Monday Morning Memo: Our "Who" in Life

I was thinking this past weekend about the different kinds of pain we can experience.  Some pain leads to a blessing, which makes the pain seem worthwhile.  I was blessed to carry three children in my womb, and there were moments during those pregnancies where pain reared its ugly head.  But I can remember that whenever I would complain during my pregnancies, my mom would always say that this was only for a season and when the precious bundle would be placed in my arms, all the pain and discomfort would be worth it.  As was the case many times…my mom was right. 

The problem is that not everything in life is that way.  Not every discomfort, not every pain, and not every time of suffering ends with a joyous moment.  The trials we face aren’t always contained in a nine-month period where we can see the light at the end of the tunnel from the beginning.  In fact, I have witnessed people who have had to face times of testing which have lasted for years.  How unfair is that?  Why do some people seem to skate through life without pain and suffering, while others seem to face misery at every turn? 

If I had the answers to these questions…I would be a very wealthy woman.  God never promised that we would always know the “whys” of life; He only promised that we could know the “Who” of life.  Without exception, those whom I have met who have faced adversities with grace, have demonstrated that their “Who”…Jesus Christ…has remained their constant focus and has overshadowed their need to always know “why”.  

Let’s face it.  It would be much easier to keep our focus on Christ if we didn’t have someone else who is working overtime to keep us distracted.  Satan’s full-time job is to make sure we don’t keep our eyes on Christ, so that we will easily become discouraged, frustrated and want to give up.  He wants nothing more than for us to dwell on our adversities so that others won’t see Christ’s image in us. 

My graphic today shares a phrase with you that I have written about before, but I think it is a good reminder of what our thoughts should be as we begin each day.  It says, “Be the kind of woman who, when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the devil says, ‘OH NO SHE’S UP’”  Of course, this is also true for men  To be successful in combating Satan’s forces, we must be intentional in putting our complete faith and trust, even during the adversities, in our Lord Jesus Christ.  We must stand firm in making sure that Satan knows we have no intention of giving him any of our allegiance today, tomorrow or in any day to come.  He is a liar…and we need to turn a deaf ear to him and ground ourselves in the truth of God’s Word.

I have no idea what you are going through today.  You may be experiencing physical, mental or emotional pain which has lasted far longer than you ever dreamed it would.  I want to encourage you to not give in to Satan’s taunts that this life is futile.  Today is the Lord’s Day… not Satan’s… and in Him you can find the strength, wisdom and courage it will take to handle this time with grace.  Remember, no matter how long this “season” of life is for you, there will be a great reward someday when we see Jesus face to face.  Oh, what a day that will be!

 

“Put on the whole armor of God, 

that you may be able to stand 

against the schemes of the devil”. 

Ephesians 6:11

 

“Submit yourselves therefore to God.  

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  

James 4:7

 

Monday Morning Memo: A Rude Awakening

It was definitely a rude awakening.  A couple weeks ago, at 4:30 a.m., the loudest, closest lightning strike hit our house.  As if that wasn’t bad enough…the loud strike was followed by a long, sizzling sound.  To say Dan and I jumped…is an understatement.  He immediately ran outside to make sure our house wasn’t on fire and fortunately, it wasn’t.

 

The first consequence of the strike was that we had no power.  Dan called the power company and reported it and then all there was to do was wait.  Since we could see lights on in either direction from our home, we assumed we were the only ones without power and we were right.  Several hours later, workers arrived and it was determined that our transformer had had a direct hit.  That’s when we were so thankful that these men knew what to do and were able to hang a new one and get us back in business.

 

Of course, this was just the beginning of our story, because whenever a home is hit like this with lightening…the effects are not always seen immediately.  Some things were obviously fried from the beginning, other things were discovered as time went on, because something can be weakened with the strike and not go out for days, weeks or even months.  At this point, we’ve lost our family room TV, the Apple TV box, our washing machine, the water heater, all eight ceiling can lights in our dining room and our internet.

 

Two things have come to mind since all this occurred.  First, Dan and I have said to each other over and over again…how miniscule our incident with a lightning strike was compared to those who were so impacted by the recent hurricanes.  Many lost everything…their homes, their jobs, their family members.  What we lost was just “stuff”.  Nothing we lost was going to heaven or hell…so with no eternal value it should have no effect on our attitude.

 

Secondly, this lightning strike has reminded me of the lasting effect my sin can have in life.  I’m tempted to sin, and I can easily justify my decisions and actions by saying that it won’t impact anyone else.  But that is rarely true.  My initial sin is like the lightning strike…I commit it and think it’s a one and done, but I immediately lose some of my power in Christ.  Many times, it also weakens other areas of my life and before I know it, it has affected me and others around me. We may not see the impact for days, weeks or even months…but sin has a way of creating more chaos and damage than we can even imagine.

 

The sobering thing is that my sin can have an impact on eternity.  If my choices and actions make others have a sour feeling about being a Christian…they may never make the life-changing decision to ask Christ to be their Lord and Savior.  I don’t know how you feel, but I never want someone to choose hell over heaven because of my example and my sin.

 

Life has its issues and sometimes we have “inconveniences” that hit at a moment’s notice and how we act and react tells a lot of where our faith lies.  And every day, we have the opportunity to make decisions which can impact heaven or hell.  Unfortunately, it often takes a rude awakening to make us realize this sobering thought.  Today only happens once and we have the opportunity to make it amazing and count towards eternity.  My prayer is that I will keep this at the forefront of my mind…each and every day.

By the way, I had the opportunity to be a guest on our church’s podcast last week as we discussed living our lives “Unhurried”.  I’d love for you to check it out.  Just click this link:  https://hope4thefamily.com/diggingdeeper/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGd7SlleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSskqLrhEhAcyeoozH8VFPADlvJLinFQrJ1O4nU7cbAB7c4HWf3yJC93JQ_aem_YqtOdbEwZzrcxVkJar7eyA

Monday Morning Memo: My God-Wink

If it’s happened once over the last 43 years of our marriage…it’s happened 100 times.  Every time I think it will be different, but it rarely is.  What is it?  Limp celery.  Now I know with the election tomorrow and people starving in many parts of our world, limp celery doesn’t take much precedence…but in the day-to-day world I live in, it drives me nuts.

 

Every time I buy celery, I think it will be different and I will make sure and use it all up before it goes limp, but I often don’t.  So, I then have to make up a bowl of ice water, cut the remaining celery into pieces, and let it soak so it can be saved.

 

But when faced with this heart-breaking dilemma a couple months ago …I did something wild and crazy which I had never done before.  I decided to cut the celery into small pieces and freeze it in small bags.  My brilliant reasoning was that someday I would be making soup and need celery and wa-la… tucked away in the freezer I would already have it ready to go.  Of course in the back of my mind, I figured that if I was honest, I would probably forget it was there and find it 5 years from now and not even recognize what it was 

 

Fast forward to a month later and Dan and I decided to make and can a batch of BBQ sauce.  I checked to make sure I had all the ingredients, and I had everything listed except…you guessed it…celery.  Now for many people that wouldn’t be a big deal, you would just run to the grocery store and buy celery…but we happen to live in the boonies and we are 12 miles from a store…so making an impromptu trip to town isn’t something we usually do. 

 

And then I had that “lightbulb” moment, and I told Dan about freezing celery a month before, but I couldn’t remember how much there was.  I went and checked and there were three cups and I only needed 1.5 cups so we were set and ready to go with our BBQ sauce plan.

 

Now, you would think that I would immediately put on my grocery list to get celery the next time I entered a grocery store, but I didn’t.  So, when I needed to make a big pot of chili a couple weeks later, I once again had all the ingredients except for celery.  I wanted to make a triple batch so when I did the math to figure out how much celery I needed…yep, once again you guessed it…I needed 1.5 cups.  That, of course, was the exact amount I still had tucked away in my freezer.

 

At this point, you are probably wondering why in the world I am sharing all of this with you.  I’m sure it has been riveting for you so far…but you may not have a clue where I am going with all of this.  Well, let me tell you.  Do I think it was just a coincidence that weeks before we wanted to make BBQ sauce, I did something that I had never done in 43 years of marriage (freezing the celery)?  No…I don’t think so.

 

Also, do I think it was a coincidence that I had frozen the exact amount I would need to make not just the BBQ sauce, but also the chili?  Nope, I don’t think so.  I happen to believe that all of this was a God-wink just for me.  I truly believe that this entire process was God-directed to show me that He sees me.  He loves me.  He cares about every aspect of my life…even if it just involves plain old celery!

 

I believe that there is someone today who has actually read to this point and needs to be reminded that God cares about them this much too.  If that person is you…I want you to know that He sees you.  He loves you.  He cares about every aspect of your life…even if it just involves plain old celery!  

 

So, whatever you are facing today…give it all to Him.  Let Him lead you and direct you, because His plan is far better than you can even imagine.  Who knows…maybe He will lead you to do something that you’ve never done in 43 years…just to let you know how crazy He is about YOU!

Monday Morning Memo: Me...Surrender?

Once again, I’ve had a word rambling around in my head.  It’s a word that isn’t always easy to fulfill or live out and I’m guessing that’s why it’s been on my mind.  The word? Surrender.  The dictionary has several definitions, but the one that jumped off the page at me was, “to give oneself up into the power of another : to yield.”

 

We are living in a time when very few really want to surrender.  We think that to surrender is a sign of weakness…of giving up…of letting someone else win.  “Why should I be the one to give in?  Why should I surrender my rights?  I’ve worked hard to get where I am…I’m not giving in to anyone.  There is no way I’m letting you tell me what to do!”  Sound familiar to anyone?  

 

This may come as a shock to some of you  …but I can be bull-headed…so I might have had one or more of those statements going through my mind at various times over the years.  To surrender might mean that I will have to give up some of my rights and that isn’t always easy to swallow.  It might mean that what I want to do…won’t be what I’m supposed to do…and that can easily rub me the wrong way.

 

Of course, there is really only one person I must totally surrender to…and that is my Jesus.  The reason is that if I am completely, unequivocally sold out to Him and He asks me to surrender my ways or my rights for someone or something else, I will do it willingly because I will want to serve Him in every way.

 

I think I sometimes struggle with this because I feel like I’m missing out on something if I have to give up my desires or plans.  But this dictionary definition of surrender has me wondering if it can be applied to my surrendering to Jesus.   If I apply it spiritually, could it be that if I allow Him to have complete control of my life, I’m not going to lose anything, I’m going to gain more!  It said, “to give oneself up into (emphasis mine) the power of another : to yield.”  Hmmmm…when I give everything over to my Lord, I’m not living under His power…I’m living into His power!  My power is exchanged for His power as I yield to Him, and I don’t know about you…but I’m guessing His power is a whole lot better than anything I can ever muster! 

 

Last week I read some verses in Romans 8 in The Message which said, “It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!”  Wow, that gives me goosebumps!  When we surrender to Christ, His power is in us and as I shared last week, the power that He used to part the Red Sea is the same power that we have available to us.  Oh, if we could only grasp that truth.

 

If you are struggling with surrendering completely to Christ today, let me ask you a few questions.  How’s that going for you?  Are you at peace?  Are you feeling led and empowered by Him…or are you feeling lost and weak?  We serve a Savior who is able to do far more with what you have than you can…so why not let Him take the wheel of your life completely today.  You just might discover that surrendering completely to Him isn’t so bad after all…and is the best decision you will ever make! 

Monday Morning Memo: A Red Sea Experience

Last week I shared with you that there are times when I become irritated and overwhelmed, but if I’m honest, I may feel that way because I have neglected to spend uninterrupted time with Christ.  You see, when I fail to keep my focus on Him…small things become huge, and I quickly forget the size of my God and just how powerful He really is.  I forget the truth from Chuck Swindoll when he wrote: “When God is involved, anything can happen.  The One who directed that stone in between Goliath’s eyes and split the Red Sea down the middle and leveled that wall around Jericho and brought His Son out of the tomb, takes a delight in mixing up the odds as He alters the obvious and bypasses the inevitable.”

 

WOW.  I continue to work on wrapping my head around these statements.  I know they are true; but to really comprehend them and believe them in my heart is sometimes another story.  If I really believe these words, then why are there still times I worry and fret over things in my life?  The God who parted the Red Sea is MY God.  The God who directed David to use a slingshot to kill a giant is MY God.  The God who caused a wall to crumble just by telling people to march around it, is MY God.  The God who allowed His Son to be crucified on a cross for my sins and then raised Him from the dead to give me eternal life with Him, is MY God!  But let my current situation get stressful and complicated, and I can immediately start worrying that MY God can’t handle things.  What a waste of time and energy!

 

I don’t know how you are feeling these days, but I found the past year of my life to be a “Red Sea” experience.  Tearing both of my Achilles tendons at the same time a year ago last August…began many months of pain and frustration.  There have been days of feeling like I am on the shore…looking over the deep sea…and wondering how in the world I would ever get to the other side.  Many times, I have had to remind myself that no matter what is thrown at me, MY God is bigger.  MY God isn't taken by surprise.  MY God isn't wringing His hands with worry…wondering how in the world I will get across.  He is right beside me and is able to make a way for me through the “sea” no matter what is in my path.  

 

Is there a “giant” in your path that has you scared and running the other way?  Are you coming up against a brick wall on your journey and you just can’t see a way around it?  Do you feel like everywhere you turn you are being “crucified” and treated unfairly?  Is God asking you to step way out of your comfort zone and you are shaking in your boots?  Or, are you on the edge of the shore and you have no idea how you will get to the other side?  Look UP!  Put your trust in the God who specializes in the impossible!  He’s not wringing His hands…He’s not wiping sweat off His brow, wondering how in the world you are going to make it through…and He’s surely not giving up on you.  

 

Just remember that whatever your obstacle is, OUR God is bigger and stronger and more powerful.  Isaiah 41:10 reminds us, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”  Amen!

Monday Morning Memo: Irritated and Overwhelmed

The family caught my attention as we sat eating in an area restaurant.  They were very nice looking and reminded me of the all-American family.  Mom and Dad, along with children who appeared to be teenagers. 

 

Of course, most restaurants are filled with families who fit this description and while I love to people-watch…I don’t often get fixated on one particular table.  I did on this day though.  It wasn’t because they were doing something unusual, because unfortunately they weren’t…they were doing what has become “normal”…but it still bothered me .

 

There they were, waiting on their food to come…each glued to their phone.  None of them spoke…none of them looked at anyone else…none of them interacted with anyone but the server.  When their food arrived, they did put their phones down to eat, but still no conversations were started.  It appeared that their sole purpose was to scarf down their meal as fast as they could so they could resume their scrolling.  I’ll be honest…I found it very sad.  There they were with a perfect opportunity to converse and connect with each other…to learn more about each other…but they found their mobile device to be more important.

 

But as I caught myself condemning this family in my mind later that day…I realized that while I was pointing a finger at them…I had four more fingers pointing back at me.  I recognized that this scenario isn’t much different than my behavior at times when I sit down with my Jesus to hopefully “consume” His Word.   How often do I let my mind wander while I’m supposed to be reading and listening?  How many times do I think it’s important to just do a quick check of Facebook or Instagram, but before I know it my scrolling has taken up my time?  I have a perfect opportunity to converse and connect with my Savior and to learn more about Him…but I find my mobile device or computer more important.  No wonder there are times I feel irritated and overwhelmed.  

 

OUCH.  I wonder how that makes my Heavenly Father feel, when many other things take precedence over my time with Him.  I wonder if He shakes His head…wanting to remind me that His blood was shed for me…but yet I can’t “sacrifice” some undivided time to spend with Him.   He longs to be with me. He yearns to teach me how to live so I will look more and more like Him.  But it is my decision as to whether or not I take advantage of His desire to spend time with me. He won’t force me to make the right decision…but I do know that He will always be waiting patiently for me.  Why?  Because He loves me that much.

 

He loves you that much too.   So, the question then becomes, “Will you and I accept His offer to spend some uninterrupted, undivided time with Him this week?”  I sure hope so…because if the King of Kings and Lord of Lords wants to meet with us…why in the world would we say no?   

Monday Morning Memo: The God of the Impossible

Last week I wrote about trusting God with those things we can’t see.  Trusting in the invisible.  Trusting Him…knowing He sees everything and is more than likely whispering to us, “Please my dear child, trust the invisible…because it is much more wonderful than anything you can even imagine or see with your own eyes.” 

 

This got me thinking about some statements we often hear.  “She doesn’t have a prayer in passing that class.”  “He doesn’t have a prayer in getting that promotion.”  “They don’t have a prayer in ever reconciling their marriage.”  “I don’t have a prayer in ever being any more than I am today.”  These are just examples of statements which can be made when you feel there isn’t any chance that a certain event will occur in those future happenings which appear invisible.  We’ve all had words to this effect come out of our mouth when something just seemed impossible.

 

Impossible.  The word is used when we think something is incapable of happening.  Just like when we say that we or someone else doesn’t have a prayer…we are totally giving up that there will be a good outcome when we use the word impossible.

 

I was thinking this weekend about these words, and it made me wonder who or what determines or influences when I give up.  Am I coming to this conclusion because I have hard facts, or do I rush to this assumption because I am taking into account my limitations…my shortcomings…myinadequacies or someone else’s limitations…shortcomings…or inadequacies?  Am I looking at the situation through God’s eyes and His strength and power…or my own?

 

If I look to the Bible to find my answers, it tells me what I need to know about “not having a prayer”.  Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  Notice it doesn’t say to pray about only those things of which you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, will work out.  It says to pray about everything!  So even if you doubt something will happen…pray about it anyway.  We ALWAYS have a prayer!

 

And the impossible?  Mark 10:27 tells us, “Jesus looked at them intently and said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible.  But not with God.  Everything is possible with God’”.  So whatever situation we say “doesn’t have a prayer” …we are looking at it from our human perspective.  Everything is possible with God!

As the graphic says, we serve the God of the impossible and because of that, Satan doesn’t want us praying because he knows the power that our God has…the power to do the impossible.  Satan knows that God can take our limitations…shortcomings…and inadequacies and use them for His glory as the impossible is accomplished.  And in doing so…Satan’s impact will be lessened and someday my friend, he will be totally defeated!  Hallelujah!