40 Words for 40 Days: Day 18

Hello friends, 

    On this 23rd night, I offer the word DELIGHTFUL. Now let’s pause right here and think of something DELIGHTFUL...got it?

    Is it a favorite beverage, piping hot from the first sip? The purr of your furry friend, or perhaps a tail wag? Good news from inside your family or from a friend? A green light when you expected red? The sunset? A book or a movie that ended perfectly? Awakening just in time for the sunrise, stretching golden over the horizon? Once we call something DELIGHTFUL, so many other things step in line to express the joy they bring.

Mine is this, 10 months ago, after 415 days of living apart by necessity, Dennis arrived home! All last year, every chance he’d gotten, he’d come to visit, but he’s finally here to stay! The DELIGHTFULness of being together as a family again comes after a long, hard year of separation. Good things are sweeter when the road’s been long in getting there!

    One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:4-5, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; and he will act.” God is faithful!

    I came to Idaho with the kids, because God answered our prayer of opening up a new chapter for everyone, with room for our mothers to join us. It was a crazy move, orchestrated by God. DELIGHTFUL things are worth the wait, that is one of many lessons we’ve learned.

For now, DELIGHTFUL fits me/us and I hope you’ll find that in some way, it fits you as well! And in our DELIGHT, let’s praise the Lord, from whom all blessings flow!

    Goodnight! God delights in you, see you tomorrow!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 17

Why Hello There! On this 24h day our word is TRUST.

    Zion is 13. He is 5’10”, broad shouldered and a sturdy weight. His 7th grade football coaches loved him. Why? Because he’s devoted, teachable and trusts them to lead. Last season after a rough game, as he drew off his helmet and wiped his brow, after a loss of 24 to 7, he said, “Only two linemen, me and our quarterback didn’t give up. Everyone else did, half-way through the game. The thing is, Mom, I never look at the scoreboard or the quarter we’re in. I just play hard until the end. The same way as always.”

    I knew at his word that I’d share this tonight. Isn’t that the way we all should live? Devoted, teachable and trusting, yes, but also with our eyes fixed on the task before us, without distraction or fear. Nothing is over until it’s over!

    Last season, at the end of Emmaus’ 8th grade football game, there was .01 seconds left to play and the game was tied. Confusion mounted at an interception by the other team, with a possible mistake by a referee, but the player ran the play anyway, making a touchdown that counted!

Nothing is over until it’s over!

    I absolutely love the scriptures from Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

    Everything is God’s. The sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, the blades of grass that sparkle at the first hint of daybreak...all his! Nothing is over until it’s over...and it’s over when God says so! Trust Beloveds. Trust alongside me. You can be the quarterback, I’ll be a lineman and even at .01 seconds, we’re on the same team, and God is the coach that cannot lose!

    Tomorrow I’ll be back, with fun news to share!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 16

 Hello! Tonight, on this 25th day, our word is GRACIOUS.

    On a night several years ago, Dennis’ phone rang at 2:00 a.m. There’s nothing unusual about this occurance in the life of a heart surgeon, but a unique situation unfolded. A nurse had done a foolish thing and he didn’t mince a single word in his response. I shuddered, wondering how I’d feel if I’d been on the other end of that phone call. He hung up, still fuming, while I lay silent beside him. After a few minutes of what I knew was wakeful worry, he said, “I must call her back and ask forgiveness for my anger, don’t I?” I answered quietly, “Yes,” as I breathed out a sigh of relief.

    I’d often remarked to Dennis at how GRACIOUS he usually sounded in the wee hours when calls came in saying, “Maybe you’d be awakened less if you sounded as exhausted as you are.” That night I understood the sheer willpower exhibited by my husband to choose graciousness even when his spirit was worn thin.

    We must learn to be GRACIOUS. Our Savior paid the ultimate price of crucifixion to exchange his holy life for our sinful ones. His death is our bridge to heaven, available to all who surrender and ask forgiveness; his sacrifice alone is the key. If this truth remains forefront in my mind, a GRACIOUS answer flows from my thankful heart. When I look into the face of others there is always something good I can find, because every human is sacred. I also know that I am capable of every sin, so there is no room for condemnation. When Jesus spoke of the most important commandments, he said this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” And Psalm 145:8 reflects our word perfectly, “The Lord is GRACIOUS and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.”

Everyday is the best day to be GRACIOUS.

    Goodnight, I look forward to chatting again tomorrow!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 15

Hello Dear Friends,

    Do you remember the book, Charlotte’s Web? In order to save the life of Wilbur, the pig, Charlotte, the spider, spins webs with secret messages in them. The word for today, on this 26th day, is one of those words, HUMBLE. When I was a child, I didn’t quite understand the depth and strength in this word. Charlotte’s other messages, Some Pig, Terrific and Radiant seemed far more valuable traits. But in the end, the spider’s HUMBLE sacrifice results in a double impact after her death, Wilbur’s life and the lives of her children are spared.

    Today, in reminiscing over our oldest son's family's visit, I found in this photo a sweet example of a HUMBLE act of service. Karsten expressed his love for Beatrice and Huxley in multiple ways throughout their time of companionship. He watched and learned to serve by noticing their needs and fulfilling them. His was their favorite company. Though Labs adore all people, their true love and devotion follows the ones who first love them! (You can imagine their low spirits sometimes, moping around, sniffing at his Matchbox cars and waiting for him to call, “Puppies!” from the basement steps.)

    Simple acts of service carry no glamor. They’re seldom noticed except by the ones who find themselves the most dependent on another’s goodwill. And in serving the least, who according to Jesus are the greatest in The Kingdom, we are the hands and feet of Jesus. Ephesians 4:2 says, “Be completely HUMBLE and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” And then in Psalms 149:4 “For the Lord takes delight in his people, he crowns the HUMBLE with glory.” We carry out God’s message of love by doing so with HUMBLE hearts. Imagine if we all led with humility, the world would certainly look different.

    See you tomorrow, right here.

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 14

Today we celebrate this moment in life, 27 days, with the word,

PRESENT.

    My scripture today is Psalm 67:1-3 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you O God; let all the people praise you!”

    When Magdalene was days away from leaving for college, she shared a poignant thought, “Mom, I’m

super thankful you’re a present mom.” For all the weary nights of pouring out my struggles in motherhood to God, and wishing I could have a re-do, her comment has remained a staple of encouragement to my soul. And so I’ll give you this reminder as well, your presence is invaluable in the lives of those you love. Your presence speaks volumes even when you have nothing to say! Be. Just be. Sometimes that’s all we feel we have to offer, but it’s vastly more important than we can imagine! In these complex times, when chaos seeks to unravel us, even reminding ourselves to be present in the life we lead, is necessary.

    In this Psalm, the phrase, “make his face shine upon us,” holds my heart. This is what God does! All the time! He IS shining on us and our response is to praise him in return. When we lift our hearts in praise, the mirrored light of our Savior’s face shines through us. It’s by grace that we are saved through faith, not by what we’ve done, but by who he IS! And he is PRESENT!

    I look forward to chatting tomorrow!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 13

Tonight, dear friends, we share a phrase, on this 28th day. Our grand-baby illustrates it perfectly:

FEAR ONLY GOD.

    From the minute Karsten met our rambunctious, unpredictable pups, he has adored them. He’s been pounced, sidewalled, licked nearly head to toe, splashed, knocked down and endured their fearsome barks as they bared their teeth, playing fiercely with each other. He has patiently awaited their calm, crawled into their kennel as they’ve eaten and shimmied between them to separate them from fighting. He calls them from far off in the prairie, they halt, steady themselves, then gallop towards him like stallions. He doesn’t even flinch! I’ve watched his joy overflow with giggles as the puppies licked him everywhere, trusting in their faithful companionship.

    On the first day Karsten arrived, he clung to his mommy and daddy, before understanding that they could scoop him up if the situation with the wild pups got too difficult. Line and Gabriel whispered truth into his ear, that he needn’t fear, but was to speak and act in only ‘cozy’ ways that would give the pups needed time to sniff and build trust. They are now inseparable!

    Proverbs 3:5-8 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths. Be not worse in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”

    God is with us in the center of our struggles, suffering, temptation to fear and worry. He knows what’s ahead and this situation now, filtered through his hands, will be for the glory of the collective good, for those who are called to his purposes. TRUST GOD ALONE. Sit in the center of trust and don’t budge, he’s never lost a battle! He is worthy of our praise, author of our peace and he is with us!

    See you tomorrow, right here!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 12

Why Hello!

    I love the word for today, the 29th day that has already been (any other night owls out there?).

Our word is EMBRACE.

    In the beginning of the pandemic, several prophetic voices spoke of bracing ourselves for what is to come. That’s certainly an appropriate reaction when tumult approaches, but I’ll never forget our close friend Knut’s rendition of “brace yourself!” He misspoke and exclaimed, “Embrace yourself!” He’s a man who leads with exuberance and laughter, so when I remembered his words, instantly the fear of preparing for the worst disapated into the idea that when danger approaches, remember God’s got it! And when we agree with his plans of love and healing, we are in the center of his EMBRACE!

    Who can we EMBRACE today in word and action? What thoughts can we release as poisonous to our souls and others, in order to EMBRACE a life-giving attitude? One thing is for certain, in these confusing days, we need wisdom from God’s Word. Proverbs 4:8 says, “If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. EMBRACE her and she will honor you.”

    Let us be found embracing wisdom and all promises of God in these days, and let us release all thoughts that don’t align with this truth!

    Happy Friday! See you tomorrow!