Always thankful...in the ordinary

        "I will extoll the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips." (Ps.34:1)
        Extoll Him at "all times."  His praise "always on my lips."  Not just for the big, splashy blessings...but also for the common, everyday graces of our regular old ordinary--yet infused with the extraordinary--lives.  Thanks and praise to Him in the highs and lows...in the routine and the chaos.
        So today, here's a few ordinary--yet extraordinary--gifts from God.  Thank You, Abba!
        The beautiful mum my dear sister, Mary Norris, gave me that is still blooming to beat the band.  Thankful!  From glory...

    ...to glory, in the back set of our car.
  Mr. B enjoying a trip to pick up his little "brother."  Thankful.  From glory...

 ...to glory, in the Target parking lot.
Everywhere you look, God's dancing paintings stun you, even in parking lots! Thankful.
From glory...

 ...to glory, remembering "Hamilton" with my girls.  So,so,so thankful.  From glory...

 ...to glory, with the joy of these amazing girls and their mamas.  
Friendship.  So very thankful.  From glory...

 ...to glory, sitting with God's Word, hot tea in a beloved mug, and a blanket made for us when Janie was in ICU.  Reading, sipping, and remembering...and overwhelmingly thankful, thankful, thankful.

        How about you?  What ordinary (yet extraordinary) gifts has God showered upon you today?  Have you noticed?  Have you thanked Him?  Might His praise be "always" on our lips.  He is forever worthy.
         To God be the glory.

Do it for the pilgrims!

        "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." (Phil.1:3-5)
        Today, Lord, thank You so much for the gift of friendship.  And oh what a priceless gift it is!  And here's how I was reminded--a note from a dear friend.  Let me explain.
        Early this morning, I awoke with a heavy heart.  I don't really know why, but I just felt anxious and a bit downhearted.  As soon as I walked into the kitchen to greet Mr. B and make some hot tea to enjoy with the Word, my eyes fell upon an unopened envelope addressed to me.  It'd been such a busy couple of days that I had somehow missed seeing and opening it.  This was the card's cover--

 Yes sir, I was feeling better already! And then inside--

Amen!  Now that's a cause I can really get behind...or should I say, that I can really sink my teeth into...literally.
        My dear friend, Joan, sent it to me, and she shares my love and admiration for all things "pilgrim."  How can you not adore and respect those courageous, persevering, hardy souls?  They traveled to our shores to freely worship the Lord, and they endured such unimaginable tribulation.  There was so much death and pain and sorrow.  Yet they persevered...and gave us a beautiful, in-living-color example of praise and Thanksgiving even in the face of relentless adversity.
        So yes sir, we can all dig into our Thanksgiving meals--and carb up (I'm looking for you dressing, squash casserole, chocolate cake, and pumpkin anything!)--with joyful abandon, because, we've gotta "Do it for the pilgrims!"  Aren't you feeling better already?
        But back to my original point--my sweet friend, Joan, had no earthly idea I'd need to laugh at her card and enjoy her encouraging words on the morning of November 16th.  Nope, she just acted on the prompting of the Holy Spirit that gently nudged her to send a little note of encouragement to her buddy.  And she did.
        That's the point--she did.
        So how about you?  Has God put someone on your heart recently?  Do you have a friend whose name has suddenly come to your mind for seemingly no apparent reason?  Write them a quick note.  Have you thought about that small cadre of friends that you've not visited with in a while--organize a get-together via email.
        Folks, we need each other!  The Lord gave us friends and family to savor, to laugh with, to learn from, to love (duh), and to encourage.  You don't know but that your brother or sister in Christ or your friend from work or your out of town sibling or simply your bygone buddy needs a word of hope, or a reminder of God's love,  or simply a "don't quit--you can get through this!" cheer from you. 
         Don't put it off till tomorrow or when you "have  more time" (which is never).  Do it today!  If God's put them on your heart, make the call, write the letter, and go ahead and do. it. today.
         "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." (Ecc.4:9-10) 
          Maybe you're a lot stronger than me.  Maybe you never fall down or grow disheartened or feel defeated...but I do.  And truth be told, we all do at times, right?  So praise God for the priceless, wondrous gift of friends and family!  Ah boy, today I'm so thankful for dear friends like Joan...or like my wonderful sister, Jane, who just called me for lunch out of the blue.  Thank You, Lord, for my husband, my children, my siblings, and my friends.  Gifts straight from Your hand.  Please, Father, help me to love them well.  Help us to love and encourage one another even in life's mundane or messy moments...which is all of them!
          Today, thank the Lord for the wondrous gift of friends and family.  And then tell them or show them how grateful you are for them...do it for the pilgrims!
          To God be the glory.         
       

Turning the corner to Thanksgiving!

         Yes, yes, the election.
         No matter which side you found yourself on, weren't you just weary of the whole thing?  Weary of the worrying.  Weary of the ugly, harsh rhetoric.  Weary of the divisiveness.  Weary, now, of the endless analysis of what happened and why.  Whew.
        How I pray that by the grace of Almighty God, He will make a way for our nation to move forward in healing.  Healing of the many wounds.  Healing of the fear.  Healing of the loss of hope.  And healing of the misplaced faith in things that were never meant to bear the brunt of our ultimate faith and hope.
         To once again quote Chuck Colson, "The Kingdom of God will not arrive on Air force One."  So matter whether you're elated or devastated right now, remember your hope, your salvation, and your joy will never be found in any political party or candidate or any other thing this world applauds or promotes.  Your hope, your never failing Rock, your deep down soul satisfaction, your perfect peace is in Christ alone.  And that's the greatest news of all--because Jesus, our Hope, can never be destroyed or defeated or diminished in any way, ever!
        "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."  
          So time today to turn the corner, refocus on the Savior, and choose gratitude.  Praise God for the gift of Thanksgiving!  Did you know that just two days ago--November 11--was just a few years shy of the 400 anniversary of the signing of the Mayflower Compact?  Yay pilgrims!
        As those courageous, godly men, women, and children arrived in the harbor off the coast of Cape Cod, William Bradford recorded: "Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven."  Oh yes, time to turn the corner to Thanksgiving!

      "I will give thanks to You Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of Your wonderful deeds." (Ps.9:1)
      "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever." (I Chron. 16:34)
      "Rejoice always; Pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (I Thess.5:16-18)
        Amen and amen!  We thank and praise You, Lord, for Your never failing goodness and for Your relentless grace to us. Thank You for pilgrims.  Thank You for Thanksgiving.  Thank You for the gift of life and breath.  Thank You for the beauty of Your creation.  Thank You for crisp fall days and magnificent trees dressed in autumn's finest.  Thank You for the priceless gift of family and friends.  And thank You for Jesus--our true and ultimate and never failing Hope.
         Yes, we echo the words of George Herbert: "Oh Thou, who has given us so much, mercifully grant us one more thing--a grateful heart."  To God--and God alone--be all the glory.

       

One more day...

         I can hear the stirring notes from the musical, "Les Miserables," echoing in my brain: "One more day..."
         Oh mercy, praise God just one more day.   One more day and no more mud slinging, no more robo calls, no more piles of flyers, no more back-to-back ads slamming the other candidate, no more endless polls and political commentary.
         I don't mean to make light of all this (but it's either laugh or cry!), because clearly our nation's in trouble, and this old world is a mess.  But boy, there have been moments over the past few months when I've been nearly overwhelmed with discouragement and fear over all that's going on in our country and the vitriol and ugly words that have been hurled about.  It's tempting to throw your hands up in despair regardless of which side of the political spectrum on which you find yourself.  
         But here's the thing: despair is a sin.  Fear is a failure to trust God. And sticking our heads in the sand or lashing out in fury are NOT the responses of anyone who follows the Sovereign King who gave His life to redeem this fallen world.
         As I thought about tomorrow, the Lord suddenly brought this verse to mind: "This--THIS--is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps.143:24) And here's why we an rejoice--because God is still and forever on His throne, and nothing will ever change that.  Our hope is not in any political candidate or political system.  Our hope is in Christ alone. And nothing and no one will ever thwart His plans and purposes for His people.  That doesn't mean we won't endure plenty of hard times ahead, but it does mean He's fully in control and working all things out for our good and His glory.
         And here's my prayer: that God will bring healing to our land.  Oh how we need it.  That He will heal the divisiveness.  That He will replace the harsh, hurtful words with words of hope and healing.  That He will bring revival and restoration among His people.  And that believers will lead the way in shining the light and love of Christ in a dark world.
         No, that doesn't mean we all agree or acquiesce.  But it means we listen.  We seek to understand.  And we talk and share the Truth in love, remembering that those with whom we disagree are made in the likeness of God and are people Christ loves and for whom He suffered and died.  
          Just today, I read these words, and they speak powerfully to this moment:
          "I remember once hearing Bishop Whipple...utter these beautiful words: 'For thirty years I have tried to see the face of Christ in those with whom I differed.'  When this spirit actuates us we shall be preserved at once from a narrow bigotry and an easy-going tolerance, from passionate vindictiveness and everything that would mar or injure our testimony for Him who came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them."  (W.H. Griffith Thomas)
          Heavenly Father, please by Your infinite grace, enable us to see the face of our Savior in those with whom we disagree.  Help us to forgive as You forgive.  Help us love as You love.  Help us to serve as You serve.  Remind us anew that the ground is level at the foot of the cross, for we are all sinners saved solely by Your grace.  Thank You for the hope and promise of the Gospel--that we are far worse than we ever dared imagine, but we are also far more loved by You than we ever dared dream.  It's all, all, all grace, Lord.  Keep us humble.  Keep us grateful.  Keep us listening.  Keep us loving.  Keep us shining the Light of Christ--and never hiding it under a bushel--wherever we go, whatever we do, that the world may know how good and great You are.  Thank You, Father.  In Jesus mighty and merciful name we pray.  Amen.
          To God be the glory.

The real deal!!

         Well, it's been a little over a week since Chicago.  And can I just say, "Wow."  What a city!   What a wonderful group of moms and daughters!  What eating!  What architecture!

What biking!

 What shopping! (don't tell my husband)  What a "lake"--which, for my money, is an ocean--Huuuuuuge!   Oh, and did I mention, what EATING?!

 Oh my, my, my.  Our trip was just one happy, never-to-be-forgotten moment after another, and you could put our whole crew at the  top of the Chicago fan club--ah, except during the winter.
        But let me get to the ultimate, shining highlight of our trip: "Hamilton."  Yes, that's right--the musical based upon Alexander Hamilton's life.  I've already recounted this in an earlier blog post, but just to briefly recap:our daughter, Janie, has been obsessed with "Hamilton" for a good long while.  She could--and I mean this literally--understudy every single role in the musical, because she’s memorized every single word of every single song and every single rap.  
 She played the musical score so many times that I’m sure all her housemates were ready to scream!  She watched the pirated version of an undercover video of the musical.  She’s researched all the in’s and out’s of about every aspect of the show and it’s unbelievably talented author and composer—Lin Manuel-Miranda.  Janie’s desperately wanted to see Hamilton for a good long time, but there was a problem: the tickets in New York were sold out till the rapture…and if by some chance you could get your hands on one, they cost an arm and a leg.
But Janie remained undaunted in her single-minded quest to see Hamilton, and her extraordinary love for the show was contagious.  So after learning that "Hamilton" was opening in Chicago in October, well, that was it.  Time for a senior year fall break road trip with moms and daughters (and for a few of us, also for our older daughters as well.  Yay!).
  Of course, priority numero uno was to buy tickets to "Hamilton."  My girls and I had no idea what hotel we were staying in or when our flights were scheduled to depart and arrive, but you can bet your britches we were totally on top of buying those tickets.  And as soon as we did, I was informed in no uncertain terms by my daughters that I MUST learn and be completely familiar with the complex story, because I absolutely, positively--under pain of death--was NOT permitted to ask questions during the musical!  (Which is a bit of challenge for me.)  So for a solid month, I listened intently to the 1000 page book on CD on which the musical is based.  In my car, it was ALL Hamilton, ALL the time.  And we all listened to the music...and listened and listened.    
Okay, enough background.  Fast forward to weekend before last.  By the time we arrived in Chicago, most of us were incredibly familiar with Hamilton—his real life story and his musical.  And we were all super excited to finally get to see this show that has garnered universal acclaim.  We all totally loved the sight-seeing, shopping, and eating…but unquestionably the most highly anticipated moment would be our last night in Chicago when we’d see “Hamilton.”
After such a build up, I wondered if anything could possibly live up to all the hype and excitement.  Well guess what?  It didn’t meet our ultra-high expectations…it blew them out of the water.  Listening to the music, reading the book, and learning about the composer all PALED in comparison to actually going to it and seeing it in person.  It was absolutely INCREDIBLE!

But you know what I realized?  Before we went to Hamilton, we could appreciate the story.  We could savor the music.  We could admire the composer.  But until we jumped in and experienced the actual show, we couldn’t imagine how much we were missing.
        There’s nothing like the real deal, is there?  Its like the difference between looking at a photograph of the ocean versus actually sitting on the beach and enjoying the sun, waves, and salt air!  Well, in an infinitely greater, more destiny-altering, life-changing, and joy-filling way, that’s the radical difference between "religion" and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Religion essentially says “If I perform and obey, I’m accepted.”  But the Gospel says, “I am fully accepted in Jesus Christ, and therefore I obey.”  Religion says “Be as good as you possibly can and then maybe you can come into God’s kingdom.”  The Gospel says, “Come on in, you’re welcomed into God’s Kingdom, because Jesus was perfect in His goodness for you.”  Religion can mean little more than knowing something about Jesus, but the Gospel means knowing Jesus personally as Savior.
It’s all the difference in the world, because religion leads to endless striving, self-effort, and self-righteousness while the Gospel leads to freedom, joy, and Christ’s righteousness.  With religion, we can feel prideful or anxious, but with the Gospel, we’re humbled and grateful.  And with religion, obedience is a burden, but with the Gospel of Jesus obedience is a blessing.
       Religion is a little like dutifully listening to the book on CD about Hamilton, because you desperately want to understand the plot; but the gospel is joyfully experiencing the real deal when you watch the actual musical and are overcome by the beauty of the story and music.  Like I said, it’s ALL the difference in the world!  
I say all this, because how often have you heard people say something like, "Oh I hear you're religious."  I always want to shout, "No,  no!  It's not about being religious.  It's all about being in a living, breathing relationship with the Savior who made you, loves you, and died for you!"  
       Jesus is the Gospel!  He’s the real deal—the glorious reality of God incarnate giving us His righteousness in exchange for our sinfulness.  Praise God that because He came, died for our sins, and rose to new life, we can rejoice rather than living enslaved to our fears or frustrations or feelings of either pride on the one hand or despairing inadequacy on the other.  None of us will ever be good enough...but that's okay, because Jesus was and is and always will be.
        So today, if Jesus is your Redeemer, rejoice that you have the real deal, and He will never, ever leave you, nor forsake you.   Because "there's nothing like the real thing, baby!"
        To God be the glory.

Chicago...and God's sovereignty

     

        Chicago.  Wow.
        We arrived last night for a moms and daughters trip, and this is our first visit to the Windy City.  And let me just say, based on the drive from the airport and the walk to a late evening dinner, "Wow" about covers it.  Broad boulevards, beautiful buildings, wide glittering river...not to mention priceless daughters and moms with whom to enjoy it all!  All good gifts come from Your hand, so thank You, thank You, Father, for allowing us to be here!

                (A few of the girls...not everyone is here yet...and, boy, dinner was some kind of good!)
         But here's my very short, very limited point for this early morning before exploring the city: praise God that He is here.  He is in Raleigh.  He is in eastern North Carolina where folks struggle to recover from hurricane Matthew.  He is in Aleppo...and Paris...and Dubai...and Detroit..and Addis Ababa.
        Abraham Kuyper says "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!"  Amen!
       Sovereign over elections and politicians.  Sovereign over hurricanes and earthquakes.  Sovereign over every person and every place.  Sovereign over our fondest hopes and our greatest fears.
       And so, as we begin this new day in this new place with new friends, Father, we thank You that You are here, and You are back home with those we love so dearly.  You are with those struggling to recover from pain and loss, and You are with those worried about simply making it through the day.  You are with those in some kind of storm..with those about to enter a storm...and those thankfully exiting the storm.  You are with us in our rejoicing and celebration...and with us, often even more dearly and intimately, in our weeping and sorrows.
          You, our Sovereign King, are with us no matter what.  No matter where.  No matter who.  We praise You and thank You, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Remind us of Your powerful presence, Your unconquerable love, and Your supreme-over-ALL-things sovereignty in the days ahead.  As the world grows darker, preserve us from despair--which is a sin--and discouragement.  You are still--and always and forever will be-on the throne of the universe.  No election, no storm, no sickness, no failure, no nothing, nothing, nothing will ever change that one iota.  You are God and there is none other.
         With You and in You there is always hope, joy, peace, grace, strength, forgiveness, love, and ultimate glory.  In You we have all that now, but even more especially in the glorious future You  have prepared for those who love You.  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Rom.8:28)  Those aren't just familiar words on a page...they are Your God-breathed out, supernaturally powerful words of eternal and unconquerable Truth.
          Yes, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!"  Amen, Lord, amen.  To You, Almighty God of heaven and earth, be all the glory.
       

Praying

                                        A little food for weekend thought on prayer--
         "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place and there He prayed." (Mark 1:35)
         "And they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." (Rev.5:8)
         John Piper says, "It is as though God has a favorite food.  When we pray, He smells the aroma from the kitchen as you prepare His favorite dish.  When God hungers for some special satisfaction, He seeks out a prayer to answer.  Our prayer is the sweet aroma from the kitchen ascending up into the King's chambers making Him hungry for the meal.  But the actual enjoyment of the meal is His own glorious work in answering our prayer.  The food of God is to answer our prayers.  The most wonderful thing about the Bible is that it reveals a God who satisfies His appetite for joy answering prayers.  He has no deficiency in Himself that He needs to fill up, so He gets His satisfaction by magnifying the glory of His riches by filling up the deficiencies of people who pray."
         After an unimaginably full and busy day that stretched from early morning until deep into the night with Jesus teaching and healing countless individuals, what does our Lord do?  He arises in the predawn darkness to be alone with His Heavenly Father to pray.  To enjoy His Father's presence.  To lay all His needs before His Father.  To simply soak in His Father's love, peace, joy, wisdom, and strength.  If the Sovereign King of Kings, the Creator of heaven and earth needed this time alone with His Father to be empowered and equipped for all He had to do, why on earth would we think we need it any less?  I keep asking my lazy...or rushed...or self-sufficient...or misplaced priorities self that question.  If the Lord Jesus needed and wanted prayer, who do I think I am to skimp on it?  How much am I missing?  Forgive me, Father!  Oh how I want to be a woman of prayer.  A prayer warrior for God's kingdom.  Help me, help us, Father, to be Your prayer warriors.  
         In John Piper's words, we want our prayers to create those sweet aromas that bring You, our Father, satisfaction.  We ask that in Your grace, You would teach us to pray.  In your love, You would enable us to persevere in our prayers.  And in Your power and for Your glory, You would answer our prayers.
       And, Lord, right now we lift up those in dire need because of Hurricane Matthew.   Raise up an army of Your people to help and serve and love those who are struggling...and might You receive all the glory.  Lord, strengthen the weak.  Heal the sick and injured.  Comfort those dealing with terrible loss.  Encourage the downhearted.  Bring the light and love of Christ to bear in every dark and desperate place.  Overwhelm the darkness with Your Light.  Father, we know You are able, so we ask all this in Jesus mighty, good and glorious name.  And to You be all the glory.  Amen.