Little thank you notes

     Cause for thanksgiving: Tessa and Janie on a shopping trip to Target's to pick up a few items for their Halloween costumes (apparently "The Real Housewives of Raleigh"--hmm).  Who knew a trip to Target could bring so much joy?  But it did--to all concerned, especially yours truly. And we ran into a dearly loved friend, Debbie, while we were there--another little present from the Father!  
     Everyday, regular old occurrences--now infused with gratitude.  If we could name our moments, this one might be called, "Treasuring Target."  O yeah, and there's the Starbucks right behind the girls.  That steaming hot chai tea latte is calling my name.  Life is so good.
     Life's simplest gifts, when truly seen and savored, become it's choicest treasures.
     And when we see--slow down enough to really see--we discover our lives overflowing with such ordinary yet extraordinary moments.  How many do we allow to slide right past us in our haste and rush and harried lives?  How often have I missed the opportunity to say "Thank You!" to my husband or my child or my friend or my Lord, simply because I was too busy or preoccupied to slow down, see, and savor?
     So today, let's choose to be thankful for the simple, everyday gifts in our lives.  For me, it's been a sweet text from our daughter, Mary Norris, in Charlotte--thank You Lord for the irreplaceable gift of our children.  She is named for one of my sisters--thank You for the joy of siblings.  An empty box of Trix on the counter--evidence of our middle son's passion for cereal. Thank You for cereal, Lord.  Thank You for growing boys.  Bowl and spoon beside it on the counter--perish the thought he would put them in the dishwasher!  I can't help but smile.  And this makes me think of my daily trek upstairs to view the trail of clothes in and out of the bedrooms and bathroom.  Yep, dropped the towel right here, all nice and wet and wadded up.  Here's where he took off his shorts.  And I guess that's where he pulled off his shirt.
     I used to get irritated, but now, bad, irresponsible mother that I am, I just smile and thank Jesus for the gift of life and perspective and showers and clothes and people who bring messes--and so so much love--in our lives.
     In our youngest son's room, he has actually laid out his clothes for tomorrow.  A small miracle!  Only this time, it's because the clothes he's so carefully smoothed and placed with shirt right on top of the shorts are his Halloween costume.  Carolina basketball player... again.  What can I say?  It makes me smile and then weep for the privilege God has given us--loaning these five precious eternal souls for a few short years to love and guide and encourage and enjoy.
     An early morning text from a dear friend.  Thank You for dear friends.  Moses snoring under the table.  Thank You for dogs.  Seeing sweet Karen at the dentist yesterday--what a gift she has been to us all these years.  She so throughly cleaned my tea/blueberry stained teeth, ooh, I just want to go out and smile at the world to show off these pearly whites... well, at least for a few days till I ruin all her hard work.  O, and thank You for hot tea, Lord, and blueberries and chocolate (sorry Karen).
      I dare you, try going through this day and pause to see, truly see, all the ordinary/everyday/routine gifts in your life--the people, the things, the habits, the places.  And when you see them, will you turn each item back into a prayer of praise for the Giver of all good gifts?   When we do, He infuses the everyday with holiness and transforms the ordinary into extraordinary.
     "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (I Thess. 5:18)  "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." (Ps.100:4)
     "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." (I Chron.16:34)
      And He is... and it does.
      So give Him praise this day for the ordinary/extraordinary.  May our day be filled with little silent thank you notes of thanksgiving to our gracious Giver and Provider.  To God be all the glory.
   

In the storm

     "And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.  And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep.  And they went and woke Him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing.  And He said to them, 'Why are you afraid, O ye of little faith?'  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.  And the men marveled, saying, 'What sort of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey Him?'" (Mt.8:23-27)
     It's early morning, dark and quiet.  I can still hear the wind whistling outside, the rain lighter but still pounding a steady beat.  Hurricane Sandy, I know, is wreaking havoc at this very moment in the northeastern part of our nation.  O Lord, how I pray for protection and peace for all in her path.  Please weaken the wind and rain and help all those being affected by this fierce storm.  We have merely had a tiny taste of her fury--strong winds, suddenly cold temperatures, and relentless rain overnight.  But many right now are in the eye of the storm or experiencing the punishing power of raw nature unleashed.
      Father, You who can calm the winds and the waves, we pray You would calm Sandy's fury, calm frightened hearts, and calm the damage to life and property.  Might all in her path know that You are with them in this storm.  You are the God who came.  The God who entered into this world and this world's pain and difficulties and heartache.  You are with us in this storm.  And we praise You.
     That's my simple thanksgiving today.  To praise our Lord who is with us in the storms of life.  We can't understand the storms.  We simply know that You are in control and You are with us, no matter what we are enduring right now... or are about to endure.  For we will all go through storms.  We are either in one right now or we've just endured one or we are about to enter one.
     There will be storms.
     But there will also always be our Lord with us in those storms.
     Right in the rocking, swamped boat with us.  We are never ever alone.  The Savior is with us... and at just the right time, we will be able to say, "Then He arose and rebuked the winds... and there was great calm."  No, He doesn't always save us out of the storms.  Sometimes He does, praise His glorious Name.  But sometimes He saves us in the storms.  He is with us, sustaining and calming and teaching and guiding and empowering and loving us in the midst of the fiercest storms.  Winds still howling, seas seemingly about to overwhelm us, but yet "great calm" within our souls.
     Lord, we praise You in this storm, for we know that You are with us and for us... no matter what our eyes can or cannot see... no matter what we feel... no matter what others tell us.  You are with us and for us always.  Always.
     And You will get us safely home.
     Just have to close with a few words from a powerful song about storms by Casting Crowns:
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

     Might we praise You, today, Lord, in the midst of this storm.  Might Your Name be proclaimed with trust and joy and hope, for You are with us in this storm and for always and forever.  To God be the glory.  

"Thank You"

     Okay, so sue me: I'm starting a day or two early with thanksgiving... and right now, I'm thanking the Lord for the magnificent, neon yellow mum my sweet sister gave me a few weeks back.  This thing is HUGE and is blooming to beat the band.  And most miraculously of all, I have not yet managed to kill it!  God is good.
     Every time we walk in and out of the kitchen door, this beauty welcomes us in all it's showy glory.  Just another reason to thank the Lord, the Creator of color and blooms and fall foliage and cool autumn winds.  O, to be able to see the quiet beauty of fall!  We will never take it for granted--yet another blessing from our journey with Janie.
     Lord, as I think about being free to walk outside and run to the grocery store and witness the fall leaves and sleep in my own bed, my heart aches for those feeling trapped within the walls of hospitals.  I pray that You might heal them by Your power and hold them in Your love.  Might they clearly see evidence today of Your love, even if they cannot leave the confines of their rooms.  And Father, give wisdom and skill to the nurses and doctors as they minister and help.  Might they too know that You are with them, strengthening, upholding them for the work for which You have gifted them.
     Yes, life seems beautifully different now--colors more radiant, sounds more vivid, friends more cherished, home and hearth more valued.  Not the stuff... rather the joy, the love, the beauty that lies hidden behind the stuff.
      We hold life's simplest, freest gifts with open, grateful hands, mindful of how much He has saved us from and saved us to... we, so undeserving of the riches of His grace and mercy.  Each moment can become a holy sacrament of thanksgiving: walking Moses on the leaf-strewn greenway--a pathway of praise--eating a simple meal in the kitchen together, breathing deep the moist, cool air, baking a cake for the first time in months, lighting a candle and smelling pine trees and mountains. Sitting down with Bible and pen in the momentary quiet. Going to the grocery store just today with Janie.  Who knew such a trip could almost bring me to tears of gratitude?
     Thank You, Father.  So inadequate, but what else can we say to the One who has given all and done all and who was, and is, and is to come?  Our forever I AM.  With us and for us each day, each hour, each moment--past, present, and future.  
     And so we pray with--and for--grateful hearts, Lord.  For hearts full of praise for You, love for people, and thanksgiving for all.
     "If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice."  Meister Eckhart
      Thank You.  To God be the glory.

Word & Worship focus

     "Mom, mom, come here!  This is amazing," my 11 year old exclaimed from the dining room where he was supposed to be studying for two big tests coming up this week.  He was rereading the book, Firegirl, to help prepare for the first test on monday.
     "Look at this, Mom!"  I rushed into the dining room prepared to be dazzled or shocked or perhaps enlightened by his incredible new insight.
     "Look--there are five words in a row here that only have two letters each.  How about that?!"
     Gee, incredible.
     hmm, I think we are experiencing a bit of a focus problem here.    
     Just a guess, but I'm betting there will be no questions on the test related to the number and location of multiple monosyllabic words.  But if there are, we've totally got it.  Not so certain, however, about how solid we are on the themes, conflicts, and fact questions that my son was supposed to be studying.
     Wonder where he got that from?  Surely not from his frequently scattered mama.  After all, I may have lost car keys, cell phone, Bible study book, and wheel chair in the course of one morning, but I did find them all--after much weeping and gnashing of teeth.
      Isn't it remarkable how quickly we can lose our focus and perspective?  It's often been said, "The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing."  So true, but so difficult, isn't it?  We think we are going along pretty well, keeping our priorities straight, seeking God first, loving our families, refusing to be sidetracked by life's flotsam.  Then, wham, suddenly we find ourselves preoccupied with the unimportant or focused on possessions rather than people or worrying about all we have to do rather than worshipping the all perfect Lord or craving the gifts rather than the Gift-giver.
     I was just reminded of this when I read Jesus' words to His disciples.  The disciples had gone into town to buy food.  (Now personally,  I totally get that, because like those disciples, I am all about food and making sure I never miss a meal.)  When they return, the disciples tell Him, "Rabbi, eat."  Jesus responds, however, "I have food to eat that you do not know about... My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work." (John 4:31,34)
     That is what Jesus came to do--the Father's will.  To accomplish His plan of salvation by going to the cross.  His focused obedience informed every aspect of His life and enabled Him to have joy and peace even in the midst of turmoil and pain... because He had His eyes on the prize.
      Ever and always, fixing His eyes on the prize of winning our salvation by obeying His Father's will all the way to the cross... and to the empty tomb, praise God.
        If ever there was a man with perfect focus and perspective, it was the Lord Jesus.  Constantly dependent upon, obedient to, and thankful for His Heavenly Father.
     We, on the other hand, can relate all too readily to the disciples--preoccupied with the temporal and pursuing all the wrong priorities so that we forfeit the joy and peace of walking with Christ in the day to day abundant life.  We get lost looking for monosyllabic words and miss the exciting plot and inspiring themes of the book staring us in the face!
      Like my mom used to say in tennis, we've got to go back to the basics and "keep your eye on the ball!"
     And the main way to do that is to stay in His Word.  Daily.  Like I said, the disciples and I are kindred spirits when it comes to food, and we don't like to miss a meal.  No sir, when I skip a meal, I can get a wee bit irritable... and melodramatic... and scatterbrained... and generally not a whole lot of fun to be around.  Because I'm HUNGRY, for pete's sake!
     So if that's true of physical food, how much more so His supernatural spiritual food!  We need it daily to nourish our spirits and give us focus and wisdom and perspective... and to reveal the Lord of Lords to us in all His glory.  No wonder so many of us walk around in a daze of misplaced affections and skewed priorities--we are forgetting to eat!  To eat His fully satisfying and sustaining Word.
     Just today, I read: "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Col.2:6-7)  That's how we're rooted and built up in Him--in His Word.
     And the result will always be "overflowing with thankfulness."
     That's the second part of the equation, I think: thankfulness; gratitude to the gracious Giver of all good gifts.  More on this later, but if we're preoccupied with thanksgiving, we won't be pursuing things that ultimately don't satisfy.  It's either worship or worry.  Gratitude or grumpiness.  A grateful heart or a complaining heart.  A focus on all God has given us or a focus on all we think we lack.
      I don't know about you, but I want to have the right focus in life--a preoccupation with the Savior and His goodness and grace in my life.  And in the simplest terms that means two priorities right now:  His Word and His worship.   We need to daily, consistently eat from His Word.  And we need to daily, consistently worship and praise and thank Him.
     Two simple choices... that will change our lives if we will but do them.  How about it?
     The month of November--through Thanksgiving--I'm going to try to write each day about some aspect of gratitude or worship or thanksgiving.  Maybe you don't need it... but I sure do.  Because if I don't choose to be grateful, my default position can easily become discontentment, envy, grumbling, and worry.  Yuck--for God, for others, and for me!  Nope, God's way is infinitely more joyful, infinitely more satisfying, infinitely more peaceful, and, well, infinitely, abundantly more. 
     So time to get strengthened by the Word and to overflow with thankfulness.  Hope you'll join me.
     To our glorious, gracious, generous God, be all the glory.

The gift of true seeing

     Just had to put this in, because it's so funny.  Sorry, I know I have a slightly warped sense of humor, but you just gotta love the girls--Tessa and Janie--staring at the back wall of the elevator at school while they surely enjoyed a lovely ride upstairs to class.  This is from Tessa's instagram--which I do not understand at all, but apparently my 11 year old does.  Sigh.  I am a Neanderthal.
     On an only tangentially related subject (ADD here I come), I would like to say what an enjoyable ride I have had today in my battered old suburban.  Or maybe I should say, "rides"--since I have driven back and forth, back and forth all morning long.  Take Janie to school, pick her up after her first class; take Janie to and from physical therapy; hurriedly pick up some lunch for her (since we forgot); take Janie back to school; rush home to take Peter gym clothes (since we forgot)... okay, this is getting boring, isn't it?  Just imagine more rides and more forgotten items, and you'll pretty much have the picture.
     My point: it has been that kind of day.  Ever feel that way?  Getting nothing accomplished and knowing you're doing nothing but spinning your wheels--your disorganized wheels--and never crossing off one item on your desperately long to do list. Frazzled and frustrated; hurried and harried.
     That was how my morning was going until I ran into my son's school with his gym clothes (and I mean ran since he had to have them in less than 5 minutes).  A sweet friend asked me about Janie.  Another sweet friend shouted out encouragement from her car.  I got into my car, and my forgiving Father stopped me cold.  Exactly what, He gently asked me--exactly what was I complaining and frustrated about?
     God immediately brought to my mind that image of me all those weeks ago, standing by the window in the ICU at the Greenville hospital and watching all the cars zipping past, all the people walking about, all the doctors and nurses rushing in and out.  Just people busy in their lives--I'm sure many of them stressed out and complaining about all they "had" to do.  And how I had so fervently wished I could be out there"having" to go to the grocery store, "having" to take my son some forgotten item, "having" to deal with interruptions in a crazy day.   Because I saw so clearly then how blessed I truly was.  And now, somehow, in the light, I had completely forgotten the lessons the Lord had taught us in the darkness.
     The lesson of gratitude and thanksgiving in each moment--each irreplaceable, never-to-be-repeated moment. The lesson of the joy in being busy in blessing the people you love--even if it just means blessing them by taking a forgotten lunch or gym clothes.  The lesson of the power of praise in any every situation, because God promises to be bring good out of ALL things for those who love Him.  The  lesson that praise is the bridge that takes us from simply enduring the circumstance to enjoying the Savior.  And the lesson that He fills our days with so many daily blessings that we miss in our fussing and frenzy--so we need to slow down to see and savor His goodness and His grace.
     Like the stunning beauty of the orange and red and chocolate colored leaves on the trees that lined my way on all those rides to and fro.  Like the joy of hearing a song I love on the radio and singing it out loud at the top of my lungs, on all those rides to and fro. Like the privilege of driving my daughter, to and fro, to a wonderful school filled with terrific teachers and staff and friends.  Like the gift of a car that works and eyes that can see the road and hands that can hold the steering wheel on all those rides to and fro. Like the gifts of friends to greet and dogs to quickly pat and hot tea to sip on all those rides to and fro. Like the blessing of busily driving to and fro on a cool fall day rather than standing beside an unconscious daughter in the ICU.
     Ann Voscamp writes: "Joy, it's always a function of gratitude--and gratitude is always a function of perspective.  If we are going to change our lives, what we are going to have to change is the way we see."
     That's what God gave me this morning: the gift of true seeing.  The lens of perspective that enabled me to see through the busyness and into the spacious place of God's extravagant grace in my life... and in all our lives.  To see the goodness of the Lord surrounding me at every turn.
   Forgive Your forgetful child, Father.  Thank you for blessing upon blessing on this busy day--a day where "accomplishment" means rejoicing in You and Your goodness and grace as well as loving and encouraging my family and friends... not  crossing off ultimately unimportant items on my to do list.
      Thanks for reminding me, Lord, that You are source of all that is good in our lives.  Thank You for enabling me to see and be grateful.  To God be the glory.

Master or slave of your words?

     A sweet friend and I were chatting this morning about the tongue--she has been studying the book of James in Bible study, and good old James (and the Lord) clearly do not let us off the hook when it comes to the use of our tongues.  And we're not talking about licking chocolate ice cream cones  or savoring the last little bit of caramel cake left on the plate.  Clearly, those are sanctified, God-applauded uses of the tongue.  I mean, duh, that's why God gave us tongues: for caramel cake and chocolate in all it's beautiful, glorious forms.
     No, I'm referring to the way we (or at least I) tend to misuse or overuse our tongues... talking, talking, talking.  As in, leave no blank space left unfilled; no, we need chatter, because, gracious, that would be absolutely horrible and uncomfortable and terrible to have, dare I say it?... silence!
      Moreover, this is not actually a big issue for say, all the men in our family.  They could go for miles, maybe hours, sitting in the car listening to music without uttering a word.  Completely inexplicable and one of life's great mysteries.
     One of our sons is particularly reserved, when it comes to words.  Yours truly drives him crazy, because when he is sitting pensively--and seemingly happy to do so--I pepper him with questions like "What's wrong?"  "What''s bothering you?"  "You are so quiet--is something bothering you?"  The frustrated response is always, "No!  I'm just being quiet.  Nothing is bothering me!  Why do you always ask me that?!"   Well, by then something is bugging him--his mother!  Sigh.  What can I say, I'm an incredibly slow learner in this department--probably largely because I'm a woman, and we generally operate under the theory: so little time... so much that can be said.  (Boy, I really hope my husband isn't reading this.)
      Lord, what's up with all this?  Just wondering why You made men and women so radically different in this particular area.  This will be one of the many fun topics to discuss in heaven... assuming there are plenty of women up there to actually talk out loud about it.  It's so great our Father made us each uniquely different--what a boring world this would be without the infinite variety.  Still, I'm just saying... okay, I won't say it.  See I can be quiet with the best of them!
     Okay, not really.
     But my point... finally... after this copious number of words... is that our Lord urges us repeatedly to guard our tongues.  About 50% of the book of Proverbs (okay, I tend to exaggerate--but it's a lot) seems to consist of instructions and warnings about the use of our tongues. Every time I read Proverbs or James, the Lord seems to step on my toes, convicting me of how and where and when I use my tongue.      
     Just one, for example, from James 3:10-12 "From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs?  Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water."
     Yep,  jostle a full cup, and what comes out?  When the world uncomfortably pushes us around a bit, what spills out of our mouths?  "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." (Lk 6:45)
     O Lord, how I pray that my tongue would be used to bless and encourage others as well as to pour forth Your praise... and never used to gossip or demean or belittle in any way. Or to complain.  How I hate that quick tendency to see the proverbial glass half empty rather than full.  To focus on the faults of others rather than the fullness of God's grace and mercy. To focus on what little we lack rather than the plethora of all we possess.
     Shut our mouths, Lord, when gripping words threaten to spill out, and enable us instead, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to speak words of hope, healing, and help.  Control our tongues, Father, for Your glory.
      And might we listen far more and speak far less.  James urges us "let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." (James 1:19)  Clearly, if I would just listen more--both to God and to others--I would be far less prone to babble.  And that means listening with our hearts and not just our ears.  Believe me, there's a big difference. How often have I done that with those dearest to me?   Listen with my ears but totally check out with my heart and inwardly retrieve and review my to do list.  Forgive me, Lord.
     O for pete's sake, look how long I've blabbed on about this!  Mercy.  But just wanted to close with a quote from James McDonald that really made me think: "I am the master of my unspoken words but the slave of those that should have remained unsaid." 
     Just about says it all, doesn't it?  Help us, Lord, to harness the power of our tongues, all for Your glory, all by Your grace.  To God, the Giver of all good gifts and our perfect Master, be the glory.

   

Broken cisterns or Living Water?

      In light of my last post on that fabulous Fair food--and in the interest of journalistic integrity--I think I need to provide an update on our Fair food eating extravaganza.  Boy, we had such a blast eating our way through the the Fair.  It's pretty obvious that we left virtually no food left untried, and while we were on our gastronomic walking tour, virtually none of it proved a disappointment.  It was all just as delectable as we remembered from last year (and the year before that and the year before that and.. well, you get the idea.  We are nothing, if not loyal.)
      But here's the thing we always conveniently forget:  no matter how great that Fair food tastes while you’re eating it, it never satisfies.  In fact, it makes you feel pretty sick.  By the end of the night, we all felt stuffed--but not a happy stuffed, like at Thanksgiving--we felt fairly gross.  And the next morning, we all felt doubly hungry because all those fried Oreos and NC State ice cream and fried dough don’t truly satisfy or nourish... at least not beyond an hour after you eat them.   
Now granted, it was totally worth every calorie-ladden, greasy, nutritionally horrific, and obscenely over-priced bite.  At least at the time. But, by the next morning, we weren't so sure.  The price of lethargy, unhappy digestive systems, exacerbated hunger, larger waists--but smaller wallets-- made us think it might not have been such a terrific idea after all.   (Okay, I lie--it was SO totally worth it--just don't tell Dr. Oz.)
     But don’t we do that everyday? We trade God's best for our unsatisfying and inferior substitutes. We choose the quick and easy over the slower but more meaningful.  How often do we choose a big helping of fried worrying and fretting over trusting in the Lord who is in control of all our circumstances?  Or maybe it’s an order of dipped and battered complaining and ingratitude rather than choosing to thank and praise God for all He’s given us in His grace and goodness.  Or it could just be a huge scoop of choosing to put other priorities before Him and choosing the urgent over the important and so missing God’s best for us.
     The prophet Jeremiah described it as hewing broken cisterns for ourselves rather than enjoying God's fountain of living waters: "My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water."  Seriously, don't we do that?  Jesus offers us His Living Water that fully quenches our thirst and gives joyous, abundant Life, and we opt for the stagnant cistern of own devices,desires and destructive habits.  "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty again.  The water I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)
     Why on earth are we so blind, so pig-headed, so dumb that we choose a stale puddle of muddy water for the refreshing fountain of living water?  Well, sin is always foolish, isn't it?  And we will always fight that battle against our foolish old sin natures.  
      I love how John Piper puts it: “Jesus is the most valuable treasure in the world.”  And so everyday, we must “fight the fight of faith... the fight to continually see and savor” the supreme worth and treasure of Jesus above all other things. Listen to what Piper says: “The fight for faith is the fight for joy.  I get up every morning, and fight that fight.  Am I wanting to look at Twitter before I look at Jesus?  It sounds stupid.  That’s how stupid sin is.  Every morning there is war in the Piper household. and it’s not against my family. It’s against me and my old man.  I have to reckon myself dead over and over again.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on me.  That my eyes would be opened and I would see and savor Christ as supreme.  That’s war and that’s the life of faith.”  

I go to war everyday.  Only some days, I tend to surrender far too quickly and easily to the enemy urging me to indulge in his inferior substitutes--overspending or overcommitting or overworking or worrying or complaining or frenzied rushing.  Sips of bitter, stale water when I could have been gulping refreshing, satisfying Living Water. 

     O Lord, help us not to choose the lesser over the infinitely greater.  

     The choice is up to us--every single day.  Choose the eternal over the temporary.  Choose the unseen over the seen. Choose the life of faith over the life of feelings. Choose holiness over indulgence.  Choose God's best over the world's crass substitutes. 

     Choose Living Water over broken cisterns.  

     And live... really live the abundant, full life He died to give us.  

     With a new 24 hours, what will you choose?   

     To God be the glory.

Grace upon grace

     O yes, stop number one on the State Fair Rolling Eating Extravaganza!  Grilled corn and assorted burgers and biscuits.  Life is good.

     And then there's the fried Oreos for course number two.  Mighty tasty though a bit insubstantial for the price.  But then again, this is the Fair.  We weren't anticipating Cosco-type size and value.  It's truly remarkable all the things they dream up to fry in a nice thick batter.  Some major ingenuity going on behind the scenes at the State Fair.  I'm wondering if I could try this at home and get my boys to eat more vegetables and a few less bowls of Apple Jacks and Reeses Puffs ( we are all about nutrition at our house).

Decisions, decisions, decisions.  What to eat next?  hmm.  So much food, so little time.  Life is just all about choices, isn't it?  I'm thinking we went for the tempura vegetables.  I'd forgotten they are about 98% fried coating and 2% vegetable.  No wonder we love them.  Paula Deene would be proud.  Dr. Oz, not so much.  Fortunately, we have never seen him at the Fair.  He doesn't know what he's missing.

Rolling along.  Now on to the honey cotton candy course.  Life is very good--even if they don't look all that excited.  We really were having fun, but by this point we began the aimless wandering part of our trek through the Fair.  Now my husband knows what Moses felt like with all those Israelites in the wilderness.  All that manna, all that leading by the Lord, all that marvelous provision of God... and all they do is complain.  Not that our children ever complain, O nooooo.  Never.

 Just had to include one picture showing everyone lookin' good!  I'm betting this was before the fried dough immediately followed by the NC State ice cream (which was, incidentally, as wonderful and satisfying and huge as ever--never ever disappoints, kind of like the glorious grace of our never-failing Father!).  (The really tall, handsome fellow at the back is Mary Norris' boyfriend, Matt--in case you were wondering--which you probably were not.)  At this point we were missing one son, Preyer, who had bailed to go with his buddy, Brooks, to ride some more rides.  They got a bit tired of the aimless wandering in search of yet more Fair food.  I can't imagine why.  There were thousands of calories yet to be found and consumed.  Brooks was a very very good sport.

     The view as we were leaving.  I'm a crummy photographer, but it really was pretty, seeing all those lights and all those people pouring in and out with their families and friends--laughing, talking, just enjoying the goodness of life and the simple joy of being together.
     We will never take such simple gifts for granted again.  The day we went to the Fair, it had been exactly 8 weeks since Janie's accident.  In fact, we arrived at the Fair at about the exact time of the wreak.  Who would have thought... who would have ever dreamed we could have all been together, our whole family, and enjoying the State Fair together?  God, You just amaze me.  I just read in this morning's Daily Light: "And from His fullness, we have all received grace upon grace." (John 1:16)  Amen, Lord.  Grace upon grace upon grace upon grace.
     Might we all never stop looking for--and thanking and praising continually for--His daily graces in our lives--big grace, small grace, sweet grace, friend grace, Word grace, safety grace, creation grace, five senses grace, love grace, forgiveness grace, fresh start grace, new morning grace, evening grace, sleep grace, perseverance grace, family grace... and, O so glorious, saving grace.
     "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.  That saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see."
     O to be known by, infinitely loved by, and saved by a glorious Savior whose amazing grace in our lives never ceases.  Thank You Father for sending Your Son.  Thank You for saving our daughter. Thank You for Your continuous goodness and grace in our lives.  Help us daily to see and savor Your love and care for us.  And thank You most of all  for saving us by Your amazing grace.  Might we never tire of, in John Piper's words, "savoring the Supreme Treasure of Christ."  To God be the glory.

Fair food--and the real Treasure!

     We are headed to the State Fair later today.  Yay!  We are one of those weird families who go every single year and spend exorbitant amounts of money in order to brave ginormous crowds, stand in long lines to ride a few short rides, enjoy some of the exhibits and, primarily, well, actually, overwhelmingly predominately, eat incredibly unhealthy (but insanely delicious) food.  Every year we look forward to "eating our way through the fair." We have a great routine--start with the honey cotton candy and the proceed to the grilled corn coated with globs of butter.
      Then we make sure we go through a few tents featuring free nuts, cider, or mysterious items made of sweet potatoes.  We've yet to actually purchase any items in this pavilion (a unnamed person in our family would put Scrooge to shame when it comes to not purchasing extra items--and I know said person is absolutely correct, but geez, where's the fun in that?), so we feel like major freeloaders as we pass through.  But believe me, the fair folks get far more than their money's worth out of our hungry hoard.
     And of course, by now it's time for the main course of pizza, chicken gyros and whatever else looks new or interesting.  O gracious, I forgot about my personal favorite: the fried tempura vegetables!  Heaven in a small paper bowl!  Trust me, there really are some vegetables somewhere deep within that thick yummy fried coating.  Life is good.  
     Then we don't want to forget the most important food group--DESSERT!! O yes, fried dough, caramel apples (for mom), candy apples (for kids--they don't know what they are missing), fried items of miscellaneous origins--from Oreos to candy bars to something gross sounding with bacon in it (we generally pass on that--so there's something we don't eat).  And the very best thing at the fair (o wait, have I already said that?  I guess there are lots of best things): the vet school ice cream.  You have to stand in a ridiculously long line to get it, but, boy, it is worth every moment of it.  I've stood in long lines in a cold rain to get that ice cream.  It doesn't taste quite as good when you are wearing soggy mittens and your lips are blue, but it's still mighty fine.  Yes, life is very good.
      John Piper always says that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."  And he reminds us that "the fight for faith is the fight for joy."  Faith is seeing and savoring the supreme treasure of Christ."
     I needed that reminder.  Nothing compares to knowing and loving and enjoying and worshipping and thanking Him, our treasure above all treasures.  And He is the source and sustainer of every single lesser treasure in our lives.  From caramel apples to tempura vegetables to vet school ice cream.   And whenever we see and savor these lesser blessings, we need to immediately look to the Giver and give Him praise.  See Him as the Glorious Source of our joy.
     We are also remembering today that He is the One who heals and moves marvelously and miraculously in our lives.  The One who still rolls away stones from tombs and gives life to the dead.  Who revives us when we are exhausted.  Who renews us when we feel hopeless.  Who forgives and lifts us when we fall.  And who loves us as His treasure.  Every single one of us.  O to be so loved and treasured by the Supreme Treasure!
     So today, we are going to "Taste and see that the Lord is good."  Literally.  And thank Him again that He is our perfect Gift-giver who loves His children.  Who would have ever believed or even dreamed way back in late august and in september that our family would be going to the State Fair this year and enjoying the goodness of God?!  What can I say--He is the Supreme Treasure who delights to give His children joy.  Might we find our ultimate joy in Him on this fine day... and every day.  He is supremely worthy.  To God, the Supreme Treasure who treasures us, be all the glory.

Comparing to Worshipping

      We've been studying John 3 this past week in Bible study.  Wow, what an incredible gift,  this Gospel of John.  Just yesterday one of things I talked about was a lesson God continues to teach me about comparing.  What an incredibly slow (as in snail-like, sluggishly slow) learner I am.  God has to teach me... and then I forget and fall... and He patiently teaches me again.. and again.  And somehow, incredibly, He never gives up on me.  Another example of His amazing grace. This God of ours--He never quits.

       (A friend of mine suggested that I include these thoughts in the blog, so for anybody reading this who is in our Bible study, my apologies--you can just skip this one!)  In John 3:22-30, John the Baptist reminds us all of what it means to refuse to compare and instead to seek only to magnify the name of Christ.  For one remarkable and brief moment in time, the two greatest preachers the world has ever known were on the stage of history together.  What a time that must have been.  John and Jesus were in the same area and were baptizing people when a dispute arose. Some of John’s disciples came to him and told him, “Rabbi, He who was with You across from the Jordan, to whom you bore witness--look He is baptizing, and all are going to Him.”  In other words, “John,” they tell him, “Jesus is diminishing your crowds and stealing your ministry!  What are you gonna do about that!”  

Boy, isn’t that so like us?  The world and our own sinful natures shout at us to COMPARE!   Compare your children.   Compare your spouse.  Compare your house.  Compare your job.  Compare your abilities and talents.  Compare your good deeds.  Compare your behavior.  And comparison is always deadly and destructive!  Because we either come up short and feel discouraged and envious.  Or we feel proud and self-righteous that at least we are waaaaaay better than some other person.  

Nope, we all need to ruthlessly eliminate those thoughts of comparison.  I love what Mother Teresa said about this: “All of our problems come from looking around rather than up.”  Isn’t that so true!  The antidote to comparison is looking to Jesus.  Don’t look to others.  Look to the Savior.  Replace comparing with worshipping.

When those ugly thoughts of comparison began to shout at us in our heads, we need to learn to respond as John the Baptist does in these verses: He reiterates what he’d been saying all along: that he is not the Christ and that “a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven... He must increase, but I must decrease."
      Don’t we all need that reminder--every single thing in our lives is a gift from Him.  How dare we compare when He is the sovereign perfect Gift-giver who knows and loves us infinitely.  Whatever gifts He’s chosen to give us--or withhold from us--well, we can know they are a result of His perfect love and are therefore tailor-made for our ultimate good and His glory.  We need to start thanking Him for what we do have rather than focusing on what we don’t have. 
      I can so well remember one occasion when Janie had been unconscious in the hospital in Greenville for nearly 10 days. She had been totally unconscious since the day of the wreck, and despite the repeated attempts to rouse her, there had been no response.  Then on this one particular evening, an older man was admitted to the ICU in the room right next to Janie. He too had been in a very serious car wreck, and he too was unconscious.  We heard all the familiar sounds we had grown so accustomed to with Janie--the nurses and doctors trying to awaken the patient--shouting “Mr. so and so, wake up!  Mr. so and so, can you hear me?” 

We had heard that repeated time after time with Janie, but so far, nothing.  And then all these complications of fever and infection and lung problems developed for her. It just seemed like it was one obstacle after another. But within just a day or two of his arrival, the man next door to Janie apparently began to regain consciousness.  I heard them shouting, “Do you know your name?  Mr. so and so, you were in a car wreck and you are in the hospital.”  

And I have a terrible confession to make.  My heart began to feel a tinge of that hateful comparison and envy.  “Why couldn’t that be us Lord?  Why couldn’t that be Janie?  We have been here 10 long days, why not Janie?” 
      At that very moment, God brought these and some other verses from John 21 to mind.  I’m thankful to say, God stopped me in my tracks. He truly halted me in mid-thought before that emotion could give birth to ingratitude and envy.  I immediately asked forgiveness and began to pray for that man and to thank God for what He was doing in his life.  And I thanked the Lord for all the ways He had been with us and for us in those past 10 days.  So many miracles He had given us.  So much love He had showered upon us through family and friends.

And what could have developed into despair and a deadly root of bitterness was nipped in the bud, and instead God gave us peace and trust and even, believe it or not, thanksgiving in His plan for us. Once again, our faithful, forgiving, relentless Lord transformed a hospital room into a sanctuary of praise.  Only God can do that with the likes of unfaithful me.  Thank You, Father. 
      I wish I could say I do this every time comparison rears it's ugly head in my thoughts.  Sadly, I don't.  Anytime any of us allow comparison and ingratitude to slip into our lives, it always leads to misery.  But like I said, God doesn't give up on us slow learners, and He's teaching me to take it to Him the moment those thoughts attack and replace comparing with worshipping.  Turning our focus away from ourselves and instead choosing to gaze at the beauty of the Savior... and then rejoicing in His goodness and greatness in your life.  
     He is an endless feast of joy to be savored, and His sweet taste completely demolishes the bitterness of comparison.  "O taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." (Ps.34:8)  Taste Him and see... replace comparison with gratitude, and worship the glorious Savior.  To God be the glory.

Erased and Exchanged

     “Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” (Rom.14:9)

“It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.  When you make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, he shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.  He shall see the travail of His soul and be satisfied.  By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.”  (Isa.53:10-11)

Two of the verses from the other day's Daily Light.  Thank You Father.  Thank You Lord Jesus.  Thank You for bruising Jesus, putting HIm to grief, offering His soul for sin, and bearing our iniquities.  For now you see us, Your seed, Your children bearing Your eternal, abundant life.  

      Thank You for justifying us--justification: “just as if I never sinned.” 

      I think of  Janie and her memory loss.  She has absolutely no memory of the two weeks before the accident.  Nothing.  Nada.  Days and days of her life, completely forgotten.  And a special day--spent laughing and swimming and sharing and having a ball with many of her senior friends at the lake earlier the day of the wreck: gone, erased from her memory.  People tell her about funny things she said and how she wanted to jet ski but didn’t get to and the way she and her buddies jumped back and forth while being pulled from a boat.  A marvelous day of memories--all gone.  

And erased and forgotten just the day before the accident: a college visit to UNC-Chapel Hill with four of her dearest friends.  We moms went too, and I enjoy telling her about what a wonderful day we had--a gorgeous summer day, a really fun tour all over the campus, seeing friends who are now at college there, asking questions about the Journalism School, eating lunch with new friends and old (and all us moms having a big time laughing and sharing)--but again, all vanished from her memory.  

But, of course, there are mundane memories erased, tired memories erased, and, I’m sure, some hard memories erased.  Just all completely vanished and forgotten.  And Janie said all that made her feel “really wierd.  It’s just so strange to have nothing.  Imagine that--no memory at all of all those days and nights spent living and eating and laughing, well, and maybe crying some too.  She feels  real sadness about it--all those wonderful memories of the lake and her last days of summer before her senior year spent with her friends enjoying the goodness of life, and every memory has vanished, probably for good. 

It made me realize what a gift our memories are.  Some things we want and need to forget. Sorrowful, hard, dark, painful memories are best left forgotten--learn from them, sure, but then consign them to the dust heap of history that taught us and grew us but is now thankfully past. One of my favorite quotes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer (that I’ve quoted all my life since I have such a wretched memory): “The ability to forget is an act of grace.”  Amen. I like to quote that when I forgot a friend's name--a frequent occurrence. 

But most memories, the vast overwhelming majority of memories provide us a feast of joy to be eaten and savored over and over again the rest of our lives.  We are never hungry for joy if we can recall the extravagant goodness and grace of God in our lives in the past--all accessed due to the gift that He has given us in our memory banks.  Yet another gift from our relentlessly giving God.  Have we thanked Him?  

As I thought of all this, though, and of Janie’s disappointment over completely forgetting two weeks of her life--well, not just forgetting, but losing likely forever those two weeks--God suddenly reminded me: that is what I have done with your sin.  When we ask the Lord Jesus to come into our lives, forgive our sin, and be our Savior, He takes our sin and completely forgets it--no, not just forgets it, He erases it from the divine memory banks.  Gone.  Vanished.   Forever forgotten and forgiven.  Jesus bore our sins at Calvary and with His death, destroyed and deleted them from His divine, perfect memory so that we are justified--just as if we never sinned.  

And in place of our erased sin, the Lord Jesus replaced it in His eternal, divine memory with His righteousness.  Sin erased, righteousness replaced.  Forever.  

What can we say to such a Savior?  There are no words. Simply worship the King who came to seek and to save His lost children.  Thank You for bearing all our iniquities and forever erasing them, Lord Jesus, with Your blood.  And thank You for replacing that forgotten forgiven sin with Your perfect holiness and goodness and grace and love and power and peace and joy and... we could go on and on!   But replacing our brokenness and sin-sick selves with Your Holy Spirit, with infinite, eternal, glorious You.  

Might we never tire of remembering that which He did in fully and forever forgetting and erasing our sin by His blood.  And in remembering, might we rejoice in Him, our Justifier. 

      Sin erased; righteousness replaced--what a glorious exchange.  To God be the glory.

Life to the Full

     What a spectacular weekend at Windy Gap--a Young LIfe camp in the mountains of North Carolina!   A big group of high schoolers from Broughton Young Life went for the weekend to hear God's Word, sing their hearts out, and have a blast in the beauty of God's creation.  Our wonderful, amazing leader, Courtney Lancaster made it possible for Tessa and Janie both to go this weekend by reserving a house for the Jones, the Barkers (equally wonderful--they helped us every step of the way), and us.  I can still remember when Courtney told us way back about 10 days into Janie's ordeal (while she was still unconscious) that she had reserved the house for us just in case we could go.  I thought at the time, "How sweet--but that will never ever happen."  O me of little faith--thank You Father for yet another miracle that Tessa and Janie were able to go and had an unforgettable time with their senior friends and the Lord.  And thank you for everyone helping constantly to make it all happen.
     Our cabin looked out over all the serene, astounding beauty of fall in all it’s glory.  Weeping willow,  trees tinged red and orange, clear blue sky, green grass, and woods.  Just took my breath away. This crummy picture doesn't even begin to do it justice.  How I marveled at God’s creation. I loved gazing outside the big picture window at the extravagance of God's creation assaulting me from every direction. The first part of the day, the beauty was quiet and peaceful--no kids, no noise, just lovely Windy Gap.  I was inside much of the day on saturday working on a lecture for Bible study.  It was wonderful to have that time with the Lord but incredibly hard seeing all that I was missing, and missing the joy of spending the glorious day with everyone.  

But a bit later in the day, I watched as all those high school kids went out and began enjoying that beauty.  Screaming down zip lines, swinging high over the hills in a giant swing (and more screaming), jumping high off the platform and bouncing on the blob  and then waiting for the next person to jump so they could be catapulted off into the air and then into the frigid water (and more screaming).  Flying down the giant slide into the lake (screaming).  Playing golf frisbe and hiking and laughing and terrified but happy on the high ropes course (and you got it: screaming).  Throwing footballs and yelling school cheers.. and just generally having a complete and total blast! 

     How I loved hearing all the screams and laughter and yelling and sounds of kids enjoying the incredible beauty of this remarkable place. And then, of course, there is the joy in club, where kids sing at the top of their lungs and dance and then hear the unadulterated message of the Gospel.  Of  God’s love for them in sending Jesus to die for their sins and be raised to new life so that they could make Him their Savior and enjoy abundant, eternal life.  

I love, truly love, the serene astounding beauty of Windy Gap, but it pales in comparison to loving the way the kids were enjoying and loving and learning and growing and finding, I pray, eternal life, in this place.  

And God woke me this morning with this thought: that is just a taste of how He feels.  He looks down at this remarkable, beautiful, breath-taking creation He has made for His children to enjoy, and it is good.  It surely gives Him great pleasure.  But that pleasure, that joy pales infinitely in comparison to His joy in watching His children find real, eternal, abundant LIfe in His Name. 
     What if these high schoolers came to Windy Gap and just stared at all they have available to do and then just said, "How nice. I think I'll just sit here and look at it from the bus this weekend. I don't need to actually get out and do anything.  I can just sit here and gaze at it and enjoy it from the comfort of the bus."  How terrible!  They would miss it completely and never enjoy even a fraction of the joy and wonder and life changing power of this place.   

God means for us to live, truly Live with a capital “L,” and so many miss it.  They miss life the way God meant for it to be lived, to be enjoyed, to be lived in the joy and power and peace and grace of the One who died to give us true, eternal Life.  Like all those incredible things available to high school kids at Windy Gap, that is what He has available for us in Jesus.  But we have to accept Him as Lord, and then we have to daily surrender and live by His power, His grace, hour by hour.  And if we don’t, we miss everything--life as it was meant to be lived.  And eternity as it was meant to be spent with Him, forever, in joy.  
     Forgive us Father, when we settle for so much less than You have for us in Christ.  All those riches in Christ, and so many accept those pale imitations of real life instead of YOU and all You have for us.  
     Thank You Lord for this place of remarkable beauty.  But thank You far more for sending Your Son so that we might enjoy this life--now and forever--as it was meant to lived and enjoyed to the fullest.  

  Jesus said “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.”  John 10:10       Thank You for such an indescribable gift, Lord Jesus.  Thank You for Life--and for life to the FULL, because it is filled with Your fullness.  

Divine fullness to enjoy forever.  I wonder if there’s a zip line in heaven?  To God be the glory.

Planting times

     I'm reading a book by Warren Wiersbe right now and thought these practical lessons on suffering were really helpful.  So here they are:

     "1. God has not determined to make us comfortable, but He has determined to make us conformable.  He will put us into the furnace to remove the dross and to make us moldable in His hands.  But keep this in mind: when you are in the furnace, your Father keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat.  He knows just how much we can take.
     2. The battles of life are not easy, but God has given us the equipment we need to succeed.  Each victory prepares us for the next assault.  The race of life is not easy, but as we accept each new challenge, we grow and can accomplish more.
     3.We need patience. The harvest doesn't come immediately.  God doesn't bury us; He plants us.  And He promises that our experience will produce a harvest.
     4. Times of travail can be times of birth.  Today's suffering can mean tomorrow's glory.  God is not accomplishing all His purposes today, nor is He explaining all His plans.  We do not need to give birth to Ben-Oni; we can give birth to a Benjamin. [oops--that is from earlier in Wiersbe's book.  I'll explain in a second.]
     5. The storms of life are frightening, but God can speak to us out of the whirlwind. Even the storms can fulfill His will.
     6. Yield to the pruning knife; it will make us more fruitful.  Accept the cup that the Father gives us.

     One quick explanation: when Jacob and his family were moving from Bethel, his beloved wife Rachel went into childbirth.  It was a terribly difficult labor. "As she breathed her last--for she was dying--she named her son Ben-Oni [son of my trouble].  But his father named him Benjamin [son of my right hand]." (Gen. 35:16-18)  Jacob gave his baby a new name that would remind him not of his mother's death and sorrow but of his father's love and joy in him.  As Wiersbe commented on this: "In our experiences of travail, we need to trust God and dare to believe that the results will be triumph and not sorrow, no matter how much we may hurt.  The tribe of Benjamin became a noble people in Israel and gave the nation her first king.  They also gave the world the apostle Paul."
     Isn't that just so like God?  He takes our suffering and redeems it and uses it for purposes far beyond what we could ever imagine.  He truly does bring good out of even the dregs of despair.  He give us compassion and strength.  He gives us the ability to minister to others in ways far deeper and truer than we'd ever have otherwise.  He gives us hope and gratitude and depth.  And when we look to Him and trust His plans and purposes, He enables us to grow and blossom--because He "doesn't bury us; He plants us. And He promises that our experience will produce a harvest."  How I love that!  Like the seed in the ground--planted, not buried, to produce the harvest of beauty in the future.
     So today, if you are suffering in anyway, might you remember God is not burying, He is planting... and preparing to produce a harvest.  Keep trusting.  He is working... even when we cannot see... like the silent seed, planted deep in the soil, waiting, waiting to burst forth in glory.
     Never forget: the tomb is empty.  And we follow a betrayed, suffered, tortured, crucified, planted in a tomb... and RISEN IN GLORY SAVIOR.   We can trust Him in our own hard planting times... 'cause the glory is coming.  To God be the glory.

Annoyances... to praise

     It's early morning (my favorite time of day--thank You Lord for the peace and the still predawn darkness).  I just sat down with a big mug of hot tea (again, thank You Lord), my Bible (thanks again, Father), and two warm, soft, beautiful prayer blanket/shawls dear friends made for us during Janie's hospitalization (Okay, this is how we should live, isn't it, Lord? "Always giving thanks to God" Eph.3:20--so thank you thank you thank you--for friends, for prayer, for prayer blankets, for warmth on a cool morning, for quiet in my home... well, and for my home and for all the noise and activity that evidences the people that I love and makes me appreciate quiet!)
     Okay, where on earth was I?  Do they make ADD medicine for adults?
     Well, it's funny, here is what I was going to write before God interrupted me and reminded me to be thankful to the Giver of all good gifts: Just as I happily sat down in the wonderful dark stillness with my steaming mug of tea, my Bible open, and my hands on the computer keys, the dryer buzzed to let me know the clothes in the dryer were ready.  And I don't mean like a little delicate, ladylike buzz.  We're talking BUZZED BUZZED BUZZED--ear splitting, Rambo-like, insistent, annoying (to quote an oft-used phrase by my children... that and "random"--what is the deal with the word "random?"  As in "that 'random' girl"--something I despise hearing from anyone's lips. Nobody is random!  We are all made in God's image, created and loved and cherished by our Father whose love for each and every person was so immense, He made a plan way back at the dawn of time to redeem His dearly beloved children by sending His Son to die for them.  No one is random--not by the Redeemer!)
     O mercy, just commit me.  Where was I again?  Somehow, God seems to be reminding me how ridiculous our annoyances truly are in light of His greatness.  Because what I was going to say, was that the insistent BUZZ of the dryer reflected those annoyances and little problems in my life that can so quickly deflect and discourage me and get me off track from keeping God front and center in my life.   How many times has God taught us something in church or Bible study, and an hour later, we completely forget His Word and His presence when someone cuts us off on the highway or our child forgets something at school again (not that this has ever happened at our house) or we look at our to-do list from yesterday and realize we forgot to do the items we starred three times.  Sigh.  It's the little foxes that spoil the vine.
     Forgive us Father.  And the antidote, God just reminded silly, forgetful me, is praise and thanksgiving.  Turn those "annoyances" or little fox problems into vehicles to remind ourselves to be grateful.  Thank you that I can stand up and walk to the dryer.   Thank You that we are no longer in the hospital, and I'm home to put clothes in the dryer.  Thank You we have clothes to put in the dryer.  Thank You we have a dryer.  Thank You for the priceless beyond measure people in my life whose clothes I am drying.  Thank You that You are a God who never quits on us even when we allow little problems to get us irritated or downhearted.  And thank You for problems, Lord, as they drive us to You in dependence and need--the very best place to be. And thank You that those problems are the pathways for You to intervene in our lives and display Your power and Your glory.
     So, the dryer has stopped buzzing, the tea is gone, and it's just God and me (well, and Moses, of course) enjoying the peace and smiling at the greatness and goodness of an Almighty Lord who would sit and visit with His grateful child.  Thank You, Abba.  Let's go out and live this day together, all to Your glory and all by Your grace.
     Might you do the same.  He's with you even in the annoyances--let's makes them reminders to give Him praise.  To God be the glory.

Resting

     Don't know if you can quite see this picture because of the shadows, but this is our dear old black lab, Moses.  Resting.  Yes, Moses has cornered the market on resting.  And his favorite position for resting is in the sun--warms those old bones, I suppose, and don't we all need that!  Here's Moses, finding just a nice little patch of sunshine flowing in through one of the dining room windows, so he's found his sweet spot.  And life is very good.
     Moses' other favorite spot to rest is at the feet of any member of our family.  Wherever we are sitting, well, that's where he wants to be.  And at his advanced age and with his creaky, achy joints, getting up and moving is quite the effort--but if we move, he'll generally move too--and then immediately collapse down to the, you guessed it,  resting position.  Just as an example, when our son decided to watch a football game on the floor,  here's who joined him:

     You can learn an awful lot from a dog.
     Like what it means to rest.  And to rest in love, to rest with those with we love, and most importantly to rest with the Lord that we love.  To slow down, to really listen, to remember, to thank, to rejoice, to pray, and to be revived and restored.
     I just read some words from a woman named Emily Freeman who talked about being quiet.  One thing she wrote really struck me: "The urgent bursts into the room, dramatic and demanding.  The important whispers, steading and waiting."  Isn't that so true--we tend to rush through out lives--hurrying, trying desperately to cram it all in, worrying about everything that needs to be accomplished and all that is being left undone, fretting over so many little things.  What a terrible way to lurch through life, harried and frazzled and constantly on edge.
     Ever striving, but never slowing.  Ever rushing, but never resting.  And therefore missing so much daily joy that God pours out over our lives, like an everflowing waterfall of His grace and goodness.  And we just miss it in our haste and busyness and anxiousness.
   You know, all those "little" things that worry us and keep us up at night--I used to thing they were such big, enormous problems, and now I see them for what they truly are: small and inconsequential challenges to allow us to either fret ourselves to death or rely on our Almighty God.  Each a tiny opportunity to see Him work rather than worry ourselves.  Help us Lord in those "little" daily challenge/opportunites!
     And the best way we can gain that proper perspective on our challenge/opportunities is to daily spend some time quietly resting in Him.  Doing the important, rather than the urgent.  Even while the laundry or the emails or the project screams at us--NOW, do me right now!!  Hurry, worry!--we choose to say NO.  And turn to the important that is steady and waiting for us--spend time with those we love, chatting, laughing, sharing.  Pull out our Bibles and read.  Reflect on His Words.  Reflect on His goodness and grace to us this very day.  The pink that painted the sky last night at sunset.  The sweet old dog sitting at our feet.  The phone call from our sister or our friend.  The taste of chocolate cake (o yes, always that!).  The gift of a favorite song at church.  The hilarious thing your child said.  The ability to take that next deep breathe.  The fresh, cool air of fall.  The Word of God, ever new.  The gift of eternal, abundant life.  And grace--o the riches of the utterly undeserved, unbelievable grace of God.
     If we don't slow down, we won't see it.  We won't reflect and remember and then rejoice.  I love how Ann Voskamp put it: "Joy--it's always a function of gratitude.  And gratitude is always a function of perspective.  If we are going to change our lives, what we're going to have to change is the way we see."
     And I don't know about you, but I can't see much if I'm zooming down the highway at 70 miles per hour.  I have to slooooow down.  I have to choose to be quiet and rest and reflect and then see.  Because the Father loves to show His children His love when they come, like Moses, and rest at His feet.
     Just for the record, I'm pretty lousy at this resting stuff. But, by the grace of God, I'm determined to try and to learn more and more what it means to quietly rest and reflect and rejoice in Him.   Because His Word tells us: "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 'In quietness and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength.'  But you were unwilling." (Isaiah 30:15)  Lord, we don't want You to say that about us.  Help us to be willing, Father.  Help us to enjoy being strengthened by You in quietness and trust.  
     So today, might we all take time to rest and reflect and then rejoice.  He's given you a whole new 24 hours to see how good and great He is.  Might you slow down to see it and then thank Him.
     To God be the glory.

An altar of praise

Six weeks ago today--God intervened to save the lives of four precious girls.  And to show the world that He is mighty to save, that He hears and answers prayers, and that He is still in the miracle business.  Because He is God.

"Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." (Ps.50:15)

"I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications.  Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.  The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow.  Then I called upon the name of the Lord." (Ps.116:1-4)

"Jacob said to his household,... 'Let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone."  (Gen.35:2-3)

     Just a few of the verses I just read from this morning's Daily Light.  Again, God reminds us of His faithfulness, His goodness, His power, His grace, His provision,  His mercy... and that all is for His glory.  That He would be glorified and that we might glorify Him.  Jacob made his altar at Bethel; I make my altar here: to praise Him for delivering us in the day of trouble.  To remember all the ways He heard our voices and our supplications and answered again and again and again.  To love Him for His continuing faithfulness in being with all of us "in the way" we are going, in this continuing marathon.
       Not just with Tessa and Janie, but with all of us, all of you who are fighting long, tough battles and running challenging, seemingly endless races.  He is with you in the way you are going.  Might we all continue to "call upon Him as long as I live."  For each day's provision.  Each hour's need.  Each moment's decisions.
     This is one of my favorite pictures from the ICU in Greenville.  Another reminder, an Ebenezer, of God's incredible faithfulness in every single moment's challenges.  The first 72 hours, the desperate prayer was sent out--pray for no swelling of the brain.  So critical.  And God answered. Praise You Lord.
     Then, no sooner past that huge obstacle, the next urgent request: please pray for her lungs.  Her right lung suffered damage in the wreck, and suddenly that lung really began to struggle.  Frightening stuff, and I can still feel the paralyzing fear as the respiratory team went into immediate action.  And God answered.  The lung slowly began to recover.  Praise You Lord.
     And then came the fever.  A high, seemingly out of control fever that again, left us breathless with fear and seeming helplessness.  This time, Russ and Creecy were right there with us in the room the first time we watched the fever tick up and up on the monitor.  So we prayed.  Urgently, beseeching the Almighty to lower her temperature.  But we also went into action!  Reminded me again of the "warrior marathon sisters" back in action--Team Fountain--praying and acting!
     Creecy and I began putting cold cloths all over her, waving the chilled cloth over her face.  And Russ, one of our church's pastors, well, you could just say this is a pastor who does it all.  That's him waving a bedpan (a clean, unused one, I might add) back and forth to send a strong cooling breeze all over Janie's body.  I can still feel the breath of air that seemed to feel the room.
     At the time, despite the fear, God gave us such laughter!  We prayed and waved bedpans and wet washcloths... and the grip of terror loosened and the temperature began to drop. (And I had to take a picture.  We need to remember moments like these!)  Praise You Lord.
     And God was glorified--in the answer to our desperate cries and in the joy He gave to His fearful children.  True joy in Him--again, you can't explain it: joy in an ICU in the most desperate of times.  Yet there it was--His joy, His peace, His power, His provision for yet another challenge in this long marathon.
     So, Lord, this is my altar.  Help me never to forget all the ways You delivered us when we called upon You. For six long weeks You have listened and answered and provided.  Thank You for hearing us all each and every day.  Thank You for loving us.  Thank You for forgiving us.  Thank You for saving us.  Thank You that You are with each of us in our daily battles and our hardest challenges.  And thank You that You are a God of JOY!  Joy even in the midst of the sorrows and strains of life.
     And Lord, we pray and trust that You will be with us "in the way" ahead as we continue this marathon for Janie to recover.  And in each of our marathons--whatever challenge and crisis Your people are facing.  You are the God who hears and delivers and answers and heals and strengthens and provides all along the ways we each are going.
      "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." (Ps.103:2)  Might we all never forget.  And might we praise the One who hears and who delivers.  To God be all the glory forever.