Thinking on these things . . .

It's New Year's Eve; so although the clock strikes midnight every night, today it will usher in a new year. We're on the brink of the new and unknown. Does it feel like this?   or more like this? As you're just not sure what's ahead... But what if, as the clock struck midnight, you were cognizant of these truths - Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,  your faithfulness to the skies.   Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,  your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge  in the shadow of your wings.(NIV) You feed them from the abundance of your own house,  letting them drink from your rivers of delight. For you are the fountain of life,  the light by which we see. (NLT) Continue your love to those who know you (NIV) Pour out your unfailing love to those who love you (NLT)  Ps. 35:5-10 ...

As I wandered in stores this week, and observed life in general, one disturbing message was loud and clear - Christmas is over. It's time to shove all the merchandise (that has been so highly lauded since Halloween) pell mell onto the clearance shelves and mark it 80% off. Out with the old. We're done with that stuff; we're moving on and now Valentine's merchandise is going there... Christmas is over; the message is clear. It is now time to gear up for 2012. Family, celebrations, "I'll be home for Christmas" dreams are seemingly all complete, shoved into boxes and stuffed back into the attic or taken out in the trash in the mounds of ripped off wrapping paper. Out with the sentimental and nostalgic:  time to make new resolutions, look forward, clear the clutter (as is the lead story of every single magazine out there) and determine to be a better ________(you fill in the blank) Yes, the tree must come down. Yes, our homes must be reclaimed ...

It doesn't feel like Christmas; perhaps because it's on the weekend this year or because there's no snow on the ground but I'm just not feeling "christmasy". The decorations are up, the music is playing, the gifts are wrapped, the menu's planned and Christmas cookies are everywhere, yet... although it doesn't feel like normal; it does feel routine. I imagine it felt the same way for the shepherds; this was their springtime routine of being in the fields at night as it was calving season. They weren't out at night year round but they were every spring, so while it wasn't normal,  still it was the same as before. On the other hand what Mary and Joseph were experiencing was far from their normal - a pregnancy, the gossip, visions of angels, and now a forced journey to an unfamiliar place - they were completely out of their comfort zone. Some Christmas' feel like that, after a loss, a diagnosis, or announcement; this will not be the typic...

I live in a small house and everything has it's place. Well, actually that's not true; many things have their places and then there is all the other stuff that just migrates from one place to another... So now it is Christmas and time to put up the decorations.  As I look around my living room I do not see an open space just waiting for the Christmas tree; instead I see a room already full to overflowing: where could I possibly fit in a tree? So there is this time of evaluation; what can be moved out in order to make a place for Christmas? How can I rearrange what is present in this room so that the tree (and all the accompanying decor) will have a home? And after a plan is formulated then it is time to do the heavy lifting; to move the chair from one place to another, to clean out the things that have accumulated along the sides and corners, to see the entire space in a new light that is looking to make room for a celebration. I live a small life and it is chock full ...

Last January I came across the website   http://myoneword.org/ . The concept is fairly simple, instead of making a long list of resolutions for the coming year choose ONE WORD. As they said "This process provides clarity by taking all of your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single thing." So I tried it. I chose a word and, although my attention to it waxed and waned through the months, it truly has provided a clear focus. My invitation to us is not as ambitious, but just as important. Let's choose a word to meditate on this month, up to and including all the Christmas festivities and then afterwards as we head into a new year. What will you focus on this season? Not what will you do this season as that list is endless; but where will your heart focus? Will it be on Peace? Joy? Love? Savior? Messiah? or...??? My word (as illustrated) is Emmanuel, because despite all and through all I want to focus on the fact that  i...

I'm getting a tuxedo ready for my 15 year old son. And I can't believe it. I had no idea he'd be in a position to wear one so soon! And I wonder... I wonder what clothes God has in store for us for positions He knows we'll soon be filling. Will it be the suit of a speaker or the soft sweater of a grandparent, the shoes of one with a mission or an outfit paired with coffee for a time of listening? What are His plans? What is He preparing for us? The Bible talks of God preparing a place for us in heaven (John 14), but what does He have in mind for us to finish before we arrive at home? When my son steps out with his violin at the concert he will be prepared,in his skill set and with the proper attire. What attire is God preparing for you? And how is He preparing you for it?

"O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me." (NLT) I will answer him and care for him. I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me."(NIV) It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.(ESV) It's been there all along but I'd never noticed this verse in Hosea 14:8, but; now that I'd seen it, my eyes were opened! 'Tis the season of evergreens! They stand full and proud while their deciduous counterparts are stark barren sticks. We're bringing their beauty and fresh smell into our homes to stand in places of prominence. The tradition of decorating evergreens is centuries old; however, I couldn't find an explanation as to why this particular tree - until I saw it here - in Scripture. God's faithfulness is likened to an ever green tree - constant, u...

 Unfailing love surrounds those who trust in the Lord - Psalm 32:10b (NLT) Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him. (NIV) Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord (ESV) Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him (NKJV) You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance  Psalm 32:7 You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand of blessing on my head....I can never escape from Your Spirit! I can never get away from Your presence! If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the grave, You are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there will Your hand guide me and your strength support me. Psalm 139: 5,  7-10 Unfailing love surrounds those who trust in the Lord...

Ideally life should look like this However; typically, mine looks like this Which is okay if all the ducks stay still so I can assemble them into a tidy row: if I can take all my responsibilities and give them the proper time and attention they require. Unfortunately my "ducks" more closely resemble Canadian geese - independent,fast moving, fat and mean. Making it a constant race to chase them down to get them in order. And they don't like getting in order...really. Ducks, Geese, Responsibilities, None are  predisposed to get into a nice orderly row. Instead they exhibit other behaviors... some days are just that way... And it is on these days that it is good to remember that I am not the one sitting on the throne of the universe. God is in control and because He is, I don't have to be. I will do my best act responsibly in all my commitments and obligations. But putting ducks in rows, is ultimately up to Him.  ...

Artwork by Timothy Botts I am the Bread of Life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again. John 6:35 Never hungry again - not for purpose or fame; or satisfaction or success. Not for affirmation or approval; or love or comfort. Not for pleasure or motivation; or  companionship or understanding. The Bread of Life stands ready to satisfy all my appetites, promising that if I have Him, He is all that I need. No matter the day or the season or the year if I have Him, it is enough. He is my daily bread.

I passed them on my way to the grocery store and then again on my way home. Here was a dad with his two small daughters and they too were going to the store;only their pace was not as brisk as mine... The father could have been walking as quickly as I, but he was not alone. He'd slowed his pace to match his daughter's, staying by her side and not hurrying her along. The LORD is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust. Psalms 103:13,14 I've no doubt that God has wanted me to move more quickly along paths of righteousness in the journey of becoming more like Christ. When He says "go" I imagine He has more of a purposeful stride in mind than the ambling I do. But He is the ultimate father. He walks with us; at our pace. He will make sure that we will get to where we are going even if we stop to look at bugs on the sidewalk or flit off to chase a few butte...

For the past few months I've been mindful of what I've been eating; trying to conciously choose what I feel is healthiest for me. This morning my daughter, who got up earlier than I, came upstairs with breakfast for both of us; to be eaten, of course, all snuggled in my bed. While it was delicious and so very thoughtful, it was not exactly what I'd planned on having. The bagel was delicious and the coffee was really strong and so I ate and drank because she had lovingly prepared it for me. Sometimes God puts things on our plates that we would not have chosen to partake of; and yet, there they are. Do we partake? Do we trust that the One who loves us more than we can imagine, knows what is best for us? Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me. Proverbs 30:8 Let us be so convinced of the goodness and faithful love of our God  that we can thank Him for whatever He puts on our pl...

It's my birthday and because of the celebrations and numerous free birthday item coupons, I have eaten my way through the week! Five days (so far!) of palate pleasing pursuits; ice cream and coffees, pie, breakfast and lunches, and bakery cookies shaped like cupcakes. It's been a scrumptious journey! A birthday is a perfect time to stop and savor, not only all the deliciousness of celebration, but the richness of another year lived with the blessings of the Lord. So many years ago this baby girl was born and has consequently been sustained and upheld all the days that have followed. As I look through my history I trace the hand of God; and I am sure that this same hand will continue to guide and uphold me in the years to come. A birthday is a time to pause and remember and in the remembering, to step into a new year with confidence. Taste (and savor) and see (remember) that the Lord is good. Oh the joys (and peace!) of those who trust in H...

Things change. This is neither rocket science nor new information. What  is today may not be tomorrow. Things change. God does not change. No matter how the seasons, circumstances, friends, locations, or abilities change; God remains the same. He is constant. If your landscape which was once bathed in sun and balmy breezes is now barren and life threateningly cold; God remains the same.(Hebrews 13:8) If the circle of chairs around your table grows fewer; God is still present. (Psalm 27:10) If your energy runs out before the hours of the day, if your needs exceed the bills in your wallet, if where once you abounded you are now bereft; God still supplies all that we need. (Philippians 4:19) Thou changest not Thy compassions, they fail not, Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me... ( From the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness which is based on Lamantations 3:22,23) Thou changest not - no matter what else may change - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, ...

On this cold rainy afternoon I'd made a very tall cup of coffee and was slowly making my way through Psalm 119:  it's filled with two line nuggets of gold and I was mining it for all it was worth.  Remember Your promise to me for it is my hope (v. 49) Your principles have been the music of my life throughout the years of my pilgrimage (v. 54)  Lord, you are mine!...with all my heart I want your blessings (v. 57)  All your commands are trustworthy (v.86) Lord, accept my grateful thanks (v. 108) You are near O Lord, and all your commands are true (v. 151) Let my lips burst forth in praise for You have taught me your principles. Let my tongue sing about Your Word. (v. 171) The whole psalm is like a love letter to the Lord about the value of His commands and how they have guided the psalmist all throughout his life and have been his joy and peace even though his enemies have been out to get him. At one point it even seemed to me that the writer was a bit of a ...

Ah, it's fall in the Midwest and, along with the apple picking and pumpkin choosing, it is the season of corn mazes. It must have been some very enterprising farmer who thought to cut mazes into the browned out fields  before they were harvested for winter feed. The concept is simple. You enter the field at the appointed point and find your way to the exit point.  Sometimes there is a map, often there are only clues, and you, and rows and rows of corn... There is a path, a way out, a solution; however, the trick is avoiding all the dead ends and paths that lead to nowhere... From the air it's much easier to determine the correct route out It's a whole different story though from ground level! We live at ground level. We live being able to see only the path directly in front of us, the rest of our perspective shielded by circumstances that surround us. When we feel we're wandering aimlessly it is good to remember that the course...

If ignorance is bliss and knowledge is power; than what is uncertainty? What is that pause between not knowing and knowing? What if you are aware you don’t know but will soon find out; and that when you do the impact on your life will be significant. Where do you go in such a time? You go to the One who knows. Because not only does He know the future, but more importantly He knows your heart. He knows your heart because He made it – He made their hearts, so He understands everything they do. Psalms 33:15 He knows your heart because He is close to you – You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh. Psalms 38:9 He knows what the impact will be and how to give you all that you need. Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior! For each day He carries us in His arms...who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19 ...May He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is plea...

I have no business walking down a coffee aisle; and yet, here I am trolling for the Autumn Apple (it’s so yummy!) I have already amassed enough coffee to start my own coffee shop. Seriously. Yet I’m still looking for more, just in case… I can’t imagine having only a single bag in the house. What if today I have a taste for Island Coconut and tomorrow I’m feeling more like Pumpkin Spice? What if tonight I’d like some coffee so I’d need to have some decaf on hand? Chocolate Raspberry is wonderful made into an iced coffee and a cup of Caramel Vanilla is like dessert! I’m never sure of what I’ll want so I aim to be prepared! It’s absolutely ridiculous and reveals, to me, a deeper truth about myself. “The Lord who made you and helps you says…Do not fear. For I will give you abundant water to quench your thirst…” Isaiah 44:2 For I will give you abundant water . Why is it that I feel I have to meet my own needs; that I am responsible to stockpile supplies for every contingency l...

My son was freaking out this morning. “The early train is stuck at the station and my train is late! How am I going to get to school on time? Even if I run all the way from the train I’m going to be late!! I don’t even know where to go if I’m late!!! What if it doesn’t come at all? All these people are here and no one knows what to do…” His plans had been derailed. The way things should have been working, wasn’t. His timetable was shattered. Everything was up for grabs and no one had any answers. What he didn’t know was that everything was under control. There were contingency plans in place for such an occurrence at the train station and at the school. Another plan was in place and everything was going to be just fine. I told him that, repeatedly, but it wasn’t until he lived through it that he could realize I was right. My Father tells me that although my plans have been derailed and although things aren’t happening according to my timetable, that there is a plan i...

 About fifteen years ago I was all alone and on my knees sobbing in a hospital chapel. I was pregnant - with a child we'd been told had a good chance of some serious problems- and I was in pre-term labor. I was scared and had no idea of what was going to happen next.  Isaiah 41: 10 - Calligraphy by Timothy Botts And what happened next was God, the One who knows the big picture, setting up the dots to be connected. I looked up and saw this mural on the chapel's back wall and line by line the words of this verse calmed my terror and assured me that, whatever the outcome, I would be upheld by God's victorious right hand. I memorized both the verse and graphic presentation of it that day and held onto it throughout the rest of the pregnancy until I was holding my beautiful baby boy. Today I sent my son off to his first day of High School -to commute by train to downtown Chicago - and I, with all my anxiety, was not the most anxious of the two...

It all began with the $2.99 electric ice shaver.  Add a couple bottles of flavored syrups, above average summer temps and suddenly mine was the most popular house in the neighborhood; my kitchen was like it was like a concession stand at a carnival! I wondered how the syrup was going to last all summer-seeing that each bottle was more expensive than the shaver and at that price I really didn't want to be replacing them. My worries were in vain for as the temperatures cooled so did the demand  and now on this 55 degree last morning of summer you can see (from the photo) that I had more than just enough. We have these situations that demand every last resource we have; all of our strength, patience, discernment, energy and spiritual character. Seeing the road ahead is long the question is how can I keep this up? I don't have enough. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be te...

As the temperature has returned to the HOT range these last days of summer vacation, I spend this afternoon in the water with my kids. While I was there, floating and frolicking, I realized two things; this was the first time I’d done this all summer and my feet were really clean! I’m a “feet on the ground” kind of girl – as soon as it’s temperate enough my shoes are off which means for roughly six months of the year I’m either barefoot or in flip-flops! Consequently my feet are never really clean – as in pristine or without a ground in kind of dirt residue; showers and quick swipes of the washcloth can’t completely get the job done. But today I have clean feet because I went and played; enjoying the water for an extended time. We are all "feet constantly on the ground" people; barely one problem is solved before another takes its place and the days turn into weeks and suddenly whole seasons have passed us. We rarely have time to revel, to play, to just unwind eno...

 It has been calling me for months. Every morning the heavens stretch out glorious pink and golden banners and invite me to be part of the celebration of a new day. And I think about it, I really do! I squint out my window and see the sun rising and consider getting up and out there to revel in all that beauty; and then  close my eyes and go back to sleep. But this morning I had to get closer and see more than the little that had filtered through the trees to my window. The grass was dewy and the birds insistent and, as I walked through the yard, no longer was the sunrise just a few compelling streaks but instead a vast  landscape that enveloped me. Looking back at my bedroom windows it was hard to believe the sun could even reach into those little glass rectangles waaaaay back there; but it had, faithfully for weeks, and that was the reason I was now engrossed in the panorama around me. I think it’s similar with the Son. He calls t...

Take a large binder clip The kind you'd use to hold a bunch of sheets together. Turn it upside down and it - voila!- becomes a note card holder!!  How amazed and impressed are you? :) Every day we use all kinds of things as they were intended to be used. Binder clips bind paper, clothespins hold laundry, and a goblet holds liquid but all these things are not limited to just a single purpose. The binder clip becomes a note card holder, the clothespin keeps the bag closed and our chips fresh and the goblet becomes a luminary with the addition of a tea light candle. And if we can be oh so very clever don't you think that God, the Creator of the Universe, can take what we're experiencing in life and use it for purposes far beyond our limited rationales? " My thoughts are completely different from yours, says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine..." Isaiah 55:8 "Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, He is a...

Although the words were written thousands of years ago, they still  resonate with the heart engaged in honest confession before God in their request. Psalm 119: 5-8 (NLT) Oh, that my actions would conisistently reflect your principles! Instead of reflecting how I'm quicker to worry than to trust, to gossip then to pray, to take the easy route instead of pursing the holy... Then I will not be disgraced when I compare my life with your commands. I am looking pretty good compared to some to the people around me, even those in the church! But in Your eyes and compared to your commands I stand head bowed in shame... When I learn your righteous laws I will thank you by living as I should! Yes, Yes Lord that's what I'll do! I know your laws and I will live by them! Until I'm tired, or discouraged, or stubborn, or when your laws seem just so hard... I will obey your principles. You know my heart Lord; I really want to follow your commands but I just keep f...

I had a patch of thirsty flowers but the hose was all wound up nicely and put away and I didn't want the hassle of getting it out. I filled up a bucket and dumped it on the plants; and whoosh, the water was sucked into the parched earth so quickly it was as if I'd added no moisture as all. Well clearly that wasn't going to work! So I pulled out the hose, untangled the kinks, hooked it up to the tap and gave the flowers the drink they really needed.  While I was at it I watered the whole garden thoroughly as there wasn't any effort involved as the hose was already in place. I picked up a women's magazine and found an inspirational sidebar which read "Your dreams are within reach" "You're someone worth believing in" "You can succeed. You should succeed. You will succeed" So refreshing aren't they? Like a bucket of water poured into parched ground. How much sustenance is there in a sentimental saying? Some, but how...

I went for a walk this morning; after six weeks of lying in bed and watching the sun rise and thinking "I really should get up and walk", I finally did. And as I walked I remembered one thing; I am the only one who can get myself to exercise. I can read books, watch motivational shows, compare the pros and the cons, buy the apparel and the equipment, and be both encouraged and warned by people in my life but when it comes right down to it, it is up to me to lace tight my shoes and hit the pavement. I am also the only one who can lift my hands to God. I can speak the lingo, read the most popular Christian authors, wear the appropriate Sunday morning clothing and sing the songs but none of it makes me one who seeks God.  I have to intentionally lift my hands, my heart, to Him. Psalms 34:15 says "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry".  So we see God is waiting, but are we asking? Are we crying out to Him...

 I am fascinated by my air conditioner. (I know, simple minds are easily amused!) I am amazed because it is still working. Even though it's been running non-stop through a week of blistering heat, it's still going strong. I keep expecting it to give out. To say "enough is enough" and quit. But still it is humming along keeping me cool and providing a place of refuge from the soaring heat and humidity. I've always thought of a place of "refuge" as a well fortified castle with the drawbridge drawn up over the moat to keep out the enemy. I'm rethinking that at the moment as I realize what a place of refuge an air conditioned room can be. Coolness when it is hot. Refreshing relief from oppression. A place to breathe when everything else is stifling. A place I need not worry about my survival and well being because here I can simply rest and know this is a safe and good place. All of what is true of an air-conditioned room is also true o...

It is hot! But I'm sure, that since 32 out of 50 states are under an excessive heat warning, I don't need to tell you it's hot. Knowing the heat was coming and that I'd be away for a few days I stood with the hose deluging the flowers until their dry dust beds transformed into rich warm soil with rivulets of water.  I gave them a long, deep, satisfying drink hoping it would be enough for them to endure the oppression that was coming. It wasn't because it couldn't be. For flowers to thrive in the summer a single long drink is not enough. The solution is a soaker hose and a timer - the guarantee of liquid nourishment every day. Life is tough. But I'm sure, since you're living life, you already know that. A single moving satisfying spiritual experience - be it at church,conference, concert, or just an amazing insight from the Word, in all it's refreshing wonderfulness; is not enough. A deep drink cannot last over the heat of days. We th...

There's this game we play that goes something like this... "I love you" "I love you more" "I love you more than chocolate chip cookies" "I love YOU more than snow days" "I love you more than..." On and on it goes. Now if you're loved more than broccoli or homework that's not so great BUT if you are loved more than coffee (from me) or ice cream (from the kids) now that is really something!! I'm realizing that this is also something I want to say and act towards my God. "I love You more than holding this grudge." "I love You more than treating others the way they've treated me." "I love you more than this hurt, need for revenge, or following the desires of my own heart." This is no game. This is how God asks me to live my life, to love Him more than my own desires; to follow His commands more than my own intuitions or understanding. To say with the actions of my life that...

There was a star blinking at me when I logged in this morning informing me that I had lost 5 pounds! Sounds great doesn't it?  Now this would have been amazing if it had been a week, great if it had been two, acceptable if it had been three but was downright dismal when it’s the result of four weeks – four weeks of only serving others ice cream, not taking the extra slice of pizza and turning down countless icy cold beverages on hot summer days. This was my big result? whoo hoo… I really hate long term plans!! Now granted, if I keep losing weight at this rate I will be in the vicinity of what it says on my driver’s license in a couple years; that’s something right? Right?! Perhaps it’s me, or because I’m a product of the culture but I want it now. Via coffee, instant oatmeal, patience and maturity in a hurry – and put a rush on that! And although I may not like it the lack of speed, there is great security and peace knowing that God has a long term plan in pl...