Planes, trains, and automobiles

        Well, it's taken all of 22 hours.  Planes--
     

          Trains--

         And automobiles--

        But we're finally in Italy!  I guess anything really worthwhile always requires some effort, right?         So thankful for the incredible privilege and joy of visiting this beautiful country with our two girls. (And doubly thankful for my wonderful husband for holding down the fort while we enjoy this adventure!).
        We flew into Milan...took a nearly hour long cab drive to the train station...and then a three hour train ride to Monterosa (in Cinque Terre).  For the record, although my brain is mush from no sleep and lots of traveling, this place is absolutely gorgeous!  A beautiful coastline with brilliant blue water, rocky cliffs, and a charming little villages.  I simply cannot believe we are here!
        My girls, leading the way down a little path above the sea...and then the view from up top--

I'll shut up now, but I have just one more comment before my head hits the pillow.  If this old earth is just the tiniest little foretaste of heaven, can you even begin to imagine what the real deal will be like?  Wow.  Beauty everywhere, no sin to stain perfect holiness and righteousness, having eternity to share it all with people you love, and forever enjoying and basking in the glory and love of the Savior who is our joy. 

Thank You, Father.  Thank You.  Thank You for love.  Thank You for beauty.  Thank You for allowing us to enjoy Your gifts and to share them with those we love.  A shared joy is quadrupled!   Thank You for this day, this moment.  Thank You that as beautiful as this old earth is--and as hard sometimes, too--this world is not our home.  Thank You for the promise and hope of heaven.  

And Lord, thank You for Italy!  

To God be the glory.

A lesson from a remembered moment

        When we turned the page on our photo calendar, here was the picture for July...with yet another reminder of God's faithfulness in this often crazy, mixed-up world.

        This moment is seared in my memory.  Preyer staring out at the magnificent Pacific Ocean in the middle of a golf tournament...and me, all wound up tight with nerves and thinking, "Oh no!  He's hit the ball off the cliff into the ocean!"  Disaster...despair...horror..."the kingdom is lost!"
         Yeah, right.  This is a game, remember?
         I called over to him, steeling myself for the terrible news and preparing to help him look for his ball (which, naturally, would be an absolute cinch to find in the middle of the Pacific Ocean).
         His response: "I'm just enjoying the beauty of God's creation."  The ball wasn't lost...just my perspective.
        And my son?  He schooled his mama that day.  He might not have been playing his best, but he was enjoying the present moment, appreciating the glory all around him, and contemplating the Author, Giver and Sustainer of all that glory.
        Oh Father, how many moments have I wasted in worry?  How many times have I missed the gift of the never-to-repeated "precious present?"  How often have I missed an opportunity to worship my Savior and Redeemer in the everyday mundane moments of life, because I've been too preoccupied or distracted by the "cares of life?"  And how many opportunities have I forfeited to truly savor and enjoy the people that I love...again because of busyness or tiredness or fearfulness?
         Forgive Your forgetful child, Abba.  And thank You for Your glorious grace and tender mercies that are indeed, "new every morning." (Lam.3:23)
         "Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17)
          In other words--it's ALL from our Father!  The gift of the present moment.  The glory of every single created thing not only on the earth but in the heavens.  And the joy and astounding wonder that the Creator, Giver, and Sustainer of every single bit of it, is our God.  Our Savior.  And He lives within us--His Holy Spirit guiding, teaching, directing, reminding (oh boy, do I need that one!), convicting, encouraging, equipping, empowering...and doing it all to the glory of the Son.
         Thank You, Father, thank You.  Might we live this day, this very moment, savoring the gifts You have given us, seeing the Savior behind every one of those gifts, and seeking to glorify You in every one of those moments--whether mundane or momentous, peaceful or stressful.
         We choose this day to worship You rather than worry.  For You are infinitely and eternally worthy.
         To God be the glory.

Like Nehemiah--keep building!

                             
        I've been reading through the Old Testament book of Nehemiah the last few weeks in preparation for a Bible study this fall.  Wow, what a book for our times.  I'm reminded once again how incredibly timeless and perfectly relevant God's Word is.  The Bible speaks to us at every age and stage of our lives, and it's as fresh, important, and powerful today as the moment God spoke His words into existence.
        Nehemiah faced an impossible task--rebuilding the broken-down walls of Jerusalem.  His people suffering in exile.  Their capital city a ruined shell.  I won't go into the remarkable story right now, but the point that kept coming back to me was that Nehemiah could have focused on the enormity of the task, the inadequacy of the people, the relentlessness of the opposition...and despaired.  Or he could have turned away in indifference and returned to his comfortable life in the palace as the king's cupbearer.   Or he surely could have easily fallen prey to doubt, worry, frustration, fear.
        But he didn't.  You know why?  Because Nehemiah fixed his eyes upon the size and power of his Almighty God rather than the size of his problem.  Nehemiah was focused on all the myriad resources he possessed in His Lord rather than obsessing over what he lacked or over his weaknesses.
       Do we do that?
       Do we recognize the enormity of all that we have--and who we are--in Christ or are we simply preoccupied with the ways we fall short, what we can't do, or how we can't change?  Are we focused on ourselves and our resources...or our Savior and Redeemer?
      Ouch.  I needed that reminder, because all too often my focus is on my little rather than Jesus' limitless.        
       On my itsy-bitsy abilities rather than Jesus' infinite and awesome ability.
       On myself rather than my Savior.  Oh forgive me, Father.
       We tend to forget, don't we, that He is able.  Our Lord "is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us..." (Eph.3:20)
        Yes, it's us working...but it's HIM supplying all the power, all the ability, all the resources.  He does what we cannot do...but He will not do what we must and should do.  It's us...but it's Him.
        Here's how Colossians puts it: "For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me." (1:29)  We toil, we struggle...but with His energy, His power that He works within us.
        Paul David Tripp says that "You and I have no natural abilities to rise and do what God calls us to do, [Amen!] but He refuses to leave us to our resources.  He is not so unwise, unkind, or unfaithful as to ever call us to a task without enabling us to do it...You see, what 2 Peter 1:3 says is really true: we have been given everything we need for life and godliness.  The God who calls us to a radical new way of living meets us with radical empowering grace.  Have courage.  Be active.  Your Savior really is your strength."
       So today, if you're facing an impossible task--whether it's to love the unlovable, forgive the unforgivable, do the undoable, hope when it feels hopeless, or simply overcome inertia and exhaustion and do whatever that next thing God's called you to do--remember you're not on your own.  It's not just you doing the best you can.  It's not just you and your paltry little resources and abilities.  Nope, it's Almighty God working beside, outside, and inside you.
       It's you taking that baby step...but it's really Him carrying you all the way home.
       It's you toiling...but it's Him energizing, empowering, and working.
       We are not alone...not ever.  And one plus God is always an overwhelming majority.
       So like Nehemiah...don't quit.  Don't stop.  Keep focusing on the Savior, keep building, and trust that the Almighty will do supernatural.  
       To God be the glory.

Grumbling--or remembering and reading?

         Can I just say for the record that it is unbelievably hot here?  This is what the heat can do to you after you take a walk--

(Mr. B--out for the count ever since this morning--and it's now mid afternoon.)

        Yes, it's hot.  I started to say "ridiculously hot," but decided against it.  Why?  Because I'm so tired of hearing others (and myself) complain about the heat and the weather.  Are we all suffering from amnesia?  Does anyone remember the February horribilis we just suffered through?  Snow, sleet, ice, frigid cold, school closed, numb fingers, broken bones, grey, dreary...

        Ring any bells, anyone?   

        Sure, it's a wee bit toasty right now, but good grief, we're a people so prone to grumbling.  Grumble about the weather...grumble about the traffic...grumble about the slowness of the grocery store line...grumble about the challenges of technology (guilty as charged)...grumble about the stresses of parenting...grumble about busyness...grumble about our children leaving home and moving away (sigh)...and on and on it goes.  

         Forgive us Father.  Remind us anew of Your faithfulness...not just the "biggies" but the daily, "small," continual examples of Your astounding and underserved goodness.  You daily graces--the sun rose again...the flash of the bright red cardinal...food to eat...people to love...green, leafy trees...another breath...and, wow, another one--that I do not deserve and could never create on my own.  

         This reminded me of something I read a few weeks back when I opened the Daily Light and read these familiar words: "Ebenezer...'Thus far the Lord has helped us.'" (I Sam.7:12)  

         A verse not just about God's faithfulness, but also about consciously remembering that faithfulness.  As I read those words, I was suddenly transported...back to Janie's ICU room and the little rock our dear friend, Beth Page, gave us.  

       A little black rock with those words written on them: "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."  It still sits right here on our kitchen counter, so that every single day--when I'm tempted to whine and complain...or fear and fuss...or doubt and even despair--I'll suddenly be tangibly reminded-- 

        Of our God's extraordinary faithfulness.  His remarkable goodness.  His unending mercies.  His relentless grace.  His never-ever-ending presence and promise never to leave us nor forsake us.  

        For in remembering and rehearsing who our Lord is and what He has done, He encourages and empowers us to trust and to know that He will not fail us today...or tomorrow...or next year...or ever.  

       So how do we do that?  We have to be reminded again and again--in His Word, by our friends,  in our worship, by our prayers, even with some ebenezer like our little black rock.  Because in case you haven't figured it out, we're all of us mighty good forgetters!  

        Because here's the thing--we might speak of God's faithfulness with our lips, but do we really meditate on it in our hearts and minds?   

        Do we consciously remember the times He's come through for us in the past?  Do we go back and delve into His Word and see the myriad ways He's redeemed and restored His often faithless, ill-deserving chosen people, the Israelites...and us?  Do we open up our Bibles to search for, focus upon, and even memorize His multiple promises of rock-solid faithfulness, never-ending love, all-encompassing grace, forever-enabling provision?  

       If we want to remember, we need to read His Word.  If we want to kill our sin, we need to claim His promises.  If we want to replace our grumbling, fearfulness, and selfishness with thankfulness, peace, and generosity, we need to run to His eternal, supernatural words.  

       The Lord Jesus is our Anchor in the storm.  And His Word is the rope that pulls that Anchor close to our troubled hearts and anxious minds.  I struggle to explain what His Word has been to me in the storms of life, but I guess one inadequate description is the Bible puts skin on the face of Jesus and puts His flesh-and-blood body beside me, right beside me, in the midst of even the fiercest gale.

       As I've shared so many times, I learned this in a tangible, real, "Ebenezer" way as I sat beside Janie's bedside in the middle of the night in a tiny ICU room.  The whooshing sounds of her respirator and beeping heart monitor, the blinking lights of machines all around her bed were the only light in the room.

       Had you peered in the room, you might have assumed it was just Janie and me...but it wasn't.  Oh my, it most definitely was not!        

       The presence of the Almighty One was thick in the room.  Truly, I knew, knew, knew He was there.  Strengthening.  Helping.  Empowering.  Enveloping with His love, power, peace.  I will never, ever forget it as long as I live.

       And during every one of those long "night watches," I would open His Word...and Jesus would speak.  It was if He had written and spoken these words just moments before--all so fresh and reviving to my hungry, desperate heart.  Sometimes I would look around in amazement...for He was right there, breathing out His Word, warm, wonderful, and healing.  

       What a Savior...and what a Word.

       I'll be quiet now, except to add: that's what He will do for every one of us if we'll open His Word.  Wherever you are, whatever you've done or not done...He's here right now, ready and waiting.  The Creator and Sustainer of the universe will whisper strength right into your heart with His life-sustaining, hope-giving, faith-filling words of comfort, understanding, hope, wisdom, forgiveness, and power.

       Oh might we open His Book and be filled.  

       Remember the Redeemer and His Word to be restored and revived. 

       To God be the glory.

Feelings, fog, and our faithful Father

      Aren't you thankful our God's faithfulness does not depend on our feelings?
      Boy, I am.  The last few days, here's how I've been feeling--

 That's the view off our mountain porch a few weeks ago--fog and rain, grey and blank.
        It's been a hard, prolonged season of waiting and waiting...and of seeing a number of prayers seemingly going unanswered.  Well, let me correct that: of seeing God answer some prayers with "No" (which we struggle with, because, of course, we assume we have the ideal plan) and other prayers with the apparent answer of "Not yet."
        Funny, when we're sad and struggling because God's not healing the folks we praying for...or restoring the relationships and prodigals we're interceding for...or giving relief to the pain--physical or emotional--for the loved ones that we're asking for...we tend to forget or ignore all the countless prayers He has answered with a resounding, astounding "Yes!"  That miraculous healing, that gift of encouragement at just the right moment, that consoling presence of a person we love, that beautiful morning walk, that hymn of praise, that deliverance from sin, that very next breath.
        Forgive us, forgive me, Father, for my shockingly short memory for the infinite number of ways You've been so good to us and for our (my) ridiculous ingratitude.
        And yet, despite our moments of confusion or doubt or frustration with the painful waiting times, our Lord still loves us just the same, adores us just as much as when we're full of confident faith and joyful hope.  Incredible.          
        His perfect love never, ever waivers...even when we do.  And His extravagant grace and joy in us never diminishes even one tiny iota...even when our feeble faith feels weak and weary.
        Oh how thankful I am that He is faithful even when we are faithless, for as His forever-faithful Word says, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful--for He cannot deny Himself." (2Tim.2:13)  He knows that when we look at life and only feel and see a grey and blank fogginess, He is still there...still working and moving, sovereign and good.
       Yes, it might appear grey and foggy, but the true, real reality is that this is what's actually out there, just momentarily blocked by our emotions--

      Tim Keller says that "Faith is not primarily a function of how you feel.  Faith is living out, trusting, and believing what truth is despite how you feel."  Yes!
       And here's what we know--God is great.  And He is good. And He is sovereign.  And He always answers our prayers in what He knows is the best and most perfect way (even when we cannot see it or understand it.  He does, and that's enough.)  And He will never, ever leave us nor forsake us...even on our worst days or our foggiest, greyest, weakest moments.
       Just this morning, He reminded me of all this in His Word--
                   "Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God'?  Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength.  Even youths shall faint and grow weary; and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (Isa. 40: 27-31)
         Oh how I praise Him for His beautiful, powerful, supernatural Word!
        I don't know what prolonged siege of waiting on God you might be enduring right now, but His Word reminds us that He is here; He is infinite and eternal;  He is the awesome Creator; He is always at work; He is supremely powerful; He is in complete control; He is redeeming, restoring, and lifting up His own; He is infinitely good and faithful; and He is worthy of all our waiting and wondering.  
        Don't be guided by your feelings, but allow your faith to be shaped by the Truth of who our God is and what He is doing.
       He is, even now, making all things new--things we can see...and things we cannot.  And we will trust Him.

           There's always a new day dawning with our Lord.  Give us more faith, Father.  We love You.
           To God be the glory.
       

What's your focus?

        That's a picture of focus.
        Yes sir--when you're holding one of Bingley's throwing-whatchamacallit's, he is one focused fellow.  In fact, even before that throwing-thingy leaves your hand, he's off and sprinting at top speed in whatever direction he thinks it might be headed.
        He's incredibly focused when it comes to his "people" as well.  I'm an early morning exerciser, so most days I'm home before anyone else in the house has gotten going.  Which means that, at least in the early a.m., I'm the only game in town as far as Bingley's concerned.  Consequently, he's extremely focused upon and watching for my return.  (Nice to feel wanted--at least for a few minutes each morning.)
        Here's how it goes down--
        When I arrive home and get out of the car, I can see the top of his little black head at our front dining room window--he's been carefully watching for my car to drive up.  (You have to look closely as it's pretty difficult to identify Mr. B--a combo of my crummy photography skills and our dog's rather hard-to-see color--but he's there in the bottom left of the picture...waiting and waiting patiently--

       As soon as I get out of the car, Bingley races to the side dining room window to watch me walk by.  Then, by the time I arrive at the kitchen door, there he is again--focused, ready, waiting for me to open the door and enjoy his hearty greeting--

(that's him through the windowpane...wondering what on earth the holdup is..."Come inside, already!  Time for all manner of fabulous events--patting, eating, walking!")
        Mr. Bingley has got him some serious focus.
        How about you?
       This fast paced, technological world we live in most definitely does not encourage focus.
       Go out to eat and notice how many folks cannot make it three minutes without checking their phones.  Even as I type, my computer alerts me to another email.  It whispers to me, "Quick--better check that!" Geez--ninety-nine percent of the time it's yet another groupon for more items I do not want and most certainly do not need.   And oops.  What's that?  The oven just pinged to remind me to go take out the chocolate chip cookies...and better check the buzzing dryer and get the clothes out before they wrinkle...right after I run to answer that ringing doorbell (sure wouldn't want to miss the beloved UPS fellow)...which reminds me I need to order that book from Amazon...after I write that note to a dear friend...and wrap up the book we're giving them with the note...which reminds me of another friend I saw on the greenway that I need to call about getting together...and speaking of walking on the greenway, why is Bingley whining?...after I let him out, I realize I need to vacuum the den rug which is nicely "decorated" with his shiny black fur (doesn't look quite as lovely on the floor as it does on Mr. B).  Finally, after returning the vacuum cleaner to the closet, I'm pondering "Now where on earth was I and what might I have been doing??"
        Yeah, focus.
         If we want to accomplish anything in life, we need some focus.  And if we want to not just start things but finish them, we need focus.  But most importantly, if we want to live each day with purpose, hope and joy, well then we desperately need focus.
        Because here's the thing: the moment we lose focus on the eternal and the important, we'll be distracted and then discouraged by all the minutia of the temporary, worldly and ultimately far less important.  No wonder we get overwhelmed with all we have to do--we've lost sight of the ultimate and instead are mired in the urgent.
       For example, pursuing a relationship with the God of the universe who loves us extravagantly--important.  Posting on facebook or instagram--not so important.
       Reading, meditating upon, and even memorizing the words of the eternal, sovereign Lord--important.  Reading and trying that new recipe or rushing to pick up that dry cleaning--not quite so important.
       Worshipping, enjoying, and talking with the beautiful Savior who died for our sins--important.  Worrying about work--or, for that matter, worrying about anything--not terribly important, or helpful.
        Loving and serving the people God has placed in your path--important.  Loving and being enslaved by all those possessions in your life--well duh, not important.
        So what's the solution?  Focus...Christ...moment by moment.
       We are to focus on Christ.  He is our North Star.  He is our Cornerstone.  He is our Pearl of greatest price.  
        If we'll look to the Lord and His Word, all the rest of life will regain it's proper perspective...and we'll discover peace even in the tempest, confident certainty even in crazy confusion, and joyous hope even in sorrow and disappointment.
       It's so simple, yet sometimes so challenging, isn't it?  Look to Jesus and keep our eyes and hearts fixed on Him and His Word.
       Paul says: "I consider everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ." (Phil.3:8)  "But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind [can't change it, can we?  Put it behind you!] and straining forward to what lies ahead [Jesus! Glory! Joy! Heaven!], I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil.3:13-14)
       Hebrews explains it this way: "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." (Heb.12:2,3)
       When we're battling discouragement (and who doesn't?)--look to Jesus.  When we're worried and fearful--look to Jesus.  When we're uncertain or upset--look to Jesus.
       Practically what does that mean?  We consciously take our eyes and move them away from whatever it is we're fixated upon that has us fainthearted or frustrated, and put our eyes back upon Jesus.  We talk to our hearts--"Heart, stop looking at such and such and look at the Lord, high and lifted up!"  We preach to our souls--a thousand times a day if necessary--"Remember Christ!  Think of the Gospel!  Ponder His promises!"
        Nobody talks to you more than you. So preach it!  Tell yourself to replace worry...discouragement...fear...materialism...whatever...with Him. 
       You have the choice today as to where you will focus.
       Life or death.  Christ or the world.  The important or the urgent.
       "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
        Choose.
        Choose today.
        Choose right this minute--
        Upon whom or what will you focus?  Whom or what will you serve...because wherever you focus, that's where you'll be headed.  And that's what you'll serve.
        "As God is exalted to the right place in our lives, a thousand minor problems will be solved at once."  (A.W. Tozer)
        Don't fixate on the problem...focus on the perfect Savior.
        How about we make a deal--because I surely need this reminder as much or more than any of the rest of you.  Let's continually encourage one another--focus on Christ.  Keep looking to Jesus.  Continue reading His Word.  Persist in meditating on His promises.
       Choose Christ...His Word...and Life...today.
       To God be the glory.
     

Home

                              A little food for weekend thought...on home--

        C.S. Lewis once wrote: "Our kind Heavenly Father has provided many wonderful inns for us along our journey, but He takes special care to see that we never mistake any of them for home."
        Oh my, how thankful I am for the many "wonderful inns" our gracious God plants along our paths to sweeten the journey...but we're not home yet.  Not by a long shot.  Those little "inns" are not only places to strengthen and refresh us along the way, but they also provide tantalizing, tiny foretastes of our ultimate destination, our true and glorious-beyond-imaging Home.
        Whenever you go on a trip--even on a very short one as I just took with one of our sons--the same thing happens every time.  It's always so much fun, so invigorating to visit somewhere completely different.  Travel allows you to view life from a new perspective.  And oftentimes you find yourself thinking, "Wow, it's so good to get away.  This would be an interesting place to live"...until you remember home.  Eventually, no matter how amazing and beautiful the new locale, we inevitably find ourselves longing for home.
         Because home is, well, home to people, places, and pets (smile) you love.
         Your house--even with it's leaky pipes or small closets or peeling paint--overflows with memories of love, forgiveness, laughter, tears, and life lived day-in and day-out with those we sometimes rub the wrong way...but for whom we'd be willing to die in a heartbeat.
         Think of the places of home.  The hang-outs you love--like Cloos with it's hot dogs, icy diet cokes, and sweet Jake...or Casa Carbone with it's spaghetti, calzones, and family-warmth...or the good old Harris Teeter with the nicest checkout people on the planet...or the schools our children have attended, the soccer fields they've run on, the golf courses they've walked over, the homes of their friends they've loved...or our church home that meets in a high school and yet feels like family the moment we walk through the doors...so many places with so much happy living.
        Then there's the people you love.  That's what makes home, home, right?  Your family, of course, but also your acquaintances, your neighbors, your dear friends--oh my, what priceless gifts they are!  Thank You, Father, for friends and family...for the people that make home the place where our hearts always feel welcomed, warmed, and joyfully satisfied.
        And can't forget our pets.  No sir.  Home is where your dog runs to the door to enthusiastically greet you--whether you've just run to the grocery store to pick up milk or disappeared for a week for an out-of-state trip.  What's the first thing our grown children who are now living away from home (which, by the way, is a plan I'm still not happy about!) do when they walk through the door?  Love on Mr. Bingley.  Forget dad and mom--we're chopped liver compared to Bing.  But that's okay...because that's home.
       So here's my way-too-long-winded point: if our earthly home can be so wonderful, can you imagine our ultimate and true Home?  In our heavenly Home, we will have everyone together.  Not only no more death, sickness, and separation, but also no more children growing up and moving away from home.  No more sad partings.  No more disagreements.  No more divorces.  No more prodigals.         Instead, we'll have infinite time to enjoy the people we love (which in heaven will be everyone!)...only none of us will be plagued by the effects of sin--so that means no selfishness or pride or defensiveness or irritating habits to annoy one another!  There will be endless worlds to explore and meaningful work to do...but best of all, worship.  Worship of the only One worthy of all our worship and adoration--our Savior, the Lord Jesus.
       Home.  For every believer, that's where we headed.  The question is--what's our focus now?  Are we preoccupied with our short-term happiness or fixed on our eternal joy?  Are we living only for the "wonderful inns" along the journey or are we enjoying them for what they are because our ultimate goal and prize is God's glorious destination of Home?
       Once more, good old C.S. Lewis: "You will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next...It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.  Aim at Heaven and you will get earth 'thrown in.'  Aim at earth, and you will get neither."
       Thank You, Father, for the inns along our journey--oh how thankful we are for every one of them!  But keep us faithfully fixed and focused on Home.  
       To God be the glory. 

Joy...and eating!

        Can I just share a very simple reminder God's given me this morning?
        Joy comes from the Lord.  He is the Source and Sustainer of our joy.  And if we want to experience greater joy--even in the midst of the hard, dark places in our lives--we need to look to Him and His Word.
        There.  Told you it was simple.  But goodness, how often we (or at least, I) live as if we've forgotten that simple but utterly life-changing truth.
        Joy is not happiness.  No, happiness comes from happenings.  We experience happiness when the test results are good...or our children are walking with the Lord...or the weather is just right (which for many of us is a ridiculously narrow window of not-too-hot and not-too-cold)...or the golf game is going well (as a mother of golfers, this one convicts the socks off of me!  Really?  Am I going to determine my level of joy and contentment based on whether my boys are struggling in a game?  Forgive me, Father!)...or our house is clean, organized and welcoming...or our relationships are running smoothly...or our bank account is full...or, well, you fill in the blank.
         None of these things are bad things.  They're just clearly not the ultimate thing. They were never meant to--nor will they ever--bring us joy.
         Joy allows our hearts to sing even in the darkness.  Joy sustains us when we're weary.  Joy splashes hope all over us when we're discouraged.  And joy depends not upon us or our circumstances or our level of success or our appearance or our anything!
         Joy comes from the Almighty Maker of heaven and earth!
         Just a few verses to remind us:
             "...the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Neh.8:10)  Amen!
             "You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Ps.16:11)  Your presence, Lord Jesus, Your presence is our joy!
             "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation." (Isa.12:2)  You are the song that we sing, Lord!  You are our strength in the midst of the fiercest battle or the deepest pit.
             And one of my personal favorites: "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord, God of hosts." (Jer.15:11)
        God's Word is our joy, and when we eat of His Word, we will ingest that God-joy!  
        Now let me tell you, I love to eat.  In fact, that's a major understatement.  Just last night, my son and I went to a Dairy Queen, and I got to eat this--

       What is that, you ask?  Only one of the best foods God ever inspired man to create--a DQ butterscotch-dipped cone.  Yes sir, we're talking fine...and there's not even any chocolate involved.  We don't have a Dairy Queen in Raleigh anymore, so we rarely get to indulge ourselves with it's creamy deliciousness.  But last night, we're talking nirvana...at least for a few moments.
       That butterscotch-dipped cone--it's now a distant memory.  That happiness it gave me was sweet but short-lived.  But not the Word of God.  We can eat and eat and eat of it and the result will always be joy...and more joy.  And no weight gain.
        I don't know about you, but that's the kind of joy-producing, joy-sustaining eating I pray will be my focus and delight this day and everyday.  Because God Word never, ever fails.  Happiness rises and falls with happenings...but joy remains and sustains.
        To God be the glory.
     

Paul's race...and ours

        It's been a bittersweet week, as a wonderful, godly man from Raleigh, that many of us know and love, has gone home to be with the Lord after a tough battle with cancer.
       I say "bittersweet," for his home-going is so sad for all of us who knew, loved, and admired him...but so, incredibly joyous for him.  Free from the terrible pain and suffering of cancer.  Free from sorrow, disappointment, failure.  Free from all the awful effects of this sin-sick old planet.
       Instead, for the first time, he's fully, completely, totally alive!  Looking into the face of Jesus--what must that be like?!--as well as savoring the perfected, joyous company of all his loved ones who have gone on to heaven before him.
       I sit here and think, what on earth is Paul seeing, tasting, feeling, touching, saying, singing right now?  Can we even begin to imagine?  Such wonder.  Such beauty.  Such freedom.  Such peace.  Such love.  Such excitement.  Such joy. Such glory.  It's unfathomable, really, to consider what he's experiencing right now, right this very moment.
      Oh Father, thank You for the glorious promise and certain hope of heaven!  Help us to maintain a heavenly mindset rather than an earthbound one.  Help us, Abba.  Help us to "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Col.3:2-4)
       Paul has now made his faith into sight.  His life was "hidden with Christ" on this earth, but now his life is fully revealed in glory in heaven.  We live in the shadowlands...Paul lives in the glorious sunshine of real reality.  We see dimly...he sees clearly.  We experience tiny little foretastes of glory in God's created world...he bathes in an infinite ocean of glory and wonder.
       Our friend Paul has "fought the good fight...finished the race...kept the faith...Henceforth there is laid up for [him] the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to [him] on that Day, and not only to [Paul] but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2Tim.7-8)
       Paul's race is finished...but ours is not.
       Until Jesus ordains that the moment has come for our very last breath, our Savior is leaving us here to keep running our race all the way to the finish line...by His grace, for His glory.
      And so we run, in order that the world may know--even when it's hard, or discouraging, or frightening, or painful--that our God is great.  And He is good.  And He is worthy.  And He is more wonderful, beautiful, satisfying, and glorious than any sorrow we might endure, any deprivation we might suffer, any price we might pay.  Nothing and no one can compare to our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.            
       Oh might we prize Him for Who He is the--the Prize above all prizes, the Treasure above all treasures...and our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend above all friends.
        Paul's race is finished and he's even now, hearing His Lord joyfully proclaim to him, Well done, good and faithful Paul!  Enter into the joy of Your Savior!  
        Father, one glorious day we all long to hear those same words when we, too, are standing in Your radiant presence in glory.  Keep us focused on You with every step we take.  Keep us fixed on Your Word and Your promises.  And, oh, Lord Jesus, keep us faithful by Your grace.  Your glorious grace that gives us forgiveness in our failures, empowerment in our emptiness, and strength in our weakness...like Paul, all the way to the finish line.  
       To God be the glory.

Troubles here...even more joy there

        After all the rain and fog the day before, here's how July 4th dawned in the mountains--

        We couldn't believe it. After all, every weather forecast had unambiguously declared that July 4th would be more of the same--rain, thunderstorms, and more rain (which in the mountains often also entails fog, fog, and more fog).  So when Bingley and I headed out for our walk early July 4th morning,  I rejoiced in the momentarily beautiful start to the day--thank You, Lord!  A few minutes later, it was still lovely...

 ...and yes, I prayed earnestly that God might graciously extend that weather a bit longer--at least for a few hours in the morning so folks could get outside and enjoy some outdoor activities as well as the beauty of the mountains.
        Okay, I know there are far more important things to pray about than the weather, but we're told not to be "anxious about anything [even the weather], but in everything [what does "everything" exclude?  Nothing!] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving [thank You, Father, even for the rain, fog, heat, snow, cold, ice...], let your requests be made known to God." (Phil.4:6)  If you ask me, nothing's too big or impossible for God in prayer...and nothing's too small or inconsequential.  Aren't you thankful for a Heavenly Father like that?
        Anyway, the long and the short of it is--God proved all the weather forecasters wrong, and the entire day and evening of July 4th was spectacular!  A few clouds here and there, but no rain or fog.  In fact, Bingley and I enjoyed a wonderful time of Bible study and reading on the porch, while gazing out over the beauty of valley below.

        The boys played golf, and Mary Norris, Bingley and I enjoyed walking along and watching them.

        And then, to top it all off, we loved, loved, loved the fireworks--

        In fact, this was the highlight of the day as our porch provided a terrific view both of the fireworks on the mountain as well as the fireworks' celebrations that were happening in the valley below.  What an unforgettable sight to watch those multiple little puffs of exploding color all over the dark patchwork quilt of the valley below us.  Oh how I wished we could freeze time and bottle up each of those moments last night!  It was the perfect storm of joy: together with most of our family, in a place we all love, and enjoying the wonder of the fireworks adorning the valley and the mountain.
        And to think--we might have missed all of it had the weather been the fog, rain, and thunderstorms we'd been expecting.
        So here's the thing: this reminded me of some of Paul's words about the priceless, beautiful gift of eternal life given to us by Jesus: "When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'  'O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  (I Cor.15:54-56)
        I've often pondered the meaning of the words, "Death is swallowed up in victory."  I'm definitely no theologian, but I'm wondering whether part of the meaning could be that the sorrows, suffering, disappointments, and failures we each endure in life are the very means of making that wondrous gift of eternal life all the sweeter.  Could it be that the perfection, glory, and joy of heaven will be multiplied and enhanced by our sorrows and trials down here?
        Do you know what I'm mean?  Of course, the expectation of bad weather and the happy surprise of wonderful weather is such a pale, pitiful comparison, but the principle--on a much larger scale--is the same.  Whenever you've gone through something really tough or really painful, when you come through on the other side, all the rest of life suddenly seems so much sweeter and dearer.  Even the simplest, smallest things in life become infused with wonder.
       Spend time in an ICU room with a loved one...or face a difficult battle with cancer...or struggle with a hard, perplexing relationship.  When you come through it, oh my, the sky appears so much bluer.  The ocean more bracing.  The hug of your child more precious.  The sound of laughter more joyous.  The smell of baking bread more appetizing.
         Suffering will do that to you--and it's a huge, huge gift, don't you think?
         So imagine what it will be like in the ultimate place of joy, perfection, wonder, and glory?!  Death truly will be swallowed up in victory, for that victory will mega-multiplied and enhanced by any suffering or disappointments or tragedies we've endured during our momentary journey on this planet.
       After all, we're only passing through...but heaven is ahead.  All our troubles and trials here will only mean more joy there.  Amazing.  Only our God could do that.
        To God be the glory.
     

Rain and fog...fog and rain

       I don't know whether to chalk this one up to "Pride goeth before a fall" or to the Lord certainly possesses a great sense of humor.
      Yesterday, I sat on the porch and watched the dark, swirling clouds and rain off in the valley--

 I wrote of my expectation that today's weather would surely be sunny, bright and clear with all those menacing clouds blown away.
       Well, not exactly.
       Yep, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." (Prov.16:9)
       Here's our spectacular view off the porch this morning--

       Recognize Mt. Pilot in the distance?  I think not...although you can just make out the faint outline of the trees directly in front of the camera in our yard.  Geez.  The fog has moved in, and we discovered there's truth behind the old cliche--there really are times when you cannot see your hand in front of your face.  So much for all our plans for golf, tennis, and swimming at the lake.
       On the other hand, it's a perfect day for reading, eating (carbs taste even better when you're trapped in the house doing nothing), and, of course, card playing.  As I write these words, our children are immersed in a fierce game of Monopoly Deal.  Let me tell you, it can get brutally competitive...not to mention, I'm hearing some serious trash talking.
        ...It's now late afternoon, and it's pretty much been a day of fog and rain...rain and fog. Not exactly what we planned or hoped for on July 4th weekend.  Now the kids are playing spades, eating peanuts, and, of course, talking lots of trash.
        But here's what I'm thinking--yeah, it's not what we planned, but it's so, so sweet hearing everyone all together laughing, talking, playing, and generally enjoying one another's company.  In fact, I'm pretty much in paradise having almost all the children here with us under one roof.  Thank You, Father!  Even now, I can smell the baked potatoes and barbecue chicken baking--yum.  Another thank You to the Giver of all good gifts.  And we're warm and safe and dry even while it's a bit chilly and wet outside.  Thank You again.  Not to mention the joy of happily listening to the beautiful sounds of the people I love.  Oh Father, You are so, so good.
       Lord, You make no mistakes,  and Your plans for us are always ultimately good...including the weather!  Thank You for reminding me once again to choose gratitude rather than grumbling and to recall that all Your plans and ways are the best.
      I couldn't help but think of something I read the other day by F.B. Meyer: "Do you think God made a mistake in your life?  If instead of being a poor man you had been rich, if instead of being a long woman you had had one to call you wife and little children to clutch your dress and call you mother, if instead of being tied to the office stool you had been a minister or missionary, you think that you would have been a better, sweeter character.  But I want you to understand that God chose for you your lot in life out of myriads that were open to Him, because just where you are you might realize your noblest possibilities."
      So thank You, Lord, thank You, for our lot in life, for the people we love, and for every little thing that You have ordained for us, even down to the fog and rain, rain and fog. You make no mistakes, and You always, always, always are working for our good and Your glory.
      To God be the glory.    
     
     

"My help comes from the Lord"

       

        We have a number of dear friends who are enduring storms right now.  Some small squalls, but others mammoth, terrifying hurricanes.  Cancer, death of loved ones, mental or physical illnesses, prodigals, depression...trials and troubles of all shapes and sizes.  Oh Father, how we want to be able to help in some tangible, real way.  How we long to transform their circumstances,  to lift their burdens, to redeem the darkness that surrounds them.
         As I sit here, looking out over the valley, I see light dancing with darkness.  Menacing, swirling clouds interspersed with shafts of light.  That's how my heart feels right now, Abba.   Frustrated.  Worried. Wondering.  Beseeching.  Sorrowful...yet certain in the sovereignty of our Sovereign King.  Longing to help...but feeling utterly unable to do so.
         But...but even in the clouds and confusion, we know the One who can.  We know the One who can and does and forever will help.
         His words speak to my wounded heart this morning, just as fresh and new as the moment my Father first inspired them to be recorded:
        "I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."  Yes, He is our help.  Look around you at His magnificent creation.  Stand amazed...and then kneel in wonder, for that awesome Creator is your Help.  You may feel helpless...but He is your perfect provision of help in every situation, in every way, in every time and place.
        "He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."  You can go ahead and let go of that weight of worry.  Rest.  Rest and sleep, because the Almighty One is keeping your loved one company.  He never, ever slumbers, and Zephaniah 3:17 tells us He quiets with His love and sings songs to His beloved children.  So let it go, listen for His song, and rest in Him.
         "The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life.  The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." (Ps.121)
         Meaning our eternal destiny is safe in His nail-scarred hands.  Whether it's our ultimate home-going to heaven or our home-staying on this planet, He will keep us, hold us, love us, redeem us, and carry us all the way Home.
         No matter the trouble, no matter the trials, no matter the depth of the darkness, He is greater still and is somehow, someway using it all, all, all for our ultimate good and His glory.
       

        The Lord works in the light and the dark....like those clouds that darken the sky...but bring healing, nourishing, necessary rain to the crops and plants and life below.  We may not be able to see the sun behind those clouds...but it is there, shining in the heavens.  By tomorrow morning, we may be looking on an entirely different landscape--perhaps bright, clean, and clear.  But no more beautiful than these swirling, rain-filled clouds.  Just different.
         So thank You, Father, that You are our Helper.  Our Keeper.  Our Protector.  Our Perfecter.  Our Redeemer.  Our Savior and Lord.  In the sunshine and bright blue skies...and in the clouds and rain.  Sovereign and powerful over it all, and redeeming and using it all.  For our good.  For Your glory.  Forever.
         Thank You that no matter where we are right now, no matter what we or our loved ones are enduring right now, You, You, You are our Helper and our Hope.  We look to You, Father.
         To God be the glory.