OUR TRAIL GUIDE

My honeymoon trip July of 1977 consisted of a 45-mile backpacking adventure in the upper peninsula on Isle Royale.  Bruce had me in training by placing a heavy-laden backpack on my thin frame and walking in my newly purchased hiking boots for several miles a day prior to our wedding.  I accomplished this Isle Royale adventure with gusto and a few needed foot patches for my hurting feet.  "Let the adventures begin" was my motto.

Five years later, we headed off to Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii for a five week vacation.  Our longest time was spent in New Zealand where Bruce showed me all the places he had lived and the mountains he had hiked.  Needless to say - I was impressed.

We chose the Routeburn Track to hike.  Bruce had expressed an eagerness to hike this again.  I was in good shape to carry a backpack, climb over rocks and scale the mountain heights, looking forward to stretching myself with another challenge.  We hiked in the most beautiful places imaginable. From high peaks to the valley of the rain forest.  Our adventurous spirit was handed down to our girls, and as a family, we hiked many trails in the U.S. and British Columbia.

Haylee's first hike was in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee at age 7.  We strapped on our backpacks with snacks in tow and off we went on our family adventure.  Bruce had chosen a beginners hike, where the grade of steepness didn't fluctuate severely.  Of course, before this hike, she too had some little hikes to accomplish right here in Michigan.  Kelly was a pro at this time having had her first mountain hike with dad two years prior in Maine.

Not too far along the trail, Haylee began to complain of being tired and stopped way too much for my task-oriented personality. "Haylee, we need to reach our destination", having given her a time frame. What 7-year-old cares about a time frame when she is tired? Get a clue mom.

Sighing with a bit of frustration but not wanting to put any expectations or pressure on my little hiker, I prayed a simple, silent prayer: "Father, you know we need to get to the top at a decent time so we can get down before any weather change.  Please help me here.  I need to inspire Haylee to move forward. I'm out of ideas."

Immediately, I had an inspiration to give Haylee small destinations to complete.  "Okay Haylee, I cheerfully said, "see that big tree ahead, just up the hill?"  She reluctantly nodded her head. "Let's walk to that tree and see who can touch the tree trunk first. The first one to touch it can pick out a snack from our backpacks". With that encouragement and knowing a snack was involved, off she went like a trooper.....and yes, we did reach the top at the appropriate time.

Isn't God this way with us as Christ followers? He has sent the Holy Spirit to come along beside us in this great adventure called life, as Bruce did for me and I did for Haylee.

God is with us - urging us to press on, telling us we can make it, inspiring us to take steps forward that lead us towards our destination, saying to us "you're almost there - don't give up."

Whether you're in training, just beginning or an experienced "hiker" up the mountains of life, remember that you are not alone.  Our Guide is with us.

Think on this

For this God is our God for ever and ever. He will be our guide even to the end. Psalm 48:24 NIV 

HOW WE MET

God had such a grand plan in putting Bruce and I together.  Image....he brought Bruce back from living in New Zealand just to meet me. I, on the other hand, was done with dating and just wanted to get out on my own and experience life.

I was singing in a traveling group at the time and unbeknownst to me, our bass player knew Bruce and even went to the same church.  My high school friend and neighbor also knew Bruce and the bass player since she attended their church as well. So, you can see the picture forming here. Yes.  They did get together and come up with a plan informing Bruce as well.

Upon my return from a singing engagement over the weekend, my scheming neighbor had left a message with my mom for me to please call when I returned.  I called.  She invited me to come to her church that evening and informed me she had someone for me to meet.  

Having been on the road all day, I was pretty tired and just wanted to curl up on the couch with my favorite snack food and just chill out.  Not wanting to disappoint my friend's well-laid plans, I consented to the meeting with some reluctance.

As I entered the church that evening, I greeted people I hadn't seen in some time and got caught up on on current events.

I sat with Candy on the other side of the church from where Bruce was seated - probably sat here to not appear desperate or something.

At the end of service, I talked a bit with others around me and then noticed Bruce making his way over to me. He sat down beside me and said, "I think we are meant to go out with Candy and Brad after church to Walli's.  Do you want to ride in my car?"  I nodded my consent.

Now let me just press the pause button here for a minute.  I remembered meeting Bruce one year previously at Candy's house for a Bible study group she invited me to.  I wasn't impressed at all in meeting him there.  But now.....what a change had transpired. I noticed how good-looking and dark-skinned he was, pretty eyes, hair cut and slightly curly, nice rugged look, trim and fit.  The lights were coming on.

On to the story.  Candy and Brad at this time were engaged and planning a wedding next April. So during our late night meal at Walli's that's what they talked about.  I truly cannot remember what Bruce and I talked about. It's all a blur.

Upon leaving Walli's, Bruce drove me back to the church so I could get my car. He walked me to my car.  I got in, rolled the window down to say "good-bye", "had a nice time", when he spoke up and said, "I don't know what you think about all this, but we can give it a try.  If it doesn't work out, we at least have them off our backs."  I verbally expressed my agreement, which he told me later took him by surprise and started his interest in me.  I wasn't a clingy, needy 19-year-old woman.  I knew what I wanted in a dating relationship more now than when I was in High School, wasn't afraid to say this isn't working out, had a complete trust that God would take care of me, didn't need to have a relationship.  I had goals.  I had purpose.

Needless to say, we hit it off very well.  Some of our dating time was spent together on youth event trips, since he was helping out in the youth ministry.  We did get some time at For-Mar, Bluebell Ramp, Stepping Stone Falls to walk and talk.  Yes walk and talk. Bruce didn't kiss me until three months later for which I'm very grateful. 

Our dating began in August, engagement in January and wedding July 30th 1977.

I can truly say this was one of the best decisions of my life and still feel that way 39 years later.

God knew what He was doing.

MAXIMIZING GOD

Recently, my daughter Kelly shared with me an insight she experienced. She was sitting at her computer looking at emails one morning and decided to view another window, so she clicked on the button to minimize the email screen. The email screen, of course, was sent to the bottom of her computer screen in a smaller view with a choice to maximize it later.

Immediately, the thought came to her that this is what a lot of believers do in their spiritual life, including her.  She said, "mom, so many times that's exactly what I do with God.  I click on the minimize button and make Him smaller."

Unfortunately, I can relate to that very clearly.  When life gets complicated and messy, instead of keeping God on full screen, I sometimes minimize God and go about my busyness keeping God as a small icon. I eventually wake up out of my I'm-gonna-figure this-out mode and click the maximize button.

As believers, when we minimize God in our day-to-day living, then we will maximize our problems and complaints - making them seem bigger than what they are.

In Psalms 34:3, the psalmist is calling us to "magnify the Lord and exalt His name."  He is calling us to make a big God look bigger.

What will maximizing God do:

Give us a mindset for victory and not defeat.  When we begin to celebrate God's attributes and character, our magnifying glass is on God and not on our problem.  Confidence explodes. Our focus shifts from the impossible to the possible.

Change our view lens. We start to see a panoramic view of the greatness of our God instead of a view that is only at ground level.

Cause us to be more engaged in our relationship with Him.  We come closer to Him instead of standing at a distance.  We become dependent on God and move away from independence - trying to figure it out on our own.

Cause us to focus on His nature.  His nature is who He is.  He knows everything, has all knowledge, knows no limitations, is present in all places at all times, unchanging, holy, righteous, a loving God who shows mercy and lavishes His grace on us.  This is just a few.

As we walk through our daily life, let's remember to keep God in the maximized view - full screen, and not default to a smaller view. In doing this, our mindset changes, the view of our situation changes, our intimacy with God flourishes and we focus on His marvelous nature.

Memory Verse

Psalm 145:3 MSG "God is magnificent; He can never be praised enough.  There are no boundaries (your name here) to His greatness."
  

TRAINED BY CONSTANT PRACTICE

Hebrews 5:14 states "But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil".

When I was 18 years old, my mother wanted me to take voice lessons so I could maintain my vocal quality and not abuse my voice by singing incorrectly.  I continued these vocal lessons well into my first years of marriage and even taught voice myself.  I learned to sing with control, increased my range, learned what chest voice and head voice meant, learned to sing by using my diaphragm, using my back muscles, how to "place" my tones, learning the appropriate stance, how to breathe correctly, singing consonants and vowels correctly, singing a variety of scales - the list goes on.  I practiced faithfully everyday. I learned how to sing phrases in one breath.  My instructor taught me how important vocal warm-ups were to opening up my voice. I learned to sing in many different languages and a variety of styles. My ear was being trained to hear correctly, my voice being trained to sing correctly. Through this training and constant practice, I became a mature singer who expressed emotion through my voice.

For those of us who desire christian growth, who desire to mature in our understanding of God and His word, who want to "distinguish good from evil", it is imperative that we train our spiritual senses. How do we train our spiritual senses?  How are we able to tell what is true from what is false? Simply by constant practice.

Practice These Things

• Personal Devotional Time.  We cannot neglect God and expect to become mature. Transformation comes and begins with time spent in His Word and in prayer.
• Obedience. When our desire to obey the Lord is stronger than our attraction to sin, we'll know we are making progress in our spiritual life.
• A Disciplined Lifestyle.  Lifestyle is the way we live.  We must discipline ourselves, as the scripture says, for the purpose of Godliness, having a focused vision. How we live shows who we truly are. 

Those who are mature in Christ, recognize their own inadequacy and rely on the Holy Spirit within them.

We have been given a choice in this scripture.

We can choose to remain immature and unskilled in discernment, or we can choose to press on to maturity and train our powers of discernment.

What will your choice be?

GLIMPSES OF MY DAD

My mom had an idea on one particular evening to have a candlelight dinner for our family.  She had eagerly prepared our dinner of pot roast, carrots and potatoes, and I recall baking a two layer chocolate cake.  My dad really didn't have any say-so in the matter.  All of us girls wanted to sit and eat with the lights dimmed and candles flickering on the beautifully arrayed table.

Our evening was going pretty well, with good conversation and lightheartedness, until my dad reached over his plate to open his bottle of Pepsi.  He placed the bottle opener to the edge of the cap to pull it open. As he pulled up on the bottle opener, the Pepsi bottle slid slightly, hit his plate, sending his meal into his lap. The contents of the Pepsi fizzed up, splashing onto the ceiling and all over his lap. Since I was closest to the light switch, I jumped up immediately and turned the light on to see the catastrophe at hand.

The expression on my dad's face left little to the imagination.  His words of "this is the last time we have a candlelight dinner in this house" rang out loud and clear.  The hammer had fallen.  The decree made clear; but my dad, being the man that he was, began to see the humor in the situation and that chuckle of laughter that I know so well began to ring out and envelop us all.  

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When I was a senior in High School, my dad bought me a used dark green Volkswagon with a stick shift.  I puttered around in that car to infinity and beyond.  I felt so cool in my green bug and loved the stick shift.  I. Was. Somebody.

Late one Friday night, I was driving back from my friend's house when my car began to sputter. Luckily, I was fairly close to home when this happened.  As I turned onto my street, the car stopped running and rolled to a stop.  I tried several times to start it, but to no avail.

Since my house was just down the road, I got out of the car and walked home.  Upon entering the front door, I saw my dad sitting cozily in his arm chair reading the paper with one of his favorite shows on as background noise.

"Dad", I said, as he looked up from his paper, "something's wrong with my car".  I proceeded to tell him about my dilemma and with a weary sigh he said, "Oh Sharon."  Getting up from his comfortable respite, he grabbed his coat and car keys and drove us up to the entrance of the road.

Reaching the stalled car, my dad got out with me following close behind.  He tried several times to start it, even looking under the hood for a precise inspection.  Once again, he got into the driver's seat, leaving the car door open, and turned the ignition on.  I noticed him glance knowingly at the dashboard. He knew something that I didn't.  He knew the problem.

Being the clueless high school girl that I was about cars, I waited in anticipation for his diagnosis. "Sharon", he said.  "Yes, dad" I replied.  "Do you realize you are out of gas?"  Did I say clueless?  

My dad and I drove the Buick up to the gas station to fill up the gas can and drove back again.  He told me to drive his car home and he would take care of the rest.  Gotta love a dad like that.

From that day on, I checked my gas gauge without fail, filling up when it reached 1/4 on my gas gauge.

THOSE CRAZY STORMS

What a wind storm we had last week with branches falling and debrie being tossed about, pulling down wires and felling trees, robbing many of power.  Storms of nature are events completely out of our control.  They just happen....without our say so and sometimes unexpectedly.

The storms of life can also come unexpectedly. Gusts of situations that knock the breath out of us, tossing us in all directions, pulling down our faith and hope, felling our false expectations and robbing us of power. Power to overcome.

As Christians, we do not live in a bubble.  Life happens.  Winds blow.  Storms come.  It's what we do in those times that matters the most.  It's said that storms make you stronger.  I never liked hearing that phrase.  But I can say now....it's true.....they do. I am a witness.

What can we do when those "gusts" come in our direction:

• Face it head on - deal with it

• Express everything to God - leaving nothing out

• Keep our confidence in God 

• Don't allow our emotions to dictate

• Let God's promises dictate

• We need to spiral up and not spiral down

In our own strength, we lack sufficient resources and abilities to meet life's "gusts" that blow into our life. When we try to tackle these storms independent of God, we will surely fail and come up short.  I have been that person - the one who tries to figure it out and come up with a plan instead of setting my face to seek the Lord.  I lose sleep, my energy is depleted, my mind rehearses the situation, worrying ensues and the "what if's" start to overwhelm me wave upon wave.

What did Jehoshaphat do when he heard that a great army was coming against him? Talk about a storm brewing - this was a big one coming against Judah and Jerusalem.  The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 20:3 "Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord."

Looking at Jehoshaphat's Response  

He did not allow the feeling of fear to control him.  We can feel fear, which is natural, and not be afraid.  There is no need for us to hang onto our fear for God will fight for us.

He set his mind to seek the Lord.  We can have a predetermined plan when trouble comes of what we will do.  A plan already set in place. Jehoshaphat already had a predetermined plan to seek the Lord. He turned his attention in the Lord's direction.  So can we.

He rehearsed God's faithfulness and His promises (vs.6-9).  It is vital that we rehearse the times God has brought us through.  Rehearse the strength of our God.

He had a position of worship (vs.18-19).  Worship invites all the resources of Heaven to stand by our side.  We are worshiping a God who can do something about the situation.  When our posture is worship, God moves, as stated in vs 22, "the Lord set an ambush against...."

There you have it. He faced his greatest fear, expressed everything to God, kept his confidence, not letting his emotions dictate but God's promises dictate, and he spiraled up and not down.  Victory came.

I am still in the process of learning this response. I haven't arrived. There are times when I forget to seek the Lord and His strength, to seek His face first, but they are fewer and farther between. I am learning to rehearse what 2 Chronicles says: "This is what the Lord says to you (put your name here), 'do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God's.' 

THE MUSIC OF WINTER

Winter….it can be a harsh season of blizzards, dreary skies, leafless trees and brown grass.  But winter is so important.  If the grass didn’t freeze, if the trees didn’t shed, if the flowers didn’t fade, we wouldn’t have such rich foliage and vibrant growth when Spring arrives. Winter is a time to anticipate Spring.

The same is true with the Winter in our life as a Christ follower.  During these times it can be a time when we become more focused, when our priorities become clearer, when we evaluate our situations and come to terms with some things realizing that God needs to be at the center of everything. It's a time when we can anticipate what God can and will do, a time for Hope to arise, which is the Music of Winter - Hope.

Psalm 42:11 expresses it so well, "why are you in despair O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?  Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God."

Hope, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary means, "to desire with expectation of obtainment."

If the season of your soul is Winter, look with expectant anticipation to what God can do during this time and.....


            LET THE SONG OF HOPE BEGIN TO SING OUT!

BAD THINGS DO HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE

"Mom.....we've had our house broken into" was the call I received yesterday afternoon from my daughter Haylee.  "Oh no Haylee! I'm so sorry this has happened to you again."

Haylee's first year living in Houston, her apartment, that she was sharing with another dancer, was broken into and they were robbed of some precious things - laptops filled with pictures of friends and family, CD's used for their dance projects, but mostly robbed of trust.  Left wondering "Why us?"

This time, the "Home Sweet Home" that she shared with her husband Kevin, recently married in June of this year, was broken into.  Again the question "why mom?  and the trust broken again. "I thought this would be a safe neighborhood", she said.  "This is our home.  They have violated a safe place for Kevin and I."  

The age-old question of "Why do bad things happen to good people" has been a conundrum by many theologians over the years.  Many books have been written on the subject.  In 1978, a book by Harold Kushner, a conservative Rabbi, was titled "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." He came to the conclusion that it was "essentially the evidential problem of evil".  He states, "all we can do is try to rise beyond the question 'why did it happen?' and begin to ask the question what do I do now that it has happened?"

Haylee and Kevin have risen above the question of "why did it happen?" Their anger still intact and working through the trust issues, they are moving to the second question "what do we do now that it has happened?"

I am so impressed with how they have handled this violation of their home.  So impressed with the attitude they have taken. Haylee and I have related this to how the enemy, satan, comes to steal, kill and destroy - to take what doesn't belong to him.  Christ so aptly called him a thief.  There is evil in this world Christ said, but "I have overcome the world."  I think Haylee and Kevin are taking this word to heart.  They are not going to let this evil overcome them.  In fact, they both feel stronger, more determined to not "let the enemy triumph over them" and are already seeing good coming from evil with friends offering prayers, asking what they can do to help, what do they need, giving encouragement. Like I said to Haylee, "God will bring beauty out of ashes Haylee. He will bring good out of what was meant for evil."

I have found that the Bible is true when it says in John 16:33b "in this world, you will have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world."  A promise that we will get through this.

As Christians, "What do we do now?"

When something unexpected happens (and it does to all of us), let's not lose our faith or our hope that something good will eventually come out of this situation.  Let's gain a renewed sense of our faith, a renewed sense that there is always hope.  Let's ask ourselves what do I need to do to make this better? What can I learn about myself through this? How can I open my heart wider to encompass the pain and grow from it rather than closing down and isolating myself?  My house hasn't been broken into, but I have experienced the unexpected. I've experienced pain, shed tears of disappointment, hurt, wanting to hide from it and close the doors. I've learned some things about myself through the unexpected that I would not have learned otherwise.  I've learned things about life, about people, about choices, and much more.

Haylee said to me just this morning, "mom...I have such peace today.  I feel stronger in my faith. This isn't going to get me down." Isn't that a great triumph right there?

We need to remember that underneath every dark cloud, the sun is still shining.

As Rabbi Jerome Epstein wrote

"My understanding of God does not permit me to accept that every bad or good thing that occurs is a reward or punishment.  There are times when bad things happen to good people....we need consolation, not anger; love, not hate.  The God I serve and pray to daily has charged me not to blame but to help."

Verse to memorize (it's good to read this verse in context by reading the whole chapter of 16)
"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage (your name); I have overcome the world." John 16:33.

BEING MORE.....LIVING GREATER

"How do we recognize 'good enough?' When we start to say 'I have to' instead of 'I get to'.  This month, one of the books I am reading is "Greater" by Steven Furtick.  This is one of many statements he makes in this vision-oriented book.

He explains that breaking away from good enough and igniting God's vision starts with becoming more acutely aware of God's presence in our life....our ordinary life that is.  God is present with us, watching over us, planning greater things for us.

We can sometimes feel that our life is so ordinary.  But that's okay, as long as God's presence is in our ordinary life and we are aware of it.  I have faced many challenges in this ordinary life and have plowed through many circumstances - all with God's help.  At times, I have said "I have to" instead of "I get to", but I am refocusing, leaning in to listen better to the Spirit, looking for those "greater" moments where I am totally surrendered, totally obedient, willing to sacrifice.

We have to remember that God is detail-oriented but doesn't always communicate those details to us. He doesn't always tell us the how.  We don't have a GPS to follow.  Abraham just had a directive from God "Abraham-go"....

Sometimes, as Beth Moore has said - "we do it scared".  I've been there too.  Being more is simply being obedient in what I hear from God, not doing more so I feel good about myself.

"Being more" for the disciples meant leaving their fishing boats and nets to follow Christ.

Greater means we are willing to give up good.  It means we will realize more and more that the purpose of the greater life....of being more....isn't to bring attention to ourselves.  It's to bring glory to the one who will always be greater.

What's in our way today of becoming more, of living greater?  Pride, fear of failing, lack of motivation, an undisciplined life, selfishness, people, or our past?

Let's take time to ask God how we can be more in Him.  How we can live this life in a greater way and what do we need to let go of in order to move forward.

As Steve Furtick says "God is more interested in our full obedience than our full understanding.  He will give the days orders when we show up on the job site."

There is a cost to pay in giving up good.  We will have to make some sacrifices....but isn't it worth it?

GOD IS THE GREAT DESIGNER

There are some very talented and creative designers in this world but to me - God is the most creative and talented designer.

In Genesis chapter 1 we read about God, the Creator, creating the heavens, creating the earth, creating all kinds of living creatures and lastly, creating male and female.

God's design and plan didn't stop there.  In Matthew chapter 1, and Luke the first two chapters, we read of God sending an angel to Mary and telling her she will conceive and give birth to a son and to call His name JESUS....for He will be the Savior of the world - saving people from their sins.

What God Has Designed:

Salvation
God has designed a pathway of forgiveness and eternal life, which is salvation through Jesus Christ - Salvation that is freely given to us and not earned.  It is God's design that we would have a Savior...Jesus....

Peace
Along with Salvation, God has designed a pathway of peace.  We have:

• Peace with God.  Personal peace.  We are no longer fighting against God because now we have a right relationship with Him.
• Peace of God. This kind of peace will do three things:

1. Guard your heart.
2. Guard your mind and 
3. Keep, watch over and protect our heart and our mind when we put our life into His hands. 

This peace is available to us on a daily basis when we put our life and our circumstances in His hands. Philippians 4:7 says: and the peace of God, which surpasses (goes beyond the limit), of all understanding (all of our capacity to understand), will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The peace of God is our guardian.  When I visualize this verse, I see myself in the protective care of someone who has my best interest at heart.

It is God's design for us to have peace, and this peace is freely given to those who believe.

Hope
God has designed for us to also have hope.  Webster's dictionary defines Hope as "a feeling that what is wanted will happen, a desire accompanied by anticipation or expectation."  I think all of us at sometime have had this level of hope.  I have - when it came to my girls coming home for breaks from college.  I anticipated seeing them again - could hardly wait for their arrival.  Although, Kelly's sophomore year of college she sort of burst my bubble by saying "mom, you need to get a life."  I still anticipated her coming home.

I think a Christian definition of this might be: an eager anticipation of God's promises being fulfilled - knowing we are not going to be stuck in this forever.

A few years back, I had a major vertigo attack - nausea, dizziness, ringing in my ears and a feeling I was going to pass out - which then escalated into anxiety attacks.  The vertigo did go away eventually but the anxiety attacks remained.  I was afraid to drive or go out anywhere for fear that this attack might happen again. The anxiety attacks went on for almost three months.

I remember being at my parent's house when I had one of my worst anxiety attacks.  Bruce was at camp with Kelly and Haylee and I planned to stay at my mom and dad's.  My parents prayed over me and played soft worship music to calm my anxiety.  They both would come into the room where I was and read Psalms to me.  My feeling was of being trapped, suffocating, couldn't get out.  If you have never had panic attacks, this probably seems very foreign to you.  I remember a verse my mom read from Psalm 38:15 where David was crying out for help "for I hope in You, O Lord, You will answer, O Lord, my God."

Psalm 42:11 David was encouraging himself to hope: "why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." I was hanging onto these verses - knowing that I was going to see the other side of this....having great Hope!

I was eagerly anticipating God bringing a positive outcome.  I had a knowing that I was not going to be stuck in this forever....that I would see God's promise fulfilled.

Maybe you are waiting or hoping in God that He will bring some good, some direction, some conclusions, some strength or maybe you are waiting and anticipating for a positive outcome.  I want to encourage you to remember the words of David and say "For I hope in You, O Lord, You will answer, O Lord my God." I'm not going to be stuck in this forever.

God has given us Hope.  Hope in this life and Hope of eternal life to come.

Love
Love has been designed for us by our great and excellent designer. He gives us His Love.

God's character is Love.  He cannot be anything else.  He cannot go against who He is.  I John 4:16 clearly states that God is Love.  And because of that Love, Hebrews 13:5 says "I will never under any condition or circumstance desert you, nor will I ever at any time forsake you." 

That is God's promise.  We can depend on it. 

God also has given us the need to love and be loved.

I remember when Haylee was just a little one, maybe five at the time, and we were training her to stay in her room at night after we put her to bed.  This particular night, Bruce was downstairs and I had already gone to bed.  Haylee had been placed in her bed.  We had gone through all the nighttime rituals and she was told not to come out of her room or downstairs but to remain in bed.....this was sleep time.  Minutes later, I heard footsteps on her wood floor, but Haylee did not come out of her room. She sat just at the edge of the carpet leading into the hallway.  I heard whimpering from the doorway, and of course, my heart started to melt.  All of a sudden I heard this faint cry that said "won't somebody please love me?"  Well, you can image my response...YES!  I flung my covers back, reached her doorway and knelt beside her holding my precious child and reassuring her she was loved.  

I see God responding that way to us when we cry out for love. He has the greatest capacity to love because that's who He is.  People will fail and disappoint us, but God's love will never fail.

He has given us Salvation, Hope, Peace and Love.  

Whatever God designs, it won't fade, fray, shrink or fall apart because what He makes is made to last forever.

IT HAPPENED IN COLORADO

I left for Avon, Colorado on September 23rd early Monday morning after having my car fixed.  You see, my mom and I were stranded on I-75 in Detroit two weeks prior to me leaving.  My car was fixed by our mechanic C.J. and ready for me to roll out on Monday the 23rd.  Well.......almost.....I noticed when I was driving that cold morning that I had absolutely no heat in my car.  This is not something I wanted to travel without knowing the weather in Colorado can change drastically at any moment.  So, I called Bruce and said, "I'm heading back.  I have no heat in my car."  With the problem fixed, I headed out Wednesday morning very early for my road trip adventure.  Ahhh! Heat!

Things were going very well until I stopped at a rest area in Indiana.  Coming out of the rest area, I started my car up and lo and behold my engine light came on.  "What now?" I exclaimed.  Freaking out, I called Bruce and said, "you'll never believe what just happened. My engine light has come on." Now, this hasn't happened in some years.  I immediately retrieved my car manual to look for the what-does-this-mean answer.  If blinking, something bad could happen.  If not blinking, it could be just a sensor problem or whatever.  I'm feeling a bit uneasy, well let's be honest - anxious.  I still have a way to go - All. By. Myself.  I told Bruce I would keep going.  Shoot, this engine like thingy had come on before some years back and nothing had happened.  So.....onward!

Spending the night in Omaha, NE was my plan.  I would just pick up a booklet at one of the rest stops and get a room for an inexpensive price.  I reach Omaha and the traffic is pretty bad at this time of day - people getting out of work, going home at 6:00 p.m.  Not familiar with Omaha, I took a wrong exit to reach the hotel - went east instead of west....oops!  When I did reach my destination, I pulled out my handy hotel discount booklet, went in and asked for a room at this discount rate.  "I'm sorry", she said, "we are all booked up.  I just gave my last room away."  Are. You. Serious. Lady. Nothing?"  I didn't actually say that, but it was there on the tip of my tongue, longing to be said. There goes my discount and saving some expense.  I went next door to the Holiday Inn Express knowing I would be paying over $100.00 for a hotel - not thinking I could have used my AAA, which we had purchased for this trip, to get a discount.  Oh well! I was tired, not thinking clearly.  This was all new to me.

Traveled many miles through prairie land - sort of like Laura Ingalls Wilder - I did say sort of, and also thinking of Haylee.  Many family trips ago, we had come this way to Colorado Springs for hiking and camping and done the "Laura Ingalls stuff."  Haylee would always say, "is this where Laura traveled?" Did Laura live here?"  Needless to say, this traveling through Iowa and Eastern Colorado was very boring and were roads less traveled.....prairie land galore.

Reaching my destination on Thursday September 26th, I met Kelly at the day care where she picks up Analiese.  What a joy to see them both....worth all the trouble of getting started, worth all my anxious thoughts, worth all the many worship songs I sang from my collection of CD's, worth all the prayers I prayed along the way for safety.

I have been here now for almost four weeks.  This has been a great time for me and for Kelly.  We've gone to Aspen, Silverthorne, Eagle, Vail, traveled the Independence Trail up into the high mountains to Aspen and today to Minturn and the park.  Many adventures yet to come before I leave.

Speaking of adventure, my car's brakes went out while I was traveling very slowly from the market in Avon to the condo I call home.  I'm thinking, "great, now what?"  My car, as I'm writing this, is still at the auto mechanics.  They say "don't drive this back to Michigan. It's not safe."  Bruce and C.J. (my mechanic at home) are working out the details of how to get parts here to Eagle-Vail and where to park my car while we mull over what to do once it's fixed.  Me? I'm traveling back by airplane.  There is no way I'm driving that car home!  Once home safely, it's time to start looking for safe travels on the highway.  My Ford Taurus has bit the dust! Shoot, I may even kiss the ground of my much-loved home.

I'm leaving two weeks later than planned, but Kelly doesn't mind and neither do I.  Just have to take care of the car business before I go. Monday will be calling-auto-place-day and seeing if they will allow C.J. to get the parts and have them shipped to them.  Not sure what awaits on the other side of this, but I've learned that God takes care of me, looks out for me and will work all this out somehow for my good and His.

INSPIRED BY OBEDIENCE

September 14th will be the fifth anniversary of my dad's death, who succumbed to cancer at age 76.  Even typing that sentence, brings back memories of me watching him slowly die of prostate cancer.  He received the diagnosis in October of 2005 and died three years later in 2008.  I miss my papa very much.  He was a huge inspiration to me growing up and into my adult years. You see, I grew up in a pastor's home. Yes...I'm a PK.

My dad was an amazing man who encouraged me, inspired me, loved me, disciplined me, gave words of wisdom and on occasion handed me money saying....."you never know when you might need it....".  I looked up to him, respected him, wanted to be like him when it came to loving people and loving his God.

My dad had been hurt many times during his 40 years of ministry but never turned his back on God or his calling.  Everything he went through in his life, he always turned to God first and came out with a song of victory - always moving forward.  My dad lived the life of obedience right in front of my eyes even when it was painful.  He had a website of sermons that my mom would post each week so that people from all over the world could read what was coming from his heart.  When he prayed, there was such a powerful force within him touching others lives.  Many people were touched by my dad and I'm still hearing about it today. Many came to Christ because of my dad's life and how he lived it out.  He was a man of integrity.  I want to be that too.  He was a man who knew his God.  I want to know my God too.

I remember a time when I was having trouble getting over some hurt words that were being said about my husband, who is also a pastor.  I called my dad crying, venting, so very hurt.  My dad said to me, "Sharon, just keep putting one foot in front of the other - people are people.  You cannot allow those hurts to sit on your shoulder.  Their opinions are just that....their opinions.  Keep to your purpose and your calling which is worship."  My dad knew my heart was worship, so he encouraged me to just worship, sit at my piano and let all the "stuff" go.  My dad was very cheerful, always had a hearty laugh, could talk to the lowest and highest of people, accepted people for who they were and where they were in life, loved his family, but most importantly, he loved his God.

He was my hero when I was young, and he is still my hero today.

REFLECTIONS ON "INSIDE CHATTER"

"We engage in inside chatter when we hyper-analyze a conversation after the fact. How a women thinks is often how she lives." Lysa Terkeurst

Philippians 4:6-9 says this "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers (sisters), whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

What specifically does this passage give us that can help with negative "inside chatter." i.e. our toxic thoughts that leave no room for truth to flourish.

Specifically, the first thing this passage can give to us is that we have a place to take our requests.  Two words that stand out to me are "anything" and "everything."  This is what we are supposed to "make known to God."  How does this help with negative "inside chatter"?  It means that "anything" and "everything" that's inside us is emptied out, poured out to God.

Once our "anything" and "everything" is poured out of us to God, we are told what our "inside chatter" should be:  things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy.

Looking further in these verses, we see we are told to "practice" these things.  This is what helps our "inside chatter."  What comes when we practice these things?  What was mentioned at the beginning - "the peace of God."  This is what will be with us and will help dissipate our "inside chatter."

Thinking on truth wraps our minds in a peace that rises above our circumstances.

CHANGING OUR THOUGHT PATTERNS

"We will not develop new responses until we develop new thoughts.  New thoughts come from new perspectives."  

Good thought!  But how do we develop these new thoughts, new perspectives?

The foundation of scripture teaches that it is possible to be completely changed through transformed thought patterns - Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Scripture also teaches that we can accept or refuse thoughts.  Instead of being held hostage by old patterns, we can actually capture our thoughts and allow the power of Christ's truth to change them:

Second Corinthians 10:5 reminds us that "we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against what we know to be true about the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."  So, our thoughts can set themselves up so to speak to be against God's truth - to let fear rule instead of faith.  It's important to know that we can train ourselves to think differently by accepting or refusing thoughts.

We cannot control the things that happen to us each day, but we can control how we think about them. We can ask God for a better perspective. We can face things that are out of our control and not act out of control.

Lysa Terkeurst writes this "if we know that there is potential good hidden within each chaotic situation, we can loosen our grip on control.  It's easier to loosen our grip when we see the good.  When we can't immediately see the good, loosening our grip becomes a matter of trust."

Joshua had to deal with something out of his control without losing control when facing the impenetrable walls of Jericho.  The walls were formidable.  Joshua had to announce a plan to the people that made absolutely no sense to a seasoned warrior like himself, but he followed the plan of a warrior who was mightier than himself and who had everything under His control.

We cannot always fix our circumstances, but we can fix our minds on God who has control over the circumstances.

THE MOM MOMENT STILL HAPPENS

Mom!.........

I've heard those words many times during the last 29 years of having two daughters.  the word "mom" can be said in a variety of ways - whining, frustration, angry, imploring - but the way it was said to me on my way back to Denver airport was completely different.

Haylee and I were traveling back from the Vail valley to the Denver airport to return to our homes in Michigan and Texas.  On this particular day, the weather was not cooperating with us.  

Wishing for a bright, sunny, warm day to travel through the mountain passes, we instead received, snow and icy conditions. My windshield wiper on the driver's side was only half there, so it made visibility very difficult at some points.  

At any rate, I remained calm and pretty lighthearted not wanting to become the tense, anxious traveling mom.  Haylee even said I did well - not using the word "mom!"at all until.....

I was discussing with her that I had read the car manual while waiting in the cell phone lot for 45 minutes to retrieve her from the Denver airport the week prior.  

I was confidently relaying to her what the dashboard buttons were all about and the buttons on the steering wheel were meant to be used for when I looked to my right and saw some words within the enclosed dashboard area that read "passengers ahead".  

Are you serious?  "Passengers Ahead?".   I know that.  I can see them right in front of me.  Is this car wired to tell me that there are passengers ahead?  Am I stupid?  Is this car smarter than I am? 

Being the feisty person that I am, I spoke out to Haylee - "can you believe this car is telling me that there are passengers ahead?" "Where is that?", Haylee replied.  "Right there on the dashboard" I said.  And then the word, spoken to me in a very different voice that now implied to me that I didn't know much and now my daughter knows so much more than me after 26 years of living. 

"Mom......can't you see that it reads "passenger airbag?"  "No way"! I laughingly replied. "These glasses are not doing what they're supposed to do".

It seems I've become the child and my girls have become the adults. I hear the "mom" word spoken as if they know more than me.  Is that possible?

EXERCISE GRATITUDE

"....giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20 (ESV)

Giving thanks is easy, but giving thanks for everything is a nearly impossible task.  It doesn't even seem appropriate at times.  But we have a comforter who helps us exercise thankfulness in every situation.

It's the Holy Spirit who enables us to do what God requires and teaches us a habit of gratitude - Psalm 92.

A prayer-less man cannot remain thankful for long because he is too overwhelmed by his problems.

Why does God tell us to exercise gratitude?  Because when we focus on His work in our life, we'll discover our spirits have been lifted and our courage strengthened.

As we watch Him intervene, we rejoice more, pray with increased fervor and learn to give thanks in everything.

Giving thanks in everything is a process.  Just like physical exercise builds muscle, the spiritual exercise or discipline of being thankful yields positive results.  As we gradually put our trust in God for everything and get to know Him at a deeper level, our default response will not be negative but positive - thanking Him for everything because we know that beauty can from ashes, that He brings good out of evil, that He can make the impossible possible, that joy can come from sorrow.

Let's take the time to exercise thankfulness this season.  Focus on the positive and not on the negative. Let's cultivate an attitude of a grateful heart.