Monday Morning Memo: Stand and See!

Well, what a year it has been.  As I shared last week, I couldn’t believe it was time for Christmas already…and now I really can’t believe we are on the doorstep of a new decade.  This year has seemed to fly by (yes, I know…that’s a sign I’m getting old!).  But God has outdone himself these past months, displaying His power over and over again.

As we started 2019, I shared with you these words: “I realized after that day, that my word for this year needed to be “POWER” and I needed to claim the verse in I Samuel 12:16, ‘Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do!’  I’m guessing that many times I don’t see His power at work because I am in the way.  I look at too many trials from my human point of view instead of claiming His power.

I shared last week that I have been going through a time where my spirit has felt unsettled…not sure what the Lord wants me to do next in my ministry.  I’ve come to the point now where I realize that I just need to keep walking through the open doors that He puts in front of me.  I don’t have to worry about anything long-term…just keep following Him and trusting that HE has the power and strength to see me through.”

If I’m honest, I need to confess that when I wrote those words at the beginning of the year…they made me really nervous.  I had no idea what all God had in store for the upcoming 365 days…and I knew God well enough to know that His ways usually stretch me more than I like to be stretched!  But I’ve never felt anything as strong as I felt His leading last January, telling me I was to trust Him with the days ahead and stand back and watch Him do more than I could ever imagine.

I’m here to tell you that He did not disappoint!  From His miraculous leading through our daughter’s health scare…to touching my health in a powerful way…to blessing us with a new son-in-law and two new granddaughters…to leading me to begin Throne Thursday (giving me peace from my unsettledness) which has blessed me beyond measure…He has proved himself over and over again that His plan and timing are always perfect!

So, as I get ready to begin a new year, I feel impressed to keep the same word and the same verse for 2020.  Just like last year, there is a feeling of apprehension…but there is also a feeling of excitement as I look forward to what God has in store for me in the coming months.

Once again, I want to ask you if you are ready to claim God’s power in your life and instead of making excuses as to why He can't be trusted…put your faith and trust in the One who can move mountains.  I hope so…because I’m anxious to see what He has on the horizon for you and for me! 

He's Here!

I’m sorry to bother you. I’m sure you are probably really busy today, but I just have to tell someone. You see, just a few short hours ago, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He’s the most gorgeous baby I’ve ever seen.  He has dark curly hair, chubby cheeks and ten fingers and ten toes!  I think he may even have my eyes!

It’s been such a long nine months. I’ve had so many different feelings and emotions. First, I had an angel tell me that I was going to have a baby and that I was to call him Jesus. The angel said that my baby would be great and he would be the Son of God.  The Son of God?  I was going to give birth to the Son of God?  How could this be?  I was still a virgin and I wasn’t even married yet.   

It didn’t take long for me to realize that what the angel had said was true.  I had terrible morning sickness those first few months, and then once I started showing, I was the talk of the village. I could feel people staring and whispering behind my back. There were days when I wondered why I was chosen for this and why people didn’t believe me when I told them that I was carrying the Son of God.  I guess it did sound pretty unbelievable.  

Then, we found out we had to go to Bethlehem because the Roman emperor, Augustus, decided a census had to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.  Oh, I really didn’t want to go but my fiancé, Joseph, said we didn’t have a choice.  So, we started out on the long, almost 100-mile trip.  It was hard because I was so uncomfortable and just couldn’t wait to finally get there.  Then, to make matters worse, when we finally did arrive in Bethlehem, all the rooms were filled!  I started to cry but Joseph told me that it would be ok.  He finally found a place that had room in the area where the animals lived.  That was fine with me because it was at least a place where we could get some rest, plus it had a manger where I could lay my baby in once he was born.

But, when I held my baby Jesus in my arms for the first time, it made it all so worthwhile. Did I tell you how beautiful he is? He is absolutely perfect!  I can hardly wait to see him smile for the first time and see him take his first step and say his first word.

I do worry though about how you will treat my son. I wonder if you will love and adore him like I do. The angel told Joseph that Jesus was the Messiah and he was coming to save you from your sins. Will you listen to him? I wonder…will you realize how much God must love you to send my child into the world to save you?  Will you turn from your sinful ways or will you reject him?

Well, I hear my baby crying and I must go and see what he needs. I do want you to see him and know him personally.  I want so desperately for him to be a part of your life, but the choice is yours to make.  I know you are really busy today, but will you take some time to come and adore him with me?

By the way, did I tell you how beautiful he is? 

“Oh come let us adore Him,

Oh come let us adore Him,

Oh come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.”

Monday Morning Memo: Simplicity

It’s so hard to believe that Christmas is this week.  Has it really been almost a year since last Christmas?  The calendar shows that it has…but at times I think it must be wrong J

I decided to be a bah-humbug person this year and not decorate for Christmas.  Now before you throw your tangled tinsel at me…let me explain.  We left on Thanksgiving Day to head to North Carolina for the wedding and we didn’t return home again until December 12th.  There weren’t enough hours in my day before the wedding to get the house adorned and I realized by the time I was back home that the decorations would only be up for two weeks before I would be putting them away.  Our Christmas gathering won’t be in our home this year…one of our kids is hosting…so I finally determined that my sanity would be a little more intact if I just skipped dragging all the boxes out.

But if I’m honest…I felt guilt over this decision.  Everyone else was posting pictures of their homes…looking like something out of the Good Housekeeping magazine or a Thomas Kinkade painting…with numerous decorated trees and fireplaces adorned with stockings…all while I came home to a house that didn’t look any different than if it was July.         

But then, we went to our daughter’s home and our five-year-old grandson excitedly told me to go into their living room to see their Christmas tree.  His eyes were just dancing with delight, but I soon found out it wasn’t the actual tree that he was so thrilled to show me.  Under the tree he had a most precious gift he wanted to give us.  It was a simple ornament he had made.  He handed it to me and said, “I actually made it for myself…but then I decided I wanted to give it to you and grandpa.”  Be. Still. My. Heart.

Two days later, we went to visit my 92-year-old aunt.  She told me that there was a box in her room with several Christmas ceramic pieces in it and if I wanted them, I was welcome to take them.  I carefully took them out of the box and immediately loved them…not just because they were pretty…but because they were from my aunt whom I dearly love.  What a treasure.

To top it off…two days after seeing my aunt, we went to a gathering with our small group from church, and we were given another most precious piece…which made sure we remembered the true meaning of Christmas.

As I reflected on these treasured gifts…I knew I couldn’t wait a year to display them.  So, this past Saturday, I scrounged through my decorations and found a small tree and put it on our mantle.  The two prized ornaments were hung with care and the ceramic pieces were plugged in.  Simple…but oh such meaning for me.

It is a reminder to me of how simple that first Christmas was for the birth of our Savior.  Mary and Joseph didn’t check into the Holiday Inn…they were in a dirty barn with, more than likely, a variety of animals.  Baby Jesus wasn’t laid on a royal throne…but in a feeding trough that those animals had used.  And the local Welcome Wagon wasn’t someone dressed with pearls and high heels…but shepherds whose smell probably wasn’t too enticing…since they had been out tending to their sheep.

Simplicity.  That’s the story of Christmas…the story of Jesus.  But I’m afraid that way too often we throw in so many other reasons for the season that we often forget the simple story.  He came.  He lived.  He died.  He rose again.  Why?  For you…and for me…because He loves us that much.  

If you are feeling overwhelmed this Christmas season…stop and reflect on the simplicity of that first Christmas.  Make sure that you aren’t feeling overwhelmed because you are comparing your Christmas circumstances with those who may seem to have more than you.  Allow me to let you in on a little secret…just because others may have more twinkle in their decorations than you do…doesn’t mean Jesus shines more brightly in their home than yours.  He came for everyone and having Him shine brightly through your life is what is really important.  That my friend, is what Christmas is all about. 

My prayer is for you to have a very Merry Christmas…one where the simplicity of the day will make your life shine brightly for the newborn King!

         “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born 

today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign: 

You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—

praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:11-14  (NLT)

Monday Morning Memo: Your Inner Circle

Once again, Dan and I had the privilege last week to work at the Operation Christmas Child processing center in Boone, North Carolina.   This is a trip that we look forward to each year and it always seems like the hours just fly by and before we know it…we are heading back home.

If you have never been on this trip, it is hard to understand what these days are like.  Operation Christmas Child is such a worthy cause and getting the opportunity to work for this ministry just blesses the socks off of a person! It is hard to comprehend that each box we touch is going to end up in the hands of a child who, more than likely, has never received a gift before in his or her life.  We in America can’t fathom that kind of living situation.  These boxes are being sent all over the world…giving children the basics of life…and also telling them about our Jesus.  These boxes can and do impact eternity…what a blessing!

But working at the center, is just one part of the blessing that I receive while we are in Boone.  I also feel so fortunate to work alongside others from our church and our community.  Every year they inspire me to give a little more…work a little harder… and be more intentional to touch the lives of those around me.  I watched this past week while these dear brothers and sisters in Christ gave smiles and a helping hand to those who needed it.  I listened to them thank those who were our “coaches” on each line.  I witnessed them working diligently, giving everything they had, to make sure as many boxes as possible were processed during our shifts.  I heard them offer to pray for a waitress who is going through a rough time and even though she turned them down, they immediately bowed their heads and prayed for her and her dire situation after she walked away.  And, I saw them buy two dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts and then pass them out to whoever wanted them…just to bless those around them.

I had never met some of the people in our group before we arrived in Boone, but because I could see Jesus in them, they soon felt like family to me.  We had our love for Him in common, and that my friends, makes all the difference in the world.  

Life can be fulfilling…and it can be depressing…and often times who we surround ourselves with can be what makes the difference.  It’s actually been said that quite often, you are the average of the five people with whom you spend the most time.  Proverbs 11:14 in The Message, tells us, ”Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.”  In other words, if those in your inner circle are not helping you to be a more devoted follower of Jesus, you may have the wrong influencers around you. 

I want to urge you today to ask yourself the following questions concerning those with whom you spend the most time:

1.      Most importantly, do they long to look more like Jesus?

2.    Are they self-less and want those around them to succeed?

3.    Do they speak life into you and those around them?

4.    Do they pay attention to the “little” things in life (keeping their word, showing up on time, treating others with love, etc)?

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t spend any time with those who don’t meet these criteria, because that isn’t what Christ has called us to do.  But it is so important that your inner circle of friends, those who are closest to you, want you to be the best devoted follower of His that you can be.

I fought tears as I worked the last morning in Boone.  I just kept thanking my Jesus over and over again for giving me the opportunity to serve Him.  I thanked Him for giving me renewed health and strength.  And above all, I thanked Him for blessing me with an inner circle of friends who allow me to see Jesus through them, because they deeply love Him so.  

My prayer is that I can be an “inner circle friend” who exudes Jesus to those around me.  I know He wants me to build up…not tear down…so that others will feel as blessed as I do.

Monday Morning Memo: Our Event Planner

As I shared with you last week, our daughter was recently married.  The wedding was perfect and as I sat there…I was just amazed that all the details had been put together in approximately 2.5 months.  When our other daughter married, we worked on the specifics for a year, so I was quite hesitant that this wedding could be pulled together in such a short amount of time.  But I soon learned the magic words that would make it all possible…”wedding planner”.  

Erica is blessed to have a very talented friend who just happens to be an event planner.  Elisa normally does not do weddings, but since Erica’s wedding was going to be fairly small, she graciously agreed to take the assignment.  To say this woman was amazing…is an understatement.  In just a matter of a few days, she accomplished more than we could have done in months.  Why? Because she had the knowledge that we didn’t possess.  She knew who to contact…where to order supplies from…and what needed to be done to make sure the day was just what Erica wanted.

As I’ve reflected on these past months, I’ve realized that all of this wouldn’t have gone so smoothly if Erica hadn’t trusted Elisa.  If Erica had second- guessed every decision that her friend made…there would have been a lot of extra stress.  But her trust in Elisa amazed me.  I would ask her questions about the wedding, and Erica would often say, “I don’t know.  Elisa is taking care of that.”  My daughter trusted her without reserve…knowing that she was very capable of making her wedding-day dreams come true.  

But if I’m honest…it was hard for me to trust Elisa.  I think there are two reasons why this was true.  First, I had never met Erica’s friend, so I didn’t have any prior knowledge of her abilities.  Second, I am a control freak…there, I said it.  It is so hard for me to trust that someone else will take care of all of the details like I think I would…and so it is very difficult for me to completely trust.  I think it was a very good thing that Erica and Elisa live in North Carolina and I live in Indiana…because the distance made it impossible for me to be the annoying, overseeing mom J

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had an event planner for our lives?  You know, someone who knew everything about us and could make sure that our plans and the timing of those plans were executed perfectly?  Someone who knew exactly what we needed…when we needed it…and just asked for our trust to let him or her do what they have been gifted to do.  Oh, wouldn’t that be amazing?

Oh wait…I guess we do have Someone like that in our lives, don’t we?  Christ is our event planner.  He is the One who knows what is best for us and wants to create moments, days, weeks and years which, if we trust Him and allow Him to work, will help us look more like Him.  

Of course, if you are a control freak like me…it may be easier said than done.  But think how much less stress we would have if we quit trying to second-guess everything He wants to do in our lives.  If we keep in mind that He has the knowledge that we don’t possess, we will hopefully come to the conclusion that we are a little crazy not to trust Him.  

So, I want to give a very special thank-you to Elisa…for making Erica and Robert’s day a dream come true.  And, I want to tell my Jesus thank-you…for loving a control freak like me…showing me patience as I continue to work on trusting Him completely.  He’s planning the ultimate event…the day I will see Him face to face.  But until then…I want Him to work out every detail perfectly…so that I will be the totally, devoted follower of His that I’m called to be.

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

Don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

He’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all.”

Proverbs 3:5-7a. (The Message)

Monday Morning Memo: Persistent Prayers

Our Thanksgiving was far from “normal” this year.  A typical Thanksgiving for us is being home and hosting my side of the family.  We usually have 30-40 people in to celebrate with us and we enjoy every minute.  But this year, our day looked entirely different because instead of lots of homemade food…we ate at a fast food restaurant at a truck stop.  Talk about one extreme to the other; but our reason for the change made it all worthwhile.

Instead of being home last Thursday…we left at 5:30 am to head to North Carolina for our daughter’s wedding which was on Saturday.   Oh, what a weekend it was.  Our daughter wanted the theme of her day to be “simple elegance”…and it just couldn’t have been more perfect.  She looked like a radiant princess and her knight in shining armor was so handsome.  It was definitely the most wonderful day.

But to be honest, the planning for this special day began 35 years ago when Erica made her grand entrance into our lives and into our hearts.  The reason is that as each of our children were born, I began praying for their future spouse.  I know that may sound rather crazy…holding and rocking a newborn and praying for the person they will someday marry…but I felt impressed to do just that.   I knew that besides asking Jesus into their heart…choosing a life partner would be one of the most important decisions they would ever make.  So, if it was that crucial…I knew that praying not only for them, but for their future spouse…needed to be a priority in my life.

I can’t put into words how amazing it has been to watch Christ answer those prayers with each of our children.  We are now so blessed to have a Christian daughter-in-law and two Christian son-in-laws as a part of our family.  With each wedding, I have thanked my Jesus over and over again for hearing my prayers and answering them in such a powerful way.  

Could He have worked all of this out without my years of praying?  Of course He could have.  But, I would have missed out on having a part in the entire process.   Oh, I have learned so much over these years.  You see with each prayer…I fell just a little more in love with this future family member whom I didn’t even know.  I cared more and more for them as I prayed for their health, their protection, and above all, their relationship with Jesus.  I not only prayed for our child to become the Christ follower that he or she should be…but I lifted up their future mate…asking Jesus to draw them near to Him.  Then, as each spouse entered our family, I already loved them and felt like I had had a part in their lives…even if I hadn’t known who they were for many years.

If you are a parent and aren’t praying for your child’s future mate…I want to urge you to begin doing so today.  Whether they are newborns or adults…praying for them and their future mate is one of the greatest gifts you will ever give them.  You may never know what your prayers have shielded them from or how they have been blessed by them…but I can attest to the fact that Christ will hear your prayers and will bless you for your persistent prayers.

Oh, and sometimes our prayers are even answered with blessings we didn’t expect.  We not only added another wonderful son to our family this past weekend, we also gained a beautiful 14-year-old granddaughter.  God is SO good! 

“Never stop praying.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Monday Morning Memo: Who Pushes Your Buttons?

Well, ready or not…here it comes!  This week begins the holiday madness of cooking, cleaning, shopping…so that you can spend love-filled, heartwarming, Hallmark-like time at various family gatherings.  Right?  OK…maybe that’s not what will take place for you between now and the end of the year.  I hope it is a fair description…but unfortunately, I know that for some…the days ahead hold everything but a loving family scene.

I wrote last week about restoration and I zeroed in on the rebuilding of marriages…but there are often other relationships in our lives that are in disarray.  We may get along great with our spouse, but please don’t make us be in the same room with certain family members.  Or, maybe we get along fine with our family, but please God, don’t make us sit in the same pew at church with that hypocrite who only shows up at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

Most people have someone in their life that really irritates them.  This may be someone with whom they have a strained relationship or someone who just knows how to push their buttons.  And while it is often fairly easy to avoid these difficult people during the rest of the year…it sometimes is impossible to do so at holidays or special events…causing more stress than most are willing to endure.

Maybe the questions we need to ask ourselves when we are faced with these types of circumstances are, What can I do to change this situation?  Can I make this person change?  The answer is no.  If I nag and nag and nag will the situation get better?  The answer is no.  If I whine, complain and grumble about it to everyone I meet will it make the holidays bearable?  The answer is probably no. 

If I pray for this person and our relationship…will God hear my prayers?  The answer is yes.  If I pray for this person and our relationship…can God begin to change the other person and me?  The answer is yes.  If I pray for this person and our relationship…will my heart begin to soften and will I begin to see this person through God’s eyes instead of mine?  The answer is probably yes.

I Corinthians 13 is often referred to as the love chapter and I really like how some of the verses are written in the version The Message. They say:

“So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first”,
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.” 

WOW.  I know if I am honest, I fall way short in living out these verses on a daily basis.  I’m guessing if I really took these words seriously…using them as my guide for how to pray for those who push my buttons…I just might see God work in a mighty way.  What could God accomplish if each day I prayed,

“God, help me to never give up loving _________ (insert name).  Help me to care more for him/her than myself.  Lord, help me not to think that I am better than him/her and help me to not fly off the handle when I am irritated.  Help me to not rank sins…pointing out his/her indiscretions and neglecting to ask for forgiveness for mine.  Father, help me to trust you with _________ (insert name) and our relationship…knowing that you are able to do far more than I can even imagine.  Help me Lord to always be the person that you want me to be…until the day when you call me home.  Amen.” 

If you are looking for something to give Jesus this year for His birthday…I have a feeling He would love for you and me to commit to praying this prayer every day.  Who knows…maybe in doing this our holidays will end up being what they were intended to be…a time of praise and a time of celebrating Jesus’ birth…instead of a stressful time of button pushing J

Monday Morning Memo: Restoration

I’ve always been amazed at people who can enter a dilapidated, falling down house and see the potential.  They can already see in their mind what the house could look like with some love, elbow grease and sometimes...months and months (maybe even years!) of work.  I remember when my brother-in-law and sister-in-law bought their home.  They were so excited to show it to us and I have to be honest…I felt sick as I walked through it!  It was in horrible shape and all I could see was the disrepair all around me.  But they could see what it could become while all I could see was its present condition.   They knew that those falling down walls were worth restoring…and today their home is absolutely beautiful.  I’m so glad they weren’t so short sided like I was.

Was it a lot of work?  Yes, it was.  But they knew it would be worth it in the end when they could enjoy the fruit of their labor.

As I was thinking about this the last few days, I thought about other areas of our lives that sometimes need restored.  A friendship that has been broken…a falling out with a family member…a marriage that is on the rocks.  Why is it that we are often willing to put hours and hours of work into something with no eternal value…but when it comes to broken relationships…we give up and walk away instead of doing all we can to bring restoration?

Unfortunately, we see this all too often in marriages today.  Our spouse isn’t making us happy…so we walk away.  The person we work with is a lot more fun than the person we married…so we walk away.  The stress of providing for our family becomes overwhelming…so we walk away.  Our spouse has physical ailments that weren’t expected…so we walk away.  Why?  Because taking our wedding vows seriously and working on restoring the broken-down walls just seems like more work than we are willing or able to do.

  

I think it is easy for us to forget sometimes that we serve a God who is in the restoration business.  He can look at a marriage that is falling apart, that is headed for divorce court and see what it CAN be with forgiveness, love and some elbow grease.   Will it take a lot of work?  Yes, it will.  But God never gives up because He knows it will be worth it in the end when the marriage and family are restored and serving Him together.

There is a song by Chris August which speaks of this kind of restoration.  Here are the words from his song “Restore”:

Nobody's growing old together, we've made it easy just to quit

Love has become a negative percentage, why do we bother to commit

We've got a long list of excuses, ways we try to justify

Well, I propose to you the truth is, marriage does not have to die.

CHORUS:  I know you're feeling like it’s falling apart and it can't go on anymore

But God is a God who knows how to heal so just give it up to the Lord

And He will restore.

He said with this ring I promise, and with I do she said forever

But right now if they're being honest they don't know if they'll stay together

Let's fast forward to the future after struggling on their own

They finally figured out they needed Jesus in the middle

Now I'm watching God rebuild their home.

CHORUS

The enemy tries to come and divide Trying to get us to give up the fight

But darkness will always lose out to light' 

Cause we've got the power of Christ on our side

I see you growing old together I pray I find a love like yours

So if you're feeling like it’s falling apart and it can't go on anymore

God is a God who knows how to heal so just give it up to the Lord.

And He will restore

Like it was before

You may have strayed off course

But He will restore.

I can’t help but think that God laid this subject on my heart to share today because someone reading this is thinking of walking away.  They are toying with the idea that their marriage is just too far gone and there isn’t any hope.  Just like this song says, Satan is trying hard to divide this marriage, telling those involved that life would be so much easier, and the grass would be so much greener without their spouse, without all the obligations that seem to get in the way of their happiness.

I want to urge you today to give your marriage to the Lord and allow Him to restore it.  He can take the crumbling pieces and put them together to be even better than you can ever imagine.  Stop struggling on your own and put Jesus in the middle of your marriage and allow Him to make something beautiful out of the ashes.  I guarantee you that HE IS ABLE…you just need to be willing.

^“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful 

or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. 

It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the 

truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith,

 is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7