Sticks and Stones

Apr19

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

 

 

Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.  How many times have I heard that?  How stonesmany times have I said that?  How many times have I wished it to be true?  Words do hurt, and they continue to hurt long after the conversation is finished.  I can still hear the words of a parent telling me that I didn’t measure up.  I can still hear the words of my spouse saying something hurtful.  I can still hear the woman at church telling me how much better someone else could do my job.  I still have that little voice in my head telling me that I am not worthy.  Sometimes, Lord, I hear You calling me to do something, and I am willing and excited about what You have planned for me.  Then a feeling of uncertainty comes over me. The whispers to my heart start telling me that I can’t do it; I’m not spiritual enough; its ridiculous that I would even think You would use me.  They are whispers, but they are so loud that those are the only words I hear.  All of the old words come rushing to join in to make my insecure feelings take over.  Lord, when doubt tells me that I am weak and alone, help me to remember that Deuteronomy 31:6 tells me to be strong and courageous, not to fear or be in dread because You will stay with me.   When doubt tells me that I’m not good enough for a certain position, help me to remember that Ephesians 2 tells me that I am Your masterpiece, created to do the good things You planned for me.  Romans 8 says if You are for me nothing else matters.  Sticks and stones can break my bones and words can hurt me, but Isaiah reminds me that by Your stripes I am healed.

Words to Live By

Apr15

Psalm 22:1-2: My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from my deliverance
and from my words of groaning?[b]
2 My God, I cry by day, but You do not answer,
by night, yet I have no rest. (HCSB)

 

2 Timothy 4:16-17: At my first defense, no one stood by me, but   everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the proclamation might be fully made through me and all the Gentiles might hear. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. (HCSB)

 

 

I am sitting here in the quiet of the morning, drinking my coffee, and pondering on a story I recently read.  Two girls had memorized the last words of Jesus and had taken some of Jesus’ final words to describe their lives.  One had chosen Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they’re doing” (HCSB).  She lived her life that way, never carrying anger or bitterness and always being quick to forgive.  The other girl chose Matthew 27:46 “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (HCSB).   She had led a difficult life.  She had a whyGodfather who was physically abusive to her mother and verbally and emotionally abusive to her.  She lived in poverty in an area where poverty was considered a character flaw.  She was bi-racial, and her grandparents considered that a sin and refused to acknowledge her existence.  I look at her life and think that I can understand how she would feel that God had abandoned her.  She did carry anger, had lots of bitterness, and refused to forgive.  She began to live her life by the oft quoted “scripture” that isn’t even scripture at all — God helps those that help themselves.  In the end, she realized that You had always been there.  You had protected her from certain situations.  You had sent people into her life at certain times.  Her new scripture became Matthew 28:20 “I am always with you.”  Lord, my life has been nothing like that girl’s life.  I’ve never been abused, or lived in poverty or been considered a walking sin.  But, there have been many times when I too asked “why have You forsaken me?”  Lord, I sit here with my empty coffee cup and a humble heart.  You have been so good to me.  I need to be like David and say “Even if my mother and father abandon me, the Lord cares for me (Psalm 27:10, HCSB), but often I am more like David in Psalm 22:1-2 asking why.  2Timothy 4:16-17 says that even when I feel abandoned by other people, You are always there.   1 Peter 5:7 tells me to give You all my worries because You care for me.  Father God, please help me to abandon Matthew 27:46 as my mind set and replace it with Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” (HCSB)

Focus

Apr10

Hebrews 12:2: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (NIV)

Lord, I seem to be going in all directions this morning.  I pick up something in one room and take it to another confusionroom, where I see something that I need to do, which leads me to another room and another task.  I have made my own amusement park ride – going in all directions just to end up where I started.  I decide I need to sit down with my cup of reheated-again-coffee, take a breath, and focus.  Lord, I hear Your still, small voice reminding me that the way I live my life is sometimes like my time this morning.  I spend a lot of time going in all directions when I need to focus on You and the direction that you have for me.  Studies have shown that where our eyes go, our bodies will follow.  Runners are told to focus on a point ahead.  Professional drivers are told to focus on the road.  Christians are told to focus on You.  We all know what can happen when we lose focus.  Runners cross out of their lanes.  Drivers run off the road.  Christians become confused.  Matthew 14:29 tells us that Peter was walking on water when his focus was on You but sinking in the water when his focus changed.  Professional drivers have caused major traffic issues because their focus changed.  Well-trained runners have caused injuries to themselves and others when their focus changed. Christians have become mired in sin because their focus changed.  Lord, help me to keep my focus on You, to look to You on my life’s walk, to look to You when things seem to be racing by, to look to You when I am on top and when circumstances seem to be pulling me under.  Lord, help me to focus on You instead of the situation, to focus on Your healing instead of the pain, to focus on Your generosity instead of my wants.  Psalm 121:5 says that You watch over me. Thank You, Lord, for never losing Your focus.

Flip Flop Season

Apr6

Deuteronomy 6:5 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (HCSB)

 

I am drinking my coffee this morning from my flip-flop mug my friend gave me. I love flip-flops and wear themflip flops and bag from the first hint of warmth in Spring until my toes are getting frosty in the Fall. I think blue toes add just the right hint of color to an outfit, don’t you?  People who know me know of my love of flip-flops and are always giving me things to do with flip-flops. I have been given this flip-flop mug, a flip-flop tumbler for cold drinks, flip-flop jewelry, a flip- flop towel, a decorative flip-flop, and even flip-flops to wear. I used to have flip-flop cookies until my grandkids ate them! All of these were gifts; some even from people that don’t know me well but know that I love flip-flops.  They see my love for flip-flops, but do they see my love for You, Lord? People know that I have my flip-flops all the time. Do they know that I am with You all the time?  When people see flip-flops they think of me. Do they think of You when then they see me?  Deuteronomy 6:5 tells me to love You with all my mind and all my heart, with my entire being and with all my might.  That says to me that everything I do, everything I say, and just the way I live day-to-day shows people how much I love you.  Romans 13:10 says to me that love doesn’t hurt anyone on purpose, and I interpret that to mean that I need to watch my thoughts which so often turn into words — or worse the words that come out without thought!  Lord, people can see from the way I dress that I love flip-flops.  I want them to see from the way I live that I love You.

It’s Not My Fault!

Apr1

1 John 1:8-9: If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(HCSB)

As my friend and I are chatting over a cup of coffee this morning, she is telling me about a recent event with her three-year-old granddaughter.  The granddaughter had discovered a tube of the reddest shade of lipstick that grandma owned.  How could this marvelous discovery not be put to use?!  She had put lipstick on her eyelids for eye shadow, on her cheeks for blush, Imageand somewhere under the many layers of red, were some lips.  When she presented herself to her grandmother, grandmother’s immediate reaction was to scream, “What have you done?”  The three-year-old’s reply was also immediate — “It was an accident, Grandma.  It’s not my fault.”  As we were laughing, it came to mind how Your children have this same answer when we make a mess of things.  Adam not only said “It wasn’t my fault” but even suggested that it was Your fault — “this woman that You put here” (Gen 3:12).  Many years ago, my husband coached five and six year-olds on a baseball team.  He had one little boy on the team whose mantra was “I didn’t mean to do that so its not my fault.”  I didn’t plan to tell that lie; it just slipped out so it isn’t my fault.  I say what I think no matter who it hurts – it’s just the way I am so it isn’t my fault.  I sort of stumbled into that sin, so it really isn’t my fault.  Society says its okay, so I’m not really doing anything wrong.  It really wasn’t my fault so it really wasn’t a sin.  1 John 1:8 says that if we say (or think) we aren’t sinning, then we are deceiving ourselves.  Just because I can justify my sin or place the blame at someone else’s feet, doesn’t mean I’m not a sinner.  1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(HCSB). Thank you, Jesus, for saying “Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34) instead of “Father, give them the punishment they deserve because this is all their fault.”

The Best of Plans

Mar23

Psalm 33:11 – But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations. (NIV)

crying babyI am sipping my coffee and thinking about a conversation I had yesterday with a young father and can’t help but smile. He and his wife had their first child two weeks ago. He was telling me how they had talked to people to get advice and read all the recommended books on getting the baby on a schedule and making the baby conform to the household rules they already had in place. As he was talking I was trying not to let my friendly smile turn into howls of laughter. He then added that none of that stuff works and he and his wife were making themselves crazy trying to follow all the rules. The baby wanted to eat when she was hungry and wanted to sleep when she was sleepy. If she was sleeping, she didn’t care that your schedule said she needed to be eating. If she was hungry, she definitely didn’t care that the schedule said you should be sleeping! I made the statement that you can’t do everything that other people tell you to do; you make your own schedule. His reply was “The baby made the schedule. We just follow what she says”. As I’m sitting here sipping my coffee and smiling at the truth in his statement, I think how we are like that with You. We listen to what people tell us we should be doing. We read the books. We try to follow the rules. We try to make You fit our schedule of what is convenient for us. I have often heard it said that God laughs when we made plans. James tells us that we are always making plans for tomorrow without any idea of what might happen tomorrow. Proverbs 21:30 tells us that no plan can succeed without You, and Proverbs 19:21 says that man has many plans, but Your plans are the ones that are successful. Proverbs 16:9 says its okay to make our plans as long as You direct our steps. You tell us so clearly in Jeremiah 29:11 that You already know the plans You have for us, and that Your plans for us will give us a better future than anything we could ever plan. Help me to always keep Psalm 33:11 in front of any plans I may make ……… “the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations”

Codes

Mar19

Psalm 119:130: “The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.” (NIV)

John 18:20: “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered him. “I have always taught in the synagogue and in the temple complex, where all the Jews congregate, and I haven’t spoken anything in secret. (HCSB)

As I’m sipping my coffee this morning, I am smiling over the confusion but still a little baffled by what happened. My husband and I have been married almost forty years, and like most married couples, we have our own code language. For example, we have a code for what it really means when we suggest going out to eat. We have a couple of local restaurants that are “just don’t feel like cooking; lets go out” places. One is bar-b-que and one is pizza – neither fancy. If we are dirty and sweaty from working in the yard or something like that, we will take showers and put on some clean jeans and shirts, but usually its just “go as you are.” They definitely do not mean hair and make-up done and nice clothes. When these are our destination, the code is “Let’s just grab something for supper tonight.” Then there’s “Let’s go out to dinner tonight.” I know that translates into somewhere nice; somewhere worth time spent on hair and make-up; somewhere that involves steak or seafood or both! Yesterday as he was leaving for work, my husband said “Let’s go out for dinner tonight.” I’ve played this game before and therefore I am confident that I have the necessary clues to solve the riddle of what destination he has in mind, so that afternoon I start – shower with the good smelling stuff, hair and make-up done, nice clothes – and I am ready when he gets home. I have even gone over menu choices in my head! I rush out to the car, we leave the driveway,………… and he turns toward the pizza place. Wait…….what?!?! I am trying to figure out where I missed the clues and even bring up a few hints about “going out to dinner” vs “grab some supper”. The hints miss the target, and I end up upgrading to pasta over pizza but no steak or seafood in sight. Sometimes, codes don’t work. Sometimes hints fall flat. Thank You Lord that Your word is not a guessing game. Thank You for making Your word understandable and not a series of riddles with hints and clues. In John 18:20, Jesus said that He said nothing in secret. Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” and Psalm 119: 130 says “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” Thank You Lord for speaking to Your children in a way that is understandable to the highest and the lowest, to both kings and commoners. Thank You, Lord for giving me the light of Your word.
pasta

Church Eye Candy

Mar11

Ephesians 6:6 – Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. (HCSB)

 

1 John 2:16 – For everything that belongs to the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. (HCSB)

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 – Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. 7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: (HCSB)

 

 

 

Eye CandyAs I was finishing my coffee this morning, I started pondering some things said by speaker I recently heard.  She was saying that finding the work that God has for you involves some action on your part.   I don’t remember the exact wording but it was along the lines of people sit back and wait for a visit from a couple of angels and a prophet or two before they do any work at all.  The suggestion was that as Your servant, I need to step out and start trying different jobs, and if I discover it isn’t the job for me, I should not be afraid to step away.  The speaker also hit on the idea of not doing something just because someone else says you should be doing it.  I thought that idea needed more time because I feel that’s the one mountain that causes struggle in most women!  I was recently talking to some other pastors’ wives and telling about how when our family went to the first church my husband pastored, one woman kept telling me all the things the last pastor’s wife had done and how I bought into it.  I was a full time classroom teacher, had a child under a year old, my husband was in seminary all week, we had moved into a new area, and here I was — thinking if I could just do a little more, just do a little better, just take on one more church project, just lead one more committee, just teach one more class, then everyone would be happy.  A young friend of mine calls it “being church eye candy” – each person wants you to be seen doing what that person wants you to do.  Colossians 3:23 tells us to work to please God and not just to please other people.  Ephesians 6:6 says to work hard, but not just to please the people who are watching.  We are to work to do the will of God.  Is it God’s will that I work in the church’s preschool department?  Maybe that’s just the job God created me to do.  Maybe I’m NOT the person for the job, and when I refuse to acknowledge that, I’m taking someone else’s blessing.  Is it God’s will that I teach a class or work in the kitchen or sing in the choir?  Is it God’s will that I step away from some of the things I’m doing?  As church members, I think we sometimes get so busy doing “the work of the Lord” that we aren’t able to do the work that God has for us.  1 John 2:4 says that if we claim to know God and don’t obey Him, we are lying.  What if people get upset with me?  What if I look silly stepping away from a job?  1 John 2:16 says that our foolish pride and our selfish desires come from the world and NOT from the Father.  Lord, I know that You haven’t called me to be eye candy or a slave to desires, neither mine nor the ones others have for me, but You have called me to follow Your plans.  1 Corinthians 12 tells us about different people being called in different ways to serve You, but verses 6 and 7 sum it up for me: There are all kinds of wonderful activities, but You give each of us a specific gift to produce the work that is needed for Your glory at that point in time.  Lord, help me to use the gifts that You have given to me.  Help me to keep my eyes focused on the ways that You tell me to serve and not on the ways that people tell me to serve.  Help me to work to do Your will.

Comfort

Mar5

Jeremiah 1:5a – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart .” (NIV)

 

2 Corinthians 1:3 – Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. (HCSB)

teaI have a friend who has a sister suffering from the same rare blood disease that claimed their father’s life, and my friend called me this morning to give me an update.  I’m sitting here with my cup of coffee, she with her cup of tea, and we are talking to each other and to You, Lord.  Sometimes with medical issues too much knowledge is good, and having traveled this route before has given this family way too much knowledge of the potholes, the detours, and the dips in the road.  No matter what the doctors say or do, the family has flashbacks to all the things that could possibly happen.  As I listen and try to comfort my friend, I recall that scripture tells us “The Lord is a God who knows”.  I take great comfort in knowing that You know.  You know our fears, our hopes, our feelings as we go through the emotional roller coaster of dealing with illness.  You know our questions, even when we can’t put them into words.  You know our great joy when the test results are good, and our crushing disappointment when the results are not good.  You know that waiting for those test results is torture.  Jeremiah 1: 5 also comes to mind.  You knew all of us before You even formed us in the womb.  You knew my friend’s sister, and You knew her caregivers. This illness did not catch You by surprise.  She is in Your hands now and has been since before she was even born.  My friend was sharing with me how prayers had been answered – prayers about fevers, prayers about transfusions, and prayers about windows of time.  As my friend and I finished our conversation, I accidently knocked a book of scripture off of my desk.  The page that opened had one verse on it, II Corinthians 1:3 “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.”  Oh, Lord, thank You.  Thank You for taking care of us through the good times and the bad.  Thank You, Lord, for reminding us that You are the source of every mercy and comfort.

Gray Hair

Mar3

gray hairProverbs 20:29 – The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is gray hair. (HCSB)

Proverbs 16:21 – Gray hair is a glorious crown; it is found in the way of righteousness (HCSB)

As I sip my coffee this morning I am thinking about a birthday party we attended recently. My friend just celebrated her 50th birthday. As with all of the milestone birthdays, there were a lot of “over the hill” and black decorations.  Many of her gifts had to do with advanced aging — diapers, memory enhancers, walking canes.  Her still-in-their-40s friends thought these gifts were quite humorous and encouraged all the guests to follow that line of gift giving.  As someone who is very close to her “leaving the 50s behind” birthday, it seemed ridiculous for me to take part in the over the hill at 50 idea, but I did start thinking about aging.  As a child, we are some number and a half.  We are so proud of getting older; we just can’t wait another six months to be that next number.  Sometimes we can’t even wait to get to the half mark so we are “almost”.  Your 6th birthday may have been two weeks ago, but you are “almost 7”.  Then those wondrous and life-is-going-to-be-amazing birthdays come into sight – 16, 18,  21!  Then the writers say you turn 30, push 40, reach 50, and make it to 60.  Wow!  What an image that creates!  It sounds as if we are climbing the steep rock wall of aging and just barely holding on.  I recently read that Americans spent over $25 million MORE on anti-aging skin care products in 2011 than in 2010.  I don’t know if that’s true but again…..wow!  The media tries to convince us that we need to be more concerned about the age we look than the life we live.  We chase after what we think will give us a better life by trying to fight the inevitable effects of aging and then lie about our age.  When did aging become so bad of a thing that we hide it as in shame?  I’ll readily admit that I miss the mornings of springing out of bed, ready for a day of activities.  Now just getting out of the bed is an activity! But 2 Corinthians 4:16 says “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (NIV).  Lord, help me to see my gray hair as a crown instead of as a punishment.  Help me not be so consumed with my outward appearance and what others see that I lose sight of what You see.  Lord, I want to be the person described in Psalm 92:14 and bear fruit in my old age.  Thank you Lord for Your great blessings.