to misuse His power.

If the Tempter will mock or question Jesus’ identity, I can be certain Satan will use the same tricks on me. He will raise questions about my redemption, forgiveness, future, relationship to God, and fitness for ministry. I need to know the answers. I am God's daughter because of His mercy and grace. Jesus purchased my redemption with His blood, and it's permanent. My forgiveness is complete. My eternal destiny is secure. Through Christ, nothing can separate me from God’ love, and I have the treasure of Christ’s Spirit in this very vulnerable clay jar called a human body.

If I know my true identity as Margo did, I can endure any lies thrown at me. It doesn’t matter what Satan or anyone else says. Jesus and I know the truth!

Friday – January 6, 2012

looking back on 2011

2011-12-30T09:31:00.000-08:00

Did you experience a few surprises in 2011? Me too.

Hoyt and I spent the last two days of 2010 in Roswell, gathering with his parents and siblings to celebrate his dad’s 90th birthday. We then flew to Baton Rouge on January 5th for my nephew’s wedding the following weekend. We got to see both sets of family within one week, and we figured it might be the last time to see them for the year. That didn’t happen.

Hoyt flew back to Roswell two weeks later to help with his dad’s recuperation after hip replacement surgery. Thanks to the generosity of the Oldham Little Church Foundation (my dad's second career), we made an unexpected trip to Houston in April for my dad’s retirement dinner. I saw part of Hoyt’s clan and my sister and brother-in-law again in June when I went to Jackson, MS, for another nephew’s wedding. (All the nephews are married now, so no more of those.)

I thought the June trip was our last family trip for the year. Wrong again. We went back to Roswell in October to help with his mom’s recovery from a stroke in September. I flew to Houston again two days after our return, this time to help my mom and dad after my dad’s stroke.

Not counting the trips to see our children, we made seven trips to see family this year. I knew about three of those trips when 2010 ended. The other four were complete surprises—at least to me, though not to God.

When I think about the Lord’s promises to be with me (Matt. 28:20; John 14:18, 23), I often focus on benefiting from His love and encouragement. I forget that the One who is with me knows everything about my life. About my needs. About my family. About what will happen tomorrow. About the ways He will provide for me next week and next month and next year.

Will 2012 bring more surprises? Probably. But I don’t have to dread surprises, because my God sees them coming. And He already knows how to transform every negative surprise into something that will glorify Him.

Nothing that happens in 2012 can separate me from God’s love. Nothing will stop Christ from interceding for me and working on my behalf. Nothing will impair His ability to lead me to victory.

Happy New Year, my friends! Our God reigns!

Friday – December 30, 2011

celebrating my Immanuel

2011-12-23T23:21:00.000-08:00

Maybe visions of sugar plums dance in children’s heads on the night before Christmas, but three nights before Christmas is a different story.

My first dream last night was a nightmare. A short one, thankfully, though it was the kind of nightmare that jerks me out of sleep with my heart racing. After I drifted back to sleep, my mind wandered through a series of dreams with one common theme: personal failure. The story lines aren’t important, because as soon as I awakened from the final bad dream, someone was there to comfort me and block out the memories. No, it wasn’t my husband. My comforter’s name is Immanuel.

As I get ready for December 25th, the Christmas story reminds me that God fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: the Messiah would be called Immanuel, or God with us. Isaiah probably didn’t understand the full meaning of his words, because he never got to know his God in that way. For me, however, 2011 wouldn’t have been the same without Immanuel. When I can’t sleep after a bad dream (or several of them), Immanuel is there. When I worry about family or the future, He is there. When life challenges me beyond what I feel I can handle, He is there. When I rejoice, He’s there, and when I mourn, He’s there. Every day Immanuel encourages and comforts me and reminds me of His love.

During the next two days, most of us will look at the figure of Baby Jesus in a small nativity scene. Then a few days later, we’ll take that nativity set and pack it away until next Christmas. But out of sight will not mean out of mind when it comes to the Savior, because we can’t pack away our Immanuel. This year’s Christmas celebration reminds us that Jesus is God with us. He was with us yesterday, and He’ll be with us today and tomorrow and all the dark days next year when failure is more than a bad dream. I think that’s worth celebrating, don’t you?

Friday – December 23, 2011

do you need more Christmas joy?

2011-12-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

I asked half a dozen women yesterday if they felt like Christmas should be only one week away. Every woman said, “No.”

Their shopping wasn’t finished. All the gifts weren’t wrapped. Baking wasn’t done. Vacation time hadn’t started. Every woman had a different reason for not feeling the complete or expected “Christmas spirit.” I can’t say the answers surprised me. I felt the same way. And that’s the problem, in my opinion. During the holidays, we tie our emotions to activities and expectations that have nothing to do with the real meaning of Christmas.

I love giving and family as much as the next gal, but those holiday traditions aren’t the heart of Christmas. When I read Luke 2, I see God crushing, or at least stepping around, the priorities of culture and tradition. Jesus wasn’t born in a pleasant place. He didn’t enter the world amidst picture-perfect circumstances, surrounded by a supportive network of family and friends. Yet His birth satisfied every prophecy and divine purpose. God didn’t need ideal circumstances to accomplish His will. He never does.

Why then should we think that we need the right gifts and food and family to experience Christmas joy? The manger is God’s reminder that He gives perfect gifts—peace, love, joy—on less-than-perfect days. He isn’t hampered by the things that worry us. He can deliver salvation to a family in a stable as easily as to the people in a palace.

No matter where we are this Christmas, no matter what’s happening in our lives or what we do or don’t get done before December 25th, God has placed His amazing grace within our reach. God loves us more than we’ll ever understand. Because He loves us, He sent us a gift—His Son, Jesus. If we want to feel more Christmas joy this week (and less holiday pressure), all we need is a heart ready to be loved.

Monday – December 19, 2011

God provides the best reminders

2011-12-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

I noticed something wonderful about God last Sunday: He reminds us when we need to obey.

Numbers 9:1-2 says, “The LORD spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt. He said, ‘Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time.’” This wasn’t the first time God told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover. Look it up in Exodus 12:14-18. At the time of the original Passover event, also known as the tenth plague on Egypt, God instructed them to make Passover an annual observance.

At the time of the exodus, God told the Israelites when to observe Passover and why it mattered. He gave them specifics on how to do it. But one year later, when they might have forgotten His instructions, God was ready with a reminder: “Okay, people. It’s time to do this!”

I love knowing that God cares about our obedience. My spiritual journey is truly a partnership endeavor. Before Jesus’ death, He asked the Father to send His Spirit to walk with us through life, explaining truth and reminding us of His words. And if we listen, we hear Holy Spirit’s voice:

- “Please don’t say that. Those words don’t sound loving or patient. I can help you hold your tongue.”

- “Why are you worrying about this? Let’s talk to your Father instead.”
- “I know you’re busy, but I’m inviting you to stop and sit with Me for a few minutes. I have a truth I want to show you.”
- “Your friend is really stressed. That’s why she’s lashing out. Why don’t we pray for her?”
- “What matters most right now: following your agenda or Christ’s command?”

During this busy Christmas season, many of us would be lost without checklists and calendars and other reminders. But we don’t need a sticky note or cell phone alarm to remind us to obey the Lord. Thank goodness, Christ’s Spirit has that job covered.

Tuesday – December 13, 2011

why do you give Christmas gifts?

2011-12-06T15:07:00.000-08:00

If I don’t have enough ideas for Christmas gifts this year, I don’t need to worry. Plenty of people have come up with gift ideas for me. The headlines are everywhere. “50 Gifts Under $50.” “Gifts for everyone on your list.” “Gifts they’ll love to open.” “Fabulous Finds for under $50.” I’ve been advised to buy everything from gadgets and jewelry to theater tickets and AAA memberships for the people I love. All of which begs the question: Why do we give the gifts we give?

Over the years, I’ve tried to listen for the real reasons people give Christmas gifts. Based on what I’ve heard, sometimes we give out of:

1) Fairness – For instance, I give to all of my siblings or all my cousins or great-grandchildren. In other words, I give to everyone in a certain category of relationship even if the degree of intimacy varies within the category. I’m not going to leave anyone out.

2) Fun – I like to shop and buy gifts at Christmas. It’s part of the holiday experience, right?

3) Obligation – Everyone in my group or family exchanges gifts, emphasis on everyone.

4) Financial Duty – In my family, if you have a job or you’re doing okay financially, you’re expected to show up with gifts. (Did I mention that there’s a universally understood minimum cost for each gift?)

5) Self-Image – I view myself as a generous person, and generous people share gifts with their friends and family during the holidays.

6) Reciprocity – This person has done a lot for me. A Christmas gift is one small way to say thanks.

7) Helpfulness – My children/parents/grandkids are struggling financially. They may feel awkward about receiving help from me, but they can’t refuse a Christmas gift.

8) Guilt – I don’t do a good job of staying in touch with my brother/niece/grandmother through the year, so sending a Christmas gift helps me stay connected.

9) Pride – No one does a better job of giving than me. I always find the perfect gift for each friend and family member. Everyone loves my gifts.

10) Love – I love my spouse/child/parent with all of my heart. Nothing delights me more than demonstrating that love, especially at Christmas.

Have you ever given out of fairness? What about reciprocity? If we're honest, I think we can all answer “yes” on those. But no matter how many times we’ve given out of pride or guilt or obligation (and we’ve all done it), I think we should keep aiming for love as the motivation for our Christmas gifts. Isn’t love the reason God gave to us? Isn’t love the real motivation behind the nativity?

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” If our heavenly Father gives out of love, we too can give out of love. We are His childen, after all. Just think of it as a great family tradition for the holidays.

Tuesday – December 6, 2011

strong winds hit everyone

2011-12-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

Harsh winds are blowing across the Las Vegas Valley today. Though the winds outside my house haven’t matched those tearing through southern California, they have tossed trees and patio furniture and knocked down some of my neighbors’ Christmas decorations.

Here’s what I noticed about the winds today: They hit every house in my neighborhood. No one was exempt. Not the people who pay their mortgages on time. Not the people with well-manicured lawns. Not the people with new cars and flat-screen TVs.

When Jesus told a story about strong winds (Matthew 7:24-27), He said the winds pounded the houses of both the wise man (the man who acted on Jesus’ words) and the foolish man. According to Jesus’ parable, my desire to live in daily obedience to Christ will never exempt me from life’s most common trials. I too will face health and relationship problems, and my bank accounts will also feel the pinch of a stagnant economy. There will be days when the problems seem overwhelming and I wonder if my house will keep standing. It will survive though, because I’ve built my life—my family—on the right foundation.

If Christ’s followers never battled adversity, no one would ever see our homes and families survive life’s storms. Because of the winds and storms, we gain a testimony that others can understand. Everyone values survivors. Just look at the slew of televised reality shows for proof.

The weather forecasters say the Vegas winds should slow down tonight or tomorrow. But I know they will return. And if I understand Jesus’ parable correctly, that isn’t always a bad thing.

Thursday – December 1, 2011

the real story about family photos

2011-11-28T12:37:00.000-08:00

I’m always amazed by the cute family photos I receive from friends during the holidays. I look at my friends and wonder how they ever snap pictures that make everyone look good. Unless a professional photographer gets involved, family photo sessions rarely work that well in my experience.

Here’s how I think the average family photo session goes. Photo #1: Everyone’s smiling, but Dad’s head is blocking half of older daughter’s head. (Photo session stops while family members try out new positions.) Photo #2: Everyone is smiling, but younger son has his eyes closed. Photo #3: Older son is looking at something on the floor; everyone else is looking at the photographer. Photo #4: This time Mom has her eyes closed. Photo #5: Mom’s hand is moving; she was trying to fix her hair. Photo #6: Younger daughter’s smile hints at either major abdominal pain or an errant contact lens. Photo #7: Older daughter smiles with clenched teeth while trying to calm her crying (make that screaming) toddler. Photo #8: Mom really should have checked her hair before this shot. And by the way, has anyone ever noticed that one of her eyes is bigger than the other one? Photo #9: Everyone is smiling, but Dad’s body language says he’d rather be watching the football game. Photo #10: The brothers exchange sympathetic glances. Maybe they should consider a Disneyland trip next Thanksgiving? Photo #11: It doesn’t matter how the photo looks. We’re done!

All jokes aside, our family’s photo sessions have reminded me of an important truth: Perfection is an illusion. If our families looked perfect 100% of the time, why would we need airbrushing or Photoshop? Our imperfect family photos reflect the reality of our changing lives and emotions. Sometimes we’re at our best; sometimes we’re not. Is it likely I’ll be at my best when you’re at your best? Not necessarily.

We can try to engineer perfect holiday moments for all our family members simultaneously, but we haven’t failed if they don’t happen this December. We need to approach our holiday efforts the same way we handle our family photos: We try our best and see what happens. If we don’t like this year’s results, no worries, no meltdowns. We’re blessed if we have a family, right? And we can try again next year.

Monday – November 28, 2011

why I cancelled my Christmas brunch

2011-11-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

I made a big decision this weekend. I’m not going to host my annual Christmas brunch for the gals in my Bible study. That may not sound like a big decision, but it’s big for me.

While I was in Houston, I encouraged my mom to let go of some things due to the time demands of my dad’s health and rehab schedule. We agreed: we all have to change when life changes. I’ve since realized that I need to take my own advice. I was out of town for three of the four weeks before this Thanksgiving week, so my priorities for time and ministry have to flex. Otherwise, I’ll be the one having a stroke.

I’ve prayed; I’ve thought. So now what stays in my holiday schedule? Special time with my family this week is in. Many of my weekly ministry commitments at church are in. (Exceptions: I won’t attend choir rehearsals this month because I opted out of the Christmas production months ago. And I’ll teach only twice in December.) Some of my seasonal decorating plans are out. Work on several writing projects is out. (Postponed until 2012.) And as I mentioned earlier, my annual Christmas brunch is out. (Also postponed until early 2012.)

Instead of showing hospitality to gals who know I love them, I’ll focus instead on gathering gifts from fellow church members for Safely Home’s Christmas party for refugees in Las Vegas. I partnered with Safely Home several years ago to host a baby shower for an Iraqi refugee. One of Hoyt’s sermons last month encouraged me to be more intentional about ministry. I want to be a doer, not just a hearer, so this month I’m intentionally putting evangelism and outreach before a cherished tradition. On a practical level, I realize this decision—to gather and prepare gifts for 60 refugee women—doesn’t make sense. Didn’t I just say that I’m pressed for time? Truthfully, I don’t know how this new commitment will impact my time and schedule. I know only that a Christmas party for refugees takes priority over a party for my friends.

Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ incarnation, a sacrifice that required Him to trade His place by God’s throne for a place by Mary and Joseph’s donkey. Without a sacrifice, there would be no Christmas. Sacrifice and Christmas always go together. How could we think otherwise?

Monday – November 21, 2011

choosing faith over worry

2011-11-16T21:01:00.000-08:00

Today was our family’s deadline to confirm our annual selection for a health insurance deductible. That means it was also a day to think about our aging bodies and life insurance and our financial future. Does anyone enjoy thinking about their financial future these days? Does anyone do a happy dance when the stock market takes another dive?

It’s easy to talk about faith at church on Sunday. It’s much harder to live by faith in a roller-coaster economy when our friends and neighbors are still reeling from the recession’s blows. Yet that’s our call as believers: to live by faith (Rom. 1:17; Hab. 2:4). We’re to put our faith in Christ for salvation—and to continue putting our faith in Him no matter what’s happening around us. But we don’t always do it. As Glyn Evans said of his own faith journey, “Too often I have been lulled into the temptation to trust God to pardon my sins, only to refuse to trust Him in the mechanical, everyday matters of my life—whom do I marry, where do I work, what should I buy, how shall I serve, what should I do with my leisure, and hundreds of similar details.”

If God is strong enough to create and sustain the universe, is He strong enough to sustain my family? If God’s grace is big enough to pardon rebellion and selfishness, is it big enough to pardon financial blunders? If God can provide for sparrows and flowers as Jesus said, can He provide what I need? Those are the questions we have to ask and answer.

Jesus told His disciples not to worry about tomorrow (Matt. 6:34). What do we call it when we choose not to worry? When we trust God for our finances as well as our salvation? We call it living by faith.

Wednesday – November 16, 2011

thankful in Houston

2011-11-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

For the past few Novembers, I’ve posted a list of ten blessings every day on my blog. Not this year. This November started with a three-day turnaround between trips to care for ailing family members. I’m in Houston now and thankful just to have a few free minutes to mention some blessings. (I’ve started and stopped writing this post four times already. And this is a slow day.)

I’m thankful today for Christ’s love and saving grace. I’m a new person because of Him—a fact that should make all my family and friends very thankful. I’m also thankful for Hoyt, the love of my life. Thanks, sweetheart, for letting me have this time away to help my parents.

As my dad recovers from his stroke, I’m thankful for a healthy body and mind. I take them for granted so often, and I wouldn’t be able to help anyone without them. I’m also thankful for doctors and nurses, or let’s say, all health professionals. Plus medications and medical supplies and equipment. What would life be like for a diabetic like my dad without insulin and test strips and syringes?

I’m also thankful today for the power of encouraging words. I watch how they motivate my dad to keep working with his walker and growing stronger through physical therapy exercises. Encouraging words help my mom keep going in this new, hopefully temporary, journey as a caregiver. And encouraging words remind me that friends near and far are praying for us.

My dad is getting better every day. But even if he wasn’t improving, I would count myself blessed to be able to serve people I love. Service isn’t always easy; in fact, it’s downright exhausting at times. But I’ve seen God demonstrate His presence and grace every day since I arrived in Houston.

Jesus said, “My Father is still working, and I am working also” (John 5:17). This week I'm especially thankful for eyes to see my Father at work.

Tuesday – November 8, 2011

sometimes life changes fast

2011-11-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

I’d been awake for thirty minutes this morning when my son’s text message arrived. A dear friend, Ann McCulloch, died of cancer last night. Though Ann’s death wasn’t unexpected, it seemed to come fast on the heels of her diagnosis and treatments. I’ve spent the day praying for her family and friends in Phoenix; I can only imagine their grief.

Sometimes life changes fast. Hoyt’s mom suffered at least one stroke in September. We spent last week with her and Hoyt’s dad in New Mexico, trying to help with the rehab process. Their lifestyle and routines have changed drastically in the last month. But we had watched their lives change slowly for more than a year due to Helen’s dementia/Alzheimer’s. (Not trying to be confusing, but there’s never been a firm diagnosis.) Maybe Helen will walk unassisted again; maybe not. But we’ll never have a normal conversation with her again.

I’m more hopeful for my dad’s recovery from a stroke on October 19^th. I’ll be in Houston tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll get to see all his good progress in person. His balance and speech have greatly improved, and I’m grateful. But they aren’t back to normal yet. For the time being, life is very different for my parents.

Sometimes life changes slowly. Sometimes it changes fast. But it always changes, and there’s nothing we can do about it—except to rejoice in the everlasting love of our Savior. He loves us today, and He will love us tomorrow…and next month and next year. His love doesn’t change. On this first day of Thanksgiving month, I’m grateful more than ever for something that doesn’t change.

Tuesday – November 1, 2011

working hard for strength

2011-10-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

I remember the years when my mother-in-law never slowed down. She darted from task to task around her home—cleaning, sewing, cooking. She made casseroles and sweet breads for sick and grieving friends from church, and she always took time to check on elderly members of her Sunday School department.

My mother-in-law can’t run around anymore. After a stroke last month, she labors to regain strength on her right side. She needs help to stand and walk. Five days a week she works with therapists who come to her home. After they leave, she collapses into her recliner for a nap.

I thought of my mother-in-law's weak body today when I read Peter’s advice to a group of persecuted believers. He said, “Above all, keep your love for one another at full strength, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8 HCSB – emphasis mine).

Peter knew that we need more than half-strength love for other believers. Half-strength love doesn’t cut it when we need to overlook someone’s selfishness or forgive their mistakes. Half-strength love doesn’t keep us moving forward in our relationships any more than half a night’s sleep fuels us for a long day. Half-strength love doesn’t bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, or endure all things, because half-strength love isn’t a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence in us. Half-strength love is how we love in our power.

As my mother-in-law is learning, we may have to work hard to regain strength, especially when we’ve been damaged or wounded. But full strength is always our goal: in our bodies and in our love.

Wednesday - October 26, 2011

God's care for my dad

2011-10-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Hoyt and I were leaving the last session of the Nevada Baptist Convention yesterday afternoon when I received word that my dad had probably suffered a stroke. Almost 24 hours later, we are praising God for His faithful love and provision. As my mom said, “God’s handprints are all over this situation.”

My dad is doing very well—terrific would probably be more accurate. I thought I’d share some of our family’s praises so you can rejoice in God’s goodness with us.

1) First praise, my mom was with my dad when the symptoms began. If the stroke had occurred one or two days earlier, my mom would have been elsewhere, busy with her regular activities. My dad would have been alone, maybe at home or maybe out doing his own thing.

2) Dad was able to receive the clot-busting drug within the prescribed time window. He’ll finish the 24 hours on his back in the ER/neurological unit (following administration of the drug) around 3:15 CDT today. Then he’ll be moved to a regular hospital room.

3) Mom noticed Dad’s unsteadiness as they walked into a restaurant foyer for a lunch appointment with friends. Mom told Dad to sit down on a nearby bench, but he almost fell down in the attempt. Mom told Dad they needed to leave and check things out, but Dad was resisting. (He probably thought his problem was related to his diabetes.) At that moment, two key things happened. Their friends arrived, and my parents’ former pastor walked out of the restaurant with one of his seminary students. When Brother John heard what was happening, he said, “Ed, you need to listen to Janie.” Friends Patsy and John echoed his plea. My dad loves and respects Brother John, so he obeyed. Brother John took my mom’s keys, had the student go get their car, and helped my dad back into the passenger seat.

4) As they left the restaurant, Mom called my sister Ellen who lives in Houston. Praise God, Ellen was in town and accessible by phone. If Mom had called five minutes later, Ellen would have been on the road for Austin. Ellen encouraged Mom to head straight for the hospital; she met them there.

5) On the way to the hospital, my dad developed double vision on one side. Though this symptom disappeared within an hour, it helped doctors know they were dealing with a stroke since he passed all but one of the initial neurological assessments (tightrope-walking) and his initial CT scan showed nothing.

6) My parents arrived at the ER during something of a lull. As a result, Dad received outstanding care in a very timely manner. In fact, the hospital’s stroke coordinator stayed with him for quite a while and personally arranged for his nurses, etc. Even my sister has been impressed by the quality of his care.

7) Last but not least: If my sports-and-politics addict dad had to lie flat for 24 hours in an ER, how wonderful that he could listen to a baseball game last night (even though Texas lost) plus politics on Fox News!

My heart is so full of thankfulness and praise, and it’s not simply because of my dad. Even if the stroke had left Dad totally incapacitated, I would have plenty of reasons to praise God today. His handprints are everywhere!

Thursday – October 20, 2011

there's a lot to be said for weakness

2011-10-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

Despite what some people might think, I don’t view myself as Superwoman. You won’t find me overflowing with talent or strength or spiritual power on an average day like, say, today. On the other hand, I don’t like to think of myself as weak and wimpy. Who does? But I felt like Exhibit A for weak and wimpy last Saturday afternoon when the heat got to me.

I’ve lived in Las Vegas for a long time, so I know the dangers of extremely high temps. But I didn’t think it was that hot on Saturday afternoon when Hoyt and I were trying to finish an outside painting project. Only 90 degrees. No big deal for Vegas in October. Really. Nothing I couldn’t handle with some sunscreen and water.

For some reason though, my body didn’t handle the heat on Saturday. The longer I painted, the more I recognized that I felt funny. Something really wasn’t right. And I began battling myself in my mind. One part of my brain—I’ll call her Wise Donna—said, Beginning signs of heat exhaustion. Better stop working and go inside.

The other part of my brain, also known as Tenacious Donna, made excuses: I don’t want to quit now; I’m so close to the end. I should be able to do this. Look at Hoyt; he’s doing just fine. I’m sure I’ll be fine too. I only have a little bit left to paint. I just need to dig down into myself, grab some strength and tenacity, and gut this thing out.

In the end, Wise Donna won the battle. She noted my flushed face and suggested that a fall due to dizziness might wreck more than the painting project. Thus the name: Wise Donna. So I spent the rest of the afternoon lying down with cold compresses on my face, feeling like a total wimp. (FYI: A mixture of milk and water in equal parts makes a great compress solution for a sunburned or sun-flushed face. A little trick I learned online.) Much to my chagrin, I had reached the limit of my abilities far earlier than I had planned. Hoyt finished painting without me, and no surprise, he did a great job. He’s a much better painter than I am.

As I’ve thought back on my weak and wimpy Saturday afternoon, I’ve realized that I never like coming to the end of my strength—in the physical realm or the spiritual realm. Yet that’s exactly where I need to be sometimes. When I am weak, when I can’t do everything (or anything), I have to step out of the way and rest. That’s when I free the Lord to take over. That’s when I see the Lord’s strength displayed in all its glory. I get a much better view of His strength when I’m resting.

Monday – October 17, 2011

finding victory over sin - part 2

2011-10-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

I don’t know everything about the Christian life, but I do understand my inadequacy to live for Christ in my own power. No matter how hard I try to do the right things, I can’t obey Him, love Him, honor Him, or walk with Him in any consistent way under my own steam. My resources don’t cut it. Yet I often act as though self-effort will make a difference. It’s a common misconception about spiritual victory, one of several identified by Leroy Eims in his book, What Every Christian Should Know About Growing. (The book is out of print, but you can find it online.)

Earlier this week I shared Eims’ first three misconceptions about spiritual victory. Here are the final three.

Misconception #4: Victory is self-discipline.

Sometimes we need to be tougher and more intentional about our discipleship and commitment to Christ; we can all agree on that. But we didn’t obtain salvation through self-effort, and we can’t expect to achieve spiritual maturity that way. Although we hate to admit it, we can only control our fleshly nature—our old self-life—for so long before it breaks the restraints and embarrasses us. The only answer is to experience life in the same way we experienced salvation: by relying on Christ (Col. 2:6). As A.W. Tozer wrote, [Self] yields to nothing less than the death of the cross. It is way too tough to be killed by abusing our bodies or starving our affections.”

Misconception #5: Victory is maturity.

I utilized my first senior citizen discount last week, so I’d love to believe that my age brings automatic spiritual victory. It doesn’t. I don’t automatically get better as I grow older. I might grow more humble about my strengths and weaknesses or more prone to rely on Christ, but that’s it. You’ll find proof of this truth in the host of immature, non-victorious Christians with silver hair and feeble joints. As Miles Stanford wrote in The Green Letters, “Self never changes into anything but more of the same.”

Misconception #6: Victory is simply trying to do the right things.

Simply attending more Bible studies or spending more time in prayer won’t cut it. In Gal. 3:2-3, Paul asked, “This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” Paul knew a focus on doing the right things quickly becomes legalism. As Eims writes, “We should not depend on any activity, no matter how ‘spiritual,’ to raise us to a level of greater devotion and consistent victory except as a means of getting to know God who, in the final analysis, is all we need.”

We find spiritual victory in Christ alone. He won the victory over sin, and He wants to give it to us. So why do we continually ignore the gift in His outstretched hand?

Wednesday – October 12, 2011

finding victory over sin - part 1

2011-10-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I plunged into dangerous territory and taught my class about victory over sin. I couldn’t avoid the topic; the scheduled passage for study was Romans chapter 7. I’m just glad I could pick and choose the personal failure stories to share rather than having some reporter say, “Our cameras caught up with Donna at her house last week. Do we have that video ready now?”

Does anyone who teaches about victory over sin ever feel like an expert? I don’t. That’s why I treasure the insights of Christian sisters and brothers. During class yesterday, I reviewed Leroy Eims’ list of misconceptions about spiritual victory from his book, What Every Christian Should Know About Growing. (The book has been out of print for years, but if you find a used copy, it’s well worth the money.) Here’s a condensed version of the first three items on his list with a few of my comments added. I’ll share the last three misconceptions tomorrow.

Misconception #1: Confession is victory.

Confession is a way to restore fellowship, not a way to experience victory. Staying up to date on confessing our sins to God is a great first step to spiritual victory (1 John 1:9), but it doesn’t take us to the finish line.

Misconception #2: We must beg God for victory.

1 Cor. 15:57 tells us, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our victory over sin has already been won by Jesus. We don’t have to pray and plead with God for victory over sin; it’s a done deal. We only need to appropriate Christ’s victory over sin by depending on His life and power living in us.

Misconception #3: We need to ask God for something more.

When we’re struggling with the same old sins week after week, it’s easy to believe that we’re missing something. But that’s not what the Bible tells us. Eph. 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” 2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness.” Col. 2:9-10 says, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete.”

We are complete in Christ. We have every spiritual blessing—right now, this minute. When we yield to Him, letting His Spirit fill us as it says in Eph. 5:18, we can access all of the power Christ used to conquer sin while walking this earth. And He aced it every time.

Think about it: you can be victorious over sin today. And tomorrow. And the rest of the week. Are you smiling yet?

Monday – October 10, 2011

reflections on Steve Jobs' death

2011-10-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

For two days, I’ve listened and learned from the comments about Steve Job’s death from pancreatic cancer. Steve Jobs was one year older than me, so his death caught my attention even though I don’t have cancer and I don’t own an Apple computer, a Mac, or an i-Pad. I felt no personal connection to the man, but I’ve found the reactions to his death intriguing for several reasons.

1. Death is the great leveler; it happens to all of us. Jobs apparently realized this truth during his first bout with cancer, because he acknowledged the fact publicly. There are many things we dread that never happen, but death isn’t one of them. It will happen. Steve Jobs was blessed to have time to get ready for it. Not everyone will.

2. Many people have commented on the ways Jobs changed our culture. One person said Jobs changed the definition of “being cool” to owning a cool gadget. I don’t think we can credit Steve Jobs alone for that trend; every culture has had its version of a cool gadget. (It wasn’t so long ago that people were impressed with owning ballpoint pens or a black and white television.) But why do we care so much about having all these “must have” items? Is it ever a good thing to define ourselves or our happiness by our possessions?

3. Steve Jobs became famous because he did all the things people dream of doing. He was very smart, and he used his brains to invent and market some amazing items. I’ve never met an Apple owner who wasn’t immensely loyal to the brand. Steve Jobs’ inventions became household names, and he became a household name for his contributions to technology. And he made a lot of money in the process. Success, wealth, and a place in the history books—three things almost everyone wants. Three things that will mean absolutely nothing in eternity.

This week I’ve been reading Ezekiel 1-7 about God’s warnings to the people of Judah. Two verses from chapter 7 made me pause and read them again. From verse 19: “Their silver and gold will be unable to save them in the day of the LORD’s wrath.” From verse 24: “I will put an end to the pride of the strong.” God spoke those words about the pending destruction of Jerusalem, but they apply equally to the pending end of life on this earth.

One day the things that made Steve Jobs newsworthy—his intelligence, creativity, ambition, technical skills, money, fame, and success—will mean nothing. That day is coming. Thank goodness we have time to get ready for it.

Friday – October 7, 2011

good news despite the economy

2011-10-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

Like me, you’ve probably noticed how the media has struggled recently to report something other than bad news. The stock market and consumer confidence are down. Foreclosures, poverty rates, and doubts about the recovery are up.

I’m glad we don’t have to depend on Congress or the financial markets for good news to share with others. As Christians, we can always turn to the Bible for words of hope.

►God loves all of us. (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8)

►God is with us during our troubles. (Ps. 46:1)
►God gives wisdom to those who ask for it. (Jas. 1:5)
►God knows our needs. (Matt. 6:8 & 31-32)
►God has given us every spiritual blessing. (Eph. 1:3)
►God can transform tragedies into triumphs. (Rom. 8:28)
►Jesus offers us eternal life; death and disease will not define us. (Jn. 11:25-26)
►Jesus helps us carry our burdens. (Matt. 11:28-30)
►Jesus gives us power to meet our challenges. (Rom. 8:37; Phil. 4:13)
►Jesus provides freedom from guilt over past mistakes. (Rom. 8:1)
►In unstable times, we can find stability through living by Jesus’ words. (Matt. 7:24-27)
►Though money and jobs come and go, Jesus is the same forever. (Heb. 13:8)

These truths help me rejoice despite the bad news I see and hear every day. I hope they provide the same encouragement to you.

Tuesday – October 4, 2011

in case of an emergency

2011-09-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

My sister Julie and I played a quick game of telephone tag on Tuesday. She missed me when she called me. Then I called her back. No answer. We finally connected after several attempts.

I learned later that Julie couldn’t take my call because she was on the phone with a police dispatcher. While driving near her home, Julie saw a screaming motorist jump out of his vehicle and point a gun at another driver. The first car drove off, but the screamer jumped back in his car to give chase. She immediately called 9-1-1 and gave police the location and direction of the chase, a description of the gunman’s car, and the first 3 letters/numbers of his license number. We hope police caught the guy.

After Julie and I talked, I thought about her quick response to the situation. Why did she call 9-1-1? Simple answer: The 9-1-1 emergency response has been drilled into her for years. When Julie witnessed a developing crisis, she responded in the desired way.

Julie’s experience makes me wonder what spiritual emergency responses have been drilled into our brains. On a spiritual level, what should we do when we’re hurt or scared or worried? How do we respond to bad news and betrayals and disasters? What about thefts and deaths and accidents? In the moment of crisis, what will we do? What should we do?

I can’t answer those questions for all people, but for the Christian, I believe every answer includes acting in some measure of faith. We need faith to look away from the situation to God just as Julie looked away from the gunman to dial 9-1-1. We need faith to trust God’s goodness during a bad situation. Faith to ask for and receive His peace and strength. Faith to believe in the power of prayer, and faith to ask others to pray with us.

We can agree that life is full of unexpected challenges. We can also agree that life’s emergencies sometimes demand a response other than calling 9-1-1. That response begins with faith.

Thursday – September 29, 2011

will you believe God today?

2011-09-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote about how we can glorify God through our faith, by believing Him. Guess what? I can’t get that truth out of my head.

On Sunday I glorified God by believing His strength was perfect when I felt weak. I didn’t feel good when I woke up. I wanted to stay in bed, but I needed to teach a Bible study and play the keyboard for two worship services. Though I could have found a substitute teacher, I knew there wasn’t another keyboard player. But I didn’t need a sub. God gave me the energy and mental focus I needed. He even helped me teach my class without notes (I accidentally left them at home) and remember every important point and illustration.

Without faith, I wouldn’t have cried out to God for help. Without faith, I wouldn’t have believed He wanted to help me or could help me. Without faith, I would have missed a spiritual victory over fatigue and weakness. (If you had been in my class on Sunday, you’d know God gave me a victory.) And without faith, I would have missed a precious opportunity to tell my family about the Lord’s faithfulness.

Every day we choose what we believe. All faith comes down to that simple truth. Jesus came so we could believe in God, and by believing, have life in His name. But as T. W. Hunt has taught and Kay Arthur has written, “Yet most of us don’t realize that if we are not believing God then we are believing a lie.”

Jesus is the one who called Satan the father of lies. Everything Satan tells us is opposed to God’s truth and leads us away from glorifying God despite our circumstances.

So you and I have a choice today. The choice to glorify God comes second. First and more important, we have to answer this question: Will we believe God today or not?

Tuesday – September 27, 2011

glorify God by believing Him

2011-09-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Christians talk a lot about glorifying God, but we’re not always sure how to do it. Mundane tasks consume our time and energy. Does taking care of paperwork glorify God? What about doing laundry, grocery shopping, and gassing up the car? Don’t we need to be doing something bigger and more spiritual to glorify God? Not according to the apostle Paul. He wrote that we can glorify God by believing Him.

When I taught from Romans 4:20-21 last Sunday, I noticed Paul’s assertion that Abraham’s faith glorified God: “Yet [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” God said He would make Abraham into a great nation. God said Abraham and Sarah would have a son after years of infertility. God said He would give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s offspring. Abraham believed God, and God was glorified.

Can glorifying God really be that simple? Yes, it can. Remember: What did Jesus ask people around Him to do? To believe Him. To believe His words. To believe the Father sent Him. To believe He was the resurrection and the life and the light of the world. To believe they could receive living water and eternal life. As pastor and teacher John MacArthur wrote, “Believing God affirms His existence and character and thus gives Him glory.”

Faith is our first response to Christ. Believe it or not, faith is also a simple way to glorify Him today—even while we’re shopping for groceries.

Thursday – September 22, 2011

what will they say about me?

2011-09-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

My sister Julie blessed my heart Saturday afternoon when she called to share highlights of my uncle’s memorial service in Texas. Uncle Bud was a sweet, loving man, and my dad gave a moving eulogy for his brother. My dad summed up Uncle Bud’s character with one word: compassionate. Uncle Bud showed compassion to his family, his friends, and all the students he taught through the years.

I read Uncle Bud’s obituary before the funeral. It listed facts and accomplishments (when and where he lived; family members; his schooling, jobs and military service), but my dad’s eulogy focused on Uncle Bud’s essence: What kind of man was he? After I heard about my dad’s comments, I wondered how someone would describe my character one day. If they wanted to describe me in one word, what word would they choose?

In the end, character matters more than accomplishments, but you wouldn’t know it from the way we live sometimes. According to a 2009 article in Guideposts, one pastor said “most of us are so busy doing that we forget to be—to be kind, to be peaceful, to be centered, to be loving.” His remedy? Instead of a “to do” list, we need a “to be” list. The pastor’s plan inspired one Guideposts reader to change her daily routine. She said, “Now, every morning before I do anything else, I start out by thinking about what I can be. I can choose to be calm in the midst of drama. I can be kind even when someone treats me unkindly. I can be loving when my patience is tested.” For her, to be or not to be really is the question of the day.

I doubt that my uncle earned his compassionate reputation by using a “to be” list. But pairing my daily “to do” list with a mental “to be” list doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Who knows? Maybe one day my children will find a word on that list describes me perfectly.

Monday – September 19, 2011

out with the old

2011-09-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Hoyt and I said goodbye to our old refrigerator. We bought a new frig several years ago, but we moved our old frig to the garage just in case we needed more cold storage space at holiday times. For many years, we kept a separate freezer in the garage, but it died the month my son Scott got married. (Probably a final act of revenge because Scott crashed into it while learning to drive.) With the old freezer gone, we weren’t sure we’d be able to store all our meat, ice cream, and leftovers in one small freezer. The new refrigerator/freezer proved its worth though (and we changed our buying habits), so we let NV Energy haul away the old model.

Our old refrigerator joined the family during Hoyt’s seminary days, and it showed its age. The interior shelves and drawers were rickety, cracked, and stained. The motor didn’t operate quietly or efficiently. The icemaker stopped working several years ago. Despite those flaws, we kept the old frig—unplugged but taking up precious space—just in case. I know, I know. Why would we keep the old frig for so long? Here’s a better question: why do we ever keep old stuff in our lives that doesn’t work?

In Colossians 3:7-9, Paul said: “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

Did you notice all the old, yucky stuff Paul told the Colossians to clean out of their lives? Apparently first-century Christians faced the same challenge we do: realizing we no longer need things like anger, malice, and slander. They don’t match our new lives. There’s no Spirit-controlled life event during which dishonesty will come in handy. We can forget holding on to rage and bad language “just in case” and move on to “Ain’t never going to happen with Jesus in charge!”

Out with the old, and in with the new. Sound advice for our kitchens and appliances, and even better advice for a new life in Christ.

Thursday – September 15, 2011

we don't write the lesson plans

2011-09-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

No matter the size, wealth, or location, every school has one thing in common: Teachers write the lesson plans, not students.

I remembered that truth last week after I spent my birthday meditating on my life goals. I felt drawn to a statement by Major Ian Thomas: “There is a time when you have to become what you say you are.” A great goal, I thought. I’ll focus this year on becoming what I say I am.

I forgot that Christ gets to write the lesson plans for His disciples. I can’t surrender my life to Jesus and have it any other way. I don’t know what I imagined for the first week of “becoming,” but it wasn’t lessons on becoming more patient, more forgiving, more humble, and more willing to surrender control. Apparently that’s what the Lord had in mind though. As a result, He filled my week with “Aha!” moments and divinely-designed learning labs. Maybe the labs weren’t fun, but they were effective.

I thought it was important to become what I say I am. Now I realize it’s far more crucial to become what Christ says I am. That small change in focus will make a world of difference in my character one year from now.

Tuesday – September 13, 2011

how quickly a day changes

2011-09-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

The experiences of 9/11 will always remind me how quickly a day—and our lives—can change. But I’m not the only one learning that lesson.

My friend Doris was supposed to be have breakfast with friends at a Carson City IHOP last Tuesday. The same IHOP where a lone gunman opened fire on diners and a group of Air National Guard officers Tuesday morning. But Doris wasn’t there. For some unexplained reason (maybe a Holy Spirit prompting?), she called her friends Monday night and suggested moving their breakfast date to a different restaurant.
My friend Sheila needed to pick up some items from a Wal-Mart near her office. She decided to go on Wednesday morning instead of Thursday. A gun battle took place near the store’s entrance on Thursday morning. (Note: Sheila was at the Carson City IHOP five days before the shooting—sitting in the booth destroyed by gunfire the following week.)
My friend April expected an uneventful weekend two weeks ago. Her weekend changed when she learned her younger son drove his dirt bike off a cliff while on a weekend outing with her ex-husband. (PTL, her son suffered only a broken clavicle in addition to cuts and bruises.)
Early this morning Hoyt and I received word that his mom was hospitalized with an apparent stroke. Yesterday Helen was puttering around her house; today she can’t move her right leg or wiggle her toes. Although her right arm is also weak, we’re grateful her speech wasn’t impacted. However, we know her life won’t be the same after today.

James told a group of early believers, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow?” (James 4:13-14a)

So how do we spend today if life might change forever before the day is over? An excellent question, in my opinion. I’m still thinking about my answer.

Monday – September 12, 2011

how i'm celebrating my birthday

2011-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I turn 55 today, one day after my hubby turned 55. (Happy Birthday, Hoyt! I love being married to an older man for one day a year!)

This may sound silly, but I enjoy the symmetry of 55. There’s something calm and lovely, even balanced, about reaching the halfway point between 50 and 60. I qualify for some senior discounts but not others. Some friends consider me a mentor; others offer me guidance for the journey ahead. My sons have now finished college and grad school, and God has blessed them both with full-time jobs in their chosen fields (a huge blessing in today’s economy). Hoyt and I have survived 34 years of marriage, and most days we enjoy being around each other. (Just kidding—I think!)

I’ve learned a lot in 55 years, but I have so much more to learn—and not just because I’ll become a grandmother next spring. In my family, I want to learn more about cherishing my husband and parenting my adult children. In my writing business, I want to learn more about expressing God-given ideas and insights so I can encourage other believers. In my ministry tasks at church, I want to learn more about serving from the heart and strategic, visionary leadership. In my relationship with Christ, I want to completely abandon myself to His agenda and plans, something I usually hesitate to do despite my best intentions. I want to learn more about Christ’s glory and vigorous prayer and moment-by-moment joy. I want to excel at ordinary, non-history-making obedience.

Major Ian Thomas once said, “There is a time when you have to become what you say you are.” His words describe how I plan to celebrate my birthday: I want to launch a new journey to become who I say I am—and more important, to become who Jesus says I am. One day down. 364 to go.

Monday – September 5, 2011

am I being selfish?

2011-09-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Ever since my friend Pam asked me to write about selfishness, I’ve wondered how I would assess or measure selfishness. Is selfishness one of those “I know it when I see it” kind of character qualities? Is there any way to determine how self-absorbed someone is when we can’t know their thoughts?

All I can come up with is questions for myself. These are the questions I ask when Christ’s Spirit pricks my conscience about being too self-focused. I ask myself these things even though I don’t like the answers. Like them or not, the answers support the truth of Leo Tolstoy’s statement: “Everyone thinks of changing the world. But no one thinks of changing himself.”

So here’s my unscientific and incomplete Selfishness Inventory. In homage to the topic, it’s a self-inventory.

How much time do I spend praying for myself versus praying for others?
When something bad happens, do I think first of how it will affect me or how it will affect others?
How do I feel when someone interrupts my routine or plans?
How often do I ask others to help me or support my projects rather than helping them or supporting their projects? Do I recognize the sacrifices others make on my behalf?
How much time and attention do I invest in people when I don’t enjoy their company? (And why is it I don’t enjoy their company? Does it have anything to do with how they make me feel?)
How frequently do I point to someone else, not me, as the source of a problem?
How often do I assume someone is “doing it the wrong way” (whatever "it" may be) because they’re not doing it my way?
How often do I assess the impact of my decisions on my friends and loved ones before taking action?
How often do I seek affirmation and encouragement rather than giving it?
How freely do I share what I have - time, possessions, talents, etc.?

I can’t supply a list of answers or a rating scale for this Selfishness Inventory, only questions. But selfishness is worth a closer look, don’t you think? We all need to ask, "Am I being selfish?" even when we don’t like the answer.

Thursday – September 1, 2011

what about unselfishness?

2011-08-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

I wasn’t sure what topic to address in today’s blog until I talked with my friend Pam. Her idea: “Now that you’ve dealt with humility, maybe you could tackle selfishness.” Hmmm. I’m not sure why Pam suggested selfishness (was it something I said?), but I like the idea.

My trusty Webster’s dictionary defines selfishness as “devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.” Selfishness is thinking and acting in a way that makes everything about me. How I feel. What I think. What I want to say or do, or what I want others to say and do. It’s all I, I, I, me, me, me.

One of my favorite verses about unselfishness is John 6:38. God impressed the verse on my mind before I traveled to China several years ago. The verse records Christ’s words: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 6:38 is one of those verses that tells us Jesus wasn’t selfish. He realized His purpose was defined by His Father’s desires, not His own.

Does that mean Jesus never had His own thoughts? No way. Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus was tempted by the same desires we face, and I have to believe that includes the desire to think only of Himself and what He wanted. I imagine selfishness was a big temptation on the night Jesus was arrested. While praying in the garden, Jesus asked His Father if they could go with a plan that didn’t include a miserable, painful death. God said no, and Jesus accepted that answer. For Jesus, life on this earth was all about us and God’s glory. It was never about self.

Many Christians talk about being more like Jesus. Guess where that Christ-likeness starts? With simple but remarkable unselfishness. With complete unselfishness. With 24/7 unselfishness. Who knows what our world—not to mention our homes and churches—would be like if every person who claims to be a Christian lived unselfishly?

At this point, I can’t imagine it. But I like the idea.

Tuesday – August 30, 2011

yielding control

2011-08-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

In the shower this morning, I wondered what I’d learn today about humility. After I read Glyn Evans’ devotional in Daily With the King, I had my answer.

Evans’ comments helped me see that true humility includes a willingness to yield control. To move down the totem pole and give the top spot—the decision-making spot—to someone else. My humility (or lack of it) is always visible in my relationship with God, because Evans defines sovereignty as “God’s right to ask unconditional surrender of me.”

Evans says, "[Sovereignty] was Job’s problem…The basic conflict between Job and God was that of ultimate control. Did God have the right to inflict suffering on Job, or inflict anything else, for that matter? It is beautiful to watch how Job finally comes to understand why God has led him through the dark maze; and, once he understands that God wants sovereign control, Job gladly yields it to Him (Job 40:1-5; 42:1-6)."

Evans continued, "The human failures of the Bible, such as King Saul and Judas, stubbed their toes not on dedication, commitment, or zeal, but on sovereignty. They wanted God and His power desperately, but not at the price of unconditional surrender. Unless I am careful, it will be easy for me to repeat their mistake. Christianity is not my using God, but God using me; not my wrangling the best deal for time and eternity, but God making a beautiful vessel out of a lump of clay. Flower pot or water jar, what is the difference as long as God decides which and supplies the power to make it possible!"

I’ve stubbed my toe on this issue for years, to use Evans’ words. This little lump of clay secretly wants a say in what God makes of her. She wants control, and God says, “No.”

Without humility, I won’t accept God’s sovereignty and bow the knee. Without humility, I won’t yield control to God or accept anyone's authority in my life. Guess that makes humility a very valuable commodity.

Wednesday – August 24, 2011

what are you learning?

2011-08-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

As I’ve been thinking about humility the last few weeks, I’ve wondered how someone becomes more humble. Does it happen quickly or over time, and is humility something you can learn?

Nancy Leigh DeMoss helped me with that question through her comparison of proud, unbroken people and broken, humble people. According to a chart created by DeMoss (I found it among some old notes), proud people feel confident in what they know and how much they know. Broken people, on the other hand, are humbled by all they have to learn.

So humility and learning go together. If I’m humble, I recognize my need to learn. From Christ. From the Bible. From observing and listening to other people.

Here’s what I’ve learned since Sunday by observing and listening:

Generous people don’t hesitate to bless others by putting some change in a tip jar.
Kind people share bread crumbs with pigeons, even though some of their neighbors (like me) view pigeons as vile and disgusting pests.
Merciful people care about all victims, both earthquake victims in Virginia and war victims in Libya.
Grace-filled people love others unconditionally as God does—while they are sinning and making bad choices.
Patient people listen more than they speak.
Wise people learn from their mistakes. They are never too ashamed to change course mid-stream.

So what are you learning this week? Humility says we should always be learning something.

Tuesday – August 23, 2011

I hate humble pie

2011-08-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

I like almost every type of cake and pie with one big exception: I hate humble pie.

Rarely do I enjoy experiences when humility is forced on me, either by difficult circumstances or by my own prideful mistakes. I find the majority of those experiences miserable and unpleasant. (I guarantee you they never make my Christmas newsletter.) It’s far better to humble myself under God’s hand voluntarily, as it says in 1 Peter 5:5-6.

But affliction seems to be one of God’s tools for developing humility in His people whether we want it or not:

“And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” – Deut. 8:2-3

I can’t help noticing the words of these verses. God led the Israelites in the wilderness forty years to humble them and test them, revealing to them what He knew was in their hearts. (Hint: It wasn’t obedience or gratitude.) And the Lord humbled them by letting them experience hunger before He satisfied them with a daily provision of manna.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 tells us God knew the Israelites would develop eye-opening humility through their afflictions, and He chose them deliberately. And humility taught the Israelites two valuable lessons. First, they weren’t as obedient or pure in heart as they imagined they were. Second, they needed to depend on the Lord completely—not on their circumstances or their possessions, and definitely not on themselves.

If I want to learn the same spiritual lessons, I’ll trust God even when adversity comes my way. My best response may be found in the words I remember from childhood: Eat what’s on your plate without complaining. That’s sound advice even when the plate contains a slice of humble pie.

Thursday – August 18, 2011

a little fish and humility

2011-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hoyt and I will always remember our restaurant order in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The local eatery offered three entrées. Fish seemed the safest choice, so Hoyt asked about the type of fish.

“Fillet,” answered our waiter.

Hoyt tried again. “We understand you serve fillets. We want to know what kind of fish it is.”

Once again we received a polished answer. “Fillet.”

After a third try, Hoyt gave up. We weren’t getting any more information. We hoped for the best and ordered the fish.

Sometimes God’s answers to my prayers sound a lot like “Fillet.”

Trust Me, God says. Wait on Me. Believe.

Though I rephrase my question, God repeats the answer and asks me to move forward in faith.

We often expect God to deepen our faith by giving us more information—by increasing our spiritual knowledge and understanding. Instead He grows our faith by teaching us humility. He knows we secretly trust our wisdom more than His. So He humbles us, breaking down our pride and challenging us to trust Him in the same way Hoyt and I trusted the Egyptian chef who prepared our fish.

Did Hoyt and I really need to know the type of fish we ordered that night in Sharm El-Sheikh? I doubt it. In restaurants and in our prayers, what matters most is the skill of the man in charge.

Tuesday – August 16, 2011

no Peter Pan here

2011-08-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

James M. Barrie, the Scottish author who created Peter Pan, once said, “Life is a long lesson in humility.”

Barrie knew real life is no Neverland. We don’t possess magical powers that allow us to escape fatigue or failure or interpersonal conflicts, but we don’t need magical powers. We need only the humility to accept and embrace our limitations.

Yes, I believe we should embrace, even celebrate, our limitations. Because my resources are limited, I’m drawn to my Creator—the Lover of my soul who knows no limitations except the self-imposed variety. My compassion fluctuates with my moods, but His are fresh and new every morning. My love frequently gets tangled up with my selfishness, but His unconditional love endures forever. My strength fluctuates from day to day, but His strength sustains the universe. It’s the same story in every area—wisdom, patience, joy, purpose, self-control. I have only a little (especially when it comes to self-control). God has it all. The Savior who fed 5,000 from a few loaves and fishes controls earthly and heavenly resources beyond my imagination.

On any given Monday (or Tuesday or Wednesday), life’s challenges make my limitations very clear. I could grow discouraged when life gets hard and messy, or I can rejoice in another chance to experience humility. I don’t always have what it takes, but I worship the One who does. And His Spirit lives in me.

Monday – August 15, 2011

i didn't mean to do it

2011-08-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Six-year-old Lucy Magnum was bitten by a shark while swimming off the North Carolina coast. (See my blog post for July 28^th.) A few days into her recovery, Lucy did something incredible: she forgave the shark. Why did she forgive the beast that almost took off her leg? Because “he didn’t mean to do it.”

That’s the voice of humility. Lucy may be young, but she’s old enough to understand what it means to make a mistake out of instinct, ignorance, or immaturity. I’m guessing she also understands regret for something she’s said or done.

There are many things I didn’t mean to do.

Donna the little girl – I didn’t mean to slap my sisters. (Yes, I was the bossy big sister.)
Donna the teenager – I didn’t mean to keep secrets from my parents.
Donna the college student – I didn’t mean to let my insecurities rule my relationships.
Donna the young mom – I didn’t mean to yell at my kids.
Donna the older mom – I didn’t mean to nag my kids.
Donna the wife – I didn’t mean to be critical.
Donna the friend – I didn’t mean to forget them because I was busy.
Donna the child of God – I didn’t mean to ignore Him.

Have you ever felt that disconnect between your actions and your best intentions? I can’t claim spiritual superiority over anyone because my thoughts and deeds never fully match the way I define myself. The woman my family sees and hears isn’t always the woman I want to be. I don’t always look like a new creation in Christ even though I know that’s who I am.

If humility springs from a modest opinion of my rank or importance as Webster’s says, then my awareness of God’s grace fuels humility. The more I recognize my propensity to make mistakes and let my selfish desires overrule Holy Spirit’s voice, the less I care about my rank or importance. I care only that Jesus loves me. He also loves you. Knowing everything about us, He accepts us as we are. I think that makes us about even.

Thursday – August 11, 2011

where's the humility?

2011-08-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

Humility is a rare commodity these days. Earlier this year, David Brooks of the New York Times reported on two recent surveys. In the first, 94% of college professors rated their teaching skills above average. Think about that number: 94% above average. In a second survey, 70% of high school students considered their leadership skills above average. Apparently a lot of people don’t like the idea of being average.

I don’t blame them. When I memorized 1 Peter 5:5-6 as a college sophomore, I focused on the last sentence. The verses say: “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.” For me, the best part was the promise at the end. I liked the idea of being exalted. Sounded great. The idea of humbling myself under God’s hand? Not so much.

Webster’s Dictionary defines humility as “a modest opinion or estimation of one’s own importance, rank, etc.” And a “modest” opinion, according to Webster’s, is an opinion “free from vanity, egotism, boastfulness, or great pretensions.”

Can you imagine a vanity-free office or family gathering? A club or sports team free of boasting? An ego-free church?

I’ve thought a lot about humility because I’m in the middle of a leadership transition that requires humility. I’m praying for humility because I need humility. I need to understand it, appreciate it, and live it.

So I hope you’ll join me for an extended look at humility. I can’t promise every blog post will inspire you, but where else can you read about humility? (Other than the Bible, of course.) From what I can see, humility isn’t exactly a hot topic or indispensable asset these days. And maybe that’s part of the problem.

Wednesday – August 10, 2011

Lucy Magnum teaches us all

2011-07-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Did you see the story about little Lucy Magnum, the 6-year-old girl who survived a shark attack in shallow waters off the North Carolina coast? Last week she had two surgeries to repair a severed leg artery and 90% tears of her calf muscle and Achilles tendon. I saw one interview with Lucy and her parents and read a few others online. I’m convinced this little girl could teach us all some things.

One - Lucy asked for prayer. While Lucy’s dad, an emergency room physician, tended to her injuries on the beach, she asked him if they could say a prayer. Lucy may only be six years old, but she knows prayer makes a difference. She understands that it’s okay to ask others to pray for you—to support you—when you’re scared and hurting.

Two - Lucy forgave the shark. In an interview soon after the attack, Lucy said she hated sharks. “I like dolphins way better,” she said. A few days later though, she told her dad she forgave the shark who attacked her. Her reason? “He didn’t really mean to do it.

How I wish the rest of us would extend the same grace when friends or family members hurt us. I wish we’d remember that people don’t always mean to wound us with their words and actions. Sometimes they’re reacting out of their own fears and insecurities. Sometimes they forget the appropriate ways to handle anger or confront a problem. Sometimes they lapse into old, unhealthy habits learned in childhood. And sometimes they’re just having a bad day.

Three - Lucy kept her heart and mind open. In the first moments after the attack, Lucy wondered about the future. She asked her parents, “Am I going to die? Am I going to walk?” Then her emotions moved to anger: I hate the shark. After several days and some extended conversations about why sharks attack people, Lucy embraced forgiveness. “I don’t care that the shark bit me,” she said.

Recovery is a process. Ditto for healing and grief. We may want to shut our doors tight so no one else can hurt us, but the only way to keep from getting stuck in the process is to keep the doors to our lives open. To keep listening, learning, and communicating.

Lucy is blessed to have parents who are helping her process what no 6-year-old should have to process. Most of us know someone who could help us move past pain to forgiveness. If we’re not sure who could help us, we should ask around. Referrals always aid the search for a plumber or electrician. Someone we know has the answers we need. If a 6-year-old girl can learn to forgive, so can we.

Thursday – July 28, 2011

I am finished

2011-07-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

After an abrupt staff change at my church almost two years ago, I assumed leadership of our Worship Ministry as a part-time interim. These last 21 months have been filled with rehearsals, worship plans, and a host of administrative tasks. I’ve coordinated worship services and weekly ministry activities with 60-80 volunteers. And now my interim job is over.

Last week I led my last band and choir rehearsals. On Sunday I led the choir during worship for the last time—probably for many years, maybe forever. On Monday I planned my last Sunday worship services. I’ve tried to savor each milestone at the end of this journey. Don’t get me wrong; I’m excited that my job is done. While I enjoy expressing my creativity through worship planning, I don’t think I’m going to miss all the deadlines and expectations. (Plus I don’t believe Worship Ministry is my true calling.) The milestones haven’t made me sad. Instead they’ve reminded me of God’s faithfulness and power.

At times, I wasn’t sure how I could do what I needed to do. Although I've done two of these interims in the past, this one presented the most challenges. What did I know about arranging worship music for a band or the merits of various sound boards? How could I effectively plan worship times to be led by various people with unique personalities and abilities? I would be stuck behind a keyboard; they would be out front. How could I motivate volunteers week in and week out to keep serving with passion and fresh love for the Lord?

My weaknesses are great, but God’s sufficiency is greater. And now that I’ve turned over my keys, files, and office to the new Worship Pastor, I can rejoice in seeing how God has supplied what I needed when I needed it. The right wisdom, the right resources, the right people all supplied by the Lord. He’s even sustained my health. I haven’t been sick on a Sunday in two years.

Bach always signed his compositions “SDG”: Soli Deo Gloria. To God alone be the glory. At the end of 21 months, I say the same thing. Thank You, Lord, for the opportunity to serve You and Your people. I’m very tired but incredibly grateful.

Wednesday – July 27, 2011

When I can’t find my target store in the nearby mall, I head for one of the mall directories. The large displays include both a list of all the stores and a marked floor plan showing every store’s location. Most important, the mall directory features a giant black dot (or maybe a red dot?) next to three bold words: You are here.

I like those three words. I may not like the fact that my target store is at the other end of the mall, but I like knowing my starting point. If I know where I am now, I can figure out a plan to reach my destination.

Today is one of those days when it helps to know my starting point. Although I’m looking forward to teaching a class tonight and leading my very last, maybe forever choir rehearsal (praise the Lord for our church’s new worship pastor!), I’m not excited about being sleep-deprived for two Wednesdays in a row. It happened last Wednesday because of the church’s 30-hour prayer vigil. An acceptable and noble reason, I think. But I’m tired today because I couldn’t get my brain to shut up after I went to bed last night. For two hours, it wouldn’t shut up. I tossed and turned while Hoyt snoozed and snored.

I didn’t want to be tired today, but here I am. And here is where the Lord will show me how I can do all things in His strength. Here is where I’ll flee the temptation of self-pity and look for the Savior’s promised way of escape. Here is where I’ll choose to rejoice—seeing abundant evidence of His goodness and love. Here is where I’ll abandon my selfish desires (at least, I hope that’s the decision I make) and submit to the Lord’s control. And here is where I’ll trust Holy Spirit to be at work in me.

God may be omnipresent, but I’m not. I need the Lord to tell me, “You are here,” because here is where He launches me on the journey to His will. Here is where it all starts. Here is where miracles begin.

Wednesday – July 20, 2011

prayer made me ready

2011-07-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

Last Monday morning I decided I was crazy, suicidal, or over-ambitious. I wasn’t sure which adjective applied, but I knew one had to fit. Why else would I think I could lead a 30 Hours of Prayer vigil at the church (with a six hour break for sleep and personal hygiene) and still be ready to teach a women’s Bible study when the thirty hours ended?

I was wrong. I wasn’t crazy or suicidal, although I was very tired. I thought I’d be too tired to teach, but I was wrong again. In fact, those hours of prayer lifted my spirit and prepared me to teach despite the physical fatigue. I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt so spiritually ready to share.

As I look back on a week when ministry and family responsibilities consumed my time and I chose eating and sleeping over writing a blog, I’m glad I didn’t wimp out on the 30 Hours of Prayer event. Aside from the personal joy of praying with other believers, I got to witness numerous spiritual victories. Amazement from people who had never prayed for more than a few minutes at a time. (“Are we already finished?” they asked.) Fresh confidence for people who said they’d never “done anything like that before.” Shock and delight for believers who didn’t plan to pray aloud in public (“I don’t ever do that”) but prayed aloud anyway—and more than once.

I love seeing those spiritual victories, the little “Wow!” moments when someone recognizes the awesome love and power of our Lord. Normally I look for those moments while I teach, but not last Wednesday. Because of my church’s prayer vigil, I was riding the victory wave before I stepped into the classroom. Now that makes teaching fun!

Saturday – July 16, 2011

beauty in the darkness

2011-07-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

I was home alone on July 4th, so I turned on the TV to watch the two big evening specials: A Capitol Fourth and the Boston Pops July 4th concert. (No, it wasn’t terrible being home alone on a holiday. Hoyt is at camp with our church’s students, and I got a lot of work done—a good thing after being out of town the previous two weeks.)

At the end of every July 4th concert, the Boston Pops features a long fireworks show over Boston Harbor. Their show is always spectacular. After the first few minutes of Monday night’s show, I decided to turn off all the room lights and watch the fireworks in the dark.

What a difference! Even on our old bedroom television, the colors were ten times crisper and more beautiful. I could see every flash and spark of red, white, and blue, not to mention green and yellow and purple. Except for the smoke and strained neck muscles from looking up, I felt like I was right there in Boston.

When the fireworks ended, I tumbled into bed and started thinking about other things we see more clearly in the dark. Most of us prefer to live and function in the light except when we’re sleeping, thank you very much. But some of God’s wonders, though beautiful in the day, are breathtaking at night. Stars. Lightning. Moonlight.

And what about our times of emotional darkness? Do we see anything more clearly then? I think so. Until I was lonely, I didn’t understand the 24/7 reality of Christ’s presence. When pain has overwhelmed me and tears flowed again and again, I’ve felt the Spirit’s comfort as if He were sitting next to me on the couch. When answered prayers have seemed like mirages in the desert, my Father’s patience and power have surprised me. I know so much more about God because I’ve walked with Him through shadows and darkness.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy living in the light so I can see everything going on. I like that system and plan to keep using it. But Monday night's fireworks helped me remember a little darkness is good for my eyes and my soul.

Friday – July 8, 2011

everyone can be soft play-doh

2011-07-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

I love fingering a fresh lump of Play-doh as much as the next kid, but if you didn’t know I taught from Jeremiah 18 on Sunday, you might wonder about the can of blue Play-Doh in my tote bag. Play-Doh was the closest thing to real sculpting clay I could grab in a hurry on Sunday morning. And I needed something like clay, because Jeremiah 18 is one huge word picture comparing clay in the potter’s hands to our lives in God’s hands.

No matter my sins, mistakes, and failures, God the Potter can remold my life into something that glorifies Him. That’s the message of hope and grace in Jeremiah 18:1-4. The Lord can remake something flawed into something beautiful.

Jeremiah’s message isn’t just for me though. If God can remake my life, He can also remake the lives of people I see as hopelessly flawed. And if I’m honest about believing God’s Word, I have to let that truth penetrate my thinking. I have to alter the way I see and relate to others, putting aside my own ideas and embracing the truth of God’s power to transform the hardest, most resistant atheist and unbeliever.

God can change the people I’ve stopped praying for, the ones I’ve forgotten and filed under “Not possible” and “Never going to happen in my lifetime.” Think about it. Who have you stopped praying for? Who’s on your “Not possible” list? Do you find it easy to suddenly picture them—and relate to them—as potentially vibrant Christians, passionate and sold out to Jesus? Me neither.

But if the hope of a God-pleasing life is real for me, it has to be real for everyone. Every person can be a lump of soft Play-doh in the Lord’s hands, ready to be molded for His glory. That’s what I need to keep in mind today as I head out the door.

Wednesday – July 6, 2011

it takes time to heal

2011-07-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

I fought a sinus infection for four days in between trips late last month. I felt better. I felt worse. Then I flew to Mississippi for my nephew’s wedding with a clogged head, and the infection won the battle with two stopped-up ears and lots of drainage.

The upside of being away from home for nine days while I was sick? With no classes to teach or rehearsals to lead, I had time between wedding events to rest and heal at my sister’s home in Jackson. (The downside was the laryngitis which appeared every evening, although come to think of it, my husband thought I sounded sexy on the phone. And I think the croaky voice endeared me to all the great-nieces who already think I’m a little odd because I live in Las Vegas.)

By Monday of the next week, I thought my lungs were ready to tackle regular life again. Wrong. After my sister Julie and I enjoyed a 30-minute walk on the lovely Naches Traces trail near her home, I came home hurting and wheezing. So much for being well.

I realized again what I already knew: It takes time to heal. That’s true for my body and my heart. And it’s true for the people around me. Unfortunately, I sometimes assume my friends and family members have healed from their hurts and traumas long before healing has taken place. I forget how long it takes for the human heart to heal. I may see a smiling face or hear someone’s laughter and assume everything is fine. I don’t see the hidden bruises and open, oozing emotional wounds.

My recent struggle to heal has reminded me once again why I need the Lord’s Spirit to fill me every day. Only the tender love and patience of Jehovah-Rophe will help me minister to others who are trying to get well. He reminds me healing is possible. He also counsels me that it takes time.

Tuesday – July 5, 2011

grandma and good news

2011-06-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

When I ask a friend or family member how his/her day is going, I want an honest answer. I really do, I promise. But have you noticed how answers to that simple question demand a host of different responses? Some answers require nothing more than a “Great to hear,” some prompt a sympathetic response and promise to pray (freeing us to go on with our plans), and others change our day. Like the answer I received yesterday when my sister-in-law called. When I saw Judy’s name on my caller ID, I immediately asked how she was doing, fully expecting an enthusiastic response. (Note: I arrived in Jackson, MS, the night before to attend her youngest son’s wedding.) Her answer—“I’ve had better days”—was definitely a game-changer.

Judy wasn’t calling with an update on wedding weekend plans. She called to tell me her mom (a.k.a. my husband’s mom) had a heart attack that morning. Before I left Vegas, I’d heard Helen would have to skip the wedding because she was sick and might have had a stroke in the last two weeks. Paramedics called to my in-laws’ house reported a heart attack. Judy couldn’t reach Hoyt with the news so I needed to do it. After calling Hoyt, I needed to contact my two sons (definitely a tricky task since Scott left for Zambia yesterday), my parents, and friends in my prayer network. I made calls, sent text messages, and in Scott’s case, sent a follow-up email.

Then I got another call. Hospital personnel had determined Helen didn’t have a heart attack. She had an infection instead. More calls and text messages. Another follow-up voice mail and email to Scott who can’t receive texts during his trip. Then word came that Helen had been released from the hospital with antibiotics. Final round of calls, texts and emails.

I had it easy because I wasn’t the one trying to obtain accurate info from Hoyt’s dad and the doctors or arrange for someone to be with his dad at the hospital. That job fell to Judy who surely had nothing else to do in the last 48-72 hours before her son’s wedding. But the moments spent waiting in between calls and texts and updates gave me time to think.

Our God is so awesome. In His loving care for my in-laws, He prompted Hoyt’s cousin (a nurse) to stop by at just the right time to see Helen’s problem. An upset stomach kept Helen and Willis in Roswell so she didn’t have these problems in an airport or on a plane. Though Helen’s physical problems have worried the groom’s family, distance has allowed Judy to work the phone while others tended to last-minute wedding details. The situation would have been far different under Helen and Willis’ original travel plans. And unless things change again, the Lord's mercy means my nephew won't need to associate extreme sadness with his wedding day.

I enjoyed sharing Helen’s good news (or “awesome news,” as my son Keith said) before I climbed into bed last night. I don’t know how long the good news will last with words like “stroke” and “heart attack” swirling around our conversations, but any day that starts with bad news and ends with good news is a keeper. And a day when God’s providence and sovereignty shine through every changing circumstance is always worth remembering.

Friday – June 24, 2011

more SBC sound bites

2011-06-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

Here are more of my favorite quotes from last week's Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix. Hope you find them as thought-provoking as I did.

“Christ-like selflessness is our only hope.” - Frank Page, President—SBC Executive Committee

"God never said He would build your church; He said He would build 'My' church.” – Louie Giglio

“You can only do three things with your life: spend it, waste it, or invest it.” – Rick Warren

“God blesses the unselfish church…It takes unselfish people to grow a church.” – Rick Warren

“Our Savior loves broken people.” – Lisa Harper

“I didn’t know God delighted in me. I thought He just tolerated me.” – Lisa Harper

"We have so minimized our King in our day...He is not a Savior who is begging for our casual approval.” – David Platt

“Missions is always associated with spiritual awakening. Either one can come in on the train of the other.”– Tom Elliff

“My strategy right now is obedience.” – Mike Edens

Wednesday - June 23, 2011

sound bites from the SBC

2011-06-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

I spent last week in Phoenix—first and foremost, to spend time with Scott and Dani, and second to attend the Southern Baptist Convention with my husband. I can’t remember a speaker who didn’t bless me and challenge me to a deeper commitment to Christ.

Most of you couldn’t be there, so today and tomorrow I’ll share some of my favorite “sound bites” from the SBC. I hope they’ll make you think. That’s what they did for me.

“The infinite worth of God’s holy name was validated by the infinite obedience of Jesus.” - John Piper

“God always wants to work in a way that makes it clear these people didn’t do this on their own.”- Louie Giglio

“When’s the last time you raced back to Jesus to thank Him?” - Lisa Harper

“It’s not a shame to be a small church. It’s a shame to be a small church with a small vision.” - Rick Warren

“Not one speck of dust exists apart from the sovereignty of God.” - David Platt

“The size of a church is the size of its heart, not the members in the congregation.” - Tom Elliff, President—SBC International Mission Board

“God’s ways are not subject to our judgment. Our ways are subject to God’s judgment.” - David Platt

“The hope of glory isn’t Christ and you; it’s Christ in you.” - Louie Giglio

Tuesday - June 22, 2011

what a waste!

2011-06-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

Maybe you’ve heard the TV weather guy refer to “isolated showers”? I saw an isolated shower the other day. This shower was isolated to one section of asphalt on a single street near my son’s apartment. Someone’s lawn sprinkler had been turned the wrong direction, so gallons of water—who knows how much water?—was drenching the pavement. From what I could see, not a single drop of water ever hit the grass roasting in 100+ degree temps. It was so sad: all that water wasted on a bunch of concrete that might stay wet for a few minutes but couldn’t grow anything.

I can’t help wondering how often my life resembles that misaligned sprinkler. Because Christ lives in me, unlimited amounts of love and joy can flow from me to others. I can be an incredibly effective conduit of spiritual life and power, but only if the open end of the pipe is pointed in the right direction. Toward other people. Toward open hearts. Not toward the tasks and projects that seem so urgent at the time but don’t matter for eternity.

I have to remember Christ came to save sinners. His heart is focused on people, and His Spirit works through me to focus people’s attention on Jesus. To help them know Jesus’ love. To encourage and strengthen their faith in Jesus. For me to focus my life’s passion and energy on anything less is equivalent to watering asphalt. The water looks nice coming out of the sprinkler head, but after the shower stops, the asphalt remains the same. And that seems like a real waste of water to me.

Wednesday – June 15, 2011

waiting to flip the breaker

2011-06-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

“My soul waits in silence for God only;
From Him is my salvation.” – Psalm 62:1

I’ve never tried to count all the Bible references to waiting on God, but I’d guess it’s a big number. “Wait” can be a familiar and sometimes exasperating command when I’m tempted to plunge ahead. But my refusal to wait is also a refusal of Christ’s lordship in my life. If I recognize He’s in control, I wait on Him. That's what I learned again last weekend.

During worship on Sunday morning, I handled some behind-the-scenes work for a dramatic monologue. Before the monologue, the stage lights needed to go off while an AV tech dimmed the house lights. Then early in the monologue, the script required part of the lights to come back on. The lights had to go back off again after a certain line near the end of the monologue. The sound booth crew couldn’t control those lighting changes because the stage light breakers are located directly behind the platform. So I slipped off the platform during a prayer, went to the breaker panel, and flipped the light breakers on and off as needed. It wasn’t a big deal. I simply followed my copy of the script using a handy little flashlight.

I realized later that waiting on God is much like following the monologue script on Sunday. I’m not the star attraction, and I didn’t write the script. I’m not in control of the action, but I play a vital role in the effectiveness of the production. God asks me to wait on Him—to pay attention to what He’s doing—and not start flipping light breakers willy-nilly according to my mood. I wait for His cue with my mind engaged, my ears open, and my hands ready. My role is to wait; His role is to give the cue. I guess I make waiting on the Lord a lot harder than it has to be.

Tuesday – June 7, 2011

learning submission

2011-05-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

Submission to God is a curious thing. When I submit one part of my life to the Lord, I’m tempted to assume I’m in full compliance. That's wrong. Totally and completely wrong. I can yield one area to Him, maybe my finances or a pending decision, and continue to struggle with His authority in another area.

Over the last few weeks I’ve struggled to submit to God in my writing, both for my blog and for a writing assignment due June 3rd. As I’ve prayed and waited on the Lord, He’s given me direction for the writing assignment. It’s almost finished. I’ll do final edits this weekend. My blog is a different story.

Day after day I write the word “blog” on my task list. Day after day the Lord says, “No. Not today.”

I can’t say why the Lord has stopped me from writing so many times in the last month. But I know what happens when I’m tempted to write on those days: Nothing comes to my mind. When I try to develop an idea, telling God I need to do this, I feel like a child reaching for a forbidden cookie. I look at my Father and realize I need to pull my hand back. I must leave the blog alone. I can’t be concerned with the opinions of others, because only one opinion matters.

As I said, submission to God is a curious thing. I’m not sure I’ll ever become a submission expert, but I expect to get better because I’m getting plenty of chances to practice. And you know what they say about practice.

Friday – May 27, 2011

it all belongs to Him

2011-05-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

Every time I lead a Crown Ministries small group Bible study, I steel myself for the homework in Week 2. During the second week, group members complete a Quit Claim Deed transferring ownership of all their possessions to God. Not that God doesn’t already own everything we have, because He does. But the reality sinks in when we list all our possessions on the Deed form. God owns it all, so He controls it all. We don’t get to call the shots anymore. Ownership = Control.

This morning I remembered all those Quit Claim Deeds when I read Romans 14:7-8. Paul says, “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Those last four words grabbed my attention: we are the Lord’s.

I belong to the Lord. Not just my possessions. Not just my gifts and talents, but me. My thoughts. My emotions. My desires. My capacity to make choices. That’s what happened when I surrendered my life to Christ. Everything that is Donna now belongs to Jesus, so He gets to call the shots. Ownership = Control.

I wish the Lord would consult me before He allows life’s more unpleasant events, but that doesn’t happen often. When my cherished plans for the future go awry, I tend to waste time and emotional energy by complaining. Instead I need to stop whining and start praising. I gave my life to Jesus a long time ago. I gave Him everything. Now He’s in charge, and He’s free to use anything and everything for His glory. Ownership = Control. That’s the bottom line for me today.

Wednesday - May 18, 2011

profile of a fool

2011-05-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

While researching Proverbs 1 for a devotional writing assignment, I ran across Jimmy Draper’s commentary on Proverbs. Although the commentary was published the year Hoyt and I got married (translation: it’s been around for a while), Draper’s insights are fresh and true today. I especially loved his chapter on the characteristics of a fool.

1. A fool takes sin lightly. He doesn’t consider the consequences of his actions.

2. A fool has a closed mind. She makes up her mind without the facts and holds to her own version of the truth.

3. A fool is naïve to the extreme. As a result, he falls victim to his own simplicity.

4. A fool deliberately and maliciously causes trouble. Contention is her modus operandi.

5. A fool is incredibly fickle. She’s unreliable with no sense of direction, believing one thing today and another thing next week.

6. A fool will never admit he is wrong. He doesn’t learn from his own mistakes or those of others.

7. A fool brings grief to his parents and refuses to listen to them. No explanation needed for this one.

You and I may act foolishly, but that doesn’t make us fools. Don’t be deceived, though. The world is full of fools. Do you know one or two? If so, you may want to follow Proverbs' advice and treat them like those crazy drivers we see out on the road. Be careful, and keep your distance. And for heaven’s sake, put the fools on your prayer list before they cause more trouble.

Friday – May 13, 2011

a lesson in listening

2011-05-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

A small women’s retreat at which I was scheduled to speak was cancelled this week. Not enough interest (or sufficient paid registrations to cover the costs), according to the e-mail from the retreat organizer. On one hand, I was disappointed to hear the news. I had looked forward to speaking and meeting the women from Elko. Maybe I would come home with some new friends from the other side of Nevada. And I felt sorry for the gals who had invested so much time, energy, and prayer in the event. I can only imagine their frustration.

On the other hand, reading the cancellation e-mail felt something like putting the last puzzle piece in place. The cancellation explained a lot of things from my recent conversations with the Lord.

Hoyt and I have been planning to replace my car with something newer, so we talked about making the purchase before the long drive to Elko. (I volunteered to drive to Elko from Vegas to cut expenses.) We planned to shop for cars last weekend. However, I finished my quiet time last Friday with a definite sense that we shouldn’t rush the purchase solely for the Elko trip. So we researched and looked, but nothing more. Score one for listening to God.

As I worked on my speaking notes, I sensed God telling me to stick with stuff I’d already written. Maybe reorganize the points and illustrations, but not to create something new. And not to worry about preparing a PowerPoint presentation even though I’d discussed that option with the retreat organizer. So that’s what I did. I put together three talks on fresh thoughts, fresh joy, and fresh passion by cutting and pasting from my previous work. And I never worked on a PowerPoint. Score another one for following the Lord’s guidance.

Based on Holy Spirit promptings, I didn’t turn down a writing assignment due two weeks after the retreat although I was concerned about taking on too much. I also didn’t buy new clothes for the speaking engagement, schedule a manicure, book Hoyt’s hotel with our HiltonHonors points (he was going to enjoy a 2-day Sabbatical while I was busy with the retreat), or prepare any handouts or book table materials. I wasn’t opposed to doing any of those things, but I felt I should wait. I felt like something of a slacker and procrastinator until last night when the e-mail arrived. Now I feel giddy with excitement. I listened and got it right.

I have no doubts about following God’s will when I accepted the speaking engagement or prepared my presentations. If I told you the story, you’d understand why the invitation came in His perfect timing. And in His timing, the Lord cleared my calendar. As the song says, He gives and takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Wednesday – May 11, 2011

good questions

2011-05-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

As a teacher, I value the power of good questions. They challenge me and make me think hard. They prod me to search God’s Word for insight and wisdom. They help me find truth in the jumble of thoughts and ideas I face every day.

Through my reading this week, I’ve confronted some good questions. I share them with a hope they’ll prompt some hard thinking for you as well.

What brings me joy—and why?
Why am I hesitant to share my opinion on certain topics with others?
When do I feel a little rebellious streak pop up inside me?
Am I comfortable with celebrating someone’s death?
Why am I doing what I said I wouldn’t do?
What makes praying out loud in public uncomfortable for so many Christians?
How do I give equal value to someone’s personality traits when they’re the opposite of my own? Or to go a little deeper, do I sometimes value my own personality traits above those of others?
When faced with someone’s immaturity and foolishness, why do I tend to forget my own immature and foolish moments?
And last but not least: What can I do for Jesus today? What would bring Him joy?

If you find answers to all these questions, let me know.

Thursday – May 5, 2011

covered with Mom's wisdom

2011-04-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Whenever I visit my childhood home, I try to sleep in my old bedroom. Of course, it doesn’t look the same now. Today the double bed is covered with a handmade quilt made for my mom by the ladies in her Sunday School class. The quilt lends the room both beauty and inspiration because the gals stitched their favorite “Janie” quotes in between the fabric squares. I can cover myself with my mom’s wisdom every time I pull up the covers.

I have fun reading all the quotes on the quilt and imagining how God has used them to encourage or challenge the women in Mom’s class. So here’s a sampling of the quilt quotes (and an apology if they should be credited to someone other than my mom). Maybe the Lord will use them to encourage and challenge you.

• Living expectantly is more than an attitude.
• A maturing faith is intentional.
• By perseverance the snail reached the ark.
• Obedience to God’s commands is often scary but always successful.
• Godly actions are always the result of right thinking.
• God is sometimes silent, but never absent.
• Faith will always be tested.
• When God’s forces are in action, man just sits back in awe.
• No matter what guise Satan comes in, he is not a friend.
• Delayed obedience becomes disobedience.
• Compromise is always a sign of a previous accommodation to sin.
• When God tells you not to do something, it is possible not to do it.
• Like it or not, agreed or not, God makes the rules.
• Most of us know a lot more than we obey.

I wonder if I can grow wiser while I sleep.

Tuesday – April 26, 2011

blood on my porch

2011-04-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote about the bird who kept visiting my front door wreath, thinking it was real. I said I would remove the wreath over the weekend. I meant to do it Saturday, but I procrastinated until Monday. The task didn’t go as planned though. Exhibit 1: the blood on my porch.

I didn’t see anything abnormal when I reached up to jerk the wreath off the wreath hanger. But four pale blue balls fell on the ground as the wreath came down. At first, I wondered if they were berries from the wreath although I didn’t remember any berries that color. So I turned the wreath around to look closer and found a small nest woven into wreath’s base. The blue balls were eggs—now broken and bleeding on the cement. I killed four baby birds.

I didn’t mean to spill another creature’s blood. It never crossed my mind that the bird visiting my wreath was a mother checking her nest. I never thought twice about pulling down my winter door wreath or about being careful in the process. I never imagined one simple act would spill blood and snuff out a life.

Now I wonder if that’s how some of Jerusalem’s citizens felt after hearing about Jesus’ crucifixion. Maybe they wondered how it all happened. How did everything get changed after Jesus rode into the city amid people singing and waving palm branches? The week started so well. When did everyone get so mad at him? Maybe the business leaders and pillars of the community thought it wouldn’t matter if they yelled “Crucify him!” with the crowd. It seemed the thing to do; everyone was so riled up about Jesus’ teaching. I wonder though if some people regretted their hasty actions. If they wished they could forget the memories of Jesus’ bleeding hands and feet. If they remembered Jesus’ death months later when they heard a rabbi read Isaiah 53:5: “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities.” If they eventually understood that Jesus died for their sins.

I wiped the blood off my porch Monday afternoon, but I can’t change the facts about what happened. I’m the one who spilled the blood. I’m responsible even though I didn’t mean to do anything wrong. Somehow seeing that blood has made this year’s celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection more precious. Jesus died for me. And He lives again.

Happy Easter!

Wednesday – April 20, 2011

fake vs. real: a bird's bad choice

2011-04-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

Back in January I removed the Christmas wreath from my front door (or my front screen door, to be specific) and replaced the wreath with a different one. The current wreath isn’t fancy—just some artificial pine branches intertwined with grapevines and a few artificial apples. But the wreath must not look too bad because a neighborhood bird decided to make it her new home. How do I know? The bird flies away every time I open the door.

So how does a bird mistake a fake wreath for a real tree? Probably the same way we mistake something fake and artificial for the real thing. In a world filled with generics and imitations, it’s easy to settle for a good-looking substitute. We opt for temporary pleasure rather than lasting joy, and we choose friends that make us smile instead of friends that help us mature. We seek guidance from attractive, energetic leaders rather than from the God who gave them their intelligence and abilities. We put our confidence in businesses and institutions that have proven track records of maybe 50-100 years, or 200-plus years in the case of our government, rather than in the everlasting God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And we crave the love of people who don’t always know how to love themselves rather than reveling in the love of the Creator who made us and knows all our thoughts and fears.

I’ve settled for substitutes more times than I can count, and that’s why I’m not helping this crazy bird any longer. The pine wreath comes off my door this weekend. I don’t think the bird will find a wreath of vines and fake orange berries (no green leaves anywhere) quite so inviting. I know she'll be confused for a while, but why should I help another one of God’s creatures duplicate my wrong choices?

Friday – April 15, 2011

trash turned to treasures

2011-04-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

I stopped by a Goodwill Store this morning to search for a few inexpensive Las Vegas souvenirs. I didn’t need them for myself, but I hoped to find some for the box I’m sending to my great-niece Catie. (I finished my Flat Catie journal, her 2nd grade class project, last night. The journal and souvenirs will be on their way to Mississippi this afternoon.)

Because I arrived early, the store shelves were overflowing but tidy. It’s hard to imagine the stuff and junk people didn’t want until you look through it all. I found a few items for Catie’s box plus a few for myself. A Women of Faith book with stories and quotes on joy for $1.Cone coffee filters for Hoyt’s coffeemaker for $.50. Those were good deals. One woman’s trash is now my treasure.

I kept thinking about trash and treasures after I left the store. I know what we do with our unwanted items and trash of the tangible kind. We throw it away or donate it to a charity like Goodwill. But what do we do with our emotional trash? How do we get rid of the experiences and failures we struggle to forget? The ones that linger in our memories?

In a devotion about the continual nature of salvation, Glyn Evans wrote, “The comforting thing about process salvation is what I do with my failures—I let the Master Potter mold them into something redemptive.” Romans 8:28 speaks to the same idea: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Paul knew something very precious about the Lord. When I place my failures and bad experiences in His hands, He can transform trash into treasures. Junk in my hands becomes redemptive in His hands. Isn’t that absolutely amazing?

Wednesday – April 13, 2011

what's beautiful now?

2011-04-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

While I waited for my haircut yesterday, a magazine headline (Allure magazine, March issue) grabbed my attention. It asked: “What’s Beautiful Now?” Notice it didn’t question what was trendy or fashionable. The key word was “beautiful.”

I guess I hadn’t thought about it in a while, but the world’s definition of beauty is a moving target. I know different ages and cultures value different physical features. One vision of beauty dominated Europe in the Middle Ages; another dominated the U.S. in the Age of Freedom. Another definition took over during the 1920’s and World War II. But the Allure article chronicled the evolution of “beautiful” hairstyles and body shapes during a short span of recent years, making me wonder how any man or woman can keep up with a fast-moving checklist for being beautiful. No wonder I don’t recognize all the brands and products on Target’s beauty aisles, much less the overwhelming abundance at my local Ulta store. I didn’t know I needed all those things.

I can’t keep up with all the changing beauty trends, and I don’t want to keep up with them. I don’t want to spend hours and days continually perfecting my face or my backside. I want to refine my character, and that’s why I love the truth of Proverbs 31:30: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Beauty is fleeting, and according to many people, so is the definition of beauty. But not for one unknown author who said, “I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.” So put those two thoughts together for today’s best beauty tip: Love the Lord with all your heart and smile, smile, smile!

Friday – April 8, 2011

taking Flat Catie with me

2011-04-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

Wherever I go these days, a flat version of my great-niece Catie goes with me. Not literally, of course; it’s a crayon drawing of Catie glued to construction paper. Catie’s 2nd grade class in Flowood, MS, launched their Flat Stanley Project last month. (Apparently Flat Stanley is a book about a boy who is flattened by a falling bulletin board and then enjoys wonderful adventures when he’s mailed to different locations.) Flat Catie was mailed to me so she can learn about Las Vegas. I’m supposed to journal about what I/we see and send the package back with photos and souvenirs. (I promised Catie’s mom, my niece April, that I wouldn’t include any items she would have trouble explaining to her daughter. If you’re familiar with some Vegas landmarks, you see my challenge.)

Because of Flat Catie’s silent expectations, I’ve looked at the sights around me with new eyes. Last Thursday I grinned at the painted desert critters adorning the entrance to The Springs Preserve. On Saturday I noticed the snow glistening on Mt. Charleston’s peak despite almost 90° temps in the valley. Yesterday I wondered what a Mississippi girl would think of my rock-covered yard.

I’ll mail Flat Catie back home next week, but her visit has reminded me I’m never really alone. God’s Spirit goes with me wherever I go. When I’m mindful of His presence, I see the people and situations around me in a fresh way. In a “What are You up to, God, and what do You want me to do?” kind of way. So this fun, enthusiastic look at my life doesn’t have to end when Flat Catie goes home. The Holy Spirit can transform my ordinary day into something wonderful and meaningful and eternally significant right now for one simple reason: He is here.

Wednesday – April 6, 2011

he once was...

2011-03-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

We all love seeing a transformation. The before and after. Magazines and cable TV shows are filled with makeover stories. Guess what? So is Christian history.

The apostle Paul was once a zealous, prideful Jewish Pharisee who arrested Christians and threw them in jail.

John Newton, composer of the hymn "Amazing Grace", was once an English slave trader.

Evangelist Dwight L. Moody was once a shoe store clerk--and church reject. When church leaders first met Moody, they thought his mind was so spiritually dark he would never be a clear-thinking or useful Christian.

Evangelist Billy Graham was once a wild, worldly teenager who was rejected for membership in the local church youth group.

Bible teacher Kay Arthur, founder of Precept Ministries, was once a discouraged young divorcee' who found comfort in a two-year love affair with a married man.

Christian songwriter Michael W. Smith was once a rebellious, disobedient Christian trapped in a lifestyle of drugs and alcohol abuse.

C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia books, was once an atheistic college professor.

Best-selling Christian author Liz Curtis Higgs was once a hard-drinking, drug-using radio personality who wasn't always sure how many men she'd slept with.

Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, was once President Nixon's "hachet man" and then a convicted felon.

And the ever confident, always talking apostle Peter? The guy who boasted of his loyalty to Christ? He was the disciple who denied he knew Jesus three times in one night.

He once way. She once was. Before and after. From personal failures to effective ministries. From faithless rebel to friend of God. Anything is possible through the power of Christ's love!

Wednesday - March 30, 2011

Liz Taylor teaches me again

2011-03-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

I’m not a channel-surfer by nature, but this morning I zipped through the network news shows in record time. I desperately wanted to find news coverage of something other than Elizabeth Taylor’s death.

My zeal to avoid the Liz Taylor coverage wasn’t based in animosity toward the woman. In fact, you could say I’ve had a special awareness of Elizabeth Taylor for decades. When I was in 1st or 2nd grade, I wrote about her for one of my spelling assignments. My assigned spelling word: another. My sentence using that word: “Elizabeth Taylor is getting another divorce.” So as you can see, Taylor’s personal trials helped my education. I thought she was an interesting person. But I didn’t feel tributes to her life should outweigh coverage of the Libyan air strikes, the uncertain nuclear situation in Japan, or the continuing political upheaval in places like Yemen and Syria. This morning I was frustrated with the blatant celebrity worship, so I started switching channels.

The connection between my frustration and my channel-surfing perfectly demonstrates the link between my attitudes and my actions. We all get the connection between attitudes and actions in our daily activities, but do we see that same connection in our relationship to God?

Deut. 10:12 says, “And now Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you except to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul?” Note that little word: “by.” I express my reverence and respect for God, my awe and worshipful submission, by my obedience to His commands. By surrendering to His way of doing life. By choosing His plan rather than indulging my own impulses.

My obedience to God reveals my attitude toward God. Period. It’s that simple. I can say I love Jesus, but if I don’t obey Him, my words mean little. (John 14:15) I can’t say I fear the Lord and simultaneously ignore everything in His Word.

Attitudes and actions. The fear of the Lord and obedience. I guess I should thank Liz Taylor for teaching me once again.

Wednesday – March 23, 2011

when I pray, coincidences happen

2011-03-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

William Temple said, “When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don’t pray, they don’t.”

Last Monday I prayed for guidance as I planned three worship services. I didn’t know Hoyt’s sermon topic for the morning services which made selecting songs a challenge. I knew the youth group would be celebrating their True Love Waits commitments on Sunday night, but that's all I knew.

For Sunday morning, Hoyt decided to preach on the link between our surrender and seeing God’s glory. Imagine my joy as the church family sang about giving God their hearts, minds, fears and sorrows (“Today Is the Day”) and embracing surrender (“Made to Worship”). Then they asked God to take their lives and use them for His glory (“Glory to God Forever”). Every song we sang matched Hoyt’s sermon. When I pray, God answers.

Our opening song Sunday night was “Love the Lord” with words based on Deut. 6:5 and Matt. 22:37. Imagine my surprise a few minutes later when the students stood to recite the first commitment of True Love Waits—from the words of Matt. 22:37. When I pray, God answers.

Late Saturday night I received an update on Hoyt’s sister Kathy. Following last week’s chemo treatment, her white blood cell count was dangerously low at 1.2. I called several family members Sunday morning, and they shared the prayer need with others. I asked my class, the choir, and several deacons to pray. When Kathy’s blood was tested yesterday, her WBC was up. She could go ahead with today’s scheduled chemo. When I pray and ask others to pray, God answers.

William Temple had it right. When we pray, coincidences happen. Don’t you love that about our God?

Tuesday – March 22, 2011

I forgot I had that

2011-03-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

What would you expect to find in a bathroom cabinet under the sink? Extra soap and toilet paper? Maybe some extra towels or cleaning supplies? That’s what I expected to find under the sink in our guest bathroom. So you can imagine my surprise when I found a rock climbing harness stuck between the humidifier and basket of old Ace bandages.

No surprise as to the owner; my son Keith is the rock climber in the family. So I texted Keith (at grad school in southern California) and asked if he knew he’d left his harness at home. He didn’t know, but no big deal. He said he “doesn’t use it very often.”

Keith’s harness made me think about my own stuff, especially in the intangible realm. I can’t help wondering how many of my spiritual possessions—my riches in Christ—I’ve forgotten because I don’t use them as often as I should. 2 Peter 1:3 says the Lord’s divine power has given me everything needed for life and godliness through my knowledge of Him. He’s given me everything I need. All the wisdom. All the power to forgive. All the peace during hard times. All the patience and self-control and contentment. So I guess they must be here where I can find them. Not under the bathroom cabinet, though. I already looked there.

Friday – March 18, 2011

praying is doing something

2011-03-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

Days after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, everyone I know wants to “do something” to help the victims. We all agree that’s a good thing. Banks, credit card companies, and travel rewards programs are jumping on the bandwagon to provide easy and convenient giving options. But I have to wonder if giving is the easy way out.

There is another option. When we want to do something, we can pray. Praying is doing something; it really is. And it requires more effort and long-term commitment than simply clicking a mouse to make an online donation.

Though I haven't been blogging over the last few days, I have been praying. Here are my top 12 prayer requests for Japan. Perhaps they match some on your list.

1. Stamina and strength—both physical and emotional—for the rescue and relief workers. I can’t imagine their fatigue.
2. Prompt rescues of people still buried beneath the rubble and timely discoveries of missing loved ones.
3. Prompt and safe strategies to deal with damaged nuclear facilities. Protection from radiation for nuclear plant workers and people living nearby.
4. Wisdom and clarity for government and business leaders. They face a daily onslaught of decisions.
5. Wisdom and prudence for journalists and media personalities reporting on the disasters.
6. Logistical success in dealing with everything from gas and food shortages to coordinating international assistance to handling thousands of dead bodies.
7. A continued spirit of patient cooperation among the Japanese people despite the hardships they face.
8. Fresh openness to Christ’s love and hope in the hearts of unbelievers.
9. Strategic opportunities for Japanese believers and missionaries to live out their faith through love and service plus courage to speak boldly for Christ.
10. Favorable weather conditions to aid relief efforts and management of radiation threats. Protection from the elements for those working or living outside.
11. Comfort for the grieving, and emotional peace for those traumatized by multiple stressful events. Provision of compassionate counselors for those who need them.
12. Tenacity for every Christian now praying for the Japanese. May we not grow weary in well-doing and simply move on to praying for the next disaster. (After all, how many of us are still praying for earthquake victims in Chile and Haiti or flooding victims in Bangladesh?)

Wednesday – March 16, 2011

praying for Japan

2011-03-11T15:47:00.000-08:00

I planned to share some of the stories and statistics from this week’s Impact Your World missions conference in today’s blog. Instead my thoughts keep drifting to Japan.

I can’t begin to imagine what it feels like to see your town wash away in a tsunami. To wonder where you will sleep or find food. To realize many of your friends and family members may be missing or dead. To grapple with the reality of your life, your community, and your country being turned upside down in a matter of minutes. I also can’t imagine dealing with such intense shock and fear without the comforting presence of God’s Spirit.

Today I’m praying for people in Japan. I’m asking God to guide and strengthen all those helping with rescue and relief operations. I’m praising Jesus that all Southern Baptist workers in Japan are safe, and I’m praying He will use His followers to assist and comfort victims. I’m interceding for courage and compassion as Christians become living demonstrations of God’s mercy. I’m also praying that God will be glorified as scared, hurting people open their hearts to His love.

Three days ago I talked with two groups of women about what it means to identify ourselves with Christ’s Kingdom and develop a Kingdom focus in all we do. Today is an opportunity to live out that discussion. Today we can set aside non-Kingdom concerns in order to focus on people—both the people who know Jesus and the people who don’t. Our arms and hands can’t be in Japan to help with Kingdom ministry, but our prayers can make a difference.

Friday – March 11, 2011

Impact Your World - looking back

2011-03-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

I spent the last three days at an Impact Your World Conference hosted by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. My head is full of statistics, stories, strategies, and vision for reaching people, reaching the nations for Christ. I planned to share about the conference earlier this week, but computer problems stalled that plan.

So in God’s perfect timing, here are a few quotes from the conference that are still tumbling around in my brain:

“What good are 1,000 pencils if they’re not sharpened?” – Pastor Kenny Qualls speaking about Southern Baptist church members

“Everyone at the church is for the Great Commission until the Great Commission shows up at church.” – Ron Barker (quote used by a conference speaker)

“You can’t have a big vision for missions if you have a small vision of God.” (my paraphrase) – Pastor Kenny Qualls

“Some of the new church leaders in the region are themselves former Muslim extremists...One pastor I met said the government had warned him to close his church. He refused. ‘What if they come back and arrest you?’ I asked. ‘If that happens, God wants me to evangelize the prisons,’ he declared.” – from Get Connected: Mobilizing Your Church for God’s Mission by Johnny Hunt (handout at the conference)

“I do not know what has happened, but I hope it never stops.” - Unidentified pastor speaking about a revival in the church and an explosion of new believers in India

May we never stop desiring to see how God is working! More tidbits from the conference tomorrow.

Thursday – March 10, 2011

facing reality

2011-03-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

Sin is sin. Failure is failure. We have to call it what it is and deal with the consequences. Or do we?

Several weeks ago, my father-in-law had a mild heart attack. He was hospitalized for several days. Doctors took pictures of his heart and ran diagnostics. Final diagnosis: heart attack. Then the attending doctor released him to recuperate at home until the follow-up visit with a cardiologist or a heart catheterization procedure (something he couldn’t get in his town). However, my father-in-law told someone the other day maybe he didn’t really have a heart attack. Excuse me?

My father-in-law’s wishful thinking came to mind (I think he knows the truth, by the way) when I was working on Sunday’s worship plans. Several of the songs I chose mention being freed from sin’s bondage. As Christians, we may want to massage the ugly facts about sin to make things more appealing, but we don’t help ourselves when we do. I believe that’s one reason the words of 1 John 1:8-9 are so powerful. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

I’d love to say I don't need the forgiveness and purification made possible by Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, but my friends and family would instantly call me a liar. I do sin every day, if not every hour. My proclivity toward self-centered thoughts and motives stuns me at times. How does that happen when Christ has set me free from the power of sin?

Maybe that’s why God’s grace continues to amaze me. I won’t claim His grace though unless I confess my sin and acknowledge my need. I hate sticking the “sin” label on what I think and do. I really hate it. But I guess I hate my self-deception even more.

Easter is only weeks away, so it’s time for me to get ready. And here’s what I know: Without the reality of sin, Easter wouldn’t matter. It’s that simple whether we like it or not.

Friday – March 4, 2011

the power of hope

2011-03-01T15:01:00.001-08:00

Did you hear about the new study on the power of optimistic thinking? Researchers have learned that heart patients with positive attitudes about the recovery process lived longer than pessimistic thinkers. The presence of hope makes a difference.

I believe God has always understood the power of hope. Look at the ancient nation of Judah, for example. Although God allowed the Babylonian army to conquer Judah and destroy Jerusalem as judgment for Judah’s continued idolatry and evil behavior, He never took away their hope for the future.

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God told His people He would bring the temple treasures back to Jerusalem (Jer. 27:21-22) and restore the houses and vineyards (Jer. 32:15). He encouraged the exiles to continue living with purpose and productivity. (Jer. 29:5-6). He showed them how to be a blessing even while they were being disciplined. (Jer. 29:7) And He gave incredible visions of His glory and promised Messiah to the exiled prophet Ezekiel.

We can see the same hope in Jesus’ words to Peter in Luke 22:31-32. Before Peter’s betrayal of Jesus (the betrayal Peter said would never happen), Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” My summary of Jesus’ words: “Peter, I know about the big failure coming your way. It’s really big. But I believe you’ll get past it and move on to a greater ministry among My followers. That’s My prayer for you. (And Peter, you know what kind of things happen when I pray.)” I can’t help believing Jesus told Peter about His prayer so Peter would cling to those words of hope.

We don’t have to be heart patients to claim the power of hope. We simply need to read the promises of Scripture like 1 John 4:4: “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” Now that’s positive thinking!

Tuesday – March 1, 2011

have to fix the leaks

2011-02-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

When I tried sucking on a straw yesterday morning, almost no water reached my mouth. I sucked harder. No difference. So I pulled out the straw and noticed tiny water droplets on the outside—the sure sign of a hole. And there it was, right above the last bend.

As I trashed the defective straw and grabbed a new one, I wondered about the holes and broken places in my own life. How much of God’s love never makes it through my life to other people because of the broken places in this chosen vessel? The holes could be my pride, selfishness, or fear. The labels don’t matter; the holes all have the same effect. The Lord may be pouring vast amounts of grace and mercy into my heart, but the people around me only taste dribbles. The rest never reaches them.

I can identify many reasons for pursuing wholeness in Christ, but my list has to include more effective ministry to others. Yes, I realize God can use my weaknesses and broken places for His glory. I’ve clung to the truth of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 more times than I can count. I know my inadequacies, when surrendered to Christ, provide a spacious platform where He can reveal His glory and power. But the story isn’t my weaknesses; it’s Christ’s power. Many Christians talk about past problems and addictions, but they minister to others only as they experience and share the journey to victory through Christ’s healing.

A host of Bible verses compare believers to household jars and containers. From what I can tell, vessels like cups, bowls, and pitchers (and maybe even plastic straws) are made with two distinct characteristics: the capacity to hold something valuable and openings that allow transferring and sharing. So I ask myself: What good is a leaky cup to someone in need of a drink?

Thursday – February 24, 2011

an incredible love story

2011-02-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

Several years ago volunteers for Southern Cross (a Bible distribution ministry to Chinese tourists) prayed as they began their daily work. They prayed for the people who would receive packages with Bibles and gospel booklets that day. They prayed the recipients would share the materials with others in China rather than trashing them. But a trashcan on a school playground was God’s planned destination for one gospel booklet.

For weeks Lily Wang*, a Chinese teacher working in Thailand, sat at the back of a Christian church and cried. Then one day she walked to the cross up front and cried out to God in her depression and pain, asking if He was real. She didn’t believe God heard her prayers until a student rescued a soiled Chinese booklet from the playground trash and brought it to Lily. The booklet contained the story of Jesus in Lily’s own language. The booklet answered all of her spiritual questions and led her to faith in Christ.

I shared Lily’s story with my church family as we began worship earlier this month because her story tells me so much about God’s love. Before Lily knew God, He loved her. Before she sought Him, He sought her. Before she believed, Jesus died for her sins. When she prayed, God heard. And while she was screaming at God in desperation, American volunteers were distributing Bibles and gospel booklets across town—including the soiled booklet from the playground trashcan.

You can read Lily’s whole story at http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=34540 . I hope her story will help you marvel again at the immensity of God’s love and provision. But don’t forget: He also loves you that much.

*Not her real name

Monday – February 21, 2011

the God of people you know

2011-02-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

When God spoke to Moses from a burning bush in the Midianite desert, God identified Himself rather quickly. He had to talk fast, because there’s no telling what Moses was thinking when he heard that voice call his name. (Sunstroke? Weird mirage? Maybe I was up too late last night? Is my wife’s crazy cousin playing a practical joke on me?)

What intrigues me is how God identified Himself. You can read the story for yourself in Exodus 3. God didn’t say, “This is your Creator speaking to you now” or “I am the God of the universe, maker of the heavens and the earth.” He also didn’t say, “I am your loving, compassionate Heavenly Father, the God who protected you when your mom hid you as a baby and helped you escape after you killed the Egyptian soldier.” No, God dumped all those options in favor of a simple statement: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” I’m the God of people you know.

Not that Moses knew Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob personally, although he did know his own father. But Moses knew about the Jewish patriarchs. His parents had taught him the stories of God’s chosen people. And what Moses knew about those people helped him know something about God.

Think of famous Christians from the past or present, and put their names in the phrase: I am the God of ___________. The God of Peter and John. The God of Paul the apostle. The God of Martin Luther and Hudson Taylor. The God of Corrie ten Boom and Lottie Moon. The God of Billy Graham and Dwight L. Moody. Of Chuck Swindoll and Max Lucado. The God of Mother Theresa and Elisabeth Elliot, of Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. Now think of the strongest Christians among your friends and family. When God says He’s the God of those people, what is telling you about Himself?

I can’t build my relationship with God on other people’s experiences, but their experiences can shape my understanding of His power, holiness, and faithful love. I think that’s what God was going for when He introduced Himself to Moses. He didn’t want to frighten Moses; He wanted to talk with him. To put it another way, it’s as if God said, “Moses, I am the God of all these people you know and admire. When they trusted Me, things worked out well, don’t you think? So we’re going to be fine here. And you can trust Me too.”

Thursday – February 17, 2011

am I a Kingdom Woman?

2011-02-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

A friend recently challenged me to think about what it means to be a “Kingdom Woman.” So I’ve been thinking.

I don’t know everything about the subject, but I know this: The “Kingdom Woman” label looks nice, but it doesn’t change anything. What really matters is whether I focus on Christ’s kingdom in my heart and mind. And how I arrange (and rearrange) my daily priorities reflects that focus more than anything.

I had a full page of personal and church tasks on my agenda yesterday. But I put those on hold long enough to e-mail a prayer request to the gals in my Sunday morning Bible study. I asked them to pray for Erica (or is it Erika?), a woman I’ve never met, and her 2½ year old son, Jackson. While visiting his non-custodial dad on Sunday afternoon, Jackson’s high fever triggered a massive seizure. He stopped breathing for 3 minutes and was airlifted to the nearest large city. The doctors were running tests on Jackson’s brain yesterday while his young mom worried about his health and keeping her job. His mom isn’t a believer, but two Christian co-workers (including my sister) have been talking with her and encouraging her. They've been praying she'll become part of Christ's family.

I’ve always marveled at the way Christians will hit their knees to pray for missionaries and strangers. Yesterday was no exception. Within five minutes, I received this reply from a girlfriend: “I’m praying right now!” Others prayed too.

It didn’t take much time to send the e-mail about little Jackson, but it was important for me to prioritize intercessory prayer for a stranger over planning four worship services. And for a few moments, I knew I was a kingdom woman.

Tuesday – February 15, 2011

the winds are coming

2011-02-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

I planned to write a blog post yesterday after I finished next Sunday’s worship plans. Instead I spent the afternoon and evening on my knees on the floor. Paintbrush in hand and face covered with ventilator mask and goggles, I resealed the grout on the last half of the 500+ square feet of tile in my house. Saturday.

It’s a long, boring story. My bright idea: Have the tiles professionally cleaned and sealed to save time and labor. The results: The cleaning damaged a lot of grout so we couldn’t go ahead with the professional sealing. Hoyt redid the grout on Friday. I resealed the first half of the grout on Saturday.

I didn’t want to spend yesterday sealing grout, but local weathercasters predicted strong winds for today. And I needed the ventilation of open doors and windows for my repair project. So I had a choice to make on how I’d spend my Monday. I’m glad I finished the project yesterday, because the weathercasters were right. The winds roared into the Vegas valley early this morning.

Don’t you wish you knew when life’s strong winds were coming your way? Don’t you wish you could tackle some big projects—health and money problems, damaged relationships, spiritual renewal and maintenance—and get them behind you before trouble arrived? But we don’t get advance notice for life’s emergencies. We know strong winds will come; we just don’t know when. I spent part of today reading a friend's new book about surviving her husband's cancer journey. She never saw it coming.

So maybe we should shelve our previous plans for this week and tackle some of those big projects. Trust me, it feels good to be ready when the gales arrive.

Tuesday – February 8, 2011

tuning my piano

2011-01-31T10:49:00.000-08:00

I’ve been working this morning to the sounds of my piano being tuned. Wayne has tuned my honey-colored friend for more than 20 years, and he says I have a well-made instrument. But a quality instrument still demands maintenance.

After 20+ years of piano tunings, here’s what I’ve learned:

--Pianos lose accuracy in pitch over time.
--If my piano strings aren’t adjusted correctly, I won’t hear the right sounds when I press the keys.
--If the pitch is off even the tiniest bit, the music sounds different.
--Trained ears can hear tiny discrepancies in pitch. However, most people only notice pitch problems once they’re really bad.
--Pianos lose pitch when they’re not used much and when they’re used a lot.
--Environmental conditions like humidity can accelerate pitch problems.
--If pianos are played regularly, they need tuning more often.
--It’s almost impossible for a poorly-constructed piano with vulnerable strings to stay in tune. Devotion to quality construction always shows.
--You can’t start tuning a piano by tuning the keys to each other, because you may be tuning to the wrong pitch. Wayne starts by tuning one key—one string—to a fixed, accurate pitch.
--I can take time to have my piano tuned (book the appointment, stay home while it’s done) or suffer through increasingly inferior sounds. It’s my piano, my choice.

I see lots of similarities between my spiritual life and my piano. Maybe you see them too. And here’s one more: Wayne tunes pianos all over Las Vegas. He may tune my old Baldwin this morning and tune a shiny baby grand in a hotel showroom later today. Guess what? No matter how beautiful or impressive the instrument is, Wayne tunes it the same way he tunes mine—one note at a time. And just knowing that makes me smile.

Monday – January 31, 2011

wasting time on fears

2011-01-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

When I walk around my neighborhood for exercise, I don’t like walking the east end of the loop. During winter months, that end of the neighborhood is often shady and cold. A breeze of any kind accelerates my shivers. I realize I don’t live in the snow zone, so let me say I am appropriately grateful for the opportunity to walk outside without slipping and sliding over ice. But I don’t enjoy a cold, runny nose when I’m burning calories. So the closer I came to the east end this morning, the more I braced myself.

Guess what? As I turned the corner, I greeted warmth instead of cold. For some strange reason, the east end of my neighborhood loop was sunnier today than any other section. I dreaded the cold for nothing.

Has that ever happened to you? We fear or dread something that might happen—something we’re convinced will happen, and our dread colors all our emotions and actions. I noticed a story about this in 2 Kings 6-7. When the Aramean army laid siege to Samaria, life became worse than miserable. The Israelites saw no way could God save them. Parents jumped toward cannibalism; the king threatened to kill the prophet Elisha. Everyone lost hope. Then God caused the Arameans to “hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army,” so they packed up camp and fled. The Arameans didn’t see a chariot or smell a horse. But they heard familiar battle sounds and jumped to an understandable yet completely incorrect conclusion that Israel’s allies had launched a counteroffensive. In the end, fear drove people on both sides of God’s plan.

So I have to wonder what fears drive my actions—for no good reason. How often do I waste time dreading something that never happens? How often do I, just like the Arameans, respond to situations based on fears rather than facts? That’s not how I want to live. How about you?

Thursday – January 28, 2011

God is working behind the scenes

2011-01-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

As I studied 2 Kings 5 last week (it was my turn to teach yesterday), God reminded me of the many ways He works behind the scenes in the lives of unbelievers. 2 Kings 5 may not sound familiar to you, but maybe you’ll recognize this name: Naaman.

A military commander in ancient Aram (now Syria), Naaman was the poster child for successful unbelievers. However, he had one small problem: a skin disease. The story begins when Naaman hears about a prophet in Israel who can cure his skin disease. When he comes to the prophet Elisha for help, Elisha tells the commander to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman isn’t keen on the idea at first, but he does it. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 times down into the water. When he stands up the seventh time, he is 100% healed and ready to trust Elisha’s God. Naaman is so grateful he takes some Israeli soil back home with him so he can worship Israel’s God with sacrifices and offerings over the right dirt.

Naaman’s encounter with God might look like a one-day thing, but it wasn’t. Before the road trip, God was already working out of view:
1) God gave Naaman great success in his military battles. (2 K 5:1) That success put Naaman in a favorable position with his king—a key to Naaman gaining permission to travel to Israel, an enemy nation.
2) God allowed Naaman to experience a physical need that drove him to seek help in Israel. (2 K 5:1) The Bible doesn’t say for sure, but I’ll wager Naaman had tried other remedies in his own country. He hadn’t found a quick fix though, giving God an open door to his heart.
3) God used a young servant girl’s conversation with her boss, Naaman’s wife, to direct his attention toward Elisha. (Every Christian female can take encouragement from that truth: God uses girl talk!) The girl was working in Naaman’s home because she’d been kidnapped from her home in Israel during a military raid. She had every right to be angry and bitter, but she wasn’t. Instead she showed faith and compassion by mentioning Israel’s miracle-working prophet to her mistress. And Naaman’s wife took her comment seriously and passed it on to her husband who also took the comment seriously.

Why does Naaman’s story matter to us? Because it reminds us, among other things, that God is working in the lives of unbelievers. He is drawing them to the Savior as it says in John 6:44. We may not see what God is doing as we pray for friends and family, but that doesn’t mean He’s sitting idle. God Almighty is in the process of answering prayers every moment of every day. As in right now.

You know that unbeliever you’ve been praying for? Keep praying. Naaman found God through a road trip to get medical help. Another testimony that nothing is impossible with God.

Monday – January 24, 2011

oh, yeah! God's in control

2011-01-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

My January seems to be full of surprises. The latest? My husband will now head back home to Roswell this Sunday. We were in Roswell just 2½ weeks ago for his dad’s 90th birthday celebration and didn’t expect to make another trip so soon. However, his dad had hip replacement surgery last week, and no one else is available to go and help with his dad’s care next week. (In past years, Hoyt’s mom would have handled the tasks alone, but her mental abilities aren’t what they used to be.)

I was working on Hoyt’s airline reservations last night when I experienced my own mental lapse. Hoyt confirmed the trip with his family in the morning, but he never found time later in the day to book his tickets. By the time we checked on available flights last night, the best flight—the one we’d seen at 7:00am—had sold out. The only flight left puts him into El Paso at 9:30pm Sunday, far too late to start the 3½ hour drive to Roswell. Which means spending the night in nearby Las Cruces with family members and driving to Roswell the next day, delaying his aunt’s planned return to her home on Sunday evening and shortening the time he’s available to help. Even worse, I realized Hoyt couldn’t use his frequent flyer ticket for the remaining flight. We would have to pay the last-minute price. Talk about frustrating! I walked away from the computer in a huff, muttering under my breath.

And then I remembered: Oh yeah, God is in control. You would think someone who’s taught the Bible for years and years would always remember this simple fact. Not so. I wish I had a good reason for my forgetfulness (my sister-in-law claims “chemo brain”), but I don’t. It was an all-too-common lapse. I forgot God is sovereign over unavailable flights, undesirable schedules, and every interruption that comes my way or, in this case, Hoyt’s way. Once I remembered, I stopped muttering and started smiling.

A pastor friend likes to say, “God’s got this.” I like that statement. I don’t know how the Lord will work through these wrinkles in Hoyt’s travel plans for His glory, but I trust Him to do it. In the end, I guess it doesn’t matter what words we use to acknowledge God’s providence. It matters more that we remember it.

Wednesday – January 19, 2011

more words to think about

2011-01-17T19:45:00.000-08:00

Once I fall asleep at night, I lose total control over my mental processes. (That’s why last night’s dream featured the astonishing revelation that actress Julie Andrews had joined the volunteer team for my church’s Food Pantry Ministry. No paparazzi at the church so far, thank goodness.) But daytime offers a great opportunity to focus my thoughts on reality. Lately I’ve been thinking about some of the tidbits I underlined in Steven James’ book Sailing Between the Stars. I’m using some quotes in my Joyful Sounds newsletter (currently a work in progress), but here are some excerpts still circling through my mind. I hope they’ll color your thoughts for the next 48 hours or so.

“Old age is determined not by a hardening of the arteries, but a hardening of the heart.”

“We are far worse that we would ever on our own admit and loved by God more deeply than we would ever dare to dream.”

“Could it really be true that I am infinitely more precious to [God] than he is to me?”

“One of the greatest, most universally consistent failures of humankind is the attempt to reach enlightenment by trying harder.”

“The stuff of our souls is not the stuff of our dreams, yet that’s all we can build with if we rely upon ourselves.”

“Fasting certainly has its place. So do tithing and prayer and contemplation and all the rest of the practices of the church—as long as we don’t start to rely on them to do anything other than show us our need for Jesus. They’re road signs; he is always the destination.”

“No matter how hard I try, I’ll never become the kind of person a deity would admire. Maybe that’s what meekness is—finally realizing that.”

“Life is both more full than you’d ever expect and more empty than you can imagine…And once again, Christianity offers the reason why: God offered wonder, we chose pain, and now our world is woven with both.”

“Those who find contentment with God are the wealthiest people of all. They can never become poor because no one can ever take away the things they treasure most.”

“…God forgives me not only for the wrongs I’ve done but for wanting to keep doing them. That’s where grace really hits home—when my will wants to wander, and I know it, and he knows it, and yet he still loves me.”

Happy Thinking!

Monday – January 17, 2011

perfect timing - two years later

2011-01-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

When I left town right after Christmas, I was exhausted. Not depressed or discouraged really. Just tired—physically, mentally, and spiritually. So when I started to pack some reading material for the trip (other than the January issue of Writers Digest which I’d carefully saved for the flight out), I prayed about what to take. I wanted something that would refresh me inside and out without having to take a three-day nap or spend time meditating by an ocean or waterfall, none of which was going to happen at my in-laws’ home. And I didn’t have time to go to the library or a bookstore to look for the latest title that would thrill my soul.

That’s when I spotted Sailing Between the Stars squashed in a stack of books under my bedside table. I bought the book from a clearance table at least two years ago because I’d enjoyed Steven James’ teaching at a writers’ conference. But I never cracked the spine until this trip. I mean, the book is subtitled “Musings on the Mysteries of Faith.” That never seemed like a particularly urgent topic to a woman on the go.

You guessed it; the book was exactly what I needed. Isn’t God’s ability to answer the simplest prayers amazing? Steven is funny (I knew that already), so I laughed a lot. Who wouldn’t laugh at a chapter titled “Joy on the Front of My Pants”? And I lingered over his stories and insights about God’s love, joy, and grace, reading and rereading them before underlining them so I could find them later. Then I read the first half of the book aloud to Hoyt during the drives between the El Paso airport and his parents’ home in Roswell. (We didn’t have time to finish the book, so Hoyt’s on his own for the final chapters.)

Yesterday I told my friend Kristy about my experience in finding the perfect book. She immediately picked up on the way God provided for my need two years in advance. She’s right, of course. He is Jehovah-Jireh, the God who sees and provides. Sometimes at the last moment as He did for Abraham, and sometimes two years in advance as He did for me.

Friday – January 14, 2011

waiting without demands

2011-01-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

As January rolls toward the midway point, I’m sure many of my out-of-town friends are wondering why they didn’t receive a Christmas letter from the Savages. Again. For the second year in a row. They’re asking what happened to Hoyt and Donna. Did we get sick? Move to Timbuktu? Stop being their friends? Ditch all our old habits and traditions?

Most of those friends don’t know December was insanely busy for us. Again. Despite my best intentions, last-minute tasks overwhelmed us. I had to quickly sort out priorities, and a holiday letter didn’t make the cut. Then Hoyt and I left town right after Christmas for 12 days in New Mexico and Louisiana. I never had time during the trip to draft a Christmas letter, much less reflect back on 2010.

But here’s something else my friends don’t know. Now that I’m home, I plan to write a Christmas—oops, make that a New Year—letter as soon as I finish a few tasks already underway. (Laundry, planning next Sunday’s worship services, writing my Jan.-Feb. ministry newsletter. Stuff like that.) I plan to do a family newsletter, complete with current photos, but I’m doing it on my own schedule. I know most of our friends won’t care about the delay. They’ll be glad to hear from us whenever it happens.

Our holiday newsletter saga reminds me how often I wonder about God’s delays in answering my prayers. I question why He’s not doing what I want or expect Him to do. But I forget how much I don’t know. I don’t see what He is doing. I don’t see His plan or His schedule, only my own.

When it comes to my love for God, I’ve realized I need to be more like my holiday letter recipients. More gracious and open. Enjoying the relationship, not measuring it. Trusting the love. Waiting without demands or criticism. That’s what friends and family do for each other. And that’s how I want to love my Lord.

Monday – January 10, 2011

giving meaning to our stuff

2011-01-03T16:39:00.000-08:00

What gives the stuff in and around your home meaning? Does it mean something to anyone but you?

Author Stephen James says our stuff gets its meaning from the stories behind it. Examples: My parents bought my blue and brown ceramic vase in England. My sister gave me an ancient black-and-white photo of her and me as a bridesmaid gift. My husband jumped a fence near Lake Tahoe to get the gigantic pinecones I display every autumn. But without the stories, those items have no significance. The vase isn’t going to win me a spot on Antiques Roadshow, and only my family members would recognize the two little girls in the picture. And the pinecones are…well, they’re pinecones. I could head back to Lake Tahoe and get more.

I thought about James’ comment today while dealing with my in-laws’ stuff. My project: Taking down the Savage Christmas tree. At my home, the ritual of packing and unpacking tree ornaments always triggers special memories of beloved friends and family members. But packing my in-laws’ ornaments didn’t stir any heartstrings. I don’t know the family stories, so to me, the ornaments look like all the other ones at your average yard sale.

The point of my musings? Our stories are important. We don’t have to be writers to tell the stories that invest meaning in all the stuff around us. We only need time to talk and a commitment to share our heritage.

On a normal day, my father-in-law (90 years old tomorrow) moves from project to project without breaking stride. But he’s been nursing a broken hip since Thanksgiving. Guess what he’s doing now that he’s sitting around every day? Telling stories to anyone who will listen. About his childhood in rural Oklahoma. About growing up in a large family and the pranks his older brothers enjoyed. (They once switched all the babies in their blankets during a nighttime church revival service; everyone took home the wrong kid.) About the old house where my husband grew up. About building and furnishing the house where he and Grandma live now.

Of course, I haven’t heard any stories yet about the Christmas tree and ornaments. But I’m listening.

Monday – January 3, 2011

all of me loving God

2010-12-28T15:35:00.000-08:00

I spoke about God’s incredible love gift—Jesus Messiah—twice on Christmas Eve, so I guess it’s no surprise my thoughts keep turning back to God’s love. I think about His love as He revealed it by sending Emmanuel, God with us. I meditate on the consistent, unfailing nature of God’s love and its incredible power. He showered His perfect love on imperfect people in messy, imperfect situations. I’m amazed when I consider how God loved me before I knew Him. How He keeps loving me no matter what I do.

And all those thoughts about God’s love make me wonder about my love for Him.

Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:29-30) “All” is a big word. Most days I don’t come close to loving God with all of anything. Instead my devotion resembles a Christmas recipe: 1/2 of my heart and soul, 1/3 of my mind, and a scant 1/4 of my strength. On an average day, the only person getting all of my attention is me.

As my week barrels toward the end of 2010, I can’t think of any new year’s goal bigger and better than loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. So I guess that’s where I’ll start 2011: Loving God with all of me. Loving the things He loves. Loving the people He loves. And hopefully bringing Him glory in the process.

Happy New Year!

Tuesday – December 28, 2010

adorned by friendships

2010-12-21T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hoyt and I didn’t have money or Christmas decorations as newlyweds, so we improvised. We stapled long strips of cheap green and red wrapping ribbon to our apartment walls. As Christmas cards arrived in our mailbox, we taped the cards to the ribbons. We literally adorned our home with the love of friends and family.

Years later I still feel rich because I have friends and family who love me—and it’s not just because I love the closing scenes of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” During this Great Recession, I’ve watched people lose jobs, homes, and bank accounts, but they haven’t lost their relationships. Not with God, not with their friends. The love remains even when the money is gone.

As I count down the last few days ‘til Christmas, I’m giving thanks for the people in my life. Some of the relationships aren’t easy. Some drive me to distraction; some drive me to my knees. But they all enrich my days and weeks as God uses each person to meet my needs and transform my character. And when the Christmas decorations all come down sometime in January, I believe the love of friends and family will continue to beautify my home and my heart.

Tuesday – December 21, 2010

a purpose-filled day

2010-12-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

People will begin arriving at my house in one hour. The Christmas tree lights are on, and a wintergreen tablecloth is ready for our guests. The plates, napkins, and flatware are perched on my kitchen island which was covered with mail and papers about thirty minutes ago. The spiral-sliced ham should reach room temperature about dinner time. Oh yes, and the hall bathroom is clean thanks to my industrious husband. Now I wait…

I enjoy days filled with purpose, but today had purpose with or without errands, shopping, and a dinner party. In 31 Days of Praise, Ruth Myers wrote:

“How grateful I am that You have linked me to the greatest possible purposes, the highest of all reasons for living: to know and love You…to show Your love to other people…to glorify You…and to enjoy You now and forever. What an honor!”

When the holiday rush is over and the calendar flips to January 2011, I hope to start each day with the same sense of expectancy I feel today. My sense of purpose should be defined by Christ living in me, not the size of my “to do” list.

Thursday – December 16, 2010

Christmas carol questions

2010-12-15T01:01:00.000-08:00

Can you name your favorite Christmas carol? Here’s the tougher question: What’s your favorite phrase from your favorite carol? I’ve found we sometimes sing familiar carols by remote control; our mouths form the words but our minds are somewhere else. As a result, we fail to ponder the questions raised by these well-known songs. Here are some questions on my mind this Christmas. Maybe they'll trigger some questions for you.

From “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”:
---From what fears and sins can Christ release me?

From “O Little Town of Bethlehem”:
---What blessings of heaven does God impart to human
hearts?

From “O Holy Night”:
---How has my soul felt its worth since Jesus came?

From “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”:
---Have I invited Jesus to cheer my spirit and disperse
the gloomy clouds?

From “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”:
---Have I joined the triumph of the skies?

From “Joy to the World”:
---How much room does Jesus have in my heart?

Tuesday - December 14, 2010

See Joy

2010-12-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

During last night’s worship rehearsal, I concentrated on playing the notes of “Good Christian Men, Rejoice,” not singing the words. I wish I’d paid more attention to the words.

In Christ in the Carols, Christopher and Melodie Lane shared these thoughts about the ancient carol: “To rejoice literally means to ‘see joy,’ or to be delighted. The joy that this song asks us to see is Jesus…No matter our circumstances, Jesus, our joy, is ever present, never changing. Therefore, we will always have reason to rejoice.”

As I dash from place to place, project to project, this December, I have endless choices for where to focus my attention. People. Shopping. Worship plans. Decorations. Gifts to be wrapped and mailed. But as my eyes dart from task to task, a familiar Christmas carol challenges me to rejoice by seeing joy.

So here's my prayer during the two hectic weeks ahead: Open my eyes, Lord; I want to see Jesus. For when I see Him, I will see joy.

Thursday – December 9, 2010

permission to make mistakes

2010-12-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

Does anyone enjoy making mistakes?

Not me. Not most of my friends and family. But we all make mistakes, enjoyable or not. Thank goodness, some mistakes slide under the radar. No harm, no foul; we keep moving. Other mess-ups make a bigger splash with effects that linger for weeks or months. Or years.

In a television show I watched last weekend, a dad told his son, “It’s okay to make a mistake every once in a while.” I jerked my head toward the TV when I heard that line. A child needs permission to foul up? I thought mistakes were part of being a kid. You try things, seeing what works and what doesn’t. Mistakes are part of figuring out relationships, maturity, and life. The more I thought about the dad’s statement though, the more I realized permission to make mistakes can be a good thing. We can give that permission to each other and ourselves whether we verbalize it or not. Or maybe we just need acceptance of our propensity to make mistakes—and a bigger grace allowance than “every once in a while.” Think of all the changes and growth we would miss without those mistakes.

Despite my best intentions, I’m not marching through December in a super-organized manner, at least not according to most holiday checklists. Some people would say I’ve made several strategic mistakes. And I haven’t aced everything in the relationship arena either. Oh, well. I’ve given myself permission to make those mistakes and a bunch more. I don’t need to stress out over them or let them define my holidays. My mistakes don’t have to limit my joy. God sent Jesus to be the Savior of the world. If I didn’t make mistakes, I wouldn’t need a Savior.

Tuesday – December 7, 2010

what's more important - crisis or comfort?

2010-12-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

Talk about contrasts. Two hours ago I heard about one of the newest electronic gadgets: i-Pod speakers for a dog. (Do you ever wonder who thinks these things up?) The speakers reduce the music’s decibels to a level comfortable for a dog’s sensitive ears so owner and pet can enjoy the music together. The cost for this canine gizmo: a mere $300.

Then I read an update on relief efforts in Pakistan. More than 13 million people have been impacted by floods earlier this year with the loss of homes, possessions, crops, and livestock. The United Nations estimates as many as 3.5 million children are at risk of contracting deadly water-borne diseases. Relief workers are fighting an uphill battle against continued rains and landslides. Earlier this week, several relief agencies noted that charitable donations to the Pakistani relief effort have lagged behind responses to other worldwide disasters like the Haitian earthquake—another place where people feel lucky to live in a tent.

So we can buy i-Pod speakers for the family dog or give to help people in crisis. Is this really a hard decision?

Friday – December 3, 2010

grief and generosity

2010-12-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

I didn’t own a piano when Hoyt and I first moved to Las Vegas. I hadn’t played in eight years, so there was no need. After I inherited the church accompanist role—a feat determined not by my piano skills but by my willingness not to run away mid-song when I made mistakes like the former pianist, I had to practice at the tiny storefront where our church worshipped. Not an easy task with a young preschooler crawling and toddling around my feet. That’s when I began praying for a piano.

God answered my prayer through a woman in our church. Her mother died in early December; her father died a few weeks later. Soon after Christmas, our friend offered to sell me her parents’ piano for a small price because she knew how much I needed an instrument at home.

Yesterday Hoyt and I received word of a death in a church member’s family. When I walked by my piano a little later, I remembered how I got my instrument. During a difficult double-whammy of grief, my friend took time to think of someone else and be a blessing. Years later I continue to reap the harvest of her generosity. Grief and generosity may not go together in every situation, but isn’t it wonderful when they do?

Wednesday – December 1, 2010

The Whole World

2010-11-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

How many times have you prayed to know God’s will?

Hard question to answer, isn’t it? I can’t remember all the times I’ve asked the Lord to show me His will in one area or another. So I love finding clear answers in the Bible. Don’t murder. Don’t lie. Worship God alone. Love others as yourself. Those statements don’t give me ambiguity, only different possibilities for obedience.

Today I found another clear insight into God’s will in 1 John 2:2: “[Jesus] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” Why did Jesus’ death atone for the sins of the whole world? Only one reason I see. God loves the whole world (John 3:16), and He wants everyone to believe in His Son and find eternal life. Everyone is a big word. Everyone includes the flood victims in Pakistan and the war lords in Afghanistan. Everyone includes the leaders of the Colombian drug cartel. Everyone includes rapists and murderers and child molesters. Everyone includes confirmed atheists and hardened skeptics. Everyone includes my neighbors.

If God wants the whole world to be saved and I want to align my life with God’s will, then I’ll embrace the cause of world missions. I will pray, I will give, and I will serve. One day Matthew 24:24 will be fulfilled: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to the nations, and then the end will come.” In the meantime, God’s will for me (and you) includes two words: Reach everyone.

Tuesday – November 30, 2010