Just call me a slow, slow learner...or a fast, fast forgetter.
For you see, God's been teaching and teaching me--for years and years and years--about thankfulness and praise, about gratitude instead of grumbling, about faith instead of fear. I've read it in His Word. I've tried to memorize it and hide it in my heart. I've repeatedly experienced the astounding power and peace that comes from choosing praise and thanksgiving, even in the hard and dark places of life. And I've written and shared about it over and over again (as recently, as say, the last few days).
But oh my goodness, in the nitty gritty of life, my default mode can so quickly go straight to complaining and worrying! Good grief! Yeah, sure, maybe I don't fret and fuss out loud, but in my heart--my faithless, fretting heart--I can sometimes fall prey to anxious and discouraging thoughts. Oh forgive me Lord! How much peace and hope we forfeit when we give in to grumbling, because the path of blessing, rest, and joy always runs straight by and through praise and thanksgiving. Always.
I was reminded of--and convicted by--this yet again the other day in listening to David Jeremiah. I Samuel 12:24 says, "Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you." We've got to daily take time to "consider what great things He has done" for us. Consider it, ponder it, contemplate it.
Stop right now and consider what great things God has done for you--He's given you the Lord Jesus, salvation, eternal life, His Word, not to mention your very life, your family, your friends, His glorious creation and on and on and on. Have you truly paused to consider all the great things He has done for you?
Moreover, this is interesting, but did you know that both "think" and "thank" have the same root word? When you pause to think about all God has done, you cannot help but thank Him with gratitude in your heart! Think and thank. If we'll think, we'll thank. If we'll pause, we'll praise. Don't just read about it--do it! Do it on a daily basis!
And practically when should you do it? When is a good time to start the practice of praise and thanksgiving. Well, here are a few places to start--
First, morning and evening. Ps.92:1-2 "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your steadfast love in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night." Okay, I'm thinking, that's a good practical place to begin--spend a few moments thanking and praising God as soon as you wake up in the morning and then again right before you hit the hay at night. Lord, thank You for waking me up for this new day. Thank You for Your steadfast love. Thank You that the sun is rising once again. Thank You that You've given me people to serve and love this day... Or thank You, Father, for so faithfully getting me through this day with all it's challenges. Thank You for this comfortable bed and this good book to read. Thank You for keeping those I love safe today and bringing us to a quiet night...
Start with that--praise and thanksgiving first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
But what about when you wake up in the middle of the night--which frustratingly I do more and more frequently. Ugh! Let's face it--whenever we awaken in the wee hours, our worries are exponentially louder and more frightening. Things we'd shrug off in daylight hours look terrifying and impossible in the darkness.
Yet God's Word tells us to offer praise and thanksgiving instead! Ps.119:62 "At midnight I rise to praise You, because of Your righteous rules." Oh my stars--what a game-changer if we'd assume when we awaken at night that God wants us to start rehearsing all our reasons for praise and thankfulness rather than recounting our worries and woes! Let me tell you, I'm putting that baby into practice starting tonight!
Then how about at every meal time (surely my favorite part of every day! Food glorious food!)? "...The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God..." Goodness, saying grace should never be just "Please bless this food." Rather, we have the God-given opportunity whenever we eat to thank the Lord for His relentless goodness and faithfulness. Oh my, loads of reasons for thankfulness there--for the gift of taste, for good food, for hunger, for family or friends to share a meal with, for Jesus our Bread of Life, for chocolate (of course)...
And finally, how about this one: Col.3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." I'm thinking that pretty much covers ALL of life. "Whatever" we do--whether words and deeds. Whether early morning or right before bed. Whether the middle of the night or before enjoying the gift of food. All that doesn't leave much room or time for anxious fretting or ugly complaining, does it?
Lord, You well know our fickle hearts, but Oh Father, how we want to be Your faithful, joyful, grateful, and ever-praising children. Teach us. Help us. Encourage us. Remind us. And do it through us, Father. We know that we can't, but You can and will. After all, You've commanded us to "Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." We want to do Your will, so empower and enable us to be in Your perfect will by giving thanks in all, all, all circumstances. We thank and praise You in advance for how You're going to transform us into Your relentless and joyful people of praise.
To God be the glory.
.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
No sun like the Son!
A brief addendum to yesterday's post:
1) About noon today, we suddenly began to see little patches of blue sky...and then, lo and behold, the sun began to poke his happy head out again! Yahoo--who knew how fabulous a little sunshine could be?! I'd venture to say most of us hadn't given the weeks of sunshine we'd been enjoying much of a thought...until the rain arrived in force. Yes, grateful for the April showers, but mighty thankful for the sun. And thankful for all the multiple daily, "small" graces we take for granted. Sunshine, laughter, fragrant flowers, good food, hugs, waving green leaves, chirping birds, favorite songs...not so small after all, are they?
2) Also a reminder that NOTHING lasts forever. That rain seemed to go on and on and on. All day Sunday. All day Monday. We could hear it all night, relentlessly falling. Mr. B and I walked this morning in a seemingly endless wall of dreary rain and yuck.
But guess what? Those rough patches will end eventually. They always do. That's why they're called "patches"--you will eventually come out the other side of every patch. If life feels a bit dark and snarky right now, hang on. Keep walking with Jesus. He's not only with you through every patch, but He will always bring you through to the other side.
3) My daughter and I both love Paul Tripp's wonderful devotional, New Morning Mercies. Turns out this morning we both read, loved, and were convicted by his words:
"Today you will spend solitary moments of conversation with yourself, either listing your complaints or counting your blessings."
Please reread that, because it's profound and powerful. Are you listing complaints or counting blessings? No one--absolutely no one talks to you more than you do. We all have inward chatter going on throughout our day, and I'm just wondering--what are we counting? Upon what are we focusing? What are we daily, consistently, preaching to ourselves?
I ask myself that question, because it's all too easy for me to slip into the complaining mode rather than the blessing counting mode. And you know why? Because of my selfishness. My stinking sinful selfishness that makes life all about little old me. About my desires. My agenda. My needs. My family. My dreams for my children. My ideas about how life should go. Sigh.
Of course, I totally know that's sin. I absolutely recognize it as selfishness. But as I said yesterday, my sin also causes me to forget. I forget God and focus on me. I forget God's Word and fixate on my feelings. I forget God's faithfulness and dwell on my little myopic world.
Anybody else?
So what's the antidote? First, recognize it and repent of it! Confess and repent of that sin and selfishness which leads to complaining. Second, fix our eyes on Jesus. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb.12:1-2)
Fixing our eyes on Jesus--daily, steadily, consistently. Gaze at Him. Look to Him. Call to Him. Depend upon Him. Walk with Him. Trust in Him.
So simple, yet so transformative. Today, let's count our blessings rather than listing our complaints. Let's choose gratitude over grumbling. And no matter what, let's fix our gaze on Jesus. That sunshine is wonderful, but there's no sun like the Son!
To God be the glory.
1) About noon today, we suddenly began to see little patches of blue sky...and then, lo and behold, the sun began to poke his happy head out again! Yahoo--who knew how fabulous a little sunshine could be?! I'd venture to say most of us hadn't given the weeks of sunshine we'd been enjoying much of a thought...until the rain arrived in force. Yes, grateful for the April showers, but mighty thankful for the sun. And thankful for all the multiple daily, "small" graces we take for granted. Sunshine, laughter, fragrant flowers, good food, hugs, waving green leaves, chirping birds, favorite songs...not so small after all, are they?
2) Also a reminder that NOTHING lasts forever. That rain seemed to go on and on and on. All day Sunday. All day Monday. We could hear it all night, relentlessly falling. Mr. B and I walked this morning in a seemingly endless wall of dreary rain and yuck.
But guess what? Those rough patches will end eventually. They always do. That's why they're called "patches"--you will eventually come out the other side of every patch. If life feels a bit dark and snarky right now, hang on. Keep walking with Jesus. He's not only with you through every patch, but He will always bring you through to the other side.
3) My daughter and I both love Paul Tripp's wonderful devotional, New Morning Mercies. Turns out this morning we both read, loved, and were convicted by his words:
"Today you will spend solitary moments of conversation with yourself, either listing your complaints or counting your blessings."
Please reread that, because it's profound and powerful. Are you listing complaints or counting blessings? No one--absolutely no one talks to you more than you do. We all have inward chatter going on throughout our day, and I'm just wondering--what are we counting? Upon what are we focusing? What are we daily, consistently, preaching to ourselves?
I ask myself that question, because it's all too easy for me to slip into the complaining mode rather than the blessing counting mode. And you know why? Because of my selfishness. My stinking sinful selfishness that makes life all about little old me. About my desires. My agenda. My needs. My family. My dreams for my children. My ideas about how life should go. Sigh.
Of course, I totally know that's sin. I absolutely recognize it as selfishness. But as I said yesterday, my sin also causes me to forget. I forget God and focus on me. I forget God's Word and fixate on my feelings. I forget God's faithfulness and dwell on my little myopic world.
Anybody else?
So what's the antidote? First, recognize it and repent of it! Confess and repent of that sin and selfishness which leads to complaining. Second, fix our eyes on Jesus. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb.12:1-2)
Fixing our eyes on Jesus--daily, steadily, consistently. Gaze at Him. Look to Him. Call to Him. Depend upon Him. Walk with Him. Trust in Him.
So simple, yet so transformative. Today, let's count our blessings rather than listing our complaints. Let's choose gratitude over grumbling. And no matter what, let's fix our gaze on Jesus. That sunshine is wonderful, but there's no sun like the Son!
To God be the glory.
Monday, April 24, 2017
Rainy Monday musings
For the record, it's raining...a lot--as in grey, grey, grey and rain, rain, rain: all day yesterday, all last night, all day today, and predicted all tonight and all day tomorrow too. I know we need the rain. Absolutely...but gee whiz, it's tough on the old spirits, isn't it?
Also for the record, it's Monday. And yes, I know Mondays--just like every single day of every single week--are special and unique, never-to-be-repeated gifts from God for which we need to rejoice and give thanks to Him. After all, how many times have I quoted it and repeated it--pretty much every morning of every day--Psalm 118:24: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Yes, yes, yes, I totally know these things with my head....but my heart? Oh my, my heart can often be quick to forget what it knows and slow to respond to God's true Truth.
And while I'm on the complaining bandwagon (never a place you want or need to be--yes, yes, yes, I know, I know), one of our children just learned that her job next year will take her out of state. And she has to start not long after the beginning of summer. All of which means she will be leaving our home and moving away--way too far away if you ask me--and doing it all way too soon. Which is just another reminder that our children are growing up and leaving the home.
Here's what I'm thinking right about now: I'm not super crazy about this plan of God's to have our children grow up, spread their wings and fly the nest into the great wide world. Goodness, even the very phrase, "empty nest," (though we're not quite there yet, thank goodness) sounds so, hmm, so empty. So forlorn.
Finally, can I also add--for the record--that about everybody I've talked to today or exchanged emails or texts with is having the same kind of um, let's just call it "challenging" day. Nothing earth shattering. No excuses. But just a lot of giving in to the dreariness, low level fear, and nameless discouragement.
I think I need some chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
But here's the thing. There's something far, far better even than chocolate. It's remembering. Remembering Who's in control. Remember Whose I am. Remember His infallible Word. Remember His unshakable promises. Remember what He did for us on the cross. Remember Easter...and the resurrection...and heaven...and abundant life...and the church...and eternal and indefatigable hope and joy. Remember His infinite and unrelenting gifts of family and friends. Of flora and fauna. Of all around us and about us. All by Him. All from Him. All for Him.
My husband read me a prayer this morning from Tim Keller's devotion--words the Lord knew many of us might need to hear this day: "Lord, worry and fear come because I forget what you've accomplished for me in Christ Jesus. You have defeated sin (so it can't condemn me) and death (so I can be assured of my resurrection). Meanwhile you are working things out for good. Remind me, remind me of all this, so I can rest in You. Amen."
Oh my, thank You Lord for so faithfully reminding me, reminding us once again, of Your forever and ever faithfulness. "If we are faithless, He remains faithful--for He cannot deny Himself." (2 Tim.2:13) Reminding us of Your perfect plans and ways. "This God--His way is blameless; The Word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him." (Ps.18:30) Reminding us of His wonderful love and kindness. "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing." (Zeph.3:17)
I could go on and on and on. The point--choose to remember. Remind your heart of what your head knows. Because when we'll remember, we will find our complaining replaced with rejoicing. When we remember, we'll discover our worrying replaced with trusting. And when we remember, we'll see our discouragement and despair replaced with hope and joy.
Today, this day, remember your forever faithful Father. Remember your loving, glorious Savior. Remember Who He is, what He's done, and all, all, all He has for you both now and in the perfect, wondrous, eternal future. Oh thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus!
To God be the glory.
"
Also for the record, it's Monday. And yes, I know Mondays--just like every single day of every single week--are special and unique, never-to-be-repeated gifts from God for which we need to rejoice and give thanks to Him. After all, how many times have I quoted it and repeated it--pretty much every morning of every day--Psalm 118:24: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Yes, yes, yes, I totally know these things with my head....but my heart? Oh my, my heart can often be quick to forget what it knows and slow to respond to God's true Truth.
And while I'm on the complaining bandwagon (never a place you want or need to be--yes, yes, yes, I know, I know), one of our children just learned that her job next year will take her out of state. And she has to start not long after the beginning of summer. All of which means she will be leaving our home and moving away--way too far away if you ask me--and doing it all way too soon. Which is just another reminder that our children are growing up and leaving the home.
Here's what I'm thinking right about now: I'm not super crazy about this plan of God's to have our children grow up, spread their wings and fly the nest into the great wide world. Goodness, even the very phrase, "empty nest," (though we're not quite there yet, thank goodness) sounds so, hmm, so empty. So forlorn.
Finally, can I also add--for the record--that about everybody I've talked to today or exchanged emails or texts with is having the same kind of um, let's just call it "challenging" day. Nothing earth shattering. No excuses. But just a lot of giving in to the dreariness, low level fear, and nameless discouragement.
I think I need some chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
But here's the thing. There's something far, far better even than chocolate. It's remembering. Remembering Who's in control. Remember Whose I am. Remember His infallible Word. Remember His unshakable promises. Remember what He did for us on the cross. Remember Easter...and the resurrection...and heaven...and abundant life...and the church...and eternal and indefatigable hope and joy. Remember His infinite and unrelenting gifts of family and friends. Of flora and fauna. Of all around us and about us. All by Him. All from Him. All for Him.
My husband read me a prayer this morning from Tim Keller's devotion--words the Lord knew many of us might need to hear this day: "Lord, worry and fear come because I forget what you've accomplished for me in Christ Jesus. You have defeated sin (so it can't condemn me) and death (so I can be assured of my resurrection). Meanwhile you are working things out for good. Remind me, remind me of all this, so I can rest in You. Amen."
Oh my, thank You Lord for so faithfully reminding me, reminding us once again, of Your forever and ever faithfulness. "If we are faithless, He remains faithful--for He cannot deny Himself." (2 Tim.2:13) Reminding us of Your perfect plans and ways. "This God--His way is blameless; The Word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him." (Ps.18:30) Reminding us of His wonderful love and kindness. "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing." (Zeph.3:17)
I could go on and on and on. The point--choose to remember. Remind your heart of what your head knows. Because when we'll remember, we will find our complaining replaced with rejoicing. When we remember, we'll discover our worrying replaced with trusting. And when we remember, we'll see our discouragement and despair replaced with hope and joy.
Today, this day, remember your forever faithful Father. Remember your loving, glorious Savior. Remember Who He is, what He's done, and all, all, all He has for you both now and in the perfect, wondrous, eternal future. Oh thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus!
To God be the glory.
"
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Resurrection--already and not yet
Hard to believe that Lent and Easter have come...and gone. Lent seemed so long while we were in the middle of it, didn't it? But then as Easter approached, whew, the weekend and the wonderful celebration on resurrection Sunday flew by in a nanosecond. How I thank the Lord for this glorious, history and destiny altering event that we have the joy of remembering and celebrating year after year. Jesus Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Oh might we never, ever tire of rejoicing in this wondrous, astounding, gloriously Good News!
And I also thank the Lord for the joy of having all our children home. That truly is a tiny foretaste of heaven--to have your loved ones home. Home together.
If "home together" could be this happy and heart-filling and overflowing, can you even begin to imagine what our real heavenly home will be like? No sorrow, no disappointment, no sin, no separation, no failure, no weakness, no disease, no despair. And love, love, love unbounded and unfettered. What a Hope we have ahead of us.
Yet right now, today, we're still in the midst of the muddy trenches of "real" life (though one day we will clearly see that this thing we call "real" life was actually just a pale, poor imitation, just a pitiful shadow of the truly real, perfect, and all-things-made-new heaven and earth). And sometimes, oftentimes, this life can be challenging, confusing, and downright crushing. We live in the "already and not yet"--already Christ has come, died for our sins, and risen from the dead. Already He has given us abundant, eternal life now. But not yet has this old earth been fully redeemed and restored. Not yet are we fully sinless and perfected. Not yet do we enjoy the infinite wonders, joys, and glories of our heavenly home.
But because of Easter, because of the resurrection, we know--we know with absolute certainty--that one day we will. We will live forever in the perfect, wondrous, endlessly joyful, completely satisfying, and completely loving heavenly home.
Today may be hard...but the resurrection reminds us once again that the best--the infinitely best!--is yet to come. As Tony Compolo preached many years ago, "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming." It may feel like an endless, hard, perplexing "Good Friday" in your life...but Resurrection Sunday is coming. Resurrection has come in Jesus...and it will come in your life as well.
These words I just read from the Bluebookblog reflected this so beautifully:
this too is resurrection
I don't know where you are right now in your story, but if it feels like you're slogging through the messy trenches of a never-ending, confusing Good Friday, take heart: Christ is risen from the dead. And because He lives, you, too, will live.
Resurrection has come...and is coming. And one day you will look back, stunned, "that such a rugged road would lead to such a beautiful place." I've seen it in my own life over and over again. He truly does--and is--making all things new. Even as you walk through the fire and water and toward that spacious and fruitful land.
So trust Him as you walk and as you wait. He's working...and Sunday's always coming.
To God be the glory.
And I also thank the Lord for the joy of having all our children home. That truly is a tiny foretaste of heaven--to have your loved ones home. Home together.
If "home together" could be this happy and heart-filling and overflowing, can you even begin to imagine what our real heavenly home will be like? No sorrow, no disappointment, no sin, no separation, no failure, no weakness, no disease, no despair. And love, love, love unbounded and unfettered. What a Hope we have ahead of us.
Yet right now, today, we're still in the midst of the muddy trenches of "real" life (though one day we will clearly see that this thing we call "real" life was actually just a pale, poor imitation, just a pitiful shadow of the truly real, perfect, and all-things-made-new heaven and earth). And sometimes, oftentimes, this life can be challenging, confusing, and downright crushing. We live in the "already and not yet"--already Christ has come, died for our sins, and risen from the dead. Already He has given us abundant, eternal life now. But not yet has this old earth been fully redeemed and restored. Not yet are we fully sinless and perfected. Not yet do we enjoy the infinite wonders, joys, and glories of our heavenly home.
But because of Easter, because of the resurrection, we know--we know with absolute certainty--that one day we will. We will live forever in the perfect, wondrous, endlessly joyful, completely satisfying, and completely loving heavenly home.
Today may be hard...but the resurrection reminds us once again that the best--the infinitely best!--is yet to come. As Tony Compolo preached many years ago, "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming." It may feel like an endless, hard, perplexing "Good Friday" in your life...but Resurrection Sunday is coming. Resurrection has come in Jesus...and it will come in your life as well.
These words I just read from the Bluebookblog reflected this so beautifully:
"you let men ride over our heads; we went through the fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." Psalm 66:12
sometimes
we can only see it
in hindsight
this place of abundance
to which we have
been brought
we could never
have recognized it
while our heads
were being ridden over
or as we were
walking through
the fire and water
yet here we are
on the other side
of it all
in a spacious
and fruitful land
who could have imagined
that such a rugged road
would lead to
such a beautiful place
I don't know where you are right now in your story, but if it feels like you're slogging through the messy trenches of a never-ending, confusing Good Friday, take heart: Christ is risen from the dead. And because He lives, you, too, will live.
Resurrection has come...and is coming. And one day you will look back, stunned, "that such a rugged road would lead to such a beautiful place." I've seen it in my own life over and over again. He truly does--and is--making all things new. Even as you walk through the fire and water and toward that spacious and fruitful land.
So trust Him as you walk and as you wait. He's working...and Sunday's always coming.
To God be the glory.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Spy Wednesday
Spy Wednesday.
That's the name often given to refer to this day in Holy Week, this holiest of weeks leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection. Spy Wednesday rests smack dab in the middle of an extraordinarily eventful week. Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Sunday...then His dramatic temple cleansing on Monday, followed by all His controversies with the religious leaders on Tuesday.
And then we come to Wednesday. Often today we hear Wednesdays referred to as "Hump Day"--as in we're halfway done with the work week. (Which, if you think about it, is a mighty poor, pathetic way to think about our days and our weeks. Each day is a never-to-be-repeated-or-replaced gift of 24 hours. We'll never get this particular Wednesday back...or this Tuesday...or this Thursday. Each day is a gift to be savored--even when they are hard--not a trial to be endured, simply trying to survive until the weekend. But I digress...)
This, however, is no ordinary Wednesday. After all the noisy events of the previous few days, this particular Spy Wednesday seemed quiet and uneventful...but it was anything but. For this Spy Wednesday marks the turning point, indeed, the point of no return, as Judas sneaks off to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus for money. Think of it--betray His Maker, His Sustainer, His God, His Redeemer, His Lord for thirty stinking pieces of silver...the price for a mere slave.
How can this be? On so many, many levels, how on earth can Judas possibly even consider doing such an unimaginably horrific thing?
One possible answer comes in the verses in Mark 14 that immediately precede the account of Judas going to the chief priests to betray Jesus. It's an event we're all familiar with--while Jesus and His disciples recline at the table of Simon the leper, a woman enters. We know from the other gospels that this is Mary, Simon's sister. And we're told in Mark 14:3 that she "came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over His head."
What's the response of those seated at the table? Well, "There were some [actually meaning specifically Judas] who said to themselves indignantly, 'Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor. And they scolded her." (Mark 14:4-5)
Jesus, on the other hand, commends her, for He alone knows the heart of all men. The Lord Jesus recognizes that Mary is adoring and worshipping Him in the best way she knows how (as well as symbolically anointing Him for burial) whereas Judas has a heart fixed only upon financial gain. Sure, Judas may claim a concern for the poor, but we know that ultimately, his twisted heart has been captured by an insatiable desire for more money and the things of this world. He might act like his concern is the poor...but his real concern, his real focus, his real love, is himself and his desires.
Mary worships; Judas withholds. Mary shares; Judas shamefully calculates. Mary ministers; Judas manipulates. Mary loves with all her heart; Judas leaves, withholding his love and tragically losing his heart and ultimately his very soul.
As Johnathon Bowers writes, "the irony of Mark 14 is that Judas could see the value of the ointment rolling down Jesus' head, but he couldn't see the value of Jesus. He was a pawnbroker with cataracts. That's why he took such offense at the woman. The woman, on the other hand, could see both the value of the ointment and the value of Jesus. That's why she broke the flask."
Oh my, I had to ask myself, which one represents me? What am I seeing? What am I loving? What am I truly worshipping? What seeking above all else?
Am I, are you, more like Mary or more like Judas when it comes to our heart's focus, our heart's love?
Don't you wonder: where and when did this love of money, this overweening greed, begin to take root in Judas' heart? As we know with any great downfall, the seeds were sown much, much earlier. No one falls to some grievous sin in one moment. No, no, it's been bit by bit. Tiny downward step by tiny downward step. A little offense here, a little offense there. A wink at some "minor" little sin....that slowly, quietly, inexorably grows and grows. Until before we know it, we are captured and mired by some enslaving sin or habit or addiction or stronghold.
Oh how this has convicted me on this quiet Spy Wednesday. Show me, Lord, where I'm blind to the sinfulness, the selfishness lurking in my heart. My "little" sins of omission or commission. My failure to love my Savior with all my heart. My failure to love others unselfishly and unconditionally. Forgive me, Father, and cleanse me. Don't let me slowly "slip" into deeper and graver sin and selfishness.
But, on the other hand, there's also much to encourage us all from the example of Mary! Those who have been forgiven much, love much. And we--every single one of us--have been forgiven so infinitely much! Not just our selfishness and pride, but our ingratitude, our worry, our lust, our greed, our jealousy, our complaining, our envy, our gossip...and ultimately our completely missing the mark of truly loving God and loving others.
We have been forgiven such a gigantic, such an infinitely ginormous amount! So shouldn't we--like Mary--love greatly, enormously, thankfully? Shouldn't this Spy Wednesday remind us all that though we all often act like Judas, Jesus loved us so much that He died to save us and give us eternal life? When we remember that, we cannot help but extravagantly love and worship our Savior.
Oh Jesus, this Easter, we want to see You...see You far more than all the things and stuff and desires and flotsam that tends to highjack our time and attention and heart. Like Mary, might we see, love, and worship Jesus with abandon, with generosity, with joy, and with overwhelming gratitude.
To God be the glory.
That's the name often given to refer to this day in Holy Week, this holiest of weeks leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection. Spy Wednesday rests smack dab in the middle of an extraordinarily eventful week. Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Sunday...then His dramatic temple cleansing on Monday, followed by all His controversies with the religious leaders on Tuesday.
And then we come to Wednesday. Often today we hear Wednesdays referred to as "Hump Day"--as in we're halfway done with the work week. (Which, if you think about it, is a mighty poor, pathetic way to think about our days and our weeks. Each day is a never-to-be-repeated-or-replaced gift of 24 hours. We'll never get this particular Wednesday back...or this Tuesday...or this Thursday. Each day is a gift to be savored--even when they are hard--not a trial to be endured, simply trying to survive until the weekend. But I digress...)
This, however, is no ordinary Wednesday. After all the noisy events of the previous few days, this particular Spy Wednesday seemed quiet and uneventful...but it was anything but. For this Spy Wednesday marks the turning point, indeed, the point of no return, as Judas sneaks off to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus for money. Think of it--betray His Maker, His Sustainer, His God, His Redeemer, His Lord for thirty stinking pieces of silver...the price for a mere slave.
How can this be? On so many, many levels, how on earth can Judas possibly even consider doing such an unimaginably horrific thing?
One possible answer comes in the verses in Mark 14 that immediately precede the account of Judas going to the chief priests to betray Jesus. It's an event we're all familiar with--while Jesus and His disciples recline at the table of Simon the leper, a woman enters. We know from the other gospels that this is Mary, Simon's sister. And we're told in Mark 14:3 that she "came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over His head."
What's the response of those seated at the table? Well, "There were some [actually meaning specifically Judas] who said to themselves indignantly, 'Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor. And they scolded her." (Mark 14:4-5)
Jesus, on the other hand, commends her, for He alone knows the heart of all men. The Lord Jesus recognizes that Mary is adoring and worshipping Him in the best way she knows how (as well as symbolically anointing Him for burial) whereas Judas has a heart fixed only upon financial gain. Sure, Judas may claim a concern for the poor, but we know that ultimately, his twisted heart has been captured by an insatiable desire for more money and the things of this world. He might act like his concern is the poor...but his real concern, his real focus, his real love, is himself and his desires.
Mary worships; Judas withholds. Mary shares; Judas shamefully calculates. Mary ministers; Judas manipulates. Mary loves with all her heart; Judas leaves, withholding his love and tragically losing his heart and ultimately his very soul.
As Johnathon Bowers writes, "the irony of Mark 14 is that Judas could see the value of the ointment rolling down Jesus' head, but he couldn't see the value of Jesus. He was a pawnbroker with cataracts. That's why he took such offense at the woman. The woman, on the other hand, could see both the value of the ointment and the value of Jesus. That's why she broke the flask."
Oh my, I had to ask myself, which one represents me? What am I seeing? What am I loving? What am I truly worshipping? What seeking above all else?
Am I, are you, more like Mary or more like Judas when it comes to our heart's focus, our heart's love?
Don't you wonder: where and when did this love of money, this overweening greed, begin to take root in Judas' heart? As we know with any great downfall, the seeds were sown much, much earlier. No one falls to some grievous sin in one moment. No, no, it's been bit by bit. Tiny downward step by tiny downward step. A little offense here, a little offense there. A wink at some "minor" little sin....that slowly, quietly, inexorably grows and grows. Until before we know it, we are captured and mired by some enslaving sin or habit or addiction or stronghold.
Oh how this has convicted me on this quiet Spy Wednesday. Show me, Lord, where I'm blind to the sinfulness, the selfishness lurking in my heart. My "little" sins of omission or commission. My failure to love my Savior with all my heart. My failure to love others unselfishly and unconditionally. Forgive me, Father, and cleanse me. Don't let me slowly "slip" into deeper and graver sin and selfishness.
But, on the other hand, there's also much to encourage us all from the example of Mary! Those who have been forgiven much, love much. And we--every single one of us--have been forgiven so infinitely much! Not just our selfishness and pride, but our ingratitude, our worry, our lust, our greed, our jealousy, our complaining, our envy, our gossip...and ultimately our completely missing the mark of truly loving God and loving others.
We have been forgiven such a gigantic, such an infinitely ginormous amount! So shouldn't we--like Mary--love greatly, enormously, thankfully? Shouldn't this Spy Wednesday remind us all that though we all often act like Judas, Jesus loved us so much that He died to save us and give us eternal life? When we remember that, we cannot help but extravagantly love and worship our Savior.
Oh Jesus, this Easter, we want to see You...see You far more than all the things and stuff and desires and flotsam that tends to highjack our time and attention and heart. Like Mary, might we see, love, and worship Jesus with abandon, with generosity, with joy, and with overwhelming gratitude.
To God be the glory.
Monday, April 3, 2017
With apologies: a few more ramblings on UNC...
(Sorry--one more post on UNC and basketball...mainly just ramblings from a fevered, worried, obsessed brain. So again, please feel free to just delete or ignore this. After all, this will all be over in a few hours and then we can all go back to focusing on the mess in the world.)
Okay, let's just get this out of the way right now--my husband is right: I've lost all sense of perspective. Yes, I'm the tiniest bit embarrassed and mortified that there are all kinds of issues of world shaking importance going on out there...and all I can think about is a basketball game to be played in a couple of hours.
The wait is agonizing, and yet, I want the wait to last forever. Because as long as we're still waiting, we're not losing. That's a warped and negative perspective, I know, but there you go. I can't even allow myself to imagine the possibility of winning. Instead, all I'm doing is trying to prepare myself for defeat. Right now, Eeyore is my spiritual mentor.
... which reminds me of watching UNC games many years ago with my dear Daddy. Daddy was big on preparing yourself for the worst...the inevitable worst, at least when it came to UNC basketball. It could be two minutes into the beginning of the first half, and if UNC got down by 3 points, that was it. "Oh no. This doesn't look good...we're not gonna win this one," Daddy would groan. I can relate. (Note to my husband and children: I come by this naturally.)
My dear sister, Mary Norris, on the other hand, is the complete antithesis. If you ever need encouragement, call my sister. Carolina can be down by 25 points with just two minutes left in the game, and she's still saying, "Come on Heels, you can do it. I know you can do it. I saw Dudley Bradley come back against Duke when we were down by 8 with just seconds left...You've got the fighting spirit. You're wonderful. You can do it..." Believe me, with Mary Norris in the room, it's never over till it's over. Which is why it's waaay more fun to watch a game with sweet Mary Norris than with yours truly, Negative Nellie.
Sigh. Somehow, this isn't making me feel any better. I know I need to get busy getting things done. Doing important things. Doing good things. Running those errands, cooking those meals, cleaning up that clutter, folding that laundry, writing those notes, accomplishing something positive for the world...
yet try as I might, the only thing my fevered brain can consider is the game. I know, I know. Shameful. Shallow. Selfish.
...but, oh mercy, I sure hope Joel Berry's ankles are feeling stronger. Will Isaiah be able to make a lay up? My, how we need him tonight. And there's Justin's 3 point shooting--we need him to be hitting it, Lord! And we need Luke...and Theo...and Meeks--God bless him!--and Tony and Nate...and...
I've read about every article--and texted and emailed them all back and forth with my family and friends. I love how Justin writes "God's Will" on his sneakers and tells reporters how his faith is what's most important to him and how he seeks to play for God's glory. I love how the first words out of Kennedy Meeks' mouth, after he played the game of his career on Saturday night, were: "All the glory be to God. Without Him we wouldn't be here." I love how hard these guys have worked and how they've refused to ever quit. Have I mentioned that I love this team? Have I mentioned that I'm obsessed and need to get a grip? Oh goodness gracious!
I had the joy of eating lunch with Janie (our senior at Chapel Hill) today...and yes, pretty much every syllable of our conversation focused on the Tar Heels. We are pathetic..but we can't help it. She's got a bottle of champagne she bought on sale from the CVS pharmacy (well known for their fine wines and champagne) last year the day of the championship game...which she obviously never popped. Janie stuck that bottle in the back of her closet with a note attached to it saying, "Purchased the day UNC should have won national championship, let it not be popped until they do." She picked it back up the other day and took it back to her house in Chapel Hill...hoping and praying that this might be the year. But if not, she'll stick it back in her closet.
Oh mercy, how I hope that bottle doesn't have to make a return appearance in her closet.
I write all this simply to say, I'm in good company. I have brothers and sisters all losing their minds and texting back and forth. I have dear friends calling and texting and emailing back and forth--most of them about as obsessed as I am. I have children and their friends wearing their lucky jerseys and carefully planning where they're watching the game and hoping hard for a victory. I have folks I've never met who live all over this country who are just as focused, preoccupied, and worthless today as I am, because they love the Tar Heels and love this team.
So to any fellow Tar Heels out there, let me remind us all to be thankful that we've even had this opportunity. Yes, our hearts may be broken come a couple hours from now, but to quote the great Dr Seuss, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
I'm so thankful and happy that Justin and Kennedy and Nate and Luke and Isaiah and Theo and Roy and all the rest of them happened. I'm so thankful I got to see them claw and fight their way to the championship game. I'm so thankful I got to text and call and cheer with my children. I'm so thankful I got to buy one more Carolina blue tee shirt. I'm so thankful, as I shared in my last blog, that they taught us all that it's always too soon to quit and it's never too late to start. I'm so thankful for the sheer fun and excitement and craziness and joy of it all.
So no matter what happens tonight, thank you, Lord, for all of it.
Oh and one last thing--and I really will drop this whole UNC obsession after this and get back to normal (eventually) in the days ahead--I'm thankful that their group text name is "Redemption." Redemption--what a beautiful word. The word redemption in biblical times meant “to buy out," and it was a term used specifically referring to the purchase of a slave’s freedom. For believers, that's exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross--He redeemed us. We were slaves to sin and death, but Christ purchased us by His death and gave us our freedom. We're not longer in bondage to sin and guilt and death, praise God!
Just a reminder about what life is really all about! And it's not a basketball game...or any other thing we tend to obsess and worry about in this world. It's really all, all, all about Jesus--who He is and what He did for us. Thank You, Father, for sending the greatest of all Gifts (Jesus!) to meet the greatest of all needs (our sin and death) to accomplish the greatest of all deeds (Redemption!) to purchase the greatest of all joys (our salvation, eternal life, and heaven!).
Now that's something really worth cheering about! THANK YOU AND PRAISE YOU, LORD, FOREVER AND EVER!!!
To God be the glory.
Okay, let's just get this out of the way right now--my husband is right: I've lost all sense of perspective. Yes, I'm the tiniest bit embarrassed and mortified that there are all kinds of issues of world shaking importance going on out there...and all I can think about is a basketball game to be played in a couple of hours.
The wait is agonizing, and yet, I want the wait to last forever. Because as long as we're still waiting, we're not losing. That's a warped and negative perspective, I know, but there you go. I can't even allow myself to imagine the possibility of winning. Instead, all I'm doing is trying to prepare myself for defeat. Right now, Eeyore is my spiritual mentor.
... which reminds me of watching UNC games many years ago with my dear Daddy. Daddy was big on preparing yourself for the worst...the inevitable worst, at least when it came to UNC basketball. It could be two minutes into the beginning of the first half, and if UNC got down by 3 points, that was it. "Oh no. This doesn't look good...we're not gonna win this one," Daddy would groan. I can relate. (Note to my husband and children: I come by this naturally.)
My dear sister, Mary Norris, on the other hand, is the complete antithesis. If you ever need encouragement, call my sister. Carolina can be down by 25 points with just two minutes left in the game, and she's still saying, "Come on Heels, you can do it. I know you can do it. I saw Dudley Bradley come back against Duke when we were down by 8 with just seconds left...You've got the fighting spirit. You're wonderful. You can do it..." Believe me, with Mary Norris in the room, it's never over till it's over. Which is why it's waaay more fun to watch a game with sweet Mary Norris than with yours truly, Negative Nellie.
Sigh. Somehow, this isn't making me feel any better. I know I need to get busy getting things done. Doing important things. Doing good things. Running those errands, cooking those meals, cleaning up that clutter, folding that laundry, writing those notes, accomplishing something positive for the world...
yet try as I might, the only thing my fevered brain can consider is the game. I know, I know. Shameful. Shallow. Selfish.
...but, oh mercy, I sure hope Joel Berry's ankles are feeling stronger. Will Isaiah be able to make a lay up? My, how we need him tonight. And there's Justin's 3 point shooting--we need him to be hitting it, Lord! And we need Luke...and Theo...and Meeks--God bless him!--and Tony and Nate...and...
I've read about every article--and texted and emailed them all back and forth with my family and friends. I love how Justin writes "God's Will" on his sneakers and tells reporters how his faith is what's most important to him and how he seeks to play for God's glory. I love how the first words out of Kennedy Meeks' mouth, after he played the game of his career on Saturday night, were: "All the glory be to God. Without Him we wouldn't be here." I love how hard these guys have worked and how they've refused to ever quit. Have I mentioned that I love this team? Have I mentioned that I'm obsessed and need to get a grip? Oh goodness gracious!
I had the joy of eating lunch with Janie (our senior at Chapel Hill) today...and yes, pretty much every syllable of our conversation focused on the Tar Heels. We are pathetic..but we can't help it. She's got a bottle of champagne she bought on sale from the CVS pharmacy (well known for their fine wines and champagne) last year the day of the championship game...which she obviously never popped. Janie stuck that bottle in the back of her closet with a note attached to it saying, "Purchased the day UNC should have won national championship, let it not be popped until they do." She picked it back up the other day and took it back to her house in Chapel Hill...hoping and praying that this might be the year. But if not, she'll stick it back in her closet.
Oh mercy, how I hope that bottle doesn't have to make a return appearance in her closet.
I write all this simply to say, I'm in good company. I have brothers and sisters all losing their minds and texting back and forth. I have dear friends calling and texting and emailing back and forth--most of them about as obsessed as I am. I have children and their friends wearing their lucky jerseys and carefully planning where they're watching the game and hoping hard for a victory. I have folks I've never met who live all over this country who are just as focused, preoccupied, and worthless today as I am, because they love the Tar Heels and love this team.
So to any fellow Tar Heels out there, let me remind us all to be thankful that we've even had this opportunity. Yes, our hearts may be broken come a couple hours from now, but to quote the great Dr Seuss, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
I'm so thankful and happy that Justin and Kennedy and Nate and Luke and Isaiah and Theo and Roy and all the rest of them happened. I'm so thankful I got to see them claw and fight their way to the championship game. I'm so thankful I got to text and call and cheer with my children. I'm so thankful I got to buy one more Carolina blue tee shirt. I'm so thankful, as I shared in my last blog, that they taught us all that it's always too soon to quit and it's never too late to start. I'm so thankful for the sheer fun and excitement and craziness and joy of it all.
So no matter what happens tonight, thank you, Lord, for all of it.
Oh and one last thing--and I really will drop this whole UNC obsession after this and get back to normal (eventually) in the days ahead--I'm thankful that their group text name is "Redemption." Redemption--what a beautiful word. The word redemption in biblical times meant “to buy out," and it was a term used specifically referring to the purchase of a slave’s freedom. For believers, that's exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross--He redeemed us. We were slaves to sin and death, but Christ purchased us by His death and gave us our freedom. We're not longer in bondage to sin and guilt and death, praise God!
Just a reminder about what life is really all about! And it's not a basketball game...or any other thing we tend to obsess and worry about in this world. It's really all, all, all about Jesus--who He is and what He did for us. Thank You, Father, for sending the greatest of all Gifts (Jesus!) to meet the greatest of all needs (our sin and death) to accomplish the greatest of all deeds (Redemption!) to purchase the greatest of all joys (our salvation, eternal life, and heaven!).
Now that's something really worth cheering about! THANK YOU AND PRAISE YOU, LORD, FOREVER AND EVER!!!
To God be the glory.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Just a game...
(Spoiler alert--if you dislike UNC, you might as well skip this blog...I've only temporarily lost my mind.)
Yes, it's "just a game." I know, I know.
But as I sit here on this beautiful sunny April day, I keep remembering back to so many other games. Some heart breakers--like Indiana in '81. Or Kansas in '08. Or last year. Oh my, painful. But somehow, there was a bond forged in that terrible disappointment...not just among the team, but among all us fans, all us "family." We have two children attending UNC right now, and both were there last year for that exciting, brutal, amazing, terrible finale to the season. To this day, they still don't like to talk about it.
And I'm remembering the first and only time I've ever been to a Final Four. Boy, I did it right, because I went with my sister, Mary Norris (who is absolutely and officially the sweetest person on the planet--no contest) way back in '82 in New Orleans. What memories--walking those streets and talking about nothing but basketball. We'd try to change the topic...but within a minute or two, we were back at it, strategizing, hoping, praying.
And before every game, we'd eat at least a few bites of a poppyseed bagel, because improbably we were somehow convinced this brought the Tar Heels good luck. Go figure. Those bagels got mighty stale by Monday evening, but we managed to choke them down anyway. You're welcome Dean and all the Tar Heels. (Meanwhile my other wonderful sister, Jane, was convinced it was the Altoids mints she ate before and during every game--she had fabulous breath that season, but I'm not sure she's eaten one since.)
I remember that Sunday, strolling the streets of New Orleans and finding ourselves walking behind a tall skinny freshman named Mike. Yep, that Mike who would go on to hit the winning shot the next day in the National Championship.
And I remember screaming our lungs out at that game--standing up and jumping up and down the whole time--and at the very end, turning to deliriously hug and high five my sister when James Worthy got the ball in those last seconds...but my sister was sitting down for the first time. What??? Turns out, she was sobbing. Her head buried in her hands, weeping over the sheer joy of it all. Over the indomitable fight of Worthy and the boys in light blue.
And I remember watching our beloved Dean Smith smiling, but always, always deflecting the spotlight away from himself and onto his players and other people. Because that was Dean.
And now here we are again. My daughter and her six housemates are armed and ready. Yeah, you can pretty much label them fanatics. They're seniors now, so this is it. Janie's the one who wore her Marcus Paige jersey to greet the team after they lost last year...and she held up a sign that read "Even when you take your jersey off, I keep it on."
Or Janie with her brother last year after the first win in the Final Four...but before heartbreak--
And I know, yes, I know it's "just a game." You don't need to tell me. Me with my nails painted Carolina Blue and my tar heel earrings and my tar heel shirt. I'm trying mighty hard to put it all in perspective, but still...
I know that come about 11:15 tonight or maybe even Monday night, a lot of us may very well be heartbroken again. It's so hard to win a National Championship....and boy, it's even harder to lose one. But even so, oh goodness, I'm so thankful to be a part of this and to share this with my family and friends and the Carolina family. No matter what, we love this team. We love this university. We love this family.
I can't think of a single spiritual thing to say about it all except to say, thank You Lord for the joy of being a part of living and loving...and cheering and praying. (Yes, I'm not ashamed to admit it!) These are the days you just feel thankful for the gift of life...even when it's hard or disappointing or downright perplexing. It's all a gift from our gracious, generous, all good and great God.
So goooo Heels! Thank you for so many wonderful memories. Thank you for so many amazing stories. Thank you for so many lessons learned. Thank you for never giving up. Thank you for enduring criticism and continuing to play hard. Thank you for reminding us that it's always too soon to quit and it's never too late to begin again.
We're hoping and praying and cheering as hard as we can from about every corner of this state. But if you come up short, that's okay. We may shed a few tears (even though it's "just a game"), but we'll love you just as much...because we're family. Always.
But until that last buzzer sounds tonight, we'll keep praying and cheering and hoping. Because we're Tar Heels. And it's always a great day to be a Tar Heel!
To God be the glory.
Yes, it's "just a game." I know, I know.
But as I sit here on this beautiful sunny April day, I keep remembering back to so many other games. Some heart breakers--like Indiana in '81. Or Kansas in '08. Or last year. Oh my, painful. But somehow, there was a bond forged in that terrible disappointment...not just among the team, but among all us fans, all us "family." We have two children attending UNC right now, and both were there last year for that exciting, brutal, amazing, terrible finale to the season. To this day, they still don't like to talk about it.
And I'm remembering the first and only time I've ever been to a Final Four. Boy, I did it right, because I went with my sister, Mary Norris (who is absolutely and officially the sweetest person on the planet--no contest) way back in '82 in New Orleans. What memories--walking those streets and talking about nothing but basketball. We'd try to change the topic...but within a minute or two, we were back at it, strategizing, hoping, praying.
And before every game, we'd eat at least a few bites of a poppyseed bagel, because improbably we were somehow convinced this brought the Tar Heels good luck. Go figure. Those bagels got mighty stale by Monday evening, but we managed to choke them down anyway. You're welcome Dean and all the Tar Heels. (Meanwhile my other wonderful sister, Jane, was convinced it was the Altoids mints she ate before and during every game--she had fabulous breath that season, but I'm not sure she's eaten one since.)
I remember that Sunday, strolling the streets of New Orleans and finding ourselves walking behind a tall skinny freshman named Mike. Yep, that Mike who would go on to hit the winning shot the next day in the National Championship.
And I remember screaming our lungs out at that game--standing up and jumping up and down the whole time--and at the very end, turning to deliriously hug and high five my sister when James Worthy got the ball in those last seconds...but my sister was sitting down for the first time. What??? Turns out, she was sobbing. Her head buried in her hands, weeping over the sheer joy of it all. Over the indomitable fight of Worthy and the boys in light blue.
And I remember watching our beloved Dean Smith smiling, but always, always deflecting the spotlight away from himself and onto his players and other people. Because that was Dean.
And now here we are again. My daughter and her six housemates are armed and ready. Yeah, you can pretty much label them fanatics. They're seniors now, so this is it. Janie's the one who wore her Marcus Paige jersey to greet the team after they lost last year...and she held up a sign that read "Even when you take your jersey off, I keep it on."
I know that come about 11:15 tonight or maybe even Monday night, a lot of us may very well be heartbroken again. It's so hard to win a National Championship....and boy, it's even harder to lose one. But even so, oh goodness, I'm so thankful to be a part of this and to share this with my family and friends and the Carolina family. No matter what, we love this team. We love this university. We love this family.
I can't think of a single spiritual thing to say about it all except to say, thank You Lord for the joy of being a part of living and loving...and cheering and praying. (Yes, I'm not ashamed to admit it!) These are the days you just feel thankful for the gift of life...even when it's hard or disappointing or downright perplexing. It's all a gift from our gracious, generous, all good and great God.
So goooo Heels! Thank you for so many wonderful memories. Thank you for so many amazing stories. Thank you for so many lessons learned. Thank you for never giving up. Thank you for enduring criticism and continuing to play hard. Thank you for reminding us that it's always too soon to quit and it's never too late to begin again.
We're hoping and praying and cheering as hard as we can from about every corner of this state. But if you come up short, that's okay. We may shed a few tears (even though it's "just a game"), but we'll love you just as much...because we're family. Always.
But until that last buzzer sounds tonight, we'll keep praying and cheering and hoping. Because we're Tar Heels. And it's always a great day to be a Tar Heel!
To God be the glory.
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