Monday, December 24, 2018

Look for Joy!

One of my favorite authors is Barbara Johnson, a Christian humorist who makes life fun with slogans like:  "Pain is inevitable, misery is optional, so stick a geranium in your hat and be happy!"
I love this saying!!! 
Here is another one by Barbara:  "You have to look for the joy...Look for the light of God that is hitting your life, and you will find sparkles you didn't know were there."

Look for JOY!  Yes, look for it!!  Why??? Because it brightens your day, your mood, your life and other people's lives.......
You may be asking WHY do we have to look for joy? 
Because we take it for granted. 
Or, we are so caught up in the stresses of everyday life, that we miss it!

Look for the Light of God!  It shines all around us if only we have eyes to see it...it sparkles and shines through every heart that helps a hurting soul....that shows up at just the right moment when we need it most....

JOY:  It is all around us and yet, we seldom take the time to find it....see it...savor it.
Joy is in the little things.....and joy is all around us!!!

Take a peek at these ideas:
Do you see the cardinal in the tree?  Listen for her call! 
Take a second look at your child...see the smile that gleams back at you when you really take the time to look?
Feel the warmth of a hot bath...soak in the heat...feel your cares floating away!  Remember the old Calgon bath salts commercial from the 1960's?  "Calgon:  Take me away!!!"  Ahhhh....remember those days of soaking in a hot tub and go try it tonight!

Pick up your dog's toy and throw it for him intentionally for a change!  Watch the sparkle in his eye and see the playfulness come out! 
Laugh out loud!  Yep!  A huge, deep down belly laugh!!!
Enjoy the moment and try it again tomorrow....
Listen for your grandchildren's laughter...hear the giggles each time you tickle them!
Get on the floor and wrestle with your dog or your kids!  Relish the time with them...cherish them...give them your full attention and your heart!  You won't regret it and you will be amazed at what you get in return!!!

Joy abounds!!!  Watch the sunrise tomorrow....or, absorb the beauty of the sunset tonight!
Ask a friend, a loved one, or a neighbor to watch it with you....stand there and see how the colors change...shade after shade after beautiful shade.

Lay down on the floor and look up into your Christmas tree this year....see the lights flicker and glow...imagine that first Christmas night:  Stars shining brightly and pointing to the manger...stop awhile and look...really look!  See the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in the manger. 
Feel the awe, the wonder, the JOY!!!

Allow God's infinite love to embrace you....an infinite love was born that Christmas night just for you!  Just for me. 

Feel the joy...share it with everyone you meet!  Live a life that shows how much you love and how much you are loved.....see how much love comes back to you in return!

Look for Joy - let it splash on your face, on your life, and into the lives of others!!! 
Share the Joy this beautiful season!!!

Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, down in my heart!!!

JOY:  Jesus Only You!!!

Jesus.....the reason for the season and yes, the Christ child came to save the world...
He came to save me....He came to save you.
Now that is PURE Joy!!!



Friday, November 30, 2018

Nature's Steeples.....

I would like to share this devotion by Fr. James McKarns from Living Faith Devotional that I read each day as it describes mountains as Nature's Steeples - a wonderful concept!

Psalm 24:3
"Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?"

"In biblical times, the people often referred to mountains as places where God dwelt.  On top of various mountains, once can find a church, temple or monastery.  I have been on a few of the famous biblical mountains and experienced deep religious sentiments.  It was a beautiful spring morning on Mount Tabor when I joined with others to celebrate the Mass of the Transfiguration.  Like Peter, James and John, I also wanted to stay longer.  When on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem, there was a very slight rain trickling down a chapel window, like tears.  On Mount Calvary, I will always remember the unrestrained sobbing of a young woman with others kneeling, heads reverently bowed.  With my mountain spirituality at Mass, I always emphasize the words, "lift up your hearts."  The mountains are nature's church steeples urging us to keep looking up."

Wow!  Can you imagine visiting all those famous mountains and having a personal, spiritual experience on each one like those described above?  I can!!!  And, I may just have to make that my life goal to do just that in the next 5-10 years.....

Where is it that you want to linger longer?  Stay longer?  Remain until all the tears are shed?
One of my favorite Psalms in the Bible is Psalm 121.  I read it at my grandfather's funeral and my mom's memorial service, too.  It is simply beautiful:
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help....." (KJV)

Where does your help come from?  For me, it has always been God.  For whatever reason, I have known all of my life that lifting my eyes to the hills or higher places such as mountains has helped me focus on the help that God himself offers all of us...if only we will look up when we need help!

As the Psalm says, The Lord IS our shade at our right hand...He keeps Israel and He keeps us.  The Lord preserves us from all evil.  He preserves our soul.  He preserves our going out and our coming in - forever!

God keeps His promises.  Check it out!  Find any promise in the Bible and see if He won't keep it for you.  One of my favorites is from Isaiah 43:1-3:  "Fear not for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name.  You are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.  When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel."  Wow - that promise is incredible.  He never leaves us nor forsakes us!  Never!

I miss church steeples.  They are so majestic!!!  And, so is God!  His majesty cannot compare with anything else!  Nothing compares.

So, where is your steeple to remind you of where to turn for help?  What part of nature makes you think about our Creator?  Is there a mountain that makes you feel God's immensity?  Or, is it a hill at the park where you walk each day where you can see below and be in awe of the beauty you see? 

Where are you most reminded that you need to look up and ask for help?  Maybe it is "Knee Prints" by your bed in the morning or church every Sunday.  Wherever that place is, go there often!  Even if it is only a google image or picture on your computer or in a book!!! Remind yourself to look at Mount Tabor or Mount Calvary or the Mount of Olives in your heart.  You will find God waiting there - just for you!!!




Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Alchemy.....

Have you ever looked up the word "Alchemy?"  It is an interesting concept from the Middle Ages where chemically, the chief aim was to change baser metals into gold and to discover the elixer of perpetual youth.  A second definition is a method or power of transmutation.  Third, it is defined as the seemingly miraculous change of one thing into another.

Seemingly miraculous change......taking something usually of little value and changing it into a substance of great value.  Hmmmm....that sounds like something God would do!

There are many instances in our lives where we wish we could change something and can't.  Yet, there are many other circumstances in which we do have the opportunity to change the outcome and we do.  All of us have the opportunity to explore new ways of looking at things and learning more about a subject that interests us or perplexes us. We have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips these days!  You can look up anything on Google!!!  Anything!!!  And, as we explore:  we grow, we change, we experiment, we adapt, we become new creations each day by our thoughts, our words, our deeds, our actions, our interactions, our reactions, but most of all our responses.

Think about one thing you would like to miraculously change into something else!  What would it take to do so?  Is it a matter of health?  Is it finances?  Is it a relationship that is waning?  Is it forgiveness?  Is it a matter of changing one habit?  Is it a matter of choosing to learn more about a subject?  Is it a matter of trying something new?  Or, is it a life-altering decision?  These are questions only you can answer.  These are questions that perhaps your soul is longing to ask.  These are questions you can ask God about. 

Go ahead.  Ask God for a miraculous change in your life!!!  Ask for transformation.  Ask for a new attitude.  Ask for forgiveness.  Ask for healing.  He longs to hear you speak to Him.  He longs to answer your questions.  He longs to be gracious to you.  He longs to show you compassion.

Isaiah 30:18 says just that:  "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion." 

Think about that.  The Creator of the Universe longs to be in your life.  We are not alone in this world.  We have a God who longs to be with us, comfort us, heal us.  He longs to transform us, renew us and make us "New!"

The older I get, the more I realize the less I know.  There is SO much for me to learn.....so much for me to explore....so much for me change!  But, am I willing?  Am I willing to allow God to transform me into the creation He wants me to be?

There used to be a band called Acoustic Alchemy - their music was mostly instrumental guitar music and it was fantastic!  I loved they way they changed their harmonies and weaved their rhythms and moved my soul!  The music would transform my soul into a peaceful state....what would transform you into a peaceful state?  What miraculous change would you like to propose to God for your life?  Lay it at His feet and watch what happens.  When we attend to the business of our souls, things change.  Things happen.  Transformation happens. I don't want the elixer of perpetual youth, but I do want the power of God in my life.  Every day.  Every minute.  How about you???

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Have you ever felt JOYFUL???

Have you ever felt just JOYFUL???  It's a very wonderful feeling....a very glad feeling.....it is feeling of being happy....it is feeling of great delight over something or someone!!!  To be full of JOY is wonderful - you feel like rejoicing all the day long!!! Singing, humming, laughing, smiling....just pure JOY fills your heart!!!

There is a buoyancy that I have felt all of my life that is pure joy....and to me it is knowing that God is by my side....every minute, every day!  I don't have to fear anything because I know He is on my side!  It is an incredible feeling and I am truly grateful that I know that kind of Joy, that kind of love from our Heavenly Father!!!

I Peter 1:8-9 says: "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious JOY, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Wow!!!  Isn't that incredible?  We can each have inexpressible and glorious joy....not just a little bit of joy, not a little bit of happiness, not a little bit of delight, but inexpressible!!!  Glorious!!!
Have you ever felt that kind of JOY?  It is glorious because it comes directly from Heaven.  It comes from knowing Jesus.

Joy is the way, the truth and the life because Jesus is the way, the truth and the life! 
Joy in the morning.  Joy throughout your entire day.  Joy at twilight.  Joy throughout the night.  Joy when the diagnosis comes.  Joy when bankruptcy comes.  Joy in our hopes.  Joy in our dreams - whether we are awake or asleep!!! 

Joy doesn't come from the outside or from our circumstances.  It doesn't come from a new car.  It doesn't come from a bigger house.  It doesn't come with a larger paycheck.  It doesn't come from being promoted.  It doesn't come from a clean bill of health.  Although each of these things in this life brings us happiness and some joy, the kind of joy I am talking about cannot be obtained by "things" of this earth.

The kind of JOY I am talking about comes from way down deep in our souls. 
It comes from having a relationship with the Creator of the Universe.  The Most High God.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit - The Triune God - three in One.  He is a Omnipotent (having all power and authority), Omnipresent (being present in all places at the same time), and Omniscience God (having infinite knowledge).  He is amazing!!!

The Joy I am talking about comes from being close to this Divine, Most High God.  From calling Him Savior.  Calling Him friend.  Every day.  Learning something new about Him.  His love. His power.  His compassion for us as humans.  Reading His Word, the Bible.  Praying.  Confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness and healing.  Knowing He cares.

It comes from building a personal relationship with Him.  Not a superficial one - a true, genuine, real relationship.  One that lasts your entire lifetime!!!

Joy comes from trusting this God of the Universe to be by your side - day and night, thick or thin, happy or sad.  Over and over in the Bible, the scriptures tell us how much He loves us!  How much he cares for us!  How He will never leave us, nor forsake us.  Never.  Did that sink in?  NEVER!!!

That is a mighty powerful promise and it is one The Lord keeps for His children, His sheep, His people who love Him. 

Would you like to know that kind of JOY?  It is yours for the asking!  I pray you will ask Him into your heart today and find that buoyancy, that JOY.  It is truly amazing!!!

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Cathartic healing.....

Cathartic.....ever consider this type of healing?

Well, it's a big word for a a thought-provoking conversation and/or process of healing.
If you google it, the definition is:  Providing psychological relief through the open expression of strong emotions, causing catharsis.

Have you ever thought you have healed a past hurt and then realized there were (or are) more layers of healing needed???  Well, I just found that out this past weekend!  While spending time with a friend from high school and talking about our lives and the separate paths we took between high school and today, I came across quite a rude awakening!  Areas that I thought were completely healed came to the surface.  And, in some ways, they came back with a vengeance!  Like I said, I thought I had let them go and was pretty proud that I had prayed, spent time writing my feelings out in a journal, gone to counseling, etc. etc. etc. to heal those hurts.  And yet, in discussing some of those old wounds, it became very clear that I had not laid them to rest 100%. 

Now, will those hurts ever be healed 100%?  I honestly do not have that answer.  But, I do know that being able to work through the old feelings of bitterness, anger and/or resentment of the past, gave me a new level of relief as I openly expressed my side of the story!!!  Wow......how in the world had some of the anger settled in my heart?  How could that resentment re-surface? Bitterness?  Surely not!  And, yet, my friend heard it loud and clear!!!  It took me by surprise.....

Healing, wholeness, psychological relief, and strong emotions.....it's quite a mix!!!

Yes, we all have times or experiences when something is so disturbing that we have a hard time sleeping, or we go through a time a depression and grief.  But, have you considered that what you went through was truly a trauma in your life?  Stop for a moment and consider the possibility that you haven't completely healed yet....and then, consider going through a cathartic experience to bring about another layer of healing for your heart, mind and soul.

We are complex as human beings.  And, sometimes, we become a human "doing!"  We continue going through the motions and believe we are addressing the issues, and boom!  We find out, no we have not gotten it all out yet....if you have something traumatic in your past, consider going a little deeper to heal.  Be gentle with yourself and try again.  Feel the feelings and allow them to surface.  Remember, they are just feelings - you don't have to act on those feelings.  Just feel them.  Then, deal with how you feel about it again.  Seek some wise counsel or share with a friend who knows you and cares enough to listen.  Then, allow yourself to heal....again and again..........whether it's five minutes or five years, or perhaps twenty five years - allow your heart to let it go once again.  Simply acknowledge that it happened.  And, that you do NOT have to live it again!  You just need to heal.
Feel, deal, heal.........it's a wonderful gift to yourself!!!


Saturday, August 4, 2018

Once You Find A Friend.....

This week was a very emotional week for me........one of my neighbors and dear friends for the past 18 years, Nancy passed away from cancer.  Thud!  I hate cancer!!!  It seems to be everywhere and each of us have many people fighting for their lives while battling this terrible disease, so I am not looking for a pity-party, just wanted to share how wonderful Nancy's friendship was.....

I met Nancy 18 years ago when I moved into my little house in Old Shawnee.  We shared the same address, but a different street across the pond, so we go each other's mail.  That is how we met!  Giving each other our mail.  That was so much fun and a friendship began.

Nancy LOVED coffee - I don't mean LIKED coffee, she LOVED it!!!  She only had Organic everything, so each time we shared a cup of coffee, it was special.  Not only from the taste of the coffee standpoint, but her friendship.  Just like me, Nancy was quirky!  She was much more of a fanatic about her organic this and that ( which I am NOT fanatical about at all - Ha! Ha!), but she loved life and we hit it off from the beginning!!!

Nancy was a die-hard "Rebel without a Cause" kind of girl!  I mean stubborn as all get out and rebellious beyond imagination in her early 1970 years!  She was not born deaf, but literally became deaf from listening to so many years of Rock and Roll in Lawrence, KS.  Yes, that's right, she was a Rock-Chalk Jayhawk through and through!!!  She loved music!!!  One of her favorite pastimes was the Crumpletons band - especially when they played at the KU Oriad bar and she loved to dance!!! And, she loved to go to Knuckleheads in downtown KC to listen to music as well.  She even took her 90 year old dad there!!!  He loved it as they were "Pals" and went everywhere together - they were a hoot!!!

The first time I went with Nancy to Knuckleheads, the music was so loud I had to go outside!!!  Nancy stayed in doors with her hearing aids up at full blast!!!  It was hilarious!!!

We share "soup night" once a month at my house and just chatted away about this and that and enjoyed each other's company.  Oh, how I would give a million bucks to have one more cup of coffee with her, one more soup night or one more night to listen to LOUD music with her.........I miss her tremendously.

Nancy shared with me the ugly cancer news sometime in May or June, so we started hanging out a bit more.  Then, she got really sick - 911 sick - and was taken to KU Medical center.  I honestly thought that would be it, but she revived!  She then ventured to Lakeview Village to their Skilled Nursing Facility and really rallied over the 4th of July.  I had the privilege of taking care of Moses, her beloved Golden Retriever.  We had to keep him calm during the Fireworks as Nancy was really concerned he would freak out.  He did great!  Then, after she came back  great from rehab, she returned home and the cancer continued to return with a venegence.  She had Breast Cancer 5 years ago and thought she beat it, but it reared it's ugly head again in April.  Went to her bones, liver, lungs and eventually her brain.  She was remarkable about her attitude during every phase.  She get adament telling ALL of us that God was going to heal her!!!  When, she first got home form Lakeview, I believed her!  She was doing SO well......

In June, I told her I was going to start sending her scriptures written out on index cards, so she could read them.  I just found one of them in her journal from June 18 and it had Psalm 28:7 on it which says:  "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for JOY and I will give thanks to Him in song."
When, I found the card this week after she was "Promoted to Heaven," I found that she had written something on the back of the card which said:

"Once you find a friend, you've come home.  They come visit me in my prayers and thoughts.  Joy are the echoes of good life within us."  

She and I had both "come home" together in our friendship.....it was truly a blessing to be by her side for the last 5 weeks and especially that last 5 days.  Her sister, Meg, her two nieces Sara and Emily and their hubbies Collins and John, her cousin Susan and her husband Dan, her brother-in-law Ken and his wife Charlene and her dear friend and Vet, Jeanie were by her side, too.  We had an amazing night of prayer and listened to the song "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe that last night.  Meg laid on one side of the bed with Nancy and each of her nieces rotated laying on the other side of her as we talked and prayed and laughed about all the adventures we had shared with this wonderful sister, aunt, cousin, sister-in-law and friend she had been to each of us.

"Once you find a friend, you've come home."  Ahhhh.....I found that friend in Nancy and I believe she found me.  She even kept telling people that I moved back from Ohio this year just for her!!!  It was amazing to have that privilege of being with her.

And, now, she is home....she is with the Lord Jesus Christ in Paradise.  The true Heaven.
Home at last....

Revelation 21:4 says:  "He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

My prayer is that you have a friend that you feel you have come home to....and that you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart where home truly is........He is there waiting for each of us to make that choice.  He won't force us to believe in Him. He stands at the door and knocks.  I pray you will open that door!!!

One final note.  I have a beautiful Native American Indian card that says it perfectly:
"Peace at last....when my body lies without a song....my spirit and the eagles will soar together."

Soar Nancy, SOAR!!!!

Friday, July 6, 2018

Chasing fireflies....

Do you remember as a child chasing fireflies in the summer?  Watching and waiting for their flicker of light....then  dashing after them, running to catch them in your cupped hands and racing back to mom to help you put them in a jar???  Chasing fireflies is one of my favorite memories of my childhood.  I think it is because we did it as a family.  Ahhh.........Family:  2 sisters and 1 brother, mom and dad and hot summer nights!  Warm, life-giving air......fun, laughter, and pure joy!!!  Being outside in the stifling hot summer in the evening somehow gave us a sense of relief from the heat.  Outside you could feel the breeze and run with it!  We could laugh and giggle and call each other names without a trace of argument!  We just enjoyed being together and sharing the fun.

What is it about our childhood that brings us so much joy?  Is it the innocence?  The carefree way we could experience life?  Was it that we had no worries, no cares???  Or, was it just pure fun???

Another game we played growing up in Columbus, Ohio was Kick-the-Can!  Oh my, what fun we had!!! It had to be dusk or near dark so that the  person who was "it" could barely see us run to hide.  Hearing the noise of the can being kicked to proclaim we were "safe" was just a blast!!!  It said we were one notch above being "caught" by the person trying to find us in the dark.

Where are you now?  Can you remember the joys of your childhood?  Can you go back year by year until the playful child emerges again?  Can you remember giggling?  Laughing?  Sharing some fun with your family or others in the neighborhood?  If not, I hope you will create some memories like that for your kids and grand kids or friends around the corner from where you live. 

Connection.  That's what it is all about for me.  Who can I connect to?  Who can I share a little part of my corner of the world with?  Who can I share JOY with today?  What one nice memory can you create that will fill your heart with joy?  Try it!  You might find out you like it! 
Memories........they can be wonderful - if you are willing to create them and share them with someone you love!!!  Chase a firefly tonight!!!

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Running with Endurance or Running on Empty?

I wish I was a runner..........thin, in great shape, confident, and an overcomer of muscle cramps, blisters and the urge to quit while running a marathon!  Wow!   Wouldn't that be great?  To overcome obstacles in the midst of a long race.  To work through the tough routine of training.  To endure muscle cramps and blisters to complete a goal!  I wish I have that endurance....

What does it take to run with endurance?  Hebrews 12:1-3 says: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin which so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY set before Him endured the cross, scorning the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Oh my.........how many times have I lost heart recently?  How many times have I felt weary, drained, spent?  How many times have I let the "sin that so easily entangles" get the better of me???  Plenty!!!
Usually, I have a bottomless pit of perseverance - so where did that jar of clay go? 
How is it that I can focus on my problems, worries and concerns so much that I forget what Christ did for me on the Cross???

Have I ever run a race for such a long distance that I would continue until I finished - no matter what?  Have I ever thought about running a race that I would give up my life for another?  Have I ever considered sweating drops of blood for another?  Have I ever fixed my eyes so intently on Jesus that I don't fear the future?

Scott Peck wrote the book, The Road Less Traveled years ago and the very first line in his book says: "Life is difficult."

Thud.  Life has to be difficult?  Whaaat???  Why not enjoyable?  Fun? Wonderful?  Well, that's what you get once you realize that there are obstacles in this life and that life is a long race, not a fast sprint.  Once you realize that there will be difficulties along the path, life is not nearly as difficult.
Yep!  That's correct.  Accept that LIFE IS DIFFICULT.  And, simply acknowledge that there will be troubles, trials and difficulties in this life - then, it is not nearly as disconcerting.

Jesus said:  "In this world, you WILL have tribulation."    Seriously?  Did you sign up for tribulation?  Trials along the way?  Obstacles too difficult to manage on a human level?  I didn't.
My rose colored glasses thought it was be enjoyable, fun, and wonderful.  Purely Pollyanna style! (Well, not completely 100% of the time....) But, guess what?  Sometimes, life is fun, wonderful, exhilarating......however, there are and always will be roadblocks that crop up.  Furnaces and Air conditioners break.  Cars need repairs.  The washer and dryer need to be replaced after 18 years.  Lawn mowers get tired and quit.  Obstacles DO get in the way.  Hassles that repeat themselves until you want to quit - remember our lovely Computer Technology???  UGH!  We baby boomers can't cut it some days........can't technology be truly "intuitive" and guess what I am thinking?  (Ha! Ha!)

And, guess what else?  Jesus said after the fact that there will be tribulation in this world:  "Take Heart!  I have overcome the world!!!"  (John 16:33) Whew.............there IS a ripcord!  There is a solution to our problems.  God has given us a brain to use, to plan, to manage and to learn how to overcome these issues that make us want to quit.  But, we also wear ourselves out before we realize we don't have to run on empty! There are ways to solve the debacles and hindrances along the way.  There is help along the way.  There is an answer to our dilemmna.  There are ways to overcome all the hassles that come our way.  It's called surrender.  SURRENDER. 

Yes, surrender.  Stop fussing, stop fuming, stop becoming distraught!  Stop and ask the Creator of the Universe to calm your fears.  Ask Him to ease the pain.  Ask Him to show you how to manage your money better.  Ask Him where the next step should be on the job hunt.  And, then, in your emptiness and exasperation, find a loving, caring, incredible Savior that wants to be your guide.  Each day.  Each step of the way.  Our race is to be run with perseverance and endurance, not on empty by ourselves.  NOT in our own strength.  Philippians 4:13 says:  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  He's there, waiting to hear your voice.  He's waiting to show you the way through the tribulation, through the trials, through the obstacles.  We all hope that He will take away the cancer.  Take away the heart attack.  Take away the grief.  Take away the fear.  But, listen to what He says:  "Take heart!  I have overcome the world!"  He will walk every step of the way with you - through each frightening diagnosis, through each rough moment in a marriage, through each loss of a child, through each bankruptcy and through each and every doubt. 

Is life magically wonderful?  Absolutely not.  But it is do-able and it can be enjoyable with the Savior at your side.  Trust Him to help you run with endurance.  Today.

Friday, April 20, 2018

Restoring my soul with Psalm 23....

As I took a long, long walk in Shawnee Mission Park today to clear the cobwebs out, it's pretty amazing to see how the Lord works in your heart and in your soul when you are weary, tuckered out, and just plain spent!

I remember back in 2004 when I first quit corporate America and had left a very dysfunctional job without another one to go to.........I retreated to SM Park on many days after my resignation. 
It healed me. 
It relaxed me.
It restored me.
It empowered me. 
It equipped me for something new. 
It gave me a fresh, new start for a brand new journey!!!

Once again, I am repeating the healing, the relaxing, the empowerment, and the restoration I need as I walk in this exquisite park that truly exemplifies God restoring our soul!

PSALM 23 is one of my favorite Psalms!!!  Years ago, I realized that having my birthday on the 23rd made me look up the Psalm for that day - what a pleasant surprise to read this:

"The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in beautiful, green pastures.
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the path of righteousness for His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in  the presence of my enemies,
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
And, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Restoration......just taking in the sight of these beautiful green pastures over so many acres...
Walking beside the creeks and small rivers that flow so quietly as you go along....
Seeing the path before you and taking the chance to walk a new way....
Realizing that His path is right. 
His way is true. 
His Holy Spirit in dwelling inside me.
His Word comforts me as I recite a psalm I learned as a child.
Even while I am in a dark valley, His light shines on my heart.
He is leading me.
He gives me strength to face another day.
He gives me hope that restores my soul.
He gives me more than I can comprehend.
He allows His Holiness to rest upon me.
My cup truly does "runneth over" as the original King James Version says.

As I walk, real bluebirds fly past me with their brilliant sapphire blue on their wings.
The blue glimmers in the sunlight.
Squirrels rustle past me in the woods.
Butterflies flutter past me on the path.
Cardinals call to their mate in the breeze.
Bumblebees taste the sweet nectar of the dandelions.
Violets peak out among the leaves along the path.
Trees are budding.
The breeze is swaying the tree branches. 
Nature sings the beauty of Creation.

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name is all the earth!!!" (Psalm 8:1)
Blessings abound - how can one be weary after all this???


Saturday, March 24, 2018

Rabbits in Winter


Rabbits in Winter
(by Donna Schaper/alive now!)

You probably don’t know my rabbits.  They moved here from Vermont in a box last July.  Some boy was handing them out on the street corner and all three of my children sat down in front of the box as we walked by.  The sign said free rabbits.  The kids said sit-down strike.
I thought it was fine to have rabbits outdoors in the summer, but I was scared about the winter.  I didn’t want them in the house.  Then somebody told me about the way rabbits grow fur.  They grow it as the temperature demands.  This no doubt is yet another piece of the majesty of God, putting fasteners on the seas, morning lights in the sky, fur on the rabbits.
Take a family that gets into crisis:  a child that fails to thrive or goes on drugs.  The day the tragedy announces itself the family does not have what they need to cope.  When they tell you they don’t know how they are going to cope, you have to agree.  They don’t know. Yet, their fur hasn’t grown.  But what we see – in the parents’ support groups of a thousand hospitals – is fur growing, capacity increasing.  Our strength is made manifest in struggle.  Our growth occurs because of the struggle.  The fur grows in response to winter slowly and surely.  The bread comes to us day by day.
            I see this in my personal life all the time.  I’ll say enough.  I’ll shout too much.  God won’t say much back.  And then I’ll find a new opening at the bottom of the well.  A new capacity to take risks.  A renewed capacity to love and forgive.  A crevice when I thought there were no more places to go to feed on the tree.
I have often heard it said: “First, you jump.  Then, you get your wings.”  In the deep of winter our fur grows.  Our capacity to handle trouble grows with the trouble.

(Reprinted with permission by the Upper Room)

    


Wednesday, March 21, 2018

God's Amazing Yes!


God’s Amazing Yes
(By Gregg Bunn, The Upper Room)

            Every day I stand in need of God’s amazing yes.  God does not look at me and say, “Well, you certainly messed up.  You aren’t the kind of Christian,” or the kind of employee, the kind of student, the kind of parent “that I expected.”  God is not indecisive about whether I am worthy of love.  On the contrary, even in spite of my sinfulness, God say yes to my worth.
            To fallen and sinful people, God continually says yes.  God says yes to people that I have not met.  We might shy away from a homeless person or a starving man in Haiti or a woman dying of AIDS in Uganda or a child who rummages through a landfill searching for clothes.  But to all of these and all of us, God says yes.  All of us are created in God’s image; each one of us is valued and cherished.
            By receiving God’s yes in Jesus Christ, I am able to say yes to others and to myself.  In the dark moments of life when I feel like damaged goods; when I feel I am no longer meeting my or God’s standards and expectations; when I feel lost, lonely, or rejected I know without a doubt that God’s unwavering word to me is yes.  And it is the only answer.

Thought for the day:  Where do you hear God’s amazing yes in your life?

Prayer:  Good and gracious God, thank you for your amazing yes!  Amen.

Prayer Focus:  Those who feel not good enough.


(Taken from the Upper Room by permission)
February 5, 2013


Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Release...

Well, once again I have come to a place where I need to release and let go of something I thought I really wanted in my life and ultimately found out that it is not what I thought it was going to be.
Have you ever encountered that in your life? 
And, if so, what do you do at that point?
Are you like me and fuss and fume that it did not work out?  Or, do you trash yourself and degrade yourself for ever even thinking it would work out?  Or, do you doubt that you have a reasonable mind at all?  Or, do you accept that it did not work out the way you thought it would and simply acknowledge that?  Without blame, without shame, without guilt, or without regret?

Before you go belittling yourself, beating yourself up, or feeling sorry for yourself, let's look at the definition of release:
1) To free from confinement or bondage, obligation, pain, etc.; to let go, to release a prisoner, to release someone from a debt.
2) To free from anything that restrains, fastens, etc.; to release a catapult.
3) To allow to be known, issued, done or exhibited; to release an article for publication.
4) Law: to give up, relinquish or surrender a right or a claim.

Hmmmmm......to free, to free, to allow, and to give up!  Relinquish, surrender....release.  Then, go one step more and feel the relief of letting it go..........hook, line and sinker!!!
Yes, that's right unclench your fist, unclasp that hold on it, release, let go, leave it behind, let loose of and unhand it!!!

Just think!  Once you really let it go, there is room for something NEW!!!
WOW!!!

Monday, January 1, 2018

A New Year, A New Adventure!

January 1, 2018 - wow!  How did we get here???  It's a new day, a new month and a new year!  What a great way to start thinking about what adventures we want to take in this new year....

One of my favorite authors is Melody Beattie who has a wonderful way of approaching the new year with these sentiments in her book Journey to the Heart:
"Let yourself begin anew, pack your bags, choose carefully what you bring....take along some humility and lessons from the past, toss in come curiosity and excitement about what you haven't learned yet.  Say your good-byes to those your are leaving behind.  Don't worry who you will meet or where you will go.  The way has been prepared.  The people you are going to meet will be expecting you.  A new journey has begun.  Let it be magical. Let it unfold."

So, which one of these ideas resonates the most in your heart?  How will you pack your bags for this coming year?  Where would you like to go?  What would you like to do?  What are you curious about?  What are you excited about?  What would you like to explore for 2018?  If there something you need to let go of to make room for the new?  Contemplate these ideas and see what comes up for you as you begin this new year...

One of the ideas that sinks into my heart is the idea that there are people I am going to meet this year that are expecting me!  Think about that!  Who would want to meet me?  Or you? Then, reverse it!
Who would you like to meet?  Who would you like to have come into your life?  What are you hoping to happen in 2018?  What are you expecting?  Dig deep into your hopes and dreams for this year.  Think about your expectations and see what surfaces for you this first week of the year.  

Then, try something new!  Think differently about how you approach your life!  Allow yourself a new way of viewing the coming days, weeks, and months.  Get excited!!!  It truly can be a journey and an adventure!!!

It's new!!  It's begun!!!