Category Archives: Devotional Life

One of Those Days

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There are days…

When I’d just like to stay under the covers.

When I’d like to eat blueberry waffles with pure maple syrup and whipped cream until I burst.

When I’d like to leave all the dishes in the sink, the dirty laundry in the basket, the refrigerator empty, and watch TV all day.

When I’d like to crank the music and sing off-key at the top of my lungs.

When I’d like to tell people on Facebook exactly what I’m thinking, no matter who it may offend.

When I’d like to go for a walk at lunch, and just keep walking.

When I’d like to speed down the interstate or better yet, cruise under the speed limit in the left lane.

When I’d like to skip out on all my responsibilities and do something stupid.

But instead…

I’ll be responsible (most of the time)…

Act my age (sometimes)…

Keep my mouth shut (when appropriate)…

Choose right over wrong,

kindness and compassion over meanness,

the Spirit of God over the lust of the flesh.

Because I’ve made the big decision to live according the Spirit, not according to my flesh. It’s okay to recognize those days of indulgence for what they are. A temptation to live for myself. So, even though today may be one of “those days,” I’m asking God for the strength to choose the better way.

And for those of you who like to have fun, and laugh, and sing, and dance…you have definitely chosen the better way. I’m with you.

I will sing out loud and probably have waffles til I explode.

galatians 5 16

Thank You God for Dirty Socks

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dirty socks

I am a blessed woman. I know it. I’m a “there’s always a silver-lining” kind of person. Makes my kids crazy sometimes. I’ve always said things are never as bad as they seem. But there are still times when I’m overwhelmed, when I can’t see anything except the chaos around me. And I let myself get sad. I start thinking “poor me.” I begin to believe the lies – you know the ones…”I’m alone, I’m going to fail, I’m not good enough, I can’t do it.” In this case – I – is the operative word. I’ve become self-absorbed.

It’s in those moments when I desperately need to look outside of myself. When I feel the pull to look inward, I fight it…with everything I have. I go to my “Gratitude Fix.”

Ann Voskamp calls them gifts. In her book entitled “One Thousand Gifts,” she challenged me to live fully right where I am. I read the book a few years ago and took her up on her 1000 gift dare. I opened a brand new, clean notebook, ready to fill it with beautiful expressions of my heart’s cry of gratitude. I decided to come up with 10 to 20 new entries each day. It started out pretty easy. I could think of a lot of things I was thankful for…air to breathe, a house to live in, a husband who loves me, clean water to drink. But after the first fifty or so, it started getting a little tougher. That’s when I began to look at the smallest of items as blessings, as gifts, in my life.

My notebook began to fill up. A thousand gifts takes a while to compile. I began to really look for things to be thankful for. My senses became more attune to the blessings all around me. My eyes got sharper. I saw my mundane life in a new way. I viewed circumstances in a different light. I heard smaller sounds. I tasted more clearly, felt more deeply, inhaled new aromas.

Thank You, Lord, for the dirty socks left in the living room (which means my kids have enjoyed their day and have feet to wear socks on).
Thank You for garbage to haul outside (meaning I have more than enough food to eat)
Thanks for toilets to clean (Thank You God for Indoor Plumbing!)
Thank You for that first daffodil in the spring and the sounds of cardinals in the trees.
Thanks for bunnies who race with me down the trail in the wee hours of the day.
Thank You for the aromas of lilacs, and baking bread, and burning leaves, and freshly-laundered sheets.
Thank You for the taste of peppermint or that first pungent sip of freshly-roasted coffee.

You should try it sometime. If a list of one thousand seems overwhelming, do half of that or a quarter. The point is to look beyond the obvious and see the hidden hand of God. You are blessed. Now it’s time to realize it.

My Small View of God

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I think I know God. I think I realize how big and powerful God is. I think I can comprehend that He knows all things and sees all things. I think I believe God heals, God provides, God comforts, God gives guidance and wisdom, God loves me.

Yet…

Do I bring all my needs to God? No. Why not?

Maybe I really don’t think He cares enough about me?

Do I pray believing God is listening?

Do I talk about Him to others, trusting they will want to know this mighty and awesome God?

Do I seek Him first when I’m sad, or hurting, or needing a miracle?

Is my view of God based on my experiences or based on the truth of Scripture?

What is my reality in my view of God?

Just a few questions to get me moving from my small view of God to the reality of who He is…

God confronts Job in the latter chapters of his book about His size and awesome-ness…”where were you when I created the earth?…And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb?…And have you ever ordered Morning, ‘Get up!’ told Dawn, ‘Get to work!’…Do you know where Light comes from and where Darkness lives so you can take them by the hand and lead them home when they get lost?…Do you know the first thing about the sky’s constellations and how they affect things on Earth? Can you get the attention of the clouds…Can you take charge of the lightning bolts and have them report to you for orders?” (just a little bit from Job 38 in The Message – read the whole thing for yourself. Awesome just barely describes it!)

Job responds appropriately – “I’m speechless, in awe – words fail me….I’m ready to shut up and listen.”

It’s time for me to look past the mountain and really see the Mountain Mover.

mountain

The Power of One

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Friends united

As a parent, I know how powerful my relationship with my husband is when it comes to dealing with our children. It doesn’t take a kid very long the try the old “if Mom says ‘no,’ get to Dad before she does” move. Don and I learned early on to communicate with each other regularly and present a united front to our boys. Our unified front brought a measure of peace and security, even though the guys may have thought differently at the time.

In the account of the building of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, prior to confusing the languages, God talks to the others in the Trinity (notice use of word “us”) saying, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” (Gen. 11:6) What an illustration of the power in unity!

Romans 15:5-6 – “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

If I’m causing division by my words, then I am definitely not participating in a spirit of unity and absolutely not giving glory to God. Unity is a necessity to live a life worthy of my calling. Unity brings maturity. I challenge you to look at your words and actions when it comes to other believers. Do you talk down about someone in another denomination? Do you make fun of someone’s beliefs because you don’t understand it or believe it yourself? Am I guilty of picking apart a church’s Tenets of Faith because it doesn’t include everything mine does? Am I guilty of causing division, even in little things like my one-on-one conversations with others?

I challenge you to read Ephesians 4:1-15 – a large commentary by Paul on living in unity. I am a part of the Body of Christ. I can’t be in disunity with other body parts or my goal to tell the world of Jesus will be worthless.

Colossians 2:2-3  – “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Chaos is default. Unity takes work and determination and love. It’s a choice. Maybe the reason we can’t understand all of what God wants to do in the Earth is because we kill our wounded. Maybe the reason these other world religions are growing is because they don’t see anything in us as believers in Christ that would cause them to want to be a part of what we have. We need to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We need to forgive each other and choose to love. That will unite us all. (BTW – thats Colossians 3:12-14)

You is smart. You is kind. You is important.

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The-Most-Destructive-Words

“Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” What a lie. A big fat lie. Words can cause greater damage than any stick or stone.

We often believe what we hear about ourselves, especially if the speaker is someone in authority or someone we trust or admire. Parents, siblings, other family members, teachers, coaches…even ourselves. I’ve found in my tutoring of students of all ages that my toughest job is getting them to believe in themselves after hearing things like “You can’t” or “You’re dumb” or “You’ll never…” for far too long.

Two solutions.

First, don’t destroy others with your words. Be an encourager, a cheerleader. Don’t bad mouth someone, or be nasty or rude. Avoid saying (or typing in your status bar) anything destructive or negative about another person. No matter who they are. No matter their political party or religious denomination. No matter what you perceive they think of you or have done to you. A well known person once said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” Good advice for all of us.

Secondly, do not disparage or bad mouth yourself…not your mind or intelligence, your emotions or your physical body. No matter what someone else has ever said about you…You are smart. You are kind. You are important.

God’s Word is full of His words of unconditional love and acceptance of who you are. Are you calling God a liar? Start reading through Proverbs and inserting your name.

“The speech of KRIS is worth waiting for…” (Proverbs 10:20a) Or “The speech of KRIS clears the air…” (Proverbs 10:32a) Or “The words of the wicked kill; the speech of KRIS saves.” (Proverbs 12:6) One of my favorites is Proverbs 16:24 – “Kris’ gracious speech is like clover honey – good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body.”

I’m attaching the link for a more in depth article about the power of our words if you need more convincing but this Scripture from James states it pretty clearly.

“It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.” (James 3:5-6 MSG)

The Never Ending Pursuit of Happiness

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joy

My 40-day blogging adventure continues today with help from my extremely intelligent and handsome husband Don. More from him later. Read on.

Today I’m going to try to stop. I’m going to stop chasing after something fleeting and start going after the eternal. Today I’m going to give up my pursuit of happiness….again.

Almost any American elementary child can tell you where the phrase “the pursuit of Happiness” was first introduced to us. It’s a phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence and is one of three examples of “unalienable rights” which the document says has been God-given to all humans, and which governments were created to protect.

Rabbit Trail Alert! Made me think a bit about what constitutes “happiness.” What makes me happy may not do a thing for you. And I know there are certain people out there who pursue their own brand of happiness in the form of physical and emotional abuse, and worse. Did God give us this right to pursue happiness? This blog could go on forever debating that question…so I’ll just let you ponder it on your own.

Back to stopping my own pursuit of happiness.

My happiness changes with the wind, or my mood, or my circumstances, or my financial situation, or my comfort level, or the weather, or my expectations. I’ve decided I spend way too much energy pursuing such a fleeting and capricious emotion. Happy is a catchy song (Thank you Pharrell Williams) but it isn’t so easy to catch in real life.

Here’s where my husband’s wisdom and insight come in. He writes a weekly Bible study and is currently working through the book of Hosea. Don prefaces the following remarks with an introduction to Hosea 9:1-9, saying the prophet Hosea, under the direction of the Holy Spirit provides a list of four things which the nation of Israel will lose because of their sin.

“The first thing lost due to their sinfulness was “joy.” Joy is more than emotion. Joy is the presence of God in our lives. Joy is something that comes from God, not from something external in our life. Joy and happiness are often mistaken for one another but it’s just not so. Joy is something deep down inside which is not controlled by circumstances as happiness is. I can be made happy by circumstances or by something someone else does. But Joy is something which transcends circumstances or the behavior of others.

God is more than our “source” of joy. God is our joy. As we walk with Him, no matter the circumstances we will have joy. The closer we get to Him, the more joy we will know.

Joy is something the world cannot give us nor can the world take it away.” Don McGarvey – Thursday Night Bible Study, study of Hosea. If this piques your interest, check out Don’s Bible Study on Facebook.

And how about pursuing the fruit of the Spirit which, in addition to joy, include love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?

Or how about just pursuing Jesus and everything else…everything of little to no importance falls away.

“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” (John 4:23-24 – MSG)

Jesus is really all I need to pursue. Because…and this is the cool part…He’s pursuing me!

Giving Up on Giving Up

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Give_Up_1

Ever had one of those days? You know what I mean – When you feel forgotten and alone? When you can’t seem to get anything right? When your dreams look as far away as ever? Yeah. Me too. Let’s give up.

When I first started running last spring I had a lot of ‘Let’s give up’ moments. Pretty minor in the whole big picture of life, but I knew it was a small test I wanted to pass. I wasn’t going to give up on my goals even though it was difficult. My parents, especially my dad, always told me I could do whatever I put my mind to. I’m not sure that is always true but his affirmation of me helped shaped my mindset about what I can and cannot accomplish. As parents, my husband and I have always tried to instill a “don’t give up” mentality in our boys. When we signed up for a sport, we made them stick it out, even if they didn’t like it. And not just because “we paid for it, you’ll do it.” It’s important to develop perseverance – a character trait sometimes lacking in our culture today.

I came across a lot of quotes about giving up. Here’s a small sampling:

“You cry and you scream and you stomp your feet and you shout. You say, ‘You know what? I’m giving up, I don’t care.’ And then you go to bed and you wake up and it’s a brand new day, and you pick yourself back up again.” Nicole Scherzinger

“A winner is just a loser who tried one more time.” George M. Moore Jr. Member of US House of Representatives

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb

“Fall seven times and stand up eight.” Japanese proverb

“Each mistake teaches you something new about yourself. There is no failure, remember, except in no longer trying. It is the courage to continue that counts.” Chris Bradford, “The Way of the Sword”

Winston Churchill gave a commencement speech at his alma mater, Harrow School, in October 1941. Great Britain was embroiled in war with Germany. The British people were facing shortages of food, munitions and oil. The war was escalating and people were growing frightened of the uncertainty their nation faced. As Prime Minister, Churchill had attempted to negotiate with other world leaders, but without much success. The most memorable portion of this speech has been immortalized, but I would recommend reading the whole thing at some point in your life.

Never-Give-In

Of course, the best example of never giving up was Jesus. He faced what he knew would be an agonizing death by crucifixion, betrayed by someone he had lived with for three years, left alone to face these trials without his friends, seemingly cast aside by his Father God. Yet he didn’t give up. Though he had legions of angels at his command, he didn’t give up. Why? Because he loved me. If it had been only me, Jesus would still have gone to the cross. Just for me. And you.

Don’t give up. God hasn’t given up on you.

It’s Green So It Must be Good, Right?

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Spring always means I start thinking about my dream of a perfect lawn, flowering plants and bushes, and an abundant garden with luscious vegetables. But it’s really only a dream. I don’t have enough determination and know-how to make it actually happen. Besides the lack of knowledge and willingness to work, I’ve got an insidious enemy in my lawn. His name is Charlie. Creeping Charlie.

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Creeping Charlie is a ground ivy but that doesn’t really cover all you need to know. According to www.gardeningknowhow.com “the creeping Charlie plant is rivaled only by dandelions in terms of difficulty to get rid of and control.” But they’ve given me hope. It seems all I need to know are a few tips and tricks to “beat this annoying lawn invader.” First I have to identify it by studying its appearance. Then I can stop it from thriving by working to create a healthy lawn. Most recommend using a dicamba-based herbicide. When creeping Charlie hits your flowerbeds, you’ll need to actually use your hands to pull it out or try a smothering technique. Some sources recommend using Borax, but that can kill your other plants too, so be cautious.

If you’ve made it this far in the blog, you’ll be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with giving up something for Lent?” I’m glad you asked. Today’s “giving up” involves bitterness and there is no better analogy than my little plant friend Charlie. Like that ground ivy, bitterness often takes root in an unhealthy situation and grows alone untouched until it has taken over your life. Bitterness is tough to get rid. Determination alone won’t do it. You’ve got to get your life healthy, like I must get my lawn healthy, to truly stop bitterness from growing. The bitterness seed is often planted by an action done against you, something that hurt or offended you. But then you watered it with constantly thinking about, or talking about it with others. Now that bitterness ivy grows and grows, often unchecked until it has taken over the lawn of your life.

Want to get rid of Creeping Bitterness? Use the same techniques as ridding your lawn of Charlie. First you need to identify the condition in your life. Recognize you have this little bugger and then decide to work hard to stop it from spreading. Get your life healthy in other ways – feeding it with the Word of God, watering it with consistent prayer, fertilizing it by spending time in the presence of God. The very best method of killing bitterness is applying a healthy dose of forgiveness periodically. Forgiveness will kill a lot of nasty plants which want to attach themselves to your life. And the great news, forgiveness won’t kill anything good in your life…actually forgiveness works to only kill the crud and causes the good things to thrive. Maybe bitterness has invaded your family relationships already. Like getting rid of Charlie in your flowerbeds, you may actually have to get your hands dirty pulling out each bitterness plant, one by one. It’s worth it. Nothing flourishes like weed-free flower beds or bitterness-free family relationships

It’s spring so let’s get down to business and create a beautiful life by ridding yourself of Creeping Bitterness.

Embracing Extravagance

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lack-of-money

Day 17 – Dropping my Poverty Mindset
Let me give warning right up front. This blog is not an expert’s advice on how to get rich, get out of debt or win the lottery. This is just a few thoughts I’ve had recently about how much I allow my mind to be consumed with money, especially the lack of it. And what I intend to do about it.

Let it be said that no one says, “I have enough money. Stop giving me anymore.” Well, maybe someone somewhere, but no one I know personally. In fact, most of us could use a little more every once in a while. We all have bills, some planned for like mortgages, car payments and school loans. Others are bombarded with emergencies like car repairs, doctors’ bills and “Yikes! I owe the IRS?” But there are actually some people who need money but don’t fret about it. And that’s where I want to be.

I have a poverty mindset. It manifests itself in worry, anxiety, stress, anger, bitterness, depression, envy and greed. It also takes away my joy, my happiness and my spontaneity. The words “No! We can’t afford that!” flow from my lips a lot. That attitude then spreads like a cancer into my kids, my husband, my friends…whomever has to listen to it, over and over and over.

Maybe you can relate? Ask yourself a few telling questions.
• Do you justify your lack of funds and make excuses?
• Do you complain about paying taxes on an unexpected bonus or reward?
• When something is free, do you grab as much as possible, even if you don’t need it?
• Is the concept of working for free crazy to you?
• Do you promise God you’ll tithe when you can afford it?
• Are you jealous when others are blessed with money or physical things?
• Do you go to bed most nights worrying about money?
I have to admit – I’ve had to answer “yes” to a couple of those things.

I have found it’s all about attitude and obedience. I tithe. Not because it’s some formula for getting rich but because God says I should. If I can’t be obedient in the little things, how will I ever handle the really big stuff?

I’m learning again to trust God (BTW – this lesson is never one you learn and move on…its presented over and over and over again). He is my source…not my employer, not my husband, not the government. With God there will always be more than enough. The only lack with room in my life is lack of worry, lack of stress, lack of anxiety.

I’m going for extravagance. Extravagant love…extravagant giving…extravagant grace…extravagant trust…extravagant obedience.

The Place for Hatred

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love_and_hate_by_baro24

The word “hate” conjures up so many images. Just saying the word makes me think of anger and darkness. I can almost smell the fumes of brimstone and ash. Hatred is a very strong word. And we throw it around so carelessly.

“I hate lima beans.”

“I hate that reality show.”

“I hate her dress.”

“I hate my life.”

After some pondering and Scripture-searching, I’ve decided there are two sides to hatred. We need to stop using it nonchalantly. There is no place for the word “hate” when we are referring to a person. God calls us to love each other, even to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48 Read it in the Message – powerful stuff). Though the Psalms are rife with references to “hating our enemies,” the New Testament arrival of Jesus puts into perspective how much God loves all of us, no matter our political party affiliation, religion, or sexual orientation. I’m not where I need to be yet – but I’m facing the right direction. I desire to choose love over hate, every time.

But there is a place for hatred. We need to hate how we treat each other. We need to hate how we treat ourselves. We need to hate sin, all sin, the way God does. And sin means more than just what you don’t like.

Paul gives a great list of behavior and attitudes we should hate: “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.” (Galatians 5:19-21 The Message)

So hate what deserves your hatred…and then choose to love.