Jentezen Franklin Revisited

I heard a sermon last Sunday morning from a favorite pastor, Jentezen Franklin. He's on my "bucket list" of things to do before I die, mainly because he preaches with passion and he puts his money where his mouth is. Anyway, he preached this amazingly simple, 3-point sermon about the Wise Men, but there is one part I want to share today.

This is Christmas, and our focus should be on the greatest gift ever given: God's Son. He gave Him to us, knowing that it would result in unimaginable suffering on the Cross not too many years later. So what do we need to remember as we encounter Jesus at Christmas? After the Wise Men visited him and gave Him the best gifts they had, they left and traveled a different way home. When we encounter Jesus, we should travel a different path. We should be changed by Him, and every step we take after that should be different . . . by a different route, if you will . . . because we have met Him and been changed by that meeting. If you have met Jesus and not been changed, sit down tonight, tomorrow, and in the final days of 2010 -- meet Him again, because He desires to meet you, know you and transform you from the inside out. He wants you to love Him supremely, love yourself as He loves you, and then love others the way He does. To do that, we simply can't be like we used to be. We need a new path, a new journey. Allow your meeting with Jesus to send you along your way on a different road . . . a road of blessings and grace. You won't be sorry.

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve, and as I sit here to write, trying to stay warm, I can't help thinking about a few things. First of all, it sounds like such a cliche, but we have so very much for which to be grateful. Sometimes I have to remind myself that there is more to celebrate than to grieve, but then my whole perspective changes. So maybe you're like me and you need to talk yourself into a celebration today. It kind of sounds like this . . .

I didn't hope to be battling so much cold weather so early this winter, but I have a warm house, warm food, and a warm heart. I am blessed so warmly. I didn't expect my daughter to be living with us again, but she is making positive moves for her future, she is helping me around the house, and she is reconnecting with good people in good ways. Tonight we will attend a Christmas Eve Service together . . . her idea . . . and I am blessed. I expected our precious church to be growing numerically by now . . . it is not, but I am surrounded by people who love the Lord supremely, and my praise team led in incredible worship last Sunday night. We also hosted Palmetto Missionary Baptist Church as our guests, and their presence put a smile on my face. We are blessed to have the right to worship God in whatever way we desire. I lost my computer to a terrible virus three weeks ago, but my son has a computer I can borrow, and I have enjoyed the time away from the keyboard. (I miss it now and I'm ready to blog again!) I have had some interesting health issues in 2010 . . . a hysterectomy, allergy problems . . . but today I am healthy, and the allergy shots seem to be working! Hallelujah! My father just turned 83, and he is healthy . . . wow! This is my 31st year of teaching, and I had hoped to be retired by now, but I am so blessed to have the most wonderful students imaginable, and I love my co-workers and my school.

This list could go on and on . . . for every single negative that I could mention, there are positives that outweigh the bad every single time. And here's the big one: I have felt under attack by Satan in a mighty way in the last month. He has hit me repeatedly, trying another varied attack when the last one was not successful. He has attacked my attitude, my health, and my mouth (he won there a few times, but no more!), and now he is trying to get me to doubt God's promises, but here's what I know: this trying time has brought me closer to God. I have sought Him and His strength, and I have developed a hunger to be closer and closer to Him. With every victory, I have celebrated God's strength, and when Satan continues to come after me, it gives me a very quirky joy: if he is so worried about me, God must be up to something incredibly good in my life. I want to be a woman that causes Satan to shake in his boots every time my feet hit the floor, every time my mouth opens to praise God, every time I do what God expects of me. I want to be standing in the middle of God's will, celebrating every moment in which He allows me to serve Him.

So my advice to you on this Christmas Eve? Stay positive, look forward to every day, love others the way God loves you, and do everything you must do or choose to do as unto the Lord. If you need to see it in print, make a list of God's blessings, and put it on your refrigerator and your bathroom mirror. Read it every day, and add to it each evening before going to bed. Thank God for every single gift, and ask Him to continue to bless you in ways that are "exceedingly and abundantly" bigger than you can ask or think! You won't be sorry!

Merry Christmas!

It's Advent, and God Is Calling!

There are two big things on my mind this morning as I sit down to write. Both of them are so obvious, and yet we miss them on a daily basis. So indulge me . . . just in case you missed these two "A-ha" moments as well.

God calls us every day. He calls and calls and calls. He doesn't get frustrated and fall into despair when we don't answer. He just comes up with another way to draw us close to Him. I'm sure you're thinking, "Well, that's not exactly profound." But here's why my neurons are firing: we get bent out of shape with our children when we reach out to them and they don't respond in the way we want, or they choose to spend time with friends and boyfriends and well . . . anybody other than us. I felt this strongly when my girls were teens. Everybody and everything sucked them away from me, and I allowed myself to be frustrated. We also find ourselves a little empty when our friends are too busy for us or our spouses disappear for one more golf game or one more hunting trip. And yet, we do the very same thing to God. We put things in front of Him, above Him, and in place of Him, and we expect Him not to be disappointed. We let our earthly idols . . . Christmas shopping, watching television, going to ballgames, and hundreds of other passtimes . . . keep us busy -- too busy to put God front and center in our lives. Isn't it amazing? We get it when we are the ones who are disappointed, but we totally forget that God simply wants a personal, loving, fatherly relationship with us. He wants the first fruits of our time, our energies, our love, and our devotion, and when He comes first, so many of the other things seem so small.

Second sticking point this morning: Christmas is about Jesus -- pure and simple. We can spend our days and our pocketbooks making it about something else, but it's about Jesus. I get tired when I hear people complain about their busy schedules in December . . . one more party, another casserole to cook, more gifts to buy . . . but the answer is so simple: do it all as unto the Lord. Remind yourself every day that we are in the season of Advent, and if you check your Latin (I'm a vocabulary geek . . . sorry), ad means "to" and ven means "come." Advent celebrates Jesus' birth because He chose to come to earth for us, and it anticipates His second coming. Advent is also a time when we desperately need "to come" to God. We need to seek Him every morning and throughout the day. We need to examine our schedules and remove the things that are not urgent, refocusing our attention on the One for whom this whole party is happening. We need to celebrate Him in our hearts and minds and with our praises every day because, in the words of a favorite song, "He Came Down." He didn't have to do it. God didn't have to gift us the precious gift of His only son, but He did. What amazing love!

My prayer for myself, my family and friends, and all of you is that this Advent season will be one of joy, love, hope and peace. When you begin to feel yourself slipping into "busy-ness" and starting to complain about the wrapping paper and the fact that you ran out of tape, go to Wal-Mart for more tape and be intentional about spreading Christmas joy while you are there. Be kind to everyone you meet, especially those who are not kind to you. Reach out to others who desperately need a touch of love and kindness. Take a meal to a person whose job has been lost in this recession, or offer to purchase gifts to help a family that is struggling. Love people the way God loves you. I promise you that this Christmas season will be the best if you just keep your eyes on God, allowing Him to nudge you into worship, praise, and action.

As a final note, I had a chance yesterday to share kindness when I really wanted to get frustrated. I had to call the IRS about a letter they sent to me. I had just sat down in Atlanta Bread Company to relax and have a quiet cup of coffee when I opened the dreaded letter and felt I had to call, so call I did. I was on hold a very long time, but the gentleman who helped me was patient and we resolved the issue at hand. Just as we finished, I felt a strong nudge from God to thank this man for the very difficult job he does every day: dealing with people who would rather not talk to him. I can't remember all that I said, but I know that when I finished, we shared holiday greetings and ended our call. Not a big thing, but it's not always the big things that matter at this season. He knew that I am a Christian because it came up on my W-4 about working in the church, and we discussed the nature of my work. God quietly reminded me to be more than generous in my thanks and praise for this man who does a thankless job. Maybe it was the only "thank you" he got yesterday, and I'm glad it came from me. As you journey through Advent and feel a nudge from God Almighty, slow down enough to be kind, letting others know that as Christians, we love them with the love of the Lord.

Blessing to you at this Advent season!

5000 . . . He really did feed them all.

I was reading this morning from the book of Mark, and as happens to me often, I read an old story but saw new things. This happens to me a lot at school . . . in fact, today I read the ending of an incredibly good novel, Tears of a Tiger. I've read this book at least two other times, but today, just like in Mark, I saw something brand new. Well, back to Mark, when I read today, what I saw was overflow. I read the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, and I usually think about how amazing it was that He took a tiny amount of food and multiplied it to feed what constituted an army of people. But this morning I saw more: I saw God's overflow. I saw the leftover food, the baskets of food, the overflow of God's abundant blessings. I don't know about you, but I need to believe in that tonight.

Life around me looks meager and there simply doesn't seem to be enough to go around. The economy is still disastrous, and the power bill isn't shrinking much, but God is a God of overflow. He's a God of abundance . . . a God of more than enough. When we lay our needs and worries at His feet . . . like the disciples in their worry about feeding the tired, hungry people . . . and we bring Him what little we have, giving it in faith, He creates overflow. Baskets and baskets of overflow. We just need to do like the people who followed Him did: we must run to Him, anxious to hear His teaching and be close to the One who can do more than we can ask or think.

Tonight I'm going to run to Jesus and sit at His feet. I want to see Him clearly, touch the hem of His garment, and trust that "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want."

Run to God and be blessed.

Obedience

This is going to be to-the-point --- I'm more than a little tired, but there is something so important to say. God is so amazing, and He is in pursuit of us on a daily basis, but it's not because it's about US. It is not about us. It's about Him. My, and your, gifts and blessings are given by God because He will be glorified, not because it's about us.

We live in a world in which everything is centered around US . . . what can this church do for me, how can I benefit from this situation, what can this group offer me? But God says the opposite, which is so awesome. It's not about me; it's not even about what He has done for me except for the fact that I am able to allow everything He does for me and through me to reflect His glory!

Look at the stars and worship Him! Look at the harvest moon, and know that He is God! Look at the Bible . . . study it with passion and hide its words in your heart . . . and know that He is God! Let Him use you for His kingdom and His glory --- let Him work through you to do things you could not possibly do without Him, and know that He is God!

I am weary tonight . . . weary of those who dismiss Him, those who take Him lightly, those who don't love Him with the passion He deserves. I am weary of cynics who don't believe He still matters. Tomorrow I will be better. I will see the cynics with God's eyes and love them with His love. A good night's rest and a morning of prayer always bring back my God perspective, but tonight I am tired. Just tired enough to say to God, "Your strength is perfect when my strength is gone. Please carry me." And He will. He is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent God, and He's still in charge.

I'm In the Middle!

Wow . . . I haven't written lately . . . life has been awesome but VERY busy with great things. I've been helping out with Chrysalis weekends and I spent last weekend at the women's Emmaus Walk. Good stuff. But in the midst of the good stuff, I've been battling some questions, and maybe you're in a similar battle, so I thought I'd share.

Recently I've been asking God a big question: what next? In a couple areas of my life, I'm just wondering if He is trying to move me on to the next thing, preparing me all the while so I'll be ready when I get there. Well, lately, I've let the "not knowing" frustrate me all to pieces, and earlier this week, things hit a fever pitch. My heart is right; I just want to be where He wants me to be, and I surely don't want to miss what He has in store. Anybody relate? Scared to move and scared to stay because I just can't afford to get this wrong. And always good for a message . . . here comes Joyce Meyer, and she never disappoints.

This morning she said a lot; in fact, she said so much that I was scrambling to take notes, and I had to listen again after work on my computer. And she said two simple but critical things: 1) I'm just not smart enough to figure this out. 2) I must have experience with God. Okay, now I know she didn't mean that we're stupid. What she meant is that our best human "smartness" will never give us the answers we need; we have to depend on God's wisdom. And where do we find that wisdom? In His Word and in our prayers. In Psalm 25:14, it says this: "The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them." In Proverbs 3, verse 6, it says, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." So it sure seems like He will give us the wisdom we need if we fear God and acknowledge Him in all our ways. And then there's the experience with God.

I believe we need to think back to the times that God has held up His promises from His Word in our lives. Those experiences give us confidence for the the future He has in store.

So where am I tonight? Well, I really believe I'm in the middle of something, and when we're in the middle, waiting to get to the other side, we need to keep doing what God would expect: study, pray, reach out to others, be faithful in all things. Tonight I thank God for the voice of Joyce Meyer, reminding me of things I already know, but every now and then, I need a nudge. Thank you, Joyce!

Talking About Prayer

This is a postscript to yesterday's blog, so to really appreciate this, you'll have to read the other one first.

Remember I said that I was discouraged and tired, but God sent me a message? Well, there was more to the story that I failed to write . . . I think my brain suffers from being too saturated! Anyway, last night I sat down to study and read, and out of nowhere, I remembered something critically important, so I'll have to flashback a moment for you to appreciate how cool this is.

I am serving very soon on an Emmaus team, a group of women who are preparing to serve other women on a religious journey. One of the things we do to prepare for our service to the women and God is to pray for each other faithfully, each day praying for one specific team member and one need of the weekend. Well, as I sat down yesterday, I remembered that the name on the calendar for yesterday's date was mine! I grabbed the calendar to make sure I wasn't mistaken, and I wasn't. All day there had been women praying for me; what grace! As I attempted to process the events of the day and the way Satan came against me, I know this: he was after me, trying to create a sense of darkness because he knew full well that God's intercessors were busy on my behalf. He can't stand it when we are making a difference for God's kingdom, and he wanted to neutralize the prayers of my dear sisters, but in the words of my students, "I don't think so! Not today!"

So the point? Pray, pray, pray, putting on the full armor of God for protection. Read His Word, listen for His voice, and trust Him to take care of you. Pray for yourself and your own needs, and pray for others who need to be lifted up. It absolutely makes a difference.

God Shows Up in the Strangest Ways . . . Even in My Checkbook!

It's been an interesting day. Anybody out there? An interesting day. And God, as He does so well, showed up at the exact right moment, not too soon and not too late. But the funny thing? He showed up in my checkbook. Let me back up . . . a little flashback here.

Not to bore you, let me just say that today was one of those days when Satan went on the attack. And let me just say that there have been a lot of those days lately. In fact, early this afternoon, I found myself thinking the absolutely ridiculous thought that maybe I'm just too tired to keep fighting him. Now, I know better. After all, this is The Tenacious Life blog, right? I know better. But today things came to a head. He loves to discourage me where my church is concerned, and he was working overtime on that one yesterday. He also loves to hit me hard with my children, trying to convince me that God is not in charge. Well, today he attacked, and attacked, and attacked, and I knew I had to reach up to God and defeat Satan once and for all, at least for today. So, as one of my Tenacious Life tips suggests, I headed out to ride my lawn mower. I find a lot of peace there, and I often feel a strong connection to God as I focus on nature and on the peace of riding in the sun. As I was talking to God and riding, I saw something on the ground, and I almost didn't stop to pick it up, but changed my mind at the last moment. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather . . . it was my checkbook . . . not just any checkbook, but one that I lost last December and for which I have been looking for nine months! There it was, just lost in the grass. Now you need to know that I cut the grass on a regular basis. That checkbook was not there a week ago, a month ago, or even a day ago. And do you know what that checkbook cover said? "For I know the plans I have for you, . . ." You know the rest . . . plans to prosper me and not harm me, plans for a hope and a future. Good old Jeremiah. But better than that . . . faithful God. He knew I needed to hear that scripture, and He might as well have given me an audible voice today. I knew immediately, without question, that He was sending me a clear and powerful message: I am still in charge, Jean, and I have plans for you and yes, for your children. Enough said.

I can't tell you that the day was perfect after that, but I can tell you this: some things happened that called on me to be strong and to trust God with my words and the people I love most, and I trusted Him. I could have found that checkbook on any other day, but as usual, God's precision made sure I found it at exactly the right moment . . . the moment when I needed to hear His voice and know His strength. And as usual, I was amazed and humored by His choice of methods. A checkbook that has worried me because I was just sure some identity thief had found it when I dropped it during Christmas shopping, and I have been waiting for the "shoe" to drop ever since then. And all this time, it was right here somewhere. Now, I haven't figured out where it was, but I suspect that my precious Belle -- my yellow lab -- found it somewhere and dragged it to the front yard. See, God uses the funniest things, even my lab who is in a new season of chewing and dragging everything in sight, including Figaro, the cat! And there's another lesson in this: just like my checkbook that was here all the time, well, God is always here. Sometimes I can't feel Him, but He is here and faithful nevertheless. I just need to keep seeking, asking, and knocking, and He will answer. Today He even wrote me a check!

Too Good to Explain

This is going to be short and to the point. Actually, I have a lot to say, but quite honestly, today has been so good that I don't think I can do it justice, so let me just say this: when we spend time with God, doing what He says even when we don't feel like it, talking to Him, trusting Him, looking to Him -- not our idols -- for every single thing, He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ask or think.

Today, I obeyed. I felt His nudging that the day would contain a miracle, and I expected it. The miracle came. Just that simple. Just that clear. More to come later. Right now, I just want to relish in His goodness.

Be tenacious. It's worth it.

Shhhh . . . Just Be Quiet!

I've had my daughter's dog, Cindy, for the past couple of weeks, and Cindy has "had" me. She greets me as soon as my feet hit the floor at 5:00 A.M, and she trembles with anticipation until I pour my first cup of coffee and head to the door. When I pick up her leash, she is beside herself with excitement, and once the door is open, she literally drags me into the yard . . . all 20 pounds of her. At this time of year when the early morning weather is perfect and the night sky is incredibly stunning, I love our early morning walk, and I am grateful to Cindy for making me go outside instead of sit in my "study" chair. And yes, there is a point to this mundane story. . .

As Cindy and I have walked in these past weeks, I have been repeatedly awed by the wonder of the night sky, and these walks have become more than Cindy's morning constitutional; they have become my time with God. I have greeted Him, talked with Him, and praised Him for everything imaginable . . . for the beauty of nature, for the constellations (I can only pick out three . . . remedial astronomy is needed), for answered prayers, and for His love. But this morning, the walk took on new life: it became worship. I have had worship on my mind a lot lately because I think too many people in the church have lost their sense of worship, and it is the very thing for which we are created! We come to church thinking someone is supposed to "feed" us or that we will be entertained, but this is the farthest from the right motive; we should enter God's house and God's world to worship Him. And this morning as I gazed at the sky, I worshiped God in beauty and holiness. It was quite a moment. But there's more.

Last night, two of my daughters and my precious granddaughter, Olivia, came home for dinner with the family. Olivia is three months old, and she is just starting to "talk." Now, we know not to talk baby talk to Olivia because we want her to learn language . . . after all, language is what I do as a teacher! But Meredith said something interesting: she read somewhere that we should ask Olivia questions and then wait on her to answer. Interesting process for a three-month old, but I've been doing it, and guess what . . . when I talk and then hush, she talks back! It's amazing! Of course, I'm sure it's because she's a genius . . . :) But I'm not exaggerating -- when we spoke to her and asked questions and then closed our mouths long enough for her to respond, she did . . . every single time! And that made me think this morning about God . . .

How many times do we go to God in prayer and then WE do all the talking? How many times do we ask Him for things and then never hush just to listen for His still, small voice? How many times do we miss His incredible nudging in our day because we never get still and quiet enough to feel Him and know His presence? This morning, I got that message loud and clear. I walked, and talked, and then? I just walked and listened. What an awesome way to start the day!

No Fear

Has anybody noticed that Satan can be both consistent and creatively crafty at the same time? Well, let me share, just in case you haven't noticed because to fight Satan, we have to recognize his tactics, and he's got some seriously ugly tactics.

Point #1:
When Satan wants to get to me, he almost always attacks me in the night. This has been consistent throughout my walk with God. Satan knows that in the night, I can't call my friends and ask for prayer, and he also knows that in the dark of night, things always look worse than they really are. So he is consistent in shooting his fiery darts when I need to sleep, and last night was no exception. I am a recovering worrier. In fact, I should start a group called "Worriers Anonymous" because it is something I have fought all my life, but in recent years, I've had tons of victory over worry because I have fought back with God's Word. But still, Satan tries now and again . . . one more time . . . to see if he can get me to worry . . . worry about things that I might have done wrong, worry about things that could happen, worry about what other people think . . . worry. Now, I know it's a waste of time, and I know that God's Word is clear about worry: it does absolutely no good, and in all honesty, it shows my lack of trust in God. So I fight back with scripture; I fight back with prayer; I fight back by remembering all the times God has brought me out of situations. I fight back with a well-balanced, sound mind. And when I do this, God always provides.

Point #2:
When Satan is not winning in the normal areas of attack, he finds a new place to pierce my heart, and today is no exception. I rarely worry about anything at school. I work hard, love my students, pray over my school days, and I don't worry, but Satan is creative. Yesterday was the first day of school, and he came after me with a vengeance, keeping me from getting a good night's rest and putting a spirit of fear on me. I recognized it as Satan, and I should have gotten up right then and there, in the middle of the night, to pray and claim God's victory, but I was tired. I lay there and let him bother me until finally, at 3:50 A.M., I knew I had to go to God's Word. And did I find answers? You bet, I did! Over and over in the Bible, it clearly states that God did not give us a spirit of fear, and yes, fear is a spirit, but it's not from God. It is an evil spirit sent by Satan to steal our confidence in God and therefore, destroy the effectiveness of our witness and our prayers. So like a good soldier who prepares for battle, I got up and put on the armor of God this morning. I covered myself in His Word, writing it down in my journal and reading it over and over. I prayed God's Words back to Him, and I went boldly to His throne, asking for complete peace and calm. I reminded Satan that he has no power in my life because God is in control . . . not me with my weaknesses, but God -- the Almighty, the Creator, the Protector, and Provider! He not only gives me His armor, but He walks with me in every battle, and He walks with you, too. He knows Satan will attack, and He is ready to defend and protect.

Point #3:
When Satan comes after me this strongly, I know that God has great things in store. Satan prowls around like a roaring lion, trying to destroy what God is doing in His kingdom, and when he sees great things about to happen, just like an evil warrior, he plans his very best attack. Pure and simple. But the truth is simple, too: he will lose.

So what do I know as I go to work today? God is with me, He has great things in store for my life and for this school year, and He is faithful to protect and defend me against the attacks of Satan. My job is to be faithful and refuse to give my confidence away. My job is to stay close to my Defender, God Almighty. My job is to trust in His Word and His guidance, not wavering, because we read in the book of James that God will answer our prayers, but we cannot be double-minded or uncertain in our thoughts. We must claim God's love and believe that He has a future and a hope in store for us, and He is faithful to His Word.

So if you're under attack, do as the Psalmist did: praise God for your trials! Yes, praise God because He works everything for good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Be called by God, and trust in his provision this very day.

Today Is the Day

Well, today is the day . . . the day that has lived in my thoughts for the last few weeks: we have Open House at school today from noon to 7:00 P.M. Our excited students will enter the building, both nervous and giddy with anticipation, waiting to see their new teachers and their old friends. They will wonder what we are like, and our first impressions are urgently important. I will smile, hug, and comfort both sixth grade parents and children today as they seek to transition into middle school, a big scary place. I will welcome back old students who will return to me this year for round two. I will be a willing diplomat and caregiver because I love this day! I love assuring parents that I will adore their children and care for them with intentionality. I love looking every student directly in the eye, allowing them to see my honest desire to know them, appreciate them, teach them, and love them. God has allowed me to be a tiny part of this mission field, and I am both humbled and grateful, but this big day is not all that is on my mind this morning.

Oh, the joys of Facebook! My nephew sent me a message last night, asking if I had some kind of surgery. He must have seen something on FB that made him wonder, so he called my dad, but my dad couldn't remember. N ow, we've talked multiple times every single week since my surgery, but he couldn't remember that I had it. Now, I'm sensitive enough to know that in recent weeks as I have spoken to him, it has been very clear that his memory has taken a downward spiral in the last year, but not remembering the surgery? That struck me deep in my core, and it made me think this morning about the precious gift of memory.

In my toughest days, I use my memory to recall the times when God has been clearly visible in my life, when He has answered my prayers, when He has given me victory when I could not possibly win on my own. I recall scripture verses that give me strength, and I cling to them. But what if I reach a day when I can't remember those things? What happens then? Let me go ahead and say that I don't have a clear cut answer for this. I know that I will continue to read and study God's Word and create new memories, new ways of holding on . . . but I guess what I want to say is this: thank God this morning for your memory. It sounds odd, but it's what I'm going to do as soon as I finish this blog. I'm going to thank Him for allowing me to read His Word and remember it; I'm going to thank Him to allowing me to remember the times He has enabled me to live the tenacious life; I'm going to thank Him, too, for always remembering me. Every now and then, when I feel out on a limb, I remind myself . . . thank goodness for memory . . . that God never forgets me. He knows my name and cares for the things that concern me. Wow . . . what a good thing to remember because guess what --- today is the day the Lord has made! Let's rejoice!

Out of Pocket

So sorry! I have been out of pocket for a number of reasons recently, most good reasons! I've been recovering from surgery, and though I thought I'd have tons of time to get things done . . . like blogging . . . I found that the days were filled with way too many distractions. FYI: I've been so very blessed. My hysterectomy recovery has been incredibly good, and I am already back at work, which brings me to today's thoughts.

I have enjoyed this summer for myriad reasons, not the least of which has been that I've had to sit still and enjoy it . . . yes, be still. That's so hard for me, but I learned how to do it at least a little better than in the past, and it reminded me that God tells us to sit still. We read in the New Testament about Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus, while Martha prepared the meal. Well, we who usually feel like Martha sometimes get frustrated with Mary. I mean, really! It must be nice to sit while the meal is fixed and the house is cleaned, but Jesus reminds us that Mary chose the better thing. Sitting still at His feet. We also read in scripture that we are to "be still," and know God. In the Message, I believe it says, "Step out of the traffic." Don't you like that idea? This surgery has surely forced me to step out of the traffic of life, slowing down and doing more watching than driving, both literally and figuratively. Stepping out of the traffic also makes me think of getting out of the way of a pace that often goes so fast that we can't think carefully or make wise decisions. Sometimes it's hard to step out of the traffic and slow down, isn't it? But God expects us to find a way.

I started back to school yesterday, and in the words of my dear friend, Jean, this mission of ours owns us from early August to early June. It eats our hours, our mental energy, and our physical stamina; we go in early, stay late, and take work home on weekends and children's problems home in our hearts. We watch ballgames, meet with parents, and spend time planning for tomorrow . . . always planning for tomorrow. Last year I promised myself that school would definitely not eat away all of my hours, but my dedication to my career and the children I love changed that. So how do we find a balance? How do we "step out of the traffic," and sit still at the feet of Jesus when life is rushing all around us? Well, we make choices. For me, it means getting up earlier to spend time with God. It means using my commute to listen to Christian podcasts and K-Love radio. It means writing and studying at night instead of staring at TV. It means choosing to be in charge of my life, and like Mary, I am going to choose to sit still at the feet of Jesus.

My prayer for your days is that you will choose the better part; join me in choosing Jesus.

Marriage: A Task for Tenacious Living

Well, I can't believe how time has passed, but today I have been married to my man for 21 years! It seems like yesterday that we put our "Brady bunch" family together, had an "ours" baby, survived the teen years . . . and now, almost an empty nest. My, how things have changed.

Well, since it's my anniversary, this will be short and to the point. I have some marriage advice to share . . . not that I have all of the answers, but I have learned some things over the last 21 years. 1) Be kind when you don't feel like it. It's amazing how kindness disarms people . . . even your spouse! 2) Never give yourself an "out": in other words, don't say to your spouse or yourself, "Well, if we can't work this out, I guess we'll just call it quits." Ask yourself instead, "What part can I play in making this situation better or solving this problem?" Now, I'm not talking about tolerating abuse . . . that's a different story, and I'm grateful to say that I haven't dealt with that one. I'm just talking about normal, marital difficulties. 3) If you have children, set aside time with your spouse . . . "date night," if you will. Children who watch their parents enjoying and loving each other will not suffer from the time you take to be together. They will be blessed, and they will learn how to be a partner. 4) Finally . . . there are a million more but I need to cook an anniversary dinner . . . be a praying spouse. There is nothing . . . not one single thing . . . that you can do that has more power than prayer. I pray for my husband, thanking God for him and praying for strength for our marriage. I pray for problems to be solved. I pray for our time together to have value. Pray for your spouse and with your spouse . . . and when God is invited into the union, things will be very good!

Way Too Fascinated

Okay, I might be getting ready to step on toes this morning, but I'm at the end of my rope with what TV calls "news." I've been home a lot lately . . . hysterectomy and lots of rest . . . and I've had an "a-ha" moment: the news anchors and gossip channels obsess about the same things day after day, hour after hour, but they wouldn't do that if the American public didn't crave private information about people's lives. Need proof? I promise you I can share.

This morning, as I'm waiting for my favorite TV pastor to come on, I flipped to a morning news show, and what are they discussing? The Clinton wedding. They are following that poor girl into her gown fittings, following mom into clothing stores, and strategizing about how they are going to get the first picture of Chelsea coming down the aisle after her vows. Seriously? Did these people not get that they ARE NOT INVITED? It seems that in this country, we have totally lost our minds when it comes to minding other people's business. Remember the Britany Spears fiasco? I felt so sorry for her. She was a young mom, making mistakes as all of have done, but the whole world was watching and criticizing. Could I have handled that? I think not. Then think about Mel Gibson. Now I know that He supposedly has done some things that absolutely stomp on our sensibilities, but again, is their business our business? Have you ever done anything in your marriage or relationships that you really wouldn't want to become public knowledge? I sure have, but their problems have become a public frenzy, and again, it makes me sad.

But here's the gigantic "a-ha" that is looming in my mind this morning: if we, as a people, would choose to be as obsessed with our God as we seem to be with public figures, think how we could change the world. God says clearly that if His people, who are called by His name, would pray, then He would heal our land, and I think we sure could use some healing today. He also says that we are to love others the way we love ourselves. What incredible things we could accomplish for His kingdom if we took that command seriously, being totally in love with God and then daily transferring that love to the people with whom we come in contact! My goodness, if every Christian took this to heart and did it, our spheres of influence would start to look and feel different. But . . . for that to happen, we have to take our eyes off things that aren't our business, things that don't matter eternally, and focus our eyes on the One and Only: God.

So my prayer today? Let me keep my eyes on the places where God would have me focus. Let me seek Him first, love myself because He loves me, and then love others with a passion. Sounds like a good day to me.

I Think I'm a Slow Learner

I have decided, after doing some reading today, that I am a very slow learner. I never thought of myself like that, but I've changed my mind, and the proof is in my journals. Since March of 2006, I have been writing in a journal. I started out just writing scriptures because Joyce Meyer said that we all need to write down scriptures in "longhand" in order to truly internalize them. I believed her, and nine journals later, I'm still going. It has changed my life and changed my faith journey, and I am glad that I listened to her advice and challenge and took it to heart. So what does this have to do with my learning curve? Well . . .

I have been preparing for a women's retreat. This is a first for our very small church, and I'm excited to say that we will have around 12 women participating in an overnight SOW experience . . . Sisters of Worship, that is. As I began to prepare, I remembered some notes I once took when listening to Beth Moore on TV, notes that would help me as I led a portion of our study. So yesterday I began digging back through my journals from the last year, trying desperately to find those notes. This morning I started looking again, and there it was . . . May 2009 (I have a pretty good memory when something hits close to home!). Well, the notes are exactly what I needed, but what I noticed while while searching was my "a-ha" moment: over and over and over I've written some of the same lessons -- lessons from devotionals, lessons from sermons, lessons from TV pastors, and conferences, and Sunday School lessons. Over and over I saw a pattern of Biblical teachings, and so today I'm asking myself a question: why in the world did I not get the lesson the very first time I heard it? Why didn't I say to myself, "Wow, that's important, and I'm sure glad I won't have to deal with that one again,"? But I didn't. It's the nature of our humanity, and I'm just glad that God kept sending the same messages until I got them!

Just last week, Satan tried very hard to bother me, attacking in the same spot in which he loves to attack when I'm vulnerable, which is the middle of the night. He loves to send me into a time of worry, and I've really worked hard to learn that worry is useless, and I don't have to worry when I trust God. So that night, I got up, went to my latest journal, read something I had written the day before about not giving away my confidence, and I prayed. After that intense time (at 1:25 A.M., BTW), I was able to trust God and sleep. Well, when I looked back through those five journals this week, guess what lesson I saw repeatedly? Don't cast away your confidence. Well, duh! When I wrote that lesson last week and journaled accompanying scriptures, I would have bet the farm that it was the first time I had written those verses in this context, but NO. Not so. So now, the question is this: do I beat myself up for being a slow learner, or do I praise God wildly for being so patient and willing to send me His Word at the right time for the right situation? Well, I might be slow, but I do know the answer to that one, and I am surely praising God!

Slow Days . . . Not My Style!

Yesterday my pastor preached about slowing down and sitting at the feet of Jesus. Boy, did I feel totally convicted! (I think he was picking on me!) I had major surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago, and I have not been very good at sitting still. Everyone says,"Enjoy this time. Make people wait on you!" but I guess I'm just not wired that way. I am a "worker-bee" and I really don't feel good about resting quite so much, but God sure has spoken to me during this time.

God expects us, like Mary (as opposed to Martha), to sit at the feet of Jesus, a place of learning and worship. He expects us to put Him ahead of everything . . . even cleaning the kitchen! Don't get me wrong: I don't love cleaning the kitchen, but I'll admit that I love being able to look at it when it's clean . . .walk through it without getting my feet dirty . . . see an empty sink. Too often I let my "to-do" list control me and my day . . . I love my "to-do" list . . . anybody relate? I adore checking things off the list when I've completed them, and to completely finish an entire list? That's the stuff of which dreams are made! Okay . .. . here comes the big admission: if I do something that isn't on my list, I add it to the list just so I can check it off. Sick, I know, but here's the thing. I was raised in a world that promoted the Superwoman syndrome, and I bought that lie lock, stock, and barrel. I still struggle with it, and I want to do everything and do it well, but guess what, girls? Not possible. I can do a lot, but not everything, and usually, when I try to do too much, things are rarely well done.

So what have I learned during this recovery period (that isn't over, BTW)? The world doesn't end if I sit still. Really, it doesn't. My house has not crashed down around me, and nobody has stopped being my friend just because my vacuum hasn't been out of the closet in two weeks. My children still seem to like being here, even though my bed isn't made and the laundry has been in the basket for days on end. And do you know what else? When I put God ahead of those things . . reading His Word, sitting in His presence, talking to Him without stopping to wash the dishes, I find Him there waiting for me. He listens to me, changes my day in ways only He can, and blesses my life. He is so very good to us, and I, for one, let "the list" get in the way of the relationship from time to time, but guess what? He has forgiven me . . . repeatedly . . . He loves me, and He's still waiting on me today. So when I finish this blog, guess what? I'm going to sit in His presence and enjoy the fact that I can. I'll say a prayer for all of us . . . the over-achievers of the world who struggle to let things go and just let God be in charge. No other idols before me . . . not even the laundry!