Halloween...naah, Reformation Day!

      Happy Reformation Day!
      Yes, yes, it's also Halloween, but Halloween's one of those holidays I can't help but resent.  Sorry if that makes me sound like Wendy the Whiner.  But I remember the good old days--back before cell phones, color TV, and electricity--when Halloween simply meant figuring out how (on the afternoon of Halloween) to assemble your "hobo" costume by rummaging around your daddy's closet.
      Today, forget the jack-o-lantern.  That's for losers like the Fountains.  Now, people decorate their yards, buy or make elaborate costumes, cook complicated spooky treats, and spend--wait for this--350 MILLION dollars on pet Halloween costumes.  Are you kidding me?  Have we lost our minds?         For the record, Mr. Bingley is going this year as...um, a character from Pride and Prejudice dressed up in a large black dog costume and carrying a log for the fireplace.  You know it gets drafty in Merry Old England in the early 1800's.

        I'll tell you my biggest problem with Halloween--it totally crowds out the best holiday of the year--Thanksgiving!  The stores go from thanksgiving paraphernalia (beginning in about July, it seems) then head straight to Christmas.  Trust me, when you go to Target tomorrow morning, the Christmas trees, ornaments, plates, lights, knick knacks, you name it, will be out in force.
      So, yes, have fun on Halloween.  After all, there's a lot of chocolate floating around today, and that's always a good thing.  But don't forget it's also Reformation Day--the day Martin Luther, then an obscure monk, bravely nailed his 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg church in 1517. Luther courageously confronted the church over widespread corruption involving things like the selling of "indulgences" that promised forgiveness of the sins of deceased loved ones.  He insisted that salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone.  The Protestant Reformers believed that Scripture alone--not church rulings or human traditions--should guide our lives and that every person should be able to read God's Word for themselves.
      Thank You, Father, for our brave forefathers and mothers who were faithful to You all the way to the end--many of them willing to give their lives so that others might know the truth of the Gospel.  Might we be live this day thankful for their sacrifices and faithful ourselves all the way to the finish line.  To God be the glory.  
      To God be the glory.

Comparison...or Commitment?

      Good night, it's been a week since I was last here.  File this one under "Oh well."
      My plan was to return to this subject within a day or two.  Can I just say, planning and plans have never been my strong suit?  That's what you might call an understatement.  Not quite sure how my family has survived my organizational challenges, but it's all just positive proof of our Lord's amazing and infinite grace.  He somehow fills in the gaps of our failures, smooths out the wrinkles of our shortcomings, continues to love and teach us through it all, and, remarkably, uses it all--every last shred of it--to His glory.  Oh how I love Him.
      Soooo, here's what I started to say: "Let's pretend I'm one of those organized, amazing people you read about in books on "How to be the best mom ever!" or "What you need to have the perfect family...in 127 easy steps!" or "You, too, can have an organized, beautiful, restful home with absolutely no clutter!"
      But then I thought, "Naah.  Don't think so."  Never much liked those kinds of books, since all they ever did was cause me to flame out after an excited paroxysm of initial enthusiasm...often resulting in a crash and burn of failure.  The mythical, perfect "ideal" can sure fuel frustration and discouragement.  And you know why?  Because we tend to compare ourselves (never, ever, ever a good thing to do anyway) with others.  And we often compare our weaknesses with their strengths.  No wonder we grow downhearted!
      First and foremost, we need to jettison comparison.  Period.  All comparison ever results in is either discouragement because we're not "measuring up."  Or, alternatively, pride--again, always, always, always a terrible thing--because we perceive that at least we're doing way better than old so and so.
      Nope.  Forget comparisons.  Let's go for commitment.
      Commitment first and foremost to God.  To daily seeking Him.  To loving Him.  To following Him.  To enjoying Him.
      Secondly, commitment to giving our best effort and doing it all to God's glory.  "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (I Cor.10:27)  Or, as one of my favorite verses puts it: "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of an inheritance.  It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." (Col.3:23-24)
      Not commitment to perfect.  Not commitment to performance.  But commitment to a Person--the Lord Jesus and His glory.
      If we mess up a billion times today...if we fail in every possible way in the world's eyes, but we succeed in the Savior's eyes because we're seeking to pursue and please Him?  Well, then, count this day a blazing success!
      Finally commitment to loving one another.  Loving, forgiving, forbearing, encouraging the imperfect, but created-in-God's-image people in our lives.  No, I can 't offer my family the perfect home.  The perfect meals.  The perfect organizational system.
      But I can offer them my utter and total complete commitment to loving them with every fiber of my heart.  To loving them well...not perfectly.  To loving them in the power of the Holy Spirit rather than trying perform like an idealized Martha Stewart.
      Yep, I've shared it a billion times, but as Mother Teresa once said, "All our troubles come from looking around rather than up."  Looking around spells comparison.  Looking up fuels commitment.        Time to look up to the Father rather than around at the world.  He's our Model.  He's our Standard.  He's our Empowerment.  He's our Enabler.  He's our Savior.  And He is infinitely worthy of our commitment.
      We're committed, Father.  Keep our eyes trained upon You, rather than the world, so we might live this day by Your power and for Your glory.  To God be the glory.

Pilgrims, fall, and thanksgiving this day!

      It's pilgrim time again! Truly the best time of the year if you ask me.  Nothing beats the beauty of fall.  Yes, yes, we all love showy spring, resplendent with fragrant flowers and budding trees.  But there's just something about fall, with it's vibrant blue skies...pumpkin pie, cake, bread, ice cream (just call me Forest Gump when it comes to anything pumpkin)...sweaters (but not yet coats, praise God)...and the nip in the brisk, clean air that revives even the weariest soul.
      Not to mention the bittersweet reminder--which makes fall all the more alluring--that summer's warmth has fully yielded to what will soon be the season of runny noses, frigid fingers, and blazing fires.  Winter's okay, I guess, but it's generally the season many of us simply endure until spring's entrance.  But, hey, winter's not yet here!  Today it's fall...so rejoice in this day that the Lord has made and stop borrowing trouble and worry about tomorrow.
      But surely the very best part of fall is Thanksgiving and pilgrims.  Don't we all need constant reminders to be thankful?  To be grateful for all God has blessed us with rather than grumbling over the little that we lack.  To be focused on the abundance of gifts from the Gift-giver rather than the absence of extras we think we need to be happy.
      Oh forgive us, Father.  Forgive me--I should be walking around all day long praising You and Your boundless generosity in my life.  That I don't, reflects the fact that I truly don't understand Your unfathomable and infinite grace.  Contemplating the grace poured out upon us through Jesus Christ should make us indefatigable thankers and praisers!
      The pilgrims truly got this thankfulness thing down pat.  What a reminder they are to all of us that gratitude doesn't depend on perfect circumstances but upon a perfect Savior.  Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed or fretful or discouraged, I often think of those pilgrims.  Doggedly hanging on to their hope in God while they battled freezing, miserable weather, constant sickness, and death.
      Over half their numbers died in that first winter.  Can you imagine?  What would it take us, I wonder, to pack it in and say, "This is totally not worth it."  Or to start despairing and doubting God.  Or even simply to default to widespread grumbling and complaining.  We so quickly get upset over the littlest slights or the smallest inconveniences.
      Not the pilgrims.  They persevered...oh my how they persevered.  Like the writer of Hebrews exhorts us, they held "fast to the hope set before" them, for they knew that "We have this sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain." (Heb.6:18,19)  And so even in the face of devastating losses, they chose to rejoice and give thanks to their never-failing God.
      May we be quick to do the same.
      After all, our Hope and Anchor--the Lord Jesus--has gone before us, and He is, even this very moment, at the throne of the universe, praying and interceding for us. (Heb.7:25)  
      Continual prayer by our Savior.  Consistent provision for each day's needs.  And the certain promise of an eternity in heaven.  How on earth could we not be a grateful, thankful people?
      More on pilgrims to come.  In fact, Mr. Bingley has a little contribution to make in this department.  But for today, let's choose to rejoice not only in fall's gifts, but also in our gracious and good Gift-giver.  Pack away the worrying about tomorrow--what good will it do anyway?  All that fretting does is rob you of the joy and strength God wants you to enjoy today.  Tomorrow He will still be just as powerful and faithful--His provision of grace will be sufficient for tomorrow's needs too.
      Today, Father, thank You, thank You, thank You.  Thank You for prayer, provision and the promise of heaven.  And thank You for this glorious day of fall.
      To God be the glory.  

Pleasant inns along the journey

      Fall is the best, don’t you think?  The brisk, refreshing air, bright blue skies, carpeting of leaves on the greenway path, and sprinkling of trees wearing dresses of orange or red almost make you ache with the glory of creation.   I often find myself taking deep gulps of air and then rejoicing in the simple joy of walking amidst such wonder.  If someone made us pay to enjoy such a choice privilege, we'd be willing to shell out the big bucks.  Yet it's all for free.  Day after day of glory and wonder.  Amazing.
      Isn't it funny how often joy surprises us in these simple, small moments?  Laughter with a dear friend.  Watching a football game over pizza with your family.  Singing a beloved hymn.  Sitting by a fire on a cool evening...better yet, with a good book in hand.  The lovely bittersweet taste of really dark chocolate.  The embracing warmth of a steaming bath.  Sharing and bearing burdens with those you love.  Listening to your child's concert.  Eating a great meal with dear friends or family. Counting your blessings and giving thanks to God.
      So many seemingly "small" incidents that add to an incalculable weight of joy and contentment and peace.  Like little surprising gifts one after the other--the unfolding of life's ordinary but-oh-so-precious moments.  Help us Father not to miss them...not to let them slip by unrecognized and unheralded.  I don't want to miss the astounding glory of fall...or my family...or my friends...or any of Your good, good gifts.
      This reminded me of something I read the other day by C.S. Lewis: "The Christian doctrine of suffering explains, I believe, a very curious fact about the world we live in.  The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast.  We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy.  It is not hard to see why.  The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bath or a football match, have no such tendency.  Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home."
     Yes, I'm so thankful for the gifts of all those "pleasant inns" along life's journey...to strengthen, refresh, and renew us. Enough so that we can keep our heads lifted and our hearts revived, but not so continual and unrelenting that we grip too tightly to this world and lose sight of heaven.
      These inns--these often simple but sweetly profound moments of love or laughter, of friendship or food, of sharing or seasons--are all the tiniest foretastes of that great and glorious eternal joy of heaven.  Little sips of glory along the way, not only to quench our thirsty hearts but also to whet our appetites for what's ahead.
      Keep us thankful, Father, for all Your gifts, Your "pleasant inns" along life's sometimes wearisome journey...but keep us mindful that we're only passing through, for the best is yet to come. Might we never chase the gifts, but ever seek the Source, our glorious the Gift-Giver.
      To God be the glory.
     

Keep the flame burning

      Today, October 16th, 1555, Bishop Hugh Latimer and Bishop Nicholas Ridley were burnt at the stake in Oxford, England.
      Latimer was a renowned preacher throughout King Edward's reign, and he greatly encouraged the daily reading of God's Word by all people as well as the need for inward love and dedication to Christ rather than a merely outward show of religion.  Ridley had been chaplain to King Henry VIII and bishop of London.  He, too, was a beloved preacher with a tremendous love for God's Word, and he was known for fully and faithfully living out the truths of what he professed.
      After King Henry VIII's death, his son, Edward, became king, and many of Edward's advisors (including Latimer and Ridley) encouraged him to move the English church away from the abuses of the Roman Catholic church at that time and instead to more toward true Bible-based Christianity.               When Queen Mary ascended to the throne of England in 1553, however, she was determined to return England to the Roman Catholic Church and embarked upon a program of persecution that martyred at least 200 people.  Two of the first men she arrested were Ridley and Latimer.
     Both men refused to back down from their beliefs, their insistence in salvation by faith in Christ alone, and their insistence in the veracity and supremacy of God's Word.
     As Latimer said, "Christ made one oblation and sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, and that a perfect sacrifice; neither needeth there to be, nor can there by, any other propitiatory sacrifice."
      I couldn't help but think of Hebrews.  Oh my, what a wonderful book we've been studying this year in Bible study!  "But when Christ appeared as a high priest...He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His won blood, thus securing an eternal redemption." (Heb.9:12) "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet.  For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." (Heb.10:12-14).
      Bottom line--Christ has done it all...for all time...for good.  When Jesus called out in His dying breath on the cross, "It is finished!" He meant He had dealt with, and defeated, all sin, for all time.  Period.  It. Is. Finished.  For all His beloved children--those He has chosen and called and who come to Him by faith--the work of redemption is finished, complete, forever.  God's Word tells us we are forgiven, redeemed, renewed.  Oh might we live like it!
      Ridley and Latimer knew that great truth--and all the glorious truths of God's Word--and they were willing to die for the truths of the Gospel.  So over 450 years ago, on October 16th, they gave their lives for their Savior.  As they were being tied to the stake, Ridley prayed, "Oh Heavenly Father, I give unto Thee most hearty thanks that Thou hast called me to be a professor of Thee, even unto death.  I beseech Thee, Lord God, have mercy on this realm of England and deliver it from all her enemies."
      As the flames quickly rose around them, Latimer exclaimed to Ridley, "Be of good comfort, Mr. Ridley, and play the man!  We shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England, as I trust shall never be put out."
      And that flame still burns.
      Just one small reminder of the terribly dear price that has been paid so that we might worship our Savior in spirit and in truth.  Think of how many countless others have given their lives--and are giving their lives this very day--for the cause of Christ.  Oh forgive us our shameful tendency to take our Bibles and our faith for granted.
      Thank You, Father, for these godly and courageous men who gave their last full measure on this day so many years ago in order that we might freely and fully live out the truths of what we believe.  Thank You for those who are doing so this very day and everyday.  I think of those brave believers who this very hour face unimaginable horrors in places like Syria and Afghanistan. Give them Your peace, Your strength, Your love, and Your grace, Father, as they endure to their last breath...and open their eyes in glory.
      As we sit in comfort and safety here in America, forgive our sinful complacency.  Remind us daily, hourly, to pray for those struggling under horrific persecution.  And help us to hold Your Word this day with hearts overflowing with gratitude and with a renewed wonder for it's supernatural power to change lives and destinies.
      Lord, thank You for men and women willing to give their lives for You...help us to be willing to live ours for You, this day and everyday...and to be willing to be obedient unto death if You call us to do so.  You are infinitely worthy.
      Keep that flame burning, Father...in our hearts, in our nation, in our world.  To God be the glory.
   

Byron Pitts for President!

      Well, what an afternoon.  I just had the remarkable privilege of listening to Byron Pitts, of ABC News, speak about his book, his life, and his faith at my friend, Pamela's house.
      Can I just say that if I were ever to become a stalker, Byron might be the one I'd pick to stalk...because he is FABULOUS.  And I'm gonna become a one woman cheering section praying that somehow, someway this man becomes the next anchor for ABC News.  How desperately we need men and women of faith and strong values and character in positions of power and influence in this country...and especially the bully pulpit of the media.
      Yeah, yeah, I know some other guy got the job after Diane Sawyer.  I'm sure he's a fine fellow...but Byron...he is THE man.  (Well, that is, after my husband, of course, but Richard has no plans as of right now for network television.)  Seriously, can't we pray that (for Byron, that is)?
      If we're going to make a difference in this nation and world, it has to start one person at a time.  One person making a difference in their school.  One person making a difference in their neighborhood.  One person making a difference in their office.  One person making a difference in their community.  And maybe one person making a difference in the network news...or the playgroup...or the grocery store.
      Ahem.  Somehow I got a bit off topic here.  How unusual.  There are so many thoughts rattling in my head, but can I recommend his book--Step out on Nothing.  I read it several years ago and then just reread it again for this meeting.  I loved it even more the second time than the first.

      Truly an amazing story of God's faithfulness in the life of one young man and his family.  But it's a story that could be true for any of us.  Because all of us can change our lives--or change the lives of others--with unwavering faith, prayer, hard work, and dogged, never-give-up love.  If you want to be inspired, convicted, challenged, and encouraged, then pick up this book and be reminded of how our great God's power, grace and sovereign hand are at work in all kinds of places and in all kinds of people.
      I came away thinking, "Our God is amazing."  And He is.
      But one quote I won't forget. Byron shared a remarkable story about how he was able to ask Nelson Mandela a question.  He'd been assigned to stakeout the Boston hotel where Mandela was staying several years ago in hopes of landing a question or two as Mandela came or went.  Unfortunately, Byron was assigned the graveyard shift--from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Not exactly the plum time for landing an interview!
      Byron said he was mad as fire (my slight paraphrase of his words here--not quite how he put it!).  Here was this old man--he certainly wasn't going to be coming or going late at night, so Byron figured somebody at the network had it out for him.  No way he'd see Mandela that night.
      Along about 4:30 a.m his crew wanted some coffee, so Byron volunteered to go search the neighborhood to find some for them.
      And our God of sovereignty was about to go to work.  
      Byron still muttering and fuming over his crummy, dead-end assignment, began walking, looking for coffee.  Suddenly, in the darkened streets, he noticed an older black man in a sweat suit walking up ahead of him.  Now this was apparently quite an unusual sight inBoston, so Byron sped up a bit to check out this man...
     And yes, you guessed it (well, maybe you didn't)--it was Mandela.  Apparently ever since his days in prison, Mandela had been an avid exerciser.  Doing 100 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 200 squats and walking an hour every day.  Geez--no more complaining in my core class.
      Byron caught up with him; they shook hands and talked, and of course, Mandela was the gentleman you would expect.  Byron eventually was able to ask him "Sir I do not want to bother you, but could you tell me [my paraphrase again] with all you have been through, could you tell me one thing that you know for sure?"
      Mandela responded that the one thing that he knew for sure was this: "Good and evil are constantly at war...and good men must choose."
      I will not forget that.
     Oh Father, we sometimes forget that this world we live in is not a playground but a battleground.  So much suffering.  So much disease.  So much evil.  So much injustice.
     But towering over it all is the gigantic figure of our Savior and His cross. The One who conquered sin and death...for all time...for all people who choose to come to Him by faith.  We know the end of the story and one glorious day our Redeemer and Sustainer will reign in glory forever.
     Yet until that wondrous day, as long as we breathe this earth's atmosphere, there will be battles.  Daily battles.  Hard battles.  Public battles.  Private battles.   Battles between selfishness and selflessness.  Battles between pride and humility.  Battles between apathy and empathy.  Battles between sitting on the sidelines and diving in and making a difference.  Battles between good and evil.
     And we all must choose.  Oh Father, give us wisdom to choose wisely, to choose courageously, and to choose rightly.
     One more thing.  Pamela asked Byron how he would answer that same question, and he immediately responded, "The one thing I know for sure is that God is good.  God is good, no matter what is going on.  Even if we can 't see it in the moment."
      Mercy, I could go on and on and on.  So many wonderful stories.  So much wisdom.  So many reminders of God's amazing sovereignty.  But the bottom line: God calls for us to make a difference in the lives of others.  We are put here for a purpose--to love God and glorify His great name...and to love others.  And that means daily choosing to engage in the war between good and evil.
     Help us Father to be the "good men who choose."
     To God be the glory.

Brokenness, beauty, and our Anchor

      The winds howl outside and rattle the bones of our old mountain house.  But Bingley and I sit inside, warm and safe.  A steaming mug of tea.  A sleeping family safely ensconced around me.
      Thank You, Father.  Another picture of rest.

      I know we have to brave the brisk temperatures, drizzling rain, and cold wind in a few minutes.  Mr. B needs his walk, and well, I need to be reminded one more time of God's presence and His treasures of beauty all around...even in the hard, the dark, the unexpected.
      Funny, isn't it, how the colors of the leaves seem to shine more magnificently on the cloudy, rainy days?  Is it the contrast between grayness and brightness?  I don't know...but it's always appeared that way to me.  Those reds and oranges startle more in the gloom...and surely bring more smiles of wonder.    
      Sometimes life's most precious treasures come packaged in unexpected and unwanted ways.
      Sometimes glory is revealed most profoundly and powerfully in brokenness.
      Sometimes suffering allows the love and grace of Christ to shine through those broken, cracked places in ways we never would have seen in some perfect, unbroken life.
      I've learned it in my own life, and oh my, I've seen it demonstrated so beautifully in others' lives.  And nothing, nothing, nothing makes me want to bow down in awe, recognizing I'm on holy ground, as seeing such beauty in brokenness in the lives of others.
      I've recently begun reading the story of Kara Tippetts--a young mother of four who has stage 4 metastatic cancer.  And her story brings both painful tears and profound wonder.  I just read these words she wrote: "Suffering is not the absence of goodness, it is not the absence of beauty, but perhaps it can be the place where true beauty can be known."
      We have a number of dear friends right now facing tough battles of cancer and of other less obvious, but no less difficult, struggles.  Relational.  Addictive.  Long debilitating diseases.
      Battles can wear us down.  Cause us to forget Whose we are.  Make us miss the beauty even in that brokenness.
      So Father, I lift up everyone right now facing those battles.  Living in those hard places of brokenness and restlessness and wondering if You will come through today.  Father, they need You to break through the clouds and darkness today and remind them You are there.
      For you are.  Always.
      Help them to feel, to know, to see Your tender love and sustaining grace in every hard, broken and beautiful moment of their day today.  And that will be enough for today.  Because we know, we know, we know You will be there tomorrow as well. And Your grace is always sufficient.
     So we only ask for today.  Today's manna, today's grace...for today's needs.  "Give us this day, our daily bread." (Matt.6:11)  And we'll trust and know that tomorrow's manna and grace will be just what is needed as well.
      Thank You, Father, that no matter how we might feel, no matter what we might be going through, no matter what the world says, You are our unmovable, forever faithful, ever-sustaining Anchor.  "We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf." (Heb.6:19)
      Jesus--our Anchor through the fiercest storm.  And our Anchor will never ever fail.
      Mr. B and I are headed out into the winds and rain and darkness...but we do not go alone.  Oh no, our Anchor goes with us. Always.  Shielding us, holding us, and showing us His treasures even in the storm.  Thank You, Father.
      To God--our Anchor who holds us firm and secure and brings beauty from brokenness--be all the glory.

Rest on the mountain...and in the valley

      "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from His.  Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience." (Heb.5:9-11)
      We've been studying rest recently in Bible study--what a beautiful truth.  Because Christ said "It is finished!' we can rest in His death on the cross for us.  In the words of a Matt Papa song: "It is finished, it is done.  To the world salvation comes.  Hallelujah, we're alive!  Hell was silenced when You cried: It is finished."
      "It is finished" puts an end to our striving and straining, fretting and fussing.  We can rest in Him and what He has done.  And we can trust that He who has done it all for us in the past will also come through for us in the future as well.
      I love Sally Breedlove's definition of rest: "At it's core, to rest is to give thanks for the present and to trust that as the future becomes the present, God will supply what we need."
      Or as Dag Hammarskjold put it: "For all that has been: Thank You.  For all that is to come: Yes!"
      Can I just say that all too often, I'm not there.  Sigh.
      Too many anxious thoughts.  Too little gratitude.  Too much worrying.  Too little trusting.  Forgive me, Father.  But thank You that Your offer of rest still stands, no matter our failings and weaknesses.
      So as I sit here in the North Carolina mountains with most of our family, my refrain echoes that of Hammarskjold: Thank You, Father.
     Thank You for the astounding beauty of Your creation.  The colorful patchwork quilt of trees all around us.  The clouds heavy with life-giving water.  The green of the mountains and the blue of the valley.  A picture of rest all about us.

      And thank You, Lord, for the priceless gift of family.  Thank You for the joy of sitting around a dinner table with them--laughing, talking, simply savoring their presence.  To me, that's a wondrous picture of rest as well: to be surrounded by those you love while enjoying a great meal!  Just a tiny foretaste, don't you think, of the wedding supper of the Lamb?  That's rest--thank You, Father.
      Tomorrow we head back down the valley.  Back into the land of homework, chores, deadlines,  and older children scattering to their own homes.  And that's when those terrible tendencies arise that cause us to dread the busyness, to worry over the unknowns,  and to strive in our own weak strength.         But that's not rest.  Lord, help me to carry Your rest with me down the mountain.  Just as I carry the memories of one last hurrah savoring the mountains before the long slog of winter...just as I carry and treasure the joyous memory of our children right here with us rather than far away.  Your rest resides just as fully in the valleys of our lives as on the mountaintops, for You never change and neither does Your perfect rest.
      Father, teach us to rest. Teach us to trust that as the future becomes the present, You will supply all we need.  For You are forever faithful.
      Because "It is finished,"  we can rest...and trust...and shout a resounding "Yes" to whatever the future holds.  For we know the One holds the future...
      And we rest in You.
      To God be the glory.
   

Glory is happening!

      Early yesterday morning, Bingley and I went out for a walk.  It was still dark outside--but I love that time of morning.  The world still rests, the stars still sparkle in their velvet blanket, and we have the gift of greeting the dawn of one more day.
      One more day to worship God.  One more day to love and enjoy our families and friends.  One more day to witness the miracle of life awakening all about us as darkness slowly, reluctantly yields to the light.
      But at dawn yesterday, I was preoccupied as Mr. B. and I slipped out the door.  The heaviness of friends and family battling disease and other difficulties.  The weight of too much to do.  The weariness of the daily grind.
      We started up the street, and then, as always, I looked up to enjoy God's magnificent light show...and saw this--

      Oh my stars, I had forgotten all about it!  The lunar eclipse!  Only 20 minutes earlier, I had glanced outside, and the moon was full--a huge ball so bright it illuminated our back yard.  Yet now, just minutes later, the shadow of the earth had already covered more than half of the moon!  Amazing!
      As Bingley and I walked, I planned the whole route around trying to see the continuing eclipse.  Eventually the entire moon was shaded.  And then it turned a remarkable copper color.  A blood moon, I think they call it.
      As we passed a couple of other folks walking in the predawn darkness, I wanted to shout--"Do you see it?  There's glory happening right over our heads!  Right this very moment!  Glory!"  God's glory--albeit veiled (since we couldn't bear to see His true glory)--here in Raleigh, NC!  Who would have thought?  Yet how often do we pass by these pale, but still magnificent reflections of His glory everyday...and they go unnoticed and unheralded.  Oh forgive us, Father.
      Seriously, think about the vastness of this universe.  The size and scope of the planets and stars. The complexity of their orbits.  The strength of the sun's rays.
      And on an ordinary day in October, a gigantic ball of fire, an ever present moon, and a brilliant blue and green orb pulsing with life, all momentarily align perfectly, allowing the earth to block the sun and shade the moon.
      It's all just a tiny fingernail of God's glory.  What a creation...but infinitely greater: what a Creator!
      If God can control and align the planets, why would we ever doubt He can and will tenderly care and control our lives as well...for our good, for His glory.
      As we walked, there was only one proper response: awe and worship.  Worship while walking.  Yep, I like that.  For shouldn't we live all of life in that mode of wonder, worship and awe?
      Worship while working. Worship while cleaning.  Worship while driving. Worship while eating.         I couldn't help but think of these words from A.W.Tozer:
     "The totality of our Christian lives--our entire attitude as persons--must be towards the worship of God!  If you do not know the presence of God in your office, your factory, your home, then God is not in the church you attend either! I became a Christian when I was a young man working in a tire factory in Akron, Ohio.  I remember my work there--but I remember my worship too!  I had plenty of worshipful tears in my eyes.  No one ever asked me about them, but I would not have hesitated to explain them.  You can learn to use certain skills until they are automatic.  I became so skillful that I could do my work and then I could worship God even while my hands were busy. If the love of God is in us and the Spirit of God is breathing praise within us, all the musical instruments in heaven are suddenly playing in full support! Even our thoughts become a sanctuary in which God can dwell."
      Yes, yes, yes!  Oh might worship fill our hearts and minds and so be reflected in our attitudes and actions.  As the psalmist says, "My mouth is filled with Your praise, declaring Your splendor all day long." (Ps.71:8)
      He is worthy of all our worship from dawn to dusk.  From walking to working.  From reading to resting.  From the first moment our lungs draw breath, until the very last time beat of our hearts.
     Oh might our thoughts become that "sanctuary in which God can dwell" as we continually worship and rejoice...in our Creator.  Redeemer.  Sustainer.  Healer.  Savior.  Almighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
      Glory is happening all around you.  Open your eyes and fill your mind and mouth with His praise.
      To God be the glory.
   

What are you fearing?

      The first verse from today’s Daily Light: “I will not fear.  What can man do to me.” (Heb.13:6)

      Good, good words, Father.  

      And don’t we all need reminding?  

      Just yesterday we discussed fear in Bible study.  But as I pondered the concept of fear, one picture kept bubbling to mind--Jesus, sound asleep while on a boat with His disciples, though they are in the midst of a raging storm.  Apparently storms in that area can sweep in suddenly, with terrifying ferocity, making the Sea of Galilee a place of danger and death.   

      Can you imagine it?  The disciples, eyes bulging in terror, were probably frantically bailing out water or yelling to one another over the roaring of the wind to yank in the sails.  Finally, assuming they were all about to die, they rouse Jesus.  In desperation, they shout: “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”  (Mk 4:38)

      Isn’t that so often our response when the storms of life crash upon us?  When loved ones get sick.  When longings go unfulfilled.  When we’re waiting and waiting on something.  When life seems out of control and fear stalks our hearts, our first faithfulness response can often be, “Lord  do You see?  Don’t You care?  You’ve obviously forgotten all about me or You wouldn’t have allowed this storm!” 

      But that’s a response based on feelings rather than on faith.  That’s our natural human inclination based upon what we see around us rather than based upon the Savior Who is with us.  Because if Jesus is in your rocking boat, you can have rest even in the midst of the fiercest storm.

      What was Jesus’ response to His terrified disciples?  He calmly speaks a word, and the storm ceases.  Immediately.  Think of those gigantic, ship-eating waves...vanished with a word...and replaced with a glassy sea all around the shocked and awed disciples.  Imagine the silence as the sound of crashing waves and raging wind is gone--in a moment.  It’s totally quiet, still, serene. 

Do you recall what Jesus said to them then?  “Why are you so afraid?  Have you still no faith?” (Mk4:40) And Mark tells us the disciples “were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’” (Mk 4:41)

      There’s that word: “fear.”  But this wasn’t a fear of the storm.  No, the disciples’ fear of the circumstances had properly been displaced by a reverential fear and awe of the Messiah who stood before them.  When godly fear replaces our worldly fears, then the storms of life lose their power to strip us of our rest in God.  We can enjoy His perfect rest--His joy, peace, hope, and power--whether the seas around us are glassy and calm or crazy and crashing.  

      But so often that’s our problem--we fear...but our fear has the wrong object.  The Bible constantly reiterates the command to fear God--meaning to have a healthy awe, honor, and respect for Him.  The Psalmist tells us “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” (Ps.111:10), and Prov.14:26 instructs us “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence; and His children shall have a place of refuge.”  And according to Psalm 112, we’re greatly blessed when we fear the Lord and delight in His commands.  

      It’s the healthy fear of God that keeps us motivated to stay on the path of obedience...which is always ultimately the path of blessing.   

      Yep, no doubt about it--we’re to fear the Lord...but tragically, we’ve misplaced the object of our fear.  Rather than fearing God, we fear man.  We seek to please man...because we fear the world’s disapproval.  Or we fear what man can do to us.  

      And fear has a whole host of ugly relatives that love to rush in and camp out in our hearts, stripping us of the peace and joy God longs for us to enjoy.  There’s fear of disease, failure, accident, loneliness, financial disaster, dependency, death and on and on. 

      One fear will always displace the other--we either fear God, or we fear man or circumstances or sickness...or you name it.  If we fear God, all other potential fears will diminish, because we see them in their proper perspective.  But, boy, if we fear man, we’ll find ourselves consumed with worry, stress, insecurity, and doubt...that’s no way to live.

      And fear can paralyze.  Rob us of the abundant, full life Jesus died to give us.  Yes, His death on the cross gave us the greatest possible gift--forgiveness from our sins and eternal life.  But His death and resurrection also assures of His presence with us, for us, within us...and wherever Jesus is, there’s Life with a capital “L”...full, free, fruitful.  

      When we fear anything or anyone other than God, we’re not only misplacing our fear, but we’re misplacing our hope. 

      “In Christ alone, my hope is found.  He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.  What heights of love, what depths of peace; When fears are stilled, when strivings ceased.  My comforter, my all in all.  Here in the love of Christ I stand.” 

      That’s what a healthy proper fear will do for you...when we replace our fear of man or circumstances with a fear of God.  We can rest assured that Jesus will either still the storm raging about us...or He will still us right in the teeth of the storm.  Either way, we win.  Either way, we are secure in Him.    

      But let me ask one more questions.  Were the disciples just as safe and secure in that boat before Jesus stilled the storm?  Absolutely!  The disciples’ complete safety and rest depended not upon the prevention of the storm but upon the presence of the Savior.  

      We don’t enjoy God’s supernatural peace, joy, and hope as a result of favorable circumstances but in spite of them.  That’s the point--Jesus can and does give us His supernatural rest, peace, and joy even in the midst of the hardest of situations, but we have to actively and continually choose to trust and depend upon God.  

      We have to watch what we are fearing! 

      We have to choose to fear God--and not man...or our circumstances.  We have to choose to trust that God’s ways and plans are always ultimately for our greater good and His greater glory...in the big storms and the little annoyances of life. 

      If Jesus is in our rocking boat, we’re good.  No matter what.  Oh might we fear, adore, and worship Him and not anyone or anything else.  He is worthy.

      To God be the glory.

Pilgrims, pumpkins...and encouragement!

      “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb.3:12-13)

      God calls us to be incorrigible encouragers.  

      Yep, in studying Hebrews this fall, it’s one of the themes that has stood out to me time and again: God wants His children to encourage and spur one another on as we live our lives and run our races by faith (Heb. 12:1-2).  We’re none of us meant to be lone-ranger Christians.  We need each other!  When I’m struggling, I need you to remind me of God’s faithfulness, presence, and power so I won’t fall into sin...and when you’re struggling, I need to do the same!  

      That’s why we’re called the “body of Christ.”  A body is connected, and each part of the body is important and needs to work with, and help, the other parts.  We need our hearts to beat...so our blood can flow..so our brains can think...so our lungs can breathe...so our mouths can eat...so our legs can more... We’re connected, and when one part of the body is ailing, the other parts are affected as well.        You know, it’s so easy to get isolated in this day and age with email, twitter, cell phone, home phone (if anybody other than our family still has one of those), voicemail, blogs, online ordering, and on and on.  Technology has both massively expanded our world...yet simultaneously shrunk it to the tiny, removed-from-the-world size of our living room.  We need never see one another face to face, or even voice to voice.  (Speaking of--if any of my children read this, note to self: please listen to your mama’s voicemails...and then call her back, rather than text.  Just an editorial comment.) 

      Ahem, where was I?  How can we truly know when a friend is struggling or burdened if we don’t see them in person...or hear their strained voice?  No, we miss multiple opportunities to nurture and encourage others simply out of sheer technology-induced-ignorance.  

      Add to that the rush and crush of our everyday, busy lives, and before you know it, we’re isolated and unable to do that which is most important in our lives--other than loving God--and that’s loving and encouraging His prized creation, His people.  

      Oh my, I’ve been so convicted of this, for if I’m too busy doing, doing, doing (or texting, blogging, and emailing) to reach out and embrace and encourage a hurting world, then I’m too busy with the wrong stuff.  Period.  If God’s Word so consistently elevates the critical importance of encouraging and spurring one another on, well then, it better be one of our life’s heartbeats as well.  

I need to be reminded of God’s Truths so I won’t come apart at the seams, slip into sin, or simply fall prey to discouragement.  And I need--and want--to do the same for you.  I don’t care if you’re Billy Graham, Beth Moore, or president of the world--we all need “Jesus with skin on” to help us stop looking around and wringing our hands and start looking up and trusting our Lord.

      l love what Jon Bloom says, “To battle sin is to battle unbelief...Jesus wants us to know the truth, because the truth brings freedom: If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32) So as freedom fighters, let’s fight against ‘unbelieving hearts’ by ‘exhorting one another everyday, as long as it is called “today,” (Heb.3:12-13) to live in the freedom--and peace (John 16:33)--of the truth.” 

      Yes sir, I want to be a freedom fighter and grace encourager.  We never know how near the edge someone might be, and how an encouraging word, a thoughtful note, a kind phone call might make all the difference.  

      Can I just give two little examples?  One sits right here in front of me as I work--a gift last week from some dear women in our Bible study.  They know I love, love, love pilgrims...and along about October 1st, out they come at our house--

And the second arrived just yesterday from a wonderful friend whose children also attend UNC.  This little fellow rests happily on our kitchen counter--reminding me on several fronts of God’s great faithfulness--

      My point?  It doesn’t necessarily require much to encourage someone else.  But speaking from experience, a little encouragement can go a long way to helping us persevere in the daily mud and muck of life.  So listen to the Nike ad...and just do it!

      Will you ask God to show you someone you can encourage TODAY?  It may only take a pilgrim, a pumpkin, or a phone call...but it could make all the difference in the world.  

To God be the glory.

Consider Jesus!

      “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession...” (Heb.3:1)

      We just studied this in Bible study this week, so for those of you who were there yesterday, this will be redundant!  But I thought it was worth repeating, because yours truly is a world champion “forgetter!”  I need constant reminding about what I should already know full well...but tend to forget in the stresses and struggles of daily life.  And this concept of daily “considering Jesus” is one of those bedrock principles that we cannot hear too often, because let’s face it--we forget.  In our mad rush to get everything done...or to absorb the obscene amounts of information thrown at us everyday in the form of email, twitter, internet, TV, newspaper, magazines and on and on, we (or at least I) tend to quickly forget what’s really first and most important.  (Important as opposed to urgent--the old “tyranny of the urgent”)  

      So here goes!  I love how The Message translates this verse. “So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus.  He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave Him to do.”  And the NIV describes same idea as “fixing your thoughts on Jesus.” 

      We’ve got to consider or fix our thoughts or take a good hard look at Jesus daily by examining Him in His Word.  But it’s not just reading the Word--it’s also thinking about, pondering, meditating upon those words as we go through our day.  God’s Word is meant to be part of the warp and woof of our day.  

      To consider Jesus means we don’t just read the Bible in the morning and then promptly get busy with life and forget about it.  No, we might write out a few verses and look at them over the sink while we cook or in our car as we drive to work.  We might speak a verse out loud as we pray...or as we clean up the house.  We turn it over in our minds as we weed the garden (well, that is if we actually weeded our garden!) or as we run errands.  

      There are so many practical ways to focus on God and His Word even as we go through our busy days.  But here’s one example  that really encouraged and challenged a number of us when we went to the house of one of my dearest friend’s, Ashlie Mann.  Her high school daughter, Lizzie, decided to write Bible verses and inspiring quotes all over her bathroom to encourage her to focus upon and follow the Lord Jesus--

      This is a high school senior who has recognized early on in life that the more she surrounds herself with God’s Word, the more she’ll consider Him.  And the more she considers Him and His Word, the more He’ll shape and transform her into His likeness.  As Ann Ortland once said, “It’s the look that saves...but it’s the gaze that sanctifies.”  True transformation occurs when we spend time gazing at Jesus and pondering His Word.

      I’m guessing this might be first time you’ve seen a picture of a bathroom in a blog!  But boy, it sure convicted and encouraged me that I need to do all I can to keep God’s Word all around my family and me so it will soak inside us. 

I recently heard Nancy Leigh DeMoss share a letter written by her aunt and uncle to their children.  Here’s part of what she shared:

      “When you children were young, one of our main goals was to get each of you to love Scripture, to read it each day and to have your own devotions.  We’re so grateful to God for leading each of you into this life-giving practice.  One related practice we’d like to see each of you consider is to post Scripture all over your walls in your home.  In bathrooms [Go Lizzie!], bedrooms, kitchen, everywhere...The adversary works 24/7 to tempt us to discouragement, selfishness, complaining, or whatever [can I just add a hearty ‘Amen!’].  The best counter-offensive not only keeps the devil on the run but additionally enriches our lives each day.”  

      And what is that counter-offensive?  It’s constantly considering Jesus and thinking about His Word. The letter goes on to explain, “Yes, I know you can open the Bible any time day or night, but to actually see God’s Word as you enter and exit your home each day, as you look in the mirror each morning, working in the kitchen, and anywhere else in the home you go, this makes for a living context of swimming in God’s Word.”  

      I love that--surrounding yourself with God’s Word will help you meditate on it day and night.  Here’s how one old-time commentator described the value of meditating on God’s Word: “Meditation is to reading the Word what digesting is to eating.  Without the slow and lengthened process of digestion, food would not nourish the body. Without meditation, the Word read will not nourish the soul.”  

      Now considering Jesus and meditating on His Word does NOT refer to some strange Eastern practice of closing your eyes and humming some mantra till you go into trance!  Not at all!  

Here’s how JD Greer explains meditating on God’s Word: The word “meditate” literally means “to mumble over and over.” JD says, “It’s like a cow chewing it’s cud.  A cow wakes up in the morning, eats some grass, and then lays down to take a nap.  After his nap, he regurgitates the grass he ate, chews on it a little more, extracting more nutrients, and then he takes another nap and wakes up and regurgitates again and continues this process until all the nutrients are gone.”  

      (I hope you’re not eating right now, and I’ve totally taken your appetite!  If so, I apologize--and if it’s chocolate, please don’t waste it.  Just drop if off at my house.  But I digress--)

      Seriously, what a vivid example of what it means to meditate and chew upon the Word so that God can nourish and equip us for whatever we’ll be facing each day.  Nothing is more critical if we want to enjoy the strength, joy, peace, hope, and power that Christ promises to those whose minds on fixed upon Him.  

      You know, I want to absorb every single bit of what God has for me so that I can daily grow more and more into His likeness...and less and less like my all-too-often selfish, silly, sinful self!  The more we’re swimming in the healing, convicting, empowering, revealing waters of His Word, the faster and more complete the transformation.  

      Today, will you consider Jesus?  There’s nothing, absolutely nothing, more important. To God be the glory.