Happy Endings

I never waste time on unhappy endings in fictional books or movies. If things look rough in the middle, I sometimes skip to the end to find the joy, but if I see only sadness, I give it no more attention. The joy to come encourages me to engage in the story. Reality is full of sadness, heart ache and pain. Yet the Author of life invites us to find healing and joy through Jesus at the end of our earth story. The promise of victory over death is true. With this real ending in mind, strength and courage inspire our journey, no matter how rocky the road appears in this current chapter. And this earthly life is really just the intro to eternity. In the mean time, my mind and imagination find inspiration in happy endings!

Solid Ground

What is the solid ground of life? Things feel so shaky sometimes and that on which I can rely isn't always trustworthy, neither is the whom=me! For the last two days I've been thinking about these words from Hebrews 5:7, "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission." Prayers, questions, tears, surrender...hmm, I can do those things. Every day of our lives we can be heard by the one who can save us. How lovely is this truth! The accomplishing, the failing, the strength, the weakness, the trust the fear...my own complicated recipe of self can be replaced with the simple direction of what Jesus said and did. To begin this day with these simple words is to know that I am on solid ground.

Icebergs

I have this theory about icebergs. I think the most difficult things we face in life appear as brutally sharp and hard as packed ice and often it seems we can barely hold our footing or keep from slipping into disaster. We usually find a way to hang on, or someone lovingly grabs ahold of us and we hold tight, but we feel exposed to danger and life feels harsh. The setting of such struggles makes us feel as if we are desolate and forgotten by the Almighty, if there even is one. But if we really had eyes to see in a spiritual/eternal perspective, I believe we would see the tremendous amount of darkness from which we are spared. It is that from which we are saved that is the vastness of the mountain under the water, and the water is indeed, Living Water, protecting us from the biggest portion of pain and despair. If we saw the angels and the demons and the warring, perhaps we would see the way over which we are fought and loved for the eternal long-haul! And if there were no hardship to experience, would we know the fragility of our lives? Would we know to hold onto that which is stronger than the ground on which we stand and the things we see before us? If we saw no need, we would not know our need of the one who loves us most.

Manumission

    Manumission...or manumitting, formal emancipation from slavery. I have just read this word in my morning reading. This is the direct quote in regards to stewardship of the talents given. Archbishop Trench writes "...the master's inviting his slave to sit down with him at the table did itself constitute the act of manumission; henceforth he was free." When the master returned, the first two servants presented what they'd done with what they'd been given, the master gave them freedom in return. The third servant, buried what was to be used for good, then blamed the master for being harsh, therefore justifying himself for doing nothing with what he had.  

    In unpacking this today, I think of the earthly gifts we're given; time, talent, our possessions, limited to a season, a lifetime...as compared to eternal things, the people...every person with whom we have now and have ever had contact....What am I to steward? I am to steward what I have this day, this hour. So in the one hand are earthly things, to be used purposefully for that which will last long past my lifetime here, the people. There is purpose in all things, in every day, and in everything that has to do with loving someone well with what we've got until our day of freedom from earthly entangling things comes. What I do for others is not dependent on how they react, I am to care for and give fully from what I've been given, that is the joy of pouring out, as God pours in...the days are short, and freedom from all these struggles will come. Manumission in my simple mind, encourages me to remember today what is my mission at hand, and to do it well, with what I've got.

The Feast

This morning I am thinking of chocolate, and who doesn't love a good story laced with delicious things to eat?  

    In the year of 1989-1990 I lived in Norway on a scholarship. The director of the program, Barbara Lysholt Pedersen, amazed me! She could discuss politics with diplomats and heads of state in the daytime, then in the evening, whip up the most delicious Indian Curry dishes with a martini in hand, wearing a silk house-coat and watching the Benny Hill Show with me! I felt smart and valuable (and free to enjoy another's delightful hospitality) in her company, because of the way I was treated. Barbara invited all of the scholarship recipients to the Chocolate factory in Oslo where we were given a private tour. I will never forget elegant Barbara, dressed in a pink suede suit, reaching across a conveyer belt for the broken remnants of a divine chocolate creation. We were indulged like royalty, with no exquisite taste kept from our watering mouths! I ate nothing. Yes, I am sad to say, I tasted nothing because I was dieting! We were given tiny boxes of liquor filled delicacies on our way home. At around midnight, as I sat in my room, I ate the entire contents, even though I don't even like that type of chocolate! In my legalistic mind of self preservation, I had missed the feast! I am sharing this story this morning (again with some of you because it applies to the parable of the great feast!  

    The invitations arrived, but everyone who received one had a valid excuse in their own minds why they could not partake of it. When the messenger returned empty handed, new invitations were sent to the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind (that is spiritually speaking). Trench says, "He calls to his table the spiritually sick, the spiritually needy; while the rich in their own virtues, in their own merits, at once exclude themselves and are excluded by him thence. The people who knew not the law, and whom the Pharisees accounted cursed, the despised and outcasts of the nation, the publicans and sinners, they should enter into the kingdom of God, before the great, the wise, the proud,-before those who said they saw,-before those who thanked God they were not as other men,-before those who counted that they had need of nothing." Did I need chocolate? Well, perhaps that is debatable, but it is clear that I had the most glorious chance to receive something (almost) beyond earthly blessings and I refused it! Today is the day we have to decide our steps, tomorrow is unknown, let's choose chocolate, spiritually speaking! (I think chocolate must be a hint of the feast to come, don't you?)

The Good Samaritan

 Oh this is so good!  

    In discussing The Good Samaritan, Archbishop Trench writes about the question of "Whom shall I love?" given by a young lawyer. "...for he wished to have laid down beforehand how much he was to do, and where he should be at liberty to stop, -who had a claim and who not upon his love; thus proving that he knew little of that love, whose essence is that it has no limit, except in its own inability to proceed further, that it receives a law only from itself, that it is a debt which we must be well content to be ever paying, and not less still to owe (Rom. xiii.)." Oh I am so excited to meet this man from whom I often quote, in heaven some day! I believe that the encouragement for our lives today is often most profoundly given in lives led well from the past. Archbishop Trench has been in heaven longer than his years on earth...yet today his words of Truth ring clear as fuel for the daily question of how to live and whom we shall love. If we were to stand on the witness stand at this moment, and a flood of questions were directed our way, have we lived in a manner in which we could answer all questions of our actions in truth, without fear or shame? Are we living our lives fueled by the love that never ends and loving endlessly? Are we silent or do we have a well of things to say that would bless and direct others to the truth we know about life? I am considering this in the light of all things today.

Weariness

 Let's chat about something I have read this morning, shall we? First, a bit more coffee for me, as a grandson is sleeping, which is certainly worth another mug! I wish I could transport a cup to you as well, through the airways. However brilliant our technology has become, we can still only share a cup, when we sit in each other's presence. In scripture today I stopped at a little phrase from Psalm 139:18b "When I awake, I am still with you." I was so low and weary last night and this morning that I just wanted to sleep on and on. Yes, it is humbling to say, especially since many of you have real reasons to indulge in such thinking. I have none! I have some simple thoughts, which weigh heavy on my heart today... hellos end in goodbyes, summers become fall, children grow up to be equipped to launch and leave, our parents age, the garden fades and I must adapt! The only constant is change and if we cannot keep up, we will be left behind and overwhelmed. Really? No! No. Why? Because we have a God that is trapped by none of my silly emotional roadblocks or our real struggles and sorrows, or deep needs. Whether our bodies are desperate for healing, we see no way out financially, we feel we have made a wrong decision, or our hearts have trapped us in unforgiveness or sin...God is God! Bishop Trench says God calls us not 'to' a height (as if we must work to reach a spiritual level), he calls us 'from' a height...from the otherness of this life, not to a 'high calling' ,no, he is calling to us, from 'on high'. This earth, where soil can turn to mud in the simple passing of a storm, where tiny nails pop strong tires and we are stopped dead in our tracks on the side of the road on which we travel, God is with us, immovable by earthly hardship, above our smallest and greatest difficulties. In the center of our need he calls us upward, to himself...the place where He lives and to which he calls us to 'awaken' is his unchangeable love, constant care, steady goodness, trustworthy guidance, daily provision, and ultimate purpose and plan for his children who love him. What is our part in this scenario? It is our simple surrender to his love, our giving up of earthly treasure for his priceless eternal riches and our willingness to trust in his ways. If you have entered this day with weariness or worry pulling at your spirit, ask God to fill your cup, he will! His presence is with you and me. He is good.  

Cheers to your day!

Coffee

Good Morning! Do I seem a little fixated on coffee? Yes, yes I do. Why? Well there's always a good story somewhere, after you've sorted through several uninspiring ones!

    The price of airline tickets for children leapt substantially at the age of 12, when I was a child. Thus, my frugal parents purchased individual tickets for each of their three children before the summer of our eleventh year. My fearless sister was the first to embark on the six week Norway adventure ALONE, I followed three years later. A vivid picture from my journey holds its place in my mind, like a tattered bookmark left in a favorite chapter. It is a memory so rich that if I breath in deeply, I can almost smell the coffee cooking in the worn kettle on the crackling fire, only three long strides from the icy stream. I can also almost smell the forest, moist with morning dew, as I stare at the wriggling trout, caught in an expert instant by my mother's uncle, who is ancient as the mountains, with callused hands and kind eyes. He spoke no English and I knew only the trill of foreign Norwegian words on the tip of my tongue, from the songs my mother would sing before meals or bed (I didn't learn Norwegian until I was seventeen). There were no words between us, but there was cool mountain air, sharp in my lungs and fresh on my breath. There were my uncle's steady wide steps leading me up to the special fishing spot, and the meal, caught, cleaned and cooked, just for me. And from his hand, there was the cup and the coffee shared, the smile on his deeply wrinkled face, and the love that spoke volumes between us in the middle of the forest, in the rugged Norwegian terrain. As in every tiny space on earth where two can meet in glance or embrace, love can be the unspoken beginning of the story. And sometimes the faint smell of coffee might be the fragrance of sweet memories fueling the moment.

Have a great day!

Footnotes

It is in the footnotes, that I often find the most choice morsels for the day ahead, and the thoughts we share. Here is the tastiest one, from God's inspiration through a German theologian (I think), through Rev. Arnot, to us, "The whole visible world is only a parable of the invisible world...yes, the parable is nature's own language in the human heart." Yes, Jesus used the language of story, to free the thoughts of many to whom a conversation might never reach. I become easily entangled in the muddle of my own mind, but then, someone else's story comes to light and the transforming power of life outside my own head, pulls my thoughts into alignment, and unity with others. This morning I thought to share one story, but in the midst of beginning, two precious people came to me through messages, in need of prayer. God bless you as God weaves his love in and through the story of our day and the ones with whom we are privileged to share it!

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful acts of love we can bestow, when given without condition and humbly received, healing begins.

    In the story of The Prodigal Son, Trench writes, "Nor should we fail to note that it is AFTER, and not before, the kiss of reconciliation, that this confession finds place; that kiss did not stop the mouth of his confession, but opened it rather; for the more the sinner knows and tastes of the love of God, the more he grieves ever to have sinned against that love."

    

    As I glance out the window on this ice cold morning, where pansy bloom and lingering rose bud brave the frost, the sparkling ice shimmers in deadly finality on the garden remnants, hard and unforgiving. Inside, the fire on the hearth burns as one candle in our advent wreath shines brightly. Here, a grandson and a kitten, luxuriously lounging, feel warmth and protection, mirroring this idea, that it is often that which we are given that creates our reflective response.

    Trench concludes his analogy thus, "It is under the genial rays of this kindly love, that the heart, which was before bound up as by a deadly frost, begins to thaw and to melt and loosen, and the waters of repentance to flow freely. The knowledge of God's love in Christ is the cruse of salt which alone can turn the bitter and barren-making streams of remorse into the healing waters of repentance. (2 Kin. ii. 19-22)

    As we face difficulties in the hours unfolding, where our flesh makes ready justification of our own rights and privileges over those who will wrong us, in truth or by our own perception, perhaps we might consider the illogical response of forgiveness first, God's steady supply of a Bonfire's worth of love to thaw each heart, including our own, in this chilly day.  

    God bless you and fuel you!

Spilling Out

Good Morning!  

    Jim Fleming is a gifted pastor and kind friend, from Memphis. He once said, and I paraphrase, 'People are like the drinks served on a tray by a waiter, when jostled, the contents always spill out.' And so I must remember, that the junk that is 'hidden' will eventually spill out. Wouldn't I rather be rid of it myself, before the yuck in me, pours over to stain you? There is only one way to do this, it is to surrender the junk to the Lord, and then ask for Him to replace it with His goodness. It reminds me of my foolish irritation one night many years ago when Dennis received a typical call at around 3am. I asked him, "Why do you always sound like you've been waiting for the call? You don't even sound tired, but I know you're exhausted!" "Well," he replied, "I guess I have been waiting." It is this way with God, the 'cleaning out and filling up' as the Littles say when we pray, are requests made to the Waiting God, who loves us with eternal love that can handle every hard thing and make our lives brand new!

Moses

Have you ever read the story of Moses and the burning bush? I was thinking about it this morning and then a reference to it appeared in my book...ah, that purposeful pointing of the Holy Spirit. So I read the details in Exodus. Moses was doing his daily work of tending sheep, he was seized with curiosity when he saw a bush that burned, but did not become consumed, so he approached it. God spoke to him saying, 'I've heard the cries of my people and I'm sending help, in the form of a person...you!' This is the daily request to each of us, and Moses responded to God in the same way we might. 'Me? What can I do? I'm just a simple person, incapable of even speaking a full sentence without stuttering, and you know all about my temper...remember that huge mistake I made that got me here in the first place!?' The beautiful part of this story is that Moses was a regular guy, whose life had been filled with miracles of survival and provision, but who had made a mess of things too, just like us. He didn't want to take on the tough job God gave him, but he did it anyway, even amidst his own complaints. So what were God's job requirements? I think they were humility, compassion and obedience. God's love worked powerfully through Moses' weaknesses, was the broken vessel through which God's love flowed freely. Our brokenness is sometimes the best thing we have to offer.

Miracles

Do you need a miracle today? You are one, you know. Every face we see is one. Your eyes reading this, your fingers typing letters, your mind wondering where I am going with this, or perhaps not believing this at all...miracles, pretending to be ordinary flesh and blood. But then, flesh and blood can never be ordinary, there has never been a single ordinary person on earth! If we teated each other and ourselves the way God sees us, I wonder how our lives would change. We are vessels of brilliant possibility and we hold the gift of free will in our heart of hearts, judgement and condemnation are not ours to disperse...love is. We are friends in this space, that is an incredible miracle! So this is my prayer this morning...whatever clings to us that hurts, lies and steals the truth of who we are and the gifts we have, that draws from us an emptiness, would be removed...and I pray that that space will be filled with the empowerment of love, strength and Truth. With God All things are possible! Walk in that truth. I pray that you will see miracles today beginning with the beautiful face you see in the mirror!

Fear Not

A quick thought before we launch into our day, did you know that the often quoted verse John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."...is followed by this verse, 17, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." In the next chapter comes the story of the woman at the well. Angels are known to begin their introductions with , "Fear not..." There are so many excellent examples that explain clearly what not to do! Then there are wonderful words for the beautiful way we are to live and that way is fueled by love!

Psalm 51

Sadly, my coffee cup is empty (after three cups!), but my heart is full and fueled for the day with three open books around me and a melody in my mind. The authors I am reading both quoted Johann Sebastian Bach, one book is written in 1980, the other in 1860. So I turned to the computer to hear something to which each writer referred and found instead Bach's song titled "Psalm 51", (ah, and it is in Latin again). So I read in my Bible a few lines from that Psalm, "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place...wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Madeleine L'Engle wrote, "Bach's music points me to wholeness, a wholeness of body, mind, and spirit, which we seldom glimpse, but which we are intended to know." And Trench writes of fullness from the world, "...for this fullness has prevented them from discovering their emptiness of heavenly things", and he continues in writing of a hunger and thirst for goodness that must be awakened in our souls. My coffee was delicious because Dennis fills the grinder with fresh beans from an excellent source. It is the daily battle of the mind to first fill it with nourishment from trustworthy sources which will sustain us no matter what struggles the day holds. It is the melody in our heads and words invited into our souls which comes out in the pouring.

Morning Blooms

 As I waved goodbye to our four teenagers, the chill in this October morning and the cheerful smiles from these tiny blooms, lifted my memory to my school in Norway and the fall of 1984. Fredly Folkehogskole, the same school to which both Gabriel and Elias went and where Malachi is currently attending, challenged every aspect my life, especially my faith, when I was seventeen. Every morning, as I struggled with the ache of loneliness and the desperation I felt in living unknown as a foreigner who understood nothing at first, I would run to a high point up a steep path above the school. From there I would pour out my heart and speak aloud to God, until I was empty of my struggles and sorrow and ready to be filled. The scripture from Psalm 40 which comes to mind is this, from verse 2, "he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." In that morning run, even in the dark, bitter snow with drifts of two meters when winter stormed in, I ran to find a place away from my troubles for God to realign my heart and mind. In that transforming time of my life, God also encouraged my heart with the love of a woman who I have since called my Moster (mother/sister). And it is this sweet memory that struck me today, for as she dropped me off at school (she is a family friend from my toddler days!) before my homesickness, running, and trials began, she left a plant, blooming with lavender flowers. The blooms were the garden in my room, the reminder of her love for me and presence in my life, a city and a few weekends away. As I learned to cling to God, I also had a tangible example of his love, just outside my everyday battles, to whom I could go, when my soul was weary. It is a privilege to be given a human example of Jesus' love, how often our roots become strengthened by a person who loves us unconditionally and self-sacrificially! This morning, almost 40 years later, I thank God for Aashild Johanne Thorsen and that year, and the morning blooms to remind me!

Light-switch

Three things to brighten our day:

    Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Oct. 10th, “Let God‘s truth work in you by soaking in it, not by worrying into it.”

    Louis Untermeyer, from his poem, Prayer for this House, “May they [our walls] be strong to keep hate out and hold love in.”

    And finally, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”, the documentary on Mr. Rogers is deeply inspiring. He weighed 143 lbs his whole life. He said of those numbers 1=I, 4=love, 3=you...and that is how he guided children, by sharing I-love-you!

    These three men speak truth today into our complex world. When hopelessness seeks to steal our joy, and we stumble about in the darkness searching for light, isn’t it lovely when someone else turns on the light-switch?

Ablaze

    Madeleine L'Engle writes, "All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well. No matter what...That is what brings cosmos out of chaos." This I read on the heels of the Bible story from Daniel where Shadrach, Meshach and Abendago are thrown into the blazing furnace, which is so hot that the strongest soldiers who accompany them are killed. When the king, to whom they refused to bow down in worship, looks into the fire, the three men are unharmed, and a fourth, an angelic being, is with them. Chaos, blazing circumstances in which we are certain we, or those we love, will be consumed...yes, these situations are known to our human spirits. In the Daniel story it says that the king heated the fire 7 times more than usual. Well, fire is fire, and sometimes the gravity of a situation seems more or less intense than we understand...regardless, it is the life question, "How can this end well?" We must ask this in readiness to receive an answer that will strengthen and fuel, not one that will necessarily explain 'why', but perhaps only 'how'.

    With this thought I sit in quiet contemplation, the answer is illustrated in clear view. It hems me in. Zion and Emmaus are awake, but not quite ready to tackle the day before them, so they sit on either side of me. They chat away, watching me write, peaceful in my presence, fueling and awakening in this restful state of companionship. I am their steady, when they can see me, and feel me close, they are ready for whatever adventure awaits them, even as they grow into young men. They trust me. As they discuss gaming warfare and sports strategies to defend their teams, they are in alignment with this morning theme! Psalm 91 is packed with inspiration and encouragement, but in this simple sentence from 15 we can breathe in God's peace, no matter what, as he says of us, "He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble..."  

He is with us in the quiet and in the blaze!

Mount Rainier

    We all feel like bursting into tears sometimes. Of course it looks different on each of us. It may be crumpling a page, or pounding a fist when showing weakness just won’t do. It could be grabbing the dog’s leash because the dog needs a walk RIGHT NOW! Perhaps it’s a long shower where tears mingle with the drenching.

    Two of our children, who are grappling with becoming young men, have been especially fierce today. They’re restored now, but after their storm clouds cleared, I struggled to pick up the pieces of myself.

    As I sat to write, my pages full of words looked dull and blank. I opened my notebook to scribble new thoughts, anything, just to get some words out and here’s what I found; Ezra and her best friend, Ava, climbing Mount Rainier. I didn’t remember that she’d drawn in my book. It seems to say that climbing mountains is possible together. I’m reminded that we’re not alone, in parenting or in anything else we do, others have led the way for ages upon ages. Forging ahead with courage sometimes takes simple reminders like this. And though my emotions may feel all over the map, on any given point of every map, God is near and in the hardship He is our strength. If your moment feels like a mountain, take heart, we’re in this together. And don’t give up, courage is built one step and one day at a time.

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 40

Hello Beloved Friends,

    We did it! We made it to our very last of forty words! Do you remember them all? BELOVED ~ SACRED ~ LIGHT ~ SONGBIRD ~ CALLED ~ LEAST ~ AWAKE ~ FORGIVENESS ~ MULTIPLY ~ BELONG ~ TRUTH ~ EMBRACE ~ FEAR ONLY GOD ~ PRESENT ~ HUMBLE ~ GRACIOUS ~ TRUST ~ DELIGHTFUL ~ NECESSARY ~ FAITHFUL ~ WELCOME ~ COURAGE ~ ALIGNMENT ~ LOVE ~ KNOWN ~ VESSEL ~ KIND ~ CONFIDENT ~ GENEROSITY ~ BOLD ~ HOPE ~ ESSENCE ~ SACRIFICE ~ ALIVE ~ PURE ~ GLORY ~ PEACE ~ ATTENTIVE ~ ETERNAL ~ and today’s final word is FREE

    This morning, as I walked across the vibrant grass, I paused to pull a few blades of grass, smelling them first before letting them flit from my fingers. I thought of the verse from 1 Peter 1: 24, “For, all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

    Our lives are of greater value than the ground below our feet or the ever changing seasons enveloping us, but nonetheless God cares for every intimate part of creation. Not a single blade of grass can grow without his abundance of sun and moon, soil and water, nor can we. The gentle rhythms of each day that we often take for granted give us FREEDOM to thrive and even forget that we are created to depend on God for the very breath in our lungs. We have FREE-will, and from this beautiful and dangerous gift comes the FREEDOM to live as we choose.

    Kings will come and go, days will become years and life will always surprise us with unexpected trials and triumphs. Whether the blades surrounding us are of grass or weapons of angel armies, held back from battle, until victory prevails at end of this age, God is God. Beloveds, don’t forget, God is God! There is no other! He holds you in the palm of his hand and loves you more deeply than you can imagine. Each trial we face will endure only as long as he deems necessary, to lead every willing heart to himself. Our role in this exciting, excruciating adventure of life is to love in boundless measure and live with the daily joy of knowing our hearts are FREE, while we speak of this FREEDOM wherever we go. For true FREEDOM comes only through Jesus Christ, our Savior, who died on the cross to forgive and redeem all who call upon him. The two verses that precede 1 Peter 1: 24 are these, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart; for you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living enduring word of God.”

    Finally, John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you FREE, you will be FREE indeed.” In this we can rest, no matter what tomorrow brings. Our faith is the solid rock on which we stand and our FREEDOM rests securely in God’s everlasting love!

    I leave you with this, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6: 24-26

    Tomorrow is in God’s hands and so are you!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 39

Hello!

    Here we are, on the second to last day, and our word is ETERNAL. There’s a black spot on the counter in the kitchen that people often try to wipe away. It appears as if it’s coffee grounds or Oreo crumbs, but in truth it’s some marvelous mysterious element, imbedded as the marble was forming. At first I saw it as a representation of me(us) and sin. I know that by the blood of Christ my sins are forgiven, washed clean and white as snow, as scripture says. Yet, when I saw the swirling beauty of the marble, and I placed my fingertip on the speck, suddenly I had a new picture of grace. Not only does God forgive us, but instead of just barely blotting out our sin, his grace is vastly more merciful and bountiful than we can ever truly understand.

    The second thought about this speck came from our friend Sarah Davis. She described the spot as our earthly life, just a blip on the timeline of ETERNITY, with heaven surrounding it. We only know our day to day life, tangibly bound to earth, though our minds feel no limitation. The idea that in death our existence is snuffed out is unfathomable. The years and months rush by until the day will suddenly be upon us, and in Christ, the vastness of heaven’s beauty will astound us! We’ll look back and see all the tips of the icebergs of hardship that we endured, while God simultaneously kept us safe from the mountain of pain and suffering below the water of our life’s surface. We’ll finally know why God permitted what he did to equip us and the role our gift of free-will played. Understanding why evil existed, and where God was each time we called upon him in despair, will become crystal clear.

    With Jesus Christ before us, and heaven on our minds, our days on earth must magnify God. We haven’t time for worthless squabbles, condemnation or hurtful acts. Jesus has forgiven us of so much! We have no business judging others or wondering if his love will truly overcome. From now until our last breath, we must spend our ‘blip’ loving Jesus with all that’s in us and loving others in the same manner as we love ourselves.

    “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us ETERNAL encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16

    “Come now and let us settle this matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins were like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18

    “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God and believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”

John 4: 1-2

    Bye for now, see you tomorrow, Lord willing!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 38

Hello dear friends,

    Our word for this evening is ATTENTIVE. Isn’t that the oddest word? I must admit, I had no idea of what to write to encourage us, until I came across this photo of Zion helping Damascus warm-up to the puppies. His patient, ATTENTIVE stance is a great example.

    What does ATTENTIVE look like in your life? I’d love to hear your thoughts? For Dennis and me, it means not missing the important moments happening right under our roof, or before our eyes—you know those ordinary, extraordinary moments. Take a deep breath right now and breathe it out slowly, then let yourself settle, quieting your mind. Now think about the last few days or hours, ATTENTIVELY seeking out something perfectly normal, that you noticed or someone else did, that encouraged your heart. For me, it’s this photo and writing to you right now. In the hurry scurry of each day I must force myself to stop and ATTEND to that which unfolds before me. Otherwise, I miss the most important details.

    The stunning events of 2020 have shaken our world and changed us, but there is comfort in knowing that nothing surprises God. He is unchangeable and has missed nothing. Psalm 34:15 says. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are ATTENTIVE to their cry.” This verse reminds me of the story in the Gospels of Jesus amidst the clamoring crowd, all seeking help and healing. A woman who’d been sick for twelve years reached for his cloak, believing that if only she could touch it, she’d be healed. Jesus noticed her even when no one else did and was ATTENTIVE to her silent plea. He turned and saw her, then said, “Take heart daughter your faith has healed you.”

    In the struggles of this season that seek to steal our focus, let’s surrender our fear and worry to God. Instead, with trust and faith, let’s set our minds on honorable things, believing that God’s plans are good—because they are! He is ATTENTIVE to us, his beloved children, in our ordinary and extraordinary moments.

    See you tomorrow! God bless you!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 37

Hello dear hearts!

    How are you this 4th day? My word today is PEACE and it’s quite a marvelous gift when FB posts our memories. Three years ago, I wrote this on PEACE, so tonight we depart from my daily writing, and hear words applicable from the past!

    Magdalene hid the Halloween candy somewhere out of reach. Tomorrow I’ll find, it but today...hmm, I’m pondering all the curious places it might be. High or low, I’m up on a stool or peering under something else, it exists, she said so...and I’ve seen evidence of it. Currently, however, it’s nowhere to be found.

    Isn’t that how PEACE feels sometimes? It’s somewhere—most certainly, but just out of reach. We search around, peeking here and there, frustrated or determined, anxious or anticipatory, certain it’s deeply hidden in something. Yet that something often ends up being so much of nothing, empty and dark. We know PEACE exists but we’re left wondering.

    These are the days when we wait. We trust the promises of God. We believe what The Word says. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4

    Candy like PEACE is ever so sweet. Tomorrow I’ll ask Magdalene where she hid the treats, but today God is showing me where I can always find PEACE, even in this tumultuous life, when some dare to say it doesn’t exist. PEACE is found in God, in his unending love. Ask, he says, he has ample stores, his heavenly cabinets are overflowing! “PEACE I leave with you, my PEACE I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

    Be enveloped by God’s PEACE as you finish reading this, he is with us, he loves you more deeply than you can imagine and his PEACE is everlasting.

See you tomorrow!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 36

Good evening friends,

    As time marches along, we have five more days to go. Tonight we celebrate the word GLORY. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give GLORY to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

    Who is the light of the world? You! What are you to do? Shine! And what is the result? God is GLORIFIED! Our time to shine in the darkness is now; for such a time as this! Then someday, when our hurting world is fully restored and we are made new, this will be our new beginning!

    “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it for the GLORY of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of earth will bring their GLORY and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the GLORY and honor of the nations.” Revelation 21:23-26 What a GLORIOUS future God has planned.

    Until tomorrow, God bless and keep you and may his face shine upon you!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 35

Hello Friends! I’m so glad to sit with you now to unpack our word, on this 6th afternoon.

    “But the wisdom from above is first PURE, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:17-18

    As you see, our word for today is PURE, but all day yesterday until around 7:00, I wondered what I should write...though I knew this scripture would encourage us, even without another word. About that time, I reached my hand across my face, in an attempt to wipe away the exhaustion of my go-go-go day. In that sweeping motion, I discovered that one of my pearl earrings, a gift from my in-laws 30 years ago, had vanished. I’ve prayed and searched since then, but to no avail. And though I’m quite sad, I realize pearls represent PURITY and are the perfect example for us tonight.

    The beginnings of pearls are far from beautiful. In fact, the seed of a pearl is a rough irritant, either naturally or intentionally placed in the soft flesh of a mollusk. In order to protect itself from injury and to alleviate the discomfort, the mollusk slowly layers the foreign object with a substance called nacre. For as long as a year (though the process can take longer than 7 years) the mollusk must continue to soften the object, until finally, what first was invasive and destructive has become a stunning sphere of exquisite beauty. Instead of rejecting the unwelcome irritant, the mollusk is designed to transform the painfully invasive thing into a PURE treasure.

    I must relate this idea to our hearts and the difficult situations that invade our peace, piercing us where we feel most vulnerable. Fighting the hard things, rarely works, yet accepting them, just as they are, can tear us apart or produce bitterness in us. I believe that Jesus gives us the perfect example. Through sorrow and suffering on the cross, he wraps his love around our sin, and transforms us into beautiful saints, made PURE by his sacrifial love. We, in turn, can receive the difficulties before us, whether situational or in human form, with open arms. Jesus equips us with his Word and Holy Spirit presence to transform whatever we face with the power of his love. Grace and truth, proclaimed through words and by our actions, are our nacre of love. These PURE gifts offered freely transform even the most painful things to lasting beauty.

    May you rest well and feel fueled for the rest of the day ahead.

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 34

Hello dear friends,

    Is the sky that meets your horizon blue? Is there a crisp bite to the air as you step out amidst trees adorned in golden leaves? Or is your sky filled with twinkling stars as you walk along the sidewalk of this warm evening? Do you have some good news to celebrate, or is there some silent fear gnawing at your mood? In whatever setting we find ourselves, we can all be encouraged in today’s 7th word. It rhymes with thrive and is the first thing for which we can be thankful!

ALIVE

    I find great comfort in the scripture from Acts 17:26, “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.”

    Last fall, our oldest son, Gabriel, embarked on a new life adventure. Line and baby Karsten were already nestled safely in their new space in Norway, awaiting his arrival. Amidst the bustle of preparation, we seized every opportunity of time together, storing up memories to cherish.

    Dennis and I often catch each other’s eye, just as an exciting journey or challenge is opening for one of our maturing children, but then must quickly look away. If we don’t, avoiding the shared tears that spring to our eyes—the happy/sad tears of letting go—is impossible!

    We all can be ‘leapers’! This is my reference to living fully in the center of the moment at hand, and being ALIVE in it, but also ready for the next ‘yes!’ Time is short, our settings are fluid, no matter how permanent we believe them to be. And there is a time for all things as Ecclesiastes makes clear: for dancing as well as mourning, times to rest and times to work, but in all things, Jesus is near, ALIVE in us, as we put our trust in him. The moment at hand is full of hope, because it’s ours to embrace and use to God’s glory. The boundaries of time and space are authored by God, who moves and works in all things based on love. ALIVE in him, means trusting that we are safe in the center of his will. In this truth we can rest and find peace, in every circumstance we face.

    God bless you and keep you today!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 33

Hello there! Tonight, on this 8th day, our word is SACRIFICE.

    Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a SACRIFICE of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”

    Since our five years of residency in Hawaii, a tiny book has influenced the way I sort trials. Prison to Praise, by Merlin Carothers, is that book. Merlin explains the true story of his prodigal life and the redemptive way God drew him to joy. Instead of fighting the terrible struggles he faced, he began to thank God for them. Such counter intuition sounds ludicrous, but when he did, the hardships often fell to the wayside like paper-thin accusations against him. The freedom he found, by accepting suffering, as necessary, filtered through God’s hands, was miraculous.

    I began to thank God then, through his economy, so that nothing he’d filtered through his hands would be wasted on us through stubbornness, bitterness or rebellion. I accepted that each painful thing, would somehow lead us closer to him, even if it meant just in the realization of our need of a Savior!

    I’ve realized since then that to utter praises, in this SACRIFICIAL manner, usurps the powerful hold evil has on our perspectives. Satan has nothing praiseworthy in his existence. He is a cornered beast whose temporal victories will never win over God’s eternal plans. Satan has nothing to praise; his only relief of evil is to be destructive to all we hold dear. He’s jealous of our relationship with God, and for God’s love that heals, strengthens, and blesses our lives. Long ago, through the unleashing of pride, he traded that love relationship for rebellion. Satan remembers the taste of the fruit of praise on his lips, but can’t ever have it again. It’s the very reason we must call to God in thankfulness for even our hardest days, in a SACRIFICIAL way of praise. God hears. He loves to commune with us through trust and faith. He will turn our sorrows to victories, our suffering to joys, but while we wait, Satan has no foothold when we continue to offer the SACRIFICE of praise!

    God bless you and keep you until we meet again!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 32

    This time last year winter arrived before dismissing autumn. I caught her calling her crimson leaves, as they swirled across the powdery snow. It reminded me of a scene from the movie Notting Hill, and our word for this 9th day, ESSENCE.

    Do you remember when Will (Hugh Grant) walks through the street market, broken hearted, while seasons change before his very eyes? He sees nothing. The season of joy, awakened by Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), is gone in a breath, and unexpectedly, he’s left to remember who he was before she came. But he can’t go back; he doesn’t fit into his old identity.

    We’re a bit like that aren’t we? So many things have upended us, that we scarce remember who we once were. Forward moving, across unknown terrain, often leaves us swirling about, scattered and insecure. It is now that we must dig deeply into the core of who we really are, to find our ESSENCE, an ESSENCE of true character, refined by fire, unchangeable no matter the circumstance.

    The challenge in good storytelling is to bring the protagonist from identity to ESSENCE. This journey is revealed through goals, motivation and conflict...yes, conflict! The courage we seize to overcome our greatest challenges in conflict transforms us into our best selves. Every hero we’ve ever championed overcame dire strife to earn our adoration. Even the little terrier, Benji, in Disney’s classic film from the ‘70s, overcame pending disaster to reach his true beloved ESSENCE.

    At the end of the film Notting Hill, with the help of his fabulous friends, Will, decides to forgive Anna’s failures, to turn from insecurity and blame, and to trust that their love in the season to come, will sustain them. In the final scene, Will appears as a pretend journalist at a press conference, where he asks Anna to restate her desires. They reset their relationship, not as if nothing challenging has ever occurred, but because now, the true nature of their ESSENCE has been revealed.

    Every new season of life begs the question? Who are you now? With God’s help, our best selves are yet to be revealed, as we journey forward authentically, in this great season of becoming!

    “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement, give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,” Romans 15:5

    God bless you! See you tomorrow!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 31

Hello dear friends,

    Tonight, on this 10th day, our word is HOPE. When despair creeps in or worry washes over us, the best antidote we have is HOPE. When dreams seem far from possible and joy feels out of reach, HOPE guides us forward, reminding us to believe anyway! And the beauty of HOPE is that it is ever present as faith’s close companion.

    Romans 8:24-25 says, “For in this HOPE we are saved. Now HOPE that is seen is not HOPE. For who HOPES for what he sees? But if we HOPE for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

    And similarly, Hebrews 11:1 speaks of HOPE in this way, “Now faith is the assurance of things HOPED for, the conviction of things not seen.”

    Two years before Zion’s birth, we taped this verse from Hebrews to the inside of our pantry door. Under it we wrote his name, Zion David, as we prayed for the baby we HOPED to adopt. Each morning, as we grabbed cereal or cinnamon or any other simple thing, we’d see these words of HOPE.

Even our close friend in the adoption agency didn’t think anyone would choose us, an older couple with five children already, but our HOPE was secure in the desires God had placed in our hearts.

Anna did choose us! We were the parents she HOPED to find for her beloved son.

    As we navigate this season of our lives, there’s no less reason to HOPE! There’s more! HOPE springs eternal, because the Author of our lives is working all things out for good, as we put our trust and HOPE in his promises!

    “May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in HOPE.”

    Sweet dreams, see you tomorrow!

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 30

    Elias (28) lovingly calls me, “Weirdo!” for all my eccentricities. Gabriel (30) says he loves my lemon-yellow coat, along with, ‘Keep it! It’ll always come in handy if you decide roadwork is your next career move!’ And Magdalene (25) likes to remind me, ‘Patterns? The more the better—on you—you can’t wear normal clothes!’ The dogs, as you see, are always telling me things as well. My job is to learn their native tongue (I’m certain it’s a love-language).

Can you guess what our word, on this 11th day? It’s BOLD.

    Be BOLD! Why not? There’s no time to lose! Be BOLD in what you love to do and how you love to live. For me, I love people and beauty, God and the joy of knowing him, and being known by him! My life-long goal is to love BOLDly, in word and deed, even when it’s hard and harder still!!! Part of navigating my own sinful nature, through confession, repentance and Jesus’ clean-slate grace, is to BOLDly believe the truth of his Word! I must lay aside the sin that tempts my heart, even if it’s as simple as self-doubt or despair, and to run headlong into Jesus’ unconditional love. In BOLDness I proclaim, I’m free in Christ, beloved by him and called with a purpose to live BOLDly! I believe who he says I am! Believe in him and what he says of you!

    What do you love? Love BOLDly! Who needs you? Love them BOLDly! What gives you joy? Seize joy, BOLDly? What binds you? Ask BOLDly of God for freedom from that which seeks to captivate you! You are not who you’ve been in the past, with forgiveness through Jesus, you ARE a new creation!

Who do you want to be now? Dreams? Hopes? Plans?

Seek God in BOLDness, ask for courage to live for him, fueled by him, fulfilled in the love he’s always displayed in his Holy Word for you!

    His BOLD promises are the true north that lights our lives from this moment to our last breath, then first breath in heaven! “Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very BOLD.” 2 Corinthians 3:12

    Bless you! Be BOLD! You are loved!

(And exclamation marks are my favorite, in case you hadn’t noticed!)

40 Words for 40 Days: Day 29

    Suddenly the clouds part, I see a moment of opportunity through this tiny window of time, between chores and rush-rush, to speak. I’m calling out our word for today across the street, from my window to yours! Do you have a minute, on this 12th day, to contemplate with me?

    Our word is GENEROSITY.

    When I was a young mother, with three little ones in tow and Dennis immersed in his thoracic surgery fellowship, we lived in Memphis. Our two years were excruciatingly difficult on many fronts but God gave me two precious kindred spirits...two, one is already a miracle, but two...oh the bounty! Jeanene was younger than I and Rochelle was older. Each of these wise woman possessed a deep passion for the things of Christ, a gentle and humble demeanor, and a willingness to speak truth. (It was a time of great struggle for our marriage, for this Dennis and I are thankful, because it was a trial by fire for our refining, but that’s a post for another day.)

    Because Jeanene and Rochelle loved us both, and were rooting for our marriage, Dennis knew I could safely sort with them. They also knew our practical difficulties, such as our very tight budget. One day I heard of a woman from church who had a great need. Pastor Jim and Rochelle asked our Bible Study to help, as we were able. I desperately wished to participate, but didn’t mention this to Dennis. Jeanene, who always wrote her plans and desires on a note on her fridge, offered exactly the things she could GENEROUSLY give, working them into her list. Rochelle, who, as pastor’s wife to Jim, served nonstop, GENEROUSLY gave time from her packed schedule. I had nothing to give.

    The night of our Bible Study, I left our little ones with Arian, Rochelle’s daughter, to learn Bible stories and play games (she was brilliant at that!). I methodically carried up four huge bags of groceries from the car, as our contribution to the woman. At the end of the evening, as everyone trickled out, Jeanene and I stayed behind—as usual, because their home was our favorite place. 

    

    We sat down and Rochelle took my hand before asking, “How did you pay for four bags of beautiful groceries?”

My face flushed as I confessed, “The credit card.”

“Does Dennis know?” She continued, perceptively.

Tears ran down my cheeks.

    She hugged me and said, “Tell him. He knows your heart, but he’s spread thin providing for your family already. You must apologize for not working this out with him. Secondly, our GENEROSITY comes from what God provides, no more or less. You have more needs now, this is your time to receive. This is God’s balanced economy that aligns us.”

    From that experience twenty years ago, I learned that GENEROSITY must stem from the humble, honest heart of dividing that which is in our hands to give. And when our hands are empty, God often provides unexpectedly through others. Pride could block another’s blessing of giving to you! Stewarding our possessions well seems to open up places to both give and receive. We need each other! In those two years, God’s GENEROSITY to us came in the form of the people who surrounded us. Their GENEROUS companionship and strength in our weakness was far better than tangible things.

    Let’s speak, act, give and receive with hearts open to GENEROSITY. God provides for his plans, and when there’s no provision, we must wait and trust that it will come in due time. It can even be considered GENEROUS of God to allow us to deeply perceive our need for Him now. He is with us and his abundant mercy is new every morning!

    Until tomorrow, God bless you and keep you!